Calling all mommies and drum roll please....

Ok all you mommies out there....

My mom recently saw a little blurb on TV from UEN.com about infant massage and its benefits for me and Hayden.

Some great benefits for me are:
• It will help Hayden and I bond together and make him adore me even more!!!.
• Massage encourages pre-verbal communication between Hayden and I
• I will feel better and know I’m doing everything I can to help Hayd
• Provides one-on-one quiet time or interactive (hello nice relaxing quiet time?! heck yes)
• Creates a regular time of intimacy between Hayden and I (or daddy when I teach him!)
• It will help me understand Hayden's unique rhythms and patterns
• Teaches me how to read their Hayden's cues and recognize their states of awareness
• Provides a positive way for daddy to interact with Hayden. He works all day and so Hayden doesn't get to play and bond with him as much as he is with me.

The great benefits for Hayden:
• Provides a special time of communication that fosters love, compassion, and respect
• Improves general well-being
• Provides an intimate time for Hayden to confide in me
• Improves overall functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (helps get rid of all his yucky painful air bubbles in his tummy)
• Promotes relaxation and will help Hayden to self-regulate calmly, which reduces crying
• Helps to normalize muscle tone
• Improves circulation
• Enhances immune system function (since he has already gotten sick twice in 8 weeks! sweet if I can help his immune system)
• Improves midline orientation
• Helps to improve sensory and body awareness
• Enhances neurological development
• Will help Hayden to sleep deeper and more soundly (um HELLO! heck yes! I need a good night sleep just as much as him, my brain doesn't function the way it use too)
• Helps to increase oxygen and nutrient flow to cells. Improves respiration
• Helps to improve pain management; can relieve discomfort from teething,
• Helps with congestion, gas, and colic
• Enhances release of hormones in the body. The growth hormone can be stimulated which helps weight gain.
• Reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone
• Provides all of the essential indicators of intimate parent-infant bonding and attachment: eye-to-eye, touch, voice, smell, movement, and thermal regulation.
• Stimulates all of the physiological systems. Massage sparks the neurons in their brains to grow and branch out to encompass other neurons.

Ok so I'm not terribly smart, but I think all of these are GREAT, FABULOUS things! I really looked into this infant massage stuff, I found this previous list from:
http://www.lovingtouch.com/about-infant-baby-massage?gclid=CLSZzZje_ZgCFQkzawodfmU5lg they have lots of great info about infant massage if you wanna check it out.

So during my research I found a certified massage instructor. Her name is Michelle. She is certified through Infant massage USA. I found her through http://www.infantmassageusa.org/ which is also a great place to find info about infant massage.

She has no classes going right now, but would love to get one going. She charges $40 for the class which includes oil. There are 3 classes once a week. For right now I’m going to be doing it by myself. But I would love for any of you mommies to join me! I’m still getting some info from the instructor. We don't have a certain day or time yet. She mentioned she could come to my home or I could go to hers. If we do it at mine maybe I can make some treats for everyone for after! So if you are interested in Infant massage let me know! Message me through here or you can email me at 86.megan@gmail.com

I’ll keep you posted on new info, but let me know if you are interested!

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Ok so drum roll please..........

TAAA DAAAA!!!

YAY! My wedding ring finally fits after 4 almost 5 months! M fingers swelled up sooo much, (and pretty much everywhere else) when I was pregnant with Hayden. It’s so nice to be able to wear it again. I love looking at it so much and thinking of Cory and I. And it makes me feel good to know my body is slowly but surely getting back to "normal."

Hayden's blessing is this Sunday! I can't believe it's here already. I am so excited but stressing out a tad (ok so I never stress out a tad, I go for it! So replace tad for A LOT). I am praying he starts to feel better. He has a yucky cold AGAIN! I can't believe it. I don't understand how he gets sick, we don't go anywhere and I make everyone wash their hands all the time. No fevers this time though, thank goodness. Just a ridiculously stuffy nose and a yucky cough and sneezes. Poor boy, I have to suck his little nose out all the time. I am a pro booger sucker outer. I am so excited for all of our family to finally be able to come and meet him. Hopefully everything goes smoothly. No spit up or blow out diapers on his cute blessing outfit and hopefully he won't scream the whole blessing. And hopefully we have a enough food for our family to eat after the blessing.

I love Hayden so much! I can't believe he is already 2 months tomorrow and will be blessed on Sunday. He is so stinkin handsome and is getting so big (he weighed 13 lbs when we took him to the doctor yesterday for his cold!!!). I hope you all have a great weekend. And remember to let me know if you are interested in the massage class. I don't think there is an age limit for your little kiddos in the class but I’ll let you know when I got more info!

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!

