Hillary's Hope

Henny: snapshot

2012-01-25T09:00:00.045-07:00

Yes, that's supposed to say, "Henny," not "Henry."

One of our good friends was apparently running around his house, holding our Christmas card clutched tightly in his little hand, screaming, "HENNY, HENNY, HENNY!" Once his mama told us about this, the name stuck and now it's how Mickey and I refer to Henry to each other. Peep. I thought I'd do a little snap shot of where Henny is these days...

He’s weighing in at about 22 pounds of toddler wildness. We had a tape measure out the other day and Emmett was asking what it’s for. So I showed them how I could measure their heads…and their heads are the same size!

Henry is talking up a storm. He has his own little pronunciations for certain words.

Pick me up = Me mupp (see photo below - this is the "me mupp" view)
Yes = uss
Chocolate chips = chock chis
Mama = MOMMY
Daddy = DADDY (always yelled)
Uncle Charles = Unk Char
Uncle Joe = Unk Jo

I apparently say, “hi, cutie,” a lot to he and Emmett because the other day, they were popping out of my closet, yelling, “HI CU-TEEE!” Over and over again. Totally adorable.

He also likes to yell the dogs' names randomly. OLIVE! GINGER!

Henry is following in his big brother’s footsteps – he is totally obsessed with trucks, tractors and cars. He calls them all “tuck” and yells it as loudly as he can.

When we're riding in the car, he has decided he always needs gum. After you buckle him in his seat, and go around to buckle Emmett in his seat, Henry begins yelling "GUM" louder and louder until he gets it. When I ask him what he should say, he looks at you, smiles and says super quietly, "peese."

When Henry gets mad at the injustice that is being a 20 month old, he lets out a shrill scream, looks around for something to throw, grabs it, looks to make sure you’re watching, and then throws said item. We call him “Hulk Baby” for this reason. The item to throw can be something as small and soft as his coat, or as big and ridiculous as his chair at the table. Brother's strong!

He said his first swear word the other day. I was changing his diaper and he started saying over and over (and over) again, “effing, effing, effing.” He was so darned pleased with himself. I thought that I missheard him at first. Then he said "truck" and went right back to the other word. There was no mistaking it. I will say, it was not me that he heard this from, originally! And, since then, what little swearing there was has now decreased even more.

He has started singing along with me at night, during his bedtime routine. I pretty much always sing, “I Could Write a Book” to him before he goes to bed. We turn the light off, have a little bit of bottle and then put his sleep sack on and get his paci. He curls up on my shoulder and I sing and rock him. In the past week or so he’s started piping up with the words at the end of each verse. Mickey tells me that when he puts Henry to bed at night, Henry will sing along with “Working on the Railroad” with him.

Brother also has some killer dance moves. Anytime music is on that he digs, he starts doing these little steps with both feet, lifts up his right arm, and kind of swirls his hand and elbow (see photo above). If the music is a bit harder (ahem, Pantera, Mickey, ahem), he stops, steps his little feet apart and slowly rocks his head in the best headbanging I've seen since '93.

Henry still has his killer grin, though he's lost much of the "Buddha baby" status of his youth. Love me some Henry smiles!

There’s much, much more – but I’ll have to stop for now – I must run and get something done today!

Rocking Chair

2012-01-24T13:19:00.001-07:00

As part of the new year, I've been thinking about maintaining my own bucket list. But I hate that term! Way back when...in my early 20's...SOOOO long ago now...friends and I were sitting around talking about making memories now that we can think about when we're old, sitting on the front porch, rocking away in our rocking chairs. We'll hopefully be muttering to ourselves (as our families will be so over grandma's stories by then...) about past adventures and misshaps. Thus came to be known the idea of "rocking chair memories."
Alright, so it doesn't flow quite like "bucket list..." then again, it doesn't have a movie, yet, either!

So, I'm starting an official Rocking Chair List (in no particular order - to be added to and updated over time). I'm adding it as a list of it's own on my blog, in an attempt to keep it in one easily accessible place. Check it out (to your right!).

Cheers! And, what's on your life-list?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

We had fun with my new Fujifilm Instamax camera...

Cheers to you and yours and a wonderful New Year! May you be blessed with health and happiness.

Christmas Images 2011

2011-12-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

And so it begins, opening the first advent day:

Annual trek to our favorite Christmas store:

The boys, being unhappy in a Christmas sleigh...

Until Grandma pulled out her cell phone.
Sell outs.

Putting up the tree and decorations:

Practicing our "one-finger" touch:

Christmas morning:

Gobble gobble

2011-12-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

So, here I am, playing catch up in the last week of 2011...pretty much par for the course! This year has been a whirl wind. I'll be honest, the last three years have really all been like this. Ever since getting pregnant with E, having E, staying home with E, getting pregnant with H, having H, staying home with E & H and then going back to work...my life is a blur. It's crazy to try to remember life pre-children. I think it must have been very relaxing...but I'm not sure because let's just say my memory is somewhat lacking.
So, without further ado, here are some shots from our Thanksgiving dinner. We had it at our house again this year and were lucky enough to have both family AND friends over for the feast.

Our table, set and ready for feasting:

My smiley guy:

Daddy brought the iPad home from work:

Sidecars for everyone!

The happy family:

Pipe cleaners in a colander = toddlers happy during dinner!

Papa Bob and the big boy, reading a story on the iPad:

All the boys playing together. There is not one shot from T-day where all three boys are in focus. Busy guys!

Merry Christmas, yo.

2011-12-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Tis the Season!

2011-12-11T20:01:00.002-07:00

Here's a preview of our Holiday card!!!! Thanks to our good friend, Julie, for taking the photogs of our rowdy crew - she managed to get some lovely shots.

Cheer And Comfort Holiday Card

Browse Christmas invitations and holiday cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

World Prematurity Day // Bloggers Unite

2011-11-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

Both my boys were born early. Not premature early, but pre-term early. Both were ultimately healthy (only Henry had to spend time in the NICU). We are incredibly lucky.
No one knows why they didn't finish baking the full 40 weeks, but let's just say that having early babies is a little (!) terrifying.

Today is World Prematurity Day - check it out: World Prematurity Day // Bloggers Unite

Easier

2011-10-20T12:02:00.000-06:00

So, one of my favorite topics is "things that make my life easier." As anyone can attest - it's the little things that make my day go better. It's not about being a working mom or a stay at home mom - it's about being a mom who'd rather spend time with the kiddos than cleaning, cooking, choring around the house.

I thought I'd start a list here to share some of my current favorite items...feel free to comment and add anything you've used/seen/wished for recently!

1. Up & Up Target Baby food - new squeeze pouches! They are like these, but less expensive.

I love that they disguise veggies with fruit. Also, Mickey has been traveling for work this week. When we get home from daycare in the evenings, I really like to take a moment and change out of my work clothes before I dive into making dinner. Both E and H think it's very cool they get to eat these by themselves. Henry is anti-mama-assisted-feeding these days, so this is a sneaky way to get him more food. And since they both think they're cool and yummy, it gets a little something in their tummies while mama gets comfy. Love!

2. Just found these wipes thanks to a friend who is very diligent about safe non-toxic cleaning/household stuff. I would like to be more diligent about this, especially now that Henry has confirmed allergies and eczema. I was using the Kirkland Household wipes, but they are uber chemically. I saw Clorox had come out with a "green" wipe, but don't really buy that a bleach company is going to make something non-bleachy. So these have rocked my world!

The best part of these is that they actually clean surfaces and don't leave them sticky! I know, I'm easily impressed...or I guess more accurately, simply impressed. What a simple concept: something that cleans well and doesn't leave a residue. Woohoo! The one caveat with this company is that you do have to sign up to be a customer to receive their discounted price. I was a little gun-shy on that concept, but can say I've been doing it now for a few months and it's worked out very well. Less trips to Costco and Target!

3. And last, but not least, this app is SO awesome for running with my phone!

I tried it out yesterday for the first time and am very impressed. In the "saving-time" corner, it syncs with my Daily Mile account! So my running buddies, if I'm not running with them, can see my activities easily and I don't have to enter the activity twice! Woohoo, again!

Well, that's it for the moment. I would also like to make sure to point out, I am in no way being compensated for these reviewes...though, heck, I'd be open to it! :) This week has been a bit trying with the husband out of town, working full time and two kiddos' needs to contend with! If anything I share here helps you out? Mission accomplished.

Fall 2011

2011-10-20T08:00:00.007-06:00

The boys go to an awesome in-home daycare, who are nice enough to do things like email the pictures I've posted below:

Emmett, wearing his favorite train sweater (thank you Aunt Soup or Grandma Katie - you both sent him this sweater in different sizes...can't remember which though!):

Henry, in one of my favorite sweatshirts (a hand-me-down from E), the Cart.er's Whales hoodie:

They are so flipping adorable! Love them!!!!!!

Things I love

2011-10-18T10:22:00.002-06:00

So, I've recently been thinking a lot about what I like to do with my time, aside from the obvious spend-time-with-my-boys-and-husband. It occurred to me that one of the things I love to do is record things, usually in list-form.

With that in mind, here's a list of things I love:

Home decorating
Photography
Organizing
Creating
Re-designing/re-purposing
Writing
Style/appreciating beautiful things (clothes, shoes, accessories, etc)
Getting rid of things (goes hand in hand with organizing)

No idea what I'm going to do with this list, but typing/writing things out always help me.

I read a few blogs here and there (and here and there and here and there, OK, probably more than a few). And it seems like all these people have it so figured out! Mainly they seem to be women who are really good at documenting whatever it is they've chosen to document (their children, home, photography, craftiness, cooking, style, etc). Part of my problem with this blog is that it's ever evolving...which leads to writer's block. That and the fact that my life feels like it goes in a 1,000 different directions at all times and therefore is un-document-able.

