Who needs toys? Not these two...

Daddy came home and needed to change his clothes.  So he took Natalie into the closet with him while Katie and Whitney finished setting the table for dinner.  He came out with Natalie in a tupperwear bin ... racecar style.

They zoomed around the house (terrifying Gus who is now hiding under the kitchen table) and Natalie squealed with delight.  Suddenly, Katie wonders if there is a tupperwear bin SHE can fit in.  Now we have two kids in tupperwear bins ready for racing around the house.

Daddy zooms around with Katie (much faster, of course) and she is giggling.  Natalie looks sad.  Daddy can only drive one racecar at a time though.  So Katie rearranges her long legs and makes room for Natalie in her car. 

 After they fastened their seatbelts, daddy takes off and drives them both around the house. 

 Gus is still under the table.

Baby Bathville

Natalie LOVES taking baths.  She's loved them ever since we put her in the big girl bathtub.  She likes to lounge and kick or situp and splash with her arms. It's really a shame she doesn't need a bath every night because she loves them so much.

During the rinse cycle, she loves to try to catch the water in her mouth when it "rains" on her head...

And she loves to look at the faucet and then stick her face in it.  She closes her eyes and opens her mouth and then drinks the warm water.

7 months

"It's that time again...mom woke me up singing a different song than the usual 'Good morning to you' song that she and daddy both sing when they come wake me up.  Then she laid me next to Marty and took a few pictures.  Must be my monthly birthday again.

Now that I'm 7 months old, I'm doing a lot more things. 

I love to talk.  I talk all day long but no one seems to understand me, except when I say 'ma-ma' or 'da-da.'  They really get excited when I say those two things, so I've started trying to say them more and more because I like it when momma and daddy are happy.

I love to eat.  There has only been one food that mom and dad fed to me that I didn't like, peas.  Yuck.  They were so gross that after 3 bites, I gagged and threw them all up.  At school they had a pizza party and even our class of babies was invited.  My teachers let me taste pizza sauce and chew on an english muffin.  I didn't get to eat the muffin but it sure was fun and new to chew on it for a while.

I love to sit.  I have become an excellent sitter and I like it because I can see everything that is going on around me.  I can lean really far in front of me to reach things on my play mat and this is fun, but sometimes I lean too far and it makes me puke. I have not figured out how to get from laying to sitting though, but once I can...that will be very cool.

I love to bounce in my exersaucer. Mom and dad call it 'the babysitter' because it keeps me completely entertained and allows them to do things without having to keep track of me.  Dad calls it 'the pooper' because it helps me poop.

I love my sister and Gus.  Both of them can always make me smile, even when I'm very upset (which is extremely rare).  Katie likes to talk to me and read to me and play with me.  She even helps me eat sometimes.  She likes to make funny faces at me and talks to me when we're in the car together.  Gus likes to creep onto my play mat when mom and dad aren't looking (I don't think he's supposed to sit on my play mat) and inches his way up behind me so that we're back to back.  It is nice because we keep each other warm and we entertain each other. 


That's all for now.  It's nap time.  I take 3 naps a day (30-45 minutes each) and sleep 11-12 hours at night.

Hugs and kisses to all!!"

Saturday morning in the park

We attempted to go to the Arizona Balloon Festival but got there too late (815am) to see any balloons.  So we decided to go to a park that we don't normally visit.  Natalie tested out the swings for the first time...and pretty much loved them.  We waited to take a train ride but then it ran into nap time and we had to go home.  We'll try the train again sometime...

Hangin in the swing AND getting kisses from momma makes for a very happy baby.

Silly girls

Katie seems to love being a big sister and in return, Natalie gives Katie LOTS of smiles.

Cute overload

What's cuter than a baby or a puppy???  A baby AND a puppy.  I swear I didn't pose them for this.

Fall at the Casa de Hayes

Here are some miscellaneous photos of what Fall looks like at our house... including Sally teaching Gus to swim.

Halloween 2011

Halloween on a school night is always very rushed.  By the time homework gets done, dinner is finished and costumes are perfected...Scott and I are exhausted and there are already kids at the door.  Ugh.  So there aren't many pictures of Halloween this year.

Big sister sock puppet

Katie always manages to get lots of smiles from her little sister.  This sock puppet episode was no exception...

http://youtu.be/uxHAs54KpG8

Farewell to Sally Wally

On October 18, 2011, we had to say goodbye to our beloved friend and family member, Sally Wally. 

Thanks for all the lessons you taught us along with all the good times, companionship, love, laughter, memories and slobbery kisses.  We are very sad you had to leave us Sally and we miss you every single day. The house doesn't feel the same without you here.  You were a damn good dog!

First Water Trail. Superstition Wilderness Area, Mesa, Arizona.  February 2009.

6-months old - Baby bathtime

Natalie loves bath time and playing in the water.  She loves the water on her face, splashing in the water and being in the tub.

http://youtu.be/u_SdVClv1kY

Half Year Birthday!

"So mom told me today that I'm six-months old.  I'm not sure what that means, but she sang me a different song this morning and then took my picture before changing my diaper. 

