The way WE see it...

Henry's 1st Haircut

2011-08-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

At just 8 months old Henry was ready for his first haircut. Kyle thought he was ready at 6 months but it took him an additional 2 months to talk me into it. I love his hair and wasn't ready to see any of it hit the floor but it was time.
We went to Snippets. A place just for kiddos to get new dos. Henry selected (more me and Kyle) an airplane to have his first haircut in. He loved it. He played with the steering wheel and Kyle taught him to make airplane noises while we waited. The kid before Henry, was hating his first haircut - thrusting tantrum and all. I told Kyle that if Henry was doing that that he did not need a haircut that badly and we would bail. Fortunately, Henry was total fine. He was a little apprehensive about the clippers but was easily distracted and did a great job! We got the "Baby's 1st haircut" Package, which included a DVD of the whole thing. And the best part about the whole experience...it was FREE! We waited 15mins past our appointment time - which was totally fine because Henry just played, but apparently that equals a free haircut. Kyle was very happy about this!
After the haircut and errands...it had been a long Saturday. We all took a family nap. While looking at Henry next to me with his styling new haircut, Kyle on the other side of him and Simba at my feet, I had two thoughts: 1. I am very blessed and 2. We need a bigger bed!

8 Months Old

2011-08-08T18:19:00.001-07:00

Henry turned 8 months old in Montana! Montana was full of all kinds of firsts for Henry! His first 4th of July, his first rodeo, his first parade, his first experience with horses and cows and bulls, his first rafting trip down the Madison River! Oh, and lots of food firsts, including a rib, a pickle and watermelon - all of which he loved!
All of the rules, baby food related and otherwise, seem to go out the window while in Montana.

Henry did awesome with all these first and we have way too many pictures of his week there! Here are just a few favorites:)

A Traumatic Morning

2011-08-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

It was early in the morning in June when we had quite the traumatic incident in the Hartman household (mostly just traumatic for me).
Kyle had left early for the airport, traveling for work, so early that Henry was still sleeping. When Henry woke up, he was talking to himself in his crib, pretty normal morning. Then, when I went into his room to get him out of his crib there was BLOOD! EVERYWHERE! I immediately started to panic. My smiling Henry with blood smeared across his face saw the panic look on my face and started to look equally concerned. I pulled it together and tried to identify the source of the bleeding. I cleaned him up and discovered the blood was coming from his ear.
It was early, and I was in mommy panic mode, I needed a second set of eyes to assure me that Henry was ok. Deanne, was that perfect person for the job. Not only is she a medical professional but she lives across the street:) She received the 6am panic phone call and before she said it was ok to come over, Henry and I were already half way there! Many thanks, Deanne:)
In the end, it appears that Henry had just scratched the inside of his ear with razor sharp baby finger nails. And because it was a "head wound" it bled a lot and I'm sure Henry rolling around in it only made it look worse than it was.
This was the first time, I'd seen my baby boy bleeding. I wish it was going to be the last but I'm sure there are many more bumps and scratches in his future. If I could, I would bubble wrap him and put him in full padding and helmet to never have to see him hurt or bleeding again. Yes, I know this makes me sound like a crazy lady:)

Avocado Take 2

2011-07-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

The time had come to try avocado on Henry again. Our pediatrician thinks avocado is such a good "first" food for babies that he encouraged it. So, we tried again. He took a few bites but clearly was not enjoying it. After five tortuous looking swallows I decided it wasn't worth it and continued on with dinner with other "liked" foods. We went on with our night time routine and about 20 minutes later, just as Henry was lying his sleepy little head on my shoulder, he suddenly popped up and puked all over! ALL over me, all over him, all over the wall...all over everything! I called Kyle in for reinforcements. He says, "It doesn't look so bad." Then he turned on the light and said, "Oh, ya. That's gross. Its everywhere."
We've decided that Henry at minimum must have some kind of food sensitivity to avocado. A texture thing at best or an allergy at worst. Time will tell.
But for now, we'll stick with his favorites. Which include: Peas, Carrots and Pears. And oatmeal! He loves oatmeal.

7 Months Old

2011-07-10T08:52:00.001-07:00

Henry's seven month of life was full of many more firsts including his first graduation ceremony. His cousin Jill graduated from 8th grade and although Henry tried to stay awake to see his cousin walk across the stage he was asleep in the church pew before the first graduate walked!
Henry also attended his first kids birthday party. Ava's 7th! And circus themed! He had so much fun with all the kids, not really participating in the activities (still too little) but watching and laughing. Kyle even tried to put him on the slip in slide - I think it might have been a little too cold for Henry's liking! He slept really well that night!
On June 25, 2011, family and friends gathered together for Henry James' baptism. He did great! He didn't even cry when the priest poured holy water on him - I almost did though:) Dressed in a 65+ old family heirloom for the baptism and changing into his cousin Jacob's tuxedo for the party afterward - Henry was dressed to the nines for his day!
Ending his 7th month of life with one more first. Uncle Mike, Gigi and I took Henry to the Shedd aquarium. Henry LOVED it! Each fish tank and animal exhibit was more exciting than the previous one. He seemed a little unsure of the loud talking sea lion. And the cheers the playing dolphins were getting were a little startling to Henry but everything else was a huge hit!
7 Months old already! REALLY?! When did my baby boy get so big!

Henry's 6 month pictures

2011-07-01T08:42:00.001-07:00

Henry had his 6 months pictures done by a high school girlfriend of mine. She did an awesome job! Check out her website!
http://web.me.com/kylep.miller/Christine_Marie_Photography/Home.html

Henry's 1st Trip to San Diego

2011-06-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Kyle was traveling to San Diego for work. He invited Henry and I to join him. So we went over the weekend of Memorial day and made a long family weekend out it. It was great! Henry and I would do day trips while Kyle was working and we would meet him later for some family time.
San Diego had lots of first for Henry. On our first night we took Henry to Seaport village for his 1st carousel ride. Kyle took him on the ride and I watched and took pictures. Kyle said Henry tensed up when the ride started but relaxed after a few minutes and I even got a few smiles when he saw me.
One of the days, Henry and I did a city tour. It was a trolley that loop the city and stopped periodically. We could get on and off as we pleased or just stay on the trolley. It was perfect for Henry. We would hop off and explore and when it was time for a nap we would hop back on and have the trolley put him to sleep. A great way to see the city. Coronado island and the beach were my favorite. However, this is when I learned that pushing a stroller through the sand is a major workout.

We also got to meet up with some of my extended family that live in the area. Aunt Maureen and Uncle Claude for dinner Friday night. And dinner and games with Aunt Syl, Uncle Paul and Uncle Gene Saturday night. All first time meetings for Henry.
In additions to all these first, Henry took his first big boy bath in San Diego. No more infant tub, now that he's sitting up and stable on his own (and frankly too long for his baby tub!). Kyle wouldn't let me take a picture of this first though...
Henry did pretty well on the flights too...although flying with a 4 1/2 month old, was easier than flying with a 6 month old. I fear Henry travel will only continue to get more challenging as his mobility and independence increase. We're up for the challenge!

Henry-isms

2011-06-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking alittle on the blog lately...Yikes! So much to catch up on. New posts coming soon. Until then, a few of my favorite Henry-isms:
1. Eating, he covers his eyes instead of his mouth to indicate he doesn't want any more to eat - it's SOO cute:)
2. Exciting things, when Henry gets really excited about something he squeals with excitment but he looks like he almost wants to say something and can't quite get it out. As a result his arms (and if he's really excited, his whole body) shake towards the exciting thing.
3. Books, Henry loves his books and to be read to but especialy his "So Big" Elmo book. I don;t think he's ever even seen Seasme Street but Henry loves anything Elmo. This "So Big" book turns a sad, or cranky Henry into immediate smiles and laughs. I try to use it sparely so that it doesn't lose its allure.
4. New people. Henry will go to pretty much anyone but once he realizes its someone new he has the cutest sad lip. He curls his lip under and if mom or dad don't reassure him it can turn into a cry but the warm up warning before the cry is sooo adorable. He warms up pretty quick to new people too - 5 mins or so.
5. Henry's very busy. Always. If he's on his play mat or in his stroller or car seat - he's always doing something. It makes me laugh. We are in trouble once this kiddo goes fully mobile!

I could go on forever with this list...(Henry-ism are my favorite)but I won't!

Henry's 1st Trip to the park

2011-06-10T11:06:00.001-07:00

My neighbor introduced me to our neighborhood mom and tots group. Its a really great resource for everything from local activities to toy swaps to mommy advice. While reading through the list of play groups in May, I discovered there was a hidden kids park two blocks from our home. How did we not know it was there? Its on a dead end road and tree covered but huge and I can't believe its been there all this time. So that Saturday we took a family walk to the park and Henry loved it - the swing especially:) Its now a regular stop on our walks!

A weekend Up North

2011-06-06T12:55:00.001-07:00

In mid-May we made the long drive north to Eagle River to visit with Kyle's family and for a wedding. Henry was an excellent wedding date. Although, he did sleep through most of the ceremony and was hitting the bottle pretty hard at the reception:)
Henry also got to have a few playdates with some of his Eagle River girlfriends! He got to meet Braelyn and Bentley for the first time. And he went over to Taylor and Lexi's house for some time on the swing set. His first swing set experience.
Henry has lots of little girls his age to play with:) And his boy cousins too! They are all older (not too much older) and play really well with him. Blake liked to give Henry his bottle and Cole showed Henry his playing cards and Austin liked to hold Henry. So cute!