Here are the facts: I am married. I have two sons, 21 months apart. I'm not a Stay at Home Mom. But I'm not a full-time Working Mom, either. I am a mom who works 4 days a week, or 36 hours a week. I (think/hope) I'm a good friend. I love to run. I love to DIY with crafts and home decor. I wish I knew more about photography. I'm super opinionated about pretty much everything, but work very hard to respect differing points of view (as long as they can respect mine). I have grandiose ideas about what I can accomplish and usually bite off more than I can chew. I picture what my house will look like, not what it currently looks like.

So, it leaves me with this question: where do I fit in? I have not found a blog or a website that speaks to all of these things. When I read the above-mentioned blogs, they all seem so neat and tidy. I don't think I am, or can be, that neat and tidy. I'm not so great at partitioning off each section of my life from the other. (012 - thank you, Henry, for your excellent reach to the keyboard! Helping to prove my point...) All the parts of my life mix together and collide and create today's existence. Tomorrow will be different. That's pretty much all I can count on.

So the reason for this post? Mainly to tell you, my readers (if there are any of you left out there!), that I am working toward documenting my experience. Because I'm fairly sure that, while there are moments (and sometimes whole days) when I feel like this experience I'm living through is so flipping isolating and unique to me, that isn't actually true. Maybe my life, with it's daily ups/downs/curves/corners will speak to other people out there, too.

I guess we'll see.

Woooooooooohhhhhh

2011-10-11T10:57:00.001-06:00

That's the sound Emmett and Henry make if they see a fire truck. So you can imagine how excited they were for a trip to a real live fire station. With real live firefighters. And real live fire engines!
Emmett was pretty quiet the whole time- wide-eyed at all the fire-ness of it all. Henry kept trying to scoot underneath the fire engines.

Remembering

2011-10-05T20:47:00.001-06:00

Our summer adventure:

Cupcake Monday!

2011-10-04T13:05:00.001-06:00

So, Monday night rolled around and Emmett and I hadn't managed to make cupcakes over the weekend, as we'd planned (and talked about).

When we got home, I asked him if he'd like to make cupcakes that night...you can guess his response:

All photos are from my phone, thus the blur. But some blur is better than no photos, yes, no?

5:30 a.m.???

2011-09-20T13:25:00.000-06:00

Having just tried to put into words what it's like to try to get everything accomplished in a day, and make sure that my needs, the kids' needs, Mickey's needs, work's needs, the dogs' needs, etc, etc, etc are met...and failed...Kelle Hampton (over here) did it for me: Fitting It All In: Hallmark
I'm currently contemplating changing my routine and setting the alarm for 5:30 a.m. on workdays. Crazy? Yes. Is that the only way I can figure out how to fit in a run (my sanity-saver) and coffee and a shower before work. Yep.
Thank you so much, Kelle!

Phone photo extravaganza

2011-09-18T07:53:00.002-06:00

Labor day weekend - 2011

2011-09-04T17:19:00.000-06:00

Our labor day weekend has been a lot of hanging close to the home front. I was out of town for four days, three nights last week for work. The boys (mainly E) seemed to have a hard time with this...as now every nap and bedtime has become a ridiculous struggle. We're trying a new approach, sleep rules, as discussed in "healthy s.leep ha.bits healthy chi.ldren." Nap one went well - we'll see how bedtime goes...Henry learned how to push his alligator cart today and walk behind it...so adorable!

Garage sale? Sure.

2011-08-26T15:59:00.002-06:00

Every year I hit this week in August and I think to myself: how can I possibly go on/pack anything else into our summer.
So, guess what we're doing tomorrow???
Having a garage sale, of course!
This week has been wild - Henry had his 15 month appt today and he weighs a whopping 20 lbs 4 oz, is 30 1/2" long and has a 47 cm head. Weight = 10 - 25th%, length = 50th % and head = 25th - 50th %.
On the 16th, he cut his finger very badly at daycare. He had to have the tip stitched back on, with the three stitches, and today was the day he got them removed!
I don't think the finger injury was as traumatic to him as it was to all the adults who had to a) witness it, b) hold him down for stitches and c) take care of his poor little mangled finger these past 10 days. I took a poll and we're all ready for a celebratory, no-more-stitches beer!
Emmett has had kind of a tough week - he's been really pushing at bedtime. He comes up with a bajillion little things to delay the inevitable and this week has decided he doesn't want to sleep with his door closed, rather, he'd prefer the baby gate be up and the door open.
Until this past week, Henry and Emmett had been sleeping in the same room at night, but with everyone having colds and various injuries, we've split them up for the time being. One over-tired child is all i can deal with, thankyouverymuch.
Back to Emmett - if you do close his door, he will scream and hit the door for as long as you'll let him. Mickey timed me last night...I made it 7 1/2 minutes. I am not a rock, I'll be the first to admit. When I was little, I had a very hard time going to sleep - lots of fears of the dark, things under my bed and whatever may lurk in the shadows. I'm sure I project this on to Emmett when I hear him screaming, but I just don't want him to have that feeling in the pit of his stomach. So, if he needs to sleep with the door open and the gate up, so be it.
We're embracing a new philosophy in our house and it can be summed up in one word: SIMPLIFY.
We've spent the summer looking around town at the housing market and haven't seen anything we love. So, we've given up and have decided to stay put. With that in mind, Mickey and I are both feeling a renewed sense of purpose to clean out the extra things we don't need around the house and simplify our living. Thus the garage sale tomorrow...it might not sound like something that will simplify our life in the short-term, but man, I can't wait for less stuff! Long-term gain seems like a good thing!

Being better

2011-08-25T15:43:00.000-06:00

I know you've read this before from me, but sometime it helps to re-type these goals: I am going to better about posting.
I want to keep this place up to date. On the boys. On me. On our little slice of heaven.
So, I am going to try to post each Friday. Even if it's just a little synopsis of our past week...
Because I am trying to do it all: work 4 days a week, raise two amazing boys, be married to one wonderful husband, run 3 times a week, not lose touch with my awesome girlfriends...etc, etc, etc.
So, stay tuned!

Done! Missoula Marathon 2011 - Missoula, MT :: FinishCam.com

2011-07-12T12:27:00.000-06:00

Missoula Marathon 2011 - Missoula, MT :: FinishCam.com

I did it! And I lived!
And...there's proof, as seen above!

Thank you to all my friends and family for your amazing support over the past 17 weeks! I'm not sure what I'm going to do without another race to train for...hmmmm.

Not sure

2011-06-22T14:05:00.000-06:00

So, it's been TWO WHOLE MONTHS since my last post...I'm not sure where to even start!
The boys are so much fun these days. I'll just jump right in with last night:

We had a big milestone last night: Emmett slept in a bed, not his crib, for the first time. Whew! Adventure... He is too big to sleep in a Pack n' Play anymore and we needed to figure something out for traveling. So we bought a kid's travel cot and set it up in his and Henry's room last night for a test run. Mickey also bought him his very own (light) Buz.z Li.ght Year sleeping bag. Pictures will be forthcoming, but it was adorable. We set him all up, read stories, Henry drank his bottle, we sang and then it was lights out. Which lasted for about 3 minutes. As soon as Mickey and I sat down in the living room, we heard Emmett's little feet running across the floor, him slamming into the bedroom door and Henry cackling. This happened a few more times, then we heard Emmett say, "mama, I have an ouch."

After a few more rounds, and a session of "topping off the tank" (read: snack before bed), they finally fell asleep for the night. Both boys slept all night long and when we went in this morning, Emmett had his sleeping bag pulled up to his neck and was all cozied up underneath it. When it was time to go to daycare, he was laying on the floor next to his cot, saying he wanted to go back to sleep.

Henry is still not crawling, per se. He's all about scooting, while sitting up. His little legs look like a hurdler, right leg out front, left leg to the side - he scoots all over the place. He's tried regular crawling but seems to get frustrated at how slow it is compared to the scooting. So, he sits back and off and goes. Our little Buddha baby has also blossomed in the "vocal" department. Good lord, the boy has lungs! He is a little screecher and is not afraid to let you know when he's displeased, wants "dah" (said while pointing at whatever it is) or is happy (when he hears the bath being run, he loses it!).

There aren't really any words to explain how hilarious and amazing these two are...

Fancy new widget

2011-04-21T17:02:00.000-06:00

So, you may be wondering why I haven't posted very much/very often recently...I'll tell ya, I've been busy!
I'm back at work four days a week, and when I'm not at work I'm hanging out with the hilarious O boys. They keep me busy all on their own. But, was that enough for me??? No sirree.
I also decided to add: training-for-a-half-marathon to my plate.
And once I started training, I thought, "all this hard work should go to something other than keeping my girlish figure!" So I signed up to raise money for the Missoula Youth Homes.
See that fancy new widget to your right?!?!?! Click on it and you can donate to help kids who really, really, really need it. So, next time you come to my blog and see I haven't updated it, you will know: I've been out running. For the kids.

Excerpt

2011-04-14T16:29:00.002-06:00

from an email to a friend:

The boys are hilarious – I think I say that every time. Emmett is talking like no other…doesn’t say, “no” anymore, now shouts, “NO WAY.” Hard not to laugh. He is definitely precocious and stubborn. Mickey was asking me what I was like when I was little. Hmmmm, hate to admit I was a LOT like Emmett… We have a long path ahead of us if he turns out to have a personality like mine…

Henry is adorable and sweet and so wonderful. He has his two bottom front teeth and is working on his two top middle teeth. They look like they’re going to be huge! He is such a love – my little nuzzler. When he’s tired/sleepy/hungry/end of day, and I pick him up, he just dive bombs his little head into my shoulder/neck area. I love it!

