Boys!

It took 8 years and three boys to finally embrace the noise, the boogers, the animal noises (we have no actual pets...) the climbing, the jumping the endless wrestling and tackling, the desire to sleep under the bed rather than on it and all the things that being a mom of boys entails. But these are the stereotypes, what I expected. What no one told me was how fiercely little boys love their moms. How they love to cuddle and hold hands and how their pockets hold dead spiders and flowers for you. They don't tell you about how they are so gentle to a baby kitten their hand trembles as they try to hold back their rough nature and how considerate and kind and generous they are. They don't tell you how when your little two year old is knees high in mud in his rubber boots with scrapped knees and a dinky car in one hand and a stone that was worth the mission in another that you might melt into that mud puddle you love him so much.

8 Months old!

Mr. Matthew. What a ham you are...both in your belly laughs, your silly sense of humor and the arm rolls and belly you sport and I adore.

You are always ready with a grin. You are most content in someone's arms or strapped in your cozy snowsuit in the stroller watching the kids play outside. You are crawling everywhere and standing for a few seconds at a time without support, thankfully you have no real interest in walking yet. We had two early walkers in our family and I would be just fine with you waiting for awhile:)

You are so curious! I know most babies your age are interested in new things but your intense focus and determination to get at something new is unique. You love baseball caps and remote controls and show zero interest in any of your toys. You like splashing in the bath (or toilet...whatever you can get to first) and will eat anything and everything. You like to have a full sensory eating experience which means you like to feel it, smell it, lick it , smear it on your face and throw it!

You have one 30-40 minute nap in the morning around 9 o clock. You nap again from 1-3pm and go to bed at 7. You like to wake up at 5:30-6:00 and it would be fine with me if you wanted to start your day just a littttttle later:)

You are an adaptable little fellow and like to be in new places. You are getting to be a little bit shy and prefer to be with Mommy over anyone else when we are out...a phase I enjoy very much:)

You sister adores you. She sings songs about her "Baby Mattie" that go like this...
"I loooooove my baby brudder Mattie- He is so so so cute! - I will not hit or pinch him, or kick or scratch him because he would cryyyyyyyy. I would get sent to my room and have my door locked and then I would cry toooooo".
She is gifted.

Ben and Jake think you are the best. They love when you do something new. Every noise they swear is a new word and they think you are so smart. Every new milestone is cause for celebration. You are such a loved baby.

Jacob tells me often- "Mattie is JUST the baby we wanted!"

He is so right!

 ***Watching jeopardy before bed- you love this show! It is the craziest thing- whenever you hear the music you want up to watch it!

 First swing on a mild morning! You LOVED it!

Empting drawers is your favorite thing to do:)