Hubbard Family Fun

Snow Cheese

2012-01-31T21:31:00.000-08:00

I try really hard to get candid shots of my kids. They just don't turn out so great. It also doesn't help that my children are obsessed with saying "cheese." Jack and Hannah even take pictures with our old digital camera and walk around capturing images and asking us to say "cheese" too. Sometime I should post some of those pictures. For now enjoy some of their cheese'in.

*C has a hat too but he is usually pretty bundled when we venture outside, I will have to work at getting a pic of his hat.

Doing Okay

2012-01-30T19:14:00.000-08:00

I feel like after my last post I need to clarify that I am doing alright. I have received several texts, emails, and phone calls from friends and family checking in/encouraging me/asking me how I am doing. Thank you! My life isn't always neatly packaged and I felt really good after venting a bit on the blog.

It is the beginning of another week and I had a great weekend. I had some individual time with all of my children (it is rare but so good) and a special date with my husband (thanks to a thoughtful friend). I also got to spend some time in the kitchen making a cake for one of my friends and that is something that is a definite stress reliever right there. See Cake below...

Also, I talked a little in my last post about wanting to go on this retreat. That is not going to happen. But, I am going to go to this. It is a two day conference in Denver...

"for adoptive and foster parents, ministry leaders and professionals designed to help them better understand how to connect with children from hard places in order to help them heal and become all that God desires for them to be."

Anyone want to join me?!

I am excited and looking forward to April! Thanks again for all the encouragement. Parenting is by far the toughest job I have ever had.

Escape

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

*Disclaimer - honesty lies ahead.

Deep breaths. Cups of coffee. Nah, who I am kidding...pots of coffee. Bites of my 2 year olds potty training candy throughout the day. Prayers for calm. Checking the clock to see if it is nap time/bed time. This is where I am finding myself...

Dealing with potty training, too much toddler energy, teething, a house that is never clean, constantly feeling overwhelmed and behind, sibling rivalry, feeling inadequate regarding how to parent my adopted daughter, frustrated wife not being as nice as I should to my husband and parenting partner.

Would like to do this...

Or maybe this...

an Adoptive Mom's Retreat.. A weekend with other moms discussing parenting put on by Created for Care.

"Created for Care is a non-profit ministry designed to encourage, equip and bring rest to adoptive families through yearly retreats." Sounds amazing.

For now I will just do this...

(Found this on etsy.)

and this...

be thankful for kisses and hugs from little people, the way my 8 month old flaps his arms up and down when he is excited, dance parties, funny toddler comments, the warm embrace of my husband and best friend, and my big warm comfortable bed.

Just Keep Swimming

2012-01-23T05:43:00.000-08:00

Enjoyed a refreshing weekend after a stressful week. It's Monday. A new day - a new week. Thinking of Dory's words... "Just Keep Swimming." Doing it with a smile and hoping to stay positive for whatever comes our way this week.

Christmas Play

2012-01-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

At our church the kids get to be a part of the living nativity play. This is Jack and Hannah's 2nd year to participate and they have recurring roles as a sheep and an angel. They sure are cute --looking forward to another sheep (little Caleb) next year!

Jack looked at Mark and gave him the thumbs up during the play. While he doesn't exactly look thrilled to be there - I don't think he minded. Last year he did. Good work buddy!

~My little angel~

Music Video

2012-01-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this little music video of the Hubbard kids and their cousins. Jack and Hannah love watching themselves be the stars of one of their favorite songs...and kudos to Mark for making the video.

7 Months

2012-01-20T07:04:00.000-08:00

Pictures are from 11/21-12/21

Hey big Boy! Here is what you have been up to...

Eating ice cream.

Just kidding, not ice cream. But, we did introduce to you food this month, shortly after turning 6 months. You liked it right away.

mmmmmmm - food!

You are scooting around on your belly just a little bit.

Playing with all of J&H's toys.

You love this drum because of the glowing red light. You really like to try and eat it.

Hanging out with Santa. You tried to eat him too!

Feeding yourself a bottle in Daddy's Lap.

Little bit of stroller time. You are such a chill little dude - you really are very content to be a long for the ride.

Love the way your eyes sparkle when you smile.

Love you Caleb!

Books

2012-01-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

This year Mark and I began to think about Christmas in a new way. It was the first time that Jack and Hannah could vocalize what they understood or didn't understand about Christmas. We wanted them to know that it isn't JUST about getting presents.

I must say I turned 3 shades of red when a few weeks before Christmas we were sitting in the church and the speaker mentioned the word "Christmas." Jack says loudly to me "Santa comes and we get presents." True. But there is more. We told them the story of Jesus, they played with their nativity, and we wanted them to understand gift-giving as well. So we collected some books for some children in an after-school program in Ethiopia. Hannah was excited about this as she loves to talk about anything Ethiopia.

We bought a few that we picked out together at the store.

We also had Jack and Hannah pick out one of their books to give away...

here they are reading them one last time.

Jack gave away his beloved Thomas book.

Then we had a Christmas get together with some friends and asked everyone to bring some books. We had a great time with our friends and were able to collect a big box of books to send.

