Roberts Family Blog

Hey all.  Today I am blogging about dinosaurs.  You know - Hayden's favorite animal   He has not quite grasped the word "extinct".  He's quite convinced that these animals still roam the land, and he would love to come face to face with his hero - the triceratops!!  And let's just be honest, who isn't fascinated with dinosaurs?  Well Sunday was our last day of the holiday season before starting back to work, and Nate came up with the idea to road-trip it to Dinosaur Valley State Park, which is about 2 hours south of us on the way toward Austin and Hill Country.  Nate is always complaining about how there is nothing to do outside in Texas, and I am always telling him that we just need to be creative and explore a bit more, so this was our active effort to enjoy the outdoors in Texas, and quench Hayden's thirst for a dinosaur experience

"Dinosaur Valley State Park contains some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world" - this is their tagline, and they surely don't disappoint!  Nate and I were blown away by this park, not only for the beyond cool dinosaur footprints, but also for the scenic beauty and remoteness.  We felt transported to a natural wonderland and it was just fantastic to actually be able to let the dogs run wild along the trail, and to hike with our sons!!   We ran into a total of 6 people the entire day, and were able to see some really interesting dinosaur tracks and Hayden was thrilled to don his hiking stick and check out the world around him.  He kept saying "that's so COOL dinosaur footprints!".  Here are some photos of our hike at the park.

To see the site with the best preserved tracks, you actually had to cross a swift-moving river.  I had worn comfy, but certainly not water-proof shoes, while Nathan had been much better prepared with his actual hiking boots.  He set out for a test-run across the slippery rocks and deemed it safe for Hayden.  It was really sweet, because Hayden was just so thrilled to be "crossing the river with daddy to see dinosaur footprints!", while Pierce and I stayed dry and safe on the near shore.  Well I'm actually not entirely sure that Pierce wanted to stay dry, as he was very determined to squirm out of my arms and into the river!  This little boy is on the move. 

One of the most thrilling parts of the day was leaving the park and seeing the life-sized brontosaurus and t-rex.  Hayden approached them with much more enthusiasm than I would have imaged from this little boy who is afraid of baseball games!  He kept telling me "mommy the dinosaurs are pretend" which seemed to be his own mantra to give him courage   He posed for a few photos with the brontosaurus, but he was really reluctant to get too close to the dino with the mouth full of teeth!  I just LOVE this photo, because Hayden was NOT going to let this dino out of his sight!  I just love this little boy and all his quirks

So all in all it was just a perfect day, and I was so proud of how well the boys behaved and listened.  This is just what Nathan and I have been looking forward to for so long with our children - seeing them enjoy the things that we so very much enjoy - like hiking and being outdoors. 

As I am typing this and adding photos - Hayden is "oooh those are BIG dinosaurs.  Dinosaurs say RwARRR".  Could it get any better than this?!?

And 2010 is here with a bang!  Ok...that was a small fib.  After a giant dinner of crab legs and filet, along with plenty of champagne, I actually slept through our transition into the new year, and the first two days of January have been decidedly uneventful.  But I'm not going to let those small facts detract from my excitement that a new year is upon us, one that will surely be filled with challenges and adventures!!

On New Year's Eve, Nathan and I were discussing our penchant for taking on a lot of changes at once, in light of some decisions we've made recently.  We just do NOT like to sit still!  In the three short years that we have been married, we have had two children, moved across the country, bought our first home, and started a business.  Every time things seem to be smoothing out and calming down, we throw another iron in the fire, or make a big change in our life.  I suppose no one likes to be stagnant, or boring, but Nate and I take this motto to a whole new level I think.  And this year is no exception.

The most obvious challenge currently facing us is the starting of our business, Cross Timbers Property Solutions.  Things couldn't be going better (knock on wood), thanks in no small part to my husband being inventive and seeking out opportunities in places that many people would not.  I'm so proud of him for creating his own special niche and making our first profits this month!  I think 2010 will only bring more good things where our business is concerned.  We've also made some decisions regarding our family, and whether or not we want to continue to expand, and although I'm going to stay quiet for now until things become a little clearer, we know that there is an adventure in our future and I can't wait for it!