I've recently started babbling lots of sounds and there are 2 specific sounds that I make that mom and dad get really excited about.  One sounds like "mom-ma" and the other is "da da."  They always smile when I make these noises, so I try to make them a lot.

I am starting to sit up on my own really well.  I don't really topple over anymore unless I lean too far for a toy.  And when I do topple over, I don't really care.  I just start "baby snowplowing" to try to get the toy."

Natalie's First Hike

We took Natalie out to hike with Grandpa.  She loved it.  Now that the weather is cooler, we'll need to start planning more hikes with Natalie and eventually with Gus too.

The Arrival of Augustus (Gus) Hayes

Upon our return from New York, we made a quick detour at the airport to the cargo area.  Ever try to find the cargo area at your local airport?!?!  What a nightmare.  Anyway, we eventually found the cargo area and were able to pickup our newest addition to the family, the Yellow Lab formerly known as Tank.

Although it all appeared to Katie that we got lost, the arrival of Tank was well planned.  Whit's Aunt Carol and Uncle Randy and their two labs, Jack and Zoe had a small first litter of pups in August.  As I recall, Tank got his name because he was the firstborn pup and also the largest pup of the liter.

On the way home from the airport we contemplated what his new name should be.  Eventually we settled on Gus as this was the name of the polar bear we met in the Central Park Zoo and also the name of the goofy fat mouse in Cinderella (duh...Gus Gus).

As soon as he entered our home, Sally began showing him the ropes.  She showed him where the back doors were so he could wait to be let outside to go potty; she shared her bed with him; she sacrificed nearly all her toys for Gus to chew on and play with; and she helped him learn to sit.  Nearly every time we told her to sit, he looked over at her and then imitated her.  As such, Gus is now weakly trained to SIT on command.  Gus spent nearly every minute of his first week at the Casa de Hayes chasing Sally and trying to play with her. 

NYC meets Katie

For Katie's fall break, we decided to take her to visit Aunt Adrienne in New York.  So Whit and Katie flew to New York on Thursday while Scott was at a work conference in California.  The girls enjoyed a girls night and went out to dinner and then watched the 80's classic movie, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

Friday morning the girls hit the streets and did a ton of walking. Katie was a super trooper and kept up all day.  We just had to carry around a few extra apples and stop periodically for food to help her re-charge.  We walked along the Highline, through the Chelsea Market and in and out of almost every "spinny" door in New York.  We went up to the Top of the Rock for some spectacular views of the city.  Scott arrived around 6 ... just in time to get the key to the apartment as we whisked off to see Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam theater.  While the girls soaked up all the spoonfuls of sugar they could, Scott spent the evening touring the Chelsea bars with Adrienne's wonderful friend, Maria.

Saturday morning we were up early and on the first ferry out to the Statue of Liberty and then toured Ellis Island.  Katie had a headset and listened to the narration for kids at her own pace.  She learned a lot and was very patient with Scott and Adrienne (the two slowest museum tour guests ever).  After lunch we headed back to town and walked around Battery Park, Ground Zero, through Wall Street (and the protests) and halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge.  Again, Katie was a fantastic trooper.  Our last stop of the day was the Tenament Museum, which was very interesting.  The tour group was small and Katie was the only kid, so she got special treatment from the tour guide.  She even jumped in and asked a few great questions (i.e. where did the people who lived here take a bath?!?!).

Sunday was a little more laid back.  We slept in ... Katie until 9:30 and then headed to The Plaza Hotel and Central Park.  The 3 of us planned a surprise trip to the Central Park Zoo to see their resident Polar Bear, Gus.  After walking around the park for a while at a lazy pace, we ended up in the zoo and boy was Katie thrilled to see that there was a polar bear exhibit.  After the zoo, we visited FAO Schwartz, Tiffany's and the St. Regis Hotel where the rude bartender promptly escorted us out of the bar as Katie was underage (duh). Sunday night ended with Thai food at Maria's and then "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" on the couch at Adrienne's wonderful apartment.

Thanks to Adrienne and her marvelous planning, we had a fantastic time and wish we could have stayed longer. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Click on the photo below to see all the photos at your own pace.

5 months and 15 lbs

"Apparently it's that time again.  Mommy woke me up this morning singing the Happy Birthday song.  She opened the curtains, tossed Marty into my crib and took a few pictures before changing my diaper.  I tried my best to smile, but I'm not always very happy in the morning until after I have my diaper changed and get some breakfast in my tummy. After all, I sleep for 12 hours at night.  So mommy took some more pictures while I was happy after my bath tonight.  Hope you don't mind my naked bottom.

Over the past month, I've started eating more and more interesting stuff.  At first I started with rice cereal once a day, then I worked my way up to eating cereal 3 times a day.  After I mastered cereal, mommy started to give me some orange mush that she kept calling Sweet Potatoes.  I LOVED them.  A few days later she switched from the orange mush to a green mush called Green Beans.  They're not as good as sweet potatoes, but they're pretty good too.  I still eat cereal three times a day but now also eat my veggies once a day at lunch time.