Now we just hope that Jack doesn't ask for the Thomas book ; )

Gigi and Grandpa Visit

2012-01-19T08:00:00.001-08:00

The day after we got back from New York my parents arrived for a quick weekend visit. We were thankful to have them here and stayed very busy. They watched the kids so Mark and I could attend his company party, we decorated the tree, and did a special Christmas train.

GiGi and Grandpa with J&H waiting on the bus.

Caleb and Grandpa.

GiGi and Hannah on the Christmas Train.

Grandpa and Jack (doing his excited face) drinking Hot Chocolate on the Train.

Caleb and Santa.

The kids with GiGi and Grandpa.

More turkey time favs

2012-01-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

There are a few more pictures I wanted to post from our New York Turkey time Adventure.

The weather was so nice while we are there and everyone took advantage of the opportunity to play outside.

My nephew Adam playing football.

Jack on the swing.

Jack, Hannah, and my niece Elaina playing in the leaves.

Ryan, Elaina, and Owen playing with Papa's trains.

My nieces and Mark's sister Kiera making bead necklaces.

Papa, Nana, Mark, Jack, Audrey, and Hannah on the train at the children's museum.

Mark and his mom playing a friendly game of Tetris.

Our kiddos with Nana and Papa.

Thanksgiving

2012-01-18T20:17:00.000-08:00

So time to get to that resolution...blog updates. Playing catch up here.

This year for Thanksgiving we were in NY with Mark's family. We were able to spend time with both of Mark's sisters, their husbands, and their children. J &H love their kids and it is super fun to see them all running around together. With 9 kiddos running around 6 and under there was never a dull moment at Mark's parents house.

The Cousins from oldest to youngest.

Looking forward to a 2012 get-together with everyone. It is crazy fun chaos that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2012-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from the Hubbards!

New Year's Resolution # 1: To finish and Publish all the half written blog posts I have.

Happy 6 Months

2011-11-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

6 Months Already - WOW!

At your 6 month appointment you weighed 12 lbs., 2 oz. and measured 24 inches long.

What a cute little guy you are. Lately you are enjoying sitting up on your own and beginning to fall over less - you are getting the hang of it. Most of your day you spend taking in all the events of your family who loves you much. Jack and Hannah love helping me with you. Whenever you start making noise on the monitor after a nap, your big brother always says "Let me go check on Caleb." Jack and Hannah then both run up the stairs to greet you. They spend a good portion of their day talking to you and rolling around on the floor with you. As much as they like you -- you seem to like them just as much. They are a constant source of entertainment for you as you watch them run around while you are sitting on the floor, in the jumper, excersaucer, etc.

You are still twirling in the jumper, we are waiting on your first jump. When sitting in the excersaucer you now reach out and play with everything using your hands. When you see something you want your eyes and your mouth simultaneously open wide with excitement and then you reach out to grab the item and bring it to your mouth. It is very cute! You enjoy shaking things and playing with balls, rattles, stuffed animals, etc.

We recently switched you from your hammock to the crib - you made a fine adjustment. During the day you mainly nap in your crib. You occasionally fall asleep in your car seat if we have to be out. When we can't get you to take you a nap we either let you sleep in the swing or in the ergo carrier. Just when I think I see a pattern or a schedule developing (I try so hard to help you with this) you switch it up on me. But it will come soon.

Roly poly - you have been starting to roll more often. For awhile you have been able to roll from your front to back and back to front. Recently I set you down and then you saw several feet away...you rolled until you hit the wall and could go no further. Also when laying on your tummy you will see an object several inches in front of you just out of your grasp -- I can tell you want it but can't reach. If you only knew how to crawl. (Soon enough)

Love watching your little personality continue to emerge. You will go to almost anyone and continue to be happy as long as you are well rested and fed. You smile easily for others, especially your family who you smile at just because you like us!

We like you too. We love you Caleb. Happy 1/2 Birthday!

Travels

2011-11-25T16:00:00.000-08:00

I love to travel. I suppose this is fitting as I am a travel agent. I normally love to go places and love the way we get there, example - I enjoy plane rides, I love road trips. However, I do not enjoy this part of traveling at my current life stage. A few days ago we drove down to Denver and spent the night in a hotel - all 5 of us in one room. Let me just say that one of my children was still awake at 10:30.

Watching a movie in the hotel room, "winding down."

The next morning we woke up at 3:30AM and caught the 4 AM shuttle to the airport. Yikes, talk about tired kiddos. We caught a 6 AM flight to Atlanta, had about an hour layover and then took another flight to New York.

I won't go into all the details, I will just say it was stressful and it was so awful at different points of our aviation journey that I couldn't even cry. I was just in disbelief. Travel with a newly potty trained 2 year old, another 2 year old, and a 6 month old is something I would wish upon no one. My 2 year olds are old enough to watch movies but they are still two and act like it - a plane ride is no exception.

At least he slept a little bit on the plane.

The bottom line is that we made it and are now prepared to enjoy the next week here in New York visiting with family! I would also like to add that despite the elevated blood pressure and anxiety levels the outcome of our travels is definitely worth it!

Greeting Papa at the airport.

(kind of already dreading our 12 hour car ride at Christmas, anyone have any great tips?)

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

So many things to be thankful for. We made a Thanksgiving Tree this year with the kids hand prints. It has been good for us to talk with the kids about the things they are thankful for...we ended up with a variety of items on our tree:

Thomas the train

clean water

shoes

thomas the train/princess sheets

coffee (that's mine)

family/friends

What a great holiday! Looking forward to celebrating tomorrow (Friday) with Mark's family!

