the haydens' precious moments

January

2012-01-29T09:52:00.001-08:00

Here's a recap of January :)

Oli has been busy riding his new bike. This was his first lesson. He got it - sort of.

A few days later we went to the park to practice and it clicked - he was off, with Madelyn in tow.

This desk, chair and lamp used to be Brian's father's. Mary shipped it to him a few weeks ago. When Brian was younger he spent many nights at home studying on this desk. It's very special.

Oli's latest hobby is geography and maps. He loves them and always wants to know where we are. He does this USA puzzle several times a day. He also has a big USA map in his room and has learned all the states. No joke! We didn't push him to do it - he actually wanted to. When he sees a map, he asks, "What's this? And what's this? And what about this?" He wants to know everything about it.

My cousin Jasmin came to visit for a few days. We went to Lucy and Leo's to celebrate her Birthday with cupcakes :)

The weather was beautiful so we went for a walk at Miccosukee Greenway.

Playing ring-around-the-rosie...

Pretty tree in the background.

This is the best we could do with automatic timer on camera.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T19:44:00.000-08:00

DECEMBER RECAP:

I think every Christmas keeps getting better. Oli and Maddie make the holidays feel as if we were children again. We enjoyed decorating the tree, listening to Christmas music, dancing, eating lots of cookies and spending time with family and friends.

Christmas show at Oliver's preschool.

Santa visited the preschool. Oli and Maddie walking over to see him.

Maddie backed out at the last minute...

This was at abuela and abuelo's house in Orlando. I enjoyed resting so much that I didn't take as many photos as I usually do. Mom's food was DELICIOUS as usual.

When we got home we opened all the presents Santa had dropped off while we were in Orlando.

This was Maddie opening her stocking gifts.

" Forget all the presents, I'm happy with candy!"

Oli was eagerly waiting all December for Santa to bring him a bike.

Nice!

Maddie got her first dollhouse which Brian mistakenly thought would be easy to assemble. He was wrong. Two hours later he realized he was very wrong. Good thing Maddie loved it!

This was a present for both kids.

Fall afternoons and one cold morning

2011-12-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Some afternoons when it's not so cold, I let the kids play on our front yard. They are the happiest when they play with dirt and leaves and roll down the hill. I don't want to forget these simple precious moments.

One cold morning at Railroad Square Art Park.

Sunset at Miccosukee Greenway

2011-11-29T11:32:00.000-08:00

This has become one of our favorite places in Tallahassee. One Sunday afternoon we witnessed a beautiful sunset while we were playing with the kids. I love the golden sunlight!

Alligator Point Beach - Third Time's A Charm

2011-11-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

Twice we tried to find Alligator Point Beach, and both times got lost. The beaches we found instead were somewhat of a disappointment. But then, a few weeks ago, my friend Renee told me she was staying at a beach house in Alligator Point and invited the kids and me to join her. I had an actual address this time and entered it into the GPS, and FINALLY found the beach we had been looking for! YEY! Only about an hour away! My friend invited us again this past Saturday and this time we went with Brian. WE LOVED IT!

First Attempt- Summer Camp Beach

Oli was about 2 months old

Second Attempt- Bald Point Beach

Oli - 2 years old, Maddie- 4 months old

FOUND IT! aaaaahhhhh!

Can you picture yourself on this hammock looking out to the water?

Our very own private dolphin show!

Thanks to Renee, we found Alligator Point Beach :)

October 2011

2011-11-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

My favorite season of the year is here! YEY!

Here's our October update:

One afternoon we made cookies and painted (cardboard) leaves.

She wants to do everything Oliver does.

We went to the pumpkin patch about twice a week for the past month. If it were up to them we would've gone more times. They never got tired of playing there.

SILLY...

Greeting Mr. Skeleton

HEAVY...

BUMPY...

Oliver and Brian carved this pumpkin.

Oliver's preschool had a Halloween parade and party. Oliver refused to wear his costume that day.

Our friends invited us to their house for a Halloween Party. They had a bouncy house and a hay ride that took us around the neighborhood trick or treating! By the end of the party the adults were more tired than the kids.

This little kitty got lots of goodies which Brian and I are still enjoying :)

Railroad Tracks, Take II

2011-10-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to the railroad tracks in preparation for a photo session that I'm doing this weekend. I know, a lot of photos below, but it was so hard to choose my favorites.

Random end-of-Summer moments

2011-09-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

There was a time when I could update the blog weekly. Life with two kids keeps me so busy that I'm happy if I find time to update the blog monthly. The days are going by really fast; there are so many moments I don't want to forget.

When I visited my parents in August, we went to Downtown Disney Marketplace. It was lots of fun! Each store had a different theme and there were different play areas to keep the kids entertained.

At the Lego store.

These are all made out of legos.

Oli holding on to Buzz's leg

It was HOT outside.

So this is how we ended the day.

The kids loved it!

This is at the Library in Tallahassee. We go almost every week. We love it.

This is at Tom Brown Park. We go there a lot.

Oli and Maddie are really into "building" roads, digging, and playing with dirt. It's funny that Maddie likes playing with trucks. I guess having an older brother is rubbing off on her!

This was Oliver's first day of Preschool. He was really excited (and so was I).

Oli's classroom has a Fire Station theme. Every weekend a different child gets to take home Fire Bear and Fire Dog and play with them. Oli was super excited to take them home when his turn came around. Good thing there were two animals because Maddie claimed Fire Dog as soon as she saw him.

Even though some days are overwhelming and I don't always look happy, I love what I do. I love playing, being silly, laughing, and reading with the kids; and sometimes just staring at them. It melts my heart to see them play together and laugh at each other's jokes. I love it when we get into the car and I look back and see them holding hands while sitting in their car seats. I love it when they're silly while Brian reads books to them at night. (I also love watching Brian being an awesome Dad.) The kids crack each other up. It's hilarious. Most of all, I love hugging and kissing the kids. I don't want to forget these special moments. Even though life is pretty crazy these days, I wouldn't change it for the world!

