The Gift of Gab

I know I should technically wait until the 8 month update to share Hayes Man's latest accomplishment, but I'm just so excited that I can't contain it and want to always remember the day he said his first word... s! Yesterday morning Cody had an early meeting so I was scrambling around the house in an attempt to get myself and Hayes out the door in a timely manner, as per usual. Hayes has been a bit more of a mama's boy lately than usual, so it came as no surprise that he was only temporarily entertained by sitting in the floor playing independently with toys while I went through my usual makeup application process. Disclaimer: This process has lessened in time due to my vanity no longer being the priority in life. They weren't lying when they say motherhood humbles you.
I managed to keep him occupied in my lap for the last few minutes of my primping (who knew Bare Minerals containers could be so entertaining?) until I sat him on the bed to grab some clothes and get dressed quickly. When I came back into the bedroom and saw him on the bed, he had stopped fussing and very intently said "Mum-uh" as he reached his arms for me. I might have cried had I not been completely in shock, so I asked him "Hayes, what did you say?" while neglecting to pick him up, to which he responded "Mum-uh" and reached for me again with a smile on his face!

Cody didn't have such a long story for his experience (naturally), but he said Hayes also did a similar thing later in the day and reach for him saying "Dada". Pappaw can confirm this, so we know that it's legit. :) We were also told by Miss Rachel, one of Hayes' teachers at Calvary, that yesterday when asked if he would like more Puffs, he reached his hands out, opened and closed them and said "mo-mo". Both teachers joked that he will probably be talking before he is walking, which probably doesn't surprise anyone that knows his mama, or most of the members of his family for that matter. Haha.We can't believe how quickly the words are flowing now and it is SO much fun to watch our little man's brain work. Before we know it, he'll be telling stories that rival Aunt Kirby's!

 Putting on makeup with my little buddy right before his big performance

It has been a productive week for this monkey!

Reunited and It Feels So Good

If I've learned anything in the few short years I've been considered officially an "adult", I've learned that friendships (especially girlfriends) become priceless the older you get. Nothing can quite replace that person who you can crack inside jokes with one minute, and cry with the next while quoting lines from Mean Girls and reminiscing on high school AND college memories. I am so thankful that I have a few girlfriends that I can do these things with, and one of them is my precious BFF and college roomie (affectionately dubbed Roo because of this), Carrie.

We were super excited that Carrie wanted to leave fabulous Dallas to visit the booming metropolis of Harlingen, and we had the best weekend with her during her visit. Carrie arrived Friday afternoon and received a top-notch tour of Calvary's infant room as we picked up the Prince and headed home to prepare our tummies for the obligatory dinner of Pepe's nachos and "real" Mexican food. We had sooo much to catch up on, but even having been away from each other for months we never seemed to skip a beat. I don't think there was much silence, but I wouldn't have it any other way (I wonder if Cody agrees?). Saturday morning we headed to the Island for a brunch at one of our favorite places and spent a few hours relaxing on the beach. We returned home to watch the Aggies play and just lounge around until Carrie left for Dallas on Sunday. The trip was good for the soul and I'm so thankful for the ability to continue making memories after ten years of friendship. You're the best, Auntie Roo!

 There's nothing quite as relaxing as a good beach nap (even if it's short-lived!)

 It's happening... We have a little beach bum on our hands!

 This is the kind of yumminess you get at the Palm for brunch...

Hayes and Auntie Roo selfie!

Hayes is 7 Months!

  Hello, I'm Hayes Johnson! Try not to get lost in my baby blue eyes as I charm you with my smile...