Getting Ready for Turkey Day

2011-11-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

We are ready for Thanksgiving!

Uncle J

2011-11-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

My brother a.k.a. Uncle Jacob stopped in this last weekend for a quick visit. We did our usual donut shop visit, played, and I even got a little bit of one on one time with my brother. I am thankful for the time we had together. Can't wait to see him again at Christmas!

This was Jacob's 3rd time to get to see his littlest nephew since he was born. Thankful for all the time they are getting to spend together.

Uncle J showing J&H a silly app on his phone.

Toms

2011-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

I recently attended a Toms "Style your Sole Party." This is where all the attendees purchase and decorate a white pair of Toms shoes. If you are not familiar with Toms shoes, it is a company that donates a pair of shoes for every pair purchased. The party was held at an art studio in town and was put together by a friend of mine. She is a high school student that has a huge heart for others - this was part of her Personal Project for school...I am honored to know her and I am so proud of the young woman she is becoming.

These are my first pair of Toms shoes and it was fun to get to put my creativity to use for a few hours while I hung out with some girls and decorated my Toms. I decorated mine with Africa for my little girl who is obsessed with talking about Ethiopia --her birth country.

This is a shot of some of the girls' shoes.

For more pictures you can go to...www.flickr.com/photos/sumcotoms

Candy Beans

2011-11-14T20:15:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was fixing dinner and asked Mark and Jack to get the kidney beans out of the pantry for our chili. Jack was ridiculously excited about the "candy beans." I am talking jumping up and down and giddy with laughter. When we sat down to eat he kept asking for different colored beans. Poor kid, he was a bit disappointed when he learned the difference between kidney beans and jelly beans.

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-10T10:54:00.001-08:00

I love my family. Seven years ago when I moved to Breckenridge to be a ski-bum I never imagined that this is what my life would be like today... Married to Mark with three children. What a beautiful family God has given me. I love that my days are filled with laughter, chaos, sticky hands, spit-up, hugs & kisses, pretend crocodiles, dress-up, lots of coffee and candy, and a best friend who comes home to me every night.

Happy 5 Months

2011-11-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

So this post is late again (sorry little guy). It is true I have less time now that you are here but so worth it! These days you are alert and happy almost all the time.

The exceptions to this are when you are sick, hungry, or getting sleepy. The eating and the sleep thing we try and stay on top of and help you out before you get worked up. Your body strength has developed so much - you are sitting up and will stay upright if we set you up just right. Otherwise with a pillow you can sit up and look at all the commotion going on around you. You also spend time sitting in the bumbo chair, the high chair (when we are eating), the excersaucer, the jumper, and the swing. While you do get in the jumper you are not jumping yet...just sitting and twirling.

Your personality is so happy and your most favorite thing is for people to be looking at you. Your eyes are so expressive and you just love when someones eyes look at yours and you can lock the gaze and dazzle us with your smile. Speaking of your smile, I am in love with your dimple on your left cheek -- just like mine! You and me spend our days trying to keep up with Jack and Hannah. We have dance parties (you are always my dance partner), we all read books together, we watch them do art projects,etc. There is always a lot going on and you seem very content to soak it all in and go with whatever is going on.

The noises you make these days are awesome - you experiment with your voice a lot and make lots of little sounds, you love blowing raspberries, and your little laugh makes my heart turn into a pile of mush. We fake sneeze at you "Ah choo," and send you into a fit of giggles. Jack and Hannah love to play this game with you.

Sleeping - I kind of don't want to talk about it. You wake up way more than I would like. But you always go right back to sleep. Putting you down has been fairly easy...swaddled and in the hammock. A lot of mornings you wake up before we think you should so we take you downstairs and put you in the swing - you go right back to sleep. Eventually we will have to stop this but it is working for now.

You are getting big so fast! We love you Caleb James!

I'm a Model

2011-11-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I asked Mark to take Hannah outside and get a few pictures of her. She was pretty excited that I actually let her wear those big black boots out of the house. When Mark came back inside he was laughing so hard.

He told her to stand in front of the door and she came up with these poses all on her own. Where does she learn this stuff? We both had a good laugh and then pondered what the future might hold for her...she is only 2 and already pretty full of herself.

I keep thinking of the "I'm too Sexy" song when I see these pictures.

"I'm a model you know what I mean, And I do my little turn on the catwalk."

Halloween

2011-11-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween

Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Flashback: I was a Mouse when I was 2, too!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caleb the Giraffe and his friend Madison the Clown.

Dad and Mom with Caleb.

Love that little tail / The Hubbards Trick or Treating.

Halloween was fun this year because the "big Kids" understood what was going on. They enjoyed getting candy in their pumpkins and really loved dressing up as Mickey and Minnie.

Fall Art

2011-11-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

We love Art Time at our house. The kids love to draw, paint, etc. Here are a couple of the creations we have made lately. This one stemmed from a need to find something for my daughter to do that involved letting her meander at her own pace around the neighborhood. We collected leaves (lots of them) for this project.

J & H did a great job painting the glue and sticking on their leaves all by themselves.

