Happy Memorial Day!

Matthew is playing with Mama's make-up

Look what Matthew found - Daddy's tool box!

Daddy and Matthew playing right after we ate dinner at Shin-sei on Sat night

Matthew playing in his sandbox/water toy.  He loves it!

Matthew is 14 months old and getting more active.  He doesn't quite walk on his own for more than a couple of steps.  But he is getting more curious and we have to find things to keep him occupied at home.  During the work week, we don't notice it too much because after we pick him up, there is only a couple of hours before his bedtime.  We notice it on the weekends and especially- long weekends like this one.  His schedule is the following:

6:30am/7am Wake up & eat breakfast (cheerios, banana, and sometimes mama's cereal)

8:00am drop off at daycare

9:30am mid-morning snack and daily poop

11:30am/12 nap for 1 1/2 to 2 hours

1:30pm/2pm Lunch if he didn't eat it prior to the nap

4:00pm snack

6:00pm pick up from daycare and eat dinner

7:00 bath time

8:00 asleep all night long!

He usually keeps this same schedule on the weekends, too.  We are trying to ween the bottle.  We were only giving it to him at night just before bed but somehow I started giving it to him throughout the day.  He is supposed to get 25 oz of milk and he definitely does not get that without a bottle, but I know that it will all work out if we just cut him off.  He should drink more milk earlier in the day, knowing that he will not get it at night, right?

Rusty started doing something different lately.  Matthew is starting to stand up around Rusty where he gets real close and then Rusty growls at him.  The first time this happened, we thought Matthew stepped on Rusty's tail.  But then it happened again, and we disciplined Rusty right away.  We are not sure if Rusty is jealous or scared.  Rusty doesn't bite so we don't think he will do that but it just seems odd that Rusty would growl at Matthew after he has been so protective from the beginning.  

Matthew catches on quickly.  I put my makeup on at the kitchen table while Matthew is sitting in his high chair in the mornings.  The other day he was playing with my makeup bag and he put the eyelash curler next to his eye.  I thought it was funny but Andy didn't like it one bit.  

Over this memorial day weekend, we wish all the war vets and military alums a blessed day.  I remember going to the Vietnam wall in Washington DC and I saw a man walk very quickly to one name, touch it, and then he was on his way.  I also saw a very young soldier with no legs moving his wheel chair throughout the memorial.  I told him that we were very proud of his service and he appreciated my comments.  

Matthew's great grandpa, Serafino Guido, is a retired marine -he served in the Korean war.  He is alive and well and almost 90 yrs old living in Arkansas.   Serafino was born in Italy and came to Ellis Island when he was 2 yrs old.  He lived in Port Chester, NY until he was 16 and then joined the marines.  While stationed in CA, he met my grandma on a trolley in San Francisco. Here is a picture from Matthew's last visit.

Matthew with great Papa Aug 3, 2008 (4 months old)