17 Months!

I honestly can't believe another month has gone by! We are having so much fun! Matthew is talking a little bit more but I can tell that he is still trying to take it all in. He says "quack" a lot but he can say "duck" and "truck" now, too. He tries to say some other words and I have a feeling that once he figures it out, he will start saying more. It's no surprise to me that he can say "duck" and "quack". This little boy loves ducks!!
He likes to imitate people. If you sneeze, Matthew will probably start fake sneezing. He likes to watch other people clean and then try and do what they did. It is really cute and he is great at sweeping, vacuuming, raking, and using windex on the glass tables. Hopefully that is all he ever mimics!
He is great at walking and the other day discovered that he could go backwards! It was the funniest thing to see the excitement in his eyes! The other night he learned how to kick a ball and knows what you are saying when you ask him to do it. He understands so much more now.
Robert and Matthew are so cute when they play together. We are so lucky to have such a good boy!

just being silly 

playing in the water at the Arboretum 

golfing with daddy 

Lincoln Park Zoo with Auntie Kris 

being silly in the bath 

watching the ducks (with one in his hand)

16 Months!

Brookfield Zoo 

 Brookfield Zoo

 Children's Museum

Children's Museum

We are enjoying this summer a little more than last summer. He is able to do so much more and understands and sees so much more. He wants to walk everywhere...except where you want him to walk which usually ends up in me carrying him and him fussing. He thinks he is such a big boy and doesn't need help with anything. I can't hold his hand or spoon feed him. Sometimes he reaches for my hand when we are walking and that is the best feeling in the whole world but mostly he feels like he can do it all himself. He has been trying to feed himself with forks and spoons so I am going to encourage it as much as I can. There's no reason for me to make him eat with his hands if he doesn't want to. 

Matthew has so many teeth now. He has 11! He has 3 molars now and one more on the way. He is a little more miserable with this one than he has been with the others. I don't like to give him Advil unless it is really necessary and he seems more comfortable after I give it to him. 

I am very blessed to be able to stay home with him and enjoy every moment. Robert is an amazing husband and father. He works so hard so I can be with Matthew. I appreciate everything he does for us and our family. I am so fortunate and I hope he knows how much we love him. 

I can't believe how big he is getting. It is all going so fast now. I can't imagine my life without Robert and Matthew. I have never been happier. 

15 Months!

Every month seems to go by so fast! It seems like Matthew is learning and doing new things just as quickly.

He is walking everywhere now. It is so cute. He puts his arms up for balance but it looks like he is struttin' his stuff. He falls forward or backward every once in a while but catches himself and stands right back up and keeps going. 

He doesn't say much still. I think he is just taking it all in. He points to different things and looks at you as if to say 'what is this?'. He has the sweetest smile and personality. I am so lucky. He takes naps, eats very good and rarely gets crabby. I'm very spoiled. A new molar even came in and I had no idea! 

This summer has been so much fun and it has just begun. We go swimming and for walks. Robert and I have taken him fishing. Matthew loves fish and wants to hold the fish Robert catches. We love to be outside and I think Matthew does too. The next few months will be amazing like all of the ones before have! 

14 Months!

Every day is even better than the one before! I love spending my days with Matthew and I'm so grateful that I can! We appreciate everything Robert does for us. I feel very spoiled. For Mother's Day, they gave me a beautiful bracelet that has Matthew's birthstone on it. I love it!
Matthew is starting to try and walk more. I try to have him walk everywhere instead of carrying him...into the stores, from the car and even just around the house. It is definitely slower but hopefully he will learn that he has to walk. He has taken 7 steps in a row. Sometimes he falls forward but catches himself with his hands and stands up and just keeps going. Other times he falls backward on his butt and just crawls the rest of the way. He still won't really say any words. He can say 'dada', 'coocoo' (cookie), and he can quack, moo, baa and make a fish face. He is working on crowing like a rooster, meowing and neighing.
Matthew loves to sneeze. It's fake but if you say "God bless you" he will keep doing it several times in a row. I'm sure it is just because it gets a reaction, but it is still really funny. He is getting better at taking naps. He needs them and I was wasting so much time during the day walking around until he fell asleep. This is so much better! The first day he cried, but after that it was like he knew that it was nap time and he rarely cries. If he does, it is for a very short time. He is such a happy little boy and I'm very fortunate to have such an amazing family!

Matthew's First Year!

13 Months!

I was thinking of only updating the blog every once in a while but I like looking back and seeing what Matthew was doing each month. I'm hoping I can keep this up.
He isn't walking yet, but everyone says he is close. He likes to walk holding onto his McQueen car (a gift from Uncle Bob and Aunt Pattie) and our hands. He will stand there and wait until he has both of your hands and then takes off running. He is going to be so fast.
He hasn't said any definite words yet but he likes to babble. He likes to make different sounds rather than talk. I'm pretty sure he can quack too. It sounds like the sound you make when you are trying to get something out of your throat or trying to sound German. It's too funny.
Grandma and Grandpa Nelson bought him a new car seat for his birthday. We installed it facing the back but when I took it to the fire department, they told me it would be safer to have him face forward. I was uncomfortable with this at first but he loves it. He laughs when I sing and dance.
He is such a happy boy. I am done breastfeeding him. At first, he really didn't like whole milk. I researched what some other mothers did to make the transition easier. Since it needed to be a little sweeter, I read about mothers mixing brown sugar, yogurt, or soy milk with the whole milk. I discussed it with his doctor and we agreed that soy milk would be better. He loves it and drinks whole milk by itself now. He is the most adaptable child! I thought it would be a long process but it was pretty easy.
This summer is going to be so much fun! I can't wait until it warms up!
I don't think I have ever been this happy! Every day is a joy and I love him so much.

Just watching TV

One Year Pictures!