sway

Hi Sweet Baby,

Something happened last night. I’m not sure if it’s the emotion of your Daddy being out of town or the exhaustion of a long day of work, for some reason I just have to write it down for fear of forgetting it. That it will be forever lost in the mélange of impending tasks, dinner menus and retreat preparations that’s swirling around my overloaded little brain. If I don’t document it now, I’m afraid I never will.

Last night you awoke, uncharacteristically at 3:00am. I sprung out of bed with all the energy I could muster at such an inhumane hour and hurried to your room. You see, there is a critical moment that occurs between the second you begin to fuss and the point where you are fully awake. If Daddy or I are able to slip in the binky during said moment, we will all sleep soundly until morning.

Last night, Mommy missed her window of opportunity. Your dark eyes pierced through the darkness, unblinking as you wailed. Against the advice of every baby book we own, I scooped you up. As soon as your head hit my chest, your little body sank with a sigh and the cries ceased. And then we began to sway.

Back and forth we swayed.

A sliver of streetlight was our spotlight. The ticking clock our rhythm. As its hand traveled through the passing minutes, I breathed deeply your indescribable baby scent. Your feather-like hair tickled my nose. Your delicate hand, stroked my arm. It was just us girls tonight.

Back and forth.

I heard your breath even out, knowing you were dreaming. In a week, you will be six months old. I lingered putting you down as the realization hit me. While we stood there rocking back and forth in your room, in the dark, memories clicked through my mind like slides through a projector.

Back and forth.

I started swaying the day we found out you existed. After telling your Daddy, he wrapped his arms around me and we rocked back and forth. Too excited to hold still.

Back and forth.

I’d sway in the Kroger aisle. Hoping to relieve the joint pain I suffered from a swollen belly.

Back and forth.

Just weeks old, in the wee hours of the morning, moving was the only thing that could console you. Sometimes you’d resign yourself to the motion of your swing. But you always preferred your mother’s arms.

Imperfect arms. Unsure arms. Arms of a woman attempting to chart the waters of motherhood. A woman who wouldn’t deserve you if she had succeeded every day of her life. I’ve made so many mistakes, Baby. We’ve had some long, almost unbearable nights. You’ve been so forgiving. As steady as our silent dance, you awake each morning with your radiant smile shining up at the woman you know as Mommy. Ready for a new day. A do-over.

You’re a daily reminder of the Lord’s mercies that are new everyday. And while the night might be long, His joy comes in the morning.

Back and forth we sway.

Soon I will put you down. But for now, while we can, I want to sway just like this. Back and forth we go Baby Doll.

For you are my daughter, I am your mother.

And tonight, it’s just us.

ice, ice baby

Okay, that title is incredibly cheesy, even for me. But I'm not sorry at all. Nope, I'm sure not. Because today, for your enjoyment, we here at the Hinton Home blog have a little treat for you.

And it requires no reading. The way I figure, if a picture is worth 1,000 words, then a video has got to be worth like a zillion. And if a post were a zillion words long, then even my one loyal reader (hi mom!) would bid me farewell. And I can't have that happening because I just finished printing Reese Rules stickers for her ever increasing fan base.


Tooth Watch 2008 Update
She loves her some ice.



To sum it up, Reese:

1. Likes to suck on ice cubes.
2. Knows her name.
3. Has mastered the art of ignoring her parents' requests.

Y'all have a great weekend and come back now, ya hear?
(Two years of living here, and I still can't pull that off!)

is this normal?

Apparently she prefers standing up.



All the better to look at herself on the internet. :)



Tooth Watch 2008 Update:
According to one of our baby books, there are many symptoms that accompany a tooth. And Reese has had almost all of them.

Drooling...check.
Chin rash...check.
Cough...check.
Biting...check.
Pain...check.
Irritability...double check.
Diarrhea...sorry to announce it to the world honey, check.
Low-grade fever...check.
Wakefulness...checkity check.
Refusal to eat...nada. Ain't nothin' that will get in her way of a good meal.
Ear pulling...check.

Out of the 11 symptoms, she has shown 10. So it's safe to say a tooth is imminent, right? Wrong!

After the list of symptoms, the book says, "Symptoms of teething, however, often precede the tooth itself by as much as two or three months."

Great. So when will her tooth be here?

"On average the first tooth arrives sometime during the seventh month, although it can rear its pearly white head as early as three months, as late as twelve, or in rare instances, even earlier or later."

So, if my math is correct a child could start teething somewhere between her first month of life and her 13 month birthday. Thanks a lot baby book. Not only have you told me what I could have guessed myself, you gave me a head ache and a tooth ache in the process.

Anybody got a Magic 8 ball I could use?

Revised Tooth Watch 2008 Update:
Outlook not so good.

picking pumpkins

Today we took the Reester to a pumpkin patch. And by pumpkin patch I mean the Mother-of-All pumpkin patches. There were shops and restaurants and pony rides. You could get your face painted, your picture taken and your pumpkin tattooed, if your little heart so desired.

