I can't believe my little girl is one!
On Hayden's actual birthday (the 23rd) she decided that big girls don't nap, so after playing a few rounds of "for the love of God child, sleep!" I gave up and took her shopping. We went to my favorite thrift shop and then consignment shop and had a mini baby shopping spree. Then we went to the outlets and continued the fun. All in all I spent almost nothing between gift cards, store credit and the wonders of consignment shops, and we ended up with WAY too many toys, as always.
Then we went to Exeter to Me and Ollies to meet up with Michelle, Maria, Katy and Max. From there we all went to Jenn and Ryan's house and had a nice play date. Hayden wore the Happy Birthday hat Maria passed on to her from her birthday, and Hayden had a ball. (Photos to follow soon!)
That night, Luanne and Dave came over for dinner and we let Hayden open some presents and "eat" cake. She mushed it around and looked at it, but she had NO interest in eating it at all. But, she loved her gifts - a Weeble Tree House and some soft pjs from us, and a deck of cards with baby friendly activities from Luanne and Dave.
She went to bed like a champ and then the adults toasted her birthday with martinis. A good birthday was had by all.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
So Smart
Hayden has been doing that thing where she gives me things. I take them and say, "thank you" and she smiles and hands me something else. We were in the living room playing the "Thank You" game. She handed me a block, a baby doll, and a ball. Then she reached over and grabbed a balled up sticker off the floor. She examined it for a minute and then held it out toward me.
"Can I have that?" I asked. She looked right at me.
"No", she said and held it closer.
Two things there. One, she said "no" for the first time in response to a question. And Two, she totally got the fact that if she gave me the sticker, I wouldn't give it back. I asked her again a few minutes later. Again she told me no. She held the sticker until Brian came home. Another cool thing. While she was playing with it, she figured out where she had pulled it from (a toy of hers) and she tried to stick it back exactly where it came from. Seriously, baby genius on our hands. ;)
"Can I have that?" I asked. She looked right at me.
"No", she said and held it closer.
Two things there. One, she said "no" for the first time in response to a question. And Two, she totally got the fact that if she gave me the sticker, I wouldn't give it back. I asked her again a few minutes later. Again she told me no. She held the sticker until Brian came home. Another cool thing. While she was playing with it, she figured out where she had pulled it from (a toy of hers) and she tried to stick it back exactly where it came from. Seriously, baby genius on our hands. ;)
Worst. Mother. Ever
Last night we went to our friend's house for Game Night, the once a month get together of a group of friends from school. Just about everyone in the group has kids and every month we do things the same way. Monica and Russ get a babysitter for their daughter and so do Rick and Maria. Mindy and Brendan have their son with them and they put him down in a pack and play and we do the same with Hayden. She's been sleeping in a Pack and Play since she was about a month old, and she's always been fine with it. Lately though she's started to have a bit of anxiety about sleeping in other people's houses, and it sometimes takes a while to get her to fall asleep unless the room is pitch black. But, with Blue Bunny and her Soothie, it usually goes okay in the end. We always have her monitor too, so once she's down we can check in on her.
Last night she went down to bed in the Pack and Play in Mindy's guest room and it seemed like she was doing okay. I turned the monitor on so I could hear her, and I came downstairs. There were ten adults and two older kids, and the noise level was a bit high. High enough that I didn't hear Hayden on the monitor until she was in full baby hysterics. Brian went up to check on her, and when he came down, she was asleep after drinking some more bottle and cuddling a bit.
We stayed until midnight, and she slept the whole time. When we went in to pack her up though, there was vomit everywhere. She had gotten sick all over herself, the Pack and Play and all across the carpet. It must have happened when she was crying for me early in the night before Brian went to check on her. I felt awful. My poor cub ended up sleeping in pukey pjs. I feel better that at least Brian went in and gave her a bottle and cuddled her, so at least she didn't just lose hope and settle in in a pool of vomit, but it still makes me sad. (And no, I'm not sure how Brian didn't notice that she was all pukey. He wasn't holding her in a way that put him in contact with it I guess).
Hayden's birthday is on Wednesday, and Luanne and Dave invited us to their house for a baby b-day dinner. I think I'm going to move the location over here so Hayden can fall asleep in her own bed. I don't want her to be sad on her birthday, and even though I know 9 times out of 10 she's fine in her Pack and Play, I still don't want to do that to her on her birthday.
