First Haircut

Hayden had his first haircut today. He skipped his afternoon nap so I was a little worried how it was going to go. He cried at first when we put him in the swing but relaxed as soon as I brought out a chocolate chip cookie and let him drink water from a cup with a straw. The cookie was a first for him, and drinking out of a straw is one of his favorite things to do. Once she got the clippers out he started to giggle and lean into it. I think it tickled/felt good.
Now he looks like a little boy! I like his hair a lot better than I thought I would. All in all it was a great experience. They took before and after shots, printed Hayden a certificate, and gave us a bag with his hair in it.
Today we met Kari, Todd, and the boys at the park. It was absolutely perfect weather. The boys climbed, went on the swing, and went down the slide for 2 hours. Our friends Nadine and Theo came out to play also. We had a great time!
Tonight we went to Jazz Under The Stars. It was almost chilly! Hayden had a great time pushing his stroller up and down the hill. We stayed for about an hour because Hayden was ready for bed!
Tomorrow we are headed out to Marshalltown for the visitation, and the funeral Saturday.
Looking forward to the long weekend. Hopefully the weather stays this nice all weekend through Monday!

Aunt Norma

Unfortunately yesterday evening my Aunt Norma passed on. She has been battling cancer for about a year. They took her to the hospital Sunday night because her pain was uncontrollable. Monday Hayden and I got the call when we were headed up to visit Joey's mom. We hung out there and had lunch and then followed my parents to Marshalltown to visit Norma. By then they moved her to the hospice floor. My mom's brothers and their spouses were there when we arrived. It was hard to see her in so much pain and discomfort. I have seen people with cancer, and people dying of cancer, but never on their death bed with cancer. I didn't expect to see what I saw. I hear all of the time how nasty cancer is, but until Monday I never knew what a gruesome killer it is! It was hard for me to understand with all of the pain medicine they were giving her how she could still be in so much pain.
Norma was conscious enough to recognize my mom. My parents, my mom's brother (Norma's husband), and her two daughters were there yesterday when she passed on. She just stopped breathing.
My favorite memories of Aunt Norma:
1. The all consuming hugs she gave. Not a lame hug with a pat on the back, but a real squeeze while she was cradling your head. A hug that when you got done with it you would think, now that was a hug.
2. The laugh. (need I say more?)
3. Saying it like she saw it.
4. Her joy for life and her love for her family and friends.

I am still thankful that we were able to attend Jerry and Norma's anniversary party last May. It was a great glimpse into the "real" life of Norma. We were able to see her interact with her friends and other family. I always love to see people in their element. I believe that you get to know a lot about a person when you see them interact with people they love. Both friends and family. It was great to hear all of the stories they shared. Norma finished the festivities off with a poem she wrote about their life together. (Jerry and Norma) It was hilarious!
I remember Joey and I driving away and talking about what a great joy for life Norma has and how we hoped that our joy for life could shine through as much as it did from Norma!

Ahhhhhh

This is why I can't seem to get anything done lately. I have a teething baby at my feet all day!
Hayden likes to sleep with his feet up.

