School Style

Just had to share my newest favorite pictures of our BIG BOY!

  

21 Weeks

Look who had to be in the picture also holding his belly : )  

PREGNANCY HIGHLIGHTS:

WEEKS: 21 weeks 

BABY'S SIZE: 10 inches, 12.7 ozs, the baby is the size of a large banana!

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: So far only 6 lbs but I see the Dr on Monday so I fully expect that number to go up!

SLEEP: This last week I have been sleeping like a rock and only getting up to pee once!

MOVEMENT: I am feeling kicks all the time with the strongest being in the morning, right after lunch and in the late evenings.  Daddy felt his first kick this week and was in awe!  She really gets to kicking when Riley is on my lap so I had him feel the kicks and he was freaked out and repeated "No Mommy, No." I think he thought I was doing it on purpose?!   

SYMPTOMS: Round ligament pain, acne and I am starting to sweat all the time.  Thank goodness it has cooled down tremendously!   

WHAT I MISS: Jillian Michaels workouts.  Sick, I know!  

CRAVINGS: Kit Kat bars and coffee.  

MATERNITY CLOTHES:   Still making due with my regular clothes.  I actually went to Motherhood this weekend and gasped at how big the clothes make you look.  I am not ready for them and will hold off for awhile longer.  

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Our fun filled weekend that we have planned and Daddy being done for the day at 3:30 on Friday!  We have really been missing him as he is working long, hard days since the fair.

Lead me

My new favorite song...so pretty, honest and real!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAKBXBXz1fo

She's already looking perfect!

That's right I just said she...we are having a GIRL!  I am still in shock as I type this out.  Derrick now considers himself the baby whisperer after correctly guessing nearly every baby.  After shooting Baby Annabelle I found myself thinking "I could get used to bows and tutu's" but I honestly thought it would be a boy so when she said girl I started crying.  I also thought "we need a 2nd opinion," but after she continually went back to scan between the legs and 'nothing' showed up I knew it must be true!  Derrick beamed with pride as we walked out and I think my mouth was wide open.  I can't believe I actually have to store Riley's clothes for another few years and maybe even longer!  I can put a face to a boy baby of ours but this girl is so new and exciting that's it's still hard to believe.  This ultrasound was uncomfortable and the tech was literally abusing our little girl.  She was lying super low and the tech wasn't able to get the measurements so she kept pumping my stomach with the doppler and you could see our little baby on the screen getting bounced around violently.  I was on my back for too long and started getting sweaty and nauseous until we finally got around to actually watching our little baby floating around and putting her fists in her mouth.  She was a fighter after so many jabs she started kicking back and hard!  So nearly an hour later we were done and D was pissed at the rough way were we treated.  I am sure it was standard protocol but when your Mommy starts turning green and sweating maybe we should try something else!

  So bring on the fresh paint colors, new furniture, new bedding, lots of new clothing and of course the pinks and purples!  I am so excited to get going on her room and we are just so excited that everything looked great (4 heart chambers, 2 functioning kidneys, great cervical and long spine, 10 fingers, 10 toes and so on) and now this baby feels really real.  We only have 19+ weeks to prepare so I better get going!

Here she is, perfection already and yes Derrick is already smitten (so am I!).

20 weeks 2 days

and just for confirmation I looked up Riley's pictures...

Boy stuff...haha!

Riley boy at 19 weeks 2 days!  Exactly one week before we saw her!  

Tis the season...

Football season that is!  : ) 

Baby Annabelle Rose

So in my quest to take the best pictures possible I am shooting just about anyone that will let me.  That led me to Baby Annabelle who was a mere 6 days old and to my dismay wide awake for the 2 hours I spent with her.  My first newborn shoot was exhausting, hot and left me feeling like a failure but the new Mommy and Daddy love the pictures and I can only get better from here...right Anne!?  Thanks again to Annie Schaber Photography (check out her link on the sidebar) for everything!

