Mission to Declutter

Slightly embarassing.

This is the "knook" of our playroom. (It's a pretty large step-down area with shelving and well... you'll see.)



And here is the opposite corner.



While my children DO have too many toys, the clutter in our house is not just limited to the playroom. I think that room is where it is most obvious, but we certainly have loads of clutter in cabinets, in the attic, in yet-to-be-unpacked boxes, etc.

So my mission is to organize, declutter and have a YARD SALE! We just need to get rid of some stuff to make the organizing part of this mission possible. I'd love to set up a reading corner in the playroom, a craft area, a play area, etc. Right now, it's just so full of toys that I doubt Gavin and Mason even have any idea of what they own. Time to fix that!

Mason's 9 Month Update

This is a bit late, but our Masey Man turned 9 months old recently!

It has been a very busy time for our sweet baby boy. He is now crawling all over the place, and pulling up to stand, cruising furniture, etc. He also learned how to climb stairs! Oh man.

He sprouted two new teeth in the past week, which brings him up to 6 - four on the bottom and two on the top.

He is much more content to sit and play these days. He loves to drive cars on the floor, which is the cutest thing ever. If Gavin has a car that he is driving around, Mason will drive whatever he has in his hand, whether it be a fridge magnet, teether, etc. It does not matter.

Mason learned to say "Aye yi yi". (Which I'm sure I spelled wrong.) He also says "Daddy" now.

As far as food goes, we are still on mostly purees and a very specific diet. He is under the care of a GI, and we return for a follow-up on July 27th. I was very optimistic about his eating problems for the past two weeks, but during the last few days, it appears that his problems are coming back. It's so stressful. So far, he has successfully eaten oatmeal and pears. Not much of a diet for a 9 month old. Thank God we are still exclusively nursing!

Mason's 9 month stats:
Weight: 20lb 4oz
Height: 28 inches
Teeth: 6 chompers!

Big news in Gavin's world!

It's old news around these here parts, since it happened nearly two months ago... but.....

GAVIN IS POTTY TRAINED!!!!!!!

Go Gavin!

Pretty much, one day we all decided he would wear underwear. So we put him in underwear. He had one accident that day and that was IT. Voila! He was daytime trained immediately, even though two hour car rides, day trips out of the house, etc.

Probably two weeks later, he started waking up on his own at night to use the bathroom, or just waking up dry in the morning. So we all picked a day and declared it his "Last Diaper Night." The next night, we put him in underwear and he never wet the bed.

So, that was our diaper "training" saga. We didn't have to do a darn thing! He was just ready and we could not be more proud of our big guy!

Gavin, you are awesome. Great job, buddy!

Happy Birthday, Gavin!

On June 12th, my baby boy turned 3!!! I'm still not sure how it is possible.

We had a Fiesta Party! (Gav's idea.) It turned out great, even though we had to move it inside due to rain.

Here are some pictures from Gavin's big day!

Gav, chowing down on his birthday breakfast: DONUTS.



Getting into the Fiesta Spirit!



His awesome cake, made with love by his Aunt Tanya and Nana! (Thank you again!)




My boys and I, rockin' our sombreros.



Happy birthday, Gavin! We love you so much!

Post-Baby Body

So... big news in my little world! Last month, at 8 months post partum, I could FINALLY WEAR MY PRE-BABY CLOTHES!!!

Wahoo!!!!

So here is my post-baby belly, updated.





Number of months post-partum: Approximately 8
Number of crunches done: Approximately 0

(Yes, I do realize I'm rocking striped pajama bottoms.)

Mason's GI Journey

Argh. I just typed this out and the whole screen vanished! So now, you all are getting the short version, as Mason woke up from his 12 minute nap!

Yesterday we had a consult with the Pediatric GI team at Albany Med. Mason has had tons of issues since we tried to introduce solid foods almost three months ago, so our pediatrician gave us a GI referral to try and get his problems straightened out.

The consult went well and I really like the doctor we are seeing. We are going to follow a strict diet plan this month (no brown sugar!) and fill out a chart to help us track where we are.



There's his chart. Yes, I made it with crayons and construction paper. :)

Our goal is to narrow down what foods cause his problems. I have a feeling it is EVERYTHING because yes, I've tried this before, but our doctor is wondering if maybe he has outgrown some of his intolerances in the last three months and she also needs a jumping off point as to what we have retried and what works and does not. We go back to the GI on July 27th, but I have strict instructions to call immediately if I suspect he is getting constipated again. I think she is going to be a help to us, FINALLY!

I'm back to update!

Wow. Almost 3 months since I last blogged!!! I need to manage my time better. I feel like I am always rushing! But no worries, I'm back with some updates!