Spring Break is over- Boo Hoo!

We had a nice Spring Break and are still in withdrawls- having to go back to school and work! It started out with us going to Albuquerque to find a place to live. We found a nice apartment just below the mountains in a real nice area. It reminds me of when I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah. I lived right below the mountains where there were rivers, hikes, trees, and many outdoor activities right in my backyard. This part of Albuquerque is similar.

Chris bought me one of my favorites: A Dairy Queen ice cream cake- with frosting that is my favorite color! It is so delicious! We have been enjoying it all week long!

We celebrated my birthday a little early in Albuquerque. We left Hadley for two nights with her regular babysitter. I called every day and night to check on her, and while her second night was rough and made me cry upon hearing that- she seemed to have gotten over it by the time we got back to Lubbock and picked her up.

Here she is while we were gone- playing with Buddy, their gigantic golden retriever. They are good friends. Well, Hadley thinks they are. I think Buddy is your typical friendly retriever. He is happy to get attention- even from a fur pulling and face mauling baby!

We picked her up Monday night, and she was happy to see us. She even held her arms out for me. She smiled at me and let me give her big hugs and kisses. Then she quickly reached back for Dawnelle, her babysitter. She didn't care that much about us. Great to know we were missed! At least she adjusts well with others.

Tell me, doesn't she look like a doll in the whole get up that I made her? It is too bad that it is almost too small now, even though it does look cute hugging her fat little belly. I think she will only gte a few more uses out if it!

In Albuquerque we had my birthday dinner at one of our favorite restraunts...Tucanos! There happen to be only four of these choice eateries in the U.S. Two of which are in Utah and one in Idaho. It is the best Brazillian diner, and my favorite item is the grilled pineapple. And the beef tender. And the beef top sirloin. And the beef sirloin tip. Oh, and the grilled vegetables! You get the idea. This place reminds me how depressing it would be to be a vegetarian (sorry to my little sis, Alyssa. You are truly deprived, but you do it to yourself. I pity you none. Okay, I pity you a little).

We also had a nice big breakfast one morning, and a pure New Mexican meal (didn't know there was such a thing) with some of Chris' future partners.

Over Spring Break we discovered that Hadley enjoys the piano! We brought my keyboard to ground level for her during one of her fussy periods in desperation. It kept her attention for about 20 minutes. We also discovered she is a little greedy. Chris tried to play it with her and she kept grabbing his hand and moving it off the keyboard. She didn't want to share.

We got home from Albuquerque, and I had one last game of soccer to coach, which my girls won! They only lost one game the whole season (although they did tie a few also). Hadley and I hung out a ton. She did spoil the last two days of the break by being horribly grumpy, but she has almost erased it from my memory by being a peach these last two days!

So, this picure is pretty funny. I am a bit embarassed. I was changing Hadley and she squirmed away from me and I let her crawl without the diaper (she loves it!) and she pulled up on her activity table and immediately peed on the floor. I had a mess to clean and no one to blame but myself. It is just so funny to see her so excited about being in the nude for a few minutes!

Over the break we also went to the park. Hadley doesn't care that much yet, but being outside improves her mood, and I enjoy it as well. I took her out in the jogging stroller and got a run in. She doesn't look particularly happy in the picture, but it is just becuase she was concentrating on the chalk in her hand. I showed her how to write with it and she liked scribbling on the ground. This must be innate to children because I have seen her trying to draw on the walls with a capped marker. Where has she picked that up from?

We also went shopping some over the break because Hadley LOVES riding in the shopping cart, so we get some grocery shopping in and a few other stores. We had fun going to lunch just the two of us and then walking around the mall. Spring Break did spoil me, though, because I am now more antsy than ever to have my summer here and spend a ton of time with my Hadley!

So, overall, a very low key Spring Break. I usually go to Dallas or to California, but it was nice to stay at home this time and get to spend quality time with my husband and baby!

I LOVE MARCH!

I love the month of March, even if so far it hasn't treated me the best. I love March because...

-the weather starts to get better

-it is my birthday month

-SPRING BREAK!

