Introducing...

Sweet Pea! Of course, again, we did not find out Sweet Pea's sex... we didn't really even consider it. But it is amazing that in their profile view, Sweet Pea and Annabelle look a lot alike :) Baby is growing well and developing properly. Only one small hiccup with the umbilical cord that they will check on again around 28 weeks. But the doctor made it seem like no big deal.

So, ta da!

And here I am at 20.5 weeks...

Annabelle did not take too kindly to the ultrasound procedure. She was very upset by the goo and that mommy had to lay on a table. I believe she thought they were hurting me. Daddy was there for comfort, but for most of the ultrasound, she had to sit on the table by me. As difficult as it was, it was rather charming.

Sweet Pea's got moves!

I have been feeling it for two or three weeks now, but Joel finally got to feel the kicks today.
Obviously Sweet Pea loves Door County Mint Meltaways!

Hot!

Lower your butt all the way to the floor, wait for Mom to say "Ready?!", and then try as hard as you can to get your feet off the floor while Mom yells "JUMP!".

If anyone tells her she actually needs to get air underneath her feet to consider it jumping, I will deny them at all costs.

My little charmer never ceases to amaze. When she dances, she rocks so hard, she typically falls over sideways. She is currently in to stomping her feet fast on the ground. She also reaches into anything that appears to hold objects, and pulls out make believe food and feeds herself.

But I will always store in my heart that scene that happened at Grandpa and Grandma Lullo's house last weekend. Annabelle had been napping and woke up to discover a fire in the fireplace. As she hasn't seen one since she was tiny, she was very curious. She inched her way closer to the fireplace, and when she got close enough, I said "hot!". She immediately got this concerned look on her face, and then puffed her cheeks out and blew! Between my mom and myself, you would think it was the funniest thing you had ever seen. She continued to do it for the next 20 minutes and will do it now if I show her a video of a fire. See, she connected hot things and blowing because when her food is hot, we blow on it to cool it off. Amazing!

She had her 15 month appointment on Friday (along with 4 shots!), and she is right on target in all areas. 70% for weight, 60% for height, and 38% for head circumference.

10 days from now we get to see Sweet Pea!

Squirt and Sweet Pea

Both are growing so much I can't believe it!

Last week, I got the joy of hearing Sweet Pea's heartbeat again! On the monitor, it sounds like galloping horses...150 bpm. Steady as could be....that was after the doctor had to hunt down that heartbeat due to lots of movement. The doctor also mentioned that in 3 months, we'll be able to schedule the c-section. Weird!! Seems like Sweet Peas will be here around the second week of February, unless there are plans we don't know about yet.

Squirt (aka Annabelle) is making major strides cognitively. She is now putting her toys back in baskets when asked and prompted...though I would stop far short of calling it cleaning up. She also gained at least 2 molars this weekend, and possibly more, though she has no interest in Mommy sticking her fingers in her mouth to find out.

Joel turned 31 this weekend! We celebrated with the Packer's (along with the Hintz boys), the Brewer's (Joel's Dad, Annabelle and I surprised him at work), and the Lullo's. We are sure a blessed family and remind each other of that as often as we can.

Mommy Heaven

I am in mommy heaven this morning.

Yesterday, I had my 12 week appointment for Sweet Pea. They have this new device that is basically a handheld ultrasound machine. I got to see the baby doing somersaults and waving its arms. I didn't get to hear the heartbeat, but I did get to see it. So clearly, we're all healthy! The appointments the second time around are so much faster. She must have asked me 3 times if I had any questions, and I racked my brain, but none came up.

Also, we got a new doc. And so far, we love her. We talked with her at the first appointment about the whole C-section/VBAC possibility. She was straight forward with her information. I really wanted to be able to try for a VBAC (vaginal birth after C-section) this time, and she made me feel that it is an option. But, through her wisdom and gentleness, she shared with us that if the babies were 18 months apart, the risk would be too high. If the were going to be 2 years apart, the choice would be completely ours (risks are fairly even for VBAC or C-section). But at 20 months (which Sweet Pea and Annabelle will be), its hard to know. Take into consideration that the doctors could not determine why Annabelle never dropped, the doctor found that to be concerning. We also have the wisdom of Joel's uncle (an anesthesiologist), who was very concerned for us to try for VBAC. Though the decision has yet to be made, we are definitely leaning towards a planned C-section.

As for Annabelle, she is wonderful! For the first time in weeks, Annabelle and I have no where to go today. This morning I just watched her walk up and down our block. My eyes filled with tears as I thought about what a blessing she is to me, to Joel, and to our family and friends. She is something special.

catching up...oops!

