happy 1st birthday

(I'm sooo late on this post. He will be 13 months this weekend. oops.)

Can you really be 1 already, sweet Hayes?!  The obligatory question asked by parents everywhere, and yet, so so true.

Looking down at you as I hold you, I think I am still just as amazed that you are here as I was 9 months ago when you were in my belly. Time sure flies, especially with the second kid I've found, but one thing is for certain, it has been so sweet having you in our family.

You are such an adventerous little boy. I'm not sure if it's the boy thing or the second child thing, but you seem fearless with everything you do, and you give mommy anxiety daily. Now that you are walking (faster each and every day), my top priority is following you around to make sure you don't hurt yourself. Evie was much more cautious than you. We didn't even have baby gates up on the stairs with Ev. You are another story, and every time I turn around you are trying to pull down the lamp, climb on the couch, knock over my dishes on the shelf.....exhausting.

For the most part you are a very happy baby. Unless you are hungry or we take something (dangerous) from you. Then the kicking, pouting, crying and throwing yourself on the ground ensues. I laugh at how dramatic you can be sometimes, Hayesy boy.

You still love to eat. Meat, cheese, blueberries and strawberries are your favorite. You also enjoy those expensive, yet oh so convenient, pouches from the grocery store. You are also still breastfeeding and having some cow's milk/ coconut milk, although not the biggest fan yet.

You love to mimic us. Sneezing, waving, clapping, stomping, pointing....when we do it, you copy and it's so adorable. You're big thing is laying your head down on the floor. We say "night night" and you rest your head on whatever is close by. It's precious.

Evie continues to be your very favorite. As you get older, you both interact and play more. I can already tell you're going to be great friends.

You say dada, mama, and ball. You also understand a whole slew of words, like baby, food, more, and sissy.

You love being outside. You like to stand at the tree in the front yard. You love eating mulch. And you love pushing around the toy lawn mower.

We love you so much, sweet Hayesy. Happiest 1st first birthday to you.

11 month old Hayes

Hayes turned 11 months old over a week ago. I cannot even fathom that he is less than a month away from turning 1. I can vividly remember this time last year as we prepared for our sweet little man to arrive. How it all happened and passed so quickly is beyond me.

Here's what little man was up to this past month:

• Jibber jabbers. I often find him making sweet sounds as he plays. 
• Stands on own. He can now rise up on two feet from anywhere. 
• Cruising around the furniture (like a pro). 
• Plays peek a boo.
• More teething (thinking more on the bottom will poke through soon).
• Climbs stairs. Quickly. 
• So fast at crawling. 
• Mischievous. He totally knows the things he shouldn't be doing. He just grins and does it anyway. 
• Growls and screams when playing. (see pics of his usual screaming face below). 
• First hair cut!
• Slept through the night for the first time. Hasn't done it again, sadly, but continues to sleep better during the day and night (minus a bad week from teething). 
• Still breastfeeding every 2-4 hours, depending on the day. 
• Eats three meals a day plus two snacks. 

Overall, Hayes is such a sweet, curious, happy little boy!

10 months old!

Happiest 10 months, Hayesy (last week, whoops!) You are literally just cruisin right along, and I cannot believe we are just a couple months out from your 1st birthday. <insert sobbing emoticon>

This month you continued to improve your mobility. You can now crawl quickly across the floor, pull up and sit back down with ease, and are climbing onto things as well, like low shelves and chairs. You enjoy pushing objects around the house as you crawl. I have a hunch you will be walking before you turn one.

You have 6 teeth now, 2 on the bottom and 4 on the top. We had a few days of teething pain this past month, which resulted in a lot of tears and poor sleep. Luckily it seems like you may be over that hump now. With those new chompers poking through, however, you've discovered how to bite. You often nibble on my shoulder and leg, and when I express my pain, you laugh.

Eating continues to be one of your favorite activities. Whether you are nursing or shoveling puffs into your mouth, you love food. Eggs, cheese, strawberries, peaches, plums, blueberries, turkey, chicken, green beans, peas, and sweet potatoes are some of our go-tos. You especially love fruit and meat.

Sleep has gotten better, especially during the day. You take two naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. One of the two naps is usually between 1.5-2.5 hours! Hallelujah!  You go to bed anywhere between 6-7:30 depending on when your last nap was. You go down pretty easily, but you still wake up 2-4 times a night.

You are such a cuddly boy. When it is nap time, all it takes is a dark room, a pacifier and your blanket, and you snuggle up on my shoulder. You are still mesmerized by big sis, following her around and laughing at everything she does. Speaking of laughs, you are easy to amuse. You give the biggest belly laughs, especially when we play airplane on my legs or when we play hide and seek.

You are truly such a happy baby and an absolute joy. We love you to pieces, Hayesy boy.

9 months old + the wonderfully terrible two's

At 9 months old, Hayes is unstoppable. Gone are the days of being able to sit him down, grab a cup of coffee and come back to where I left him. In fact, it feels like most days I basically follow him around, reroute him and pull him off of whatever dangerous object he has pulled himself onto.

It's exhausting, but it also has its perks. Now that he can crawl, he loves to chase after Evie. His eye catches her across the room and nothing is going to stop him from reaching to her (except for mom of course.) I just love the little relationship they are forming and am so excited to watch them become friends.

Other fun Hayes happenings during the 9th month:

Becoming more playful and interactive.
Sitting on own.
Eating solids like a champ. So fun having a baby so excited about food. If I am eating a snack and he spots me, he basically attacks my leg and starts crying in frustration.
Sleeping better! Hooray for naps that last longer than 30 minutes.
Two top teeth poked through with two more on the way.
Pulling up (and also falling down a lot as a result of his newfound hobby).
Standing in crib. :(
Understands name and other words (like nursing and Evie).
Size 4 diapers (big boy!)
Loves being in the baby carrier.
Says mamma!

Hayes is an absolute sweetheart, has the most perfect smile, is extremely curious and keeps me on my toes all day.

In other NEWS....Evie has been potty trained for about a month now. It was easier than I anticipated, but a frustrating endeavor nonetheless. It is really nice having just one kid in diapers! Although extremely lovey and affectionate most of the time, she seems to be going through a bout of the terrible two's lately. Some of her tantrums have been insane. A lot of the time I have to remind myself that she is "only two" and she can't possibly express or understand her emotions. Love this kid and all of the craziness she brings to our family.