Hayden's New Hardware

We had to make a trip down to Anchorage this past weekend to get a heart procedure done for Hayden. We've been dreading the procedure, but it needed to get done sooner rather than later. He was born with a heart murmur and it lead us to find out that his pulmonary duct never closed after birth. The pediatric cardiologist has been monitoring it for the past year and came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to close naturally and we needed to close it because the blood was flowing through his heart twice and it could lead to infection or an aneurysm. We needed to do it while he was young because as they get older then the duct gets more brittle.

So, we flew down to anchorage for the cardiologist to perform a procedure to close it with a coil. He put a catheter into his main arteries through his leg and then inserted a stainless steel coil with what he described as baleen on it into his pulmonary duct. The coil stopped a majority of the blood flow within 10 minutes. We will find out in a month whether or not it completely closed the duct.

We flew down to Anchorage on Thursday for Hayden's pre-op and thought we would stop in at Build a Bear and get him a special animal to bring with him to the hospital. He had a blast running around the store trying to pick out what animal he wanted. He had a hard time picking between the monkey and the puppy and drug them around in circles.

On Thursday night we took Danielle and Hayden to Walking with Dinosaurs, and we all loved the show. It was amazing to see the life size dinosaurs....they were huge and really realistic.

Hayden was enthralled the whole time and didn't take his eyes off of the dinosaurs. Chris bought some popcorn and they both sat there eating the popcorn staring at the stage!!

Friday was a long day, we had to be at the hospital at 7 am and get him ready for his iv and whatnot. They gave him a medicine to help relax him before the iv and the doctor warned us that we will figure out whether he was a mean or happy drunk when he gets older. The medicine really made him act drunk, thank goodness he was a happy drunk! It was really cute, he was being super goofy and was happy through all of the tests and poking and prodding. The hardest part of the whole thing for Chris and I was when we went into the operating room with Hayden and they put him under. We got to hold him through it, but afterwards they put him on the table, and he was very lifeless laying there and the doctor told us to give him kisses goodbye. Ugh, pull at your heart strings. Then we had to wait two hours for the whole thing to be done. The hardest part of the whole thing for Hayden was that we had to keep him laying still and flat for 5 hours after the procedure. It was really hard for an active 13 month old to lay down, let alone not move. They didn't want the clog in his artery to blow out and him to bleed so it was really important. We pinned him down and he cried so hard that thankfully he went to sleep for most of it!

We were discharged on Saturday and Hayden was doing great. He was up and playing Friday night and we all got some much needed sleep. It was a beautiful day so we decided to take him to the zoo. He really enjoyed looking at all the animals and sitting on his daddies shoulders to get an extra close view!

On Sunday he got really sick and the doctor said that he probably picked up a virus from the hospital. Sunday and Monday were filled with lots of clothes changing for me and him and lots of resting. But I am happy to report that today he is feeling much better and is almost back to normal! A special thank you to Danielle for all of her hospitality and for being there for the little H man all weekend! Thank you to everyone for all of their thoughtful messages and prayers. We really appreciate all of your support and for getting us through this :)

Alaskan Summers

I have quickly realized that in Alaska we utilize our summer time to the fullest! We only get a few months of nice weather and long days of sunlight and so we try and jam pack everything possible into our days! We have been staying busy and are enjoying every bit of it. We had a wonderful visit with my sister and her dog Hank. Hayden got sick at the end of her visit, but still managed to squeak out a few smiles with his superman buddy! My sister was very kind and volunteered to take Hayden for his first sleep over. He did good with them and only woke up a few times and Chris and I enjoyed a really nice and well needed full night of sleep. I can't tell you enough how awesome it was to finally get some good sleep....thank you sister for everything we love you:)

On the fourth of July weekend we went up to the cabin with Chris's family and some friends of ours and had a great time attempting to fish as well as many four wheel rides and a lot of relaxation! I say attempt to fish because we only caught a few little grayling. Oh well, Hayden had a blast shaking the pole and reeling in the line with his pappy!

He has finally gotten used to his life jacket and does a great job on boat rides....well that is as long as he has a lolly pop! Here he is enjoying a nice ride on the Salcha river with his Uncle Tyler.

Before his birthday, Hayden got his first haircut. He did amazing and sat still the whole time on daddy's lap! He was enthralled with the lady and the scissors and all the people at the barber shop.

As you can tell, he really needed his hair cut, it was getting really long!

We went to Pioneer Park with my mom last weekend and enjoyed 80 degree weather and playing in the sun. Hayden played in the sand at the volleyball court and enjoyed a carousel ride and running around in the grass. He has almost master running, that is when he is trying to get away from you!!

I am very nervous about winter coming because Hayden loves being outside. He gets your shoes and brings them to you or attempts to put them on and then stands by our front door. He often bangs on it and whines to go outside. The other day he managed to put his dads shoes on, but then couldn't figure out how to get them off and didn't really like being stuck with them on!

