I am thankful for the wonderful time we spent with our family last week.  We spent several days staying at my parents house and had a wonderful time.  It was great to eat my mom’s awesome cooking (I gained 2 pounds while we were there) and to have extra help with Hailey.  Mostly though it was just so much fun to spend the time there.

My dad usually has a project going on somewhere in the house and he is currently working on remodeling their kitchen and dining room.  He’s been promising my mom he would do this for 22 years, so it’s about time.  Anyhoo- Hailey loved helping my dad (or “Pa” as Hailey has recently started calling him) with whatever he was working on.

Hailey helps Pa with some sanding in the dining room.

Hailey helps Pa set up a new stereo.

Hailey helps Pa play the guitar.  (I don’t think my mom will be very happy that you can see that green door in the background.  It leads to the kitchen that is being remodeled, so I assume that one day it will be painted a different color)

Anyhoo, I am so thankful for the way that my parents are with Hailey.  I absolutely love watching them together.

We were also finally able to celebrate Christmas with Rich’s side of the family.  We had originally planned to do that the weekend before Christmas, but then Hailey was sick and we didn’t think it would be a good time to travel.  So, this weekend was the first chance we have had to get together with them to celebrate Christmas.  It was a wonderful time and I always enjoy the time we get to spend with them.  Hailey enjoyed herself while we were at their house with all sorts of new things to explore.  And, also a different dog to play with make very nervous.  I am thankful for the nice time we had with Rich’s side of the family and I am thankful to have these wonderful people in our lives. Would you believe that we didn’t take any pictures while we were there?  Well, believe it- so I don’t have any pictures to share with you. 

Lastly, I am thankful that the DVD player worked on the way to visit our family.  Because it did not work on the way home and it was a bit unpleasant.  Because Hailey?  She did not sleep, not one little wink, for the entire ride home.

Stop by Sting My Heart to see more Thankful Thursday participants.

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Well, I certainly can not believe it, but it is time for another monthly update. Since Hailey turned four months old I have done a monthly picture of her next to Tigger to have a reference as to how quickly she is growing. Once she turned one I decided to do it every three months. So, now at 15 months it is time for a picture with Tigger.

Hailey is 15 months old! You can see Hailey with Tigger at 12 months, 11 months, 10 months, 9 months, 8 months, 7 months, 6 months, 5 months, 4 months and 3 months (Just click on the one you want to see).

For this months update I decided to share some pictures with you. And so…..

Hailey working on a puzzle- trying to figure out why that piece is not going into it’s spot. She loves to make this scowling face any time things do not go exactly as she expects them to.

Hailey loves playing with her new kitchen she got for Christmas. Here she works on washing the dishes.

And lastly- a sweet little smile from my sweet little lady.

Hailey says all sorts of words, although most of the time we’re not exactly sure what it is she is saying. She knows too many signs to try to keep listing them each month and she is really picking up on the animal sounds. Pretty much anything we tell her to try to say or sign or a noise to try to make- she’ll try to do it.

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point during the last couple of months, Hailey suddenly seemed so much older. I’ve known for a while that she is not an infant anymore- but it was like it suddenly really hit me that she’s no longer a baby. She just seems so grown up- she looks and acts so much older. Time is just flying by and I can’t believe it’s already been 15 months since my little Hailey was born.

And so as I close I’m going to post a poem that my Grammy shared with my mom when I was a baby. My mom shared it with me when Hailey was born and I’ve posted it a few times on my other blog. I actually posted it there today again- but since most of you come here for my updates- I want to post it here too.

Cleaning and cooking can wait ’til tomorrow
for babies grow up as we’ve learned to our sorrow.
So, quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep,
for I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Remember my Thankful Thursday post, specifically number four on my list?  In case you don’t remember, this is what is said:

“4.  Now, let’s all pretend that I am not saying what I am about to say because as you mommies know I am surely jinxing myself.  I am thankful that Hailey has been sleeping better at night.  No- she still does not sleep all night and no- she does not stay in her own bed all night.  But, whereas before she was sleeping about 1-2 hours in her own bed before waking up and wanting to come into bed with us she has been staying in her own bed for 3-4 hours.  I am thankful for what I can get!  Now, do not ever mention this again, we do not want Hailey to realize that I have noticed this.”

Well, if I ever write something like that again, could someone please email me at once and say, “Take that post down right away you silly lady.”  Because let me tell you what has been happening ever since I posted that.

On Wednesday night Hailey went to bed around 9pm, which is her usual time.  I put my post up on Wednesday night so that it would be all ready for Thursday morning.  Well, on Wednesday night Hailey woke up at 11pm.

But, it gets better.  On Thursday night Hailey went to bed around 9pm again.  She was awake at 10:30pm.  And, not only that but she was wide awake from 3am-4am.  Now last night she went to bed once again at 9pm.  She was awake at 9:40pm.  And, then again from 4:45am-6am. 

Now I waited until Hailey had been doing her 3-4 hour stretches of sleep for two solid weeks before I mentioned it.  I thought I was safe, but apparently not.  I haven’t changed anything in her routine- she has even been having the exact same snack of crackers and cheese every night.  The only thing that I did was write about it on my blog.

So, either Hailey has been reading my blog or one of you told her.