Join in the fun

Please, click on this link and join in the Heald family fun. This is Matney's FAVORITE right now and we all have to hear it many, many, many times a day. I just want to make sure none of you are left out...and I'm secretly hoping that the sudden increase in traffic to the site with wipe it out and this will get out of my head!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LEYwoooVfw

What a difference a year makes!

Remember this?!?! Playgroup started one year ago when our friend Amber invited us to hang out for a couple of hours one day. Eight stay-at-home first time moms came together, almost none of us knowing more than 1 other person, and a year later we still meet every week. I remember calling Jared when I left that first day SO EXCITED telling him that I thought I'd made friends, and that we may see them again. Can we say desperate for adult conversation??? I honestly cannot imagine this past year without these ladies. Thanks to playgroup, a year later all us moms still have at least tiny bit of our sanity left! The first playgroup. They were all about 3 months old.

Today playing outside in the Elmo sprinkler. They are all walking and starting to talk. It is absolutely crazy to me to realize how much we grow in the first year of life. Watch out if you try to help them with anything. These wild kiddos have gone from helpless to "don't help me or I'll scream" in such a short amount of time! I got several good pictures but I'll do a separate post later. I am off to put together the stroller.

Smile!

I caught a couple of Halle Kate's smiles on camera! What a cutie...and she laughs already! So much fun.

I took her to her 1 month appt on Friday. She weighs 8lb 5oz and is in the10-25th percentile. She is 20 3/4", so she's grown an inch in 5 weeks, and is in the 25-50th percentile. We talked about how she wakes up in a good mood, eats, is happy for 10 minutes and then cries until she falls asleep. That, along with a couple other things, led him to believe she has a problem with milk and/or has reflux. We switched her to soy formula and started a reflux medicine and by Sunday she wasn't crying at all. Wonderful! Maybe we're not repeating Matney after all (knock on some serious wood!). The doctor said she looks great!

This first month has been much easier than I'd anticipated. Probably because my mom or Jared is here with me and Matney loves the "babe" (imagine that sounding sophisticated and French). She eats about 3 1/2-4oz every 3 hours. At night she'll sometimes do one longer stretch of about 5 hours when she first goes to sleep. I'm tired but since I don't have to get up with Matney (6:30am on a good morning) it hasn't been too bad. She naps well during the day...get this...IN HER CRIB. Aren't you impressed?!?!? I am.

Halle Kate wants her head up at all times if she is awake. She doesn't like sitting back in the Boppy, swing or bouncy seat. She's had really good head control since she was born and wants to be up over your shoulder looking around.

We've gotten pretty good at getting both girls out of the house but I have no idea how I'll do it on my own. I am sitting at the desk looking at the double stroller that was delivered by UPS today. Those things are HUGE! As I push 30, taking my blood pressure medication, pushing a double stroller and talking about getting a minivan I realize how NOT COOL I am anymore. Just Matney and Halle Kate's Mama to most people we know. And you know, I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world!

Sigh...

As Matney gets older we are having to work more and more on rules and discipline...NOT FUN! This is the food she spit on the floor. She'd already eaten several bites and come back to me for more so it wasn't like I'd been force feeding her.
This is Matney looking at her food on the floor and crying. She was told to pick it or no more Elmo (what she wanted to play with). I know she understood because she did eventually walk over and pick it up...only to promptly drop it, I'm sure because it was nasty feeling. Sigh. There are long days (and battles) ahead!

Ch-Ch-Ch-CHANGES!!!

What in the world?!? UH OH! I think it is a broken paci!

I can't imagine what happened to this paci but I think it is broken. One day last week Matney was being grouchy and whiney and wanted her paci. I don't want her to have one during the day because she is a big girl now and it keeps her from talking. So, on this particular day I went to get her paci and found it missing the tip. I cannot imagine how that could have happened! At first Matney put it in her mouth, took it out and looked at it, threw it and started screaming. Eventually she calmed down and when she asks for it now (which isn't often anymore!) I give her the broken one. She'll look at it, say "uh oh" and hand it back. She moves on without a fuss and we are paci free during the day. Whoo hoo! Good thing that tip just fell off!

Hat!

I think Matney was 3 days old last time she'd let a hat stay on her head for more than 20 seconds. However, with the help of Elmo's hat show and Grandma telling M how beautiful she was in Target, this beauty of a hat made it home with us. Matney liked it so much she ate her dinner wearing it. What a cutie!

Jared's Man Room

Jared finally has a man room at this house of females...it just happens to be outside!
We have gone back and forth about adding a deck out back since we moved into the house almost 2 years ago and finally just did it. And we LOVE IT! The furniture we already had, Jared's grill and smoker occupy one end. I found Matney a water table and Grandma ordered her a Matney size table and umbrella that will arrive soon for the other end. I guess that makes it not all Jared's but it is by far the most space he has anywhere at this house! It will be so much fun to have people over when the weather cools off. Saturday cook outs here we come! A view from the side of the house. Jared's already grilling and M is running wild playing in her water. We've spend more time outside this week than we have the past 2 years.