Last night she went down to bed in the Pack and Play in Mindy's guest room and it seemed like she was doing okay. I turned the monitor on so I could hear her, and I came downstairs. There were ten adults and two older kids, and the noise level was a bit high. High enough that I didn't hear Hayden on the monitor until she was in full baby hysterics. Brian went up to check on her, and when he came down, she was asleep after drinking some more bottle and cuddling a bit.
We stayed until midnight, and she slept the whole time. When we went in to pack her up though, there was vomit everywhere. She had gotten sick all over herself, the Pack and Play and all across the carpet. It must have happened when she was crying for me early in the night before Brian went to check on her. I felt awful. My poor cub ended up sleeping in pukey pjs. I feel better that at least Brian went in and gave her a bottle and cuddled her, so at least she didn't just lose hope and settle in in a pool of vomit, but it still makes me sad. (And no, I'm not sure how Brian didn't notice that she was all pukey. He wasn't holding her in a way that put him in contact with it I guess).
Hayden's birthday is on Wednesday, and Luanne and Dave invited us to their house for a baby b-day dinner. I think I'm going to move the location over here so Hayden can fall asleep in her own bed. I don't want her to be sad on her birthday, and even though I know 9 times out of 10 she's fine in her Pack and Play, I still don't want to do that to her on her birthday.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Afraid of books?
OK, this has to be some kind of joke. My child is terrified of books. Not the physical presence of books in a room, thank God, but the reading of books just sets her off. It started with "Mommy Loves Me". A simple board book with cute photos of mommies and babies and simple little phrases about mommy's hugs etc. Totally benign. By page three Hayden was hysterical. Baby bullshit. Pushing the book away and screaming. If I didn't know better, I would have thought she had fallen out of her crib or something. It was the most upset I've ever seen her without being physically hurt.
So, the next night I figured we'd avoid any reference to mommy love. Instead we opted for "Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear?". A solid Eric Carle classic. The tears started right around the Polar Bear and by the lion she was in full melt down mode. I put the book away but it still took her about ten minutes to calm down.
I let it go for a few nights, and then tonight we tried "The Going to Bed Book" by Sandra Boynton. Again, a classic, mellow baby book. It's not like I'm reading the kid Poe before bed. Baby Batshit meltdown. This time though she cried harder when I put the book down. So, I'm hoping she likes books so much that it sends her into stimulation overload, rather than the opposite. I don't know though. She doesn't seem too impressed.
So, the next night I figured we'd avoid any reference to mommy love. Instead we opted for "Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear?". A solid Eric Carle classic. The tears started right around the Polar Bear and by the lion she was in full melt down mode. I put the book away but it still took her about ten minutes to calm down.
I let it go for a few nights, and then tonight we tried "The Going to Bed Book" by Sandra Boynton. Again, a classic, mellow baby book. It's not like I'm reading the kid Poe before bed. Baby Batshit meltdown. This time though she cried harder when I put the book down. So, I'm hoping she likes books so much that it sends her into stimulation overload, rather than the opposite. I don't know though. She doesn't seem too impressed.
Hayden's first party
Hayden's friend Maria celebrated her first birthday last night. It was a perfect evening for a party. We all got to the park in Exeter along the river at about 5:30, then they had pizza delivered and yummy baby food for the little ones. A really good band played from about 6:15 till 8 and we all just hung out, visited, ate and enjoyed the evening. I have to say, it was the perfect first birthday party. Low stress for everyone, fun for kids and adults, one of the few pleasant evenings we've had. Just the full package.
I got some photos from Michelle to make Maria a scrapbook for her birthday, and I had a great time making it. It was fun to look through photos of another baby who I've known for pretty much as long as Hayden. I think of her as looking the same until I go back through photos and I see how much she's changed. Of course, putting it together made me think about the girls, and it made me wonder if they'll grow up as friends. I know that the more a parent wants the kids to be friends the less likely that is to happen, but part of me still would love to see them share a bond as they get older. There's just something about those childhood friends that link people in unique ways.
About a month ago I heard from my oldest friend, whom I hadn't talked to since my wedding, and before that...I don't even know how long it had been. She just had a baby too, and we talked for over an hour about parenthood and life in general. There's just a certain comfort level there, and even though we don't talk often at all, I still feel close to her. My other friend Jenn from high school is the same way. We don't get together as much as we'd like, just because life keeps getting in the way, but she's one of those people who I know I could turn to anytime and she'd be there for me in a heartbeat.
I think about that sometimes with Hayden and I wonder who she'll be close to as the years go by. Right now we have such a great group of friends with young kids, and I just feel blessed to have people in my life who are sharing the same experiences and who are there for those day to day adventures of parenthood. As the kids grow and their personalities develop, I know they'll all find their own paths, but still, it would be really cool if Hayden could look at photos years from now and be able to say, "I've known these guys since birth".
