SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG!

Some of you were probably starting to think I had abandoned this blog since it's been so long since my last post. I just got lazy. It's hard to know where to start back up, so be ware of the randomness to come.

After we had already made our flight reservations for our Texas trip, but not long before we left for our trip, Mike had a routine hearing test. He failed. I have been praying since we moved to Hawai'i that he would not deploy again, and this is how God chose to answer that prayer. Even after we booked our flight and deployment was looking inevitable, I was still petitioning God about it. Mike was not happy about failing the hearing test, but I have faith that he will come around once God's plan is revealed. The army has determined that it is in the best interest of Mike and the army that Mike be re-classified into a new army job. Mike will be seeing a career counselor soon to determine the possibilities. This week, Mike's unit left for Iraq. Mike worked all of this week with the rear detachment to help make that happen, and he will continue to work with the rear detachment until he gets new orders for a new school. We have absolutely no idea what job, what school, how long the school will be or how long it will take to get orders to go to that school. Also, we have no idea what the army will choose to do with me and Hayden while Mike is in school. So, we are in one of those lovely army transitional phases where we cannot plan anything and must simply be still and wait in the Lord. (kind of like most of Mike's first deployment)

The last two weeks of June, we were in central Texas visiting our families. Two weeks go by way too quickly, though I'm not complaining about being back in Hawai'i where I breath much better. We wish we could have had the time to venture out and see more friends and family, but time was limited and the grandparents couldn't get enough of Hayden.

Hayden went through a growth spurt while we were in Texas and gained a whole pound while we were there. It took a while for him to get readjusted to Hawaii Standard Time when we got back here, but he is doing well now. This week has been experimental in trying to determine what feeding routine will work best for him so that he can sleep for 10-12 hours at night. Some nights he makes it, and some he wakes up at 4am acting like he's starving. I am breastfeeding him 5 times a day. We've tried cutting it back to 4, but I decided that doesn't get him through the night. He is eating 3 solid feedings very well. His favorite vegetable is sweet potatoes. For breakfast he usually has oatmeal and fruit (usually pears or prunes). It is important for me to have him on a predictable routine, so I can get more done in a day. In August, a friend of mine who just had a baby boy in June is going to try letting me babysit during the day when she returns to work for the army. I will have two babies to balance! It will definitely be a challenge, but one I'm looking forward to trying. And, it's a paying gig. Yay for a second income! She has a back up plan in case I can not handle it. ;)

While we were in Texas, Hayden started doing much better at sitting up on his own. I still have to watch him closely to keep him from falling on his head. Bath time is more fun now that he can reach for his toys without face-planting in the water. He has been fully participating in his Sunday school class and looks so cute with the other babies in his little seat around the semi-circle table. I think he is about to get his top front teeth in. His gums have been looking redder and he must have something in his mouth at all times. He had so much fun in his cousin Avery's jumperoo when we were in Burnet that we went out and bought him one, even though he already had an exersaucer. Now that we have both, I think he actually likes the exersaucer better. It makes a clunky noise when he bounces, and I think he enjoys that. It has more toys on it, too. I think he'll enjoy the jumperoo more when he learns that he can willingly make the little piano on it make sounds. He just does it by accident right now.

Hayden's only word so far is Momma, but usually it seems like he is just saying it by accident as he tries to get words to come out of his mouth. He often seems like he desparately wants to have a conversation with Paco. He makes eye contact and grunting sounds and is terribly distracted by him when I'm trying to feed him in his high chair. We have supervised petting sessions every day (so he can learn how to pet Paco without getting bitten).