Captain Sleepy Pants

Matthew must be in the middle of a growth spurt because he's been spending some serious time in the sack this week. I feel like I never see him! He's usually up by 6:30 or so in the morning but yesterday it was 7:30 and today it was a luxurious 7:50. And he's been taking 3 hour naps in the afternoon for several days now, it's crazy! The boy loves his bed. Yesterday Joy, Pam & I went out for an indulgent pedicure so our toes look cute at the beach while Tim stayed behind with the napping Ava & Matt. I had put Matt down at 12:30 and everyone arrived shortly after that. We returned home about 2:45 and Ava was up playing with Matt's toys but Matt was of course still racked out. Everyone left, and Matt kept sleeping. He didn't even know that anyone had even been there! He missed the whole thing. He finally stirred at 3:30 but then got quiet again. After about 10 minutes of silence I went into his room. He had fallen asleep again! That's him with his rear up in the air, sucking his thumb and clutching his "B". Yeah, so I woke him up. And talk about sweaty! I changed his sheets since they were damp to say the least, and Matt always likes to play with the bumper I've thrown on the floor while I wrestle with his crib mattress. He got his "babies" (wipes with baby photos on them) down from the changing table and brought them over to his bumper lounge area and had just a field day talking to them and pointing at their eyes, ears & mouths and then laughing hysterically. Tonight, I didn't think Matt would ever stop eating. I seriously think he was in that high chair for 45 minutes stuffing his face. I kept pulling stuff out and he kept wolfing it down like he'd never seen food before. More! More! I finally cut him off, and once Steven got home from work he tried to beg food off of him too! He's definitely growing again...I bet the new pj's I just bought him yesterday won't fit him for very long. Ah well.

We've had a quiet, laid-back weekend. Matthew went to his new class at church this Sunday. He's moved up to a room with no cribs in it now! He gets a Bible lesson, too. So grown up, I know. This afternoon we played out in the backyard. I put my swimsuit on and got in the baby pool with Matt since it was so stinking hot. I sat down and Matt laughed at looked at me with wonder and said, "Ma-ma!! Pool, pool!" He thought it was awesomely absurd that I was in the pool with him. I think it blew his mind. Normally I just sit on the side in a lawn chair with my feet dangling in. We had fun splashing around and filling buckets of water up and throwing them on each other. It was a great way to spend my Sunday afternoon. And now Matt is fast asleep once again.

Accident Prone

Yesterday Steven took care of the yard work while Matt was taking his nap. Once Matt woke up he immediately heard the lawn mower and then spotted his daddy out the window slaving away. He of course wanted to join him outside. We got out there and Matt ran all over the place as usual saying hi to his two strollers in the garage and the boat and he then led me to the backyard. He quickly decided he wanted to swing and soon thereafter heard all the kids squealing and having a good time down at the pool. He pointed in that direction and said, "pahk!" for park. I told him what he was hearing was coming from the pool, and he then wanted out of the swing only to make his way over to the back gate and beg. I told him we had to go inside and put his swimsuit on before we could go down to the pool.

