Dear Hayden Kate,

This first year of yours keeps flying by. Here we are in the middle of May. Although I’m disappointed that this update is so late, it’s always fun for me to sift through pictures after some time has passed to see how you’ve grown and changed.

These updates are bittersweet for me. The sweetness floods in with those bright blue eyes, more and more teeth in your big, open mouth smile and milestones like pulling yourself up, which you mastered this month. And then, of course, the bitter part of it all is that my little baby is growing up. Less nursing, getting around on your own and feeding yourself are all things that we celebrate with you, but also make me long for those newborn days of complete reliance on your mama (and daddy, too!).

As you practiced your new ability to stand up, you also experienced lots of falls. You almost gave yourself a black eye one day!

In addition to that contagious smile and laugh of yours, you’ve been learning how to make lots of new sounds. Some we’re not too fond of: a squishy face paired with a nasally whine. And some we love to hear over and over and over: “buh buh buh buh” or “ma ma ma ma” or “da da da da” or a low “hiiii” with a wave.

Speaking of that daddy of yours…we replaced your night time feeding with reading a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible. In the quiet of your daddy’s arms, you are so peaceful and content. I just love watching you unwind as he reads to you.

We finally had some spring-like weather which got us out of the house and to the park. You LOVE riding in the wagon. You also like the swing for about five minutes and then you’re ready to get out. You’d love it if we’d let you eat the wood chips.

We took a road trip to North Carolina and you slept thru the entire over-night drive there. We fell into our typical routine while we were away, but loved exploring Charlotte, Davidson and Cornelius. We used our Ann Arbor Hand’s On Museum membership to get into Discovery Place, which you and Analiese enjoyed.

You were so loud as you crawled around freely to explore all of the different toys and activities.

There was a mini aquarium!

We visited a few nearby parks…

and got to spend lots of time with the bride-to-bed, Allie!

You met lots of extended family at all of the wedding related activities. I love seeing your unique personality begin to show. You can be quite shy, but we think it’s adorable how you hide your face away with a coy smile.

You really like all of your big sister’s toys, especially her dolls. Your favorite is the one that has eyes that open and close. You pick at those eyes over and over again!

You also started waving to people and when you hear keywords like “hi” and “bye”. You’re learning to be a little person with so many unique personality traits…we love them all!

Love, Mama (and Daddy)

Dear Hayden Kate,

You are all over the place these days, so I enlisted your Daddy’s help with this month’s photo shoot. You’re a big fan of being upside down. You even throw your head back to initiate it some times. Are you going to be the daring one in our family?

At nine months you weighed 18 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 29 inches long!

You certainly have gotten the hang of pulling yourself up. Your days are mostly made up of sleeping, eating, finding things to hold onto while you stand, and falling quite a bit.

You are generally a very happy baby. We are frequently asked if you’re always so smiley and the answer is yes. We love to see your smile and hear your laugh.

For some reason, your sister loves Taylor Swift’s “Red” and we all dance and sing along when it comes on. You’ve caught on to this pattern and bop along to it until it ends. So cute. So funny. So impressed that you recognize the song within seconds.

One thing that you have not enjoyed this month: getting your diaper or clothes changed. We all kind of dread it, but it has to be done quite a few times every day nonetheless.

You were extra clingy and cuddly for a few days as you adjusted to one less feeding. Your routine is a little different now so we have replaced your last feeding with a bed time story.

Daddy said that while he was reading to you and Analiese, you started stroking your hand through Analiese’s hair and giggled to yourself. You actually do this a lot–laugh to yourself. We think this is great and a peak into your personality.

You love to explore now that you have a different perspective. You especially love to sneak into Analiese’s room to play with her doll house. You’re kneeling when you play. And you like to clap your hands.

We spent a week in Cincinnati so that we could meet the Zayner twins! It was such a fun week with Nana, Poppa, Uncle Erik and Uncle Greg. We took you to church with us where I fed you pieces of cheese and other snacks the entire time. You were perfectly ok with this.

We took a trip to Ikea and had lots of lunch and dinner dates with Mama’s friends and their kiddos. It was so much fun to be all together.

We spent Easter back at home. You’re too little know this now, but Easter is a very special day to celebrate the death and new life of Jesus. We are so thankful for what He did for us and can’t wait to tell you more about Him.

