22 Months

Once again, another month FLEW by! I am going to post this a day early, because tomorrow I work, then the next day/night we have a visitor for Mateo.  Baby Eva. I think of her as his cousin, but technically she is my husband's half cousin, so that makes her Mateo's 2nd half cousin? (that is why her mom thinks they can marry each other).

Last time I we babysat

Our little man makes us laugh all the time! I have said before how he copies everything we say/do, but I could never get him to say sorry. Stubborn guy. He threw his plate on the ground a few days ago, so stuck him in his high chair in the entry way. He scooted his way over and opened the door. He looked so proud that he did it, but he had to go back. I was frustrated and told him, 'You are sitting here until you say, 'Sorry.' I know you can say it!' So I shut the the door again and let him sit there about a minute, opened the door and he yelled, 'Sawwy!' Woah, we were laughing. Now to get him to repeat it at appropriate times.

In case you can't read Dutch on my other blog...#2!

Mateo has added several more words to his vocabulary. Ook (also), Op (all done), Open, Hot, Apple/appel, Baba (bottle), Nigh, nigh (good night/sleep), Hot, pipi, poo poo, Ouwie, Uh, Oh and he continues to say/recognize ff-ff as HOT!

Saturday night, so exhausted from the camp that he fell asleep in our bed and let me take out his pacifier!

I think we have an athlete on our hands. A few weeks ago he went and did a perfect summer sault in front of us. I know neither of us have ever taught him it, so it is something he picked up most likely from his cousins.

He LOVES his balls and plays with them or balloons all day. I think he also saw kids playing basketball on the weekend, because he keeps trying to bounce his ball. Everyone (well, anyone who can actually play soccer) comments at how unbelieveably well he can kick a ball.

My handsome little man taking it all in at the kids' camp. May 19th

Mateo shared some exciting news on Mother's Day.

13 weeks

Today I am 13 weeks. One site says this is the start of the 2nd trimester and another one says it starts when you hit 14 weeks. Either ways, I am feeling good! I think the little bit of morning sickness (that should have been called resting sickness) is gone. Someone guessed that I was pregnant, because she said I looked it, but I am still convinced that I don't look it, but hubby said I do. So here are a few self-portraits from Friday. I always have a bit of a tummy, so it looks normal to me. Mateo also wanted in on the photo fun.

The top one is the best, the doctor said the legs were crossed.

I had planned to announce the news last week, but now I feel like waiting longer, hopefully until Mother's Day. Last time we told when we got back from America and I was around 12 weeks. Speaking of America. I checked how much I weighed at this point, last time around. I was already 10 pounds heavier! We were away for a month in America, so that was not good for my weight. I am happy that I am doing better so far than last time, but our 5 week vacation is coming up. I rreeeallly gotta watch it.

21 months

In just 3 months Mateo turns 2! Another year flying by.

Mateo is finally trying to say the words we tell him to. This morning he said Aap (monkey), Essy, Hanne, Leah, Oma, Grandma. I think we have a little Dutch speaker on our hands. The words he often says on his own are Auto (this in excess, think every car we pass on the road gets named and every train/tractor/bus in every book), Kijk (look), Ga Mee (go with), Nog (more).

I did not realize how good he is at pointing to parts of his body. His auntie and cousins are faithful teachers. That is also in Dutch. He gets ogen (eyes) and oren (ears) mixed up, but hair, tongue, teeth, mouth, foot, head, hair, bottom and belly he knows very well.

He is still our little imatator! Sounds, actions, you name it. I really need to film it sometime. It is so precious.

I am glad Mateo's growth is matching up with the season. Most of his long sleeved shirts are pretty short in the arms and his warm pants are getting a little small. We are ready for SPRING!

This month Mateo learned to climb up the ladder alone to go down the slide and to safely get on/off the trampoline (his cousins' of course).

Recently he is acting afraid of the vacuum. He is also scared of toilets flushing, which is just perfectly fine with me. He has not yet discovered that there is water in there!

Mateo is used to the webcam after being on it on a nearly daily basis. He is used that it is Grandma, so he always does tricks for her and comes and brings things to show her. We have also chatted with my aunt and a friend who also has a baby. He is very good about waving and blowing kisses goodbye.

Speaking about those blowing kisses, he blows them anytime I say 'say bye bye'-so he blows kisses to the rabbits, donkeys, cats, houses, people...

Until next month!

10 weeks

Today is April 9th. I had another appointment at 8:00 this morning. I was excited, because this appointment was going to give me a due date. I also like to go and see/hear the heartbeat. The ultrasound said 9w6d, so it matched pretty closely to what I thought. I figured a November 7 due date (birthday present for Ruth?), but she wrote November 5th. Either way, I don't think I will be going to Roekenbosch this year!

Same story as a few weeks ago, feeling sick when laying down, aversion to very sweet things, enjoying warm, cheesy things (pizza, grilled cheese, etc). What has also begun again is the DREAMS. I am not getting very restful sleep, because I dream the whole night vivid dreams. I always dream, but not quite as much.

No weight gain since last time. Yes! But I need to watch it. Keep it under control. I really don't want to gain as much as last time (nearly 40 lbs).

I am pretty proud how much restraint I have shown. I haven't told a single person yet! I wanted to tell mom a few weeks ago, but hubby wanted me to wait until today, so hopefully it works out tonight! Ok, I do admit I bought an adorable dress, but it can also be a gift for someone else.

There is not much to buy/gather this time around. I would like a new carseat, click-in-style. The baby will most likely be sleeping in our room for a while. Mateo stayed until he was 6 months. I would prefer to move baby out earlier if it would help them sleep through the night like it did with him, but we don't have another room. I guess the living room is also an idea! I have a few ideas to make a cute baby corner in our room, but I will wait a while for that.

