la dolce vita

Thursday morning motivation!

2012-01-26T08:16:00.004-05:00

I found this on Daily Inspiration & Motivation's facebook this morning - the video is a little cheesy, in a hilarious way - but LOVE the message!

Daily Inspiration and Motivation

Are you facing a situation today that seems impossible? Even if you don´t see how things will work out, remember, you are created to overcome. As a child of the Most High God, the Greater One lives on the inside of you. There are seeds of faith planted in your heart, and the way you activate those seeds is by the words of your mouth. Begin to declare, “I am bigger than this problem. I am created to overcome. I am destined to live in victory because the Greater One lives inside of me.”

Friend, when you start speaking like that, all of heaven hears you and gets behind what you are saying. That´s why it´s so important to stir up the fire that God has placed on the inside of you. Don´t just sit back and be passive. That obstacle may look impossible, but God wouldn´t have allowed it in your life if He didn´t already know that you could overcome it! Quit looking at your difficulties as obstacles that are going to hold you back and start looking at them as opportunities that are going to push you forward into the live of victory He has in store for you!

Thursday Morning Motivation from Naeem Callaway on Vimeo.

love this

2012-01-23T08:13:00.001-05:00

monday morning tunes

2012-01-16T08:00:00.003-05:00

I've had these 2 songs on repeat all weekend. Love David Crowder's latest album...

Oh great God, give us rest
We're all worn thin from all of this
At the end of our hope with nothing left
Oh great God, give us rest
Oh great God, do your best
Have You seen this place, it's all a mess
And I've done my part too well I guess
Oh great God, do Your best
Could You take a song and make it Thine
From a crooked heart twisted up like mine
Would You open up Heaven's glory light
Shine on in and give these dead bones life
Oh, shine on in and give these dead bones life
Let it shine, let it shine
On and on, on and on, come to life

my growing girl (months 13 14 & 15)

2012-01-03T13:24:00.001-05:00

Adelaide has become quite a character these past few months, with her little personality really shining through. She has now taken to throwing tantrums. I have no idea where she picked this up from – I thought maybe at Zia’s, but Zia asked if she picked it up from her cousins. When she doesn’t get her way, she will gingerly lay herself down on the hardwood floors being sure not to hit her head too hard, whine/cry & kick her legs - either that or as of late, she'll stomp her feet in place! My usual reaction is to just stare in dismay, which usually just makes her laugh. She is All over the place and in to absolutely everything. And she’s a climber – in and out of her toy box, her dresser drawer, the end tables, her changing table – pretty much anything she can climb she will – she is such a monkey! Thankfully she hasn’t made the connection of climbing out of her crib yet, although I have caught her clinging diagonally to the outside of her crib (think spiderman). She gets frustrated pretty easily and although she knows what no means, she will repeat it back to me then smile to see if maybe now she can get away with whatever it is she’s trying to get away with. She loves to read books, well mainly just turn the pages, but she’ll grab one then back up and plop herself down on my lap so we can read. As soon as we finish the book, her little hands go up in the air and she says ‘ut’ (all down in cause you couldn’t decipher that). She’s talking more and more and now and says ‘hot’, ‘duh’ (duck), ‘ap’ (apple), ‘bop’ (papa), ‘brh’ (bird) – not to be confused with ‘brr’ (cold), ‘des’ (yes), ‘dank’ (thanks), ‘byes’ (bye), ‘hi’ and many more! She’ll also just jabber away in her low alto voice. She got her 2 bottom molars just after she turned a year which was another round of sleepless nights, but thankfully she was able to transition back to sleeping through the night. She’s a pretty regular napper – 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, each for about an hour and a half. I’ve finally broken the habit of needing to rock her to sleep and she will go down with her bottle and blankie now – I do miss that time with her for sure, but I know this will be easier on us both in the long run. She goes to bed at 8 and sleeps until about 6 or so…but then I get my most precious time with her – when she wakes up I go get her bottle and bring her back in bed with me and we snuggle, usually she does fall back asleep for a little while and it is the absolute Best getting to share that time with her. She has become quite a good little snuggler and will greet me with a huge hug and then lay her little head on my shoulder and pats my back. She is very generous with her kisses and where she used to just open her mouth and give a sloppy wet kiss, she now gives proper kisses, lipsmack and all. She is very social and once she warms up to you she will be your best friend. Mary, Justin & Mira just stayed a week with me for the holidays and she LOVED having more people in the house. She really warmed up to Mary and oftentimes would go to her instead of me! Hmph! She learned how to wink & say ‘shh’ with her pointer over her lips, it comes out as ‘sss’ and I love when I randomly hear her do it – makes me laugh so hard while I ask her why we have to be quiet! She is my little shadow and just wants to be wherever I am, so when I cook dinner, she likes to hang out in the cabinets – she’ll empty all the pots and pans, then tries to close the door. She does this thing – mostly when we’re driving somewhere - where she clicks her tongue, then I’ll click back to her and I see her smile in the mirror and then she’ll do it again and again. She is The sweetest little thing and as busy as she keeps me, I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

Some pictures from the past few months.......

Yesterday's Devotional

2011-12-28T08:41:00.000-05:00

from Sarah Young's 'Jesus Calling'

I am preparing you for what is on the road ahead, just around the bend. Take time to be still in My Presence so that I can strengthen you. The busier you become, the more you need this time apart with Me. So many people think that time spent with Me is a luxury they cannot afford. As a result, they live and work in their own strength - until that becomes depleted. Then they either cry out to Me for help or turn away in bitterness.
How much better it is to walk closed to Me, depending on My strength and trusting Me in every situation. If you live in this way, you will do less but accomplish far more. Your unhurried pace of living will stand out in the rush-crazed age. Some people may deem you lazy, but many more will be blessed by your peacefullness. Walk in the Light with Me, and you will reflect Me to the watching world.

Isaiah 64:4

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me
you can do nothing.

Psalm 36:9

For with you is the fountain of life: in your light we see light.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T23:17:00.004-05:00

What a wonderful Christmas it was - full of family and fun and lots of food! The older I get, the more I cherish each and every one of the family members God blessed me with and the greatest gift is being able to spend time all together with everyone, especially since it doesn't happen too often.

Christmas Eve morning ~ best day of the year!

Mira & Adelaide were so excited to see each other they each, independently woke up to see each other and had a 1am playdate :)

um...what are we doing up right now? shouldn't we be sleeping?

Christmas morning :)

Beautiful girlies all dressed up for Christmas

love these 2 so much!

best $5 ever spent - her favorite Christmas gift - Dora spinbrush

love when she's so focused on playing

Uncle Justin - forever surrounded by the gaggle of nieces

The 2 oldest girl cousins with the 2 youngest ~ Mira, Madelyn, Adelaide & Meredyth

family time :)

Mary & Jenna

Justin, Gwen & Maggi

Papa and Samuel

Joy & Adelaide

Seth & Emma Clare

The boys ~ Caleb, Justin & Seth

so sleepy!

Photo of the Grandkids

take 1 - emma clare missing...

take 2 - hmm...emma clare running from the shot...

take 3....Adelaide's starting to lose it...

take 4...aha...Caleb got her!

lots of games :)

Naomi & Uncle Scott

me & sis!

jenna, me & mary

2 Very sleepy girls watching Baby Einstein

Looking forward to 2012 and to what God has in store for us!

:)

2011-12-15T14:33:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving photoshoot

2011-11-27T21:34:00.000-05:00

Adelaide and I had an impromptu photoshoot Thanksgiving morning...it was so beautiful out and she got to partake in her favorite activity...running down the driveway! love how these turned out :)

my little beauty!

2011-11-20T21:17:00.001-05:00

new zebra toy!

2011-11-07T22:58:00.000-05:00

so beautiful

2011-10-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

I found this prayer for a daughter on this amazing blog. So beautiful ~ I want to frame for Adelaide's room....

a prayer for a daughter

Father who breathed into this daughter…

I pray for this girl being formed into eternity….

May the wind always be in her hair

May the sky always be wide with hope above her

And may all the hills be an exhilaration

the trials but a trail,

all the stones but stairs to God.

