You made a new friend today at the Y.  Her name is Candace, she looks to be about 2 years old.  When the nice lady was bringing you over to me, she was following closely talking softly up to you.  The lady brought you down to her level so that you both could say goodbye.  You girls hugged and she kissed you sweetly on your forehead.  Your crazy, obsessive, anti-germ mommy wiped you down from head to toe with a wipey when we got to the car!  But it sure was sweet!

I was worried today when I saw Erin, your favorite girl in the child care area (just like your Aunt Erin!), come walking through the cardio section of the gym.  I instantly had a knot in my stomach that something was wrong or that you were upset.  But she never came up to me.  When I mentioned my reaction while picking you up, she said "are you kidding?  Hayden is awesome!  Always smiling and having a good time with the other kids!"

We saw a prairie dog on the way to the car after the gym.  They are everywhere out there and don't mind people at all.  We stood and watched him hang out.  You seemed quite fascinated.

We looked for a walker of some sort for you over the weekend and didn't like anything we found - I will need to find something online.  But I did pull out an old toy of your big sissy for you to try out.  Take a look!



That upper tooth is coming in...and letting you know about it too.  You have had such a tough time with this teething business.  I feel so bad for you.  I hate when you are hurting and there isn't a whole lot I can do - however, I am fully loaded with Ibuprofen, teething tablets and Orajel.  But you still have a tough time during the night.  And, as a result, so do I.

But the good news is, Grandma will be here this weekend and Grandpa isn't too far behind!  He will be here in the middle of the month!  This is a great month of catching up with your Louisville blood!  I am very excited and I know you will enjoy seeing them outside of the box!

You tried some pineapple today in your mesh feeder...you weren't totally thrilled but you didn't hate it either.  So far, not big on fruit.  I think you have my NON sweet tooth.  And that's not a totally bad thing.  But you do love your puffs and your peas.  You also love whole wheat bread!  And you get super excited when I start to bring your sippy cup over.  It's the little things in life, right?

Tomorrow you will be hanging out with Aunt Erin while I hit a couple of meetings and a huge grocery trip.  Thursday you will be hanging with Daddy and Aunt Erin so that I can get the house super awesome ready for your Grandma! 

Love you sweetie!
Mommy 

My dearest H,

I can't believe it has been 20 days since I last posted on your blog.  Tonight, this comes to an end!  I am going to post daily or at least a couple of times a week so that I can keep up with you!  You become more and more grown up every day and I don't want to miss a BEAT!

You completed swim lessons and received a certificate (my little platypus) and your underwater pics.  I still have to scan them so that I can post them but they were so super cute!  You did a great job and I need to make a note to call them tomorrow to hopefully sign you up for the September classes.

In the meantime, you have become little Ms Y!  You love going to the Y and have made friends in the child care area - babies and adults alike!  You also love the pool!  I sit you on the ledge and you seem to remember our froggy dives from lessons because you lunge for me without a care in the world!  You LOVE the water!  I LOVE that you LOVE the water!

You definitely have a tooth on the bottom right and it looks as if your upper right is following suit!  I thought the one next to it would be next but you are proving your uniqueness by having that upper right come in next.  It has made for some tough nights but I understand and hate that you are in pain from it.  You do seem to be handling this one better though so maybe it will be ok.

You are still a little slow going with the solids.  Your favorite foods right now are puffs (other than banana - you are NOT a fan of anything banana), peas and broccoli.  You had ramen noodles with tomato sauce the other day and seemed to like that pretty well!  Especially the messiness of it.  It was quite the clean up but well worth every minute - as are you.

I almost peed myself (you know how that goes) when your Steelers outfit arrived!  You wore it tonight and I couldn't take my eyes off of you.  And you had so much fun watching the game at Buffalo Wild Wings.  You laughed and played the whole time - and it was close to bed time!  Daddy and I were teaching you how to give the potato and you would just laugh and laugh!  Everyone in the place was talking about you and your cute outfit.  Heck yeah!  Ain't she the best??

You are still not really sleeping through the night.  You wake up at least once or twice...sometimes A LOT more.  But you are teething and growing like a weed so I am very patient and understanding of the wake up calls.  Sometimes I just stare at you because I am amazed at your awesomeness.

