Mr. Talkative

I have been trying to catch two things on camera for you, Hatcher talking and Hatcher rolling over. Tonight I successfully caught Hatcher in a chatty mood. He is so stinkin' cute, enjoy! We will still try and get him rolling over for you.

So serious.

He kept pushing himself up away from the pillows so he could sit up without so much support. Such a strong little guy.

So kissable!

PS - Hayes is taking 1 1/2 hour naps in her big girl bed and sleeping through the night. Hip, hip, hooray!

Sweet!

Each year the Watson family reunion is a "bring a covered dish" affair. I usually bring something sweet because that is easiest since we live soooo far away and sweets can make the eight hour drive. This year I took graham cracker toffee squares and a few of you wanted the recipe. They are super simple and as long as you have the graham crackers and toffee bits you can whip them up quickly. It makes quite a few but they never last long, around here anyway!

Enjoy!!

Yummy with a capital Y.

• 1 1/2 packages graham crackers, depending on your cookie sheet
• 1 package toffee bits
• sliced almonds, sometimes I chop them if I have time :)
• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• chocolate chips, this time I tried the mini chips
• kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350. In a saucepan cook butter and sugar over medium, medium-high heat until frothy and syrupy but not brown - only takes a few minutes. While your butter mixture is cooking line your largest cookie sheet with foil and fill with graham crackers, sides touching. Sprinkle the crackers with almonds and toffee bits. Pour butter mixture over crackers and bake for about 12 minutes, until bubbly. Once out of the oven and still hot sprinkle with chocolate chips and salt. Once cool cut into two inch squares. Don't hate me...they are way too good. You can't eat just one!

*The friend that gave me the recipe toasts her almonds and chops them. I don't usually have time for those steps. I never toast my almonds but sometimes I chop them. No complaints yet! I tried the Wal-Mart brand crackers and was not happy with the result. I usually use the HEB brand, I have never tried the pricey brands.

Barium Boy

Hayes slept all night long (yippee!!) in her big girl bed and we actually woke her up at 7:15 since Tori was coming to watch her while we were at the hospital with Hatch. We are curious, what time would she have woken up on her own. She was snoozing hard!

Hatcher couldn't eat after 4:45 but he woke up at 3:30 this morning so he had a long time to wait before his procedure at 8:45. Poor guy didn't understand why we didn't feed him when he cried, he was especially confused when mommy held him but didn't nurse him. He was such a good boy when it was his turn for the x-rays. Hatcher doesn't like bottles, plain and simple and he usually only gets two - three per month. He was starving by 9:00 when the nurse gave him the barium and he gulped it down. The HUGE amount of Hershey's strawberry syrup she mixed with the barium didn't hurt. It really was a huge amount for a small bottle, enough that Craig and I both looked at each other with wide eyes!

We are so pleased to report that Hatcher only has acid reflux and nothing more severe. Craig and I are counting our blessings after seeing other children waiting in the radiology area with much more than just acid reflux. We are hoping his new medicine helps and that he outgrows this soon. He sure was wiped out and this is what he did most of the day upon our return...

Our tired little man!

We love you Hatcher!!

Life is Good

Life is going good right now and we can't really complain but there is a lot going on in our lives. Here is a brief run-down:

• After over a week of Hayes not sleeping well and not napping well, or at all, in her crib day bed mommy waved the white flag. After Mingie headed back to west Texas Sunday we loaded up and went on a full size mattress hunt. Daddy came home to covert Hayes bed to a full size bed and the kiddos and I headed out to find bedding for the new bed. At 4:30 on a Sunday afternoon our choices were quite limited considering we had to get it home, washed, and on the bed for bedtime. Hayes had fun picking out sheets at Target. She loves her big girl bed except at bedtime and nap time! We are making small strides in getting our angel back to loving her bed and being a great sleeper.
• Mid June Hatcher started spitting up rather frequently. It just kept getting worse, more frequent and more of it. He started spitting up after every feeding session and many times it was projectile. A few times it was yellow and I had called the doctor concerned with it's color. It didn't seem normal so on Friday Hatcher and I went to the doctor while Hayes stayed home and played with Mingie, Gigi and Pa Pa. Dr. Benbow suspects that Hatcher has acid reflux. Hatcher started taking Axid on Friday but it didn't seem to sit well with his stomach so I called today and they switched him to Pepcid. We hope this makes him feel better. Dr. Benbow didn't like that he has spit up yellow so on Thursday we go to the hospital for an upper GI with a small bowel follow through. Say a little prayer for Hatcher that it is just a minor issue that he will outgrow. I will let you know the results.
• And sadly I have news about my little Lexi dog. I have had Lexi longer than Craig. Lexi and I got together spring 1997 and Craig and I got together fall 1998. Lexi has been in declining health for a while but last Wednesday we found out that Lexi has a malignant lung tumor. She also has an enlarged liver so the doctor, without doing anything invasive, thinks it started in her liver and has spread to her lungs. We are trying to keep her as comfortable as possible. Such sad news.

