11 months {March 13, 2014}

Another month has come and gone and now our Hayesie baby is 11 months old. I'd be lying if I said the past eleven months was easy, it was hard, but it was so good too. Hayes literally brightens up every room he goes into. I get stopped constantly at the store by strangers who say what a happy sweet little guy he is (everyone also loves his crazy hair). He smiles and turns his head into my shoulder, its just an act though, he's really not shy and LOVES the attention he gets. So many times Sam and I turn to each other and say how much his laugh or his smile brings so much happiness to us. His laugh literally melts my heart. I can't get enough. I think I have a hundred videos of him laughing. 

He is a GREAT crawler now and gets ALL over our house. We have really had to make sure everything is baby proof. It scares me a lot because he really is so strong and could pull something really heavy on top of him. I watch him, and even still he finds ways to get into things he shouldn't (or picks lint off the rug and eats it, whatever).

He is wearing 12-18 mths clothes pretty much across the board. I did buy him some 18-24 mth jammies and some jackets but they are big. I have also started to put him in shoes more often- the funny thing is he wears 6-12 mth shoes. He must have small feet like his mama. He looks really good in blue, red, green, and gray. I bought him some really fun new shirts one that says " I hate tacos, said no Juan ever!" hahaha Sam's mom and dad brought him some shirts back from their cruise that are really cute and fun too. I think my favorite thing he wears is jeans, a fun shirt, and high top sneakers. I bought him some gray ones- but they are too big, so I had to go to the baby section and got him some navy blue ones. They are so cute and make him seem so grown up.

His talking is so fun. He babbles to himself ALL THE TIME. He especially loves to talk when he first gets up in the morning. He seems like he is telling me all kinds of stories when I get him out of bed. He is a pretty good eater and will pretty much try anything. If he doesn't like something or if he is done eating he won't really refuse the food- he will take it and drop it on the ground for Gator. The problem is he does this everywhere- and at a restaurant he doesn't really understand that Gator isn't here to gobble up his mess. He still loves beans and rice. He loves avocados a lot too. I gave him a grilled cheese sandwich the other day and he went nuts afterwards- I think that means he liked it. He loves fruit snack and gold fish- and pretty much anything anyone puts in their mouth. He also really loves to eat oatmeal with his dad in the morning. I have completely stopped nursing him, and I never realized that I would be a little sad about it, but I am. I liked being able to comfort him and to provide that for him, it feels a little weird now that I'm not doing it. It is definitely taking some adjusting for me. Hayes on the other hand hasn't even look back. He's totally fine with a bottle, cup, and sippy cup.

He has 8 teeth now. I feel like that's so many, I can't hardly believe it. The two new ones on the bottom just popped through this past week. Those ones gave him a fever and made him really cranky. 

Hayes's favorite things right now:

Story bots

Avacados

Popsicles

Fruit snacks 

Walks 

The lake

Gator 

Mama and dada

His little red playhouse 

The Very Hungry Catapillar

Music

Bath time

Things we love most about Hayes right now: 

His laugh

His talking/ his voice

Singing to him 

Talking him on hikes and playing outside

Him in shorts ( seriously it's the cutest)

Playing with toys first thing in the morning

Rocking him to sleep 

Dear Hayes:

You are such a silly guy. You love to be silly and to make us laugh. You get so excited about everything and it makes me so happy. You are quite the mover lately and always trying to get into places you shouldn't. You love to be outside and you cry when I shut the door. You have been loving to eat the rocks outside and I really have to watch you so you don't really eat them. I love when you say " Hello" and "Bye". You have also been saying "Mama" a lot, and you know how that melts my heart. 

You are so fun and makes my days so a happy. I love you forever!!

