Hanging with the boys

This past Monday, Layton and Mason spent the day with Granny Leigh. She was a trooper but secretly (or not so secretly), she enjoyed every minute. I was able to join her for about an hour before Clifton came to pick up Layton. It was fun playing with the two of them. And it's amazing what a difference a few pounds makes. I almost launched Layton to the ceiling when I picked him up.

The boys simply amaze me. They do so well together. They would laugh at each other, start jabbering back and forth in their language and then study everything around them with such inquisitive eyes. They are both drinking in the world.

Mason is entering his grabbing/touching phase. I think he touched Layton's head 20+ times while I was there. He kept running his fingers over Layton's head...feeling his peach fuzz perhaps? Of course, he's simply copying what his parents do to his peach fuzz covered head.

Look at those blue eyes. We call those "Lady Killers" and I have a sneaky suspicion that both boys will learn to flirt with those eyes sooner rather than later.

This one's my favorite...Bottom's Up!!! They are both so proud of their feet, and throwing up in the air at the same time no less. Thank God for pacifiers because I think they would both suck on their toes for hours if not for those pacifiers.

Other than watching the two cousins play together, it was surreal spending time with Clifton and his son. As I sat there with Mason in my arms, watching Clifton tickle Layton I couldn't help but think what an amazing gift it is to share the experience of parenting with my brother. I can remember when he was a little tike himself. We've come a long way from the two little kids that used to drive the Black Hill roads on three-wheelers.

Details, details

The glorious rain and subsequent rebound of the land has inspired John Paul and I to brush off our photography skills i.e. taking photos of something other than our son. JP is addicted to the stormy sky and the Lord has given him many opportunities to snap some amazing shots (I'll have to share those in a future post). I'm a lover of abstract images and seeing the beauty in some of the most unusual places. Of course, having Mason has encouraged us both to learn all the extra features on our camera. One in particular that I've been having fun with is the Macro setting.


I've so enjoyed looking through the lens of the Macro setting. It's forcing me to pay close attention to the little details. And when I look at these pictures, I see amazing reminders of the details that God is responsible for. It could be easy to bypass and overlook some of the littlest blessings, but it is the small praises that make like worth living. And we've been counting our "little" blessings lately.

Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

So I think it is safe to say that our family has the corner on the market for Charlie Brown look-a-likes. It's been a consistent joke at church from the Leija family that we have a "Little Charlie Brown." So can you imagine the scene when we went to the pumpkin patch in San Antonio last week with cousin Layton and Aunt Amy..we had two Charlie Browns among the field of orange.

Mason couldn't quite figure out what the big deal was. Everytime I sat him down, he would look left, right and then slap the pumpkin closest to him. I guess it was his way of getting comfortable. I wonder if he noticed that some of the pumpkins were larger then he was.

I was so glad that I got to join Amy, Lauren and Julie for this quick trip. It was fun to spend some time with other new moms that are juggling all the things I've been juggling. And I told JP that I do believe I was afforded a glimpse into our future with Mason. Lauren's son Cooper LOVES being outdoors, much like Mason. Well, when we pulled up to the pumkpin patch Cooper took off, not at a fast clip but very determined. He NEVER stopped moving around at the pumpkin patch. I think Lauren was lucky enough to get a few photos of Cooper, but I don't know how she does it. I'm certain I'll need new running shoes when Mason learns to walk.

Coast - Round Two

After any period of time following our blog, you will find that we love taking quick trips to the coast. The coast holds some really special memories for me as a child. My Granny and Grandpa Temple took us to the big water every summer and several times during the year. The joke in my family is that as a little girl (we're talking 2 years old), I'd sit up on the center console between Granny and Grandpa and yell "My Ocean, My Ocean!!!" And of course, for John Paul, the ocean is a great fishing spot and he can't wait to share his love of salt-water fishing with his family.

So we had the opportunity to take a quick trip south for some business. For this trip we extended the invitation to Mom (Grammy D) to join us. So we let her entertain Mason in the back seat (or vice versa) and we hit the road early Thursday a few weeks ago. We did our usual stop at Fins for lunch and opted for a fried shrimp platter for all of us to share. I was joking with JP saying I can't wait to introduce Mason so shrimp and well, just look below.

His eyes say it all...and no, I did not let him taste any of that fried shrimp goodness. That will happen in due time. If you remember from a previous post about the coast you know that we introduced Mason to the big water on our anniversary but we tried our best to limit his sun exposure. Fair skin and no hair is a bad combination in the sun. So this trip we decided to let him enjoy the birds, water and sand at dusk. He was mesmerized by the seagulls. And he was still overwhelmed by the shear mass of the ocean but by golly, he got his feet in the sand and surf. He was quiet and kept looking at his feet.


