the hinton home

giggle baby

2012-02-01T08:43:00.001-06:00

Sometimes Hopie laughs so hard it sounds like she's crying. :) Kind of reminds me of this video from a couple of years ago.

a shopping milestone

2012-01-25T21:34:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Hope did something Reesie's asked about since the day we brought her baby sister home from the hospital.

She rode in the front of the shopping cart! My arm is so grateful not to be lugging the car seat into the store with us. And big sister was beside herself excited. She tousled Hopie's hair, patted her head and gave her several headlock hugs from behind. Little sister laughed and laughed.

If that's not breaking news, I don't know what is. :)

funniest home video

2012-01-07T16:29:00.000-06:00

Last night I pulled out Danny's phone to record Baby Sister sitting up. Like a moth to a flame, Chica saw the camera and had to join the show. The best part of the video is Hope's face as she reacts to her big sister stealing her thunder. (Right at 30 seconds.) Dan and I watched it 14 times in a row and laughed and laughed.

5 months old!

2012-01-06T21:46:00.002-06:00

*Edited to add- I am so sorry about the wonky formatting of this post. Not sure how to fix it!

I don't know if there's ever been a more pitiful excuse of a blog on the face of the Internet. A whole month has gone by?? Part of my problem is I've been spared from the grandparent harassment. :) Instead of having to get their updates here, they were content loving on the girls face to face over Christmas. But I'm afraid the grace period is up and if I don't post some grand-baby pictures quickly, there may be an uprising.

We're also at that stage in life where the girls nap at different times. So from the time they wake up in the morning until both are tucked in at night, this mama is running around meeting as many needs as I can. Recently "free time" has consisted of falling into bed or changing out our ever growing baby's clothes once again. Speaking of our baby...she is five months old today!

I love this precious baby. She's so sweet. Watching her big sister run around and cracking up as she darts by is her favorite thing to do. She's so close to sitting up for an extended period of time. (Still wobbles and tips over after a bit.) No rolling yet. She wears nine month clothes and size 4 diapers. She's my Sleeping Beauty baby. (8:00-7:00 at night and three naps during the day.) At Christmas people passed her around and around and she was content.

She's starting to teeth. Her hands are often in her mouth. If she's like her sister, this will go on for several more months before a tooth shows up. She likes to growl and talk. Sometimes she laughs so hard it sounds like she's crying. I know the feeling. :) This past month she's been learning how to use her arms and hands to reach out and grab something she wants. It's fascinating to watch her little mind figure it out.

Thanks bloggers, for putting up with my inconsistency and for letting me jot down a few things I'd risk forgetting otherwise.
Have a great weekend!

4 months...

2011-12-11T22:58:00.005-06:00

...since I updated the blog. Just kidding. No, it's been four months since we became a family of four. Little Sister is a third of the way to one year and she's got the four month immunizations to prove it. At her check up she was in the 80th percentile for height and 99th percentile for weight. (17 and a half pounds.) Her Daddy's lovingly tagged her "The Refrigerator." She's not yet rolling over but the pediatrician said it's tough to be agile when you're as big as she is. (Hopie, not the pediatrician.)

She wears size three diapers and nine month clothes. Her big sister is her constant, preferred source of entertainment. She makes her laugh more than anyone else. Reesie still gets excited when she makes her smile. When big sister's not around, it's almost as if she doesn't know what to do with herself. This month she's definitely found her voice. She squabbles all day long testing out all kinds of noises.

Friday night we said good-bye to the swaddle and put her in a sleep sack. She didn't miss a beat and slept great. When she wakes up in the morning she yells down the hallway. Not a cry, just a holler to let us know she's ready for breakfast.

When people see her in public they either comment on her size or the color of her eyes. She's quick to smile when spoken to and is the spitting image of her Daddy. I love how she crinkles up her nose when she laughs. She's learning how to operate her hands and will clamp down hard on anything that brushes by. We've all fallen victim to a Hopie hair snatching or two. And if I end up bald, well it will be a small price to pay for getting to be her mama.

We love you Little Sister!!

an interview

2011-11-20T17:10:00.001-06:00

I don't know about other children but when our daughter turned three, we had to step up our parenting game big time. Age two was a cake walk compared to this. I wouldn't trade our beautiful, spunky firstborn for anything in the world. (Although I'm not above handing her over to a baby-sitter for a few hours to replenish my mothering stamina.) I feel like the most privileged mama in the world. And she is the greatest gift of sanctification I never knew I needed.
After a long day at church I decided to make her do all the blog work for me. I found these interview questions online and couldn't wait to hear her answers.

1. What's your favorite food?

Cake and cupcakes and ice cream cones.

2. What's your favorite sport to play?

The Missouri game! (football)

3. What's your favorite T.V. show?

Little Einsteins.

4. Who is the coolest person on earth?

Mickey Mouse.

5. What's your favorite part about school?

Getting to be the line leader.

6. What's the thing you do best?

Play games and have fun.

7. If you could change your name what would it be?

Sadie.

8. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

Wendys or McDonalds.

9. What's your favorite color?

Purple.

10. What's your favorite toy?

My little Barbie.

11. When you grow up what do you want to be?

A mama.

12. What's your favorite movie?

Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

13. What's your favorite song?

Doxology.

14. What's your favorite book?

Our family picture book.

15. What are three words that describe you?

Loving, safe, warm.

16. When you were little what did you do?

I can't remember because it was a long time ago.

17. What's your favorite season?

Fall.

18. What's your favorite snack?

Animal crackers.

19. What's one food you really don't like?

Chicken beans.

20. If you had one wish what would it be?

For everybody to obey me when I'm grown up.

21. What's your best memory?

Playing the Minnie game on the computer in Daddy's office.

turkey song

2011-11-17T22:17:00.001-06:00

3 months old!

2011-11-07T08:36:00.006-06:00

Our favorite little sister turned three months old yesterday!

(I know Sissy! I can't believe it either!)

This past month has been really fun especially since she started smiling and laughing in response to her crazy family. She adores her big sister and is content to sit and watch Chica entertain the rest of us.

What else? Well, she eats five times a day, weighed 15 and a half pounds at her two month check-up, wears size 3 diapers, 6 month clothes and she's sleeping great. So great that one spot on her head is a little flat. :( Reesie asked me this morning, "does Hopie still have her flat head?" Such sweet sister sensitivity right there.

This month she started going to church nursery and Danny and I started our date nights back up. In both settings she's taken her bottle like a champ and not thrown a tizzy for "strangers." Go on girl!

I love seeing her interact with the rest of our family. Saturday Reesie and I were playing take some babies to church. Reesie noticed the three buttons on Hopie's shirt so baby sister got to be the elevator. Last night she got her face "painted" with a q-tip and she was so tolerant.

We love you Hope Margaret. Our family is better off because you are in it!!

it's saturday...

2011-11-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

stuff I'm loving

2011-11-03T14:40:00.010-05:00

I would say that this post is about things I'm loving right now. Except I read a book several years ago that called me out by saying you should love people and use things. It's stuck with me all this time. So instead, this is a list of things I love to use at this stage in life.

1. Stoplight Alarm Clock

From the day we moved Chica out of her crib and into her toddler bed the rule has been that she's not allowed to get out of bed without parental consent. I decided that if she needed something I'd rather go to her than for her to suddenly appear when I least expected it. Few things would freak me out more than to open my eyes in the middle of the night to see a small child standing by my bed. Whether she's my offspring or not, that's just unnerving.

It became routine for her to wake up in the morning, yell from her bed, "I'm ready to wake up now!" and for one of us to go in and get her. This worked well until Baby Sister arrived on the scene. Now she wakes up a little before Chica and is well into breakfast before her older sister starts to stir. You can imagine what would happen next:

"Mama, I'm ready to wake up now!"

From my room as I'm feeding the baby, "Ok baby, you can come out!"

"I'm ready to wake up now!"

"Ok, you can come out!"

"I'm ready to wake up now!"

"COME OUUUUTTTT!"

Our rooms aren't that far away, but Chica likes to listen to music while she sleeps, thus making our yelling that much less affective.

Enter, the stop light alarm clock. My mom heard about this clock from a co-worker and it is just what we needed to end the dueling wake up calls and preserve the baby's sense of hearing. Red light means it's not quite time to wake up. Yellow is an optional night light. Green means let's get this party of a day started people! There is much rejoicing by a certain 3 year old when she wakes up to find that the light is green. :)

2. Mother Child Bag

My mom gave me this bag when Sissy was born and I'm using it as her diaper bag. If we're walking somewhere and my hands are full all I have to say is, "grab the Reesie handle!" She can reach it easily even when I'm wearing it over my shoulder. She loves it and so do I.

3. Operation World

We started incorporating this book into our family worship time. It details the spiritual needs of every country in the world. Each night we read about and pray for a different country. I can't yet convey what this process of intercessory prayer has done to our family, but its effects are seeping deep in our hearts and lingering in our minds long after we've put the book away.

4. Baby Jeggings/Pajama Jeans (according to Dan.)

My friend Alex tipped me off to these $5 baby jeggings at Target. They're soft, stretchy, look like regular jeans and best of all, they go with everything.

When Reesie was a baby Dan would joke about how much he loved her plain white onesies. Whenever he was in charge of getting her dressed for the day he would sift through the closet until he found the white onesie. Why? Because the plain white onesie went with every skirt, pair of pants and set of shorts we owned. Hopie's jeggings are the plain white onesie of bottoms. They go with every top she has. By slipping them on under dresses we've extended Reese's old summer outfits well into the fall.

5. Downline Women's Conference

Last weekend I went to the pre-conference of this event. I loved every session I was able to attend. Vicki Courtney was one of the speakers and she warned about parenting from a place of fear. Whoa nelly a big red flag went up in my heart because I so see myself struggling with that. Great, great stuff. I can't wait to get my hands on the audio of the sessions I missed.