Hayes Birthday Celebration

Thursday we were so excited that Mingie, Gigi and Pa Pa made it to our house for Hayes birthday celebration weekend. Everyone was so amazed at how much Hatcher had grown and how much more vocal Hayes has become. Saturday morning we loaded up and headed to Kiddie Park for some outdoor fun. The weather sure was warm but we all had a great time.

Gigi and Pa Pa packed up when we got home and headed back to Oklahoma but Mingie was able to stay until Sunday and left after a yummy lunch cooked by daddy. Thank you for spending the weekend with us and I'd love copies of any pictures you have...we didn't get many!

Blowing out her candles on a melting cake that didn't travel too well! Mingie and Gigi helped me play around with fondant Friday night and we made a carousel complete with horses. We couldn't get the carousel on top of the horses...the fondant was extremely melted! But it would have been so cute all put together (we don't recommend it for an outdoor party in July!).

Daddy and his little girl!

All smiles on the hand cart.

Once she got a push Hayes was able to go a little ways on her own.

Cowboys and Indians

We had a reunion of sorts for Craig tonight. When Craig attended McMurry University they were the Indians, now due to NCAA rules McMurry is simply...McMurry. My alma mater's mascot is the Cowboys. Jorge and Shannon moved into our neighborhood from Abilene last year and this week Greeley and Carrie enjoyed a family vacation in San Antonio. They all came over tonight with their families for dinner and it was a mini-McMurry reunion, five Indians and one lone Cowboy thrown into the mix! A good time was had by all and Hayes loved playing with all the big kids!

Lot's of fun for our sweet angel tonight.

Hayes still has her "cheese" face for pictures!

Growing!

Our sweet little guy is definitely growing! On June 9 Hatcher rolled over from his tummy to his back twice while he was having tummy time on our bed. He waited just over a month to do it again but now he can roll from tummy to back when he wants. He loves his tummy time so he likes you to help him roll back to his tummy! Since he is such a strong boy we got him a jumper. He is still too little to jump but he enjoys sitting in it supporting himself. We will see how big he has gotten when we go back to Dr. Benbow August 5th. What a sweetheart!

All smiles and so proud!

We love this little man!

Silly Goose

Here are some more pictures taken by Claudine at Madeline Grace Photography. Hayes didn't get many pictures because the girl can't sit still!

We love our little angel!

Hayes is still madly in love with books, I love it!!

Such a sweetheart...

And a little mischievous!

We are making more transitions on Stonewall Bend. We mentioned that Hayes had climbed out of her crib the other day. All was back to normal for a few days until Saturday night when she decided to climb out of the crib twice, and once while I was in her room. Climbing out is not really the right words to describe it. She actually just takes two seconds and dives out head over heels and uses her head to catch her fall...she does not let go of her blankets! No more crib for sweet baby Hayes. We have officially converted her crib to her toddler day bed. The first night was really rough, as she didn't want to sleep in the big bed or her crib. Last night and tonight (I hope I don't jinx it!!!) she has gone to sleep in her bed after a small battle. Naps are obsolete right now and I am really hoping naps will return! Our little girl is growing up, man how time flies. I cherish every moment that she wants to cuddle, be rocked, hold hands, give hugs and kisses...I know that she will grow out of those as well.

Happy Daddy's Day!

This weekend we celebrated our wonderful daddy! Saturday morning both kiddos woke up around the same time which allowed us to enjoy a family breakfast at Cracker Barrel. We hadn't been there since before I was pregnant with Hatch. Daddy had quite the surprise and got two strips and two rib eyes from one of our favorite steak houses...The Beehive in Albany, Texas. The last time we ate at the Beehive was either right before or right after we were married, ages ago!! Craig really was surprised! I offered to grill them so he could just sit back and enjoy his gift. He said thanks but no thanks! They were yummy, yummy as Hayes would say. We love you daddy!

Hatcher

A few months before Hatcher made his debut some new neighbors moved into the house behind us. And me being me, I did what I always do when someone new moves in nearby...I baked goodies to welcome them and to introduce us. We were pleasantly surprised when Claudine, our new neighbor, called us when Hatch had just turned two months old to see if she could take some pictures of our handsome little guy. She has a photography business and wanted to try out a new lens. How fun and how nice!! She did a great job, check out her website if you need a really sweet photographer. You can also find a few pics of Hatch if you look around! Madeline Grace Photography

Here are some of mommy's favorites...

As much as I am trying to keep his thumb out of his mouth our little guy is really trying to be a left thumb sucker! He works the pacifier out and slips his thumb in...this is before he had it all figured out, but he sure is trying!

One of my absolute favorites, pondering what he would get into if he could only move!

Look closely and you can see the stars in his eyes.

Love, love, love this little guy!

The look that melts hearts.

Precious!

So sweet!