Windowy

2011-03-14T18:18:00.000-06:00

Today we got the distinct pleasure of playing outside. In the yard. In the sun.
So it was a little windy.
Or according to Emmett, "it's WINDOWY, Mama!"

Willful Toddler

2011-03-08T09:58:00.002-07:00

The internet can be a good thing, especially when you type "willful toddler" into a search engine and it comes back with this headline.

Quick update

2011-03-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe i haven't posted since Valentine's Day! Whoa - where has the time gone?!?!?
Oh that's right, both boys have been uber sick with double ear infections and RSV. Poor guys! Emmett responded well to the antibiotics and started to feel better, but poor Henry just was not getting better. We called in the reinforcements (thanks Grandma T, Papa B and Grandpa B!) and tried to get through the week. Well, that didn't work out and we ended up in the ER with Henry a week ago Wednesday. They tested him for everything and he came back with a positive for RSV - no surprise there. Thankfully, he came back negative for flu and pneumonia....phew. They started him on antibiotic shots and by Sunday he was FINALLY feeling better.
Emmett had been feeling better for a while at that point, but wanna know a secret? If you take your average 2 1/2 year old, give him some sickness that makes him feel awful, pamper him (due to said illness) and then try to get back to normal once he's better? Your life will be peppered with random outbursts of two-year-old-drama! Whee!!!!
So, that's the scoop for the past few weeks. I also was out of town for work this past week, for three days. Mickey had fun with the boys, but was definitely ready for me to come home! Managing them alone is no walk in the park...as we all know. :) I missed everyone and was very ready for my homecoming!
I am starting a new adventure tomorrow - training class begins for the 1/2 marathon! Aaack - we have to be there at 8 a.m., "dressed to run." Ummm, yeah. I haven't run since the Diva Day 5K (shout out to Lori!) - this could be soooo ugly. I'll report back soon!
Cheers, everyone! Hoping you're seeing some spring-like weather in your parts!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

My favorite cookies, hands down. Happy Valentine's day to all my loved ones out there...you rock!

Where did you go?

2011-02-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

So, we have been looking for something at our house for at least the last seven days, and we still can't find it. It's so elusive that it has Mickey and me wandering around, bumping into walls, stumbling up and down the stairs, and generally making fools of ourselves.
For my part, I look the part of someone who can't seem to find what she's looking for: giant bags under my eyes, clothes thrown on in the morning, and a general air of things being askew. Mickey's not fairing very well, either - I think he just handles it better than me (OK, or he doesn't even have to try with the makeup and the hair and the cute outfits - boys have it so easy).
What, you ask, is it that we can't seem to locate?
Two words: uninterrupted sleep.
Seriously, people. I've looked and looked. We've tried everything. Henry sleeping in his car seat, or not in his car seat. Henry sleeping with his mattress propped up, or not propped up. Henry sleeping in Emmett's room, in his fancy new crib, or sleeping back in the dining room in his ol' standby, the packnplay.
Despite all of this, Henry has spent the last week hitting the sac at 7:00, waking up at 11:30 to scream for a few minutes, waking up again sometime around midnight or 3, and then again at 4:00. A.M. Just in case you were confused.
In Henry's defense, he has been battling another ear infection. And this time around, his doc put him on some killer antibiotic that not only gives him "loose stools" but also colors them red. Because, really, the only thing that could make diarrhea more fun would be technicolor, right????
He's been on these antibiotics since last Friday. One would think that means his ears would be better. Or perhaps they'd hurt less. Or perhaps he'd just sleep better because he was finally on the mend.
But, nope.
I am so glad today is my Friday - maybe tonight's the night...this is what I tell myself every night.
Le sigh: a girl can dream.

Today's Quote

2011-02-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Emmett and I walked out to the new car this morning. This is the first time Mickey was driving it to work/daycare. As we walked in the garage, Emmett ran up to the back of it, wrapped his arms around the bumper and exclaimed, "I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT!"

Sharing

2011-02-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Not the clearest pic, but you get the idea...and no comments about the state of my kitchen.

Snap shot: 8 months & 2 1/2 yrs

2011-01-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I posted...we've been getting into the swing of Mama going back to work 4 days a week. Definitely a transition!
I thought I'd give you all a snap shot of our lives right now. Here goes!
Henry:
Little man is hilarious - he refuses to roll from his back to his stomach. He's very (very!) happy to lay on his back, or sit up. He will roll over onto his side and wiggle over to whatever it is he wants. Just when you think he's about to finally (!) roll over for the first time...he flips back over onto his back and smiles. He turned 8 months on January 26th and in honor of the big day, he got his first tooth! This morning it appears he already has a second tooth - go, Henry! Henry talks a LOT these days: dah, dah, dah, tah, tah, tah, and a lot of other gibberish that I have no idea how to spell! He's still great at the screeching, too! Henry has the most ridiculous grip you've ever seen - I actually have bruises from his little hand grabbing my skin! As a result, we are in a constant battle to keep his finger nails trimmed - it's self-preservation!
Emmett:
Emmett is quite the talker these days, as well. He is all about sentences and telling Daddy and Mama what he wants to do/where he wants to go/where he wants you to go/etc. The infamous "why" questions started up last weekend. Here's a common conversation around our house:
Mama: Emmett, please sit down on your knees or bottom on the chair.
Emmett: Why, Mama?
Mama: B/c if you stand up on your feet it's easier for you to fall down.
Emmett: Why, Mama?
Mama: B/c it's easier to tip over and I don't want you to get hurt.
Emmett: Why, Mama?
Mama: B/c it's no fun when you get an ouch.
Emmett: Why, Mama?
Mama: B/c it hurts.
Emmett: Why, Mama?
You get the picture...
Another of E's favorite things to do is ask to be picked up and then tell you where to go: "Mama, up! Mama, walk in kitchen."
The other morning Mickey went to help E out of his crib and E yelled, "Mama! Daddy, get out!" Needless to say, while impressed with the sentence structure, Daddy was not so impressed with the sentiment.
Emmett and Henry together are totally adorable (when Emmett is trying to roll over Henry - "I steam roller Henry!"). A new fave thing is sharing Cheerios. Henry will sit in his high chair and Emmett will pull a stool over, climb up, and they sit across from each other and share the Cheerios I've scattered on the high chair tray. Even though Henry can't talk, they sit there and laugh at each other and Emmett keeps up a steady enough flow of conversation for the two of them!
That's just a tiny portrait of our daily lives these days...I thought it'd be better to type a little something rather than nothing!
Cheers to everyone - we'll try for pics next time!!!

Christmas Favorites: 2010

2011-01-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

Behind the scenes Christmas card shots...

The finished product!

Someone's excited to decorate for Christmas!

Baby Mum-mums...

My precious...

E reading to H -

Snuggling.

PRESENTS!

Merry Christmas, everybody.

I can sit up like a big boy!

Christmas morning - the package he tried to open the week prior to Christmas...finally!

On our way to Grandma and Papa's!

The O family - Mickey's side.

The O family - Hillary's side.

Couldn't resist two shots.

What is it, Daddy?

OMIGOD. SKIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

I think they're really skis.

Lemme see. Lemme see.

Here, I'll help.

SO, they go like this...

And I stand like this.

But, wait.

These "bindings" are a little tricky...

Poles!

On a mission.

Where'd my other pole go?

Henry's turn!!!!

The Scoop

2010-12-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

Hello world -
I, once again, have to apologize for my major lack of posting. I swear, I have a really good reason...ok, more like three really good reasons!

1) I have a TWO year old!
2) I have a SIXTH month old!
3) I had stupid foot surgery and haven't been able to walk on my left foot for the past two weeks. Seriously.

So, yeah. Those are my reasons in a nutshell. They're not glamorous, or super impressive (well, I think the two kids are pretty impressive...), but there they are.

As far as the foot surgery, here's a wake up call for all of us:

GET YOUR BODY CHECKED OUT BY A DERMATOLOGIST.

Let's start at the beginning.
When I was in high school, I noticed I had a mole on the bottom of my foot. No biggie - it was flat, couldn't feel it. Really it looked like I had sap on my foot. Fast forward (many?) years...I noticed it had changed a bit. Bigger. Darker. Weird borders. (Can you guess where this is going???) I thought, "eh, I've been pregnant twice. Being pregnant does weird things to pigment. Whatev."
I went in to my general practice doc. Who, by chance, saw the bottom of my foot. And freaked out about my mole. Called a podiatrist while I sat there and made me an appointment. I thought, "she is totally over-reacting."
So I called my dermatologist. I'd seen him two years ago. He checked all my moles and told me I looked fine, come back in 5 years. He got me in pretty quickly (most dermatologists are booked out a few months...). He took a look. Measured it. Checked it's borders. Said there was a 90% chance everything was fine. But that there was a 10% chance there wasn't. And because I have two kids at home, he wanted me to get it removed so I could continue to be there for my two kids. Seriously. That's how he said it.
And I have to tell you, I still thought everyone was overreacting. But I called the podiatrist and bumped up the appointment to get the mole removed.
Fast forward past the seven stitches in the bottom of my foot (right near the arch!). Past the yucky pain meds. Past the multiple falls throughout my house b/c I'm not allowed to put weight on my left foot AT ALL. Past the stupid cart that I have to roll around on, so my foot heals properly. We'll skip all that and get right to the phone call I got on Monday.
The doctor's office called. It was the receptionist. She asked if I had a moment to talk to the podiatrist. This seemed odd to me. I mean, can't the podiatrist just call me? Or, if not, can't the receptionist just tell me what's going on?
The podiatrist got on and told me that they'd gotten all of the mole (read: don't have to go back and cut more out of my foot). Then he sort of hemmed and hawed. And finally told me that my mole was "moderate to severely atypical." He explained that it was not melanoma right now. But that it was on it's way. That I'd dodged a bullet by actually listening to all those medical professionals.
And, I've got to tell you: I have never felt so absolutely mortal in my whole life.
I could have ignored the brown mark on the bottom of my foot. I could have laughed at my doc and only listened to the "90% chance" that my mole was fine. I could have decided that foot surgery in November, right before a huge snow storm was supposed to hit, was bad timing.
But, thank god I didn't. Because that stupid little mole was pre-melanoma.
So, readers: CHECK YOUR BODY. Do you have a mole that looks different? Have you ever been checked out by a dermatologist?? If you make one resolution during this holiday season, it should be to have someone check your moles. I mean, how much easier is that than say, losing 20 pounds????
I feel lucky and also shaken. I am so lucky.