6. Maternity Clothes

My baby was born nearly three months ago. I am still rocking my maternity clothes. Judge me if you will, I cannot part with them yet. There is no explanation except that I love maternity clothes. The shirts are nice and long. And the jeans with that soft stretchy panel on the top. Simply divine. I know some women can't wait to pack up their maternity clothes. Not me. I'm holding on.

So there you have it. Just a few things I'm using to help those I love most. Have a great night!

three year old thoughts on heaven

2011-11-02T20:27:00.002-05:00

"....and exchange it someday for a crown."

"Mama, I have a crown but it's just a toy one."

"I know baby, but someday when we go to heaven the crowns there are going to be real."

"Do you think they will have our names on them?"

"I bet God will let us know which one is ours."

"He's going to be surprised that there are three girls there."

(Laughing) "I sure hope He isn't surprised we're there. Remember, God knows all things so nothing can surprise Him."

"Daddy is going to need a king's crown because he's a boy. Are there going to be toys there?"

"I don't know baby, but it's going to be the best place ever and Jesus is getting our special place ready for us right now. Are you ready to pray baby? Who should pray, you or mama?"

"You do it. But make sure to pray that God will write our names on the curtains so we know which crown is ours."

(Something tells me she doesn't want her baby sister or anyone else for that matter putting their hands on her eternal things.) :)

all gussied up

2011-11-01T13:45:00.003-05:00

Another successful Halloween on the books. As long as successful doesn't entail a trip to the pumpkin patch or carving pumpkins or even having pumpkins at all. I suffered a total lapse in pumpkin acquisition this year. Saturday night as we dropped something off at a friend's house, I saw their jack-o-lanterns on the porch and thought to myself, "Hmm, they carved their pumpkins early this year." (Note: this was on October 29.) It didn't hit me until Halloween afternoon that our carved pumpkins were "due" and we had nary a pumpkin to our name. I don't know what I was thinking. (I swear I had a brain before children.)

Believe it or not, the show went on. Here's Sissy getting a quick nap in before all the hoopla of her first Halloween.
While Tiger Baby slept I took a few pictures of "Sparkly Barbie Girl."

After a quick sandwich and Big Girl declaring that she was the "beautifulest of all" we were off.

By the time she was outsourcing her trick-or-treating tasks to others in the group, we decided it was time to go home and cheer the Kansas City Chiefs to victory. Which is exactly what we did. :)

halloween

2011-10-31T23:54:00.000-05:00

wedding week

2011-10-30T22:14:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago our family of four traveled to Missouri to see my best friend Debs get hitched. It was an unforgettable weekend in more way than one. The wedding was a family affair- Chica was a flower girl, Danny sang and played the guitar during the ceremony and I got to be Debs' matron of honor. Among the wedding festivities, my mom and I hosted a luncheon for the bridal party. On top of that, it was Baby Sister's first trip back so tons of extended family members were itching to meet her.

Thursday night Debs' sister Lisa hosted the bachelorette party. She went above and beyond to make it a fun night that Debs would love. We met up at the hotel, boarded a party bus and went to dinner at a Tapas restaurant.

Moment of truth: I took Sissy with me. My daughter went on a party bus at two months old. (I hope no one from child services finds my blog.)

(I can hear the therapy session now, "You see doctor, it all began when my mother took me to abachelorette party on a party bus before I could support my own head...")

To make a long story short, we had planned for her to stay home with her father but due to the timing of events she would have needed two bottles in a row before bedtime and I wasn't that prepared. So she came to dinner with us on the bus.

Dinner was sooooo good. I've never eaten tapas before. We each ordered a plate and then passed them around so we could to try everything. I sat with the groom's family and loved getting to know them better. At one point Sissy spit up all over my shirt. Mrs. Ebert was so sweet, she held the baby while I went to the bathroom to hose off. And then I ate all her leftovers. I am the Queen of first impressions.

After dinner it was time for salsa lessons! My mom met us there to take the baby and she snapped this picture of the bride-to-be (in the orange.) Do you think she had a good time? :)
After salsa lessons Mom and I headed home to load up the cars with stuff for the luncheon. Friday morning we arrived bright and early to set up. Both my mom and Danny worked sohard. It was important to all of us that the Bride was blessed.

As we arranged the room and the flowers and the food I was surprised with how emotional I became. A little weepy, but there wasn't a hint of sadness in it. More of just being overwhelmed with God's goodness. Debs and I have been friends a long time and with that I've witnessed her seasons of dating and singleness. Danny and I have prayed often for her future husband even before we knew who he would be. As she held fast to her standards, God ushered in a man who was beyond what she had hoped for or imagined. The courtship was a whirlwind but I know when he got down on one knee it was the easiest decision she's ever made. I think I was crying that morning over God's faithfulness to bless her beyond her wildest dreams.

Jenna sang during the ceremony. It was sooo much fun catching up with her. She even came to the luncheon early to help us with last minute preparations. I love her.

Funny story- Friday night of the rehearsal both Danny and I had to be on stage before Reese came down the aisle. The plan was for her to sit with my mom after she made it down. My mom wasn't at the rehearsal so Chica was unattended in the first pew. As Jen started to sing, Big Girl, overcome by the music sprang up out of her seat and proceeded to perform a lyrical dance. Lost in a movement, she toppled over and face planted on the carpet. The bridesmaids all gasped, waiting to see what would happen next. She jumped up and raised both hands over her head in victory. Jen, unable to hold it together for the last note burst out laughing. Thank goodness it was just a run through. I assured everyone that the Flower Girl would be supervised the next day.

Here she is welcoming our guests. She wanted to turn off the lights and yell, "Surprise!" when Debs came through the door. I had to break it to her that Debs already knew about the party.

I love this picture of Debs with her mama.

Big Girl got a dress up outfit for being in the wedding. She LOVED it!

Can you believe it, I didn't get a single picture with the bride? It was a bit of an unusual day. The groom was in the E.R. the morning of the wedding. By the time we got word he was going to make it to the ceremony on time there just wasn't a good moment. When I had my camera I didn't have the bride, when I had the bride I didn't have my camera, etc. Hopefully the professional photographer's turns out.

Here we are setting up of a quick family picture. Fingers crossed for a Christmas card candidate. :)

Dan fed Sissy a bottle during the professional pictures and she looked so funny with her chunky leg hanging out I had to take a picture.
The rest of the night we ate, danced, toasted, posed in the photo booth and all around celebrated the happy couple. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Ebert, we love you! Thanks for letting us be a part of your big day!!

three and a half

2011-10-25T10:03:00.006-05:00

Today Chica is officially three and a half years old. For the past couple of months when people have asked her age we've rounded up but today it's officially official. Tomorrow she'll be closer to four and in just a year and a half she'll be heading to kindergarten. Sweet mercy I have some praying to do. :)

She insisted on a purple sign for the lamb to hold. I'm not sure if you knew this but something happens as girls get older. They start to develop opinions. Not only that they learn how to express their opinions. Quite well actually. In conclusion: women have opinions and it starts early on. So glad I could enlighten you on this monumental day in my baby's life.

Here she is one year ago.

And here she is when she was her sister's age. I could have sworn I took this picture yesterday.

We love you Big Girl. You rocked our whole world when you entered it three and a half years ago. Have a great day at school. How about when Sissy and I pick you up you we'll drive straight to Sonic for Happy Hour to celebrate? There's a purple slushy there with your name on it.

sabbath

2011-10-23T19:15:00.002-05:00

Main Entry:	sabbath
Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	day for resting
Synonyms:	Lord's day, Sabbath, Sabbath Day, Saturday,Sunday, day off, rest day

This morning I woke up two hours and forty-five minutes before church started. We had two hours to get out the door if I hoped to make it to worship on time.

I took Chica to the bathroom. I fixed her breakfast. I checked on her shirt hanging in the laundry room. It was still damp. I threw it in the dryer. I pumped a bottle for the baby. I cleaned up Chica's breakfast, refilled her water and started a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode on the computer. Baby Sister woke up. I fed her, burped her and changed her diaper. I also got her dressed. I started the bath water while Dan got Chica dressed and brushed her teeth. I bathed quickly and got dressed. I kissed Dan good-bye. I hunted unsuccessfully for some markers for Chica. I put on make up. I fixed Chica's hair. I dried and brushed my hair. I changed Baby Sister's diaper. I brushed my teeth and put on my shoes. I grabbed the diaper bag, the car keys and my phone and put them in the car. I took Chica to the bathroom. I strapped Baby into her car seat and strapped her car seat in the car. I strapped Chica in her car seat. I filled a cup of ice water and grabbed two packages of granola bars. I darted through the house turning off all the lights and locked the doors.

I pulled out of the driveway nineteen minutes after our goal.

I parked the car in the street and ran back inside to grab a binky. We drove thirty minutes to church. I ate breakfast in the car. We sang Kari Jobe songs and talked about how excited we were for the carnival that afternoon. I prayed for Baby Sister (it was her first morning in the nursery.) We pulled into a packed parking lot. I vowed to someday have a section of parking spots reserved for parents of young children at my make believe church. I scolded myself for ever being late to church back when I was only responsible for getting myself ready. I parked far away, unstrapped everybody, grabbed our stuff and trekked to the Children's building. I checked in Chica, dropped her off at her class and headed for the baby building. I got a pager, took Sissy to her class, filled out her form and handed her over. Too late for the worship service, I walked to the youth building to hear Dan teach Sunday School. I fell into a chair, took a deep breath and contemplated having a sabbath during nap time.