A great thing about this time of year is that the strawberries are in season. My parents have a huge strawberry garden and the boys spent an afternoon picking all of the big yummy fresh strawberries. Well, Hayden enjoyed eating all of the strawberries that my dad and Chris picked:)

We had another amazing session with Chelsey Mach and she did such a wonderful job taking Hayden's one year photos. Please check them out on her blog at: http://machcphotography.com/2010/07/fun-at-one-fairbanks-child-photographer/. If this link doesn't work then you find his pictures on her July 26th post "Fun at One".

Birthdays!

We have had an awesome fun filled past few weeks! This post is purely about all of the birthdays that we have celebrated :)

It all started with my birthday, check out the amazing bouquet that my husband sent me for our anniversary/my birthday:) We are in the process of teaching Hayden how to smell the flowers, but he would still rather eat them. For my birthday my husband treated me to a whole nights rest...the first time in 11 months and 3 weeks (not that I am counting or anything). It was really nice, especially because Hayden's eczema has flared up since it has been hot outside and he was waking up every hour.

The next evening we had a great time celebrating Skips birthday at the antique car museum. We had a blast checking out all of the amazing vehicles, some of them were one of a kind. We are lucky to have such awesome friends to share great memories with!

My dad celebrated his birthday the next week and got a special present from Hayden....he mastered walking that day! What more could a proud grandpa ask for:)

Last but not least we celebrated Hayden's big first birthday. We had an amazing day and he was spoiled rotten with lots of celebrations from all of the people that love him! On his birthday we went and fed the ducks with his friend Tripp, and then we played in the park. Hayden had the most fun crawling around in the pea gravel and getting dirty!

Then we met Chris at home where Hayden got to open his birthday present from us. It is a little electric 4 wheeler that goes about 2 miles an hour. We taped the button down so Hayden just went in circles in the yard for about an hour. We cannot get him off of the thing and now he just whines to go outside. He has figured out how to push the button but not how to hold it down, so he keeps himself entertained by pushing it then stopping and pushing it....all the while jerking himself down the road!!!

Next we headed over to the Bunch's where we took some beautiful family pictures with their amazing antique cars! Nickole, my sister-in-law made cake for everyone, including Hayden's very own little cake. He is a pretty picky eater and wasn't having any part of it but to stare at it! Then he was spoiled with lots of presents from his auntie and Mamie and Papie.

After that we went home and met my parents for another special treat for Hayden, a blackberry cupcake. He enjoyed eating just the blackberries that he selectively choose from the cupcake, who would have thought a kid would pick fruit over something sweet!

My sister made a special trip up from Seattle to help celebrate Hayden turning the big ONE, and we had a cookie monster party for him. He loves cookies because his grandpa gets him one every day that we go into work, and he is a monster so what a perfect theme:) Amy made an awesome cake with special treats on it for Hayden, that of course he picked off!! But he had to get through the frosting first so he ended up with blue frosting and fruit everywhere (with a little help from his auntie)!!!

I can't believe that time has flown by so fast and that our little man is already one. He has changed our lives so much and we couldn't imagine a life without him and hearing his cute little giggle and staring into his big blue eyes.

Blue Eyed Monster!

The one thing I have loved about having our own home is the opportunity to plant flowers all around it! There is something about the smell and beauty of them that adds to our joy for Fairbanks summers! It has been a bit of a challenge to keep Mr. Hayden out of the flower box, because he too loves the pretty colorful flowers! He has unplanted a few as well as eat or pull off the flowers of a few others. Not to mention the fact that he loves to play in the dirt as well as eat a few bites!!

Over the past month we have had a lot to celebrate, and there is more to come! Tucker turned 2 at the beginning of the month. Hayden is getting really good at standing and loves follow him around crawling and then stand next to him or hang on him!!

Hayden is still getting into everything and has mastered his new skill of being a monkey!

I am lucky to have a few friends that have kids around Hayden's age and that are stay at home moms as well. We get together every week and the kids play and afterwards we go for a walk. Last week the kids enjoyed the nice weather and played in the pool. I wish we had more than 3 months of summer.

Chris and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. It was really nice to sneak away for a few hours and have some time to ourselves. We had a very nice dinner while my parents spoiled Hayden rotten, as usual! I am very blessed to have such an amazing husband, and it melts my heart when he is with Hayden, and my love for him grows even more. It just keeps getting better and better :)

We did the Midnight Sun Run for the first time this year, and it was a blast. I was very happy that Chris was kind enough to suck it up and join me...he wasn't too thrilled about it, but I think he had a good time! The run was on Solstice weekend and it started at 10:00pm. Of course my child doesn't fall asleep in moving things, so he was awake for the entire 6 miles that we walked. There were 4,000 people that participated and some of them were dressed up in costumes, so he had a good time people watching!! After we got to the car, and got home (once again, he won't sleep in moving things like a normal child), it was almost 2 in the morning when Hayden finally went to sleep....long night but lots of fun!

On the few days that it has been nice, we have tried to go to Chena Lakes so that the boys can play in the water and sand. One afternoon Chris was able to come with us and through Tucker's toy in the water for about an hour!