God, clothe this girl in a gown of grace

Grace, the only dress that makes beautiful,

the style of Your spirit.

Nourish her on the comfort food of the Word,

Word, that makes her crave more of Christ,

have hunger pangs for Him.

Enclose her in communion with You

You, Love who makes her love, who folds her heart into a roof

that absorbs storms for souls,

that makes her tongue speak only the words that make souls stronger.

May her vocation in this world simply be translation

Translating every enemy into esteemed guest

Translating every countenance into the face of Christ

Translating every burden into blessing

When it’s hard to be patient… make her willing to suffer

When it’s ridiculous to be thankful … make her see all is grace

When it’s radical to forgive … make her live the foundation of our faith

And when it’s time to work… make her a holy wonder.

May she be bread and feed many with her life and her laughter

May she be thread and mend brokeness and knit hearts

May she be dead to all ladders & never go higher , only lower, to the lonely, the least & the longing

Her led of the Spirit to lead many to the Cross

that leads to the tomb wildly empty.

Oh, and raise me, Lord, from the deadness of my own sins to love this beautiful girl like You do…

In the name of Christ who rose

and appeared first

to one of His daughters…

Amen…

i want to bottle this up!

2011-10-23T20:51:00.000-04:00

my little peacock :)

2011-10-22T18:52:00.000-04:00

I got to take Adelaide to Halloween at my office last night...she was quite the busy body prancing around in her costume and had a blast :)

ahhh....fall...

2011-10-09T23:30:00.000-04:00

Adelaide Iris: Age 1

2011-10-04T08:28:00.000-04:00

Shortly after she turned 11 months, she took off walking and now she’s a full fledged runner! She is keeping me Very busy as she is into EVERYTHING! Following in her daddy’s footsteps, she is ever so inquisitive and points at everything and says ‘dis?’ (Brad’s first word was a complete sentence he loves to point out…’wassat?’ (what’s that?))…her little pointer finger is just the cutest pointing at everything and asking what it is. She likes to sit and look through books, but rarely has the time for me to hold her and read to her. I think she’s grown a foot in the past month too! I cannot believe how tall she is! Her hair has gotten so blond and she has the nicest little tan from being outside with zia every day this summer. She started doing this thing to let me know she’s hungry – I think she picked it up at Zia’s house – but she’ll suck in her cheeks and make her lips smack together to let you know she’s hungry. It’s ridiculous and totally adorable. At her year appointment she is now 31.5” tall and 24.6lbs. She finally is on the charts for weight, but still off the charts for height. She now says 'more', 'cheese' and 'brr'. She learned the sign language for cheese & more, but gets them a little mixed up and then just starts clapping. One of her 1 year molars sprouted which explains the frequent night waking these past few weeks (after she was finally back to sleeping through the night! - not fun for either of us). She was dedicated at church this month and the following weekend we had her birthday party. Although she wasn't all too interested in opening the gifts (all of her cousins were a great help though!), she loves playing with all her new toys! She has the sweetest little personality and I pray that I always take the time to be patient with her and that time won’t go too quickly. I cannot believe how fast this first year of her life went and could never imagine my life without her.

not too happy about her 1 year photoshoot

playing peekaboo with nannie - got a little confused between her eyes & ears

the birthday girl!

so fancy for her party!

Connecting The Dots...love this

2011-10-02T21:02:00.000-04:00

faith...only took me 29 years to finally 'get' this

2011-09-27T08:25:00.002-04:00

I’m struck anew by how simple the Christian life is, how simple God makes it for us, but how complex it feels. From the first response we have to God’s call, to the offer of freedom and love, we have to choose whether or not to believe. Does he mean it? Will he do what he says? Will I trust him?

Faith is not a blind leap. Faith is resting in what is true no matter what. No matter the feeling or experience. In the day-to-day series of mountains we climb, with all of the uncertainties and financial/relational/spiritual pressures, we have to choose again and again. Will I trust God? Will I believe in his faithfulness? Will I rely on myself? Will I find something/someone else to trust that makes me feel better?

Without faith it’s impossible to please God. With faith, placed correctly, it’s impossible not to please him. Whatever is on my horizon that presses me toward unbelief and worry is actually a potential opportunity to please the one who made me. And the bigger uncertainty, the more reliance on him I can have.

When I come to the end of myself I catch a glimpse of the beginning of God at work. Today I choose to believe not in myself, but in Him.

~ chris fabry

future soccer player

2011-09-22T16:53:00.000-04:00

love this

2011-09-18T22:26:00.003-04:00

sweetest thing ever.

(a very belated) 11 months!

2011-09-09T09:52:00.000-04:00

And…we have a walker! She took her first steps on August 20^th and loves practicing her new skill - she still prefers to crawl though, as she’s much faster at it. Needless to say, she’s gotten quite a few bumps and bruises this past month – she’s just about as graceful as me! She’s also taken to climbing furniture – I find her sitting on any shelf that’s her height, her favorites being the little table in the dining room and the bottom shelf of the linen closet. She took her first trip to the ocean and she had a blast. Her favorite thing was eating sand which made for some pretty interesting diapers! Mary, Justin & Mira (and Ace) got to spend about 6 weeks with us this past summer and Adelaide loved having that time with her cousin. She also loves Ace and now says ‘dah’ (dog). They’re gone now, but every time we get home, she says ‘dah’? when we come in the back door. She also says it whenever she hears one bark. I still nurse her at night & in the morning and it’s my most precious time with her. She’ll hold on to my thumb or necklace, sometimes stopping and just laying in my arms jibber jabbering away …ah, it is priceless. Mornings with her are the best, I bring her into bed and we snuggle, it’s the best way to start the day! She’ll sometimes get slaphappy before bedtime and it’s just so fun to see her little personality developing. She has such a raspy little voice and I can’t wait for her to talk more! She’s eating pretty much everything now. She gets fed Very well at Zia’s house (…’today she had 3 popcicles, lasagna and 2 icecream cones’…kidding, kind of!). She is not a picky eater at all and likes her vegetables just as much as the sweets! Zia & Zio taught her to turn off lights, so now whenever we leave her room, she has to turn the switch off. She is the joy of my life and I am amazed by her every day. Can’t believe she will be one in just a few short weeks!

Devotional for August 31st

2011-08-31T08:38:00.002-04:00

Grow strong in your weakness. Some of my children I’ve gifted with abundant strength and stamina. Others, like you, have received the humble gift of frailty. Your fragility is not a punishment, nor does it indicate lack of faith. On the contrary, weak ones like you must live by faith, depending on Me to get you through the day. I am developing your ability to trust Me, to lean on Me, rather than on your understanding. Your natural preference is to plan out your day, knowing what will happen when. My preference is for you to depend on Me continually, trusting Me to guide you and strengthen you as needed. This is how you grow strong in your weakness.

from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

10 months

2011-07-30T18:53:00.000-04:00

Adelaide has been keeping me Very busy these days. She's quite the fast little crawler and is fond of playing by the toilet and under the old fashioned clawfoot bathtub. She's gotten very brave with her cruisin around furniture and will let go and stand for a few seconds before she falls. She has started flashing this smile

to whomever looks her way. She does this thing where she sticks out her arm, almost like she's saluting or presenting something and then smiles very big about whatever it is she's trying to show you. She now gives kisses - they're open mouthed and sloppy and just simply the best thing ever.She still loves practicing high fives and clapping her hands still. She's become a master at climbing up & sliding down the stairs. She now has 6 teeth - 4 on top and 2 on the bottom. She's really becoming less and less of a baby and more and more of an independent little girl. I'm still nursing her, but she is so easily distracted that unless she's dead tired, it's quite a feat to try and get her to sit still...she's such a little acrobat and twists and turns and ends up doing the downward facing dog all the while still trying to nurse. I don't think I ever mentioned this previously, but she started this a few months back, where she makes a panting sound when I'm getting ready to nurse her...and it is absolutely hysterical and adorable at the same time. Her sleeping is still a mess, but for the most part it's a morning nap, afternoon nap then she goes to bed sometime between 8 & 11...so fun for me!

glimpse of summer so far...