Ok, onto the more mundane details of 2010   I haven't mentioned potty training during my past few posts, so I suppose I'll update here (because of course you are all dying to know right?).  Hayden hasn't had a wet accident in weeks!  He totally has it down - he tells me when he needs to go, jumps up on the big toilet, does his thing, washes his hands, and meets me in the kitchen for a marshmallow.  Now....the other function is not going so well.  He is absolutely terrified to poop on the toilet.  I have no idea where this fear comes from, but it's pretty powerful and pitiful.  Hayden's comprehension of what potty training is is complete.  He 100% understands that poop goes in the potty, and he will regularly tell me that.  However, when he needs to go, he'll tell me to put a diaper on him, and then tells me he wants to hide.  I've taken this cue before and just plopped him on the toilet instead of honoring his wish for a diaper, and boy have we both been sorry.  It's a kicking, sobbing, screaming nightmare.  So....after doing some research on this, and finding out that it's not really that uncommon, I've decided to listen to him, honor his wish for a pull-up, and encourage him to at least "hide" in the bathroom.  That worked like a charm today, and then we empty the "contents" of the pull-up into the toilet so he understands where it belongs.  We'll gradually move in the right direction I think, but I just cannot force this child to do something he is so obviously terrified of.  And the good news is that he is not having accidents, but rather warning me and asking for a diaper.  So I still feel like we are on a good path.  I'm very proud of him.

Pierce is still doing great!  He has moved on to eating all sorts of fun finger foods lately, which is great, and he is a pro at the sippy cup.  He is also starting to move around a lot better through a combination of rolling and backwards crawling.  Also, the other day Nate and I were talking while he played with some toys next to us, and all of a sudden I looked and he had pulled himself up to standing at the train table!  Shocking.  And in sadder news (for me), I have fully weaned Pierce.  I just felt like he wasn't eating enough when nursing.  Mr. Curiousity was constantly looking around and being nosy instead of taking the time to eat!  I finally decided to try a day with just bottles, and he was SO much more content, and he also started sleeping longer stretches at night.  I finally realized that I was hanging onto this notion of nursing him until he was one because I wanted to do the same thing I had done with Hayden.  It was making me feel guilty to quit earlier.  But what I've come to realize is that Pierce is not the same child that Hayden was, and it's clearly been good for him to switch to the bottle, and I just need to let go of the guilt.  I don't actually miss the act of nursing, because Pierce is just so cuddly while taking a bottle.  It's still a very intimate time, and actually Nathan has really bonded with PJ by taking on some middle of the night bottles, and sharing those moments with him.  It's been fabulous for all of us.

Well tomorrow we are heading out to Dinosaur Valley SP in Glen Rose, Texas.  A little family road trip - dogs included!  Can't wait   I'm sure we'll have lots of fun stories after that adventure!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Welcome to post number two about Christmas   I'll have to start by saying that Christmas is 8000 times better with kids!  The holiday becomes so joyful and magical through their eyes, and I just soaked up every minute of it.  Even my littlest man seemed to know that something very special was going on and that he should be extra cute and sweet and happy.  Of course Hayden, despite a nasty cold, was in Heaven on Christmas morning and was just thrilled to unwrap toy after toy.  True to his nature, however, he really did stop to enjoy each item and he didn't rush through anything.  I think his last present was opened at about 8 pm, literally!

The day started early with me waking up with a nasty cold...I could feel it coming on on Christmas Eve but had chosen to ignore it and drink wine and stay up late with our friends, so really it was my own fault!  I woke up determined not to let a runny nose and sore throat ruin my time at all.  Then the wait began!  And by that, I mean waiting for my kids to get up!  Who does that on Christmas morning?!?  Aren't they supposed to be playing with toys under the tree at first light?  Well Hayden decided to choose this morning to sleep until 9:15!!  Oh my gosh I was so anxious for him to get up and see the gifts that Santa left for him and Pierce!!  Here is the adorably peaceful sight I saw each time I popped my head into his room to check on him

And here was Mr. Piercy, loving his morning of chilling in bed with mom and dad, waiting for his brother to wake up!

