Snapshots.

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving!! I am currently sitting in my PJ's, not watching football. My three boys are seated around me, sleeping and/or screaming. We are at my parents house, and Parker has certainly gotten a kick out of Thanksgiving festivities already with the help of the Macy's parade and an unlimited supply of marshmallows and chocolate pie filling (courtesy of his Nonnie). Here is a hint: He (for obvious reasons) is the one doing most of the screaming. ;)

I'm not going to attempt to catch up on too much of our lives, mostly just show pictures for the sake of my family's need of them. You are welcome, Nanny! These have been sitting in a draft post for the last month….

My mom's side of the family came to meet Hayes when he was a week and a half old. We had so much fun sitting in the backyard, eating at Rosa's, and monitoring Papaw's volume level on the tv. ;) 

Nanny got in some good snuggles with a very tiny and wrinkly Hayes. So squishy and little! I cannot think about how much he has already changed. 

Hayes was also given his first Rangers baseball cap courtesy of Aunt Cindy. I have yet to get a photo of him in it, mostly because it still swallows his head, but we are excited about it! I always remember thinking that my Aunt Cindy was SO cool when I was kid because she always wanted to play with us and it was evident that Parker feels the same way--he became a bit obsessive about her and Aunt Kathy (who I've also referred to as Mom #2). My boys were also blessed with some beautiful quilts from Nanny, one with trains on it which Parker seriously freaked out about. (Trains are our thing.) I love my family and am so happy to see them love my kids. 

That weekend we headed to the Corn Maize which Parker thoroughly enjoyed, although the rest of us could have done without the flies. It was such a cute place though! We looked at the animals, ran in the mini hay maize, went on a hay ride to pick a pumpkin (which P was thoroughly uninterested in), and ate WAY too much kettle corn. But it was good. Too good. And Hayes slept the whole time.

We also got in our fill of Halloween activites. We made our second trip to the LCU trick or treat in the girls dorms, which Parker, for the second time, was overwhelmed by. Maybe next year. And Hayes slept the whole time. ;)

Here is a not great picture of one of the halls. In my day (because I'm so old) we just decorated our doors but now they do whole themes and you can't see more than 10 feet in front of you. It's fun! Parker (and Bryan) also didn't care when I told them this as we walked past my old room.

And there's the face he gives when asked to smile. 

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Alright. It is now Sunday. This is why I never blog--I run out of time! We have had a great time in CO this weekend and are about to head back to LBK. Bryan is looking at me like I need to get off the computer so I will. I do have a ton of pictures from Halloween, the month of November, and now Thanksgiving break (including a picture of Hayes and Santa!), but that will have to wait. Parker wanted nothing to do with Santa, just FYI. He walked up, looked at him, said, "Nope.", and walked away. ;) So fun.

Wish us luck on our looooong trip back. Adios!

One Month for Hayes!

I cannot believe I'm attempting these again but I am! I would regret it if I didn't :).

Baby Hayes we have made it to one month!

Weight: 10 pounds

Height: 23.5 inches

Milestones: Rolled over tummy to back at 3 weeks 6 days, can track people and sounds, focusing on faces a lot, lifts head and pushes off during tummy time and when burping

Sleeping: Loves to sleep and is good at sleeping through brother's constant noise. Naps 1-2 hours between feedings, and sleeps about 2-3 hours at night.

Eating: Very fast nurser, much faster than brother. Eats about every 3 hours. We are trying to stretch nights but you don't seem to want to do that yet :). 

Likes: Listening to brother, tummy time, lying flat on back, riding in the car, sleeping with mommy, snuggling with just about anyone, being rocked, listening to Christmas music, sitting outside.

Dislikes: Being gassy, being hungry, baths (although you managed not to cry through it today!), losing your paci

Favorite Things About You: Cupie doll lips, receding hair line, and your laid-back personality. And your ever-growing leg rolls! Ah, I could eat you. 

Memories: Meeting ALL of your relatives including all great-grandparents, going on first road trip (you slept the whole time), seeing brother holding your hand in the backseat of the car during that road trip, your sweet sneezes and grunts, big brother imitating your cries (hilarious), and your first Halloween--you were a football, slept through all of it, went to trunk or treat and out for pizza. Mommy thought she lost your costume when she had it shipped to our old address, but Dad rescued it from new owners (and freaked out little old lady that now lives there). We felt like we were on a vacation all month with dad being home. We constantly held you, stayed up late watching movies, and ate a lot of good food! It has been a sweet time. Big brother is very concerned for "baby bruder" and constantly notifies us when, "baby crynin", or "baby eadin", or "baby seepin". You are very laid-back and are along for the ride in our life, much like your brother was. You have been to the corn maize, on a hay ride, to the grocery store twice, out shopping quite a bit, to lots of restaurants, to church twice, and probably a lot of other places I cannot remember at the moment. 

