Yodelayheehoo!

Judging by Hayden's excitement of his "freshly organized" playroom, it seemed like Christmas morning all over again!  I unwrapped some of his Christmas presents, and rearranged some of his older/untouched toys, which are now like new toys to him.  His favorite toys this morning were his white board easel, which he immediately drew a dumptruck on ;), and his new hand mixer and "percolator"(word of the day for Hayden). 

Later in the afternoon, we took advantage of Jake using his last vacation day of 2009, by going to the library and lunch.  His favorite books that he checked out from the library are Winnie the Pooh (he loves Pooh, ever since he saw the Christmas special) and a Lobster book after Christmas Eve dinner.

We finished the night with a game of Candy Land, that Hayden modified to his liking, dancing to a few Jim Gill songs, and watching Toy Story 2.  I can't believe how much Hayden LOVED that movie!  As he was going to bed, he kept saying, "Yodelayheehoo!!"

Day of Organization and a Night of Family Fun!

Today we spent the day organzing Hayden's playroom and making way for all of his new Christmas goodies! Actually while he was napping we went through all of his old toys (to avoid tears); two bins packed up for the basement and a large bag for Goodwill, made a small dent in his mountain of toys. Of course after cleaning so many things out of the room, I realized the floor needed to be steamcleaned, so EVERYTHING was emptied out.

Then after Hayden went to sleep tonight, Jake and I added some of his new presents to his playroom, as well as rearranged some of his furniture. So it will be exciting to see his reaction in the morning when he sees his freshly cleaned/organized playroom. :)

Because the entire downstairs was full of his playroom, we went out to eat at a new restaurant called Choo-Choo Johnny's in Naperville. Hayden LOVED it, of course, considering dinner was served by a train. Even though we have been to a place like this already, you would never have guesssed it, because he stared in amazement everytime the train rolled by. The highlight of Hayden's day, however, was learning how to use a train whistle. It was very cute at first, because he was so proud of himself when he figured it out. But after a half an hour car ride home, it wasn't so cute ;)

The Day after Christmas

Today was the perfect day (considering the 6 inches of snow) to stay home in our pj's and play with all of the new toys! Hayden enjoyed playing with his new kitchen, monster trucks from Grandma, and racetrack from Grandpa/Grandma Rutherford. My favorite part of the day was Hayden playing with this trucks and singing... " I'm dreaming of a white dumptruck"... LOL!

Merry Christmas!

Today was a fantastic Christmas Day! Hayden was so excited to see if Santa stopped to visit our house! After waking up and seeing the tree, his smile said it all! After opening gifts, we had some family over for breakfast and open more gifts. After naptime, we went to my mom's house to celebrate with the rest of the family. Although, Christmas wasn't the same without Dad being there, we still followed through with traditions he started with us many years ago.

Before bed, Hayden asked to sit by the tree and "talk". Super cute! He said his favorite part of Christmas was being with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, and Cousin Roary :)

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and Hayden is still not asleep. He is talking to his Wonder Pets in bed, very excited for Santa! Before bed we put out cookies and milk for santa, and carrots for the reindeer. Hayden also put his good boy chart in his stocking for Santa to see! The presents are wrapped and now under the tree, stockings are stuffed, and Jake is almost done with putting together Hayden's toy kitchen. I can't wait to see his face when he comes down the stairs in the morning!

New Blog

I am sooo excited that Hayden's blog is up and running again! Thank you, Jake :). My goal is to post a few times a week vs. a few times a year, but we shall see. Hayden is now 2 years and 9 months today! His speech is continuing to skyrocket. For example, this morning when we came down stairs he saw that the flowers on the kitchen table were starting to lose their petals. He said, "uh-oh, Mommy, the flowers are broken. Please fix them!" Too cute... he has a little zu-zu from It's a Wonderful Life in him :). He is also in the middle of potty training. He loves wearing his pull-ups with Lightening McQueen on them, and makes sure that he doesn't go pee-pee in them. We went to Gymboree last week and he picked out big boy underwear with diggers, firetrucks, and pirates on them. Mommy also picked up a new carpet cleaner to be prepared. We are going to try the underwear this week... to be continued! The biggest event obviously is Santa and Christmas! He did a great job visiting Santa a few weeks ago. We are starting many holiday traditions which is such a wonderful experience to see how excited he gets. Can't wait until Christmas morning to see the look on his face when he sees the presents under the tree!

