West Family Glob

Solids

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:31:00 +0000

Last night we decided to start Hayden on solids. I was going to wait until he was 5 months, but whenever he saw us eating he would get so grumpy about it.

This was Hayden right before we started feeding him. I think he was a little nervous.

He got the hang of it though.

I think he's still making up his mind about whether he likes it or not.

Whale Watching

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Mike and I decided that we needed some "us time", so we got a babysitter and spent the afternoon on a whale watching expedition! I've been wanting to go since last year's whale season, but couldn't convince myself to spend the money. Luckily I have a husband that is willing to spend money on me that I wouldn't spend on myself. This was our first time out just the 2 of us since Hayden was a week old and my mom watched him, so we could go grocery shopping. It was much needed. It was a little strange leaving Hayden with a babysitter. It made me feel like a grown up. I remember when I was the babysitter, and now I'm the parent. Crazy how adulthood sneaks up on you like that!

Here are Mike and me on the boat getting ready to head out to sea. As we were getting set to board the boat, we ran into Mike's old supervisor and his family. They just happened to be going on the same tour as us. The weather was perfect. Nice and warm with hardly a cloud in the sky. Mike wanted me to let you know that the water really is that blue.

The marina where we sailed from is right by where they have the Black Pearl from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

It was a "no shoes cruise". If you look really closely, you can see the tan lines from my flip flops!

We didn't see much by way of whales. It's still pretty early in the season, but we did see a tale, one that came up out of the water a ways, and lots of blowhole mist. They were messing around with us. We would see some up in front of us, so we'd go try to get closer and see nothing. Then suddenly one would be behind us, so we'd head that direction and see nothing. We did that back and forth for a bit until the captain decided to go up the coast a ways and found a pod of dolphins.

These are Hawaiian spinner dolphins, and they were going crazy putting a show on for us.

Hair Raising

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:48:00 +0000

In the last few months I've noticed a trend in pictures taken of me. I seem to have stands of hair covering my face in most of them. See?

At first I thought it was just the wind whipping my hair around. Very common in these parts.

Then I saw this! Hair! In my face! And I'm indoors! There is no way that is from wind because we don't have a fan, and the windows were all shut. My hair is conspiring against me! And I was trying to get a picture to show everyone how cute my new haircut is.

Also PHOTO BOMB!

4 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:16:00 +0000

This kid just keeps on going! I can't believe he is already 4 months old. He is getting so big. he had his 4 month well check and was weighed and measured. He is now 14lbs 15oz, placing him in the 67th percentile. He is also 26.3 inches long, which puts him in the 96th percentile. He is definitely built like his daddy.

Hayden has had a busy month. He...

went to the post office...

Hung out with Mommy...

Practiced for the circus...

Outgrew a bunch of his clothes...

Mostly in the legs...

Sprouted some hair. He definitely has a duck butt going in the back though you can't really see it in this picture. His hair is getting long enough now that it will lay down instead of sticking up all the time.

We. Went to the pool...

which he did NOT care for. The water was too cold for him.

He also went to see Cirque de Soleil. He liked watching the show, but not listening to it. As long as my hands were over his ears, he was content to just sit and watch.

He practiced his singing...

This is what he looks like first thing in the morning.

He likes to watch videos and see pictures of his cousins.

He is exceptionally good at balancing things on his head.

He already has an ear for music. This is what happens when he hears someone singing off key and/or badly. Amanda, I'm sorry.

He loves to play with and chew on his pacifier. However this makes me want to cut off his hands because he won't go to sleep without a pacifier, but he also won't leave it alone.

Let's see what else. He has found his toes and plays with them all the time. He doesn't hate being on his tummy anymore, but won't rollover from his back to his front yet. I'm sure that he can, but he just wants to wait until he is ready for it. Seems to be how things go with him.

Ma-Ma

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:17:00 +0000

Mike's Ma-Ma passed away recently. Mike is doing well with the loss. He says it wasn't really sunk in yet. Her death came as a bit of a surprise, but at the same time it wasn't entirely unexpected. She had some health problems, and shortly before Christmas she ended up in the hospital because of them. I didn't get to know her very well, but I liked her. She is the only one in Mike's extended family that I have met.

I loved her southern accent. I always wanted a cool accent, but coming from AZ that just didn't happen. I liked to listen to her talk, which is good cause she talked a lot! She had an opinion on pretty much everything, and she wasn't afraid to let people know what it was.

She amused me. I got to share a hotel room with her for a few days before Mike and I were married, and I have some very special memories from that time. Though I don't think she would appreciate me posting them on the internet.

She was always so nice to us. You could tell how much she cared about her family, even if the relationships were sometimes rocky. She will definitely be missed.