Or maybe in 18 years.

sweet revenge

2011-10-13T12:32:00.000-05:00

This post isn't going to win me any Mama awards. Dan couldn't believe I continued taking pictures as the following scene unfolded before my eyes. It was just a matter of days before Little Sis took justice into her own hands and well, the pictures speak louder. See for yourself. :)

Revenge is sweet.

Reconciliation is sweeter.

But I think those purple striped leggings Big Sis paired with her Tigers shirt is sweetest of all.

smile

2011-10-07T09:50:00.001-05:00

At 7 weeks and 2 days Baby Sister reached my favorite milestone. She started smiling at us! First she smiled at her Daddy. Then she smiled at her Big Sister. Finally, finally she smiled at her Mama. I'm trying not to take it personally. :)

It's the greatest feeling to be talking to her and suddenly her eyes light up and her mouth opens wide in a crooked grin. It's still new enough that when it happens we start yelling for the rest of the family to come see. I thought you might want to see it too.

"Bloggers come quick! Hopie's smiling at me!!!"

two months old

2011-10-06T00:26:00.002-05:00

Our sweet Hopie is two months old today. Last night she moved into her own room. I cried a little as I changed her into her pajamas. It feels like the first step towards independence. (Is that dramatic?) With Chica we inched the bassinet down the hall a little farther each night. I figured this time I'd just rip the band aid right off and help myself to some ice cream from the freezer. So far Little Sister is an easy baby. (I think God knows I'm a bit of a pansy so He went easy on me.) :) She loves to sleep, has big blue eyes and just last week started smiling at us.
I don't know if anyone loves our smallest family member more than this child does. If her baby sister is awake, she wants to be right there in the action- helping change diapers, wiping off her face, dancing a jig. She couldn't keep away from our two month photo shoot.
Two sweet sisters as of two months today.

we like to party

2011-10-04T20:20:00.007-05:00

This past weekend was full of celebrating. Saturday morning Baby Sister and I went to a shower for my friend Whitney. Her baby boy is due at the end of the month and we can't wait for him to get here!

We were a little late to the party. Can somebody explain to me when on that rare morning you find yourself walking out the door on time, that is the moment when the baby majorly spits up or the older one looks like she got in a wrestling match with the tube of toothpaste? Is it the Law of Young Children? Pride commeth before a necessary wardrobe change?

Eventually we made it to the shower. Sissy was a happy camper. While the ladies passed her around, I took some pictures.

Here's the Mama to be opening our gift. It's an outfit for church.
After the shower we picked up the other half of our family and went to a birthday party for one of Reesie's friends from church. It was a princess party and everyone came dressed as royalty. Chica found this toy in the driveway and kept driving it into the bushes. I tried to help her back on to the pavement but she said she was mowing the lawn.

Cute party-goers.

Much to her delight, Chica got to take that pink sparkly crown home. She wore it to Sunday School the next day. And the day after that.
Partied out. :)
Yesterday the youth staff threw a party for Nathan.

Surprise!!

Someone was especially attentive once Mr. Nathan started opening his presents. :)

If this weekend was any indication, October is shaping up to be a really fun month!

the fear

2011-09-28T21:13:00.004-05:00

Dear Hopie,

Today I took your picture. What's new, right? Well this time when I took your picture, I saw it.

The Fear.

It was clear as day. I'm a woman who recognizes The Fear when I see it. The Fear strikes when you're in the process of changing the biggest blow out diaper you've ever seen and you remember the bag of wipes are at the other end of the house.

Or when you're watching Lion King 3D and Mufasa plunges to his death and your three year old bellows, "why isn't he moving???" for all the theater to hear.

The Fear.

What I can't figure out is how, at seven weeks old sweet girl, you've encountered this fear of which I speak.

Oh, that's right. I remember now.

I'm sorry Sissy, I won't let her do that to you again.

If she does, I'll just let you tell her what happened to Simba's dad and we'll call it even.
Love,

Mom

home videos

2011-09-27T22:21:00.004-05:00

Chica knows a new Bible verse and I thought her grandparents might want to hear it. She was so enthusiastic about us getting it on video we went ahead and recorded a few of her singing so I'm posting one of those as well. And because every three-year-old needs a hype man, Baby Sister got in on the action too. Next time I'll make sure she has a towel to swing around. :) Enjoy!!

Happy Fall!

2011-09-24T22:41:00.004-05:00

I'm taking the plunge this fall and starting to shoot on my camera's manual setting. I'm hoping in the long run the switch will mean better pictures of my girls but in the meantime it makes for a memory card full of bad shots. I did manage to get one keeper. Here's hoping for a fall full of memories captured manually! :)

a list for Saturday

2011-09-17T06:30:00.004-05:00

1. It's been six weeks since Little Sister came into the world.

Time to reconnect with an old frenemy:

I started this week. One day Chica did it with me. It was great because her interpretations of the exercises distracted me from the fact that my entire body was on fire. Things took a turn for the worse when she stopped, looked at me, looked towards the TV, then back at me and remarked "Mama, you don't look like them at all." Nothing like the sweet encouragement from your three-year old trainer.

2. MOPS has started back up! My friend Leslie is the coordinator and I think it's going to be a great year! There are a ton of new girls which is exciting, especially because many of them have recently moved to the area. I can't wait to get to know everyone more. Also, where else can you arrive with baby spit-up on your shirt and not only are you allowed to stay but a room full of women immediately understand?

3. Thursday afternoon Danny called from work and asked if I was up for a date night. Heck yes I was! Well, kind of. When he got home we had a little time before the baby-sitter was scheduled to arrive. I asked him if he'd rather use that time to take a quick nap or for me to take a shower. He said nap. Gotta love married life. :) By the time we pulled out of the driveway, neither nap nor shower was had. Gotta love parenthood. :)

4. My sister gave me a Sleepy Wrap when Hope was born. I've used it so much in the past six weeks. It's comfortable, frees up both hands to wrangle my other child and saves me from having to lug around the ninety pound car seat when we run errands. Plus people's reactions are hilarious.

"Can the baby breath in there?"

"Oh, there's a baby in there! I thought you were pregnant but then I saw a head sticking out!"

And my personal fav:

"Is that for a school project? Oh, never mind, that baby is real!"

5. We're on smile watch. I went digging in the blog archives and Chica smiled at exactly this time. Danny and I think we've caught a few smiles here or there but it's been so sporadic we're still not sure. I did capture this the other day while waiting for Big Sister to set up our Cootie Bug game. I'm not sure if she meant it or not, but it makes me that much more excited for her to smile for real. Come on Sissy!

6. Let it be known that this week all three Hinton girls survived their first trip to the grocery store together. I contemplated taking my real camera but was afraid it would jinx us into meltdowns all around. Plus Danny would never let me live that down. I did ask the cashier to take a quick picture on my phone.

Chica took several more on the way out of the store to document the victory.

Happy Weekend!!

back to school

2011-09-13T12:30:00.005-05:00

"Mama! I'm ready to go to school now!" she yelled from her bed this morning. Her voice carried down the hallway into the bedroom of her not-yet-ready parents. We had proper warning. She's been talking about school starting since it ended last spring. Every time we drove past the building this summer she'd ask how much longer until the door wasn't locked anymore. (It was the easiest explanation I could come up with.)

The great and glorious day has arrived, much to the delight of our favorite pre-schooler.
Here she is on her big day last year:

We love you Big Girl! Let your light shine!!

funny faces

2011-09-12T15:26:00.002-05:00

This is Chica's current favorite picture of her little sister. I hope it makes you laugh as hard as we do.

Sissy makes great faces. Much to our entertainment, even sleep doesn't keep her from trying out the entire emotional gamut of expressions. I think she's practicing up to join the likes of the other two, how shall I say it...demonstrative women in her family. Heaven help our lone male. :)

double take

2011-09-12T00:32:00.009-05:00

What do you think? Can you tell these babies are related?

Sister #1:

Sister #2:

Sister #1:

Sister #2:

M-I-Z!

2011-09-09T21:59:00.002-05:00

The Tigers are playing in Arizona tonight so we're staying up late to cheer them on. Being on a newborn's schedule is super helpful when your favorite team is playing a night game out west. :)

It's Little Sister's first season cheering on the Tigers. Let's hope it's a good one!!

1 month old

2011-09-05T20:48:00.004-05:00

Little Sister is one month old today. I'm not quite sure how that happened. I think Dan said it best when he described the last four weeks as the fastest month of his life. Except for that week when Chica and I did our best to put each other in therapy (or extend what is sure to be many hours of future therapy) I have to agree.

I'm amazed at how fast the days go. It seems like when my feet hit the ground in the morning they don't stop until Dan gets home from work at night. Even then there's a multitude of half finished tasks because on the way to completion a diaper needs changing, toilet paper needs replacing, a snack has rolled under the table or the washing machine beeped. I'm so grateful for the support of our family and friends as we adjust to this phase of life. Especially considering how flakey I've become now that I'm responsible for two tiny women. :)

At one month old Hope loves: sleeping, spitting up, ceiling fans, warm baths, cool car rides and going on walks.

She does not love: gas, being cold or getting her clothes changed.

Throughout the pregnancy I wondered how I could possibly love another child like I love Reese. Moms of multiple children assured me that I would and could. Turns out they were right. When Hope came into the world one month ago, she hightailed off with our hearts. I tell her all the time how much we wanted her and how glad we are that she's here. How time flies! Speaking of time, how about a picture from the archives for a fun one month comparison? :)

good numbers

2011-08-28T20:58:00.002-05:00

Two sisters

plus

one unmade bed

equals

one wonderful Sunday afternoon in the Hinton home.

first trip to the dentist

2011-08-22T16:06:00.005-05:00

A few days before we had the baby we took Chica to her very first dentist appointment. This time I wasn't so busy shopping that I couldn't attend. :) We're blessed to know a pediatric dentist through Downline Ministries. He and Danny went through the program the same year and have traveled together on a couple of mission trips since then. His office is pretty far from our house but our experience was totally worth the trip.

