Oops!

Mommy made a big mistake yesterday. They have a "playmorning" on post for moms to get together and let their kids play. Hayden can't do a lot of playing yet, but we figured it was good to get him around other babies while he's still little. So we grabbed the quilt, picked up our friend Sam and her son, Carson and met Jenn and Addie to hang out for an hour and a half. We had a good time, trying to avoid snotty toddlers with no concept of personal space. Hayden got pretty worn out after an hour, so he fell asleep. After playmorning, we all headed out together to run some errands and eat some lunch. Hayden slept off and on, 20 minutes here and 30 minutes there. He's been pretty portable the past three months so I really didn't think much about it.

Until last night.

Obviously, mommy has upset the delicate balance of his sleep schedule because he woke up nearly every hour last night. Which is a giant bummer, since we've worked so hard at getting him to sleep in his crib for longer stretches of time. Lesson learned! So today we're home, doing Hayden's normal routine in hopes for a better night of sleep for him (and me!). We have some exciting things coming up, like a Love & Logic parenting class and an Infant Massage class, so we need to make sure we aren't interfering with the schedule we've worked so hard to get on!

Hayden gets more alert and seems to learn new things every day. He is getting better at grabbing objects when they're near his face and hands, and is great at call-and-response babble. He likes to play a talking game with daddy, where they go back and forth making sounds. It's amazing to me how much he's changed already, and how fast he's picking things up. We bought some new pajamas yesterday since he's basically outgrown his 0-3 months sets, so they're all washed and ready for wear. We also got his Old Navy clothes in the mail and can't wait to put them on him. He has a onesie for St. Patty's day and a cute outfit for our family pictures in March, and some roll-up cargos that I'm dying to put him in.

He's starting to stay awake longer and play with some of his fun toys. He's very clear when he likes (and dislikes) whatever he's doing, which makes it a little easier to figure out what to do with him. We're going to start reading up on our baby sign language so we can start using it. Even if he can't do it yet, the more we practice the more it will become a habit. The idea of being able to effectively communicate with him long before he can speak is very motivating!

I've discovered the best part of my day. It's after Hayden's morning nap, right before lunch. He is usually downstairs sleeping in his playpen or his bouncy seat, and I hear him start to make baby noises. I pick him up before he gets fussy, and he's awake but not quite awake, so he's not hungry yet. He nuzzles his sweet baby head into my neck and sucks on his little hands that are all balled up into fists, and just hangs out there for a few minutes. He's content for a little while, and then pops his little head up with his eyes wide, like he's ready for the day. Sometimes he smiles, sometimes he bobs his little head around, but he's just so sweet.

Jay is back at work so life is getting back to normal. We've had an abnormal few months, so it's nice to get a little structure. Hayden's internal alarm clock is apparently set for Jay's PT schedule, so it's nice that Jay actually has to get up now. Sleeping is getting better and better; Hayden slept for three hours last night before waking up to eat! Right now the house is quiet except for the sound of Hayden's swing and Oscar's snoring. The dishes are done, laundry is in, the floor is vacuumed and our house looks less like a hurricane came through it. There's still 5 inches of snow on the ground, and the high for the weekend is a chilly 25. Looks like a weekend of renting movies and board games!