This picture is from our last visit with Ma-Ma in September of 2010

Out With the Old

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:14:00 +0000

Well it's now 2012! We have lots of things to look forward to this year, but I thought I would look back at 2011 a little bit. I asked Mike what his top 5 happenings of 2011 were. He said in no particular order: Hayden, finally finishing his training and becoming a weather forecaster, our babymoon, getting his associates degree, and going to a rock concert (Paramore/Hellogoodbye).

I asked Hayden what his favorites were, and he just smiled at me and tried to shove his entire hand in his mouth.

My favorite happenings were, also in no particular order, adding Hayden to our family, our visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center, visiting family in HI and AZ, getting over morning sickness, and getting my new camera.

2011 was a great year for us. We all grew and learned so much, and had a lot of fun doing it. We are looking forward to all the good times that 2012 has to offer us.

Balance

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:23:00 +0000

Mike and I were discussing how nature tends toward balance. If you are lacking here, then you have an abundance there. I started feeling bad because somewhere out there a mother has one ugly baby because Hayden got all of his cute!

On second thought...there might be several ugly babies

Gifted

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:15:00 +0000

Our family has been so blessed this Christmas. We have received a lot of gifts that have meant a lot for us

We were gifted this way cute outfit for Hayden to wear for Christmas. Want to know the cutest thing about this outfit? Its that little boy wearing it. Seriously! How adorable is he with his tie and vest?

Unbeknownst to us, our little family was added to a list of military families that received gifts from Operation Warm Heart. Hayden was added to their angel trees, and he was given 3 toys for Christmas. We also received a $50 gift card to the BX (military department store)and $50 to the Commissary (grocery store on base). I was so surprised when I came down stairs one morning and found extra presents under our tree.

A few nights before Christmas, I was upstairs putting Hayden to bed, when I heard a knock on the door. I went to the top of the stairs to see who it was, but when Mike opened the door all that was there was a plate of treats. I asked if there was a note or anything. He said yes. Thinking it was one of those pay it forward things, I went back to rocking Hayden. As I was sitting there, Mike comes up the stairs and tells me it wasn't a note and holds up $100 cash! I was speechless, and for me that is really saying something. We are so grateful for this generosity. I still can't believe it happened. To be honest I almost feel bad. Not that we aren't deserving of the gift, but because there are so many out there that need it more than us.

I've been thinking about all of this generosity and trying to think of ways to pay it forward. We definitely can't afford to give out money, but I can still be more generous with my time and talents. I think that is going to be my New Year's resolution for 2012.

Our Gimmies Are Satisfied

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:48:00 +0000

Hayden most definitely got the memo about Christmas morning. He was so excited that he woke up at 1am. Then he woke up again at 6am, which cut out an hour of our planned sleep. We had said we would open presents at 7. We'll forgive him this time, but only since he can't tell time yet.

Here is our family in our Christmas jammies. Don't mind our morning faces.

Mike and I got Hayden a Bumbo. Here he is testing it out. He's not quite ready for it yet, but he looks cute in it just the same.

We talked with Santa, and this year we decided our gifts would be something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read.

So Santa brought me: want- cupcake tin and carrier, need- SD card for my camera, wear-pearl and sapphire necklace, read- the Fablehaven series Hayden also got me a blanket for the living room.

Mike got: want- charger for his xbox remote, need-display for his military coins, wear-a new watch, read- the Dr Who Visual Dictionary. Hayden also got him suspenders.

Mike was so excited about his new book that he missed Hayden opening the rest of his presents.

Hayden got: want- stacking rings, need- a big box of diapers, wear- 2 outfits, read- a book with all his cousins and grandparents.

Christmas Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:39:00 +0000

Our Christmas Eve was pretty low key. We had Panda Express, which is our traditional Christmas feast. We ate out on our back porch, which has also become somewhat of a tradition. I figure we will continue to eat picnic style as long as we live in a place that it is prudent.

Since Mike was scheduled to go into work at 10am Christmas morning, we decided to open all of the presents that weren't from Santa. That meant Mike and I each got to open one present plus our new Christmas pajamas, and Hayden ended up opening 3.

He wasn't too excited about opening presents, but I imagine next year will be better for that.

Hayden had to take a dinner break in the middle of our festivities.

We gave Hayden a bath and put him in his jammies, so we could all snuggle up and watch Elf. Hayden wasn't interested though. He was too tired, so off to bed he went.

Mike and I talked with Santa, and had him bring our presents early. We wanted to make his load a little bit lighter. It also meant we didn't have to stay up late wrapping presents.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:53:00 +0000

I realize its a few days late. The power cable for our laptop has been on the fritz, so its been rough getting pictures edited and uploaded. Anyway Merry Christmas from us!

