The Ritger Roost

January Happenings

2012-02-12T20:54:00.001-05:00

Typically, January is cold, grey, and miserable resulting in us being cooped up in the house, longing for the days of spring. However, this year winter has yet to hit in Atlanta for the most part so we've been lucky to have lots and lots of 65 degree days to enjoy the outside. We're keeping plenty busy enjoying our last few weeks as a family of 3-lots of outside time, feeding the geese, taking hikes, zoo time, playground time, and a trip to the train museum. As of today, which is actually in February we have at most 5 weeks until BabyGirl's extraction from my uterus. I will be full term in 3 weeks so really just a month until we should be ready to welcome her into the family. Her nursery is filling up quickly with adorable pink, purple and floral onesies. I've been up in the attic pulling down all of our old baby stuff from Hank and still need to sort through all the boxes-nesting is in full swing at the roost! Hank is really into "helping" mommy and daddy at every available opportunity, so he's been helping me fold, unpack, organize baby sister's room. He is really starting to talk about her all the time-and claims that he "loves her"....we'll see how long that lasts :) BabySister isn't the only one who got a full room makeover...my big boy is out of the crib and into his big bed-which he loves and actually sleeps better in than the crib. He loves to show people his "new room", and I am really pleased with how they both turned out.

In other new additions to our house, we finally got around to putting a roof on our deck. Our deck is miserably hot about 6 months of the year and basically goes unused. Adding the roof has to be one of the best additions we've done to the house yet! I haven't gotten around to furnishing the new room yet-but it's like we've added a whole new room onto the house. Hank loves to "camp" on the deck-and I'm hoping it becomes a great playspace for the kiddoes in the months to come.

Johnny has been crazy busy (aka working every night after a full workday until midnight) getting Ritger & Ritger properties up and running with its first investment property. Our first tenants moved in February 1st to the "rental house"-and Johnny has officially added landlord to his many hats. Johnny has spent so much time at the property this month that anytime Hank can't find his dad he tells me "Johnny's at the rental house". (yes he still refers to his dad exclusively as Johnny-they are on a first name basis). Hank and I are thrilled to have Johnny back at home in the evenings (especially this 9 month pregnant, overtired mama). Although, he is over there now responding to a call that " the dryer was shooting sparks when it turned on".....

31 weeks with Baby Girl

So add in preschool open houses and crazy enrollment processes for next fall, the busiest time of year for me at work, a head cold that hit the house and doesn't want to leave, a great baby shower brunch thrown by my wonderful Becky, Valentine's Day activities, and preparations for Johnny's upcoming 30th birthday...and that's been our last 6 weeks in a nutshell....whew..no wonder my back is killing me.

Running on a hike

Feeding goldfish to the geese

Playing at the train museum...aka heaven on earth for this little boy

Painting is a favorite activity these days

Hank's big boy room

Baby Sister's nursery

Petting the goats during one of our many trips to the zoo

Our new deck!

33 weeks

Checking things out....

Babygirl 27 weeks

2012-01-03T17:29:00.000-05:00

The belly shot is 27 weeks, but as I'm actually getting around to write this I'm now 28 weeks--welcome back to the third trimester! I also get one less week this time as repeat c-sections are done at 39 weeks, as we just scheduled the c-section for March 22 so 10 weeks to go!!

So a pregnancy update:

1. How am I feeling: pregnant period. Not really tired, but we're reaching that point where its much harder to get comfortable in bed and sleep becomes more and more scarce. I fully believe this is just mother nature's way of preparing the unknowing mother for the coma they are about experience in a few months. I'd say both pregnancies have been pretty similar. I never have any terrible complaints but the further along I get the more the little annoyances start to build-up. Heartburn is kicking in full force, twinges in my lower back, pregnancy induced carpal tunnel, pregnancy induced nosebleeds (seriously? please explain this one), leg cramps at night, swollen feet at the end of the day etc.

2. How's BabyGirl: She's a mover! Because of the way my placenta is attached this time, I can feel her movements much more than I could with Hank. Hank tended to leave my internal organs alone too-she loves to thump on my bladder and push up on my diaphragm.

3. Doctor's Report: I passed my glucose test last week-HORRAY!! Although, I might be the only woman in the world that doesn't mind the drink-must be my sweet tooth. Blood pressure is actually running low-DOUBLE HORRAY! I've gained about 17 pounds which is significantly less than with Hank at this point, but I am also much more active this time around-If I recall the pounds really start packing on in the last few months. Heart rate was 145 at last visit. So my doctor is a South African gentleman and he always says in his great accent "well Kim, it appears that you are pregnant". Aka things are sailing along swimmingly....

4. Birth plan: Things are so much easier this time around. No childbirth classes, no hospital tour, no breastfeeding classes. The repeat c-section is scheduled; however if I go into labor naturally before that date I will attempt a natural delivery.

5. Does BabyGirl have a name? no- not even close. and she will not have a name until she has arrived. We have several options, that change from day to day and really feel like we just haven't found the perfect name yet. So, no we will not be sharing the names in the running, because we don't want any opinions from outside sources! Last time everyone waited for the gender, this time they will have to wait for a name!

So here we are...10 weeks and counting....

Happy Christmas

2012-01-02T10:04:00.001-05:00

Whew...we survived Christmas, and I am so glad to have all decorations down, toys organized, and our normal routine back. We did have a really nice holiday-the first Christmas we've ever spent in our own home and let me tell you it was sooo much easier to not have to travel all over with an over-tired, over-gifted 2 year old (not to mention an over-tired 7 month pregnant mama). I hosted both sets of grandparents for Christmas dinner-a standing rib roast, my first! Hank was so excited about Santa coming to "bring train presents"-The year could be summed up as "the year of the train". Hank added about 150 pieces of track and about 20 train cars to the current railroad-talk about major expansion! I now have a huge railroad set up in my living room everyday and step on no less than 5 "steamies" a day. There are days now that I realize I've talked more about trains and what type of freight they have than anything else. Johnny was off for almost 2 weeks, and I had about a week off from work so it was really nice to have lots of time at home together. We stayed very busy though, painting and organizing both Hank and BabyGirl's room (I'll save a whole other post for that one-especially the big boy bed transition), working on the investment property which is just about ready for renters, attending preschool orientation sessions for next fall, and working with the city to get permitted for our screen porch addition to the house. Never a dull moment in our house....

We rang in the new year asleep as usual, I lasted through about 20 minutes of the Ryan Seacrest rockin new year before I realized that there was no good reason to stay up until midnight (maybe it was all the sparkling grape juice). I always love the start of a new year though-a fresh start, a time to get clean and organized in my house! Only 10 weeks until BabyGirl arrives--time for some nesting, my favorite!

While it was fun....so glad I have a whole year before I have to tackle the holidays again!!

The most wonderful time of the year...

2011-12-10T15:00:00.001-05:00

Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning in our house this year now that Hank can really get into all the festivities. He's quite my little elf helper these day. He LOVED helping us put up the tree (and has been rearranging ornaments on the tree ever since-I found one in my purse, in the bathtub, and in my car this week). We made a gingerbread house together or a "christmas house" as Hank calls it. He loved putting on the M&Ms and sprinkles-I have been sweeping sprinkles off the floor for days now. We went to the children's Christmas festival so that he could meet Santa and ride his choo choo train. I was certain he would scream when we met with Santa, but we'd been talking a lot lately about going to visit him and asking for the toys he wants so I think he realized how important this moment was. He was being very shy, but when Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas he immediately shouted "TRAINS!" into his ear-like he didn't want to miss his opportunity.

Trains, trains, and more trains would be just about the only thing on Hank's Christmas list this year. Basically, we talk nonstop about Thomas, Percy, train tracks, choo choos in tunnels, choo choos on bridges etc, etc, etc. I even caught him talking in his sleep the other night about orange trains and black trains (he also sleeps with his Thomas and Percy at night now). This should make things pretty easy for ole Santa this year.

So, like all Decembers we are crazy busy getting ready for the holidays, but I'm really enjoying seeing Christmas through the eyes of Hank this year. It certainly gives a whole new meaning to the season for us-I'm so excited that next year our mantle will have one more stocking hanging for our babygirl-I still can't imagine how full our life will feel with another little one to share it with. Babygirl is hanging out, enjoying the ride-she loves to kick/poke/jab at me all day while we stay busy. We are narrowing down name choices; but haven't decided if we are going to announce anything or make it a surprise-but we aren't saying anything for sure until we have a clear decision. We just bought the paint for both of the kid's bedrooms, and plan to get both re-done right after the new year. It's time for the big boy bed! wish us luck :)

Happy Birthday Hank

2011-11-06T14:55:00.000-05:00

"I'M 2!" Hank's response when you ask how old he is now (he also holds up 3 fingers everytime). Birthdays are always bittersweet for me, I love celebrating the day, but I always get tears in my eyes thinking about how old my baby is getting. Don't let Hank know that I call him my baby though cause according to him "I"m not baby mama, I big boy!". We're doing lots of "big boy" talking around here in preparation for his sister's arrival. We had a family party on his actual birthday (Wednesday) with cake and his favorite dinner, tacos. He got to open his presents from us, his biggest was a play kitchen. The highlight was our trip over to the zoo to ride the train. I'm not sure what it is about little boys and trains, but the obsession is intense! Every morning the first thing he asks me is "I ride choo choo in the tunnel at the zoo?" Since his birthday, I think we've been on the train 4 or 5 times. It doesn't help that you can hear the train whistle from our house, resulting in a constant reminder of it's presence.

We had a party at the playground for Hank on Saturday, and it was a beautiful fall morning. A perfect location for a 2 year old's party. We had a Curious George theme (another obsession), with cupcakes and goldfish snacks at 11 am!

So at 2 years of age: Hank is weighing in at 31 lbs 90th percentile and is 36.5 inches tall keeping him at the 98th percentile. He is currently the same size as an average 3 year old. At age 2 they "predict" their adult height based on their growth curve over the past 2 years...according to the experts Hank will end up at 6 feet tall. Now this would make perfect sense since his dad is 6 ft exactly, and I'm clearly no giant. However, when we compare Hank's growth charts to ours we find that Johnny wasn't the same height/weight until he was 4 years old and he ended up at 6ft, and I was exactly the same size percentiles at age 2, and I came in at a whopping 5 ft. 3 in. So much for those "expert predictions".

Happy Halloween

2011-11-06T13:45:00.001-05:00

I'm starting to realize that the week of Halloween will always be crazy in our house. We have all our halloween festivities, and then 2 days later it's Hank's birthday. It's felt like a whirlwind, but of course full of only fun things! This year, Hank was old enough to really get excited about pumpkins, costumes, and candy. After much debate (he insisted that he had to be Jessie from Toy Story, but dad put the kibosh on him dressing as a girl) I really wasn't opposed, and thought it would always be a funny story; nonetheless we decided on a garden gnome. Hank and I both have an affinity for gnomes, I have a collection of about 10 throughout the yard and Hank loves to go around and collect them, hug them, tell them he loves them etc. I find my gnomes in the funniest places these days.

Our neighborhood does a great Halloween parade and festival for the kids which we participated in with some playgroup friends. Hank thoroughly enjoyed pumpkin carving; although he wouldn't touch the insides of the pumpkin telling me "that's gross mom". We took him trick or treating, and introduced him to the world of candy-he ran into the house immediately dumped his bucket of loot and started asking "whats this, mom?" I'd explain "a tootsie roll" or "dots" and now I'm constantly being pulled to the candy bucket with whines of "Hankey need tootsie roll". I try to explain that no one actually needs a tootsie roll; but this is lost on him. He helped pass out candy to the trick or treaters at our house, and enjoyed saying "happy halloween!" to everyone. We always have a huge turnout at our house, and Johnny likes to keep a tally-this year we ran out of candy just shy of 300 kids, and had to turn away at least another 50. It was a great Halloween season in our house-and just think, next year we'll have a 3 year old and a 7 month old!

Baby updates

2011-10-31T21:10:00.000-04:00

With your first pregnancy and child there is so much anxiety surrounding EVERYTHING. When you are pregnant with your first, every strange twinge or lack of twinges, every sniffle, every gas pain all warrants a call to the doctor because surely something is wrong with the baby. Then the baby is born, and the anxiety goes through the roof, navigating the waters of this tiny, fussy, needy human that on certain days makes you wonder "why did we want children ?". (days like this continue, and possibly increase as you enter the toddler years). I decided that with my second, I was going to sit back, relax, and enjoy every bit of pregnancy and every stage once the baby is born-because like everyone says...it's over in a blur-so why waste it stressing about needless things? Of course, in my efforts to savor every precious day of this pregnancy, it is flying by at warp speed. I am 19 weeks-almost halfway through already!