It has been a long time since I have posted here. We have been enjoying our summer to its fullest potential!

Annabelle is a toddler now. She is walking and jabbering and even doing sign language! She can say please (and how is it that even through sign language she can be demanding?!), more, milk, and all done. Joel and I love to watch her develop cognitively. She is just putting the pieces of the world together. She knows where her hair, nose, eyes, toes and belly button are. She still gives a cheesy smile when you bring the camera out and squints her eyes at the light from the video camera.

Her food repertoire is expanding. She loves bananas, toast with peanut butter, Mexican rice, and today she had Thai spring rolls! Unfortunately, she's not currently digging her vegetables.

She has two naps a day, and clearly still needs them both. She sleeps anywhere between 11 and 12 hours a night. We have the occasional wake up, which I always attribute to teeth pain.

This week, she is starting to love being in the water. If she peaks out the back door and sees her pool, I can't get her out there fast enough. She mostly likes to stand in it, bend down and splash, and play with her toys. I am trying to be intentional with laying her down on her back in the water and sprawling her out on her front... she just laughs at me!

Which is the other new thing about Annabelle...she's getting her "own personality". In so many ways, it's adorable. And then there are those moments when she's melting down over a book, a shirt, the way I took her out of her bed, etc... there is no way for me to decipher what it is she wants! From what I hear, its just the age and their frustration over not being able to communicate.

The personality trait that is most clear about Annabelle is that she loves people. She is the greeting committee no matter where we are, waving at any person that she can see... no matter how far away they are. Her smile charms even the most stubborn of people. And if they take the time to talk to her, she is in heaven.

We love her more and more all the time.

I decided to include this video. It will not win me the mom of the year award. I know she can seriously injure herself crawling and walking with an object in her mouth...she survived! :) But since then, I did put the kazoo in a hard to reach spot so she can only play while being supervised...and not while walking around! It is still one of the funniest videos of her that I have! :)

Air travel with a one year old

Survived, and dare I say, thrived? I should probably not until we make the trip back.

Two days ago, I was rather anxious about our 16 hour day of travel with a baby who doesn't sleep anywhere but in a crib.

Last night at 9:30 p.m. PST, Annabelle went to sleep in a pack n play in a hotel room. Other than that, she had slept all of 1 hour the rest of the day. The best part? No crying, screaming, freaking out, or other such behavior. She made lots of new friends, had some moments of fussyness, and ate way too many puffs. I'm sure she picked up some infectious disease as I let here crawl all over the airport floor, but she needed to work off some energy.

The guys at TSA were awesome to us. Yes, that is what I said. Our car seat came back in one piece. Yep.

Not sure if it helped but we used these ear cover things we bought to protect her ears from loud noises (ie. Dad working on the house), and I remembered they mentioned they can help with air pressure in the plane. Other than needing to distract her from the large things on her head...they worked like a charm.

We were all exhausted by the end.

But one of my favorite moments for me was sitting next to her in the car on the way to the hotel. She would chit chat and then suck her thumb. And every time she put her thumb in her mouth, she would reach over and put her hand on my arm. For a baby who doesn't cuddle, it melted this mother's heart.

She is the best. And in 9 days, we get the joy of celebrating her birth. What a year...

memorial day weekend

Busy! Family visits, wedding, parades, pool, and finished projects galore!

Check this out... happy birthday to me! Joel amazes me over and over again with his abilities. You would never know this wasn't in the original home. What a gift! (To see the before picture: http://hintzadventures.blogspot.com/2011/05/p-word.html)

Annabelle was a trooper as we carted her around from place to place...even spending her first night away from us since she was a few months old. The sleepover at Grandpa's was a success!

On Monday, all the projects were complete and we had nothing on the schedule. We took Annabelle to the Memorial Day parade. She loved the bands, especially the flags! In the afternoon, we set up her pool and let her splash around. We have to watch her closely because she has absolutely no fear. She was crawling around in it and kept sticking her face in. As you can see by the next picture, she is getting brave with her standing but has yet to attempt that first step.

Looking adorable in her gear to go swimming...

We leave for California in 9 days!

Finished

Though we still have college furniture, the basement is done!!

The "P" word

In our home, that "P" word is PROJECT. Joel has a constant list of them going on in his head at all times.

A couple weeks ago, we had a small breakdown about our basement. It's been the ugliest two shades of yellow since I moved in. And since we put our only t.v. and computer down there, we see it more often than we used to. I wanted to repaint and clean out some of the junk we had been keeping. I also wanted a small corner for Annabelle to keep some toys in.

