Two subjects for the day.

First Subject

The Great Outdoors:

Never seen a kid love them as much as Hayden. I walk to the door and turn the knob, the kid comes flying across the room from whatever trouble making he was in, arms flailing like a wild monkey, screaming like a old fighter jet coming for battle. God help the person who mistakenly realizes they no longer want to go outside and shuts the door. Infant meltdown is what we like to call not-so-fun. I swear he can sometimes even sense when you are *thinking* about taking him outside, similar to a house pet. Not that I'm comparing children to animals....

I do try to get Hayden outside as often as we are able to. Dishes pile, laundry lingers, and cheerios are repeatedly being smashed into the floor, but there's always time for an backyard play date in Hayden's world. Who needs a clean house when you aren't ever in it?

But let me say, I am working on my punting skills. Hayden has been patient with mommy for now, but I sense those days are fading....

And for the record, I've met the neighbors: Donna and Stephen. They are nice. Luckily they have a 10 year old, so they return our lost yard toys.

Second Subject

Hayden's Daddy

Hayden is a super sweet little guy. I am a very lucky mom. I get little kisses and hugs all throughout my day. They are the sweetest form of a pay check I could ever have asked for. I have all the riches in life with this job.

His sweet disposition shouldn't come as much of a surprise to me though. After all, half of his DNA comes from the fountain of sweet hearts, his dad. I wish I could really put to words how amazing my husband is. I've never seen a man love the way he does. He fell into fatherhood so naturally.

I can remember the day we left the hospital after Hayden was born. I was so scared out of my mind having this new little life to care for. Becoming a mom for me was more of a learning process and most things "baby" were incredibly frightening. I wasn't a natural in the slightest. We gathered up our take home items, overnight bags, cards, balloons, blankets, pacifiers, and baby paraphernalia onto a little cart to bring to the car. We buckled Hayden into his carrier and buzzed for our nurse to come with the discharge papers. We waited. And waited. And waited...

Twenty minutes later, we still had not heard from our nurse. It was at this point that Hayden decided he was not the biggest fan of his car seat and Mommy decided she was not the biggest fan of being at the hospital. A few squirms later, Hayden was in full on screaming tears and Mommy was soon to follow. Adam quickly scooped up our little man in the carrier with one hand, gently swinging it back and forth until Hayden was calm and the other hand was rubbing my back reassuring me that everything was going to be ok...

I had fallen in love with Adam well before that day, but I stumbled off a cliff at that moment. There's something to say about a man who is caring for both his child and partner at the same time, all while he himself was being propelled into the uncharted territory of parenting. My cup has been overflowing ever since that day.

Adam, you are my love and my hero. I hope you always know that.

Thank you for loving our little boy with everything you have.

For all that you are and all that you teach him.

Continue to steer him in the right direction.

He's got every chance in life with the example that you set for him.

I love you both.

Christmas

When you are little, Christmas is such a huge event in your life. Everything in the month of December has a purpose and it all leads up to the big event of "Santa" and "Jesus' birthday". It's a festivity for the senses, each one combining to make the magic real.

First, it's the sights of Christmas. The much anticipated Christmas tree is brought home. A two to three day celebration commences of sparkling lights, curly ribbons, and keepsake ornaments being hung on the branches. After all is complete, there is a sparkling beacon of light that illuminates your living room during the time of year when the sun just doesn't shine long enough each day. It's such a sight to take in. Magical.

Then, you have the sounds of Christmas. The melodies echo in the halls of school, the sanctuary of church, and on the radio. Any song choice from secular to religious just hit the right spot in your soul. It instantly makes you tap your foot, bob your head back and forth, or in the after math of a delicious cranberry cocktail, dance like an idiot. (Adam and I have no experience in the afore mentioned dance styles.................)

Then there is the smells and tastes of Christmas.

Cinnamon, sugar, and spice.

Vanilla, evergreens, and freshly fallen snow.

Hot chocolate, marshmallows, and peppermint.

And cookies.

Yum.

And of course the sensation of touch. The warm embraces from family. Cuddling up in a fuzzy blanket in front of a fire. Even though the world around you feels cold, the spirit of the holiday is warmth. It's so amazing.

I don't want to sound like a pessimist when I say up until this year I had pretty much forgotten most of what Christmas was like as a kid, but it sounds just like that. Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays and all that it encompasses. It just no longer feels childlike. It was becoming a very "adult" holiday with presents to buy, numerous functions to attend, and a very rushed spirit of 24 short days before the big event. Thankfully, some of that faded this year for one big reason.

This year, Santa didn't come for me. He came for Hayden...

Post toy set up snack. I can now see why Santa needs all those cookies..

I will never forget seeing my child's face when he walked into the living room at my mom's house. I know he doesn't even begin to comprehend the idea of Santa. It's the last thing on a 16 month olds mind. But the amazing part was, he instantly knew the presents proudly displayed at the front of the living room were for him.

