2 Years of Hayden

Oh My Soul!  Can you believe it has been two years since Hayden was born?  The collective “they” are correct when they say time passes more quickly once you have kids.  Time is flying!  Tap the brakes please.

We visited Dr. S. this past Monday and he just confirmed what we already knew…Hayden is fabulous.  She had a wonderful 2 year well check.  We had talked about seeing the doctor the day before.  She could tell us all the things he was going to do…look in her eyes, ears, nose, mouth, etc. I was prepared for melt down Hayden to show up, but she was very calm during the whole thing.  I was so proud of her!

Hayden has headed up the growth charts…finally!  Weight-25 lbs. (27th %), height-33 inches (50th %), and head circumference-(55th %). Glad that we aren’t lying to her about all the vitamins, fruits and veggies she eats—they do make her big and strong.

A few highlights:

Talking.  It never stops.  We call her our little narrator.  If you aren’t sure what’s going on around you just wait 5 seconds and Hayden will tell you… “Lauren is crying, Mommy go get Lauren.” “Daddy is eating _____, me eating _____too!” “I’m _____(insert verb: walking, bouncing, spinning, etc.)!”

She is also very into “me too!”  Anything we say to or about Lauren needs also be said to or about H.  If Lauren has the hiccups or sneezes so does H. If we say “bless you” to Lauren, Hayden says, “me too!” We’ve just gotten to the point where we automatically say, “and you too Hayden.”  Saves a few steps.

Sleeping.  Hayden is still a knock out night sleeper usually going from 7/7:30 pm to 7/7:30 am.  Her nap on the other hand has been abysmal since about 17 months old.  The doctor assures us that she is too young not to nap during the day, but she seems not to care what he thinks. I’m not giving up on it yet.  We are currently trouble shooting.  Will report more on this later.

Eating.  Hayden is a great eater.  She loves quesadillas, milk, cake and cheese.  She eats peas, green beans, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes and pretty much all fruit. Hayden and Bryan still enjoy the breakfast of champions together each morning…oatmeal with blueberries, banana and milk. They are such creatures of habit. (I usually enjoy a Pepsi.)

Playing. Hayden still likes to be wherever you are during the day so she will drag some toys around, but often plays with whatever is handy.  She continues to need/love her Curious George doll and her rainbow blankie. Lately she is very into puzzles, books and her Little People toys.

Learning.  I still haven’t started much structured learning time, but we are enjoying lots of learning through play.  She likes to sing about the days of the week, the ABCs, and the numbers.  Her vocabulary continues to amaze us as she points things out and either names them or asks what they are.  She loves to read books and I hope that sticks!

Sister. Hayden is a wonderful big sister.  She loves to kiss Lauren and show her things and tell her about her toys.  She likes to bring Lauren things and put them in Lauren’s chair or swing—we call this sharing.  Hayden is relatively patient with me if Lauren needs attention as long as she can be where we are.  Bryan and I look forward to seeing them grow into friends.

Hayden’s Favorites: color-purple, person-Daddy, song-Jesus Loves Me, number-2, food-cake, fast food-Chick-Fil-A, TV show-Blue’s Clues.

Year two was filled with many challenges, but even more growth and fun.  We Love You Hayden!Lord, thank you for Hayden. We love her so much.  Please help us parent with wisdom and patience during this upcoming year. Please help our big girl continue developing a strong, healthy body, a sweet, sweet spirit and a heart for You and others. Amen

(please leave all potty training suggestions in the comments section below :)