The living room was all festivy, and the horsy that "Santa picked up in Colorado from Grandpop" was awaiting Hayden.

Well he finally woke up, and as usual he sought me out and climbed into my lap to snuggle.  He didn't even see the new toys and gifts under the tree at first, but believe me, when he did, he was transfixed!  He immediately climbed onto his horse, whom he quietly named "Golly Horsey" - don't ask me where he got this from - and promptly started asking to open his presents while still ON the horse   Too cute.  Here is a video and some photos of our morning....one of the very best I can remember!!

My parents and brother were supposed to come over for brunch that morning, to watch the kids open their gifts, but after venturing out on the roads, they had to immediately turn back because the roads were a sheet of ice.  It was a bummer, but we made the best of it by taking an unscheduled dip in the hottub with the boys.  There was still plenty of snow on the ground, and the sun was shining - perfection!  And they are so cute in there!  Pierce just splashes away in delight, and Hayden practices his swimming and jibber jabbers about airplanes and clouds and everything around him. 

After that, we got ready and headed to my parents house for Christmas dinner.  It turned out to be a wonderful afternoon of food, family, and fun.  I feel so blessed, because I think only twice in my life have I ever not been with my parents on Christmas!  Once was when I spent Christmas in Europe with my brother and once the first year we moved to Texas.  Both times I managed to see my family shortly afterward for a belated celebration.  We also spent two Christmas seasons in California, and those memories are so wonderful because Nathan and I were first newly engaged and entertaining them in our cute little San Ramon apartment with the awesome view , and then newly married and pregnant in our cool  Livermore pad, and soaking up the sights and sounds of the Bay Area with my parents at the holidays was so amazing.  I remember 3 years ago when I was pregnant with Hayden and my parents came for Christmas.  I was still very ill, and also slightly in shock because the pregnancy was not expected.  My mom arrived and just HUGGING her felt good and made me feel like OK I can do this.  We baked our favorite Christmas cookies together - sugar cookie candy canes - with red and white dough - and I remember assembling them to bake and I just got this huge moment of anxiety.....how can I do this whole mom thing?!?  I just looked at my mom with big tears and she immediately hugged me and calmed my fears and it was just the best.  She had so much faith in me from the start.  My brother soon arrived from London, and we carroled in the streets of Livermore (I think everyone but me had had some wine by that time!) and just had the best time.  I am SO thankful for this family!!  Although we have celebrated in a lot of settings over the years, I just cannot imagine Christmas without the traditions of my family, and I think in that I am a bit reluctant to grow up!  I just cherish all the memories I have stored from each year, and from all that my parents have done to make the holiday special each and every time, and I endeavor to be as good of a parent to my own children.

Ahh..coming back to the present...Hayden and Pierce continued to be spoiled with toys and books and all things under the sun while Christmas day continued!  My brother Jeffrey got Hayden a GeoTrax, which is basically a small remote control train set, which pretty much has occupied Hayden for every waking moment since he received it.  Honestly - it's so cool!  Piercey was totally appreciate of all his toys too, but mostly he liked waving around and eating the paper   The dogs also got to come to the party and played with some new frisbees that Santa brought.

Despite some colds, and the crazy winter weather, we truly loved this Christmas of 2009 and we are so thankful to have this wonderful family to share the season with.  We missed our family in Colorado and Wisconsin, and around the country, but are thankful for each and every one of them, and the happiness they bring to our lives.  I am also so thankful for my husband who is the best partner in the world.  So much love there.

Here are some parting photos of the kids enjoying themselves and their new toys this Christmas.

Pierce and Hayden "debated" over this toy from Grandpop for awhile.  Hayden was sure it was his airplane, but really Grandpop got it for little Pierce   Either way, they both loved it! 

Pierce doing his best airplane impression.

