Crazy Sleeper

Sunday, December 30, 2012

We stopped swaddling Mason when he sleeps (at night and for naps) a couple weeks ago after my parents visited. He had had a little meltdown after we left Seth's mom's house for dinner so when we got home, we laid him on the couch just to play and wind down. He ended up falling asleep and I didn't want to wake him so I thought "let's try to see how he sleeps without his swaddle". Ever since that night, Mason has been sleeping un-swaddled. And he has been sleeping crazy. It is so entertaining to watch him on the monitor. I literally could watch for hours! Whenever he does something especially cute or crazy though, I just have to take a picture.

 
This one is from last week. He had woken up around 5:30am and we out him back to sleep after feeding him so we could finish getting ready for work and he could take a little nap. I checked on him on the monitor and found him like this : sleeping sideways (not how we put him down!), kicked his socks off, and with his arm out.

 
This one is from Friday night... Seth had gone out to see a movie with friends and so it was just me and Mason. I had put him down to sleep and then proceeded to fall asleep on the couch myself (at 8:30pm too! lol) and when I woke up, I checked on him and found him like this. Sleeping on his side.
 
How is this kid so adorable?!
 
He is such a crazy sleeper.
I love him so much.

Our Christmas Card

Thursday, December 27, 2012

I've been meaning to post this for a while and keep forgetting...and almost just did again!
Our Christmas Card 2012


MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Love, the Birenbaum's

Christmas

Christmas has come and Christmas has gone. And I can't believe it's over! It seemed like Christmas would never get here and in a blink of an eye, it's gone. I had a 4 day weekend and it went by WAY too fast.

Christmas day was a bit of a blur, as it always seems to be. The day started off by us finding the plate of cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer empty and presents for Mason under the tree.



Mason didn't open his presents from Santa right away though as we had to go over to Seth's mom's house for presents and breakfast. As soon as we got to Seth's mom's house, we saw the present that Santa left Emma and Addison... a Power Wheels Escalade. WOW. That thing is HUGE and the girls were in love. They wanted Mason to sit in their car with them.


After playing with the car for a little bit, we all opened our stocking gifts and Seth's mom made a delicious breakfast. After breakfast, we opened presents. This took forever as there were tons of gifts for the kids... gifts I have NO idea where I am going to put! I am convinced that when our lease it up, we need to move into a bigger place... like a house!

I loved all of Mason's presents but this may be my favorite - Toms
from Auntie Erin, Uncle Shawn, Emma and Addison.
IN. LOVE.

After all the presents were opened, we hung out for a bit, played with some new presents, and then went home to let Mason take a nap and for us to get ready (we went over in our pjs)

Mason's first soccer ball
(aka stress ball)

Mason wearing the yama-claus
(yarmulke + Santa hat)

We went back around 4:30pm and it was my goal to get a picture of the 3 of us on Christmas and Mason wearing his super cute "my first christmas" outfit. But Mason would have none of it and cried the whole time. This is the best we could do :


Poor little guy is getting over a cold and is getting two teeth on the bottom so he didn't feel good. Teething tablets have been helping and he's starting to get the hang of teethers but you can tell it still hurts. He will be happy as a clam one minute and the next screaming. I feel so bad :(
Any recommendations of how to help him would be greatly appreciated!

I can't say that Mason's first Christmas went quite as I had planned, but hey, who can plan with a 5 month old?!? It was his first Christmas and it was perfect in it's own special way :)
MERRY CHRISTMAS!





Merry Christmas Eve!

Monday, December 24, 2012

They say holidays are more fun with kids and they are right! This holiday season has been SO much more fun now that we have Mason. I loved the holidays to begin with but to see his little face light up with happiness and wonder and discovery is even more amazing. Christmas Eve started off with just Mason and mommy since daddy had to work. I never thought I wold see the day that I had a day off that Seth didn't but today it happened! Since Seth works for the government, he gets almost every holiday ever off, but apparently today is not a real holiday... or so the county thinks... but my work does :)

This is what I walked in on this morning :

That tush is so cute normally, but with Santa added, I love it even more!

After Mason woke up, we played, he slept, we ate, and mommy made cookies for Christmas dessert. I try to be so prepared for Christmas and every year I have a goal of being done early, TOTALLY done, and then just when I think I have finally succeeded... last minute craziness! I forgot this person's gift or that person or I didn't want to buy something toooo early and then totally procrastinated. Next year...

Speaking of procrastinating... there are always SO many things I want to do during Christmas that I never have time for. (Next year we start earlier... or so I always say!)

