The messiest boy in all the land

Maybe not the messiest, but it feels that way.

He doesn't mind.

And neither do I, really.

I also apparently turn into Jim Carrey during lunchtime.

Watchables Part I

All streamable on Netflix....

1. Nursery University

I love NYC, have been there a few times, and have lamented in my head that the chances of living there at this point in life are probably zilch. That all changed when we watched this documentary on a handful of parents "from [a few] weeks of life" joining the rat race to get their 3 year olds into private preschools so they can feed into the best private kindergarten, and into the best private elementary, jr. high, etc. etc. OH MY GOSH. Preschool, no matter how you slice it, is a game of ABCs, numbers 1 through 10, Gogurt squirting all over the kids' hands and none of it into mouths, and free-play. These parents are acting like it's taking their medical boards. This is, of course, why the documentary exists, because it's too much fun to watch them sobbing about how they're so down to earth but will move to Boston if they don't get into their top preschool choice. Watch it. My favorite family was the Jewish I-Banker dad drinking his Sprite Zero for dinner with his Argentine wife who thinks all this anxiety over preschool is absolutely insane.

2. The Kennedys

I watched this about a month ago. Joe Kennedy is perhaps the most greedy, conniving stage parent, I loved Bobby, and Jack/Mr. Prez was just about as likable/detestable as I'd imagined. Katie Holmes did a great job. My favorite part about it all: The Boston accents were good! We had to watch a low-budge movie in high school about the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Kennedy accents were so bad it gave me a twitch for weeks afterward. I can't stand detectable fake accents. For this reason I will NEVER see a movie where Anne Hathaway is waxing British, and it's also why I fastforwarded through the scenes with "Carlotta" in Friday Night Lights. I'd rather poke my eyes out with a pencil eraser.

3. Forever Strong

Kinda cheesy, but uplifting. My brother tried to get my parents to move to UT when he was in high school so he could play on the Highland High rugby team, which is the team featured here. If you want to watch something on a Sunday with a subtle Mormon agenda, featuring that "poor" guy from Gossip Girl, one of the minor characters from Angels in the Outfield, the scorned ex-wife of Dean in Gilmore Girls, the Sam hobbit in LOTR, the dad in the modern Brady Bunch movies, and the female love interest in Tommy Boy, this movie is the one for you!

What to say?

I don't know what to report. There's just a pile of important nothings going on around here these days.

I have, as usual, begun to look forward with no small amount of joy to the holidays that lie ahead. My toenails are even black in anticipation of Halloween. The holidays of October, November, and December are always amongst my favorites, but it's been so freaking hot, and plus I have a cute baby to share all this stuff with, so really, this is an all-time overload of excitement. Smoke is starting to come out my ears.

I love 30 Rock. "Her brain is quishy like a hacky-sack."

Since Jeff and I got married we looked forward to the day we could get a SECTIONAL. Oh a sectional upon which we would snuggle and sit. Back in APRIL we had enough money saved to push "submit order" for a Pottery Barn sectional that was on sale. We also had a coupon. So we still don't have it. It's been back ordered about 7 times. We would have scrapped it and moved on to another store, but they've started giving us 15% off every time its delivery gets postponed, so now it's cheaper than just about any other couch we could get. A couple of weeks ago, we were sure it would ship so we sold Jeff's bachelor couches on Craigslist to a blind bar tender for $100. Back ordered again. We get very cozy on our remaining piece of furniture.

Feeding Jude solids is so messy. Still nursing.

I saw The Help this week with some girlfraynds. I loved it. My lover and I also saw Crazy, Stupid Love while we were in UT, and I could have chopped out a few parts, but I loved that too. Could some missionaries please track down Ryan Gosling and bring him back to Mormonism?

TTFN.

Whacking around his toy, because it's such a fun new trick.

6 Months: Half an Annum

Today our wee babe has 6 months under his diaper belt. Prepare yourselves for some gushing, for I am so very deep in baby heaven!

Jude is just delicious.

He puts everything in his mouth while letting his voice roll over the bottom of his throat.

He squeeeals and giggles and hums.

He started solids a few days ago, and pounds them down. It's like milk never existed. Hmph.