BEFORE (the beautiful model is Sarah Peterson who was my first roommate):

AFTER (This is an unfair picture but part of the basement is still getting work done, so you'll have to wait for the full finished version!) This doorway did not have any casing or molding on it before.

Joel finished the other side of the basement before Annabelle was born.

The second project is something we have discussed for a long time. We currently have no access to our backyard (small as it might be) from the inside of the house. You have to either go through the garage or the front door. Since we got married, I have been asking for a sliding door from our dining room. And I'm getting it!

Here is the before shot (the door is going where the window on the left currently is):

Once it is finished, I will present the new and improved!

The last project (for the time being) is the toy box that Joel is building for Annabelle for her first birthday. I can't wait to show it off, but again, you'll have to wait for the pictures!

Milestones

I hit a milestone. Yep. I prepared my first meal with a clingy child holding on to my legs. At night, Annabelle is wanting a little more attention than usual. The kitchen was littered with blocks and Tupperware and spoons, but Annabelle only wanted me.

Annabelle also reached a sweet milestone. She now plays "So big" with us! I'm not sure if other parents have felt this way, but it is about the sweetest thi

ng you'll ever see.

Let me show you...

What's fun for us lately, is that she's starting to see cause and effect. As in, when the camera comes out, the flash goes off. Therefore, I should blink my eyes so I don't have to see so many spots.

Evidence #1 (she's also showing off her mouth full of teeth and looking completely ridiculous!):

Evidence #2 (and what I think is cuter than the first):

a year later

Easter 2010Easter 2011

How deep the Father's love for us

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross
My guilt upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no powr's, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Holy Week

It is interesting that as we are creeping our way towards Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, that I am reading about the birth of Christ in the book of Luke.

Today I was reading about two characters that we don't talk much about. Simeon and Anna. They both encounter Jesus as a baby. And they both proclaim that he will bring redemption and salvation. We're talking about a baby here...really?

What incredible faith.

As I was thinking about that, attempting to picture it in my head, the FedEx man was knocking on my neighbor's door. And my mind was filled with new images.

Make the jump with me.

Jesus comes to my door. I let him in. Do I recognize Him? Am I humble enough to lower myself to my knees and worship Him? Here. For real.

I wish I could say it was easy to picture and my heart leapt with joy just thinking about it. The truth? I couldn't even picture it. I couldn't picture myself on the floor of my home at the feet of a man. At the feet of Jesus. Even after so many years of attempting to follow Him. My mind drew a blank.

My prayer this Holy week is that God would move my faith from my head to my heart as He has done so many times before. And that from there, it would pollute my whole life.

Good Friday. The Cross. The silence of Saturday. Easter. Resurrection Sunday.

I stand at the door and knock. Revelations 3:20.

Sippin'

We're officially down to one bottle a day.

Awesome.

And we're now bouncing in our bed during nap time, instead of napping.

Umm....yay?

Easter Egg Hunt

In case you were wondering, she liked it! Actually, this is the worship time before the actual egg part. She liked it best. Music, balloons, kids, dancing... pretty much everything she loves in the world.

Excited to see her friends!

With Emma... who was sticking the stickers, while Annabelle was eating them. They made a good pair!

Sippy Cups And Graham Crackers

They got to me today. See, everyone says to cherish every moment. This blog is my attempt to do that. I don't care if others care about Annabelle's daily activities. I do.

Today, Annabelle had snack time. A sippy full of milk (formula) and graham crackers broken to bits. It's only taken me a week to wean Annabelle to sippy cups (except bedtime, because I'm unwilling). I leaned up to her little face and told her just how proud I am of her, and she leaned forward and rubbed her nose to mine. And I cracked. I had to walk away and look at her from the hallway with tears in my eyes.

Sippy cups and snack time and shoes and standing in her crib. Need I say more. I'm cherishing this moment. Because before long it will be regular cups and eating without my assistance and tying her shoes. I'm even cherishing changing her diaper because before long she won't need me.

And as sweet as she is, I went back in the kitchen for another nose rub, and all I got was a hand in the face.

See, that's why I cherish.

Blogsy

For Christmas I received an iPad! Besides Annabelle, it is my constant companion. It may also be part of the reason have struggled to keep up with blogging as it is not easy to do through the iPad.

But they just released an app called "blogsy", which I am currently trying out. As I am not much of a blogger, I will probably not get the chance to use all of it's nuances, but I already enjoy how easy it is to post something.

So here's to more thoughts from me!

Weaning

For some reason, I never thought about it. I mean, I had to wean from the pump, but that was fairly uneventful and didn't involve Annabelle.

