Family time

Sometimes Saturdays are so busy and we have to run all over town getting our errands done, and then there are some Saturdays that we get to spend together wandering the park and eating breakfast out. The wander and breakfast out are the best by far. 

More park play

There really is nothing better than exploring at the park. Gathering stick and making piles, swinging on swings, finding kids to play with, running on the grass, really, I can't think of many more things better than that. Hayes is so curious and scares me a bit at the park. For some reason, he always tries to get down from the play equipment in the scariest spots. He just wants to do what the big kids do, and forgets that he his just a little guy still. Luckily today, there were some other kids that were smaller there today and they were all getting told no, so Hayes wasn't the only one who couldn't go down the fireman pole. :) 

Getting spoiled on grandmas day

Hayes goes to Sydney's house one day a week while I work. In the past, she has just stayed home with him, but it seems like lately he is just getting bored with being home all day. This past week, we left her a car seat so they could go out and do some things, and she definitely made up for lost time. These are the pictures I got throughout the day of Hayes getting absolutely spoiled, and having the best time doing it. I'm glad he has so many people that care about him so much. 

Growing up {September 23, 2014}

I feel like over the past couple of weeks Hayes has really grow and grown up a lot. He just seems so much bigger and more independent lately. It's crazy how you can literally wake up one morning and feel like they are bigger and older. I was talking to Sam and realizing that in a very short few weeks Hayes will be 18 months old! Holy cow! That's nuts! Today even, as I was looking at him he just seemed more like a boy than a baby or a toddler. Watching him grow up is bittersweet. I am so excited for him and so happy for all the milestones he meets and all the adventure that awaits him. The bitter part comes in just when I realize how fast it's all going by. I don't long for it to come back, just to slow down. I really don't want him to stay my baby forever, I want him to grow up and to do great things, I am just in constant shock at how quickly goes by.

He is so smart. He can say the sounds to almost all of his letters. He know what most animals say (except that cat, we always get a RAWR! but I guess that partially correct) ;) He is walking so much better and aside from a few balance things, really is doing well. He can go pretty fast now and will some what stay with me when we walk into stores or to the park. He's a great eater. He LOVES fruit more than anything else. He loves to eat whole pieces of fruit, like a whole pear, or a whole peach. It's amazing to me how well he does with handling them and eating the whole thing. His favorite movie is still Frozen, but he also likes Tangled and Monsters INC. He cries when we put on Tarzan, because he knows that means nap time is coming. He loves cars and books. He loves to be outside. He gets nervous when people talk to him. He doesn't like yelling. Like he threw his toy house and it hit Sam in the face and Sam yelled "OUCH!" Hayes instantly started bawling and wouldn't go to Sam for a good twenty minutes. He use to be scared of the blender, but now he thinks its funny. His favorite book is still the Very Hungry Caterpillar, but he also likes the Five little Monkeys and some color books that we have. He is a pretty good sleeper and usually only wakes up if he has a tummy ache or something like that. He is almost always happy and has a really happy high pitched scream that everyone hates, but I secretly love.

He is absolutely light of my life and brings me so much joy. Parenthood is by far the most rewarding endeavor I have even been on and I feel beyond blessed to call this sweet boy mine. I am truly grateful that me and Sam got married in the temple so that Hayes is ours forever.

Dear Hayes:

You sweet little boy. I am just obsessed with you. You are so funny and so silly and so full of life. You are so simple and you help me slow down and realize that I need to enjoy beautiful weather and grass. You show me that there are so many good things in this world. You make me want to create more good things in this world.

I know I've told you this before, but morning time with you is my favorite. Getting you out of your bed and singing good morning is the highlight of my dad. Your happy expressions and your squeals literally lift me up. I can tell you are going to make lots of friends and that people are going to be drawn to you. You are magnetic and you have a smile and a laugh that is so contagious.

I love to watch you explore and figure out the world around you. You are so curious and you love to try new things and to see things in different ways. I love to watch you figure out things and I love to see how your mind works. You are so smart and you have the ability to do great things. You are so resilient. You jump right back up when you fall down. Don't ever loose that, when you fall down, jump right back up and keep going. You are the biggest blessing in my life and I am forever grateful that I get to be your mom and that I get to watch you grow. I really consider every day with you a blessing and I cherish each day I get to spend with you. I feel like my life really started when you were born and has grown and blossomed as you have grown. Each new stage of your life is better than the last, and for that, I am excited to see what the future holds for you. I love you forever.

Love, Mom.

The cabin

 

For third Sunday dinner this month we headed up to the cabin. We are probably almost to the end of our cabin dinner days, and I'm pretty sad about it. For some reason, I have really loved the cabin this year. I think it's because I know Hayes loves being up there, it makes me love it more. It's cool weather and so nice to be away for a little while. Its like the perfect reset button before you start a new week.

