Snow Day 2008

SO we are in full snow mode! i think we have at least 6 inches so far, and it has been snowing since 4am, but i bet it is more like 9 inches, we will have to see. And Thad is out of school, YAH! So we took Hayden out in the snow, for the first time. And he doesnt have snow pants, so we layered and bundled, but he didnt like the snow very much. He sat in it, but then reached for me. And it doesnt help that he doesnt like mittens very much, so. But we got some good pictures and went for a short walk down the street and saw some people getting unstuck and the lots of people getting stuch on teh hill, up and down. Thad is in love with the snow because he has never seen it snow like this before (besides skiing), so hes having alot of fun. I just hope this doesnt prolong our trip to Canada. And i dont like to be housebound for more than a day!
Now i believe thad has caught the eye infection. It started on friday night with hayden, so we took him to the doc on sat and he said it wasnt there yet but wrote us a prescription for hayden. Well, his eyes got better and then i got it. And im not quite sure it wasnt pink eye, but im sure it wasnt because haydens wasnt. So i started hayden and me on his prescription and now I am almost better and Thad has it, maybe....the beginnings. SO............... i went out yesterday with red eyes, and i think one lady thought i was either on drugs, or my mom said maybe she thought i was just a tired mother. oh well.
so thats our update! Here are some pics.

Thanksgiving photos and Pre-Christmas

Hayden and Daddy lovin some cheese!

At Macys waiting for Santa
Trying to get a nice Christmas pose. This was the best
After my bath. I think ive thinned out some?
Getting our tree
thanksgiving in Tn







Okay so i typed this first and then added pictures. Andi think im supposed to shout out to Franklin!
WELL, we are slowly freezing here in our house in seattle. Our furnace is on the fritz and wont go about 63 F, or about 15 C ( which i dont kwow why i think that is cold becuase that is all my dad used to let us put the heat to) but anyways, its cold. So today i was waiting for the heating guy, and then they sent the oil furnace guy instead of the gas furnace buy, and we have gas. So that was disapointing, so maybe tomorrow it will get fixed. WE have a space heater that we use for Hayden when he naps, and then downstairs when he is awake, sooo...it gets chilly while he is sleeping.
Today, i braved Walmart here to get Haydens christmas gift from Nana and Papa. The walmart here is a bit different than the walmart in jackson, its ghetto to say it nicely. I asked the greeter woman where the site to store pick up was, and she said " the restrooms" so i thanked her and went on my way. I found it quite easily. And then while waiting for our package, Hayden put his head down on teh buggy and started wailing! He was honestly scared of something, and reaching for me as though his life depended on it. I think this man made a funny face at him and for some reason put this huge fear in him. He was really scared, so that was a first. After we left walmart, we went to our friend Liz's to make gingerbread! Which i have now tasted and is so good! especially in a cold house, its even better! But i dont think i was much help, Hayden was tired and she rolled and cut, while i decorated.....but it was fun. I love LOVE doing Christmas things like that.
I am going to add our pictures from TN from thanksgiving and a few from this past weekend when my parents were here. We went downtown and had Hayden's picture with Santa at Macy's. He wasn't happy, but wasnt sad with Santa, just straightfaced, and then he looked at Santa, and wasnt sure, but we made it with no tears. Hes never played strange with anyone before, so really today was the first ( aka Walmart). It was great to see my parents, i was really looking forward to them coming and for them to see Hayden. It seems he has grown so much lately. My dad is always such a HUGE WELCOME HELP with Hayden, Im talking mostly when we are shopping! He just takes hayden and i dont even have to worry ! it is so nice. And he is eager to play with Hayden in the mornings also, even at 6am, so i can go back to bed!!! Dont get me wrong, my mom is a huge help also, but i really appreciate it during the shopping! I think that has been the hardest part for me so far as a mother, not beign able to shop without being interrupted, or on a time schedule! ( how shallow does that sound, shopping?!?) Anyways, and also dont get me wrong, thads parents were a huge help at Thanksgiving as well, I felt like I had teh vacation from Hayden , So we are very blessed.
this is plenty long, here are some pics.

ps, i dont know why that little picture is there, i tried to delete it but it wouldnt go away, sorry!
here are some other random photos. And a video of Hayden and his cake.

December (and some November!)