 

Weight: 19 lbs, 3 oz  

(we know this is accurate thanks to an impromptu doctor visit courtesy of a nasty cough)
Height: holding steady at about 26 1/2 inches

Loves: If I had to pick this boy's most favorite activity in the world right now, it would hands-down be sitting on a blanket in the floor, playing with his stacking rings. He can't get enough! His teachers at school say this is also his preferred activity at school, and he spends most of the day on the floor playing and entertaining the other babies. In fact, one of my most precious memories of this month is picking Hayes up from school one afternoon and seeing him in action. He was sitting on the floor next to his friend, Olivia, with only a little set of bongo drums separating them. He would hit the drum, then look at her and smile and she would hit the drum. Already charming the ladies... what can I say! I suppose that should be expected from Cody Johnson's son though, shouldn't it? We are talking the founder of charm here. OK, back to Hayes Man. He also can't get enough of pulling up and standing as of last week. We're not the biggest fan of tummy time, but I still think crawling is in the near future due to the fact that he will dive forward fearlessly from his booty to his belly pretty much every time he has the opportunity. Speaking of that, this kid is quite the dare devil. Translation: Mommy may require blood pressure meds before the age of 30. Let me give you two examples... 1) Hayes can no longer sit in the bouncer while Mommy is doing anything in the kitchen, due to the fact that he refuses to lay back and relax and prefers to dive forward. This is way too much of a safety hazard for my comfort, so we have implemented baby jail (AKA the pack and play) to contain our miniature Evil Knievel as of late. 2) On our beach trip this past weekend, Hayes face planted into a puddle of salt water and wasn't phased.  He still adores bath time and his bath toys, and is slowly but surely becoming a fan of reading books. I can usually convince him to sit still if he's starting to get sleepy, so I take full advantage of those moments to ensure my son appreciates a good book. Hayes still gets really excited to be outside, out and about and especially in his swing. He is starting to become even more social and loves to interact with other children, too. I suppose I should also mention that our little man has become quite the momma's boy lately, and I'm eating up the fact that he loves... me. :) I know these days of holding and snuggling him are numbered, as evidenced by his need for action, but I'm loving every minute right now!

Sleep: Hayes is still sleeping through the night, with the exception of a few moments here and there that he has been waking lately due to a pesky cough. We can't complain at all in this department, bc he continues to be a champ. We put him to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 every night and he wakes at about 7:00 most days. He has started taking two longer naps during the day at school which I am very happy about, and will usually take a short catnap (30 minutes or so) in the evening around 6:00.

Food: At this point, Hayes still loves his sweet potatoes and pears the most, but he is really a fan of all of the fruits and veggies he has sampled. I am still making his pureed food, and have just started giving him some blends. He is now eating 2 oz of oatmeal and 2 oz of fruit each morning, and 4 oz of veggies at lunch. Last week we bit the bullet and decided to start working with our monkey on finger foods, and he's doing great so far. We have sampled sweet potato puffs and avocado this way, and he surprisingly is a fan of avocado when it's not in puree form, which thrills me! He still isn't 100% certain of the whole "pick it up and put it in the mouth" concept, but I am confident that it won't be long before he has this down. When we are feeding him with a spoon he insists on holding the spoon and feeding himself, and we usually allow him to do so with our assistance. I'm glad I've gained some arm muscle though, bc this kid is strong-- especially when it comes to his food! Hayes is drinking 6 oz bottles now, and we have also started working with a sippy cup. He loves to drink water and prefers to do so out of Mommy and Daddy's big cups. He's pretty good at it, too!

Personality: When it comes to this, we just can't get enough of that mischievous grin and the twinkle that perpetually stays in Hayes Man's eye. As previously mentioned, our child is definitely a daredevil and has a distinct look when he is preparing to get rowdy, much like his Pops. :) He laughs and squeals constantly (especially when Rio walks into the room), and as of this weekend has started waving "hi" and "bye". Hayes loves to tell stories, and his new favorite word is "ba ba", though we're not sure if he associates it with anything yet. Little man still loves to sing and dance, and gives the best hugs and kisses. He is such a sweet boy and I love watching his dynamic personality develop a little more each day!