My First Mother's Day

2011-05-27T05:01:00.001-07:00

My 1st mother's day was wonderful. Kyle, Henry and Simba did a good job:) I got to spend most of the day with my mom and to take the day off (as much as that is possible) of mommy responsibilities.
I think Mother's day should come more often than once a year - once a month sounds better to me:)

Henry's 1st Half Birthday

2011-05-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

6 months old!!! I love this age. To date - its my favorite:)
For his 6 month check up he measured in just short of 28 inches (90%) and weighing 16 pounds (40%). Henry still had a cough (courtesy of daddy who brought it home from his business trip!) so his shots were scheduled for the week after - And true to form, Henry spiked a fever post shots for the next few days. Ugh! Poor guy.
We had a mini celebration for Henry's 1st half birthday including a sweet potato "cake" with a half a candle:)
Henry is getting so big! He's sitting up on his own (I think it soo cute) and playing independently, which is GRRREAT! He's also babbling non-stop. His favorite words include: Dadadada and guygugyguyguy. Henry is also turning into quite the daddy's boy. He can be crabby with me and then Kyle walks in the door and Henry's instantly laughing and happy...BUT the other day, Kyle was holding Henry and Henry reached for me. And not because he was hungry or hurt but just because he wanted his mommy. Kyle was crushed!
I just want to hit the pause button and keep Henry right here for just a little longer. With each milestone he hits, I celebrate and then am just a pinch sad that he's getting so big so fast.
Happy 1st Half Birthday to my baby boy!

Brothers

2011-05-17T18:13:00.001-07:00

A few pics of both the babies:) Henry has gotten increasing interested in all things Simba lately!

Jumparoo

2011-05-10T07:05:00.001-07:00

The Jumparoo...Henry LOOOOOVES the jumparoo! He loves the jumparoo so much in fact, it is difficult to get a non-blurry photo of him in it. He jumps so hard and fast that I sometimes worry he's going to launch himself right out of it. When I try to take him out before he's ready he just starts jumping more!
His cousin, Jacob, lent him the jumproo around 5 months. And Henry has spent a little time every day since then playing in it. Kyle and I love the jumparoo too. It gives us a little time to get things done with Henry fully entertained and engaged!

Henry's 1st Easter

2011-05-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

For Henry's first Easter the day started off a little rough. I was all excited to give Henry his beautifully prepared Easter basket. That had been filled the night before by the Easter Bunny of course. But when I came downstairs the next morning I found the contents of Henry's basket sprawled across the floor courtesy of Simba! GRRRR...Simba spent the remainder of the day in the doghouse! Lucky for Simba, he didn't chew anything. The funny thing is, Simab's basket that had all kinds of dog treats in it went untouched - I believe there was a little sibling rivalry going on.
The rest of the day went well. We went to church, then to brunch at by brother's club where they had the a petting zoo and pictures with the Easter bunny. Henry even got to hold a real bunny. Henry loved the Easter Bunny. He seemed unphased by the giant fuzzy rabbit. However, Henry's cousin Jacob was not an Easter Bunny fan! It was cute and made for great pictures as my brother tried multiple times to get Jacob to sit with the Easter bunny:) Poor Jacob!

Daddy Skype Date

2011-05-05T09:24:00.001-07:00

Back before Henry was Henry and still Baby H is mommy's tummy, Kyle traveled often for work. But once my doctor grounded me from traveling (since baby H would soon be making a debut) I requested Kyle take a little break from traveling as well. After Henry was born Kyle wanted me to let him know when he had the green light to travel again. As in, when did I feel confident enough as a new mommy to do this without him for multiple days at a time. Well, I stretched it out as long as I could but the day finally came and Henry and I were on our own.
Kyle was in California for four days. Henry and I survived it. I have to say though, it is a little scary at night. Each day Kyle skyped with Henry and surprisingly Henry was interactive and interested in skype-ing. We're not really sure how much Henry understood but he liked it and Kyle enjoyed getting to see Henry while he was away too:)

Kyle's 1st Bday as a Daddy

2011-05-04T11:48:00.001-07:00

Kyle's first birthday as a daddy was full of several first for Henry! First, Henry and I took the bus to meet Kyle at his office. His first CTA experience:) Then the three of us got on the el to Wrigley Field. Henry liked the El so much he fell asleep! Once we got to the stadium it was time for Henry's first baseball game. Dressed up as my lil cubbie for the Cubs game!

At Wrigley field they give first timers a neat little certificate and sticker commemorating their first game. It all went right into Henry's baby book. The cubs tickets were from my brother, James. We were definitely in the rowdy section but Henry didn't mind. He fell asleep in the 4th inning and slept through most of the rest of the game. Kyle had a good time and thinks that perhaps this could become a tradition. On Kyle's birthday Henry and he go to a baseball game. And maybe for Henry's birthday they go to a football game?

Veggie Tales

2011-05-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

At five months and with Henry hitting all the milestones necessary for more exciting cuisine - it was time to start on vegetables. Now, as a kiddo I was a very picky eater so Kyle and I decided to follow a eating plan for Henry that claims to make your lil one a good eater. It walks you thru introducing foods that are more bland and less of the sweet stuff first. This eating plan also convinced us to make all of Henry's baby food ourselves.
So with all the proper equipment we started our lil Henry on Butternut squash. He loved it! Three days later according to plan we introduced sweet potatoes - another hit! And another three days later it was time for avocado. Avocado however did not go over well. On the first bite Henry made a funny face so I decided to grab the video camera to document this first unloved food. And well...the video says the rest. The video ends abruptly as I was next expecting that. I wish however I would have kept it rolling. I couldn't stop laughing at Henry's reaction so he started laughing too!

5 Months Old

2011-04-25T10:33:00.001-07:00

At the five month old mark, while sleep was still not happening, we had new neighbors move in right next door. Ugh! I felt terrible knowing that they could hear Henry wailing at all hours of the night. I wanted to bring over some baked goods with a side of ear plugs to welcome them to the neighborhood. Kyle wasn't sure that was such a good idea. But I did run into the new neighbors on the way into the house one day during the Great Sleep Deprivation of 2011 and did what a wise mother of three told be to do in instances like this. She said whenever your baby does something that embarrasses you (tantrum in public, bites another kiddo, etc.) say, "He must be teething." And people are instantly more understanding:) I think it worked...
Henry had also gone through a recent growth spurt around 5 months so it was time to do a little spring cleaning. Kyle and I packed up all Henry's infant toys, clothing and accessories. As I folded up the bed side bassinet for storage I was a little sad knowing this phase of Henry's life had already passed. It really did go by quickly. But I found comfort in the thought that some day, not any time soon and God willing of course, we will pull these infant items out again for a Henry sibling. Infant Henry was fun while it lasted but on to bigger and better things!

Baby Jet Lag

2011-04-20T13:18:00.001-07:00

The flight home from Hawaii was the overnight flight. Henry slept most of the flight but it still wasn't as good a night of sleep as if he were in his crib. So when we arrived home we were all tired. Henry had zero problem adjusting to the time difference in Hawaii so my hope was that the same would be true when we got home. Not so much. Baby jet lag is not fun! Kyle and I hunkered down and with the glow of Hawaii still over us figured it would be a few rough days...well we were wrong. Our good sleeping baby was still no where in sight after a week! I called the pediatrician and said the words I'm sure he hears from new moms all the time, "There's something wrong with my baby!" Is he teething? Is it another growth spurt? I don't know! I just know Henry hasn't slept since we returned from vacation.
After a thorough exam our doctor explained Henry was going through 4 month sleep regression. It can be triggered by illness, teething or in our case vacation. Great so how do we fix it? The nurse tried to comfort my concern by telling me it usually lasts less than a month. A MONTH! I was a week and half in without sleep and was barely surviving!
And I tried everything! EVERYTHING! I begged, I pleaded, I even promised Henry a car when he turned 16 (if he has straight As of course), if he would just sleep for more than an hour at a time! But he was a tough negotiator and wouldn't give.
Well I'm happy to report that after three weeks and a few days Henry is back to sleeping like a rock star! THANK GOODNESS!! It was the most difficult three weeks since Henry's been born. More difficult than when he was a newborn - FOR SURE! I learned a few things from this experience - the BIGGEST being that Kyle and I were very spoiled by how easy Henry was and what a good sleeper we had! This experience hasn't scared me away from vacations though. Among the SEVERAL sleep baby books I've now read, I learned how to avoid this in the future and will take all the precaution necessary because a tired mommy is not good for anyone!

Maui Baby

2011-04-18T07:30:00.001-07:00

Our first family vacation was to Maui, Hawaii. It was really fabulous. We met our friends, Lindsay and Jake and their lil baby girl at the airport, loaded up our rocking mini van to capacity and our vacation began:)
First night there we had dinner outside on the Lani with my Dad and Kay and a perfect sunset.
The vacation was filled with first for Henry and about a million pictures:) We took him swimming almost everyday in the pool and even tried the beach twice. He's a little too young to appreciate the beach though. He kept putting the sand in his mouth and rubbing his eyes. I was having mommy anxiety about him scratching his cornea with a little sand pebble. And I definitely changed a diaper or two that contained sand. Now if that sand got in through the sides of the diaper or went all the way through him...we'll never know. That's when I decided the beach might be better once he's older. We did however enjoy the beach with daily walks and Henry secured in a stroller:)
The first family vacation was a success! And I can't wait for the next one!

Henry's 1st Airplane Ride

2011-03-31T09:40:00.001-07:00

With all our bags (the pack n play, the car seat, the stroller, ect., ect.) packed it was time for Henry's first airplane ride. To begin our journey Kyle called the taxi company and ordered a taxi van for all our loot. Yes, we seriously had that much stuff. 20 minutes later up pulls a stretch black limo. They were out of available taxi vans - Henry's first trip to the airport was in style!
Once we got to the airport and through security we were officially those people in the gate area with the baby that you hoped you weren't sitting near!

We boarded our flight without incident and settled in for a long 9 hour flight across the pacific ocean. Thank goodness we were seated by great people who loved Henry. And thank goodness for kind and understanding flight attendants. Overall, Henry did pretty well. I'd say he cried about the same he would in a normal 9 hour span. I was most worried about take off and landing but Henry was unphased. He was asleep before take off and eating during landing never even flinching at the altitude change.
Kyle even had a little fun with Henry's first flight by placing him in the overhead and snapping a picture. So funny Kyle! You better believe people were staring - don't worry the compartment was open the whole time:)
When we arrived in beautiful Maui, the whole 9 hour experience became a distant memory and I was in Hawaii, my favorite place on Earth!

