Into Everything

Wow...I have let my blogging go lately, haven't I? I've been trying to get adjusted to being home everyday with Hayden (no more Mother's Day Out this summer) and trying to get us into a good summer routine....not to mention trying to keep up with him. Hehehe... I think we're figuring out our routine now. In his best babble 10 month old talk, Hayden clearly told me recently that he wanted to go to the pool regularly to make up for putting me on bedrest all last summer. I, being such a sacrificial mother, am willing to leave my fun housework duties at home and oblige, so we've gone everyday for the past couple of days. I really want him to get used to the water, since I love swimming so much. He does great and especially loves to smile at all the pretty little girls at the pool...he seems to have a preference for the blonde ones. I'm going to have my hands full. Actually, I already have my hands full. Hehehe....

We've definitely reached the "getting into everything" stage. Even though he's been crawling for about 3 months now, he's now become a pro at it and is almost as fast as me. He sees a door open that he's not supposed to go into, and those little legs book it to try to get in before I get there. He's been pulling up for about 2 months now, but now, he can pull up on a flat surface like a door or cabinet...so he's discovered the kitchen cabinets. The locks we bought for the kitchen cabinets didn't work, so I put some picture hanging wire around all of them the other day. It is a temporary fix but is making my life easier not to have to chase him everywhere he goes.

The improved mobility also means I have a little shadow now. He follows me throughout the house, and pulls up on my legs. If I'm sitting on the floor, he pulls up on me, and hugs me. If I'm sitting on the furniture, he's pulling up and trying to get to me. Everyone told me when I found out I was having a boy that, "Little boys love their mommies." That is definitely true. He loves his daddy, too, and Chris is a wonderful dad.

He's getting to be a pretty good eater. Like most kids, there are times when he just doesn't want to eat...and I don't press the matter, because he'll eat if he's hungry. Then, there are other times when I have to limit his food so he doesn't fill himself up so much that he spits up. When he first started eating finger foods, he was super picky, and I was resigned to the fact that he would only eat bread and puffs. But, he's gotten to where he likes more things. He won't eat bananas. That is a definite fact....I think it's a texture thing. He loves sandwiches, gerber cereal bars, puffs, turkey sandwich meat, chicken nuggets, waffles, and he's just now gotten to where he'll eat that fruit that comes in the snack packages.

Some new things he can do: says "Gu" for Gus and "Du" for duck, gets the ball when I ask him, gets his duck when I ask him, plays peek-a-boo (this is especially cute), tries to clap, turns the lights on and off, turns the faucets on and off, does this funny thing with his lips that we taught him (I'll video it), and says "Mama" and "Dada" on request (this is in the last day, but I still don't think he really connects us with our names yet). He's pulling up and sitting back down real smoothly and cruising well along furniture. I don't know when the walking will happen, but I think he'll run before he walks. :o) Oh, and he has 7 teeth now.

Here are some recent pictures. As you can see, that hair is getting so thick and is almost ready for his second haircut (it's traveling over the ears). He definitely has his daddy's hair. :o) I'll try to get some swimming pictures soon. Oh, and the picture of him swinging was at Gran's house. He laughed and laughed and totally loved it. My brother and sister-in-law are living out there right now in between selling their house in Clinton and building a new house in Brandon, and their swing set went with them out there.