I got some photos from Michelle to make Maria a scrapbook for her birthday, and I had a great time making it. It was fun to look through photos of another baby who I've known for pretty much as long as Hayden. I think of her as looking the same until I go back through photos and I see how much she's changed. Of course, putting it together made me think about the girls, and it made me wonder if they'll grow up as friends. I know that the more a parent wants the kids to be friends the less likely that is to happen, but part of me still would love to see them share a bond as they get older. There's just something about those childhood friends that link people in unique ways.
About a month ago I heard from my oldest friend, whom I hadn't talked to since my wedding, and before that...I don't even know how long it had been. She just had a baby too, and we talked for over an hour about parenthood and life in general. There's just a certain comfort level there, and even though we don't talk often at all, I still feel close to her. My other friend Jenn from high school is the same way. We don't get together as much as we'd like, just because life keeps getting in the way, but she's one of those people who I know I could turn to anytime and she'd be there for me in a heartbeat.
I think about that sometimes with Hayden and I wonder who she'll be close to as the years go by. Right now we have such a great group of friends with young kids, and I just feel blessed to have people in my life who are sharing the same experiences and who are there for those day to day adventures of parenthood. As the kids grow and their personalities develop, I know they'll all find their own paths, but still, it would be really cool if Hayden could look at photos years from now and be able to say, "I've known these guys since birth".
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
A Week of Adventure
On Friday Hayden and I went down to Marblehead for the 4th of July with mom. Brian stayed back to work on Operation We're Not the Clampets: Stage 2, The Pool. It's going pretty well now, but I did make the decision not to come home until there was water in the pool, because looking at a mud pit in the backyard was just getting to be too much for me.
I wasn't sure about taking Hayden to see fireworks. I figured, best case scenario, she'd sleep through them. Worst case, she wouldn't. And that could be unpleasant for everyone else trying to enjoy their evening. But, in the afternoon we went for a walk to Fort Sewall while Hayden napped in the stroller. While we were there, they set off a cannon. My kiddo slept through it. The decision was made then....fireworks it is.
We went down to the beach at about 8pm, and Hayden had a bottle and hung out people watching in her stroller. When the fireworks started, she was so busy looking at a baby nearby that she didn't even look up. I finally got her attention, and she watched for a minute, and then she became obsessed with another kid. It wasn't until the fireworks really got going that she got interested. She reached over for me to pick her up, and I held her in my lap while she watched. She LOVED them. Her eyes were wide, and she kept looking over at me as if to say, "can you believe this?!" She was fantastic. She snuggled in and watched the whole show, even the finale, without so much as a squirm. She was transfixed. As soon as it was over, I put her back in her stroller and she was out. She slept till 7:30 the next morning. :)
We stayed in Marblehead for a few days for the Festival of Arts. It was fun, but I've realized that my ability to handle large crowds is really compromised with a stroller. I just don't enjoy the navigation, the curbs, avoiding people's ankles. I mean, I'll do it, but I found that I really just wanted to hang out in the park on a blanket listening to music. That's much more my speed these days.
On Saturday night we went to my cousin's house for a lobster bake. Hayden got to see her first live lobster out of the tank. She thought it was pretty cool. What she really liked was her cousins' playroom with all kinds of cool kid toys. She played and hung out till I put her down in her pack-n-play to bed, so I could enjoy a kidless lobster dinner.
On Monday morning, the Cub and I drove down to the Cape to see my friend Mara, who was staying down in Chatham with her extended family. HUGE house just minutes from the beach. It was glorious. Again, I wasn't sure how Hayden would handle it all, but she did great. She loved the beach, and I loved seeing her loving the beach. The best thing about it all? She's back to her pacifier (long story short: She gave it up at about 4 months, but is obsessed with it again now that she's teething.) I hated the idea until the past few days, but now I'm loving it, at least for the beach. She had her pacifier in her mouth the whole time, so I didn't have to worry about sand, shells, seaweed, or anything else being popped in there. So, she played in the sand and loved it, and I was able to relax a bit. The ocean was a tough sell at first, but once she realized the waves weren't going to kill her, she was all over it. She liked sitting at the edge of the water anticipating when the next wave would touch her toes. Of course, we did have those rogue waves that knocked her a bit, but I was there to lift her up as they came, so it wasn't bad. Then, we headed off to a little tidal pool by the dunes, and that was a huge hit. She could sit in the bath temperature water playing with seaweed, and neither of us had to worry about waves. What did scare her? An enormous inflatable dolphin toy. Terrified her! She was not okay with that at all. But the rest of it went over well.