This year for Halloween we decorated lots of paper pumpkins...some at our house, some at the library, some at playgroup. We also got to paint some pumpkins too. Jack likes to paint "rainbows" which is good because he uses every color. Hannah apparently likes to paint her face.

Here they are doing "cheers" with their paintbrushes.

After painting with brushes we decided it was time for finger painting.

Messy but always fun!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-30T20:17:00.001-07:00

This year we took to the kids to a Pumpkin Patch in Denver. It was a big Hit! They got mini pumpkins and had lots of fun exploring all the different activities that they had to offer.

Mark and Hannah on the tractor ride.

Jack and Hannah in the Kid Maze.

The Giant Snake Tunnel. Which we ran through multiple times. It was big (several hundred yards long).

The most exciting part was the giant buckets of corn!

There was also a petting zoo, a playground, etc. We didn't even get any pumpkin pictures as we spent most of our 2 hours there in the giant tubs of corn and running through the snake tunnel.
It was a definitely a fun fall outing for the Hubbards!

Aunt Kiera

2011-10-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kiera recently came for a special visit. We had a fun long weekend of bus riding, book reading, donuts, the playground, etc. Since moving several years ago from Parker, CO (which is less than 2 hours away) to Pittsburgh, we really miss seeing her. The kids have been talking about her a lot since her visit and we are excited that we will be seeing her again soon for Thanksgiving.

Playing Trains at Peek-a-Boo Toy Store.

Mark and his sister Kiera.

Riding the bus.

Picnic Lunch.

C meeting his Aunt Kiera.

She got Spunk

2011-10-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

I don't even know what to say about her. The things that drive me crazy about my daughter are the things that I love most about her. She is into everything. When walking from one place to the next she touches everything. If I need her to do something she is slower than molasses. However, when she is playing on her own she is a whirl-whind of curiosity and destruction. She is inquisitive, playful, daring, sweet, and sneaky.

This morning, this is how I found her when I walked into her room to get her up for the day. Wearing these ridiculous boots (hand me downs) and her leopard print 12 month pajamas that she insists upon wearing every night.

Like I said, "She got some spunk."

Last one...

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is the last post on Oklahoma, but I felt like I needed a whole post on one of my favorite parts of our trip...all the time we spent outside. Those who know me well know that I love warm weather, and even like it HOT! So we spent lots of time exploring my parents back yard, going for walks around the neighborhood, and trying out all the parks in South Tulsa. It was fantastic! And kind of even funny to see my kids all sweaty just from being outside.

GiGi and Grandpa.

One day we also got to meet up with a friend and her children. This friend married a guy friend of mine from high school and I have really enjoyed getting to know her. We seem to have a lot in common and I enjoy her company...I wished we lived closer to each other : ) She has a little boy that is Jack and Hannah's age and another one that is Caleb's age. On this particular day I left my parents house without my camera, so the following pictures are compliments of Rachel.

J, H, & G playing.

I think these two look like they could be brother and sister. G is adorable and we had a great time playing with him!

More Oklahoma

2011-10-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Caleb and Jack with a carrier just like C's,
except Jack is carrying a stuffed elephant.

Hannah and Uncle J.

We got to celebrate Birthdays while we were there.
My Mom, Dad, and I all have birthdays within 11 days of each other...so we celebrated altogether with a special dinner and a chocolate cake with mocha icing. Yummy!

Me and Hannah acting surprised.

Grandpa and His smiley face full of Candy.

One day while we were there we went out to the airport in Jenks to watch an airshow. The big kids loved it and had great fun watching all the planes.

They had fun climbing the fence too!

Oklahoma Trip

2011-10-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

So we took this trip in Aug/September and had such a great time. It was legitimate warm weather! Here is some of how we spent our almost 2 weeks there.

Playing "Go Fish" with GiGi.

H swimming with Grandpa.

C laying out and relaxing after a swim.

Uncle Jacob and Jack after swimming.

Precious brother/sister moment.

Gigi took us out for Donuts. Our favorite. Yummy!

C slept through this outing...he apparently doesn't know what he is missing.

J loved the trains, they were his Uncle Jacob's when he was little.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

Happy 4 Months

2011-10-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

(* DISCLAIMER: Bad blogging Mama...things have gotten a little out of control. We have had several rounds of colds, stomach bugs, and a special visit Mark's sister. But I am reclaiming the blog and will be blogging again.)

My dearest Caleb, since I did not write this post when I should have I will refrain on commenting much about your development and save it for your 5 month post in less than 2 weeks. However, the pictures are all accurate. Know that we love you so much and you continue to amaze us with how much you have captured all our hearts. What a sweet little boy you are.

This month you had your first airplane ride to Oklahoma. You did fantastic, what a champ! While we were at your grandparents house, we got to take you swimming, which you really liked.

You got to meet your Great Aunt Connie...she sure does love you!

Your brother and sister absolutely adore you. What a lucky boy you are to have two amazing older siblings who shower you with attention.

Oklahoma boy at heart!

We love you little guy!

We're back

2011-09-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

We are home and reconnected to the internet (which we didn't have the first 2 days we were home). Our trip to Tulsa was great and we are now just readjusting and trying to get back on some normal sleeping schedules.

