What is Matt up to?

As you can see, his hair has taken on a mind of its own. Most days it makes a nice sausage roll of a curl smack on the top of his head. Other days it frizzes out and some days he gets a mohawk type curl down the middle of his head. I have tried taming it with baby oil, lotion, and most recently baby oil gel. Is 5 months too young to start using styling products??

Matthew enjoys p[laying in his exersaucer, particularly chewing on this lovely E. There was an elephant attached to it, but it didn't survive the dishwasher. Oops!

I think his top teeth are getting ready to make an appearance. He is non stop drooling and gnawing in anything he can get into his mouth. Here he is trying to chew on a dissolving teething tablet.

My big boy can officially sit up on his own, although not for very long. He likes to rock forward and back, so it throws him off balance. It won't be long until he can sit tall and proud! Next thing you know he'll be off to kindergarten, then college, then having babies of his own! My how the time flies!

Random Acts of Cuteness

Matty is such a happy guy these days. Here he is smiling for me during a tickle attack.

We played peek-a-boo through the crib bars. He really enjoys being naked, or at least down to his diaper. We keep it pretty toasty in the house. :)

Do you think this jacket makes his head look small? Or maybe it is an 80s thing - you remember shoulder pads, right? Seriously though, the doctors were so worried about me having a big-headed baby on account of the diabetes. This kid's head is in the 35%tile while his length is in the 75th! Strange.

Matt wishes his hands were as big as Daddy's. He loves to chew on his hands. I am surprised he hasn't drawn blood yet with his two razor sharp teeth.

On a not so cute note, Matt threw his first tantrum this weekend. He made such an ugly sounding cry! Following that he had his first time-out. We are NOT letting this boy get away with that! He tried it again in the car on the way to Bible study, so we decided we better not go. From now on I guess we'll have to get a sitter.

On a totally different note, one of my students told me I looked skinnier today. Gotta love it when a six year old makes your day!

Ha Ha Halloween

About a month ago I bought Matthew a pumpkin costume. Ha ha! He outgrew that dainty outfit in no time! Not to worry, we had a hand-me-down Santa outfit that we were planning to have him wear at Christmas. He fit so nicely in it now, we threw it on and called it a Halloween costume. I am wearing what I wore to school that day, and no it is not a costume. I guess my lack of excitement for the "holiday" was obvious ... Here is a conversation we had:
Student: Guess what I am dressing up as?
Me: A princess
S: No, an ice princess!
M: Oh. Guess what I am dressing up as?
S: Uhhh, a mom?
M: You got it!

Matt got into the spirit by putting his beard on all by himself!

Ah, just like a Christmas card!

Matthew was enthralled with Grandma's colorful jacket.

We had a lovely evening with the fam playing cards and such. Joshua attempted to get some school work done. I reminisced about last Halloween when nobody knew we were expecting yet, but I spent a good majority of the night puking in the bathroom. Good times!

What's up Duck?

Teeth!

Matthew's bottom two front teeth have erupted. He is growing so fast I can hardly stand it! This is the best shot I could get of his pearly whites. If you see him in person he will gladly show you how sharp they are by gnawing on your finger.

Surprise!

On the last day of our visit Jackie suspiciously sent us out of the house. We went to check out my brother's new home and give the boys some more face time.

We returned to a surprise "little get together" for my birthday. Jackie and Aunt Beth had made little foods of all kinds - brussel sprouts, Cornish game hens, mini cupcakes, you get the idea.

Family photo op! My little cousin Shannon (now a towering 5'7") got cut off on the left.

California Part 2

Friday night we went to my dad's place for dinner (Vince's Spaghetti .... yuuummm!) Caleb enjoyed playing the piano while Matthew sat there looking frightened.

Ah, the Matthew Grahams all together: Caleb Matthew Graham, Gary Matthew Graham ,and Matthew Graham Hardwick. Cute!

Grandpa with Matty.

What a day! Matthew went out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Don't worry, we didn't leave him sleeping on a pillow on the couch. It just made a cute photo!

Matty's first trip to California part 1

Matthew was terrific on our first ever airplane trip. I requested that we sit next to an empty seat ti give us a little more space. The gentleman at the window seat was a sweet old man with multiple grand and even great grandchildren. Matt and I read books and played quietly. He filled his diaper, so i had the pleasure of using an airplane bathroom changing table. Super! He fussed a bit on the descent, so I tried feeding him. He did better with a pacifier in his mouth. We arrived on time and had a few hours to visit before hitting the hay. Here is Matthew being adored by his Uncle Gary and Aunt Jackie.

On Friday I got to visit with my dear friend Patty and her two darling girls. My indecisiveness surrounding car seats arose again as I watched Patty bring in her one year old still fitting nicely in her carrier. Arg! We had a great time catching up and seeing how our little ones have grown.

Matthew spent most of the 95 degree days in just his diaper. He LOVED that! His first two teeth have broken through (early, I know) so he was chomping everything he could. He fell asleep while chewing Grandma's fingers that evening.

My little brother cracks me up. Two short years ago he was a young kid always looking for ways to shock and go against the norm. Now he is a husband and father full of advice and baby stories to swap. I really took note of the changes in him when he casually wiped a booger from Matt's nose. :) My how times have changed. This is one of Matthew's favorite cuddling poses - cheek to cheek.

Just like Dad

How big is Matthew?

So big!

