Milestone Comparisons

I tried to take some of the comparison shots where Hayden is next to his football and Spherey. What I got instead are some shots that show how much he's grown developmentally.

This was taken back in November:

Here are the shots from Today. As you can see, Hayden's no longer content to lie still and pose for Mama. He can however, show you that he can roll over nicely and grab for his toys. This week, he's been working on getting up onto his knees. I think he may also have some front teeth coming in!

We hope everyone gets out there and enjoys the nice weather this weekend!

Tight Squeeze

Here is another "Tight Squeeze" picture set for all you "Half 'n Half" Diehards.



Last night Hayden and I went for yummy fajitas at Aunty Debbie's. Hayden was extra happy to go and visit because Jessica and Sam were home too. At dinner, he got fussed over by all of them including Papa and Mama. After dinner, he had fun watching the game on HD with Uncle Peter. He sure got all kissed out. Enough so that he actually slept in his crib for an entire two and half hour stretch!

And Still Growing

It's that time again!

The Day Has Come

Hey Grandma Elaine...Remember when we thought fitting into these PJs would be such a long way away? That day has come.

An Officer and Some More Officers

What a beautiful Officer Family weekend Hayden had. First off, his Uncle Dan and Aunty Alexis finally got a break from all of their hard work to come and visit. Hayden loved petting Uncle Dan's furry face and cuddling up with Aunty Alexis. He also got to see a great student at work as Aunty Alexis studied for several hours on Saturday morning. Let's hope some of them smarts rubbed off onto him. He also wanted to wish a very much deserved "congraduations" to his Uncle Dan!

Saturday night was an evening out for all the Officers except for the lowest ranking one. Little Hayden spent some time with Nai Nai and Yeh Yeh. They were experts at feeding, bathing, playing with, and soothing Hayden to sleep. Since they proved their expertise, Mommy and Daddy are thinking of going out more often! Thank you Nai Nai and Yeh Yeh! Hayden had a lot of fun and so did his Mommy and Daddy.

Our evening out started off with some delicious pizza with Cousin Beckie, her friend Shawn, Uncle Dan, Aunty Alexis, Grandma Elaine, and Grandpa Doug. Next time though, they will decideed to get the French Onion soup and the burger. Then the crew headed out for an evening filled with the soothing sounds of the Susie Arioli Band. Cousin Jordan blew the crowd away. Mommy enjoyed it so much that she sometimes even forgot how much she was missing Hayden.

On Sunday, Hayden said goodbye to Uncle Dan and Aunty Alexis and made them promise to visit soon. Then we were off again to see some more Officers. All the Officer ladies gathered in Brockville for a lovely wedding shower for cousin Jen. They had tea, wine, lovely conversation, more wine, opened gifts, sipped some wine, and had a lot of fun. Meanwhile, all the Officer boys (including the lowest ranking Officer) were at Uncle Ian's cottage for some groin scratching and burping. Hayden, excelling at both of these tasks, fit right in for his first Male Officer gathering.

What a great weekend it was. How lucky we are to be amongst the ranks of such a wonderful family.

First Love

Hayden and I went to a new exercise class today. I plunked him down to play with a bunch of his toys next to a little girl. As soon as she eyed his horse, she started inching toward it. I worried about Hayden's reaction because I know about his somewhat unhealthy relationship with that horse. He watched her grab it, looked longingly at his beloved horse's butt, and then...like a little gentleman, he just let her play with it. Soon enough, he made that little lady so comfortable that they started to share the horse. Then, like all the ladies in his life, she really wanted to get close and snuggle with him. At this point, her mom got a little nervous and took her away. Hayden's rolling with the punches though. He's already forgotten all about her and looks a little relieved to get his horse back.

Mountain of Fun

We had a great time in Mont Tremblant this weekend. Hayden got to see the beautiful mountain, hang out with his Aunty Jaime and Uncle Jonny, and get some delicious fresh air into his lungs while enjoying the beautiful weather. He was an excellent weekend guest and behaved like a little gentleman. He was even perfectly quiet for both car rides! Perhaps that is why he is a little cranky right now; he's just so sad the weekend is over and he used up all of his good behaviour over the weekend.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

I finally caught that piece of hair on film. I know, I know, I've gone a bit loony with this piece of hair. I can't explain it, I just think it's funny. The hair I speak of is this one long piece that stands up like Alfalfa's. Here it is.

