Holiday Travels

Hayden celebrated his first Christmas this year in Texas. It was such a wonderful day, and he was definitely the best gift we received this year :) We had a great cocktail party with our local friends on Christmas Eve, and then Hayden woke up on Christmas morning to a million presents from his grandparents and aunts and uncles under the tree. We just spent a quiet morning together as a family, opening presents and playing with new toys, and then we headed out to visit some friends.

At the Christmas Eve Party

Video of Hayden waking up on Christmas morning

A Christmas feast!

Hayden continued to broaden his horizons during his travels this past week. He flew to Wisconsin to see his mama's old stomping grounds, and to meet all of his second cousins and great aunts and uncles! We all gathered together for the first time in about 3 years. My cousins have all grown up into such smart and interesting young men and women, and it was so fun to just listen to them and all of their plans for the future. And now Hayden is the baby of family, and the start of a new generation. Here is a photo of all of my cousins (minus my cousin Amanda who unfortunately had to work):

In addition to meeting all of his extended family, Hayden also got to tear up the dance floor at his first wedding! We got him all dressed up in the cutest little outfit, and he was a very good baby for all of the wedding festivities. Then he spent New Year's Eve eating sushi in downtown Chicago with some of my college friends. He rang in 2008 from his crib in at a hotel on Rush Street, after strolling the snowy city streets all bundled up and cozy. It was a wonderful vacation!

Sitting up!

Well there are more "firsts" to report this week. Hayden sat up on his own for the first time, and he also held a sippy cup with water in it! I can't believe how he is picking up all these new skills so rapidly. This is really a time of change and growth for him, and it is so exciting. He also moved on from cereal to sweet potatoes. I'm not convinced that he really likes solid foods yet....some days he scarfs it down with a huge grin and some giggles, and other days he just wants nothing to do with it. So my plan now is to keep offering it to him, and if he takes it great, and if he doesn't, that's fine too. He is still breastfeeding and getting all of his essentials from that, so cereal and baby food are really just extras at this point.

Unfortunately, he also has experienced his first cold :( It breaks my heart to hear him all congested and coughing, but it honestly doesn't seem to be bothering him too badly. He had one day where he was very fussy, but otherwise he has been his usual sweet and content self. We have been slathering him with baby vicks before he goes to bed, and giving him warm, steamy baths every day in hopes of clearing up his chest, and so far it's helped him sleep really well, but he just can't seem to completely kick the cold! I've been told that it is normal for them to be sick a week to 10 days, so I'm not panicking yet :) I just hope he's well when we travel to Wisconsin on Thursday for Lindsey's wedding!

We are very much looking forward to Hayden's first Christmas, and to celebrating and creating some new traditions with our new little family. On Christmas Eve we are planning a cocktail party at our home for some of our local friends, and then on Christmas Day, we are going to cook a big feast for the 3 of us (Hayden might get to move on to peas or carrots by then!), and open our gifts and sit by the fire with a glass of wine. We are sad that we couldn't be with our families this year, but we are determined to enjoy the holiday and make the best of it!

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Jumperoo!

First of all, I thought I would update Hayden's 4 month "stats". He is now 16 pounds, 7.6 oz, and 27 inches long. This puts him in the 75th percentile for weight, and he is off the charts tall - literally! The doctor said he looks really great and has no concerns really, so that was great news.

This has been a week of firsts for Mr. Hayden. Since he has doubled his birth weight, it's time to start introducing solids. So this morning we gave him cereal for the first time. It was so exciting! I think he rather liked it. Most of it ended up on his bib, but he smiled through the whole experience, and giggled, and seemed to just have a good time! We put him in a little high chair, padded with a blanket to help him sit up because he is still too little for it really, and I think he felt like a big boy and was very proud to be up at the table. We are going to start feeding him cereal twice a day for the next few weeks, and then we'll likely start to introduce some yellow veggies and fruit. I can't wait! Here are some photos of the first feeding!

Here he is - chowing down for the first time!

He also played in his rainforest jumperoo for the first time this week. It's definitely his new favorite toy because he can stand up and bounce in it. Sensory overload - I'm telling you! There are lights and songs and stuffed animals all over it for him to grab at and stick in his mouth. It's a baby fantasy!