Is he ever big ... tall that is. He has outgrown his infant carrier at 26 inches, but at 15 pounds he isn't ready for a booster. He isn't even 4 months old yet!! We bought a convertible made for 5-40 pounds, but it does not fit securely in the van. Now I'm thinking we may get another infant carrier that will last to 30 inches and as many pounds. What an ordeal! Any moms have good advice?

In other news, Joshua and I celebrated our fourth anniversary last week. We lumped it together with both of our birthdays for one big date night. We had a lovely dinner overlooking downtown Tacoma and the bay. Then we headed off for Tango lessons. Alas, the dance class had been cancelled for the evening. Not to worry, we both wanted to get home and see Matty anyway. :)

Today I had my first chiropractic adjustment. I was so pleased with Matt's doctor and his progress, I decided to give it a try. I am hoping it will help relieve my migraines.

Matty is getting closer to sitting up, loves reading books, chews on anything he can, and is very ticklish. Sometimes he giggles, but more often just grunts. He is so like his daddy. This week the two of us are leaving Joshua on his own and heading to California. Matthew can't wait to meet his Uncle Gary, Aunt Jennille, and cousin Caleb!

Can you say THREE ZERO?!

That's right people ... today I turned 30! It was a lovely day indeed. Joshua and Matty each wrote me a card (we are celebrating next weekend, so no gifts). Actually, I chose my own gifts while at Costco last weekend - pj's, slippers, and a robe. Then my colleagues sang happy birthday after devotions. Next, my darling students showered me with gifts - special cards, beautiful flowers (even hydrangea, my favorite!), treats, coffee cards, candles, the works! Then there was a special announcement over the intercom about my special day. All day teachers and kiddos were wishing me birthday blessings! Matthew was particularly adorable today. He is in a chubby phase right now as you can see. That means he is getting ready to grow again!

I had to get a close up of his hairdo. Joshua says he looks like "Matthew Graham Who"! I think he has his mommy's curls!!

I attempted to be a photographer, and this is the best I could do. I was trying to show my beautiful boy next to my beautiful flowers. Not great, but hey, that is one cute baby! And check out the hydrangea!

I wanted a family photo to commemorate the day. It's not easy finding a way to hold up the camera, a clean spot to take the photo, and a good shot of all three of us. I added some special lighting to soften the old lady look. :)

"Talking" with Matt

Visitors!

My dad, cousin, and sister came to visit us a few weekends ago and we had a blast hitting up all the local tourist spots. Here we are in front of Union Station in Tacoma. We also went to the glass museum, Pacific Grill, Hello Cupcake, and Point Defiance. And that was just in one day! We took the ferry to Seattle where we made it to the Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Stadium High School, the Troll, the monorail, Pike's Place, downtown, and the waterfront. It was quite a day - 8am-9pm!

The weather could not have been more perfect. We spent one lovely afternoon in Paulsbo where Matty had a monster of a good time! Ok, not really. He and I spent much of the day in the car because we were both a little snotty. Jackie was able to stay longer than Dad and Fiona, so she got to have lots of one-on-one time with Matty. She babysat while I worked and found out what being an aunt is really all about!

We kept up wit the tourist fun on the weekend when we went back to Seattle for South Center Mall and took the Underground Tour. Since Matthew is officially holding his head up, he was able to ride along with dad and not miss a thing! Don't they look cute in their matching striped outfits?

I couldn't find a good picture of Jackie with Matt, but I wanted her to be included. Here she is with her favorite hobby, knitting. And to think, I taught her all she knows about the wild world of yarn goods!

Now everyone is gone and we are back to our regular boring lives (at least that's what Auntie Jack would say!). Hopefully that means I have more time to blog, although I guess I won't have much to blog about. Ah the catch 22.

Peek a boo!

Peek a boo ... Where are you? I know y'all have been missing us out there in bloggerland. We are all well, just busy bees. I'm back at work, Joshua has started school, and we had family out to visit. As soon as I have more time (ya, like that's ever going to happen) I will fill in the blanks. But for now, enjoy my baby boy soaking up the sun we had the weekend before last. He is a bit camera shy and refuses to smile whenever he sees you with one, so this is the best one I have found that captures his darling grin.

Ode to the Forgotten Cat

Once the orphan child of an unknown mother Now the adopted son of another You were chosen when you had tears in your eyes Food, shelter, and love there was no dearth In your new home everyone shared in your mirth But, now, that seems long ago Thrice plus one a fortnight has passed Since a new human brother have you acquired Banished have you been, upon his arrival home To the nooks, to the crannies, and out to the fields you roam Away from the clean and sanitary places The love of your adopted mother you once knew Is all but completely gone For when she gives you the love she promised She must wash her hands of you Don't fret, dear cat For this place where you're at Is a new world, where You're new freedom has brought you A life of adventure enjoyed by the very few No longer are you confined to the singular choice Of using a litter box for your only relief But out among the grass, dirt and leaves You get to leave your mark New friends you make in the woods Meow like a wild cat, and show off you've got the goods Still, inside, you do have a home Not quite as quiet and calm as it once was Cradled you sit in your bed of fuzz Alone though you may feel Know in your heart that love you still get From the adopting mother of your youth Plus that of her husband and child too

Pooh all over

Joshua told my mom this morning that Matthew had pooh all over him, so she wanted to see a picture.  Today is pajama day at our house but that doesn't mean we don't coordinate our accessories. :)  

Mom was also shocked to hear that we needed things like mittens and hats ... it's hot and humid in her neck of the woods.  We had to turn our heaters on this morning!