Flying a Kite at Tom Brown Park

2011-08-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we went to Tom Brown Park. Brian and Oli were hoping it would be windy so they could fly a kite. Of course it was like 100 degrees outside and not windy but they made the most of any little breeze in the air. Madelyn and I enjoyed following them around.

Maddie started walking about 2 weeks ago!

She was very happy to walk around freely in an open field.

She thinks it's funny to find her belly.

After flying a kite, Brian taught Oli how to swing himself. What a fun Daddy!

She loved the playground. It was her first time doing something other than sitting on a swing.

She was being affectionate with Brian, she's so sweet.

Our Vacation

2011-07-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

As parents we've discovered a new meaning to the word VACATION. Anything can happen like Madelyn getting an ear infection in the middle of the week or both kids having meltdowns in the car while on the highway. First we took a day trip to Wakulla Springs which was about half an hour away from our house. Then we went to Tampa for a couple of days. We visited my cousin in St. Petersburg and went to the Aquarium. Lastly we went to Bonita Springs to visit our good friends, the Benders. Oli and Madelyn had a great time with their daughter, Charlotte and their doggy, Zoro. We loved spending time with them. Despite a few bumps along the way, we had a wonderful family vacation!

WAKULLA SPRINGS

We took a boat ride and saw beautiful birds, turtles, manatee and several alligators. The whole family enjoyed it! After that we went swimming and had a picnic lunch.

Check out the alligator!

KOREAN FOOD!

At this point Madelyn had gotten an ear infection and was on antibiotics but still feeling cranky, poor girl. On our way to Tampa we made a very important stop in Gainesville. We went to Garlic & Ginger, a Korean restaurant that we loved going to when we lived there. The food was so yummy!

AQUARIUM

We went to the Aquarium in Tampa and visited my cousin in St. Petersburg.

Unfortunately my camera battery died and I didn't take the charger with me so I wasn't able to take photos with the Benders :(

Oli is 3 years old!

2011-06-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

Oliver is 3 years old! He's a busy little guy. He has a very silly sense of humor. He thinks it hilarious if someone grunts to pick up something heavy. He thinks rhyming is great and loves Dr. Seuss. He's a sweet big brother but also likes to get on his little sis' nerves, as all big brothers do. Here's what he's been up to:

Learning to hit and catch a ball

Swimming Lessons

Dr. Seuss Birthday Party

Thanks to tia Jasmin for this gift; I love it!

May 2011

2011-06-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

In addition to Madelyn's 1st Birthday, the month of May was full of fun times.

Mother's Day Breakfast:

Muffins with Mommy party at Oli's Preschool

At home we made Mother's Day cards for grandma and abuela and mailed them.

On Sunday our church had a breakfast for all the moms.

My 36th Birthday!

This year my Birthday was on Mother's Day so it was a double celebration for me. On Saturday Brian took the kids out for the morning, YEY! I pampered myself and got a haircut. In the afternoon we ate cupcakes from my favorite cupcake place and went to the park. In the evening we put the kids to sleep earlier than usual and we had a special dinner just the two of us. Thank you hubby for making my Birthday/Mother's Day weekend a memorable one :)

YUM!

Timberlane Preschool End-of-Year Program:

Oliver completed his first year of Preschool, YEY! We're so proud of him. This was a slideshow of all the kids and events throughout the year.

If you click on the photo and look very carefully, Oli is the 4th child on the stage.

Panama City Beach,

Memorial Day weekend:

On Saturday we drove to the beach. This made the 2 hour drive so enjoyable for us :)

We came to the conclusion that we're officially adults because we had a tent, chairs, lots of sunscreen and all the food and drinks necessary for a day trip. Brian made like 3 trips to the car before we had everything out on the beach. What a change from our pre-children days when all we brought to the beach was a towel. ha! ha!

Bird's Nest, a second life:

Last but not least, our grill reached the end of it's useful life and was used instead as a home for a bird's nest. Somehow a bird got in through an opening on the side of the grill and made this beautiful nest, ha! We hadn't used it for months and Brian was about to throw it out when he found the nest, so instead we decided to watch the eggs hatch.

Oli and I checked on the eggs every afternoon until they hatched.

We were sad when we checked one day and the birdies had flown away.

Madelyn is 1 year old!

2011-05-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun facts about her.

Weight: 19.6 lbs

Number of teeth: two

Favorite foods: peas, rice, blueberries and tortillas

Favorite room in the house: big brother's room

Favorite toys: yellow ducks and little race cars

Likes to: follow big brother around the house

Loves to: kiss and cuddle (opposite of her brother)

Dislikes: baby food

Strongly dislikes: medicine

Gets excited when: Daddy gets home from work

Knows how to say: mama, hi, bye, up, thank you, pee pee Spanish: papa, agua

Sleeps: 2 hours in the day and 11 hours at night

Has never tasted: juice (we learned our lesson with Oli's cavities)

On her Birthday I took her to the park to photograph her. She was more interested in eating leaves than posing for the camera. A few days later we celebrated with a few friends at home. I can't believe how fast a year went by!

Maddie - 11 months old

2011-04-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Madelyn is 11 months old and very active these days. Check it out for yourself.

Brian thinks she might have a future in bobsledding. ha!

She doesn't walk yet but she stands up and holds onto things. She's most comfortable with scooting but that doesn't stop her from dancing :)

Rollerblading lessons with Daddy

2011-04-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

I knew when I found these beginner rollerblades that Brian and Oli would have a great time together. (Back in NYC, Brian would rollerblade all over Manhattan and Brooklyn). On Day 1, Oli was excited but a little nervous. On Day 2, he was ready to try it on his own! My little boy is turning into a big boy.