And there in lies the problem. I forgot about the bottle. The other day I decided it was time. She's eating three meals a day and will drink from her sippy cup. I read somewhere that you can just try to go cold turkey. And as Annabelle has transitioned easily in the past, I thought this would go easily too.

But the problem isn't her. I mean, she'd clearly prefer the bottle, and eats much more when I give it to her. But the problem is me. I'm the one laying in bed at 11:30 at night considering if it is really necessary just yet, or if I introduced the cup early enough, or if I should just go right to the cup, or if I should just wait until she's one. And the bottom line is, I'm bummed.

I haven't grieved that she's growing up. Every stage of her development has been more fun than the last. And right now, she is the star of my world (and really, anyone else she encounters). But she'll barely sit in your lap long enough to get one sock on her. Except at bottle time. I will miss that time so much. And at 11:30 at night, I feel it warrants a short, but therapeutic cry.

Sunday night, as we were literally walking Annabelle upstairs for bedtime, the sirens went off. We knew there was a storm coming, but didn't expect that. Being the worrier that I am, I turned us right back around and asked Joel (maybe forcefully) to put up her pack and play. She usually has no problems sleeping there, but that night she wasn't having it.

This posed us with a slight problem. For those of you that don't know Annabelle personally, she's not much for relaxing in your arms and drifting off to sleep. No, it goes more like the battle to keep a slippery, wet fish in your hands.

And that's how it started. I laid down on the couch with her with the tv muted so that I could keep an eye on the storm. She would watch the tv and then glance over at her dad and then watch tv and then writhe her body around to see the lightning through the windows and then watch the tv. Slowly I started to notice she was giving up.

So I began to hum "you are my sunshine", which is the song I always sing to her at bedtime. She would lay here head down on my chest and begin to make noises, as if mimicking the noise she could hear from my chest. It made me giggle. Which made her fake laugh in hope that I would giggle again, which I did, and the cycle continued for long enough that I could recognize, and memorize, what was happening. My heart warms now just remembering.

And she eventually fell asleep. And I held her until I knew I had to put her in her bed.

And even though I will miss our times with the bottle, I am praying for times when there will be no bottle, but only a need for safety, or warmth, or just plain cuddle time. And though those times may only come once in awhile, they will be ours alone.

My girl's a reader!

Not quite yet, but she's a page turner, so we're heading in the right direction. This video may be long and boring to some, but I know we have family that will appreciate it! I am proud of her... but especially love the cheesy smile she keeps flashing for the camera. I actually think she's squinting her eyes due to the bright light coming out of the camera. This is just two videos from last night of her reading, and then crawling.

Weekend getaway

Potbelly roast beef.

Caribou.

Lou Malnati's deep dish. Free appetizer.

Flaco's Tacos (amazing find).

Tuscany in little Italy. Butternut squash ravioli with browned butter and nuts.

Dunkin' Donuts.

Italian beef sandwiches with the Lullo's.

Is it bad that I judge a successful trip on the quality of food consumed? Based on the above menu...our trip received an A+!

Annabelle and the city of Chicago are now BFF's. She loved it so much she chose not to do much napping, but was an incredibly well behaved and happy girl. I continue to be proud and impressed by her everyday!

Joel and I got the gift of going out on a date on Saturday night (thanks to Auntie Carrie!). We boarded up on the Blue Line and headed towards Little Italy where we had a fabulous dinner at Tuscany's. Then we ventured to the Redhead Piano Bar. May not seem like a big deal to most, but due to many trips to the Hard Rock Cafe with my family in younger years, I had always wanted to try it. Very fun!

All in all, we came home well fed and exhausted. And closer to each other.

Appointment

Believe it or not, We have had an eventful couple of days. Well, in Annabelle terms, anyway.

Yesterday she gave me a big surprise when she decided to push up on all fours and, slowly and methodically the way she does everything, begin to scoot her legs and arms. Crawling. Though she hates it. She whines with each move of her limbs. But let her hold onto your fingers and she is ecstastic.

Today was the doctor visit. She's big. 20 lbs, 2 oz. 27.75 inches. Ear infection cleared up. Doc not worried if she wants to walk before she fully starts crawling. No shots...hurray! And he basically told me to trust myself regarding food...clearly she's eating okay! I let her drink out of a real cup the other day. She kinda liked it, but the mess is a lot to deal with. She's getting better with the sippy cup, so we may start to wean out the bottle a little bit.

Our little family is a true thing of joy. Joel is an adoring father, and as mentioned before, the feeling is mutual. The rhythm of our life is healthy and moving right along to summer.

