Here are some updated pics of the house!

So off to the left side there are some updated pics of the front of the house and don't worry our house will not be gray with brown garage doors. That is just the base layer. I think that we have finally chosen the stucco color that we want now and it is a taupe color. We will probably just go darker for the stucco trim around the windows and such.


So the first picture is from the front of the living room looking back to the kitchen. The second is my cute bubba of course! This is one of the first pictures of him in his walker. The is the one we have borrowed from the school district. We finally got his own (the crocodile it is called) and it is much larger and heavier to carry around. I do a lot of carrying around! We really haven't taken many pics of him in his walker so I am trying to now. Such a huge step in his life to be mobile on his own and off his hands and knees. Though he still crawls a lot (his shoes are the ones that really show that)


This next picture is of the living room and you can kinda see the fireplace in the corner. This is standing in the kitchen looking to the living room. The next one is of our basement. It is from the back (underneath the kitchen) looking out to the rest the under part of the living room, our bedroom and the bathroom. So it seems rather huge and long so maybe we will hold some football games here! Just kidding. Maybe we could get a little bike for Hayden and he could ride it down here all year long!

So this is just the back of the house. It is more long than it is wide. Our first house in Reno was more wide that long or should I say deep. The back looks bigger than the front for some reason. Maybe cause the garage breaks up the front. So our house is kind of L shaped. We have the entry and the two bedrooms up front and everything else along the long back part of the house. Anyway, we are getting excited and can't wait to spread out!

It's been a while

So it has been almost one whole month since I did any updates. So here is what has happened in a month. Our house is a lot further along. I need to go and get some pictures but some of it is covered up so you can't see. The inside is insulated and sheet rocked (or how ever you say that) and they are almost finished taping and mudding the inside. We had the patio and the front poarch poured this last week and they started putting the base layer of stucco on. So it is moving quickly. We need to hurry and decide on cabinets and on inside and outside colors.



Jared and I had our 6th Anniversary. (The picture is a little old but the last one of us together that I could find) Can't believe that it has been that long. Not a long time for some of you but ever since high school nothing has been quite that long (except the time from graduation haha)Everything was like a year here and two years there so it just seem weird to me. We both remembered this year though! The year when Hayden was born '06 we both forgot so neither of us got in trouble. That is the way to do it though. Remember together and forget together. Maybe we are practicing to be old (like really old) people already.



Hayden is making so much progress. He started saying a few words on his own. So now instead of just mama and dada and baba (which he doesn't use the last one anymore) he started saying no, ya, yeah, and hi! He likes walking around in his walker and I have started taking it to a few places like Physical Therapy (and he uses it while we are waiting to go back) and to church and to visit our new house and he sure loves it. Last week in Primary I was trying to teach the kids the christmas songs for next week and Hayden was in there walking around in his walker and I felt like I was watching an audience watching a tennis match. Their heads would move when Hayden did and it was funny!

My Perdonal Favorite (Gansta Boy)


After that crazy Sunday (we switched to 9:00am and Jared has to work Sundays for now so carring him, his stuff and walker and my primary stuff it was a little crazy) we came home and I left the room for a minute and Hayden Had his shirt off and was playing with it. I didn't know he could do that!





Then the next day he was playing by the couch and hiding things underneath and got tired and fell asleep with his little fanny up in the air! It was so cute.




Oh, and action pics from Sunday, he loves dumping the blocks out but he looks so nervous and scared but he does it anyway. Kids.

Home Progress

So the framing was just completed and here are a few pics of what it looks like. It is a little hard to tell with the samll pics but it will give you an idea.

So this is a silly one but I took a picture of the view of the mountains from our front door. Hard to see in this picture. But on a clear day it is very nice.



This one is just of the fireplace in the corner of the family room. Our first fireplace!



This one is a view from the kitchen looking into our family room. We were able to make it bigger and I really think that Hayden will enjoy all the space when he is running around in his walker. He will probably forget what the word "turn" is. He sure hears it a lot now but soon....



This is a view of the kitchen from the family room. I am so excited.



I know that I already did Halloween pics but here is a cute one of my two favorite boys!



So who do you think Hayden looks like? They are almost twins! It is funny to see pictures of Jared when he was a baby and then look at Hayden. They even make some of the same funny faces!

Happy Halloween

So we just took Hayden around to family again this year. His costume was chosen because he is always doing "Super Hayden". He started doing that this year and here is a little video of it.
As you can see we just did pj's this year and with his little waist we are pining a few things! Anyway, he sure loved getting all the treats and showing off. And he has this thing with our ears. He loves to cuddle when he is tired and he will suck one of his thumbs and grab on to one of our ears. If he wants the other hear he will move your head for you! He is so funny. Dad and his little man having a cuddle.

Well, hope you all had a happy Halloween!

Our new Home (almost)

So we have been trying to do this for a while but we have finally started building our new home! It won't be done till next year but we are excited. Here are a few pics of the whole process from start till now (so just the very beginning).




So one pic is of the back corner of the house. It looks out to the rest of the house and the garage from the kitchen (future). The second is at the same spot but looking more at the garage. Anyway, we are excited and can't wait for it to be done. There is a long way to go from here though.