Today I have been trying to figure out when I can stop working. I want to stop as soon as possible. Sorry clients! I did not know that last time I could have been done a week or 2 earlier. I think it is around 28 weeks unless the gynecologist writes me off earlier. I am gone 5 weeks, so 'just' 13 more weeks of work!

I know some people worry with the 2nd of if they will have enough love or something, but I don't worry about that. I worry about the baby not being as adored as Mateo. Mateo has always received lots of attention and still does. It is because he was such a nice baby (seriously, he only cried for food or dirty diapers), happy and sociable! Ok, yes, he is still that way! I would love to have another baby like him! But am prepared that not every baby can be as good as he was.

Poor Mateo has no idea what is on the way. He loved going with this morning to the appointment. He even loved holding and waving around the ultrasound photo. If only he knew how that teddy-bear-looking-blob is going to change his life!

20 Months

This has been a good month. The others have also been good, but this one seems extra good!

In his outfit from his auntie

Mateo in his tux from Grandma

Mateo finally seems to not be hurting himself as much as before. He is more crazy, but somehow he is pretty good at what he does. His antics are very scary for his mommy, but I only can run and look so many places at once. Another good thing about this month is that he seems to be throwing less. Maybe we have learned how to deescalate the situation before he feels the need to throw? Fewer things ruined this month...

Mateo is growing even stronger. Physically and mentally. It takes the 2 of us to brush his teeth each night. One to restrain (using lots of muscles) and another to brush the teeth. Tonight was the best it has ever gone. Mateo was having fun putting a toy in daddy's mouth. We will try the trick again! I finally was able to count his teeth without him biting me. There are more than the last count. Last time I counted he had 16. Now I felt 2 coming in, so I figured it would make it 18. Once I started counting I saw on the bottom 5 teeth in each direction and on the top 5 on one side and 4 on the other! I think 2 are poking through, is that possible? Nope. I just looked, hehe. He should have 20 teeth. So what I thought is a tooth coming through was nothing. He has 19 and the last one is working its way out. Could that be why he has had some restless nights?

Mateo was sick this month. He ate almost nothing. I don't have a problem that he doesn't eat, but I got highly frustrated of making food for him to try. He would take one or two bites and the rest I would throw away. Even things that he always would eat. This week he is making up for it. He stood on the scale tonight and it said 12.2 kg/26.89 lb.

Little man seems to be doing fine with our new schedule. He is supposed to sleep earlier on Sunday and Wednesdays, because we need to leave around 7:30 the following mornings. He has had a few emotional mornings when I dropped him at his aunt's, but normally he doesn't cry once I leave. Normally when I go to pick him up he doesn't want to leave! He loves seeing his cousins, playing outside there and playing with new toys. The nice thing is that when we get home he is excited to play with his toys that he hasn't seen for a while.

There is lots of chattering going on, but not very many new words. What do we have so far? Baby, baba, mama, da da, bye bye, kijk, uh-oh, nee, ja, die, Ee (for Eva), plus lots of sounds and imitations.

I reintroduced his puzzles. He is enjoying the fishing magnet one and a wooden one with pegs. He plays every day with his balls, cars and Little People.

What Mateo does right now that is very cute is that he knocks on the window to get attention of people walking past and he loves knocking on doors.

19 months on THE day

Mateo is 19 months. I just told someone he was turning 17 months. I mixed up in my head that 6 months was half a year, so it made sense that 10 (months in a year?)+6+1=17.

I even snapped a photo of him today. Right now he loves getting his picture taken and then he wants to see it on the preview on my camera.

This has been a busy month. Mateo is busy. Poor guy gets bored being home alone with mommy. He wants to have visitors, go out or see friends (of any age).

He has learned to open doors, which spices life up. Now mommy can't shut him in the living room to run upstairs or let him play in his room while I throw in a load of laundry. It means I carry him up and down the stairs more, since I can't trust him anywhere alone. Thankfully he can't open the gate upstairs yet!

Mr. Mateo is an observant fellow. He watches everything to learn how to do it. It is so cute. One of my favorite things about him right now! BUT, challenging. Example: I cut a thread. No big deal. 1 minute later I heard *snip*snip* Little guffer saw where I put the scissors and had already snatched them out of the drawer and had cut into his pants (one of the VERY few that I actually bough myself!) It is one of our games; we make actions and see how he imitates them.

He is also imitating sounds. His new word is "Baby." He said "Amen" a few weeks ago. Today he kept saying "Ek-e" for "Lekker" (yummy).

Man can he make himself clear! I talk to him all day and ask lots of questions. He has mastered shaking and nodding his head. I thought at first it was coincidence, but he means what he does! If I ask "Do you want a yogurt?" it is always a nod. When I offer other things to him he viciously shakes his head and said "neeeee!." (No!)

Last Sunday he go this first haircut! Daddy did such a good job. I was sleeping, but heard that Mateo sat very nicely (shocking).

I am always surprised how well Mateo can play. He loves Little People. He always matches up the people in the cars or sticks them into their house. Any other toys that are around the same size he puts into the house as well. This morning he played a good half an hour with Polly Pockets. He thought it was fun to carry them around, open them all up, shut them, carry them to a different table and open them all up. His car and truck he can drive around are possibly his favorite toys. Or balls? Hard to say.

His arms seem to have grown (or the sleeves on everything shrunk). His legs and truck seem the same, but almost every t-shirt I put on looks too small. I just throw a sweatshirt over and no one else notices.

Posing for me (pre-haircut, see how fluffy it is in the back)

Showing off his trick (emptying the wet wipes)

19 months, showing off for the camera.

Mateo has been a little sick this week. He loves playing with his inhailers.

Until next month!

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