DAY 1:

Notice something missing?

I forgot to buy him protective gear, oops.

DAY 2:

Ready for rollerblading lessons with Daddy!

Madelyn's two teeth

2011-04-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Finally got a shot of her two teeth. Adorable!

Maddie & Oli, thoughts & Railroad tracks...

2011-03-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

Madelyn, the scooter, is 10 months old! She has two teeth, finally. She is more serious than Oli but her silly side comes out when we least expect it. She throws a tantrum when I stop her from eating leaves or dirt if we're outdoors or when I put her in the car seat. She prefers playing in Oliver's room instead of hers. She likes avocados, watermelon, flour tortillas and muffins. When I give her "baby" snacks such as Cheerios, she throws them and scoots over to Oliver to snatch his pretzels or animal crackers. She follows Oli everywhere he goes and gets into all kinds of messy situations with him. (A new post on that topic will follow soon...)

Oliver is 2 Years 9 months old! His favorite phrase these days is, "No, I wanna do myself!" He gets upset and sometimes throws major tantrums if we try to help him get dressed, undressed or take his diaper off. He runs to the kitchen and the living room to turn the lights on when we come into the house and will get upset if I turn them on. When he falls asleep in the car I transfer him to his bed but he wakes himself up, says "No, I wanna do myself!", climbs out of the bed, climbs back in and throws a tantrum which ruins his nap. We celebrated his first pee pee in the potty a few days ago, yey! He's becoming such a big boy.

Thoughts...

I love being home with the kids. Every stage is fun and challenging at the same time. I love that they are close in age and that they will start to play together soon, but sometimes it's hard to meet their needs when they're both crying or having a crazy moment at the same time. Some days I don't know whether to laugh or cry but I wouldn't trade this for the world! It's nice to know I can wake up the next day and start all over again and it's nice to talk to other moms who are as crazy as I am :)

We went to Railroad Square Art Park to take a few photos.

After that we went to the Railroad Tracks nearby.

Oli was busy while I took photos of Maddie.

We call her "scooter".

2011-02-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

This is Madelyn's preferred method of getting around. She has no interest in crawling and she's becoming a more efficient scooter each day!

Sideways view...

Bribery works and Face painting

2011-02-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've gotten a good photo of Oli, so I did what any desperate parent would do for a great shot - I bribed him with a lollipop, and it worked!

ENJOYING his reward :)

Lately, Oli has been getting into all kinds of messy situations. One afternoon he rubbed Desitin all over himself. Another day he went into my makeup-bag and painted the bathroom sink and floor with mascara. Last Friday, while I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, Oli climbed onto a book shelf in our office. He found the white out and a red marker and painted his face. We tried removing it with olive oil, baby oil, nail polish remover, and soap. The marker stains came off but two days later he still had white out on his face. Brian decided to try goof-off and that did the trick (goof-off is a chemical used to remove paint and glue from surfaces; but don't worry, Brian took precautions to make sure it didn't get in Oli's eyes).

Friday night.

Sunday morning - still had some white out on his face.

Maddie - 9 months, 9 photos

2011-02-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

At 9 months Madelyn says "da da," "ma ma," and "pa pa," all at random times of course, but it makes Brian and me happy to think she's calling us! She doesn't crawl and gets very upset when I lay her on her tummy. She prefers to get around by scooting on her bottom. When Oliver does puzzles on the floor she scoots really fast from one side of the room to the other to get her hands on the pieces.

Today was a beautiful day for photos. I sat her on a chair in front of our house and snapped away (I stayed VERY close to her to make sure she didn't fall off the chair).

Enjoying the swings at Tom Brown Park.

All about Oli

2011-01-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

Oliver is 2 Years and 7 months old! WOW! Our little guy is full of energy and cracks us up with the things he says. I'm writing myself a list so that I don't forget:

1-I accidentally broke the DVD player a few days ago and I was frustrated trying to get it to work. He said, "oh! I know, my tools!" He went to his room and brought back his little wrench to help me.

2-We went to a place that has bouncy houses and one of them was deflated. He said "It's not working, we need batteries."

3-Whenever we drive by a Bank of America he says, "bankmerica, money!'

4-Whenever we mention uncle Bernie (who lives in CT) he says, "uncle Bernie, got truck!" He remembers that uncle Bernie sent him a gift card for Christmas and we bought him a truck with it.

5-He'll take Brian's drink from him, take a sip and then say, "here Papa, share", like he's the one sharing.

6-He wanted to watch one of his movies and I told him we couldn't because he had thrown all of them under the tv stand. He said, "Oh, I know, my magnet stick." He was talking about his little fishing rod that he uses for one of his puzzles.

7-One morning he climbed into our bed to play with Madelyn. He held her and said, "Hi sissy, don't worry, you're safe." I was wondering where he heard that and then I remembered one of his favorite shows, Caillou. There was an episode where Caillou was comforting his little sister during a thunder storm and he said, "don't worry Rosie, you're safe."

8-We recently bought a tv and as Brian was opening the box Oli asked, "what's that?" Brian told him it was a new tv to which he responded, "New tv, Papa, not old tv, new tv, good idea!"

9-I drove by Zaxbys one morning (to buy a gift card, not to eat at that time) and it was closed. Oli goes, "We gonna eat kicken", I said, "It's closed Oli", he says, "It's closed, we need keys to open door."

10-I was driving and the car in front of me made a right turn into a parking lot without signaling so I hit the brakes pretty hard. I said, "oops, I'm sorry Oli." He goes, "It's dangerous, we gotta slow down, mama made a stake." I said, "yes, Oli mama made a mistake, I'm sorry I scared you."