This may be kind of mean, but these progression shots kill me! Hayes is a bit clumsy, but luckily very resilient. He hops right back up and gets on his way when he falls down. I hope he never looses that.

I really loved his outfit and I had to take some pictures of him in it. The boots have a funny story. I bought him these boots on Saturday because the winter shoes I ordered for him are too big. These boots will be so fun for church and for winter time and I absolutely love them. So, Sunday when we are getting ready to go to the cabin we put the boots on Hayes. He instantly starts bawling and sits down and is pretty hysterical. I checked his feet to make sure nothing was pinching or hurting, and I couldn't see anything. So, I try to help Hayes up and he instantly falls back down and cries even harder. So, I picked him up and tried to sooth him and see what the problem was, I honestly could not figure it out. So, again, I set him back down to walk, and he cries a bit more and tries to take a step. He did it so slowly and concentrated. I'm not sure if it was the heaviness of the boots or the stiff soles, but I am convinced he thought I made it so he couldn't walk! After a few minutes he figured out he could walk and was trucking all over! I was DYING laughing! All the things you never realize are new until Hayes experiences them for the first time, and I realize just how strange all this must seem to him. Poor guy! I would have cried my eyes out too if I thought someone made it so I couldn't walk! haha :)

The boys lounging

Sometimes, Hayes, Sam and Gator like to lounge around and eat snacks and watch Frozen together, and then sometimes my mom heart melts and I have to snap a few pictures because I think these three guys are the cutest guys around!

 

Jumping on the tramp

Sam's friend had a pool party at his house this past weekend because they just finished building their pool, and let me just say, their pool is absolutely amazing! Really, it's like one of those ones you see on Pinterest or TV but you never really think someone actually has one, well, they do. It's crazy.

 

It was pretty stormy weather, so we didn't bring Hayes's suit, but we did let him jump on the tramp. He LOVED that. He thought it was so fun, but he did not like that when he tried to walk around he couldn't stand up very easily. Then, he wanted off. I'm sure before we know it we will have to pry him off the tramp, but for now, I am ok that he's a 5 minute jump session kind of kid.

 

 



The many faces of Hayes and his owie

I know I did another post a few back about all of Hayes's facial expressions, but there's more. It's really never ending with him. He is just so silly. He fell down the other day while he was playing out back and scraped his forehead. It looks so crazy on his head and I felt terrible, but he didn't act like it hurt too bad, which was good. This picture on the top right is my favorite for sure, that pouty lip is the cutest thing ever. The last picture is my documentation of his owie, and his adorable face.

 

 

More children's museum



The last time we went to the children's museum, Hayes found some new things that he really enjoyed. The first one was the plane. He LOVED trying to fly the plane and touching all the buttons. He also found the basketball court and was so excited to see there was balls there! That kid will spot a ball anywhere we go.

 

The part of the museum that he found this time that I was LOVING was the stage and the microphone. This time when we went they had songs from Frozen playing and Hayes was LOVING IT! He sang and walked around on stage and was absolutely hilarious! I LOVED IT!! He is such a character and I love that he loves music so much. This place is turning into a regular spot for us, and I am totally ok with that.

 

 

Another day, another swing

Taking this kid to the park never gets old. As you can see, he absolutely loves it. He is ecstatically happy on the swings, on the grass, on the slides, literally every where. He just loves the park and being outside. One of the last times we were at the park he met this cute little girl. He stared at her for a few minutes and the kept inching his way closer and closer. I really thought he liked her. Then, he reached out and tried to take her sucker, and she cried, and that was that. I couldn't help but laugh and be so relieved at the same time. I hope its a VERY long time before Hayes has any interest whatsoever in girls, like 18 years or more would be fine with me.

 

When it was time to leave the park, the last picture is the face he made, and threw a little fit. That is until I told him I had fruit snacks in the car, then he was ok. :)

 



 

 

 

Gator

Have I mentioned that Gator is the most patient dog in the entire world? Ya, well, he is. The older Hayes gets the harder he plays with Gator and Gator just continues to be so patient with him. The only time we really have to remind Gator to calm down is if Hayes is throwing the ball, and Gator is ready for him to throw it faster than he is. But, even then, he is so quick to bring it back and calm down. We lucked out with this guy I tell you. He is the best. Hayes just loves him so much too. Every time we walk in the door from being gone, he yells "Gator!" They are usually both very happy to see each other. What a lucky boy Hayes is to have a dog as good as Gator, and what a lucky Gator to have a Hayes. I think they both realize how lucky they are and for that, I am the lucky one.