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*hic*, originally uploaded by caseycasey.

We’re practicing sippy cup usage; I finally gave in and put the nipple attachment on because all he was doing was sucking a bunch of milk and letting it all dribble out of his mouth.

My schmoopy is almost 1. Crazy.

More baby here.

I hugged Josh tonight. “Happy Father’s Day,” I said. “You know, it means a lot to me that you are the father of my baby.”

“Awww.” Josh gave me a kiss. “Or that I was willing to let you put my name down on his birth certificate?” I snorted. “I just didn’t want your reputation to be sullied any more than it had already been.”

“Man, I was trying to have a schmoopy moment and here you are, accusing me of being a whore.”

“Who’s accusing?”

Happy Baba’s Day, Josh. I love you, and so does Matthew.

a mosaic I had printed up and framed for Josh (from both me and Matthew, of course)

footprints from yesterday at a fair we went to (compare to this)

Dear Matthew:

In less than a month, you’re going to be 1 year old and that is totally freaking me out. Aah! In other 11 month news…

If these last few weeks or so were any indication, your toddler years upcoming will have us running ragged. You are everywhere – crawling like crazy into our bedroom, into the bathroom, onto Ava’s pillow (side note, ew), into the kitchen, opening cabinets – everything interests you! You love crawling! And this last week or so has you really interested in pulling up – you are a pro at this now. Baba and I think that you’ll definitely be walking in under a month – you are so strong now!

Earlier this month, we took another trip back east – this time to Virginia so we could visit with one of Mama’s oldest and dearest friends, Auntie Diana. We stayed with her and her dog, Charlie, who loved you to bits and pieces. You loved him too, although he’s a lot more boisterous than your relatively sedate doggie Ava is.

Right after we got back, though, you were sick again, but this time it was a relatively mild virus – roseola – which just spiked itself in high fevers (103.2 at one point!) and left its rashy mark on you after it was done. You’re doing well now, though, and it would be nice if a month could go by without your getting too sick!

Your personality is really starting to shine through. You are going to be a risk-taker, I think. You love it when Baba pushes you very high in the baby swing at the park – it drives me crazy, but you love it. You love it when we chase you, or when you chase us (when in your stroller or mei tai, you “chase” us by commanding one parent to run after the other). Your legs start thrusting in circles and your happiness is too great to be contained in your smile – it infects your hands and feet too! You love it when we sniff your stinky little feet and say “pee eww!” You love it when we tickle your neck and eat your ribs and pinch (lightly, not like the way you pinch us!) your thighs.

Another way your personality is starting to emerge is with your patience – or lack thereof. You remind me of me – you want what you want when you want it – not a minute too soon or too late! You’ve discovered your voice, and you use it – much to our neighbors’ dismay. You hate wearing a bib, hate getting your diaper changed, and hate sitting still – you have to be on the go-go-go!

Thank goodness you’ve mastered the hardwood floors. Your head thanks you, as well.

You’ve learned so much this last month, it is amazing. Besides the pulling up, you said “Mama” on purpose for the first time last week. We were getting ready for bed and we said good night to Baba, Ava and then in your room, good night to Matthew and Mama. I asked you if you could say “Mama” and you did. It was amazing! We’re working on Baba now, and slowly but surely, both your Baba and I will have to watch our language more. I have a feeling we won’t be able to stop you, verbally or otherwise, now.

I can hardly believe that your first birthday is soon upon us. I vividly remember this time last year and being anxious about your arrival, and also dreading it – I knew I would miss carrying you inside me, and sometimes I do – you certainly were a lot more portable back then. But these days, when you’re in such a rush to move and explore around you and away from me, I long for those days when you and I were more together than we are now. I wouldn’t give this time up for the world – you’re so much fun to be with now that you’re mobile and your personality is emerging.

This first year thus far has been amazing. I can’t wait to see what the second will be like as well.

Always,
Mama

(11 month pictures here)

On the outside, smiley happy boy, originally uploaded by caseycasey.

Matthew is growing up.

Josh and I were talking the other day about how we were so excited when Matthew started sitting reasonably well on his own – around 6 months. “It’s so great!” I remember saying. “We can sit him with some pillows around him and a small box of toys and he’s interested for an hour!”

Ha!

Soon, the sitting became leaning and pulling and reaching, and then the leaning and pulling and reaching became crawling (first backwards), then the backwards crawling became forward motion and now, crawling has led to reaching up and pulling himself up. He’s so strong now – we think that he’ll be walking before he turns 1 for sure.

Before Matthew was born I kept hearing over and over again about how fast time flies with a baby, so remember those moments and cherish them. I find it’s partially true – some moments during a day move painfully slowly – but when I think back to his growth over the last ten and a half months, I am in awe. I mean, in the course of the last ten and a half months, he’s learned to smile, to nurse, to drink from a bottle, to eat food, to laugh, to wave, to recognize faces, to cry meaningfully, to hold his head up, to crawl, to crawl forwards, to eat his toes, to grow teeth, to chew, to splash in a tub and a pool, to give kisses, to sit up, to roll over, to roll into a sitting position from being flat on his back, and now he’s about to learn how to walk.

That’s pretty busy for ten and a half months. Makes me feel like a damned slacker, that’s for sure.

Hey! IT’S THE TRAIN ZOMG, originally uploaded by caseycasey.

Very happy while waiting for the train to arrive.

• Matthew is getting over roseola – he’s in the rash stage of this illness. At one point his fevers got up to 103.2!! But he weathered through fine, if not crankily and sleeplessly. But already today, when his fever broke and the rash appeared, his sleep has vastly improved. So, yay for that! Boo for fever.
• Matthew and I flew to Virginia to visit Diana! It was great fun to spend some time with Auntie Diana. We have vowed not to let 3 years go between seeing each other again!
• Matthew has found his voice, in spades. Why babble when you can shout at the top of your lungs?

A list of the foods Matthew has eaten is below. We have been a lot more lax about letting him try foods since he came up as not allergic to the five major food allergens.

Vegetables & Fruits
sweet potato
carrots
butternut squash
acorn squash
green beans
avocado
watermelon
bananas
apricots
cherries
peaches
apples
tomatoes

Meats & Proteins
chicken
beef
turkey
lamb
eel
squid
eggs
tofu

Other
oatmeal
rice cereal
brown rice
cheese
yogurt
wheat toast