We love you, dear!
Love, Mama (& Daddy)

Dear Hayden Kate,

First of all, I debated about using this picture (below) as your cover photo this month because you gravitate towards this rocking chair and it was a huge distraction while we were taking these pictures. It’s really a finger crunching hazard and gets me all worked up when Analiese is rocking back and forth and you crawl in its direction. But, it’s also the perfect height for you to pull your little self up on and you LOVE to do that these days.

A few weeks ago, when Nana was here and giving you and Analiese a bath, she said that you went from sitting to standing for a split second all in hopes of reaching some of the letters Analiese had stuck to the wall. The next day we lowered your crib because, sure enough, you had started to pull yourself up!

I think you are happiest when someone is holding you:

…you are with your sister (We love how you entertain each other. Your adoration and love for each other is so apparent.):

…or when someone (or something) is helping you stand up. You are wanting to bounce and stretch your legs whenever you get a chance. Your squeals of delight are so so happy. They make us all smile and thank God for the blessing that you are.

But before we get too ahead of ourselves with end-of-the-month accomplishments, let’s talk about how you started to crawl earlier in the month! You are on the move! And your favorite place to go is this basket of plastic bags we keep on hand for collecting recyclables. It’s funny how your sister had the same attraction to those bags.

We celebrated Analiese’s third birthday with Gigi and Grandpa. Gigi enjoyed feeding you lunch and they both marveled at how much you’ve grown since the last time they saw you.

We took a day trip to the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum and you had so much fun you didn’t even try to sleep during your normal nap time. We tried the Ergo and the stroller, but there was just so much to see! Of course, within seconds of driving home, you were out.

I love your knuckle dimples!

You started saying “dadadada…” a lot this month! You love your daddy and beeline to the door when he comes home from work.

We introduced your Lovie to you this month. We don’t have any pictures of you with it because we are trying to keep it as a “sleep only” comfort item. It manages to find its way to you during diaper changes and car rides, too, though. We just love how you bury your face in it whenever you are reunited. It serves as a signal to you that it’s bed time and you’re usually pretty happy about it. Other times, your naps are a bit of a struggle, but once asleep, you sleep well.

We took a road trip to Indiana to celebrate Daddy and Aunt Angie’s birthday towards the end of the month. You were content to be in the car as long as I stretched back to feed you pieces of cheese from the front seat.

We got to see Baba, Gigi, Grandpa, Uncle Ryan and Aunt Angie. You loved all of the attention and space to roam around.

You are a sweet little baby, Hayden Kate. Like most 8 month olds you just want to be loved, play when you’re awake and eat lots of yummy food.

Love, Mama (& Daddy)

This cake. One of my college roommates would bring these cakes to our house for various occasions. Her mom is an amazing baker and was even featured on their local news station. I am always so stressed out by televised cooking demonstrations. They are so rushed and I always feel so bad for the cook. But, Susie was great as always. Her cakes and other baked creations never disappoint. When I asked for the recipe years ago, I never imagined what a staple it would be in our house. It has become Analiese’s annual birthday cake and I hope that never changes. The icing, especially, is to die for. I thought I had all of the ingredients on hand, but I didn’t have plain cream cheese…only strawberry. So I gave it a whirl and it was still amazing. I added a few drops of pink food coloring to boost up the color.

Two of the seven rooms in the dollhouse were finished before we gave it to Analiese on her birthday. I adore the nursery. I used an assortment of scrap ribbons to make the banner. I debated on how to attach them to a string or twine and ultimately decided to thread a needle with embroidery thread and just hand sew them together. The bird cage “art” is actually a sample wallpaper from Anthropologie. Did you know that you can request samples for free? Now you do. Go request them! The furniture had been purchased for Analiese as a gift over the summer and I just spray painted it all white. This occurred in our garage during some of the coldest days in January. We put a space heater on for pretty much the whole day and I would sneak out for five minutes at a time to do each coat.

The “big people” room is really fun, too–mainly because that awesome little bed is in there. I made the quilt and pillows with scrap fabric and felt. The “light” is a knob from Hobby Lobby. The rug is a scrap of tweed fabric with the edges frayed. The photo of Hayden Kate and Analiese was printed as a photo, laminated, and hung on a little peg that I glued to the wall. The “flooring” is just a piece of laminated scrapbook paper.

The “office” and all of the other rooms are not nearly done yet, but Analiese seems to enjoy them just as well. The horse and deer “art”…Anthropologie wallpaper again.

