8 Months!

Connor- You are 8 months old! I can't believe that it is almost time to start planning your first birthday! Here is what you are up to this month!

I'm not quite sure what you weigh this month, but I think your days of not gaining enough weight are over! You LOVE to eat. You have 5 bottles a day and three meals. Your not the biggest fan of veggies but I have found flavors with veggies mixed with fruit that you love!

You are still a great nighttime sleeper and are becoming a good napper too! You take a short morning nap (most days on the go) and then a longer afternoon nap at the same time as Mason. That has been a nice treat!

You're sitting up by yourself now and are trying so hard to army crawl or scoot. I think you are really close but for now you are settling for rolling as your form of transportation.

You still LOVE your brother. When he wakes up in the morning and you see him for the first time you start squealing with delight!

This month you have started sitting in the front of the grocery cart and in highchairs at restaurants! It makes it a lot easier not to have to carry your heavy carrier everywhere we go!

You are still doing great when we leave you in the church nursery and when I leave you for MOPS. This is about the age when separation anxiety hit your brother hard so I am hoping we might avoid that with you!

You love other babies! At a playdate earlier this week you leaned over and gave a kiss to one of your little baby friends. A few weeks ago at church, the nursery worker told us that during a fire drill, the baby next to you in the crib started crying so you cuddled up next to her to make her feel better!

Almost everyone is telling you that you look just like Mason now! Here is a pic of both of you at 8 months to compare!

We love you sweet Connor Benjamin!

Fall pictures

Two things I love are photography and matching shirts for Mason and Connor. Pathetic I know, but if I don't get to dress a little girl I am at least going to take full advantage of being able to dress these two alike as long as they will let me!

I am amazed at the beautiful leaves this year and had been wanting to get some fall pics of the boys before it was too late! Our new house is much closer to big open country areas with gorgeous fields full of trees. I had visions of pulling over on the side of the road with the boys in tow and snapping some pics but didn't want to be trespassing on someones land, or even worse discover snakes and other critters! So instead we just settled for a park by our house instead!

This might be one of my favorite shots of these two ever. Mason looks like he is teaching Connor some serious life lessons!

Sweet baby boy who has finally decided to sit up!

A real smile from Mason! That's hard to get in pictures these days!

Right after I took this one Mason informed me "Tonnor's my best friend Mama!" Melt. my. heart!

Connor

Connor-

I'm thankful for your sweet smile and your three little dimples

I'm thankful for your new trick of giving me sweet, wet open mouth kisses

I'm thankful for your easygoing little personality!

I'm thankful for your little hands and the way they hold mine so tight!

I'm thankful for the extra joy you bring to our family

I'm thankful for your precious little babbles and coos! Especially when they sound like you are saying Mama!

I'm thankful God gave us you!

2.5

Last Friday was a little bit of a sad day in our house. Mason turned 2 1/2 and is now officially closer to being three than two. I love watching him grow but many days wish I could just freeze this age and it enjoy it a bit longer. He is so much fun, so loving, so imaginative and just a joy to be around! I remember fearing two because of all the talk of the "terrible twos". Sure, we have our share of rough days but overall this boy is so sweet! Here is what Mason is up to at 2 1/2!

He loves all things boy. Lately it is pirates and cowboys. He is also very into finding the "bad guys" and saving us from them.

He is such a little charmer. He has started telling me "Your pretty Mommy!" or "I do like your shirt Mommy!" He now does the same thing to my mom, Jared's mom, and pretty much any female he is around enough. We are going to have to watch him in high school!

He is about 90% potty trained! I say 90% because he will always pee in the potty but the pooping is another story. We are working on that though and I am so impressed with him for making this much progress!

He is head over heels in love with his little brother "Tonnor". I honestly did not realize that a two year old was capable of showing so much love to a baby. When Mason wakes up in the morning and sees Connor for the first time he is SO excited. He runs up to him with a huge smile and says "Hey Tonnor!!!" If he cries he will say "It's otay Tonnor, don't cry I love you!"

We always laugh that he has such mature tastes in food. He loves hummus, black olives, spicy foods, and all greek food. He also has our favorite restaurants memorized now and will ask to go to them. He will even recognize places just from their logo. Yesterday I was drinking out of a Fuzzy's taco cup and he said "That Fuzzy's Mommy?" Hmmm maybe we eat out a little too much!

He wants to do EVERYTHING himself. We hear "No I do it!" a lot around here! He even takes a little stool from his playroom table around the house so he can reach things without asking for help. He also tries to drive himself places in his little tikes car. We will be getting ready to go somewhere and he will say "No Mommy I follow you in my fire truck!"

He loves his little friends, especially Carter, Ava and his cousin Liev. It's nonstop giggles when he is around any of these three.

He is becoming a little backseat driver! When we go places he now frequently tells me "Don't drive too fast Mommy!" or "Don't forget to turn your lights on!"

He used to be shy and clam up around strangers but that seems to be changing. Now he will tell a random man in the grocery store "Hi man! I do like your hat!" or if someone asks about Connor he will say "Thats Tonner, he's my little brudder!"

He has gotten really good at praying every night before bed and prays for all of his family and many times his little friends too. A few weeks ago he even said "Tank you God for Ava's Mommy." So sweet.

Mason Alex, you have completely stolen our hearts. We love you so so much and can't wait to watch you continue to grow!

Trick or Treat!

I can't believe Halloween has come and gone and now it is almost time for the holidays! We had lots of fun yesterday going to two parties then trick or treating! Mason was really into it this year and was asking all day if it was "Halloween now?" When we pulled up to the house in our neighborhood where the trick or treating "pre-party" was he asked us "Is this Halloween?" Love that boy. Poor Connor didn't get much of a nap with our busy day and conked out on my shoulder before 7:00. Oh well Connor, there's always next year.

We started our day by meeting some friends at the park for a costume party. I can't believe both boys were actually looking at the camera in this shot!

Here's Mason and Carter

Connor had fun with Gavin's little sister Lucy!

Later we headed to our neighborhood party. Connor made a new friend there who also happened to be dressed as a doggy! His name even happened to be Mason!

Deep in thought....

Ready to fight the fire!

Then Mason's cousin Liev came over and it was time to go trick or treating!

The last pics of Connor before he was done for the night

Such brave boys going all by themselves!

Comparing their loot:

And eating it!

Happy Halloween!

Fun with friends!

We had two fun playdates this week with Mason and Connor's friends Carter, Ella, Ava and Keegan!

Ella is Mason's best bud Carter's little sister. She was born only a couple of weeks ago and Connor loved meeting her! He looked like such a giant next to her!

"Mommy what is this little thing?"

"Hmm I need to take a closer look"

"I think I like her!"

Our best attempt at getting a picture of all four

Elaina and I actually made it in a picture too!

We love these sweet friends!

Mason also had lots of fun seeing his little girlfriend Ava. We have gone from living across the street, to a couple of miles away to now 40 minutes away. This definitely makes us a little sad but I am sure we will still see each other often!

Mason insisted on wearing his cowboy bandana and carrying his pirate sword....

Ava telling Mason she better see him again soon!

And a goodbye kiss!

Connor and Keegan and lots of fun playing together too!

Brotherly Laughs

I took this video while Mason was in the bath last night. The quality is horrible but I wanted to remember how much these two adore each other!