Mason Shoma

Summer is hot over here! We have the AC on, but I still get pretty hot and sweaty. I often have to change my clothes because they get too sweaty. If I had my way, I would much prefer to be naked. It is so much cooler and free! On top of that, Mommy gently breathes on me to cool me down and I just love it!

I’ve gotten so good at tummy time that if you wanted to capture me on video during tummy time that would end up being a very long video. So here is a timelapse video of my progress with tummy time. Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

It is very easy for me to fall asleep in my stroller. I like the rocking rhythm of the stroller. I also sleep very well after nursing. I just ease into dreamland with a full tummy and sated appetite. The results, the face of a sleeping angel.

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I love interaction with Mommy and Daddy, but sometimes I like being alone. I’m quite happy on my playmat by myself. I can play by myself and I often talk to myself. I just like the sound of my own voice.

Check out my ball handling skills! I think I’m figuring out how use these “hands” of mine. I thought they were just random things attached to my random arms, but it turns out that I can control them. I can grab things now! No more random flailing and punching and grasping. I can actually see something, reach out, and grab it. Then I can control it. That usually means I bring it to my mouth to see if I can eat it. FYI: The ball is not edible, but lickable and chewable.

Watch out! Now that I have hand control nothing is safe from me! Well…except things are out of my reach. Next step, mobility.

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We were playing roller coaster today. Daddy put “safety bar” across my lap and then imitated the movements of a roller coaster. I don’t know what a roller coaster is but it seems very bumpy, but thrilling. I enjoyed it for a while, but without the visuals to match the ride, it is just bumpy.

I am very talkative at times and Mommy and Daddy very eagerly and patiently converse with me. Most of the time it is just them agree with whatever I happen to be complaining about at the time. But they thought that I might get bored with only them to talk to, so they recruited a mimicking hedgehog to chat with me. I think that you can tell by my reaction that I’m not completely happy being mimicked.

I temporarily had a widow’s peak hairstyle today. It was totally unintentional. I was just a big fussy and was rubbing my face back and forth on Daddy’s chest. The result was a widow’s peak. I did not like it.

Apparently vampires of often depicted with widow’s peaks. I don’t like it even more now.

Remember how Daddy put one of my doggies on his head and it made me laugh a goofy laugh? Well, I guess he thought the more the merrier. He put three dogs on and around his head, thinking, hoping that it would make me laugh even harder. Boy, was he wrong. Add three dogs on Daddy to the list of my crying triggers. Take a look at the aftermath of the three dog incident.

I can’t wait until I’m big enough to run around a park, talking to friends and laughing. It is tough being an immobile baby during a pandemic lockdown. Still, I make the best of things. I get quite a bit of exercise on my playmat with limb lashing (arms flailing and legs kicking). It is both a strength building and cardiovascular exercise. And it’s fun!

I also like talking while playing/exercising. I talk about the weather, sports, politics, entertainment…pretty much whatever comes to mind. You know, for a 3-month-old baby, I sure have a lot to say.

Play time has become quite routine for me. I spend a lot of time on my play mat entertaining myself (with Mommy and Daddy watching me with adoration). I still like to look at myself in the mirror and play with my furry friends. But recently I’m getting more control over my hands and arms and have started using them a lot more. I like to bat at them. I’ve gotten so good that sometimes I don’t have to even look. This is my no-look book batting.

But it is a lot more fun to have someone to play with. Mommy and Daddy are always eager playmates. They make my furry friends talk, the help me reach my toys, they talk to me, sing to me, exercise me, and a bunch of other stuff. My one of my favorite things to do with them is play peekaboo. I laugh and smile just seeing them peeking over the top of my playmat. They don’t even have to say anything.

Gone are the days when Mommy and Daddy had to eat hastily in shifts. Back when I was younger, one of them always had to be carrying me, whether I was sleeping or awake, so they could only eat meals one at a time. Nowadays, I’m quite content on my playmat, so I let them enjoy meals together like a couple. But sometimes I feel left out since I’m the only one not at the table and not eating. So I let them know that I don’t want to be left out and they happily accommodate me by placing me on Daddy’s lap. Sure I end up with a crumb or two in my hair when he eats, but I don’t mind. I just like sitting with Mommy and Daddy at meal time. I even bring my teething ring with me so I can join in on the chewing.

It is pretty hot here in the summer, easily 35°C (95°F). So when I go out for a stroll, Mommy and Daddy make sure I’m protected from the heat and sun. My stroller shade is pulled down, I have a hat to protect my face, and I have a cool-to-the-touch UV-protection blanket. You wouldn’t think I would bake under all of that, but it is much cooler than not having it. But with the humidity here, I still get hot and sweaty and have to change clothes when I get home. Even though it is hot, I love going holo holo. It is either stimulating for me to see all the sights, or it is calming and lulls me to sleep.

I have a nice crib, with a nice mattress, and it is flat and firm. The perfect place for a baby to sleep. But I don’t particularly like it. I am getting better sleeping there, spending most of the night sleeping in my crib, but it is still not my preference. I’d much rather sleep in Mommy or Daddy’s arms, or on them as they sit on the couch. I know it is hard on them, but they don’t seem to mind. They love taking care of me and will do whatever it takes to get me to sleep. So when I don’t want to sleep in my perfectly fine crib, I end up sleeping like this, and despite looking twisted and contorted, I consider this the most comfortable sleep in the world!

I’m making a lot of progress with my tummy time. But that progress comes from a lot of hard work and effort. And that hard work and effort is accompanied by a lot of grunting.

Babies have all kinds of triggers that set them off. More often than not, it is loud noises or being uncomfortable. Basically anything shocking or unpleasant. I’m usually pretty good with loud noises. There are times when absolute silence is my trigger and it puts me in a bad mood. I prefer the hustle and bustle of sounds that come from a family at home. I can even deal with some level of being uncomfortable that would upset other babies. Mommy and Daddy have found me with a heavy and full diaper and I did not say a peep about it. I just went on sleeping or playing without a care in the world.

So in general I don’t have any triggers, or at least I thought I didn’t. I discovered one today. I was happily playing with Mommy and I was all smiles.

Then Mommy sneezed. For your information, Mommy does not sneeze particularly loudly. It was a normal volume sneeze. And I wasn’t startled out of sleep or anything, I was playing with her. But that sneeze was a trigger. And it started this.

We’re going to have to watch out for that and other new hair triggers. Sheesh. Babies are very sensitive.

My morning moods can be hit or miss. Sometimes I wake up in a great mood and sometimes I wake up cranky. It is really hard to tell what kind of day it is going to be. So when I have a good start, everyone is happy.

Blissfully full after nursing. This is the way to start your day!

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With more hand control, I can help Mommy and Daddy out from time to time. I help Daddy hold my bottle because I know he’s sleepy and it must be heavy for him and I don’t want him to drop it. (Actually, I try to make him tilt it in certain way so I can get more formula.)

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I’m gaining a lot more control over my hands and am grasping, grabbing, and holding a lot more. It is more intentional now, and not just randomly gripping what my hand encounters. I intentionally reach out and grab something, then I bring it to my mouth. It’s a baby thing. When we grab something, we have to shove it in our mouths first to check it out.

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