The first weekend in December was Mason's 4 month pictures and Seth working at the swap meet. The next weekend was going to see Santa and celebrating Hanukkah with the family. The next weekend my dad, step-mom and brother were here. And now it's this weekend... and Christmas! So this weekend we tried to cram in as much as we could. Friday night we went to see Disney on Ice. Saturday night we went to the Newport Beach Boat Parade. Sunday night we went to see Christmas lights around the neighborhood. And tonight we celebrated Christmas Eve! 

Newport Beach Boat Parade

Mason and mommy looking at the boats

Christmas and Hanukkah :)

Neighborhood lights

Hanging out with Santa

Christmas Eve

We're ready for Santa!

Disney...on ice!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Last night we went to the Disney on Ice show - nanny, daddy, mommy, Mason, Uncle Shawn, Auntie Erin, Emma, and Addison. We've been going for the past couple of years and thoroughly enjoy it every time. Last year was the only year we didn't go because it was during the day and we had to work. Last night's theme was Tangled, which Emma LOVED. She was singing along to all the songs and was telling Seth and I what was going on since we haven't seen the movie. If you've never been to Disney on Ice, I highly recommend it!

Waiting for the show to start

Top left : Before the show started. So happy :)
Top right : Mommy and Mason
Bottom left : The show
Bottom right : Show ended and Mason was sound asleep

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Yesterday was my work Christmas party. It was actually really fun! We had a meeting at work to start the day and then had a potluck filled with yummy food and then we did a white elephant gift exchange. It the past years we have done a Secret Santa gift exchange but I decided we should change it up this year and do a white elephant gift exchange. People were a little hesitant but I assured them it would be fun. Everyone actually had a lot of fun and the most popular gift ended up being a Lego firetruck set.

After lunch and the gift exchange, we went bowling. I was actually SUPER impressed with myself and how well I did bowling. I got a strike on my first frame! I proceeded to do worse as the game went on but still, I was impressed. And I broke 100 both games!

Doing the "Amanda style" with Amanda
I actually bowled better this way! lol

Every once in a while, Luz will send me pictures of Mason at daycare. I LOVE this because I love to see my baby while I am at work. She sent me these on Thursday and his little smile just warms my heart.

Top left :Best toy ever! Mason playing in a box
Top right: Playing with his "friend"
Bottom : All the kids : Emmie, Avery, Mason, and Addie

[Mason] 5 Months.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

HAPPY 5 MONTH BIRTHDAY MASON!

My sweet boy is 5 months old today! I can hardly believe it... boy does time fly!

i am 5 months old!
i weigh 15-16 lbs
(when we were at the doctor one month ago i weighed 14.5 lbs so 15-16 is just an estimate)
i still wear 3-6 month clothes
i still wear size 1 diapers but could wear size 2 based on my weight
i love to suck my thumb
i am starting to "talk" a lot
i just started sleeping through the night un-swaddled
i eat 5-6 oz at each feeding and eat every 4 hours
i rolled over 4 TIMES the other day and mommy FINALLY caught it on camera!
(and will post a video once she figures out how lol)
i got to celebrate my first thanksgiving in november
and my first hanukkah last week!
and my first christmas next week!
i got to meet my uncle david for the first time this past weekend when he
and my grandma and grandpa came to visit
i love to watch tv while sitting on mommy or daddy's lap
i love kisses
i love to smile and giggle
i sometimes snore when i sleep

i love to "stand"!

daddy is trying to teach me to walk even though i don't even know how to crawl yet :)

happy 5 months chunk-a-dee-dee
xoxo

Happy Hanukkah!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

On Sunday we went to visit Santa. I have been dying to get Mason to take pictures with Santa since before he was born so I was so so excited. After a little drama for how they decided to run the Santa pictures at Fashion Island, it was finally our turn. My sister-in-law, Erin, had wanted to take my nieces with us because my niece Emma is kinda scared of Santa and she thought the only way Emma might take a picture with Santa would be for her to hold Mason. And what do you know... it worked!


Even though I tried everything I know... poor Mason still looks terrified lol. At least he didn't cry :)


After Santa, we came home for Mason to take a nap and then we went over to Seth's Grandma's house to celebrate Hanukkah. Me, being the sucker that I am, of course bought festive outfits for Mason to wear. The first one said "I heart Bubbie" which I thought was PERFECT because the great grandkids call Great Grandma, Bubbie. I was so SO happy too because I got some amazing photos of Bubbie with Mason.