And a celebratory clap commenced.

I felt the excitement of a child inside of me while watching run to them. He studied carefully for a moment waiting for the Mommy/Daddy approval nod to touch the toys. He smiled as he grab for the toy trucks on top of his new parking garage. Squeals and giggles followed when he realized they made "real" car noises. After Adam helped him to push a truck down the ramp, he then let out a full on belly laugh. Then he discovered the mega blocks tables. Off he went to explore with more baby grins. I was a smitten idiot. And it was glorious. So much more joy and love than I could have ever expected to feel on a holiday. Ever.

Of course, he had no interest in actually unwrapping any presents and his attention span soon gravitated towards a camera left on the coffee table, but the ten minutes he spent exploring his new toys made me remember a big part of the holiday season. It's not about the holiday rush, expectations, and responsibilities. It's about the anticipation and the gift of love we give to others. Even if I have to be the adult these days, the reward of the season comes in the small joys.

Thank you sweet Hayden for helping me to remember what it's really all about. I can't wait for you to learn what the real gift of Christmas is. I hope God keeps the joy of the season in your spirit as you grow. I'm one lucky momma.

The Rite of Passage

Tis the Season, friends. The Season of love and the Season of giving. It's a season of warmth when it's cold and cinnamon spices tickling your nose and tongue. It's the sights of ever greens laced with candlelight while the angels sing in the distance. It's a reminder of hope and compassion that fills the heart with joy. It's also a season of completely horrifying your child with a large bearded man wearing deep red crushed velvet.

Hayden was a little..."unsure" this year. We took him to Bass Pro shops Santa's Wonderland, the same place he saw Santa last year. It wasn't the breakdown-scream-crying-fit I hoped for (please don't think I'm a bad mom...it's a rite of passage!!!) but I saw the face of concern slowly emerge as we approached Santa. The one that says, "Hey, Mom. Put me in that man's lap and I will scream. You will regret this." Only moments before he had been distracted by the toy train circling in and out of the miniature sized mountain hauling it's load of winter logs and coal to little plastic cabins. That sight was all good and dandy because Hayden loves the outdoors and things that move. He's such a boy. It was quite a visual playground. I'm pretty sure Hayden wanted to be the conductor. But after the family in front of us had their turn with Santa, we began to move away from the train and towards to "Big Man". Hayden's eyes instantly widened. The grip he had on my shirt was one I had never felt before. Of course, as we approached Santa, Adam and I instantly bust into voices that were 3 octaves higher than our normal range. If we had a recording I can't imagine how annoying we must have sounded.

"Look Hayden!!! It's SAN-TAAA!!!"

"Hayden, are you EXCITED???"

"HI SANTA!! YAY!!"

Nothing from this kid. Just a look of terror. I wasn't sure how I was going to declaw him from my shirt. So we walked up and chit chatted with Santa for a bit. Santa did his Ho Ho Ho and Hayden looked at me like "Really Mom, you're crazy." But, in Hayden fashion, he eventually caved. From the side of Santa's chair, the "Big Man" reached in and pulled out of his over sized stocking something crinkly. Oh Candy Cane. Sweet sweet Candy Cane. Not even my kid can resist you. Hayden slowly reached for the peace treaty from Santa and that's when the swift exchange from Mommy to Santa occurred.

After this was a blurry 10 seconds in which an elf jingled sleigh bells, Mom and Dad jumped up and down saying "Over here Hayden!!", and the flash of a bulb went off blinding all of us instantly. Luckily, the results weren't half bad other than the look of concern on Hayden's face. But, we have a Santa picture.

Why do we submit our children to this? I don't know, but I'lll continue to do it EVERY year.

After all, tis the Season.

A Filler Post

I would like to consider this a filler post. What's a filler post you ask? It's the yummy goodness that sits in between substance. Because while I normally like to write about what is the core of my experience of mommyhood and soak up every morsel of the goodness that binds it all together, every once in a while I need a filler. Life gets busy. Everything is piled. The laundry. The dishes. The paper work. The Thank you cards. And poor little bloggy poo gets overlooked. So a filler post in needed while the rest of life keeps moving.

But let me assure you, this small child continues to entertain me. Everyday. So I'll continue to overlook the piles of other stuff for now. And don't worry, the substance is coming soon...But for now I'll leave you with the filling because it's oh so sweet.

Behold, baby Chewbaca.

Haircut!

Oh boy. We did it. The mullet baby is no more.

. We braved the "what if he looks like a rat??" fears to get this little rockstar a haircut. After all, it's a rite of passage. We braced ourselves for the elephant tears of a one year old about to lose his baby hairs. We charged camera batteries to the "fancy camera" like the embarrassing parents we are becoming only to discover upon arrival that we forgot the memory card. Thank you bottomless purse for randomly possessing a snap shot camera. We survived our 20 minute wait for a chair and only had one mouse bottle casualty. Thankfully the shampoo products were several shelves higher. But you see that little bottle on the bottom right of the shelf? It's missing it's spray nozzle. Opps.

