The Hayden Family

Our Neighborhood...

Milan and I live in a wonderful neighborhood! When we first started looking for a house in Georgia we looked at this neighborhood and saw that the houses were really close together. When I say close I mean you could practically reach out the window and pass sugar to your neighbor should they need it. It was a big draw back for us so we decided to keep looking. I wanted a fenced in yard for the dog and room to "breathe". After a lot of looking we just kept coming back to this neighborhood. As with all the moves we had to weigh our options so we decided we would give up the idea of a big fenced in yard for Jack. I can tell you that we knew we made the right decision after only a few days of living here.

The people in this neighborhood are beyond friendly. The first week we lived here our doorbell rang daily. There was always someone coming by to meet us and bring us a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift. We soon found out that there were monthly block parties and summer gatherings at the pool. I went from wanting privacy and a big backyard to loving the fact all the neighbors live so close to each other. There were very few nights this summer that Milan and I didn't sit on the front porch with Jack just hanging out with whoever else was outside. It felt like a flashback to the 1950's. There is nothing better than knowing everyone on your street by name. You come to think of people as friends and not just neighbors. They become people you can trust and know will look out for you and your house.

I was 6 weeks pregnant when we moved into our house. Milan was telling people the minute he met them. I kept thinking it was too soon to be running around telling strangers our business but he was just too excited and I couldn't burst that bubble! So as summer progressed and my belly continued to grow and grow the neighbors have kept up with me and always ask how I'm feeling. You can tell they are genuinely excited that we will be bringing another member into the neighborhood!

There are 3 couples in our neighborhood whom Milan and I have become good friends with. The girls in the picture below threw me a baby shower this past weekend. It was such a nice gesture for them to offer to throw the shower! Who would have ever thought that the neighborhood you live in matters this much? I have always been concerned with the location or type of house. I always thought having a nice neighbor would be a bonus but it wasn't top priority. It is going to be so hard to move away this time. I highly doubt we will ever come close to living in a neighborhood like this ever again.

Thank you girls for hosting the shower! It was a lot of fun! Little Eli is already spoiled by all the gifts he has received at all 3 of my showers. I can't wait for him to meet all of you! It's so nice to know I have a handful of babysitters lined up waiting!

Courtney, Jen (Eli's there you just can't see him!), Kristin, & Cassie

How cute is this Steelers onesie! It already fits.

Is it just me or do I have chipmunk cheeks now? I think it's all of the nuts I have been eating. Remember the sugar detox I had to go through? Yah well it's now all about the salt. I have always loved nuts- the saltier the better. But now, I can't get enough of them. It's all about walnuts, cashews, almonds, and pecans! The problem with the sugar was the fact that I couldn't justify eating it. There was no nutritional value whatsoever. The nuts on the other hand can be justified so I feel no guilt while downing handfuls of them at a time. It's winter and like squirrels I need to pack on the pounds (for Eli of course) by eating nuts and berries (I eat a lot of Craisins for my sweet tooth). Ahh, only 5 more weeks of this. :)