Tonight we entered a photo contest. The theme is "Need a Vacation?" Submissions are supposed to show your most "stressed out state of mind." It is hard to adequately convey these emotions in a photograph. Here is our submission. The grand prize is a 7 night cruise for two. Ahhh, wouldn't that be nice?!

Up in the Air

2011-08-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Jack, Hannah, Caleb and I met Grandpa at the airport last week and we flew together to Oklahoma. I could not have successfully flown on my own and really appreciated the timing of my dad's business trip. While walking through security C managed to spit up down both sides of my shirt and all down my skirt effectively soaking me. When our bag finally came out of the X-ray machine we were of course then forced to wait for the TSA agent to search my bag. I stood there drenched in curdled milk while being denied access to a burp cloth, blanket, etc...gross. Don't worry, we had nothing dangerous, just baby wipes. Are you kidding me?!

We finally made it to the gate with all three children all the while seemingly being the most interesting spectacle to our fellow airport passengers. I must say my children were very well behaved, but there are still three of them two and under and uniquely so we do attract attention. At the gate we were the highlight for a group of Asian Foreign exchange students who repeatedly snapped pictures of my kids with their cameras. On the plane Grandpa sat with the big kids and I handled the little guy. My birthday wish came true (it really was my birthday) as everyone behaved and we had a great flight. Greetings abounded at the end of the flight from GiGi and Uncle Jacob as we arrived safely at our destination.

Since then we have been enjoying some good old fashioned summer heat, some swimming, family time, etc.

Happy 3 Months

2011-08-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

"Smiley-Pants," that is your new nick-name.

Although we still see this cute little pout...

You are finally starting to wake up a bit and enjoy the things around you. Smiles abound and you really like for us to be looking at you so that we can exchange the smiles. You are making all kinds of happy noises and cooing sounds which is so good to hear from you. These days you really enjoy conversation and respond to our voices, all of them, even Jack and Hannah who seem to adore you. Which is great because one of them in particular loves to tell you everything.

You are starting to enjoy your play mat rather than tolerate it, you love the fan in mom and dad's room, you like the tv (we were hoping to discourage this one for awhile), you like the swing, and your bumbo chair. Most days you are waking up around 5:30 AM...but your Dad gets up with you, takes you down stairs, and you go right back to sleep in the swing for a few more hours. During the day you are alternating your increasingly more awake time with a few naps in the swing, and then go to sleep each night in your hammock around 8 or 8:30. You wake up one time to eat before your 5:30 internal alarm clock.

We are still dealing with the reflux but it doesn't seem to be bothering you as much as it was. You continue to be pretty flexible as we cart you all around to picnics in Denver, hikes through the woods, strolls around the neighborhood, etc. You are still enjoying your time in the Ergo carrier but have also started to enjoy some time facing out in the Moby wrap. Your biggest new accomplishment is that you have started to sit with us during some meals in your bumbo...which we love, because we love having you in our family!

Love you sweet baby boy Caleb!!

Cutie Pie

2011-08-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

Apparently Jack listens closely because he has started repeating things he hears his dad and I say. The other day Hannah was crying and I heard him say "What's wrong cutie pie?" He also calls her sugar pie. It is now noted that anything we say is subject to be repeated.

Buddies

2011-08-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Caleb and his friend Madison hanging out together. Madison is just 5 weeks older than Caleb. Here's to hoping they will be good buddies.

Polite Fight

2011-08-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

One of the most polite fights I have ever heard.
*Disclaimer: It is not always this nice and polite.

Hannah: (Holds out hand to shake Jack's Hand.) "Nice to meet you."

Jack: (Annoyed) "No thank you, Hannah."

Hannah: (Persistently running after Jack with her hand out.) "Jack. Nice to meet you Jack."

Jack: (Really annoyed and running faster away from Hannah.) "NO THANK YOU HANNAH!!"

Smile for Dad

2011-08-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

Love this picture. Our little guy smiling at Daddy.

Sibling Pics

2011-08-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

They "Big Kids" really seem to like Caleb. Not just tolerate him but genuinely like him. I haven't really seen any jealousy either. They are always talking to him, sing to him, want him to read books with us, etc. When we tuck Jack into bed each night he asks for Caleb to sleep with him. I know that they dynamics of their relationship will continually change but for now I am very content and pleased with how they love one another.

Hanging out on the couch.

An un-staged kiss.

Lunch on the front porch, none for C of course.

A Long Awaited Arrival Part 2

2011-08-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

Just 4 days after Tanya's shower we headed to Denver for Daniel's arrival from Korea. He flew to L.A. then L.A to Denver. He arrived around 6 pm and there was quite a crew waiting for him. We were there with Tanya and Dave (the new parents), Tanya's parents, and Tanya's brother and sister. There were also several other families from the adoption agency expecting children on the same flight.

My children were excited and running around saying "Boom," (Daniel's nickname). They held signs and helped us welcome their new little friend Daniel.

The Cheerleaders.

J & Me.

All the excitement tuckered out C.

What a beautiful moment to get to share with our friends. He is absolutely precious and the epitome of a toddler. He is almost 16 months and will be right in between my children's ages...so playmates for all three of my children.

So glad he is finally here. Can't wait to spend more time with him.

A long awaited arrival

2011-08-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

We had all different kinds of salads. Perfect summer fare.

The cute fruit basket our friend Hannah made.