More cutie pie Pierce in his Christmas best

Pierce in his "London Undergound" outfit from Jeffrey

Dally playing catch - what a happy boy

Hi everyone!  Merry Christmas!  What a fantastic Christmas this has been.  There are so many things to update on, but I'm going to stick to Christmas Eve in this post so as not to overwhelm you or myself!  The most exciting part of Christmas Eve at our house was the fact that there was a full-fledged winter snowstorm!  Talk about a miracle - a white Christmas in Dallas?!?  I was trying to remember my last White Christmas and it could very well have been about 6 years ago in Davos, Switzerland, when my brother and I went to spend Christmas with our high school foreign exchange student, Phil, and his family.  I don't think I ever could have predicted that this would be my next!  We got all of our grocery shopping done in the morning when it was still just raining, but by the time we got home at about noon it was already turning to sleet and the temperature was rapidly dropping.  It turned to snow by mid-afternoon, and when Hayden woke up from his nap, it was a winter wonderland outside!  Of course I had already gotten myself ready for the party that evening; had even done my hair and make-up which is unusual, and Hayden wanted to immediately drag me outside to play!  Could I say no to that sweet face?!?  OF COURSE NOT!  So there went my efforts at looking pretty   So we got all bundled up and headed into the backyard to make snowballs and romp around.  It was so wonderful to get to experience a white Christmas Eve and it just made the night all the more cozy and warm and lovely.  Here are some photos of Hayden playing in the snow, and then warming up by the fire afterwards.

Unfortunately Texans are clearly not prepared to handle snow on the roads, because they were poorly treated and cars were sliding off into ditches everywhere.  The highway leading to our neighborhood basically turned into a parking lot, and our guests all arrived over an hour late and very frazzled from having battled ice, snow, and traffic.  Additionally, my brother had arrived late into DFW from London, and then had to battle his way to our house as well.  Thankfully everyone arrived safe and sound, and we were able to start our Christmas Eve festivities, just a bit later than planned!  We were hosting my parents and brother, as well as my high school best friend, Lindsey, and her husband Frank, and our good friend from California, James, and his friend Vicky. 

It is Nate and my tradition to host Christmas Eve at our house, and we always plan some fun and exciting menu that is more interesting and complex than our typical dinner party fare.  This year Nate watched an episode of his favorite show, Good Eats with Alton Brown, and was reminded of a childhood favorite - Baklava.  So that became our dessert recipe.  Next, Nate decided to make Cioppino as an homage to our former home in northern California!  We came across some really great specials on crab and lobster, and then added some shrimp, scallops, salmon, mussels and clams.  DELISH!!  I am a huge fan of the chopped salad at Buca, which is a really hearty salad with feta, provolone, gorgonzola, pepperoni, mortadella, tomatos, cucumbers, onion, black and green olives, and pepperoncini, all chopped up very small with lettuce.   I thought it was the perfect complement to a light, broth-based soup, so that became our accompaniment, along with some crusty warm bread.   The only thing I did wrong was to chop the salad up ahead of time.  I figured I would be too busy entertaining our guests and chasing kids to be able to chop up a million different cheeses, veggies and meats into tiny pieces.  Unfortunately the salad became pretty soggy, even though I did not dress it ahead of time.  The flavor was still delicious, but it didn't look very pretty!  I will definitely make it again, but be sure to serve it freshly chopped. 

The evening ended with a snoball fight with our friends, lots of homemade vodka and bourbon flowing, and great conversation!  A Christmas Eve to remember.  I will post again soon about the rest of our Christmas festivities, but for now we are off to look at trains at the Gaylord!

Last year, Hayden and his buddy Keegan got together for a Christmas pajama party, and they were together once again this year!  I realized after I edited my photos a few days ago that I probably could dig through my archives and come up with a similar one from last year.  Sure enough.  Here are these sweet boys enjoying each other's company in 2008 and 2009.  Ha last year they have these faces of sweet innocence, and this year they look decidedly less excited about posing for a picture together in their jammies!  But they sure are CUTE!