We came in and I gave him a bowl of snacks and his milk and went into his room to fetch the swim diaper and swim trunks. I took his wet diaper off and he immediately sprinted from me and positioned himself on the opposite side of the coffee table clutching his bowl and grinning. He bent at the waist and then even as it was happening I was in total disbelief: he POOPED! He darted off again and of course my first impulse was to get the mess off the carpet so I ran to the bathroom for a towel. I picked up the poo quickly and then ran to go dispose of it while leaving Matt still nude from the waist down eating his snacks and talking to the cat who was perched on the coffee table. I was flushing the waste when I heard whining coming from the living room that was in fact quickly escalating to tears. I thought maybe the cat had swatted at him since he was probably being harassed by Matthew. And then Matt was saying, "no, no...yucky! yucky!" I walked in there, and to my horror I saw poop littered all over the carpet and my son holding on to the coffee table and marching in place with disgust because he had poop on his feet. The cat was circling, and Steven was still outside. I didn't even know what to do. How did he get it all over the place? Was he walking while pooping? Seriously. And how could he have gone that much? I had just cleaned up a sizeable amount! Ugh. So, I used a towel to try and get it off his feet but he was squirming and it inevitably ended up all over me so we headed straight for the tub and stripped. Matthew was frantic at the idea of a bath so he cried through the whole cleansing process and all I could think about was how in the world was I going to get those stains out of the carpet and had the cat stepped in it by now and spread it out even more and where the heck was Steven??? Matt & I were drying off and Steven walked in. Steven was able to wrangle Matt while I set to work on the mess on the floor. I never want to have to do that again. I've learned that Matthew needs immediate diaper replacement and is NOT to be trusted to run around in the buff. That morning he peed on the bathroom floor right after his bath before I could get the diaper on him. So yeah...we've had our first run-in with poop and somehow I feel it won't be our last.

We did finally make it down the pool, and Matt quite enjoyed himself.

Extending the Family

Before you get too excited, no...this is not a pregnancy announcement!! Steven & I flew to St. Louis this weekend for my father and Ann's wedding ceremony. It was held at the gorgeous Hyatt Regency hotel at Union Station in St. Louis. It was so strange travelling and going somewhere without our precious baby boy. I never worried about him though because I knew he was happy and having a blast with Joy, Zach & Ava.

Friday night we celebrated my Dad's birthday at the hotel with catered Mexican food and a mingling of all the families. We were delighted to see all of our relatives and friends that were there and also to meet Ann's family members. What wonderful people they are!

Saturday after breakfast my dad took us on a "walking tour" of some of the highlights of St. Louis. Really, it was a way for us to kill some time, keep the groom & ourselves busy, and enjoy a sampling of what St. Louis has to offer. Enjoying the tour were Steven & I, Dad, Mr. & Mrs. Brawley, and Mike & Barb. We hopped on the Metro train and took it down to the arch and the hub of downtown. It was really quite an impressive site. We then rode back up the train to see the stadium where the Cardinals play. Those St. Louisians (or whatever they're called!) are head-over-heels in love with that team; it's a complete obsession. I've never seen so many stores strictly dedicated to the sales of one professional baseball team's merchandise. It was like Starbucks on every corner! By then it was getting hot and we were all a bit fussy so we headed back to the hotel. Bryan & Sarah had arrived by then so we all grabbed a bite to eat together.

The wedding began at 5:00 and was a beautiful affair. Ann looked absolutely radiant and my father was beaming, and they both were very happy. After vows were exchanged cocktails were served followed by a delicious dinner where all 58 guests were served at one, huge table in a spectacular hallway. Then it was on to another room where the dancing commenced and yummy wedding cake and chocolates were served. It was quite a party, and I really, truly enjoyed getting to meet all of Ann's family. Our family keeps getting bigger! It's a wonderful thing.

We flew home yesterday and were very anxious to see Matthew. He was thankfully just as happy to see us and the reunion was so sweet. The Reners gave us a good report on his behavior so that was a relief! I can't thank them enough for taking care of him and loving him. This week we'll just be catching up and doing all the normal things we usually do. Here we come HEB!

A Night with the Ladies

Yesterday was Bryan & Sarah's 9th wedding anniversary (congrats!), and Steven & I watched the girls for them while they went to a movie. Matthew was beside himself with excitement as he saw them unloading from their van and entering the house. It got loud really quick! Matthew was sucking his thumb off and on and spinning his blanket in fast, tight circles with his other little fist while charging through all of them and yelling something undecipherable. They all happily played until dinner time where Audrey said grace (so cute...she went around the table and thanked God for everyone sitting there) and our dinner conversation included a discussion of pets and why Matthew doesn't like eating off a plate. After dinner I put Matt to bed because he had already passed his bedtime and I knew he'd only get more amped up with his cousins running around. He protested and twisted in my arms as I carried him into his room but once he saw his bed he relaxed and then went right to sleep. He somehow slept through all the splashing and squealing from the girls all in the bathtub. Somehow they all fit, and after much playing and cups of water tossed over board and soap in eyes and "ow, Audrey's stepping on me!" they were all clean and in jammies. I put them all to bed (which took some time and some convincing), and then Steven & I relaxed in the quietness until the celebratory couple arrived back from their date. We had a great time playing with the girls and watching Matt get crazy in their midst. It's always a great show.