What a difference a good night's sleep makes. I have been having troubles falling asleep and staying asleep. So I have been dragging. Last night I went to bed late, but slept the whole night. I woke up feeling rested and rearing to go! Oh yeah so did Hayden. He was rearing to go today at 6:30.
Since quitting the bottle we have had some cranky mornings. Tuesday Hayden woke up at 5:30, sleepy, and wanting a bottle bad! He did not want a sippy cup or his binky. He was mad! I really considered giving him a bottle to stop the crying but held out. He finaly gave in and went back to sleep. Whew! I am proud of myself for not giving him the bottle. It was tempting. I really wanted to go back to sleep also. Nothing like screaming in your ear at 5:30 am. We had the same scenario yesterday morning as well. He was getting frustrated because he was trying to tell me something and he thought I wasn't understanding. Poor guy. I can totally understand. You are used to something for 12 months and all of the sudden--it's gone.
We haven't had any troubles getting him to sleep without the bottle. We always fed him his last bottle an hour before bedtime, so he is used to going to bed on his own. Last night I fed him oatmeal before bed, and he woke up happy at 6:30. We will try that again tonight to see if that helps. It has been 6 days off the bottle cold turkey, and I must say it was easier than I thought. He has been doing very well with the sippy cup. For a while I wondered if he would ever use one. It took him a while to get warmed up to one.
Wednesday we went to play at Backyard Adventures with Kari and her boys. Hayden and Will had a great time crawling all around, swinging, and playing with the balls. It is the coolest place. They sell huge wooden backyard playground equipment. They let kids come in and play everyday in their showroom. They even have a party room with a microwave so you can bring your lunch in.
When we got home I put Hayden down for his nap. He was wired and not interested in taking a nap. I heard him talking and rolling around for a while. Then I went in to check on him and noticed 3 things laying on the floor. His binky, giraffe blankie, and his DIAPER! I was shocked. I expected to see the first two but was absolutely surprised to see the third! Hayden loved the freedom. He was running, and rolling around in his crib squealing and laughing.
Thursday was a rainy day. We went over to Kari's. Kari's mother-in-law picked up Charlie for the day. Hayden and Will had a great time playing together with all of Will's new toys he got for his birthday. It is so fun watching them play and interact now that they are older.
Yesterday we went grocery shopping. It is another rainy and HUMID day! I am so ready to see the sun and get some windows open. Then temps have cooled down but the humidity is so high it is miserable.
Today I am going to a book party. Joey is finishing his final. Then he starts his new class tomorrow. My parents are coming here today to visit a friend in the hospital. Then we are all going to a folk festival. It should be a good time. The sun is shining finally and we are excited to get out and enjoy the not rainy weather!
Tomorrow Joey's parents are coming for a visit.
Have a great weekend

No more bottles

It is still hot and HUMID. After dinner tonight Hayden, Joey, and I went to the park. We had a fun time. We have a nice little park a few blocks from our house. We had some errands to run so we stopped at the park on our way so Hayden could have some fun. He loves to swing. He likes to stick his hands out in front like he is flying. He tries to grab us when we push him and thinks it is sooo funny. He also loves to climb up the stairs on the play equipment and go down the slides. We played for a while and then headed out to run our errnads. We had a great time!
Today was our first official day without a bottle. Hayden did great. So I guess it is nor more bottles for us. Yippee. It does mean that we get up earlier now. Hayden used to get up at 6:30 for a bottle and would most likely go back to sleep. This morning he was up at 6:45 and rearing to go. He was yawning at 7:30 but I managed to keep him up until 8:30.
We had a few spills the last few days. Hayden was speed crawling the other day and fell right on his mouth. His teeth cut his lip. There was a lot of blood but not to much damage. Then the next night he did the same thing. This time it sliced his lip slightly. His new thing now is to climb everything. He climbs steps, chairs, his high chair, the couch, the gates. Last night he was climbing his bookcase and slipped and cut his lip again! Today we didn't have any lip cuttings. Whew! He is however still clingy and cranky. His 2 lower gums are pretty swollen, and I think I can feel his bottom 2 molars getting ready to push through. So I guess I would be cranky as well with 4 molars on the move.

Attack of the Molars!

Will was more interested in his balloon string
Why is everyone staring at me?