Not sure where this is leading but what I do know is that I love to shoot my own Riley and that I want to take the best possible pictures of #2 so any practice I can get will only help me.  I am not jumping into starting a business of it and by no means think I am ready for that (but thanks for the sweet comments everyone!) but if anyone asks me to take pictures or if I am there with camera in hand pictures will be taken.  Anne-after this I once again am amazed at how fabulous your pictures really are.  This is NOT EASY and the pressure I felt from the second I walked in was nearly suffocating.  I was flustered, panicky, and downright nervous and these were friends of mine!  Maybe one day I will make some extra dough with my camera but I bought it for my own pleasure and for the pictures I take of my family and friends to be nice.  Thanks again for all the sweet comments-you are much easier on me than I am on myself!

20 weeks

PREGNANCY HIGHLIGHTS:

WEEKS: 20 weeks 

BABY'S SIZE: 7 inches, 10.5 ozs, the baby is the size of a cantelope!

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: So far only 6 lbs.  

SLEEP: This last week I have been sleeping like a rock and only getting up to pee once!

MOVEMENT: I am feeling tiny kicks every morning and evening with some surprise powerful kicks throughout the day.  So much fun and very exciting every time it happens!  

SYMPTOMS: Round ligament pain and I am starting to sweat all the time.  Thank goodness it has cooled down tremendously!   

WHAT I MISS: After a few chilly mornings in a row plus the rain I started missing my mocha's again!

CRAVINGS: Oranges!  Lot's of oranges.  NOT the juice though.  I remember the horrible heartburn I got from drinking that with Riley so I stay far away from it now!  And also Dove chocolates with caramel!  Yummy!

MATERNITY CLOTHES:   Still making due with my regular clothes.  Who has the time to go maternity clothes shopping?!

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: To be exact 13:15 Tuesday afternoon when D and I will be taking a look at the baby and seeing if it's a boy or a girl!  Yay!  We are so excited!  We went shopping and out to eat for a quick date on Saturday (mmm PF Changs!)  and we stopped by Pottery Barn for Riley's big boy sheets and comforter and then I had to sneak a peak at the crib bedding.  Let's just say Derrick now hopes it's a boy after seeing the prices of the girl bedding!  ; )   

1st Day of School

Riley's real 1st day of Parents and 2's was this morning.  (tear)  I thought about him from 9:15-well all day actually and couldn't wait to hear how it went.  Luckily for us we start Sunday School this week and that is also Parents and 2's so D and I get to do that with him-I could sure use a refresher on the B-I-B-L-E (that's the book for me, I stand alone on the word of God, the BIBLE-gotta love that song)! Anyways, here is Riley Man's school itinerary.

9:20-9:30 Arrival: Sign in and Fellowship
9:30-9:40 Circle Time/Story Time
9:40-10:15 Free Time with Parents/G'parent
10:15-10:20 Clean Up Time
10:20-10:25 Jesus Time
10:25-10:30 Bathroom Break
10:30-10:45 Snack and Parent Devotion
10:45-11:05 Stretching out our Sillies and Parent-Child Separation Time
11:05-11:15 Music Time
11:15-11:30 Large Motor Play
11:30 Goodbye Time.

Derrick and I can't believe he is starting 'school' and after we laid him down for bed Wednesday night we reminisced on his babyhood.  Although after bathtime he still requests to be held like a baby and loves to snuggle in his warm (dryer warmed) towel while we talk and rock so there is still some baby in him and really he will always be our baby, our firstborn and our little man.  Love you to pieces Riley.  We are so PROUD of you!

Standing in front of his cubby-looking a little puzzled.  

His favorite part of his first day was hand/finger painting.  When you ask the boy if he finger painted the answer is NO and then he holds out his hands-ok Mr. technical.

Sunday School was fun also.  Basically it's a craft, music time, playtime, clean-up time, snack and bible story time so you stay busy.  Here is Riley's first craft of a sheep.  Baa.