I am super proud of myself right now! And I typed this with above baby in my arms. Must eat dinner and fold laundry now. Having a super-mom moment apparently…although still in pajamas. Adios!

Some Family Pictures

We didn't get a chance to do family/brother photos at our newborn session so I took some last week before Hayes got too big to pass for an itty bitty newborn. He is ONE month old now. What? What a sweet month it has been.

Okay, there are a lot of photos, but I couldn't pick and these are really just a few of my favorites (I have a ton more that I didn't post). Sorry in advance. I know my grandma will appreciate these though and that's really all that counts. :)

We tried to be really casual with these….in our house, not dressed up, etc….still no luck with the eldest child, although he was super sweet to his brother, super crazy, but sweet. Wouldn't look at the camera, but sweet.

Ah! Tiny fingers. Why do they have to get bigger? WHY?

Bryan and I can argue with the best of them, and he drives me crazy on a near daily basis, but he is a good dad. Like a good one. Which is really the best thing he can be.

Little chubs! He has fattened up so much this month it's ridiculous.

He is a good big brother. 

…but not interested in photos at all. I can't blame him since he's two. Very two. I still love these photos though. :)

Don't you just want to eat him? I want to eat him. I'll just have a baby every year so we can snuggle and smell them. I'm kidding. Kind of. ;)

See? I've always been annoyed when people say "my people" but I'll say it…my people are so cute. We rewarded ourselves with a trip to IHOP because we super classy like that. (I love IHOP. And their white chocolate raspberry pancakes--limited time! Go now!)

On another note…well, I'm not sure I even want to share this, because I really hate to share bad things about my life, but since this is my blog and I'm trying to be better about that I think I will. I am bad with feelings. And my family is pretty hush hush with them too. My family has had a crappy year. Hayes was definitely the bright side to it all. I won't elaborate too much other than to say that there have been a lot of health problems for several people and my dad especially has been through the ringer….He has been going through chemo for cancer which thank the Lord he is now in remission for (that's a whole other story), but this past Thursday, my grandaddy, his dad, passed away. We are heading to the funeral on Sunday. He had Alzheimer's, so we haven't been able to "know" him for a really long time. I was trying to remember the last time I had a conversation with him where he was fully himself…able to speak normally, eat, take care of himself completely…it must have been 8 or 9 years ago….Anyways, he is healed now, and that is all that matters. I've been really removed from it all for so long, probably more than I should have been, but I am of course still sad.

So, really I guess I'm saying this because I feel like some transparency is needed on here. It's been a hard year for my family--and I truly suck at handling it/comforting people/knowing what to say, etc.

Anyways…I guess I'm asking for prayers for my dad, grand mommy, aunt…just everyone. 

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Okay. I'm done! 

To Baby Hayes

To our dear baby Hayes,

You have been in our family for almost two weeks now, and I wanted to write down a few things about you before I forget, because I know all too well that this time will fly by and my exhausted brain will not remember much.

You are basically a very mellow guy who loves to snuggle, eat, sleep, and poop. You seriously poop so much that it kind of amazes me. We hold you all the time, which I fear may become a problem with sleep training in our near future, but your sweet baby snuggles mingled with the smell of baby shampoo and Dreft have me wrapped around your tiny fingers! You constantly grunt and sigh which is just the cutest thing ever, and have a very distinct cry--like a choppy little laugh, that we only really hear when you get your diaper changed. You currently hate your baths, but are totally willing to let you big brother love on you a little too aggressively. Thank you for that…he loves you a lot, and is so very sweet, but in a definite two-year-old kind of way. You nurse like a champ, and were already 2 ounces past your birth weight at your 1 week appointment, which I was personally proud of, since it proves that our 2 am feedings are not for nothing! (8 pounds 2 ounces, to be exact.)

Your faces are hilarious. You have a hefty number of them, and you aren't even smiling yet! I don't know what to do with all of your hair, and I get sad when I notice it getting lighter each day. A few firsts for this week: I trimmed your fingernails (all parents know how terrifying this is), you lost the rest of your cord, you went shopping for the first time, went out to eat for the first time, and joined us at the grocery store for the first time. You also accompanied your brother to LCU for trick or treating and to the corn maize (both of which you slept through entirely). 

Most of our days the last two weeks have been spent sitting on the couch, looking at you, playing with you and your brother, laughing at you and your brother, eating way too much food, and watching movies. It's kind of like Christmas vacation, but better because we got you instead of a bunch of stuff. 

You are the perfect addition to our family. I am sad that you are growing but I know that God has big plans for you and he needs you to grow up for them, so I guess I'm okay with it. ;) We are so thankful to be your parents. And now you are waking up to eat, so I must go!