Love, mom 

My birthday {February 18, 2014}

I had such a great birthday this year. I had a long weekend before because of President's day and got to pretty much spend the entire time with my family. The day of my birthday I knew exactly where I was headed, so Hayes and I got up in the morning, did a few errands (I like to do a few nice things for people on my days off), then we headed up to Zion's (well Springdale). I bought a new work out outfit and we stopped on the way and got a doughnut and a soda. Once we got there, we pulled out the jogger and jogged and walked all around Springdale. It was seriously the most beautiful day. All the crowds had gone home and we pretty much had the place to our selves. We ate lunch at Oscars and got treats at the candy store. It felt so good to get away and enjoy ourselves. I love that its so close and that I actually have time right now to go enjoy seeing things. I love to take Hayes and show him new things and introduce him to a world outside our ordinary routine. I could not have planned a better day to go. We drove back home with the windows down and the music up. Nothing makes me feel more free than driving like that when the weather is nice. What a great present from Mother Nature. Sam and my family were really sweet to remember and think about me. Sam bought me the Michael Kors bag I have been dying for. Its navy blue and perfect in every way. I am totally obsessed. We went out to dinner a few different times and ate a lot of treats. The weather was perfect and we also spent a lot of time outside.

This year my focus was a little different, I mean I love having a day that is all about me (but since I have become a mom there really is no such thing as a day about me, which I am totally fine with), but this year I made sure my mom knew how much I appreciate her. After having Hayes I realized that kids birthdays should be just as much about the mom as it is the kid. That mom worked hard on that day to make sure a birthday happened- and I think its a day to celebrate her accomplishments too. I am so grateful my mama had me and worked so hard to get me here 27 years ago. Without her, there is no birthday. How grateful I am to her!

I feel like 27 means I am a real adult. That's not longer early twenties, its much closer to 30 than 20, and getting older is really hitting me. I don't feel old, but when I see young college kids or high school kids I am reminded that I really am getting old. I don't mind it though. As long as I can do what I want to do and as long as I keep learning things and doing better, getting older is just fine with me. I hope 27 is as good to me as 26 was. I hope that I can be a healthier, happier, more content 27 year old.

Meeting Cousins {February 16, 2014}

It was third Sunday so we headed up to Grandma's for dinner. This time, my cousin Natalie was in town and brought her family. She has a 1 year old little boy named Nixon. I had never met him before and was so excited for him and Hayes to meet.

Hayes was pretty aggressive towards Nixon and Nixon was pretty unsure about the whole thing. It was really funny to watch them look at each other and try to figure out this new strange person. I am excited for them to see each other more and hopefully be friends. Cousins really do make the best friends!

Don't you hate when the blurry ones are the best??

Sunday Best {February 16, 2014}

I got Hayes some new church clothes and I am OBSESSED with how adorable he is in them:

 

Would you believe the left the tie alone and wore it through all of church??

What a handsome boy he is!!

Life Lately {February 13, 2014}

Life has seemed so crazy lately, I know I say this all the time, but seriously time is going by so fast. It seems like I the weeks just fly by. My work has been SO busy lately. We are literally just running the whole day. It feels particularly overwhelming because I am not there 2 and 1/2 days a week and I am trying to perform the job like a full time employee, but doing in half the time. I like having that time off and being home with Hayes, but it can get pretty overwhelming at the office. I have been taking a lot of things home, and going back into the office after Hayes goes to bed. That is really helping ease some of the stress. I like what I do, and I like that we are busy, but I wouldn't be mad if things calmed down a little bit. Working and being a mama is such a hard balance. I am so grateful that I have a really flexible job and one that I actually enjoy, but the balancing act is the same whether I enjoy my job or hate it the whole time. It's hard to know what to  do, and if I am in fact finding a balance. I say this all the time, but no matter what I am choosing, something suffers. I just have to find a balance where Hayes does the least amount of suffering, and I am still able to do my job well. Its constantly changing and so difficult.