That's all I can think of for now.

Climbing ropes at Tom Brown Park

My parents were sad that our Christmas visit was too short so they came to visit us. Oli played alot with my dad and totally bonded with him.

His favorite show these days is Caillou.

He LOVES doing puzzles.

As I've mentioned before he's a bit OCD and likes to organize and line things up.

"Uncle Bernie, got truck!"

We're crazy about him!

Maddie - 8 months old

2011-01-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

It feels like she just turned 6 months old but month 8 has just passed! Maddie waves hello and loves to make funny faces. Every morning she wakes up saying "Da Da Da Da," and Brian is thrilled about that! :) She has funny mood swings. She laughs one minute, cries the next, and then goes back to laughing. Maddie and I go to baby-story-time at the Library and music-class once a week. She's a busy girl.

Happy mood.

Silly mood.

A tear in her eye. She cried the next minute, but I don't remember why.

Here she is in music-class.

She enjoys biting the drumstick more than hitting the drum. :)

She does play it though - with a little help from me.

Click play to see her in action!

Here, I was asking her to say "Da Da." Instead, she had this to say:

(click on the play button below)

She is not phased by her crazy big bro screaming and pushing her high chair while she waves.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the new year by going to the beach in St. Petersburg, FL. My family from Canada was staying at a beachfront condo! We hadn't seen them in years and had a great time visiting with them.

The first day of 2011 was sunny, windy and beautiful but not warm enough for us to go into the water. The Canadian visitors were all dressed for the beach but we were dressed in layers. Ha!

Oliver was in heaven playing in the sand.

Madelyn loved the sand too!

My cousin's fiance (shirtless guy) had no problem getting in the water!

Definitely Canadian.

The beach is a lot of fun with Maddie and Oli !

Christmas in Orlando

2010-12-31T15:15:00.000-08:00

Santa dropped off gifts on the 23rd at our house because he knew we were going to be away at my parents' house. Excited, Brian and I got up early that morning and waited for the kiddos to get up and see their gifts. We usually hope that they sleep in but that morning we could hardly wait for them to get up. Maddie woke up first. Oliver came into our room a few minutes later. We told him about the presents and he ran straight to the tree. Maddie was still in her room, and so he brought her a gift. I ran for the camera. They played with their toys most of the day and we left for my parents' house the next day.

Oliver's got major bed-head!

One of his favorite gifts was his workbench. He loves playing with tools.

Maddie got a baby doll and a little stroller/walker.

Grandma Hayden sent gifts from Connecticut. A Thomas the Train book for Oli and a Princess book for Maddie. Oli has been taking the princess book everywhere we go because he loves all the songs it plays. ha! Thanks Grandma !

In Orlando we met up with our dear friends Marshall, Melissa and baby Charlotte who were visiting from Naples. It was so good to see them!

I really wanted a picture of the whole group so Brian set up the camera on top of a garbage can and this is what we got. For the record, that is Charlotte in the other stroller.

We had a good time at my parents' house. Yummy food as usual :)

It was a very special Christmas!

Christmas show at Preschool

2010-12-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

Now I know how it feels to be proud of your child when they're in a school show, no matter how small the part is. Oli is in the first row in the aqua blue shirt. I think he did a great job!

After the show all the kids got to sit on Santa's lap.

And we enjoyed goodies in the classroom party.

Maddie - 7 months old

2010-12-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

Madelyn is 7 months old! Here she is modeling a beautiful crochet outfit that Grandma Funes made for her. I went crazy taking pictures and had a REALLY hard time choosing a few to post.

A quick update: She sleeps about 12 hours at night, yey! She loves butternut squash, peas, blueberries and sweet potatoes. She does not like bananas. She loves staring at Oliver and laughing at all the silly things he does. She gets excited when she sees Brian come home from work. She loves to cuddle and if she could have it her way, she would be held 24 hours a day.

She's a happy girl!

Elf Night at Dorothy B. Oven Park

2010-12-22T06:49:00.000-08:00

Dorothy B. Oven Park is a fun place to visit during the holidays. It is decorated with lots of pretty lights and cool things to look at. On Elf Night many young families wander around the park and enjoy the lights, eat cookies, and drink hot chocolate. Oliver and Madelyn were content seeing Santa from a distance. Maybe next year we'll be one of those families lined up for hours waiting to sit on Santa's lap.

Madelyn was really into the reindeer.

Christmas cookies

2010-12-13T12:33:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Oliver and I had fun baking Christmas cookies and making a mess. I was juggling a few batches in and out of the oven, decorating with Oliver and acting silly to distract Madelyn while she waited in her exersaucer. She eventually started crying so I turned around to switch batches and pick her up. In those 2 minutes Oli had "decorated" a batch of cookies and taken a bite off about 7 of them! It was funny to see him concentrate as he decorated. Brian didn't seem to mind what the cookies looked like. They were all gone in 2 days!

What an adorable little baker!

Notice all the flour on his shirt.

The lovely cookies decorated by Oli.

Some of these gingerbread men are missing heads or legs.

These are the cookies that I decorated :)

Oli preferred his cookies.

Ready for Christmas!

2010-12-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we played Christmas music all morning, put up the tree and enjoyed drinking hot apple cider. This year Christmas is more fun because Oliver talks and understand so much more than last year. We've been talking about baby Jesus and reading a bunch of Christmas books. Every afternoon we play Christmas music and dance around the house. His favorite song is "Santa Claus is coming to town." Madelyn gets excited when she sees Oliver dance. If only she knew how magical she and Oliver make the holidays!!! We're sooooo grateful for our two little gifts from above; we love seeing life through their eyes.

Little helper #1

Little helper #2

"Relaxing" on the couch.