Birthday Party and Thanksgiving
So Hayden doesn't actually turn one until friday, but we had an early birthday party for him, before american thanksgiving. It was a Diego (Dora's relative) themed party, kinda spanish, for thad! Im sure Hayden was so pleased that it was Diego themed! But we had some friends from our small group and other people we have met here, and my parents and some friends from abbotsford come for the birthday. We had dinner and cake. Hayden wasnt that interested in the cake, but we helped him eat it, and then he liked it. But he didnt really want to himself. And then we opened presents and he got alot of toys! So he is definelty set. It was a great party.
Then the next week Hayden and I left for TN for thanksgiving. Thad came on wed night because he had to teach until then. But Hayden did pretty good on the flights on the way there and home, and of course the way home was alot nicer becasue i had Thad there to help me. Doc and Gigi were very glad to see him! And taught him many new tricks! He can now, i dont know how to explain it, go ahahahahha, with his hand over his mouth, pattycake, can wave, do itsy bitsy spider, cheer, say hi (kind of) and i think he figured out that i am mama! So we are on our way to being brilliant! im sure. But we had a great time in TN and then on the weekend, still in TN, Thads good friend Andy got married in Memphis and thad was in the wedding,so we went to memphis for the weekend for the wedding. And it was a gorgeous wedding with the reception at the Memphis Zoo in teh Polar Bear exhibit! So that was sooo fun! Katelin now says she is havign her reception at a zoo, she is checking into the Vancouver Zoo or Aquarium! Anyways......
We are now back in Seattle, getting ready for Christmas. Doing alot of christmas shopping and baking! Thad has eaten the whole first batch on sugar cookies so were on the second! And we have put up our tree. Which i was very worried that it would be a problem with Hayden, but he hasnt even gone for it at all. Once he looked at it, and now he doesn't even look at it, its like its not there to him?! so i guess that is good! And Hayden has now become a little clingy to mommy. He is following me alot and then when he is tired and whiny and hurts himself he only wants me, so this is kind of annoying, but how can you not love him! So I think were begginning the stages of everything, and he is definelty learning how to throw a temper tantrum. When he is mad he almost just falls on the floor and his tummy and crys. I will have to get a picture of this.
I wish i could find our pictures from TN but right now I cannot find them. So hopefully i will add them later. Thankyou for reading!

SO, we have had our first scare with Hayden. I was in the kitchen and opened the oven, and thad came in and was talking to me, and then next thing we know, Hayden has his hand on the oven, (while open) and kinda just made a noise, so we grabbed him and put his hand under cold water. I was worried it would bubble and be a bad burn, but in the end, i think he hated putting his hand under cold water more anything, because there was no burn!!!!!! so we were very thankful! and then at bath time he bonked his head on the tub, so it was a rough evening! He was ready for bed after all that.
And now we are fighting a cold with him. So his nose is CONSTANTLY RUNNING! and he hates getting it wiped of course, so the next morning, we fought to change the diaper and wipe the nose, and then as soon as that was done, he busted his lip on his favorite piano from Mamaw! and we had blood on our freshly dressed cream canada sweatshirt........... all before i even had a sip of coffee. But after that we had a great day. and i have to go because hayden is fighting me to touch the computer! thanks for listening!

October

Hayden was our little dragon/ dinosaur for Halloween, and a good one too. We took him trick-or-treating in our neighbourhood and got some good candy. Surprisingly only about 35% of the houses had lights on. Some friends were telling me the thing to do now is to go to the mall and trick or treat there and parents like it because they don't have to walk around in the dark. We went with our neighbour Liz and her son Elijah, who was a bear ( sorry no pic).He was tired by the time it was over. And on sat. night we had a small group party where he got to wear his costume again. Thad was a wrestler and i was a 70s disco girl.
Also last weekend we went to see Brian,Deann and Evan in Portland (thads aunt and uncle). And we went to the pumpkin patch again with Evan, so that is the picture. We had a great time and are so happy to have family so close.
The last picture is of Hayden getting into my wallet, like I am sure all kids do. It kept him entertained for like at least 30 minutes. Which was wonderful for me, but we don't want to make that a habit. Im not sure if I have mentioned the teething, but i think we might be done for awhile.........hopefully, i might be wrong. So were sleeping through the night again, yah! But Hayden has had a bad diaper rash for about a week now, and Thad can't even change him he moves so fast, so that is kinda hard. Our first real diaper rash. And I am also thinking about hayden's first birthday. So much to think about, food, location, decorations, time....etc. So we might do a party in canada and one here, we will see?
And I also cannot wait for thanksgiving and christmas. I already starting checking out all the christmas things to do here, i love the holiday season! I added a few more pics of hayden's first pumpking carving. WE did it way to early so it was very very very moldy by halloween. But hes so cute in his halloween pajamas from Dog and Gigi!

So, Hayden is now pulling up on most things. He stands in his crib all the time, and can pull up on the edge of the tub, and can crawl in the tub. He just started the crawling in the tub like 2 baths ago, and he is getting so careful to fall and put his face in the water, he is getting so BIG! And he also now pulls on my pant leg, it is so so cute, of course I will give in to that. And yesterday he crawled all the way from the family room into the kitchen. Its not like our house is huge or anything, but that is the farthest he has crawled. Usually if something is to far away, he doesn't think he can get there. But i'm so proud of him!
This weekend we are going to Canada for Canadian Thanksgiving, and I am very excited. I guess making friends here will just come with time, but it can be lonely at times, so it is always a welcome trip to go home and be surrounded by people you love. Living here without family is hard, it has made me really appreciate the time we had in TN, and all the family dinners and just shooting the breeze time, when everything was so convienent(sp?). And it has also made me feel for people without family, or who do not get along with their family. What must their life be like? And that has also made me think alot about foster kids? What must their life be like? Could thad and I do it? I think im more into it than thad, but its just been on my mind lately, not any time soon.........anywyas, hayden has woken up from his nap! and were off to the store!