Parker’s post-bathing ritual involves a lot of running back and forth and wiping himself all over the towels we lay on the ground. Analiese was enthralled with this whole ordeal and perched herself on the bed to get a good view of it all.

So, when we finally gave Analiese her doll house, she proceded to take every single item out of its assigned room and place it on the little ledge outside of the house. All that work and she just wants everything to be in a straight line on the floor. Awesome. Since then, we’ve brought some of her Duplo people and Calico Critters into the house and she’s getting the hang of the rooms. Sort of.

These two are such great playmates. I hope that they always make time to sprawl out on the floor at catch up on life, share secrets and dreams, pray, forgive, giggle…

Fresh flowers make a crummy day a little brighter. I have a sweet husband.

Analiese and I get to hang out for a few hours each morning when Hayden Kate takes her morning nap. Sometimes, we just take pictures of ourselves.

Our dear friend, Marcie, gave Analiese a set of three Minnie Mouse puzzles for her birthday and without any help, she put them all together. Little whiz kid, that one.

Along with a birthday comes a birthday party. And along with a birthday party comes a cute little ballerina craft for all of Analiese’s friends to decorate. What? That’s not a given? Well, unfortunately, the party and the craft have been put on hold. All of Analiese’s little girl friends were sick and so we rescheduled the party for April…which seems so far away, but the way we look at it…why not have a party in April!? Along with the balloons I have on hold at Party City and the cupcakes that are in the freezer, I will resurrect these little craft-stick ballerinas and Analiese’s girl friends will decorate their tutus with stickers.

Once the basement project was complete, we rearranged some rooms upstairs. We no longer dine in the dining area, so the awkward chandelier got replaced with this trellised one. I love it.

Uncle Ryan and Aunt Angie got Analiese a doctor’s kit for her birthday. She LOVES checking us all out. Her favorite thing (aside from listening to Hayden Kate’s bottom) is to look in our ears with whatever that tool is and saying, “Wax!”

Hayden Kate learned to crawl this month! She had been up on all fours for what seemed like weeks and weeks, shifting back and forth, back and forth. And then one day…she just got up and moved. It was so exciting! We really didn’t use a baby gate with Analiese at all. I was very intentional about keeping her away from the stairs in the kitchen and she soon enough avoided them on her own. But with two kids…I can’t guarantee I’ll have one eye on her at all times. And wouldn’t you know that she manages to find her way to those steps when I’m chopping veggies or washing dishes and I have .2 seconds to switch gears, swoop her up and avoid a bad accident. Up goes the baby gate.

At their last visit, Ross’s parents left a big pink box to be opened on Valentine’s Day. Lots of fun, girly, crafting goodies.

So, we invited a friend over to enjoy the box with us. Elyse and Analiese were born about a month apart. They have strikingly different personalities. But at the heart, they are very much alike in that they love having friends to play with and they love to make each other laugh. They also both have mamas who envy their kids’ stylish clothing. The crafting lasted for about three minutes. Elyse’s mom made a very nice Valentine.

The curse of a small kitchen (and dishwasher for that matter) is that this is what your counters look like when you make a meal that requires lots of dishes. I really don’t mind washing dishes. But the pile of drying dishes makes me a little coo-coo. I’m one of those people who almost always puts dishes away before I go to bed. The sink must be empty of dirty dishes, too.

Analiese can be so quirky some times. This used to be Ross’s rocking chair and Analiese loves to sit and rock in it. We will find her like this many times a day…just sitting and reading, legs crossed.

On this particular morning, Analiese slept in an hour and a half later than she usually does. Hayden Kate and I had the morning to ourselves to play on the rug quietly.

And then, one day I decided to give Analiese bangs. It was completely spur of the moment with zero planning. I just started cutting and she was ok with it. I think they’re really cute on her and everyone keeps saying how much older she looks…or that she looks like me. Which makes sense. I am quite a bit older than her.

I love watching her sleep. She’s just so peaceful, even with Analiese and her bedtime routine happening in the background.

Ross is the playful one of the two of us…by leaps and bounds. He often tells me, “I don’t know how you get anything else done when the girls are awake.” Well, my dear, you probably won’t find me on the floor with them the entire time. I love that he is, though. These girls love their daddy and the way he plays with them.

This was the beginning stages of the Pinterest Challenge.