Eating Solids

2011-03-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

At the four month appointment our doctor also spoke to us about starting Henry on solid food. So at four months and one week Henry tried rice cereal. The first few days he just gummed on the spoon and most of the cereal came dripping down his chin. But by day 3 he was a pro. Eating has never really been a problem for Henry! From day one the nurses were saying what a good eater he was. Cereal time is now Henry's favorite time of day. He sees the spoon and bowl and gets all excited with a big gummy smile. Now he wants to try to hold the spoon and he's quick to let us know if you aren't feeding him fast enough:)

4 Months Old

2011-03-11T06:01:00.001-08:00

At 4 months old Henry is weighing in at 14 pounds and measuring at 27inches long. He's 50% for weight and 96% for height. Henry's doctor was happy with his growth and motor skill progress.
I was dreading this well baby check up because like the two month appointment, he would be getting more shots. When the nurse came in I was having flashbacks to two months ago. However, this round of shots was far less traumatic. Henry did turn bright red in less than a second again but only cried for a few seconds and then was over it. However, unlike his 2 month shots, Henry had a reaction this time. He spiked a fever a few hours after the appointment and it lasted for the next two days. Poor baby. It was sad and you could tell my baby boy was not feeling well. But by the third day he was back to himself again. I'm so not looking forward to his 6 months shots!

I have feet!

2011-03-08T15:34:00.001-08:00

At 16 weeks old Henry has found his feet. He has a new fascination with his toes and like everything he can get a hold of these days they go directly into his mouth. This can make diaper changing a little trickier. And if he has socks on and is given enough time he loves to pull them off. Who knew toes could be so interesting?

A whole nights rest

2011-02-28T06:20:00.000-08:00

It's a miracle! Last night, February 27th, just shy of his fourth month, Henry slept through the night. He went to sleep at 9PM and woke up ready to start his day at 6:30am. This was a much needed full night of sleep for everyone. We've been having some rough, inconsistent sleep from the H-man ever since his cold three weeks ago. Now if only I could ensure that this wonderful sleep will repeat again tonight and maybe just maybe become the norm?

Rolling Over

2011-02-25T09:58:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, February 13, 2011 at approximately 7:43PM Henry rolled over! All by himself at 14 weeks old. Kyle, Simba, and I were oooh and awww over Henry on the bed. Making faces at him and making him laugh. And just like that, right in front of all of us, he rolled over. I really couldn't believe it. I kept saying, "Did that really just happen?" He had been close for a few days and you could watch him trying but it finally happened. I'm glad it happened with all of us there. It was a special family moment:) I hope all Henry's big milestones happen like this one - with the whole family present.
The following day on Henry's first Valentine's day my little heart breaker rolled over two more times for his Gigi! Then I was finally sure that it was more than just a fluke - my baby is mobile!

Feb. 22 :)

2011-02-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

February 22 is a special day for a few reasons. It is the day that our nephew and Godson, Jacob came into the world! Happy 1st Birthday, Jacob!!! It is also the day that Kyle and I learned we were going to become parents:) I remember thinking that whole day, even though we hadn't told anyone yet, that everyone could somehow tell I was pregnant...they couldn't. I also remember eating my weight in pizza that day just because I was pregnant and I could! It's amazing that in one year our lil Baby H has gone from the size of a poppy seed in my belly to the little human, full of personality, he is today!
Below is a link to his 3 month pictures!
http://www.pictage.com/client/event.do?event=1003799

Reaching for the trumpet!

2011-02-20T08:58:00.000-08:00

At 13 weeks old Henry caught a cold. UGH! Sick baby = not fun. He was a pretty happy sick kid for the most part but super needy! Wanting to be held most of the time. And he slept terribly. Every few hours, day and night, he was awake. It took two full weeks before he was back to being our good sleeper again. It was a long two weeks!

Also at 13 weeks old, Henry began to reach and grab for everything! Henry loves the play yard his Nana gave him with all the toys to reach and grab. And once he gets a hold of these toys, they go right into his mouth! This has increased the amount of things I am sterilizing daily! Its fun to see him interested in toys now. His favorite toy to date is a toy trumpet rattle that his Auntie Bree gave him.

3 Months Old!

2011-02-13T18:46:00.001-08:00

On the eve of Henry turning 3 months, he made the move to his own room, from bedside bassinet to crib. We swaddled him up, kissed him good night and closed the door. That night I slept with the video monitor screen on and no more than 5 inches from my face. Henry slept great! Seven straight hours before waking to eat and then back down for another two. I, however, was up most of the night watching the video monitor!
At three months old, Henry has already experienced so much. He's even survived his first blizzard! And equally as important, Kyle and I have survived the newborn phase. At three months old, my baby boy is no longer a newborn! They really do grow so fast.

Step Up For Kids

2011-02-10T05:59:00.001-08:00

Step up for Kids is a fund raising event for the Children's Memorial hospital of Chicago. Its an 80 floor climb up Chicago's 2nd tallest building, the AON building. We've been participating in this event for the last 5 years but this year we added a twist. My brother James carried his 11 month old and I carried an almost 3 month old Henry in baby bjorns. My sister in law, July and friend Petra climbed with me, just in case I was unable to make it with Henry on my own. Thanks ladies! My niece, Jill had the fastest finishing time for our team! Way to go Jill! Henry and I finished in 32mins 9 seconds! Not too bad considering my last climb, without the extra baby weight was 29mins 31 seconds. Henry slept for 78 of the 80 floors and woke just in time for the finish line and top floor view!

Henry Goes Swimming

2011-02-08T09:00:00.001-08:00

At 12 weeks old we took Henry swimming for the first time - indoors of course! We went to his Pops' and Nana Kay's building and swam with his cousin, Jacob and auntie and uncle. Henry loved it. He lasted about 10 minutes before we decided he was cold. But that 10 minutes was plenty for Henry. We wrapped him up in his robe and towel and gave him to Nana Kay to hold and he fell asleep just minutes after his swim. He slept the rest of the time we were in the pool and an hour later on the drive home he fell asleep again for another 2 hours. Those 10 mins really took it out of him! His swimming debut was a hit and I can't wait to take him again!

Thumb Sucker

2011-02-03T15:37:00.001-08:00

Since birth Henry has done this thing with his hand where he tucks his thumbs between his index and middle fingers and makes a fist. And then one day, while in Eagle River, at 11 weeks old, he found his thumb. And the thumb sucking began. Just like his mom and dad, Henry is a thumb sucker. Its cute now but I just hope it doesn't last as long as it did for Kyle and me!

Milestone!

2011-01-30T18:01:00.001-08:00

At 11 weeks old I was starting to worry about Henry's tummy time. He was still not a big fan of it and by three months his doctor wanted him to tolerate up to 20 mins of it. I started reading up on tips and ways to make tummy time more fun for him. It worked! I applied what I read and in no time at all Henry was not only tolerating it but having fun with it too! He's holding his up at a 90 degree angle with no assistance for longer and longer amounts of time everyday! Another milestone checked off the list! My baby boy is growing so fast! Next up, rolling over and sitting up!

A Traveling Man

2011-01-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

Henry took his first mini road trip to Milwaukee when he was 4 weeks old for Anni and Randy's wedding. I was worried that sleeping in a hotel crib with different surroundings might throw him off schedule. I worried about packing everything he needed. I was worried about...a lot of things. But Henry was a champ and traveled like a pro.

At 10 weeks old, we took Henry on a real road trip up to Eagle River to visit with Kyle's family. 327 miles (to be exact)in a car is a lot for anyone but Henry once again proved to be a traveling man! On his first trip to Eagle River, over derby weekend, he got to meet lots of people, have his picture taken with the famous ice castle, and had lots of cuddle time with his Nana, aunties and uncles, and Grandma and Grandpa. Great Grandpa Hoppner also showed us his baby skills by soothing a cranky baby Henry. Henry's cousin Cole and Blake were so cute with Henry. They kept wanting to give him his bottle or his nuk or his toy. They are very good big cousins!

As much as Kyle and I like to travel, we're glad Henry seems to, at least at this age, be unphased by it!

Henry's Crib

2011-01-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

Also, at our two month check up, our doctor suggested it was time to move Henry into his own room. Currently, we have Henry in a bassinet next to our bed. The doctor said that Henry would sleep better and longer in his own room. I disagree and simply am not ready for this move. I still get up several times a night, even when Henry does not, just to peek in on him. I check to see if he is breathing, a minimum of 3 times a night (I do realize this makes me sound like a crazy lady). Especially on the glorious, glorious nights that he sleeps through...I start to panic when I've slept more than a few hours and haven't heard anything from our lil man. I asked my brother, who's oldest is 13, when this worry stops. He said it doesn't! Great...For now, Henry can sleep in his beautiful crib for nap time as I watch carefully and intently from the video monitor!

2 months old

2011-01-09T15:31:00.000-08:00

Henry had his two month doctor appointment last week. He's getting so big. He now weighs 12 lbs which is 75 percentile for his age and is 25.5 inches long, which is 98 percentile for height! He's a tall boy! Also at his 2 month checkup was his immunizations. It was so sad! The nurse had me lay him down and hold his hands while she administered the shots. Henry turned BRIGHT red, nearly purple, and SCREAMED! Louder than I have ever heard him scream. I felt like crying right along with him. Kyle watched from the sidelines. He decided he didn't want Henry to associate him with the pain and shots. Instead, he snapped photos of Henry and his purplish hue.
Once the nurse FINALLY finished (her nickname is definitely not speedy), I picked Henry up and cuddled him and he fell asleep almost immediately. Poor guy tuckered himself right out. Luckily, Henry didn't have any reactions to the shots and once he woke up from his nap he was back to himself.
I am definitely not looking forward to his next round of shots, that's for sure.