Here we have the footings and then the walls. Sorry but yes we are taking pics the whole way and we are a little excited about it all. Nice that it is close so we can see all the changes from day to day.



So we took a picture of how the stroller and Hayden could go into the garage after they water-proofed and put in the window wells then backfilled. It looks like they will need a little more dirt though. Exciting to see it starting to come together and such.




Plus Hayden is doing so well that we know that we are truly being blessed. Hayden is enough evidence of that but he sure helps to remind me of what is important and how blessed we are to have him in our lives. Hopefully all will continue to go well and Hayden will walk and talk and be even happier (if that is possible, he is a funny boy).

Backtrack

So I think that since we started this blog a lot has happened and while we can't catch up on all that I would like to show you how far Hayden has come. Now a friend helped me figure out how to change the background and it helped me to figure out how to put music on. Some of my song choices are a little off the wall and some have a lot of meaning and memories. Some were just wierd fun ones that I chose. I am sure that as I listen to non-kid music I will change them. But for now the ones I want to tell you about I thought I could share some pics from the past. The first one that I will tell you about is the "Rocky" song. Now as most of you know Hayden was born at 28 weeks and was quite samll. But he was always (well almost) progressing just doing a lot of hard work to stay here and grow so I did this 10 minute slide of him to Rocky music because of the obvious comparisons. So here are some of his very first pictures.



Then the other one is silly but when we were in Reno and we had our first house we took a lot of pictures and I was playing with the computer one night while waiting for Jared to fly back in from a work thing in CA, I figured out how to do the slide thing and in the song Where the Green Grass Grows it say watch my corn pop up in rows and the first year we did our flowers in rows and I got it to fit in the right part and I was so proud of myself. Silly but true. Anyway just thought I would share with you our first house in Reno as well. We enjoyed it there but we knew that we had to come back to Utah and the above pictures would be why.




I sure am glad to look back and see just how much has changed and just how much has happened. Hayden truly is a miracle and we are very blessed to have him in our lives.

Oh, and just a side note, I am very glad for conference. Not so that I can stay home in my sweats but for all the great counsel and ideas that I am given. Also, I really feel uplifted and excited to do better and change. Anyway, not to be all preachy but this conference was great wasn't it!?!

1st Round done

So we got to take off the first round of the serial casting and give him a bath the night before he gets his second round of casting done by the physical therapist. She will put on another set for another week and hopefully that is the end of his serial casting this time. If not up to 4 weeks I guess is what they might do. Dad was a great cast taker offer and he was sooooo happy!.

And Hayden was soooo happy to have them taken off! He really did good with them though but they were a little clumpy.


He had forgotten what his legs and feet looked and felt like so he had to check them out!
And at last a very happy cast-free kid (for the night). Oh, and if you noticed that he has not had a haircut for a while that is because we forgot to go get it cut for a while and like the curls. I must say he looks so different but we like it. And he doesn't have to worry about mom cuts for a while!

Something that is so exciting is happening with all of this. He uses his walker to get places in the house and turns it on his own. He is realizing that he is more stable and tries to balance and he has TAKEN MORE STEPS!!!!! He just has to learn how to hold himself upright with his trunk muscles, use his legs more for power and he will probably be off. I guess he is week without the casts and so when he gets them off it might take a little time to do what he is doing now with them but he loves being up!

Serial Casts

So here they are. They really aren't so bad. Except we have had to go to a few places and people look at me like "what did she do to that poor child! I guess I would wonder too if I saw a child with two casts on. Anyway, he is anoyed by them but seems to tolerate them pretty well. And this is only for 2 weeks. Can you imagine if he really had something broken?!



They are a little flexible at the top but by the feet they are pretty hard. He is walking with his walker a lot more now and he is already so much more stable, partly the Botox and partly the casts. The first day and a half he kept hyperextending at his knees and hips depending on what was so tight but now his is up straighter and balancing better. This is way cool. I don't think that he knows yet that he could balance much better. I had him walking while I held onto his hips and when he kept up straight I would let go and he TOOK 2 STEPS!!!! Without any assistance! That is so great! Anyway I am sure that when he figures out what is happening he will take off. He is using his walker to go from room to room sometimes and turning it as well. He still runs in it and it is hard with the clompy casts but he still does it.



This is his I am watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse happy face. He really loves it. Even with casts on. I really expected him to cry the whole time but he has played and had fun and we only had one little scare that resolved in 10 minutes of having his legs up. Thank goodness mom waited to panic until she tried all the suggestions in the paperwork they sent home. And for those of you who know that side of me, well I tend to panic before something has happened just in case. I am not sure when that started. The Lord does seem to help me out with Hayden though. So we will see if getting casts on while unconscious vs conscious is about the same. The Physical Therapist will do them on Wednesday so lets hope that Mickey will work for us then!

Guess What?!

So no pic's with this one but we are excited. So the last couple of Physical Therapy visits for Hayden have been hard. He is so tight through his gastrocs and hamstrings that the one therapist who comes to our house says lets use this time to work on his speech. She really didn't expect to progress and his other therapist that we go see is waiting almost till the Botox to see him.