It was such a gorgeous day today. Hayden finally got to explore the vast expanse that is his lawn. Notice the pre-crawling position. Take that pesky-moms-with-ever-so-gifted-babies.

This weekend, we're taking Hayden to Mont Tremblant. Aunty Jaime has kindly invited us up for the weekend. We're pretty stoked. One of the families that Scott works with gave us this backpack carrier and we're excited to take a hike with it.

So, we hope everyone enjoys the beautiful weather this weekend. Here's a video clip of Hayden wishing everyone a happy weekend!

Helmet Head

Now that Hayden has learned to roll, we've discovered a downfall to hardwood flooring. Everytime he rolls, his poor little head lands with a thud. He doesn't seem to mind so much but the noise is a bit much for our poor nerves. Here is a picture of my solution until we think about something more permanent. Good thing there aren't other kids around to point and laugh.

Fresh Feast

This weekend I made some fresh homemade baby food for our little food connoisseur. On the menu was a delectable selection of organic sweet potatoe, carefully steamed to supple perfection, and pureed with just a hint of fresh milk into velvety goodness. For dessert Monsieur was served an elegant portion of sweet organic pear, slowly simmered in crystal clear spring water, and blended with it's own juice to create a warm sugary treat. After dinner, I scraped the remains from the floor and his eyebrows and then wiped the spit up from his chin with his dirty bib and shirt.

New Kid On the Block

Here is Hayden in his beloved Bumbo. He didn't always have such a loving relationship with his Bumbo but ever since Aunty Heidi brought him the tray, he just can't get enough. He loves to sit in it and play with his blocks, suck on his horse's ass, or just chill out. Check out this new video of Hayden and his Bumbo and his blocks.

Hop Hop Hop

Hayden hippety hopped from one social engagement to another this busy long weekend. First of all, he just had to go and see his favourite Great Grandfather to wish him a very happy 91st birthday. It was fun to have lunch at the Chinese Buffet in Montreal with his Great Papa and all of his relatives. He was so popular at the restaurant that the chef just had to take a picture of him.

Aunty Heidi and Cousin Nico were also in for a visit. This was a great opportunity to collect some very valuable collateral for later on in the teenage years.

Hayden also had Easter dinner at the McCann's with Grandpa and Grandma. Of course, like any gentleman would, he grunted politely while taking a big dump at the dinner table.

He capped off the weekend with a lovely visit with the ladies. Mama's friends Casey and Brandi came over to meet Hayden for the first time. Aunty Jaime joined in as well for a lovely dinner and great conversation. Hayden got a taste of what happens when girlfriends get together after being apart for a while. After he got over the initial shock of the vulgarity of it all, he really started to enjoy himself and got into it.

Hayden didn't only hop around this weekend, he also learned to roll with it. He's rolling from one end of the room to the other. At first he would only go in one direction but he's now starting to go to the left and right. He can make it pretty far. Now that he's mobile, I'm guessing that's pretty much the end of life as we knew it.

Checklist

Standing with support...check

Sitting in his own Big Boy chair...check

Making solid poops...check

Having stinky feet...check, check

Loving Alanis' lumps...check, check

Growns Up

Hayden is tackling so many more things on his "To Do" list. He can now sit on his own for quite some time. He's still very wobbly though. He can roll over pretty easily. When lying on his front, he is also beginning to scoot. I can also prop him standing up by the back of the couch and he can stand there on his own for a bit. He prides himself on knowing the difference between to and too, as well as their, there, and they're. He's also learned how to set the VCR. Too bad they're becoming obsolete.

Straight From the Horse's Ass

Finally, spring has arrived. It was nice to spend some time outside this weekend. Scott got right down to work and cleaned out the sheds, got the garden into shape, and raked the lawn. Hayden and I did this while he slaved over all that labour:

and this:

We don't feel that bad since we're still learning how to sleep for longer than 3 hour chunks. Is that normal? Don't tell me if it's not.