December

Well, I've let another few months pass by without a Hayden update! I promise to start posting more often, because Hayden changes almost daily it seems. I have to say, 4 months old is awesome. He is such a fun little pal. He is extraordinarily curious about everything and everyone around him. Whenever we go out and people talk to him he just beams and babbles away, and he loves to be held, even by people he doesn't know. He is growing quickly, both physically and developmentally. He has rolled over quite a few times, and he loves to be on his tummy now. He can sit up in the corner of the couch and will play with his toys contentedly for quite awhile. He also loves to watch the fire in the fireplace and look at our Christmas lights. He is still mesmerized by ceiling fans :)

Although I'm working, we have still managed to stay involved in my moms group, which is nice. I've met quite a few great women here, and Hayden has some playmates that are close to his age. Nate also enjoys hanging out with the husbands, so I feel us slowly making some headway in terms of making Texas feel like home. It's wonderful here in the winter. Sunny most of the time and in the 60's or 70's, so we still get out a lot for walks with the dogs.

Since the last time I wrote, Hayden has taken 2 airplane trips to Ohio to visit his grandparents, and he his other grandparents have visited him here in Texas. He also met his great grandparents! It's been quite busy. We go to the doctor tomorrow so I will update then with his current "stats". Until then, here are some recent photos and video clips of Hayden at 4 months old! Enjoy.

Ok wow - it's been a long time since I've updated this blog!! Hayden is already 10 weeks old and is growing like a weed here in Dallas, TX. He weighs 13 lbs, 8 oz and is 25 inches long! He continues to be a blissful baby. He starting sleeping through the night as soon as we moved into our new house and put him in his crib (literally the first night) at about 6 weeks old, and he hasn't looked back. Our ritual these days is to give him his last milk of the night around 8 or 8:30 pm, then Nate swaddles him, and rocks him in his dark nursery with his waterfall lullaby soother playing music in the background. Once he gets sleepy, he goes right in the crib and he watches his waterfall friends for awhile and falls right to sleep. The next time we see Hayden is at about 8 am, when I walk in to find him smiling at me with a big gummy grin :) I am one lucky mama!

Hayden seems to be right on track developmentally for a 2 month old. He has full conversations with his "friends" on the mobile above his changing table, and also with any chandelier or ceiling fan. He will squeal with delight sometimes he is so happy :) He can hold a rattle in his hand, but he often bonks himself on the head with it so I'm not sure he actually even realizes it's in his hand....he just likes to grip things. He practices spending time on his tummy, but he's not a huge fan yet. So far no rolling over, but we'll get there. He is just full of smiles and coos for anyone who talks to him, or really even looks at him, and that is my favorite thing about him right now. Just the bright beaming smile you get when you talk to him. It will melt your heart!!

We both have started back to work which has been a major adjustment, especially for me! I'm working out of my home, which is awesome, but it's hard for me to strike that balance between spending time with Hayden and getting my work done. Nate and I get up early so we can work before Hayden even rises, and then I usually devote my morning to spending time with my son - either at mommy and me yoga, at a playgroup, taking a walk, or just snuggling. He goes down for a nap around 11 am, and then I go back to work. Luckily we have two amazing caretakers to watch him in the afternoons so I can get some serious work done. Our close family friend, Kneila, who knew me as a baby, is watching him 3 days a week at our house and giving him all the one on one attention he can handle. I can hear him giggling even in my office! The other two afternoons of the week he goes to a neighbor's home, Kimbaly, where he gets to play with her 10 month old son, Zach, and their doggie, Hudson. So he gets his share of stimulation there, and he gets to read, sing, play in the bouncy chair and go for stroller walks. So Hayden has a pretty good life so far!

Texas is treating us very well and we are all really happy and excited to start exploring now that the weather has cooled off. We hiked a few times around several of the local lakes, but it's always been very hot and buggy and muggy, and we didn't time it right with Hayden's schedule so needless to say it's been less than enjoyable (the dogs have always loved these excursions despite the heat!) But we are learning as we go :) Here are some recent photos of Hayden in his new surroundings in Texas!