Honolulu City Lights

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:10:00 +0000

Every year Honolulu puts up lights downtown. We decided to go check them out this year. The military had trolleys to take people down, so we got tickets. We were a little worried, when it started raining as we were getting on the trolley, but as is typical for Hawaii, it didn't rain for very long.

Here are Mike and Hayden waiting for the trolley to head out. We had Hayden in our carrier, which we broke on this little excursion-twice. I felt like a bad parent with Hayden not being in a car seat. There weren't seat belts though, so it didn't make too much difference. We just hoped it would be better than our last experience on public transportation.

When we got downtown, they had a bunch of huge statues with Santa, snowmen, and other Christmas type stuff.

I love these lights! They are Chinese lanterns shaped like Christmas lights. Definitely appeals to my love of Christmas lights.

It was a lot of fun. Hayden had so much fun that he passed out on the ride home, and totally missed my new least favorite Christmas song. It's a 20 minute remix of every Christmas song and That's the Way I Like It. Seriously made me want to vomit.

Genealogy Fan Chart

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:08:00 +0000

Have you seen the Genealogy Fan Chart from new.familysearch.org? It's pretty sweet. If you have an account with new family search or an LDS account, it creates a chart with 9 generations of your ancestors from both sides of your family. It makes it really easy to see where you have any gaps to fill too. Its got me excited about family history again!

More Rolls Than the Holsum Bakery

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:15:00 +0000

Hayden has started rolling over! This video is from the first night he started. This was about the 3rd time he had done it. After this he got frustrated that I kept putting him back on his tummy that he just gave up and cried.

This video is of Hayden playing with the ball he got from his cousin, Coleton...I think.

Fiber

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Hayden LOVES his burp rags. Seriously he is happy as a clam if he has his burp rag. His favorite thing to do with them is eat them. Sometimes I think he is trying to get the whole thing in his mouth. At least we know he is getting plenty of fiber in his diet.

Bubbles

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Hayden is constantly making bubbles with his slobber. He is actually pretty good at it too. Mike was a little disappointed that he didn't get to teach this to him though.

Adjustment Period

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Today I was playing with Hayden and realizing just how far we have come in the last few months. When Hayden was a few weeks old, someone asked me how I liked being a mom. I told her that I was finally starting to like Hayden. I'm pretty sure she thought I was joking, but I really wasn't. I didn't have that instant bond with Hayden that so many woman have.

I think part of that was because the whole birth process was so surreal for me. It was like an out of body experience, and I still have a hard time believing that I actually gave birth. When I saw Hayden for the first time, I was completely exhausted physically and emotionally. I wasn't ready to bond, and with everything that was going on, I didn't have time to recover before they wheeled him off. I remember sitting in my hospital room that night, after Mike and everyone had gone home, and thinking that I should feel different somehow. I didn't though. I didn't feel like I had a child.

The next day, when I finally got to see Hayden again, I knew I loved him, but I didn't necessarily feel like he was mine. That took a while. I don't really know when it happened, (probably because it was a gradual process) but he finally feels like my son.

Hmmm...this took a turn I wasn't expecting. I'm gonna go back to the top and try to reroute this. Okay so people kept asking me how I liked being a mom, and I responded that I was starting to like Hayden. This was true. I loved him, but I didn't have much desire to sit and stare at him while he slept, and for the most part if he wasn't sleeping he was screaming. I find it difficult to really like someone who yells at you all the time, especially when they don't give anything back and barely acknowledge your existence. Seriously newborns are crazy high maintenance!

I think the real turn around in our relationship happened around 1 month, when I realized that I finally had the baby that I had fasted and prayed so long for, and I wasn't enjoying it at all. I found that my whole day was fighting Hayden to try to get him to do what I thought he should be doing, and it was seriously stressing me out. Once I realized this, I made an effort to enjoy him. I started playing with him and singing to him, which wasn't easy at first. It did get easier though as he started smiling and interacting more.

Now I find that I am completely in love with Hayden, and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual. I love the way his face lights up when he sees me. I love his little voice when he jabbers. His sweet giggle. I love how he curls up into me as I hold him. I just want to squeeze him all day long. He is so sweet and so cute. He is just the best, and I am extremely glad to finally have the baby I always wanted.

Also Known As

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:05:00 +0000

Hayden has a lot of nicknames. In fact I'm pretty sure that he is going to be very confused as to what his real name actually is. Here is a few of his nicknames.

