We Want Rachel!

I bet that is what you're chanting right now. "We want Rachel back!" I'm not exactly the All-American "blogger" that Rachel has become, but Rachel is a little tied up lately. :) I've posted some more pictures on the website if you care to check then out. They're under "Photos 3". At this rate, You can click on "Photos 365" on her first birthday! :)

Everything is going well... or as well as can be expected. Our church family has been bringing us dinners and Rachel's mom has been a huge help. It's hard to know if Reese will sleep between feedings or just CRY CRY CRY. I'd say most of the time she sleeps, but every now and then we've gotten a "whiny" stint. It's so funny. I even like watching her when shes screaming! Can't say it's the easiest thing, but I just love this girl to death.

At this very moment, Mom and BABY are sleeping like rocks.

Doctor's appointment went ok this morning. SHe is now 7 lbs 14 Oz. She has gained back her birth weight and more. Doc says that is extraordinary for her age.

I will check in a little more later. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Link to Reese's site. (not www.reeses.com, that would get you to some tasty pb cups though!)
http://web.mac.com/getwellyouth/iWeb/Baby%20Hinton/Photos.html

New Pics/ She's Home

We got home today (Sunday) at about 1130AM. She's doing so well (both the girls). I've posted a new bunch of pictures on the web. I'll try to keep you updated with news/more pics of course. And if you're lucky maybe a new video.

She's the best.

New pics at:
http://web.mac.com/getwellyouth/iWeb/Baby%20Hinton/Photos.html

Pops

Home Movie on Web

Posted a video this morn. I'll work on a better quality one, but its kind of the best we can do on the web.

http://web.mac.com/getwellyouth/iWeb/Baby%20Hinton/Home.html

Pops

5:40PM More Pics

Just updated the pictures site with more pics after a clean up. Enjoy

http://web.mac.com/getwellyouth/iWeb/Baby%20Hinton/Home.html

Pops

She's here

follow this link to some pics of Reese Eileen Hinton.

http://web.mac.com/getwellyouth/iWeb/Baby%20Hinton/Home.html

540AM Update

It is 540AM on birthday morning (hopefully). Rachel has been incredible, and just got an epidural, epideral, epiderel, I dont know how to spell it. She is feeling great and nurse says baby will prob be here by lunch time. We're hoping sooner! Check back for more updates. All is well.

- Pops

Go Time

At about 830 Rachel started feeling some pain, and we started timing. We are here at the hospital now! It is about midnight (Central) and Rachel is off and rolling on early labor! Shes laughing and talking now. Long road ahead. We know that God is at our side. He does not fail.

- Pops (Danny)

april 22

It's April 22. Baby's due date. I woke up this morning thinking I'd feel different. I didn't. Our phones started blowing up around 6:30 with youth kids wondering if the baby was here yet. They texted us all day long for updates. But there was nothing to report. They are so sweet to care so much. We love them too. I think they're starting to get a tad frustrated. I don't blame them. She's staying put for now. I don't think she got the memo she was due to arrive today. Either that or she has chosen to disregard that message.

biting the bullet

This is only because most of you are far away and won't get to see us before she's here. I humbly (humbly!) present a 40-week pregnant belly. Please keep in mind I'm due for a baby any day now. :)

