mommy's new favourite picture

it was just before jumping in the bath on a sunny Saturday afternoon...

when he sees the camera

he often smiles...

almost adult faces!

always blurry but still nice

I still take loads of pictures but since Mat moves so much they are always blurry.

If I knew how to use my camera better ( I took a class actually - I should take out my notes...) I could solve the problem.

Daddy had trouble too getting a clear shot.

down time

Mateo, you love to play with mommy and daddy.  That's really your favourite time of the day.  We can see it in your face.  You light up.  You just smile so much! We bring you to the basement and we have "family time".  We crawl with you, we play with your toys, we chase you, we tickle you, we try to kiss you, we scream, we jump on the red ball, we follow you up the stairs, we give you pens you can open, magazines you can tear.  You climb on our backs, you hold yourself on the furniture so you can walk around...

You're full of energy when we are all three together.

 

But about once a day, when we need a little break, we put you down in your park where you have a lot of toys -but different to the ones you have downstairs and you just play alone.  It is your quiet time.  We like that too! 

A lot!

It gives us just a little break from all that action you have brought into our lives.

beer!

Daddy's idea of course to put this picture on the blog!

Prosit!

his hair

So much hair for his age.  

So nice and fluffy.  

And a nice colour too!

It's straight for now.  

Daddy is jealous!

vanilla

Since Mateo is born I am trying to find words to describe his smell.  

His skin smells divine.  

So divine that I could really eat him up.  

Actually, I have bit him so much that when he shows me love he bites me too! 

I have to be careful that I don't hurt him so good he tastes.  

The closest thing I have found : vanilla! 

He smells like vanilla.

a new babysitter

Since we cannot put Mateo in front of the washing machine all day (we never would but I like this picture so much! It's so funny! I really see how it could work...), we had to get a babysitter since I started work three days a week. 

Teta and Gedo babysat on Monday but we still had two days to cover. Our private babysitter Oma is gone this week - she is in sunny Dominican Republic. (Hallo Mutti!) 

So Tuesday morning Madame Lévesque knocked on our door. 

She is great : sweet and professional AND she is in love with Mateo.  Who wouln't be?!! 

I am so happy that it went well.  Mateo had never spent a lot of time with someone he does not know... They played together and had a jolly time. 

I am such a proud mom.

soya formula

Mateo finally started drinking formula! Yeah!

A big step for him!

He drinks something else than my boob!

mateo à la garderie

Claude bought Mamie et Papi chez Mateo for you a few months ago and we read it to you every night.  You love the book and the Mateo in the book looks exactly like you! Funny!

Daddy found another book last week by the same author where you are the star.  It talks about little Mateo choosing a daycare he likes. 

You are lucky : for now, Oma, Opa, Teta and Gedo babysit you...

but in a few months Mommy and Daddy will have to choose a daycare for you too.  

Once you are able to speak and tell us what you do there every day, we will send you...

grocery carts

you love it when there are not too many people at the grocery store and mommy runs super fast in the aisle just to hear you laugh...

spring

first day of spring katkout!

mommy's second favourite season.

you will see my son, spring is for new beginnings.

It allows you to make new plans in your head, walk outside all the time, peak your face towards the sun to feel the strong rays, buy colourful clothes and change your routine!

 

an experiment

Oma is a very patient lady 

AND she never loses her temper 

AND she loves you very much

AND she knows a lot about babies

THAT'S why Daddy and Mommy decided that she was the best person to try to put you to bed (without us being there!) - as an experiment of course!

The experiment did not work.

We still had a great evening.

We went to this great restaurant. A wedding gift from Elias and Luc. (Thank you again! What a great idea!)

Our plan was to meet Elias and Luc after the restaurant and have a real night out.

But just before leaving the restaurant, Mommy called Oma from the groovy bathroom and Oma said : "I just can't put him to bed.  He is screaming his lungs out."

So Dadddy and Mommy came back home at 9h30!

When we got home, you were watching Claire Lamarche with Oma smiling! You little bugger!

It is still out latest night out since you were born!

Nevertheless, we had a great romantic and fun evening out. 

it's as if he is saying...

hello there, my name is Mateo.  What is yours?

don't mess around with me!

Oma took this picture.

Mat likes to look out the window...

!feliz cumpleanos!

ya 10 meses!

mommy and Mattie

having fun.

okay - mommy is having more fun than Mattie...

As you can see, he is trying to escape!

this is how i want you to feel!

mateo on the net

I was curious.

I wanted to know about the other Mateos out there.

I typed your name on flickr and here are some of the pictures that came out.

Cool!

why your name is Mateo

a few years ago, mommy went to see a WONDERFUL Italian movie.

She went to see it with Jojo, Elias and Luc.

The movie was so long that it was presented TWO nights at the cinema.

I remember how much I cried on the second night once we got to know and love the characters in the movie. 

I do not remember the details of the story - although I saw it again after with daddy - but I what I do remember is that it was a story about family love, about two brothers, about difficult times, about love, love, love and love again.  

The scenes of the movie will stay in my head and in my heart all my life.

It is a story that stays with you long after you have watched it. 

One of the men in the story was called Mateo.  

A man you cannot forget.

That's why your name is Mateo.

Elias

Hi Elias!

I'm your friend Mateo. 

You are probably wondering what I am doing with your mom 

You were sleeping when my mom took this picture.

You were just beside us in your great black stroller.