While sleep may not be his best subject, Hayden is learning how to excel in other areas of the curriculum. Hayden can now independently reach and grab at something specific. He is also showing preference for certain objects without assistance. Sorry for the report card language. I'm trying to get back in gear for September. Here is Hayden reaching, grabbing, and showing preference. He loves this toy horse that Uncle Dan and Aunty Alexis got for him at Christmas. His favourite thing to do actually, is to suck on the horse's ass. Sorry but it's true. If he drops it and can't reach it, he gets quite upset and won't stop fussing until that butt is back in his mouth.

Yikes!

Today I took Hayden to a free class at Gymboree. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Some of you may know my thing with clowns. This looked like the place where clowns go to puke out their innards. It's a primary colour overload with crazed preschool singing blasting at you. Hayden seemed overwhelmed at times but also had some fun. I'm not sure if we'll go back.

Hayden also wanted to thank Yeh Yeh for the new crib toy. He thoroughly enjoys being spoiled.

Sleepy Head

Like father like son...one of their favourtie pasttimes is falling asleep on the couch while watching TV.

We've been working hard lately on a better nighttime sleeping routine with Hayden. As I type this, he's actually sleeping in his crib on his own. Last night, he was able to do this for an entire half hour. We'll see how long he lasts tonight.

Dance Fever

This weekend we got all gussied up and headed to the Falls for a wedding. This was Hayden's first and he wanted to be sure to enjoy it. It's a good thing Grandma Elaine bought him such a nice button-down shirt to wear for the occasion. He was super dooper excellent in the church and barely made a peep. At the reception, he partied down at the open bar and then fell asleep amidst all the noise and dancing. Many people came over to gawk in amazement that he could sleep through all the racket. I also stared in amazement as I thought of all the times at home when he awoke from a fraction of a decibel. Of course, Hayden had many admirers from the calendar that Grandma Elaine has been showing off.

Being that we were on Daddy's old turf, there were many people who commented on how grown up our Scotty looked. Many couldn't believe that this once "Wild Child" was now rocking his son to sleep and changing diapers. "A big change from his beer-swigging helmet days", remarked one gentleman. Here is a good before and after shot for you. The first picture is of Scott at Jaime and Jonny's wedding early last summer. Notice the sweat indicating the all-night dancing bliss. The next shot was taken this weekend. Such a mature looking dad, holding himself back from his dance urges. It's pretty amazing what can happen in just a few short months.

Winner! Winner! Winner!

Congratulations Yeh Yeh! As our 1000th customer here at "Half 'n Half" you've won....

1 100% plastic cup filled with sparkling pure drool (seen here on the tip of tongue and chin)

100 hours of uninterrupted time with Hayden (including diaper changes of both the liquid and solid form)

AND

2 smelly, sweaty feet to sniff at your leisure

Don't YOU wish you were the 1000th customer?

Checked Out

Alright, I get it. I'm a bad videographer. In my defense, we were actually trying to put Hayden to sleep before he had the giggle fit which accounts for the darkness of the video. Next time I decide to capture him on film, I'll be sure to hire a better production crew. Wasn't it more about the sound anyways. Jeez, you're all getting so demanding and picky with this blog.

Hayden had another check up today at CHEO for his uretal dilatation(?). Everything checked out really great and normal. They are going to check on him again at 12 months to be extra-extra-safe but the doctor says that there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Well that's good.

Sleep is not going so great right now. I believe it has to do with the teething. Did I mention that there are two sharp nubs now? He's getting up every couple of hours, quite angrily actually. It's enough to drive his poor workin' dad to sleep with Jessie. I don't blame him actually. Here is Hayden numbing his gums.

Giggle Fit

Hayden has always been a happy kid. He smiles a lot and has a strange sort of barking laugh. However, while he is happy and will smile at just about anything, it hasn't been easy to really get him going. He's a tough critic I guess. Yesterday we had a breakthrough. Here is video of his first real big giggle fit. This is the tail end of it. Before this clip, he had already been going for about a minute.

