Softball Tournament

Every week on Saturday evenings Micah and I play in a co-ed softball league.  Since we met back in our college days, playing softball together has been something we love to do!  Our games are played at the American School (ASD) here in Doha.  Every year the high school baseball and softball teams put on a tournament to raise money.  The tournament is mens and women's but no co-ed so Micah and I were on different teams.  This meant lots of time spent at the ball park for a weekend.  Having Mom here during it was kinda a blessing and a curse.  I felt bad that so much of our weekend time was spent at the ball field but grateful for the help with the kids.  Neither of our teams won the tournament but we had lots of fun playing!

Easter

Our family celebrated another Easter in the Middle East.  This is actually a difficult holiday for us to celebrate here.  Everything is just...different. But we do the best we can and of course the main reason of Easter is still easy to celebrate and doesn't know any borders or boundaries-- He is Risen!

We started off our Easter weekend with our usual Friday church.  The service was moved to 8:30 am!! It is so hard to get 2 littles and myself out of the house in time but we made it.  This meant that pictures and Easter baskets were done after church.  Church of course was wonderful. We ended up having lunch at Johnny Rockets afterwards with some friends.  Once we got home, Nana and I took some pictures of the kids getting their Easter baskets.  Since Micah had a softball game we only got one quick picture together and then he had to leave.

 I was kinda sad that we didn't do any Easter Egg hunts or what felt like traditional activities so I decided on Sunday we would go to this event at "Garvey's European Club".  They advertised an egg hunt, egg decorating, petting zoo, and the Easter bunny.  This was probably one of the most disappointing things I have ever been too!! It was so sad it was comical.  Luckily there was a jump house so Jacob thought it was awesome.  The egg hunt was literally 4 baskets around the complex that each held a different color egg.  The goal was to get one of each color.  Once one kid figured out where each basket was there wasn't much of a hunt.  Ha.  The petting zoo was literally 1 turtle, rabbit, and alpaca with a couple cats and dogs.  The lady running the petting zoo part had all the animals locked in cages and was sitting on her phone.  It was hard to figure out what to do. Egg decorating was writing on them with markers. (Jacob is in a STRONGLY ANTI coloring phase).  I'd say the highlights of day were the jump house and the chocolate bunny at the end.  Ohh well, at least we tried!

Hailey 5 months

Hailey's Stats:

Age: 5 months

Weight: 12 lbs 5oz - still so little!

Length: not sure... 24.5"? 

Eye Color: deep blue- they are lightening up some but still very blue

Hair color: blonde- still hasn't started falling out! Crossing our fingers it won't. 

Clothing:  I recently pulled out her 6 month clothes and most of them fit

Eating Schedule: Every 2.5- 3 hours, except at night before bed when she cluster feeds; mostly nursing.  I think she eats about 4-6 oz/feeding

Sleeping: She goes to bed around 9pm but then I come in and give her a bottle around 11pm. Then sleeps till about 6 am for a quick feed and then back down till 8.  I've been trying really hard to get her to sleep through the 6 am feed.  She has been getting a 1 oz bottle for a week or two to try to get her over needing to eat then but it's been a slow process.  Sometimes she sleeps longer but other nights she is still waking up early.  Maybe one day we will get it!  Her naps are super crazy and inconsistent.  However, she does almost always sleep in the afternoon from about 2-5. This works out great because it is Jacob's nap time too.  But every other nap of the day is up in the air.  I never know if/when she will sleep!  Even without naps she is still a happy baby so I guess I can't complain. 

Activity: This month Hailey is rolling easily from her back to her tummy but seems to have forgotten how to go the other way.  I remember Jacob doing the same thing!  So now we can no longer swaddle her for sleep which has led to some struggles in the sleep department.  She also tends to roll onto her tummy while sleeping and then waking up mad about it!  It does seem as though by the end of this month we were starting to get past those issues.  We have started sitting/standing and playing in the exercauser, sitting in the Bumbo seat at dinner, and working on standing.  Hailey really doesn't like to put weight on her feet yet. Stubborn girl.

Personality:  Hailey is still an easy, happy baby.  She goes with the flow and seems to be ok with being taken around everywhere to play with Jacob.  She also thinks Jacob is hysterical as long as he's not being overwhelming or trying to hurt her.  Just recently she has started to really let us know when she doesn't like something.  She blows raspberries at us if she isn't pleased.  We get the most protest over going in the car seat, and occasionally for diapers or naps.  I have to admit, its pretty funny.  I can't wait to learn more of our girls personality over the next few months. 

Here's our beautiful Hailey Bear!