6 Months

Hadley,

1/2 a year! Can you believe it?? It doesn't seem possible that you are already 6 months old. I know I say this every single month, but I just can't believe how quickly you are growing.

This past month, thanks to you, I celebrated my first Mother's Day as a mommy. I couldn't ask for a better gift than being your mommy. I love being your mommy, and every day I am reminded how thankful I am that you are my baby.

"I'll love you forever; I'll like you for always; As long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

You are learning so many new things these days and you are so much fun. You have recently discovered what a great range your vocal chords have, and you love to demonstrate that to us. You squeal with delight, you shriek with both pleasure and disgust, and you blabber on and on sometimes telling us all about what's on your mind. The only (somewhat) word you seem to say right now is "baa", but I'm hopeful that very soon that might turn into "ma"...we'll see!

You still love playing "super baby" with daddy, but you seem to be quite a bit more attached to me these days than to daddy. You don't like for me to leave the room you are in and you usually would rather me hold you than daddy if you have the option. You have started reaching out for people (which I love!) to pick you up and it is super cute! You like to lay on the floor and play, but usually you prefer for someone to be down on the floor with you. We have learned, however, that it doesn't matter where we lay you on the floor, because you will always roll over/rotate/flip until you have half your body under the coffee table. Silly boy!

At night you usually sleep pretty well. You go to bed between 8:30 and 9:00, and you sleep until about 6:00. Most nights we don't hear you at all during the night, but sometimes (around 4:30) you wake up and need your paci. The funny thing is, all we do is pop that paci in your mouth and you are instantly asleep again. You usually sleep kind of on your side, but sometimes you roll over and sleep on your tummy. That's okay, except it tends to lead to diaper accidents resulting in wet jammies and sheet.

We still haven't started you on any food, and you seem pretty okay with that. However, lately you have become very interested in anything we put in our mouths, so I'm thinking we might be getting close to starting you on some food. In fact, we might try some this weekend. (Get ready for some messy pictures!)

Today you have your 6 month visit to the doctor, where you will get more shots (sorry!). I really don't look forward to these visits because I don't like watching you get poked. (I sure wish daddy would handle these sometimes!) But, on a happy note, we will get to find out how much you have grown!

These last six months have been absolutely amazing, tiring, fulfilling, frustrating, exciting, happy, exhausting, busy, fun, and the best six months ever. I love you, sweet boy, and I can't wait to see what you teach me next!

Love,

Mommy

Mother's Day 2009

So I'm a little late in posting about Mother's Day, but what's new!

My first Mother's Day as a mommy was wonderful. My boys made sure I felt special all week leading up to Sunday. They sent me some very pretty flowers at work, and then gave me several sweet gifts. They gave me a poster with pictures of Hadley, a Bible cover, a "mommy" book, a necklace with Hadley's picture on it, a day-by-day calendar, and a devotional book that Eric and I are doing together. We spent Saturday and Sunday in Quanah at GiGi and PaPa Max's house. Overall, a very nice Mother's Day. Thanks Eric and Hadley - I love you both very much!

Flat Stanley

I guess I should explain who Flat Stanley is, and why he is currently at our house...

A couple weeks ago Emma sent me a letter she had written at school along with Flat Stanley. Her 2nd grade class had just read a book about a boy named Stanley who was smashed flat when a bulletin board fell on him. Each student in Emma's class then made a Flat Stanley, wrote a letter, and sent their Flat Stanley to someone for a few weeks. While he is with us we are supposed to take pictures of him at our work, in our home, and places that we go. And in a couple weeks I will write a letter to Emma telling her about our adventures and send the letter, pictures from his visit, and Flat Stanley back to her.

So there you go - a brief explanation of Flat Stanley (or the "flat man" or "Flat Fred" as some refer to him).

Dallas

A week ago we went to Dallas to visit Eric's Aunt Sue. Here are a few pictures from that weekend.

Flat Stanley went with us, of course.

Hangin' with daddy...has anyone seen my other sock?

Aunt Sue

Back at home

I love, love, love sleeping pictures...the positions crack me up!

Hadley's new friend

Getting ready to take a bath

My new hat
Flat Stanley is visiting us for a while. (Thanks, Emma!)
Hang on, Flat Stanley!

Flat Stanley's first night at our house

Friday

Happy Friday! How about some more pictures!!

Helping mommy in the kitchen

Just playin'
Tummy time

Just some pictures

5 Months

My sweet Hadley boy...

5 months!!! Has it really been that long?!? You are getting so big and changing so much every day. Daddy said just a few minutes ago, "he's growing up way too fast!" and I couldn't agree more. It seems like every day you do something new that we haven't seen before. Yesterday, for example, was a big day because you finally rolled over! Well, okay, you've actually been rolling over for a couple weeks, but no one ever actually witnessed it until yesterday when daddy and I both saw you do it. We were so excited!! And since then you have showed us your new trick over and over.

You talk all the time, but your favorite time to jabber seems to be when we are in a public place like a restaurant, or church, or some other place where your cute, but loud, voice is not necessarily appropriate. Oh well...we'll work on it.

We haven't started you on food yet because you seem to still be satisfied with just your formula. Maybe sometime in the next month we will start on some cereal. That should be fun, and will surely result in some cute pictures!

This past month we moved you into your own room to sleep in your crib. I don't really know why we waited so long, because (for the most part) it has gone really well. Some nights you wake up more than others, but you can usually put yourself back to sleep. We got you a cute mobile to look at while you lay in bed and I think you really like it.

You did get sick again this month with a slight ear infection and sinus infection, but I think they are just about cleared up thanks to our friend, amoxicillin. Other than a runny, snotty nose and a little cough you seem lots better.

Your favorite things to do include: playing "super baby" with daddy, playing in your exer-saucer, laying on your tummy and kicking your legs, looking in the mirror at yourself, and going outside with daddy to play with Murph. You are still full of smiles, and greet us with one almost every morning when we get you out of bed. What a great way to start the morning!

I can't believe how lucky daddy and I are to get to spend every day with you. We love you so very much sweet boy!

Mommy

A Birthday Party and Easter Eggs

Last Saturday Hadley participated in two firsts...his first birthday party and his first Easter egg hunt. We went to the 1st birthday party of Starlyn (Eric's teaching partner's little girl) where they had both a birthday as well as an egg hunt. Lots of fun! Hadley was feeling kind of "blah" all last weekend, so we didn't get many smiles. Turns out, he had the beginnings of both an ear infection and a sinus infection. He's on anitbiotics and cough medicine now so hopefully he's on the mend.

Oh, just a little FYI...at his four month checkup on March 24 Hadley weighed 13 pounds 15 ounces, and this past Monday (3 weeks later) he weighed 14 pounds 10.5 ounces. I'm thinking he's eating well!! But, he's also getting longer, so we'll blame some of the weight gain on that.

Look mommy, there's an egg!

That's not an egg...it looks like a baseball

This egg hunting thing is hard work, mommy

The birthday girl hunting for eggs

Hadley's future girlfriend???

Happy 1st Birthday, Starlyn!

Yea for Starlyn!

Yummy cake!

All partied out