Halloween!

2010-11-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

Sleep, where are you???

2010-10-18T19:58:00.000-06:00

Well, we've moved H out of our room. It had to happen sooner or later, but he's just not ready to move into E's room quite yet (too many night wakings - we don't need a sleep deprived toddler PLUS sleep deprived parents).
We've also started a modified Ferber sleep training. We're on night three...and last night he was up every two hours. I'm really, really, really hoping it was b/c he was in a new space and not in our same old room. Perhaps he'll sleep in longer chunks tonight???
The unfortunate thing about babies and sleep is that they need to go to bed at like 7:30 every night. And it's impossible for me to go to bed then, too, as I spend the next few hours either scurrying around the house trying to get stuff done OR sitting in front of the television catching up on my recorded shows and having some ME time. So, while I'm either running or laying, I look at the clock and know that I should be trying to get a good chunk of sleep in while H does the same. But I just can't. Thus I'm posting on here! :)
H did take better more structured naps today. I'd sort of forgotten about the whole, they-need-structure thing when they're this little. I mean, E had plenty o' structure at this same age and he's all about it now (I'm pretty sure all toddlers are). But with H, he's just so go-with-the-flow that I spaced that he might actually benefit from a schedule. So, I'm trying to get better at making sure he gets a morning nap. Afternoons are easy b/c when E goes down, so does H and so does Mama! Everyone needs a little shut eye by then.
Wish us luck - I'll report back in a few days!

Compare & Contrast

2010-10-12T20:51:00.003-06:00

Emmet, at 4 months

Henry, at 4 months

Henry - 4 months!

2010-10-11T20:51:00.000-06:00

Dear Henry,
You are an impressive 4 months old! You are totally adorable and have started being quite the jabberwocky; you make all kinds of fun noises.
Currently, you are still rooming with mom and dad. And I thought this might be why you're not sleeping through the night...so I checked your brother's 4 month letter. It took him till 5 months and one week to accomplish that feat. So, what I'm saying is, you have some time. :)
Speaking of your brother, you absolutely love him. Anytime you catch sight of him, you let out this awesome, happy shriek and smile huge. You are a very smiley baby. You and your dad have shrieking contests that sound a lot like weird pterodactyls calling to each other (or so I imagine). You think he is hilarious, too (b/c he totally is!).
Most of the time you would prefer to be sitting up. You spend time in your Bumb.o and your favorite way to be carried is under one arm and facing out. You like to see everything that is going on and sometimes, despite looking so, so tired, you just stare at the world and take it all in.
We've been going on a lot of walks recently, as we bought a new fancy stroller for you guys. You seem to really like walks and it's still pretty warm around here, so we're taking advantage of that.
We all love you SO much - can't believe you've only been with us for four months. You are a special little man, with such a sweet disposition. You take everything in and love to smile and laugh at all of us.
Love you, little one -
Love, Mama

It had to be you

2010-09-29T19:33:00.000-06:00

So, ever since we brought Emmett home from the hospital, I have sung him a variety of both children's songs and not-so-much children's songs. One of my old standbys is, "It Had to Be You." This is a song that I know all the words to, which is definitely something you take for granted until you have a screaming baby in your arms, soothed only by the sound of your (possibly off-key?) singing. Babies aren't super picky about their crooners, thank goodness. However, I digress.
Emmett has always been a great audience. We sing other songs, too, including "Our Love is Here to Stay," and "Write a Book" (I think that's what it's called). He also loves "You are my Sunshine" and "Rock-a-bye baby."
For the first time tonight, he asked for a specific song. We were doing our night-time routine and had just finished books and turned off the light, to sing, when I felt that his pj's were both wet and mysteriously crunchy on the bottom of his left foot. Wet from brushing teeth (it can get crazy!) and crunchy from a goldfish cracker having somehow gotten into his left pajama foot. Hmmm. Well, as any excellent (!) mother would do, I turned the lights back on, got him some fresh pajamas and we started over. When I turned the light off, I asked him what song we should sing. He mumbled something, repeatedly, that was quite a mouthful for his little 2-year old mouth. After he said it a few more times, I got it. He said, "it had to be you."
Sigh.
He is adorable and so smart. And I'm pretty sure I'm not biased on that one... :)
Good night, everyone -

First laugh!

2010-09-20T19:02:00.000-06:00

Henry has spent today laughing. At Emmett running back and forth on the couch. At Emmett running around the dining room. At Daddy saying, "wow," and dipping him down.
He is a laughing machine.
Today is the first time Henry has laughed and it is awesome!

Hi, Mama

2010-09-17T13:36:00.000-06:00

So one of Emmett's super cutest things ever has been going on for a little over a month now. He will turn, look at me, and say, "hi, mama," in this tiny, sweet voice.

I swear, it just pulls at my heart and makes it ache, b/c I know it won't last for long. But I love it so.

The other day he was having a melt down in his crib (woke up too early from a nap) and I went in to check on him. Mid-sob he paused and gave me the saddest, "hi, mama" ever. Then he went right back to crying.

Oh but to be able to capture it on film, or even just a recording! I will have to try my hardest.

A day in the life...

2010-09-15T15:06:00.000-06:00

Here's littlest man...doing what he does best: smilin' talkin' and pukin'!

Summer vacation!

2010-09-11T22:02:00.000-06:00

We took our first FOUR person road-trip this July!!! The boys did great - we were exhausted, but it was a blast. Emmett and Henry took their first trip to the Aquarium, their first ride on a ferry boat and Henry's first trip out of state!

It's Friday night...

2010-09-10T21:42:00.001-06:00

and the mood is right...gonna have some fun...show you how it's done...TGIF.

This is what Friday night looks like at our house this week. This is a bit different than Friday night, say, 10 years ago. Ok, even 5 years ago. But this is what happens when you're in your 30's, have two kids, two dogs, and two fried adults. We're all a little delirious from lack of sleep (thank you, babies!), lots of work and the looming garage sale (wheeee to a cleaned out garage!).

Children, what did we learn tonight?
That Henry is really into Rage Against the Machine AND that Ginger has hidden talents.

Enjoy, and just so you know, both children went to bed very well despite what you may see...

Catch up...

2010-09-06T14:16:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone -
Sorry for the total lack of posting pretty much all summer...among other things, we've been shuffling the house around, our computer took 4 hours of intensive repair work from my uber smart brother in law to get it working again, oh, and we've been busy, busy, busy going on trips and having visitors! Whee!
The good news is, we're back! And it's September...so it's bound to slow down, right?!?!? (Ha, silly holidays, I know you're just around the corner!)
Without further ado, here are some photos of the family:

First time we got to hold Henry in the hospital.

The amusing bracelets we all had to wear since we weren't positive "Henry" would work for our little man right away.

Henry holding hands with Daddy, while in NICU.

Our first family portrait. And, yes, E is totally screaming b/c he did NOT want me near Henry...

More to follow!

Happy Fourth!

2010-07-07T08:25:00.001-06:00

One month!

2010-06-28T13:21:00.004-06:00

Henry is ONE MONTH old! Can you believe it????
In this one month we have managed to survive: Emmett having hand, foot, mouth (the first week we were home), ridiculous rain storms (read: no outside time for the toddler!) and Henry had the most horrendous diaper rash I've ever seen. And here we are, on the other side! Wheeeeee!
At last check up, Henry weighed in at 8 lbs 2 oz (he gained TWO pounds!). He is definitely filling out, which isn't a surprise given he eats all.the.time. Sleep is going ok - usually up every two to three hours to eat at night. I'm so hoping this gets better soon...not that he's not a joy to spend time with. I'd just prefer to do so more in the daylight hours! Henry is not a fan of his car seat, at all. He lasts for about 20 minutes and then gets so mad that he actually starts spitting. Pretty impressive amount of force from 8 lbs of fury! He does love his swing, thank goodness (he's currently swinging away while I update you all!). On a crazy note, he rolled over for the first time at 10 days old. I am not kidding. We've been being good parents and making him do a bit of tummy time (to strengthen his neck, and mainly b/c the books tell us to). Every time he does tummy time he gets mad, works his little legs and arms until they're under him, and then rolls over onto his back. WHAT?!?!? It's a bit weird seeing a teeny, tiny baby roll, but never the less, he does.
Emmett is doing great adjusting. His favorite word since Henry came home continues to be, "Mama." Sometimes more like, "mmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmaaaaaaaa." I'm not sure it's really about me, so much as a comforting word to repeat over and over and over and over again. He loves Henry and would really like to carry him around, hug and kiss him, and share all his cool toys with him (umm, Henry's a little young to talk on the cell phone!).
Mickey and I are surviving the sleep deprivation. Mickey is awesome and takes a shift in the evenings, so I can get about 3 hours of totally uninterrupted sleep. He comes to bed around 11 or 12 and then I'm on for the night/morning. We've ventured out to the Farmer's Market a few times with both kids and it went fairly well. They both decided they'd had enough of the double stroller last weekend, so we ended up carrying everyone, and Uncle Joe pushed the empty stroller home. It's an adventure pretty much every day!

