One Year Portraits

I am so excited! I got Hayes' one-year portraits from Cassi today. For those of you that spoke with me the day they were taken, I was disappointed because Hayes was not his usual happy self. He was sort of crabby and when he did smile, it was his wrinkle-up nose smirk that was only the cute the first dozen or so times he did it. In the end, Cassi came through for us again and got some great pictures after all. Here are a few of my favorites!

Happy 1st Birthday Hayes!

Can we just pretend that six months haven't gone by since my last post? I am sorry I got behind! Life snowballed and I did not want to move on until I got Thanksgiving and Christmas up and then life got in the way.

In any event, Hayes had a really big event on Friday. He turned one! My baby is just not a baby anymore. He is not walking yet, but very very close. He chats a lot, but his real words are only "Mama," "Dada," and "Mo" (more). Size-wise he is the same as he has been for a while. 90% for height (31.5 inches) and 25% for weight (20 pounds, 11.5 ounces).

Gramma Dianne came down for the big day (weekend) from Portland and Grampa Dave flew in from Colorado. Grandma Klorys and Grandpa Ron, Krissie, Kevin, Tyler and his friend Katie, Great Grandma Happe and Jeanie also celebrated with us. Because rubber duckies are his favorite, we had a rubber duckie themed-party for him. I went all out, of course. Krissie baked an awesome duckie cake. Hayes was not too into smashing the cake, so I had to smear frosting on his face myself. Here are a BUNCH of pictures from the party, starting with his bath to get ready.

Six Month Portraits

Hayes' six month portraits were finally taken yesterday - at six months and three weeks. Phew. I was afraid I was going to have to call them his seven month portraits! A real photographer, Cassi Harms, came over to my parents house to take the photos and we did a full-blown photo shoot in the backyard. At first, we were a tad concerned because Hayes was sound asleep when she got there and would not wake up. But, after a diaper and clothes change, he woke up pretty darn happy. I won't get the full proof CD until Thursday, but Cassi knew I was excited and sent me these first three today. The close up of Hayes shows off his bottom teeth if you really look carefully. Although I am really proud of all the pictures friends and family (and we) have taken over the last six months, you cannot deny these are professional quality!

Mama's Little Stinker

Grandma Klorys bought Hayes a pumpkin costume right after Halloween last year when they went on sale. Krissie said it was "lame," which made me feel self-conscious and go on a Halloween costume binge. Hayes ended up with a giraffe, chick, and skunk costume as well. He ended up wearing the skunk out on Halloween night and was the cutest little stinker on the street. We took him trick-or-treating before it got dark to the McCoy's, Donovan's, Carter's and Brown's and he loved chewing on the skittles bags. He wore the pumpkin costume to visit Grandma Happe where the receptionist asked Grandpa Ron if he was supposed to be a carrot. I guess it was a lame costume. Uncle Tyler has promised to lend Hayes his barmaid costume when he is older, but for next year, he is playing on being a scarecrow thanks to Grandma Dianne.

Hey, Hayes, It's Hay!

Despite all of the development of the remaining farmland in our area, Vern's U-Pick Pumpkin Patch is still open for business. We took Hayes out there on October 27th to pick out his very first pumpkin. Like everything else, it went straight into his mouth. He got to go out on a hayride on the tractor, check out the scarecrows and watch kids in the maze and swing on the rope swing. I bet he will have more fun in the next few years - if, of course, it is still there.

I Have TEEFS!

They are very shy teeth, but teeth all the same. Grandma Dianne and Tom and I tried for quite some time to get a picture. Nothing. The first tooth on the bottom left came through on 10/17, and the second on the right came through 10/20. Yea for teeth! Now we need to find a dentist.

Christmas Stockings!!

I am so excited today! You all know that I am the Queen of Procrastination and that somedays I wear that title quite proudly. As a mom, I have had to think through that a little and at least have some foresight with some things - like today! I ordered our Christmas Stockings!

I ordered them from http://www.specialtiesinwool.com/index.html. I cannot wait for them to get here! Growing up, I had a stocking knitted by second cousin, or great aunt, or something, with Katie and 1977 knitted right into it. Krissie and Tyler each got one when they were born too. I have been looking since the year Tom and I got married for the same style so that he could have one that matched mine. Kathy Hendricks located the pattern for me, but it is totally above my skill level! In the meantime, my stocking has continued to be hung each christmas at my parent's house since Tom did not have a matching one (an aside - why do I care so much about matching?) I did not mind leaving it there because Santa still finds me at my parent's house. Tom and I just hung random, not matching stockings, that i bought at Beverly's or something. I did not always remember to hang them and Santa only remembered to come some years. This year, now that we have Hayes and we finally feel like a real family, I asked my mom for my stocking back. I was going to send it to a knitter to duplicate it for Hayes and Tom. Guess what? She decided she was going to keep it!


That stocking is such a huge part of my childhood Christmas memories that I wanted to make sure Hayes had his very own special stocking. And I wanted Tom and I to have ones that match. For that reason, I understand my mom wanting to keep the three of ours up on her fireplace.

I found this place with stockings that I really like. The company looks pretty stable, so I am crossing my fingers that they will be around long enough to make matching or complementary stockings for future kids, if any. I am having Hayes and 2007 put on his stocking and then Tom's will say Dad and mine will say Mom. (Is that weird that we will have stockings? My parents always did . . . )


The lady that knits them told me they are running about 6 weeks lag time, so I won't get them until right after Thanksgiving. I am just really proud of myself for thinking about this before it was too late and having to buy Hayes' stocking at Beverly's too! Hayes' stocking is the Santa one, mine the Gingerbread, and Tom's the Christmas tree!