I know that mom got a kick out of watching her grandbaby enjoy the beach that she so dearly loves. She just kept saying, "Thanks for letting me tag along." Of all the people in the world, she understands the magnetic pull of the ocean. I know she must have been thinking of Granny Betty on this trip and I'm glad she is involved in continuing the family tradition of sharing the big water from one generation to the next.

One thing we have learned in our traveling with Mason...he is a mattress-snob. He is not very fond of his Pack-N-Play for sleeping. He apparently prefers softer surfaces to rest his little head. Seeing that this trip was a quick trip, we opted to leave the unpopular Pack-N-Play at home and decided we would just figure out something when we got to the condo (again, thank you Aunt Becky & Uncle Eddie for the generosity). I'm pretty proud of our sleeping solution for Mason. We set up a spot for him in the closet and he did fairly well in his closet-condo.


I mean he has a super soft pad, a blanket to keep him warm, some pillows to keep him from rolling around, his own doors for privacy and a plant for heaven's sake. Traveling like a pro wouldn't you say!

Half a year

October 15th marked the 6-month birthday for Mason and oh what changes we've seen as a family in that time. As many know, we are knee-deep in bow season and knocking on the door for rifle-hunting season for deer. In years past, JP would almost get an itch to go hunting. And while gone during a weekend trip JP and I would talk a few times, miss each other but we'd survive. This year, I printed pictures of Mason for daddy to take with him, made sure to take pictures of Mason while he was gone, we talked on the phone several times and it was still like a long-lost family reunion when JP came home.

I've also been thumbing through all of the pictures we've taken and am amazed at the changes that are happening before our very eyes. I know it's redundant to say that he's growing like a weed, but when I find pictures that are staged in a similar fashion, just months apart, it is extremely obvious. Take a look.

3 weeks old

5 months old

4 days old

6 months old

Amazing isn't it. It's fun to relive all that we've been through and we have much praise to give to the Lord for He has been good to us. Let me follow-up on the jumperoo. If you look back at my post about his jumperoo (infant exerciser) you'll see a video of just out active he can get in that thing. Well, it also wears our little man out. JP and I were watching a movie a few evenings ago and let Mason jump his heart out. He was jumping, babbling and giggling in the thing. After some time, we noticed it got a little quiet. When we looked over at Mason, this is what we saw:

Let me just say that these pictures remind me of a story my mom and dad have told about me. I was in my high-chair and fell asleep in the mashed potatoes (face planted in the fluffy goodness) while mom and dad were having dinner.

Jumping fool

We have better sleep in the Padgett house and it is thanks to an invention called the Jumperoo. I'm so glad we listened to a fellow mom at Target a couple of months ago and got it. Mason gets a heck of a workout during the day and sleeps sound for at least 9 hours overnight. Which means mom and dad can sleep until 6 before we have to start the food train. Mason has tried to hyper-extend the springs, loves to draw his feet up so he can dangle mid-air and is determined to beat the carpet down in the living room.



Watching this video, I remember talking with Amy, back when we were both expecting, about how our world will never be the same. We joked about how we were going to control the level of kid-clutter in the main living area of the house. The boys would have their toys, sure, but we would maintain a measure of the way our house looked.

I laugh when I think back on that conversation...the house is nothing like it was pre-Mason. I look at our living room this very night and am confronted with the rainbow. We've got Granny Betty's "Mexican lap quilt" on the floor (it was her version of a fiesta in fabric and I adore that Mason plays on it), a lime-green baby swing, small play gym with bright color toys and now the jumperoo. WE ARE PROUD PARENTS OF A BABY and we have the colors to prove it!!!

Baby Dedication

We had the opportunity to have our extended family join us at church this past week to share Mason's dedication. Pastor Albert did an amazing job...his words of encouragement were heart felt. And to have the entire church participate in Mason's blessing was amazing. We truly were surrounded by our second family.

Many people have said that Mason seems to be a highly alert child, not missing a thing. He was asleep in his dad's arms when we walked to the front. The minute Pastor Albert touched Mason's back and started to speak, Mason woke up, whipped his head around and payed attention. Mom was watching him from behind me. She said that he maintained focus on Albert as if to take notes to remind us what we promised (raise him in a Christian home, provide instruction & discipline, love him in the good and bad, etc...Momma was listening too).

I'm beginning to think our little boy, while shy when confronted face to face, is a bit of a ham. He seemed to enjoy being the center of his family's attention. I'm pretty sure everyone held him at one point or the other, including cousins Conner and Kade. We are blessed to be surrounded by so many that are willing to love him deeply and offer him Christ-centered guidance...that is priceless.