I've still been thinking a lot about law school. I really like the idea of it, but on the other hand, if I can make enough money doing what I am doing and maintain a schedule that fits my family, does it really make sense to incur the debt, move my family, and take that time? Its a hard decision, and one I am grateful I don't have to make now. I keep telling Sam I want to go to law school in Hawaii, and then he can be a stay-at-home dad. We both laugh and secretly calculate how much it really would cost us to do that. When I think about how much, law school seems a little less appealing than when we talk about what Sam and Hayes could be doing in Hawaii. Its fun to talk and dream though, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Today Sam is sick. That guys is so funny. He refuses to get a flu shot because he says it makes him get sick, and then he tells me he never gets sick. I think right now he is singing a different tune- I think that flu shot is looking pretty good right now. He is such a trooper though and muddles through work, and just crashes when he gets home. I don't know how he does it.

I am really excited for the long weekend (and because I get to have an EXTRA long weekend because of how my schedule is). I am also particularly excited because its my BIRTHDAY! I LOVE birthdays! I do not like getting older, but birthdays make getting older almost ok. I am really hoping to make it up to Zion (or at least Springdale) at some point this weekend. The weather is suppose to be gorgeous and I am dying to get outside and do some exploring. Hayes, Gator, and I have walked and ran this week and it had been SO nice, I bet Zion is unbelievable.

We had achievement days here tonight, we went heart-attacking. Achievement days is a lot more work than I thought it would be, but my girls are really sweet, and I love having them over here. I haf forgotten what it was like to be 10. When I am with them, I remember being that age, and its a lot of fun to feel silly and to feel like the biggest problem is that 3 boys what to be my Valentine (ok, I never actually had a problem like that, but you know what I mean). Its refreshing and exhausting at the same time. I am having to learn that not every activity has to be a party with decorations, food, and games. Sometimes we can just have an activity. That has been a good lesson for me to learn.

Love, Kacee

The Super Bowl {February 2, 2014}

I enjoy watching football at total of 1 time per year, and honestly the only reason I enjoy it is because I really like to eat. This year we headed over to my mom's for the party. Sam was really cheering the year because he loves the Seahawks. Justin is a HUGE Broncos fan, so the trash texting was out of control. I teased Sam before that since he was cheering for the Seahawks, then Hayes was going to cheer for the Broncos.

Al got on her crash on the Friday before the Superbowl (January 31), so my parents were so kind and went and got Stock, Stae, and Jent so she could have a rest. This was great for us because then we really had a good turnout for our party. Hayes loves to be around the kids (sometimes he needs a break because he gets overwhelmed) but all in all he LOVES the attention.

This years game was a total bust for the Broncos- I mean the Seahawks really spanked them. Hayes, was particularly funny though. Every time the Seahawks would score or intercept- he would FREAK, like scream, crying, and he had real tears. (I am sure it was because he was scared because Sam kept yelling and cheering) We all joked because it seemed like he was really sad the Broncos were sucking so bad. It was pretty sad how upset he was. He really just does not do well with lots of yelling or loud noises (but surprisingly he thinks Gator barking is HILAROUS!- who knows).

We tried to get some shots of him crying, oh, and he only wanted his mama when he cried (insert heart melting right here) My face is terrible in these, apparently I was feeling for him more than I realized, oh well, its still a funny memory. :)

10 Months {February 13, 2014}

Holy Moly! 10 months!! I am kind of freaking out right now. It seems like this year has gone by SO fast, but when I think about having Hayes, that seems like eternity ago. Crazy how that works.

Hayes is such a silly baby. Him and I don't always see eye to eye, but even with that he is such a joy to have in our family. He can be pretty silly and likes to bark at our dog (and even some people). He is SO happy. Its such a pick me up when I see him, because he always flashes me the BIGGEST smile, even if he's crying and throwing a fit. He has been struggling with crawling still. I'm not worried about it because he missed about a month with his cast, and he is having to adjust to using his leg without a cast. He can totally get up on all fours, and he can move his arms and legs, he just is having a hard time coordinating all the pieces together. He can crawl backwards like a champion, and he rolls and scoots to get every where he wants to go. Not crawling has not slowed him down. He loves to play with cars, blocks, and cookie cutters. He likes anything that plays music. Its amazing how much he loves music and singing. He will literally stop dead in his tracks when a song comes on the TV, or if a song he likes comes on my phone or Ipad. I still sing him songs in the car to calm him down when he is upset. He also loves smartie suckers. I bribe him with them to get into his car seat without throwing a fit. Oh, and speaking of car seats, he graduated from his carrier car seat, to a regular big boy car seat. Its huge.