2011-07-20T15:44:00.001-04:00

Adelaide is enjoying so much time with her cousins! Looking forward to Mary, Justin & Mira joining us this weekend, doesn't happen too often, but everyone will be in town! So fun!

All dressed up for Uncle Randy & Aunt Erin's wedding!

The BEAUTIFUL, happy couple!

sweet Anna

no, i didn't intend to coordinate the outfits...happy it worked out that way though :)

playing with cousin Samuel...gotta love that smile!

Seth & Pa building a new picnic table for Nannie...used the old one as a pattern...love how similiar they are!

Adelaide's first trip to Blossom to hear the Cleveland Orchestra :)

SO much fun with cousin Madelyn

sweet Gwen

fun with cousins at Stan Hywet

love this...wonder what they were talking about...

nieces make the best back massagers...

of course everyone had to have a turn...

such a little lady

little ham!

9 months (a few days late!)

2011-07-02T22:16:00.001-04:00

a bit too hot for the owl onesie this month...

At her 9 month check up this morning, Adelaide was 22 lbs 4oz and 29.5 in long. She is still off the charts, but proportionally, so we're not to worry. She is pulling up on everything and really trying her darndest to walk. She’ll pull up on the couch and walk the length of it holding on. She is getting very brave and will even let go and just hold on with one hand. Needless to say, she’s gotten quite a few bumps and bruises lately. She still loves bath time, but naturally wants to stand during it now which provides quite a challenge for me. She loves the water - bathtub or the pool - and loves to splish splash around in there. I know I say it every month, but the older she gets the more I cherish my nursing time as I know it won’t last forever…the way her little hands grab on to my shirt, or necklace or anything available, and how her little feet move around practically giving me a massage is my absolute favorite. Instead of sitting up in her sleep in the middle of the night, we now find her all the way pulled up standing holding on to the rail of her crib crying to be saved. This month she’s tried egg yolks, wheat germ, flaxseed oil, peaches, melons, grapes, hummus, goat milk yogurt and maybe even a popsicle or two (at Zia’s house)! Her favorite game is unloading whatever she can find – box, purse, bag, hamper, laundry basket…it provides an endless amount of fun for her. She does this thing where she looks at you then blinks hard and smiles & laughs like she’s trying to tell you something with her eyes. I love it. She’s gotten very good at clapping and will respond to Zia saying “batta le manine”. She is also really good at high fives now and also does this thing when she’s sitting where she wiggles her upper body, like she’s dancing. She has become quite a little flirt and latched on to a particular waiter recently while I was out and she just smiled and laughed to get his attention. She now gives kisses to anyone who is willing to accept them or she'll settle for the air if no one is available. She is getting more and more vocal and I suppose her first word was really 'dis' (this) which I wrote about last month. She has now added 'dada' to her repritoire and the sound of her little voice is just the sweetest sound in the world to me.

favorite game...dumping her hair bows all over the house

busy body

2011-06-28T11:01:00.000-04:00

2011-06-27T11:03:00.000-04:00

Listen here

Tear down the walls see the world
Is there something we have missed
Turn from ourselves
Look beyond
There is so much more than this

And I don't need to see it to believe it
I don't need to see it to believe it
Cause I can't shake this
Fire deep inside my heart

Look to the skies hope arise
See His majesty revealed
More than this life there is love
There is hope and this is real

Cause I don't need to see it to believe it
I don't need to see it to believe it
Cause I can't shake this fire burning
Deep inside my heart

This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
It's all for You

Your Name is glorious
Glorious
Your love is changing us
Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You

Oh for all the sons and daughters
Who are walking in the darkness
You are calling us to lead them back to You
We will see Your spirit rising
As the lost come out of hiding
Every heart will see this hope we have in You

Hillsong ~ Tear Down the Walls

nanny's birthday & father's day weekend

2011-06-19T23:26:00.000-04:00

the girls were so excited to see their big cousin Caleb :)

Adelaide loved having her younger cousin Mira visit!

uh oh...nanny went to Amish country this weekend and brought back bonnets for the 3 littlest....

love the uplifted leg - always does that...so cute :)

8 months

2011-06-02T07:25:00.002-04:00

Adelaide starting crawling right around 7 months and has quickly become quite the fast little crawler, which of course has led her to the next goal of trying to pull up, which she hasn't quite gotten the hang of yet. Her personality is coming out more and more and we've learned she does NOT like when you take something from her and will often cry very hard when you do. Her favorite toys are still the remote & now that she's mobile, cords. She also enjoys my water bottle and pretty much anything that's not a toy. Her sleep schedule has still been a bit of a mess this month, but on average she goes down around 9:30 and sleeps until 7, sometimes waking around 1 & 4, sometimes not. I need to knock on wood, but today is the 4th consecutive night she has slept all the way through, so we're hoping that was just a phase and it's over for now. She still takes a morning & afternoon nap, and on most days an evening nap too. I still nurse her in the morning then she drinks (2) 6oz bottles while I'm at work, then I nurse her 2-3 times in the evening. She gets a little homemade rice, oatmeal or millet cereal with an icecube size portion of fruit for breakfast and then a vegetable for lunch. We stopped giving her solids for dinner for now - perhaps we're being superstitious, but as soon as we reduced her bottles from 7 to 6 oz and stopped giving her dinner she slept through the night again - is it possible she was too full? No idea! I absolutely love how she gingerly plays with my earrings or necklace while I nurse her. It is my favorite time with her, watching her staring up at me, then getting to hold her as she drifts off to sleep, so incredibly sweet. We've introduced more solids to her this month - cucumber, ground oatmeal, ground rice, ground millet, asparagus, mangoes, peaches, cantelope, hummus - so far she hasn't met too many foods she hasn't liked! She has a little side rat tail on the left side of her head that is clearly an inch or two longer than the rest of her hair, but we just can't get ourselves to cut it especially when it curls (which happens often in the heat wave we've been enduring!) She loves being outside, and thankfully the weather is finally cooperating and she gets to spend most days outside at Zia's. She is getting some color from the sun and her little feet are already tan! She is becoming more vocal and makes these screechy sounds, which has led to me calling her a pterodactyl. She is trying to jabber and she gets a huge smile across her face when we repeat her when she says 'dis'. Her top two teeth are coming in, a bit cockeyed with a space between them, which makes them all the more adorable. She has grown pretty attached to me lately and will sometimes get upset when I walk away from her. I love that she will crawl after me, sit by my feet and look up at me to pick her up, how can I resist that? She has also started reaching out to you if she wants to be held. She still loves bath time and I'm looking forward to getting to take her to the pool this summer. She is getting to be such a big girl and I cannot believe how quickly the time is going!

daddy makes me laugh

2011-05-25T07:10:00.000-04:00

Photo Book

2011-05-18T09:26:00.002-04:00

I created this book on shutterfly with a groupon purchase I made ~ now I'll receive a $10 gift certificate for blogging about it ~ not a bad deal!

Click here to view this photo book larger

adelaide's first swing

2011-05-17T07:55:00.000-04:00

mother's day weekend

2011-05-11T23:14:00.000-04:00

Mother's day weekend flew by and we had such a wonderful time. Mary, Justin & Mira visited and it was so fun to have so much family time! Friday we celebrated my sister Joy's birthday and the girls went out for dinner while the dads watched all the kids! What a great time to have one on one time with my mom and sisters...doesn't happen too often at all anymore with all the babies! Sunday we had Brad's parents & brother and his fiance over for Mother's Day brunch, then headed back to Jenna's for a cookout. The weather was beautiful and it was a lovely weekend.

Emma Clare holding her littlest baby cousin, Mira

mom & maggi

proud cousin meredyth with mira

proud nanny with the youngest of her 11 grandchildren, Mira Mae

maggi & adelaide - I love how much these girls love their new little cousins

naomi & mira mae

emma clare & naomi

jenna & joy with EC & Adelaide

samuel is clearly outnumbered by all these girlies! but he is so sweet with them!

my mom with her gaggle of girls & their girls (&1 boy!) on mother's day :)

again, proud cousin meredyth with mira mae

someone found some mud...

not sure what was so funny, but this might be my favorite picture

wonder what she's smiling about

sweet girlies maggi & mira

bathtime is even more fun with a playmate!

7 months!