Last night we discovered the reason that Hayden has been a little on the cranky side. He is getting his two top first molars. Those molars are pretty pointy and large. No wonder he is in pain! He lower gums are pretty swollen as well so I am guessing the bottom 2 first molars are going to work themselves out any day now.
We had a fun and relaxing weekend. Friday we hung out and I finished finding new places for all of the displaced items from the dishwasher instillation. Since I was in the mood I am still in the process of cleaning out and downsizing the remaining cupboards. We grilled yummy kabobs for dinner. For some reason we haven't grilled that much this year. After Hayden went to bed, Joey and I hung out and talked for a while and watched tv. It has been a long time since we have been able to do that. It was son nice.
Saturday Hayden and I ran errands while Joey finished his homework. Saturday night we went to Will's first birthday party. The rain stopped just in time for the grass to dry out so all of the kids could enjoy the backyard. Hayden had a blast playing in their sandbox, playhouse, and swinging. Will was not that interested in his cake. He got his fingers in it but had no desire to eat it.
Today Joey went into work for a couple of hours. I did laundry and played with Hayden. It is soooo humid today but I am trying not to turn on the air. I am tired of bing cooped up in the house with the air on. I seem to get a lot more accomplished around the house when I have the windows open. It is raining now so maybe it will cool things off.
Hayden learned a new sign. He now can sign more. He has all done mastered and can now apply it to the correct circumstances. When he does more it kind of looks more like a clap. He is still working on getting those fingertips to meet! He is also crawling around like a bandit but is showing no interest in walking. He will cruise around the furniture, but if I try to walk with him he isn't interested. He would much rather speed crawl to where he needs to go than walk with my help.
We are also working on some words with Hayden. He can say ball and associates it with a ball. We are working on bow wow. Be says bow wow but if I say bow wow wow he will say bow wow and then do the Indian call (put his hand to his mouth and move it back and forth so it sounds like wow wow wow). It is pretty funny! He is also into imitating facial expressions. He likes to wrinkle up his nose and have us copy it. He and his dad do the Indian call all of the time. We are trying to teach him la la la. He can do it but his tongue movements aren't that graceful. His tongue moves in and at slowly and flops everywhere. Hmm I need to get the video camera out tonight and capture this. I always think I will remember every little sound and movement of his, but I know I will have a hard time remembering as the months and years fly by.

Time Flies

Where has the time gone? It seems like we have been running around for the last 2 months. I thought that I would get a lot accomplished with my sister here. I did get quite a lot done but not as much as I thought. These past 2 months flew by!
Saturday night we went to a housewarming party at my cousin's house. It was a great time. They have such a cute place. Before we headed home we stopped by Lisbon Sauerkraut days because Joey had to try out their brats and sauerkraut.
Sunday we went up Joey's parents house to hang out and visit our new niece. She is such a doll. I forgot how tiny they are when they are new! It is amazing, seeing her puts in perspective how much a baby grows in one year. Hayden did well with Joey and I holding the baby. No jealousy. We didn't think he would have a problem, but you never know. We were treated to a gourmet breakfast by Joey's brother. French toast, bacon, eggs. Mmmmmm. It was yummy!
Then it was in to the pool for everyone except me. I wanted to get some more time holding Sara. Joey mowed the lawn and we hung out for the rest of the afternoon/evening. Grandma and aunt Darliene even taught Hayden to do "SO BIG".
Then we headed home to pick Ingrid up from the airport. She got in at 9:00 pm.
Monday we ran some last minute errands to get Ingrid set for her trip back home. Mom and Raleigh came down and took us out for dinner. We went to the Brown Bottle in North Liberty. It was yummy. Not quite as yummy as the one in CF but good nonetheless.
When we got back from dinner Joey began the demolition for our new dishwasher. He had to knock the cabinets out next to the sink. He got everything knocked out and prepped for the instillation. He did a great job. Hmmmm now that I know he can do this stuff now I need to add more to his list. New kitchen floor, countertops, paint.
Tuesday Ingrid got up with Hayden and they played while I got some stuff done. She even gave him a bath. We dropped Ingrid off at the airport and said our goodbyes outside. It is sad to see her go! It was great having her here and I know Hayden is going to miss her a lot.
Tuesday night Joey picked up our dishwasher and got it installed. I am soooo proud of him. He was running the inaugural load by 9:30. I was amazed at how he got it in in so little time. Considering when we moved into this house we had minimal tools and never owned a home. He has learned a lot about plumbing and electrical in 2 years. I guess that is the benefit of owning a old house!
So needless to say we are both excited to have a dishwasher! I have been rearranging our kitchen because I lost 4 drawers due to the dishwasher.
Yesterday we had Kindermusik. Hayden is really enjoying his time there. I am as well.
Today we met some friends at the park. I have bunko tonight. As always I am looking forward to an evening out with the girls!
This weekend we are going to stick close to home. We have a birthday party Saturday night. Hayden's friend will is turning one.
Looking forward to the cooler weather forecasted for this weekend. I am ready to turn off the air and get this house aired out!