Hayes Loves:
To pull handles (like on cabinets or drawers)
Beans
Spaghetti Ohs
Apple juice
Biting
Gator
Dad
Taking baths
Blankies
Spitting
Talking
Cars
Pulling wipes out of the box (unpacking anything really)

Hayes hates:
Getting into his car seat
Getting buckled up in everything (high chair, cart, seat, stroller)
Baby food
Nursing
Reading books for too long
Sitting down when he tired (If he's tired he will FREAK out if you try to have him sit down)

Hayes says:
Mama
Dada
Grandpa (its actually AMAZING how good he says Grandpa)
Ball
Yum
Owie
Barking (he barks really well, haha)

Hayes has been doing MUCH better napping (knock on wood). He takes 2 naps a day that range anywhere from 1-2 hours. He is also sleeping good through the night (when we are at home in his own bed). He may wake up once or twice, but all in all its good. He wakes up SO HAPPY (unless he gets stuck in the corner, then he gets really mad). He will lay in his bed and talk to himself for 20-30 minutes. He calls everyone DADA in the morning. One day he called me DADA until I asked him he wanted to go to lunch with me, then he came around and called me MAMA again. Silly guy.

Dear Hayes:

You are such a silly boy. You are always trying to tease and play games with people. You love people. I have SO many random people come up to me and tell me how adorable you are, everyone loves your "baby hair" so much. Its pretty wild, but I would expect nothing less from you. I can't tell if you are going to be a mama's boy, because you LOVE your daddy. I think sometimes when your dad gets home, you are so done spending time with me, you can't wait to get into his arms. (I would be lying if I said I wasn't just as excited to see him too). I love being able to spend my days with you. Right now, I get all day on Tuesday, Wednesday mornings, and all day on Thursdays with you (plus Friday afternoons, but those feel like the weekend so that doesn't count). I LOVE having that time with you. I love to read you stories, and take Gator on walks to the park. I love to have lunch dates with you. I LOVE being your mama! Sometimes you give me kisses that literally melt my heart. It is the best thing in the entire world!

You are growing up so fast and I feel like I can barely keep up. You are SO curious. You love to look and try to touch everything. You are pretty consistently wearing 12-18mth clothes. I started buying you winter clothes for next year and I am buy 4T, sometimes when I see the clothes I have a hard time imaging you being that big. I love that you are growing up, but I hate it at the same time.

You make me a better person and you make me want to be even better. You bring out the best in me (even when I get frustrated because you dump my entire purse on the floor in Costco and then dump an entire container of gold fish when I bend down to pick up my purse.) :) I love you forever baby!

Love, Mom

 

 

 

 

Salt Lake {February 7, 2014}

This past weekend we were able to go to Salt Lake and hang out. Sam's CWB sponsor needed him to work at the boat show, and he was happy to have an excuse to go up and see all the boats and hang out with his Salt Lake friends. I was so happy to get to see our family. I miss my Kati girl. It was a rainy weekend, but we made the best of it.

Hayes did surprisingly well traveling. We weren't able to take his pack and play to sleep in for him, so sleeping was a bit of a challenge. He is a pretty wild sleeper, in addition to him having a cold. The first night was pretty rough. I think he had a tummy ache. (Now that I write that, I feel really bad for the little guy a cold, a tummy ache, a new place, a different bed, and travelling all day is a pretty rough combo). The second night was much better. We worked out some issues, I got him some gas drops, covered his chest in baby vicks, and we got him to bed at a more reasonable hour. He was such a trooper. Luckily Kate and Justin said they didn't really hear him much in the night. I was worried they would kick us out after the first night.