Well, he is mastering climbing up stairs, amazing since we really don't have stairs here and he is going up the stairs on his slide and, he can climb onto his push toy train and get his leg over and sit on it. We are still working on the dismount but the fact that he is figuring out how to do this despite the drawbacks with his body is so awesome!

Also he is trying to say a few more words and kind of copies us still. We are trying to do what is advised by the therapist and try to get him to do animal sounds but for now he laughs at mom and just wants to look at the pics of the elephants. Funny, he loved dogs and the pics of dogs but now the elephant wins everytime. I really can't do an elephant noise of course.

Anyway that is our excitement. We are preparing him with practicing positions and stretches so that when he gets the botox this week he will know what to do, well and I guess when the casts come off as well. But we are hoping that they will help keep those little heels down and he can balance and maybe take a step or two.

He still is the funny man and will do anything for a laugh. He loves playing rough with dad. Still loves to cuddle with mom and gives good hugs and great kisses (those are his favorite).

Amazing what he can and will do. He is very motivated to move and to be on his own. This week he used his walker correctly and if he would only use it more I amsure that he would feel more independent. He loves to be standing and walking but mom can't try to have him use the walker, it has to be his idea. And he will use it the way he wants to. He did get in the right way and leaned back and the wheels slid backwards and he was walking backwards and it was so funny. So, of course he kept doing it. What a pill!

Tag I am (copy from a friends blog)

Tag I am

I am: a mom, wife, friend, Pharmacy Tech.,a little crazy but lots of fun, my sons entertainment.

I think: Way too much for my own good.

I know: That I really don't know everything

I want: To have our house built soon and for Hayden to be happy and walking

I have: A good family and the funniest son ever!

I dislike: When people lie to me (especially at work, it happens too much)

I fear: The unknown and our next adventure, serial casting.

I hear: Hayden's Pooh train (he loves it)

I smell:Vanilla

I cry: at night when no one is watching

I usually: am cleaning or picking up Hayden's toys. He does help sometimes!

I wonder: What the future will bring for Hayden and how I can make it great and open for all possibilities.

I regret: All that Hayden has to go through to do normal every day kid things.

I care: About my family

I always:try to do Hayden's therapy everyday and have some fun play time and learning time with him. We are trying out new signs (ASL)

I worry: About everything, I think that it is shortening my life! DON'T WORRY!

I am not: Sympathetic after 9:00 (at work) My sympathy turns off at 9:00 especially when patients come in after closing for a refill because they have been out for days and they really need their vitamins or whatever. If it is a worthy cause I am sypmathetic.

I remember: Neat experiences with my Grandpa who died when I was five and I remember my Grandma a lot lately. I sure miss them.

I believe:In the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I sing: All the time. Around Hayden it is mostly Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, My Friends Tigger and Pooh and Little Einsteins and of course Primary songs. Especilly now that I am the chorister for Primary and our Program is coming up!

I don't always:Clean off my makeup at night

I argue: Becuase I think I am right.

I write: a lot less than I used to. I was looking at some poems and I started this one when Hayden was born and I still haven't finished it!

I listen: and try to put myself in that persons place. I feel that you can understand more when you know what they are going through and where they are coming from. I think that My mission really taught me that.

I don't understand: Computer like I would want to. It seems that they keep advancing and I keep regressing.

I can usually be found:Driving to or from a Dr's appointment

I am scared: Of being robbed at work.

I need: My family always and forever

I forget:Way too much. So I ususally have to write it down and hope that I remember to look at what I've written. I usually forget to put gas in the car or Jared's Zyrtec-D

I am happy:When my family is safe, healthy and happy.

2 Year Pics

So these are some of our favorite pics of Hayden this year. He was a pill for the photographer then when it was all done he was so funny and friendly and just totally fabulous. I thought, of course when we were done. I had to do a little bribery with coco puffs and such but she got some good shots! So this is our 2 year old little bubba! I think that he is the cutest kid ever, of course, I'm his mom.

Hayden's Huge Happenings!

So this may seem normal but to Hayden it is soooooo coool! So in the first pic he is standing flat on his feet only holding on with one hand! See what he can do when he is distracted! So he is watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and standing mostly by himself! He loves watching Mickey and hearing the fun songs. He also loves sitting in his Cars chair.

Hayden's 2nd Birthday

So this is Hayden on his 2nd Birthday! I can't believe that he is 2! Oh, and one of his favorite things, help mom dust! Sometimes the duster has to come places with us, like the Dentist! They were a little curious but were willing to let him clean up the place. He loves helping mom and dad and loves to play with his new toys and books. He is very into cars and animals and anything that is a "no-no". He is also very good at going up the stairs. A huge feat for him but he can lift his knee up to the next step without trouble. It almost looks like any other kid when he does it. It is amazing what he can do and what he pushes himself to do!

More Fun at Bridger Lake!

It was great to spend some time with family and Hayden sure enjoyed being with Grandpa Crane!. The boys were the first to try out the new boat on the lake, to make sure that everything worked! Hayden loved going on walks with his cousins and just being outside. It was a great time.