Little Man

Buddy

Dude

Boogerbuns

Little Dude

Dude Face

Dudezilla

Splash Gordon

Stinker

Stinkbutt

Fussypants Mcgee

Cutesy Face

Goober

Smoochy Cheeks

Handsome Man

Oh Goodie, Goodie Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:51:00 +0000

When I was little. my grandparents would put together a bag of goodies for each of their grandkids for Christmas. The bag always had candy, popcorn balls, a 2 dollar bill, a small gift and a handmade ornament. I remember always looking forward to when Grandma and Grandpa would pull up in driveway with our gift bags. It was a vital part of my Christmas as a child. My mom has taken up this tradition with her grandkids, and today Hayden got his goodie bag in the mail.

I let Hayden try to open it for a bit. He almost got it too.

He loves his new books. He just giggled and giggled when I read him the baby animals book. That's actually saying a lot for him too. He's not much of a laugher. He has to be in the right mood.

This morning I wanted Skittles pretty bad, so when Hayden saw that he had some in his bag, he said I could have them. He is so generous! He also gave me his jelly beans cause he knows how much I love them.

Here is Hayden's first grandma ornament. Cute little mouse with a jingle bell for its body. It reminds me of the song "Chrissy the Christmas Mouse".

Tell Tale Signs

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:30:00 +0000

You know it's time to trim your child's finger nails, when he wakes up from his nap with one of these.

Looking Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:22:00 +0000

I mentioned before that Hayden loves talking to the baby in the mirror. Here he is chatting it up with himself. When Hayden sees his reflection, he gets this look on his face like he knows he is good looking. He definitely has Mike's self-esteem.

You can really see his bald spot in this picture. I'm kind of sad his hair is coming back. I love that bald little head of his.

My Stinkies

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:43:00 +0000

As long as I can remember, I have called the important men in my life some variation of Stinky. My dad was the original Stinky, but he evolved into Stinky Pete. Then came Preston AKA Stinks. Next was Mike who is the reigning Stinky. Now there is Hayden. I've tried out a few variations for him. There are 2 that really stuck. Stinker and Stinkbutt. Stinker is more for when he is being a booger, and Stinkbutt is typically used when he has a stinky butt.

Also of note, though not male, is Joss. She will forever be Stinkerbell.

Teddy Bear

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:27:00 +0000

This is Hayden with his teddy bear. We don't have a name for him yet. We should probably get on that. Anyway Hayden loves his bear. He likes to hug him and play with him...

But mostly he just likes to try and eat him.

X Marks the Spot

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:21:00 +0000

Can you see the little x on Hayden's foot? Up at the top by his toes? That is Hayden's button. If you press that spot, he curls his toes around your finger. As soon as you remove your finger, he relaxes his toes. I know it's just him being ticklish, but it's still cute as heck and gives me tons of enjoyment.

3 Months Old

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:01:00 +0000

Hayden survived another month! This kid is just growing like a weed! Let's see what's going on with Hayden this month.

I bought him a baby-sized Santa hat to wear for Christmas, but his head is too big for it. Must be all those brains he's got stored in there.

He is a sympathetic crier, just like his mom. Whenever he hears another baby cry, he has to join in. He has the sad pout down. He sticks that bottom lip out, and it is just too cute. This isn't a great picture of it though.

He still loves bath time. He has started splashing a lot, and I usually end up pretty wet by the end.

When we feed him, he clasps his hands together and rests them on this chest. He just lays back and enjoys feeding time.

He is learning to play the trumpet. However he is studying at the Phoebe Buffay School of Trumpeting. He hasn't developed his skills enough to actually touch a trumpet.

Depending on the day, he is doing better with liking tummy time. Sometimes he will play for a while before he starts fussing, and other times he starts right away. He has pretty good control of his neck, but are nowhere near rolling over.

He is obsessed with having his hands in his mouth. It's to the point where, if he doesn't have his hands pinned down at his side, he won't fall asleep because he is chewing on them.

This is Hayden's thinking face. He has a super expressive face. I'm often amazed at how much he communicates with us just through his facial expressions.

Hayden just chillin', watching Daddy play his video games. I got him a few Baby Einstein videos, but he is much more enthused watching Mike get the bad guys.

People are always commenting on how long Hayden is. He definitely takes after his dad in that respect. I think this picture really shows how long he is.

Hayden also loves to play with the baby in the mirror. He sits and smiles at that baby and just jabbers away.

He was sleeping through the night for a solid month, but decided that just wasn't for him. He is now back to waking up twice during the night. I am not a fan AT ALL. Honestly it wouldn't be so bad, if I could fall back asleep after getting up with him. It seems like my brain just won't shut off, and I lie awake for 2 hours or more before I fall back asleep. I'm exhausted, and it doesn't help that Mike has been working night shift, so I can't even split duty with him. Luckily though Mike is done with nights for the whole rest of the year! Woohoo times a billion!

Well that's what is happening with Hayden at 3 months old.