You are saying Momma (which you have for a while but now you are saying it more to me), Dada, Me me me me ("It's all about who H?" "Me, me, me") and baby.  You got your very first baby doll yesterday and, when I gave it to you, you pointed to her and said "baby."  You wave to baby in both mirrors at the end of the night after your bath (that baby would be you) and you say "baby, momma, baba" when you are hungry and/or tired!

Here are some other fun facts:
1. You love your turtle book - especially the turtle in the back (I need to re-attach his fin).  You help me turn the pages to get to the turtle in the back!
2. You hate to be strapped down in a seat - especially in the car.  You are getting so mobile (at least in your head), you get bored easily.  So I come equipped with a ton of toys I can hand you along the drive.  It works.
3. I am confident you are going to skip crawling.  While we were skyping grandma today you were sitting on my leg and literally stood up ON YOUR OWN without using my hands or anything else.  And you stood there for about 3 seconds before swaying forward.  8 months and standing??  GO GIRL!
4. You love bath time, water, being outside... A LOT!
5. You are now doing two hour naps (sometimes less) during the day...once during the day...which is a big change.  No longer do we drive around after the gym so you can nap.  We can get home, play some more, get you some snacks and then put you down.  I'm so very pleased because that gives me time to shower, work and clean.  Thank you nug!

I am sure there is so much more.  But Mommy is tired and I am just anticipating a wake up call soon from you.  So I will sign off but promise to be back in the next day or so with more exciting updates on your life.  Here are some pics for fun!

Big girl standing!


8 months!






Lovin' your skirt!








Your first baby!




Go Steelers!!!!  Your first game (via TV - third preseason game)

My sweetest Hayden Grace.  I haven't had a chance to catch up on your blog due to many nights of limited sleep (which means I am super tired by the time I have a chance to type...well, with two hands).

Since the last post, you have just grown even more.  We are still a great team.  This is the last week of our 5 week swimming lesson session.  You do pretty well...other than when you had a stomach bug (unknown to us before we went to swim) and you vomitted in large quantities in the pool!  Ha!  It is funny looking back on it but I was pretty worried about you and wanted to be sure you were ok.  Unfortunately, the bug held on to you for a couple of days but you pushed through and your body is now even stronger for it!

You LOVE to swim!  You do pretty well at lessons.  I think if Ms Annie would hold off letting you play with the toys you would do even better.  Once the toy hits your gum line, you are history!

You also love swimming at the Y.  We were just there Saturday with Daddy, Tay and Amber.  You splashed, kicked, went under water and even jumped toward me off of the wall.  You had such a great time until you absolutely crashed.  You slept hard in the car!

Daddy and I are wondering what is going to happen with your crawling.  We both think that you are going to be more like he was as a baby and skip crawling all together.  You LOVE to stand and are already pulling yourself up on your own...with minimal help from me.  Whatever you start with, however you do it, whenever it happens...it's all good to me.  I love watching you learn and seeing how strong you are!

Yesterday we had a sighting of a tooth!  Lower right front tooth...it is definitely making its appearance.  I am thinking, by the time the weekend rolls around, we are going to have a good look at your first tooth.  And it couldn't come a moment too soon.  You have had quite a time with it.  I can tell that it hurts like crazy.  My usual happy-go-lucky, laughing and smiling baby girl has been crying out in pain at night.  I hate it!  But we have found that Infant Tylenol (generic) and Baby Oragel works wonders.  Even though you have still had some restless nights, at least you aren't in total pain. 

As much as I am going to miss your gummy smile, I can't wait to see your smile evolve. 

You are SLOWLY enjoying solids a little more.  You are becoming an expert at picking up your food and getting it to your mouth.  Of course Jackson has had quite the treats lately.  With all of the puffs, peas and green beans that have fallen on the floor!  Easier on me though...less to clean.

I just can't believe how much you are growing up.  You are such a little person with the best personality.  You laugh ALL THE TIME!  I have never seen a baby laugh as much as you.  It's awesome.  You are very aware of Skype now and, whenever I sign on, you stare at the screen waiting to see who we will be visiting.

Needless to say, I am very proud of you and love you so much!  Can't wait to see that tooth soon!

Sweet dreams sweet girl.

Love,
Your Momma

Happy 7 months beautiful!!