So some stats for ya at the halfway point:
1. How am I feeling? Great actually. I love the second trimester. I have lots of energy, good appetite, and am generally still comfortable. I've been feeling this baby move around so much more, so much earlier than with Hank. That is my absolute favorite part of pregnancy.

2. Gender? So after two ultrasounds telling us without a doubt we were having a boy, we had one at 18 weeks that is undoubtedly a GIRL! I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one...

3. Cravings? Never had any with Hank, not had any with this one either....

4. Names? We had a boy name picked out since for a month we were planning on another boy--now we've got nothing. I didn't even have a girl name picked out when I went into the delivery room with Hank because I was so convinced he was a boy. I imagine it will be a while before we agree on something...

5. Interesting fact: at the halfway point with Hank I'd gained 17 pounds, at the halfway point with BabyGirl-I've gained 6 but she is exactly the same size that Hank was according to our ultrasounds. I'm thinking she may not be another 9 pounder at birth which would be absolutely fine with me!

Baby Girl on the inside at 18 weeks.

Baby Girl from the outside at 18 weeks

And to compare....Hank at 20 weeks

18 weeks with Hank

Fall in the mountains

2011-10-25T19:42:00.002-04:00

We finally got around to heading up to the mountains for a hike and picnic this past weekend. The leaves were turning and the weather was beautiful! We had a picnic next to a stream, and despite the freezing water, Hank got right in to throw rocks and catch leaves as they floated by in the water. Sometimes I look at pictures of Hank now, and just can't believe how much he looks like a little boy-not a baby. One week and my baby will be 2! How did that happen?

In other news...

2011-09-27T21:48:00.001-04:00

So for those who haven't heard, we've officially lost our minds and will be expanding the roost at the end of March! Despite the anxiety about having two little creatures running around our lives we are thrilled that Hank will have a sibling and that they will be close in age (a little less than 2 1/2 years apart). I am currently 14 weeks along, and FINALLY have some energy back. I suspect my extreme, overwhelming, rediculous fatigue was very closely related to the fact that this time around I now have a VERY busy and energetic toddler who demands every second of my attention and also requires that I am up in the morning no later than 730 (not to mention a demanding job, a house to maintain, etc etc). Luckilly, like my pregnancy with Hank, I seem to be one of the fortunate women who escapes the dreaded morning sickness; however I certainly wouldn't say I've felt peachy in these first 12 weeks. That's all behind me now though! Moving on to the wonders of the second trimester.

It is amazing to me how no matter who you are talking to, the same set of pregnancy questions always follow your announcement. So to answer the standard protocol questions we get when we announce the impending arrival of chickadee #2
1. How am I feeling: see above. Bottom line: Pregnancy #2 has been less enjoyable than Pregnancy #1
2. Are you finding out the sex this time? Yes we are. Although we LOVED being surprised with Hank, both Johnny and I are big fans of "trying it all once" so we decided to find out this time around and see what we like better. Then we can decide which we prefer for #3 :) Lucky for me I have a friend in the ultrasound department at work: I'm going this week to see if we can see anything :)
3. When are you due: Official due date is March 28th but because I will have to have a repeat c-section, that will happen about a week earlier at 39 weeks. So lucky for us, we'll get to pick this baby's birthday! I'm shooting for the first day of spring since it's one of my favorite days.
4. The above question inevitably leads to the next question: So you are going to have the repeat c-section?? I find this question very personal...but nonetheless...
After a lot of discussion and research with both my doctor and Johnny we made the decision that it was in my best interest to repeat the c-section. I know that many women support the VBAC, but given the facts and what I see at work everyday the risks didn't outweigh the benefits for me and my family. And basically, I thought the c-section was a breeze...so sign me up again!
5. Are you going to potty train Hank? why is this such a popular question for second time moms?? I'm so not ready for potty training; however Hank is basically potty training himself right now so most likely I will try and get him out of diapers before baby arrives; but I'm not pushing anything.

So welcome Baby Ritger part deux:

And because I don't want my second child to feel slighted, I'm going to keep up with the belly pics this time also. Please excuse the bandaid on my arm-it was flu shot day at work :) 13 weeks.

So let's take a moment to compare. They say you show a lot sooner the second time around...guess what? THEY'RE RIGHT! Here I am at 12 weeks with Hank...hello? belly?

An interesting tidbit about this comparison that I don't even really understand. At this point in my pregnancy with Hank, I'd already put on about 7 or 8 pounds. This time I've only put on about 3 pounds...but clearly something is going on in there...

So here's to another healthy, wonderful addition to our growing family!!!

A month in review...

2011-09-27T21:16:00.000-04:00

Crazy would be an understatement...as I sit down to write this the month of August already seems like a blur in my mind. Unfortunately, a lot of what kept us (or mostly just me-mama) busy was work related. I had 3 working weekends out of 5 last month-all filled up with continuing education, training courses, and on-call shifts. Nothing more needs to be said about that-just glad to have it behind me :) The two weekends that I wasn't working we were traveling-camping in North Georgia and a week at the beach on Tybee Island. I think I might just now be caught up on laundry, chores, errands etc...but for some reason my to-do list continues to grow. I'll try to re-cap the month in pictures, and I'll also try to update more frequently :)

It's Harvest Time!

2011-07-18T08:34:00.005-04:00

We finally have a great space in the yard for our garden after all our landscaping projects...

And we finally have our first harvest!!

That lovely eggplant and fresh basil turned into last night's dinner...which was fabulous if I do say so myself

And a shot of our beautiful grass in the back...

And for good measure...my boy after a finger painting session...he doesn't really see the point in the paper when his body is available for art

Blueberry Picking

2011-07-16T19:10:00.003-04:00

4th of July trip to the mountains

2011-07-13T15:37:00.004-04:00

Over the 4th of July weekend we ventured up to the mountains in North Georgia to try and get some relief from the 105 degree heat index we've been experiencing in Atlanta. We ended up swimming at Vogel State Park and the waterfall at Helton Creek Falls.

Slides

2011-07-13T15:27:00.003-04:00

Another current favorite these days....the playground

I need driving

2011-07-13T15:21:00.003-04:00

Hank's catch phrase lately is "I need ____" insert just about anything. Every time we pull into the driveway he immediately starts yelling "I need driving!" He has a fit if I don't let him "drive" before we go inside.

Blog Makeover

2011-07-13T15:04:00.004-04:00

So I've had this on my to-do list for a while now, but let's face it..my to-do list never has less than 28 items on it at any given time so "blog makeover" is easily bumped down for those more pressing items. However, this has been a project that I've been excited about for a while. I follow a lot of 365 blogs that I really enjoy (for those unfamiliar, a 365 blog is a picture a day), I feel like you really get a better feel for "real life" on family blogs when you get a look into everyday rather than hitting the high points aka birthday, christmas, mother's day etc. Also, I love photography but can never find the time to work on my photography skills. Lastly, I have this little man in my house that I love to photograph and basically why anyone reads this blog. So, I decided to give my blog a new look, make an effort to get my camera out more often, and document more often. I can't promise that I will provide 365 days of pictures, but so far I've done much better and am really enjoying it!

Grass

2011-06-23T19:41:00.003-04:00

I know...I'm a huge blog slacker...I'll catch up eventually, I promise :) In the meantime, take a look! We have grass!! It was certainly a lot of work, but wow does the yard look a lot better. The boys have been busy with their new mowers!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-20T15:11:00.010-04:00

For mother's day we had a picnic at Piedmont Park and checked out the new fountains. The water was a little chilly for getting wet. Hank kept telling me "not hot mama", but either way he absolutely loves these types of fountains and had a fit when we made him leave because it was getting dark! He stood by the water and signed "more" constantly. What an amazing little boy I have! Thanks for making me a mama, Hank!

A letter to my 18 month old

2011-05-20T15:11:00.008-04:00

To my sweet Hank,

You are a year and a half old...to me you are still a baby, but in your mind you are all little boy. Your personality shines everyday, you are much like you mom and dad in that you will hang back and watch the action for a while before you warm up to a crowd. You will be shy with new people, but warm up quickly. You have such a silly side, and really crack yourself up. You are a smart and curious boy, figuring out the world around you so quickly. I see so much of your dad in you-you will inspect something for so long trying to figure out how it works. Always a cautious child, you will turn back and look for my approval every time before trying something new. I can just see the wheels in your head turning as you ponder how something works, and then turn to me and ask for "help mama" when you can't quite figure it out. While you are a wild, active little boy you still love to cuddle with you mama and give the best hugs and kisses.

Talking-wow do you talk a lot for your age. At a year, you had about 50 words already, but now you never stop jabbering and probably have around 150-200 words. You are talking in phrases already, and sometimes I just can't believe what flies out of your mouth. You imitate EVERYTHING we say and do-including spitting off the deck (thanks to Dad for that behavior). You refer to your dad as "Johnny" and at about 5:00 everyday go stand at the front screen door and yell "JOHNNY" until dad shows up (usually about 30 minutes later). You are 110% boy-you love dirt, eating dirt, sand, eating sand, water, rocks, throwing, running, climbing, jumping, and being outside! You have fascination with all things transportation and animal. We point out airplanes, choochoos, wheels, bikes, buses, trucks etc nonstop. I feel like there is not one airplane, bus, or train that goes unnoticed-if I only had a nickel...

You love food as much as you love dirt and Curious George. Some current favorites are strawberries, anything mexican, cookies, cheese, spaghetti, couscous, chicken, and MAC. I think you'd eat macaroni and cheese everyday all day if I let you. You typically eat all day, and bug me for juice or milk constantly.

You are such a well-traveled boy for 18 months old. In your first year and a half you've been to Chicago twice, Charleston, SC, Hilton Head, Alabama, Washington DC, Charlottesville, Vancouver, Mt. Rainer, Seattle, and Dallas. You've been on 3 airplane trips, to 3 weddings, and had your feet in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. You've been through customs in Canada, and have your first stamp in your passport. You've been to the top of the highest peak on the east cost, Mt. Mitchell and driven along the Blue Ridge Parkway from Virginia to North Carolina. Always up for an adventure...again, just like your dad.

You are a big boy, and everytime we go to the doctor your percentiles keep climbing...35 inches long (98th) and 30 lbs (92nd) at 18 months.

What fun it is to watch you grow and become a our little boy!

We love you so much Hankey!

Happy Easter

2011-04-30T15:39:00.005-04:00

What a difference a year makes! Last year Hank was hanging in his bumbo seat looking at his easter basket. This year he was running like a wild man in the park at the easter egg hunt. Unlike the Santa experience, Hank was really into the Easter bunny. This completely baffles me, as I find a grown man dressed in a bunny costume far scarier than a fat man with a beard. Either way, Hank was pulling on us to "go go go" and "come on" to say Hi to the bunny. He must have made a good impression on that bunny, cause he brought him two baskets the next day full of loot. Here are some of my favorites from the day.

What we've been up to

2011-03-17T16:33:00.008-04:00

I received an email from a loyal blog follower this week (Hi Caroline!) reminding me that I had not updated the blog since January!! whoops! I hate to let down my fans. Life sure does go by quickly with a toddler in the house we are constantly on the go, and thankfully spring came early to Atlanta this year and we have been outside whenever possible, making a mess out there rather than in the house. Hank is unbelievably busy all the time-he's down to only 1 nap a day which allows for much more playtime for Hank and much less housework for Mom. I have no clue where all the energy comes from, but as soon as he's down for the night (and the house is put back together) I immediately collapse on the couch for the night with my American Idol. He talks up a storm, and I love being able to communicate with him. We counted his words the other night and he has ~60 and is starting to use some 2 word phrases !! He's making his mama so proud with all that language. At 16, almost 17 months old we are in the midst of redirection, teaching discipline, and lots and lots of yelling when we don't get our way :) And I thought a newborn was challenging!! But hearing my little man ask "mama please cookie" every morning when he wakes up makes all that hard work worthwhile.

So here's some pictures from the past weeks-since that's all anyone really wants to see!!

Hank is a big fan of Barnes and Noble-lots and lots of books and choo choo trains!
16 month check up-Hank loves going to the doctor, and has never cried when getting shots.
"helping" unload the dishwasher
Once again "helping" cook dinner

Hank started swimming lessons a few weeks ago!
New play table. Hank loves to color!
First birthday party invitation-his buddy Logan

New sandbox on the deck!

Hank meets the fish

2011-01-31T13:16:00.002-05:00

It was a beautiful springlike weekend in Atlanta, and we spent most of it outside, except for our trip to visit the aquarium with Grandma and Grandpa. Hank loved looking at all the fish in the big tanks and wore out his pointer finger showing us everything he could. After the aquarium we walked through Centennial Park where Hank spent some time checking out the fountains. I think we'll have to make a trip back this summer when he can go crazy and get soaked!