4 weeks old and getting ready to move :)

Hi everyone! Well Hayden just turned 4 weeks old yesterday! He is getting so big and mature. Honestly, he matures more and more each day, and all of his newborn characteristics are seeming to wear off as he becomes much more alert and awake. He spends much more time awake these days, and needing to be entertained :) He likes to follow the birdies on his swing with his eyes, and he turns to the sound of our voices. He also will gaze deeply into our eyes when we talk to him, and he smiles and coos which is just adorable, and so gratifying. His new favorite thing is taking a shower with his dad. I think he could stay in his dad's arms, with warm water on his back for hours. He also loves getting baby massages from mom. It's a good life! And he slept through the night last night for the second time (unfortunately it was after a very fussy 4 hours of eating and crying, but hey, you can't expect the world from a newborn!).

Well Nate and I are busy trying to get the house packed and ready for our move. Not so fun. Nate had his last day of work on Friday, which was bittersweet to say the least. But now he is committed fulltime to helping me pack, which is wonderful! I made slow but steady progress all week during Hayden's naps, but we made a huge dent working together today, and aim to wrap up hopefully tomorrow early afternoon, so we can do something fun tomorrow night to say goodbye to Livermore. It's very surreal that we are leaving, and very sad. But we both decided that our sadness at leaving pales in comparison to our excitement at the adventure that awaits us in Texas. Saying good bye to our friends is going to be extremely hard, but we know we'll keep these friends for life, and of course the invitation is extended to everyone to come visit!

The moving van comes on Tuesday, and then we hit the road on Wednesday. We plan to stop in Tahoe to take some family portraits with our wedding photographer, then it's on to Park City and Steamboat Springs, before spending the weekend in Denver visiting our family and friends there. Hayden will get to meet his aunts and uncles, and his great grandparents (and hopefully his great-great-Grandma!). We will then shove off for Dallas to meet our moving van and get into our new house. So there is a lot to look forward to.

We are hoping to drive out goes ok. With two dogs, a cat, a baby, and two adults, things could get a little cramped. But we'll make it work. Wish us luck! Here are some photos of Hayden at 4 weeks old. Enjoy :)

Hanging out with his Girlfriend Allie

Lilly and Dallas keeping watch over him while he sleeps

Enjoying time with dad in the rocking chair

Getting burped....

A smile!!

With our stuffed animal dog

Wearing dad's glasses

And my favorite - taking a nap with Dad

First 3 weeks

Hayden is almost 3 weeks old!! He is doing really well, and so are Nate and I and the dogs. Hayden had his 2 1/2 week check-up on Wednesday and we found out that he is now 22 1/2 inches long, and weighs in at a whopping 10 pounds 6 oz! He is in the 90th percentile for height and weight right now, which is good. The doctor says he is very healthy and to keep doing what we are doing. She even said that if wants to sleep all night to go ahead and let him because he is obviously getting enough food. Of course ever since she said that he has been getting up once a night, but that's ok too :) It could be worse!

Well we are adjusting to life with a baby slowly but surely. My parents left on Monday and Nate went back to work, so it was a bit of a shock to suddenly be alone with a newborn for the first time. But we did fine. So far Hayden has been out to lunch with my yoga friends and their babies, he has been to yoga twice, has been wine tasting, to the grocery store and Target, out for several walks with the dogs, and to my office! He is definitely a go-baby, and he always does so well at adapting to new situations.

Last night Hayden met his Grandpop and Grandma Roberts, which was very exciting. They drove all the way from Colorado to meet him, and we are looking forward to spending the weekend all together. Then next week brings lots of packing - boo :( We are leaving to drive to Texas on September 5th, so we have a lot to do to get ready to move, and not a ton of time. It's especially hard since Nate will be working all next week, but we will get it all figured out. Well here are some recent photos of Mr. Hayden to tide everyone over :) Enjoy!

Meeting Grampy Mueller

Meeting Grampop Roberts

Meeting Grandma Roberts

Enjoying some nudie time :)

Out wine tasting in the Baby Bjorn

The Fam

Hanging out on our boppy pillow

First bath!

Getting ready for a walk in our sun hat :)