I can't think of who could possibly be a better team mate, a better buddy, than you!  You are so fun and cool to be around and I am almost getting tired of people telling me how "absolutely beautiful" you are!  Haha!  People at Walmart, the gym, my friends, Circle K, everywhere we go.  But you are.  Absolutely beautiful.  I'm so glad you got your Daddy's looks! 

I also LOVE your personality.  You light up a room!  Today, when I came back to get you at the child care area of the Y, the girl that was holding you asked me "you are done already?" - and I had taken an 1:15 today!  She said that all of the parents and the staff were talking about what a "smiley" baby you are and how happy you look.  I'm glad you are so happy and that you have fun in a social setting.  That is so important!

My strong girl, you are PULLING up on things so that you can try to stand even though you haven't even crawled yet.  I am wondering if you are going to be like your Daddy and skip crawling all together.  You hold yourself up when we put you next to things and you are doing excellent monkey walks on the wall of the pool at swim lessons!

You are slowly becoming more interested in purees for your "solids" but definitely prefer to pick up pieces of food instead.  You seem to really like peas and green beans (that's MY girl!).  And you are ok with watermelon right now.  You really like the "puffs" but I am hoping you will steer more to the veggies and such that I make so that we can steer away from the preservatives.  You will get enough of that junk when you get older.

I am so proud of you...your smile, your social graces, your mild mannerisms.  You are an amazing person already and I am so proud to be your Mommy (and Daddy feels the same).

HAPPY 7 MONTHS NUGGET!

Ahh Ms H.  What a nice Sunday with you.  Of course, saying goodbye to Daddy was tough - as it always is.  But we did have a good, relaxing day together full of laughs and fun!  I love the way you look at me.  I truly see love in your eyes.  More than I have ever seen before.  It melts my heart.  I love it.

You love to stand while supporting yourself on the playpen or the ottoman.  Of course I monitor your booty dance so that I can catch you if you sway too far one way or another.

You are really trying to get the pincher grab down.  You want to eat your own food.  You get frustrated when I try to feed you a piece.  You want to do it.  Unfortunately your thumb and forefinger are not friends yet.

I made you another sweet potato tonight and gave you small pieces instead of a puree.  You liked it better but you are still lacking enthusiasm.  That's ok.  We will keep working up to it.

By the way, you slept through your first extreme monsoon storm last night!  Good for you! 

All my love!
Mommy

My buddy

Little H, you are such my little buddy.  You helped me get to the gym FIVE days this past week!  And no one said anything but wonderful things about you!  How you always smile.  How social you are.  How much you love interacting with all the other kids.  I could even hear you laughing yesterday as I made my way to the room.  I am so glad that you are so social and such a "people" person at such a young baby age!  You totally get that from me!  ;)

We had two swimming lessons this week - your first one I have already documented.  Last night was our second.  You went under water FOUR times and always came up with a smile on your face (and your tongue sticking out a couple of times).  You even did the frog crawl out of the pool without even knowing how to crawl yet (well, with some momma help).  I am so proud of you!  Ms Annie couldn't get over how beautiful and "happy" you are (she doesn't say it to the other two babies - HA!).  I hear that a lot.  And it makes me beam!

Your sense of humor really came out today when we went to lunch.  You had a great hour and a half nap before we left the house which made it a late lunch for mommy and daddy but made it a happy lunch time for you!  You sat in the highchair like a big girl and tried to do your special noise by putting your hand to your mouth while making a sound.  It was cracking the little girl up behind us.  You guys were talking baby talk and laughing at each other.  It was awesome to see you interact with another little being.  You are going to be like your big sister - a social butterfly...I love it.

Tonight you were a bit on the grumpy side.  Granted we made three stops after lunch (one being the grocery) so I am sure you were a bit over it.  But one thing did make your night!  You might be almost 7 months old in age but you are 6 years old in your mind!  You really enjoy standing (you have for months now) and are now standing only partly supported while holding on to things - your playpen, the ottoman, etc.  And your love for the laptop is growing deeper everyday!  Especially since I found some fun baby games I can call up so that you can bang the keys without me worrying that my computer will combust! 

Take a look:


Tomorrow will be a fun day!  We have been invited to our friend's house who just had a pool put in!!  We will be swimming and having a BBQ!  Your big sis will be with us as well as their two kids (one who is your cousin's age).  I am bringing your float but also plan on practicing with you - kicks, bubbles, back float and going under.  It will be such a great time! 

