11AM Update

Tantrum count: 2 (once when I took my cell phone away from him and once when I didn't get his sippy filled with water fast enough).
Diaper change meltdowns: 1.5 (out of 2 changes).

We did, however, have a problem-free breakfast and a tear-free shower.

All in all, I'll call it a success so far. I think he's starting to know I'm serious about the diapers, judging by how well that last .5 of a change went.

PS. He's NOT crawling up my legs as I type this, either.

Experiment

Mason's been going to bed wayyy too late for my liking. The other night, I came home from work early (like, ten o'clock) and Mason was STILL awake in his crib. He's always up at seven in the morning, no matter what, and he's been ridiculously grumpy to the point that I contemplate jumping off the balcony at least three times a day. I'm talking clinging to my leg, whining non-stop, throwing little tantrums if I take something away from him... and diaper changes - ugh.. I don't even want to get into it. I cry every time the kid pees for fear of the drama that's about to ensue. If I give up, mid-diaper change, and let him scamper away naked, the kid smiles like he just won the Olympics. He's testing me and I'm failing.

This has been going on for two weeks, so not only am I stressed, I feel like The World's Worst Mom. Obviously, something needs to be done before I lose the little bit of my mind that remains. Last night I put my foot down, and at exactly seven, I plopped Mase into his crib. I went into my room and prepared for the worst. Nothing. I could hear him in there, conversing with Piggy. Then I heard Piggy fly over the edge of the crib and land on the floor. Uh oh. Nope... still nothing. Ten minutes later, I crept into his room to see him sleeping like the innocent little baby he is.

And now. It's NINE O'CLOCK and I just heard the first little sounds of Mason as I was typing this. Hopefully, I'll walk in to a sunshiny baby smile instead of a grumpy, tantrum-throwing mess.

... to be continued.

Cook

A month after Christmas, Mason's favorite toy has proven to be his play kitchen. "Cook" is one of his favorite new words, and he's always throwing random things (sometimes play food, sometimes real food, sometimes Matchbox cars) into his pans and putting them on the burners. So last week, when we got home from grocery shopping and all the bags were scattered across the floor waiting to be put away, I wasn't surprised to find Mason trying to cook my groceries - packages and all.



I was surprised, however, to find this jammed in Mason's little oven the next morning:

Crap. Goodbye $3.50.

The Good Life

Sometimes, Mase has breakfast in his highchair. Other times, he prefers to lounge in the living room while he eats.

Lucky kid.

Curly Hair and Blue Eyes x 2

Last week, Brianne and River came over. Mase and River had a great time together and we even remembered to take a few pictures.

Of course, Mase had to give a goodbye hug (or twelve) to his new friend before he left.

Aww.

Jackpot

I lose my keys at least four times a week. Half the time it's Mason's fault, the other half of the time I blame it on him anyway. I lost them, once again, last week. My spares, actually, as the originals were already missing and had been for months. I looked EVERYWHERE. Well, I thought so anyway.. until I realized I hadn't looked in the most obvious place ever: the couch cushions.

While I searched, I threw all the cushions on the floor for Mase to play on - hey, Mads liked it.

I found my keys in the couch, of course. Well, the originals. I still haven't come across the spares I was looking for but I guess it doesn't matter as long as I can get into my apartment. Deep, deep in the back of the couch was a set of keys, the lens cap to my camera, four Teddy Grahams, five dollars and twenty-five cents, and a chapstick.

I wonder where his other hiding places are...

HOW does he know that?

A couple weeks ago, Mason apparently grabbed a glass of water off my dresser, ran out to the living room, dumped it into the sink of his play kitchen, and proceeded to wash the dishes.

I didn't see it, nor did I believe it.

But it must have been true, because he did it again the other morning. This time, I caught the aftermath on camera.

So... how does he know to do that? I swear, this kid is amazing.

Just Like Summer

It was forty degrees today, and in PA that means it's warm enough to play outside without the inconvenience of bulky coats and hats and gloves.

So we did.

Mason had SO much fun, and that vitamin D was definitely what we both needed. We'll be going back outside after nap, that's for sure.

Hey Again, Regis!

Since we all know this waitressing crap isn't paying off too well lately, I'm entering Mason in Regis and Kelly's Beautiful Baby Contest. We didn't win last year, but I'm pretty sure Mason's picture was overlooked somehow. Who knows, it still could be floating around in the Internet world somewhere... 'cause if they would have seen it, he would have won.

Now, I know Mason's the most beautiful baby in the world, and you know Mason's the most beautiful baby in the world... but how do I convince Regis and Kelly of this fact? I can only submit one picture. ONE picture to show how adorable, charming, smart, funny, and happy my kid is. One picture that will get him a $125,000 college scholarship and allow me to finally get some sleep at night.

How am I ever going to choose?

Banana Pancakes

One of Mason's favorite breakfasts. Yes, both of those giant pancakes are for him. The kid loves them. Plus, they're easy - a little water, a little Bisquick, and voila! - and we've already established numerous times that I'm a little lacking in the cooking department, so anything that doesn't require much more skill than slicing a banana is exactly what I'm looking for. But Mason wouldn't allow anything to be too easy... especially at eight o'clock in the morning. No way.

Have you ever tried cooking like this?

Yeah, Martha Stewart is great and all, but can she cook with a baby climbing up her leg?

Ahh, breakfast time. Fun for everyone.

Year Twenty-Five

My birthday came and went without me feeling any different in terms of age. Am I happier? Absolutely. Do I feel any older? Not really.
I feel like I accomplished a lot in my first twenty-five years of life. I evolved from a tiny, helpless lump of a baby into a completely self-sufficient person. I almost have a college degree. I made mistakes, learned from them, fixed them, and became a stronger person because of them. I grew, gave birth to, and raised the smartest, happiest, most adorable baby I've ever come across in my life.

Of course, there are plenty of things I still want to accomplish. Plenty. Here are five things I'd love to get done before my twenty-sixth.

1. Get my license back and get a car. This should be easy and should happen within a month.

2. Go back to school in either the summer or fall. Even if for no other reason than the fact that I'm beyond sick of waiting tables.

3. Finish writing my first book. Meaning, get beyond the one page I have written. Maybe even get it published.

4. Save money. Have $20,000 in Mason's savings by my next birthday.

5. Let it be. Stop worrying. Stop dwelling. Stop freaking myself out. It will work and it will be amazing.

A Quarter Century

I turn 25 tomorrow.

I'm not exactly sure how I should feel about that..

Kicked Out

So, due to funds being extremely low and my inability to sleep at night because of worrying about finances and how the heck I'm going to pay my insanely high rent, I decided to start looking for a roommate. I put an ad up on craigslist and I'm pretty sure I found someone already. As long as things go well next weekend when I meet her, Mase will be moving out of his room and into mine.

I can't begin to explain how awful this makes me feel.

Guilty isn't a strong enough word.

Finally! The Last of the Christmas Pictures

The day after Christmas was spent in Wilkes-Barre with my huge, loud, crazy extended family. Mason loved it - he got three identical "Mason" sippy cups, tried on Haylie's fairy wings, hung out with his many second cousins, and was loved on by everyone. If I could spend every day with these people, I'm pretty sure I would.