Dear Hayden,

Tonight after you went to bed, I made your first baby food (besides rice cereal)! Starting tomorrow, you’ll enjoy squash, and a variety of other veggies! Dad took some pictures while I was making purees for you tonight. I pureed squash, avocados and sweet potatoes. Tomorrow I will do peas and green beans. I made a big mess, but it was so easy and fun to make your food!

Love you,
Mama

The Mess!

Avocado… YUM!

Single Serving Trays (AKA Ice Cube Trays)

Avocado, Sweet Potatoes, Yellow Squash

Dear Hayden,

You are six months old today!! You are doing so many cool things — rolling all over, sitting up, and laughing constantly — just to name a few! We went to the doctor again — you are 28 inches long and you weigh 17.5 pounds! This half-year has absolutely flown by. We’re trying to enjoy every minute because we’re realizing that it won’t be long before you are driving a car… away from us and in whatever direction your dreams take you! You are an absolute joy. We love you more than life itself.

Love you,
Mama

6 Months Old! (Mama LOVES Giraffes!)

Grabbing Your Own Feet!

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not!

On Your Blankee!

Dear Hayden,

Today you met the Easter Bunny for the first time. You thought he was hilarious — you were cracking up!

Love you,
Mama

You with the Easter Bunny

Dear Hayden,

You don’t like to be left out — even if I’m just working on the laundry! Usually you jump in your doorway jumper while I switch and fold the loads. It’s great because we can chat while I get the work done. You love that jumper, and I’m grateful for it because it gives you something to do while the laundry gets done! Today I got some cute pictures of you in it — I never want to forget that we had some great talks over laundry!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

Today Elizabeth and I decided to take our first pictures of you and Elijah. We put you in letter onesies that I made for you and started taking pictures! By the end, you both had had enough! Cherish these photos because it won’t be long before Elijah is taller than you!

Love you,
Mama

Dear Hayden,

Happy 1st St. Patrick’s Day! You are quite a good luck charm!

Love,
Mama

AND:

Sitting…

…Almost! (Nice Catch, Dad!)

Dear Hayden,

On Monday, Great Grandma Pat will be 75 years old! She has seen a great many changes in the way people live, as well as seen many historic events transpire in her lifetime. Below you will find a comparison (click on the chart for a better view) between the year you were born (2007) and the year Great Grandma Pat was born (1933). I think you will find it fascinating. Nana and Papa threw a party for GGP today, too, so you will also find pictures of that below. You met some cousins, aunts and uncles who you’d never met before, so that was fun, too!

Love you,
Mama

1933 and 2007

Playing with Great Grandma Pat

Hanging out — What’s 75 years between friends?

Nana and Great Grandma Pat

Some Great Aunts and Uncles — Joe, Tonja, Trisha, Jim

Some of Your Dad’s Cousins — Your Second Cousins — Michael, Dyllan, Jamie, Katie

Borer Family (Some of them!)

Dear Hayden,

This morning you tried rice cereal for the first time! The texture freaked you out at first, but then I think you really liked it. Dad tried it and said it tastes pretty good! Soon you’ll be eating vegetables, too! Here are some photos!

Love,
Mama

Waiting to Eat:

First Bite:

Getting Used to Eating:

Dear Hayden,

Since you were born, I’ve been calling you “peanut” because you are such a sweet little thing. Dad likes this nickname much better than “princess” so that’s how it stuck. Anyway, we got you this onesie when you were a tiny baby and we thought it was SO big, but we knew it would fit you – someday. Well, you are growing very quickly and today is that day! Even when you are 40 years old, you will still be our little peanut!

Love you,
Mama

You are getting to be quite a sitter!

Dear Hayden,

Today, my dear friend Elizabeth had her baby! They named him Elijah. You and Elijah are sure to be friends because you will grow up together. I went to visit him tonight and here are some photos!

Love you,
Mama

Elijah’s Birth Announcement (Mama took the photo!)