My dear friend Tanya and her husband David have been awaiting the arrival of their son Daniel from Korea for a long time. They started the process in early 2010 and got a referral for their little boy in October 2010. They were figuring he would most likely be here by the end of the summer so we decided on a July shower. However, the week of the shower she learned he would be arriving just 4 days after his baby shower...perfect timing!! We had so much fun celebrating with Tanya and sharing in some of the last minute gift-giving for sweet Daniel!

My hot new Mama friend, Tanya.

New Aunt KristyLee, Jen, Hannah, New Mama T, and Me.

C Update

2011-08-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

I am way behind on everything, especially blogging. BUT, Caleb is feeling so much better. He is a different baby...a happy one! I love that he is now content to be on the ground on the play mat or to even be awake and not screaming. I am thankful for the turnaround. What a blessing!

Almost 10 weeks

2011-07-28T20:25:00.001-07:00

Little guy had an appointment today. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 14 oz. Dr. said everything looks great. We are checking on his herniated belly button and keeping an eye on it. Caleb will stay on reflux medicne for now and we will check back in a few more weeks. He also started probiotics yesterday in addition to adding more feedings via bottle in an attempt to reduce the spitting up and fussiness.
Also, He got shots today and is not very happy about it. He has been very sensitive to the touch and very cuddly...at least he is consolable. Running a low grade fever and showing me that little pouty face of his.
He is hanging in there!

An old/new friend

2011-07-27T14:48:00.001-07:00

Our Family and Asher, Nicole, and Ian

We recently had the opportunity to meet up with Asher, a little guy who was in Hannah's orphanage. His parents were in town and we met up with them along with our good friends Tim and Sally. Tim and Sally are our friends who accompanied us to Ethiopia when we traveled to pick up Hannah - they are actually in Ethiopia now and just passed court for the young man Samuel who they met while on the first trip. He is legally now their son and they are just awaiting an embassy date, passport, etc. before they can bring him home.

So, we all met up at Tim and Sally's house and had a lovely time time talking and watching the little ones all play together. I remember meeting Asher while we were over there and had the privledge of holding him for a few minutes, praying for him, and telling him that his Mama was coming just as soon as she could get over there. Over the last 15 months since I have seen him he has turned into a smiley, talkative little boy. He is so cute and has such a great smile! We hope to be able to meet up again sometime.

Jack and Asher being boys, playing with rocks.

Happy 2 Months

2011-07-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

Happy 2 months! This last month we said goodbye to the oxygen, Hooray!

You are growing and getting stronger each day. Your neck muscles are really coming along and you are trying to hold that little head up of yours. Lights are still a big fascination and your eyes are drawn to windows, tv's, and lights in whatever room you are in. When you are not looking beyond us at something fascinating you occasionally make eye contact and will briefly hold a gaze...your Dad and I really like this. AND, we especially like the little smiles we have just started seeing come from your cute little mouth. My favorite part about your smile is how the right side of your mouth curves up higher than the left side - it is so cute! When you are sad you also have the cutest, most perfect pouty face I have ever seen.

This month we visited the doctor and put you on some medicne for acid reflux. You seem to be uncomfortable a lot of the time and we are working on trying to help you feel better. You also spit up a lot but we can deal with that,we just want you to feel well. This last month you have started to enjoy the swing - you have also been spending a little time on the play mat. You love to roll over and almost always roll to avoid tummy time. We spend lots of time outside with your brother and sister, so you are pretty flexible about spending time in the car seat and the ergo carrier. You are sleeping pretty well at night and I am just getting up just once each night - you are starting to go a little longer between feedings. Your preference is to be swaddled and you sleep each night all bundled up in your hammock.

Your big brother and sister continue to find new ways to try and help out with you. They both have started talking to you and telling you about their day. You are showered with kisses from all of us and you are sooooo loved! We love you so much Caleb and are so glad you are in our family!

Jack-isms

2011-07-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

J says "excuse me" all the time regarding bodily functions as I have previously mentioned. Today he was wiggling his nose with his fingers and looked at me and said "excuse me." When I asked him why he said excuse me - he said "gas in my nose, mommy."

This afternoon he kept saying "Stop Goofing around, guys." Mark asked him who he heard that from and he said "Mickey Mouse."

Tonight, I asked Jack if he missed me today. (I was gone for several hours at a friends bridal shower.) I asked him if he knew where I had been and he told me the grocery store. Sad but true that I don't get out much these days and this is where I go most often.

Little H is not far behind with the words and sentences...can't wait to see what she comes up with.

Vistors galore

2011-07-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

After Mark's parents left we had about 5 days before we were blessed with more visitors. A friend of mine from Bible College stopped by with her husband for a night---so Fun to reconnect and share time together. The kids had so much fun with them and continued talking about them long after they left.

(Thanks Naomi and Devin for stopping by)

The next day my parents came back for a long weekend along with my brother and his wife. We had a full and happy house from Friday to Tuesday. We shared meals, went to the donut shop (a must when we have company), rode the gondola, played at the park, attended the 4th of July parade, and celebrated H's birthday. It was so fun to have my family here, something that has happened since our wedding 5 years ago.

We took a trip up the gondola, here we are at the base of peak 8.

GiGi and Jack

Gigi and Caleb

Grandpa and Jack swinging at the park.

