My Little Man...

Today is Hayden's first birthday.  I am so full of different emotions.  I am so excited because I know there are more fun things to come with the toddler years and Hayden growing up.  But at the same time I am sad cause he isn't my little baby anymore.  He will always be MY baby, but he isn't a baby anymore.. make sense.  He is Mr. Independent, or Mr. If you can do it so can I.  For instance he refuses to eat off his tray.  He must use a fork and/or a spoon.  Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Aunt Mandi, and Uncle Trav... they all use forks and spoons.  No one else uses their fingers.  So why should he?  So tonight with his birthday cake/cupcakes it should be interesting.  I'm hoping he will eventually just go at it, but it will all have to be on his own terms.  He is such a stubborn little thing.  I have no idea where he gets that from...probably his daddy.  He won't eat any solid food(bread, bananas, beans etc) without seeing that Daddy and I also eat them and think they are sooo yummy.   Except he does love snacks!  He loves his cereal,(jumbo rice krispies and cheerios), cereal bars, yogurt bites, all that yumminess :)  He walks around all over the place and is in to EVERYTHING.  He explores, tries to make amazingly loud noises by banging, or shaking everything(our new neighbors probably love us), he loves to give kisses recently.  Which I ADORE!  I love his big opened mouth, slobbery kisses right on the lips.  I live for them every morning, after every nap, before bed, and any other time I can steal one from him.  He loves putting everything in and taking it out.  A new box of diapers is his absolute favorite!  He loves yanking each diaper out and throwing them backwards up over his head, or across the room.  Or throwing all of his bath toys in the tub is a special part of the day.  Once all the toys are in he will look for anything else to throw in, so far two socks, and his dog have successfully made it in to the tub(he's quick).  He loves loves his bath.  If I could carry him around in a warm bucket of water to play in all day, he would be a very happy camper.  He talks all the time.  Not anything we can really understand other than Ma?! or Mum.  Which he usually calls out when I leave the room and he wonders where I have gone...or when he wants something.  Sometimes Cory and I swore he has said, " 'llo'" for Hello.  Everything and anything is a telephone which he will put on to his general ear area and talk in to.  He loves when I "call" grandma or daddy to talk to and tell them what a good, handsome smart boy he is. :)  But a REAL telephone is the best.  If he gets to play with mommy's or daddy's that is the absolute best.  He also loves the tv remote and any button he can push, or flip or snap or anything he can have control over....It amazes me how smart he is.   He knows where his head or hair is on me and himself, he claps for "patty cake," "yay," and at Trav's basketball games and loves to give hugs and snuggles. He is into everything and already pushes the limits. Like when he is scooting ever so slowly and closer and closer to those super cool electrical cords that his mean mommy wont ever let him play with.  Hayden loves cars, trucks and anything that is puppy or dog related.  He also  loves his new play barn that Santa brought and any book.  He will grab his books and toddle over to Cory or I and hand it to us, meaning, "pick me up and let me snuggle in your lap so we can read this fun book!"  He has 7 teeth!  5 of which all came in at the same time and took about a month or so.  But he is usually such a happy, even tempered boy, it didn't really seem to bother him.  He was just super slobbery. I am so lucky to have such a good very happy little boy.  He also has a little sense of humor.  He loves hiding behind the couch, corner, my back and popping out to scare me with a "ahhh", or a "booo."  Its so funny to see how hilarious he thinks he is.  He also loves doing this hiding game beneath the window on the couch to scare all the cars and the people outside.  He bends down and puts his head down into the couch and pops up "ahhing" or laughing.  He even played this game yesterday with his tub toys.  He is so so funny.  Hayden of course loves his little blue and white dog, which I have talked about before.  D-O-G is his very best friend and sometimes feels like the fourth member of our family. Hayden loooves that little dog, he is his best friend and his bedtime buddy. The poor little dog no longer has a neck, because that is where Hayden always carts him around, and holds on tight at bedtime, so the stuffing is all smooshed. The ears are already matted from being teethed on a billion times and often have to be rung out because they get so slobbery. (dont worry, D-O-G gets a bath at least once a week :) ) 

Hayden is such a happy, special boy.  I am so lucky to be his mommy.  I'm grateful Heavenly Father trusts me enough to be his mommy and raise him to continue to be the sweet, loving, smart boy he is. 

I love you so much Hayden!  I hope you have a special, fun day and you like all your fun birthday surprises and cake.  Daddy and I are so proud of you and the big, smart boy you are.  Kisses!