We are truly blessed.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Hayes really likes her bed. Let me rephrase that, Hayes LOVES her bed. For starting the first eight months of her life a not so good sleeper she is now a rock star sleeper...at home (traveling is a whole 'nother ballgame!!). Remember when she would sleep until ten or later? Not anymore. She now goes to sleep around 7:30 and sleeps solid until 7:30 - 8:30. There are exceptions - teething! While cutting her molars and incisors she does wake occasionally at night and often times has trouble getting to sleep. She is working on her last incisor right now.

A few months ago she climbed out of her crib so we took the front of her crib off to convert it to a toddler day bed. She loved it, while we were in there with her. It did not fly at nap time. She screamed and cried, crawled over the baby gate at her door and tried to climb the baby gate at the top of the stairs. She was not ready for a big girl bed, she loves her crib too much! She climbed out one other time and I explained that if she climbed out we would have to use her big girl bed. She didn't climb out of her crib anymore...until last night.

Around 1:45 this morning I was awakened to Hayes screaming in terror. I was alarmed because the sound wasn't coming from the monitor. In my sleepy state it took me a second to realize it was her screaming as she ran towards our door. Sure enough she burst into our room crying. It took a few minutes to calm her down but she slept the rest of the night with us. We aren't fans of letting our kids sleep with us, we try to only do that when we travel but last night seemed a must!

I am anxious about nap time today and sleep tonight. If she does it again we will have to convert her bed and cross our fingers she does better this time around.

Sincerely,
Sleepy in San Antonio

Love them!

We are truly blessed to have two sweet children. Tuesday Hayes bumped her chin and put three big holes in her tongue, two on top and one on bottom. To help ease the pain the easiest way to ice her tongue is with a Pedialite popsicle. This is the one ice treatment Hayes enjoys!

Pre-ice...playing with play-dough while mommy nurses Hatcher in the morning.

"Hmmm, how can I get one of those?"

"It looks really good sister!"

"My tongue is feeling better already."

What a big boy!

Hayes wanted to make sure she got every last drop!

I could just eat him up!! Such a sweet baby boy!

Happy Birthday Gigi!!

Happy Birthday Gigi!!

We hope your day is full of all things that make you happy...we can't wait to see you next Tuesday.

We love you Gigi!

Handsome Hatcher

Since Hatch didn't get much camera time on our last two weekend adventures here a few pictures of our handsome little man. What a sweetheart he is! He has always been a great sleeper but as of June 17 he has slept all night...and we do mean all night! He had been taking a little nap after his evening bath and waking up between 8:00 and 8:15 to eat and go down for the night, sleeping until five or six. But last night he wanted to eat after his bath around 7:30 and I had to wake him this morning at 8:30 so we could make it to our 9:00 MOPS meeting. He was ready to eat by the time we arrived! Tonight he also wanted to eat after bath time so I am curious what time he will wake tomorrow.

Hatcher has gotten so good at his hand eye coordination. He can easily find his object of interest and reach out and grab it. He will let go and do it again and again, all the while smiling with pride!

Gotcha silly bird!

Five adorable little piggies!

Hatcher loves to keep his toes curled.

Are his feet folded in prayer?

What kissable lips and cheeks!

He already has mommy all wrapped up! I love this little guy!!

Family Time

This weekend we loaded up the Sequoia for another road trip. This time we were headed to East Texas for the Watson family reunion with a layover in Dike to visit Ma Ma Doris. This time we hit the road at 10:00 Friday morning and made it to our first destination just after 6:00 pm. Hayes slept much better since she was able to eat dinner, play and have bath time. Hatcher slept like a champ as always!

Saturday morning we went farther east to O'Farrell, Texas for the Watson Family Reunion and after it was over began our journey back home around 3:30. We pulled into our casa on Stonewall Bend just after Midnight. The kids were exhausted. I had both kiddos asleep by 12:30 and Hatcher woke up at 8:30 to eat and then slept until 11:30 this morning. Hayes didn't make a peep until she woke up at 10:40 this morning. We enjoyed our weekend with family and hope to see everyone again sooner rather than later. We love you all!

Saturday morning Hayes was giving us a little hint of the mischievous side that would emerge later after two straight days with no nap and lots of time in the car (and she doesn't sleep in the car).

Hatcher with his Great Grandmother Ma Ma Doris.

Hayes giving Ma Ma kisses.

Hayes enjoyed her play dough. Here she is entertaining Aunt Cindy, Great Aunt Betty and cousin Tyler (AKA Tatoo as Hayes calls him!).

Aunt Cindy worked her magic on our sweet little Hatcher.

Uncle Greg and cousin Tyler made Hayes a pink hat.

Mingie and Hatcher.

Precious! We don't think he favors Hayes as much anymore.

Hatcher and his Great Aunt Linda. Linda always does such a nice job organizing the reunion. Thanks Aunt Linda!!

Great Grandmother Ma Ma Mae and little Hatch.

So very alert!

Hatcher and his Great, Great Aunt Charlie. This was Charlie's first time to meet Hatch. Hatcher had already met everyone else a few weeks ago when we were at McCamey. I didn't take pictures as it just didn't seem quite appropriate.

Lou Ann with her three children, two daughter-in-laws and half of her grandchildren.