Henry's Newborn Pics

2010-06-10T13:19:00.001-06:00

Check 'em out: here!

The lovely Judith traveled over hill and vale to come meet our little Henry. She took amazing photos of him, as well as the rest of us. LOVE THEM!

He's here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-30T11:44:00.004-06:00

Henry Kelley was born on May 26th at 3:20 a.m. He just couldn't wait any longer and chose to join us (quickly) at 36 weeks gestation. I'll post more info. later, but for now, here's his hospital link.
He spent some time in NICU, but came home with us on Friday (we all got to leave the hospital together). Emmett is doing great (aside from a fever and being sick...) and takes great joy in patting Henry's head and arms and saying, "baybeee" repeatedly. Ginger is obsessed and very protective. Olive doesn't care ("what baby? I'm the baby.") Mickey and I are hanging in there and taking it one day at a time...or perhaps one feeding, or nap, at a time???
Cheers!

Bed rest: an in-depth report

2010-05-24T09:30:00.002-06:00

Hey world -
It's been forever since I've updated here...and for good reason. On May 11th, at about 34 weeks pregnant, I was placed on bed rest by my lovely doc. I went in b/c Mick and I had taken a baby-free weekend mini-break and on the way back I started having really weird back pain and a very tight abdomen. When we went in the doc discovered that I was already 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Not good for only 34 weeks pregnant. Basically meant, if I went into true full-on labor then, little bambino would have to spend at least a couple weeks in NICU learning how to breathe and keep himself warm enough. No thank you!
Thus began my reign from the couch and our bed. Wheee! It hasn't been that terrible - Charles was staying with us after school got out, so that was awesome. And Mickey has been great - taking on everything, since I'm not allowed to do anything (including picking up E!). There are days/moments when it's really overwhelming, but every day is one step closer to a little fat baby that knows how to do things like breathe and eat on his own!
We did have one set back. Sunday, May 16th, I started having contractions every (what I thought) 3 - 7 minutes apart. Ha. We got to Labor and Delivery and they informed us that, really, those pesky, somewhat painful, contractions were really hitting every 2 1/2 - 3 minutes. Eeps. I got a shot of Terbutaline, which is an asthma drug that handily slows down contractions, as well. We got to go home after about 2 hours and it's been pretty quiet since then.
I head in to the doc again this Thursday, for my 36 week appointment, and am hoping/guessing/praying that I'll be given a bit more freedom. This past week I was allowed to sit up and even, "drive somewhere, go into a store and get ONE item. Then, go home." Wheeee!
So, that's the scoop, dear readers. I'm home, chillin' and waiting for the days to pass. Not long now!

Maternity Pictures - SHAZAAM!

2010-04-27T20:09:00.000-06:00

So, avid readers, you may remember my last belly pictures taken by the loverly Judith. If you do remember those, you'll also note said Judith is a total pictre-taking genius and made me look all G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S. Well, not to be outdone, for this pregnancy, she came all the way to MT to visit AND took fab meternity portraits!
Check 'em out here and here!!!!
WHEEEEEEEEEE!
Thank you, Judith!

32 Weeks!

2010-04-26T19:57:00.005-06:00

How far along: 32 weeks

Total weight gain: 14 lbs

Sleep: Pretty much the same, but with more discomfort. Round Ligament Pain is no joke, especially when you're trying to roll over in the middle of the night! I can't wait to sleep on my back again...

Best moment this week: Um, not really pregnancy related, but my hair is finally long enough that it will go up in a twist and can be held with a simple barrette. Whheeeeeeee! Pregnancy-wise it's been pretty low key. I had some contractions on Saturday evening, so the high light of this week is not having to go to Labor & Delivery. Also, hello 8th month of pregnancy!!!!!

Food cravings: Hm. Nothing really. Poached eggs every once in a while, but otherwise nothing sounds great. I did have a couple of amazing Carnati.on Insta.nt Breaksfasts. Mmmmm.

Gender: BOY!

Belly Button in or out: Totally out. Shows through whatever shirt I wear.

What I'm looking forward to: More summery weather so I don't have to think about clothes as much - my warm weather clothes are just easier and more comfortable!

Differences between #1 & #2: This boy is wild! E was all about pushing against my stomach. This little guy is all about somersaults and crazy side changes. As in, you can look over, and all of a sudden my belly has shifted to either the right or left side entirely. Very, very disconcerting...

And for comparison's sake, here's my last belly shot from E's pregnancy. I was 30 weeks in this pic. Crazy!

Easter Redux

2010-04-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ok, ok, I know. Easter was many weeks ago...but it truly took me until just this morning to get the pictures uploaded from my camera to the laptop. We've been busy here, people!
Enjoy the joy that was Emmett on Easter morning. Our playgroup had a practice run of finding Easter eggs the week before, so E was ready to go! Every.single.time. he found a new egg, his face would light up with pure delight and amazement. So fun!

Friday fun!

2010-04-23T11:30:00.001-06:00

For those of you who have known me a LONG time, that head band should appear slightly familiar...Halloween 1998 anyone?

Some faves

2010-04-22T09:00:00.000-06:00

So here are some of my favorite things that Emmett says right now:

1) Gye - for good bye. Also pairs it with some peoples names (see below).
2) DADDY - whenever Mickey calls on the phone or comes home from work.
3) Ollie - for Olive.
4) Mama - for me! Which is maybe my favorite, after "Gye."
5) Charl - for uncle Charles.
6) Joe - for uncle Joe.
7) Mao - for kitties. And squirrels.
8) Squir - for squirrels, sometimes.
9) Nnnyyaaarrmm - anytime he sees and airplane. Or hears one.
10) Choo-choo - for anytime he hears a train.
11) Neigh - for horses.
12) Waahhtr - for water.
13) Hellllhhh - for help.
14) No more - when he's done with dinner, or pretty much anything.
15) Get down - usually directed at the dogs, but sometimes said to himself when he's climbing up on something he's not supposed to be.
16) Owie - for his recent ear injury, or anything that might hurt.
17) HOT - for anything that might be, has ever been or will be hot.
18) Cold - for things that are cold, sometimes.
19) Car - for cars and trucks.
20) Truck - mainly for really big trucks and tractors.
21) Geeng-gee - for Ginger ( who we also call "Baby Geeng-gee.")

There are quite a few more that I'm just not sure how to type out, as spelling them phonetically is escaping me at the moment. He also does his fair share of just babbling away incoherently to everyone except himself. I can't wait until I know what the heck he's talking about!!!!

All quiet on the Western Front?

2010-04-21T13:05:00.002-06:00

Not so much.
First of all, so sorry, dear readers (if there are any of you left out there...) for the total lack of posts for the past few weeks. Not sure what we've been up to, but I haven't been super inspired to sit down at the computer and post. I will try to do better...I promise.
We've been having a pretty good time enjoying some fab Spring weather this week (yesterday it hit 80!). Lots of playing outside in the back yard. Emmett is kind of addicted and that's pretty much all he wants to do. The dogs are loving it, though, good lord, does Ginger like to bark. Growl. Emmett will now look at her and yell, "BAARRR." Which loosely translates to, "bark."
Our most recent terrifying-parental-adventure occurred last week, when Emmett accidentally pierced his own ear with a meat thermometer. I'm not kidding.
The kitchen drawer with all the fun utensils was left open somehow. Probably just a little bit, but enough that E got the meat thermometer out. He took it over to his little table and proceeded to eat orange slices with it. Cute at the time, especially since he was sitting down and was super pleased with himself. He got up and (Charles was over), Charles looked at me and said, "that looks like it might be a bad idea." Genius! The man is a genius!
I asked Emmett to bring me the meat thermometer and he happily walked over to hand it to me. And then he stumbled, right as he got over to me sitting in the chair. He did sort of header into the chair, while holding the meat thermometer out to me. And then he started screaming.
I couldn't figure out why he was so sad b/c I couldn't see the big bloody mess his ear was, yet. I did notice he was bleeding on the TOP of his ear (the fleshy part, where you get your ear pierced sometimes if you want to be all impressive and non-conformist). I thought that seemed strange. Then it dawned on me that there appeared to be more blood coming from somewhere else. I exclaimed some expletives (sorry! I was under some pressure!) and asked Charles to get me the box of Kle.enex. I called the doc and had to give E to Charles to hold and maintain pressure on his ear b/c the doc couldn't hear a word I was saying over E's screaming. They told us to head to the ER, which we did.
Long story (or post) short, Emmett's ear is fine. Apparently it was good that he a) stabbed the fleshy part of his ear, b) stabbed all the way THROUGH the fleshy part of his ear, and c) is a a pretty resilient kid. It has been one week since our adventure and his ear is almost totally healed.
Phew.
So that's one of our most recent adventures. I will try to post some more, as well as another pregnancy update here soon.
Cheers, everyone, hope you're enjoying some Spring-tastic weather, too!

28 weeks - 3rd Trimester!!!

2010-03-29T20:41:00.004-06:00

How far along: 28 weeks

Total weight gain: 11 lbs

Sleep: The little man has started kicking (and hiccuping) at all hours...which does not help my sleep! Also, the whole getting-up-to-pee thing seems to happen every night around 2 a.m. Regardless of when/how much I drank last. Hmph. Thus, I try to take daily naps.

Best moment this week: Hitting the THIRD TRIMESTER!!!!!!!!!! Also, had two separate people tell me they couldn't tell I was pregnant. Ummm, I maintain it was the shirt I had on. That and I was with two other women who are due in 4 weeks.