I sure love you, my sweet Hayden Grace.  You are such my little partner in crime!  :)

First Swim Lesson

My little platypus!  That's the first swim level at your swim school...platypus.  You did GREAT today!  Ms. Annie was our instructor.  It was all girls in our class - an 8 month old and a 9 month old.  Both were crawlers so they were able to do the "get out of the pool (elbow, elbow, belly, knee, knee) better than you but we did our best.

You went under the water TWICE and did awesome!  Came up smiling!  And you learned to "be safe" when I helped you into the pool off of the side and then flipped you to your back and helped you back to the wall.  You learned to kick, kick, kick and how to float on your back! 

And the songs were fun...ending the lesson with the Hokey Pokey.

I was so glad that Daddy could make it!  He was our photographer on the sidelines.  Let's take a look at your first day...

Getting excited about your first lesson (and meeting your new classmates)




Playing Hokey Pokey with Ms. Annie


Floating on her back




Someone is watching her classmate instead of listening to Ms. Annie!


Ms. Annie showing Ms. H how to blow bubbles


All three babies failed at blowing bubbles but they all stuck out their tongues to taste the water!  =P


"People on the bus go up and down..."


More fun song and dance




Good job, little platypus!!

It's been a long time...

My sweetest Hayden Grace.

Sorry I haven't posted in quite a while!  I even missed your 6 month photo and well check - in 13 more days you will be 7 months!  Wow.  NOW I feel that time is flying by.  It slips through my fingers so fast, it is hard for me to grasp it long enough to sit down and blog! 

A lot of my time is being with you.  Watching you grow.  Observing you observe your world.  Learn new things, hit new milestones.  I am so fortunate to be able to be home with you all of the time.  Let's give Daddy a HUGE thank you for all of the hard work he does to make our home and our lives so comfortable!  THANK YOU DADDY!

Let's start with your six month pictures:






Your 6 month well check went...WELL!  Your stats at 6 months:
Weight: 16.10 = 50-75%
Height: 28" = Above 97%
Head Circ: 44 (not inches) = 90%

The doc always comments on how tall, thin (but not underweight) and smart you are!  You make us so proud!

This past month you began sitting on your own!  You still topple over when you get distracted with something behind you or when you are tired in the evenings.  But, otherwise, you are sitting like a big girl!

Here you are sitting on your own for the first time with your first sippy cup!


You began saying babbles with consonants - I am proud to say the first one was "mamama".  Then "babababa." You definitely have your own vocabulary!  Although many will say you don't know who "mama" is...your Daddy and I think you actually do.  When you are upset or wanting something, you reach out to me and say "mama" not "mamamamama."  You know, don't you? 

As you saw in the picture, you get a sippy cup of water once a day (unless we are outside a lot, then I give you more).  You really like it and I LOVE these non-leaking sippy cups that can be held upside down without a mess.  What will they think of next?  Oh, plenty.  You'll see!  I will post when I get a few new gadgets I ordered a couple of days ago!

We have also started you on "solids" which basically consists of a slop called "oatmeal" and homemade purees of sweet potato and butternut squash.  You are VERY slowly taking to it.  Definitely not a huge solids fan but we must keep practicing.  I think you will get it when you are ready.

Fruits don't seem to be your faves yet.  Maybe because they are so sweet.  You may be like your momma - no sweet tooth at all (except when I was pregnant with you).  And, like your momma, you seem to enjoy veggies better.  Still, not a huge fan of solids in general but you fight me much less with veggies than you do with fruit.  You'll get there! 

I love making your baby food and can't wait until you enjoy it more so I can make even more yummy dinners for you.  It's nice because I can introduce you to a lot of different flavors by adding herbs and spices (and to my family who knows what I usually mean by "spices," I am talking more about cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.  No habaneros...yet).

I ordered you a playpen like the one Grandma has for you at her house.  You love that thing and I will love letting you play in it while I try and get a few things done around the house.  You have become quite the independent player but still love to play with others as well.  You are so social! 

Daddy and I joined the Y.  We thought it would be a great environment for you to grow up in.  There are so many activities offered and you seem to really like the girls in the kids room while mommy works out.  Not to mention the VERY cool pool with the slide, mushroom sprayer and water jets!  You loved being in the pool last Saturday so I am excited for you to have all of this available to you as you grow up!