Just to See you Smile

2011-01-06T06:17:00.001-08:00

Around five weeks old Henry started smiling - a lot! Its just so adorable! Kyle can get him to smile on demand by tickling him, making noises and dancing with him. Henry is so ticklish! He'll smile and laugh for me when I sing to him. I can't tell if he's laughing at me or with me...but it doesn't matter because I love watching him smile and laugh:) Sometimes he even smiles and laughs in his sleep- so cute. I'm pretty sure that even if I wasn't genetically programmed to love this baby, I would anyway!

Cooing

2010-12-30T06:53:00.000-08:00

Henry started cooing around 5 weeks. And with each week he is cooing more and more. It is SO cute. His favorite word is ahgoo. Luckily, I speak a little baby and ahgoo roughly translates to "Mommy, I love you so so much!". Sometimes among his cooing, Kyle and I swear we've heard a real word or two in there, not just baby talk. The other day we were eating dinner and Henry clear as day said, "Kyle". Kyle and I both looked at each other and said, "Woah, he just said Kyle!". Its possible we have some kind of baby genius on our hands:) Other non-baby words we swear we've heard Henry say, "hi", "I do", "oh" "mom" "help" and "sure". Talking so much at 7 weeks old - the Irish, gift of the gab! He must be my baby:)

Henry's first love

2010-12-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

The Nuk: Henry's first love. It was our go to for any and all fussing. He loved his nuk. It worked like a charm every time. I'm sad to report that he has lost that loving feeling for his nuk. He'll still take it sometimes but only briefly. And sometimes he'll refuse it all together.
In its place, a far less portable and less convenient soother, the baby swing. The baby swing is Henry's new love. Once we've exhausted all the other possibilities, he's hungry, sleepy, needs a diaper change, ect., we put fussing Henry in the baby swing and Hallelujah! He's happy and content and quiet:) Now if only we could put the baby swing in his diaper bag and carry it around with us.

Henry meets Santa

2010-12-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

Gigi and I took Henry to meet Santa. Henry is too young to have the stranger danger cry but he certainly was unsure about this Santa fellow. The better picture which I wish I had gotten was Henry with his mouth wide open screaming and his fist pulled back like he was going to punch Santa. After I put his nuk in we got this picture with the scowling eyebrows. After taking the picture with Santa the plan was to do some shopping but things didn't go as planned. Henry had a major diaper blow out. Santa literally scared the poop out of him! Good thing Henry didn't getting any on Santa. He would've been on the naughty list for sure!

Spit up

2010-12-21T16:56:00.001-08:00

For the first few weeks of Henry's life, he was not a spit up baby. Kyle and I could count on one hand the number of times he spit up. This has unfortunately changed. He's not a big spitter upper but its definitely more frequent these days. Its like he's found his puking reflex! And he uses the few neck muscles he has to pick his head up and get my hair every time! It doesn't matter if my hair is up, down, or to the side, he finds it! Ugh! And his grip on my hair is getting stronger and stronger. He likes to hold on to it when I'm holding him. Perhaps he thinks I might drop him and wants some insurance? Taking matters into his own hands! Don't worry baby, I would never drop you. And you can spit up on me all you want and I'll still think you are the cutest baby ever:)

Muscle Man

2010-12-17T08:56:00.001-08:00

Henry does the cutest thing (well, he does LOTS of cute things...). Kyle and I call it his muscle man move or his he-man. He makes fists and flex his arms as if to show off his biceps. Every time he does it Kyle and I ooh and ahh over him. We, like most parents, thought that this was some unique thing that only our unique lil man did. And then...he did it in front of the pediatrician (ooooh and ahhhhh). The pediatrician informed us that this is a newborn reflex. A reflex that occurs when their nervous system isn't quite mature yet. WHAT?! ITS NOT JUST HENRY'S SUPER CUTE THING? Nope, apparently not and he will soon be outgrowing it. So my goal this week is to catch it on video before it disappears!

My Future MU Alum!

2010-12-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

Its fun to imagine who Henry will be when he grows up. Although I want to keep him my little baby forever! Kyle and I like to imagine Henry's future. We talked about what job he'll have and the college he'll go to. We imagine that like his mommy and daddy he will go to Marquette but decided that their are a few Ivy league schools that would also be ok:) And of course we imagine that he will be attending college on a full academic scholarship! Our lil genius:) Possibly an athlete scholarship...maybe but only for non-contact sports like track or cross country or swimming. Nothing where he could get hurt. I spent way too long making him!
Above is Henry's first MU outfit! First of many:)
Thanks for the hat Mrs. Schliecher!

Henry's First St. Nick's Day

2010-12-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

Henry's 1st Saint Nick's day! He was so excited that he woke everyone up at 3:30AM to see what St.Nick left in his shoe:) He was then so excited by his new toy that he stayed up for another two hours...It's ok though. Henry is the only person in the whole world that I would be happy to wake up for at that hour:)

Henry and Jacob's 1st Thanksgiving!

2010-12-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

For Henry's first Thanksgiving we went to Uncle James and Aunt July's. My brother Tim and his family and my brother Mike all flew in. Henry got to meet his cousins and Aunt and Uncles. James and July did a great job hosting and I think Henry really enjoyed his first holiday.
It was fun watching my three little nephews playing and I could only imagine that next year, Henry will be right in the mix, wrestling and rough housing with them!
Happy First Thanksgiving to my son Henry and my godson, Jacob!

One Month Old

2010-12-07T14:04:00.001-08:00

Henry is one month old! My chunky monkey has already grown so much. He now weighs 10lbs 7oz and is almost 23 inches long. His weight is now in the 70th percentile and his height remains in the 90th percentile. At his one month doctor appointment his doctor commented on what a calm baby he was. I know we are truly lucky to have a little man with such a good temperament. But I don't want to jinx it. I know that at any moment it could all change.
On the day he turned one month I found myself looking at the clock all day and thinking, "what was I doing this time last month..." It's still all very fresh in my mind. I remember how when my water broke, I didn't believe it and had to google it for confirmation. I remember how excited Kyle was on the car ride to the hospital. I remember those first few contraction that Kyle could make me laugh through. And I remember that turning point when the contractions went from laughable to down right crushing. I remember the first moment I saw my baby and the over whelming feeling that came over me and I remember watching Kyle hold our son for the very first time. It was surreal. The whole experience was truly a miracle. Sometimes I look at Henry and think, WOW, I made that. That's my son. And I feel like the most blessed person in the world.

Heaven's Newest Angel

2010-11-30T13:00:00.001-08:00

This week my maternal Grandmother, my Ommy, will be laid to rest. I'm sad for my mom and her siblings. I can't imagine the loss of a parent. I'm sad she is gone from here and that she will not get to meet her great grandson. But I am happy knowing she is in a better place. I am happy that she and my maternal grandfather, after 10+ years apart, are finally reunited. Although Henry never got to meet her, I know she will be watching over him from heaven - one more guardian angel for our lil man. In Henry's baby book, is special place for a card written to him from Ommy just days before she left earth. Below is a link to her legacy page. She will be greatly missed and thought of often.
Legacy Page

Belly Button

2010-11-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

Henry finally lost his umbilical cord on day 18 of life. It was a little gross. And despite my mother's advice, I did not keep it.
Before his umbilical cord fell off we had to give Henry sponge baths. He hated them. I have his first "at home" sponge bath on video (with all the other 1st) and he is one unhappy guy. After day 18 with the umbilical cord gone I was able to give his a real bath. Unfortunately, I did not record this one. He LOVED it!
However, based on his first bath experience it is safe to say that Henry does not know how to swim yet. When he started to sink into the water...he just kept sinking. Henry's protective daddy was giving me lip the whole time about putting too much water in the tub. It was a learning experience for all of us. I'm just glad that Henry likes bath time now:)

Diapers

2010-11-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

MYTH: Newborns sleep 18 hours a day
FACT: Newborns go through LOTS of diapers! AND eat constantly!

I really can not believe how many diapers babies go through. Our pediatrician told us 8-12 diapers a day was normal. 8-12!! I thought we had a pretty good stash of diapers before bringing Henry home. But that box of 180 only lasted about 18 days! And the diaper genie filled up in less than 10 days. Kyle couldn't believe it. When he emptied it he was wowed by the number of full diapers that fit in that compact space. So wowed that he had to weigh it. How much do you think 10 days of Henry's full diapers weigh? MORE THAN HIM! 8lbs 5oz!

And these diapers are a whole new thing to Simba too. In fact, he got a hold of his first full diaper the other day. Apparently, dogs do this? And Simba was so stealthy about it. We were home and just in the other room when Simba got into the diaper genie, got a full diaper and chewed it up in the hallway. SO GROSS!

I think Henry is going to be on the fast track to this whole potty training thing!

Henry James Comes Home!

2010-11-22T06:50:00.001-08:00

It's true. Henry was nameless for a few days. We had three boy names on the list: Henry James, Andrew James and Matthew James. I would be lying if I said he didn't go by one of those three names for at least an hour or two. But Henry James was the name that stuck. It's a family name. Henry after Kyle's paternal grandfather and James after my dad and brother.
Henry spent the first 7 days of his life in the NICU. His diagnosis was "suspected infection". They poked and prodded our lil man looking for every kind of infection under the sun and found nothing. Although it was difficult having our Baby H in the NICU for so long I think there was a guardian angel or two with a bigger plan. (Now, if only this guardian angel would pick up the NICU tab!)
We learned so much from the NICU nurses. Things that would've taken Kyle and I weeks to learn. Things you don't read about in any of those baby books. Everything from diapering tricks to soothing techniques to feeding help. Maybe it was all part of the plan for Kyle and I to get this extra training before taking Henry home?
Henry came home on 11-10 and had his first pediatrician appointment the following Friday. He's perfect. Healthy and happy and such a good baby. And already putting on weight! 8lbs 3oz already!

"I KNEW IT!!! I KNEW IT!!!"