picture shy

Ok. So tonight I had every intention of posting a couple of pictures. Apparently they're worth a thousand words and if that's the case, think of all the time I'd save you! So, with our blog family in mind, we had a mini photo shoot yesterday. The first item I wanted to show you was the stroller the staff gave us. A few weeks ago they threw us a surprise shower. Now I am probably in the running for the most gullible person on the planet and am very easy catch off guard. What I still can't believe is they were able to surprise Daniel too! We had no clue! We were under the assumption that a man was coming in for an afternoon of staff development. Instead of training, there were games and cake and balloons. On top of all that, they all pitched in and bought us a beautiful stroller. Their thoughtfulness is just one more reason why they're the greatest staff in the whole world. When we first moved here, we had no idea how much we'd fall in love with them. Every person works long, hard hours. Each one is passionate about following Jesus and serving people. I could go on forever. They're the best. So I wanted to show you the stroller. And of course, I made Dan model it. Bless his heart, he's the greatest husband ever. I don't deserve him. But he is getting a little tired of modeling every baby item we own. :) Which is just one more reason we need Miss Thang to go ahead and get here so she can model her own stuff! The second picture is of the current belly. Now I do not like taking pictures by myself. But my mom promises it's something I'll want to have. So I made Dan take about 17 thinking that the odds were good there would be one keeper, right? WRONG! The belly is so big I need to edit it before I let anyone else see it. But that would basically defeat the purpose of taking the picture in the first place. So I'm going to go put on a black shirt and see if that will slim me down about 20 pounds or so. :) And maybe by then I'll have the courage to post it.

a funny thought

Danny and I were watching some comedians on TV a few nights ago. One of them was a father of teenagers and he made several references to them. He said having teenage kids is God's way of letting us know what it's like to have something made in our own image deny our existence. :) It cracked us up!

In other news, I went to the doctor this morning. There's a tiny bit more progress and the baby's head is engaged. For those of you who don't know what that means, she's in ready position, or as Dan would say "cocked, locked and ready to rock!" I need to get to walking!

it's all in a name

I have to share this funny story that I'm still laughing about hours later. Terry is the technical director on staff with us. He has two daughters, one of whom is named Maggie. Maggie is four years old. She goes to school at the church, so once school's over, she hangs out with her daddy, whose office is right by ours. She is one little ball of energy and every now and then she'll drop in for a visit. And it's always a hoot when she does. This afternoon I went into Danny's office and I could tell Maggie had been there. There is a big dry erase board hanging on the wall and on it was a Maggie original. She had drawn a baby walking on some grass with a flower and butterfly on either side. Danny affirmed that yes, Maggie had in fact been the artist behind the drawing and it was actually our baby who had inspired the picture. The best part was that while Maggie had taken a stab at what Baby Hinton was going to look like, she did not stop there. No, she saw it only fit to name the baby as well. Underneath the picture she carefully printed L-O-O-S-E. Now, we have not decided on a name for Baby Hinton yet, so we need all the help we can get. But I have got to put my foot down at the idea of naming our daughter Loose. In the midst of my laughter, Dan informed me that Loose was actually Maggie's version of Lucy. Now she might be onto something. :)

blessed but stir crazy...

Ok, so here's what I've been thinking. These last few weeks of pregnancy have made me more self-involved than I've ever been in my life. Every little twinge, every tiny cramp makes me wonder, "Is this the beginning of something?" With each teenie movement and flutter I allow myself to go there and think, "This could be it!" Whatever speculation of any degree of sanity I had left has officially dissipated. I am turning into a crazy woman! And believe me, I have done everything in my power to distract myself. Work and books and TV and cleaning only work for a couple of minutes before my mind starts to wander again. Back to her. People keep saying..."she's so close, she'll be here before you know it." And they are right. And I do take comfort in the fact that truly, no woman was pregnant forever. But it doesn't change the fact that Dan and I want more than anything to see her face and to hold her in our arms.
And then I started thinking something else. All of these feelings I'm feeling I was meant to feel. Profound isn't it? :) Bear with me. The anticipation and desire for a real face to face relationship I have for my daughter is just a faded shadow of the feelings God has towards us. I'd give just about anything for her to get here right now and be with us. He gave everything for the exact same result. As I wonder what is taking Baby so long to get here and meet us, He's got to be wondering the same thing about us. While I daydream about all I long to give her once she's born, He desires to shower us with immeasurably more. But we make Him wait. We push Him aside as we run around trying to manage all the issues in our lives. And as we preoccupy ourselves with all the commitments we can cram into a daily schedule, He anxiously awaits, like the Gentleman He is. Poised and ready to meet with us. Face to face. How humbling a thought that the One who gave me a mind currently consumed with meeting our Baby has a mind consumed with meeting with us.
Just some thoughts I've been thinking.

waiting...