-it means summer is getting closer

-my coaching duties end (I love coaching, but it also means I will get my Saturdays and evenings back)

The weather has been getting better for us here, but there must be something in the air that disagrees with me. My eyes are so itchy and I have been fighting a cold now for the last week. I usually don't have allergy problems except with cats, but lately I have been somewhat of a mess. And now I have given it to Chris. Yikes! I hope he gets over it sooner than I.

As for Hadley, she is staying healthy, but she has been a handful herself. In the last few days she has times where she is playing and happy, and then she turns. She screams and throws a big nasty fit. She can turn from nice to not so nice in an instant! My friend today told me, "It is amazing how sassy they get at such a young age." She sure said it! Wow! Not even a year and such attitude! Makes me nervous for what it to come. But then just when we have had it she gives a huge beautiful smile and you can't help but adore her! I actually wonder if all these mood changes have to do with her teeth. Her 8th one just came in.

Hadley is almost 11 months. We go for her check-up in just a few days. Her likes and dislikes are very defined. Hadley still loves her pacifier. When she is too noisy in chuch or making nasty noises at home we can pop it in and it often takes care of it! She loves to stand. She can pull up on anything, and just balance for quite a while. On Friday she even took a small little step while I was playing with her during my lunch break. She hasn't done it sense, but it may come again pretty soon. Playing under the chair. She got in there, but then seemed confused on what she was doing.

She loves buttons right now. I have a bunch for my sewing projects that are still attached to the packages, and she gets them out and throws them all over the living room floor. She is also very ticklish and laughs so much when we get her on the neck, thighs and above the knees. Oh, and in the armpits, too!

Can you see all the buttons strewn about in the background?

She is so playful! She is not afraid of much, either! She enjoys being thrown on the bed, in the air, and she never is afraid to fall down when she stands. She claps her hands all the time now, too.

Hadley says "da-da" and "ba-ba" and knows what they mean. No "ma-ma" really, though. She does love her dad, though. They have so much fun playing together! She really is usually pretty happy. She loves to play, crawl under furniture, and walk around anything she can hold on to. She is really becoming less of a babyand more of a little girl, now.

Speaking about playing, we took her to the park again Friday. It was such a wonderful day outside we just had to get out! We put on the sunscreen and walked to the nearest one. Hadley rode on Chris' shoulders. She still doesn't care much about the park, though. She sort of smiled when I went down the slide with her, and she wouldn't climb up the little stairs. She did seem to like swinging with me, though. You can't tell in the pictures much, because the sun was usually in her eyes.

All in all, life is good with us. We are going to Albuquerque over the break to see some apartments and maybe houses. We have resigned ourselves to the fact that we will probably not be buying right off. So we hope we can find a suitable apartment. I included a few pictures of Hadley the last time in Albuquerque. Trapped in the hotel. We tried to get her to calm down by putting her in the playpen there. But she still had fun playing in there.

Chop, Chop

I did it. I cut my hair. After arriving back from New Mexico on Monday I went to the salon and told them to take it off. I am enjoying it! I don't have any pictures yet of the finished product. It is so short now that it doesn't quite all fit in a pony tail. Maybe that will force me to be more girly- hmmmm.

We went to New Mexico to house hunt. Saw some good things. But none are really attainable for numerous reasons. We hope some more options come up soon. It was not fun to have Hadley in a hotel. I think she was confused. Below is a picture of her chillin' in her seat during the drive. She was pretty good. It was because of me that Chris had to pull over a bunch (I got sick).

We would have liked to go over the weekend intead of a Sunday/Monday, but I had to coach a soccer game in Odessa (2 hours away). My girls won. At a cost. We lost our keeper to a broken wrist. Yep, she got pushed, landed, and after the game I spoke to her mom on the phone. I sent her home with another parent and found out hours later that she broke her wrist. I felt so bad!

The wrist. Now that does NOT look normal- does it?