On Saturday Sam had to be at the boat show all day, and Kate had to go to work at 12. We got up and ate some breakfast. Justin is always so nice to cook for us. Then we dropped Sam off, got Hayes's essentials and I headed back to the boat show for a little while. The boat that Sam is desperate to buy was there and we LOVED being able to sit in it and see it in real life (instead of just online). He talked to the rep and it seems like he has some stuff in the works to buy it either this year or the beginning of next year. Its quite an extravagate purchase, but for Sam it seems like its essential. For him, a boat is like running, shopping, travelling, and going to the beach all combined. It's his whole life. He really wants to raise our kids with a boat and have them enjoy it the same way he and his dad did, and I couldn't agree more. I think it seems like such a fun family activity and I can see many summers being spent out on the boat. I love that he has something that is so important to him, and that he wants to work so hard for. I wish I had something I was that passionate about. I can't wait to get the boat, I would be lying if I said I wasn't as excited as Sam is. It really is such a fun thing.

The first summer we were married, we had the Marlin (the boat Sam grew up on). Jeff, had given it to us to use, and I think that that was one of the best summers of my life. We went out probably 3 times a week after work. We loved it and it was such a fun thing for us to do together. I can only imagine how much fun our new boat will be. I am excited to make some memories out there.

Ali met me at the boat show and we ran some errands (ok we went to IKEA and the mall, like usual). Ali is such a sweetheart and spent her whole day with me. She is such a big help to me with Hayes and I love to spend time with her. After IKEA, we went to the mall and met up with Kate for her lunch break. All of the girls at her work loved Hayes, and Hayes loved all the attention. He gets so shy, but I think its just an act. He LOVES girls and loves when they tell him he is so cute. He blushes and turns his head into me, but instantly turns back for more. What a funny boy he is!

After shopping we went back and got Sam and got some dinner and headed home. Sunday he had to go back to the show, so we got some breakfast and did a little more shopping while we waited. Kate, Justin and I went to Trader Joes. I am OBSESSED with Trader Joes now! It is literally perfect. Its FULL of flowers, candy, and everything is in cute packaging. I bought flowers, cookies, candy, cookie butter, and fruit and I loved every minute of it. St. George needs to get one!

Gator stayed at my mom's house while we were gone. I am so grateful she will take him. She seemed to love having him there and took him on a lot of runs and walks. I think he is missing her now that we are back. He definitely got spoiled.

I can't believe how anxious I get to travel with Hayes, so going to SLC was a great prep for California. I LOVE to travel, but since I had Hayes I haven't really liked to stray too far from home. I get so worried that I will forget something important, or that he will be uncomfortable or scared. I just don't like putting him in hard situations. I am going to be more brave though. He surprises me every time we go and does great. I want Hayes to see the world, and I need to do better about venturing out and taking him to more new places. The older he gets, the easier it gets though. This trip did get me very excited for California and I have started to look for more places for us to go. Yay for adventures!

My Dad's accident

A couple of weeks ago my Dad gave us a little scare. It was a Thursday night my mom called and said that my dad had an accident while taking a basketball team and asked if I would drive her to Cedar to my dad. I FREAKED OUT! I literally dropped everything and ran out the door. Luckily Sam is such a great dad and just took over everything with Hayes.

We didn't have much information and I was a mess on the way up. When I get nervous I talk non stop, and my poor mom just had to listen to me ramble the whole way. We got the ER and went back to see him. He had a pretty good little gash on his ear, and he did seem a little foggy. It was a relieve to see him.

What we think happened (which we still don't know for sure) He parked the bus and got out of the bus to go get a drink, when he got out he must have slipped and twisted his ankle and fell. When he fell, he hit his head on the corner of the curb and got knocked out. He must have come to enough to get himself back on the bus. He called Alyson and told her to come down and was pretty shaky and out of it. He was sitting on the bus, and was bleeding. He said he didn't know what happened, and had about 40 minutes he couldn't account for. Alyson was so good and knew just to get him down to the ER. Luckily, everything checked out and we took him home that night. He said he was pretty sore for a while after, but he seems to be doing good.

What a scary evening that was, and how grateful we are that things weren't worse.