Dirty Ho

This weekend I got in a fight with a dirty ho and the dirty ho won. We took advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend to do some gardening. Unfortunately, I ruined our day by stepping on our garden ho. It's a good thing Scott and Nai Nai were there to help me and that Yeh Yeh was around to look after Hayden while we went to the hospital for a tetanus shot. No stitches necessary. We didn't even have to wait at the hospital for very long because of our very resourceful Nai Nai who told the staff that my breastfed baby was at home starving. Actually, I think he was stuffing his face with a banana. I couldn't bare to look at the little old lady who had been waiting for 2 hours as we sped out of there in less than 45 minutes.


Luckily we got home in time to enjoy most of the game. Go Sens Go!

As I hobbled around the rest of the weekend, Scotty played hard and worked hard. Hayden just came along for the ride and ate whatever he could get his hands on. Before

After

During

During

I thought you said you'd beat Perth this year.

Yum

Probiotic acidophilus bifidus creamy yum!

$45

What can you get for $45 these days. Not much, you might say. A couple of grande caramel macchiatos, a sock from LuLu Lemon, a bowl full of peas (like the ones Hayden is munching on here) a movie night minus the popcorn and the gas to get you there...

Well, Hayden was able to find the best deal of all for $45. How about daycare FOR A WEEK!!!! Yesterday we met with the lovely Laura who runs a licensed daycare out of her home in Aylmer. She has her two kids (a boy and a girl) and a pair of sisters and they go on lots of field trips. She has a lot of help from her mom, sister, and cousin. They live in a huge house that is about a 10 minute drive away. It was hard to pass on Heidi as I knew she would have been a great daycare provider but who could pass on $9/day. My son: the Bargain Hunter. Not quite as exotic as a Crocodile Hunter but the life insurance is much cheaper.

Wee wee wee all the way home

We're back from our fun-filled weekend in Toronto. Hayden was a great little visitor and didn't overstay his welcome. We didn't take too many pictures as we were too busy having fun but here are a few shots of our weekend:Here is Hayden keeping himself busy with a snack in the car on the way down.

Here is Nico loving her cousin Hayden.

Here is Nico having enough of grabby cousin Hayden.

Here is Hayden getting a little too close for cousin Nico's liking.

These are Sarah and Kyle's beautiful twin girls Adelaide and Stella. They are so tiny that I was nervous to hold them.

What we didn't take any pictures of were Shawn and Scott taking care of Hayden and Jessie all on their own. All the ladies were busy at the spa enjoying an invigorating water circuit treatment including Nico's Grandmama Dianne and Sara. The boys were able to keep Hayden busy, happy, and sleepy! Hayden says he and Jessie are sorry that they weren't able to help you boys pick up the ladies on your walk. Better luck next time.

We love visiting everyone in Toronto. Shawn and Sara are so great at opening up their place to all of us, including Jessie. We can't wait to visit them in their new place and play at the big park!

Can't Beat the Heat

It's hot. Dang hot. Maybe it won't be so hot in Toronto. We're off tomorrow to visit with all of our Torontonian family. Hayden says he'll see you on the flip side. Until then, enjoy a nice cool snack of toe jam.

ps Good luck with the BBQ Aunty Jaime!

Swinging Into Action

Here is Hayden's first time on a swing! We were at the park with Heidi. No, not that Heidi. Today we visited with Heidi the probable new caregiver. We went to the park with her, her son, her foster daughter, and the one other baby that she looks after. Hayden had a great time and so did the other kids. They loved Hayden and wanted to push him on the swing. Heidi is very down to earth and you can really tell how much she loves kids. She speaks Spanish and French so Hayden will hopefully be trilingual by the time he goes to school!

Weekend Warriors

What a beautiful weekend! Hayden started the weekend off right with a night in with Daddy. Mommy took off to see the Churchill School of Rock. She had a rockin' night and so did Hayden and Daddy. They've both requested that I go out more often and leave the men alone. Saturday was a great day for a BBQ and a Sens game with our good friends Ray and Jenny. As per usual, Daddy and Ray put their heads together and concocted a plan for a new project. Sure enough, Sunday morning, they got right to work digging holes and mixing cement for a new fence next to the house. If it weren't for Ray, Hayden would be growing up in a ramshackle old hut.

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.