Thursday, February 12, 2009

Time With Jurzee
























Jurzee was able to come and visit for a couple of days! So on Sunday Devin and I went to Vermillion so that they could play together.  The two of them spent some brother/sister quality time together.  They did a really good job playing together.  Devin would steal a toy from Jurzee and she would just shrug and say, "that's ok, he can play with that." Jurzee has sharing down a lot better then Devin does.  However, Devin would give toys back to her eventually, he's getting the idea.  What do you expect from a 13 month old anyways?
On the drive back to Sioux Falls Jurzee was being a little model, she has some good poses. You can tell that she gets her picture taken quit a bit. Jurzee took some pictures during the ride and she took over 90 pictures! I think that she had a lot of fun with it.


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

13 Months old!

Devin has been talking on the phone lately!  He will pick up my phone, start hitting some numbers, put it to his ear and just start chatting away.  Whoever he was talking to the other night he repeatedly told them "no."  I really don't tell him no that much, but he really has the word down.  Devin is also signing for us.  He will do the sign for milk (opening and closing his fist) and he says milk!  We are also working on the sign for more.  He can do it, but I'm not sure if he really understands what it means yet.  

Last week I was changing Devin's diaper.  I never do it on the couch, so I don't know why I decided to do it on the couch that night.  Anyways, his butt was a little red so I decided I 
needed to go get the Desitin.  When I came back into the room, Devin was in the same spot as when I had left.  However, there was a puddle in the corner of the couch.  Devin peed on the couch!  He has never peed on me or anything before, but he decided he needed to break in mom's new couch!   That's right I bought a new couch, thought that I could spare a little of my tax money before it all goes to bills.

Tonight I gave Devin some chocolate pudding, to say the least he loved it!  I think that it 
maybe his new favorite snack.

Sunday, January 25, 2009


Devin's preferred method of getting around now is walking!  He getting so good at it because he practices!  He will start by his toy box and take off, the second he falls he turns right around, crawls back and does it again.  He will do this over and over and over!  I think the other night he went for a good 45 minutes, he is so determined.  It is so cute and entertaining to watch.  He can make it all the way to the stove!
               Devin still loves his books.  He prefers to sit and look at his books over playing with toys.  I wonder where he gets this from.  He will turn the pages and just chatter away as if he was reading them.  
                



The other day Logan came over for the day.  The boys have so much fun together.  The moment they see each other both of their faces light up.  They follow each other from place to place, fighting over everything!  




Monday, January 19, 2009

Look at me go!




 
I have been trying to get a video up of Devin walking around, but I have not been successful.  Anyways, Devin has been pretty brave lately.  He will just take off from anywhere and can make it across the room!  He still crawls for the  most part, but he's on his way!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Devin's Birthday Party


Devin had a perfect little party on Sunday.  It was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but instead we had a small ice storm... and boy was it icy!  Devin, Ben, Grandma Teresa and Talen were able to make it from Vermillion.  They said it was still very slick out, but they made it!  Kim, Kyle, Emily, Logan and I were waiting at Kim's house for them and Great Grandma and Grandpa came as well!  I hope that this doesn't happen to the little guy every year.



Devin opened his presents with the help of his cousins Talen, Emily and Logan!
It is no surprise that Devin absolutely LOVED when everyone sang Happy Birthday to him... look at that smile!
Mmmm... Ice Cream Cake!
Thank you everyone for the gifts and Birthday wishes!  And to Kim and Kyle for letting us use their house!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEVIN LEROY HAYS!


I'm not sure how to capture the past year.  Devin has brought so much love and joy into our lives, Ben and I feel truly blessed.  Devin was a fantastic baby!  He slept through out the night (who could ask for more)  I didn't hear him cry (really cry) until he was three months old!  He was very easy going and very chill (for lack of a better word).  He made it very easy on us.  Thank you to everyone for helping us out as a family, it hasn't been easy, but we are lucky that we have such great families that are there for us.

Now about our little man.  I just really didn't understand how quickly babies grow and develop.  He seems to have a strong grasp on language and mimicking our sounds.  I remember saying 'mom mom mom' repeatedly to him thinking in a couple of months he'd be ale to maybe make a MMM sound... who knew it would only take a week when he was just 6 months old!  And he 
understood that I was mom and uses the word correctly.  It didn't take him too long then to learn dad either.  Just today Ben was telling me how Devin was in the cupboard where his food is kept.  Ben said 'no no Devin you need to close the door'.  Then Ben told him to stop and to shut the door... Devin looks up at Ben and says NO!  Ben was like our son told me NO!  He just looked at me and said no!

I am starting to teach him a few signs I'm hoping he will pick it up just as easily as he picks up everything else.  You just need to show him once how something works and he has it down.  Devin prefers books over toys and loves to explore and is very curious and attentive to his surroundings.  His favorite song is the ABC's and his favorite book it Dr. Suess's ABCs.  He loves the movie Uncle Kevin gave him of it.  He likes Spongbob over any other cartoon.  Devin prefers his Smartville Train Station for toys.  It took him no time at all to figure out how to put the animals in the spot where they go and then push on them to get them to talk and make sounds.  As I said before Devin loves to dance!  Any tune that is played he just starts moving it is sooo cute!  He also loves his bath time.  He loves the water just like his mom.  Ben and I will have to get him to the Wellness Center sometime soon and see how he does.  

As for walking, we thought that since he was standing at five weeks he'd be an early walker, but he is taking his time, which is just fine.  Last week when my mother was in town we were sitting a few feet apart trying to get him to walk back and forth between us.  The second one of us would let go of him he would throw himself to the ground.  He didn't want to walk, I don't know if he was scared or what.  After about ten minutes of trying to get him to walk back and forth he started crawling back and forth.  He would go to my mom and put his head in her lap then turn around, do it to me then go back.  He did this for about five minutes... It was great, we were laughing so hard.  Then he started throwing him self on the ground as if he was falling down.  Not hard just playful... he's such a little character!

Then on Tuesday I tried to get Devin to walk again.  Is was having him walk back and forth between me and the couch.  He did great, you could tell that he wanted to do it.  At first he would just lean forward and then fall, but then he would take a few steps.  There was time when he got four good steps in!  He keeps his hands in fist and keeps them up at his shoulders and just goes.  He wants to walk now so there's no stopping him... Im sure in a weeks time he'll be a pro.

We were suppose to have his Birthday party on Saturday, however, because of the ice we received today we weren't able to.  We are going to have one for him tomorrow at noon instead.  I was really looking forward to having Ben and my family all together and have all the kids there at once.  It would have been a lot of fun for every one.  Hopefully this won't happen to the little man every year.  I will keep you posted on his Birthday party... and I will have my camera!