2011-05-01T13:10:00.002-04:00

Adelaide has developed quite a little personality this month. She gets Very upset if you take something away from her that she's not supposed to have...her favorites being the TV remote & my blackberry. She is reaching for everything and her nickname of nosey rosey has never been more accurate. As soon as we pick her up, she pushes away so she can face outward and see what's going on. She started the month by being able to sit on her own in the tripod pose, and ended it with being able to sit up unassisted. She's trying so hard to crawl, so far she just manages to scoot backwards though, which is very frustrating to her. Her sleeping schedule has been a mess - between teething & practicing her new skills we've had a few rough stretches, but we've been back on track for the past week or so now. She sprouted her 2 bottom teeth, the first with no fanfare whatsoever, but the second warranted a week of fussy evenings and waking up in the middle of the night. It was so hard to see her so upset and not really be able to do anything about it, but she survived. We love watching her play with her teeth with her tongue. So cute. She still generally goes to bed around 10 or so, but she'll wake up anywhere between 5 & 7 now - we read around 6 months this usually happens because they're developing so many new skills and like to practice them whenever they can, even at 5am. Depending upon what time she wakes herself up, once we've settled her down she'll usually go back to sleep until about 7:30 or so then I nurse her before I go to work. We started introducing solids to her this month - mashed avocado, sweet potatoes, bananas, peas, green beans, carrots, apples & pears - it is so fun to watch her little expressions as she tastes the different foods. So far, we just offer them to her once a day between feedings and she'll have a few tastes and be done with them. Brad went back to work this past week, so Adelaide goes to Lora's house 4 days a week. Lora is Italian and we LOVE that Adelaide will get to learn this language! Lora also watches a 2 year old girl, Lily and occasionally a 2 year old boy, Dominico. I'm excited that Adelaide will be able to interact with other little ones on a regular basis.

weekend fun

2011-04-24T22:20:00.000-04:00

I love spontaneous weekends. I'm so thankful Brad talked me out of cleaning the house Saturday and instead we enjoyed our last weekend of him being a stay at home dad, as he starts his new job tomorrow. Eek! It was a surprisingly beautiful day - the forecast had called for rain all week, but there wasn't a cloud in site and it may have even hit 80 degrees. Cleaning plans were put on hold and we visited the farmer's market, had our niece Emma Clare over for pizza on the porch (Jenna, Andrew, Meredyth & Maggi are visiting Scott & Lynne in China right now), went to the zoo, visited Weber's for the best custard in town, and made these sinfully delicious cookies! It was a super fun day! Sunday we joined my parents at church for Easter, then visited Brad's parents for Easter dinner.

all tuckered out after a Very Busy Day!

Easter eggs colored with homemade dye...so easy and such beautiful colors!

glimpse of last weekend

2011-04-15T22:11:00.002-04:00

we spent last sunday morning transferring our cool weather seedlings (brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, shallots, leeks & garlic) to our community garden plot. it was the first 70+ degree day of the year and everyone in the city of cleveland was in a happy mood. we dressed adelaide in a summer outfit and she soaked up every minute of being outside. we visited my parents for my dad's birthday where joy made a delicious lunch, then brad's parents for an evening cookout. adelaide was spoiled with getting to enjoy multiple walks and got to experience taking naps in the warm sunshine. we left our windows open all day (we even slept with them open!) and it was so nice to come home to a fresh air filled house! adelaide traded in her usual warm sleeper & sleep sack and slept in a onesie instead...it was that warm. i think she loved it. ah, spring in cleveland...nothing quite like it.

grow little seedlings!

our little gardener...can't wait til she can help us!

carrot cake cupcakes w/ maple cream cheese frosting for dad's birthday

happy birthday dad!

meredyth & samuel...so sweet...

joy & samuel

someone loves sweet potatoes...and trying to feed herself...

playing with grandma!

ended the weekend with a glass of wine on the porch & these 2...

NYC

2011-04-02T13:35:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we drove to NYC to surprise Mary for her 30th as well as meet little miss Mira. We had such a great time catching up with them. Can't believe we're all parents now!

The boys with their little princesses on a walk in Central Park. It was SO cold, but the sun was shining so we couldn't resist getting out!

Love these two so much!

Signs Spring is near!

The proud parents!

Me & sis

Cleopatra's Needle (thought it was a cool looking monument)

he's not smitten at all...

LOVE this!

I love how it looks like Adelaide is leaning to get into the picture :)

Proud papas...

Adelaide loved seeing her newest cousin!

the babies...

Daddy dressed Mira in her fanciest outfit for their Saturday outing.

I love how alert she is, just studying everything!

Such a fun weekend - lots of walking & good conversations & good food...and of course relaxing.

We went out for Indian and they were perfect little angels until miss Adelaide's poop leaked out of her diaper (darn you disposables! - too hard to travel with the cloth...)...anyway leaked out of her diaper and I got to change her in the world's smallest bathroom on my lap :) oh the joys of NYC living!

momma reading to mira - so precious!

Adelaide loved Ace!

We got to catch up with an old friend too!

Good Night NYC - can't wait to visit you again soon!

6 months!

2011-03-29T22:36:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that just 6 short months ago, our little one appeared in our lives. We can't imagine our lives without her and often wonder aloud to each other what it is we were even doing before she was around. She is THE light of our lives. She is such a busy body and continually lives up to her nickname of 'nosey rosey'. She enjoys spending time in her jolly jumper and rolling all over the living room. She likes having an audience and is happiest when she is near Brad or I. She is getting more and more vocal and the sound of her alto voice is my favorite sound in the world. She continues to have the sweetest disposition and is growing more and more curious by the day. She grabs at whatever we have in our hands and immediately puts it in her mouth. She is eating (2)6 oz bottles while I am at work (going about 4 hrs between bottles) and I nurse her once in the morning and 2-3 times in the evening. She seems to be showing signs of being ready for solids and we think we'll begin introducing them this month sometime. She usually goes to bed around 9:00p and sleeps until about 7:30a. A few things we don't want to forget... When she stops nursing, cranes her neck back so she can look at her daddy sitting next to me on the couch and just stares at him. Then she'll flirt with him, smile and nuzzle back down to eat. When I hear her wake up from a nap and she doesn't cry to get up rather i'll just hear her little voice, a few thumps and the sound of her playing with her crib toys. Her sleepytime giraffe. Her laugh.

work out girl

2011-03-09T16:54:00.000-05:00

5 months (a little belated)

2011-03-04T21:58:00.000-05:00

Miss Adelaide has become quite the mover this past month with her biggest accomplishment being rolling over! We put her down on her back and she’ll either scoot herself around 180 degrees or roll unto her tummy. Her 2^nd biggest accomplishment is her ability to blow raspberries. When she figured it out she was Very impressed with herself and liked to practice all day long. Like I mentioned, she has become very active and continues to be such a little busy body. We usually find her completely sideways in her crib in the morning, playing with the little toys hanging on the side. It took her a few times to figure out the jolly jumper – she would just kind of hang there and twirl around in it while chewing on the side of the seat, but she managed to figure it out and loves to practice her jumps now. She also loves to spend time in her exersaucer. She has become quite the little flexible one with her talent being sucking on her toes while we’re changing her diaper. She is becoming very curious and I’m finding I’ll need to go hideaway soon while nursing her because she cranes her neck to see who just walked by, or where the sound is coming from, even if I take a drink of water she’ll stop and stare at me. I still nurse her once in the morning, then she’ll have (2) 5 oz bottles while I’m at work, then I nurse her on average 3 times in the evening. 10 o’clock is her predictable bedtime now and she’ll usually nurse or ‘slurse’ (sleep nursing) as we’ve affectionately nicknamed her nursing sessions that seem to take forever because she goes from eating to sleeping and back, the hour beforehand. She generally sleeps until about 7:30 or 8am. She still takes a longer (2 hour) morning nap then a few catnaps sprinkled through the day. A few things we don’t want to forget – She is so nosey! We like to call her nosey rosey because we swear she can twist her neck 180 degrees to see what’s going on. One of my favorite times of the day is laying in bed and listening to her jabber to herself in the morning, either that or her thumping herself awake! We keep thinking that every stage is our favorite, but each stage just keeps getting better – she is such a blessing to us!

fancy dancer

2011-02-27T21:42:00.000-05:00

Mira Mae is here!

