This Week in News

Hey all! Well ever since we discovered crawling it has been but a whirlwind of new discoveries this week including pulling ourselves to standing (one that merited Daddy lowering the crib), we've tried taking on the stairs (Daddy again will have to tackle all the baby-gating that needs to be done), feeding ourselves successfully 2 cheerios (now his cholesterol has been lowered...afterall that's what it says on the box), and learning how to get Mommy's attention very quickly (bee-lining for the stairs, the edge of the bed, a mass of electrical cords...Lord help us.) I thought he required a lot of attention before but we have now reached a new level because I literally cannot take my eyes off of him for 1 second...I mean 1 second. He's very sneaky. Productivity in the household has dropped to a new low since our napping has also decreased. How did June Cleaver do it? Anyway, we also had a hot air balloon float just over our roof and backyard...I could see the peoples faces and they could see me in my pjs. But anything for a little education, right? So Hayden got to see his first hot air balloon. I don't think he gets it but he was watching. I could only catch the balloon as it was floating away on my camera.

One of my Favorite Parts of the Day

I love bathtime! The splashing, the laughing, and the cutest nakey baby in the whole world. The best part is the end when he's wrapped up in his hooded towel and held in his daddy's strong arms and he gets really silly. I love getting him all worked up right before bed. Despite being really tired most days, not even bathed myself many days, and chores still to do before I can crash, I'm convinced its my own personal reminder from God every night that the dark circles under my eyes and my lack of hygiene is really a blessing. Since most of you won't ever see his bathtime I wanted to share my favorite part of the evening. My heart just about explodes with love everytime I experience it.

It's Official...He's Crawling

So cute! I don't think he understands why I am cheering so much for him. Its the most amazing thing to watch the progression of this little person. I love it that I caught the crawling today for the first time and that I had my video camera ready. Tomorrow's To Do list: Baby Proof!

Other Cute Pictures

His favorite toy right now...a little jingle ball










More please. Hayden loves his high chair and his big boy food.













Lounging time for the boys

The Mobility Update

Well, officially he's not crawling yet. He's a pro at rolling all over (and I do mean everywhere) and very quickly at that. He changes direction my spinning on his belly and then rolling in a new direction. He can push himself backwards and often gets himself lodged under furniture as you can see here. Just the other day he covered 2 feet (on my bed while I was close by) by getting on hands and feet (the all-fours approach as taught by Sadie). However, I had to stop him from flying right off the bed toward his best friend, Sadie the lab. On his hands and knees he rocks and rocks and rocks then whines and whines and whines. He wakes up in his crib doing the same thing. He's obsessed with achieving this milestone. Until then, it's mobility in an unconventional way. We'll let you all know when he gets it!

Hayden's Driving at 7 months!

Just joking! But we hit the arcade on his 7 month mark and he liked driving the Ferrari. Already he has expensive tastes. We raced his dad and won the first race and dad won the second race (but only after he had to ram our car off the road!) Hayden and I made daddy pay at ski ball. Hopefully, Hayden will get mom's rockstar acading skills.

A Birthday Surprise!

I had a wonderful 28th birthday this year! On the actual day of, my parents surprised me by showing up on my doorstep, birthday cake in hand to spend my birthday with me. It was so special. They had plotted and planned to fly down here and rent a car to show up on my doorstep on the big day. It was so amazing of them! I was greeted by many phone calls and well wishes through other mediums. So thank you all for a fabulous day! Even Hayden behaved for me that day. Grandma and Grandpa stayed awhile and we went to a few places like the aquarium and the botanical gardens. Hayden's come a long way as far as his observation. He actually watched the sharks and sea turtles and sting rays. So it was more fun for him. I love watching him learn new things. Anyway, I also had a cookout with some friends here in town and it was fun as well! So here's to 4 days of birthday celebration. I think all birthdays should be celebrated for at least 4 days if not have an entire week dedicated to them!

Red, White, and Blue

Well don't get me started on the state of our union...if you want to know give me a call...however we are bound and determined to raise a patriotic boy and we're starting early. Barbecues and prayers for continued freedom, red, white, and blue worn in pride, we celebrated this country and our blessings in being a part of it with him this year. He expressed his opinion via a t-shirt that said "Freedom is cool". I agree. Hope all you had a great Independence Day and God Bless America!

6 Months!!!!!

We can't believe that half of a year has gone by with our new little addition. It has been a steep learning curve. If there really are "easy" babies out there we didn't get one but he has been well worth any extra work. He is just as expressive in both positive and negative ways. His flirty smiles at ladies when we are at the grocery store melts hearts and he reserves the all gums, eyes closed smiles for mom and dad. He is also the only 2 day old I had ever seen arch his back and go stiff as a board to convey his discontent for being asked to eat....by the way...he still does that. He's fiery and passionate and motivated and has the strong will of his daddy that will push him through tough times. I can already see so many amazing things for him. Meanwhile you have to just laugh at most of his antics and his silly behavior because he changes so quickly. What has stayed the same are his blue eyes and blond hair. He is still long and lean and my little jumping bean. I still get on picture taking rampages, and I did the day he turned 6 months! Oh, and there's a shout out to the KC Royals...I still have hope.

Enjoying a Cloudy Day at the Park

We don't have many cloudy days here but this last Sunday we did and we got out and enjoyed it. It dropped the temperature to 75 degrees and it was beautiful considering we were well into the 90's at this point in the summer plus we didn't have to worry about cooking the little man. Hayden got to ride in the swing for the first time and he LOVED it. He was just giggling the whole time. Too bad you can't catch that on regular camera. He watched as Dad and Mom and Dad and Sadie played around throwing a baseball and playing fetch, respectively. I love giving this little guy new experiences. I love how the little things bring him so much joy and I hope he never loses his excitement for life and will do the best I can to help preserve that. You can also tell from one of these pictures how much he adores Sadie. The first person he looks for in the morning when he gets up is Sadie. He loves to pet her, though I'm not sure it she enjoys it that much at this point with his surprisingly strong grip on her floppy lips if his she gets close enough. She loves him too. He adores her drive by lickings that I can't seem to guard him from at all times. And as soon as he learns to crawl I'll just put a bell on Sadie to know where Hayden may have run off to (since a bell on him might be a little deprecating.) None the less, until he has a sibling, Sadie will fill those shoes and perhaps even after.