Food cravings: Raisin Bran. Strawberries. Milk. Biscuits and gravy.

Gender: BOY!

Belly Button in or out: Half popped - the top is out, the bottom is in.

What I'm looking forward to: Not walking like I need a hip replacement.

Differences between #1 & #2: WAY more hip/round ligament pain than last time. Less weight gained...

1st haircut

2010-03-28T19:54:00.002-06:00

Emmett's hair has recently achieved a new level of chaos, which led to the inevitable first haircut...

He was a champ. Especially once we gave him his pacifier (secret weapon!) and Daddy's Black.berry (secret weapon II!). During the hair cut, once he got used to it, Emmett kept taking pieces of hair off his little robe and trying to put them back on his head. No tears, more confusion as to what the heck the lady with the comb was doing to the back of his hair. She was great; totally had the reflexes to move with a toddler's reckless abandon and still get his hair cut.

The first thing I said to her upon our arrival was, "we don't want it too short."

A mother lives and learns:

Emmett didn't cry once. He was impressive and not scared. He is a rock star.

I, on the other end of the spectrum, teared up as we walked home, burst into tears the moment we walked through our front door, and cried some more an hour later when I called Deborah to tell her how I cried earlier.

I couldn't help it.

His baby curls, such lovely little golden locks, were gone. Gone, I tell you! If I dwell on it too much I get all teary-eyed, again. So, keeping it short, E's curls were so soft and adorable and part of his afternoon-nap-wake-up-routine was us sitting in the recliner and me stroking his little locks back into place, while he eased into being awake. Sigh.

On the bright side: He has big boy hair and he looks adorable. His eyes are definitely the main focus, again! We went to Cos.tco and did some errands that afternoon and no less than five separate couples either commented to us about his adorableness, or pointed E out.

Conversations with E

2010-03-23T20:54:00.002-06:00

Recent Conversation with Emmett:

Emmett pointing at his stomach: Belly!
Me pointing at his stomach: Belly!
Emmett pointing at my stomach: Belly!
Me pointing at my stomach: Belly! Mama has a baby in her belly.
Emmett pointing at belly: Belly! Baby!
Pause.
Emmett pointing at my belly: OWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Open Gym

2010-03-08T20:23:00.009-07:00

Emmett and I have had the awesome opportunity to try out the two different gymnastics gyms here in town over the past few months. Our loverly friends Hailey and Julie are always awesome enough to remember a camera...and to take photos of the fun...and then send said snapshots to us via email! Which means, of course, dear readers, you should thank them since I then get to post those pics here for your viewing entertainment. Wheee!

Where's Emmett????

There he is! In the foam pit!!!!!!!!

We love the long trampoline!

Julie is the coolest...she jumped with E on the big trampoline! WHEEE!

Hailey and Emmett trying out their big trampoline legs...moments before they ran smack into each other, head-first...no tears, though. They're super tough!

The race to get to the slide...

I am King of the Mountain...!

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

2010-03-08T08:49:00.002-07:00

As you know, Emmett and his buddy, Hailey, do a lot together. They go to the pool in the summer, the train in the winter (or bad weather) and now, gymnastics. Well, I always thought roller-skating rinks were a more appropriate first-kiss locale...when you're in like 7th grade. But apparently, open gym works, too:

Elusive Mattress Jumper!

2010-03-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

These are a little blurry, but what can you do when you're trying to capture a man of action on film?!?!?

This is the new face he makes when he sees me get the camera...also what he does when he wants a kiss from Daddy in the morning as Daddy is leaving for work.

I love that the last shot is so blurry - E is truly a whirlwind these days!

Mischief: Part 1

2010-03-03T19:09:00.004-07:00

And this is what happens when Emmett protests that he must eat the Goldfish out.of.the.box.Mama. ("NOOOOOO" - as I try to reach in and get them for him.) So, mama decided to leave him with the box in the kitchen. I mean, how bad could it be. Fast forward 30 seconds...swimmin' with the fishes?

QOTD

2010-02-23T13:51:00.002-07:00

So, today's Google Quote of the Day is an excellent one:

An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.
- Friedrich Engels

Emmett and I have been on an organizing mission since he got up from his morning nap. Well, we did take a break to ingest some absolutely amazing egg salad sandwiches, made by none other than moi. (Who knew they were SO easy? And SO delicious? E and I both ate them ALL up.)

The hall closet and cupboard area are all organized at the moment. I've separated items from the junk drawer into appropriate bins, which are about to be labeled with fancy labels! Ok, not that fancy. Just card stock, cut out and hung from said baskets.

Tad bit obsessive compulsive? Nah. Just enjoying having time to actually organize!

Blond Brownie Day

2010-02-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

It's finally Wednesday...which means we're that much closer to Friday. This is pretty much always a good thing, but this week it's especially good. Mickey has been out of town for work since VERY early Monday morning. As a result (my best guess...) E has been a little needier than usual. That's my polite way of putting it. Remember the photo I posted a few posts back, of E wanting up? Now times that by every moment for a whole week, on your own, and you've a slight window into my universe. Actually, I'm quite lucky, as I'm not entirely on my own. E goes to a lovely in-home daycare two days a week and tomorrow is his second day this week! I am SO ready for a break and to be able to get something, anything, done around the house.
Today started out grey and bleak but turned into a lovely sunny afternoon. After E's nap, and his usual sad wake-up routine, I popped him into the BOB and off we went to our fave bakery. We shared a blond brownie, which he was a big fan of. Excuse the photo quality...this was taken with my cell phone.
Cheers!

22 weeks!

2010-02-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
Today I'm 22 weeks pregnant - holy bejebus! I've included a belly shot...don't mind the weekend hair (this was taken last evening...so technically, I was 21 weeks 6 days pregnant...whatever...). Not much new to report - little man is much kickier than before. And Mickey can definitely feel him kicking when he puts his hand on my tummy, which is fun.

How far along: 22 weeks

Total weight gain: 6.5 lbs

Sleep: Still tricky - one night I'm fine and can stay up past 9, the next night however, 8 hits and it's all I can do to drag myself in to wash my face.

Best moment this week: That would be last night, when Mickey put his hand on my stomach and got to feel bambino really moving around. After that, I put my hand on my upper belly, and little one did a HUGE kick/movement. So cool!

Food cravings: This week it's been Bernice's Valentine's Day sugar cookies - though that's pretty standard for this time of year. Milk is also huge on my list - I drink a few glasses throughout the day (totally not the norm for me). Shout out to Jenn for the fab hard-boiled eggs yesterday at her house...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Gender: BOY!

Belly Button in or out: Half popped - the top is out, the bottom is in.

What I'm looking forward to: This week I've started looking forward to the part when the baby is here and I start to get bits of my body back to myself. I know, I know, it'll be a while. But I'm looking forward to it!

Differences between #1 & #2: Pretty much all the same as before....

And, for your viewing enjoyment, here's my 16 week belly shot. And no, I never managed to get it posted prior to this. And yes, it's from this pregnancy, not E's.

Tally ho!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Trains!

2010-02-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

E and his best bud, Hailey, very much love their train time...they are both very impressive and go down the slide by themselves (though E likes to go down backward, on his belly...it's his own style). We have lots of fun and take great naps on days we go to the train!

Orange Boots Day!

2010-02-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

So, last year, when E was tiny and WAY before we even should have been thinking about shoes...I saw these boots on clearance at our fave kid's boutique in town. I've been patiently waiting for him to grow into them...and he did!!!!

Had to include my view of E most days:

Mooommmm, pick me uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupppppppppp...

Daredevil

2010-02-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

Mickey and I were talking about one of E's newest games this week - and I realized I needed to get it down here so I don't forget!
On Tuesday, I was changing sheets on all the beds and took E's mattress and put it on his bedroom floor while I did so. Emmett was delighted! He immediately went over to his mattress and laid on it, snuggled his face down to it, and made all sorts of happy-shrieking-noises. Very cute in and of itself. I went into the other room, to grab our sheets, and when I came back, he was standing on his mattress. Eh, no worries. The mattress was on his rug and it's only a few inches high anyway. That did not last long.
The child decided it was the MOST.FUN.EVER. to stand on his mattress, and then do this awkward toddler-unsteady-leap off the mattress onto the rug. He did this again and again and again. Mostly he ended up in a heap on the floor, grinning like crazy. However, after the 50th time of trying, he did in fact land and stay on his feet. His grin was huge and he was super impressed with himself! I shudder to think at the next step in this daredevil's game...though I guarantee it will be cute!

Renewed effort

2010-02-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, I realize my last post was at the beginning of January. AND it had to do with Christmas. Sheesh. I've fallen off the wagon, for sure!
E has this new thing about the laptop, where I can be on it for 5 seconds, and then he's next to me, crying and wanting up and to push all the buttons. Like the uber fun "power" button! Whee! So, as you can imagine, my time on said laptop has been limited...
Anyway, I thought I'd update you on the crazy fact that I am now TWENTY weeks pregnant! Holy bananas, where'd the time go?!?!? So, here's some info on this pregnancy, so far:

How far along: 20 weeks

Total weight gain: 5 lbs

Sleep: Meh - I'm up multiple times in the night to go to the bathroom. Also, will just wake up and look around the room every once in awhile. Sometimes can't get back to sleep. Fun!

Best moment this week: Went to the dentist yesterday and little man was SUPER kicky while I was getting my teeth cleaned. So cool! He's still little, so he moves all over the place.

Food cravings: Oddly, eggs. Fried eggs, hard-boiled eggs, egg salad sandwiches, etc. Weird, as I am usually not a huge fan of eggs.

Gender: BOY!

Belly Button in or out: Half popped - the top is out, the bottom is in.