Speaking of pools, tonight is our first night of swim lessons!  It won't be much but it will get you even more used to water, which I feel is very important.  Plus it will be fun bonding time for you and I.  They teach you how to jump in (with me holding you, of course), turn and swim to the wall, float on your back and I hear there are fun songs we sing.  I can't wait!  And, fortunately, your Daddy is in town so he will be coming with us to see your first lesson!  So you can be sure there will be tons of pics and video!

You took your second flight to Louisville.  It was a full week with a lot of family loving on you.  You did GREAT as you always do.  You saw lightening bugs for the first time as well as fireworks!  You LOVED it!  It was dreadfully hard leaving your grandparents behind when we had to come home but they are both going to come out and see you in a couple of months!  Yay!

Well, I may be missing a couple of things but I will keep this caught up daily (as much as I can) from here on.  I don't want to miss a thing! 

Now off to the gym with my nugget in tow!

Love you big girl!

More firsts!

I have read over and over that the first year is full of "firsts" and they aren't kidding!

Today, H my dear, you were quite a grumpy monkey while we drove around town but that was due solely on the fact that you woke at 4 am and didn't get the correct number (or correct quality) of naps.  But we had a great day nonetheless.  We may become Y members.  No, check that, we WILL become Y members.  I want to give you as many social outlets as I can (while doing the same for me!).  You seemed to like it and was waving to the tour guide the whole time.  You rock!

Today we tried a sippy cup for the first time.  You did GREAT!  You picked that puppy up and drank right out of it!  I think the ice cold water surprised you at first but you loved it and drank more after the initial shock.  Isn't water yummy???  I had it nonstop for nine months, my child!

Your other big first was putting your whale tub in mommy and daddy's bath tub!  Last night, with your tub in the kitchen sink, everything (including me) was completely soaked post bath!  You have officially learned how incredibly fun it is to kick your feet to create a splash.  You are too cute...big belly laughs each time because you get mommy wet.  I just love your laughs...and there are so many of them in a day!!  I just love that you are happy, enthusiastic and have such a great sense of humor!

You are sitting up on your own so much better than JUST yesterday!  It is amazing to watch you evolve.  How did I get so lucky to have such a great person in my life!?!

Tomorrow will be a pain - literally.  We are going to the doc for your six month check up which will inevitably involve shots.  I wish daddy could come with us but he is out of town working hard to give us this incredible life.  So it will be us, as a team, crying together and getting through the boo shots!!  You always handle it better than I do.  What a trooper!

We are still working on solids.  There are some days that you like your oatmeal and some days you don't.  Today you didn't.  I don't force it.  I am all about letting you guide me as to what you are ready for and what you aren't.  But I do have some awesome storage containers when I start making your baby food!  I am super excited about it!  I have heard great things about, not only how it saves so much money, but how I can introduce spices, herbs and flavors that the jarred foods don't.  I wouldn't eat those jarred foods so I don't expect you to like them either.  I am hoping that I will start you with homemade so that you get to explore flavors from the beginning.  I am going to talk to your doc about it tomorrow.

That's all for now dear.  I am going to come check on your beautiful sleeping face and then head to bed myself.  Sometimes I wish so bad that we could just sleep cuddling with each other.  Stupid SIDS!  It so isn't worth the risk but I sure would love it!

Six months old in 2 days!!

**Pictures to come of these firsts another day.  Too tired to look for the cable right now!  :)

Paranoid momma needs to make way to instinctual momma

My dearest H,

Sorry about the drama at the doctor's office last week! 

Love,
Paranoid Momma

Yes, I took H in a mere week before her six month well check.  Why you ask?  Well...it all started with a noise.

H started making this noise, usually when she is excited, that sounds like an out-loud "gasp."  I didn't think much about it when I first heard it thinking that it was probably just a new noise that she was experimenting with...

Then T heard it.  He asked me how long she had been doing it.  Maybe about a week (he had been out of town).  He said that we may want to call the doc to make sure it isn't something serious.  He goes on to say that his Dad is asthmatic and that upper respiratory infections run in his family!  Ummm, ok!  Now I am concerned!

