Sixteen Weeks Old

Well we have a lot of catching up to do! Unfortunately for our faithful blog readers, when exhaustion sets in...it's the blog that suffers! I have several weeks to catch up on so please bear with me as I knock them out and get caught up. They may not all be banner posts, but they will show how much our little guy is growing for sure!

Hayden and I had a nice low-key week after we got back from our long beach trip with both sets of grandparents. Tyler traveled to Kentucky and Denver over the weekend so we lounged around the house...A LOT! I've learned that there is always a period of de-grandparenting after spending time with our wonderful families. :) We LOVE all of the extra hands, but it usually takes a couple of days back in our little world for Hayden to remember that he actually enjoys entertaining himself on his mat sometimes and is fully capable of taking a nap outside of someone's arms. How lucky is our little guy to be SO loved by SO many people?!

Our little guy is awesome during the day and a gem when we are out and about. He loves to run errands and be on the move! We joined a Stay-At-Home Moms group here in the area and went to our first get together this week to check it out. Hayden slept like a champ while I enjoyed my ice cream and got to know some of the women in the group. While the ice cream shop was filled with kids a little older than Hayden, I'm really looking forward to meeting and getting to know the handful of mom's in the group with infants and non-walkers. It's definitely a little intimidating to walk into a room of people you don't know...so I'm really proud of us for going. :)

Here are a couple of sweet closeups I grabbed this week while Hayden was napping...

I just LOVE those lips and eyelashes!! :)

Poops and Pit Stops

I hope one day that I will be able to change a dirty diaper as fast as our pit crew can change 4 tires, fill up a tank of gas and make adjustments to steering on our race cars (under 14 seconds for those who were wondering).

Today marks Hayden becoming 5 months old and 3 months since I started at Michael Waltrip Racing. My life seems to be filled with poops and pit stops and I couldn't be any happier. The last three months at Michael Waltrip Racing have been the most rewarding 3 months of my young professional career and Hayden amazes me everyday with something new.

I'm going to keep this short and list my favorite 3 things that have happened both with Hayden and my job over the last 3 months.

My favorite 3 things to happen with or because of Hayden
      - Hayden laughing... I missed the first one, but Lindsay and Kristin witnessed it and told me all about it. Luckily for me, Hayden is a fun loving baby and has laughed a thousand more times since then. I can have the roughest day in the world, but when I come home and see his laugh it makes all the other things disappear.
      - Hayden holding a ball for the first time. I think this is something that Dads get more excited about than Moms, but I was thrilled the first time I saw him pick up a round ball and move it between his hands.
      - Seeing Lindsay's parents and my parents watching us be parents. I think to myself 27 years ago, they were where Lindsay and I are now taking care of a little child. It really makes me appreciate everything my parents have done for me after having a child of my own.

My favorite 3 things to happen with or because of  MWR
      - My second day on the job I began work on an event to help raise supplies for the tornado victims of Joplin, Missouri. On my 9th day of the job we had a successful event that allowed us to send an entire semi truck of food and supplies to the Joplin area along with raising awareness for the charity Convoy of Hope who helps victims of tragedies around the country. This effort will culminate in October when Michael goes to the Joplin area and donates over 20 cars to veterans who lost their vehicles in the horrible storm. Martin will also give one lucky family a new Toyota car at the track before the Kansas race.
      - A few weeks ago, I put together a go-karting event where NAPA customers were able to race against Martin. It was the first time NAPA and MWR had ever done something like this and it was fun being the one to put it together.
      - The part I have enjoyed most about MWR is the distance from my house to the race shop that allows me to come home during lunch. It is incredible getting to see Lindsay and Hayden during the day and really makes everyday enjoyable.

 That is it for me and my update. Lindsay should be back soon updating with pictures of Hayden.