A Very Special Weekend

Dear Hayden--Grandma traveled to your house this weekend and had a very special time watching you while Momma and Daddy went out to dinner. You were an angel while they were gone and slept until they returned from one of their favorite restaurants. Your days (and nights) are pretty much what babies do at your age--sleep, poop, pee, feed, cry, have an unpredictable sleep and wake time and create smiles that will warm the heart of all of those who get to enjoy the smile.

You have been trying some "tummy time" but don't like it much as can be seen in the pictures below. You can now turn from your tummy to your back and if the blanket had not stopped you on Sunday you would have gone from your back to your tummy. However, I do not think that you would have liked that position and tried to reverse your moves.

Here is a picture with Daddy when he was playing with his "little guy" although since you are now up to 12 pounds at 3 and 1/2 weeks, you are moving from the little guy position pretty quickly!

Did I mention that Grandma loves you very, very much! and thinks you have the sweetest, softest, chunkiest cheeks to kiss.
Momma loved your very cute outfit and so we took a few pictures of your handsome self! You seem quite relaxed in your boppy on Momma's lap (it goes without saying that the contented look comes from a full tummy).

I miss you so much sweet baby

Love

Grandma

It's the Hayden Joseph Conrad show!

Dear Hayden--I hope to be able to snuggle with you this weekend. Everyone wants to see new pictures of you so that is what this post will be--pics of sweet lovable you. Great Grandma Santmyer and Pappy sure think that you are special!

Momma thinks that you may now weigh more than 12 pounds although she was going to do an 'official' weighing tonight. See you soon sweet baby!

Love

Grandma Gammon

Spring is coming!

Dear Hayden, the weather was so wonderful this weekend and I wish I had been able to come up to Northern VA to enjoy it with all of you. Grandma just had a feeling yesterday that she might find spring outside. On the east side of Grandma's house there are daffodils that always bloom way ahead of time. And when Grandma went there yesterday, sure enough there were the beautiful blossoms. And a crocus had bloomed out in the front yard!

So just as you are sprouting and becoming so very much cuter by the day, spring is also trying to sprout and both you and the thoughts of spring quickly approaching, bring Grandma much joy.

I love you and miss being with you,

Grandma

Way to go Hayden!

You had your two week appointment with the doctor and you had gained your birthweight back PLUS another pound so that this week ( February16) you weighed 10 #5 oz and are 22 inches long. You are in the 90th percentile for both height and weight at this point.

The weather has been much better this week and you and Momma took several walks which you seemed to enjoy. You will probably doing more walking this weekend which is beautiful but pretty windy and gusty out there.

You are sleeping a little longer between feedings and Momma says that the difference between waking up every 2 hours versus every 3 is so much better. Your sleep times are varying a bunch but eventually you will be up to every 4-5 hours and rest will come easier to your Momma and Daddy. It seems that after you eat, Daddy has a special way to get you back to sleep in the middle of the night and Momma really appreciates all of his help.

You are presenting quite a challenge to both your parents as far as your diaper creations--apparently one episode yesterday am required the two of them to successfully get you presentable. Keep them on their toes sweet baby!

I hope to be able to come and see you next weekend. Originally I was going to come this weekend but there is too much illness floating around the hospital where Grandma works and she does not want to expose you or your parents.

Love from Grandma and I can't wait to get my arms around you again

Grandma

Happy First Valentine's Day Hayden Joseph

Happy Valentine's Day to the three most precious Valentine gifts in the world: Jennifer Gammon Conrad, Hayden Joseph Conrad and Kevin Joseph Conrad! Valentine's day has always been a significant day in your Momma's life Hayden. We had a major snowstorm in Richmond in 1983 which was your Momma's first Valentine's day. Your Granddaddy Gammon was traveling for work but when he returned on Valentine's Day he brought your Momma and your Grandma
a beautiful red rose. Every year since then, Grandad has always given flowers to your Momma and Grandma and this year was no different. He sent flowers to your Momma and brought the red roses to Grandma's house today (you can see your Momma and Daddy's wedding picture to the right of the flowers). Your Daddy and Momma have shared many Valentine's Days together and we are all blessed to have your kind, generous, and supportive Daddy as part of our lives. He is the best!