I mentioned last week that every Friday my friends and I get together with our two generations of kids.  That morning Hayden woke up telling me "mommy today all my friends coming over!"  I just love that he gets so excited to see his buddies.  This week we decided to try to stage a photo op with all the kids in their Christmas pajamas/outfits.  Well you can imagine the chaos involved in getting 6 toddler boys on the couch together, and then to add to the drama, we expected them to hold their baby brothers and sisters (and one set of twins) in their arms!  It was a total flop, but we got some funny outakes   And actually I was shocked, but of all the kids, Hayden was the most aggreable to holding baby Pierce in his arms.  Although he has progressed leaps and bounds in his interest level in Pierce, he still really isn't that excited about holding or hugging him, so it was just really sweet!  

And then here is the obligatory photo of all the babies.  I almost died from the cuteness assembled on that couch.  Just adorable!!

Potty training continoes to go well!  Hayden is now asking to go potty which is just so so amazing and wonderful.  I just LOVE not fighting him to change his diaper, and now that part of the day is actually fun for him because he gets to try something new, wash his hands, and get a treat.  Very cool.  And finally, after 3 poop disasters this week, he finally went on the toilet last night.  He started to look nervous, then told me he was going to "go hide".  He then waited for me to follow him into his room, where he promptly went to hide behind his rocking chair.  Well this is classic poop prep for him!  So I scooped him up and we went into the bathroom, where he figeted around and got all stressed out and kept moving into different positions.  Finally he just planted a foot on each side of the big toilet, squated, and did the deed!  No muss no fuss.  I was so incredibly happy about this and I'm very hopeful that he no longer will be afraid or confused.  I'm sorry if this is too much info for any of you readers, but presumably if you are here, it's because you want to hear about the kids LOL.  So I'm sorry, but it's very exciting to us!  We are definitely close to ushering out the era of diapers for Hayden

Well all, I finally jumped in the deep end with potty training.  Why I chose this time of year....I have no idea.  I just really have had it with the cost of diapers for both kids, and with Hayden's inability to sit still or cooperate for a diaper change.  We have been half-heartedly encouraging the potty chair, and Hayden has never been against the idea, but I knew it would take a major effort from Nate, myself, and my mom (who is his caregiver each morning) to really make it work.  So on Monday morning, I put my little boy in underpants and we haven't looked back since.  Each morning he gets to choose which underpants he wants to wear (an assortment of Cars and Thomas characters), and he puts them on enthusiastically and with pride, all the while telling me that "underpants stay dry!".  He had one potty accident on Monday morning, and that was all it took apparently, because he has not had another one since.  We even ventured out to run errands in underpants yesterday and he stayed dry!  I do ask him at least once an hour if he needs to go potty, and he'll tell me "yes" or "no", and yesterday evening he decided to go on his own, which I thought was a major accomplishment!!  Now, the potty is going well, but yesterday there was a poop disaster in his "Mater" underpants that required hosing out outdoors.  He is much more reluctant in that matter.  But today he keeps telling me "Mater had horrible icky yesterday", and today he is going to "poop in the potty chair".  We'll see....I sure hope he's right!!  So wish us luck on this journey.  I'm just so proud of him and awed that he is growing up into an underpant wearing lil man.  Here he is showing off his new favorite clothing item - while doing the "dancy dance" from Yo Gabba Gabba with daddy.  Poor kid just never wears pants anymore.  He's going to kill me someday when he finds out I plastered the internet with photos of him in his undies.....

Well the Christmas festivities continue in full force and we are all loving every minute of it.  The other morning I picked my mom up to head to the mall to do a little Christmas shopping and take the boys to play at the mall playground.  Well to our surprise, there was a lady giving free miniature pony rides by the side of the road!  Of course I pulled right over, although I had serious doubts about whether Hayden would actually want to ride given his peculiar fears lately.  Well once again I should NOT have doubted him!  He ran right over to the pony to pet him, and then turned around, pulled the helmet off the ground (first he put the pink one on but we got him to swap that out for black), and climbed right into the saddle!  He LOVED it!  Pierce also got a chance to hop on for a photo op.  What a totally unexpected but thrilling experience for the boys.

