Ear Tubes and Rochester!

Hayden had his first surgery on Thursday, August 18. The procedure was minutes long, but the hospital process was looong! Hayden woke up at 5:15 am on Thursday morning to have a bottle of pedialyte before going to the hospital. While processing paperwork, he was in a great mood enjoying fun time with Daddy. Even while waiting to go back to surgery, Hayden was horsing around in the metal crib. He also got to pick out a toy from the magical chest - of course, mommy and daddy picked out a toy to keep him occupied so that he wouldn't think about food:) He finally fell asleep in Mommy's arms at 8:15 am, and we headed back to surgery at 8:30 am. We kissed him and said our "I love you's" to him, and he was carried back to the operating room by the nurse - thank goodness he was still asleep!

Pre-surgery room

In a matter of 10 minutes, Hayden's ENT, Dr. Essig, called us back and told us that the procedure went just fine. We were told that our little monkey would be back to us in the next half - hour, which felt like hours!! When the nurse rolled him into the recovery room, he was on his belly just taking it all in. As soon as he saw Mommy, he let out the big drama cry. We got him home and he slept for most of the afternoon.  All in all - Hayden was such a trooper. So happy that everything went successfully!

 

One day after having tubes put into his ears, Hayden visited his Mama ji (Uncle) and Mami ji (Aunt) in Rochester, NY. The trip was filled with lots of exploring of Monti mama's house - hardwood floors, tiles, glass tables, giant TV's - everything that he just loved to touch! He was also captivated by the beautiful pictures of Simran mami on the walls. Every time we took him to look at the pictures, he smiled! During his visit, Hayden also got to meet his extended family from Connecticut. We were able to have some fun bowling and sight seeing on the beach (or, what people in Rochester call a beach:). Hayden rode his first merry-go-round, and was able to stay up until almost 11 pm! While at a restaurant for dinner, Hayden started swaying back and forth getting into the groove of the band that was playing - he definitely didn't get his moves from his daddy:)

 

 

A little over a month to go until he's ONE! Goodness....time is just flying by!

Who you calling Baby....

At 10 1/2 months old, it's apparent that Hayden is no longer a baby. He's starting to do so many "Big Boy" things that have us wondering where the time went - it just flew by us! Although he still cries like a baby at times, Hayden is enjoying his newly found mobility. Some new milestones include:

• Thursday, August 4: Crawling - I guess you could call it a crawl. It's more like a very handicapped version of a crawl, but we'll take it. The little man finally figured out that he could do it and has now mastered it. He's moving around the living room so quickly now. It's a matter of time until he figures out the correct version.

First Crawl (August 4th)

The Perfected Crawl (A few days later)



• Wednesday, August 10: Walking (without a hand from mommy & daddy) - Not to get too excited here, but Hayden did take 2 steps on his own without mommy and daddy holding his hands. Pretty exciting! He's also able to walk pretty well with us holding only one hand. Pretty soon, he's going to be getting into so many things -- time to babyproof (QUICKLY!).

First Steps at the park - Without our help...

He's still the biggest cuddle bunny in the mornings, and still loves getting his way during the day. At daycare, he's in love with his teacher Mrs. Jenn, and won't let her leave his side. If it's not Hayden's way, it better be the highway because this kid will let you know - screaming, crying, etc. Daddy figured out that these are true tantrums - Hayden looks out of the corner of his eye to ensure that someone can hear him before he goes into a full blown tantrum - no real tears, just faking. Super sneaky:)-

Lastly - he's learned the word "uh oh" - When he throws his binky (purposely) in the car, it's always followed by an "uh oh" and an ornery grin. He also says the same word when he toots. At least he's giving us a heads up of the smell that's coming our way:)

Some Misc Pictures....





Swinging and Smiling



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9 Months Old!

Hayden recently hit the 9 month milestone (July 16, 2011). His ornery personality is starting to come through.....he gets it from his daddy! During his 9 month check-up, he weighed 18 pounds 11 ounces. He may be a little on the small side, but he makes up for that with his giant personality. Hayden has learned that by screaming really loud, he can get everyone's attention. Not to worry, the doc says this is normal at this age, so break out the ear plugs for a little while.