Shortly after pictures, we ate dinner, opened presents and had dessert. We also attempted a family photo of Mason's first Hanukkah...



We came home and I was hoping that we could open our family presents and thankfully Mason behaved. I was a little worried because he started to get a little fussy but we fed him and he was all smiles again :) So we opened our presents and Mason got a bath and then he went to bed. Nothing makes me happier then to see his little face light up.

Presents!

Penguin toy

Steelers pjs

Thomas DVD

Kisses from mommy


Happy Hanukkah!

Dear Santa...

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Mason got a letter in the mail today... a letter from SANTA! (Well a letter I paid for to be from Santa but from Santa according to Mason). I know he is still too young to understand what it was, but I still showed him and read him the letter and he was so happy :)

I've been wanting to start Christmas traditions, but thought Mason was too young. This was one that I thought I could start this year and continue on and eventually he would be old enough to understand and read the letter on his own. Next year I think I will start the 25 books of Christmas!

Top : The envelope
Bottom left : The seal on the back of the letter
Bottom right : The letter

My FAVORITE picture. He looks so excited!

Love, Santa

Beer Reindeer!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I finally wrapped my first Christmas present tonight... beer! First, I have to give credit where credit is due : THANK YOU PINTEREST (more accurately... thank you http://lifeofamodernmom.blogspot.com/2010/11/reindeer-rootbeer-beer.html).

Seriously though, what would I do without pinterest? Well for starters, I would probably have a lot more time on my hands! HAHA. But 2. my gifts would be so much more boring.

Beer reindeer are actually super, super easy.

First, you need googly eyes, red puff balls for noses, and brown pipe cleaners. And something to attach them to the bottles with. They suggested a glue gun but I used some of my scrapbook adhesive.


1. first attach the googly eyes
2. add the nose
3. wrap one full pipe cleaner around the top of the bottle neck
4. cut one full pipe cleaner in half and then in half again. use the little
pieces to make the rest of the antlers

ta-da!



Super easy and super cute :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

What a great weekend we had :) So sad to see it end! On Friday night we had a visit from Nanny (Seth's mom) who hasn't seen Mason in a while. She wanted some special one on one time and she got it :) Seth made us all dinner and she played with her little man. She was a happy Grandma!

Saturday we had Mason's 4 month pictures. The incredible Jenny Mason from Jenny Mason Photography took his pictures and I CANNOT wait to see them! If you live in the Orange County CA area, I HIGHLY recommend her. Visit her website and see the amazing pictures she takes - http://www.jennymasonphotography.com/

What a little ham Mason is! He was all smiles and I couldn't be happier. We got back our pictures from our family photo session in October and while I love them, he was only 3 months old and didn't really start smiling yet. It's almost there, but not quite. His little smile lights up a picture and I just cannot wait to see he pictures of him smiling so big. My little monkey did SO good during his photo shoot but boy was he tired on the way home!



That night we went out to dinner for Grandma Judy's birthday (my brother-in-law's mom). We went to the Chicken Dinner Restaurant at Knott's Berry Farm and boy was it good.

Then, today was Mommy/Mason day! Daddy and Papa had to work at the swap meet all day so Mommy was in charge :) We spent most of the day sleeping with a little bit of fun playtime too!

We love the lights and music! We love our hands. We love our thumb. But we don't looooove tummy time :)

I started decorating our apartment for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving and I'm finally finished! So happy to finally have the tree up and to start wrapping presents and making it look even more festive. Some people have themes for their trees. Some people decorate all in one color. But me, I just like to put up the things that I like!


Top left : decoration above the tv. Top right : lights around the window.
Bottom left : lights down the hallway. Bottom right : Seth's mom gave us this last year and we got to add Mason now!
Oldies but goodies!
Left : my baby's 1st Christmas ornament
Top : my dad, my mom, me, my brother. Bottom : Winnie the Pooh
New for 2012
Top : Mason's footprint (at 1 month). Bottom : Mason's handprint (at 1 month) as Santa.
Right : 2012 ornament
Gotta represent the favorite sports teams
Top : baseball! Bottom : Angels ornament
Right : Steelers ornament

Special Dates
Left : engaged. Right : married
Still need Mason's 1st Christmas ornament!
Some Favorites!
Top left : Gotta represent Hanukkah too. Top right : ornament from the balloon fiesta when we were in NM for Tara and Jonathan's wedding
Bottom left : love Starbucks! Bottom right : Mickey
The tree!

Happy Holidays everyone!






DESIGNED BY ECLAIR DESIGNS