This past weekend we went to the pumpkin patch with Lady A and S.  Unfortunately Mason is still too young to appreciate it, plus this Nap Nazi likes to keep her babies on a schedule, so he stayed home with G&G C.  It ended up being a beautiful day, just like last year!  There was tons to do and Kade had a blast.  All the fresh air and activities wore the guy out and he passed out on the way home, just like last year!  Trust me, Kade sleeping in the car is a rare occurrence.  It deserves documentation.

We haven't measured him in awhile but I think he's a bit closer to 4 feet than this picture shows.  All I know is, he's the perfect height for me to rest my arms on the top of his head!

Notice his boots?  He's been asking for new work boots for awhile.  We've been trying to use them as leverage to get him to get up and use the toilet in the middle of the night.  He's still wetting the bed but someone was a softy and gave into him anyway.  That same someone got new work boots too.  I can assure you it wasn't me.

Here's a nice shot of the other pair of new work boots :-)

There was a new obstacle course this year.  Or as we liked to call it, a ninja warrior course.  I think most ninjas rock big work boots while they are ninja-ing, right?!?

Later we carved pumpkins.  Well, myself, Lady A and S carved pumpkins.  Kade stabbed grasshoppers with our tools....

And Mason and Erik watched us work.

I take that back.  Kade did help for 0.2 seconds, long enough for us to snap these pictures to make it look like he did all the work :-)

And Mason got his own baby pumpkin!

When Kade was about 7 or 8 months old, I took a few pictures of him in just his diaper.  They were great pictures and I have them in a frame now.  I wanted to try to get similar pictures of Mason as well.  There's nothing cuter than the "rubberband rolls" on babies and my two "hefties" manage to sport some amazing chunk.  Mason is at the height of his rollie pollie right now (at least I hope he is!  He can't fit anymore to his already-maxed-out cheeks, arms and legs!).  Although he didn't sit very still, I managed to get a couple framers!

It's been a big week for the Mason Man!  He's officially joined the masticators!  Or for the people not quite as nerdy as me--he got his first tooth!!!  (I know I'm a huge nerd because Kade tells me I am about 100 times a day.  It's ok, it's karma that I deserve.  My parents didn't go a day without me "gently" reminding them that they are huge nerds too.  Although, I don't think I was informing them of their status when I was 4 years old).  Anyway.  It's his bottom front right tooth.  It's next to impossible to get a picture of it but I'll do my best!  Only 19 more teeth to go!  And about 19 more gallons of drool to accompany them.

He's also starting to play on his knees!  Which brings us that much closer to pulling up and then walking!  Kade informed us that Mason has been getting on his knees for awhile now at daycare, however last night is the first I've seen of it.  Kade also tells me he's a long haul truck driver so who can trust anything that guy says? :-)

Just turning up the volume, guys.  Let's get this clothing optional party started!!!

And finally, a cute picture of Mase...

Some videos of the boys this week.

Mason zooming in his walker.  He's usually a little more animated than what the video shows but he doesn't usually have paparazzi (I mean, me) trailing him.

The Walker

So I know you aren't supposed to compare your kids.  And I'm really not supposed to compare my kids because they don't share one drop of the same genetic make up.   However that's what makes the similarities between these boys so mind blowing.  We all know that God knows what He's doing.  But He really knew what He was doing when He made these two brothers!  It's a miracle that will never cease to amaze me.

Mason is on the exact same trajectory that Kade followed.  He is the exact same size Kade was and he's doing the exact same things Kade did.  I realize most babies follow the same development pattern but it's their size and interests that get me.  How did we end up with 2 boys from completely different birth parents that are so much alike?  Again, a miracle that will never cease to amaze me.

8 months old and can't get enough of the walker, the hutch and chasing Molly with it?

Mason, meet Kade at 8 months old.  Wouldn't you know--obsessed with the walker, the hutch and chasing Molly with it.

This Post Is For Me

I want to freeze time.  I always thought I wanted my kids closer in age.  I was really concerned that a 3.5 year age gap would be too big.  Maybe at some point it will be but right now it's perfect.  Kade is old enough to be protective.  He's old enough to be helpful--legitimately helpful, not the "you're-mommy's-good-helper-now-I-have-to-go-back-and-fix-what-you-just-did" sort of way.  He's old enough to be a good teacher and a nurturer.  To give kisses and hugs to Mason and not be jealous of attention being taken away from him.  He watches Mason like a hawk, he keeps small objects out of the way, he brings him toys to play with.

I want to freeze time because Kade is so imaginative right now.  Every sentence starts with "Mom, pretend I..."  It's always something to do with farming, or construction, or sports.  And it's detailed.  "Mom, pretend I have to get the bales in.  But it's raining and I have to go to work.  And I have a football game tonight.  And I have to combine the corn but it ran out of gas so we have to go to Kwik Trip.  And I have to put a shed up."  It's literally never ending words coming out of his mouth.  And he still ALWAYS dresses the part.  He still changes his outfits a minimum of 5 times a day.

I want to freeze time because every morning we wake up to Kade and Mason laying in the crib together, giggling.  Kade crawls in with Mason and they spend the first 10 minutes of the day together,  just the two of them bonding.

I want to freeze time because Mason is getting SO BIG.  He crawls everywhere, fast.  He runs in the walker, especially when Molly is in front of him.  He ADORES Kade.  He's eating everything.  He's drinking out of a sippy cup.  He's signing "more".  He's no longer my snuggly little baby but not yet a toddler.