Love, Mommy

Family Pictures

We got some family pictures taken right after Hayden turned 11 months.  I was so nervous. Some of my thoughts preparing for this were:
"What are we gonna wear?"  "Holy crap, I am soooo not photogenic" "I haven't lost all my baby weight yet, ewww... think skinny thoughts."  "Make sure Hayden doesn't run into anything or fall so he wont have a big old bruise or scratch on his face for pictures."  "Please dont snow, please dont snow..."  Thanks so much Shannon for doing our family pictures.  I love them so much.  It is so great to have pictures of my little family.  And natural pictures of us, they aren't overly posed.  Its like we are just all out on a date, having fun and she was able to capture all our personalities.  My bestest friends from CA, Erin and Emily gave the shoot to me for my bday in MAY!(they are the best, and it was the most thoughtful gift ever.  love you girls!)  But with Cory being gone for 5 months of this past year(I know right? 5 months! Im surprised we are all still alive.  I guess it's true, 'what doesn't kill ya, makes you stronger.')and us moving here there and everywhere it was super hard to schedule.  Thanks for being so flexible with us Shannon.  Everyone should check out her photography site and schedule something with her.  You will not be disappointed :) Go here.

Ok, now this is probably way to many pictures.  But, this is for family far away, and for when I one day make my blog into a book :)  Hopefully you will kinda enjoy them, or at least a few :) I had a hard time deciding between different edits.

 

 

 

 

sooo cool.

 

 

I love this one.

 

 

 

 

:) I know right?

 

 

He has the sweetest little face.....

.............and the bluest eyes ever.

look at my two handsome boys. :)

 

 

he seriously has the longest eyelashes ever.

 

 

 

 

 

Whew... Thats the last of em... Well not really.  I could go on and on... but I will stop there. 

Christmas will be here in 3 days!  Can you feel it?  Are your crazy excited?  Don't you think Christmas time just feels different.(in Rexburg its -13 sometimes, I know your jealous. ha) I think Christmas even smells different.  I adore it.  I think we are ready... for the most part.  And then Hayden's first birthday is 3 days after Christmas.  So so sooo weird that my baby will be 1.  Then he really wont be my baby anymore.  I remember this time last year...ahhh I was as big as a whale(no seriously, I was huge), I was huge, major swollen like a giant water balloon, I had no ankles, I could no longer sleep in my bed because my heartburn was so bad, I ate tums like tic tacs, I peed every 5 min and was so miserable I would have done anything or paid anyone to get my baby out of me!  And now my baby is so big and grown up, he is such a little boy now.  I will go on about all the new fun and hilarious things he is doing in one of my next posts when I do one  about his birthday and being one.  Be prepared to laugh really hard, cause he is hilarious, he has such a fun personality.  Also be prepared for me being entirely to sappy, and probably emotional about him growing up.(you've been warned.)  I decided to do a puppy themed party, since his very best friend is his little white and blue spotted dog.(you will see him in a few of the pictures above and have probably noticed him in previous posts.)  Cory and I are just going to have a little party the three of us the day of his actual birthday and then when we see my family on New Years we will have a bigger family party.  I think I am going to attempt these: http://www.parents.com/recipes/cooking/kid-friendly-food/decorate-playful-puppy-cupcakes/ and either this: http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/dog-birthday-cake-recipe.html#c5 or this: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/blue-puppy-cake-704443/  or a combo of the two but white and blue like his dog... pray for me.  I hope I can make it a special day for him.  I love him so much, and I feel so blessed to be his mommy.

I hope everyone is already! Santa comes in just a few days :) Happy Holidays!

Totally fell of the face of the Earth... but we're back

Ummm so sorry about my lack of blogging.  I was in a blogging funk, and we have been crazy busy.  Good news though.  We have completed the big move to Idaho. :)  It all worked out perfectly.  It's so so nice to have OUR place and that Hayden and I get to see Cory everyday.  We ended up in Rexburg,  I honestly don't love it there.  Like, at all.  I swore I would never live there, EVER.  But here we are, in our cute little apartment in Rexburg, Idaho.  We might attempt finding the house thing again in April or May when our contract ends.  There weren't any houses that we both felt 100% comfortable with, and then this apartment came up...and well, like I said it just worked out and felt right.  Rexburg is SOOOO COLD!  I went grocery shopping after Hayden had gone to bed, and it was -9 degrees!!!  It hurt to go outside.  It hurt to breathe, my skin stung.  Ridiculous.  It's also a super super small college-ish town.  Which is ok, but I am more of a bigger city girl.  It really makes me miss California.  I am praying we will have a good ward and we will find some friends.  That is the only thing that will keep my sanity, since we can't really go outside to play.