Some funny behaviors from Matt today...we've had a bit of a rough week. He's been testing me and challenging me to say the least. He goes from one no-no straight to the next and then repeats them all over again, and it's been tough on both of us. This afternoon Matthew & I took some people in our Sunday School class who just had a baby a meal. They also have a 4 year old little boy who was all too eager to show off all his many toys to Matthew. The moment I got the newborn in my arms and sat down on the couch Matt started to pout. He whined and said, "no, Ma-ma" and was trying to push the baby off my lap and then climb on me. He got to the point of tears and was in hysterics even while sitting right next to me. I handed the sweet baby off to his mother and Matt calmed down immediately. Territorial and jealous, you think? Good grief. I wasn't expecting him to react like that at all. Especially since he said "baby, baby!!!" the whole drive out to their house.

This morning while it was raining we went outside on the patio. Steven and I were talking away and all the while Matt was doing laps around the patio with his lawn mower. He must have pushed that thing for at least 20 minutes straight. We were dying. He did the same thing this afternoon inside with his car only he looped around and around the table. And so serious looking. After Matt had some crackers for a snack this afternoon he helped me put them away by saying "bye-bye crackers!" and blowing them a kiss! Too funny. He blew a kiss to the girl on the Luby's cookbook when we put her back, too. What a weirdo!

Tomorrow Steven & I are headed to St. Louis for my father & Ann's wedding. Matthew has the privilege of staying with the Reners while we're gone. Can't wait to hear what crazy antics he and Ava pull off!

What's a Princess?

One of our sweet nieces, Mary Claire, had her 4th birthday party yesterday afternoon at a very fun playground/splash park. Matt & I were the lone representatives from the Jones family since Steven had to work. We made the best of it though! I kept prepping Matthew all day for what a fun afternoon he was going to have with all of his cousins. Then after his nap and a snack he jubilantly put on his swimsuit and shoes and ran to the door to the garage clinging to the doorknob and shouting, "Audrey, Audrey!!!" In the backseat on the ride out there Matt talked about all of his cousins, and I heard the words pool and swimsuit a lot, too. And Uncle Zach. Matthew has had an explosion of new vocabulary words in the last couple weeks and it is just blowing my mind how much he's picking up. He's gotten to where he'll unknowingly repeat the last word or two of anything that I say. It's funny. And he always has a running dialogue going on all day long; it's really entertaining to listen to in the car. But I digress...

Matthew did his standard excited dance when he laid eyes on all his cousins when we arrived. We were thrilled to see some old faces we hadn't seen in a while. Matt cruised around the splash park for a little while then decided that he was "ah-dun!" so we made our way back to the picnic tables where he resumed his stance by the ice chests. He had a great time opening them and inspecting all the water bottles and sampling numerous pieces of ice. We played on the playground, and once the pizza arrived Matt & I gobbled it down. I've never really given him pizza before, but I would say that he's a fan. He attacked that slice of cheese pizza with gusto. Then came the artfully prepared and quite delicious cupcakes. I let Matt have his own, and as his mother I can appreciate this: he mostly just ate all the icing on top. Mary Claire then opened all her gifts that truly centered on one theme: princesses. She's a girly-girl for sure and was squealing as she pulled out princess dolls and crowns from her gift bags. At that point Matt was by the coolers again with Zach & Ava snacking on ice. He wasn't the least bit interested in Mary Claire's loot. After all that fun we finally had to say goodbye since bedtime was quickly approaching. I know Matt had a blast because he talked about the party all the way home and even in his bed before he fell asleep. I listened at his door and he was saying "pool...soo-suit...Audrey...(giggling)". It's like he was recounting all the day's events for his audience of stuffed animals.