From the time he was born he was a snorter.  Everyone said he sounded like a little pig.  The Dr said something wasn't fully developed in his throat yet.  I loved it though.  I loved it even more in the middle of the night, when I woke up for the 99th time to listen to make sure he was breathing.  He was so loud I didn't have to listen very hard or long.  I don't know when he finally stopped snorting and that makes me sad.  It just went away and I was too busy to notice.

I want to freeze time because now he's replaced his snorts with with blowing raspberries.  

Mason say mama:  "pfssst"

Mason say dada:  "pfsssst"

Mason say Kado:  "pfsssst"

Always, always accompanied with a big smile and a gallon of spit.  He looks so proud of himself and his shirt looks like he spilled a full cup of water down the front.

I want to freeze time because every night, after he's finished his bedtime bottle, he snuggles into my shoulder and falls asleep in the "sleeper hold".  It's my favorite time of day with him.  I literally kiss his cheeks the entire time and take mental pictures of his sweet, sleeping, baby face.

I want to freeze time because every time Kade wrestles with Mason I think he's being way too rough.  Then I see the ear-to-ear grin on Mason's face and hear the big belly laugh coming from him and realize he's loving it.  I am a bit concerned about the state of my house when Mason is big enough to wrestle back.  I honestly believe Mason is destined to have a promising future in wrestling.  He's never once cried because of some move Kade has tried on him.  The kid is tough!

I wanted to get this written down because I never want to forget what my babies are like right now.  Every stage is awesome but so far, this stage is my favorite.  If I can't freeze time at least I can write down and try to capture a little snapshot of what life is like right now, for my memory.  This post was for me.

This past weekend was beautiful!  Probably the last nice weekend Minnesota has to offer us.  Kade begs us all the time for a bonfire, more often than not we don't oblige.  Mainly because he always asks on a week night or if we do light one, by the time the fire has started he's completely lost interest.  Anyway, he asked again on Saturday and this time we couldn't say no to Kade or Mother Nature!

Erik sent out a text to his family to see if anyone wanted to join us.  With 3 busy siblings the odds of all of us being free were slim.  Pigs must've been flying somewhere because everyone was coming! The last time that happened might've been Christmas.  That seems to be how it goes though, if you want everyone to make it to something it needs to be planned months in advance and even then someone usually can't make it.  However send out a random text just hours before and everyone is available.

Mason's not quite old enough to realize he should be hanging on for dear life with that crazy tractor driver!

Mason impressed everyone with his size and mobility.  This almost 8 month old is squeezing his baby muscles into size 18-24 month clothes these days.

Jay and Kade were the Eagles and they were playing Erin and Kurt.  If you ask Kade, the Eagles won but who can be sure when Kade tackles anyone with the ball, his teammates included.  Notice the towel in Kade's pants?  He insists on wearing it because that's what "real quarterbacks" do.

Cutest little football fans ever!

The 13 of us!  Soon to be 14 (there's a little man growing in Jenna's belly😊). 

Not much to post about this week.  Erik and I have about a million and one things we want to do with our place.  Of course one idea leads to another idea which leads to spending more $$$.  So instead we are doing nothing and enjoying the last few nice days left of the season outside with the boys!

Kade is at the age now where we can make up silly games, with silly rules, and play them forever.  This one involved Mason and I throwing the ball to one end of the porch, Kade running after it and kicking it back.  Okay, so maybe that sounds a little like "fetch"....so, not really made up.  And maybe a more appropriate game to play with dogs?  Kade's expression makes me think he didn't mind it :-)

You can't leave Mason alone on the floor with blankets.  I have no idea how but he gets himself wrapped up like a burrito Every. Single. Time!

Mason's first ride on the lawn mower.  If he enjoys riding it as much as Kade does Erik is going to have to get a bigger lap.  Or a bigger lawn mower.  Or another lawn mower since Kade is now tall enough to reach the pedals and drive it himself.

This past week I've been thinking a lot about some acquaintances of ours.  They were on the adoption list at the same time we were.  I remember, 2 years ago when we were working on getting back on the list after Kade's adoption, our social worker told us to hurry up and get our stuff in because there was another couple working on theirs and they were going to be finishing up any day.  Although birth parents can look at as many profiles as they want, the order in which they see them is based on how long a couple has been waiting.  Or sometimes a birth mother doesn't choose a couple at all and the baby goes to the couple next in line.  Such was the case for Mason.

We ended up getting our stuff in about 3 days before them.  At the time we didn't realize we actually knew this couple.  Not that it would've made a difference.  We didn't do anything to expedite our paperwork process and we definitely didn't "hurry up".  Paperwork, photo scrapbooks and writing letters about ourselves is not something we enjoy and we most definitely didn't hustle getting it in!  Anyway, if we had waited another week this couple would've become Mason's parents.  

The reason I'm thinking about them is because they brought home a baby girl in June.  They had her home for exactly 2 months when the birthdad filed a custody lawsuit and ended all adoption proceedings.  This was their first baby.  They got to be parents for exactly 2 months.  It's heart wrenching.  It's every adoptive couple's worst nightmare come true.  They literally had to pack her up and take her back to her birthmom on the spot.  Although that exact situation crossed my mind a billion times, I could never bring myself to actually plan for it.  I know God has a plan for them and I pray that it involves a baby in their very near future.

Adoption is a beautiful thing but sometimes it's not.  I've said this before and I'll say it again, adoption is not for the weak...and that goes for both sides of the adoption--birth family and adoptive family.  Everything happens for a reason and I thank God everyday for my boys.