Hayden is doing really pretty well with the transition.  He is excited to walk(yes WALK! he started walking shortly after he turned 11 months), and explore our apartment.  But I think he misses all the attention from Grandma and Uncle Trav and Aunt Mandi.  It was like "the Hayden show," all the time.  So he is bummed I can't perform and play all the time.  But he is doing really well, he is such a big boy.  And is so so noisy, our poor neighbors above us.  They probably hate us.  Hayden talks SOO loud.  And will randomly scream and yell while he is playing and singing random things.  Also, since he isnt a great walker yet, he falls ALOT so he gets bumps and bruises here and there.  So he crys, ALOT.  Our poor poor neighbors. I should bring them cookies and ear plugs.  I cant believe he will be 1 year old, just 3 days after Christmas.  He is such a big boy and I am so proud of him.

Here are some pictures while I play catch up. Since HALLOWEEN!  Good grief... so sorry.  Now that we are settled I will do better. I really enjoy blogging.  It makes me feel more attached to the outside world, which is probably totally pathetic.  But it helps.  And its like my own personal and family blog.  SO enjoy these cute pictures of my cute cute family :)

HALLOWEEN!

Halloween was so fun.  We didn't really take Hayden trick or treating.  We went around and saw family members but not door to door. Because, One it was cold, and Two, I think it is so silly for babies to go trick or treating.  If they cant or walk to the door and someone has to carry them and eat their candy, they shouldn't go.  But it was really fun getting him all dressed up.  He was the most handsome cowboy :)

Thanksgiving was really fun. Hayden is finally eating solid foods. He wouldnt even eat bread for awhile. He has a super sensitive gag reflex and texture issues with food just like Cory. I didnt get any pictures cause I forgot my camera. I am such a lame-o mom.. who does that?! But here are some cute random pictures Ive taken since Ive been out of the blogging world.

Hayden loves loves LOOOVES the tub.  He has now discovered that he can put his face all the way in the water and blow bubbles.  He thinks its glorious.  And I am highly impressed.  I was at first highly disgusted because most of the time he pees in the tub.  But since I am TERRIFIED of water.  I dont want him to be afraid.  So I let him blow all the bubbles he wants, and try to keep the drinking of the bath water to a minimum. :) (anyone elses kid think its a blast to drink their bath water?)

 

 Un-doing the folding of the towels... lovely.  This is how packing was, un-doing everything that had been done.  He really is into putting everything in something, in a box, etc and then taking it out.  So unpacking has been fun.  He loves throwing out everything OUT of the box and putting a few things back in here and there.

 

 Ok... So this is how Hayden was sleeping when Cory and I went into wake him up to take him to Thanksgiving dinner.  I was cracking up.  I hurry and ran to grab the camera and the whole time he was out cold.

 

He always sleeps with his little bum way up in the air. (please note his onesie is buttoned up outside of his pants.  Before he went down for his nap Cory changed him and put his pants on before buttoning him up.  I told him to make sure to button his onesie up.  Silly me for thinking Cory would first take him pants off then button him up then put his pants on.)

 

 So funny.  I just love him.

 

 And now to the present day. :)  We made a trip back to Utah so I could help my sister with her foot surgery next week and it was my brother's 18th bday!(love you Trav! I can't believe you are an "adult" now.  I am so proud of you and love you tons!) And it has snowed and snowed and snowed.  Right as we walked out our apartment door to drive to Utah I ran back in to grab his snow clothes.  He liked the snow but it was cutting it really close to nap time so he was kinda grumpy.  But it was fun and I can't wait to take him out again.  He was so so cute all bundled up in his red snow coat and pants, mittens and beanie.  And Cory found some super cute rubber boots.  I love seeing his little face poke out of his big puffy coat hood. :)

You might see these pictures repeat in another post cause I didnt have time to edit them.  And I would one day like to make my blog into a book and the pictures wont come up if they are in slide show form.  We also had some family pictures done by my friend Shannon.  So stay tuned for those :)

Hope everyone is having a Happy Holiday season and staying warm!!