Valentine's Day, 2 month check up, and such...

I hope everyone had a great LOVE day! Cory and I had a pretty relaxing nice V-Day. We woke up and made breakfast for my mom and little brother. My pink, {heart} shaped pancakes were HIGHLY impressive. Ok not so much, but I tried. Some were pretty good and then I got tired of it and did regular cute pancakes... and this is what I did with the plates :)

I can't wait till Hayden is older and can appreciate and have so much fun with my creativeness...

We all just chilled and hung out with Hayden the rest of the day and had yummy pizza. It’s so nice just to be with my little family and know that we are forever.
(And Cory got me an hour long massage for Valentine’s Day! I am so excited, I need it desperately!)

Hayden also had his 2 month check up last week. He was only 6 weeks, but I had to get him in for a checkup for other things....

Hayden....
weighs: 12 lbs 4 oz
length: 22.25 inches
head circumference: 40 inches

He is getting so so big! He is obviously way ahead in his weight. He was in 85th-90th percentile. I love his little chubby cheeks so much and his little dimply fingers and rolling thighs. He eats so much. At least once a day, usually at night he will eat 6 oz! The rest of the day its 4 oz every 2-3 hours. He eats so much, I can't believe it; I have had a hard time keeping up with him. Luckily he has no problem taking a bottle or formula. His pediatrician says he is healthy and looking great. Such a relief! I worry so much about him. He also got his 2 month shots this check up. Poor kid. 2 shots in one leg and one in the other. They did them all at the same time. He jumped pretty good I think it scared him as much as the little pinch hurt. He took lots of warm baths that day and was a little fussier but the next day he was great. He is such a good boy.

Hayden is FINALLY sleeping more than 2 or 3 hours a night. He has been sleeping at least one solid chunk of 5 hours a night. And only wakes up two times. Once late at night and then early in the morning. Then he starts his day around 7 or 8. I feel like a new woman with 5 hours of consistent sleep. But ever since he has been sleeping in his own room in his crib, I wake up FRANTIC almost every night. Because I have dreamed that we have fallen asleep with Hayden and he is in the bed with us still. In my sleepy deliriousness I always look under my pillow for him and then the floor and in our sheets. I’m in a panic that he is lost or smashed somewhere. Cory has to calm me down almost every night and remind me he is safe in his crib and then I pass right back out... weird huh? Hopefully that stops sooner than later.

so sleepy!

His eyes are getting so blue and he has the longest eyelashes!!

I love this picture, he is such a happy boy and smiles all the time at me know.

Hayden is being blessed March 1st. I am so excited for his special day. All of Cory's brothers are coming and will be together for a few days. It will be so nice to be together and celebrate how special Hayden is and how much we love him with all of our families. And since all of my bottoms,(skirts, pants, everything) have elastic in them still.... I went shopping for a new outfit for his blessing. I also attempted jean shopping. Holy smokes, that was interesting and unsuccessful and depressing. Low rise and certainly ultra low rise are NEVER happening again... 'nuf said...

I got this hat for him for Valentine's Day.... He doesn't like wearing it but...
I love it so much, its so cute. And he is so stinkin cute in it



I can't believe it's almost March, and Spring Time at that! I am so excited for spring...I am so over all this cold, yucky, slushy, snow....

We Are a Happy Family...

Hayden is 6 weeks today! I love my little family. Hayden has been the best thing I have done in my life. I love him so much. I can't believe how big he is already. Pregnancy was so hard and so not fun and I am SOOO glad it’s over. And being a mom is hard and exhausting sometimes. And getting my body (its going to take a miracle, prayer and then an army to get back into my old jeans) and emotions back to "normal" has been a rollercoaster. But I would do it ALL, all over again 500 million times to have Hayden here as part of our family. I don't want to miss one second of his life because he changes so fast.

It was a nice weekend. We all just kinda hung out and chilled. SOO nice since the week before had been utter chaos.

Saturday I went out and got my hair done. I like my hair a lot. No more blonde! I haven't been dark in forever! It’s pretty darn close to my natural color so it will be easy to keep up on. And the cut is super easy and fast to style. But, as nice as it was to get out and do something for me, I missed Hayd terribly. Sunday my Grandma Nelson came over and saw Hayden. It was so neat to see him with one of his Great Grandparents.

Here are some pictures we took this weekend! And yes there is a ton... but what can I say...I'm a proud mommy :)

YAY!! BATH TIME!!!

All clean! :)I love bath time! Mommy(with new haircut and color) and Hayden

Kisses from Daddy

He's smiling more now! I love his cute little gummy smiles. I have yet to catch a big one on camera yet.

*YAWN!*

Our Forever Family

Cory was impressed wit his picture taking skills, we all happened to be looking at Hayd. :) It is pretty cool...