And this was the after. I realize that we haven’t really shown off the basement since it was finished. In fact, the last post was about the carpet being installed. We’ve moved a lot of stuff down there, but we’re only now starting to decorate and put some finishing touches on it. One of these days we’ll get around to taking some pictures and writing another update on it.

This year was one of big changes for Analiese. When she turned two, I was a few months pregnant with Hayden Kate. I knew that our lives would be quite different in a few months and wanted to treasure the remaining time I had with just her. She knew there was a baby in my belly, but remained completely unaware of what that meant for her. I’m still in awe of her graceful transition to being a sister.

She has proven to be an amazing big sister–loving, kind, gentle, inclusive, compassionate. Although we have our share of tough, stubborn, impatient days (she and I both), her easy love for her sister (and others) challenges me to be the loving, kind, gentle, inclusive, compassionate example I want to be for her.

In our last few months as a family of three, I remember our quiet, slow mornings. Looking back, it seems like I was just starting to get the hang of mommy-hood. We had found our rhythm and we enjoyed it together. We ran many errands together, took walks to the nearby park, and enjoyed the summer concerts with friends more than we ever had in years past. Her love for music and dancing began here and took off this year. She’s become a big fan of dancing and jumping and her requests to “dance with me!” are impossible to refuse.

Soon after her second birthday, I declared it time to potty train. She was ready, but it took the combination of my stubborn ideas and Ross’s patient demeanor to be successful. Even at such a young age, I sensed her desire to accomplish this feat. She was determined. Months before her third birthday she was completely diaper free and we transferred her remaining diapers to Hayden Kate’s room.

I am so proud of the little girl she is becoming. She has a contagious laugh, creative imagination (oh, how I adore listening to her pretend play with her dolls and other toys!), and impresses me daily with how smart she is and the information she retains. She’s got a memory like a steal trap!

She loves time to play with her friends, but at times, prefers sitting with other adults, listening and participating in conversation. She giggles when she hears others laugh without really knowing what’s so funny. She just wants to be a part of whatever it is.

My baby is 3. Three years old. I still can’t get over it. I suppose I’ll say the same thing each and every year after this one. Maybe one of these days I’ll accept the fact that I can’t make her stop growing. Each day, the Lord asks me to let her go just a little more. Grow more. Explore more. Ask more. Trust more. She is His more than she is mine. That can be so hard to accept, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Even so, I hope she always fits on my lap and wants to hold my hand at dinner.

I’ve had this rustic wooden tray that I love (from a local home decor boutique in Indiana) for a while. It’s made its way around multiple rooms in our house, but with its curvy features (which add such character to a pretty basic wooden tray), it’s not very functional. It’s really meant as a strictly decorative piece. Unfortunately, when you have a small home, every inch must have some sort of functionality to it. Or at least that’s how I feel about it.

So, rather than have her (yes, she’s a curvy she) sit on a dresser or table somewhere not living up to its potential, I decided to hang ‘er up! But first, she needed a little pick me up in the form of some typography and paint.

I’ve seen loads of DIY painted signs floating through Pinterest:

{ Simply Klassic Home }

{ The Simple Standard }

{ House Tweaking }

Ross recently said that he’d like to see more scripture around the house and so I decided to paint the fruit of the spirit onto my wooden tray.

My first attempt at creating a template to trace completely failed because there is already a finish on the wood. So, after creating a design in InDesign, flipping it so it printed backwards, printing it, and painting over the back of the first word with water, I realized I had to come up with a different method. The ink just sat on top of the wood without soaking through at all.

Plan B. I always knew my Silhouette Cameo would be an option, but it would take a little more patience (ha…fruit of the spirit reference) and time. I used the same design from InDesign and just imported it into my Silhouette program, used the tracing tool, and sent it through the machine.

Once the letters were cut, I cut the paper in strips to make it a little easier to align the words on the curved wood and attached each word to the wood with tape.

And then I did some tracing:

The most time consuming part of the project was painting the letters. I just used some left over white interior paint and a small paint brush. And soon after the paint was dry, I lightly sanded over it to give it an aged look. I like to think she aged as gracefully as Helen Hunt. (Seriously, there are like zero wrinkles.)

Oh look! There’s another Pinterest-inspired project in the background!

My baby model would now like to show you how we hung it on the wall:

I am obsessed with these Command Picture Hanging Strips. No mess, no holes, no commitment. (What would Katie Bower cleverly say here?)