A look as you come from the swingset.

Playing with my boats!

Aren't you jealous?!?!

Look at the cuteness that I spend my mornings with. Aren't you jealous? This morning Matney wanted her shoes on so her pjs had to go since they had feet. Can you see the hair standing on end with static electricity at the top of Halle Kate's car seat? My child is the cutest MESS I have ever seen!

Matney and her baby

How cute is this? Matney is loving on her babydoll. She had her all wrapped up and was patting her on the back, rocking her and giving her kisses. Matney is going to be such a good big sister!

Oh my WORDS!

Ha! She wanted these bows in her hair.

Oh my WORD...and words and words and words... do we have a big girl in our house. In the past week or two, despite being sick, Matney's vocabulary has taken off. She runs around the house pointing at things wanting you to tell her what they are and then she tries to say it. This morning she went from a rocking chair, to chairs in the patio set, to her baby chair saying "chair, chair, chair", as if she finally gets that all of them are chairs and she can say the word. I don't think that we could even begin to count the number of words that she knows now.

I took her to the grocery store this weekend and it was like taking a little person instead of a baby. I asked her before I left, "Matney, do you want to go to the store with Mommy?". And she said "yea" (we'll have to work on yes, mam or sir!). We talked the whole time we were gone. She answers all the yes/no questions we ask her and it is wonderful having that ability to communicate. She gets so frustrated when we can't figure out what she's trying to say, it is so helpful that she can answer our questions now. And I LOVE that we're learning more about her.

And it is the sweetest thing...she is singing! So far she's sung some of the words along with us to Twinkle, Twinkle, Rubber Duckie and a Rock the Baby song that she and my mom made up. It is the CUTEST sound.

Jared and I laughed so much at her this weekend and we know it will never be quiet around here again...and we couldn't be more excited!!!

Faces

Here are some of HK's fun faces!

Big Girl in the Bumbo

These 2 are Matney at the end of June 2008. Bless her heart, she couldn't even hold that head up straight!

Matney saw the Bumbo seat (usually for tiny babies!) and had to sit in it. I didn't think she'd fit but I was wrong. She thinks it is great and has spent much time in it reading this week. She's grown so much in a year!

Notice the blur of her feet. She's a wild child always moving!

How a Mama gets things done

Here is the sccret...hold one (she's hidden but in my arms) while rocking the other with a foot. Works every time!

YOU could BE THE MATCH that saves a life

Yep, that is right. YOU could Be The Match that saves a life. Please consider signing up to be a bone marrow donor. Signing up is easy and, until the Be The Match Marrowthon ends June 22nd, free. Check out the details at www.marrow.org

It just takes a cheek swab to join the registry. You click on "join now" and fill out the requested information (takes about 15 minutes). No promotional code is necessary, it will show a $0 balance when you are done. 3,000 people A DAY search the registry for a match. 70% needing a transplant have to go outside their family to find a match. There is a list of FAQs and facts/myths to the right that will answer any of your questions.

Jared and I thank God every day that we, our girls and our extended families are healthy...but we know that could change any moment. We have both signed up to be a donors. We pray that if we're ever in a situation to need this that someone else will have signed up for us. And we know that there are other moms and dads who are sick, or have kids who are sick. The chance to provide them a chance at another birthday, another hug, another memory is well worth anything we have to give.

Just consider it...

Bath time!

Halle Kate LOVES her bath! And Matney was sweet enough to share her pink rubber duckie with her sister. They are going to be such good friends!

Look who is getting a belly!

Just hanging out in my tub.

Halle Kate LOVES her bath! And Matney was sweet enough to share her pink rubber duckie with her sister. They are going to be such good friends!

Pancakes!

I took Matney to her 15 month dr appt last Friday and assume that is where she picked up the nasty bug that has made her sick since the weekend. Ugh. A baby and a sick

almost baby. Good times! This morning she was up before 6am and acting pitiful. Mom and I loaded the girls in the car just before 8am and took them to the park. Matney perked up QUICKLY and ran around for almost an hour. When we got home we made pancakes. I'd been tearing them into pieces but wanted to see what Matney would do with an entire pancake. Why would I doubt my big girl?!?! She chomped right into that pancake and at it all...and was VERY proud of herself for doing so! Such a sweet girl. Now, please get well!

Pictures from Patti and Picnik

Is this not the best??? Our friend Patti brought dinner over last week and "made" these pictures out of photos from the blog using Picnik. I was just telling mom that morning that I have got to figure out how to use that program. I LOVE these. So sweet! Thanks Patti!!! If you look to the right side of the picture above all of her birth stats are there too. How neat!

Sisters!

Halle was laying on a blanket this morning, just kicking away, when Matney realized she was on the ground. Of course Matney had to be right in the middle of the action! She got down next to Halle (with Dog nearby!) and held her hand. So sweet!

After a minute Matney wasn't wanting to be gentle anymore!