So far, today has included church and a nap. If we're feeling ambitious we may later join the throngs at HEB, or we might just keep it lazy and have a day at home.

The Dark Side

Matt and I have returned from our quick visit to Dallas. We really had a great time seeing friends and some of the sights of Big D. And, Matthew gave me a run for my money to say the least. Let's begin with us packing to leave on Tuesday. I had originally intended on going for a walk early that morning but thought better of it, and I'm glad I did because it literally took us until noon when Joy arrived to get our act together. Matt was in no mood to play by himself unless, as you see, it was to pull out ALL of the kleenexes from the box. Silly me for thinking I was smart by removing the toilet paper from his reach. There's always something else!

Wednesday afternoon we went to the splash park close to our friend's house, and Matt was loving it. He gleefully ran through the water spraying everywhere and ran into quite a few bigger kids. He's not one to look where he's going. He spotted the swings on the playground, so we did that for awhile until he insisted on having crackers and then we were back to the water. After the water got old he had a grand time running down the hill and having me chase him back up the hill.

Thursday morning Alison, Joshua, Alicia & Tyler and Matt & myself headed downtown to the indoor aquarium. We thought that it would be great fun for the kids. And, for Tyler & Josh it was. First of all, it was crowded. Tons of school groups were there and it made it a challenge for the three of us to maneuver around with strollers. Matt quickly tired of being confined and demanded to be released. He let me hold him for a few minutes but then of course wanted down. It just got ugly from there on. Matthew would not hold my hand nor let me hold him nor return to his seat in the stroller. He didn't care about looking at monkeys or fish or snakes; to him the real fun was running from me as fast as he could through the throngs of people and watching me sweat in the humid environment created for the animals as I pursued him with the stroller in tow. Let's just say that it was very bad Matthew behaviour and a side of him that I hope not to see ever again. If I should be so lucky. We weren't very happy with each other yesterday during our first real battle of the wills in public. It was a nightmare, and bless their hearts, Alison & Alicia saw my misery and decided to end our tour early.

Last night after we got home I recounted all the events for Steven and he was mightily amused. He then asked me what my favorite part of the trip was. And I said with or without Matthew? With would have to be the splash park. It was a hoot seeing him shrieking with delight. Without has to be the night that Nicole made a big group of us the tastiest Italian dinner I've had in ages. The food and the company was a pure treat and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I'm glad to be home not only to see my husband but also to get that silly boy back on a normal schedule and squelch the demons within.

So Many Girls

Oh how Matthew loves his cousins! Every time he sees them he's so excited he runs in place and seizes with giggles. We had a little family gathering for my birthday on Saturday, so Matt was in heaven getting to play with all the girls. Matt also loved all the balloons that were covering up most of the floor at Tim & Pam's house. I think he only managed to pop one of them. He helped us devour a large tray of Chick-fil-a nuggets and a vat of queso. Yum. At I think the hottest part of the day we decided to walk over to the park and let the kids run around. The slides on the playscape were blisteringly hot so more inventive play like serving everyone a drink (a cup full of dirt and bark) became a necessity. You can see that Matt didn't quite know what to do with a hug from Mary Claire. And then his sheepish approach to all the girls huddled together on the ground...too funny! It was a great day, and I'm so glad I got to spend it with such wonderful people who really do spoil me. And oh the birthday cake. My favorite!!!

Here's a good little Matthew story. For awhile now I've watched Ava eat nice and civilized from a plate that sits on her highchair tray. So I thought that since Matt has made strides toward table manners we might try eating off a plate. I found cute little plates and Target and was all excited to use them. I showed the puppy dog one to Matt and he seemed pleased, so I assembled his dinner and arranged it on the new plate. I sit Matt down in his highchair, place the plate in front of him and he immediately picks it up, turns it upside down emptying its contents onto his tray and hands the plate back to me. And then gobbles down his dinner. Sigh. How silly of me to assume that we had made progress!

