Monthly Update: Month 11

We officially only have one more month (as of 5/28/14) until Sebastian is technically no longer a baby (wah! big sigh!)!  We had so much fun this month!  Not only did he take his first airplane ride and vacation (more in a separate post) but a lot of learning and exploring took place, as well.  On top of all that, this is the first time we really noticed an obvious growth spurt and he is truly looking more like a toddler these days. (Note: For this irrational mommy, toddler = adult who will leave the house at any moment and no longer need me!)  ;) 

• Sebastian sprouted one more tooth this month - officially increasing the amount to 8 teeth!  It still cracks us up to see him with his big toothy smile!  We're also trying to make more of an effort to brush his teeth regularly.  Luckily, he seems to like his Tom's Silly Strawberry toothpaste and banana shaped toothbrush.  
• He stood up unassisted for the first time... well, I think he does it at school all the time but I saw it for the first time at home.  
• Sadly, I found out that "mama" doesn't mean me!  :(  I guess I always knew that but we discovered in Hawaii that mama/meh/mel means he's hungry and wants his milk pronto!  Additionally, his other means of communicating with us now include saying "mo" for more (this is especially prevalent during meal times) and pointing at stuff he wants or the direction he wants to go.
• He is continuing to master walking with his Learning Farm Walker - he can get around pretty fast nowadays.  Now if he could only figure out how to turn around and also not bump into the walls...
• This guy is a clapping maniac. He randomly likes to start clapping and does so with the biggest smile on his face.  He will also clap on demand.  During bedtime, he likes to grab both of my hands and clap them causing him to crack up into a fit of giggles.  ;)   
• He bangs on EVERYTHING.  I realize this isn't a unique trait but just thought I'd mention it for documentation purposes.  ;)  We noticed that when he's super tired he'll start banging on his head (and pretty hard, too).  Kinda makes him look a little crazy so we're trying to stop that habit!  :)
• Sebastian is a fan of drinking pool and bath water - which means he's probably drinking his own pee too!  Again, another habit we're trying to break!  
• He thinks inflicting pain on us is the funniest thing in the whole entire world.  With so many teeth, we are definitely feeling the pain!  We've got to do a better job of not showing our pain because I'm sure its our facial expressions and noises that amuse him. 
• Although he admittedly is still smaller than most kids in his class, we have noticed a big growth spurt this month.  His limbs are longer and he's harder to carry around for long periods of time.  Seriously, he looks like a boy now.  He was never really a chubby baby with crazy, squishy rolls but with him being so active these days, any of the chub he did have is pretty much gone.  :( 
• Sebastian is very interested in Pookie - he could be fast asleep but when she walks into his nursery, he'll perk right up to see her.  He likes to pet her, grab her ears, and loves it when she licks his hands and face.  Unfortunately, he doesn't know his own strength and sometimes his "petting" looks more like hitting so we'll have to teach him how to be more gentle.  Luckily, she's really good with him and doesn't get as annoyed with his antics as she used to.  Such a sweet pair!
• He will wave at anything - people, toys, the TV, even his own reflection in the mirror.  He seems to be pretty outgoing and loves to sit and people watch like his mama!  :) 
• We learned that cheerios will keep him quiet and content so you can be sure that we've invested in a large box!  ;) 
• He can go up the stairs super fast and seems to be fearless!  He doesn't know how to (safely) go down the stairs yet so we definitely have to watch him like a hawk! 
• He got his first baby tan from our time in Hawaii… actually, it was more like a farmer's tan!  You can't tell in pictures but the parts where he is a little chubbier and fat folds over are still his normal skin color. So freaking cute.  Don't worry, we were slathering on that sunscreen like crazy!  

Mother's Day 2014

My first Mother's Day as a (human) mommy was nice and simple.  As all parents know, there's really no such thing as getting to sleep in anymore (I sure do miss those days!) but we took our time playing with Sebastian and Pookie in bed before scrambling to get ready and out the door.  I would say that not having to rush was a great Mother's Day present in itself.  ;) 

Per usual, we made our rounds to see both sets of parents.  We started off with lunch at the Ko house where we hung out with David's parents, aunt, and cousin Daniel.  It was also David's mom's birthday so we had double the celebrating to do!  After lunch we headed north to the outlets as it was our last opportunity to get some stuff for Sebastian before our trip to Hawaii.  :)  To finish off the day, we had dinner at my parents' house where we learned that Sebastian is obsessed with watermelon!  My mom had cut him little pieces for him to eat as well as put some watermelon juice in his sippy.  He couldn't get enough and when he ran out of juice, he was sure to let us know he was pissed!  ;)  Good to know...!  :)  With that, my first Mother's Day was over!  

Oh, one more thing... for my Mother's Day present, David took Sebastian out of daycare during lunchtime while I was at work and they made me a mug at Color Me Mine.  It sounds like Sebastian did really well with his little art project and enjoyed the special outing with his daddy.  To be honest, we haven't picked up the finished product yet but since it involves his little handprints I'm sure I'll love it!  :) 

You know, I have always known that I wanted to have kids and be a mom but I always worried about whether or not I'd be a good one.  I never felt like I had that "maternal instinct" that many other people naturally possess and I've been told by multiple people that I'm not very nurturing.  Once I finally became a mommy, I found that I'm learning how to be a "good one" each and every day and that of course, changes daily based on his needs.  Parenthood isn't exactly how I expected it to be and is a million times harder than I could have ever imagined!  It is also the best thing I've ever done!  How lucky am I to be blessed with such an adorable, mischievous, curious, charming, daring, perfect-in-my-eyes little guy?!  (Not to mention the sweetest little Pookie pup in the world!)  Everyone is SO right when they say to really enjoy spending time with your kids because the time goes by so fast (too fast). There are some rough days but all the good, sweet moments outweigh them tenfold.  