Running Around

Tuesday Ingrid and I got up at 4:45 to take her to the airport. She flew out to North Carolina to finally see her husband. Their first anniversary is on Sunday so they will get to spend it together. Well the first half anyway before she has to fly back here. She flies back to Germany on Wednesday. It will be sad to see her go but it makes it easier knowing we will see them in December.
Yesterday Hayden had his one year appointment. He weighed 21lb 14 and is 30inches. He is in the 40% for weight. He had to get 3 shots and a prick in the finger. He screamed for the shots but I think more for the fact that the nurse was holding him down. The finger prick wasn't much fun either. It took them a long time to get the tube filled with his blood.
We had pictures taken this morning at Ellis park. It was sooooo hot and muggy. I am not sure if any of the family pictures will turn out. I was soooo sweaty! Hayden was pretty somber for the event but I am sure she got a few good shots in there.
We just got home from playgroup. We had a fun time but an hour was about all we could last in this humidity. I just fed Hayden lunch and laid him down for his nap.
It has been a quiet few days here without Ingrid. looking forward to the weekend. Hopefully Joey doesn't have to much homework!

Birthday Party

Hayden had a wonderful 1st birthday party. We had a lot of friends and family there. It was nice to have everyone help celebrate his birthday who are important to us and Hayden. He is such a lucky little guy!
We had fun despite the weather! Luckily we rented a shelter. Hayden had a John Deere/farm themed party. I had so much fun putting it all together! We had Maid-Rites, pasta salad, fruit, veggies, chips. For dessert we had a John Deere cake, cupcakes, and scotcharoos!
Even though it rained the kids still took advantage of the splashpad. Between the rain and the splashpad they were soaked! They had a great time.
As alway, I wished we had more time to hang out with everyone. I was running around like crazy so I didn't get to chat with everyone I would of liked to.
Hayden enjoyed his cake. He didn't make to much of a mess. I am grateful he kept it out of his hair (against aunt Becky's wishes). He did however get a little teary eyed when everyone was singing happy birthday to him. It must be because he sees me getting weepy every time I have to tell someone he is one now! Maybe I am giving him a complex.
Hayden crashed for about an hour when we got home and I had a lot of picking up and organizing to do. Joey had a lot of homework. I can not wait until he is done with school! The poor guy has been working on homework every waking minute he is home. Hayden and I miss him!
After Hayden woke up Ingrid, Joey, and Hayden went to Coldstone for some birthday ice cream. I stayed home because I was pooped and didn't want any more sugar!
All in all we had a great time and we are so blessed to have such great friends and family! We could truly fell the love and support over the past year and yesterday! It was just one of those happy days!
Tonight Ingrid watched Hayden. Joey and I went to see Transformers and out for dinner. It was nice to do something alone.

Hayden's Birthday Day

WOO HOO I am one!

Today we ran our final errands for the party Saturday. I must admit I have loved every minute getting ready for this party!
For Hayden's birthday meal we had chicken marinated in garlic teriyaki sauce and veggies. mmmmmm. Ingrid and I figured since he can't tell us what he wants for his birthday dinner we would make something we like.
After dinner we gave Hayden a cupcake. When I was trying to put his party hat on I snapped him with it so we got off to a bad start. Then we got him settled down and sang Happy Birthday and he started crying again. He wanted out of the high chair because he had enough! He ended up finishing the cupcake on my lap.
It was a great day and we are looking forward to celebrating with family and friends tomorrow!
I am absolutely amazed how fast this last year flew by! I can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us.

Happy First Birthday Hayden!

Hayden Has a New Cousin!

Sara Joy was born last night. at 11:43 She weighed 7lb.13oz. and was 20 1/2 inches. We can't wait to meet her!