Hayden with Great Grandma Nelson

4 Generations

Hayden loves Great Grandma

When it rains.... it pours... and then pours some more

The short version of our past week:

No hot water, daddy has a fever, pneumonia, hot water, no hot water, Hayden stays up 2 night in a row from 9pm-2am, still no hot water, big red swollen eye, 102.3 degree FEVER!!, Primary Children's Hospital, blood work, spinal tap, urine test, chest x ray, lots and lots of crying(more mommy then Hayden), long night and 2 days in the hospital, influenza A, finally home again, hot water, no hot water, mommy doesn't feel good, FINALLY permanent hot water, mommy has a fever, yucky cold.....

ya.... so needless to say this past week has been a blast.

Longer version:

So obviously, we have been having issues with the water heater. The pilot light kept going out. My uncle owns a plumbing shop so his guy came over and sucked out a bunch of lint 2 or 3 times and then had to replace some part in it. So in the end, we were without hot water for a good couple of days or it was off and then on again. I have never been so grateful for a nice hot bath in my life. Then Cory woke up last Saturday with a sneeze and a sniffle, and by 8pm that night he had a high fever! He had a fever all through the night and we couldn't break it, he goes to urgent care Sunday morning and gets the diagnoses of the beginning of pneumonia! Lovely, since we have a little baby at home. He stayed TOTALLY away from Hayden for 3 days; he wasn't ever even in the same room as him. After a shot, 3 different antibiotics and an inhaler, Cory is finally better with only a little cough… thank goodness.

About the time daddy got sick and was sleeping in the other room. Hayden was started to get super fussy and would stay up 5 or 6 hours in the middle of the night. I didn't think too much about it, I just assumed it was normal baby stuff and gas. On Tuesday at 3pm I noticed his eye getting weepy and the skin around it getting red and inflamed. I didn't feel very good about it, especially with Pneumonia in the house. I took him in to the doctor at 4:30pm and while we are there his skin coloring is getting worse and worse, the nurse takes his temperature and its 102.3!!! I start to lose it... He is lethargic and just not his normal self. I get it together somewhat and the doctor comes into look at him. He starts saying things like, "crackling in his lungs, dull redness in his ears and throat, way to high of a fever for a baby so young..." Ok...NOW I lose it. I start crying as he is telling me that I need to take him to the Primary Children's and they will do a bunch of tests to see what’s going on. I call Cory; I went to the doctor myself because he still wasn't feeling awesome. Him and my mom get there and drive me and Hayd down to Salt Lake. They get him checked in and say just to leave him in just his diaper and blanket because all the doctors will want to see him naked. It was so hard to just sit in the waiting room just waiting for an emergency room to open up, with my naked, feverish, baby. We got back to a room pretty fast, and my uncle met us there to help Cory give Hayden a blessing. I couldn't stay in there for a lot of the tests, it was so hard and sad to hear him cry and no he felt terrible and was in pain. After all Hayden's tests to see where the infection could be and if it was viral or bacterial. They got a room for us to stay overnight. His spinal tap and blood work for a bacterial infection came back negative. His chest x-ray did show some junk in his chest, but the RSV test came back negative. Finally after a night in the hospital, his Influenza test came back positive and we got to take him home that night around 7pm. He is finally doing better. When we took him in for a checkup the doctor said the junk in his chest is gone and things are looking better. He still is really stuffy, and we have to suck his poor little nose out a bunch, but he is getting back to be his normal self again. I’m so thankful for all the fabulous nurses and doctors that loved him and helped take care of him. They were so cute with him and kept saying how cute he is. And everyone was surprised that he is only a month old. I guess at 11 lbs already it would be hard to believe this cute little tank is only 4 weeks.

While being at the hospital I'm sure I picked up something yucky. I had a fever the night after we brought him home. So yay, fevers all around this week! I went to the doctor and got some medicine. It could be strep, we will see tomorrow, if not it’s just a yucky virus.

I’m so glad we are starting a new week. I thought last week would never end.

I am so grateful my mommy intuition kicked in and made me feel uneasy about his big red eye. I felt so bad that he was sick and had probably been getting sick for awhile and I had no idea. I just want to do my best to protect him from everything and for him to be happy and safe. I love him so much. I am so grateful for my husband that he was able to bless him with my uncle. I know that made all the difference. I’m so grateful for my family for all their prayers and phone calls and support. I have the best mom, she has helped so much those hard late nights and during the day when I just need a break to catch up on sleep or just to breathe for a bit. This week was hard but it’s made me so thankful, for the big things like our health and little things, like turning on the faucet and having hot water right there ready to go.

Pictures from the hospital......