What I'm looking forward to: I'm looking forward to the next few months of nesting and getting our house ready for bambino #2! I'm headed to the fabric store today to make E another flannel quilt (like the one Grandma Katie got him at an auction years ago) and check out their fun flannels to make a sheet for the Co-Sleeper we got bambino #2. Nesting, woolaloo!

Differences between #1 & #2: Hmm, well in the first tri I was hideously morning sick with this child. With E I felt hung-over, but eating made me feel better. With this one, nothing made me feel better. No food sounded good (except potato chips with french onion dip - but only Deano's from Albertson's - sometimes) this time around and I'm still not feeling it. Which is weird, b/c I am normally very happy to eat! This pg, I am all about insomnia, too. With E, I feel like all I did was sleep, or want to sleep. This baby is making sure I get my practice at no sleep prior to his arrival.

E and I are having a grand time staying home together, though he seemed to be getting a bit bored (and my sanity was waning). So he's started going to a little in-home day-care to play 1 - 2 times per week. He went yesterday for the first time and seemed to really enjoy it. Played wit the other kids, ate fun different food, took a nap, and was happy to see me when I picked him up in the afternoon. I got tons of errands done, tons done around the house, and went to the dentist. All in all, I think it was a win/win for both of us.

Someday, I will post some belly pics, too. Which means I need to take some...ahh the never ending to-do list!

Christmas Morning 2009

2010-01-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Emmett received some amazing gifts for Christmas this year (more pictures to follow - but, first, a video!!!)!

The first toy he saw Christmas morning was his new piano from Grandma Katie - look at that grin!

Wheeee! The piano is still in our living room...though there's been talk of making the basement into more of a playroom and the piano moving down there. Hmmm, time will tell.

1st Belly Pic Post v. 2

2009-12-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Hello world -
It has been crazy here - getting ready for Christmas, getting ready for Aunt Soup's arrival, just getting ready! E and I are very much enjoying our time together as a Stay at Home Twosome. We've kept very busy and are getting into the swing of things. E has started to drop his morning nap...which has been fun for everyone!
As promised (in the title) here is my first belly shot for this pregnancy:

This was taken last night, so I was 14 weeks 1 day pregnant! I keep asking Mickey and Charles if I appear to be getting a serious beer gut or if I actually look pregnant. They assure me it's not looking like a beer gut anymore...hmmmm.
EDIT: Ok, great suggestion! Here is my 12 week belly pic with E (I can't find a 14 week shot...):

Hard to really tell a difference as my belly is au naturel in the second shot and all sweater covered in the first...I think I might be bigger already, though! Whee! Yeah for second babies!

Cheers, everyone!

Genius!

2009-12-21T16:16:00.001-07:00

Isn't this the coolest looking baby product you've ever seen?!?!?!?

You can buy it here. I read it about it on another Mom blog, Mamaista, which you should all check out, as well.
I know this is so not related to our household, but it's what I've been up to. Other than copious amounts of never ending cleaning...is it me, or does the house produce so much more chaos around the holidays?!?!?!?
On an excellent note: less than TWO days until Auntie Soup takes to the skies to visit the O household! Can't wait!!!!!!!!!

I'm coming out...

2009-12-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

I want the world to know, got to let it show!

Here's the deal, world: I am pregnant! WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!! Estimated due date of June 21, 2010. E and Junebug will be 22 months apart. Wheeeeee! Let the chaos continue (?), begin (?), expand (?)!

The above picture is Junebug with their head on the left and bottom on the right, back to the camera. It's their little "crown to rump" measurement picture...whichw as perfect. This was done at our 12 week Nuchal Transluscency scan...which came back perfect! We have a less than 1 in 10,000 chance of baby having a long list of complications.

So, that's the scoop!

Cheerio!

Torture?

2009-12-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

Nah...I like to think of it more as a right of passage.
E did very well with Santa. Well, after he stopped doing the lowest lip pout Mickey and I have ever seen. And after he stopped screaming. OK and after he stopped reaching for us, like, "get me outta here, people!"
I tried to warm him up to the fat man in the suit. We sat there and talked to him for a few minutes. I showed him the shiny buttons on his coat. We checked out his gloves. And his fur-trimmed sleeves.
Nope.
Unimpressed.

Here for your viewing pleasure:

Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho, at the O house

2009-12-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! Tonight Emmett thought it was quite hilarious when I wore the Santa hat and shook my head around...as you're about to see! Enjoy!!!!

Would I lie to you...

2009-12-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

honey? (Oooh, ooh, '80's song reference...anyone???)
When we were in Seattle, the loverly Judith did in fact take some pics of the wee man! And they are adorable!
Click here
Enjoy!

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hello fair readers!
The O clan is off to the great big wilderness of the City for this Thanksgiving holiday! We are very, very excited to be getting out of Dodge and to see our friends and family in the Emerald City! Wheeee! We'll back next week and I will update with photos and stories, I'm sure.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours - may you have much to be thankful for in the coming days (and beyond).
Cheers -
Hillary
PS One of the many things we are thankful for this season is that Miss Olive-Bean has recovered very well from her surgery and gets her stitches out tomorrow morning. It's been a bit tricky trying to keep her little frisky self in check - which makes me happy since that makes it seem like she's for sure feeling better!

Chair snobbery

2009-11-17T14:56:00.001-07:00

So, when E was very, very little...we're talking weeks or perhaps a month old, we went up to Whitefish and I discovered why anyone would want a recliner. I have always been a total recliner snob - hated them. The fabrics were always so boring and the shape was atrocious! I mean, really, who cares if it's comfortable???? It can't possibly be comfortable enough to make up for it's hideousness.
I held on to these beliefs until I had E and got into the whole waking-up-a-gagillion-times-a-night-to-feed-him-thing. And then I begged, flat out pleaded with Mickey that we needed to buy me a recliner. Because when we were in Whitefish, I used Grandma Dorothy's sweet, old, pink recliner. And it fit me. It was comfortable. I fell asleep in it, while nursing E at some ungodly hour. I slept for a long time. Or at least it felt like a long time. He slept for a long time. It was magic.
In my hour of need, I was willing to forgive the hideous dusty rose color. I was willing to ignore the weird not-velvet velvet fabric. Even the little buttons that gave it that not-appealing tufting. Hmph, who cares when you can multi-task so perfectly - sleep? Feed a baby? Without neck kinks? Sign me up!
Well, low and behold, my fave designer from my high school days, Todd Oldham, got together with Lazyboy a few years back. And he made some great changes to both their chair designs and their fabrics! Which should come as no surprise, as I'm pretty sure he started out as a fabric designer...or at least he used to make his own fabrics. Anywho, I digress. Behold the matching of comfort and cool fabric:
Check back in 6 to 8 weeks for photos of this little beauty in the O living room! Wheeee!

Houston, we have a WALKER!

2009-11-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

That's right folks...our little E took his first steps just a few moments ago!!!!!!!!!
Mickey, E and I were hanging out at home during Mickey's lunch break. Mickey was standing in the doorway and E and I were over by the couch. I was sitting on the couch and he was between my legs, standing up and facing Mickey. We were looking outside at a stray kitty and I said to Mickey, "did he just take a step?"
And then Emmett took FOUR more steps without holding on to anything!!!!!!!!!!!! He is such a little genius boy!!!!!!!! He did it a few more times between Mickey and me and it was hilarious. I, of course, got all teary-eyed. Our little boy is getting all growed up!

Wishin' and a hopin'

2009-11-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hey World -
The O household is a little worried today. Our lovely mascot, Olive, went to the vet yesterday and had surgery for bladder stones. They kept her overnight and all reports say she's doing well...but it is still SO disconcerting to have your furbaby alone, away from home, and all ouch-ified! Ginger is totally beside herself and only managed to eat something this morning for the first time. As many of you know, her nickname is Lil Beefcake, so this is serious business! We will all be happier once our Olive is home.
E and I are chillin' at home today - thank you all you Veteran's for this day off! There are not words to describe how thankful we all are for your service.
Cheers everyone -
Hillary

Fun with Friends

2009-10-24T10:26:00.000-06:00

Mom and I took a break from daycare and school and headed up to Julie and Hailey's place for some lunch and play time! Wheee!

Drum Circle!

Hailey has the coolest toys!!!!!!!!!!

We interrupt this expanse of nothing...

2009-10-15T16:45:00.000-06:00

Hello blog world -
I am such a slacker blogger. Which is due mainly to the fact that I am NOT a slacker anywhere else in my life...I let the blogging slide because nothing else can! :)
School has been totally brutal - way harder than I even imagined it could be. I hope that I get it together in my A & P class or else Mama's gonna have to look for a new job...er, figure something other than Nursing school out. Yeesh.
I know you all come here because you care soooo much about me, but I figure I'll bore you with a few Emmett details. Twist my arm, why don't ya!
Emmett is totally hilarious these days...he has been for quite a while now, but his little personality gets better and more defined every day.
Just this week he has started:
- putting our cell phones up to his head (back behind his ear) and saying, "heyyoh." It cracks me up every time;
- when he wants out of his crib in the morning, or after nap time, yelling, "heyyoh," among a lot of other unintelligible things. Sometimes you hear, "go" in there. Pretty darn cute;
- he's learned he can stand up on his push car and walk around. When he does this he looks up in the air, high toward one of us, and smiles this HUGE grin, dimples and all. He is very, very proud of this accomplishment;
- when he is in his high chair, if the dogs come into the kitchen, he yells, "GO!" really loudly at them. The dogs are not allowed in the kitchen when he's eating, otherwise he throws all his food to them;
- he figured out how to crawl up on the Halloween decoration tote while it was out in the living room. Which led to him crawling from there onto the chair and then up into the window. Yeah - it's only a matter of time!