Hayden's also starting to have really bad separation anxiety from mom and dad. When we leave the room, he begins crying and typically doesn't stop until we come back. We've started the Ferber method by letting him get through it for 10 minutes.....and mommy usually gives in a little earlier. We're hoping that this phase doesn't last long.

Some new things that Hayden has learned include: 

• Pulling himself up using mommy and daddy's fingers
• Cruising around in circles (the kid STILL has no desire to crawl)
• Copying others - waving, clearing his throat, grunting, etc.
• Maneuvering around the couch while holding onto the cushions
• Eating small pieces of banana, plums, green beans, and other soft foods

Only 3 more months until this little monster is 1 year old!

Vacation 2011 - Myrtle Beach, SC

It's official.....Hayden went on his first family vacation in July! The ten hour road trip down to Myrtle Beach, SC was pretty easy. The little man slept the whole way through, and only woke up once around 5 am to nurse. While in Myrtle Beach, he experienced his first steps on the beach. He wasn't a huge fan of the sand between his feet or hands, but he handled it as long as daddy was by his side. He also got a taste of the salt water in the ocean...again, not a big fan. After his first few hours on the beach, Hayden experienced the water at the hotel pool. This prompted a different reaction -- he LOVED it! Daddy dunked him under the water a few times and Hayden appeared to be completely fine with it. Additionally, he loved splashing the water with his hands.

In addition to some water activities, Hayden got a taste of being lathered up in sunscreen every morning by mommy. After a few minutes of kicking and screaming, he realized that the sunscreen wasn't going to make him melt - although, he seemed to forget that everytime! Some other new activities that Hayden experienced on vacation included: 

• Swimmer diapers
• Sand in his pants
• Staying up WAY past his bedtime
• Sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed every night - PARTY!
• Passing out on the beach
• Watching his sister and her friend dance like fools to keep him from crying
• Sleeping through one of the loudest dinner theater shows ever (Pirates Voyage) - we still don't understand how this kid can sleep through cannons, but wakes up at home as soon as someone turns on the shower!
• Walking on the beach
• Getting a lizard tattoo - it rubbed off the next day, but while it was still there, he looked like a tough guy not to be messed with!
• Tasting grits - daddy gave him a tiny spoonful during breakfast one day!
• Getting his TAN on! The kid looks so handsome -- even more Indian than he did before:)

Hayden has a pretty jam packed summer. Off to Indianapolis next weekend to meet his little cousins, and then to Rochester to see his Mama/Mami ji's in August - maybe we'll sneak in a trip to Niagara Falls as well.  (Click the pictures to open in a new window)

 

 

 

 

Daddy's Day!

Hayden experienced his first Father's Day with daddy. It was filled with a long morning walk and a barbeque dinner at Nani and Nana's house. Funny that he said "Maamaa" all day -- it's probably payback for saying "Daaadaaa" on Mother's day.

Hayden is also a little over 8 months old now. He's been clapping his hands a lot; especially when the little ham knows that he's getting attention. He also LOVES balancing himself on the couch and walking around (with a little help from mom and dad).  

 

Laughing Out Loud!

Hayden's fun and innocent personality is developing so much these days! Below is a video of him laughing hysterically. I brought him home from school and started opening up his progress report to see how he did - as I shook the paper, the silly monkey started belly laughing so hard. It was too darn cute not to capture on video!

Lions, Tigers and Bears - Oh My!

Well....we didn't quite make it to see that many animals, but Hayden was able to see the Gorillas and Monkeys during his first zoo visit over the Memorial Day weekend. The most exciting thing to Hayden was Mommy's earrings! That's right, he wasn't interested at all in the animals:(

  

We plan on taking him a few more times, but visiting a different section of the zoo each time. Hopefully the giraffes and elephants catch his eye!

 

Entering the zoo....

 

Nani and Nana



Nana talking about the Flamingos