2010-11-16T07:22:00.001-08:00

During my near death experience, AKA labor and delivery, I spiked a fever. As if I didn't have enough already going on (unreal contractions, puking my guts out...) I had the chills so bad that my whole body was shaking. ICK! Unfortunately, a fever for mommy meant a fever for Baby H. My doctor explained that the Neonatal intensive care doctors would need to come in and care for Baby H just as a precaution. So my L&D room went from my doctor, nurse and Kyle to the mass chaos of the NICU squad team. Literally, 10 people came storming into the room.
When Baby H entered the world, my doctor said, "It's a boy!" Kyle started jumping up and down (possibly a fist pump or two in there) and said excitedly, "I knew it! I knew it!" We were so happy he was finally here! A few moments with mommy and daddy before he was whisked away to the NICU.
I feel like this experience is my very own war story. And Kyle was an excellent and supportive battle buddy:)

Baby Pool Results

2010-11-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

Baby Henry is here and the baby pool results have been processed.

The Chicago Baby Shower Results:

Correctly guessing his Weight: Mary Jo and Madonna
Guessing Henry's length correctly: AMJ, Gigi, Bree, and Lynn
Correctly guessing the birth date: Kailee

Overall winner, with the most correct guesses...CHRISTINE, Allie's mommy guessed best!

The Carmel Baby Pool Results:

Guessing Henry's length correctly: Gavin, Steve, and July
Closest to time of birth: Jill
Correctly guessing the date: Chrystal

No one guessed his weight.

The Overall winner, guessing the most components correctly: Uncle Tom!!!

Congrats to all the WINNERS!

Happy Birthday, Baby H!

2010-11-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

IT'S A BOY!!! Henry James entered the world on November 3rd. Just 2 hours short of his due date. He weighed 8lbs 1oz and is 22 inches long. His length is 90th percentile and his weight is exactly average in the 50 percentile. His head - like his daddy's was 90th percentile (umm...gee thanks Kyle).
My water broke at home (ah? Did my water really just break?) and we got to the hospital around 6pm. Henry came into the world just 4 fast and furious hours later. While it is still fresh in my mind let me say this, anyone that has ever told you that giving birth isn't that bad is lying to you. It is that bad. And to those of you who have gone through the process without an epidural...you are AMAZING. Not to be dramatic, but truly I think without the epidural I might have died. But as every new mommy might tell you, it really was all worth it:)

Not for Wimps

2010-11-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

Being 40 weeks pregnant is not for wimps. And if I wanted to I could complain about all the aches and pains and discomforts of it but being a "Debbie Downer" is no fun for anyone. So I decided to only focus on the positive attributes of the situation. Here's what I came up with:
1. I still get priority seating on the CTA (thats right! Give me your seat well-bodied people!)

2. I am not at all embarrassed that the people at my ice cream establishment of choice know me by name and my preferred ice cream order when I walk in the door. What?! Its calcium for the baby!

3. I can still park in the "Expectant Mother" parking spaces at local participating establishments. Sweeet!

4. People are just plain nicer when you're pregnant. Strangers are friendly. They hold doors open for you and help you carry stuff. They ask how you're doing and seem authentically interested in hearing your response.

5. The fact that my body can carry and nourish a whole other person. That's pretty awesome. Show me one man that can do that?!

6. If there's just one cookie left and there are two people, one of whom is pregnant, the pregnant one always wins. It's one of the laws of pregnancy. The same thing holds true for Halloween candy leftovers - the last Reese's Peanut Butter Cup totally mine.

7. And finally, Kyle, who always takes extra good care of me, has really stepped up his game for his pregnant wife. A girl could get use to all the extra TLC.

With that all being said I have one wish for all pregnant ladies out there present and in the future. I hope for your sake your babies are healthy full term babies that come early!

Enough-already-itis

2010-11-02T06:24:00.001-07:00

I am suffering from a touch of enough-already-itis. I've tried everything I can think of to clue Baby H in that it's checkout time, but nothing. As I waddle my way to the doctors office for yet another appointment I never thought I'd have to keep, I'm thinking to myself, seriously if I have to come to one more of these appointments sans Baby H you don't even want to know how crabby I can get. And yes, I officially am sporting the pregnancy waddle. Its not cute. Not to rush you or anything but its check out time Baby H.!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

Having a due date so close to Halloween I had to be prepared. So, I had costumes for Kyle and I and for Simba and Baby H on standby.
I didn't purchase the necessary pieces for ours until the last possible moment on Friday afternoon. If Baby H had arrived before Friday, this purchase would not be needed at all. So Friday came and no Baby H. Kyle and I went as Juno and Bleeker from the movie "Juno"to a Halloween party (Complete with Orange Tic tacs and a blue Big Gulp!). If you haven't seen it before, we highly recommend it! It is a favorite and often quoted in this household, especially during this pregnancy ("I am a sacred vessel! All you have in your stomach is lunch!" "That ain't no etch a sketch" "Honest to blog?" "My eggo is preggo").

If Baby H had arrived by or before Halloween (as I had planned) he/she was going to be a sweetpea and Simba was going to be a carrot. So they could be Peas and Carrots! But maybe next year...And Simba didn't have a backup costume, so he had to repeat last years dinosaur costume. Sorry Simba.
Happy Halloween 2010!

Friday's Ultrasound

2010-10-26T06:23:00.001-07:00

We had an ultrasound on Friday. Baby is running out of room in there! I would share the picture but its not very flattering, rather flattening. Looks like Baby H is looking at us squished up against a glass window! Still cute. Almost looks like Baby H has some Angelina Jolie-like lips in the pictures. And a very defined chin. Where are those features coming from? Or is that just the illusion of the ultrasound picture? Hopefully, we'll know soon.
Baby H is measuring in at a healthy 7lbs 8oz. My doctor doesn't think he or she will gain much more than that before entering the world...soooo then what exactly is the hold up kiddo?
Baby H is also measuring in long. In the 99 percentile for height! (Perhaps a future basketball player?!) And lean. Baby's belly was only in the 22 percentile. No worries though, we'll help to chunk baby up on the outside! Also measuring in with his or her dad's melon head - at the 85 percentile!

Last One Standing

2010-10-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

Way back in February when we found out about Baby H's existence, we also learned that others shared similar due dates. Two of my friends from high school and my cousin were also expecting. Its been great going through this whole experience with them. Trading war stories and calling, emailing, and texting to see if anyone else was experiencing what you were. All three of my war buddies have now had their babies. AND ITS SOOO UNFAIR! I'm the only one left pregnant!
Welcome to the world, Abagail Lynn, Brendan Thomas, and Derek Michael! Once Baby H finally arrives, I'm sure you will all be good buddies:)

Ready Set GO!

2010-10-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Well, its Oct. 20, and Baby H is still cooking. Which means Baby H has decided not to listen to me. I think this is just the beginning of Baby H letting me know that I am no longer in control.
We are so ready for the baby. The car seat is installed, safety checked and ready to go. The nursery is all put together, the linens and clothes are all prewashed, I've even finished reading another baby book. I'm really ready! Come on baby, its time!
All the baby books say that baby is fully developed and that these last two weeks are just for putting on weight. I promise, Baby H, you can do that on the outside! Hurry up, there are lots of people wanting to meet you!

Carmel

2010-10-19T13:53:00.001-07:00

My doctors grounded me, as of Oct. 7th. Which means no more flying and staying within a reasonable driving distance from the hospital. Before Oct. 7 we decided to have one last flight/vaca before Baby H arrives, to Carmel. Its hard to imagine that my next flight will be with a baby in tow (and stroller, and car seat and on and on and on...)
It was a great weekend spent with lots of extended family:)And a HUGE thank you to all that made it happen. Especially to my dad and Kay, who opened their home to ALL of us - for several days and multiple meals! And thank you to my fabulous sisters-in-law for all the effort they put towards making the weekend special. And to my brothers for being such good sports and helping with the weekends activities. It isn't often that my parents get all five of their children, 3 daughter in laws, 1 son in law, and five grandchildren in one place. And all for Baby H! The little baby that they haven't even met yet. I can only hope that Baby H realizes how much he or she is already loved.
Thanks also to my aunts, uncles and cousins who also made the trip. And to my very AWESOME 97 year old Grandma for coming and spending the weekend with us.

Pass the Hot Sauce

2010-10-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

I've heard the normal inducing labor techniques: eating spicy foods, going for long walks, getting pedicures, and so on. But recently I have heard some rather different ones. Now, I won't be trying any of these until after the 14th (full term) but you better believe that after the 14th its on! I'M SO READY!
A few unusually things I've heard for speeding Baby H's debut up: Taking the stairs two at a time, eating pineapple first thing in the morning, drinking raspberry tea before bed, and someone even told me to go to the park and do the monkey bars (I think I will be skipping this one).
I've even gotten some unusually advice on having an easier labor. A neighbor told me to eat a lot of chicken in the last trimester to insure an easier delivery. No explanation on how this works but if she says so, bring on the chicken.
I just hope Baby H likes spicy chicken with pineapple and raspberry tea:)

Fuzzy Math

2010-10-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

Humans do not have a 9 month gestation period. This is some odd lie that has gone on and on misinforming the public. Here's the deal. Your due date is at 40 weeks which is 10 months. You are not considered full term until you are 37 weeks which is 9 months and one week. And the average first time mother gives birth at 41 weeks (10 months and one week). Even longer...they will let you go as long as 42 weeks before inducing you! This is not 9 months by any means!
So recently when people have asked me how far along I am, and I say 9 months I will often get looks that says, "Whoa! What are you doing out of your house!"
Technically, I'm due November 4th - according to my doctors. I disagree. But that's another blog entry. But with a November 4th due date, Baby H is full term on October 14th. With these dates I have selected the perfect birthday for Baby H - October 19th. Here's why: Anni's bachlorette party is on the 16th (don't want to miss that!)and October 16th is already Simba's birthday. I figure I will need at least the 17th to catch up on sleep. The 18th would be ok but the 19th is a Tuesday and the nurse I like at the hospital where Baby H is entering the world works on Tuesdays. So, I think Baby H should come on Tuesday, October 19th. I've told Baby H this. We'll see how well he or she listens to me!

Wedding Anniversary

2010-10-01T07:51:00.001-07:00

3 years ago(and a few days), I married my best friend. I still feel just as lucky and blessed as I did that day.