Happy Halloween!!

Since Hayden's nickname, is Superman, we thought it would be fitting that he dress like Superman!  I must say he was the MOST adorable little Superman I have ever seen!!  He is starting to get into Halloween, and says "trick or treat" so adorable!  We celebrated Halloween and Grandma's birthday with the cousins!  They really enjoyed all the fun Halloween Games.  We also get to have little Chandler spend the night tonight.  He was a cute little Elvis, but didn't want to smile in his costume. :)

30 Months Old

Hayden is now 2 1/2 years old! He is growing into such an adorable little boy! We had an AWESOME summer! His favorite activity would have to be either playing in the sandbox at the park, or getting drenched with the sprinkler! Jake worked very hard at staining and putting together a swingset for Hayden, which he absolutely LOVES! He also learned how to pedal/steer his tricycle all by himself! He also went to a few movies this summer, and did a great job sitting "quietly" through the entire movie! He has also learned his ABC's and can count up to 14 (without skipping numbers :)) Aside from identifying his colors and shapes, he is becoming like his daddy and identifying types of cars... he can pickout Mustangs, Mommy's Car style, as well as Daddy's... I'm in trouble! The largest milestone this summer would have to be.... NO EAR INFECTIONS!!! We went the entire summer without being sick! That is huge compared to how many times he has had an ear infection or sinus infection this past year. LOVE the ear tubes! Hayden will be starting back at Ms. Donna's for daycare next week. The one thing that makes me feel better about returning back to work in the fall, is how much he enjoys it at her house. She does a great job with him!

Dump Trucks, Garbage Trucks, Fire Trucks, oh my!

Hayden is still LOVING trucks. Not only has he started peeing on the potty, that is of course a Dump truck, he also insists on having a truck to sleep with every night. A few other things that Hayden is enjoying would be his play set, a.k.a. "park" that Daddy built. He also really likes helping out. He wants to help when we are cooking, cleaning, or shopping. (hopefully it stays this way :)) Hayden had his 2 year wellness visit (a little late). I can't believe how big he is getting... Head-- 75th Percentile Weight-- 95th Percentile (34 pounds) Height -- Over 100th Percentile (37 inches)... he's a tall boy :) His speech has INCREASED incredibly since his ear tubes. He is beginning to talk in complete sentences and likes to repeat himself MANY times when he feels he isn't being listened to. I think my favorite thing to listen to is Hayden saying his prayers at night. He will say "Thank you Jesus for my tow trucks." Super Cute! Hayden also likes to help out with driving, by asking to go "I go that way, Mommy". One thing I have learned recently is to be aware of songs on the radio. The other day he started singing "Boom Boom Pow" and my not so favorite... "I Give You Hell"... yes, he was singing that song. Needless to say we have since been listening to his Elmo c.d. :) I can't wait to see what our summer holds for us!!

2 years old!

WOW! Our little guy is now 2 years old. It seems like just yesterday we were in the hospital having him. This year, he has changed so much... aside from his size... in between 2T and 3T clothes and almost size 10 shoes. He has also hit a lot of milestones... his new favorite is drinking from a straw. He is still "obsessed" with trucks, trains, planes, etc. His other new favorite is Wonder Pets. He is starting to become attached to his Ming Ming stuffed animal (little chick). He is doing a great job identifying his shapes, some colors and letters. We are hoping now that he had ear tubes put in a few days ago, that his language is going to take off, especially with pronouncing Dump truck correctly :)

He is also beginning to develop some fears, such as strangers(a good thing) and the dark(not so good thing). His new found independence is also showing, when it comes to not wanting to eat certain foods or do certain things... basically anything that he is told to do :). He is still learning what gentle means when it comes to the Diddy Dat... his hugs get a little rough. I never knew how much having a child would change our lives for the better. He makes us laugh, smile, sometimes cry, (on a daily basis)! I wouldn't change a thing!! I can't wait to see what his 3rd year brings!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Hayden!!