Movin' Right Along

We took Hayden in for his 6 month check-up on Thursday. He weighs in at a hefty 16 lbs 6 oz. Actually, for his height, he is slightly below average for his weight. Everything checks in just right. He's more than tripled his birth weight!

Hayden's loving all the new foods he's been experiencing. Unfortunately, they made him a little backed up this week and we were anxiously awaiting a major delivery in his diaper. It finally came yesterday after about 4 days. So far he's eating rice cereal, sweet potatoes, bananas, and peaches. Yum.

His one tooth is doing great. It has come up a bit more but no new neighbours yet. He loves using it to chew on anything and everything: books, blocks, fingers, and his brand new quilt! Here he is marking his territory on the quilt I made for him. I had it professionally quilted and picked it up yesterday.

Chomp

Today we went to visit our dear old Papa. We had a great visit and a delicious lunch. After lunch, we were playing at Papa's when I felt something in Hayden's mouth...a TOOTH!!!

It's on the bottom and you can't really see it but you can sure feel it. Here we are brushing for the first time.

Daddy's Workshop

Now that we're feeling better, we got started on some March Break projects. I say "we" but what I really mean is "Scott". Here is a picture of his refurbished workshop. Yeh Yeh gave him some accessories at Christmas and he was finally able to install the pegboard so that he could put it all to good use. It looks awesome. Hayden can't wait to get in there and start building.

Yesterday was Hayden's 6 month birthday! We're headed to the doctor's on Thursday for his check up so we will fill you in on his stats then.

On the Mend

Ughhh...this thing is really hanging on for dear life. On Saturday, after being cooped up in the house since Wednesday, we thought we might be able to handle a little trip to the store. Three minutes in and I felt like curling up in the linen aisle. I feel slightly better today but not enough to enjoy the beautiful weather. Scott felt much better so he took Jessie and Hayden to Bruce Pits on his own! They had lots of fun together.

Hayden is really loving Jessie these days. He smiles so big whenever she is near and grabs on to anything he can. He laughs at her and loves her licks. Just wait until she starts mooching his food...then we'll see how long the love affair lasts.

Hayden is eating once a day. We're feeding him rice cereal and have also given him a little banana and sweet potatoe. The texture is still pretty soupy but he really loves it and leans forward for more.

To pass the time while being sick, I got a little addicted to browsing etsy. It's a great site where people can sell their handmade goodies. It has some great features. If you mark some of your favourite items, they'll suggest items based on those favourites. Check it out.

Here I am with some new bangs. Thanks James!

ugghhh

can't blog
too weak
flu...me...scott
not hayden
hayden good
plays in exersaucer...sleeps...good baby
ughhh

Hello!

By the way, Hayden wanted to post a special hello to his new friend Thierry. He can't wait to visit him again and hopes that he can see the great pictures his Daddy took of them. Have a great day Theirry!

Growth Spurt

I was just reading something the other day about growth spurts. I thought to myself, "My, how lucky I was to escape the pain of constant feedings all through the day and night!"

Cue "Fate" to make everything as it should be. I feel busier than the poutine stand at our wedding. Hayden seems to be hungry ALL the time. It's way fun.

The San Francisco Treat

Hayden had his first taste of some rice cereal last night. You can see the video here. I take solids as the milestone out of infanthood. Gone are the days of not so smelly poo. Soon we'll be carting around sippy cups and Cheerios everywhere we go. A daily chore will be scraping up bits of crusty food off the floor. Oh yeah, I guess that's Jessie's job. It's all a bit too much for me to take.

He sure is changing a lot these days. His hair is coming in nicely, aside from the bald spot on the back of his head. He has this one very long piece of hair on the top of his head. I tried to take a picture of it but it doesn't show up. We think it's his one piece of original hair that's still hangin' on.

He is starting to learn to sit. He can manage a sort of sit where he's basically folded in half and propped up with his hands. Perfect motivation for this posture are his toes which he will suck on.

His hands are becoming more selective. Today he was chewing on a soother. It fell out of his mouth and he managed to pick it up and put the corner back in his mouth. He also likes to grab Jessie's hair in big fistfuls and then rip it out. She loves it.

These are the small things that make our days now. I guess we're easy to please.