Slow and Steady

Mason has been walking for over a month now and we're still making slow and steady progress every day. He is very cautious, putting one foot firmly down before thinking about lifting the other. Once his destination is near though, he raises his hands, squeals and speeds up for the last few steps. He seems so tiny to be walking (according to his 12 month check up, he's in the 39th and 41st percentiles), but he's determined to master it. Enjoy these photos taken at the park today and notice the rolled up 6-12 month pants on my 12 1/2 month old son...

He has so many Mason-isms that make Dash and I laugh every day. Some of our favorites...
His karoke 'singing' into his toy microphone
Talking into everything like it's a phone, from grilled cheese sandwiches to blocks
Playing his bottom lip like a guitar
His air kisses
He nods repeatedly when he is babbling to punctuate what he is saying
His game of pillow plopping, where he pulls all the couch pillows off onto the floor and throws himself onto them, then rests his little head (actually, not so little - 75th percentile)

I can't believe how fast he is growing up. It just keeps getting better and better, as we get to know our little boy.

Sleeping Beauty

Mason is such a deep sleeper that sometimes, when he's been napping for a long time, I'll sneak in there and watch him sleep because I miss him. I love watching him in his stillness and sweetness. His lovie is always close by, by his side or underneath him, and it's always the first thing he reaches for upon waking. So precious.

Mason's birthday party

Mason's birthday party has come and gone. Sniff, sniff. We really enjoyed our weekend filled with family and friends. Thank you to everyone that made the trip and helped make Mason's birthday party special!

Birthday Week for my little Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day! We're celebrating by... well, by not celebrating. We've never been very big into Valentine's Day, especially since our anniversary is a month later. I did get a text message though. Believe me, I'm not upset. Dash got a text message also since he's out of town for a tournament (which they won all their matches so far, even beating the reigning national champs!).

This week is Mason's birthday and birthday party. I can't believe he will no longer my baby but my toddler in just three days. His party is going to be fun and memorable and we're so excited so many of our family members are coming into town. Ball was one of Mason's first words and he loves them, so we 'rolled with it' and are throwing him a ball-themed party, with cake balls, a ball pit and lots of balls (dots) on the decorations. What a great way to celebrate our bouncey little boy.

Here's the invitation I designed for his first birthday party. I'm so proud of it. See some of you soon!

Shower Gift Idea

For my sweet Ruthie, the soon-to-be Mrs. Russell, I wanted to get her something to personalize her new nest with Ryan. I'd seen some neat chalkboard platters in the Pottery Barn catalog when we visited G and Grandpa over Christmas (I no longer get the catatlog; they must know I'm not in their target market any longer...haha) and had even stolen the page, thinking it would come in handy some day soon. It did. I like the one I made for Ruth even more than the $99 Pottery Barn ones. It's a simple project that even those who claim to be un-crafty can conquer.

Find a plate that you like - try places like Marshalls and Ross for your one-of-a-kind plate. Stop by your local home improvement store for a can of $13 chalkboard paint. Paint the flat center of the plate. Ta da! These plates can be used to welcome guests, detail the menu, spread holiday wishes or pass along notes to your beloved. I was going to write "Meet me in the bedroom" on Ruth's plate for her newlywed husband, but I didn't want to make her blush! I'll leave that one up to her.

I have almost a full can of paint leftover for more projects. And since the chalkboard trend doesn't seem to be going out of style anytime soon, some more of you might be on the receiving end of this gift in the near future.

Marathon of Showers

Mason and I hit the road to Houston this weekend for a marathon of showers. My dear friend, Ruth, is getting married in just 5 weeks so we celebrated her with a Pretty in Pink shower. Right after her shower in Pearland, I sped my way to sweet Claire's shower for baby Vivian, due in March. Both of these girls hold a special place in my heart and they were well worth the trip. I'm pretty proud of the shower gifts I was able to come up with on our limited budget. I'll share the thrifty presents with you soon.

Portrait of Exhaustion - sleeping after shower #2

Courtney and Nico met us in Houston too, so when we weren't party-goers, the two boys, their mamas and two silly grandmothers were loving our time together. Many belly laughs, hugs and sippie cups were shared. We can't wait to see them all next week for Mason's birthday bash.

Mason versus the laundry basket

Some cute videos of our cutie, for your viewing pleasure...

 

 

Project of the Week

The one thing I would change about our house is the kitchen, specifically the absence of a dishwasher. We spend precious time washing all our dishes by hand. On top of that, something about the combination of our sink and our faucet leaves the front of our shirts drenched after done with a sink full of dishes. Trying to be clever and thrify, I came up with the plan to sew an apron to wear while washing dishes. Plus, I've always admired how Martha Stewart-like girls look in cute aprons. I found an easy design to follow at J Caroline Creative and after dropping less than ten bucks at Hobby Lobby on fabric, ribbon and D rings (or more than $10 if you count the Peachie O's that I couldn't pass up), I've got myself a custom made apron, for doing the dishes nonetheless. Like the pose? ;)

Park Pictures

Paula and her adorable son, River, joined Mason and I for some play time in the park. It was a tad chilly but the boys had fun. We enjoyed getting out of the house after we were attacked by a stomach bug and freezing weather this past weekend.

This is my first February post, which also means we have a big birthday to celebrate this month. It better hurry up because my wish list for the party keeps growing and growing!