I took her in and explained the sound to Dr E.  She said that what I was describing didn't sound asthmatic but more like something obstructing the airway.  She asked me if H could have picked up anything off the floor and swallowed it.  Since H and I are connected at the hip, I couldn't imagine how that could be possible.  But then I figured anything was possible and agreed to the X-rays she suggested. 

I have NEVER seen H cry so much or so hard.  It was heartbreaking.  They put her in a hard plastic tube-like torture chamber that sent her in a tailspin.  I could hardly console her.  Check that - I could NOT console her.  She was so upset.  It was heartbreaking.  Obstruction?  Nope.  Useless X-ray?  Yep.

Doc said to keep an eye on her but that it really could just be a new sound she is having fun with...and that was the full circle back to my "motherly instinct" that takes a beating by my alter-mommy ego...paranoid momma!

So sorry H!  I hated that I put you through that but Daddy and I both feel it is better to be safe than sorry!  But your next appointment is this Thur and shots are in store.  Ugh.  Sorry sweetie!

But the good news is...we will be heading to Louisville a week from tomorrow!  I am so excited I could pee myself and you probably already have!  Daddy and big sis will be coming too!  It will be so much fun!!!

Here are the photos that I framed in a tri-fold frame for T for Father's Day.  He loved it!





Six months...five more days!

My baby is clubin'

That's right...H is now a part of her first "club."  The Kids' Club at the gym.  Today was day 2 of our new routine and it was another success.  The only time H wasn't happy at the Club was when they tried to put her in the swing.  My girl is 5 months going on 16.  Girl doesn't want to be strapped in to some baby toy.  Boo to that!  She wants to sit up, stand up, participate with the other kids...be older than she is!

Little H is growing more and more everyday!  She is just sooo long!  I can't get over how long she is.  And her strength is amazing!  She is now sitting forward in her big girl stroller and, for the first time today, rode in a Target cart outside of that hot car seat!  She had a blast!  Even though it was pretty close to nap time, she was in great spirits and ready to shop.  Scary, huh??



I am still trying to get H to eat her "solids" - so funny that they call it "solids."  There is nothing solid about it.  I thought maybe, since she didn't seem to enjoy her rice cereal anymore, that I would try oatmeal as well as green beans.  I have been trying to make my own purees for her to try but decided that I would buy a processed baby food (Gerber) of green beans to see if that made a difference.

The first bite of green beans ended in, what I thought looked like, a grandpa face!  Her eyebrows crunched together and her entire face wrinkled in disgust.  I thought, hmmm.  Maybe she just needs to get used to it.  Here, H, another bite!  This bite not only ended in the same look of disgust but an added body shudder accompanied it!  I couldn't help but laugh out loud.  Green beans was not going to be a success.  But let's just try one more bite.  This time she didn't even let it get to the first taste bud.  She raspberried it out and all over me, the highchair and the floor.  Ok, momma's got it!  No green beans.

At this point, I've ticked her off so much with this new disgusting taste (which, by the way, I slightly tasted to see if it did taste like green beans - LIARS!!), the oatmeal didn't have a chance.  She was ramping up to a full wail so I took her out of her high chair and gave her a bottle.  Ahhh, finally.  Sweet success!

I guess she just isn't ready yet.

Still waiting on one of these vicious teeth to pop through.  Stop torturing my baby and pop through already!  Geez!!

Some of the latest H pics (sorry they aren't real high quality - taken with my phone and trying to focus on a moving target):

Lovin' her some bath time


Lovin' me some cute britches!


"Were you seriously just taking a picture of my butt??"


Happy...


...go lucky


"Maybe this will stop it from playing that same song over and over!"


What will tomorrow bring?? 

The latest...

Oh Hayden McGrace...

You are simply amazing and definitely my bestest buddy!  You are really starting to master rolling from back to tummy and from tummy to back.  You get such a proud look on your face!  As do I.

You have been having a pretty tough time with your teething lately and, a couple of weekends ago, you had the highest temp of your young life - 100.  But it cleared up with some generic Tylenol & lots of love and cuddles. 

We keep trying solids but you keep resisting.  Sometimes you are all about it but, when I explore with something more flavorful than rice cereal and soy formula, you scowl and let it slowly leak from your lips.  I know you will find it interesting soon!  I'm in no hurry.  Take your time growing up!