We also visited the Gaylord Texan to see their Christmas train and decorations display.  I have always loved this place, and it becomes even more magical during the holidays.  Hayden just ran from one Christmas scene to the next, and was of course totally taken with the trains as usual.  My favorite part was when Hayden impulsively climbed onto a bench to look at a Santa display, and realized he was sharing it with a giant sized reindeer shaped bush!  His reaction was priceless.  We were all dressed in our Broncos gear that day....so forgive the non-Christmasy dress!  Football trumps red and green on Sundays

I mentioned in my last blog that Pierce is finally a master roller, and he's also experimenting with standing up whenever he can.  It has opened quite a new world for him, which makes him less frustrated.  He still shows no signs of wanting to crawl however, which I am fine with, because the idea of baby-proofing is overwhelming, with all of Hayden's toys being mildly unsafe for crawling infants.....daunting task.  Despite not crawling, he has developed a few other tricks.  He LOVES to give high-5s, which I think is just so endearing.  He gets absolutely thrilled when I hold my hand out for him.  Love that little rosy boy.

One last thing of note.  My friends and I have a once weekly playgroup for moms of two that meets every Friday.  Most of the older kids have known each other since they were literally months old, and the babies all met when they were days old!  So they have all "bonded" at a young age.  Well Pierce just loves his friend Jake (they are 10 days apart in age), and for the last two weeks, as soon I've put him down next to his friends, he immediately will gravitate to Jake, and start giving him kisses.  He's the most adorable thing.  Poor Jake just looks like a deer in the headlights, like why the heck is this kid attacking me with kisses?!?  But it's too cute.  He's going to be affectionate like his big brother!

This weekend is shaping up to be another busy one, so I'm sure I'll have lots to blog about next week!  A holiday themed pajama party playdate on Friday morning, followed by gingerbread train decorating in the evening with some friends, a Christmas party on Saturday night, and a ride on the Polar Express with Santa on Sunday.  Does it get any better?  I love Christmas with kids!

Big development this week!!  Hayden told me he loved me!  Just out of the blue, he crawled up onto the couch with me, snuggled in, looked right up at me and said "Mommy I Love You" and my heart grew three sizes again.  What a miracle to have a child who is so sweet and wonderful and who loves ME!  It's one of those moments I have been waiting for, and it was even more magical than I imagined.  My dear sweet Hayden loves me and I'm so lucky!

Life in our house has been moving along at a quick pace lately with all of our holiday activities and we are all having so much fun.  Last week we headed to Bass Pro Shops for their "Santa's Wonderland", and the kids got to see Santa and ride on a Merry-Go-Round full of reindeer.  Pierce LOVED that and grinned his way through the whole ride.  He also sat on Santa's lap with no fear, and just turned and gazed up at his big white beard in amazement.  It took Hayden a little bit longer to work up the courage to sit on his lap, but when he heard that he could tell Santa to bring him a train, he was all in.

It seems like each day I have a new favorite moment with Hayden.  Let me describe my most recent.  Every night we have a very strict bedtime routine.  I am not making it strict, it's just that Hayden is very much a creature of habit (aren't all children), and he likes the bedtime schedule to proceed in a predictable way each night.  I think it gives him comfort.  First either myself or Nathan tucks him into bed (or sometimes let him cuddle on our lap in the rocking chair), and then we let him pick a book to read.  Lately we've been reading "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" from a Dr. Suess book that Aunt Katie gave him when he was born.  He loves it and we all really get into character and it's pretty fun.  He is SO concerned about the Grinch taking all the Who's Christmas trees home with him.  I can see him constantly glancing at his own Christmas tree and wondering if it too might disappear during the night.  After reading our book, he pulls his blankets up, puts his head on the pillow, and then says "mommy sing to me", and I ask him what he'd like to sing.  It's never a mystery; without fail he'll request "You are my Sunshine", and he'll start singing the words on his own and expect me to join in.  This is priceless to me since this song reminds me so much of my grandma Sale and just has special sentimental value.  I love that it has become such a special part of Hayden's childhood as well.  After we sing, he'll say "mommy say prayers" and we'll go on to say our nightly "Now I lay me down to sleep" prayer, and then move on to thanking God for all the blessings in our lives.  Every night I ask him to tell me who or what he is thankful for.  The usual suspects are "Grammy, Papi, Mammaw, Daddy, Mommy, Baby Pierce" and then usually something fun from his day is thrown in, like "airplanes, Jack, macaroni and cheese, etc".  Last night, however, after his standard list, he kind of paused and looked at me with a shy smiley face, and said quietly "cousin Brywin (aka Brylin), cousin Liam and cousin Camera (aka Cameron)".  Ah melting heart.  I just don't know what I would do without that little love bug in my life.  He is such a family man already at 2 years old!  He is always so appreciative and thankful.  As another example, whenever my mom leaves our house after her morning of watching Hayden, he will say "Thank you grammy" for whatever they did together that day.  Today it was "Thank you grammy taking me walk".  He says this completely unprompted and it just completely thrills me.  So endearing.