I’m joining the link party at YHL and Bower Power! So many great projects happened this week.

Early last year I shared the books that I read in 2011. Since there was such a great response (1 comment, thanks Dan!), I figured that you all would want me to share what I read in 2012.

Books

The list happens to be shorter this year, but my reading time was reduced with good reason – finishing a basement remodel and a 33 percent family population increase. Another reason for the decrease in the number of books was the length of Heaven and complexity of The Mortification of Sin. So, here are the books that I read in 2012.

1. All of Grace by CH Spurgeon
2. Mobile First by Luke Wroblewski
3. The Mortification of Sin by John Owen
4. Adaptive Web Design by Aaron Gustafson
5. Bringing the Gospel Home by Randy Newman
6. Design is a Job by Mike Monteiro
7. Take Care How You Listen by John Piper
8. Heaven by Randy Alcorn (spent most of January 2013 finishing this one up.)

Audiobooks

New this time around here are the audiobooks that I listened to throughout the year. While I listen to a lot of podcasts, I might try switching it up in 2013 and listening to more books.

1. Orthodoxy by GK Chesterton (maybe pre-2012)
2. New Testament (ESV)
3. Desiring God by John Piper

Articles

Am I going to list every article that I read in 2012? No, but early in the year, I did get into the routine of saving miscellaneous articles that I read and thought were interesting into Evernote. So, I’ve thrown all of these into a shared Reading 2012 notebook. You’ll find a similar topical mix represented in the books above and the articles here. And for the articles, I need to get better clipping random things that I read as opposed to only the stuff coming through my feed reader.

If you have questions, comments, or recommended reading for 2013, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Here’s what we were up to in January:

This was my new year’s day attire for most of the day. We loved having Ross home for an extended period over the holidays. We were lazy as much as we could be.

Sometimes Analiese gets really sweaty during her naps and the only reasonable solution is to pull her sweaty hair on top of her head. She prefers low ponytails and reminds me every time I do her hair, but there’s something so petite and cute about a little bun way up top.

Oh how I love love love the last feeding of the day. We are both ready for some quiet snuggle time and it’s not uncommon for her to doze off. Sometimes I wake her before I lay her down in her crib, but other times, I just can’t do it. I don’t want to.

This little girl was so excited to go to her friend, Mercy’s, first birthday party. She got dressed up and had such a good time. She left with a balloon. Always a sign of a time well had.

In early January, Hayden Kate was spending a lot of time in the exersaucer. Analiese, being the helper that she is, would pile as many toys as she could find on top of her. She was never at a loss of what to do. We’ve since retired the exersaucer, but Analiese remains as Hayden Kate’s personal toy assistant.

I can’t believe we started this project in early January and got it done in time for Analiese’s birthday. It was a really fun project that I’m so glad we did for her. Compared to the basement renovation, this was a piece of cake! (And it’s more decorated than our basement is.)

We visited the doctor for Hayden Kate’s six month appointment. Bottom line: she’s a big girl. She also loved the paper and entertained herself for a long time while we waited for the doctor.

The Chasey side of the family was not a fan of the girls’ Halloween costumes this year (UofM and Michigan State cheerleaders) so they equipped the girls with the proper spirit wear. We “cheered on” the Fighting Irish at the championship game by wearing the gear to Meijer. :)

Every trip to Target includes an obligatory perusing of the dollar bins. I love this wrapping paper! At first, I thought I would use it as wallpaper for the dollhouse, but decided to go a different route with that. Instead, this pretty paper awaits the proper gift.

Little Miss HK is teething and her favorite chew toy has been this little stuffed flower that belonged to her sister when she was a baby. The stem is perfect for gnawing on.

Analiese on the other hand is all about the lights and sound toys. This symphony toy be B. (at Target) is really great. You can choose up to six instruments to set on the “stage” and they play the song. Then you switch out the instruments to hear it in a different way. The song repeats itself over and over again (to allow time to switch out the instruments), but Analiese just lets it play for SO long in the background of whatever else she is doing.

One day Ross let me go out by. my. self. to a few stores to get decorating goodies for the dollhouse. So many great finds. I couldn’t wait to have time to put it all together.

The first step, though, was to install the wallpaper. We did this a little differently than the tutorial we were following and are really pleased with the seamless results. Also, I love the paper I found. It’s just scrapbook paper from a scrapbook store.