We checked out Kids' Club today at the gym.  I think it is going to be perfect for both of us.  It will give you the kid time I feel you are longing and adult time that I need.  I could tell you would be ok when we walked in and you saw the other kids.  You started bouncing around in my arms and doing your excited monkey noises!  Tomorrow is our big day of giving it a shot!

You are growing so much everyday!  You LOVE to laugh and do so OFTEN!  It is wonderful that I can make you laugh so much...it melts my heart.  You are now starting to lay your head on my shoulder and hold on to me tightly when I pick you up...both of which makes me fall harder for you!!  You love our furry babies and giggle pink when their tails graze your face.  You love big bear.  You love my laptop & my phone.  You love our Skype calls with Grandma & Papa John on Sundays and GPD & Grammie T on Thursdays.  Well, until it is time for a bottle or a nap!

You're amazing to me.  My closest buddy.  The extension of my hip.  Your eyes light up the room and your smile melts my heart.  Your hugs are amazing and your "face eating" is adorable.  I love the new things you do each day...your sense of adventure.  Your compassion for life.  I want you to grow up so I can see what you will become but I want you to remain where you are so that I can kiss that soft skin and breathe in that sweet scent of baby. 

I love you, my Hayden.  You are the world to me.  The entire world.  The world that is yours.  I feel like I have won the NY lottery every morning I walk in and see you look up at me and smile your big gummy smile.  That is how I want every day...even my final day...to be.

My daughter.  My love.  My Hayden.

Little H, you are 5 months today.  I say this at every month birthday...I know it sounds like it hasn't been very long since we first met, we have been through so much and have gotten to know each other so well, it feels like I have known you forever...maybe I have always known you in my heart and just didn't know it.

Your 5 months birthday was spent with your Aunt Erin.  She came over to help mommy entertain you while I worked on some major house projects - clean Tay's room and clean the office.  It was funny watching your face when you walked in to big sissy's room.  It sure was a mess huh?  You scowled in your cute way!  That certainly gives me hope for the future that you will be a clean freak like me!

Our buddy Jason came over to help mommy with a project we are working on.  He just goes on and on about how cute you are and how much you look like daddy!  It is true...you are a cutie and you do look like your daddy!

You had four solid, one-hour naps and you went down like a champ!  Even doing your concentration face...not sure what that was all about but it sure was funny!  I had to try and hold in my giggles so that I wouldn't break your concentration to sleep.

What you are doing right now:
> Eating cereal once a day...we tried banana one night and avocado another night but both were a bust.  However...I think I was trying to feed you solids too late in the evening so we tried it an hour earlier today (with just cereal) and it was a HUGE success!  You even helped hold the spoon!
> You are still trying to roll over but nothing consistent yet.
> You saw your cousin, L, who is five months older than you crawl and you really wanted to try it.  You leaned forward out of my lap and face planted.  Silly girl!
> You love walking in the backyard at 6:30 in the evening when you start getting cranky.  I love how gentle you are with touching the flowers.
> You love Jackson, Jazzy and Kizzy - you try to pet them all but I sometimes have to stop you because you start grabbing & pulling.  They aren't all about that at all!
> You are certainly teething - rubbing your gums forcefully with your fist, giving Sophie the what-for and drooling something like the Niagra Falls!
> Out of all the toys you have...your favorite thing to play with is the wipes package!
> You LOVE my phone and my computer!!
> You are actually learning to wave!  We say hello and wave to things outside your window in the morning and say goodbye and goodnight to things in the backyard before bed.  You watch me so intently while I show you new things.  You are incredibly smart!
> You are starting to do better with sitting up...at least for the first second.  And then the lean gets you every time!
> You still prefer to stand.
> You love looking at pictures.

And here are more pictures for you to look at...happy 5 months Hayden!

Hey mommy, what's up?


What was that?  Did you say you are taking pictures?


Please tell me you are kidding!  It is 6 am, we just woke up!!


Well that didn't mean to lay me back down!  Geesh!


Mommy, don't make me break out my kickboxing moves!


Ok, if I promise to smile for you, will you please stop taking pictures and get my bottle ready?


Here's one


Here's another


Last chance


Are we done?


Geez mommy.  Did I mention it is 6 am?


Now I am just ignoring you...