Well, we went to the doctor yesterday for a check up and there's not much to report. The doctor said everything looked great, there just hasn't been much progress since last week. With just nine days until she's due, Danny and I joke she's either strong willed like her father or time challenged like her mother. Either way, it doesn't seem like she wants to come out any time soon. Aunt Michelle says she refuses to be born until she has a name. The other night one of my youth girls, Hannah, texted me and asked if Baby Hinton was still in there. I told her that yes, she's still hanging out. And I asked her if she had any ideas to evict her. In her 12 years of wisdom Hannah replied, "Nope, she'll come exactly when God has chosen for her to come." I tell you what, there's nothing like God choosing to speak to you through one of those you serve. I truly think Dan and I have learned more from the kids than they have from us. Her response was exactly what I needed to hear. So, we're trying to be patient. (And praying she's not gaining too much weight in the meantime!!) I told Dan the other night in some ways I'm trying to relish these last few days of "freedom". You know the final hours of our sleeping through the night, running to the store in under 15 minutes, going where we want when we want to because we can and we don't need to notify a babysitter two days before we go lifestyle. It'll be twenty some years until it's just us again. So in a nutshell, we're waiting expectantly on His timing. We'll keep you updated. Thank you for your prayers!

"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts."
Isaiah 26:8

someone's nesting

Today Daniel:

1. Cleaned and organized the garage
2. Organized the pantry
3. Pulled weeds in the yard
4. Tidied up the kitchen and family room
5. Bought some new jeans
6. Made a list for the builder for our one year inspection
7. Paid some bills
8. Cooked hamburgers on the grill
9. Cleaned the kitchen after dinner

Isn't he the greatest?!!

progress!

I went to the doctor this morning for a check up and we have progress! I'm 37 weeks right now. She's due on April 22 and I'll be induced the 28 if she's not here yet. But after today the doctor thinks she'll be here before then. I've got to pack the hospital bag and install the car seat. We'll keep you updated!

baby's completed room

We are done with Baby's room! My mom and sister came a few weeks ago to help us finish it. Today the glider from Don and Sandy arrived so we are officially done! We love it. I go in there multiple times a day. I think what I love the most about it is that the "stuff" reminds me of all the people who have supported us and are just as excited for her to get here. The crib is from her Nana. Her swing in the corner is from Danny's aunts and Grams. Her rocking horse was made with love by one of my mom's dear friends. We bought her dresser but it was assembled piece by piece by Dan. It's full of sweet clothes and blankets from countless friends and family members. Her stroller from my Dad and Kristine is in her closet. Every time I look at each item that was a gift I think about the giver. It's overwhelming to think about all the love and support we have. We don't deserve the friends and family we have! So for all of you who can't be here to see in person where she'll be living, here are some pictures. Her Daddy is testing out the new chair. :0) Also, if you click on each picture it will make it bigger in a new window.

go royals!

Happy April! I can't believe it's already here! Today marks seven years since Dan and I went on our first date. That's right, SEVEN years ago we went to Royal's home opening game. We sat in the upper deck of Kauffman with Alan and his girlfriend. Daniel carefully explained AND demonstrated all of the umpire calls. Sucked me right in. As the stealth bomber flew over and Challenger the eagle made his way to home plate, sparks flew. Emotions ran high. And the rest is history. :)

To commemorate that unforgettable day we had no choice but to watch the Royals yesterday. And man, did they give us a show. They played the Detroit Tigers, who according to Dan are a powerhouse this year. The game went into extra innings, but our boys in blue did not disappoint. They pulled out the victory, once again solidifying our hopes for a winning season. We're going all the way baby!!!