The whole office was decked out kid style. They gave Chica a name tag which I loved because everyone immediately knew her name and talked to her like she'd been going there forever. I wasn't sure how she'd do, but she hopped right up on the chair and laid down. She held still throughout the cleaning, flossing and exam. They said she did great for being three years old. Atta girl, Big Girl!

Free toothbrush!! Best day EVER! :)

2 week stats

2011-08-22T15:37:00.004-05:00

Friday Dan took both girls to Hope's two week check up with the pediatrician. I couldn't go because I was too busy shopping at my favorite bi-annual consignment sale. It's all about the priorities people and who are we kidding, those bargain children's clothes aren't going to purchase themselves.

Originally we arranged the schedule so that Dan and I could both go to the appointment. Unfortunately, we're still trying to master the art of leaving the house on time with all family members accounted for, somewhat dressed and fed. (See last Tuesday morning, my first solo attempt to be somewhere with both girls by 9:00 and we arrived sixty-five minutes late. I could beat myself up about it, instead I'm viewing it as the new time to beat.)

Thankfully Daniel is a beast of a father and had it all under control. Most importantly, our Hopie is a healthy girl. She's in the 95 percentile for weight (9'15'') the 90 percentile for height (21.2") and 90 percentile for head circumference (37cm). Her doctor thinks she might have an extra sensitive gag reflex. When he examined her ears, it made her gag. It obviously isn't interfering with her eating though. :)

the first two weeks

2011-08-19T22:24:00.005-05:00

We're two weeks in and the natives are getting restless. By that I mean the grandparents are itching for more pictures of our girls. :) I've got to keep this pretty short. We're doing well but this whole doubling our children thing has flat worn me out. Hope is eating well and sleeping even better. (Nursing was tougher this time around for sure, but it's getting easier as we go. I forgot how hard it is in the beginning!)

Big Sister has been really sweet to the baby. Not so much to her parents. Let's just say we're all trying to figure out how to be part of our family of four. It's been quite the learning curve. Thankfully, several friends have had Chica over this week for play dates. It's helped both of us tremendously. I'm praying this time of transition is short!

Here we are leaving the hospital. She's wearing the second runner up outfit. Her Daddy deemed her original outfit cruel and unusual punishment. Therefore we had to "borrow" one of the hospital shirts after they told us we had to leave them there. On the way out, something set off the alarm in the maternity ward so we were on lock down for a bit. I was a little worried our lifted infant shirt would set it off again. Fortunately we made it out and are now just a few shirt snatchers living outside the law.

This picture makes me laugh. Last week we went to the pediatrician to have her weighed. I was concerned with how much she prefers sleeping to eating but looking at this makes me wonder why I was ever nervous to begin with.

Shout out from the swing! She's getting better at keeping that paci in.

Before leaving for a friend's house Chica asked me to take her picture with the baby. We were already an hour late so of course I obliged.
Their first walk side by side.
Sleepy girl.
Sister love.
It's time for this two week old to eat, gotta go for now!

one week old

2011-08-13T04:57:00.002-05:00

How can it be?

40 weeks

2011-08-11T22:02:00.005-05:00

Today was my due date! Instead we've spent the last five days enjoying our baby on the outside. :)

No time for make-up. Too little brain power to post much else. But I did want to thank everyone for their outpouring of love, sweet comments, phone calls and visits. We are in love with our precious girl!

I'll try to be back just as soon as sleep, feeding schedules and brain cells permit. :)

one day old

2011-08-07T18:33:00.002-05:00

there's someone we'd like for you to meet...

2011-08-06T21:54:00.008-05:00

Introducing

Hope Margaret Hinton

Born August 6 at 5:38 PM

8 lbs 13 oz

21" long

Let the family of four fun begin!

it's baby eve!

2011-08-05T21:47:00.001-05:00

When I started writing this post it was titled "baby month." Since then I've been at the doctor's office for my weekly check up. Turns out my blood pressure was higher than it's been so the doctor scheduled an induction for Monday morning. (The most amount of time he'd allow for Baby Sister to get here on her own.) An hour later the office called to tell us the hospital's schedule is full for Monday so they bumped me up to this weekend. All that to say, Danny and I are leaving for the hospital in the morning to deliver this baby!

I'm all kinds of emotional mess right now. Nine months of pregnancy hormones sure don't help. This isn't how we saw this going but that doesn't mean it's out from under the authority of God. We're trusting Him.

Here we are in all our 39 week glory:

Lord willing, the next picture up here will be one of our healthy, beautiful baby girl. Thank you for your prayers!

a gold star for me

2011-07-19T14:49:00.003-05:00

I know it can be a little annoying, totally cocky, even somewhat desperate to promote yourself on your own blog, but let me say this:

If there was a World Cup in getting this group of children to giggle for the camera, I could take down the entire country of Japan single handedly. If there was an Olympic gold medal given to the photographer most capable of getting them to cough up natural smiles simultaneously, I'd be wearing that puppy around my neck on my weekly trips to Kroger.

Granted, Little Man on the far right hasn't quite figured out my brand of humor, but I'm telling you, it's only a matter of time.
They always succumb to Auntie Rachel's brand of crazy.

she is smitten

2011-07-18T15:00:00.004-05:00

My mama's girl is switching teams.

The nursing sessions were replaced with weekly Daddy/Daughter dates long ago. Now that her mother's belly is too swollen to carry her around, she's discovered the arms of her Daddy are a quite fitting replacement.

She's somber when he goes to work, squeals when she hears the garage door open later that day and makes him chase her down for a good-night kiss.

The other day I watched from the table as they filed through the restaurant. Perched on her Daddy's hip, arm dangling over his shoulder, she had a perfect view of the Chipotle ingredients. Her fingers stroked the back of his hair. As they passed the salsa choices she clutched the sides of his face and pulled him close until their cheeks were smashed together.

I don't know if she's ever been as smitten with her Daddy as she is now.

But I can't say I blame her...she has impeccable taste.

36 weeks

2011-07-13T15:18:00.004-05:00

We're down to our final month! Baby Sister will be here in the next four weeks (give or take a few) which means:

1. I really need to pull out the bassinet. And find the infant car seat. And track down the storage bin of newborn clothes. And buy a pack of diapers. And wipes...

2. I've surrendered to the waddle on an occasional basis. Listen, the last thing I want is to walk like a duck, but sometimes it just feels so good to embrace the totter. (Especially by the end of the day.)

3. It's tough to get out of bed without grunting. Poor Dan. Hopefully this symptom doesn't escalate into a full blown professional tennis player's yelp or I might be driving myself to the hospital.

4. She weighs about six pounds.

5. Chica is running out of room on my lap. She told me so the other day as she shifted around trying to make more space. Few things make me happier than when she's sitting on me and the baby kicks her. I think it's Baby Sister's way to payback her Big Sister for all those loving smacks she likes to give me on the belly.

6. Last week was our last trip. We're staying put until she gets here. (Cue the butterflies. The nerves are taking over!)

7. No more Twister games with my firstborn.

8. I'm doing my best to savor this last little bit of being pregnant.

We'll be seeing you soon Baby Girl!!

three fourths (of july)

2011-07-04T22:17:00.005-05:00

34 weeks

2011-07-02T20:29:00.002-05:00

Hello 34 weeks. (yea!) Hello pumpkin head. (boo.)

It was only a matter of time.

The battle between belly and face has begun and in just a few weeks, people will be placing bets on which body part is actually housing the baby. Instead of lamenting the inevitable Saturn Head Summer 2011 Edition, I'm thanking God for another good check-up at the doctor's office. Baby Sister is a healthy girl!This week I asked Chica if there's anything she wanted to say to her baby sister.

"Yes! Can you tell her something about me?"

Baby Girl's been hearing all kinds of interesting facts about her older sister. Speaking of, she told her Daddy today to take some pictures of her belly too.
Answer me this, do you think she's milking the moment for all its worth or making a complete mockery of her mother?

Love,

One Blessed Big Head

last month

2011-06-29T22:32:00.001-05:00

Summer is in full swing. Being as far along in this pregnancy that I am, it's been a tad hard to know how to approach all the fun of the season. On one hand, it's my last summer with an only child. I want to make the most of it. She's always been a girl on the go, so I want to go and do to her little heart's content, soaking up every minute of summer stuff. After all, "going" and "doing" is about to get a lot more complicated.

On the other hand, it's my last summer before another (tiny, dependent) family member (with very specific, round the clock needs) joins our ranks. Recalling all that having an infant entails makes me want to fall on the couch, prop up my feet and put Cinderelly on repeat. After all, rest time for mama is about to get a lot less frequent.

Maybe I'll ask some mamas of more than one for their advice.

In the meantime, all the summer loving has really done a number on my blogging time. Exhibit A- I'm about to post pictures from Memorial Day Weekend. Here's what may have happened a month ago. (No guarantees though because my memory stinks.)

We traveled to Missouri to see the Hinton family. Two family members were about to travel overseas so it was a great excuse to get everyone together. We spent a couple of days camping at the lake. The first night was too chilly for a swim, but just right for fishing.

Chica picked the right Hinton to help her fish. Auntie Sandra is like a fish whisperer.

Sure enough, after a little while she reeled one in with her pink princess button pole. The excitement transformed to terror when the fish started flopping on the dock. "AHHH!!! I'm scared!!"

Much better fish distance.

Here she's sweet talking her Grandad. Putty in her hands I tell you. :)

S'more face.

If you give an only grand-child a hammock, she's going to ask for a pillow to go with it.

By Sunday after church, the weather had warmed up considerably so we ventured out for swimming, boating and a tube ride.

Sweet talking her daddy. The Hinton men in general don't stand a chance.