Recently, he saw his first snow fall. OK, probably not his first, but the first that he was aware of. He was totally intrigued by the white-covered world and the cold of it all.
Emmett continues to be obsessed with all things electronic: the TV, the DVD player, the clock radio in his room, the baby monitors, pretty much anything with a cord or a remote.
He also LOVES to take his toy cars, or blocks, or books and run them all over the walls. Very cute, very funny.

That's about it from these parts! I promise to try to update more!!!!!
Peace out ya'll -
Hill

2009-09-13T16:10:00.000-06:00

Summer fun!
This is a picture of E and me at our dear friends, Shellan and Josh;s, wedding. It was an amazing wedding - complete with my totally tearing up multiple times throughout the amazing ceremony. Ah, such a sap!
Cheers to everyone -

2009-09-03T12:56:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone -
Well, I am back ins chool and thus, totally bogged in with studying and working on my smarts! :)
However, I've subscribed to this twitter account b/c it makes me laugh out loud pretty much every time. It's written by a 20-somehting guy who lives at home with his parents...one of which is his 70-something dad. Hi.lari.ous.

Perfect day:

2009-08-21T13:52:00.000-06:00

E and I had a perfect day this past Wednesday. He took lots of naps, was generally happy, and Charles and I got the bike trailer hooked up to my bike! Which meant that when Mickey called to see if we wanted to meet him for lunch, I said, yes! And we jumped on the bike (and in the trailer) and off we went. (Well, we weren't particularly speedy on the hills, but we made it.)
Uncle Joe and Mickey picked up sandwiches and we met them at the park for a picnic. It was truly lovely - definitely hot in the sun, but perfect in the shade. On top of all that, Mickey surprised us all with a cannoli, which is one of my favorite things in the world (well, a good one, anyway).
As we were getting ready to ride home, Mickey spotted some of our good friends (The Belote sisters!) and they took the following picture of E's first trailer ride:

Emmett was not such a fan of the helmet, though he did much better with it on the way home. He talked the whole ride home, as well. It was a very interesting story, with lots of "dat!" happening throughout.
Whheeeeeee!

One year

2009-08-07T19:55:00.001-06:00

Dear Emmett -
I'm writing to you on your first birthday to tell you how much I love you. I know, I know. You're so used to your mama telling you this, that it seems normal! But I have to recount the last year and how amazing it has been to bear witness to.
I know I've told you before, but you were hard to come by! Your daddy and I struggled to get pregnant with you and when we did it was a total surprise. Since birth, you have shown us, again and again, your stubborn side. And I like to think it was that stubbornness that made you hang on and make it all the way to your birth date!
I remember those first few days with you at the hospital...though they get hazier and hazier with every passing day. You were tiny and LOUD! One of the nurses told us that you didn't sound like the other newborns (umm, yeah, your parents are pretty loud, too!). When we came home, despite your teensy weensy little body, you were totally in charge. Over the next few months your mama and daddy slowly but surely rearranged their lives around you and everything your being entailed. Sleepless nights? Check! Worried days? Check! Moments of ridiculous adoration??? Check! Check!
You have spent the last year growing into a funny little guy with loads of personality. We thought you were so adorable when you came home from the hospital...ha! If we only could have seen the little ham you've become. You have the best blue eyes and the most adorable dimples. Every time I'm out and about with you, people stop to comment on your mischievous grin and killer dimples...so I know it's not just me!
The past few months have been action packed for you: you've learned how to army crawl, and now really crawl. You've had your bottom two teeth come in and now your top two teeth are poking through! In the last week or so you've even started to pull yourself up into a standing position...walking can't be far behind. You let us know when you're unhappy, either with a crazily shrill shriek or with your newest temper tantrum style (legs kicking, BIG crocodile tears, and lots of yelling). It's really, really hard not to laugh...though I feel like this might make you even angrier.
The poor dogs were just getting used to you, as a baby, being in the house. Your newest trick with Ginger is to lay still on the floor looking at her, and then when she seems comfortable, lunge at her and crawl as fast as you can She is not such a fan of this move and tends to run off, skittering across the floor. You actually laugh at her when she does this... Olive, on the other hand, is locked in a constant battle with you over who will be the one to eat the dog food out of her bowl. Some days, if I'm not watchful enough, you totally have her beat! Other days, mainly the days I lock her food dish with her in the kitchen, she totally owns you. Sorry, but dogs have to eat, too!
Some of your favorite people are your two uncles. Both Joe and Charles can get you to smile when no one else can. When they come in the house, you light up and grin all big at them! they love you a lot, too, and will do anything they can to make you smile.
Recently, you've been going through a phase where strange things startle you and you begin to cry. Strange things like, kazoos. Yup. It's true. The coffee grinder is also not a favorite, though you can manage if I warn you it's about to happen ("ready, E, ready?"). I think you'll grow out of this soon enough, but for now it's a little bit nice to have to cuddle you so often.
I can't wait to see what this next year brings...you are sure to keep surprising us and showing us what you're made of!
I love you so, so much, little man -
Love,
Mama

Ah the baby deer legs...

2009-08-04T10:53:00.000-06:00

E has mastered the art of standing and is now working on cruising...but crawling is so much FASTER!

Whitefish Lake

2009-07-13T12:23:00.000-06:00

Emmett's first Whitefish Lake experience...with Daddy.

On the way to the Fish...

2009-07-13T12:18:00.000-06:00

We forgot leashes - but did find a leash coupler (who knew?!?!?) in the dog's bag. And a handy piece of rope in the back of the Suby. And then we improvised. Much to the dachshunds chagrin...

View of Flathead Lake from the car, as we sped around it, at somewhere between 70 and 74 mph. :)

New Chairs!

2009-07-09T10:20:00.000-06:00

This is a little glimpse of what the Ogg dining room has been reduced to by our dear boy's new found obsession with dog food. The highlight of that shot is NOT the adorable little grinning munchkin (OK, it totally is)...the highlight should be the trickily re-covered chairs!

Our chairs were in desperate need of some new life. The seats were shot and uncomfortable, and the fabric had been on there for almost SIX years. Without further ado, here are the before and after pics!

Old chair fabric:

New chair fabric:

Close up of new chair fabric:

New chairs in use as baby-barrier:

Craftiness Abounds!

2009-07-08T12:17:00.001-06:00

I have to share the invites I just completed for my good friend Jenn's baby shower! She and her husband are mid-adoption process and I am hostessing a shower for the blessed event. I will post pictures once it's all ready (decorations, food, etc!), but here's a taste:

Hand, Foot, Mouth

2009-07-08T10:22:00.000-06:00

Well, E has apparently had the lovely hand, foot, mouth infection...which, unbeknownst to me until this week, is fairly common among tiny children. He was drooling a TON, wouldn't really eat, wouldn't really drink, and had this weird rash (I thought it was eczema) on his feet. He has been a peach... :)
Little man is feeling better and is all impressively pulling himself up on his knees all over the place. Scary! I ordered a baby gate for our hallway, as he's decided it's funny to test Mama and see how loud she'll scream as he reaches his chubby little baby fingers toward the ever-present fans. Ha! So fun!
In other news, he and I are gearing up for our first true road trip next week. We're heading to Seattle...I'm a tad nervous about the 7.5 hour (plus, with baby?) drive. I'll report back, though, you can count on it!
TTFN -

Happy 4th!

2009-07-05T19:59:00.000-06:00

Some ups...

2009-07-03T17:18:00.000-06:00

E has managed to astound his Mama and pulled himself up into a stand the other night. He followed that up with a pull onto his knees this morning...he is such a funny little mischievous guy. I read him a story the other night and made the animal noises throughout (you know, "moo mooooo," "oink oink," etc.) Well, instead of "oink oink," I thought I'd do an actual snort noise. Maybe not such a great idea, as the boy has totally picked up on that and now when he's doing something he's not supposed to (say, grabbing for electrical cords) he makes the snort noise and laughs. Seriously. What a comedian!

WAHOO?

2009-06-29T08:02:00.000-06:00

It's official: I survived O-Chem!
Emmett and my two months off together start today - wahoo! He has been army crawling all over the place...last night all the way from his room, into our room, and then into the living room. What a big boy! I think that little trek wore him out on the greatness of the army crawl, because yesterday evening he took his first few "real" linked crawls on his hands and knees. WAHOO! (Ok, wahoo for his development. More like EEEK for his mama's sanity!)
We have lots of big plans for the summer: more pool time, story time, walks in the stroller, lunch with friends, and, of course, chores around the house. Regardless, it will definitely be an adventure!
So, dear readers, the conclusion? Look for more posts, more often! And to that, I can definitely say, WAHOO!

Summer Fun!

2009-06-13T15:54:00.000-06:00

After receiving all kinds of grief from some very dear friends (you know who you are!), here is an update for the ol' blog...enjoy! This is a little collage of Emmett and my past few weeks (click on the collage to enlarge). I've been in a summer class and have basically disappeared into the Chem building on campus. However, I do manage to sneak out and have fun with the boy...as evidenced by photos of his first: adventure on the swings near our house, ride on the carousel AND his first trip to the local pool! SO MUCH FUN! His bestest friend, Hailey, is pictured along with him at the pool. They were by far the most fashionably hatted babies there...what else did you expect???? More photos to come, I promise!

Promises, promises

2009-05-12T12:41:00.001-06:00

I swear I will post soon...I'm mid-finals week...it will be a good post, too...maybe something like E's 9-month post! Oooooh.

Hola, Soy Emmett!

2009-05-09T18:46:00.000-06:00

If you look closely at E's little bouncing grin...you can almost see his TWO little teeth nubs! He is SUCH a big boy...the 9-month madness has begun. WOOHOO!

Ahhh, the beach

2009-04-30T18:02:00.000-06:00