Hayden's First Day of Kindergarten

Well, Hayden started Kindergarten yesterday, August 24th, in Mrs. Buchanan's class. In preparation, his teacher came to meet him last Wednesday, and we dropped off his school supplies at the PTA ice cream social last Thursday night. He woke-up really well at 6:15, got ready for school, and was one of the first kids there. He just turned 5 in July, and is one of the younger and smaller ones in his class. He seemed just fine when we left him, although I could tell he was nervous because he kept misspelling his name on his Gecko paper that he was coloring. Kevin, Rowan, and I ate breakfast in the cafeteria with the other parents of kindergartners, and then we went home. Rowan said he wanted Hayden the second we got to the car. We picked Hayden up inside after school, and he immediately wanted to cry. He was holding his glasses that he had been chewing on, and his teacher told us that Hayden had a hard time leaving his towel behind at school. Hayden started to cry and say that he wanted to break in to the school that night and get his towel back and that his glasses were ruined, because they had his chew marks on them. We took him home, and Kevin tried to distract him by playing the Wii with him. I wanted to know every detail about the day, but the more I got out of him the less I wanted to know. He said that nobody cried but him. He didn't cry 100 times, but ten times. He didn't have a water bottle, so he drank out of the faucet, which tasted yucky. He only ate two of the things I packed in his lunch, because he couldn't get the rest of the packages opened. His friend Matthew opened his lunchable for him. He only went down the slide once, because it was sooo hot outside. He put rocks in a Gatorade bottle during recess with his friend, Phoenix. He didn't like the music they played in wellness class, so he covered his ears. He took a nap on his towel during computer story time, but he wasn't quite sure if it was really nap time. At one point he said everyone took a nap but him, and then he said he was the only one who took a nap, and that they didn't have nap time. Still not sure about that one. The teacher read a story about a sock puppet Monkey (Hayden used to be very afraid of sock puppets), but he said that it was really a monkey in the story and was like the sock puppet on the TV commercials. He said he wanted to take a day off and asked how long school was. He said he wasn't excited to go back the next day. He did say that his teacher was nice and that no one got in trouble, but that his friend yelled NO, NO, NO, at the teacher once. He said that there was a red-headed Lucas in his class (he knows a blond Lucas). He didn't mention any girls, except that his friend Olivia, from church, said Hi to him in wellness class (she's in a different class). Kevin said it sounded like he had a good day and already made a few friends. I just said that I would respond how Hayden did, and since Hayden was crying, I wanted to, too, but honestly, it all just sounded so ridiculously awful to me, that I was practically laughing in hysterics. Seriously, Hayden is the sweetest little guy there is, and he is so innocent and naive. He wouldn't know if somebody was making fun of him for crying or wearing glasses or anything like that, because that's just not how he thinks, at all. Kevin took him to school today, and the teacher said that Hayden did get hung up on a few things yesterday (he still wanted to break in to school at bedtime to get his towel back), but that none of the other kids seemed to be bothered by him getting upset. Hayden wanted to take his backpack to school today that has a dragon hood on it, because he wanted to wear the hood all day to hide his tears. Kevin also said that Hayden saw another boy with glasses on in school today that Hayden wanted to become friends with. Apparently, nobody else in his class wears glasses. Of course, Hayden is so blind, that he probably wouldn't be able to tell if there was. On that note, maybe he couldn't tell if other kids were crying, either, so maybe he wasn't alone in his tear-fest, after all. I am super proud of Hayden and for how brave he was for going back to school today. I know that he'll start to love it in no time!

Family Photos Aug. 17th, 2010

Here are some photos from our most recent family photos. I wanted to get some with my big belly, just in case this is my last pregnancy. I am 37 weeks along in these photos. The photographer asked if I was having twins (I always get that question asked of me). Nope, I just make big babies and gain tons of weight while pregnant (75 lb.+). I am fine with that, because have you seen how cute my babies are? Especially at ages 2 and 5? See for yourself...

Big Babies

As of today, I am 36 weeks into my pregnancy, which means I have 4 weeks left. Technically speaking. My due date is Sept. 9th. Anytime anyone asks when I'm due, I will tell them Sept. 9th, but that I will deliver in August. Why, you ask? Because I make big babies, like my mom (my sister Heidi weighed 11 lb 12 oz at birth and broke the record as the largest baby at that time born at Round Rock hospital-no C Section, either).

With Rowan, I went into labor at 36 weeks, went to the hospital, they admitted me, then sent me home. With no baby. My doctor was out of town on vacation, but when she came back and saw how big I was, she immediately scheduled the soonest induction appointment that she could for the following week. Thankfully, Rowan ended up coming on his own 6 days early and weighed a whopping 10 lb 10.10 oz. Big babies are usually not healthy babies, and he spent his first 5 days in the NICU. His delivery was quick, and afterwards he had low O2 levels, had a hard time getting the fluid out of his lungs (it gets squeezed out during delivery, but his was super quick-no pushing, and hence he had tons of fluid in his lungs at birth), and had a hard time keeping his big self warm. Granted, he came home healthy after 5 days, and for that I am very grateful. I am grateful for both of my boys and Nadia. Still, I am hoping that Nadia is only 8 or 9 pounds and healthy. I want to be able to hold her after she is born, instead of having her rushed off to the NICU like both Hayden and Rowan were. Wish me luck.

To prove how large Rowan was, here is a picture of our dear friend Nathan at 2 years old holding Rowan when he was only a week old. Enjoy.

Hayden, the Alligator Hunter

I love these pics that Kevin took on his phone when we went on the swamp tour in June. Here's Hayden driving the swamp boat and then Hayden with "Big Boy", the alligator we met. I love how serious Hayden looks driving the boat with his alligator hat on and the way the tour guide looks. Apparently, the tour guide has lived on the swamp for a long time and has been feeding Big Boy for 15 years. Big Boy is about 50 years old, too. Kevin and Hayden are in Louisiana again right now, and boy do Rowan and I miss them! I think Rowan and I will go to Round Rock Donuts this morning to help ease the pain ;)