Below are just a few pictures of what Hadley did while I was coaching. Chris took her to the park for the first time. And he did laundry. Hadley loves the laundry. We dump the warm laundry on her and she sits in the big pile. She tries to put everything over her head and then she plays with the bakset. She loves it when he put her in it. Or over her. I think she plays with it longer than her 'real' toys. And yes, that is my sock in her mouth. She loves to eat socks. She has no preference as to whose sock. She just loves to eat them. Her's are so wet at times that you could really wring them out!

The Many Faces of Hadley

Wow! We have been so busy! We are trying hard to secure a loan so we can get a house in New Mexico. We plan on going out there this weekend to look at some that are 'on the list.' It is tough to do this when it is all taking place in another state.

We both have a bad case of...well, I don't know what to call it. It is not laziness. We are working so hard. Every weekend I go out of town with the high school soccer teams to coach. Out of town here means at least a two hour each way travel distance. Chris is studying hard and doing many projects. It is like senioritis, when you are graduation and just are not motivated, but you have to drag your feet and do it anyways. We don't want to wish time away- not in the least. But we are anxious (and that word doesn't even adequately describe how we feel) to start this new life. And of course, still a little sad to be leaving Texas and the wonderful things that are here. I am so excited to be the one to take care of my own baby though and teach her more things.

So, new things with us...Chris is often Hadley's best friend, caring for her every need and playing a ton with her. He taught her to clap and loves to pretend to throw her on the bed and pick her up upside down. It is so fun to hear her squeal. Luckily he has been healthy, and Hadley, too.

Me- I have been fighting a sinus infection. I think I have officially won, now. I also am in the process of an unexpected root canal, therapy for a slightly torn ligament in the knee, just to name a few things. Crazy busy, and still trying to play soccer myself on a few teams.

Hadley is the highlight of everything in our lives. I leave the house with her on my mind, and spend every minute away counting down the hours until I can be back with her and Chris again. She can pull herself up on ANYTHING now. And she loves to let go and just balance standing. She is never afraid to land on her well padded bum. We have yet to see her try to take steps. For now she likes to just balance. She thinks standing up on the chairs/pews at church is the greatest. And since the people behind her think it is so cute, she squeals and acts like even more of a ham. She thinks unpacking her diaper bag and pulling CD's out of the shelves is the most fun thing ever. And she loves to eat real food. So far her favorite is Shepard's Pie- a big combination of meat, potatoes and veggies. She smears it all over and almost inhales it! She likes to eat pasta, too. She wont really use a sippie cup, but she loves to use a straw in a cup. She drinks so much she starts to choke, but she always comes back for more. The other day she drank so much that in about an hour and a half she completely peed through an outfit- something she hasn't done in...well, I can't even remember!

She has seven teeth now, and when she gets over excited she tries to bite! We have been working on letting her know that that is NOT OK! We have had such a blast with all the funny things she does. Our friends who help us watch her taught her the fish face. Chris got some GREAT shots of her doing this! He also got a few ones of her trying to dress herself (or rather- eating her clothes while she was trying to put them over her head).

Well, I know this blog really has overdone it on the Hadley updates, but to me it is so exciting! It is funny, though, how it all seems to original, yet my friends who have babies around the same age are doing about the same things. Oh well, it is still exciting.

Wish us luck this weekend as we try to find a house! I will post pictures when we find one!

Photo Session!

I just got some new pictures taken of Hadley. So much has changed with her since my last post and since her last pictures (at 6 mo.)! Actually, a lot has changed with our little family! As I write, Chris is in New Mexico with a realtor! We are able to buy a home and get the first-time home buyers $8,000 rebate. So he is checking out some areas and a few houses. We are planning on going out there together over Spring Break. And I just keep thinking that in about 4 months we will be moving into our own home!

This place (portrait innovations) took such great photos and I was so happy with everything! They captured so many great shots. Hadley was really happy because I took her right after she woke up and ate. That is her happiest time!

Is every mom as enamored of their child as I am? Everyone still claims that she looks just like Chris.

So, this weekend has been a great one- despite Chris being gone and us missing him! Schools were shut down on Friday and classes cancelled because of this great snow storm! I haven't seen snow like this since Utah. Lubbock actually looked beautiful! The ponds are refilled and the trees looked amazing cloaked in ice! It was so majestic! I snapped a few pictures on my phone. Lubbock is not used to things like this so school was cancelled. Then on Saturday the soccer games were cancelled. Hadley and I have just hung out and it has been so wonderful to just take care of her. She stands up now on her own and walks slowly around things. The other day I was putting her down for a nap and she kept fussing in her crib. We just let it go for a while and I ignored her, but after a while I decided to open the door and check. She was standing up (this was the first time she had pulled herself up in her crib). Apparently she was trying to get our attention- she was so proud of herself. Her little accomplishments like this are so exciting and I love to see how she is so proud of her little achievements! We made a big deal of her standing in her crib and clapped and it made her squeal with delight! It is so fun!

I didn't have any plans to do any Valentine's Day shots, but the photographer came up with this one and since it is so close to Valentine's Day I just thought it was so perfect! And yes, I am waiting for the day when Hadley can wear bows clipped into her hair instead of these headbands that she lately tries to rip of and destroy. That's my angel!

Christmas Vacation Pictures

This post is mostly just pictures. There are so many fun ones that we took this Christmas season! It is tough to capture a shot where all the children in a picture are smiling- or even just looking at the camera.


This picture has nothing to do with Christmas. I just thought it was too cute not to post! We know that we are sooo blessed with our little angel (no longer so little- she is getting quite chubby! All this late night snacking)!

Future Best Friends! I love seeing Ashley, one of my best friends in the world when I go home! Her baby, Natalie, was born just about a week after Hadley. The babies really seemed to like eachother. Last time they were just a few months old and Hadley kept trying to eat Natalie.

Chris and a sleepy "Little Santa" on Christmas Eve!

Our first Christmas as a little family!

Hadley didn't cry with Santa! We went to Bass Pro Shops in Colorado. The line was not long, the people were nice, they print out a free photo for you and let you take your own- all for FREE! I was astonished to find out that the malls all charge outrageous fees for you to take your own photo with Santa. Didn't seem so 'Christmasey' to me. Love you Bass Pro Shops!

Saige (on Chris' side) is Hadley's closest cousin in age. They live in Colorado and we were so excited for the girls to meet. They are quite different, and it is funny how obvious it is at such a young age. Hadley is NOT shy at all, while Saige takes some time to warm up to people. They did get used to eachother and had fun playing with eachother's toys. We were hoping Hadley would watch Saige crawl (she is an expert- she is fast!) and get the idea, but nope!

I love this picture! My sweet grandpa is 95, and we had fun posing the great-grandkids with him. He read us the Christmas story on Christmas Eve.

This was take on Christmas Eve. Okay- so the picture looks a little forced. There were distractions!

I wish I had some better photos of the three cousins in their matching outfits that I made them! They were getting sick of the photo taking and the new baby slept through everything anyways.

Hadley is here with my Grandma and Grandpa (my mother's parents). I love my grandparent's enthusiasm for each of the great-grandchildren. It was fun to see them with my 2 week old niece as well!
My folks with their grandchildren. Three grand-daughters: Keiya age 4 1/2, Hadley 8 mo. and Niyah 2 1/2 weeks. Hadley is trying to pull Keiya's hair. She loves to pull hair- good thing I have a tough head!

Cousins! Keiya and Hadley in their matching Christmas dresses! Keiya really is the best big cousin!

This photo has a story behind it. Christmas Day my brother, Jeff and Chris decided to fix up an old school Nintendo set and play with it. They got it working and spent the afternoon playing old games like Super Mario Brothers 3 and Contra. Do you remember those? They were so excited. My favorite thing about this photo? On the right is Hadley, as entranced and the two grown Nintendo-geeks!

Hadley and Keiya here in their jammies that I made them for Christmas. Hadley looks worried- it must have been early in the morning! Hadley is not really a morning person.

Hadley and Chayce, the little daughter of my friend who watches Hadley for us. I made them matching outfits.

We acknowledge our Lord and Savior for all our blessings and for the gift of our baby, family and friends! Most of all, we are grateful for the gift of the Savior and His sacrifice!