"Oh, you need me to be still? You have .05 seconds, Mom. Then I'm diving out of this chair again."
On January 11th, Hayes Man turned 11 months old. It is insane to think that we are rounding the home stretch to the big O-N-E and as I write this I am busy contemplating details of the ever exciting first birthday party. Our little man could not be more fun and continues to grow, thrive and learn each day. Cody and I have agreed that this is definitely our favorite stage thus far, as every day brings something new about our little man's personality or development. Now for the run down...
Weight: Holding steady right around 24 pounds (estimated)
Height: 28 1/2 inches
Loves: Hayes is definitely still happiest when outside. He loves to swing, but is not impressed unless you are pushing him well beyond the limits of what most would consider safe for an almost one year old (sorry, peeps-- this boy has adventure in his blood). He also loves his little red wagon that MiMi and Pappaw got him for Christmas, and still lights up when Rio enters the room. He is particularly fond of throwing Rio's toys himself these days, as a matter of fact! Hayes is pulling up on everything and cruising around like a champ. He loves to push his walker and has graduated to running and "marching" when we hold his hands and help him walk. His ornery streak continues to grow and he loves to scoot at lightning speed while making Mommy chase him. Case in point: I will blantantly say, "Hayes, come here" and he smiles, giggles and rapidly scoots in the other direction. Yes, I know, we need to work on the obedience factor a bit, but ya gotta have a little fun, too! Hayes LOVES his toys, especially his new toys from Christmas. He often fights and yells during diaper and clothing changes simply because it takes him away from those little plastic treasures. I keep trying to convince him that they won't go anywhere, as evidenced by the mess in our living room floor pretty much 24/7. Hayes also LOVES books, and especially pulling his favorites off of his book shelf and having someone read them. It's amazing that he knows exactly which ones he wants at such a young age! This warms his mommy's heart, and there's nothing I love more than sitting and reading with my boy.
Sleep:We are back to our winning sleeping habits, thank goodness! Hayes has really reached new levels of awesome in this department this month, chalking up his first day of sleeping in until 10:00 AM!! I know. Insanity. My immediate response was to check to be sure he was still breathing, in fact. He was and it turns out he was just beyond exhausted after the first week back to school after Christmas break. (He wasn't alone!) Our naps have leveled out for the most part, and he tends to take 1 1/2 hour naps once in the morning and once in the afternoon. On busy days when he doesn't get the best morning nap (usually on weekends and especially Sundays), he will sometimes sleep almost 3 hours in the afternoon. The only challenge we've faced in this area as of late is Hayes Man's recently developed affinity for sitting up on his own after Mommy puts him down in the crib, followed promptly by a quick scoot to the end of the crib to pull up, stand up and be sure that it's really bed time. He'll talk a while, yell "Mama" and then throw all of his loveys (Lambie, lovey blanket, and bunny) out of the crib and then lose it before Mommy or Daddy come to the rescue. Gotta love that persistence, or as some call it, hard headedness! Disclaimer: I have NO idea where he gets those qualities from... haha!! I tend to think it comes from our desire to not want to miss any action, even if we're barely able to keep our eyes open due to pure exhaustion. Hayes actually fell asleep sitting up on his bumper over the weekend, which definitely provided a good laugh for his daddy and a "aw, poor baby" from his mama.
Food:We have graduated to pretty much all finger foods this month, with the exception of Mommy's "sneaky green purees" that get stirred into anything and everything that will hide the flavor. Read: pancake batter, yogurt, mac and cheese... the list goes on! This boy loves him some carrots these days, and is a fan of pretty much anything he can feed himself. He has also become quite skilled at feeding himself with a spoon as of late, which both thrills and saddens his mama. Life has definitely gotten easier in the food department, and while I do miss the excitement of trying a new taste for the first time, I don't always miss the hours of labor that came with that. :) Mommy and Hayes had our first Chic-Fil-A date on MLK day and he loved his kids meal complete with grilled nuggets and apple sauce. You know I had to sneak him a couple of waffle fries, too! We still do squeeze pouches for the convenience and extra nutrient factor, but for the most part Hayes is eating what we eat (or a modified version). Hayes sampled blueberries and peanut butter for the first time this month and couldn't get enough. Add it to the list of faves, right up there with cantaloupe! Hayes is down to three 7 oz bottles per day, and we are starting the bottle weaning process thanks to his amazing day care teachers. I have also begun to introduce 2 oz of whole milk to him in his sippy cup during dinner. He isn't a fan yet, but we'll keep trying!
Personality: Our little man just grows and grows in the personality department! He keeps us entertained, laughing and ALWAYS on our toes. Our house has become a bit of a death trap due to his curiousity and fearless ways, but hey, that's how boys are supposed to be, right? His new favorite word is "nuh-nuh", which he clearly hears a lot from Mommy and Daddy these days when he is getting into mischief. Hayes has a bit of a temper (again, no idea where he gets that! haha) and is quite insistent that things go according to his plans, but he is still oh-so sweet and affectionate in the rare moments that he slows down and sits still. He loves to give hugs and kisses and definitely recognizes his MiMi, Pappaw, GG, Pops and aunts and uncles these days. He is quite the little charmer and loves to face backwards in his high chair at restaurants to give all of the ladies within a 5 foot radius his most flirtatious googly eyes. Hayes loves to laugh, yell and clap when he's excited, and he's doing very well at mastering the sign language that Mommy and Daddy have taught him (more, all done, milk). He loves to play with other babies and interact with children, which is so fun to watch. He's definitely an outgoing and very busy little guy!
Dislikes: Hayes is not the biggest fan of the word "no", but then again, who is? He is very headstrong and does not take well to being corrected, but none the less, Daddy and Mommy have decided it's time to begin establishing who's boss (and it's not Hayes Man). He has had his hand swatted quite a few times at this point, and does get very upset when he realizes he is in trouble. He will put his head down and pout in the most pitiful manner, which has proven incredibly difficult not to laugh at, but we are just thankful that he does understand right and wrong! I cried the first time I had to swat his hand and it hasn't really gotten easier at this point, but I know that it's incredibly important so I'll follow the lead of my mother-in-law and pray with him after his spankings. :) In other news, Hayes isn't the biggest fan of scrambled eggs or hats on his head, but I suppose those are things we can work around. Our independent guy has also decided recently that he prefers to not be rocked to sleep, much to Mommy's dismay. So, we read our bedtime books, sing our bedtime songs, and he lays down in his crib awake until he puts himself to sleep (or scoots and pulls up on the end of the crib and causes a scene until an unsuspecting parent comes back and lays him down). Oh my, he's growing up!
We couldn't love our little man more and just can't get enough of his feisty, full-of-life personality. Not sure there ever was a dull moment in our family, but if there was one, now they're definitely gone!