Uncle Jacob and Hannah

Aunt Amie and Caleb

Grandpa and Caleb.

On Tuesday (5th) everyone left except my brother who got to stay till the end of the week - he left Saturday morning. Then, SURPRISE!! My mom came back from Sunday (10th) till Tuesday(12th). My dad had a business trip in Denver and so she came along for another quick visit. No complaints from us.

Now, we are on our own. Aside from enjoying our visitors it has been such a blessing to have the extra help. Three children two and under is quite exhausting and non-stop busyness.

A big "thank you" and "come back again soon," to all our visitors.

Brothers

2011-07-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

Big brother asks all day long "hold him? Hold Caleb?" He usually only holds little brother for about 5 seconds before informing me "I'm all done." This was a rare occasion where he held him for several minutes. So sweet to watch. Hoping they share a special bond as they grow older.

James Update

2011-07-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

Sweet little James passed away this afternoon. I am thanking God for his sweet little life and the great impact he was able to have on so many people. Praying for his family that is left behind missing him.

Pray for James

2011-07-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Something that has been on my mind is a little baby boy named James and his mom and dad. James was diagnosed with cancer on June 23, 2011 and they have been in and out of the hospital fighting the agressive brain tumor. After prayerful consideration his parents decided to take him home where he can be comfortable and in his own house. You can read about James and his story through the blog his parents started. I have been so encouraged by them, their words, and the grace with which they are handling all of the hard things coming their way.

I absolutely can not imagine what it must be like and it is just something that seems so heart-wrenching and unfair. Please say a prayer for Kara, Matt, and their sweet baby boy James.

Below is a beautiful video by fotolanthropy of this family. "Founded in 2011, Fotolanthropy is an organization that captures stories by photography and film of individuals and families facing trials so memories are preserved for a lifetime." (fotolanthropy website.)

James Sikes from Lynn Films on Vimeo.

Trail Running

2011-07-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday I was in Denver with my mom and Caleb running some errands. I got this cute little video mid-day and it made me smile. It is so fun for me to see the things that Mark does with our kids - I can guarantee this isn't something I would have thought of to do with them.
Baking, probably...trail running will have to be with their Dad.

Train Time

2011-07-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

When Nana and Papa were visiting they took H&J to Georgetown to ride the Georgetown Loop Railroad. I wasn't there but heard they had a great time. If it is any indication of how much fun they had they still tell me about it...ALL the time.

A few more fun pics from their visit.

Eating Cotton Candy at the Frisco BBQ.

Nana with the kids.

Papa with the kids.

Proud Mama Moments

2011-07-06T21:46:00.001-07:00

My hope is to raise children who are polite and kind to one another and to others. We have been working on manners for quite some time and it cracks me up when I hear them saying some of these things. They say "bless you," whenever anyone sneezes, they say "excuse me" when they need to get by and also when they pass some kind of bodily function, and of course the "please" and "thank you's" are readily heard as well.

I laugh when I hear them say "bless you," to the dogs when they sneeze.
I recently was burping Caleb after he ate and heard Jack say "excuse me Caleb," when Caleb burped.
Jack to Hannah when wanting her to move out of his way "excuse me Hannah."
The kids to Macy our dog, "Macy stop barking please, RIGHT now."
Overheard at the dinner table..."excuse me. I burping again."

I am pleased that they are learning these things and only hope that they use their polite little manners around other people too.

One other proud Mama moment was this last Sunday when I peeked out the window during church to see the kids playing outside. Jack walked up to Hannah and handed her a flower. Made my heart turn to mush.

Splashing

2011-07-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

It is finally starting to feel like summer around here. We recently had a warm day where we let the kids play outside in the water. The water that comes from the hose is way tooooo cold so we had to try and warm up their pools just a bit with some hot water from inside the house. They had a blast splashing, jumping, pouring water, and running through the sprinkler with Dad.

Nana and Papa Time

2011-06-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

What a gift to have had almost 3 weeks with Nana and Papa here. It was so helpful to have the help, especially with Jack and Hannah. I am here to tell you that they are opportunists and look for trouble as soon as I turn my attention to Caleb. While they were here Jack and Hannah got to do some fun things with Nana and Papa. They went for bus rides, trips to the park, grocery store outings, explored down town, visited the ice cream store, and went for a real train ride. This is of course in addition to all the attention they got just at the house...they loved every minute!

Mark and I are so thankful to have had them come and so appreciative of the help. They helped us paint, watched the kids so Mark and I could get out together for small group, and I even got to have some one on one time with each of the kids - I loved that!

Thanks and We miss you Nana and Papa!

Happy 1 Month

2011-06-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

5.21.11 - 6.21.11

Our sweet little Caleb is one month. It is amazing to me the depth of love I feel for him. It was immediate strong love for this little one. Over the course of the last month, our love for Caleb has done nothing but grow. He is strong and a fighter...our little warrior made it out of the NICU after only 9 days. Since we have been home with him he continues to grow and gain strength every day. He is now nursing full-time and surprised us with how quickly he transitioned from all bottles to nursing.