The whole Hinton clan. Thanks for having us Grammy & Grandad!

The Hintons who flew in from Chicago. We tried not to harass them too much for some cousins.

Speaking of cousins, they drove up to see us while we were in town. Baby Boy:

Middle Man:

Big Sister:

The whole crazy crew came!

It was a memorial-ble weekend indeed! :)

someday...

2011-06-22T13:57:00.000-05:00

Someday I won't be able to know where she is at all times.

Someday she'll feel the bitter sting of exclusion.

Someday insecurities will begin to seep into her thoughts.

Someday an opportunity to stand against injustice will present itself.

Someday an outcast will look to her for acceptance.

Someday she will be some one's boss, wife, mother, friend.

Someday she will choose who or what will be her master.

Someday someone will ask her to compromise her convictions.

Someday she'll have to discern that which is true from that which is false.

Knowing that those somedays are coming makes our todays that much more important.

"Lord, help me to be strategic."

32 weeks

2011-06-20T14:35:00.004-05:00

According to the authority of the Internet, Baby Hinton is about 12 inches long and weighs a whopping 4 pounds. She's still a mover and a shaker with pretty predictable periods of wakefulness. I can't wait to see what she looks like. As you can see her Big Sister is all ham:
I had intended to take this picture by myself but she strutted on over to join me as soon as her nana whipped out the camera.

As for me, I'm feeling really good! I'm having mild contractions throughout the day and I'm sleeping great at night. (Granted, summer is just getting started and I still have eight weeks to go. Not to mention the fact that a single onesie has yet to make its way out of storage nor are we any closer to picking a name than we were before I got pregnant.)

Maybe this glorious state of denial/procrastination (eight weeks is plenty of time to get everything that needs to be done, done!) is a new pregnancy symptom?

I guess for now I'm just thankful for feeling this good and the sweet relief of air conditioning-without which, the former wouldn't be possible.

Girlfriend never could have made it as a pregnant pioneer.

dear daniel,

2011-06-19T21:23:00.002-05:00

On this special day your girls just want you to know how thankful we are that out of all the other daddies out there, God picked you for us. It takes an anointed man to do all you do in the midst of such spirited women. :) Thank you for working your tail off to make us your priority.

To our fearless leader and selfless servant- Happy Father's Day!!

With love from your biggest fans,

Mama & Buggo

today...

2011-06-05T20:37:00.005-05:00

...I'm trying to break out of my blogging rut.

...I was the last one up at my house. I could have slept all day long. I think my bed might be laced with a sleeping drug. At least Chica served me a lovely breakfast in bed. I had canned soup, a wedge of cheese, a hot dog, tea, a pear and a cookie. They were all made of plastic but hey, no calories!

...I had to miss my Sunday School class to serve in the nursery. The two-year-old boys loved my gold necklace a little too much. I need a Clorox wipe for the pendant.

...I'm 31 and a half weeks pregnant. As of three days ago, Baby Sister's foot looked like this:

She was holding it with her little hand. Now I'm wondering if she only has four toes on that foot.

...I'm thankful for functioning air conditioning in our home and both cars.

...I stared at this picture of the newest addition to our extended family and tried to imagine having one of my own in less than two months.

...I'm in desperate need of a haircut. And a brownie.

...I had a deep conversation in the car that was spurred on by a question from my ever growing Big Girl.

Recently heaven has been a popular topic. She told me I was going to have to fly to heaven on my own because I was way too big for Jesus to carry, but maybe He could sprinkle some pixie dust on me.

...I need another brownie. (Wait, what's the weight limit for holy pixie dust?)

tea cup face

2011-05-26T09:12:00.005-05:00

vacation top ten

2011-05-23T23:19:00.007-05:00

10 of My Favorite Memories from our Family Vacation:

10. How it was the perfect blend of relaxation on the beach (St. Augustine) and adventures in the most magical place on earth.
9. Experiencing it with friends in the same life stage. Potty breaks, pool floaties and sand castle building make for instant bonding. Plus Chica LOVED having girls there her age.
8. Eating like kings (the fresh fish was unforgettable!) at the beach. Because our friends are the grill masters we weren't living on PB&J for the week.
7. Push the talking, robotic trashcan. He lives in Tomorrowland. I loved him so much I went back twice to try and find him.
6. Watching Chica collect autographs. She was big into meeting the characters. She made sure to sign the first page of her book before the trip started.
5. Getting Chica ready for her day at Magic Kingdom during the 90 second monorail ride. Clothes, shoes, socks and hair were done by the time we reached our destination.
4. How well our Big Girl traveled now that she's older. She slept great in the big beds and used the hotel restroom all by herself.
3. Watching Chica go down her first water slide alone. Her smile was so big. Watching Dan catch her over and over. If ever there was a Daddy completely smitten with his daughter.
2. Not wanting it to end.
1. Escaping for the week with my two favorite people. We got to play hooky from the rest of the world, enjoy each other, laugh, make memories and remember what drew us together in the first place.

Thank you family members and friends for helping us have an incredible week away. Whether it was the birthday gifts or bearing with us while Danny was out of the office, we are grateful and better off as a family. Much love and appreciation to you!

29 weeks

2011-05-21T14:11:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it, but I'm twenty-nine weeks along and well into my third trimester. (Sorry the picture is a little funky but it was the best I could do. Dan had already left for work so I had to set the camera timer. Chica was in the bathroom plastering stickers over every square inch of her body Kat Von D style and we were supposed to be somewhere in ten minutes.)
Mama update:

I'm not sure if it's from coming off of vacation or being nearly 30 weeks pregnant, but fatigue came back with a vengeance this week and I think I have a bit of a chest cold. Poor Dan has had to listen to me hack all night long these past couple of nights. Other than that I'm feeling great and I can't wait for my pair of Ebay maternity jeans to come in the mail. :) I failed my one hour glucose test and had to take it again on Friday. Thank goodness, I passed my second time around.

Baby Hinton update:

Our (still nameless) baby is an active thing! I can tell she's getting stronger and we'll go back to the doctor in a couple of weeks for a routine growth ultrasound. Even having gone through this once before, it's still hard to believe a little human is growing in there. I've started to wonder what she's going to look like and what kind of personality she'll have. We can't wait to meet her!

may {so far}

2011-05-18T13:33:00.009-05:00

Since May rolled around, our little family has been on the move.

We took Chica camping (twice). The first trip bad weather sent us home in the middle of the night, but the second trip we made it through until morning. When Chica wasn't too busy overseeing her Daddy's work, she helped pitch the tent, found sticks for the camp fire and hunted for frogs with her flash light.

One weekend Danny flew to Atlanta for a ministry trip and us girls got to tag along. We visited the aquarium and went to a Braves game where Chica learned how to eat peanuts.

Chica had her last day of school for the year. The night before I took her I thought about how much she's grown since her first day of school last fall. I cried about saying good-bye to her incredible teacher. She's the first teacher Big Girl's ever pretended to be. One afternoon we saw her at Chic-fil-A and Reesie was completely star struck. Oh how she will miss going to school this summer!

(First day of school.)

(Last day of school.)

While Danny worked, the Hinton girls road-tripped to Missouri to attend my brother's college graduation. We spent the weekend celebrating Uncle Bubby with the cousins.

We spent Mother's Day with friends. It was the first year Chica was able to sign the card all by herself. Then Danny turned 26 years old so the best cake in the world (Hy-vee brand with whipped icing) made its way from Missouri to our happy home.
We dipped our toes in the Atlantic Ocean.
Mingled with royalty.
And even got autographs from some famous people we ran into along the way.
All in all, it's been an eventful May. I better go tackle some laundry before I'm tempted to eat a second (ok, third) piece of Dan's birthday cake.

Easter/Birthday Weekend 2011

2011-04-27T07:42:00.009-05:00

Our weekend in enough pictures to wallpaper your bedroom:

3 years old!!

2011-04-25T10:11:00.005-05:00

Dear Reesie,

Today you are three years old! I don't know where the time went this past year, but it sure was a big one for you. You learned how to use the potty, said good-bye to binky, slept in a toddler bed for the first time and even began to learn how to read. It's hard to believe that the seven pound squirming baby Daddy and a room full of nurses cheered into the world is now such a big girl.

We fell in love when they put you in our arms but we had no clue how much joy you would come to bring to our lives. While I'm sad to see you get older I can't wait to see what God has in store for you this next year. Bring it on three!

In honor of your birthday being on April 25, here are twenty-five of my favorite things about you, our newly three-year-old:

1. Your sweet voice.

2. How you ask to listen to "My God's Not Dead" by David Crowder every time we get in the car.

3. How excited you are to be a big sister and how according to you, you already are one.

4. Your long legs and arms.

5. The way you sit and read books with us- all day long if you could.

6. How you pinch your thumb and pointer finger together to put up three fingers.

7. The way you pray for things by thanking God for them, as if they've already happened.

8. Your love for your glitter shoes and how you call them your "sprinkle" shoes.

9. When you get dressed in the morning you'll ask me who gave you each article of clothing you're putting on.

10. How you can recognize and identify restaurant signs after eating there once.

11. The way you talk and interact with your Daddy. How you love for him to chase you around the house and take you on Daddy/Daughter dates to Chic-Fil-A and Dirt Cheap.

12. How you pump your fist in the air when you sing the last part of "How Great Thou Art."

13. How every curb becomes a balance beam for you to walk on.

14. The face you make when you concentrate.

15. Your method of climbing onto the big girl potty all by yourself. It looks like you're mounting a horse and makes me crack up every time.