I laid out the outfits last night in advance for our official Hinton Fall Kick-Off, that's how much I was looking forward to it. Not only did each family member's clothing need to be of the appropriate fall variety, but they also had to complement one another as I was bound and determined to get a family picture of us posed among the mums and hay. Reese wore a light pink onesie with flowers on the collar and brown corderoy pants. She was a doll baby. The bow in her hat was the perfect shade that accentuated her socks. (I realize I'm boring you with these details. But someday when we have multiple children I'm dragging out the door, on a prayer they're wearing any top and any sort of bottoms, I'll read this and scoff at how preoccupied I could afford to be with matching an only child's wardrobe.)

As we loaded up the car, the air was, well it was a bit warmer than I had hoped. But we were going to suck it up, because daggum we are Hintons and we were going to make some fabulous memories even if the day ends with heat strokes all around. Upon arrival, Dan didn't even have to ask where our first destination was. We descended upon that poor photographer like nobody's business. Hurridley I filled out the paperwork and gave her the money. No time to spare because my baby's cheeks weren't getting any less pink. I promised Baby Girl that I'd relieve her of her misery just as soon as the camera clicked.

Wouldn't you know, as we walked away from the photography area, we saw some friends. So I couldn't disrobe my child right then and there, because they've never seen her before and her fabulous outfit was just so fabulous. I had to show her off.

After we feasted on a lunch of corn dogs and root beer, we took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch. We looked around for awhile, selected two and headed back to the weighing station. Throughout the morning, we stripped articles of clothing off Reese's body. Her adorable pants had to go. The fall hat was replaced by the summer hat with a brim.

The experience wasn't exactly the cool, crisp adventure I'd imagined. We had to forgo the corn maze and hog race, because Dan and I couldn't handle the heat. We couldn't join Reese in stripping down because we had no change of clothes. And although the haunted part of the pumpkin patch didn't start until 10:00, that sight alone would have scared everyone away.

Oh, we did have fun. Even though Reese is wearing the same sort of outfit she did in July, I'll get over it. We were together, making memories. And I wouldn't want to sweat with anyone else.

Daddo and Tutz on the hayride. She can barley contain her excitement.


Only the best pumpkin will do now.


Aw, one just her size!



This is my personal favorite. I can't look at it without laughing out loud!


Have a great weekend!

Tooth Watch 2008

Tooth Watch 2008 Update: We got nothing folks. Nada. Zilch. There is no tooth to be found in this baby's mouth. She had all the symptoms. Cranky, crying in pain, excess drooling, bad diapers, chewing on everything, waking up at night. The nursery workers were all in agreement.

So what's the deal? Mood swing? Growth spurt? Realization of her mama's incompetence? That alone could account for all the aforementioned symptoms.

In other news, remember when I announced someone else came to visit?

Here she is!


Jen was in town for a baby shower so stayed with us.

The Saturday morning she and Sarah were here, Dan made us all pancakes for breakfast. Isn't he the greatest? We think so.

Not only did he get up early to make us all breakfast, but in doing so, he honed some of his Daddy skillz.
(Have I mentioned his Daddy skillz before? He's got mad skillz.)

Check it out!


Granted, she has yet to learn you're supposed to eat what's on the plate, not the plate itself. But then again, if I don't work on this whole cooking thing, in a few years, she probably will prefer glass over some of the stuff I make. I digress.

Have you ever seen such a fabulous Mickey pancake? It's never too early to feed the Disney obsession people! (Pun intended.) The first time she watches Cinderella will be on camera. I dream of the day we take her to Disney World. Oh, I can see it all now. She'll wear her Cinderella dress and get Cinderella's autograph. Cinderella will wave at her during the parade. And we'll frame her picture with Cinderella and mount it on the wall in her room. *Sigh* It will be truly magical.

Do you think next time he can make a pancake in the shape of Cinderella?
*Off to ask him right now*

oh, hi.

Hello little blog.

I've been neglecting you.

I apologize, and if it helps, I've got some great excuses for all the non-updates I've been writing to you.

We think Baby Girl's working on pushing a "toofie" through her "gum gums." Hers a hacked off baby. Daddy's thinking of drinking all the infant tylenol to numb the pain.

Now see, if you had left well enough alone little blog, you would have been spared the baby talk. But you had to go and summon for a new post.

See if that teaches you a lesson.

PS- Go Tigers!!!!!!!!

tastes like chicken

Now I know what some of you are thinking.



"Hm. That baby has some of the widest fingers I've ever seen."

In which case I'd come over there and pummel you.

Ok, I probably wouldn't do that.

But if you went on to say something like, "My, what wide fingers she has," I'd reply with, "the better to give you a certain gesture my dear."

Ok, I probably wouldn't say that.

I might think it though.



But, now that you mention it, something isn't quite right about them.




Oh, but they are delicious. Mmmm.



Wait a second, this kid has three hands?!


Oh, thank goodness. It's alright bloggers. Deep breaths. It turns out that hand's attached to an ankle!
(If you ever mention the word cankle around my baby, I will hunt you down!)

Note to self: pay more attention to the feet during bath time from now on.