While visiting Ross’s family over Christmas, we started season 1 of Downton Abbey (thanks, Angie!) and loved it. So, we borrowed the dvd’s and watched all of them in time to start watching season 3. We had to watch a few episodes online, but are now fans of watching it live on Sunday nights. It’s the only show we watch on the tv versus Hulu or Amazon Prime.

I’m always trying to think of creative ways to keep Analiese entertained. She really likes to be creative, but I also don’t mind there being an educational aspect. I think I had seen something similar to Pinterest, but they used q-tips. My girl just loves an opportunity to use paint brushes, so I let her have at it. She’s really getting good at her letters!

My brother, Erik, is in two bands. He plays the drums and he’s really really good. Ross and I decided we’d go see him play one night at a bar in downtown Cincinnati. We had to ask for tips on how to not stand out. Totally not our scene, but we had so much fun…even if we called it a night after one set. If sleeping in the next morning was an option, we would have stayed out later.

There are a few things to note about this picture: 1. the cute Hello Kitty dolls from Uncle Greg 2. the adorable Matilda Jane dress–love the hood tail! 3. my little girl keeps doing things that seem so grown up. I just love her movie-watching position.

We celebrated her third birthday a little early with my family in Ohio. I had suggested “anything My Little Pony” without realizing that everything My Little Pony is wedding related. I’m not sure if that’s a seasonal thing they change or what, but I hope there are other story lines the creators of these ponies can think of. Why do little girls need to be inundated with wedding stories? We watched a dvd that my mom (innocently) bought without knowing the theme and it was filled with teenage drama. We didn’t finish it. We were all so disappointed and kind of disgusted by it.

Ice cream cake is not disgusting. It’s delicious.

We miss this family SO much and wish we were closer. Thankfully, our time in Ohio allowed us to spend a lot of time with them. We caught them on our way home at Chick-fil-a one last time. We were so happy to finally eat some chicken because we typically head home on Sunday and they are closed. We drove home on a Monday this time and just missed a sudden, blinding snow storm that caused a 50-car pile-up on the interstate. I don’t think anyone was badly injured, thankfully, but it was scary to drive by.

One of my furnishings for the dollhouse: a mini bed made from a gift box, some pleated trim, stuffing and a piece of fabric.

One of my friends told me about Trader Joe’s frozen crushed garlic cubes. Amazing. So handy.

I did some rearranging one day. I moved two wing back chairs downstairs and brought our swedish chair upstairs to go in the coffee room with the love seat, which is now near the bay window. Parker is a big fan. He immediately saw the potential for the perfect perch.

Isn’t this thank you card just the best?

We’ve had snow in Michigan and Analiese LOVES the snow. Thankfully, Daddy has been home on fresh snow fall days to take her out while I stay warm inside. They play with the sled, shovel together and throw snowballs. She says she’s cold, but never wants to go in.

I surprised her with an offer to drink warm chocolate milk and you should have seen the size of her eyes. We don’t offer many sweet things because we know how her body reacts and we’d just rather avoid that! But, it seemed fitting on this snowy day to make it special. I put marshmallows on top, but she said she likes them chewy instead of soft.

Where’s Hayden Kate?

In college, my roommates and I devoured a few of these peach cakes. It is delicious and has been Analiese’s birthday cake since she was born.

Dear Hayden Kate,

What a fun month this has been! You are on all fours and moving your little body all around. You haven’t quite gotten the hang of crawling yet, but you manage to end up in the most peculiar places by scooting yourself backwards.

Your big sister is learning to keep her stuff out of your reach because everything goes into your mouth! Your fifth tooth starting to show through recently and it is causing you a bit of pain. Your favorite toy is a stuffed flower. No noise or lights…just a great stem to gnaw on. Those teeth are helping you eat all sorts of foods, but mostly you eat a lot of carrots and sweet potatoes and as a result, your cheeks are a constant shade of orange!

Speaking of your big sister, you both still adore each other. She is your entertainment, your companion, your toy retriever…your best friend. You watch her every move and even mimic a few things. I caught you trying out your thumb one day as you intently examined Analiese sucking on hers.

As Bible study started back up again, we decided to preserve your morning nap by having a babysitter here once a week. It has been working out so nicely. I love coming home to a well rested Hayden Kate!