I've mastered the art of rolling over...from front to back and back to front.  I can roll myself under the coffee table if I try hard enough.  I like to do "baby skydiver" with my big sister.  We both lay on our bellies and then throw our arms out and kick up our legs and my sister makes cool noises to simulate skydiving. But most recently, I've discovered our dog, Sally Wally.  She is my best friend and touching her makes me giggle and squeal.  I love her a lot...even though her breath is really bad.  When I get really grumpy and mommy doesn't know what to do (this doesn't happen very often), mommy flies me around the house like an airplane and then she chases the dog with me in airplane mode.  She gets close enough behind Sally that her tail tickles my nose and this makes me laugh a lot.  Like I said, I love my doggie.

Well, that's about it.  It's time for bed.  Goodnight!"

Big sister

Despite the almost 10 year difference, Katie really seems to love spending time with Natalie!!  She is very helpful in entertaining her when mom is making dinner, talking to her on long car trips, picking out clothes for her, dancing for her and reading books to her before bedtime.   Katie likes to sit on the couch with Natalie on her lap like in the photo.  They watch TV together or sometimes Katie tells Natalie stories.

When Natalie is extra fussy and nothing seems to calm her down (this is rare), Katie gets out her cello and plays for Natalie.  It is like magic.  Natalie instantly calms herself down and watches Katie play.  Eventually she just starts kicking and waving her arms and talking while Katie plays.  It is Katie's special trick and is so much fun to watch.

In return, Natalie smiles at Katie every single time Katie looks at her and says "Hi."

Mmmmmm, rice cereal

I had my 4 month checkup last week and she said I am a beautiful and healthy textbook baby.  Mom thinks I am growing into a string bean like my dad.  I measured 25" (85%) and weighed 13 lbs and 9 oz (50%).

While we were at the doctor, she gave mommy the OK to feed me some new food, so on Saturday evening I got to try some rice cereal with mommy and daddy.  I loved it.  I cried when daddy didn't get the spoon back in my mouth fast enough.  I have no idea what was taking him so long in between "bites" but I wanted him to move a little faster. So in between bites I started sucking my thumb so I wouldn't cry.  I was a little messy but I didn't really care because after cereal I got to take a bath and I really love bath time.  My favorite part of bath time is when mom or dad pulls the plug and the water starts to drain out. This is when I like to kick my legs and wave my arms around a lot.  Sometimes I even make myself giggle.

On Sunday morning, mommy fed me more cereal while I was still in my PJs.  I still really liked it but mostly, I like the spoon.  I took it away from mommy and chewed on it for a while.  It didn't take my dog long to figure out where to hang out during all this fun.  Now when mom puts me in my highchair, Sally-Wally comes over and sits right next to me hoping I'll drop the spoon or mom will accidentally knock the bowl of cereal off the highchair tray.  She's a pretty smart dog.  I love her.

Click below to check out pictures of my eating adventure...

Rolling into 4 months

Apparently yesterday was my 4 month birthday.  I had no idea, but mommy sang "Happy Birthday" to me when I woke up in addition to the "Good Morning to you" song that she and daddy normally sing in the morning.  After I had breakfast and got a clean diaper, mommy laid me in my crib with Measurement Marty and took some pictures of me.  When she was mostly done, I tried to eat him.  I try to eat lots of things these days.  It's fun.

Last week I started holding my own bottle when I eat and finally figured out how to get my arm (daddy called it my kickstand) out from underneath me when I roll over.  Now I can roll from my back to my belly and then onto my back again if I want to.  I like to roll onto my belly and then push myself up so I can look around.  But after a while I get tired and then I cry.  Sometimes I fall asleep when I'm on my tummy and I like that because it is different.

Here are some pictures of me and Marty.  Check this album again later because mommy will continue to add pictures to this 4 month album until she makes a 5 month album for me.

SURPRISE!

My Aunt Adrienne and mommy had an idea: surprise Grandma Becky for her birthday in August.  So they worked with Grandpa and made plans.  Mommy and I flew to Nebraska on Friday and Grandpa and Adrienne picked us up at the airport.  When we got home, Grandpa carried me in the house and told Grandma that the UPS man brought her a birthday package.  When she saw me in Grandpa's arms...she screamed and it scared me.  Then when she saw mommy and Adrienne, she screamed again.  I think it was happy screaming, but it still scared me so I cried.  Then everyone laughed and I laughed too.

Saturday afternoon I got to meet almost all the Nebraska Schwisow's.  Lots of  Grandma and Grandpa's friends were there too.  I was held by lots of different people, but I didn't really seem to care.  I just like attention.

Sunday afternoon we went for a car ride to Valley to meet the Poore family.  My Great Aunt Holly and Great Uncle Roger drove down from Minnesota to surprise Grandma Becky for her birthday and so I got to meet them too. 

It was a great weekend but I was very tired when I finally got home.  And I missed my daddy a lot.  I can't wait to go back again sometime and see everyone again.