Dislikes:We have discovered in the past week or so just how much Hayes dislikes having his nose wiped, and he has recently felt the need to thrash and flail at nap time before giving in to the need for rest. He also doesn't quite understand or like the fact that he can't crawl, and will yell in disgust to let us know about it as he pumps his legs back and forth. Other than that, this boy remains our little ray of sunshine and not to much can get to him!

At this point, I feel like every day brings something new and exciting with Hayes Man, and we are just soaking up every moment we're together as a family of 4 (Rio is included, obvi). We love our monkey more and more every day and can't wait to see what's in store for his eighth month of life!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Nanny!

Last weekend, Hayes and I ventured to the city to celebrate one of our favorite people's birth, none other than Auntay Kay, aka Aunt Nanny. Hayes was pretty excited to don his "Ladies, I have arrived" onesie to announce his arrival on Friday night, and I couldn't have been happier to be "home" with my fam. We had a fabulous weekend filled with brunch at Max's Wine Dive (how can you not indulge when PB&J french toast and mimosas are on the menu?) and the obligatory trip to shop at La Cantera. Hayes endured the shopping excursion like a champ, and didn't get antsy until a few hours in when he decided that he'd rather not wear his fashionable shoes anymore. He promptly removed them from his feet and put them in his mouth. I suppose that's what he has to say about fashion, but I'm pretty thrilled with the fact that my son is well-behaved enough that I was treated with an entire afternoon of much-needed shopping. I always love times with family, but this particular weekend could not have come at a better time. Cody stayed back to dove hunt for a friend's bachelor party, and the only thing that could have made it better would have been if he were with us. There's just something about family time, retail therapy and a good brunch that makes everything right in the world, and for this I am incredibly thankful. Even though it was a few days late, we did our best to give one of our fave people in the world a grand 'ol birthday celebration. Love ya, mean it, Aunt Nanny!

The onesie says it all!

 

Sister and I were pretty excited about this brunch experience. As if our carb-filled brunch entrees weren't enough, the kind British waiter brought us this half-baked cookie treat for Kirby's birthday, which was absolutely divine. Our sweet tooth (teeth?) was (were?) in heaven!

 Family photo op- Hayes clearly knows the drill when it comes to picture taking. 

 Practicing our gig 'em with Pops before brunch. It's a tailgate party, after all.

 

 

Shopping is fun!!! I wonder if he'll still be this excited next year...

 Couldn't resist this sweetness at brunch. 

 When I mentioned the taking off of the shoe and gnawing on it, I wasn't kidding. Here's the photographic proof of my son's distaste with baby couture footwear and the general shopping experience.

And one more just because he's cute.

 

Fightin' Texas Aggie Game Day

I know my husband would say that any big event in our lives must be documented on the blog. Considering he wore a different "game day" (the term for shirt in our household during college Aggie football season) each day and insisted that his son follow suit, I would say Cody would consider the first Fightin' Texas Aggie football game more than important enough to make the blog. I must admit, this mama was super excited to finally have the dream of watching an Aggie football game with all three of my boys come true. There's just something about a daddy and his son bonding over college football that can't be replaced... aka melt my heart!! One thing I'll always want to remember about the first Aggie football game Hayes watched was the fact that he napped for most of the first half (half of the 1st quarter and all of the 2nd). Perhaps the most amusing part of this is that my normally intense, football loving husband wanted so badly to yell at the top of his lungs at the TV in both victory and frustration (more the former than the latter in this game, thankfully), but he refrained in order to allow Hayes to sleep. My, how the tides have turned (no SEC football pun intended...ha!). Needless to say, there was some major celebrating in our house after the Aggies pulled out a big win against South Carolina, and we can't wait to watch all of the excitement that is ahead for the rest of the season! Before we know it, Hayes will be holding up his gig 'em and playing his own game of football with Rio in the backyard... eeek!!

 

 The first Aggie football game just happened to fall on Hayes' school picture day. How cute is that? School pictures at 6 months old!

 

Proud daddy and his boy ready to cheer on their Aggie team