2011-02-22T20:39:00.002-05:00

My sister Mary gave birth to a baby GIRL today!

Mira Mae ~ 6 lbs 10 oz

She is just perfect & beautiful! We cannot wait to get our hands on her!

Congrats Mary & Justin! What an amazing job you did!

Isn't she perfect?

Happy Girl!

2011-02-17T22:19:00.000-05:00

my little valentine!

2011-02-13T14:06:00.002-05:00

visiting great grandma!

2011-02-10T23:03:00.000-05:00

Recently I had a business trip to Indianapolis and I was lucky enough to have Brad and Adelaide join me. We took the opportunity to turn it into a long weekend of visiting family since Brad had a few relatives in the area. We met his cousin for dinner the night we arrived and got to see her adorable son. Then we drove to Illinois Friday to see Brad's Aunt Candy as well as his Grandma who just moved from California.

Adelaide did a wonderful job on the roadtrip and we had an excellent little first family trip :)

4 months!

2011-01-29T09:07:00.001-05:00

Adelaide has become even more vocal this month. We love saying 'baba' or 'dada' to her and watching her trying so hard to repeat it back to us. I don't think her little owl onesie is going to work quite as anticipated (it's a 12 month and I thought it would be fun to see her grow to fill it out) - at four months she's already traded in her 3-6 month clothes for the 6 month fashions...so I foresee the owl onesie being too tight by the time she's 12 months, alas it'll be fun to see her stretch it out :) She is still sleeping through the night (thank God!) and nursing like a champ. I get to nurse her before work when she wakes up - generally between 7am & 8am then she drinks 2-3 4oz bottles while I'm at work, then I'll nurse her 2-3 times in the evening before she goes to bed, usually around 11pm. More often than not, I actually get up to pump when my alarm goes off at 3am (poor Brad has to deal with my alarm going off for 45 minutes while I'm happily sleeping away!) I've still managed to exclusively breastfeed and I'm hopeful I'll be able to continue for at least 12 months. On most evenings I arrive home to Brad cooking dinner and Adelaide sitting in her high chair chewing on a toy while her favorite band, Vampire Weekend, plays. Adelaide got to go on her first roadtrip this month. I had a business trip to Indianapolis, so she & Brad joined me and we were able to visit Brad's cousin in Indy, then we drove to Illinois to visit his Aunt Candy and Grandma (who just moved from California). It was a great trip and for the most part, she did wonderful on the long drive home. She is just the light of our lives and we can't imagine life without her. A few things we don't want to forget...she is quick to smile or give you a laugh, but she gets bored of what you're doing to make her laugh after about a minute and stares at you as if to say "what else you got?"...when she smiles it's with her entire face, especially her eyes. It is the sweetest thing.

flowerhead laughs

2011-01-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

waking up is hard to do!

2011-01-23T20:31:00.003-05:00

I finally figured out how to upload videos so they actually work...so this is an old one.

christmas 2010

2011-01-02T23:12:00.001-05:00

We had such a wonderful first Christmas with Adelaide. She was spolied rotten by all her grandparents, aunts and uncles and we thoroughly enjoyed her first Christmas.We spent Christmas Eve with Brad's family and Christmas day with mine and it was so nice being able to spend each day only at one place and not having to rush around from house to house to see everyone. The day after Christmas we had a baby shower for my sister Mary, so needless to say we were all pretty worn out by Monday - ecspecially Adelaide - she fell asleep Sunday evening at 6:30p and didn't wake up until 4:30a to eat!

The older I get the more and more I cherish time spent with my family. We were excited to have Mary & Justin (& Ace) stay with us for part of their time here and it was so nice to get to have one on one time with them (something we do not get often at all!) Scott & Lynne & the kids got to meet Adelaide for the first time and it was so nice having the whole family (minus Mary & Justin who were on their way back to NY) over to celebrate Madelyn's 11th birthday yesterday. It all flew by in a whirlwind, but so many new memories were made.

All dressed up for Christmas Eve at Grandma & Peepaw's

Peepaw & the grandkids - Adelaide did NOT like the rocking chair.

All better in Peepaw's arms.

Anna & Addy

Christmas at Nanny & Pa's

Caleb & Samuel

Seth & Gwen the acrobats...

All partied out

Joy & Adelaide

Gwen, Emma Clare & Maggi all got matching outfits :)

Meredyth & Madelyn in their matching outifts...

Madelyn & Naomi

Nanny & Adelaide

All the grandkids on New Years day at our house

Grandkids with Nanny & Pa

3 months!

2010-12-31T09:13:00.003-05:00

read about her 3rd month here

remembering back

2010-12-13T22:33:00.000-05:00

We had our friend Matt snap a few pictures of us a week before Adelaide was due (he also did our wedding photos). These were all taken the Saturday (9.25) before I had her (9.29) Didn't he do a great job?

Thanksgiving with the Liptaks

2010-11-21T21:19:00.001-05:00

My mom decided instead of trying to please everyone's schedules on Thanksgiving day, that we'd celebrate the Sunday before instead. I think we're all pretty happy with this arrangement because we don't have to feel rushed and we're all fully able to enjoy the day since we're not worried about having to leave early. Plus it means we get TWO Thanksgiving meals - I won't argue with that!

the spread - yum!

spice cake - soon to be posted on naughtytastebud

baby book

2010-11-13T09:33:00.001-05:00

Since I'm too lazy and lack the patience (& craftiness) to scrapbook, I'll be compiling a baby book for Adelaide here.

Adelaide Iris - 1 month old!

2010-10-29T21:03:00.001-04:00

1 month

What a wonderful month it has been! We've watched Adelaide grow so much already (she's 22" long now!) and she's not quite our little newborn anymore. She has many more alert periods during the day and enjoys her swing as well as laying on a blanket and staring at patterns and black & white images. She's a great little eater and she's still nursing every 2-3 hours for the most part, but has treated me to a few 3 1/2 - 4 hour breaks overnight. We are enjoying taking her out and about now and she's behaved on her few restaurant & grocery store visits.

She is such a sweet girl with such a peaceful demeanor. For the most part if she's crying it's because she's hungry or needs her diaper changed. We've had a few fussy nights, but overall she's a pretty chill baby.

A few things we don't want to forget:

Her little sounds are the sweetest - she sometimes hums in her sleep and it's my favorite sound in the world.
She is so vocal! She's always grunting about something which has earned her the nickname of baby dinosaur from Brad - she'll be sleeping away in her swing then we'll hear her little noises and brad will say "is the baby dinosaur breaking out of her egg?" So cute.
Brad has come up with quite a few nicknames for her - most based on her remarkable 4 ounce weight gain in one day - quarter pounder, petunia (as in porky pig's girlfriend) and little piggy. He's also taken to calling her cricket (once again because of all her sounds), and naturally Addie.

adelaide's first month - so many visitors & outings!

2010-10-28T21:12:00.000-04:00

Adelaide has been one lucky girl with all her visitors this month - here are a few I've remembered to take pictures of!

Ashley & Anthony

Uncle Randy & cousin Anna

Anna

Cousin Meredyth

Heather (my coworker - she's due in February!)

Our neighbor Victoria

My BFF Kimmie

Nicole (with Adelaide) and I with her daughter Sofia

Jerel with Adelaide & Brad with Sofia

Uncle Justin

Aunt Mary

Uncle Jay

Her first walk in the Metroparks

Uncle Josh & Annie (at her first birthday party)

Alex's Birthday Party

Brunch at Grumpy's with her friend Sofia

Party in the park with Uncle Randy

brad or me?

2010-10-20T19:29:00.000-04:00

Brad

Sarah

Adelaide - newborn

2010-10-17T12:37:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine at work gave me the idea to take a monthly picture of Adelaide in the same size 12 month onesie and it would be a fun way to look back and see how much she's grown. Of course, I didn't get around to doing this until she was 2 weeks old, so we'll just have to imagine she's a little bit smaller for this one...