This weekend we are embarking on another little adventure. Our vacation time this year is filled with extended family trips and bear hunting for Joel. In a desire to still get in a family vacation with the three of us, we are heading to the Windy City. I know that sounds crazy since we are near there all the time, but we never get the chance to get down to the city. It's close and convenient for a quick trip, and we even have free babysitting one night! To all my family and friends near there, we love you dearly, but are really looking forward to the time jus the three of us. Hopefully we'll be back soon for visiting with family and friends!

525,600 minutes

Well, not quite. I don't know what the math would be for 9 months, but it's been lot of minutes!

Annabelle is nine months today! As one of my friends so aptly put about her daughter, she's been outside now as long as she was inside!

And we're crazy about her. Her smile, her expressions, her toes, her chatter...we can even tolerate the snot and spit up because of our love for her.

One of my favorite moments with her is when she sees her daddy walk through the door at the end of the day. She takes a moment to let it all register and then, a smile that could light up the worlds breaks out across her face. Her arms start to wave and her feet start to kick. As much as we love her, I like to think the feeling is mutual.

Speaking of waving, Annabelle is starting to wave at people. Or, at least she's mimicking the waving people do at her.

And she's cruising. Crawling, that's for babies...I don't crawl mom. But put me on my little feet and I'm the happiest little girl. With support, either someone's hands or a piece of furniture, she moves those little feet to explore the world. Not sure how things are going to develop from here, but crawling isn't happening in the near future!

We take her to the doctor this week...look for a report after that.

Happy 9 months in this world, my sweet Annabelle.

My Outside World

My family, for the most part, is my world.

But I have had the wonderful opportunity to be involved with Young Life (http://www.younglife.org/) for over 13 years now. And with the help of my husband, I have been able to continue hanging out with some awesome high school friends even as a mom.

On Mondays nights, I kiss my husband and little girl while they're eating their dinner, put my guitar on the seat where Annabelle is usually attempting an escape from her car seat, and head towards Neenah.

I meet with some crazy adults who feel similarly as I do, and then we wait. As the time approachs, we set up sound systems and overhead projectors. We sing along to Taio Cruz and Katy Perry and drink as much caffeine as possible.

And before long, they come. Usually in pairs. Usually through the back door. They feel comfortable, almost at home. They eat whatever we leave out for them and know exactly where to find the drinks. When critical mass seems to have entered, they come on up.

Their energy, even on a Monday night, is contagious. Since I lead music, I get to stand up front and watch as they run across the room, fighting over the two couches, with the look of anticipation.

They are incredible. We play games, sing songs, and when the time has come, we talk about Jesus. Nothing gets old about that. "The basics" we call it. But do we need anymore than that? He was and is and will be incredible, miraculous, God.

And then the best part, we sit and talk and listen to music. They play ping pong and cards and hang around as long as they want. They keep me young.

Tonight we have our annual Young Life fundraising banquet. Though it is not meant to be for me, I always leave encouraged and reminded of why I do this in the first place.

March Madness

Anyone who lives in Wisconsin (or anywhere in the midwest) will tell you that winter is long. Some make the best of it with skiing and sledding and cross country skiing. But even those people are starting to get squirmy right now. And those of us with small people in our homes may be even more itchy to get out. This mom definitely is. Annabelle will love to get outside...all kinds of new things to discover and touch and inevitably, put in her mouth. Oh, and the parks, so many, so little time.

But we did our best to make the best out of winter. One of the keys to our sanity in January and February was swim class. That's right...Annabelle took swim class at 6 months old. Through that class and Book Babies at the library, we made some new friends. Here is Annabelle with Kallyn and Sawyer (and mommys Denyal and Caitlyn).

We have had playdates and lunch dates and visitors. Recently, I agreed to do some subbing at a local private school where Annabelle will be at the childcare right in the building.

But between now (Annabelle is 8 months old) and the last time I posted, so much more has happened. I was able to pump until Annabelle was six months and she had milk until her 7th month. Though I wish she was still receiving milk...life is much less complicated now. Formula has one thing going for it - convenience. Not a selling point, but definitely a plus. Adding solids was a breeze with this little hungry monster...she loves to eat, and in particular loves to feed herself.

Annabelle has so much personality. She's clapping (well, really close), standing, pushing herself around, chatting, and so much more. Her personality is becoming more apparent the older she gets. She loves people! And that is an understatement. She loves to sleep, but wakes up with a smile. Bath time is the highlight of her day. Here is a video of her attempting patty cake with her Grandma L.


Hopefully as I keep up, my writing will be more eloquent or at least, interesting. For now, I just wanted to get an update on here.

The anniversary of my grandmother's death just passed. Here is what I had to say about that: http://www.carpentertradition.blogspot.com/.