But never fear, we got a chair and the hair products were reprieved from Hayzilla. Of coure, not two seconds after we sat down, Hayden decided in one year old fashion that it was time to be on the move again. Luckly, our wide eyed panicked stylists busts out with "Can he have a sucker?". I think I accidentally yelled at her when the word "YES!!" left my lips.

So, Hayden enjoyed a sucker.

And the sheers didn't even matter. There was an occasional glance to see what the buzzing sensation was around his neck, but never a tear. After all, there was sugar coated pink yummy deliciousness in the hands of mommy. I am the keeper of the lollipops.

Yes mom, more please.

And the whole experience came complete with a freshly trimmed little man wearing a tiny sports clip cape. No one rocks a tiny cape quiet like this little rocker. No one.

Here's looking at you stud. You owned the haircut and mommy and daddy are so proud.

So the only way to end a rockstar haircut experience is with a fo-hawk because let's face it...Rockstars love fo-hawks.

So, rock on little baby. After all, you rock our whole world.

These boots are made for walking...

Hayden and I went shoe shopping last night. He is trying to walk now, so by all accounts, the kid needs shoes.

It is, however, a much different experience than the shoe shopping of my former life. Before, I would sit and browse the shoes thinking of each one. I could envision which outfit I would wear it with and whether I could wear it with more than one. Even if I couldn't find a corresponding outfit, it still didn't matter. If the shoe is great, buy it. Guess that explains why I have 4 pairs of unworn shoes in my closet. I will find an outfit for them someday...

But this shoe shopping extravaganza was a bit different. This time, I had the kamikaze toddler trying to leap out of the shopping cart. As I perused the shoes for the "perfect" pair with one hand, I also had the one handed seat belt attempts going on with the other. Because let me tell you, the child safety belts in carts only do so much. I knew deep in my heart that if he fell out of the cart, Babies R Us might very well frown upon on me in the form of CPS. But in the middle of my train of thought regarding "Oh-theres-size-4" and "For-the-love-little-guy-puh-lease-SIT-DOWN", I saw the hand dodge out of the cart. It took with it 6 pairs of socks off the rack. One came straight out of the plastic packaging. Great, guess now we are going home with little girls ruffle socks. And he will wear them....

So we grabbed 4 pairs of shoes and took off the the toy aisle. It was only there, after a brightly colored rattle was being investigated and squawked over, that we tried on our shoes. I determined 2 pairs would make the cut and journey home with us, along with ruffle socks, a rattle, and oh....I guess we are also going home with elmo since he was just drooled on. And never mind that one pair of shoes is bright blue. They fit and we are DONE shoe shopping. He's 13 months, he doesn't really need to match.

By the way, I hate shoe shopping.

But hey, we have shoes. And he likes them.

Anyways, we are on a roll with our walking attempts. Although I'm not sure the kid will ever get the courage to really "let go" of the walking aids, I'm so proud of him taking those first strides of independence. And while he may never own a pair of shoes again for the rest of his life, he may wear the heck out of his bright blue ones for now.

A new season

Fall is in the air...

Yay....

I am so in love. Cool weather has swept onto our heat cracked ground and brought with it the promise of mercy. I can see it everywhere. The corners of craft stores are covered in rich warm golden and maroon hues. Coffee shops and bakeries tingle senses with pumpkin spices and cinnamon apples. Fuzzy hooded jackets and soft cozy accessories from the depths of the closet slowly begin to make their journey to the front. Welcome, sweet Autumn. You've been long anticipated.

We greeted this season with a trip to the apple orchard to see the fall harvest in motion. We needed to be outdoors to truly soak in what the weather has to offer. I've never seen a child love the great outdoor as much as Hayden does. He has been this way since he was born. He becomes bright eyed when he crosses the thresh hold of our house into the great beyond. The apple orchard provided a whole playground of activity for the senses. I caught him on several occasions sitting in the sunny cool breeze feeling the fuzzy strands of his hair blow all around him. Just smiling. There's a way to steal a momma's heart. He's my little fall sponge soaking it all in. And while we didn't actually pick any apples, we did enjoy the cool air and good company of other mommies and the comforts of a new season.

And let me tell you, this kid loves an apple. We didn't part from our apple for a long while.

Autumn shall be a pleasant time for us as we prepare for travel. The next few weeks of our life shall be wild as we brace outselves for a wedding, a baby shower, another wedding, and a trip. All of life's joyous celebrations. In 4 short weeks. Fortunately for us, fall showed her comforting presence just in time. So we are ready to adventure into it, and pack along all the warm cheer it brings.

It's easy to do, when you have a traveling companion like this one.

Bring it on, October. We're ready.