Sneak Peak Back to school style

Yes our big boy is heading to Parent's and 2's on Thursday with G'ma Hutch.  The same church/school that I went.  I can't wait to take pictures of him in front of his cubby and in his classroom.  The 2 hour, once a week class has the cutest itinerary and I am dying to buy about a million books from the scholastic order forms he brought home from orientation.  I loved those growing up and was so excited to see them after all these years!  The excitement is palpable and isn't his backpack adorable!?  I think so! 

19 weeks

PREGNANCY HIGHLIGHTS:

WEEKS: 19 weeks 

BABY'S SIZE: 6 inches, 8.5 ozs, the baby is the size of a mango!

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: So far only 6 lbs.  

SLEEP: Getting up 1-2 times to go to the bathroom.  I need to learn to just get up and go and not hope it will go away.  I will look at the clock and finally decide to get up about 45 minutes later and end up wasting a whole precious hour of sleep.  Note to self: if you have to go-GET UP RIGHT AWAY!

MOVEMENT: I am feeling tiny kicks once and awhile but nothing regularly.  I only notice it when I am sitting very still and watching TV.

SYMPTOMS: Crazy dreams and round ligament pain just like last time. If I turn too quickly while sleeping or get up too quickly from bed I have that horrible shooting pain that knocks you out so I move like a porcelin doll now when I am in bed ; ) I picked up Riley from the truck wrong today and nearly passed out from the round ligament pain.  Ouch-does that hurt when you twinge it wrong.   

WHAT I MISS: Nothing, I gave in and had a 1/2 caf small mocha and it was just okay so I don't miss anything!  

CRAVINGS: Oranges!  Lot's of oranges.  NOT the juice though.  I remember the horrible heartburn I got from drinking that with Riley so I stay far away from it now!  And also Dove chocolates with caramel!  Yummy!

MATERNITY CLOTHES: No but I only have a limited amount of short/jeans that fit so I will be hitting the stores soon!

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: Hitting 20 weeks next Sunday and enjoying the beautiful fall weather we have been having.  I am also excited to hear what my cousins are having on Wed. (they are due a week ahead of us)

Why is Riley picking his nose?

a. He sees Mommy/Daddy picking their noses all the time. (Eww)
b. A cute little ballerina taught him how to do it.
c. He too has horrible allergies and lots of snot issues.
d. He is a boy and was bored.





The answer is...

He learned it from a cute little ballerina in his favorite book Baby Giggles. We LOVE this book and read it everyday but the 4th page taught him how to stick his little finger up his little nostrils and laugh. It reads, "Bouncy baby reach for your toes, ballet baby don't pick your nose!" Of course at this point Riley must stick his finger up there and get our attention so that we indeed see that he has his finger up there. While I was putting away his laundry and changing his sheets I looked over to find him reading and giggling and he was right where I thought he was-on page 4 staring at the cute ballerina who taught him a horrible habit.

Long weekend fun, family and farm animals

Let me start by saying that after working for 5 days at the fair we were all looking forward to Derrick's final day on Saturday.  Everytime he talked about the fair my mouth watered and by the time he made it home he was utterly exhausted from being on his feet all day handing out pine trees and small talking with strangers.  Riley and I planned on getting up early and leaving with him at 8:00 on Saturday but when I was woke up by Derrick to say a quick goodbye there was no baby hand off and he told me Riley was still sleeping so after another hour I awoke and was shocked that it was nearly 9:30...I checked on the little man every 5 minutes but he didn't stir until nearly 10:00!  D thought I slept through him getting up but my hips were in serious pain from sleeping so much so I didn't really ever fall back asleep.  Guess he just wanted to rest up for our weekend!?  We finally did make it to the fair around 1:30 or so and we brought Kyle along with us who hasn't been since 4th grade!

We walked around til nearly 6:30 and did/saw everything.  Riley sat on nearly every John Deere tractor, we walked into every cute little cabin/fish house, we stared at cars we can't afford, sat in line for pickles, cookies, curds, pronto pups and water and finally walked through the  Little Farm Hands display...FUN, FUN, CUTE and more FUN!  Riley looked so cute in his little apron walking around with his bucket.  He collected veggies at one station, eggs and chicken feed at another, fruit at another and eventually sorted it all out and got paid to buy anything at the market.  He had a blast and it was so fun watching him learn with his bucket in hand.