These are a few pics from Thanksgiving Day at our house.

My mom cooked the turkey and it was yummy as usual!

This is the only photo that Oliver cooperated for.

Madelyn- 6 Months old

2010-11-17T13:24:00.000-08:00

Unlike her brother, Madelyn is lucky if she gets an update on the blog every few months. Sometimes she has been doing something new for a few weeks before I get a photo. She is 6 months old and is rolling over. She often gets stuck and upset when she's not able to roll back. She reaches for anything in sight and puts everything in her mouth. So far she's eaten rice cereal, butternut squash, carrots and sweet potatoes.

Sweet potato mess

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! We went to a Trunk or Treat and had fun collecting candy.

This is the ugliest pumpkin I've ever seen.

Firefighter and Little Frog

Eating junk.

Little Pumpkins

2010-10-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

The Fall weather feels so good in the mornings and evenings. We visited a local pumpkin patch a few times and got pics of our little pumpkins.

Oliver's first time helping Daddy carve a pumpkin.

Here are some photos of both of them to compare and remember how cute they looked the first time they visited a pumpking patch. Oliver was 4 months old and Madelyn is 5 months old.

This was at Oliver's preschool.

Madelyn was all dressed up to take portraits with her big bro.

I love her crazy hair :)

Oli at Preschool

2010-10-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

Oliver started preschool 2 weeks ago. We visited a few times before I registered him and he seemed to really enjoy it. We only signed him up for 3 days a week from 9am-12pm, so I still get to enjoy a lot of time with him. The teachers said that 2 year olds usually take a few days to adjust, but he fit right in the first day. It makes me happy that he loves going and that I get to spend some quality time with Madelyn. I feel blessed to be able to send him and to have a break now and then from taking care of both of them at the same time.

Still, it was a bitter sweet moment when I let him go that first day.

Little Gymnast

2010-09-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

We signed Oliver up for gymnastics. He loves it! Brian is excited about teaching Oli the things he did when he was a young gymnast. :) Here's how the first class went:

He sat for the first 2 minutes

But wasn't as cooperative for the stretching exercises

But then he got into it

Got it!

Mini video

Labor Day 2010

2010-09-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

This Labor Day we decided to be spontaneous and take a trip to the beach. It took a little over an hour to get to Bald Point Beach - the closest beach to us - a small, private, and very relaxing place.

We found one tree with shade, where we set up our blanket.

It was Maddie's first time at the beach.

Funny face

The only thing Oli wanted to do was look for seashells.

Happy Mommy

Happy Daddy

Maddie - 3 months old

2010-09-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Madelyn turned 3 months old on Aug. 13. She smiles a lot, gets excited when we talk to her and laughs when Oliver is being silly. We're kinda crazy about her!

Today she was in a serious mood.

Random moments

2010-08-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Just a few photos of what we've been up to.

Every afternoon Oli wants to sit on the front step of the house.

We read books, wave to people, and enjoy the view.

He also likes to sweep the front of the house, my little helper.

Oli's favorite books these days are about Maisy the mouse, by Lucy Cousins.

Little sis enjoys the stories too!

A dream come true:

I went out for a walk and they both took a nap at the same time!!!

Baby Einstein Gym 2nd time around

2010-08-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Madelyn's experience with the Baby Einstein Gym is so much different than Oliver's. There are less toys dangling (some are lost), she's a month older than Oliver was when he first played with it (...not rushing into any new stages this time) and she has older brother showing her just how crazy she can get with it.

After explaining GENTLE a few times, Oli got it.

Could this be the beginning of them playing together?

The latest...

2010-07-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Madelyn is much more alert and awake these days. At night she sleeps about 5 hours from 8:00 PM-1:00 AM and then wakes up every 3 after that. In the daytime she's unpredictable but sleeps a lot as well. A few days ago I was kissing her and she laughed for the first time. I love that sound! I've been trying to get Brian to hear her but of course she hasn't done it again. I really enjoy dressing her up like a little doll. She and I are going to have so much fun doing girly stuff :)

Oliver amazes us with the things he remembers sometimes. For example whenever we drive by Best Buy he yells, "guitar!" because Brian has taken him there a few times to look at guitars. Or whenever we drive downtown and he sees the State Capitol building, he yells, "Papa's office!" because it's near Brian's office. One day I braved it to the post office, got in line with the side-by-side double stroller and gave him a lollipop so that he would wait patiently and keep his hands off Maddie. So a few days later I said, "Oli we're going to the post office" and he said, "wapop", meaning lollipop and I just started laughing and said, "Yes, mommy will give you a lollipop when we get there."

Our 2 Month Old

2010-07-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Madelyn is two months old and weighs 10 lbs 6 oz. Last night was the first night she slept seven hours in a row! Hooray!!! All you parents know what a big deal that is. Hopefully in a few more weeks she'll be able to sleep the whole night. We can not wait to be fully functional again :) Life is crazy these days but we wouldn't trade it for the world.

She's getting chubbier and cuter

She likes the swing and even takes long naps in it. Oli hated it.

I know she's not doing anything but I want to remember these little moments :)

Our 2 Year Old

2010-06-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Our Oliver is two years old! He talks so much these days and makes us laugh as always. Sometimes we're not paying attention to what we're saying and all of a sudden we hear an echo. He sounds so cute when he mumbles and mispronounces words in an attempt to repeat everything.

We celebrated his Birthday by taking him to the Jacksonville Zoo. He loved it! When he saw the animals behind gates/fences he would try to come out of his stroller, point to the animals and say, "open door!" to try to get closer to them. He also had a great time in the water playground! It was just what he needed with the 90 degree weather. We reminded him several times that it was a special day because of his birthday. He would point to himself, repeat it and smile. It's pretty amazing to feel so much happiness because your child is happy. What a fun family trip!