To celebrate this union we went to the Monday night football game, Bears vs. Packers. Because nothing says, I love you, like a good team rivalry!!!

Two awesome things about going to Soldier Field pregnant: 1. They have pregnant lady bathrooms! No lines!!! 2. All pregnant ladies are permitted to use the VIP entrance and exit.Rather than get smashed in the regular doorways. Both totally great advantages:)

Kyle wanted to make a little wager before the game. If the Packers won, than baby H would be a Packers fan and the same went for a Bears victory. I wouldn't take the bet. Its still early in the season and I wasn't confident enough in my Bears. BUT THEY DID WIN!!! Oh, how I wish I would've taken the bet.

But fair is fair and we decided that like Simba, Baby H will just be a Beakers fan. Half Bears and Half Packers fan until he or she is old enough to decide for them self.

We had a great time and Kyle is already talking about how excited he is to take his son or daughter to future games!

Chicago Baby Shower

2010-09-23T06:24:00.001-07:00

Sometimes thank you just doesn't seem like enough. Kyle and I are both overwhelmed by the love and generosity we felt at our Chicago Baby shower. My sister in law, July, was the hostess and she did a truly amazing job! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING JULY!!! Everything was perfect and more than I could have asked for.

A few of my favorites:

The Professions Book: Guest were able to write what they thought Baby H. would be when he or she grows up. This was so fun to read through. Some people went traditional(Pilot, Teacher, Doctor), others went with a funny response (OBGYN, Children's book Author, Clown School) and others have some pretty high hopes for our little baby (President, Goodwill Ambassador, 4 star Army General)! There were a lot of lawyer responses too! My favorite response though was by our friend, Sarah. She wrote that Baby H will be what ever makes him or her happy and she was certain that whatever that might be, it would make his parents very proud.

The Birthday Cards: July gathered birthday cards for certain years, as baby H grows up and encouraged guests to write message to Baby H in the future. So great! I already put these cards in Baby H's baby book!

The Baby Pool and the "What will Kyle say when Kathy's water breaks" posters are so fun! I was sure to keep both for our baby.

A sincerely thank you to all of you who traveled from far to join us! It was great having you:) A special thanks to Erika for all her hostess help! And to Beth for taking all these pictures from the day. And there are just so many thank yous, the list would just go on and on. Both Kyle and I are so grateful! Thank you for everything. We are lucky and so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in our life!

Maternity Cothes Shopping

2010-09-21T10:57:00.001-07:00

I love clothes shopping...usually. Retail therapy is truly my therapy of choice. However, pregnancy has changed this. I didn't want to invest in a whole lot of maternity clothes for a few different reasons. And I was able to postpone maternity clothes shopping for quite a few months thanks to my sisters in law, July and Erin, loaning me some of there baby bump wear.
Earlier this month my mom came over and took one look at my makeshift outfit, trying to make non-maternity clothes fit over the baby bump and she gave me the 'Just because its zips doesn't mean it fits' look. She said three of my favorite words, "Let's go shopping."
So we took an afternoon to shop the streets of Woodfield and the mall. Talk about discouraging. There is a MAJOR gap in the over 5'8" and preggers department. I was getting noticeably frustrated with the lack of clothing options when the sales lady brought one more dress for to try. "Here just try this, the hanger doesn't do it justice." At this point in the shopping, after hours of looking, trying on and not succeeding, I wanted to say, "Lady, if that was the last dress on earth that fit me, I still wouldn't wear it." But instead smiled and said, "Mom, I'm done." So ended our first attempt of maternity clothes shopping.
Kyle, expecting a happy, just shopped all day wife to return home was instead met with an unhappy preggers lady. So started the research for a maternity clothes store that would better accommodate my vertical and horizontal needs. Alis! Belly Dance. My mom and I went to Belly Dace and it was an instantly better experience. Dresses were appropriate lengths and everything. But beggers still can't be choosers. Options in colors and size are still limited but I learned an important lesson and so I pass it along to fellow blog readers. Just go to Belly Dance!

Happiest baby on the block

2010-09-20T09:22:00.001-07:00

As soon as Kyle and I announced the coming of Baby Hartman, there was a flood of book suggestions and baby classes to take from other parents. All very welcome advice - we need all the help we can get! So if you have any additional tips please feel free to share!
One of the suggestions we kept hearing over and over was this Dr. Karp's book/video "Happiest Baby on the Block". My brother James and sister in law, July, along with friends Lindsay and Jake, swear by this method.
Around 8 months into pregnancy I started to panic that I was well read in pregnancy and all the labor and delivery stuff but what about when the baby comes?! So Kyle and I finally got around to watching this "Happiest Baby on the Block". Seems simple enough - the 5 S's to soothing a baby. The video is a little cheesy but certainly this method seems to work. So to all you soon to be parents out there - check it out!
Now if Baby H could just wait a few more weeks, I still need to finish reading, "Baby 411" and "What to Expect the First Year". Then I will officially be ready for his or her arrival!

A Weekend in the Northwoods

2010-09-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

The last weekend in Aug was spent in the northwoods - visiting with Kyle's family. Wanna know how to make a 6 hour drive even longer? Do it while in your final trimester of pregnancy! Talk about a SUPER uncomfortable car ride! But once we (FINALLY) arrived, the weekend was full of fun activities!

Among them, was a Hartman family baby shower. Its nice when all the Hartman's can get together. It doesn't happen often enough. Kyle and I had our three nephews help open all Baby H's super generous gifts. And Baby H has already started sharing with his cousins. After empty some of the boxes the kids had a great time playing with Uncle Kyle in them.
Kyle and I were later looking at the pictures from the day. While looking at the one above he said, "You know, it would be nice to have a little Hartman girl in that picture." Kyle has been so sure that Baby H is boy that this was the first time I heard him waiver in his certainty.
A special and sincere thank you to my two fabulous sister in laws, Erin and Bree and my mother in law, Chris, for a beautiful shower.

Taking a Stroll

2010-09-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

One of the dog-baby training items I have been dragging my feet on, is the stroller walks. The dog meets baby class/book recommends taking your pup for walks with the stroller before baby arrives, just to get them use to it. I feel silly walking around the neighborhood with an empty stroller. I mean, I'm already the neighbor that walks her dog in her pajamas - do I really want to be the neighbor that is pushing around an empty stroller too?
This morning while Simba and I were walking to dry cleaners, I saw just this circumstance! A preggers lady with her dog and her empty stroller! I thought, alright, if she can do it, I can do it. I fully anticipate getting some pretty strange looks!

Birthing Class Continued

2010-09-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

During the pain management portion of the class I noticed several dads-to-be in the room, had very strong opinions about how their baby mommas should manage their pain. There were a few men that strongly believed in natural child-birth or c-sections and they weren't afraid to make their opinions known. THANK GOODNESS Kyle doesn't have a strong opinion on how our baby H comes into the world. I was ready to give some of these dads a piece of my mind. DUDE, its not your body. Let your baby momma decide whats best for her.

One portion of the pain management section focused on having a comfort item. Something that makes you feel calm. I tried to think of what my comfort item would be and only one thing came to mind. Do you think they will let me have Simba in the delivery room?

Birthing Class

2010-09-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Kyle and I took our birthing class. It was a whole day of everything from pain relief options to labor and delivery to postpartum and finished up with a tour of the hospital. Kyle, like most men, knew little about the whole labor and delivery process. Needless to say this class was, eye opening for him. About 30 minutes into the class the instructor was showing an anatomy diagrams when Kyle looked at me, a little on the pale side and said, "Maybe you should get a push present for that." A few more minutes into the diagram and Kyle changed his tune once more saying, "You can have whatever push present you want!" It was a good class and I'm glad we took it but now I'm wishing more than ever that the childhood stories were true and that the stork really did bring babies!

Lil Lamb infant seat

2010-08-31T10:09:00.001-07:00

I put this together! ME! ALL BY MYSELF! With tools. Ok just one, a screwdriver but still!
As previously mentioned, I am not gifted in product assembly. I believe we all have our talents and this is just not one of mine. However, just because something doesn't come easily to me, doesn't mean that I not going to continue try every once and awhile. Kyle's mom got us this suuuuper cute infant chair (Baby H, says thanks Grandma!) and I really wanted to see it outside the box. So, I laid out all the pieces and volia - its completely put together and properly to, without any left over parts. I was so proud of myself that I thought about writing Fisher Price on an instruction manual well done! Each step was short and simple with a picture and a "hint" section if you were having trouble - totally my kind of directions!

Baby Goes West

2010-08-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

At least once a year, in mid summer, my brothers and I (plus families) make our respective treks to the Big sky country. A week long vacation at my dad's place. This tradition is over a decade old now. Its a week full of family adventures and good times. This August was Baby H's first trip. I'm thinking she might enjoy it a little more next year, on the outside! But this trip she was able to take in the fresh country air and good eats:) Baby H also had her first (in utero) horse experience. I could tell, that like me, she was ready to jump into the saddle and ride off into the sunset. But not this year - doctors orders. Next year for sure!
Let the search for the perfect baby cowboy/girl hat and boots begin!

Gender Revistied

2010-08-27T09:17:00.001-07:00

I have decided that if this baby is a boy, I will officially give up on having a clean home. Boys are just messy! I am constantly trying to keep up with Kyle and Simba and if another boy gets thrown into the mix, I will just have to throw my hands up!

Just like, if this baby is a girl Kyle will have to forget about keeping my love of pink at bay. I currently only have small amount of pink throughout our home. But if Baby H is a girl, there will be a serious pink explosion! PINK EVERYTHING!

Little more than two months left!

Painting the Baby's Room

2010-08-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

Why does this seem like such a difficult decision? I mean is the color of Baby H's room really going to effect his sensory development? Probably not!

Kyle has had to listen to me (and probably a few others of you) talk about the color(s) of the baby's room for weeks now. He has been really good about it, putting in his input and all. I have probably shown him over a million color swatches and have dramatically changed my mind several times. But the week is here...painting time! I hope Baby H. likes what we decided!

