Spray Park

Getting ready to go to the Spray Park & Hayden's poor red eye

Payton Sanders, Samuel Graham & Hayden Pratt waiting for the water to shoot up!

Last Wednesday some of my friends and I decided to take our kiddos to the spray park in town. It was a nice day, of course some wind (that is always to be expected), but the water was really cold. Hayden had a rough start after she rubbed the sunscreen recently applied into her eyes, thus the red eyes in each picture. The municipal pool also has a kiddy pool that we took them in to warm them up. It was a fun day and Hayden slept great after!

Red Box

Paul and I recently canceled our netflix subscription and wanted to rent a movie. So we decided to go to the Red Box located at the gas station on base. For all you Red Box connoisseurs this may sound completely crazy, but it was my first try. So I pick out the movie I want with ease, and then it comes to making my payment. I get out my credit card and look for a place to slide it through. Rather than use the obvious choice, I stick my card where movies are given and returned. The machine ripped my card out of my hands and sucked it into it's belly!!! Truly awful experience. After several attempts to get it out and the help of two nice women, I finally was able to retrieve my card. I felt so silly each time someone came by to ask what was wrong. I had to explain that I put my credit card in the movie slot! Anyway, now I know exactly how to use the mysterious Red Box.

My Little Me

Hayden turned 9 months old on the 16th this month. She has become quite a little mimic! When I bounce up and down she will bounce while standing too! She likes waving bye bye to people after they wave to her and she will mimic when I turn my head side to side as well. Kind of fun! She also finally got her left front tooth in. Her bottom teeth came through in February and she hasn't had any more until now. She is a terrible teether! She doesn't sleep good, drools a ton, runny nose, diarrhea, elevated temperature, and wants to be held all the time! She has a lot more teeth to go so hopefully it gets better. Hayden has been a true test of my patience. This past week I feel like I have been so impatient with her. It makes me sad that I acted this way. Oh well, I'm not perfect, I just have to keep trying!

Walking....kind of

Yesterday Hayden was standing up holding on to the washing machine and side-stepped her way to the dryer! I am excited about this, but wish she would crawl. She just has no desire to be on her tummy. She will creep forward if she really wants to get something but other than that nothing! I guess she really might walk without crawling which can be bad for brain development I read. We'll see I guess. It was fun to see how proud she was of her accomplishment.

The rest of our trip

From left to right: Grady, Tylie, me, Hayden, Emily, Tate, and the twins Maizie and Maren

Hayden loved holding onto the poll on the merry-go-round

This is a great picture because throughout our whole time in Utah, Hayden loved eating Grandma Anne's face!!!

It was so great to be able to spend 2 weeks with family. As always, it was not enough time to see all the people we would like to see while we are there. After Shannon's wedding we spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at my house. Hayden continued to enjoy Sasha, but was careful to cover the back of her neck when she was behind her so as not to get a wet nose on her neck. Hayden also liked hearing my mom sing old songs and playing with my dad. We went out to breakfast several times and also got to watch Shannon and her husband Marcus open up wedding gifts. It's always fun to see all the kitchen gadgets and other gifts.
Then on Wednesday Paul, Hayden and I went to Provo to see my chair professor Dr. Leslie Feinauer from my master's program. I had not seen her since my wedding day, so it was so great to see her and catch up. She was excited to meet Hayden and it was fun to talk to her about my current job as a therapist. On the way back we stopped off at a friend's house and spent the night at my high school friend Kim's home with her family. She is a great cook and it was a fun evening. On Thursday Paul's mom came into Salt Lake and we went suit shopping for Paul since he is in need of a professional suit. Then we spent the next week at his home. We got to see Emily and Scott and their 5 children and finally spend some quality time with them. We also went to the zoo which was fun. I have not been to the zoo in years, it has changed so much. I am sad to say they no longer have the ant eaters, which was a childhood favorite of mine. Hayden's favorite animal seemed to be the giraffes but probably because she could actually see them and we think she liked their fur! One night Paul went to his Grandma Joye's house to deliver something for her and left Hayden with her. She started to fuss a bit and Grandma Joye started singing to her and she immediately stopped and listened. Grandma Joye visited her every day that we were there and really loves how much she likes music.
Probably the most special part of our trip was being able to go through the temple with our friends Seth and Sarah. We went to their endowment on Tuesday and got to see them sealed as a family on Thursday. Even as I write this I start to tear up! I felt the spirit when Paul and I got married in the temple and I have felt the spirit at other sealings. But there is something about seeing a family sealed for time and all eternity that is really powerful. I am so grateful for the friendship we have with the Eastmans and for their example! They have strengthened my testimony so much as I have witnessed Sarah get baptized, endowed, and now sealed. I am so grateful that I get to be with my family for eternity. I think I take this for granted to often, it is crazy to believe that many Christian religions believe you will no longer be married to your spouse after you die, and you will just be fellow brothers and sisters. I am so grateful to have the knowledge about where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going.

Trip Home

Shannon and Hayden at the reception center

My brothers Sean on left and Ian on right

My sister Michelle and her husband Jared (aren't our bridesmaid dressed cute!)

Hayden sadly couldn't eat the lamb at Lamb's grill, but she enjoyed her own lunch!

Paul and I actually woke up at 5:30 am on Friday morning and we were on the road by 6 am. Hayden did great the whole drive to my surprise. I was nervous because Paul and I drove separately and I knew I could not entertain her at all for the whole 6 hour drive. She slept until about 9:30 am and then we stopped for breakfast and to feed Hayden her breakfast. Then about 20 minutes after we left Sonic she was asleep again until we got to Park City. Anyway, I'm grateful the drive went so smoothly and that she is such a good baby. She has been doing great with all the new faces and being off her normal routine.
My sister Shannon's wedding went great. She looked beautiful with her hair all curled, makeup done, and dress. They had their wedding luncheon at Lamb's Grill which is the oldest restaurant in Salt Lake City. Paul and I had never been there, so it was a neat experience. We walked to the restaurant from the Temple and got caught in a crazy hail/sleet storm with about two blocks to go! It was freezing but Hayden was just laughing as Paul sprinted her stroller across the streets. That night the reception was at Le Jardin which was an indoor greenhouse. It was also beautiful. They had Cold Stone cater the dessert. Paul and my brother in law Jared went to town that night!
The next morning we met all my cousins and grandpa for breakfast at IHOP and visited with them until they went back to Southern Utah. Unbeknowst to me, Hayden had her first taste of whipped cream thanks to my grandpa! Once I realized why she kept trying to get to him it was too late. But I guess that's just the paranoia of a first time mom. My 92 year old grandpa has had problems with his heart recently and everyone was worried he would not make it, so I was so happy to be able to see him again and having Hayden play with him.
Today it SNOWED!!! We escape Cheyenne, Wyoming, only to be met with frigid weather here! I hope it gets warmer so we can get outside more. Hayden loves my families chocolate lab Sasha and jumping on the trampoline.

The Scoot

Today Hayden has finally starting MOVING! I don't think she will be a traditional crawler which is weird because both Paul and I were. She puts one leg bended in front and the other bended in back, goes down to here belly and scoots forward. She doesn't go far, but at least there is some progress.
We leave for Utah tomorrow morning hopefully at 6am for my sisters wedding. Hayden usually enjoys car rides, but I have never tried a 6 + hour car ride, so wish me luck!