Just Another Day in Paradise

After a long and busy few months, there's nothing better than a trip to the beach to clear the mind and soothe the soul. Between work and parenthood, Cody and I haven't had much down time to just relax and soak up a little sunshine at our favorite place, so we were thrilled to have the chance to go down to the Island for a morning at the end of May. Katie and Addie were in town as well as Kirby and her friend Michael, and we couldn't wait to take Hayes for a legit beach trip where he could put his toes in the water and the sand. (The first time we went it was still too cold and windy to do this.) This weekend marked the beginning of Kirby's stint as "the nanny", and I have to go ahead and dub myself the best boss ever due to the fact that her training took place mostly at the beach. Talk about livin' the dream! We had a blast with the family just lounging, visiting and breathing in the beach air, and I think it's safe to say that our little man shares our love for the salty air. I was told that if he didn't hate the experience at this age, he'll grow to love it as he gets older, so I'm looking forward to lots of future trips full of sandcastle building and splashing in the Gulf!

4 Months!

"Mom- could you speed this up a little?"
 

Well, here we are again! Hayes turned 4 months on June 11th and we continue to be amazed with all that our little man learns and discovers every day. We are officially in all 3-6 month sleepers and mostly 6 month clothes. Hayes is one big boy! He had his four month checkup on June 18th, and here's the rundown...

Weight:16 lbs, 3 oz (75th percentile)

Height:26 inches (80th percentile)

Loves: Hayes loves to sit up like a big boy! His favorite place is sitting up so tall in his Bumbo chair while having conversation with anyone who will listen. He also has developed a love for his toys-- especially the balls, which thrills his Pops. Hayes would much rather be sitting, standing (with help) or kicking while stretched out on the floor than to be held these days, but Mama is usually able to steal some snuggles when he's sleepy, thank goodness! This boy is BUSY and at this rate, I should probably start training for a marathon to develop the amount of endurance I'll need to keep up with him when he starts walking running. We still love outside and enjoyed our second trip to the beach a couple of weeks ago. Hayes also loves to sing "If all the rain drops were lemon drops and gum drops" and can't get enough of tummy kisses and tickles. We're most likely to get a laugh during these activities! His little social personality continues to develop every day and we couldn't love it more!

Sleep: Well ladies and gents, we've hit the four month sleep obstacle. Our little man is still a great sleeper, all things considered, but he has reverted back to one middle of the night wake up each night, usually sometime between 3 and 5 AM. Sure, it's not ideal, but the kid definitely needs that middle of the night bottle, as evidenced by his rapid chugging. Mama doesn't have the heart to make him cry it out (nor am I sure that I ever will), so for now we'll just keep doing what we're doing in hopes that maybe one day a full night of uninterrupted sleep will return. In his defense, he does go back down very quickly and his random awakenings outside of this are minimal. He will sometimes lay awake in his crib and talk for an hour or so after the feeding, but he's gotten pretty good at putting himself back to sleep, which makes it easy for us to hit the hay again (halleluiah!) with minimal effort. Thank goodness for sleep sound machines with a projection setting. :)

Food: We hit a bit milestone this month with the start of rice cereal! Hayes wasn't too sure about the texture at first, but he has gotten the hang of it and now eats almost 1 tbsp of cereal mixed with his formula at breakfast. He's gotten much better at getting his tongue out of his way and can open wide for big bites. He gets very excited when it's time for breakfast, and will kick his legs and wave his arms while grunting until that first bite.

Personality:Let me tell ya, this little boy has a BIG one! He has become quite animated and good at letting us know when he is less than pleased with our behavior. For the most part he is still our happy, smiley boy, but when something does not meet his expectations, this boy sure does know how to yell! (Yes, I know, he get it from his mama.) His last week of school before summer vacay with Aunt Kirby, Hayes couldn't get enough of being on the floor with the older babies in his class. He lunges for other children when we're out in public, too! He has started to squeal, laugh more regularly and make more definitive "mama" noises-- especially when he cries. I'd be lying if I said I don't love every minute of this, though Cody has been practicing "dada" very fervently with him.

Dislikes:As mentioned previously, we aren't the biggest fan of being held these days. Hayes is much too busy exploring this big 'ol world to sit and snuggle... unless it's nearing nap time. Speaking of naps, he is also not the biggest fan of these. He fights them like a champ, and often manages to get through a day with only one substantial period of rest. He's still sleeping great at night though, so we'll just chalk it up to the fact that he's just not a napper and can remain a happy camper without tons of sleep! (He definitely doesn't get that from his mama.) Hayes man doesn't really enjoy shirts and rompers that have to go over his head, though we're warming up to them sometimes. Daddy is definitely the champ at these, while Mama is still not super comfy with the process and tends to prefer button down attire or apparel with extra large head holes. 

We are loving every minute with our growing, busy boy! Hayes Man, you are the light of our lives!

A Mother's Day Fit for a Queen

I've always been a proponent of holidays, and when those holidays involve gifts, pampering and extra snuggles, well, I'm sold! This was exactly the definition of my first Mother's Day, and I couldn't have asked for a better day with my boys. After Kirby's graduation, we drove over to Houston to spend Saturday night with Katie, Jason & Addie. We loved seeing their new house and hanging out, as we don't get to do that nearly enough. It was so much fun watching Addie interact with Hayes, too. I can't wait to see them continue to grow and play together! On Sunday morning I woke up to a smiley, chatty baby boy and the most amazing gift from he and my hubs: a spa day! Thanks to my little prince (and his beyond amazing daddy), I'll be looking forward to my "Queen for a Day" package at Desiree's, my favorite spa in Harlingen. Let me tell you, this will be a much needed escape after the last three weeks of craziness we've had at work! Hayes also made me the sweetest Mommy's Day card complete with a bouquet of flowers with his little footprints and a handprint on the cover. I couldn't help but shed a couple of tears when I saw this, which Cody definitely predicted.


We spent most of the afternoon in the car driving back from Houston, but that night upon our return home I got lots of snuggles with my Hayes Man before getting ready for another busy week of work and school. There truly is nothing quite like being a mommy, and I'm so thankful that I've been blessed with the opportunity to raise our perfect little man. He has already taught me so much about myself, life and most importantly, trusting God, and I can't wait for many more Mother's Day celebrations in the future. Here's hoping all you Mommas out there felt just as special and loved as I did, and shout out to my madre, who taught me the meaning of the selfless love that is required for motherhood. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful role model to show me how it's done!

So thankful for the little man who gave me the title of Mommy. It's the best job in the world!!

"Are we there yet?"

"If not, you may or may not hear me yell."

My sweet friend Rachel sent a package for my first Mother's Day complete with a couple of cute outfits for Hayes and this precious "Mommy's time out" wine glass. It's already gotten lots of good use! :)