Halloween 2011 is yet another reason we are so glad we are back in Louisville – it is so gratifying to see our kids grow up together. Last night we celebrated the evening with Isabella, Liam and Eli, and what a time we had! Lyla was so tired when we got home she was asking for her “covey” while she was in the bathtub – here’s why:
Happy Halloween – we are so blessed!
I am the world's worst blogger these days. Between building a house, being 9 months pregnant, completing a nursery and working on a photo journal for our baby, there just hasn't been time - something had to give, and unfortunately, for now, it's been our Blog.
But, I'll be back online soon. It’s my New Year’s Resolution, once the newborn haze lifts…
In the meantime, here's a little of what's been going on with us:
We're officially moved into our house, and we love it! It's been a very happy place to live. Lance and I are so glad we made it through the (sometimes arduous) building process. It really was all worth it in the end.
And, we've officially completed the nursery. I'm very excited about this because it was something I was so afraid wouldn't happen before our baby got here. Thanks to my dear friend, Martina, it all came together in the end, and I'm thrilled to have all of his little clothes washed and ready to go.
Pictures really don’t do it justice – it’s such a sweet room, and I know our whole family is going to enjoy the many hours ahead of us there:
Martina’s picture of Lyla and her little brother – I LOVE this!
Little Hottie’s name is still a secret, but we’ve decided and are excited about announcing it on his birthday, which is currently planned for 11.11.11. We’ll see if he has other plans in mind or if we make it to our C-section date.
Lyla looked at pics of her baby brother from our last ultrasound. She actually attended the one prior to this one, and she still thinks the baby is in her belly – ha!
In other news, Miss Q. is growing so quickly! We had an early 2nd Birthday celebration for her at our new house because we knew it would be so much more difficult later in November. We had a great time, and she’s still talking about birthday cake, making wishes, pizza and candles.
Here’s the Birthday Girl – we’re still working on getting rid of this crazy mosquito bite on her forehead that she continues to prolong by ripping off countless bandaids we adhere to her forehead at night and before naps:
We are thrilled about the arrival of Little Hottie’s cousin, Hunter, who will be here very soon – we took one last belly shot at the party:
And, now, he’s here!! Hunter Jude arrived on October 27 – 8 lbs., 6 oz. Little Hottie is going to love his new playmate/cousin:
And, Lyla’s reaction to him was amazing. She was so curious, but all the talk we’ve been doing over the last few months about being “gentle and easy” with babies came to fruition when she met him – she is still talking about the “new baby”:
We’re so excited you’re here, Hunter!!
I’m really not abandoning this blog. I swear.
This has been the busiest summer of our lives with our pregnancy, Lyla and, of course, house building. We are now believers that building a house can be one of life’s most stressful events…not sure what we were thinking of or if we would do it again. I’ll have to revisit this topic in a few months.
Summer Photo Updates:
The most important news: IT’S A BOY!! We were thrilled to find out in June that Lyla is going to have a Little Brother. Wow!
Really, a boy or girl would have been more than fine with us both, but Lance had a certain glow that day in June. It was a spectacular, thrilling day, and we couldn’t be more excited!
And, on the house front, here’s a photo from early July. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s coming along. Right now, they’re working on the trim inside and finishing the outside. Our builder is projecting mid-Sept. to early Oct. for a move-in date. We’re betting on October.
We had a great 4th with the Hottman’s, and took a long overdue family photo – hard to believe that this time 2 years ago there were NO babies, and now there are 4 girls! Our Lil’ Hottie is going to be in for an interesting ride. Fortunate for him, on my side of the family, my cousin Sarah is expecting a little boy just 2 weeks before our due date.
The girls enjoyed an afternoon stroller ride with their Daddies:
We enjoyed a long overdue trip to Urbana to see the girls and Martina. And, Lyla got her first haircut from Aunt Martina. It looks GREAT! :)
And, one of the reasons for my lack of attention to this blog is that we’ve tried to spend a few spare moments this summer just feeding the ducks and playing in the dirt:
It is a sweet summertime, for certain…one of the sweetest of all.
My blogging has been horrible lately for many reasons, but mostly because by the time I have the opportunity to write, I’m exhausted! But, I’m going to try harder because I want to remember as many moments as I can of this wonderful time in our family.
The Hottman’s will be come a Fam of 4 on November 18 or whereabouts. We’re ecstatic about the news and can’t wait to see Lyla as a Big Sister. The more we grow to know her, the more convinced we are that she was born to be a Big Sister. Last night she wanted to touch and feel my growing belly, and she knocked on it as if she wanted to see who was inside. She’s also been touching her own belly and saying, “Baby!”
Here are some pictures from her “Big Sister Photo Shoot” by Mommy:
First, there’s nothing more satisfying than a fist full of dirt for an 18 month old:
She loves to ask Lance and I to draw her triangles, squares and rainbows:
She’s really taken a new found interest in her baby. She spends a lot of time trying to figure out how to wrap her in a blanket, and she loves pushing her down the sidewalk in her shopping cart.
Here, she felt compelled to try out her baby’s new bed herself…I guess she just wanted to make sure it was really comfy for her:
Also on the Lil’ Hottie (as Lance has affectionately dubbed him or her) front, we will find out the gender in just one week on Friday, June 24. Lance is convinced we’re having another girl – I’m not so sure. This pregnancy has been a little different, a little rockier in terms of my wrecked skin and nausea…I’m wondering if this one is a boy. We’ll be thrilled either way. It’s so exciting to go to the ultrasound with no real expectations.
Lance started his new job for Team Health working for the Jewish System’s Saints Mary’s and Elizabeth earlier this month. So far, it’s been absolutely wonderful. I think he’s really happy in his new position, which has been really great for us all.
In other big news in our family, our house is really coming along. The roof is now on, and bricking should start sometime in the next few days. Building has been a fun process all in all, but it definitely has its stressful moments, Still, there’s nothing more exciting than seeing a plan come together.
Here are some photos:
Here, we were happy to have Steven, Lisa and Hollie come visit:
