Snuffleupigus

Hayden has caught a cold. He has had a rough couple of nights...which means, of course, that Shane and I have had a rough couple of nights. Being sick has, however, made him appreciate the swing that up until now has only been a cause of upset. I think being able to sit upright a little and the constant movement has helped him breathe and relax enough to sleep.

He has had a few happy play times between the more frequent and much shorter naps. Even though he is unwell, soaring high in the air above our heads seems to always put a smile on his face...and a dollop of snot on Shane or my forehead!! Ahhhhh, the things we do for a happy baby!

These pictures were taken last night after a bath but before bed. His grip and hand-to-mouth co-ordination has improved so much. He is able to see what he wants, reach for it, grab it and bring it to his mouth where is gets a well-deserved slobbering.

Lots Of Fresh Air

Shane replaced our front door today...Hayden was able to sleep through some of the banging and drilling; however, he woke up at 3pm after a 40 minute nap. He was not necessarily happy about being awake, but he tolerated it pretty well.

Hayden and I spent most of the afternoon playing in the front garden in the sunshine with Boone and Cookie (my friend Vanessa's dog). Hayden has got to the point where he likes to be held high in the air as if he were an aeroplane. He giggles - it is so much fun!!

Boone and Cookie took one of our pumpkins hostage and seeing Shane and I do not negotiate with terrorists, we lost a good one. The white pumpkin became puppy chow.

Pumpkin Patch

Shane and I took Hayden over to a Pumpkin Patch in Fall River today; however, Hayden was ready for a nap and was not willing to oblige with the photo opportunity we had given him. So, we had to wait until he had a little sleep and then we took some pictures of him, with our new pumpkins, in the front garden. These pictures turned out a lot better!

A Superhero Day

Well, it has been a mixed bag week. Hayden had a rough day on Tuesday (the day after his vaccinations). He had a fever and had very little appetite as well as being a little on the fussy side. At one point, Shane and I were debating taking him to the hospital; but, we stayed home and alternated the Motrin and the Tylenol. That seemed to do the trick. By Wednesday morning he was much better and he stayed home with Kaila while I went to work. He had a great day with Kaila. Kaila said she read to him from a book she has been reading and when she stopped, he talked and talked and talked. In fact, he talked so much that he talked himself to sleep!!

He went to work with me yesterday and today. I took his jump-jump to work with me and it is hard to tell who had more fun...Hayden in his jump-jump with so much to look at or the women of the office watching Hayden! It kept everyone occupied.

I have attached five pictures to this posting. The top four were taken today while Hayden was in his car seat before we left to go to work...Hayden was sporting his superhero attire. The last picture was taken June 21st when Hayden was just three weeks old. I attached it as a comparison picture so you can all see how much he has grown in his 4.5 months!!

Second Round Of Shots

Hayden had his 4-month doctor check-up yesterday. He is in the 50th-percentile for both his weight and height. He measured in at 25" (he has grown 5" since he was born on June 1st) and weighs 15lbs (more than double his birth weight). He does not weight as much as I anticipated; but, he is certainly big enough!

He was very good during the appointment and tested his amazing grip on the roll of paper the doctor's office had over the bed...he just kept pulling and pulling and pulling paper off of the roll. The nurse said she hasn't seen such a grip on a baby this age!! The shots were not as traumatizing as the last lot (for me, at least)...Hayden still cried and screamed, but I did a lot better!! Hayden slept the remainder of the afternoon away and had another dose of Tylenol before going to bed last night.

As you can see from these pictures, he is starting to figure out how to get up onto his knees when laying on his belly. He can move himself backwards and, without realizing it, he can 'scootch' himself around. Early signs of crawling already!!

Boy In Camo

Sunday morning playing in the sunshine.

Hayden woke up about 4 times during the night last night; but, when he woke up at 8am, he woke up happy. He and I played for an hour and a half before he went back down for a nap.

This Week...

...sorry I have not published anything all week...batteries died on the camera and I just have not had the time and/or energy to publish anything. Hayden has had a week where his night-time sleeping patterns have been messed up. He has started waking up between two and four times a night. In fact, on Thursday night, we was up every two hours - just like he was when he was a newborn. As a result of this, and the fact that when he is up every two hours...so are we, I took Friday off of work. Thankfully my work is very understanding and allows me to be flexible with my time - thank you McArthur Farm Supply!!

Well, Fall/Autumn has finally arrived. It did not get above 50 degrees Fahrenheit today (brrrrrrrrr!) and it was windy. We have the wood stove cooking every night for the past four nights and the leaves have started to fall from the trees. The colors are beginning to get spectacular and I hope to get some pictures of them this year before it is too late. Wish us luck...tonight it is supposed to get down to 22 degrees Fahrenheit!! - Let's hope we don't have a baby popsicle in the morning!!

Miss Kaila

Here is a great picture of Hayden with his babysitter, Kaila. She is absolutely wonderful.

Kaila took this picture herself and it turned out so great, I had to put it on the blog.

Booster Seat

Nana and Grandpa Compton bought Hayden a brand new booster seat so he can sit at the table with Shane and I when we have dinner. Tonight was his first time in the seat and it seemed to go well. He played happily for a whole 15 minutes while Shane and I ate...the parrot is a particular favorite!

Today was a nice day. Hayden and I went on a walk with Boone this evening before it got dark. I put Hayden in his Snugli and he fell asleep for about 20 minutes of the hour we were out. It was nice to stretch my legs and let Hayden get some fresh air. Hopefully it will help him sleep well tonight.

First Time In His Jump-Jump

Hayden had his first experience of the jump-jump this evening. He seemed to have a good time despite being very tired. He was able to turn himself around 360 degrees as well as jump up and down. He was happy to play for 20 minutes before "asking" to get out.

He has had a good week. He spent Tuesday and Wednesday home with Kaila and then came to work with me yesterday and today. He slept well at work and was very social. He actually spent an hour and a half with Alene and Kaila at the front counter greeting customers and playing host. He talked a lot and smiled frequently with everyone that came in...at this rate, he is going to grow up to be quite the social butterfly!!

Hayden Is Four Months Old!!

It is hard to believe that Hayden is already 4 months old. He gave me a great photo shoot this evening while he played with his toys on our bed. It was hard to chose what photos to put on the blog...which is why I have put on so many! I hope you like them as much as I do!

Hayden has spent the past two days home with Kaila, his babysitter, while I go to work. While it is hard to leave him behind, it has been nice to go to work and be able to concentrate fully on my work. It is lovely to have a babysitter that I trust completely and, therefore, do not have to spend energy worrying about Hayden's well-being. Having Kaila allows Hayden to spend more time at home, playing and going for walks, and less time in the office. It works out for both of us. We are grateful to Kaila for being willing to come in and take such great care of Hayden!

More Pictures From Hayden's 4 Month Birthday