Snow week!

2011-01-14T15:23:00.002-05:00

Atlanta had the largest snow and ice event this past week in at least a few decades! We ended up with about 5 inches of snow at our house and then the ice came in on top and made the entire city a skating rink. The temperatures didn't get above freezing all week, so the roads remained an icy mess all week resulting in almost a complete shut-down of the city-no school, no mail, no stores or restaurants open. Of course, hospitals never close so I had to brave the elements and the icy road conditions to work all week. The rest of the city was stuck at home fighting cabin fever. We took Hank out for some sledding and playtime in the snow-but he's still a bit young to understand the fun in bundling up in 5 layers and going outside in the freezing cold and wet snow.

Linus

2011-01-08T13:59:00.003-05:00

Looks like we've got a Linus on our hands! Hank has slept with this blanket every night since he's been home from the hospital. It goes everywhere with him now....

The walking man

2011-01-07T15:21:00.003-05:00

The first video are Hank's first real steps. He is also showing off his belly button which is his absolute favorite body part lately. He will walk up to you, pull up your shirt and say "belly button"

The second video was this week ~3 weeks after those first steps were taken. He cruises faster and faster around the house everyday. You also get to see a shot of his newly organized closet-designed and build by his Dad and completed over the holiday break.

Oh-and yes, he is wearing a headlight. Would you expect anything less from Johnny's child?

Where have we been?

2011-01-03T14:30:00.007-05:00

So I have been rather delinquent in my blog upkeep over the past month, but I feel like I've hardly had a moment to breathe in December. So here's a quick run-down of the month's events...

The month started with my BFF, Becky's wedding! So happy for her and Justin, and of course I got to be a bridesmaid one more time. Engagement to wedding day was 3 months-so I had very little time to plan and throw both a couple's shower and a bachelorette party. Needless to say, it was all great fun, and I'm so glad I could do it for Becky as she is such a wonderful friend to me.
Since things were so hectic leading up to the wedding...absolutely nothing was done in preparation for the holidays until the wedding was over. I had 3 weeks to deck my halls, purchase all our gifts, bake cookies, get Christmas cards ordered and mailed, and try to enjoy the holiday season with my little man....

The month of December has been full of firsts for the Hankster.

Hank at the mall Christmas shopping with mama enjoying his first kids meal at Chick-fil-A!
Hank's first haircut-he thought this was the coolest thing ever!
Hank's first visit with Santa-not nearly as fun as the haircut...

First fever...looks real sick, huh? Luckilly it only lasted 24 hours and he was quickly back in action

And my favorite first....WALKING! at 13.5 months Hank FINALLY took a few steps on his own, and now if he's going somewhere, he's walking there! I fear that we are days away from all out running. We have some really great walking videos, but I'm having technical difficulties getting them uploaded. I'll work on it...
So after 2 crazy, hectic weeks of preparation, Christmas Eve finally arrived at our house and lucky for us, Santa decided we had been good this year! We had a fairly quiet Christmas spending time with both sets of grandparents and generally enjoying some time off from work.

And in the midst of our crazy December the precious Sentra finally decided to die (the BEST Christmas gift I could ask for-Johnny would disagree). With nearly 200K miles, two duct taped on mirrors, a shattered windshield, worn breaks and tires, and now a dead clutch Johnny decided to throw in the towel and purchase us the "family friendly vehicle" I've been begging for. Welcome to the family! Note that I am not, and will not, be driving a mini-van.

So here we are in 2011, I'm hoping we have a calmer January, but that just generally doesn't seem to be our style.

Holidays Got you Down?

2010-12-14T15:26:00.002-05:00

A penny saved...

2010-11-10T15:18:00.008-05:00

Hank's "official" birthday party was this past weekend in the park on a beautiful fall day. He had a blast riding around in his new wagon with his buddy Logan, and of course had all of his grandparents standing by to spoil him with love. Our amazing photographer friend, Chris, came with his wife and took some 1 year shots of Hank and some family shots-see a few posted below.

Now that Halloween has come and gone, and we've turned our calendars over to November it appears that the Christmas crap cheer has already popped up on the shelves in the store. With that comes excessive items on my to-do list: shopping, decorating, baking, parties, cards-all items and activities that make Johnny cringe as the credit card statements tick up, up, up as Christmas Day draws near. Luckilly, he has a budget-minded wife who knows how to find a deal! This year Shutterfly is running a fantastic deal on all of your holiday card needs whether you send Christmas cards, Hanukkah cards, or New Years Cards-Shutterfly has you covered! For fellow bloggers all you have to do is do a blog post about Shutterfly and their products and presto, viola! 50 free cards from their 2010 Holiday collection-thats more than enough for my Christmas card list. Holy bargain batman! Even Johnny approves of this deal :)

So this or this could be your family holiday card for FREE! Way to make our holiday season a little brighter and cheaper Shutterfly! If you're interested … sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Hopefully my plug is good enough to ensure acquisition of my 50 free holiday cards-I'll let you know. Either way, enjoy the pictures of my big boy!

Hank's First Birthday

2010-11-03T15:06:00.007-04:00

Hank's actual first birthday fell on a Tuesday this year (election day to be exact). Since I didn't want Hank to have a typical day at home with his nanny, and since I'm always looking for an excuse to take a day off of work; I took the day off to spend with Hank. Even better since I never work on Monday I got a 4 day weekend out of the deal! Halloween combined with birthday festivities made for quite an exciting weekend! Hank and I went to the zoo to ride the zoo train and check in on all the animals. Hank currently loves all things trains or Thomas the Train, so as expected he loved the ride on the train. Our resident panda bear was expecting her baby at any moment, and since it looked like Hank and the baby panda might share a birthday the nice lady at the zoo gift shop gave Hank a stuffed panda bear that has quickly become a favorite. Unfortunately, the baby panda didn't make an appearance until early the next morning so they miss sharing a birthday by about 5 hours.

After the zoo, Grandpa came and visited on his way home from work and dropped off a few presents for opening. Soon after Grandpa's visit, Hank's favorite time of day-Dada got home for a family party of opening presents and birthday cake. Hank's official party is this weekend over in the park with a few close friends and family. It looks like the weather will be beautiful!

He wasn't quite sure about the whole present opening thing yet...

Gift from Aunt Susie and Uncle Kevin

Hank's first Thomas the Train-a favorite gift for sure!
What a mess!
"I don't wear hats, mama!"

The kangaroos are favorites at the zoo
On the zoo train

365 days later....

2010-11-01T12:59:00.003-04:00

It blows my mind how we got from here... To here...in just 12 short months.
Happy 1st birthday to my sweet, funny, loving little man. You certainly make your mama and dada very happy. And where in the world did you learn to make that cheesy smile whenever the camera pops in your face??

Don't worry loyal blog followers, there will be plenty of pictures and updates to follow with all the birthday festivities.....but for now it's time to celebrate the Hankster!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T09:31:00.002-04:00

Trip to Burt's Pumpkin Farm

2010-10-11T15:50:00.002-04:00

We had a beautiful day on Sunday for a trip up to the mountains to the infamous Bert's Pumpkin Patch. Hank loved crawling and cruising around all the huge pumpkins. Another one of Hank's "firsts" checked off the list!

11 months old

2010-10-11T12:56:00.004-04:00

Knocking back a cold one at the park with Dad
Mom, I don't sit in that chair anymore for pictures

Riding Bucky-mom's old rocking horse

I write this post just as I finished addressing the invites for Hank's first birthday party! Oh my!...mama is not ready for my baby to become a toddler. As much as I'm enjoying planning Hank's birthday party, I can't help the bittersweet feelings I have as I say goodbye to my baby's first precious year. Although, I can only imagine things continue to get better and better. Hank has become so interactive with us now. He "dances" to his favorite songs, "woofs" when he sees dogs, points at absolutely everything, waves byebye and hi, claps his hands, points to objects and things when asked, he has a few words-mama, dada, and ball, and it is so easy to get his signature chuckle! He's not walking yet, but is almost always standing and cruising along something. He likes to rearrange my furniture daily. The coffee table and kitchen chairs are frequently in new locations when I come home from work. He will walk when he's ready-I'm sure long before I'm ready for it! He's quite the chow hound, and basically eats whatever we're eating for meals. He rejects plates and will eat anything with his fingers-needless to say, mealtimes are a huge mess. Spaghettios with the fingers is just disgusting!

So until next month, when we'll have a full run-down of the party of the year!!!

Family Vacation

2010-09-30T20:33:00.009-04:00

First trip to Hartsfield International Airport-just checking it out
The Canada Hat! On the ferry to Vancouver Island Bike Ride around Stanley Park in Vancouver-a must see if you ever visit! Waiting to cross the border
Feet in the Pacific Ocean! Been in the Atlantic and the Pacific all in his first year!

Helping Dad set up the tent at the campsite

Wielding firewood...
Next time we summit!
Warming his hands by the fire
The fish market in Seattle
The original Starbucks!

Wine tasting in the Columbia River valley

Our biggest vacation yet with Hank, and what an adventure it was. So many firsts, I will just have to hit the highlights. We ventured out to Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest to visit Aunt Susie and Uncle Kevin at their new house and see an area of the world that Johnny and I have been eager to see for a long time.-new territory for all! We left dreadful heat in Atlanta-95 degree indian summer temperatures that just wouldn't end, and stepped off the plane into cool, crisp, sunny, fall air. I had many anxieties as we prepared for this trip-first air travel, 3 hour time change, first camping trip, how will we pack all of our stuff for an airplane? I could go on...

First of all, Hank did very well on the plane. We did not buy him a seat and he was technically a "lap passenger"; however we asked at the gate for each of our 4 flights if there was an extra seat and the attendant eagerly encouraged us to take the carseat onboard and take the 3rd seat in the row. This made all the difference! Hank would sleep, play, and snack in his carseat just like he does on car rides and if he got fidgety we would take him out and he would crawl around on our laps for a while. Hardly a peep out of him on the flights. Thank goodness for cheerios and graham crackers-those two snack foods will keep Hank occupied for hours!

Our first stop was Vancouver-Hank's first international travel! and yes, he got a passport for the occasion. We reminded him at all boarder crossings not to "act suspicious" when they asked what the purpose of our trip was :) Vancouver is a beautiful city full of culture natural beauty all in the same place. After a few days in Vancouver we headed towards Susie's house with a stop in Seattle. We spent lots of time at Pikes Place Market watching them "throw the fish" and drinking coffee from the original Starbucks. Then off to Richland, where Susie and Kevin call home. We spent a few days relaxing at their house, and enjoying all that the wine country of the Columbia River Valley has to offer-another first for Hank, wine tasting! Then we were all off to Mt. Rainier National Park, and no we did not climb the mountain (although, I think Johnny would have in a heartbeat if he knew the first thing about scaling a 14,000 foot glacier). This was Hank's first camping trip-quite an undertaking and a little chilly at night but we survived-heck isn't that what camping is all about anyways, survival? We did lots of hiking and saw some amazing scenery and wildlife. The weather was absolutely beautiful the whole trip-which is odd for that part of the country. We were anticipating cold and drizzling the whole time, but instead got blue skies and sunny all week with temperatures in the 70s.

It felt good to be traveling like Johnny and I have always traveled, only this time we had our little man in the back seat chattering away at us the whole time. I'd say a good time was had by all, but it sure felt amazing to be back at home and in the eastern time zone again!

10 months old

2010-09-06T09:09:00.004-04:00

My little man is quickly becoming more and more like a toddler and less like the baby I know! At 10 months he is crawling very efficiently all over the house tearing into absolutely everything he can get his hands on. I spend a good half an hour every night after he goes to bed putting the house back together. My tupperware is typically all over the kitchen floor, the fridge magnets are all down and strewn across the floor, the books are pulled off the shelves, the cat food is frequently spilled out of the bowls, and there is an overabundance of toys scattered throughout the house. He pulls up on everything he possibly can, and has just in the past few days started cruising-pushing chairs and other objects all around the house. He is very proud of all his new accomplishments, and will give a huge cheesy smile whenever he's gotten into something new or figured out a new trick. We are trying to work on "no", and while I'm 99% certain he knows what it means, he certainly pushes the limits. He tries everyday to get into the same forbidden things, he will shoot me a glance to see if I'm looking with a little outstretched paw. I'll say "NO" he'll pull the paw back, then look back at me to see if I'm still looking before trying again.

He LOVES feeding himself-although it is still questionable how much food actually goes in! He just started holding a bottle or sippy cup by himself (FINALLY) and thinks he's really big stuff. He eats anything I give him, and I am so thankful he is not picky (yet). He just cut his 5th tooth, so that's helping in the chewing department.