We were wiped out and ready to get to bed early as Daddy had a fun day planned for us on Sunday...

He started out with buying us breakfast Sunday morning.  Riley loves blueberry pancakes and the evidence showed all day long...(why can't I remember to ask for a disposable bib!?) and from there we headed into WI for a morning of animal petting and feeding.  We saw/petted/fed everything from deer roaming free around the grounds to skunks, porcupines, racoons, bunnies, a fox, a lynx, wolves, beers, a cougar, ponies, goats, beavers, badgers, elk and more!  Riley was in love with the animals and happily skipped along with the feed bag in his hand eagerly awaiting the okay from Mommy and Daddy to get some treats for the next furry friend.  He wasn't hesitant or scared but instead followed our lead and insisted on feeding the 'babies.'  He even had his first pony ride!  

We rode along the countryside enjoying the lakes and scenery and it was recommended that we stop at the Pea Pickin Flea Market.  Neither of us had ever been so we checked it out.  After about 10 minutes I felt like I was crawling with fleas and was rather weirded out by the whole scene.  D felt the same way and we are thinking that maybe this country market is a little different and brings out a different cliental? Needless to say we walked out empty handed and used some hand sanitizer pronto!  Riley stayed awake for the ride back home and we all enjoyed a 2 hour nap followed by a walk, games and book reading.  

Monday I did work for a quick 4 hours and was home in time for another quick nap this time Riley talked us into letting him into our bed.  We couldn't resist his pleas!  We hung around the house cleaning up the inside and outside before meeting up with the Hutchie sibs for an early dinner.  

It was the most fun we have had since (probably last weekend ; ) and Riley was ready to see his Nana again today!  He missed her so!  Goodbye State Fair and see ya next year!  Hello Fall and welcome back a little early.  We have big plans of enjoying you during this last orange, red and yellow season as a family of 3.  I have a sort of baby bucket list in my head of everything I want to enjoy, experience and commit to memory before this next baby comes.  Time is already flying by and we are soaking up our time with our little man as our only child.  

18 weeks

PREGNANCY HIGHLIGHTS:

WEEKS: 18 weeks 

BABY'S SIZE: 6 inches, 7 ozs, the baby is the size of a sweet potatoe!

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: So far only 6 lbs.  I did go up 2 more lbs but the 2 books I am reading say 'normal' is anywhere from 10-15 lbs of gained weight by now so I am happy with that! 

SLEEP: Getting up 1-2 times to go to the bathroom.  I need to learn to just get up and go and not hope it will go away.  I will look at the clock and finally decide to get up about 45 minutes later and end up wasting a whole precious hour of sleep.  Note to self: if you have to go-GET UP RIGHT AWAY!

MOVEMENT: Not yet!?  I think I feel a little something so then I stay really still forever and it never comes back so coming soon hopefully!  

SYMPTOMS: Crazy dreams and round ligament pain just like last time. If I turn too quickly while sleeping or get up too quickly from bed I have that horrible shooting pain that knocks you out so I move like a porcelin doll now when I am in bed ; )   

WHAT I MISS: Nothing, I gave in and had a 1/2 caf small mocha and it was just okay so I don't miss anything!  

CRAVINGS: Oranges!  Lot's of oranges.  NOT the juice though.  I remember the horrible heartburn I got from drinking that with Riley so I stay far away from it now!  And also Dove chocolates with caramel!  Yummy!

MATERNITY CLOTHES: No but I only have a limited amount of short/jeans that fit so I will be hitting the stores soon!

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: A holiday off with my boys and a short week of work before the next fun weekend starts!  

At the appt this week the Dr was so nice and understanding she checked and found the baby's heartbeat immediately.  It was such a relief and I just sat there beaming-I could have listened to it all afternoon.  She said from now on not to wait 4 weeks and to come down anytime to have a listen.  Thanks Dr. Weir!  

Finally picked up my Mother's Day pictures...

It's a keeper!