Thad has turned 25 since my last post. For his birthday we went to Mt. Rainier and did a hike. Everytime we get on the freeway going south, we get an amazing view of Rainier and Thad just loves it. So we went to Rainier and did what I thought was a pretty good hike, with Hayden in a front pack, (we really need a backpack, but it worked well for the day). Im not sure how high, but above the tree line, and it zigzaged at the top, on rocks, it was a big big BIG fall! but a gorgeous view from the top. Then we hiked down and had lunch and came home. then my dad came and kept Hayden so we could go out for dinner, (my mom was in seattle with her friends). Then we celebrated thads birthday on sunday and had a gorgeous day (weather) and lunch by the water and tiramisu made by yours truly!
Two weekends ago we went to the Seattle Boat Show with Josh Baldwin (thads friend) and Chelsea (my friend from B.C.) and we also had a gorgeous day, and looked at boats that were worth so so much. Some very nice boats. And josh was here for the weekend, so thad and him had some good catching up.
And last weekend we went to my parents. It was good to have some family time. We left Hayden on friday night, and my dad played a new game with him, THROWING him on the couch, and hayden loved loved it. It really isnt' bad, but what happens when mom is gone is always interesting, i mean, i wouldn't have attempted it, but he loves it and now I do it.
Since last time, I don't think Hayden was crawling, but he is now doing the army crawl/scoot thing. But still not on all fours. But he can make it a pretty good ways. And we have also been having some rough nights lately, I think it teething, which is taking liek FOREVER, but i cant complain............because there are still good nights. Hayden is doing "so big" and is so cute. We got it on video...and also on video, HAYDEN DANCING! such a cutie. But i have to ge thad to get it on the computer and I'll post it! Here's some pics!

I am not sure why this is all underlined. And i cant seem to fix it, so ..... Since the last post we have started to become adjusted here. Thad has started school, and he loves it. This morning actually, his alarm didn't go off, but hayden was talking at 6:30, so he woke me up, and i woke thad up, but he still made it intime for school, it starts at 7:30. His phone had died, adn that is where his alarm is. Tonight wer e actually going to the football game for his school, so that should be fun.
We also went to the zoo with one of thads co-workers and his wife and 2 kids. The Seattle Zoo is great. Hayden is a little young, but I still think he saw the big animals like the gorillas and elephants. It was a fun day.
And this past weekend, our friends Joel and Danae came to see us. And we went down to the university and then to Pikes Place. The weather had been gorgeous so we had a great time. adn then Brayden (my brother) and Ian came to see up on Monday and we went to Green Lake. A super nice area with a really nice park walk thing. We dream of living there. So we had lots of fun. It was good to see familiar faces when you don't know anyone in the city.



Gigi (thad's mom) sent Hayden some new clothes this week, so we had to get photos of them. Isn't he such a poser? He still is not crawling,b ut actually for the first time 2 nights ago, he got on his knees, and we have been working and working on that. So its good to see he can do it. So , now, I think crawling might be coming soon, ( I hope I didn't jinx it). But he is standing better and better, not without help of course, when he does stand, we say he does the "hippy hippy shake" because his hips wiggle most of the time. I don't think anything else is new with Hayden, he's still teething, etc.
Oh ya, so today I went to baby sign language at the library and met some moms, YAH!!!!!!! There was like 25 moms there, so i hoped to at least talk to one. But one mom was really nice adn told me about her moms group adn her church , and its non-denominational,a nd she said it had a great childrens program and womens ministry, so I got very excited. And then i met another mom that lives like 1 block up from me, and goes to the same park as me. And her husband is trying to get a pastor job also, so that was also VERY EXCITING! So i told her that i would call her, i hope she didn't think i was over anxious of over friendly,.......but Im pretty desperate for some friendship, but i think it was fine! But it was a GREAT morning, and now Hayden is sleeping, I must have worn him out with all that sign language. I also think he just loved looking at all the other babies/kids there. It was fun.
And Thad's birthday is tomorrow so I think were going to Mt. Rainier for the day, and then my dad is going to keep Hayden for us in the evening so we can go out, yah! And then well spend sat with my parents. (if your wondering why my mom is helping my dad on sat. night, she is in seattle with her girlfriends, so were just meeting her on sunday). So thats about it. I added the photos at the top later, they were supposed to be at the bottom, sorry!