I think I'm in shock that I'm starting to think about his first birthday party. In my mind I was just pregnant last week. In his mind he seems to think he's ready for kindergarten. He is such a happy boy, almost always laughing, smiling, or chuckling at something-best sound in the world!

It just gets better and better I tell ya....

Animal Lover

2010-08-16T11:21:00.004-04:00

We had our first trip to the zoo this past weekend, Hank very much enjoyed the petting zoo...

uhhh..Dad? What is this thing?
hmmmmm...maybe we can be friends
Good ears for pulling
Loved the wooly lambs
He has had lots of practice petting big furry animals at home...Hank and Grady have become great buddies recently.

Road Trip 2010 Part 2

2010-08-14T15:44:00.006-04:00

We decided to take the scenic route home from DC and drive through the mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway and escape from the brutal summer heat we've been experiencing. Before we made it to the mountains we made a lunch stop at Great Aunt Susan's house in Charlottesville (not to be confused with Aunt Susie!). She had a fantastic lunch for us, and Hank enjoyed the break from the carseat for a while!

This trip was Hank's first true hiking/mountain experience, and I've never seen the boy laugh so hard as when he was riding in his backpack carrier with his Dad. We stayed the night at a fantastic lodge, the Bluffs Lodge high on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. It was a rustic lodge, with huge views of the mountains and the weather was amazing. It got down in the 60s at night, and we actually had to pull out some long sleeves! The best part of the lodge was the restaurant that had amazing southern cooking. Hank stuffed himself silly with corncakes and biscuits! A close second favorite to the backpack and corncakes was the wagon they had at the lodge. Johnny had Hank tearing around the parking lot at speeds that made mom very nervous. Nonetheless, Hank was belly laughing the entire time, so how could you say no?

We took a few short hikes along the way home, one to a waterfall (any falling water absolutely blows Hank's mind), and one to the highest point east of the Mississippi, Mt. Mitchell-Hank's first high point!! For a few moments he was the highest baby on the whole east coast! Next stop Mt. Rainier in September!

Hank ready to hike!
Flying down the hill in the wagon
First of many waterfall hikes

Hank's first high point!!

Checking out the waterfall with Dada

I love this shot of our family
Engrossed in the waterfall
Belly laughed the entire hike
Mama trying out the backpack! He's heavy!

Whew, that was a whirlwind trip for sure! But as everything is now, certainly a memorable one.

Road Trip 2010 Part 1

2010-08-13T15:56:00.008-04:00

The first weekend of August we packed up the car and headed up to Washington DC for cousin Liz's wedding weekend. This was Hank's 3rd wedding in his 9 short months, so he's really getting to be an old pro on the wedding circut! We split the drive up into two days and spent time on the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way back. Hank is such a great traveler, he sleeps a good bit of the time, and spends the rest of his time playing with his toys, eating snacks, and looking out the windows chattering away in the backseat. We spent some time visiting the monuments in DC and looking for the president (no such luck :)). We got to ride the metro, a trolley, and a river boat (the reception was on a boat in the Potomac River). It was a great family gathering, and while Hank was initially a little weary of all the new faces, he quickly warmed up to everyone and was flashing his big smile and waving to anyone who was watching.

Hank on the riverboat at the reception
Our road warrior with all his car ride essentials!
No road trip is complete without a pit stop for dinner at the Cracker Barrell! Hank enjoyed his mashed potatoes, biscuits and green beans!
Trolley Ride in Alexandria

The Riverboat Hank's first train ride on the Metro Snack break! Checking out the grass on the National Lawn At the Lincoln Memorial reading the Gettysburg Address with Dad Washington Monument

Dancing with Aunt Susie at the reception

Dancing with Mom

Stay tuned for part 2-our trip home through the mountains and down the Blue Ridge Pkwy!

9 months old

2010-08-11T16:26:00.004-04:00

This little man is keeping us busy these days. He's turned into a very efficient crawler, and can zip around the house and get into something faster than I can catch him! No matter how much I try to keep out of his reach, he still manages to find something new to tear apart! He crawls after the cats (mostly Grady cause he's the slowest) and gets to them, pulls their tail till they run away and the cycle continues. Poor kitties! He loves taking books, magazines, or any papers and spreading them out all over the place. Also a new trick is pulling to stand, and the beginnings of taking a few steps while standing. Luckilly, he is very chatty and is hardly ever quiet so I always know where he is even if I can't see him. I will hear him babbling away while investigating a cell phone or the remote. His favorite word is Dada, and it now officially means Dada. He will yell it with authority "DADA!!" if Johnny doesn't immediately acknowledge him. Mama is less common, but we tend to hear that one much more when he is tired or cranky (go figure). He will wave hello and byebye now, and a new favorite is "high fives". I've been introducing sign language to him and he pretty consistently does "all done" and "up" for me. I am thrilled that he is starting to communicate with us! His favorite song is still "Wheels on the Bus" and he immediately starts with the hand motions once we start singing. Not only does Hank enjoy singing about wheels, he is very intrigued with any toy that has wheels on it right now. He will push his stroller over just so he can investigate the wheels.

We've been having a great summer, lots of trips to the pool which include the splash fountains-a huge hit! He will stick his whole head in the middle of a sprinkler and just laugh and laugh. He's certainly not afraid to get his head wet! It's been a very hot summer ( as you can see from the pictures we have lots of "diaper days").

Hank has 4 teeth now-2 on top and 2 on bottom. He still eats some baby food, but really eats mostly table foods now. We've been working hard to get him to eat some of what we eat each night. We all sit at the table every night now for dinner together. He's a huge fan of cheerios, green beans, and oyster crackers right now :) He loves feeding himself (which is clear from the state of affairs on the floor under the kitchen table).

Never a dull moment in our lives! Happy 9 months little man!

Hankey Doodle Dandy

2010-07-12T09:42:00.004-04:00

We had a festive 4th of July weekend this year! We took a trip down to Eatonton to visit Mel and Emily's house. They have an amazing house and property out in the country complete with chicken's, dogs, a fish pond, and best of all a tractor! Of course Hank got his first tractor ride with his dad-I'm not sure who enjoyed it more actually :) The next day we had another party to attend at Nate and Lauren's house. Hank enjoyed all the attention, the dogs, and the live band that played. We topped the weekend off with a trip to the splashground to cool off!!

8 months old

2010-07-12T09:01:00.006-04:00

This month I feel like we've turned the corner from baby and are well on the way to little boy! It almost feels like we have a completely different child in the house now! The biggest change in our lives is that Hank is now on the move! He started crawling and pulling up to stand within 2 days and everyday he gets a little stronger and a little bolder. He's into everything he can get hands on, and you can't take your eyes off of him for a second! I walked out of the room for 3 seconds yesterday and heard a loud crash. I came running back in the room to find the coffee table turned over and all its contents spread across the floor. Hank was sitting in the middle of the mess happy as a clam because he had found his prize-the remote (his favorite toy at the moment). He's figured out how to pull himself to standing in his crib and I find him standing, chewing on the rail every morning.

One of my favorite new activites that he enjoys is reading books with me. This is surprising given that he's so mobile now, but just recently he has started sitting quietly with me while we read books. I'm so glad he's still interested in cuddling in my lap.

Hank just cut one of his top teeth which gives him a grand total of 3 teeth! This should help with some of the foods we're trying with him. I'm trying to introduce lots of new flavors and textures to him-trying to move away from baby foods and add more table foods. He loves sweet potatoes, yogurt, cheerios, bananas, puffs, and his cookies!

Our lives have become VERY busy with our active little boy, and I'm typically exhausted after a day full of playing and chasing him around making sure he's not injuring himself (not to mention working). However it is so worth it because he's such a happy boy all the time and just plain fun!

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-30T20:57:00.007-04:00

Hank's first father's day weekend was a bit of a blur. We were in Alabama for a wedding all weekend at an environmental camp (Camp McDowell). It was also our anniversary, we had just returned from the beach a few days prior, and Johnny was crazy busy at work-working reallylong hours and traveling. Whew, I'm glad things have calmed down a bit!

Hank had a great time at "camp" despite the fact that it was no less than 98 degrees with about 120% humidity all weekend (did I mention the whole affair was outdoors? with the exception of the wedding ceremony, but Hank decided we needed to spend more time in the heat and chatted his way through the ceremony and then dropped his toy, loudly, on the floor thus banishing us to the outdoors for the remainder of the ceremony!). Nonetheless, it was a beautiful wedding-congrats to Jon and Sarah!

To mark Hank and Johnny's first father's day, we will be planting a tree in our yard-his "gift" to his Dad. Oh-and to mark our 5 year anniversary, Johnny and I are getting iphones!!! (I know, aren't we romantic?? although, it's hard to top the steam mop from last year, and no I'm not kidding, I LOVE that thing!)

Some pictures from the weekend...

Happy Anniversary!

2010-06-27T21:39:00.019-04:00

This month Johnny and I celebrated 5 years of marriage! People are often surprised to hear that we've already been married 5 years, but even more surprising is that this year marks 10 years since we met and started dating! We met 3 weeks into our freshman year at the University of Georgia in the dorms through mutual friends. I get asked all the time if I knew that Johnny was "the one" when I met him. My response is always the same "are you crazy???"!! We were only 18 years old, and never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed that a decade later we'd be married complete with a mortgage and a child. Would I have done it any other way? not a chance..I love that we've grown up together. We're amazing friends, and I hardly remember my life pre-Johnny!

We've come so so far....It all started in Athens when our days were filled with football, parties, friends, camping, and of course classes :)

Then came graduation....

Engagement....

and of course marriage...

Followed by lots of traveling and adventures all across the country...

A few years later came homeownership-another adventure for sure! And now the biggest and best adventure yet-parenthood and family.

Both of us agree that becoming parents to sweet Hank is the greatest (and the most challenging) journey we've been on yet. It just gets better and better everyday.

Happy 5 year anniversary to us! Can't wait to see what the future holds!

Sand, Salt, and Surf

2010-06-20T21:53:00.006-04:00

We had a great first family vacation in Hilton Head this month. I felt pretty confident that Hank was going to love the beach since pretty much everything we've done with him he's loved. We were right, he is a total water baby! He was out floating in the waves in his float, loved playing in the pool, and the water fountains at the boardwalk. So far this boy has no fear! He got to go on his first bike rides in his "cub" the pull-cart thing that hooks onto the back of our bikes. He was certainly intrigued by the sand, but became immediately frustrated once it got in his eyes and mouth. I heard over and over from mom's "he will only eat sand once" not our boy! It was only a matter of time each day before a hand full of sand went straight into his mouth-which in turn frustrated the heck out of him! He was also not a fan of the daily "lube-up". Anyone who's seen Hank knows that he is the whitest baby ever! He required frequent rubdowns of SPF 90+ which cuts into playtime dramatically! However, it was well worth it as there were no baby sunburns, and he even got a little base tan! That's my boy! Clearly my days of laying out in the sun for 8 hours reading my books and napping are long gone, this boy sure keeps us busy!

7 months old

2010-06-12T21:47:00.009-04:00

CHEESE! Check out my teeth!!

I can be quite a ham now... Crazy hair after a nap!!

Do I have something on my face?

Oh my...what a little man we have on our hands now. After 6 1/2 months of tummy time refusal, one day I went into his crib to get him and he was sleeping on his stomach. From that day on he's on his tummy at every available opportunity. He is so close to crawling, he gets up on his knees and rocks and can scoot himself towards toys; however the frustration level is high, and crawling practice typically turns into screaming pretty quickly. I imagine I have about a week left with my non-mobile little man before he figures it out and takes off! He is very very chatty now, and babbles on all day long about dada, mama, nana, baba. Memorial Day weekend his bottom two teeth came in, and he's cutting the top two right now. We've started working on a few solid foods so he can practice using those new teeth!

I love watching his personality develop-I see him quickly turning into a mini-me version of his Dad. He's very easy going, sweet natured, and always happy! But he is high energy-always looking for the next activity or toy and not wanting to miss a second of life! He will go and go and go until he just can't go anymore. Hopefully the two of them will keep each other entertained in the years to come so that I can relax and catch up on sleep!

Hank is still growing like crazy. At his 6 month check up he was 29 inches long (99th %-actually off the top end of the chart) and 19 lbs 8 oz (83rd%). We still don't think he's the "spitting image" of either one of us-some people say he looks like mom, some say dad; I interpret that as a good combination of both of us.

One thing is for sure though...he's a blue eyed, blond haired boy!

Stay tuned for a run-down on Hank's first trip to the beach!!

On Vacation...

2010-06-08T08:49:00.004-04:00

We're enjoying our first family vacation on Hilton Head Island this week...

See you in a week!!!