Oh! And don't worry, for those of you who have painted with me before, I will not be doing the actually painting. Kyle will be putting on one of his many hats this Sunday - Painter man Kyle:)

Bowser meets Baby

2010-08-13T09:32:00.001-07:00

Or in our case, Simba meets Baby H.

I was having a little anxiety over my fuzzy baby and my first born bonding. So I started researching different baby classes for such things. The hospital where Baby H will enter the world offers the Bowser meets Baby class and it was great. We learned proper introductions for baby and dog and how to get puppy ready for his new sibling. I left having all the confidence in my Simba. I think they will be good friends in time:)

In fact, I already think they have started their bond. Simba is big cuddle bug and when I sit on the couch with him, he now places his head on my baby bump. I think this is because he can hear the baby and is getting to know baby. Kyle on the other hand, says my belly is just the perfect sized Simba pillow and that Simba has no idea that this baby bump is about to turn his world upside down.

All in all I think Simba will be a great big brother!

Belly Button Watch 2010

2010-08-09T07:18:00.001-07:00

Belly button watch 2010! Both Kyle and I have watched as Baby H gets bigger and bigger, my innie belly button continues to get more and more shallow. To date it is still an innie. Thankfully! But we are thinking it doesn't have much time left before it pops up like a thermometer in a well cooked turkey! Kyle thinks that instead of the baby pool my family has, we should do a belly button pool. What day will Baby H finally push my innie to an outie? The daily watch continues. Hold strong little belly button!

Baby H is moving in

2010-08-03T04:14:00.001-07:00

Babies need lots of stuff! This is where it comes in handy having siblings that have already had babies. They can guide us in getting the necessities and save us from getting those unneeded items. Thanks guys:)
Kyle spent a good portion of last weekend assembling a few baby items. We received the stroller we picked out from my mom. An early baby gift. Baby H says "Thanks, Gigi". Kyle was able to assemble this fairly easily.
We also purchased a glider for the nursery and a bassinet for our bedroom. I attempted to put the bassinet together by myself but was stuck after step one. Step two proved to be beyond my abilities. Putting things together - not really my thing. Thank goodness Kyle is good at it. Here's hoping Baby H inherits that gene!
As Baby H slowly moves in, the reality and excitement of it all seem to really be setting in! Less than a 100 days:)

Teperature Control

2010-08-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...it doesn't matter. I am always cold. Kyle, on the other hand, can be sitting outside in below zero weather and still be "too warm". You can imagine that this creates all kinds of thermostat wars in our home. Even the dual climate controls in our vehicle can't equalize the temperature difference between us...Until pregnancy. This baby has brought a complete stop the thermostat battles. I am now much more sympathetic to Kyle's overheating. Lately, I am ALWAYS warm. It doesn't help that this has been one of the HOTTEST summer to my memory! July had over 14 days in the 90s! This constant hotness is one of the few pregnancy symptoms Kyle can relate to and thus is extremely attentive to. Thank goodness for air conditioning!

Sugar High!

2010-07-21T06:12:00.001-07:00

Baby H is already a prodigy! First, he passed all four of the pregnancy test with all pluses in February! Now, at 6 month gestation he passed his glucose test with flying colors! Good thing too. Could you imagine if I had to watch my sugar intake for the next few months?! And no ice cream? I would be one unhappy lady!

The Glucose Solution test wasn't as bad as I was expecting. It tasted like Triaminic cough syrup except instead of 1 teaspoon of it, it was a whole glass. YUM! About 20 minutes after drinking the solution baby was awake and very active, SUGAR HIGH!! Baby is growing well and the heart rate remains between 140-150 beats per minute.

Baby Gets the Hiccups!

2010-07-19T08:05:00.001-07:00

Kyle was in CA for work and he called to check in on Simba, Baby and me. When he called I told him he woke up the baby...I could feel all kinds of movement. Maybe Baby H could hear her Dad on the phone? Then as we continued to talk I realized that my baby bump wasn't moving with random movement throughout its available space but rather in the same place in a rhythmic manner - the hiccups! I had read about it and heard other moms talk about it but this was a first for me and Baby H. And it lasted a while - almost 10 minutes. Kind of a crazy feeling. It really is a little person in there!

Pretty Toes

2010-07-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

6 months pregnant already! This time really has been going by quickly. My baby bump has officially "popped". There is no hiding baby under clothes any longer.
Its popped so much that when I went to paint my toes the other day I realized - Woah! This isn't as easy as it once was. I was able to give myself an at home pedicure this time but I don't think I have much longer. Guess that means I'll just have to leave it to the professionals...unless Kyle wants to learn?

The Name Game

2010-07-02T06:55:00.001-07:00

Naming a whole other person is a HUGE responsibility. Especially someone we haven't met yet. We don't know what Baby H looks like, or any of Baby's personality traits and we are suppose to select a suitable name for him or her?
My brother and sister in law lent us their baby naming book. This began the process. A list of 10 girl names and 10 boy names made our primary list - To sit on our fridge and eventually to be crossed off and dwindled down to the top three girl names and the top three boy names.
Side note: Boy names are waaay harder than girl names. Kyle and I agreed on girl names much faster.
We went back and forth on the "top threes" and have now made the lists even smaller. The first girl name is selected. Done. Agreed on and everything. The girls middle name is down to two candidates and as you can imagine Kyle and I are split down the middle on this one. For the boy name we have it down to two final first names but the middle name is selected and solid. I really think it might come down to a coin toss in the delivery room! And sorry! We aren't ready to share these names just yet...but soon! Only 125 more days until Baby H's due date:)

Spelling

2010-06-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

Neither Kyle nor I can spell. I can say with confidence that I have never won a spelling bee. Thank goodness Kyle and I are GEN Y'ers - the generation of spell check! I can't even imagine what this blog would look like without it! We both had this wonderful trait passed along to us from our dads - both notorious spellers! Poor Baby H! Does he even have a chance to one day win a spelling bee?! Here's hoping Gigi (grandma G) or Nana's (grandma H.) spelling abilities make there way into Baby H's gene pool!

Baby Kicks

2010-06-21T06:22:00.001-07:00

I started feeling Baby kick around 18 1/2 weeks. I wasn't exactly sure if the fluttering was baby though. I kept telling Kyle, "I think I feel the baby?" Then, a few nights later I ate jalapenos before bed. I felt the baby kick FOR SURE. I kept telling Kyle, "Quick feel!" But he kept missing it. Aunt Anni even got to feel the baby kick before Kyle. Which is slightly embarrassing seeing as though Baby H is SO low, that in order to feel the kicks I need to place your hand waaay below the belt! Finally one night we were lying in bed about to fall asleep and I told Kyle, "Baby is really kicking, wanna try to feel again?" As soon as Kyle placed his hand on my (lower) belly, baby stopped. "Just wait." And then as if on cue Baby H kicked the biggest kicked to date. Right into Kyle's hand. Kyle's response, "Whooooa! Do that again!"
Spicy food seems to illicit a reaction from Baby H every time! Not sure if that means Baby likes spicy food or not...but I sure do!

Appetite!

2010-06-18T08:41:00.001-07:00

Around 18 weeks my appetite definitely started to pick up. The baby books all say your appetite is related to the size of your baby. Well this baby must be HUGE because my appetite certain has been lately! I have a normal size breakfast and an hour later I'll be looking at the clock to see if its lunch time yet. When it isn't and is still hours away, I've began adding brunch to my normal routine. Not as a substitute to breakfast and lunch but in addition too! And dessert after dinner is no longer a special treat but rather an everyday occurrence! Current appetite favorite include peaches, watermelon and guacamole!

Half Way Point

2010-06-15T06:28:00.001-07:00

5 months pregnant!! Baby H is 20 weeks old!! We have the 20 week ultrasound this week and both Kyle and I are anxious and excited. I just want to make sure everything is growing and healthy...AND It will be great to see baby again:) Even if its still just on a screen - in person is another 20 weeks away!

Eye Color

2010-06-14T05:58:00.001-07:00

Kyle has two different color eyes. One blue eye and one green eye. It's very handsome and one of the first things I noticed about him;) Me, I'm just normal with two blue eyes. But this three blue and one green combo makes me wonder what baby H has in store. Genetically, we've been told that the likelihood of Baby H having Kyle's multiple colored eyes is very slim. But still greater than the average population. Apparently we both carry two possible eye colors for baby H. I have my dad's blue eyes and carry my mom's other shade of blue. While Kyle carries the two colors he wears out every day. Just another trait that consumes my thinking. What color eyes will Baby H have? A few more months until we find out:)

Baby's Features

2010-06-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

I wasn't the cutest baby. At least from the three pictures I've seen of my first 10 years. Being the youngest of 5 equates to having no pictures taken of you. So maybe my parents were a little busy but seriously couldn't someone have grabbed a camera every once in awhile?! Anyway, I wasn't the cutest. For starters I was a healthy 10 pounds 12 ounces when I was born. Seriously a major chunker. My mom likes to point out that I never wore newborn clothes. I was so chunky I went right into the next size of baby clothing. And I have big eyes. Luckily, I have pretty much grown into them but as a baby I had HUGE eyes on a normal (sorta) size face. Not the cutest look. So when I think of Baby H and dream about what he or she may look like I hope that maybe some of my features take a back seat to some of Kyle's. He was a cute kid (and adult!) with these big chubby checks and a normal eye to face size ratio!

Super Curious

2010-06-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to get SUPER curious about Baby H's gender. Not that really matters either way. In a perfect world I would have at least one girl and one boy eventually. And when I try to think about what I want first, I really can't decide. There are many reasons why I would want a baby girl first and equally as many for having a boy first. So I know it sounds cliche but really I am just hoping for a happy, healthy baby. But just because Baby's gender doesn't matter, doesn't mean it isn't driving me crazy! I think my curiosity has increased so much lately because its possible to find out at this point in pregnancy. Just a quick call to the doctors office and bam, mystery no more. Before it wasn't on the brain so much because it wasn't really an option but NOW I'M REALLY STARTED TO GO CRAZY just thinking about my little pink or blue bundle of joy!
In an effort to aid my curiosity I have taken every gender predicting quiz the great world wide web has to offer. Really inconsistent! They were no help!