If you like the onesie, a friend of Brad and mine (who we know through the local food group in Lakewood) makes the most adorable baby things! We bundled Adelaide up last Wednesday night and walked down to the library for her first LEAF night. She thoroughly enjoyed it and slept in the baby carrier the entire time. Anyway, our friend Amy was selling her baby stuff and I couldn't help but get Adelaide a few things!

nap time

2010-10-13T12:18:00.000-04:00

glimpse of our first week as parents

2010-10-11T11:08:00.002-04:00

We survived our first week home with Adelaide (and it's only taken me 3 days to find the time to put together this post!) and she's spoiling us because besides a few nights where she's been fussy between 10 and 1am or so, she's been pretty easy on us! We have adjusted to life as a family of 3 quite easily so far and are trying to savor every moment of it. I apologize, for all the pictures, but how am I supposed to pick just a few when each one is absolutely adorable?

This is how Brad & Adelaide spend many a nap time...

Hurray for Jenna's 4 girls = lots of cute hand-me-downs for Adelaide!

My favorite.

She's very peeky all the time!

This was after her first sponge bath where she ended up dirtier after her bath then she was before! (She peed on the towel & projectile spit up all over herself during it).

First walk - she slept even though the sidewalks are Very bumpy.

When she's fussy in the evenings, I find her and Brad sitting and staring at my nursing cover - the contrast of the light & dark colors is very mesmerizing to her!

First real bath - she didn't mind it at all

Her poor little bottom is huge in the cloth diapers we're using - hopefully she doesn't get a complex from it! I couldn't resist taking this picture of her ruffle bottom!

So shy!

Hanging on to daddy's collar...

A few things I don't want to forget:

When she cries it sounds like she's singing then ends it with a squeak - so it goes laaa squeak! laaa squeak! laaa squeak!
She has such busy little hands! When nursing she tries to help and always has her hands in my way.
She holds on to the rim of brad's t-shirt when he's holding her all snuggly on his chest, slowly stretching out each one of his t-shirt collars.

she's here!

2010-10-03T08:41:00.000-04:00

...and I never knew it would feel like this! We are absolutely smitten with our little girl and are just trying to soak up every moment of it!

Adelaide Iris

9.29.10 @ 10:08am

8lbs 11oz 20in long

ready and waiting...

2010-09-28T19:39:00.000-04:00

39 weeks

I had my weekly appointment this morning and since I wasn't feeling any different I decided to not even get checked. My midwife was fine with it and said all is looking good for me still, we're just anxiously awaiting something to start. I'm pretty sure I've "dropped" but it's so hard for me to tell since I've been carrying so high all along...who knows?!

Since my appointment was at 7am and done by 7:15, I convinced Brad we should go out to breakfast for "one last hurrah" before baby makes an appearance. He of course went along with it, and I celebrated my no weight gain from 39-40 weeks (this was especially exciting based on my weight gain - which I care not to mention - from 38-39 weeks!) with a giant carrot cake pancake from First Watch. It was delicious. Brad drops me off at work afterwards and I settle in to work, wondering what the breakfast being cooked in our office is for. My co-worker Heather (also pregnant) informed me our boss Debbie was having some sort of breakfast meeting so I thought nothing more of it. Then it's announced for everyone to meet in the large conference room - I've mentioned on here before that I am one of 5 (now 6 as of this afternoon's announcement!) pregnant women in my office, and I've also mentioned how wonderful my employers are - well this was a surprise shower for the 5 of us complete with Chris Cakes, fun presents, games and of course they had the husbands in on it too! Needless to say, Brad is a great secret keeper and baby & I were absolutely stuffed after our 2nd breakfast!

guessing the baby food flavors

"vocon 5" modeling our "vocon mama" robes

the newest member of the pregnancy club joins our afternoon photoshoot!

10 weeks, 14 weeks, 18 weeks (with twins!) 22 weeks, 34 weeks & 40

"vocon 6"

so close!

2010-09-21T08:59:00.001-04:00

I had my weekly appointment with Colleen last Wednesday and all's looking good! I was 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced which I wish meant something but as with everything in pregnancy (so it seems) all this means is my body's preparing for labor and that I could have the baby tonight or it could be 2 weeks still! Besides lots of braxton hicks (or so I think they are at least?) I'm feeling great! I go back tomorrow, so let's hope there's been progress! We can't wait to meet this little one!

My best friend Kimmie & I at her baby shower - she's 32 weeks, I'm 38!

patiently waiting

2010-09-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

I think we're ready. We have the nursery completed, all the clothes & blankets washed and ready to go, the carseat installed, a few meals and loaves of banana & zucchini bread packed away in our freezer and the hospital bag packed. Now I'm slowly but surely finishing up my "things to do before baby arrives" list which includes things like finishing my wedding album & washing down the walls - you know things that have been on my to do list for years but for some reason seem urgent now.

I originally intended to make the embroidery hoop art you see pictured above the changing table into a mobile to hang above the crib, but we just couldn't figure out how to securely hang it properly without worrying it would fall on the baby, so above the changer they went, I think I like them there even better though!

Everything seems to have fallen into place for us work & daycare-wise too. I will be returning to work in January (after my 3 month maternity leave) and I plan to work 4 days/week. Since I am one of 5, yes 5 (with the potential of a few more!) pregnant women at work, we have been asked to return on a full time basis. Luckily I work for a great company that stresses the importance of "family first" so as long as we get 40 hours a week in, they don't care how we do it. So in an ideal world I will work 4 days and then catch up on anything from home on my 3 days off. We met with our babysitter last week and absolutely love her. Her name is Lora, she lives a street away from us and currently watches one other little girl, Lily, who is 18 months old. She is Italian and speaks only Italian to Lily (anyone who knows me knows how perfect this is for me!) she asked if this was okay for our baby, which of course it is, I feel like we will need to pay her extra for the Italian lessons!

So now we're just patiently awaiting the arrival of the baby. Brad and I both feel like I'll go right on time (October 1st), but not sure if that might just be wishful thinking :) Other than feeling enormous, I'm still feeling absolutely great so I hope that continues these next few weeks!

36 weeks

baby hutch's shower

2010-08-24T12:41:00.002-04:00

I owe my sisters & mom a HUGE thank you for the wonderful shower they put on for us this past weekend. From the food, to the decorations to the favors, they thought of everything and made it so perfect! We are so overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and feel blessed to have you all in our lives - we can tell baby hutch is so loved already!

One of the many blankets my mom made for baby hutch - I especially love the colors of this one, that it has giraffes (my favorite) on it and it says "little buddy" on it. Adorable :-)

My sisters, mother & I

34 1/2 weeks!

We have a monthly supper club with our friends called Sunday Bites. This was a gift from 2 of the members, Matt & Erin. We can't wait for baby Hutch to be a part of the club!

By far, Brad's favorite gift!

A hanging growth chart made for baby Hutch - it's wonderful having an artist for a best friend! Thanks Kimmie!

33 weeks...eek!

2010-08-11T22:44:00.002-04:00

Crazy to think I only have about 7 or so weeks left before the Big Day! I'm not sure how my body will possibly be able to stretch any more, but all you moms tell me it will! We had an appointment with our midwife yesterday and all's looking well. The head is still down (good baby) and the heartrate was in the 130's again. I could have sworn the baby's legs were in my right ribs (due to the discomfort I feel sometimes) but I've been told otherwise, I don't know how they can tell what the heck they're feeling in my giant belly! I'm feeling great still and besides my back and ribs hurting when I sit or stand too long, I have no complaints!

We got to tour the birthing suite we hope is vacant the day baby hutch decides to show up. No huge deal if it's not, we'll be able to deliver in an equally inviting environment, just not nearly as pretty as the birthing suite. We're looking so forward to the birth day and are finding comfort in just how on the same page we are with our midwife. I feel quite blessed to be able to have a say in this whole crazy process!

sneak peek

2010-08-01T19:19:00.001-04:00

We have the nursery just about complete. As I previously mentioned, as soon as I get around to completing some artwork & the mobile, we'll be good to go. For now, here's a little glimpse.