He is sleeping through the night (again) but knows how to self sooth now. High 5s ALL AROUND.

Jude rolls both ways now. The proud look on his face when he first rolled from his back to his tummy a few days ago was enough to vanquish all evil in the world (had all the evil in the world been privy).

Our baby boy is still snuggly, but only when he's tired or for about 15 seconds at a time. This is, of course, very sad, but since it's all part of the exciting growth I'm trying to be cheerful about it.

Here he's watching Jeff get something out of the cupboard.

He's very expressive. Sometimes his face looks very grown up to us, he furrows his brow, and has from the beginning. His chubby cheeks keep him facially connected to his babyness. Sometimes I just spend so much time nibbling on that chub.

This monkey is friendly. He greets most people, stranger or not, with a smile and has noticed BABIES. He perks right up when there's another baby next to him at church; it's like they're saying, "Hey. You, me, nursery, one year. It's so on. We'll drink some juice and throw blocks at the wall."

He chews and chews on my face. He laughs more for Jeff, sometimes for me.

This great love I have for him just grows and grows. When I look at my wedding pictures, I know I somehow love Jeff on a deeper level now than on that happy day of celebration. The same thing is happening with Jude. I may not be able to remember every little coo or flicker of his face, as much as I may try, but the things that happen every day do make my heart sing, hum, and hurt. He is a dream.

Happy 6 months, Jude. You make everything good.

UT + ID = Enough Pictures to Choke a Merzy

We just got back from an 8 day trip to Utah and Idaho. It was a grand old time, pretty busy, and we loved it. As long as we had out there, we still didn't get to see everyone we wanted, but hey, one thing we can count on, we'll always return to the Beehive State. If we didn't catch you this time, we'll get our greedy little mitts on you next time.

So how is it that I had about 7 times more adults than usual surrounding me to help me with Jude, but I am exhausted?? Why do you have to pack 4,000 more objects when flying on a plane with a baby? And what will I do when I have more kids? Ah let's wait and let the chaos unfold....

I give unto you, in no particular order, The Hayes Family Vacay 2011:

Those of you who know Elizabean, how many millions of things can you imagine pouring out of her lovely mouth with this face? And I love how Ian is already accustomed to the exuuuberance. Ho hum, saith he.

We went to BYU and met up with E + kidlets. BYU is such a funny little place to visit. Oh, the Wilk, the Shade tops, the flirting.

This painting is on loan to the BYU Museum of Art from the Wheatleys. I vaguely remember them from living in Palo Alto as a tiny thing, and a little bit from our frequent visits. Thank you, Wheatleys.

Popped in on cousin Hilary. Look at her Minnie Me! (No, I know how to spell "mini," her name is Minnie and I was having myself a little play on words. Glory!)

When Jude goes a week without his jumper, he gets by on Grandma's lap while visiting her at work. Bouncebouncebouncebouncebouncebounce

I just get to squeeze him all the live long day.

We are at Park City in these pictures, but who could tell?? I am a little obsessed with the faces of J and J.

We went to Utah's Parade of Homes. Jeff loves looking through model homes -- put him on a row of them and call it Christmas! For some reason, they made a replica of the house from the movie Up, which I haven't seen because I started reading about it on Wikipedia and was bawling in about 15 seconds. Someday I'll be a good enough sailor to navigate through Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (past page 14), The Outsiders, and Up, but for now, best leave them alone. But the inside of the house was pretty cool, even if I don't have any connections to draw to Disney/Pixar.

So relaxed.

Marvel at the castle/tower thingy that Addie and I constructed!

Jude is lucky to have 2 Great-Grandmothers. Here he is meeting Great-Grandma Lee -- they had a snuggle.

Saying goodbye to Grandma Lee's house. I remember going through this transition with my Grandparents when I was in Jr. High; such a sad and sweet time.

Jude got to test drive his Grandpa's old highchair -- for about 5 minutes until he realized, "Hey, I see 5 bona fide adults staring at me. Staring and NOT holding me...I have a little trick to make that stop......"

Loving up Great-Grandma Hayes

Until next month, Yeetah!