Tomorrow Matt and I head to Dallas to visit some friends. Matt can't wait to see Joshua and his dogs. Y'all have a good week!

Dining Companions

So, we already know that Matt enjoys conversing with the Luby's girl. But newly fascinating to our boy is the pirate pictured on the package of Pirate's Booty (a cheesy puffed corn snack). I have of course animated the pirate who has in turn had numerous conversations with Matthew as he eats his lunch, dinner, etc. Matt now wants to say hi to the pirate every time he's in the high chair and always frantically points to the bag that we keep on top of the refrigerator. The best part is that he says, "Daaaarrrr" over and over again. It's hilarious! The other morning when Matt woke up I heard him talking about the pirate in his room and he was loudly saying "dar!". I should give him a scabbard to swashbuckle around in there, huh? Oh, and set up a video camera to catch all the hilarity.

Steven, Matt and I headed down to the pool this afternoon for a swim.

NW Park Employee: "That'll be $5."

Steven: "Really? Last time it was $7"

NWPE: "Yeah, because it's $3 for adults and then $1 for..." (and she trailed off as the three of us made our way to the pool in utter disbelief)

Seriously?? The 16 year old employee thought I was a child?? Steven and I had a good giggle fit over it and were grateful to have saved $2. And, I suppose on the eve of my 29th b'day I should be flattered? Ugh. But, we had a brilliant time at the pool.

Chasing Matthew

Yesterday was Steven's usual day off, and we had a wonderful time just being together as a family. After Matt's 3 hour siesta (which really puts a dent in the day, by the way...but I can't complain!) we made a run to Terra Toys to take a look around. Steven began our tour of the store by holding Matthew as he repeatedly begged to get down while frantically pointing to things and trying to dive out of his daddy's arms. Steven held firm for several minutes until Matt spotted a basket full of balls of varying size and color that he demanded to get his hands on . By then I had purchased the items I needed to, and Steven gave me the "tag you're it" routine; so I trailed Matthew as he dashed from one fascinating toy to the next. He played with the train set for a couple minutes, but then really focused his efforts on the baskets of balls again. He threw the larger ones across the aisle one by one and then returned them individually all the while chanting, "back, baaaaack." He then decided to dump out the basket of smaller balls and then fetch them all. Again. And again. He probably did it 5 times before I threw in the towel and hoisted his complaining, thrashing body into my arms while signaling to Steven that we were done.

As a reward for his behavior (Ha!!! honestly, though, he did pretty well considering it's a toy store and he didn't understand why he couldn't just stay and play with all the fun stuff) we headed straight to the sno cone stand. Oh, sweet bliss. Matthew immediately recognized the cups full of colorful, sugary goodness and began his "a bieeee" routine. I will say that it was not nearly as dramatic nor frantic as our last experience driving home from the stand.

Today Matthew napped for over 3 hours (I was just about to go in and wake him up), and it led to one of the funniest cases of nap hair I've seen to date. He must have had his head wedged between the bumpers because it was sticking up and swirled looking in places. We visited Steven at work today because he left his wallet at home. I wondered if Steven could hear us when we walked in because Matt was shouting, "Da-da! Da-da?" And then he got distraced by the balloons. He loved the toy aisle and then the summer sale aisle. Once he refused to hold my hand and started doing the bend at the waist refusal gig, I decided we were done. I looked back and saw Steven giggling as he watched Matt happily running down the aisle and jibber-jabbering as we made our exit. This afternoon I spent my time chasing Matthew around the house with the jingle-bell bug (you know, from the Bee-Bop band!) as he crazily stumbled around hardly able to breathe through all his laughter, and watching him show a framed picture of his cousin Audrey his nesting blocks. He talks to her picture multiple times a day, it's quite comical. He's a happy boy, this Matt Jones.