Your idiosyncrasies that make me smile

Dear Matthew

 

I thought it would be fun to post about some of your beautiful idiosyncrasies as no doubt I won't be able to remember them all when you're all grown up and can come back to this blog for inspiration for your 21st birthday speech etc!

 

So! You LOVE Soda. If we are out somewhere and you want to see her you will say her name over and over until we are in the car and heading home. Never mind the fact then when we get home you don't want to play with her but whatever! You also insist on everyone patting her again and again and you always exclaim 'Oh! Sooo cute!' in relation to her. It is gorgeous.

 

Speaking of Soda, whenever something happens which obviously makes you a bit uneasy or needs fixing, you are prone to say the words 'Don't worry Soda, we'll fix it!' regardless of the fact that Soda may be nowhere near you. It is hilarious.

 

Some other funny things you say are: 

• Sooo heby! (for so heavy)
• What's that (pause) noise?
• Where's it gone? (with associated hands up)
• Birds!!! (when running after birds, cats, anything you want to scare)
• Likes you!! (when Soda is licking someone)
• Kiss it better (when you've hurt yourself and need a kiss or someone else hurt themselves and you want to kiss the sore)

I'm embarrassed to say you've also picked up a number of things from this show you're a bit obsessed with called Hey Duggee, including:

• Daddy bye-bye (followed by this sound) ahhuh!
• Ahh woof woof! (and holding up your finger the way the character Duggee does)

You call any mail that you get a postcard too because that's what happens on Hey Duggee, it's so sweet when you're like 'Look mummy! A postcard!' and it's the electricity bill :) It makes me happy when I wouldn't normally be happy with that particular post!

 

You and I also do this thing where you ask for chocolate (pronounced crocket) and you draw out your request then shorten it and I do the same with my replies. For example:

 

Matt: Crrrrrrrrrrrocketttt?

Mum: Noooooooooooo

Matt: Crrroooooooooockeeeeeeet?

Mum: Nnnnnooooooooooooooooo

Matt: Crocket?

Mum: No

Matt: Crokcet?

Mum: Ok lets have some.

 

(I am clearly weak).

 

These things make you, you, and they are so entertaining and at the same time beautiful.

 

Love you,

 

Mum xxx

 

P.S. There's a couple of random photos below of us and I thought I'd just share the story of the torch photo. You woke up at night all of a sudden asking for a torch so I went and grabbed you one and you passed out again. So that's us cuddling the torch while I sit there asking myself what just happened!

 

More cousin love

Dear Matthew

 

Last weekend we caught up with your cousins again at their house and, of course, you loved every second of it. I'm grateful that the girls are so used to having a little boy around because they know how to be almost mini-mothers with you and really take care of you. You enjoyed playing games with them and especially playing ring-around-the-rosie on the trampoline.

 

We also caught up with my cousin Anna and her daughter Rose and I can see how good you are going to be with your future sibling/s by the way you were so gentle with her. Even when I was holding her and you wanted me to put her down you weren't aggressive, just kept saying your name over and over until I gave you a big cuddle. You are going to be the best big brother ever :)

Love you,

Mum xxx

Changes to our swimming routine

 

Dear Matthew

 

We've made some changes to our swimming routine recently that took a lot of listening to my mummy instincts/gut. From about four months old you have been going to swimming lessons but recently you have started to hate them, you won't follow the instructions and are generally upset at letting go of me or going underwater.

 

So! Rather than flog a dead horse we decided to stop doing them and simply take you to the kids area at Fremantle Aquatic Centre where you can actually have FUN and hopefully learn to swim at your own pace. Both your dad and I get to get in the water with you this way and we follow your lead.

 

On reflection, this is how I learnt how to swim- being with my parents in the water regularly. When we eventually upgrade our house it will be a priority to buy one with a pool so you and your future sibling/s will have a chance to play in it often.

 

I was a bit apprehensive at first because I didn't want to de-familiarise you with the water (as we are less likely to go every week without having prepaid for lessons) but despite the cold temperatures lately you have been insisting on getting into your Gramps and Ma Ma's pool to play with your dump truck. Apparently you spent 3.5 hours in the pool the other day, sitting on the step playing while Ma Ma did her sewing nearby. So much for worrying :) You have even insisted on going 'woutside!' (as you call it) when it's pitch-black and freezing, leading to an almighty tantrum when we refused to let you.

 

Love how you feel comfortable in the water beautiful boy. Thank you for putting your worried mum's mind at ease.

Love you,

Mum xxx

My little cutie

Dear Matthew

 

We've had a pretty chilled April, which has been nice after a pretty full-on March. I thought I'd just share some of my favourite photos of you from this month :)

 

 

 

You're such an outdoors kid, so much so that every time we see a tree big enough to climb you always say 'climbing tree, mummy!' and if it's big enough I'll hoist you up into it. I love how you did the perfect gaze-off-into-the-distance pose in these photos.

Here you are with Chloe from mothers group. We are at the park but you two were mesmerised by the digger (whose technical name is an excavator- I never thought I'd need to know these things haha!).

Passed out after a long day. Look at how long your legs are! Where has my baby gone?! 

Cutie above in his car seat and below snuggled into his daddy for a nap and passed out on mum.

Exploring in the 'bush' across the road from our house. We haven't done this since the cooler weather ended last year because I became a bit petrified of snakes (a lecturer's wife at my work died from a snake bite so I have become a bit paranoid). Now that we're well into autumn it's time to explore again! You love pulling bark off trees and digging in whatever dirt you can find.

Playing with your daddy at the park. Check out Soda's happy face :) You love getting out of the house, kicking your soccer ball around and climbing the playground at our local reserve.

I cannot tell you how much of a joy you are to be around at the moment (sans the occasional two year old tantrum). Your language, cognitive understanding and both fine and gross motor skills are exploding and it's amazing to wake up every day and find that you've seemingly figured out new skills overnight. You make me abundantly proud. Not only that, you are a gentle, beautifully natured kid and you make me want to be a better person. You are constantly walking up to everyone and hugging them (including kids at the playground which is funny) but you truly know how to make people feel loved and for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you for being you.

Love you,

Mum xxx