Thursday, June 28, 2018

Holland | 14.5 Months

Holland Claire...

...Has finally taken a few steps!  She is so cautious that four steps is her limit before she sits down and continues crawling.  Regardless, it's something so we'll take it!  Her favorite mode of transportation is speed crawling or cruising around the house.

...Is the neatest Haynes child.  She will get every last toy out of the basket but always puts everything back before she moves onto the next thing.  The same is true for an individual toy with small parts.  If only she could teach Jude & Sloane to do the same...

...Gives the sweetest hugs!  She puts her arms around your neck and squeezes - it is the greatest feeling in the world!

...Weighs 1,000 lbs.  I honestly don't know how much she weighs but she is a tank.  I carry her all of the time and my arms are so sore by the end of the day.

...Still naps at 10a and 2p.  Summer has been quite busy so there's been a few days when she only gets one nap.  She handles it well but I can tell she still needs both.

...Loves mimicking her brother and sister.  She dips her fries in ketchup, her bread in olive oil, and wants a taste of everything they're eating. She claps when they do something exciting, laughs when they laugh, blows her nose when she grabs a tissue, and waves bye if she sees/hears them saying goodbye to someone.  She also loves to give high fives.

...Is the opposite of a picky eater! Holland is willing to try and eat almost everything.  PRAISE THE LORD.  I generally would not consider her a laidback baby but she sure is easy to please when it comes to food!

...Is so emotional.  She's very black/white - there isn't a lot of grey area.  She is the happiest baby and then she is NOT having it and will let everyone know all about it.  As long as she's the only one in the room she is just fine entertaining herself and can do so for quite a while.  However, if anyone else is in the room she demands their complete attention.

...Says a few words regularly: Dada, Bye, Papa, Gaga, Hi, Ball, and (most recently) Mama.  But she mostly calls me Baba (again, I'll take it).  We're pretty sure she says "thank you" as well but it's harder to understand.  She has a southern French accent... and I don't mean Provence, France.  I mean a Texan who moved to France.  It's hilarious!

...Has 12 teeth.  Her molars are completely in and it looks like the incisors are about to pop through any day.

...Shares a fun tradition with me that I look forward to every night.  After she nurses I put her in her crib and then kneel down right next to it.  Then we "talk," hug, make silly faces, and sing for another 5-10 minutes before I leave the room.  It's usually when Michael is reading to the big kids so the house is quiet and it is the sweetest time with my baby.

...Still cries like a baby if you tell her "no."  It all happens in slow motion.  You say the word and she looks at you with the saddest eyes, her lower lip trembles, eyes squint, and the crying begins.

...Loves our rocking chair.  Her favorite thing to do right now is climb on things and the rocker provides additional entertainment once she's climbed to the "top."

...Recognizes eyes, nose, mouth, and feet.

...Doesn't want to sit still for a book but will tear one apart in less than 60 seconds if you leave it out.

...Loves the water!  Jude & Sloane have been in swim lessons and Holland is only happy if she's in the water with them!  Lots of dunking her head in the water and popping up with a big grin on her face!

...Has dark blue eyes and light brown curly hair!  The curls are coming in quickly now (in the back) and the color seems to be staying.  She's wearing mostly 18-24 clothes and size 4 diapers - probably time to move to size 5.

...Is such a people person.  She will be in a terrible mood but if a stranger at Target smiles at her she turns on the charm.  At the same time, she also gives some of the judgiest looks so watch out!

...Observes everything.  While she may be timid to do most things (ahem, walk), she doesn't take her eyes off of what is going on around her.  She's a sponge!

...Still nurses a few times a day.  That was not my intention but here we are.  We will definitely reach the goal of still nursing on the flight to/from Florida.

...Is looking more and more like her daddy.  Neither of us really see it but everyone else does!











Monday, June 25, 2018

Holland's First Birthday Weekend

The day before Holland's birthday we visited the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden so we could tiptoe through the tulips!  We had lunch at Restaurant Degolyer and spent the rest of the time enjoying the gorgeous grounds. It was such a fun day!






























  

On her actual birthday we had a small family party for her.  I went with a tulips + gingham theme for the weekend and was so pleased with how everything turned out!  It was sweet and simple... and I think she loved it.  














Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Jude & Sloane

Because tomorrow is their last day of pre-K and because I want to remember every detail. 



Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Holland | 1 Year

Happy Birthday, Holland!  We just spent the entire weekend celebrating the birthday girl and it was the sweetest time spent with family.  I'll have a separate celebration post to share all the pictures but it was absolutely memorable and so much fun.