Trip to Lake Hartwell

2010-05-17T09:21:00.003-04:00

We spent the past weekend at Lake Hartwell at Paige's family's lake house. This was Hank's first experience in the water, and he loved it! We went out on the boat (Hank wasn't wild about the lifejacket) but he did fall fast asleep with the motion of the boat and the hum of the motor. He floated in his new float, and the chilly water didn't seem to bother him at all. His favorite was the hammock, he spent hours swinging and playing peek-a-boo in there! It was great to get away for the weekend. When Hank was napping, I actually got to read my book on the porch rather than race around trying to do laundry and clean dishes.

We had a great time with great company! Can't wait to do it again!

Mother's Day

2010-05-17T08:57:00.004-04:00

I had a great first mother's day with my sweet boy! We have lots of mothers to celebrate at our house, so we were busy all weekend visiting both grandma's and hanging out with Aunt Susie who was in town for the week. Hank and I took Grammy Kathy out for brunch at the Flying Biscuit, and then the next day we went to visit Grandma Holly for a picnic at the rehab hospital where she's recovering from her recent accident. Hank and Dad got me the best gift I've ever received-a housekeeper!! She's coming tomorrow for a 5 hour deep clean of the house. I've never been so excited :)

I absolutely love being a mom, hands-down the best gig I've ever had (and the hardest gig I've ever had)! There are times that I just look at Hank and can't believe he's really mine. Thanks for a great first mother's day, Hank!

6 months old!

2010-05-03T08:23:00.006-04:00

What a busy little man I have now! He's interested in everything he can get his hands on (operation baby-proof the house is underway). Hank is just about to sit independently-he can sit for about a minute unsupported before he topples over. He's eating baby foods now, and loves to drink from his sippy cup. It is so fun to watch him learn new things-he's quickly learning cause and effect, how to make noise by banging everything together, and peek-a-boo is really starting to get fun. He loves it when I sing to him-Wheels on the Bus is our current favorite. His favorite place to be is outside-he's his daddy's boy! I wouldn't be surprised to have a future cub scout on our hands. He will sit out in the yard while we work in the garden and loves to pick the flowers. We are getting really excited about summer! We bought a zoo membership, since we live 2 blocks away. We can go ride the zoo train everyday, and check out the animals. The pool opens up in a few weeks-we can't wait! Hank has a small pool for our deck that we hope to get out this week since it's starting to feel hot and humid already. We're headed to Hilton Head the first week of June, for Hank's first trip to the beach.

He is such a little buddy-always up for everything, and is just so easy going. He loves being out running errands with me-he can now sit up in the front of the cart like a big boy at the store. He will just chatter to me and anyone who will listen and loves to pull items within reach off the shelf :)

Here's a few pictures from the past few weeks....now that he's getting older who do you think he's starting to look like???

6 months old! I can sit up by myself now!

Girls Reunion

2010-04-11T09:20:00.005-04:00

This weekend we had a college roommate reunion with the girls (and babies). Hank LOVED his "aunties" and his "cousin" Carter. So much love for Hank! Soon he will have another playmate, as Katie is 15 weeks pregnant! It's hard to believe that 3 of the 4 of us are mamas now :) Paige and Carter drove up from Albany to stay with Hank and I on Friday, and then we drove up to Katie and Blake's beautiful new home in Calhoun for the day. This was Hank's first playdate. Carter is 10 months old and crawling all over the place! He's such a sweet boy! While they didn't really "play" together too much, they were really interested in each other. Hank seemed really intrigued with how mobile Carter is-by the end of the weekend he was already sitting up better! Nothing like a little peer pressure.

We went out to lunch, and did a little outlet mall shopping, spent lots of time catching up, and had an amazing steak dinner-thanks Katie and Blake! It was a wonderful weekend, and it was so great to see everyone again. No matter how much time passes, it always feels like no time at all when we all get together. Can't wait for the arrival of Baby Derrick in October!

Girls plus Hank (Carter was sleeping)
Hank and Aunt Becky
Hank and Aunt Katie
Hank and Aunt Paige

Hank petting Dixie-Katie and Blake's pup
Hank petting Carter
Carter showing Hank how to really play with all his toys!
"Come on Hank, tummy time is fun"
Carter and Hank playing in their jammies!

Hank's First Easter

2010-04-11T09:08:00.003-04:00

We had a beautiful (but unseasonably warm) first Easter with Hank. We had a quiet family day with just the 3 of us. The easter bunny made a visit and left Hank a HUGE basket of goodies-luckily he also left mom and dad some jellybeans and peanut butter eggs since Hank can't enjoy those goodies yet! We went over to the park and watched some of the neighborhood kids go on an easter egg hunt-next year Hank will be right in there with them! Hank even had a spiffy new outfit for Easter, complete with matching hat!

5 months old

2010-04-11T08:46:00.003-04:00

It is hard to imagine that Hank is already 5 months old. He's turning into such a big boy! While he's getting increasingly interested in his toys and environment, he still loves to snuggle with us. He will sit in my lap and read stories with me now, which I love. He eats rice cereal and some first baby foods every day now (bananas are favorites so far). He can already drink out of a sippy cup, and is working really hard on sitting up. He can sit independently for a few seconds before he tumbles over-won't be long now! He "talks" all day long, and seems to discover a new sound he can make almost everyday. Currently he's figured out how to squeal to get my attention. I'm introducing baby sign language to him now in hopes that he will be able to communicate through some simple signs in a few months. Next month we will be taking mommy and me swimming lessons to get ready for the pool this summer!

Here is a rundown of our current likes and dislikes...

Favorites at 5 months:

1. going places-he loves being out and about either in his stroller or in the baby bjorn. He's really turned into my little buddy, doing errands with me and "helping" me cook dinner

2. knocking blocks over

3. jumping in the "johnny jump up"

4. swinging in the park

5. blowing bubbles

6. peek-a-boo

7. eating his dinner in the highchair

8. blowing raspberries

9. looking in mirrors at himself

10. pulling mommy's hair

11. being naked

12. when daddy gets home from work everyday-he just starts giggling and grinning when he sees him walk in the door!

Not-so favorites at 5 months:
1. Getting dressed, and diaper changes

2. tummy time-we've made progress, but still not a desired activity

3. Getting his hands and face washed after he eats

4. When the sun is in his eyes on walks

Spring has arrived!

2010-03-25T21:22:00.003-04:00

Spring has finally arrived in Atlanta, and we are more than ready to say goodbye to winter this year! We've been spending lots of time out enjoying the weather-taking long walks to the park, and Hank's new favorite activity is swinging at the playground. No more bundling up in coat, gloves, and hat just to go to the grocery store. We're breaking out the short sleeves now!

4 month stats

2010-03-08T14:40:00.002-05:00

Let me start by saying, I LOVE 4 month olds! (although I imagine things just keep getting better and better). Hank has been a developmental milestone explosion lately. It seems that everyday he learns something new, and is so engaged and interactive with the world now. He's recently discovered his voice, and for 2 days straight has done nothing but blow raspberries at me. He grabs his toes all the time, can almost roll over on his own, and started eating rice cereal! Laughs and smiles are abundant, and his personality is really starting to shine.

We had our 4 month check up this week, and Hank is growing like a champ! He didn't even shed a tear when he got his shots either! What a big boy!

Here's how he's stacking up at 4 months:

Height 27 inches long 95%

Weight 16 lbs 12 oz 81%

Head 17.2 inches 85%

These are our official 4 month pictures done by our wonderful photographer friend Chris Delaney.

4 Months Old!!

2010-03-01T09:10:00.004-05:00

Hank's First Hike

2010-03-01T08:33:00.003-05:00

Johnny's birthday was last week, and Hank's gift to him was a backpack carrier for when we go hiking. We were anxious to try it out, and see how Hank likes the woods, so we packed up on Saturday and headed out to Sweetwater Creek State Park. It was a beautiful sunny, winter day. A little chilly, but not too bad once we got moving. Initially Hank was a little skeptical of this whole baby in the backpack thing, but by the end he was smiling and babbling up a storm! He "talked" to his Dad the whole time, and had so much to look at-we might have a future cub scout on our hands! (I'm sure his Dad would be thrilled!) He fell asleep about 30 seconds after we put him in the car for the ride home. It looks like he's a true Ritger-ready to take on the woods!

Thumbs, Tummies, and Toes

2010-02-22T10:46:00.003-05:00

Hank is changing so fast in the past few weeks. He will now let me put him on his tummy for short period of time (still not a huge fan though). He LOVES to suck on his fingers, and my favorite-he has found his toes!! He's such a busy boy !!

3 Months

2010-02-01T15:53:00.007-05:00

Happy 3 month birthday Hank! It is so amazing how much a baby changes in just 3 short months. Hank is such a big boy now! No more eat, sleep, poop, repeat for Hank-its now play, play, play...all day long! (although we still do the eat, sleep, poop in between). We had a trip to the doctor last week with Hank's first cold (don't worry-it sure didn't seem to bother him much, and he's all better now), at the appointment he weighed in at 15 lbs at 12 weeks, he's completely out of all his 3 month clothes, and in 6-9 month sizes. He's talking like crazy now, which makes his speech therapist mommy so proud. He can make all the vowel sounds, /g/ sounds, and just this weekend started making /m/ and /b/ sounds. He's just about to start blowing raspberries! Now he will sit in my lap or lay on the bed with me and just chatter away about whatever he's got on his mind! He continues to be such an active and alert guy. He's down to just two naps a day-a short morning nap, and then a longer afternoon nap. He's been consistently sleeping through the night for about 3 weeks now for about 11 hours-I am loving all the sleep! He can now grasp objects really well, and absolutely loves hanging out in his crib watching his mobile. He's just started sitting up really well in his bumbo seat, and will give a big belly laugh everytime he's sitting in it. He sits on the counter every night and helps me cook dinner. Just this week he's started jumping in his Johnny jump up, and seems really proud of himself for figuring that one out.

Now that I'm back at work 4 mornings a week, he spends his time playing with Cydni, his nanny. So far they seem to be having a great time together! It has been a challenge getting back to work-on one hand it feels really good to be back treating the kiddoes, but on the other I miss Hank terribly while I'm gone. I think part time work is perfect though, it really is the best of both worlds, and Hank seems to enjoy his time with his nanny. I'm not gonna lie, it is really nice to sit down to an hour lunch with adult conversation and not have a baby bouncing on my knees demanding attention. However, the best part of my work days are the huge smile he gives me when I walk in the door!

He changes every day, and in recent weeks, his personality has really started to show. He's no longer the needy, fussy newborn we brought home from the hospital. He's just plain FUN!

Hank being very serious about picture taking.

One of our many favorite activities, playing in the crib.
Hank has already discovered the Teletubbies
BIG belly laughs!
Another favorite-kicking in his diaper on the changing table
Working it in the play gym
Bumbo Boy! (and double chin boy!)
Hank now sits at the table with us during meals.

There's my favorite smile!
Enough with the pictures Ma!
His hands have found each other, always together then in the mouth.

We've come a long way baby...

2010-01-18T16:15:00.003-05:00

Today Hank is 11 weeks old, which absolutely blows my mind. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital completely clueless about what the next 11 weeks would hold! Now I've got one week left before I return to work, and send my big boy off to the babysitter. He has changed so much in recent weeks it's unbelievable. He's such happy, mellow baby for the most part-he smiles and laughs all the time. He coos and goos all day, and is really starting to develop a personality. He will play independently in his play gym, sit up in his Bumbo seat already, grab his rattles, and has even started sitting at the table with us at dinner time (he's not eating yet, but just likes to be where the action is). He has really started to love going out to run errands during the day with me-he loves to look around the grocery store at all the lights and sounds.

Here's some pictures showing another huge change in just 11 weeks...he just loves his bath....

First bath at home-6 days old
Bathtime at 10 weeks old! People aren't kidding when they tell you they grow up fast! At this rate, I feel like I'll be dropping him off at college next month!

On the road again

2010-01-10T21:23:00.005-05:00

Hank is such a traveling man already! We spent the past weekend in Charleston for our friend's Marc and Erinn's wedding. We went over early Friday to see the city; however since it hasn't been above freezing in a week our time touring the city was limited. However, we did bundle up and tour the Charleston historic district, doing some window shopping, and stopping for coffee when it got too cold. Hank's second car trip was a breeze compared to the 14 hour drive to Chicago. He slept for a few hours, and was content to play in his car seat babbling, smiling, and laughing the rest of the time.