Here are some other cute Hayden words that I have to commit to writing so I don't ever forget them.  He still has slight speech problems with certain sounds.  Instead of saying "Christmas", he will say "Cribbus", like he has a big stuffy nose.  It's super cute though.  He's always talking about Cribbus trees everywhere   And the other night after dinner my dad called on the phone to talk to Hayden.  He got him on the line and told him to take Daddy outside to look at Jupiter, which was bright in the sky next to the moon.  So they went outside to see it, then Daddy spent some time showing Hayden photos on the internet of various planets.  Now when we go outside at night, he wants to know where "Jupower" is   Gotta love Jupower!

And now not to leave out my sweet little Peach!  He has been unfortunately under the weather all week.  He spiked a mighty high fever on Sunday afternoon, and a visit to the doctor on Monday morning confirmed a little flu bug.  Poor little baby was just really sleepy and just wanted to lay in our arms all day and snuggle.  It was sweet and oh so sad!  Luckily his fever broke on Tuesday evening and it has been uphill ever since.  He's completely back to himself today.  And in other good news, he has finally mastered the roll, just in time for his 8 month birthday   His two little teeth are also growing in so quickly and he just is starting to outgrow his baby looks!  Why do they grow up so quickly??  He has started to really enjoy his voice and has all sorts of predictable babbles these days.  He regularly days both "da da da" and "ma ma ma".  Grammy is convinced that he is saying my name because he will often reach out for me while saying "ma ma ma".  Most likely it's a coincidence, but I'd love to imagine that he is saying my name!  In addition to rolling now, he also loves to stand up whenever he gets a chance.  The train table is fascinating to him and he likes to stand up against it and bang and eat trains.  And yes, he still LOVES to eat!  We are starting to experiment with some finger foods, which is a whole new adventure for us both.  It's fun to watch him try to lift up cheerios and little banana pieces with his chubby hands and get them into his mouth.  Most don't make it, but the learning process is thrilling!

Well that is all for now.  We are off this evening to attempt to sit on Santa's lap.  I have a feeling it might take several tries before we are successful!  It took three trips with the Easter bunny   I'll leave you with some photos of our weekend trip to see the Trains at Northpark.  What a totally awesome event for kids and parents alike.  Hayden kept saying "OH OH OH OH" and running in a million directions to follow the various trains.  So cool.  We might have to go back again before the holidays are over!

It snowed this morning in Dallas!  Woo hoo.  What a rare and exciting treat this was.  It started snowing heavy, fluffy flakes at about 7 am this morning, and while I usually cherish my alone time in the early morning, today I was very impatient for my little man to wake up!  Sure enough, he came out into the living room jibber jabbering away about how "it's not raining mommy, it's snowing!".  Very observant of him.  So we got our hat and boots and warm coat on and headed out with the dogs to play.  What fun!  Unfortunately the boots we have are more for show than for actually keeping the wet out, so he soon had cold feet and we moved back inside where we sat at the window in his room and watched it fall with his baby brother.  What a GREAT way to start the day!