This year for Hayden's birthday, we decided to go to Airtastic, since this is his new favorite place! :)  He had fun jumping around with his counsins (and aunts, uncles, and grandma).  Hayden also enjoyed opening ups his gifts, and his Train cake!! :)

Train Cake and Airtastic Party

 Since Jake's parents couldn't make the airtastic party, we had a 2nd party the following weekend! :)

23 Months...where did the time go?

Hayden definitely is growing into a little boy... no longer a baby. His personality is really starting to shine through. He is still my laid back little guy, but he is also trying to find his independence, which equals "temper tantrums". Jake and I are experimenting with how to handle it. We are starting to use the naughty step, which seems to be effective... sort of. Although some times, he thinks it is fun, just to sit on the step, even when we don't put him there. He has so many new quirks: He loves to dance...not so much the mambo anymore, just wiggling his little tush with his hands in the air. He still LOVES trains, trucks, and airplanes. He enjoys ketchup... so much so, that he will just eat that with his spoon. Hayden, and the cat, Fumbles, seem to get along very well. The minute we get home, he yells, "Ditty, Dat". Although he is still learning how to be gentle, he tries to lay his head on the cat and give kisses. Crafts, Crafts, Crafts... he can't get enough of finger painting, play-doh, stickers, coloring, and creating shapes. Hayden is so proud of his creations. He will walk around holding them, and show us what he has created. His new favorite words... "uts tat"... a.k.a. What's That. Now when we go to the grocery store, I hear that at least 50 times, especially in the produce department. We literally spend at least 20 minutes, touching and smelling the different types of fruits/veggies. My personal favorite is how much he mimics what we do. Hayden is quiet the observer. For example, when we come home, he will take off his coat, open the closet, put(throw) his coat in there, then shut the closet door. We never told him to do that, he must of just noticed that we do that every time we come home. His biggest accomplishment recently has been the stairs. He will now walk up/down a few stairs without holding onto our hands or the railing. The look on his face makes me smile... he is so proud of himself. The part of the day we enjoy the most is putting him to bed. Our newest ritual is playing on Mommy and Daddy's bed before bath time. He loves to climb on and off, throw the pillows, and do the log roll. Then right before he goes in his bed, while we are rocking him, he gets a huge burst of the giggles. Hayden's favorite thing is to try to tickle us behind our ears. He thinks that is hilarious. I also think he is learning the art of stalling. He will point to every part of our face, want to sing songs, talk, point out everything in his bedroom, etc. before he gets put in his bed. Needless to say, he is keeping us on our toes, and we are loving every minute of it!!!!

Seriously, chilly.

Both a statement of the current weather in Illinois and two words Hayden now says! Christmas is only a few short days away and we cannot wait for Hayden to open his presents. Granted it isn't for the first time, however, he's a little older and can somewhat appreciate what he is receiving from Mom & Dad, and Santa. We hope everyone has a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!!!

Talking & Dancing

Hayden seems as though he may soon be talking! So far, unless you speak cave man you probably cannot interpret much of what he tries to say. Lately he has been gibbering much more. Things he has been saying such as "mama" and "dada" he is enunciating a little more. He has also been trying to say new words and sounds.

You can tell he understands much of what is said now as well. Asking him yes or no questions results in much more enthusiastic responses now. For instance, his "yes" answer is comprised of an energetic head nod and a hilarious sound that's hard to describe.

As an aside, Hayden has taken to doing the mambo! He will first move his arms and then follow that up by shaking his booty. It's one of the funniest things ever.

Happy Halloween!!

My little train engineer wasn't feeling too well this Halloween... darn teething!  Jake took him out after we both came home from work to trick or treat, while I stayed behind to dish out candy.  Although, he didn't really get the point :), he started to get excited to see what was put in his pumpkin.  He also liked seeing his carved pumpkin lit up with a candle!! :) 

18 Months

We had a busy, yet fun weekend. To start, Hayden had his 18 month doctor visit. I can't believe it is already a year and a half. He finished all of his vaccinations until Kindergarten... WOO-HOO. Aside from his diaper rash, everything is fine!! He's grown A LOT!! Birth-- 8.3 pounds and 21 inches long. 18 Months --- 30.3 pounds (90%) and 35 1/2 inches long (97%) Also this weekend, Hayden received his first pet... a Beta fish. For the past few months, everytime we go to the grocery store, Hayden gets soooo excited when we pass the fish tanks. So, we thought, why don't we buy a fish for home. That night, Hayden was ecstatic to have a fish, but the excitement didn't last too long. The next morning, he didn't really care about it, Go figure. Jake and his creativeness, helped to name the fish... Blue. :) Something else we did was visit Lyon's Farm Fall Festival. Hayden enjoyed all the antique tractors and firetrucks. He also really liked feeding the farm animals at the petting zoo. We also bought Hayden a few new toys. We are trying to expand Hayden's interests, since he seems to be obsessed with Trucks. We purchased some plastic dinosaurs, a cleaning kit, and a shopping cart. He wore himself out running around the house pushing the shopping cart around, I think he even managed to take out a few of my toes.