We were so nervous about how things would go at the wedding, but as he always does, Hank was a trooper! He slept through the ceremony, and had us on pins and needles waiting to make a mad dash from the church if he started fussing, but not a peep. When we arrived at the reception, he woke right up and turned into a party animal! He just laughed and smiled at everyone, was out on the dance floor loving all the music and lights. He loved meeting and spending time with all of our friends- his "aunts and uncles". He got so much attention from everyone, and loved every second of it. He even got a kiss from the bride-what a lucky boy! Not a cry or fuss out of him all night. I can't imagine what goes on in his head at an event like that, but I could tell that he was really enjoying himself.

Seeing him so happy, made me feel so good about deciding to go on the trip. While it is a lot of work for us to travel now, I want Hank to experience things and see things with us. Each time we take him out, it gets easier for all of us. He is such a laid back little guy, and we had such a good time with him and our friends this weekend!

Hank's Seafood Restaurant!

Being silly and making faces in the car

Hank's first black tie affair (I think it was our first black tie affair as well) His outfit was a hit! The wedding photographer couldn't stop taking pictures of him.

Nate and Lauren dancing with Hank. They watched Hank for us so we could get out on the dance floor for a while!

Mel and Emily's turn with the baby.
Dancing with Paige and Emily. He's a ladies man already... Hanging out with Mike All the boys-Hank fits right in!

What a fun weekend!

9 week stats

2010-01-10T21:10:00.003-05:00

Hank had his 2 month check up this week and here's how he sized up...

Weight: 13 lbs 4 oz 80th percentile

Height: 25 inches long 95th percentile

Head: 16 1/2 inches 89th percentile

He's such a BIG boy already!!

He also had to get his first shots at this appointment, which I have been dreading since he was born! He did really well though (better than me), and really didn't have any reaction afterwards other than being a little sleepy for the rest of the day. In other big news, Hank is coming really close to sleeping through the night in the past week. He is consistently sleeping 5-6 hour stretches every night, and got one 8 hour stretch this weekend. Let's hope he keeps it up!

Happy New Year and Happy 2 Month Birthday !

2010-01-01T12:11:00.002-05:00

I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be an exciting year for our family!

My favorite gummy smile!

Baby's First Christmas

2009-12-29T10:41:00.008-05:00

What an exciting first Christmas for Baby Hank! A week filled with firsts-first road trip, first time visiting extended family, first Christmas, first trip to Waffle House, and first snowstorm!

We rented a van, packed it to the gills with presents and baby gear and ventured out into an impending ice/snow event to travel 700+ miles to Chicago to visit all of Kim's extended family. Hank marks the beginning of the 4th generation in the family and he was excitedly welcomed by his great grandma, great aunts and uncles, and second cousins. I was very nervous about the 12 hour car ride with a 7week old, but Hank was a trooper and impressed us all. Johnny and I are glad to see what a good traveler he is, since we love to hit the road!

We arrived in Chicago just as the snow was starting to fall and it continued on and off for the next 3 days. We had a true white Christmas, and Johnny was thrilled to take his son out for his first walk in the snow. Hank had a wonderful week being spoiled by his cousins and aunts/uncles. He loved being rocked by great grandma Reba, playing with all his new toys from Santa (I have no idea where everything is going to go at home), looking at all the lights on the Christmas trees, and being passed around from lap to lap (which I loved as it gave me and my back a break from carrying the little guy around). He loved the family get-togethers, and just sat back and took it all the action in as his cousins ran around and opened presents!

It was a wonderful first Christmas with Hank! It is hard to believe that next year he will be walking, talking, and opening his own presents!

Our first Christmas as a family of 3!
Getting ready to go for a walk in the snow with Dad!
One of my new favorite toys!
Opening presents
4 generations!
Waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve. Dad's finger is his favorite!
Hank's new activity gym! He goes crazy in it!
Rocking with great grandma
Hank loved meeting all his great aunts/uncles, and cousins!
Making faces at Dad in the backseat
Diaper changes in the car!

Sweet Smiles

2009-12-29T10:39:00.004-05:00

There is nothing sweeter in the world than seeing your baby's face light up with a real smile at you for the first time. Hank had his first few true smiles at about 6 weeks. Over the past 2 weeks the smiles just get bigger and more frequent, and a few giggles are starting to come out! I'm having a hard time catching the smiles on camera, but here are a few pictures at 7 weeks...

5 Week Stats

2009-12-29T10:33:00.004-05:00

Here's how Hank sized up at his 1month check up...

Weight: 12 lbs 90th percentile

Length: 23 inches 65th percentile

Head: 15.8 inches 82nd percentile

Here's where he was when he was born...

Weight: 8 lbs 14 oz

Length: 22 inches

Head: 13 1/2 inches

We've got a big boy on our hands! I get the feeling he'll be eating us out of house and home someday...

Happy 1 Month Birthday Baby Hank!

2009-12-02T16:13:00.006-05:00

It is hard to believe that Hank is already 1 month old-people really aren't lying when they say "they grow up so fast!". We are slowly establishing a routine at home-I'm anxiously waiting for that first true smile at me! Hank is a very alert baby, and is awake a good part of the day which surprised me because everyone told me he would just sleep through the first few months-not my boy! If there are people around or something going on, he wants to be a part of it.

Of course the therapist in me is always on the look out for the next developmental milestone! He has just started really looking at me in the eyes and focusing on objects. He has started visually tracking objects. He is very strong and loves to "stand up" on our laps, and already has amazing head control. He will push up on his hands and can hold his head up turning it from side to side. He is also rolling from side to side. And best of all, he's just started making "oos" and "ahhs" making his speech therapist mama proud. It is amazing how much he has changed in just 4 short weeks.

So in honor of his first month of life, I'll give a run-down of his current likes/dislikes:

Likes:

1. Eating!

2. Being carried in his sling on mommy while I do housework (or just being carried by mommy in general)

3. Looking out the window next to his changing table at the leaves and trees.

4. Listening to mom sing songs-our current favorites (or at least what will keep him from fussing) Wheels on the Bus, Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things, Itsy Bitsy Spider

5. Looking in the mirror at himself

6. Walks in his stroller (they put him right to sleep)

7. After 2 weeks of screaming during bathtime, he now only cries when I take him out of the tub!!

8. The sound of the hair dryer-puts him to sleep in no time!

9. Practicing holding his head up-he's really strong already!

10. Stretching. He will stretch for a good 10 minutes everytime he wakes up.

Dislikes:

1. Being left in his bouncy seat too long! He will let you know when he's had enough

2. The hiccups (unfortunately he has them all the time)

3. When he is not the center of attention

4. Waking up-he has a hard time waking up and is grouchiest after a long nap!

5. His pacifier-sometimes he's a fan, but not typically. Although, I've caught him with his thumb in his mouth a few times this week

We go to the doctor next week for his 1 month check-up! I can't wait to see how much he's grown, I know my arms and back are killing me from carrying this pudgy boy around all day!

A chip off the old block?

2009-11-24T14:13:00.010-05:00

So we get lots of "who do you think Hank looks like?"....at this point I think it is too soon to tell, I think he has features from both of us, but I don't see the spitting image of either of us yet. But here's some pictures of us at the same age, so you can judge for yourself!

Baby Hank at 3 weeks....

Kim as a baby....

Johnny as a baby....

Happy 3 week birthday!

2009-11-24T09:59:00.007-05:00

It is hard to believe that Hank is already 3 weeks old! He has changed so much already. I look back at pictures of him in the hospital and can't believe how big he is already. At his 2 week appointment he was up to 9 lbs 4 oz which is up a whole pound from where he was when we left the hospital, and in just 10 days! My boy loves to eat! He's in the 65th percentile for both height and weight, and healthy as can be. He is such a strong boy already. He is dying to hold his head up on his own, and works at it all the time.

We are slowly adjusting to our "new normal" now that we are a family of 3. I still have many moments when I just can't believe that Hank is here and is here to stay! Everyone keeps asking about how the cats are adjusting to the newest member of the family. We were pretty nervous about their reaction, and fully expected to have jealousy issues (aka peeing all over the house) ; however, they have been great! Their behavior has actually improved since Hank's arrival, no more fighting, peeing, staying out after dark etc. Hopefully, this behavior continues!

Hank and I are slowly trying to establish some kind of routine during our days (and nights). He eats about every 3 hours, so I'm up typically twice at night. I think I'm adjusting to the new sleep schedule, as I am not as tired during the day as I was just a week ago. While Hank has his fussy moments, overall he is a mellow, happy baby. When he's not eating, sleeping, pooping (which is 97% of the time) we play on the floor, have tummy time, sing songs, read books, go for walks in the park, and have even gone on a few errands together. The first time we left the house seemed daunting and overwhelming, but each trip out gets a little easier. I'm not going to lie-being a mother is hands-down the most challenging thing I've ever done, but with hard work comes great rewards. When I look at Hank's sweet face, it makes everything worthwhile.

Here are some pictures of the past few weeks.....

Out in the park watching Dad play disc golf

Playtime on the floor when Daddy gets home from work

We are learning to love bathtime!

He's such a long boy! He loves to roll from one side to the other...

Naptime with mommy is our favorite time!

Welcome Baby Hank!

2009-11-09T16:59:00.007-05:00

I've been meaning to update about Hank's arrival for a few days now, but as many of you know being a new mommy is a very time consuming job!Hank arrived right on time with 30 minutes to spare on November 2nd via c-section after a long 24 hours in labor. The birth plan was out the window in the first 10 minutes! My water broke the night before which meant thatI had to be admitted to the hospital even though labor had not started yet. The whole next day was long as I had frequent, regular contractions but was progressing very, very slowly. The nurses had me up walking the halls all afternoon trying to move the baby down, and get things going. As the day went on the pain was getting more and more intense-I had a plan not to get the epidural

until 5 cm dialated; however after 24 hours in labor I never made it there. About 5:00 I got the epidural, and it was amazing!I highly recommend it! By 10:00 that night, I was still not progressing very quickly and the baby was starting to show signs of distress. The call was made by my midwife to do the c-section.

It's funny because the one thing I wanted to avoid was the c-section, but when the time came to make the decision it was the easiest decision of my life. I was worried about the baby, and I was exhausted-it was time. The whole surgery was a blur, and the full body epidural was the most bizarre experience of my life, but the one thing that kept me going through it all was that I only had moments until I knew if the baby I was carrying for 10 months was a boy or a girl! The suspense was incredible, and they let Johnny make the call as soon as the baby was pulled out of my belly! That moment when he yelled "it's a boy!!!" is one I will never forget.

Henry James Ritger aka Hank arrived at 11:22 pm on November 2nd, 2009-his due date. He weighed 8 lbs 14 oz and was 22 inches long. He had dirty blond hair that sometimes looks a little red depending on the light and dark dark blue/grey eyes. He is perfect! We spent the next 3 days in the hospital, Northside was wonderful, they call it a baby factory for a reason-they really know their stuff! I have had a very speedy recovery from the c-section. I was up and out of bed the next day, and off pain medication in 2 days. By the time I got home I was feeling good with hardly any pain. I still have to follow doctor's orders for the first 2 weeks with no driving, lots of resting and time off my feet which has been challenging for me.

So, Hank has been home about a week now and we are working on getting into a routine with each other. Daddy is back at work this week, so we're on our own. He is a very mellow baby, hardly ever cries, and with a little work has taken to breast feeding like a champ. He sleeps in about 3-4 hour stretches right now, and I have to get up about once a night to feed him. I am pretty exhausted, but we take a nap together in the afternoons and that seems to help. We aren't really sure who he looks like yet, some people say he looks like mom and others say dad. I think it will be a while before we can really tell. We are so lucky to have such a happy and healthy baby!

Welcome to the family Baby Hank! Here's a few pictures of his first week!

Patience is a Virtue

2009-11-01T19:33:00.002-05:00

I figured I'd post an update since we get about 10-15 inquiries a day as to whether or not Baby Ritger has joined us in the world! Tomorrow, November 2nd, is my official due date so either this baby is going to arrive promptly on time or will unfortunately be "tardy for the party" as we say in Atlanta.

At my last doctor's appointment last week there was no change from the previous 5 weeks. They have predicted I will be birthing a small toddler-estimates at this point are 8 1/2 to 9 lbs. Given the large nature of the baby, my small frame, and my desire to avoid and c-section if at all possible they are planning to set an induction for this week once the baby is officially "overdue" (isn't that a library term?). I go back Tuesday morning, assuming the baby hasn't decided to join us by then, and will have a stress test done and possibly an ultrasound to determine the exact size of the baby, and if there is any fetal distress given the cramped nature of his or her living environment. Based on all that, an induction will be put on the calendar-it could be that they will admit me Tuesday and get things going, or will let me wait until the end of the week to see if anything happens on its own. They assured me they will not let me go beyond 41 weeks.