Hayden was busy crawling through the freezing cold water and playing in the mud. He was covered in sand from head to toe, and so was everything else that he decided to play with (including my diaper bag!!). He is very fearless and kept going out further and further in the water, until his whole chest was underneath it, that was enough for paranoid me! I do not know how we used to swim in there as kids, the water was seriously about 55 degrees!

I couldn't have a post without a picture of Hayden playing in the toilet! The other day at work he found a duster and decided that he needed to clean the toilet with it. He would stick it in the toilet and move it around and then pull it out of the toilet onto the floor. I swear the whole bathroom floor was covered in water, as well as Hayden! It was hilarous, it looked like he was plunging the toilet, his plumber dad and grandpa were so proud!!!

Summer Time

It has been beautiful for the past few weeks, and we have definitely been having some fun in the sun! This is the only time that I could get Hayden to wear his sunhat (I gently placed it on his head, and he wore it for a whole 5 minutes before he realized it was there).

Hayden loves it outside and has been spending his days playing in his pool and crawling around the lawn chasing after Tucker, but most of all playing in the dirt. He does a really good job of not eating the rocks, he just gets dirty! He helps out with the outdoor chores, and loves to follow his dad around or do whatever he is doing. He especially likes to mow the lawn with him!

We go on weekly walks with a few of my girlfriends, and the kids get to play before and after the walk. A few weeks ago we went to Chena Lakes and Hayden and Tripp had a good time stealing each others toys!

When he isn't outside, he is busy getting into more trouble inside. He has officially figured out how to open the toilet seat and play in the water or dump the toilet paper roll into the water.

Whenever I cook, Hayden plays in the fridge and used to just empty out the first few rows. But now he has figured out how to be a monkey and climbs in the fridge, pulls out the drawers, and then tries to get things out of them (even if it means hanging onto the drawer).

We have really been enjoying the new boat, and took it up the Salcha this past weekend for Memorial Day. It was a really nice relaxing trip and was great to get out of town for a few days. EVERY time we go on a boat ride Chris has to tell me how much he loves his new boat....he is really proud of that thing!! So it will get good use and I think our summer will be filled with lots of boat rides.

We had a really long day Saturday getting everything ready for our trip up river so Hayden was really tired and hungry when we got in the truck to head out of town. He was so hungry, yet so tired, that he closed his eyes to go to sleep and would take little bites of his chicken nugget half asleep. It was the cutest thing in the world. He finally fell asleep with the half eaten chicken nugget in his hand...he was saving it for when he woke up!

Trouble!

The snow has melted in Fairbanks, and we are on our way to summer. It is great to be able to get outside and start all new activities with Hayden. It is a good thing because he is getting into everything right now and has figured out where and what he isn't supposed to be into to!

He loves to stand up and flick the toilet paper roll, as well as take is down and rip chunks of toilet paper off and then eat them!!

Tucker's toys are way more cooler than Hayden's and he enjoys taking all of the out of the basket every day. He then sticks his hand out to give Tucker the toy and when Tucker tries to take it, he pulls the toy back really quick and crawls away really fast! He also likes to climb in the basket and then play with the phone which is on the shelf above the toys. I swear you can by all the toys in the world, but the simplest cheapest things are way more fun for him!!

The minute the river opened up and we had a nice day, Chris had to test out the boat (when we picked it up last October we didn't have a chance to put it in the water...heck we didn't even get to start it). So, my dad met us down the boat launch and away we went. The boat is awesome and I can't wait for all of our adventures that we are going to have in it this summer. Hayden wasn't as thrilled as we were, he hated his life vest because he rubbed on his chin and because of the back floaty, he couldn't really move freely in it. He kept waving bye because he wanted to go bye-bye out of the boat....ahhhh!!! Hopefully he will get used to it.

As soon as the snow started melting I had to take Hayden out to see if he would play in the grass (I have heard that kids don't like the grass). So I stuck him out there and he did just fine because there were leaves on the ground for him to eat. We'll see how he likes it when it is green and squishy!

We traveled down to Anchorage for another hockey tournament, which they didn't play to well in. But, we had a blast hanging out with our good friend Danielle and Hayden had fun chasing around his new little friends, Gus and Pedro! He spent hours playing with them on the floor, and he would crawl up to them and open his mouth so they would kiss him (that's how Hayden kisses, full-on mouthing your face!!) It was gross but cute! We had a beautiful day on Saturday and Danielle got her Harley out to ride, Hayden was amazed at the big shiny object as well as her outfit!! Thank you Danielle for being a great host and for the fun weekend:)

It was a long week last week, Hayden is cutting two more teeth, so he almost has 6 now. The 4th top one is just about to cut through. He doesn't really eat, sleep or play that much when his teeth are cutting so he demands a lot of attention. Chris's work is gearing up so he has been working a lot of hours, which is great, but exhausting for me!! Oh well, it is short lived, and I am enjoying the neediness now because otherwise Hayden is very independent :)