You and Momma and Daddy had already sent Grandma a beautiful arrangement of spring flowers including purple iris and pink and yellow tulips. They reminded Grandma that winter will be passing into spring (sooner than later hopefully) and that the beauty of spring and summer flowers will once again brighten each day. Thank you all so much for the beautiful flowers and symbols of spring to come. I anxiously look for the crocuses to bloom anytime and the daffodils fronds are popping up out of the soil, awaiting their turn to bring early beauty to the garden. I hope that you enjoy the gifts of the earth as much as your Momma, Daddy, and Grandma Gammon.

Then Grandma found the Christmas cactus in full bloom again! And she was reminded that flowers brighten each day--that right beside the spring blooms, were the traditional Valentine's roses and Christmas cactus blooming all together.

Such joy to be had from simple flowers but my heart's joy comes from having the most precious daughter, grandson, and son-in-law in the world and I look forward to sharing many Valentine's days with you all.

So much love to all of you

Grandma Gammon

I miss you so much!

Dear Hayden love--Grandma was so sad to leave you and your Momma and Daddy yesterday but she needed to get back to work and you all were doing so well. Above you will see a picture of the cute bear and balloon Aunt Mary Lynne sent you (along with the delicious strawberries! ) and then there are pictures of the Super Bowl gathering and despite everyone in the family having on their Steelers gear, including you!, the Steelers didn't win this year but there is always next year. The last pictures are of you as I was leaving and you were heading to the pediatric opthamologist for the "little freckle" in your right iris--turns out all is OK with that freckle. I got to take a picture of you with your typical lifted left eye (just reminding us that you are keeping an eye on all of us) and then you gave me a beautiful smile (I missed that picture tho!) right before I left for the car. Needless to say Grandma shed a few tears on the way home because she missed having you close. But I promise to come see you again soon. You are always so close in my heart and my thoughts. You are also now the main picture on my home computer (you can thank Daddy), my work computer and my dingleberry at work. Therefore, I only need to open a techno device and there is my sweet Hayden.

You are just the cutest and were much talked about at Grandma's work yesterday and Candy had printed some pics of you and they greeted me when I got to work--more tears of joy when I saw them!

I love you Hayden Joseph Conrad

Grandma

Everyone one wants to see more pictures of you!

Dear angel- and you seriously are an angel of a baby. Since the change in your feeding efforts, you have made amazing progress in just two days. Yesterday, you went to the doctors for another weigh in and they could not believe that you had regained 7 ounces. The doctor did not believe it and wanted to check your diaper to make sure that your parents had not slipped some weights into the diaper. Since then, you are taking more and more from Momma and using less regular amounts of the formula----AND you are so much more pleased with your situation. Momma and Daddy are keeping you on a pretty regular schedule which seems to be working well for you. Many times today, you have stayed awake for quite awhile after eating and are so alert and checking out your home.

Oh did I mention that you can also talk? Grandma was singing lullabies to you (singing is very generous when it comes go Grandma's voice--unlike your momma who has a beautiful singing voice). You seemed to enjoy the lullabies but did ask "Grandma what did you do with the money Great Grandma gave you for singing lessons?" Then you layed back down on my shoulder and enjoyed yourself. I put you in the swing and turned on the music for the first time and you were intrigued and kept looking about for the bird singing and where the music was coming from.

Your grandparents Conrad came to visit yesterday and will stay through the Super Bowl. They, like all of us are enchanted by you and cannot get over how handsome and happy you are.

Aunt Mary Lynne sent you a present yesterday with a valentine bear, valentine balloon and a box of chocolate covered strawberries. You are eating the strawberries indirectly, so to speak. The arrangement was very cute. Aunt Mary Lynne addressed the present to Jen, Kevin, and Moose Conrad. The delivery person had trouble with the names Jen, Kevin, and particularly Moose and finally called you Moses which made Grandma and your parents smile a bunch.

You had your first bath last night and didn't seem all that thrilled as one can judge from the pictures above. Then today your umbilical cord fell off so you are making all kinds of "firsts" yesterday and today. My favorite was that Momma and Daddy went to Target today and left me with you and we had the best time together. I treasure each moment with you.

Momma couldn't find the onsies she wanted at Target so I went to Kohls this afternoon and as usual had myself a Hayden shopping spree. Grandma really needs to stay away from stores for a bit as she finds too many things that she thinks will be perfect for you.

I know I will think of other events that have happened since yesterday, but I will post them tomorrow.

Good night with love always

Grandma