Cravings

2010-06-03T08:04:00.001-07:00

Its hard for me to say that something is a pregnancy craving. Especially because I have cravings for certain foods all the time - pregnant or not. However, there are a few foods that have dramatically increased in frequency to my diet. Like my spicy black bean veggie burger - specifically with onions, pickles and ketchup. When I requested one the other day Kyle looked and me and said, "what is that? Like your third one this week?" And Doritos, I love Doritos - I mean really, who doesn't?! But I never let myself have them - seeing as though they have zero nutritional value. But lately I've let my self have a small bag or two. Deanne even brought me over a bag after I told her of my weakness! Baby H says, "Thank you!" But perhaps the one craving that Kyle just can't get behind at all - it actually grosses him out, which is tough to do since he really will eat almost anything - is my garlic hummus obsessions. He says it looks like one of those foods that's already been eaten, but its ooh soo good! Hey, at least its not pickles and ice cream. Although those both sound good - separately... not together!

Pregnancy Brain

2010-06-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy brain - I didn't want to believe it was a real thing. But really it is. First, it was the car keys. I couldn't find them for over a week and had to use the spares. I knew that they had to be somewhere in the house and it wasn't until I went to take the recyclables out that I found them next to the recycle bins...whoops! Then it was one of the house phones. I blamed Kyle for losing it of course. And because we were gone for the weekend the battery had died and we couldn't even page it. It was missing for weeks until I found it in my closet, on my self...ok, so I guess it wasn't Kyle. But most apparent perhaps is the complete blanks I draw while in conversations. I know what I want to say, but I can't gets the right words out. I will describe the word I'm thinking of to Kyle and he'll look at me like I'm crazy when he fills in the simple vocabulary Baby H is simply not allowing me to remember. Pregnancy brain must be real, or I'm seriously starting to lose it!

Baby crosses the Boarder

2010-05-26T17:10:00.001-07:00

Week 16 took Baby H across the boarder! We were Cabo bound for our good friends Lindsey and Joe's wedding. The beach wedding was beautiful and both Kyle and I were honored to be a part of this really special day. Congrats, Lindsey and Joe!
I learned my lesson from the previous weekend and made sure there was plenty of room in this bridesmaid dress for Baby H. This included a rush order delivery of the dress in the next size up. But Baby was much happier!
We laugh when we talk about how we told Lindsey and Joe about this pregnancy. Perhaps one of my favorite reactions to Baby H!
A few days before our 8 week ultrasound Kyle and I went out to dinner with Lindsey, Lora and Joe. I told them that Kyle and I had a date planned for Thursday. When Lora asked, "Oh where are you guys going?" Well I said, "Kyle and I are going to the doctor for our baby's first ultrasound."
Lora with a concerned face, "Oh my gosh, what's wrong with Simba?!"
And Lindsey, "On no, Simba has to have an ultrasound!"
When Joe pipes in and says with a laugh, "You guys, Kathy is trying to tell you she's pregnant!"
Now, in their defense I often refer to Simba as our baby. And Simba will always be our first four legged baby. We all got a good laugh and they were really excited for us. Such a fun night.

No Salmon

2010-05-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

Now that I have finished the first trimester, most of my food aversions have subsided. And I can even go to the grocery store without feeling the overwhelming urge to puke my guts out. Or as Kyle likes to say, "make street pizza," "have a technicolored yawn" and "shout groceries". But that's enough of the puke slang.
I think its all the smells and foods together that made the grocery store a particularly rough time for baby H. One of the major food averison Baby H has had, is salmon. Salmon is one of my favorites. Before this pregnancy, I probably ate it at least once a week. Early in the pregnancy I was making it for dinner, as usually and started feeling a little queasy. It wasn't until I tried to take my first bite of the salmon that I realized Baby H was not having it. I've tried it a few more times since then and just can not eat it. Other fish are fine and baby seems to really like them but we might have a salmon hater on our hands.

Pink or Blue?!! Neutral Green!

2010-05-20T08:54:00.001-07:00

Pink or Blue?!! Boy or Girl?!! I don't have the answer. And our doctor appointment where we could find out is fast approaching. But we have decided to go for the surprise. With a neutral green nursery. But Kyle says if there is something that I have to have for Baby H. that is gender specific that I can get it and return it if necessary. I'm thinking pink accents if its a girl (I love green and pink together) and blue accents if its a boy. Blue goes with a neutral green nursery, right?
Baby H. got his first nursery accessory from our friends, Ian and Sarah (WHO ARE GETTING MARRIED THIS WEEKEND!!! WOO HOO!!!). A cute little owl that hangs from the door to let you know if baby is sleeping. When I opened it Simba immediately thought it was for him. Jealous puppy! The owl is pictured above! Isn't it adorable?! And the colors are perfect:) Thanks, friends!
I've begun the search for the perfect bedding and nursery furniture but haven't found a perfect fit just yet. So I am open to suggestions! Any ideas for us?

Baby Goes to Boston

2010-05-19T07:29:00.000-07:00

Rounding up the end of the first trimester, baby goes to Boston. This was not only baby's first time in Boston, but Kyle's and mine too! We loved it. It has a San Francisco meets the east coast feeling. We were there for the Boston Marathon. Kyle was running the historic and hilly and treacherous 26.2 miles!
I decided that baby and I would cheer Kyle on at the Boston college campus. Right before the notorious "Heartbreak Hill". I was even able to meet up with the youngest of the Polark clan, Michael, who is still a student at BC. He was so nice to come hang out with me and wait to cheer on Kyle!
Just watching the runners and being in the atmosphere makes me want to catch the marathon bug again. But not this year! Maybe after baby H. enters the world:)
Kyle did great and completed the marathon! He's seventh! We had a fabulous and SUPER busy time exploring the great city and BC campus. And (this is for you, BC grads. Especially Lindsay T.) although B.C. is no Marquette, it really was a beautiful campus. Maybe if Baby H. doesn't want to go to Marquette (which, why wouldn't he?), B.C. could be an acceptable choice...GO MU!!!

Belly Band

2010-05-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

Around 10 weeks I started to notice my pants were getting a little snug. My cousin, Alana, who is currently pregnant with her second baby suggested the belly band. This is a great product and I highly recommend it! Its much better than walking around with your pants unbuttoned!
A few weeks later was my girlfriend, Lindsey's bachlorette party. I didn't want to wear the belly band. I just wanted to celebrate my friends upcoming wedding and be one of the girls. So I wore stretchy jeans and figured I was good. Later in the evening I was getting pretty uncomfortable and figured it was time to go to the bathroom and unbutton my pants. I just made it to the bathroom when I heard what sounded like a coin hitting the floor. Nope! It wasn't a coin but rather the button to my jeans. I clearly had waited too long. I guess I learned my lesson. Tight pants need the belly band or baby will make room all by herself!

Heartbeat

2010-05-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

At our 12 week appointment we got to hear baby H's heartbeat. Kyle was slightly less nervous at this doctor visit. Just slightly.
When the technician said not to worry that it might take her a minute to find the baby we waited as she moved the instrument across my belly. It was odd but I just knew where Baby H was laying. Not that I've been able to feel her move just yet but my mommy instincts knew where she was. Baby H. was low and on the far right side. Hearing the heartbeat was incredible. Fast and rhythmic and beautiful. Baby's heartbeat was 150 beat per minute. Up until this point, I firmly believed that we were having a girl. Fetal heartbeats are usually anywhere between 120 and 190 beats per min. The slower heartbeats for the baby boys and the faster heartbeat for the baby girls. Of course 150 is right in the middle. But most of nephews were right around the 150 mark at 12 weeks and my one and only niece's was much faster. Baby boy or baby girl?! The mystery still continues! But its fun to guess in the meantime:)

Where did my hips go?!

2010-05-11T02:32:00.001-07:00

Somewhere between 10 and 11 weeks pregnant I woke up to a very disturbing discovery. My hips were gone. I went to bed and they were still there. I woke up and they were gone. Panic! Is this normal?!
I texted my sister in law, July, who had just had her first baby and she said that she remembered all kinds of bones start to go missing during pregnancy and not to worry, they all come back after the baby was born. I texted my sister in law, Erin and mother of two, and she said that this sounded about right. Neither of these answers comforted me to the level I needed. No offense ladies. I searched web-md and my pregnancy books and none of them said anything about this phenomenon.
I can be a bit of a hypochondriac and pregnancy only amplifies this trait. So I called my doctor. I am somewhat certain that my doctors have my file red-flagged, for calls just like this. The doctor reassured me that my hips weren't "gone" but were shifting into position for the baby. And that they would in fact return to there original position after baby H was born. She also told me that "most" women don't even notice this body change and that I must be "very in tune to my body". She also tried to tell me that this change, like I reported, did not happen over night. I disagree. My hips were there when I went to sleep! This was my first, OMG pregnancy symptom. I thought I was well read and talked to enough women to know what to expect, but apparently I still have a few surprises ahead of me.

Baby's First Wedding

2010-05-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

CONGRATS!! To Deanne and John!! The wedding was beautiful and I was honored to be a part of their day! Greek weddings are AWESOME! The traditions, the dancing, LOVED IT!
This was Baby Hartman's first wedding and baby was acting up a little. Now, I figure this was the first time that baby made me leave mass a little early but certainly will not be the last. I am still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I am no longer in charge. That I am taking a backseat to my own body. I took pride in the fact that I never puked during this pregnancy. Well...I can no longer say this. At least we were able to make it to the bathroom:)
Maybe baby was just really excited about the wedding? But more likely baby was a little unhappy about a dress that was a little tight (darn seamstress!)...Luckily baby was able to bounce back somewhat quickly and we were able to enjoy the rest of the wedding festivities. Baby Hartman had a wonderful time at the wedding and can't wait for the next one:)