16. Your dimples when you smile. I could kiss them a hundred times a day. (And that you let me.)

17. The voice and mannerisms you use when you get to be in charge.

18. How you make your Daddy stand at the bottom of the tunnel slide and yell "all clear" before you slide down.

19. The way you use your thumb to point at things.

20. Your ornery sense of humor and great appreciation for all things funny.

21. How you're not afraid to say no to big kids when they want you to do something you have no interest in doing.

22. That out of all the stories in your toddler Bible, you want to read "Joseph's Coat" every night before bed.

23. That you prefer Daddy's method for shampooing your hair.

24. That you're willing to do chores.

25. The times we hear you through your monitor praying yourself to sleep at night.

Happy Birthday Precious Girl!!

Your Daddy and I are crazy about you!!

24 weeks

2011-04-22T15:20:00.003-05:00

I'm 24 weeks along! (Well truthfully, I kind of lost track.) I'm somewhere around there and when I go back to the doctor in a few weeks I'm going to have to ask him to clarify and then write it down. Maybe I'll make a paper chain or have Dan keep track for me. This baby is robbing me of brain cells I can't spare to lose!

(When Chica saw her Daddy getting ready to take my picture yesterday she came running over to get in the shot. Do you think it's a conditioned response?)
This ultrasound was from my appointment last week. Baby Hinton was breech at our 20 week appointment so the technician couldn't get a good view of her spine. Baby cooperated this time around and thankfully, everything looked great.
By this point her ears are fully formed and functioning. I guess that means it's also the week she learns how to sleep through anything. The other day Chica decided she wanted to say hello to her baby sister. She walked over to where I was and gave the side of my belly two solid whacks. Let the sweet sibling love commence. :)

a royal birthday tea party

2011-04-20T14:05:00.008-05:00

My baby's going to be three on Monday.

Instead of throwing that match onto my emotional bonfire, drenched in the lighter fluid of pregnancy hormones, how about I show you pictures from her party instead?

We went small this year. Small and simple. With a family vacation coming up, our house on the market and several other factors at play, I just wasn't up for anything else. So simple it was. And you know what? It was my favorite party of hers to date.

We invited a handful of friends to the house for lunch, cake and play time. Each guest was asked to come in her favorite princess outfit.

Here's the Birthday Girl, waiting for her guests to arrive. She was so excited for her party she got dressed an hour early and sat in that seat while her Daddy and I completed the final preparations.

The princess spread: PB&J cut into flowers, Cheetos, strawberries, apples, cantaloupe, celery, cucumbers, carrots and pink cupcakes with pink icing (as requested by the Birthday Girl.) We grilled out for the adults.
The princess entrance is this way.
At last the guests started to arrive! Two Cinderellas, Belle and Ariel were all in attendance.
Who needs a prince on a white horse when you can tuck your donkey under your arm and haul it up the stairs all by yourself?

Chica wanted to open presents first, so that's just what we did.

If a present is really tough to open, try hoisting up your glass slipper for better leverage.
Time to eat!

After lunch it was time for cupcakes and pink tea.

After lunch was lots and lots of playing. Can you believe it, not a single princess had a meltdown. (They were too busy getting away with things like this):

Before we knew it, it was time for everyone to go home. Nap time had come and we didn't want anyone turning into a pumpkin. Before she went to sleep, Chica thanked me for her party in her sweet, unsolicited way. I'm so glad my nearly three year old enjoyed herself.

Partied out princess with her one heck of a party planning assistant Daddy.

why self esteem is a must

2011-04-14T10:14:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, Chica and I went into a public restroom. (Who knew an almost three year old and a five month pregnant mama's bathroom breaks would be as synchronized as they have turned out to be?) We walked into the stall and there, towards the very back of the toilet seat was a tiny chink in the porcelain.

"Ewwww, that potty is YUCKY!"

On account of the other baby using my bladder as her personal trampoline, I wasn't up for switching stalls this late in the game. I hoisted my toddler up on the toilet and assured her that there was no way she was touching the yucky spot.

"See baby? Your bottom isn't nearly big enough to reach that far back on the seat."

She paused to contemplate that argument, looked me up and down and replied, "No, but YOURS is."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Portrait of Mama the Onion Head:

A Portrait of Daddy with a Ponytail (that rebel!):

Please note that after drawing the heads, she asked me to finish the bodies. I'm hoping the cute skirt downplays my massive backside.

If her renderings are accurate, it's amazing someone so cute could come from the likes of us. :)

22 weeks

2011-04-11T08:54:00.009-05:00

Good morning bloggers! Chica's watching her What's in the Bible dvd, so I've bought myself a few minutes to update the blog. She just informed me that the pirate covering the timeline of church history is not pointing his "knife" (sword) towards the ground and asked me to please take a picture of her, so this might have to wait until nap time.

I'm 22 weeks along! I researched what's going on at 22 weeks, but that was a few days ago and the only thing I can remember is that baby girl is about the length of a package of Oreos. For some reason that one fact is what my pregnant brain retained. :) Baby Sister is quite the active girl. She has the hiccups regularly (just like her big sister did) and you can see her movements from the outside. She loves Sunday School class. Yesterday, during our lesson out of Romans she flipped and jumped the entire time. Can't say I blame her, chapter four makes me want to do a couple of hitch kicks too! Also unique to week 22- I got my first comment from a stranger in public.

Chica noticed her daddy taking my picture and wanted in on the action. (I have tried for 10 minutes to make the underline go away, but for the life of me, I can't figure it out. The dvd is winding down so I'm forging through. So sorry for the annoyance!)

Dan brought Chica a soccer uniform back from El Salvador. She loves it so much she's worn it twice in the past week.

I can hear the finale song, which means time to wrap it up. Happy Monday bloggers!

if you consign it, I will come

2011-04-01T07:48:00.001-05:00

Today is a happy day in the Hinton home! In just a few hours we'll pick our favorite husband/Daddy up from the airport. He's been serving pastors and lay leaders in El Salvador for the past week. While we're proud of all the team did while they were there and expectant for what God will continue to do, we are ready to have our "Daddo" back!

The week without him has been surprisingly quick. Chica was a little resistant at nap time and woke up several nights to use the restroom, which was unusual. It could be she's more aware of when she needs to go or that the abnormal family dynamic threw her off. Heck, for all I know the wind could have changed and our toddler would adopt some new quirk.

I've felt spoiled with how much contact I've had with Dan while he's been gone. Somehow he had internet connection so he emailed a quick update each day. One afternoon during his break we got to Skype. Chica played him a song on the keyboard. Then she turned on one of the auto-beats and danced around the room, barking out orders for her father to join her. Even from five countries away, Chica can effectively boss her parents into a family of three flash mob.

I made sure in my email last night to let him know that my toughest sacrifice for the trip has yet to happen. You see, this morning I'm attending my favorite consignment sale of the year. You might wonder, what's the big deal about that? Well I'll tell you. Consignment sales happen to be the mother-load of all gently used but steeply discounted children stuff. They are a divine blessing sent from above to moms on a budget who were shocked to discover just how much money kids can suck from the income each month. I'm pretty sure when God first revealed the concept of a consignment sale, a choir of angels burst forth in song.

Or maybe that was just a chorus of ministry moms everywhere.

Needless to say, word has spread about this discounted goldmine of everything kids. Women arrive in droves to clothe, transport and entertain their children for less. While I love my precious, sweet, lovey doodle bug more than words, Girlfriend seriously cramps my consignment shopping style.

But alas, her father is on the mission field, serving a cause of eternal magnitude. So I must venture forth with my daughter at my side/duct taped to her stroller and shop.

If her Daddy's going to travel to a foreign country to teach the message of Christ's strategy, then the least I can do is educate her in the danger of paying retail.

sisterly love?

2011-03-25T16:23:00.000-05:00

Monday morning I took this picture of the bears at the zoo. Since learning we'll be parenting two girls in the not so distant future, I can't look at it without giggling. Here's hoping this isn't a foretaste of what's to come and these "encounters" will be minimal! :)

20 weeks and 2 daughters

2011-03-24T08:37:00.001-05:00

If the title of this post or the picture didn't give it away, today we are twenty weeks along. Halfway there! Yesterday our family had a really, really fun morning. Thank you everyone for your kind messages, phone calls and texts. It meant so much to share our news because we are thrilled! More on that in a little bit...

I hadn't intended for Chica to come along for the appointment. Had anything looked unusual or suspect on the ultrasound I would have wanted time to process it with Danny alone. However, some options fell through so we ended up bringing her.

Here's the proud Big Sister waiting for her unwavering sibling prophecy to be revealed to the rest of us. Talk about naming and claiming, the child thanked God for her baby sister before I was ever pregnant.
The technician could tell right away what the gender was. She announced "girl!" and while the Danny and I celebrated, Chica calmly flashed an I-told-you-so face in our direction. She had to wonder why her parents were so surprised at something she had confirmed to be fact months ago.

Let it go on the record, you were right Sweet Girl! You knew it all along. Thanks for bearing with your crazy parents when we tried to convince you there was another possibility.
As the technician went through her checklist, I thanked God for every "normal" box she clicked on the screen. Having witnessed the fragility of such tiny life, I better understand now (than I did with Chica) that not one step of this pregnancy is for certain.

And as for having a girl? Well, I don't know if any words can describe how I feel.

I really, really wanted Chica to have a sister. A sister is a friend built into your family. She can be your role model or your accomplice. She can drive you nuts. She can tease your parents with you and appreciate the truth behind the jokes. She's a common heritage. Another life so intertwined with your own, whose shared roots cover a multitude of temporary spats.

Not only will Chica have a sister, Danny and I are getting a daughter. Another daughter. I've walked with God long enough to get a good view of the ugliness in my heart. No amount of false humility is needed for me to confess my soul and my mind would have flailed in sin for the rest of my days had it not been for the mercy of God.

