Paige: Nine Months

The preferred nine months have gone by. It always goes faster when they're on the outside.

Little Paigey girl's two front, bottom teeth have started coming through. I noticed them on July 13th when we were at the zoo. She hasn't been sleeping through the night since we got to Utah and I was thinking it was just because she was being moved around between a crib and pack n play and getting used to a new place but this is probably part of the problem too. She has been a little more sad the past couple days but we have gotten her some soothing gel to help with the pain. 

Paige is still in size 3 diapers and wearing 6-12 month clothes. I am thinking she will officially be in just 12 month clothes when we get back from Utah though. She is a heavy little thing and I can't hold her too long before my back starts to hurt ha. But I love all the squish and the rolls. 

Paige rolls all over the place. She also figured out how to push herself back up into a sitting position. She sleeps on her tummy. No signs of crawling soon, but that is fine by me. She is content to play with whatever she finds while rolling or is near her when we sit her down.

Paige is super ticklish on her back and sometimes her toes and armpits. Her sisters can get some of the best laughs out of her and it's the best. Her laugh sometimes sounds like a cry and if you aren't watching her it can be hard to tell which one it is ha. 

Paige has started noticing food more. She eats out of pouches really well, and it can be hit or miss when she is being spoon fed. She likes to put her two fingers in her mouth after taking bites and it can take a while to feed her. She also varies on how much she will eat. I try to feed her food at least once a day now though. She has been a little off with nursing sometimes too. I can't get her to do it a little early anymore, she has to decide she wants it. And she has been going 4-5 hours between feedings some days. 

Paige has loved going to Cherry Hill and swimming at my brother-in-law's parent's house. She is a little fishy, just like her sisters. She enjoys splashing in the water and floating around. She has also enjoyed being outside in my parent's hammock and playing in the bounce house (when there aren't big kids in it) at my in-laws'. 

Because Paige has really only been around us, staying home when she was born and then COVID, it takes her a while to warm up to other people. She is a mama's baby because that is just how life has worked out for her so far. I'm not complaining because I love that I'm her safe place, but I do wish we could leave her with others without it being too hard for them. 

She loves her Slumberkins. It's so cute how she snuggles with it.

She was not too fond of her life jacket the first time wearing it.

Train ride at the zoo.

She did better the second day.

I love my happiness so stinking much!

Side note: Paige had her 9-month check-up on July 31 and she weighs 19.2 pounds (56th percentile, I thought for sure she'd be over 20 by now), is 29.5 (95th percentile) inches long, and has a head circumference of 16.9 inches (19th percentile).

Hayley: Five Years

I cannot believe Hayley was born 5 years ago. I love this girl so much! She has been the perfect big sister and I am so grateful she made me a Mom.

Hayley has a little heart of gold. She is often thinking of others and ways she can make someone else happy. She loves to draw and color pictures to give away, especially if it involves mailing them. She is a great helper with her sisters and to me. 

I am in denial that she is starting kindergarten in a couple months and everything that comes with that. She absolutely loved preschool, which was no surprise, and I have no doubt she will love kindergarten too. She really enjoys learning and being with her teachers and classmates. She has learned to write and identify almost all her letters. We are still working on some but I am amazed at how much she learned in one year only going twice a week for a few hours, which ended up getting cut short because of COVID. (The letters she isn't super good with are the ones she was supposed to be learning after school got canceled and I was not very good at the whole home school thing.) Her teacher would deliver packets every two weeks and we usually just did the crafts.

Hayley loves watching movies and is extra happy if she gets to have popcorn or treats with her movies or watch them in the tent. She enjoys playing Wii and Super Smash Brothers with her Dad. She is getting pretty good at both. Her favorite thing on the Wii is creating new people and then playing as all of them. She rarely ever uses her own Mii when she plays.

Hayley enjoys being outside and playing sports with Dan and is fairly good at all of them. She really enjoys swimming and has gotten so brave. I am so proud of her for wanting to go under water and learn how to hold her breath. She like having water balloons to play with when we swim at home and running through the sprinkler. 

Dan's med school has rubbed off on Hayley and she has a new fascination with the human body and learning all about it. She likes to look through his med school books and listen to glycolysis bed time stories. She is a fairly good eater. She is usually open to trying to new things. She likes pizza, mac n cheese, chocolate milk, and any sort of treat/dessert. She doesn't like mashed potatoes. 

Hayley still takes naps but they are usually only an hour long these days. On days she doesn't nap, which is rare, she still does quiet time. She is really good about making her bed. She occasionally ends up in our room during the night on the floor still.

Hayley really likes to make things, be it cookies or some sort of craft she asks me about once a day if we can make something. She likes coloring, playing with play-doh, drawing with chalk outside, dressing up, playing with stuffed animals and Barbies. 

Hayley grew two inches during the school year and I feel like I am constantly having to buy her bigger clothes because she is constantly growing. She really likes to wear skirts. Even though she is young in the school year, she is not behind in height or in academics. She often says she wants to be as big as her Dad and it will be fun to see if she ever is. 

Unicorn face paint.

Prairie Dog Town.

She drew a picture of me with a baby in my belly.

Running around at Dan's flag football game.

Pumpkin walk at the arboretum.

Meeting baby sister!

Reading family scriptures. 

She loves reading stories to Paige.

Hayley was so cute in her first Primary Program!

At a friend's birthday party. She loves pinatas.

Ran into Santa at Walmart.

Preschool Christmas program.

Hayley LOVES to fly on airplanes.

Christmas Dress 2019

Her Christmas present from the Howells.

She likes to make beds for Paige.

Friend Valentine's Day cookie decorating party.

Valentine's Day 2020

Western day at preschool.

Pink hair don't care.

Easter cookies.

Easter 2020.

We had a visit from King Benjamin for our home church and then the girls took turns pretending to be him.

Hayley likes lady bugs.

Using balloons to have babies in their tummies.

There are lots of flowers around our house and Hayley likes to pick them for me.

Making the most of those Texas thunderstorms.

This is what she wanted to give to the neighbors to return their plate.

Rain boots from Grandma Becky for her birthday (opened early).

Hayley loves talking about her birthday, all year long. Dan enjoys it haha. She also likes knowing whose birthday is next in our family and always wants to send them something. Birthdays are a big deal to her and this year she wanted a unicorn birthday. I made her cake, not too bad for not having my cake supplies again (I can't believe I forgot them!). It was fun to make with the different colors and doing some piping. She wanted it to be cotton candy flavored and I was worried it would be overwhelming but it was actually just right. It was a fun party and we are so grateful almost all of our family (missed you Steve and Mike!) could be there!

Hayley wanted a hat like mine, good thing they make kids sizes!