Baby Hutch has become quite the wiggly worm and likes to spend a lot of time with her legs in my ribs. I love when Brad talks to her and she responds with a few kicks - so cool that she knows our voices already. I'm happy to say I'm still feeling great, just noticing I'm needing to rest more often. We are growing more anxious by the day and find ourselves trying not to wish away the time and instead focus on these last few weeks with just the two of us before we become a family of 3!

vacation #2

2010-07-25T20:18:00.000-04:00

We spent last Sunday to Wednesday in northern Michigan at a resort called Crystal Mountain with Brad's family. We had a wonderful time spent lounging at the pool, playing golf, paintball, visiting the sand dunes (by the way if you haven't ever been, I highly recommend - I've never seen anything quite like it!), taking walks, playing games in the evening and enjoying some of his grandma's infamous meals courtesy of his Aunt Jean. Oh and what first ever Hutchison "Hillbilly Hoedown" would be complete without games reminiscent of the many years Brad & his cousins (as well as his dad & aunt jean too!) spent at the Lorain County Fair? It was a great get-a-way that allowed us to catch up with family we see not nearly often enough!

29 weeks!

2010-07-15T21:01:00.003-04:00

I think it's finally setting in, now that I have the big ol' belly to prove it and baby Hutch is constantly reminding me of his presence with a kick here or jab there, the fact that there is a baby in there, our baby, is starting to feel real! I had an appointment with our midwife yesterday and she said all looked good, as far as she could tell baby was head down so hopefully it will stay that way! We've had a busy summer thus far and time has escaped me as of late. I can't believe in just a few short months baby Hutch will be here!

The nursery is starting to come together - Brad picked up the crib and changer the other night, we're just waiting on the crib hardware then we'll be able to set it up and I'll be able to do the fun decorating part! We have a mini vacation planned to Michigan next week with Brad's side of the family and we plan to make a stop at Ikea to check out their rocking chairs. Other than that, we're set furniture wise and then I'll just need to finish all the little nursery projects I've put on the backburner this summer!

glimpse of our week (7.3.10 - 7.10.10)

2010-07-11T15:41:00.002-04:00

We spent the past week in Oak Island, NC with my family...11 adults (Joy's husband Eric couldn't make it) and 9 children ranging in age from 5 months to 16 years...we woke early, watched the dolphins perform for us, swam in the ocean, laid by the pool, cooked lots of delicious dinners, took family walks on the beach after dinner, watched fireworks,camped under the stars, star-tipped, played bocce ball, awesome ball & cornhole, read a few books, drove each other crazy, made lots of memories, and got to catch up on each other's lives....it was a rough week, but we made it ;-)

4 years!

2010-06-24T11:58:00.002-04:00

When Brad and I started dating June 28, 1999, I thought it would be a summer fling. He would be returning to OSU in the fall, and I on to finish my senior year of high school. Little did I know then that just 3 short months later I would be head over heels for him. It only took him 5 1/2 years to propose (he patiently waited - I not so patiently - while I tranfered colleges & switched majors a few times) and we married under his parents beautiful oak tree just shy of our 7 year dating anniversary. I feel lucky we've already gotten to spend 11 years together. Can't wait to see what the next 11 bring!

mom's 65th & father's day weekend

2010-06-20T20:51:00.001-04:00

Friday night cookout with friends...sister-in-law, nieces & nephews home for the summer from China (my brother Scott soon to join!)...Saturday 65th birthday dinner for mom...Sunday brunch at Brad's parent's complete with homemade peach french toast & homemade coffee cake then on to my parents for an afternoon cookout...makes me wish June will last forever!

glimpse of our weekend 6.11-6.13

2010-06-14T21:44:00.006-04:00

nigeria vs. argentina...el rodeo for lunch...crocker park art festival...united states vs. england with friends...made in the 216 art exhibit...drinks & delicious apps at reddstone...serbia vs. ghana...errands & chores...germany vs. australia....blt's & watermelon...I <3 the world cup

24 weeks

2010-06-09T22:27:00.002-04:00

23 weeks 4 days

Nothing too new to report here! We had an appointment with our midwife this morning and all is well. Brad was joking that everything about baby Hutch is "perfectly average" which is exactly what we want it to be right now! The heartrate was 142 and I'm measuring exactly on track for right around 24 weeks. I've really been enjoying feeling the baby more and more and Brad is patiently waiting to be able to feel something too!

We finally have a pretty uneventful weekend planned so I'm looking forward to being able to get some work done in the nursery. I have some new ideas that I want to try out in there, so hopefully they work out! I will of course post pictures once we've made some progress in there.

We only have a few weeks left of our Bradley birthing classes and I'll definitely be a little sad to have them go away. We've learned a great deal and I feel they've helped us grow closer as well as created a weekly time for us to focus on the baby and what's about to happen in just a few short months!

glimpse of our weekend

2010-06-06T19:34:00.003-04:00

friday night grocery shopping yielding the surprise of our favorite ice cream now available at our grocery store...saturday spent watching our sweet nephew samuel...then on to supper club where we feasted on an array of vegetarian mexican dishes and were entertained by the the host's two dogs before they passed out on the couch together...sunday i woke up to a breakfast of cottage cheese & fresh peaches and egg & avocado sandwiches...sunday afternoon spent finishing our garden...love weekends like this...

woody's tree

2010-05-27T12:04:00.002-04:00

great friends of ours gave us the idea (and a giftcard to a garden center) to plant something in honor of woody. since we currently rent, we decided to see if the park where we have our community garden would allow us to plant a tree there. our hope is to stay in lakewood when we buy a home since we so love this community, so this seemed like the best option. brad contacted the parks department and they were more than willing to let us plant woody's tree there. we chose a red maple (october glory to be exact) from their list of approved trees because according to brad, it would provide our children lots of helicopters to play with in the spring and would be so beautiful in the fall so we might always remember our faithful friend.

nursery update

2010-05-23T21:31:00.001-04:00

We had a very productive weekend spent, among other things, finishing registering & painting the nursery. At the last second, I opted for a robin's egg blue-ish green, almost turquoise color rather than the lime green I had intended (to give you a better idea of what color it is, if you know my sister Jenna, it's her signature color). We're very happy with the way it turned out and we can't wait to finish putting the room together! Here's a peak at the nursery with the artwork my niece Madelyn made us for Christmas, I will post more once we get the furniture up!

I'm still feeling great and trying to take advantage of this time to prepare as much as possible for baby hutch. Brad can't quite understand what the rush is, but he's being a great sport and indulging me and all my ridiculous requests. I've really been feeling the baby more and more lately and look forward to the taps and waves of him/her swimming around in there. I've also realized that it's a really good thing we didn't find out what we're having, because if I knew I would be in big trouble buying clothes in preparation! While shopping for my cousin's baby shower (she's having a girl) I managed to find a few articles of baby girl clothing for myself (they were super on sale and absolutely adorable!). I justified it to Brad because 4 people have independantly told me they think I'm having a girl...so, based on how I'm carrying, do you have a guess?

21 weeks

overjoyed

2010-05-13T19:13:00.000-04:00

We finally got to see Baby Hutch today! How very special it was! All looks good and healthy and I feel like I can finally sit back and enjoy the rest of the pregnancy! The baby was very cooperative and allowed the technician to get all the measurements and pictures he needed. His/her mouth was open the entire time and her hands were up by her face moving all around. Oh, I also started feeling movement last Friday night, what an amazing feeling!

I didn't know 3D would be an option for us, but the tech kept switching back and forth throughout the ultrasound. I think he/she looks like Brad :-)

fun with our nieces

2010-05-11T21:13:00.003-04:00

We spent the weekend watching my nieces while Jenna & Andrew jetted off for a quick early birthday get-a-way with Naomi (their youngest).

All weekend long whenever we prepared a meal, Emma Clare would run and get her apron and drag her little chair over to help

Maggi all ready to play outside

Brad taught Maggi how to play Chess - this is Maggi & Emma Clare giving it a shot

Meredyth & Maggi playing chess

Brad's niece Anna even got to come over for a playdate

Mother's Day visiting with Nanny

Emma Clare was quite the little model all weekend. Not only did she change her outfits often, she also ran in each morning to put makeup on with me :)

Lynne ~ These pictures of Naomi are for you!

how blessed we are

2010-05-05T22:45:00.000-04:00

We had our long awaited appointment this morning and got to hear the heartbeat again...never get's old. Such a wonderful sound. As usual, baby Hutch was a busy little bee and wouldn't let us hear the heartbeat for longer than a few seconds and then it was gone. Now we are anxiously awaiting the scheduling of our ultrasound appointment (I should get to schedule this week sometime).