That being said, I know that I know that anything good in my life is because of God's grace.Grace alone. I don't believe children are given (or taken away) on account of merit. Not one part of me deserves to be a mother. My only explanation as to why God would choose to entrust, not just one but two daughters to our family is this- it has nothing to do with me. Therefore I praise Him all the more. He is lavish love to those unworthy of such.

At our post-ultra sound party at Chick-Fil-A I tried to explain to Danny what I was thinking, but all this bewildered mind could come up with was, "I cannot BELIEVE He would do this for us. Two daughters. Two daughters. I just CAN'T believe this...." And Dan nodded along to his rambling, crazy wife.

Speaking of rambling, how about I cut it off here for today and show you the newest picture of our smallest family member?

Newest baby girl, we love you. And while you already hold a special place in our family, we can't wait to have you in our arms. Rest well and grow. We'll be seeing you soon Little Sister. Our Daughter.

"I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." Psalm 16:2

it's a.....

2011-03-23T10:48:00.005-05:00

We're back from our appointment and couldn't wait to let you know....

bye-bye blue....

pink reigns supreme in our home!

Baby GIRL Hinton is on her way!!!!

pink or blue, blue or pink?

2011-03-22T12:09:00.004-05:00

Will Chica be getting a baby sister

or will a baby brother be coming home

from the hospital?

Tomorrow morning, we'll find out!

We can't wait!!!

we met them in st. louis

2011-03-20T20:38:00.006-05:00

Last week each small group of students in the youth group took a road trip to celebrate their spring break and bond over all the wild memories made in the course of the 24 hours they were gone. On Monday, some middle school girls headed to St. Louis. Because their destination was only a few hours away from my sister's house (and Monday happened to be her only day off that week) Chica and I hitched a ride with the students to meet up with the cousins for the day. Dad and Jackson heard about our crazy escapades and joined in on the fun.

We spent the day at the City Museum. I think it's called that because at least half the city of St. Louis is there at all times. It's not hard to understand the museum's appeal. Such a neat, neat place for little and big kids alike. The toddlers had us on our toes all day long. Chica scaled some of the big kid stuff so fast I was sure I needed paddles to get my heart going again. She was so worn down by the end of the trip that at dinner as she sat in my lap, too tired to eat, her little head slumped over in sleep surrender. We both drifted off as the bus headed home.

There wasn't a whole lot of time to pull out the camera. Here's what I did manage to get- the players, a smattering of their adventures and the sweet middle school girls who put up with us. :)

a belated birthday recap

2011-03-18T11:09:00.003-05:00

I was about to post a recap of last weekend until I looked at the calendar and realized what I was going to write about actually happened two weekends ago. What's the source of my lapse? Well, recently I've been exploring a new interest. I hesitate to qualify it as a hobby because knowing me I could drop it like a hot potato at any given point. Here's a picture hint at my latest infatuation that's eaten into my blogging time in a major way:

(Indeed I have lost my ever loving mind.)

Moving on with my two week old post that's possibly irrelevant and probably breaks all kinds of blog laws.

The first weekend in March we celebrated my birthday. I woke up to a huge box of donuts, some with sprinkles! We stuck some candles on top and ate them too fast to bother with plates.
It would have been a pretty low key weekend, but look who came all the way from Oklahoma to help us celebrate! Poor Mr. Justin went through the ringer on his first trip to the Hinton home. It didn't help that Chica continued to call him "Aunt Jess." (?)Like anyone else who comes to visit, Chica showed no mercy on our guests. There were epic triumphs and defeats over Candy Land, Sequence and Cootie Bug. One night it was warm enough to play outside, so Chica loaded up four bags worth of stuff she "needed" to survive the three feet trek down the sidewalk to the lawn. (Makes her mama proud.) Mr. Justin threw pitches to our (as of now) little switch hitter. (Makes her daddy proud.) About ten minutes later the baseball game turned into a shopping trip up and down the sidewalk.
Meanwhile I forced our other guest to make me a birthday cake. Actually, she bossed me to sit in my seat while she did all the work. She's a firstborn you know. :)

The night I turned the big 2-6, Dan got a babysitter and we met some friends for dinner. I've grown so accustomed to wrangling a toddler wherever we go that relaxing during an entire meal is a bit foreign. In a way it's almost like I've forgotten how to be completely present and carry on one continual conversation without being interrupted every few minutes. Think the onset of old age is to blame? :)

Thank you Debs and Mr. Justin for coming to see us. It made this birthday extra special!
Daniel, thank you that during such a heavy work week you took time off to bless your wife with extra of you. Thank you for your patience and mercy as I continue to grow up. I'm so grateful I can harass you to "be nice" to me on my birthday because the truth is you lavish me with kindness all the other 364 days too.

My hope for my 26th year of life is this:

"You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance."

Psalm 65:11 NKJV

week 18

2011-03-12T17:02:00.002-06:00

Time for a Baby Hinton update! Yesterday I went to my monthly check-up. The baby's measuring great, had a strong heartbeat of 150 and is moving all over the place. (I started noticing movement at 15 weeks but it wasn't until this week that Dan could feel the baby too!)

The doctor noticed that I haven't gained any weight yet. I told him my children are stealing all my food. Whatever I'm eating, Chica claims at least half of and then Baby Hinton mooches the rest. I'm a little relieved though because when I was 18 weeks along with Chica, I had already gained 15-20 pounds. (And I kept packing them on until the very end.) (Somebody saw her Daddy taking pictures and wanted to get in the shot.) :)

I asked her what it was like living in Mommy's tummy. She said, "It was like toast" and dissolved into a fit of giggles.
The most exciting part about my appointment was that my doctor scheduled our big ultrasound for March 23! In just over a week they'll examine all of Baby's major organs and tell us the gender.

Speaking of gender, a few weeks ago my mom came to visit. She had heard about this test that claims to predict your baby's gender. When we saw how much it cost at Walgreens, we went home empty handed. This morning my mom sent me a birthday package and lo and behold, look what was included in the envelope:
Of course I HAD to take it right away. And the result:

We won't be decorating the nursery or picking out a name for at least eleven more days. But if this test turns out to be right, Dan is going to have to pick me up off the floor.

And then tend to his toddler who is thoroughly convinced God is bringing her a baby sister.

We can't wait!!

school picture day

2011-03-09T14:59:00.003-06:00

Last week was school picture day for Chica. I'm hesitant to purchase school pictures because they typically don't capture Chica with an authentic smile on her face. It's usually more like an I'll- sit-here-and-grit-my-teeth-if-it-means-I'll-be-done-quicker expression. Funny, her Daddy makes that same face when he's forced to take our quarterly family picture. It's torture I tell ya.

However, I couldn't let a freshly ironed outfit (a phenomenon around these parts) go to waste so we had a short photo shoot before we left for school.

Bingo! If the $36 wallets don't work out I can always send one of these to the grandparents.

spice castle & pajamas

2011-03-01T21:10:00.005-06:00

Before cooking dinner last night I pulled out all the spices in the cabinet to find the one I needed in the very back. While I had my back turned working at the stove, Chica pulled a chair over to the counter and went to town. At the sound of her enthusiastic, "TA-DA!" I whipped around to find a great wall of spices stretching from the sink to the fridge.
She was so proud of her "Spice Castle" I made her climb right back on her chair for a picture.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, in honor of the great letter "P" Chica's class had a pajama party. They celebrated with pizza for lunch. It's not every day you get to wear your jammies to school.
Thanking God for today and hoping to remember all the little things that make life with my favorite girl extra sweet. I love her so.

meeting Pioneer Woman

2011-02-27T15:23:00.009-06:00

So there's this blog. And pretty much if you have a blog, you know about this blog and you read it on a regular basis. Most likely your mom, your sister, your math teacher and your second cousin three times removed read it too.

Its author (Ree Drummond) goes by Pioneer Woman. She lives on a cattle ranch and writes about her life in the country. She's a fabulous photographer and recently she wrote a cookbook that landed on the New York Times Best Seller list. Friday night she paid our town a little visit and Whitney, Chica and I were there to welcome her. Along with half the city. :)

It was my first time attending a book signing so I wasn't sure what to expect. Dan was out of town for the night which meant he couldn't tease me too much about being a crazy groupie. I told him earlier that afternoon I was going to meet someone I had met on the Internet. (One of my favorite things to do is to say something outrageous just to try and get a rise out of him. Aren't you so glad you're not to be married to me? It's become a bigger and bigger challenge to get the kind of shocked response I hope for. After four and a half years of marriage I think he's caught on to my ornery, tormenting ways.)

Here's my Internet friend. And she was right on time!

She answered a few questions from the audience.
She brought her husband. He's a real life cowboy. I wanted to ask him if horses really can sense human fear but I chickened out. Google before you speak and all.
I am so grateful the bookstore people didn't make us wait in one long line. Instead they called us up by groups according to the letter on our ticket. Whit, Chica and I were in group "M" so we had some time to kill. Thank goodness for the fabulous children's section of the store. It kept us busy for (literally) hours. Chica found this Duck & Goose sign and wanted me to take her picture. They are two of her favorite storybook characters.
Three hours later it was our group's turn!
This picture makes me giggle. Ree was completely warm and talkative but having stayed up way past bedtime, Chica gave her a slight stink eye.
Times it's worth waiting for three hours:

1. Riding Splash Mountain

2. Getting front row seats at a women's conference.

3. Giving birth

4. Meeting Pioneer Woman
Can this count as Baby Hinton's Week 16 belly picture?
I asked Chica how she felt about being done with the bookstore and this is what she did. (Again, waaaayyy past bedtime.)
She wanted to take a picture of me too. (Ten years from now it'll be easy to recognize which pictures she took because they're all of me with my giant face taking up most of the shot.)

Thanks Pioneer Woman for visiting our neck of the woods! We loved meeting you! (And also, sorry about the stink eye thing.)

only one you

2011-02-23T21:21:00.006-06:00

*The following is an excerpt from Francis Chan's book Crazy Love.