As I reflect on my Mother's Day, the word that comes to mind is "thankful".  I am so thankful for growing up with a great mom who taught me how to be selfless and present as a parent.  I am thankful for my husband who prioritizes his family above everything and uses his Fridays off of work to do the bulk of the housework so that we can all have more quality time together during the weekends.  I am thankful for my girl, Pookie, who is still a calming force amongst all the new chaos in our house and for being the best cuddle buddy ever.  And last but not least, I am thankful for my son who continuously brings so much love and joy into our lives and reminds us that even the simplest of things can be fun and cool.  

Sebastian's art project with daddy!

The card he made at daycare.  I love the picture of him passed out in the high chair after lunch.  ;) 

A mini walk around the neighborhood before dinner at my parents' house

Card from the hubby

Flowers and a sweet card from my parents

April iPhone Dump

Here are some photos from the month of April: 

Always a happy boy at school

Silly guy

Mommy loves taking pics of him sleeping...

Just gnawin' on a beef stick from Uncle Hank...

Impatiently waiting for his 2nd breakfast (he has a full bottle on the way to school)

Hard to believe he is one of the "big kids" in the infant room now :(

Best buddies

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

Afternoon walk with lil' Miss Pook

1st ride in his big boy carseat!  You can't tell, but he loves it. He almost always falls asleep in it - so comfy! :)  We took his inaugural ride for a sbux breakfast (hence the pjs)!

Don't mind the traces of puke on his lips... 

Creepster

Just taking a little spin...

Love him in his yellow rain slicker!

Monthly Update: Month 10

We are officially in the double digit months!  Sebastian's little personality shows itself more and more each day - it's been so fun to see it emerge!  Such a fun age!  :)  Here is what Sebastian was up to this month:

• This kid has a mouth full of choppers!  He is now up to 7 teeth - 4 on top and 3 on the bottom. So crazy to see and hard to get used to!  The good news is that after his first two popped up on the bottom, the pain doesn't seem as bad for him (or at least that's the story I've made up in my head). 
• Sebastian continues to be an awesome eater but we gotta make sure he's fed on time because otherwise he gets HANGRY!  He's seriously like a human garbage disposal.  We will be broke when he starts eating normal portions!  He likes most things and when we get his "report card" after each school day, his teachers always report that he ate everything that was served!  He really seems to like soup - especially pho!  Now, if we could only get him to stop touching his hair and ears while eating... he is quite the hot mess after each meal.  
• He loves being up on his feet and is shuffling sideways when holding on to tables, chairs, our legs… just about anything!  He even tries to stand up while taking a bath or in mid-crawl.  I know I keep saying this but seriously, it really is only a matter of time before he starts walking on his own.  Also, now that he is on his feet more often he has graduated from just wearing socks to wearing soft soled shoes! 
• Sebastian's newest "trick" is blowing farts on our bare skin - we all think its the funniest thing ever.  And yes, we get amused easily!  ;)
• He is getting big and is finally wearing size 3 diapers - it seemed like he had plateaued at size 2 for a long time! He's still mainly wearing 6 month clothing but finally started to fit into some of his 9 month stuff.  Unfortunately, most clothing brands lump 6-12 months as a pant/jean size... such a big range, why do they do that?!  Anyway, that size is starting to get short for him but the next size up is way too big.  I guess he might have to be in "high waters" for a little bit.  At least its almost summertime so he can wear shorts instead and bypass the length issue!
• It looks like he may take after his daddy with his sweet dance moves!  ;)  He likes to shake his head vigorously while bouncing up and down on his legs.  If he's feeling fancy and securely propped up against something he'll even throw up his arms.  Cutest thing ever!
• He reaches out for us and I love it!  Well, he reaches out for the people he is most familiar with and who he wants to hold him.  Of course he does this for me and David but also for both of his grandmas, sometimes the grandpas, and the director of his school, Miss Kathy.  BUT, I like to think that he reaches out for me and actively seeks me out the most. 
• He has transitioned to his big boy car seat (still rear facing)!  In truth, we sometimes miss the convenience of being able to leave him in his car seat when he falls asleep but he seems so much happier having more room.  In addition, his new car seat looks so comfy and padded... I kinda wish they had an adult version I can crawl into!  ;)   
• Sebastian is officially sleeping in his own room and crib... yay!  :)  It is amazing how spacious our bedroom feels without his pack and play by our bed. Bedtime continues to be in the 6:00-7:00 PM timeframe and unfortunately still wakes up often in the wee hours of the morning for milk or comforting.  Speaking of bedtime... this is one of my favorite times to spend with him and is my special job each night.  With work and his early bedtime, it feels like we don't get to spend nearly enough time with him while he's awake so I do enjoy the time we spend together before he falls asleep. (His special time with daddy is his bath time.)  We usually cuddle together in his rocking chair, say a little prayer, sing songs, and of course he drinks a bottle or two.  He's very aware of his hands these days so he usually likes to touch my face, hair, or interlock his fingers with mine.  Its hard not to just stare and watch as he's peacefully sleeping in my arms... so sweet!