Seventeen to Twenty Months In...

Oh Hayden,

Please don't take the fact that I have written NOTHING on this blog for the last FOUR months to mean that you haven't done anything noteworthy. Quite simply, it is because you are so. very. busy. There is certainly never a dull moment and "toddler wrangling" is truly a whole body workout.

Here is a timeline of five minutes in our typical day after we get home:
Put our bags up.
Ask for "up."
Bang on the window by the stairs.
Go upstairs.
You open the girl's kennels.
We go back down the stairs.
Go outside.
Go inside.
Feed the girls.
Play in the dog food.
Clean up the dog food.
Fill up the water bowl.
Empty the water bowl.
Clean up the water.
Play "hoop."
Play "gawf."
Play "frow football."
Put on "football hat."
Take off "football hat."
"Momma, hike football"
Play "baseball bat."
Repeat.
Play "barn."
Go outside.
Go down "side."
Repeat.

See - who needs a typical workout when I have you? I get hugs, kisses and a lot or running around! Seriously, I am loving every moment. Every day something new happens that just makes us laugh.

• You weigh 29 pounds and are very tall. You are in size 6 1/2 shoes, 24 month or 2T shirts and 18 to 24 month shorts and pants.


• You are also skinny with the cutest milk belly.


• You have your Daddy's obsession with shoes. You are extremely picky about what shoes you wear, so much so that we had to buy the same pair in a couple of sizes.


• You wear a size 5 diaper and are VERY good about telling us when you go "poo, poo." You will grab our hand, get a diaper from the diaper bucket, grab your wipes and diaper cream and then lay down on your farm rug for us to change you.


• Like any boy, you find bodily functions HILARIOUS! The other night, Izzie had a sneaky, silent and smelly toot. I asked you if Izzie tooted and you started belly laughing and saying "Izzie toot!" You also grab your own behind and say, "I toot!" while laughing. It is pretty funny, I have to admit.


• The messier the activity, the better! I am loving this. This past weekend, we painted a paper maiche witch hat, made chocolate chip cookies, made Christmas ornaments with your handprints in plaster (which I bought to do last Christmas, but oh well) and made Rice Krispy treats. You liked all of it. The stickiness of the marshmallows ws pretty funny - it was like a cat with tape on it's paws. You figured out how to get it off though - licking it!


• You love to give "noses." It's what's typically called an Eskimo kiss.


• You like to high five, say "Bye bye!," talk to everyone and watch CARS!


• CARS is your favorite movie. We have it saved on every DVR, on Blu Ray, on DVD and on every other electronic device/format possible I think.


• Don't wash a talking "A Peen" (Lighting McQueen) car - it will then have a high voice, will then quit working and "bake." Your Momma will then have to buy you a new one since she's the one who washed it to get the stickiness off of it.


• You took swimming lessons over the summer and LOVED them! We signed you up for more lessons twice a week in the evenings. It's an indoor pool and we like the way you sleep afterwards. You are a water baby!


• You don't like it if I hold another baby. You try to crawl in my lap or up me and will just cry. If it's a bigger kid, no jealousy. I guess this means you're not quite ready for a sibling? :)


• You love your puppies and enjoy making all the animal sounds. It's our favorite game to play in the car.


• Your favorite song is "Back That Thing Up" by Justin Moore. It's the rooster sound at the beginning of the song that you like the most. As soon as you get in the car, you ask for the "cock-a-doodle-doo" and point to the radio. You also like "Where the Boat Leaves From" by the Zach Moore Band and have liked it since you were a wee baby. We need a new CD of it though because it's "baken." (broken)


• You are 100% boy. You love watching or playing ball, getting dirty, playing on the playground, riding your bike (tricycle), watching Elmo, playing outside, playing with tools and loving on us.


• Speaking of Elmo, you had a boo boo awhile back and I gave you an Elmo bandaid. After that, you wanted ONLY an Elmo bandaid every day for your arm. There are only 6 Elmo bandaids in a package, so I ordered Elmo tattoos. You have to have an Elmo on one arm and Cookie on the other. Good thing I over-ordered by accident and we have about 432 tattoos.


• Ilove you so much, buddy! You are a joy and make our hearts burst. I love the way you run across your classroom to give me hugs and kisses when I pick you up and how you say "bye, bye" and give me hugs & kisses when I drop you off.


• At night, when I rock you, it makes my heart so happy that you say "Star" for me to sing you Twinkle, twinkle little star, then you say "pay" so we pray (with your hands folded together) and you say "Amen" at the end. Then you snuggle in and I sing "Bible" (Jesus Loves Hayden).

More to come...

Love,

Momma