Almost a Year and a Half

I can't believe how FAST time goes by! Hayden has grown in so many ways. A few of his new favorite things are Ketchup (yes, he is part Mezger:). For his first time eating Ketchup, instead of dipping his chicken nuggets into it, he used his spoon to eat just the Ketchup. Another favorite of Hayden's is climbing onto the couch. He really likes to stand on it and scream, but he knows when he gets the "mom" look from me, he needs to sit down. He still really enjoys reading while sitting on our laps, too. One of his other things he enjoys is dancing. It has to be one of the cutest things I have ever seen. He will move his little tush, put his hands and arms into the air, and every now and again, he will add a spin or two into it :). His vocabulary is beginning to increase a little more, and consists of Daddy, hi, which is now Hiya when he walks into a room, ug (hug), yaya(mommy), and cup. Hayden is still very into making the sounds for everything, such as trains, dogs, ducks, firetrucks, lions, owls, and my cellphone :). Hayden is adjusting really well to daycare. He has two weeks behind him and seems to really enjoy it. He has been able to experience many firsts there. The daycare provider is more brave then me, and lets him have popsicles(which he refuses to hold by the stick), playing with play-doh, and visiting the "swamp" (wetland near their house). Today, I taught him something new, which I will probably regret, but he is fascinated with flushing the toilet. There is something about the silver handle and the sound, that makes him giggle and keep doing it. :) I must say, I have LOVED this age, and I can't wait to see how he continues to change and grow!!!

Daddy's Birthday Weekend

This past week, Jake turned 31. Happy Birthday!!! We spent his birthday at, where else, but Chuckee Cheese! Hayden enjoyed the pizza and his first bite of Chocolate cake. Hayden really enjoyed riding on the tractor and truck. With our 40 tickets, we purchased glasses w/ a moustache. Although, Daddy enjoyed them the most, we all laughed while we took turns wearing them home. Also this weekend, we visited Brookfield Zoo again. Hayden really liked the monkeys at Tropic World. His favorite thing to do was to just run around in the open areas (while Daddy chased him and Mommy took pictures :)) Hayden experienced fireworks for the first time too! He was such a good boy while we sat and waited. We put him in his p.j.'s before we left, and sat in chairs while playing with his truck toys. Once the fireworks began, Hayden really liked them, but seemed bored after 5 minutes. He then began to play peek-a-boo with the fireworks. During the grand finale, he put the blanket over his face!

Hayden loves Summertime!

Hayden seems to be enjoying his summer, especially since he is able to walk. His new thing is to get his shoes from the front door, walk to the back door, and point to his sandbox in the backyard. He LOVES to play in his sandbox. He also enjoys playing in his pool (after he gets use to it), and going to the park. Although, the park days tend to scare Mom. He is a little dare devil. He runs around, and climbs everything. He seems to enjoy it, so Mom will just have to get use to it.

Walking

For the longest time Hayden would cruise around furniture, walls, window sills, etc. without any help. Up until a few weeks ago he would walk provided someone gave him at least a pinky to hold onto.

As of this past week, he is able to walk unassisted. Granted he's a little wobbly and doesn't handle cornering well, but what do you expect after just a week!

It's the cutest thing seeing him learn to walk. He doesn't keep his arms at his side yet. He keeps them up high using them to help keep his balance. He also gets the silliest look on his face. A mixture of being happy, excited, scared, and proud all at once.

Both mom and dad have never been more proud of him. We both have never been more aware of his surroundings watching out for hazards. He's already bumped his head a few times, but that's to be expected when your learning.

On another note, Hayden continues his unprecedented growth. He's by far the biggest kid in his class at Gymboree. He's at least an inch taller than other children his age. We've read the growth rate slows down drastically after the first year, we'll see.