Packers

Well Hayden and I got all dressed up to cheer on our Packers on Sunday night, only to watch them be defeated by the NY Giants. It was a very disappointing loss, as we were hoping to make it to the Superbowl of course. We still had fun, and here are some photos of Hayden in his Packer outfit from his great grandparents:

Hayden and I leave tomorrow for our annual trip to Colorado to ski and visit family! We are spending a few quiet days just hanging out with Mammaw Debbie and Grandpa Bill at their house, then Nate is flying in and we are heading up to Breckenridge for a week of skiing, dining, eating, hottubbing and hanging out with family and friends. Hayden will get to spend time with all of his grandparents, which is pretty special. He will also get to see all of his aunts and uncles - even Jeff and Rebecca are flying in from London. Hayden's Grammy bought him a big puffy blue snowsuit, so he is definitely going to spend some time playing in the snow and I can't wait to see how he reacts! He saw snow in Milwaukee and Chicago, but didn't actually play in it, so this will be a "first". And Nate and I can't wait to hit the slopes! So we'll be back in February with lots of updates - until then!

A tooth to match the first!

Well Hayden now has another tooth to make a pair on the bottom. Again, it was about 3 days of fussiness and sleepless nights, and voila, his tooth popped through and now he's in a great mood again. He's going to be so cute with those two little teeth growing in! I do hope that teething is done for awhile now that this pair is in, because he really is uncomfortable when it is going on, poor lil guy.

In my efforts to try to soothe him this week, I decided to buy a new blow-up rubber ducky bathtub. Well we hit the jackpot! Hayden LOVES bathtime and splashing :) We have been taking him in the shower with us, but he's getting so big and wiggly and slippery that I'm not convinced that it's safe any longer. But on the other hand, he's outgrown the newborn bathtubs, and he's not sitting well enough to sit in the bathtub without something to keep him from tipping and hitting his head. Well the rubber ducky bathtub is the approved solution for sure! He sat in there and splashed for about 30 minutes straight, talking and laughing the whole time. I finally had to take him out because he was getting all pruney! I got some tear-free bubble bath that I'm going to use today, and we'll see how he likes that. Here is a video of his first rubber ducky bath :)

After 3 very fussy days, we discovered that Hayden had his first tooth (the bottom right). What a milestone - he is growing so quickly - it's almost sad, but exciting at the same time. And his hair is growing in so thick and blond. He is definitely going to be a little blondie. He has also figured out that the dogs are something fun in his life, and he is constantly trying to reach out and touch them, and he giggles at them whenever Nate plays fetch. It is so adorable! In fact, the giggles are coming very regularly and easily these days, which is great. He is constantly smiling and laughing at the world around him.









Giggling at his dogs while they play fetch



Texas style hiking with Hayden :)

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.