So, here we are...I ate the eggplant parmigiana that was "guaranteed" to put me into labor within 48 hours-check it out here http://www.scalinis.com/Bambino.htm. No such luck. I've tried to be on my feet as much as possible. We had a beautiful fall day here finally, and we went for a long walk in Piedmont Park-forgetting it was Pride weekend, but that always makes for fantastic people watching. Tomorrow is the full moon, so maybe thats the ticket!

I'm officially on maternity leave now, and not really sure what to do with myself. Luckily, I am a very patient person and while I am more than ready to meet Baby Ritger, I also believe that all great things in life are worth waiting for...right?

A few pictures from our walk in the park today...I like to call them "Kim at max capacity".

40 weeks pregnant

Finally a nursery!

2009-10-25T20:57:00.002-04:00

I thought I'd post a few pictures of the nursery now that it is ready for baby. We still have details left in the room-the trim and chair rail need to be put up, the closet door, and door frames need to be finished. I plan to hang some more art on the walls (including the customary baby's name over the crib once it has been determined!), and I'm still hunting for that perfect rug for the floor. However, it is now a room that we can bring baby home to and with a week to spare! Johnny has moved on to the bathroom and is getting ready to tile the floor. I've spent the weekend putting the finishing touches on everything, and I think we can officially say that we're ready!

Yes, I am still pregnant

2009-10-20T21:40:00.003-04:00

Everyday I walk into work and I am greeted with a chorus of "you're still here!". There isn't anywhere I can go at this point where I can get away from talking about how enormous my belly has become. One of my favorite little ones at work said to me today, "WOW Miss Kim your belly is huge, it looks like you've been eating too many hamburgers!" My enormity doesn't even get past the 3 year olds anymore.

Everyone keeps asking when I am going to stop working, and honestly I plan to work as long as I can. Right now I'm scheduled to go out next Thursday, and I think all of my co-workers will breathe a sigh of relief that they will not be responsible for getting me to the hospital. I still feel surprisingly good, very tired, but that's about it. I'm more excited than anything-like a kid on Christmas Eve. I cannot wait to meet the baby and find out boy or girl! Talk about the best surprise ever! Johnny informed me tonight that my official due date, November 2nd, happens to be the full moon. Maybe just like his or her mama, baby will be right on time! I go tomorrow for my weekly check-up at the doctor-hopefully I'll get some news that things are moving along!

The nursery has finally become a nursery. The hardwoods went in this weekend, the curtains up, and the furniture is in the process of being moved in. All that is left in the nursery is the trim work that Johnny is sanding and painting right now! It has all come together perfectly, and I couldn't be any happier with the room!

38 weeks pregnant, just when you think you can't get any bigger...

The floors in progress....

Ta-da! We have walls, floors, and curtains (Thank you Grandma Kathy for the handmade valances!)

Johnny is in charge of communications once this show gets on the road...so hopefully you'll be hearing from him sooner rather than later!!

Marriage and Mud

2009-10-05T19:56:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posts! September flew by, and here we are less than a month from Baby Ritger's arrival! Our big event recently was Susie (Johnny's sister) and Kevin's wedding up at Unicoi Lodge in Helen, Ga. It was a fantastic event that went off without a snag-minus the pouring rain on the day of the wedding, but that didn't seem to bother anyone. It was a great family reunion for the Ritger family and we had a great time seeing everyone and catching up on all the exciting events in everyone's lives! Here are a few pictures of the day....

The bride and groom looking fabulous

The bridesmaids-yes we wore white and the bride wore green-and yes I am now officially "sister-in-law of the century" for wearing a short white dress when I was 9 months pregnant. Can you say marshmallow?

The family portrait

Other than Susie's wedding, the nursery project has been full steam ahead! Johnny has worked every free second he has-minus the time out to get a tetanus shot after stepping on a nail :) We now have 4 walls in the nursery and spent the weekend mudding the drywall! Even I got involved in this one since it requires no heavy lifting, power tools, or inhaling toxic chemicals. We should be priming and painting by the end of the week, and putting down the hardwoods this weekend. Then we move in the furniture, and we'll have our baby a nursery!! We're almost there!

So here I am at 36 weeks, and no I am not having twins despite the number of comments I get suggesting that maybe there are two babies in there. It is also interesting to note that up until the past few weeks 99% of people looked at me and were convinced I was carrying a boy, now everyone looks at me and is convinced it is a girl, hmmmm. I now go to the doctor every week, and at my 36 week appointment I got the news that "the baby could come any time now". The baby is fully dropped and engaged in my pelvis and is ready to go! They guessed the baby was between 6 and 7 pounds already, and told me to expect an October baby! I've already got baby's first halloween costume picked out, so hopefully they are right! The last thing my midwife said to me was "I'll see you next week, if I don't see you in the hospital sooner! I immediately went home to pack my hospital bag and get the car seat installed in the car. We're almost there, and I get more excited everyday to meet Baby Ritger. I'm pretty much over being pregnant at this point, and would like my body and mobility back. It's funny how nature just gets you to a point where you'll do anything to not be pregnant anymore, and it kind of takes away all my fears about labor and delivery.

We're just hanging close to home, finishing up the nursery and anxiously waiting for those first labor pains to strike! We'll keep you posted!

Preggo Photos

2009-09-21T16:37:00.006-04:00

We got a recommendation from our friend Jasmine for a wonderful photographer who is just getting her business started! She is a wonderful photographer, with very reasonable prices, and a joy to work with! So if you need a professional photographer for anything check out Summer Winship at www.summerwinship.com ! Here are a few of my favorites from the day....

Rounding third...heading home...

2009-09-08T19:24:00.005-04:00

At my 32 week check-up last week, my midwife said "well, you're almost there! you've officially hit the homestretch!" So here we are, in 7 weeks (give or take a few) we will offically become parents and have a new member in the family! Everything continues to check out great with Baby Ritger. I was measuring big at my last few appointments, but as they predicted, my rate of growth has slowed towards the end, and I am now right on track for an on-time delivery. Still no complaints-no swelling, no back pain, no heartburn, no difficulty sleeping, no stretch marks, -I seriously have no idea what pregnant women are complaining about all the time. The baby moves, nudges, pushes, kicks, punches, pokes at my internal organs all day long, it is the most wonderful thing I have ever experienced. I even get sad thinking that I won't feel the baby moving in just a few weeks! I do get tired after a long 10 hour day at work, but those days are numbered! I recently accepted a transfer position to the hospital to work in acute rehab. I am THRILLED as this is what I have always loved within my field, and I have waited for 2 years for a position to open. This opportunity came at the perfect time for us, as I always say, it always works out in the end!

Here I am at 32 weeks....

Johnny and I recently "graduated" from childbirth class. We got a diploma as you can see, so I guess this means I should feel ready for labor and delivery? Can't say that I'll ever feel ready for that, but I refuse to listen to everyone's horror stories about their 83 hour labors, because honestly, I don't believe them. I'm going in with a completely open mind, educated about what I want, and fully aware that it will not be any walk in the park...Johnny survived the videos of childbirth, and feels confident that he is ready for the delivery room! Can't wait to meet the little one!

This weekend was literally "labor" day weekend in our house. Johnny tirelessly worked for 3 days straight putting up walls for the baby's room! I am absolutely blown away at his work-he always amazes me at his ability to figure out projects, and execute like a professional! The rooms are all framed now, and we just started putting up the drywall. In 3 days time our house went from a 2 bedroom to a 3 bedroom-Johnny can just feel his home value rising. The ongoing joke in our house is always "can you smell the sweat equity yet?" "yeah, and it smells like body odor"

While Johnny worked on the construction, I assembled all sorts of bouncy seats, diaper genies, baby monitors, strollers, etc. The crib is set up and ready for baby. After our shower at home and then a surprise shower at work for me last week, we have pretty much everything we could ever need at this point. We have been so fortunate to have so many generous people in our lives-we can't thank everyone enough (but I am still working on all those thank you notes, so don't worry, they are on their way!)

Fully Equipped

2009-08-27T20:31:00.009-04:00

This past weekend was our couple's baby shower thrown by the moms and my wonderful, and amazing friend Becky who went above and beyond to make the whole event amazing for us! We can't thank them enough!! We had an absolutely beautiful, unseasonably unhumid day for the event-which was lucky since we had 50 people in attendance! It was amazing to see how many wonderful friends we have that will come out to celebrate this exciting time in our life with us. Baby Ritger is absolutely spoiled rotten already!! Our house now looks like an aisle in Babies R Us, and I'm just not quite sure where all of this stuff is going to fit in our little house.

Some pictures from the day....

Handmade afghan from Great Grandma Reba!
The college roomies together again!
Snuggle suit from Great Auntie Sue
It's Carter meeting his auntie Kim for the first time!

Question of the Week

2009-08-27T19:52:00.005-04:00

For week 3 in the series...

Q: Have you had any strange food cravings/aversions while being pregnant?

A: I have not had any aversions while pregnant, this might have something to do with the fact that I did not have any morning sickness either. Whatever the reason, I'm glad I've been able to keep up my normal appetite throughout the pregnancy because I just love food way too much! I also wouldn't say that I've had any strange cravings either. Nothing that I have consistently craved throughout the pregnancy. There are times when something sounds really good (typically something sweet), but that isn't really any different from before pregnancy.

However, the other day someone asked me what I had been craving and Johnny overheard me saying "nothing really", then he told me to go look in our freezer and rethink my answer....

I took a look and this is what I found...

So maybe I've been having some hankerings for ice cream lately......

Welcome to my nest

2009-08-15T09:12:00.004-04:00

In the past few weeks I have noticed a huge increase in nesting activities. I've been out at garage sales and clearance racks collecting books, toys, nursery decor, blankets, burp cloths, and adorable tiny clothing. It feels like a throwback to my doll-playing days as I fold up tiny little t-shirts, socks, and onesies. Because my nest is being built as we speak, I'm having to organize around my nest (which is getting increasingly difficult as I am running out of room). But have no fear! Hubby is underneath the house at this moment blowtorching in the middle of a rainstorm! The pressure is officially on.

Things have pretty much become all about the baby in our lives now. We have started our weekly childbirth classes, which feel straight out of a movie. The kind of

wacky lamaze instructor who guides all the eager first time couples through the birthing process using all sorts of diagrams and models of the female anatomy. Our class is even complete with the token class clown husband who snickers and makes a joke everytime she mentions the vagina or cervix. (I'm just glad this is not my husband)

We did our pregnancy pictures today with a wonderful photographer referred to us by our friend Jasmine. Next weekend is our couple's shower, we are so excited to have everyone over to our house for the first time. I will post pictures as soon as we get them!

I can't wait to put these on my little one!

29 weeks! I just keep getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger....

Question of the Week

2009-08-03T15:32:00.004-04:00

I think I've been asked this question at least 30 times over the weekend. Every conversation plays out as follows....

Q: Is it a boy or a girl?

A: We don't know, we want to be surprised!

Q: Do you have any feeling about what it is?

A: I'm not really sure. From the start I've just had this gut feeling that it is a boy, but that is probably because I have always pictured us with a house full of boys running around all muddy all the time with unexplained bumps, bruises, and scrapes. Then another part of me thinks that it is a girl just because I've thought boy all along. I keep having dream

s that I've had the baby, but no one will tell me if it's a boy or a girl! So, I guess you could say I really have no idea, but we have absolutely no preference either way. I will say that I get a lot more "you're carrying a boy" from everyone who feels the need to comment on the size and shape of my belly :) That might also be what's driving my instincts to say boy. who knows? I guess we'll just have to wait!

Q: Do you have names picked out?

A: We do have names, but nothing is certain until I'm holding the little one in my arms. I'm a firm believer that I must meet the baby first before naming them. Some people have heard our name options, but for the most part we're staying quiet until the name is official because we won't know for sure until the baby has arrived!

And just because I don't want to post without a picture.....

My sweet Ruby's newest favorite spot-the changing table. I'm starting to think we might have some jealously issues when the baby arrives.....

You ask, I answer...

2009-07-29T19:16:00.004-04:00

26 1/2 weeks! Welcome to the third trimester!

I don't know if other women share this opinion, or if it is just because I am one of the first of my close friends to have a child...but I feel like a broken record answering the same pregnancy related questions over and over and over again. So, I thought I would pick some of the frequently asked questions to answer on here, just to be sure everyone gets all the juicy details they desire. (I get so many requests for blog updates from people! I didn't think anyone read this other than our families-but thats awesome, so I need to keep the updates coming!)

So for week 1 in my FAPQ (frequently asked pregnancy questions) series:

Q: Have you continued to exercise during your pregnancy? how has your work out routine changed since becoming pregnant?