"Oswald Chambers writes, "Never make a principle out of your experience, let God be as original with other people as He is with you." To that I would add, "Be careful not to turn others' lives into the mold for your own." Allow God to be as creative with you as He is with each of us....We have a God who is a Creator, not a duplicator. He's never made a Francis Chan [or Chica] before."

You, my daughter, are the only you there will ever be.

May the world never be the same once you're through with it.

photo fun

2011-02-17T19:36:00.011-06:00

First of all, thank you to everyone who voted for Chica's picture last week. She made the website! You can see her snapshot by clicking here. If you don't see it right away, wait a few seconds, it will scroll through several that were chosen. How fun is that??

Today I went to MOPS and we made the cutest magnets with family pictures. Normally a tad cautious when it comes to crafts, I was totally into this one because I knew Reesie (our little comic) was going to love the final product. Can you tell what they are?

These

these

silly pairings galore!

I couldn't wait to see Chica's reaction to her mama's craft project.

It was love at first giggle!!

(And totally worth the additional 45 minutes I had to drive to get to MOPS because I had left my pictures at home. Sometimes I want to put myself in timeout.)

Here's Chica's first arrangement:
She was in self-induced stitches over giving her Daddy a Woody body.
The Hinton girls share the same sense of humor. What can I say? We bond over anything and everything that's the least bit silly. I'm pretty sure our love language is making each other laugh until it hurts. Even when the joke's on Daddy. :)

it's zoo season

2011-02-16T17:58:00.009-06:00

For our Christmas present this year, my dad and his family gave us a season pass to our local zoo. All our friends with kids say it's a must have and after taking Chica a couple of times last year, I understand why. Ever since we received it, I have been itching to go. Dan had the morning off and now that the weather has warmed up, it was the perfect time to go.

Here we are heading for the entrance. We parked at the front and pretty much had the place to ourselves!
These monkeys were near the front of the zoo and they were so entertaining. They did back flips as they flew from one rope to the next. I held my breath, nervous they would fall. We could have watched them all day, but Chica had her heart set on finding an alligator so off we went.

I'm so glad Dan came with us. I didn't have to try and recount for him all that we did. Plus we had quite the intellectual conversation over hypothetical survival scenarios should we ever find ourselves in the grizzly bear exhibit. It just wouldn't have been the same without him there. :)
Here we waited for the polar bear to come out. The attendant said she was coming shortly.
She was worth the wait.
When was the last time you saw something that made your arms freeze mid-air? :)
We tried getting a picture in front of the black bears, but it was hard to look away from them.
Doesn't it look like the panda is smiling as big as she is?
We didn't have time to see everything today, but thanks to Grandpa Ken, Kristine, Jackson and JJ, we'll be back soon! Thanks guys!!

week 14

2011-02-15T10:57:00.004-06:00

Our family had a lovely, low-key Valentine's Day yesterday. When Reesie woke up we told her there was a Valentine waiting for her. She walked right out the door of her room and over to the fireplace (where we stash all the presents.)

She squealed over each Dollar Tree treasure she pulled out of her bag. I love this fun, easy to please stage.

At lunch Dan had my favorite soup delivered to our front door. I haven't had it in a while and it was big enough to have as leftovers for today's lunch too.

We had dinner at home and then headed out for dessert. Applebee's has a fabulous dessert right now for $.99. We apologized to our waitress and ordered three of them with waters. We picked up a movie from RedBox on the way home.

Before bedtime I asked Dan to take a picture of our smallest valentine. I'm in my fourteenth week (a little into my fourth month.) This past week friends have said they see a belly and it's definitely more noticeable at night.

I'm not sure how many pictures I'll take along the way. With Chica, I made the mistake of not taking any until the very end. By that point it was hard to tell which was bigger- my belly or my face. :)

As of now, Baby Hinton's major organs and skeletal system are formed and it's developing finger prints this week. He/She is about three and a half inches long. We already love our Tiny Valentine.

happy valentine's day!

2011-02-14T00:24:00.001-06:00

Love,

My Little Valentine, her Mama & her Daddy

identity crisis

2011-02-13T21:58:00.005-06:00

One night last week, a post Bible Time discussion immediately following the nativity story:

Chica

Do you think he liked being wrapped up like that?

Her Mama

Probably. Brand new babies love to be wrapped up tight.

Chica

Did Mary rock Baby Jesus to sleep?

Her Mama

I bet she did. Just like I used to rock you when you were a tiny baby.

Chica

Back when I was Baby Jesus?

Post Discussion Follow Up Notes:

1. Fire teacher.

2. Do more Bible Time.

nobody give her a credit card...

2011-02-10T20:27:00.002-06:00

...because she's armed and dangerous with that signature of hers.

an update and a request

2011-02-09T11:30:00.004-06:00

Howdy ho bloggers! It's been awhile since I last saw you.

A few things have prevented me from posting in nearly a week. Last Thursday Chica developed a little cough that turned into nearly hacking up a lung throughout the night. She stayed home from school and after a quick doctor's visit to rule out the flu and some medicine to help her sleep better at night, she's been on the mend. Sunday night, it was my turn to be the patient. Either the stomach bug or food poisoning (how can you tell the difference??) kept me up all night long. It's amazing Baby Hinton managed to stay put. :)

Praise God the others have been spared from it thus far. After a few weeks of mounting cabin fever, the last thing we wanted was to be home bound even longer. However all of this has made me even more mindful of how blessed we are for our family's health. Just a few days of our lives being directed by sickness brings me to my knees for those who are dealing with illness on a daily basis.

In other news...I need your help.

Back story: There's this fabulous, professional photographer in California who started a blog for moms who want to take better pictures of their kids. She shares a TON of great information and I've learned so much by reading there. Well, she's updating her website and its new design will feature pictures that moms have taken of their children. I submitted this one of Chica I took earlier this fall and it was chosen as a finalist!!!

There are 24 finalists and only 10 will make the cut. From here, it's based solely on voting and by the looks of the other candidates, we need all the help we can get! Could you please click here, scroll down and vote for Image #3? If you have more than one computer, use every one you have!! :) Voting closes at midnight (pacific time) Thursday night.

This little lion thanks you for supporting her crazy mother. :)

this is the way...

2011-02-03T13:25:00.005-06:00

This is the way...she looks at her Daddy.

Unless she's giving him this look.

This is the way...she sweetly corrects her Daddy when he's misinformed.

This is the way...she talks you into getting to watch her Busy Town dvd or play the Cookie Game.

This is the way....she reacts when her parents say something ridiculous.
Sometimes her parents are sooo embarrassing. (We're just getting warmed up for her teenage years.)

This is the way....her Daddy lets her know who's Boss.

Think this method will still work when those aforementioned teenage years arrive?

spidey toddler

2011-01-31T07:02:00.001-06:00

Saturday morning our whole family attended a birthday bash for one of Chica's friends from our old church. We miss the Birthday Girl and her family so much. Her mama and I were in small group together for several years so we have some serious blackmail on each other. :) To me that's the sign of a legit small group- no one ever has to fear another member will squeal your business if everyone risks being honest. It takes guts to be vulnerable but doing so cultivates an incredible place for authentic growth. With that group of women the cost was as nothing compared to what I gained.

Meanwhile, back at the three-year-old's birthday party.

They hosted the party at an inflatables place. We've never been there so it was a new adventure for us. From her reaction, it might just be Chica's Mother Ship. She flew from one thing to the next. Not one slide, obstacle or bouncy area was overlooked. She did it all. Including an inflatable version of a rock wall.

She started out on the little version. It took some coaching from the sidelines but after a short time, she understood the concept and was able to scale the hill.

Then came The Mountain. At least that's what it looked like as my tiny two year old stood at its base. Either my baby didn't realize how formidable it seemed or she didn't care because the child didn't hesitate to start climbing. In the face of an obstacle five times her size she was fearless and determined.

Her mama could stand to learn something from her.

In the words of her Uncle Al, she's ready for American Gladiator. :)

P.S. - You might want to turn your volume down a little before you watch this video. It was pretty loud in the building and her crazy parents cheer her on in disbelief.

spidey reese from Rachel Hinton on Vimeo.

she has an app

2011-01-24T15:32:00.002-06:00

Last week, Chica and I went to the hospital to visit a friend who had just given birth to her third baby girl. The tiny, brand new infant swaddled up in her bassinet was absolutely beautiful. I tried to get Chica to look at her, but she was having none of it.

Why?

Because the proud father of three introduced her to Cookie Doodle, a game on his phone that's a favorite of his older girls. Technology took over from there and she was sucked in for a solid half hour, loving every second of it. I couldn't believe how adept she was at working the touch screen. Her fingers flew across the surface of the phone like she's been playing for years.

And she's only two and a half.

Later that night I relayed our visit to the hospital with Dan. We downloaded Cookie Doodle to his iPod because I wanted him to witness Chica's mad skills and pure delight over the new found "cookie game."

It's a pretty cute premise. The goal is to make a cookie. You start out with a list of ingredients that you have to put into the mixing bowl.

Each ingredient is kind of interactive and requires a certain action to get it in the bowl. Here she is shaking the salt.

Sifting the flour.

Cutting the butter.

Then you mix all the ingredients together before rolling out the dough, selecting a cookie cutter and sticking it in the oven.

After it's finished baking you can decorate it however you want.

Then comes the best part. You gobble up your cookie creation.

And as your toddler approaches her 20 minute "cookie game" limit you pray this isn't a gateway app to other technological ventures resulting in a teenager locked in her room for hours refusing to come out until she's mastered level 26 of World of War Craft. :)
I must warn you though. If you give a girl a cookie app...
she's going to want a glass of milk to go with it.