Yesterday morning she got up at 6am, and I took her outside to play so nobody else would wake up. We played till 8am, when Hayden was ready for her nap. The rest of the house was still asleep when I put her down. She napped for another hour and I sat outside with my coffee and a book. Now that's a vacation. That one hour was just blissful. And, later when we went to the beach, Mara watched her for a while while I went swimming. Pure heaven.
Hayden was so wiped out from the trip that she slept until almost 8:30 this morning. That's so late we both woke up in a panic wondering if she was alright. Now she's out for her second 2 hour+ nap of the day, and Brian is putting water in the pool. I'm so glad that project is almost done. The yard is still a wreck, but at least we have the pool back. The rest will just have to wait.
I wasn't sure about taking Hayden to see fireworks. I figured, best case scenario, she'd sleep through them. Worst case, she wouldn't. And that could be unpleasant for everyone else trying to enjoy their evening. But, in the afternoon we went for a walk to Fort Sewall while Hayden napped in the stroller. While we were there, they set off a cannon. My kiddo slept through it. The decision was made then....fireworks it is.
We went down to the beach at about 8pm, and Hayden had a bottle and hung out people watching in her stroller. When the fireworks started, she was so busy looking at a baby nearby that she didn't even look up. I finally got her attention, and she watched for a minute, and then she became obsessed with another kid. It wasn't until the fireworks really got going that she got interested. She reached over for me to pick her up, and I held her in my lap while she watched. She LOVED them. Her eyes were wide, and she kept looking over at me as if to say, "can you believe this?!" She was fantastic. She snuggled in and watched the whole show, even the finale, without so much as a squirm. She was transfixed. As soon as it was over, I put her back in her stroller and she was out. She slept till 7:30 the next morning. :)
We stayed in Marblehead for a few days for the Festival of Arts. It was fun, but I've realized that my ability to handle large crowds is really compromised with a stroller. I just don't enjoy the navigation, the curbs, avoiding people's ankles. I mean, I'll do it, but I found that I really just wanted to hang out in the park on a blanket listening to music. That's much more my speed these days.
On Saturday night we went to my cousin's house for a lobster bake. Hayden got to see her first live lobster out of the tank. She thought it was pretty cool. What she really liked was her cousins' playroom with all kinds of cool kid toys. She played and hung out till I put her down in her pack-n-play to bed, so I could enjoy a kidless lobster dinner.
On Monday morning, the Cub and I drove down to the Cape to see my friend Mara, who was staying down in Chatham with her extended family. HUGE house just minutes from the beach. It was glorious. Again, I wasn't sure how Hayden would handle it all, but she did great. She loved the beach, and I loved seeing her loving the beach. The best thing about it all? She's back to her pacifier (long story short: She gave it up at about 4 months, but is obsessed with it again now that she's teething.) I hated the idea until the past few days, but now I'm loving it, at least for the beach. She had her pacifier in her mouth the whole time, so I didn't have to worry about sand, shells, seaweed, or anything else being popped in there. So, she played in the sand and loved it, and I was able to relax a bit. The ocean was a tough sell at first, but once she realized the waves weren't going to kill her, she was all over it. She liked sitting at the edge of the water anticipating when the next wave would touch her toes. Of course, we did have those rogue waves that knocked her a bit, but I was there to lift her up as they came, so it wasn't bad. Then, we headed off to a little tidal pool by the dunes, and that was a huge hit. She could sit in the bath temperature water playing with seaweed, and neither of us had to worry about waves. What did scare her? An enormous inflatable dolphin toy. Terrified her! She was not okay with that at all. But the rest of it went over well.
Yesterday morning she got up at 6am, and I took her outside to play so nobody else would wake up. We played till 8am, when Hayden was ready for her nap. The rest of the house was still asleep when I put her down. She napped for another hour and I sat outside with my coffee and a book. Now that's a vacation. That one hour was just blissful. And, later when we went to the beach, Mara watched her for a while while I went swimming. Pure heaven.
Hayden was so wiped out from the trip that she slept until almost 8:30 this morning. That's so late we both woke up in a panic wondering if she was alright. Now she's out for her second 2 hour+ nap of the day, and Brian is putting water in the pool. I'm so glad that project is almost done. The yard is still a wreck, but at least we have the pool back. The rest will just have to wait.
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