We finally celebrated Christmas with the Olsens. The car ride there was dreadful. We all arrived exhausted and cranky, but our visit and the return trip made it all worth it. Analiese gladly helped you open all of your presents and you contently played with toys on the floor while we ate a yummy dinner with Nana, Poppa and your uncles. On the way home, we stopped for lunch with friends and then you fell asleep quickly with Analiese’s music blaring and lots of talking. You must have been tired!

You are a very content baby most of the time. We don’t have to work too hard to get a smile or giggle from you. You get especially worked up and excited when your daddy comes home from work. You are a strange mix of excited and frustrated (that he doesn’t pick you up right away). You love your daddy!

You have a funny habit of kicking your feet together when you’re sitting. Socks don’t stand a chance.

The big news of the month (from Mama’s perspective) is that we dropped your dream feed and you continued to sleep through the night without it! We are so glad you’re sleeping so well.

Our meal times have become quite loud as you discover your voice. Daddy took a video of the “ahhh!” sounds you make periodically whenever we’re sitting down to eat something. Analiese typically joins in.

You are growing up so fast, Hayden Kate! I had forgotten how temporary all of these phases are. When one day is a struggle because of poor sleep or fussiness and I quickly wish it away, I must remember how I will someday miss all of it and wish for it back.

Love, Mama (& Daddy)

Dear Hayden Kate,

Our favorite days are ones where we have nothing to do but lay on a rug and take pictures for fun. It can be a little challenging to get Analiese to look at the camera. She’s just smitten with her little sister. You both seem to feed off of each other’s joy when you’re in close proximity. A mama’s dream come true.

Another dream come true is that you are finally sleeping through the night consistently. I think you wake from time to time in the middle of the night…mostly around 4 or 5 a.m. I can tell from the video monitor that you are wide awake and looking all around your dark room. You make a few peeps, but put yourself back to sleep. Most likely this is because you determine from said dark room that there isn’t anything fun to be awake for yet. Smart girl.

Now we just need to get rid of the dream feed so Mama and Daddy can go to bed early from time to time.

One of the reasons your sleep habits have improved is because you are finally out of the swaddle and sleeping with your arms free in a sleep sack. As a newborn, you loved being swaddled, but it was time to say goodbye to it. Unfortunately, since you do not use a pacifier or suck your thumb, you had to figure out a different way to soothe yourself. The first few days were rough, but you got the hang of it and have been sleeping so much better since. We also realized that you hadn’t really figured out how to roll from your tummy to your back, which frustrated you as you tried to fall asleep. Everything worked itself out in time.

You accomplished sitting up on your own this month! It was perfect timing, too, since you were able to play with all of your new toys. This new feat also means you get to take baths with your sister.

Arms to hold you, voices and smiles to entertain you, and, of course, new toys were of no shortage in Indiana where we celebrated Christmas this year. It was a fun and restful week for all of us!

You and Analiese watched some Veggie Tales with Uncle Ryan one day. It was nearing your nap time and you silently closed your eyes and cuddled up to Uncle Ryan. You are so sweet when you sleep.

Never fear, little one. Your big sister is always nearby and ready to help you, especially if you have unopened gifts that need opening. She’s also quite fond of helping you drink water from a bottle. She may or may not also pile all of your toys on you when I ask her to hand you a toy. I think you love her very much.

Oh, and how she makes you laugh! You light up at the sight of your sister or the sound of her voice. She is always giving your face lots of kisses, too. But what seems to get your goose giggling is when she jumps for you. You just love it!

You have two little teeth! You’re eating foods like carrots, sweet potato, butternut squash, apples and bananas. You’re also using your little mouth to stick out your tongue and blow raspberries.

I’ve been lucky enough to cradle you in my arms myself. As we transition from three naps to two, you are very sleepy by the time bed time rolls around. I nurse you and you can’t help but doze off. It is such a peaceful time of day for you and I to just sit there for a few minutes, rocking back and forth, your tiny little finger tapping every once in a while as the sounds of Analiese’s nighttime routine play in the background.

The hurriedness of the day can make me forget how much I love what I am doing right now and how blessed I am to be doing it. I am raising two beautiful little girls whom I love and adore more and more each day. Quiet time with you–to inspect your features, to kiss your head and hold your hand, to pray for your future–is a gift to me. You are such a gift to us, Hayden Kate.

Love, Mama (& Daddy)