A: YES!!! I have remained very active throughout my pregnancy. However, my exercise routine has changed quite a bit because of the limitations during pregnancy. I used to run multiple times a week, but since becoming pregnant I haven't really felt that running was a good idea. Doctors say its okay, but the whole idea of bouncing the baby up and down in the heat and humidity of Atlanta just hasn't been real appealing to me. So, I've gone back to my old stomping grounds at the pool! We live 2 blocks from a huge city pool! I've been walking over a few days a week and swimming laps. Not only does it feel amazing to move your body and use your muscles, but the water takes all the strain off your aching back and ankles! (not to mention the nice golden tan you get logging hours at the pool)

On my off days from the pool, I've taken up walking my old running route around the park (about 3 miles with steep hills up and down) or at the river trails. I set a stopwatch and work to walk a certain distance within a certain amount of time. Johnny and I have been walking a lot together, so its nice to spend that time together too! At least once a week I try to do my prenatal yoga-I bought a great video that is similar to the type of yoga I did before I was pregnant. It has modifications for each trimester, and it feels absolutely amazing to stretch all the muscles out!

So thats pretty much my exercise program during pregnancy. Aside from exercising, I stay active working in the yard, always taking the stairs at work, etc etc. I notice a huge increase in my energy levels if I've been exercising or not.

Although there are some days when the overwhelming urge for a nap takes over, and I have my hubby to thank for pictures like these....

Rounding second, headed to third...

2009-07-17T18:43:00.012-04:00

24 weeks-6 months pregnant! Time flies when you're having fun!

So at my appointment yesterday, my midwife reminded me that in another week I'd officially be in my third trimester! YIKES!! That snuck up on me. She also handed me a packet of information with a to-do list that has to be completed by 36 weeks-double YIKES! Of course this list did not include things like "build walls in the nursery", "obtain diaper genie", or "figure out what to name this baby". Thank goodness I'm a natural-born nester, I thrive on to-do lists!

Baby Ritger is doing wonderfully, he or she spends pretty much all day and all night kicking and

punching me. If you're sitting next to me you might get a surprise when you see my belly jump out all of a sudden on one of his or her head over heels flips! I think we're currently laying sideways in my belly, but that may change within the hour! I read this week that my baby is the size of a foot-long hot dog, we're getting up there! At work this week, I was working in the NICU with a baby that were born at 25 weeks-thats the same size as the baby growing inside of me now! Crazy!

Baby preparations continue to progress in our house. We purchased our crib and changing table last weekend (craigslist of course). Johnny has been trying out his plumming hat in recent weeks he is trying to install our clawfoot tub and all associated plumming. You will have to ask him how that is going:) We finished painting the back side of our house last weekend in preparation for the wedding shower I'm throwing for my sister-in-law and her fiancee this weekend. Only

one side left to paint!

In a few weeks we start childbirth class, and I had a long discussion with my midwife this week about natural childbirth vs. the epidural. I'm still on the fence with this one, and during our conversation she gave the analogy that childbirth was like playing a game of poker becuase you never know what card you will draw when its time to get the baby out! I'm a terrible card game player, so this worries me a little :) We'll see how the class goes, and if I commit to the natural decision we will sign up for hypnobirthing classes that focus completely on laboring and delivering naturally.

Next weekend is our hospital tour. It's funny because I work in a hosptial, but am absolutely terrified to be a patient in a hospital. I'm hoping the tour helps put some of my fears to rest.

A few pictures of recent happenings....

My wonderful hubby working on another one of my nesting projects, we all know a baby cannot come home to a half painted house!

The current state of affairs in the nursery and bathroom. Yes that is a huge hole in the wall leading directly into the kitchen, but at least the floors are finally gone! You can see the paint colors on the wall-green for the nursery and bright yellow in the bathroom.

Baby Ritger's new bed and changing table! At least baby will have somewhere to sleep even if his or her room isn't quite done yet :)

Hilton Head

2009-07-12T19:08:00.016-04:00

At the end of June, I went on our annual extended family beach trip to Hilton Head. We had beautiful weather for the whole week, got to see family that I wish I saw more, and of course a week off of work! I thought I would share a few pictures from the week.....

Hi Baby Ritger!

2009-07-06T17:05:00.007-04:00

We recently went for our 20 week ultrasound and got to see our little bundle of joy ! The baby is perfect with all parts and organs developing normally-10 fingers and 10 toes. We're now at about 1 whole pound! I couldn't believe how active the little one was during the ultrasound-kicking, punching, rolling around, and we could even see baby sucking his or her thumb and yawning. It is absolutely amazing to get to see the person growing inside of me, doing everything a baby does. I am so relieved that everything is right on track and healthy. I asked the ultrasound technician about a hundred and two questions about possible heart defects, cleft lip and palates, and brain hemispheres, when she eventually asked me what I did for a living. When I told her I'm a speech therapist, and I work with special needs children, she smiled and said "that explains all the questions" before reassuring me again that everything looked perfect :) As planned, we turned our head when promped and I did not give in to the urge to peek at the ever- popular between the legs shots! Take a look at our little one...I think he/she is absolutely adorable already, but that just might be my mommy instincts kicking in...

The above is a picture of baby making a fist and getting ready to punch mom in the belly (one of baby's favorite activities at the moment)...look at that muscle definition-hopefully he/she will get mom's calf muscles!

Here's a picture of me at 20 weeks examining my belly....however this was taken

3 weeks ago. We are now at 23 weeks, and I feel like I've about doubled in size since then. The baby is moving all the time now, and every once in a while I get a really hard punch or kick right in the ribs-its amazing! Almost 6 months along-I can't believe it. We've been busy working on the nursery and bathroom renovations. I've bought paint colors for both, picked out my bedding, and am searching for the perfect crib in addition to fabric for drapes that I need to start working on. We're all registered for all our baby gear, and are putting together a guest list for our shower at the end of August! We have our boy name picked out, but are still working on the perfect girl name-both to remain a surprise until baby arrives. We're signed up for childbirth classes and go on our hospital tour in a few weeks. I feel wonderful, and continue to have absolutely no complaints. The questions of the moment from complete strangers in the grocery line include "is it a boy or a girl?" "do you have names picked out?" "are you swelling?", and "can I touch your belly?"

In case you are wondering...no, I am not swelling, the heat doesn't bother me at all , and I do not mind at all if people I know touch my belly-but I would prefer the random old women in Kroger to back away from my baby.

4 years

2009-06-29T16:44:00.006-04:00

On June 18th, Johnny and I celebrated 4 years of marriage ! I got a Bissel Steam Mop and he got a memory foam pillow! You know its love when you are happier about household items than diamonds :)

By the way...anyone who doesn't have a steam mop needs to get one pronto! They are amazing!

Summer in the City

2009-06-10T19:59:00.004-04:00

Anyone from Atlanta knows how hot and miserable it can get in the summer...no one understands this better than Grady, our 20 pound fluffball of a cat. Typically he spends his summers on his back laying under a ceiling fan and next to the AC vent. His grouchiness goes through the roof, and my patience for the daily hairball clean-up runs out about mid July. So this summer I gave Johnny the go-ahead to shave him. I figure it would make him happier, and would cut down on the amount of cat hair in the house. I was a little nervous about how Grady would react to his new do given his temperamental nature, but to say he likes it is an understatement-he LOVES it! He prances around the house now like he's king of the roost, swishing his tail in the other cats faces and demanding that we pet his soft buzzed coat. I think he looks so silly with his official "lion cut", as does the mailman who made fun of him the other day, and Johnny, who calls him "ratcat" now...but Grady doesn't seem to mind...he's cool as a cucumber :)

Just thought I'd share a few pictures of our "lion" in case you're in need of a chuckle today....

Busy Busy May

2009-06-01T16:56:00.017-04:00

We've had a busy month! Luckily, I'm still feeling great! Lots of energy, lots of appetite, and just starting to feel little flutters in my tummy letting me know someone is in there! We're almost at the halfway point already! We go in 2 weeks for our big ultrasound where we'll finally get to see our baby! We'll be going on our 4 year anniversary so it should be a fun present for us. Yes, this is the appointment when we could find out the sex of the baby; however to answer everyone's question we are going to close our eyes in that part and everyone will have to wait until November to find out! I think we get asked this question at least 10 times a day to which we get, without fail, one of two responses...1. "Oh! I could never wait, I'm too much of a planner" or 2. "we waited, and I highly recommend it, the surprise is wonderful"

I've posted some pictures below of the recent happenings around our house.....

18 weeks belly !! It's getting big! People are starting to rub my belly, and tell me things like "you're all belly" and "you look great!" or "you're just glowing!" which all make me feel really good as my waist disappears, even if they tell all pregnant ladies that :)

Memorial Day weekend on Tybee Island for Susie and Kevin's engagement party! It rained about half of the weekend, but we managed to still get some sun and beach time on our last day. Kevin's parents hosted a great engagement party at their home on the waterfront!

Chris and Whitney's wedding was this past weekend, and Johnny was a groomsman-doesn't he look handsome in his tux!?! It was a beautiful weekend for a wedding! We got to see lots of old friends, and of course eat A LOT of really good food. I learned that people in a buffet line will actually let pregnant ladies go ahead of them like we're starving animals.

Our vegetable garden is finally in the ground and growing like crazy! Johnny likes to say he's outside "farming" when he's working in the garden. Our crop this summer will include; tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, onions, 3 different varieties of peppers, watermelon, pumpkins, lettuce, blueberries, blackberries, and herbs. We'll have to set up shop at the farmer's market down the street to get rid of all these veggies!

The demo on the nursery has begun! I get a little nervous when I see the pile of rubble that will soon be my baby's room, but excited to see the process started. If you know anyone who needs a jacuzzi style garden tub-let us know :) I've been researching baby gear, and am getting ready to start registering soon! How exciting!

The AC officially went on for the first time today! Forecast was for a high of 94! This could potentially be our biggest argument all summer :) It's just so tempting to tweak the temp down a few degrees......

That's about it from our house...the pool is officially open and I'm thrilled to be able to swim laps a few times a week! I can float for the first time in my life!

Just one more picture because I think its so cute....

The Latest and Greatest

2009-05-10T16:48:00.003-04:00

Here's the belly at 15 weeks! I can't believe how big it is compared to 12 weeks! I am hoping to start feeling this baby kicking around in there anyday now. I had a check-up at 13 weeks that was quick and easy. I heard the heartbeat and everything sounds great. I go back next week for another quick check up and then on June 18th, our 4 year anniversary we both get to go for our 20 week ultrasound! I'm so excited, Johnny took the day off from work, and I can't think of a better way to spend our anniversary than getting the first look at our baby. Of course, this is the day we could find out the sex, but after talking to many people, I am absolutely sure I do not want to know until delivery day!

I'm still feeling great! Lots of energy, and lots of projects going on! I am really getting into this whole nesting thing :)

In other news our new deck was finished up a few weeks ago! Take a look....we LOVE IT and can't wait to have everyone over for a BBQ!

Here comes the belly...

2009-04-22T21:20:00.003-04:00

We figured it was time for the first shot of the belly since my pants are all officially a bit uncomfortable, and I bought my first maternity pants last weekend! The elastic waistband is amazing, I may never go back. Here I am at exactly 12 weeks...welcome 2nd trimester! It doesn't look like much in this picture when I look at it now, but it sure does feel huge when I look down at it everyday. I still feel great, honestly I can say that I feel better pregnant than I did before. My energy is coming back more and more everyday-I don't think I've taken a nap in weeks. My appetite is out of control-this baby is hungry all the time. I have to take a whole grocery bag of snacks to work everyday! I'm trying my hardest to keep it healthy so I don't end up putting on 90 pounds :)

My second doctor's appointment is next week, no pictures expected this time, but maybe we'll hear the heartbeat!

The nursery

2009-04-19T09:04:00.004-04:00

For those who have been to our house you all have shared a chuckle with us about the luxury master suite complete with jacuzzi tub and zero privacy toilet. We now face our biggest renovation project. In the next 6 months we will revert this 1 super deluxe room back into 3 rooms, creating a nursery, private bathroom, and guest room. This is going to require the big guns of home renovation-plumbing, electrical, flooring, closet building, wall building, and wall destroying. We have a plan drawn out, and are ready to get started-bathroom is up first. Luckily, Johnny works best with time pressure and there's no greater reminder of the pressure than my growing belly! Once the walls are up, I can start on the nursery. A good friend of ours who is an artist, has offered to paint the room for us with a mural. We started planning our "theme" with him yesterday, and I am very excited about the plan! It should be an amazing nursery. Of course, like all things baby, we will be keeping you in suspense until the big reveal!

So here's a picture of the "before", I'll update with the in-progress pictures as we go!

In other home renovation news...we are getting a new deck built this week! We can finally have people over without having to worry that the deck will collapse!!!