A few days before the zoo trip, Oliver's buddy Austin and his parents came over for dinner. We sang Happy Birthday and the boys had fun getting messy with the cupcakes :)

First attempt at a photo of the four of us...

At the zoo

BIG BRO LIL SIS

2010-06-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Oli is sweet with his little sister most of the time. He likes to "help" by forcing her pacifier into her mouth or by pushing her swing (really fast) when she's in it. He also runs to her rescue when he hears her crying and climbs into her crib in less than 30 seconds. He tries to hold her and comfort her, but the poor little girl doesn't look comfortable at all. I try to watch them at all times but sometimes a girl has to go to the bathroom or cook or wash dishes, etc. I guess I have to move faster!

There are times when Oli's not so sweet. When he takes her bottle away from her and I take it back from him he smacks her. Or when he takes her blanket away from her and I ask him to give it back, he covers her face with it and snatches her headband off. I guess Maddie unknowingly gets him back when she screams so loud while he's taking a nap that she wakes him up. The girl is hungry every 1.5 to 2 hours! I've got my hands full these days.

Here they are watching Dora the Explorer

These shirts were a gift from my friend Janay, who stitched and personalized them. I LOVE them! Please check out her awesome work at www.janaysquilts.blogspot.com.

A good day

It takes a few tries before I actually get a good photo of them.

He's making fun of her crying

High Five!

Peace... (Maddie's fingers)

A Few Pictures of Madelyn

2010-06-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Madelyn is exactly one month old today. How time flies! I once heard it said that parents of young kids experience long days and short years. How true!

Grandma Hayden

2010-06-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

My mom arrived on the same day Glenda's mom left; the changing of the guard. Glenda and I are in agreement: we've been blessed with the best moms ever! It was a wonderful week. I was off work, which made it all the better. Mom, we loved having you with us; the kid's thoroughly enjoyed their meema (I think that's what Oliver says). Enjoy the pictures!

Grandma Elsy

2010-06-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

It was sad to say Good Bye to my mom after 3 weeks. Oliver and Madelyn miss their grandma very much! These are a few shots with my family before they went back home.

MAMI, GRACIAS POR SU AYUDA Y SU AMOR.

Little cutie

Hard to say Good Bye

Oli won't cooperate when it comes to taking photos. I had to go find him in his favorite spot.

Best buddies with uncle Rigo

Adjusting to life with Maddie

2010-05-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

Madelyn is two weeks old today. I forgot how much babies sleep at this stage. She's awake for only a few hours each day. She's much more mellow than Oliver was. I'm praying she'll stay that way! So far Oliver has adjusted to her well. One thing he does which he shouldn't, however, is snatch her hat or headband off her head. He kisses her a lot and he lends her his little pillow that he sleeps with. He also likes bringing her a blanket to hold onto, since he knows how important it is to drag around his own blanket all day. As for Brian and me, it's back to sleepless nights. But I can't complain because we wake up fewer times than we did with Oliver. Brian is an awesome husband and dad and helps with the 1:00 am feedings. :))) Okay, when I look at these photos, I have to say it's worth it!

Not sleeping!

My mom has been so helpful! There's no way I would have been able to recover this well without her. She cooks, cleans, does laundry, bathes both kids, changes diapers, entertains Oli, holds Madelyn every chance she gets, and won't let me carry anything that might be too heavy. Reality is going to hit me pretty hard in a few weeks!

Oliver NEVER liked his pacifier when he was a baby. He didn't like his bouncy chair either. Well... I guess you could say, he has been regressing a little.

But really, he is such a big boy now. His latest hobby is drawing with sidewalk chalk. He is so proud of all the things he draws.

His favorite chalk color is white, or as he says it, "fwight".

We're home!

2010-05-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

We're finally home! I gave birth on Thursday night and didn't come home until Monday evening. I had a C-section because Madelyn was in a breech position. Sunday morning I got discharged but Madelyn's jaundice was at a level that needed photo-therapy, so we had to stay an extra night. It's been a tough few days of recovery but I couldn't be more in love with her. Here are a few pics of the last couple of days.

Proud Daddy

About 30 hours of Photo-Therapy to reduce jaundice.

Almost like sunbathing.

Daddy taking advantage of Oli's nap

Big Bro, Little Sis

Happy Daddy

Proud Grandma

Madelyn Elsie Hayden

2010-05-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Madelyn Elsie Hayden was born on Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at 5:47pm. She weighed in at 5 pounds, 9 ounces (Oliver was only 5 pounds 3 ounces), and measured 18 and 3/4 inches long. She is healthy and has quite an appetite. Glenda was very strong and brave, and is doing very well. Oliver is very excited about his little sister! Here are a few pictures:

Saying Good Bye

2010-05-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

It was very emotional for me to leave Oli for days to go to the hospital. I was dreading that moment. The only thing that comforted me was knowing he was in good hands with my mom. But that didn't stop my tears :(

This was right before I got in the car.

The evening before I gave birth we went for one last walk around the neighborhood and ate popsicles.

Last photo of the belly, 39 weeks.

Move in Progress...

2010-04-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

We're moving in 2 days and I'm due in 3 weeks! I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, which is the main reason why I've been good about staying off my feet; I need baby girl to wait a few more days! Brian has packed almost the entire place. Oliver has been having fun with the boxes. He climbs on everything. We'll post an update when we're all settled or when baby decides to arrive, whichever comes first. :)

One more month to go...

2010-04-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

Just one more month to go! We've got lots of stuff going on!

Oli is getting ready to be a big brother. Everyday we talk about his little sister. He touches my belly, then runs to the fridge, points to her sonogram, and says "sis." I'm so excited for them to meet!