Holland had her one year check-up today and the doctor said she looked great and had hit all of the necessary milestones!  She got to hear Holland's fake laugh and received a high five once the check-up was complete so I think Holland was quite pleased with herself as well.  After being off the charts in height at nine months, Holland slowed her roll and is now... still really tall.  And speaking of rolls, girlfriend has quite a few.  Ha! Her newest nickname is Squish. 

Weight: 23 lbs 1.5 oz (89%)
Height: 30.5" (90%)
Head: 18.25" (86%)
Shoe size: 3.5 (had her officially measured this past weekend!)

E A T
We are working hard on three meals a day.  Some days these meals are a veggie pouch on the go but we're getting there.  The only food she has flat-out refused is wheat cereal (her very first food).  She hates it, which is hilarious because it was a regular for the twins until they were close to two.  She is a huge fan of carbs and sweets - no clue where she gets it - and her biggest issue is not swallowing before sticking more food in her mouth.  She definitely gets some chipmunk cheeks if we aren't paying close enough attention.  I've been proud of her willingness to try anything, regardless of texture or flavor.

We reached a year of breastfeeding and it is still my favorite time spent with my girl.  I will probably start (slooooowly) weaning her over the next few months and we'll see how it goes.  My next (and last) goal is to make it until we go to Sanibel in July because we'll be flying and that is the greatest defense for a busy toddler.

Toddler...  :(

P L A Y
Holland is such a little firecracker and wants to be around her siblings at all times.  Her favorite toy right now is Sloane's doll house or anything she can fit in her mouth.  Her Mimi & Papa gave her the cutest wooden bird walker and she has been scooting around the house with the proudest smile on her face.  She also received a scooter from Uncle B & Aunt Chelle!  Once she realized she now has a scooter just like J&S, she squealed, clapped, and it was quite possibly THE cutest thing she's ever done.  She's still in no rush to take any steps and gets really nervous when she realizes she doesn't have anything to hold onto.  I'm guessing we still have another month or two before she even attempts walking.   

Holland is SO strong.  I'm shocked at some of the things she picks up and moves as well as how tough it is to wrangle her at times.  And yes, I realize she is 12 months old and I should be embarrassed that she gives me a run for my money.  I am.

She's also interacting more and more with us.  She absolutely loves to give high fives and will mimic any sound or word as best she can.  She's definitely speaking her own language right now but is great at matching pitch (ha!) and loves to "answer" anything you ask.  We haven't added any new words (currently says dada, ba bye, and heeeeey) but she's at least trying to say mama now.  Still comes out as baba but I'll take it.

S L E E P
Not much has changed here!  She's mostly sleeping through the night (7:30p - 7:30a) with an occasional interruption around midnight.  I was thinking we'd drop one of her naps when she turned one but there are some days she can't even make it to 10a before crashing so even though the two naps are oftentimes short, I think we're better to keep both for now.

She is a bit like her dad in that she loves her sleep but once she's awake she has no interest in staying in bed (which is quite ridiculous to me, I could lounge in bed all morning).  She wakes up and is immediately standing up and calling out to us.  Again, the FOMO.  She can't stand to be away from any of us for long!

Michael wrote her one-year letter below (read his letter to the twins HERE) and I love that she'll have these to read one day.

She is adored by us all and the perfect addition to our family.  She is such a ham and has given us a chance to slow down and remember just how much fun it is to hear tiny squeals inside these walls.  I cherish this time so much!


Holland, you have a huge smile waiting for whomever rescues you from the crib each morning.  As soon as you've had your diaper changed, you crawl out of your room as fast as you can and peek around the corner.  You know your brother and sister will be eating breakfast at the counter, and you talk to them as soon as you can see them.  They immediately respond with smiles and giggles and that just makes you smile even more, maybe clap your hands for good measure.  

That's a great summary of what you've added to our life.  You can always inject a bit of sunshine or a moment of excitement to the mundane parts of our day.  

You're also very particular about what you like and what you want to do.  You love to cruise along the ottoman, shift over to the couch, then work all the way around to the other side.  At that point you're stuck and it's all our fault.  The cabinets are a newfound treasure for you as well.  In the kitchen, it's either the cabinet next to the fridge with all of the cups, or the pantry, where you can find bags and cans to spread out all over the floor.  You've also found your mother's underwear drawer and it's hilarious.  You're like a magician pulling scarves.  

You've grown so much, so quickly, but the little things are still the most fun.  You obviously recognize everyone's name, and you'll look at them and point when we address one of your siblings.  When you discover new foods that you enjoy, you want as much of it in your mouth at one time as possible.  And sometimes more.  Your bedtime is a joy to watch because everyone says good night to you and you can't get enough of the attention.  Smiles all the way to the crib.  

We're so grateful for you and look forward to what year two will bring!  

Love - Dad












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