I thought that we would see each other this summer but my parents think that the time difference will be too hard for me...

I am bit sad about that because I wish we could have spent some time playing together, maybe even speak a bit of Spanish ( I know a few words :)).  My parents told me so much about Spanish tapas.  You are so lucky : you will get to eat tortilla this summer.  I also heard about the Corte Ingles.  They really have cool baby clothes there.  Man, I am so jealous of your vacation in Spain!

But hey, I am sure I will see you around another time!

Take care ! 

BTW : My mom tells me you started going to the creche.  

Say hi to the other babies for me. 

Any cute girls like your mom there?

i wish time could...

mat is turning 10 months this week.

he looks like a little boy  - not a baby anymore. 

if 10 months went by so fast, I am already afraid of the future months, future years.

at that rate, i know he will be a teenager soon and he won't want to be with me all the time - it seems so sad to me now...

I am enjoying every step of the way :

the way he puts his head on my shoulder

the way he smiles

the way he kisses with his mouth open

What else does mommy like ?

the way he crawls super fast

the beautiful face he has when he is sleeping

his wonderful big eyes

...and of course, so much more....

another love

It's been in my head for a while but it never becomes official unless I write it down but I think that I am ready to have another baby...  

A while ago, I wasn't because my nights were a bit difficult but I am okay again.

I think M wasn't sure either but he is ready now. Anyways I think he is. I guess it is different for men.

I know that I would like to have two children.

Like Verica said she felt she had a family once she had two children.

I know it is different for each person and I know that I don't know what the future holds but this is my wish.

It is so great to have a baby. 

We love Mateo so much and that's why we want to start this whole love affair again. 

We want Mateo to have a sibling.

Even though I don't see my brother that much, I am so happy that I have one.  So happy that to share memories with him.  So happy to love him and to think about him...Wherever he is, he is always in my mind.  I love the way he is although we are so different. He is much more carefree than me and such an original thinker.  I wish I was like him sometimes.

We don't really know when we will start for baby #2 - maybe this summer? 

I would like Mateo to have stopped breast feeding before we do...

Let's see what will happen.

We have been looking for names and we find it so hard.

For Mateo, we knew right from the start so we did not really have to look for names.

For a girl : we are thinking of Stefie or Eva.

And for a boy : we have no clue. 

I would like an Italian name again but M says NO!

Any suggestions? 

one of his favourite toys

I have a lot to learn from Mateo.

I always need change : need new clothes, need new decor, need new challenges, need new recipes...need, need, need...

Mateo plays with the same toys day after day, rediscovers them again.

Daisy gave me this music machine when Mat was born and every day when I am trying to get ready, I put him in his bed and he plays with it pressing on all the buttons : he loves the music and colours that come out of it!  

a fish

so happy!

I think one of the greatest joys of a parent is to see their children happy.

Smiling for his mama!

rituals

I don't think that M and I have that many rituals.

And I think that is why it was a bit hard for us to Mat in a bedtime routine...

What we do for sure is : 

- give him supper at 6h00

- put him in a fresh pajama at around 7 

- feed him at 8h00 in my bed in a quiet dark room

- and put him to bed at 8h20

It seems to be working well.  His nights are much better.  He wakes up only twice now.  I have accepted the fact that I don't sleep right through the night like before.  Once you accept it, it is much easier.  It's really okay for me now.  What wouldn't I do for Mat anyways?! I also asked M today if he thought it was easier than before and he says that he is getting used to his "new kinds" of nights also.

Sometimes we give him a bath - sometimes we don't

Sometimes we read him a story - sometimes we don't.  

As I said, it is so hard for me to stick with rituals....

On this picture :  here we are after a great bath ! Mateo loves water! (Everytime, we take him out of the water, he cries...)

Hair neatly combed by Papa!

He likes the taste of baby toothpaste

I started brushing his three teeth!!

He sucks on the toothbrush! Really funny!

please mom, that's enough...

Life is all about cycles - about ups and downs - about passions and passions forgotten.

For a while, I stopped taking a lot of pictures.  

I was busy doing other things like starting a new job, trying on clothes to see what I am going to wear to work, cooking a lot, reading a lot of magazines, swimming again, walking outside,working on the computer and so much more...

But this weekend, I took a lot of pictures.

The camera is steaming... 

caramel

the two first people who came in my hospital room the day after Mateo's birth were Nadine and Charlie.

Charlie chose this special dog (that he named Caramel- cool name eh?) for Mateo.  

It was Charlie's first gift to Mateo.

I had bought a little stuffed monkey before Mateo was born that we named Bla-Bla and I was hoping that Bla-Bla would become Mateo's favourite stuffed animal but Mateo did not choose Bla-Bla.

Mateo chose Caramel.

Mateo can't sleep without it now.  He holds on to it all night. 

Before I go to bed, I always go and check up on Mateo and he is often in the same position : on his back (like I sleep !!) and one hand is holding onto one of Caramel's paws...

Thank you Charlie for this great gift!!

Mateo loves you. 

my angel

I am a lucky mom : Mateo likes to have pictures taken!

hola!

the other night while we were preparing supper Mateo was babbling away and out of all those funny sounds (ble, ma, nia, pada, ma...) I swear we heard a real "hola" !!! M and I had a good laugh!

Imagine, his first word was in Spanish ! That's my boy!  A real Mexican! Since then, we are trying to make him repeat it...but of course he is not saying it!