Friends of mine threw a shower for our little girl this past Saturday. They chose such adorable little clothes! It makes the idea of having a little girl more real!

That, and we're excited about moving into this house! Yes, more space. :))))

Baby Girl Update - 34 Weeks

2010-04-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

We can't wait to meet our baby girl! Only 6 more weeks - or so we think. She's the boss when it comes to timing. :) Below are three recent sonograms. By the way, we've decided to keep her name a surprise. Some of you might remember, early on we had chosen "Sydney," but we changed our minds. :)

4D shot of her face; the umbilical cord is blocking her eyes.

Oh my, she's got a big foot!

If you look carefully,

you'll see she's laying on her left side, facing you.

Sunday afternoon - male bonding

2010-03-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

Brian has been learning to play the guitar for a few months and Oliver loves to watch him and get involved :) While Brian was practicing this afternoon, I got a few shots of the boys bonding.

Have I mentioned Oli has a silly side? Lately, he thinks it's funny to wear Mr. Potato Head's glasses and cracks himself up.

Silly guys

Springtime in Tallahassee

2010-03-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air! On Saturday we did as much as we could to enjoy the beautiful weather. First we went to the Springtime Tallahassee parade, then we had a picnic in the park. After we got home and rested for a bit, we went for a walk around our neighborhood. We couldn't get enough of the sun :)

(Just 8 more weeks to go...)

Even though Oli doesn't like giving kisses, he never refuses to kiss his little sister. (I hope this continues after she's born.)

21 Months Old

2010-03-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

Oliver's getting early training for gymnastics. Ninja training starts soon. :)))

Mini Update

2010-03-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

I'm almost 30 weeks pregnant and feeling exhausted and it's been so cold that we haven't been doing too many exciting things lately. But this week is finally feeling warmer and we're so excited to be able to get out more.

We visited my parents a few weekends ago and got to see my brother & family from NY. Oliver had fun playing with his cousin Kyla.

Appreciating the present

2010-02-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we're going to have another baby in a few months! It's so exciting, but at the same time I really want to appreciate the present before my time alone with Oli comes to an end. Lately I've been cuddling with him more, staring at him, and appreciating what a special little person he is.

Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones but I've been feeling emotional about how blessed we are to be at this stage in life.

Waiting for our 2nd special little person.

Spending a lot of quality family time

(thanks to Brian's awesome job).

Having a healthy and happy little boy.

Who likes to wear his dad's shoes.

and who makes us laugh and melts our hearts everyday.

Little climber

2010-01-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

As a parent you're so impressed with every new little thing your child does. We think it's pretty impressive that Oli climbs this ladder on his own! By the way I love how he makes sure his milk comes with him.

The blue chair

2010-01-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

My friend Celeste gave Oliver this blue chair and he loves it. He decided this was the spot for his chair. When I put it away in his room he brought it back out and placed it on the same spot. He doesn't want it anywhere else but in this specific spot. I've noticed he is a little bit OCD at times. Hmm, I wonder who he gets that from?

He's back to his happy, silly self and still recovering from the infection.

Ear Infection

2010-01-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping to print this blog into a book one day so some of the things I post are for my own journaling purposes; this is one of them. Oliver was getting over a cold recently but it ended in him getting his first ear infection. It was so bad that his eyes swelled up and he had green stuff coming out of them from all the drainage from his little head. I kept Oli away from friends, so no play dates. I didn't take him to his usual music class, story time, etc. because of the weather and I didn't want him to get other kids sick. Needless to say it's been a tough week.

Poor Oli

A very cold day

2010-01-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not this is Florida. No leaves on the trees, 30 degrees this morning and it's supposed to be 17 degrees tonight. We're wearing 4 layers to keep warm, but I know our family and friends from up North don't really sympathize.

Our walk for this afternoon was to the mailbox and back home.

Oli & Elmo

2010-01-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

There was this whole new world out there that I never knew about: Elmo's World. Up until a month ago Oliver enjoyed Baby Einstein and Baby Boost (nursery rhymes) and wasn't interested in any characters or cartoons. Now the only thing he wants to watch is Elmo. He laughs at everything Elmo has to say and loves to imitate whatever is going on in the video. I've tried playing his other videos but he won't stop saying Elmo's name until I play it for him. When he wakes up every morning the first thing he does is ask for milk and the second thing is get his two Elmo dolls from the toy basket. This afternoon he got upset at me because I threw his Elmos in the toy basket and didn't sit them on the couch next to him. The boy is Elmo's biggest fan.

He never wants to wear his shoes unless they're his Elmo slippers.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

This year we went to St. Petersburg for Christmas so we had Oliver open his Santa gifts on the 23rd. He didn't fully understand that it was okay to rip his gifts open but he was really happy with what he got! Our Christmas gift was finding out about our little girl :)

Baby Girl

2009-12-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

We are proud to introduce our baby girl! I am 19 weeks pregnant and she is pretty active (just like her brother was). I've been feeling her move for a few weeks now. I wonder if her personality will be totally different than Oliver's or if they'll be similar. I hear they're all different. We're getting excited, nervous and anxious about having another child. But I'm sure that along with the challenges will come much joy!

My belly is bigger than it was with Oliver and I'm a little concerned about how big I'll be at 40 weeks, but I can't stop eating.

Sweet older brother...

Oli at My Parents' House

2009-12-10T19:49:00.001-08:00

I'm back at home and able to upload photos again! These are some of the things Oli did while we visited my parents this week.

He rode his little truck around the house,

played at the indoor playground in the mall,

and helped uncle Rigo wash my car,

Going to My Parents' House

2009-12-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

My mom has been an awesome grandma by visiting & helping me this past week while I had several things going on. (Today I photographed my first wedding!)

