Hailey's words

All of a sudden, Hailey is saying a lot of words including:
No
Oh no
Yeah!
Shoe
Cup
Bye
Hi
Cat (for all animals including Dogs)
Mom
Dad
There is also that resembles Jordan but I would have no idea how to spell how she says it.

Her favorite things are dancing, trying on shoes, playing with her sister, dogs(cats) and books with flaps. She also loves a Minnie Mouse doll that was mine when I was little. She is so sweet, giving hugs and kisses. She also desperately needs her first haircut but her mom gets a little weepy thinking about it.

That's not how you play chess

Ready for school

Happy Birthday Baby

What joy you have brought to our family. 365 days of sweetness and laughter.

Having a baby altered my heart. Seeing my two babies together and adoring each other - well that just changed me forever.

Happy Birthday Hailey Bop A Do Bop :)

Christmas

A ridiculously fun Christmas for us this year. I'm assuming they will all seem spectacular when you aren't 10 months pregnant (aka 2012).

Opening presents was joyous. I loved seeing the girls playing with their new things. So many wonderful memories made.

My favorite was in the afternoon, while upstairs packing for our trip. Hearing music blaring downstairs, I hurried to see what was going on. I find Doug dancing in the kitchen- with the girls to 'Brave'.

12 Months of Joy

October - 10 Months Old

We continued our fun family vacation in Charleston this month and enjoyed time with friends, spending time on the beach and exploring our favorite city again.  We were lucky enough to stay the week in the condo complex where we lived for a year when Jordan was a baby.  Our neighbors were kind to let us stay right next door.  There was something so comforting about spending time there again where we had first become a family.  I loved being able to tell Jordan about where we had lived and introducing Hailey to lovely Charleston.

Hailey was a bit sick while we were in Charleston, which made for a tired mom and dad, but we pushed through and enjoyed all of our days.

October also brought fun fall activities like Jordan's first field trip to the pumpkin patch, our traditional winery trip to Hermann with the Stephens sans-kiddos, Halloween parties, trip to Columbia for Homecoming, and finally the Eckerbergs moving back to Missouri!  Crazy, fun month.

Hailey was cruising more and more this month, thinking about taking steps when she was trying to go from one spot to the other.  She is so vocal and smiley, still a great eater and typically sleeping through the night, with one possible wake up in the early hours.  She is generally enthralled with anything that her sister likes.  While she can be a little shy (seeing new people, she'll lay her head on my shoulder) she really goes to any familar person - mom, dad, grandparents and aunts and uncles.  She also began walking - using a cart, very proud of herself all the time.

We are enjoying some fun seeing Jordan and Hailey's relationship with their cousins develop - Taylor tends to stick with Hailey and Madison and Jordan play together so well.  What a blessing it has been to have this time together with our children.

Some of our favorites from Charleston.  Our favorite - Sullivan's Island.

 First field trip - Pumpkin patch

 Soccer finale 

Hailey's costume - take 1 

 Hailey costume take 2 - kitty cat

 and 3 - pumpkin

 With our mother's helper, Laurel

 Fun in Hermann

 Pumpkin patch fun

 Walking with the cart

 Homecoming

 Fun at the zoo with cousins

 Fun outside - fall days