I'm feeling quite blessed lately as I learned (well really, finally get to announce) I get to share this whole pregnancy journey with two of my closest friends in the world. One is right on track with me (due 3 days after me, we've been friends since kindergarten and although we don't get to see each other often (she lives in Colorado), we can always pick up right where we left off) and the other is 7 weeks behind me. It is absolutely wonderful to have such close friends to experience this with!

We had our 4th birthing class tonight, which was all about the coach and the vital role they'll play during the natural birth we hope to have. I feel quite lucky to have such an attentive husband who is shaping up to be quite a good coach :-). We're still loving the class and I'm finding it to be a weekly reminder/encourager that we can do this. The relaxation techniques (i.e. Brad massaging me while I'm lying completely relaxed listening to music) aren't too bad either...!

We haven't been able to tour the Holistic Birthing Center where we plan to deliver yet because the tours are on Wednesday nights too. We plan to visit once our Bradley classes are finished, but from the looks and sounds of it, I think we'll find it quite pleasing!

18 weeks and counting!

2010-04-28T21:47:00.000-04:00

17 weeks 3 days

I can't believe how fast my pregnancy is already going, almost half way through and I still don't even quite believe that I'm pregnant! I feel like I'm finally starting to actually have a little bump and not just look like I let myself go, which is helping it feel a bit more real! We go back for an appointment with our midwife next Wednesday and will get to schedule the big ultrasound then. I’m hoping we won’t have to wait too much longer as I’m growing more and more anxious to “see” our baby! I don’t know how women did it before ultrasounds!

We’re really enjoying our birthing classes. There are 8 couples, most due in July & August, but one other couple due in early October (like us). The instructor is fantastic, she took the class herself 12 years ago with her first pregnancy and has been teaching ever since. She is also an ER nurse at Fairview Hospital so it’s interesting to get her insight on the behind the scenes of hospitals as well as her input on how to avoid feeling pressured into any unnecessary procedures. We really hope to be able to do a completely natural birth and this class is definitely helping us prepare both mentally as well as physically as we’ve already learned some exercises and relaxation techniques that Brad is doing a wonderful job of reminding me to practice every day :-).

We've also kept ourselves quite busy recently researching baby gear. One of Brad's favorite hobbies right now is visiting Babies R Us on the weekend to test things out. I think we had a 3 week span when we were there every weekend (to be fair, at least one of those times was to buy a baby shower gift for a friend). Anyway, we're having a great time preparing and are looking forward to the upcoming months!

Ace

2010-04-22T21:58:00.001-04:00

We're lucky enough to get to dog sit for my sister and her husband, Mary & Justin while they're in China visiting my brother and his family. We love having a dog around again, especially Ace, he reminds us SO much of Woody. Not only does he always have to be wherever you are, whether it's curled up next to you on the couch, or sitting behind you as you wash dishes, he also has many of the same mannerisms of Woody. We've had a great time with him so far and will have a hard time giving him back...

Helping me fold clothes

Chewing on a ball on his playdate with Ralphie & Gertie

Keeping watch - one of Woody's favorite spots

All tuckered out after playing so hard

nursery ideas & birthing class

2010-04-14T22:47:00.001-04:00

Everyone who knows me knows how much of a planner I am and how impatient I can be. Brad is wondering what the rush is, but I can't wait to get the baby's room painted and decorated. In fact I was all set to start painting this weekend, but the weather doesn't look like it'll cooperate so we'll have to put on hold for now. Nonetheless I will give you a sneak peak of what we have planned.

We plan to paint the walls a brighter avocado green and keep the white trim. The furniture will also be white which will help keep the room bright and fresh. We're getting our crib from Brad's brother (yay for hand me downs!) and I'm thinking of ordering this dresser...

I absolutely love this pattern from Gap's organic mix & match collection - I wasn't in love with paying $95 for it though. Luckily I found it along with the bedskirt, both new, on ebay and was able to get them for a fraction of what the bumper alone cost from Gap! Can't wait until they arrive.

I found these wall graphics a while back on one of my web browsing escapades - God only knows what I was looking for, but I bookmarked this page knowing one day it'd come in handy. I just received them in the mail today (in white) which is why I'm anxious to get the room painted so we can get them up!

See above explanation on when I probably found this too. In all my time spent looking, I haven't found a mobile I love. Enter this idea. Seems easy enough...my best friend said she'd help me sew them. I hope it turns out!

Oh, we had our first session of our birthing class tonight and we LOVE it! We're doing the Bradley Method of childbirth - it goes for 12 weeks and we'll meet every Wednesday night for 2 1/2 hours. Initially I thought it seemed like a bit much, but after going tonight, I can't wait until next week!

Baby Hutch...

2010-04-07T21:48:00.003-04:00

...is scheduled to arrive October 1, 2010. Brad and I are absolutely ecstatic and can't wait to meet him or her! Despite some grumblings from family members :-), we want to be surprised and plan on not finding out the gender until the big day!

I made it through the first trimester and have been enjoying the nausea free, more energetic first few days of the second trimester. The first day of my second trimester coincided perfectly with the first beautiful day of spring here (actually more like summer weather we've been having!)...couldn't have been timed better. I'm really appreciating being back to my normal self and being able to be out and about after the painfully long winter we've endured.

14 weeks 4 days

Here's the first official picture we've taken of baby hutch. I wake up each morning not being able to see a bump at all, but by the evening I seem to grow a little one, not sure where he/she goes during the day, but he seems to be a little busy body. At our appointment with our midwife (Colleen) when we got to hear the heartbeat, we were listening away to the sound of the heartbeat, then all of a sudden THUMP, and Colleen said "ah that was a kick!"...he seems to be causing trouble already!

That's all our news for now!

our newest niece!

2010-02-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

Jenna & Andrew's newest daughter - Naomi Avagail

born February 24 ~ my birthday :)

scenes from california

2010-02-17T19:27:00.001-05:00

We were lucky enough to get to go to Lodi, California with Brad's parents to do some wine tasting and relaxing last week. Here are a few pictures form our trip!

Brad & his dad with Steve from Klinkerbrick

song for woody

2010-02-04T20:59:00.000-05:00

Fa La La Fa La La

Old Woody died so young - You were the goodest dog in the world. Bye bye Woody. You are my friend.

Fa La La Fa La La

I want you to come back. We'll send messages. The first thing I'll do when I get to heaven is get my horn and I'll call you. I had so much fun with you. Oh Woody, Oh Woody you always liked me...

Fa La La Fa La La

Brad and Sarah miss you so, I miss you, you miss everyone I'm sure. I hope you will send messages.

Fa La La Fa La La

We will always remember you. We know you are up in heaven.

Fa La La Fa La La

Please come home. Bye bye Woody, you were a good dog, you were a good dog.

Fa La La Fa La La

You were the best dog in the world.

Fa La La Fa La La

Please come home Woody - you left a hole in our hearts. Wo wo wo wo wo wo...Please come home. You were a good dog, you. Your friends will miss you too.

Fa La La Fa La La

Bye bye Woody, you good dog, you. Please send messages to us. See you in heaven. See you in heaven. You were so gentle. We miss you Woody. We miss you so.

Fa La La Fa La La

by Anna Hutchison (Brad's 6 year old niece)

so sweet

2010-01-27T22:33:00.003-05:00

We recently lost our beloved dog, Woody Hayes. My sweet, sweet nieces sent us drawings and even a poem (and Anna wrote a song we have yet to hear) to cheer us up. They're definitely helping :)

Gwen ~ 5 (soon to be 6!) years old

Madelyn ~ 10 years old

Maggi ~ 5 (soon to be 6 too!) years old

Emma Clare ~ 3 years old

Meredyth ~ 7 years old

holidays (hutchison side)

2010-01-21T19:29:00.009-05:00