Oliver has been such a little helper these days. Here he is helping my mom as we get ready to leave to Orlando to my parents' house for a few days.

Christmas Party

2009-12-04T12:17:00.001-08:00

This morning we were invited to a Christmas party/play group.

This is what happens when you're one of two boys in a house full of girls: You play in a kitchen, have fun with a princess guitar and dance with all the girls.

'Tis the Season!

2009-12-01T08:52:00.001-08:00

'Tis the Season, and we're decorating for Christmas! Oliver is as tall as the small tree we put up; I actually gave him the benefit of the doubt, thinking we could leave it on the floor without him touching it. At first Oli was helpful and calm, and I was shocked that he was so self controlled - resisting pulling the ornaments off. But after a few hours, he brought over his plastic hammer and began banging at the tree. Then he ripped off the ornaments, threw them like balls, and then ripped off the little stars hanging on the garland. So . . . our tree is now safely placed next to the tv on our entertainment center. Maybe next year we'll have better luck.

This was Oli still in his helpful frame of mind. He stuck the ornaments in the tree (instead of hanging them), he was so cute!

Not sure where to put it, hmm...

Perfect spot!

Oliver at Railroad Square Park

2009-11-08T17:50:00.001-08:00

Glenda photographed our friends, Marshall & Melissa, at Railroad Square Art Park this weekend. When she was done, Oliver struck a few poses in imitation - all on his own.

This is what he was imitating.

The beginning of Fall

2009-11-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to say I'm feeling much better! (The first trimester is almost over.) It's the beginning of Fall and I love it! The leaves are changing colors, the mornings are cooler, sometimes even chilly. I'm already getting excited thinking about decorating for Christmas and seeing Christmas through Oli's eyes.

He's 16 months old and talking more everyday. He says little phrases like, "oh no!" or "oh boy!". He says, "nut nigh" repeating after me when I tell him something he did was "not nice!". He calls Brian "Papa" in Spanish and when he wants more of something he says, "mas" also in Spanish. It's funny how he decided which words he would say in what language. He doesn't like giving hugs or kisses and frowns when asked to give them. I don't know where he got that from. It's so interesting that he has his own likes and dislikes. We've told him I have a baby in my belly and at random times in the day he lifts up my shirt and pokes my belly. He makes us laugh everyday.

Every now and then he cooperates and faces the camera.

This was at a Fall Festival a few weeks ago.

He loved playing with Abby in the bouncy house...

... and going down the slide with Brian.

My friend Maria invited us to a Halloween event in her neighborhood. Oli was dressed as a monkey and her kids, Sophia and Patrick were little red riding hood and the wolf.

Oli didn't know what to think of the pumpkin lady.

Sarah and Aurie were passing through town and were able to join us!

Little Peanut

2009-10-26T16:52:00.001-07:00

I'm 10 weeks pregnant and starting to get more excited about the little peanut in my belly. This past week we got to hear the heartbeat and see a sonogram. For a minute I forgot about how sick I've been. One thing that's different this time is that I know what the reward feels like. Also, this time we're going to find out what we're having. It's going to be so much fun!

(Yes, only 10 weeks and already a big belly...)

Mini Update

2009-10-20T10:33:00.001-07:00

Since our very happy announcement a few weeks ago, I've been feeling pretty yucky and praying that the next trimester will be here before I know it; hence the lack of blog updates. I'm hopeful about things getting better really soon :)

Oliver is changing so much every day. He wants to be Mr. Independent and he's communicating a lot more. This was at an Asian Festival a few weeks ago. We let him out of his stroller for a little while and he wanted nothing to do with us. He is so active and doesn't ever want to stop going.

15 Months Old and BIG NEWS!!!

2009-09-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

Oliver loves it when Brian reads to him. He actually pays attention for more than 10 seconds; I think he's maturing...

...which brings us to the exciting news that Oli is going to be a BIG BROTHER!!! We don't know what he thinks of it yet, but we're very excited!!!! Baby Hayden #2 is due in May!

Oliver's Dance Moves

2009-09-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Oliver turns on the radio on his play house and then "dances."

Oliver Laughing

2009-09-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

For some reason, Oliver thinks it's hilarious to say

"goodness gracious!" and to throw pillows on the floor.

Oliver's First Haircut

2009-09-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Oliver's hair was starting to look stringy and his side curls had grown out too long. Brian had been wanting to cut his hair for months, so I finally agreed. It was so hard to let go of the curls.

I never knew Brian had another talent up his sleeve!

All done!

14 Months Old

2009-08-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Oliver's personality shines through more everyday. Although we'll influence the person he'll eventually become, it's evident that God made Oli unique. When I think of who he is, this scripture comes to mind: Psalm 139:13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."

Oliver's very independent and doesn't like to cuddle. Every now and then, though, he'll run up to me and hug me, which melts my heart. He has a very silly sense of humor and loves to imitate me. He loves to wrestle with Brian. He has a short temper and his tantrums are getting bigger and lasting longer. He says a few things like, "all done", "mama", "dada," "uh-oh," and "no, no, no" - his favorite. Whenever he's about to do something he knows he's not supposed to do, he tells himself, "no, no, no," and then does it, and that's how I catch him in the act. He gets into all kinds of trouble: he flips our office garbage can upside down and scatters everything around in seconds; he takes my shoes out of the closet and spreads them throughout the house; he takes my phone and calls people; he removes the cushions from the couch and jumps on them; he climbs to dangerous places; he unrolls the toilet paper any chance he gets. He drives us crazy, but he makes us laugh. We love him more everyday. We can't wait to have another one!

Deep thoughts... :)

Totally ignoring me while I'm trying to get a good shot.

He loves splashing and getting wet.

He gets upset that he doesn't fit into the basket more easily.

Silence... I knew he was up to something!

Training with Daddy.