At 3 and a half weeks he weighed in at 5 lbs. 11 0z...he's growing! We have turned the oxygen down twice since coming home and are now down to 1/32. His little eyes are starting to be open a little more and are drawn towards the light. I have seen him almost kind of try and look like he is focusing on me a couple of times, so I know it won't be long. Caleb is still sleeping quite a bit and is sleeping one long stretch every night (somewhere between 4-6 hours). We feed him a bottle before bed and then I get up with him just once in the middle of the night. The next time he eats is early morning. He seems to like his little baby hammock and is comforted by the swaying back and forth. During the day he sleeps downstairs and should win an award for the way he can sleep through the loud shenanigans of the older two.

Keep growing little warrior...we love you! Happy 1 month!

Super Dad

2011-06-23T10:28:00.001-07:00

Super Dad Fathers day cake for Mark and his Dad.

We celebrated with homemade pizza and an ice cream cake (chocolate cake with mint moose tracks ice cream and chocolate buttercream icing.)

Happy Fathers Day also to my Dad! I love you and am thankful for you and the ways you continue to love me. And also to Mark's Dad! We are so thankful and blessed to have great fathers!

To Mark who truly is a super dad...I love you and am so proud of how you love our children. I love how you interact with each of our children.

Super Dad reading Green eggs and Ham with all 3 munchkins.

My Stealthy Child

2011-06-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

stealthy - adj \ˈstel-thē\
Definition of STEALTHY

1: slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character

2 : intended to escape observation : furtive

This word is a good description of Hannah. The child is an opportunist. She is smart, sneaky, and stealthy. I have seen her patiently wait until she thinks no one is looking and then do whatever it is she intends on doing.

Earlier this week she snuck away and her Papa found her upstairs in my room eating M&M's out of my nightstand drawer. We had a big talk about how she is not allowed in my drawer and she is not allowed upstairs without asking permission.

Today I set up H with a snack and a drink and went to change Jack's diaper. I came back and realized she was gone. I immediately went to the stairs and hollered up for her to "come down now!" She came down with her mouth stuffed very full. I asked her where she had been and what she had been doing and her response was "Mommy's drawer, eating M&M's...NOOOOO!" So we had a time-out, again!

Although it took everything in me not to laugh, I was actually quite proud of my candy-loving daughter. Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE candy! While pregnant with Jack I ate gobs of gummy worms, I ate gummy bears with Caleb. Since I have been home from having Caleb I have eaten 2 Huge bags (32 oz. bags) of Hot tamales. I think I might have a problem! I am also pretty sure that when we met Hannah's birth mother I saw her pull out a bag of candy, eat a couple of pieces and then put it back in her pocket.

I will now be closing the gate at the top of the stairs --all the time!

Golfing on the Green

2011-06-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Jack got these cute little clubs and balls for his birthday. Now that all the snow is gone, we can actually enjoy them. They both have their own clubs (H is green, J is red), and wildly swing them at the balls all about the green.

These two are sure to make their Grandpa who is an avid golfer very proud!

Our little twins

2011-06-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

H loves to help out with Caleb. So when she is being too aggressive we encourage her to go get her baby. Apparently she did the other day because next time I looked at Caleb this is what I saw...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T12:43:00.001-07:00

My Safe Haven

2011-06-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

I am happy. I love having all of us together. I love watching Mark be a dad to our 3 kiddos. I love watching Jack and Hannah figure out who this new little guy is that all of a sudden lives with us. Again, I am happy.

Through all my happiness I acknowledge that having a newborn in the house is a definite adjustment. Less sleep, less time, and less attention to the older two and my husband. Everyone handles stress and change differently. I choose to be in the kitchen - one of my all-time favorite places to be. It is my safe haven...don't mess with me while I am in my happy place.

While in the hospital I spent those early mornings searching for recipes and menu planning. It was calming. Last week there were 3 nights in a row where I made and baked cookies; they all went into the freezer to save for later. I have also tried a new cake recipe which is fabulous (I will post on this later) and a new frozen dessert recipe...

This dessert was great. It is a Betty Crocker recipe.
Chocolate Cookie, yogurt & raspberries, more cookie, whipped cream, hot fudge, and berries on top.

Someone recently asked me where I like to look for recipes. I look at lots of different blogs and websites. Here are a few of the ones that I frequent the most.
Picky Palate
The Pioneer Woman
Smitten Kitchen
A Cozy Kitchen
A Year of Slow Cooking

My place is the kitchen. What do you like to do to de-stress and find your calm?

Welcome Nana and Papa

2011-06-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Mark's parents arrived on Sunday afternoon and will be here for the next 3 weeks! We are so excited they are here, we are appreciative of the help, and ecstatic for J&H to get some Nana and Papa time. We recently asked our renter in the studio above our garage to move out in anticipation of Caleb's arrival. So now that it is empty (for the summer) we have the perfect place for family and friends to stay when they visit. Nana and Papa are the first official visitors in our new place.

Already having lots of fun with them!

Return of the Giraffe

2011-06-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

The giraffe is back to help us document the first year of Caleb's life. We didn't have the giraffe at the hospital therefore couldn't take a picture quite as early as we did with Jack. However, after a recent bath we got a pic of C at 13 days old.

And this was Jack at 3 days old...

And here is Caleb sporting his new Super Mario blanket. He already wants to be like his brother and sister who are obsessed with Mario. They love to play with Mario Kart with their Dad.

Family of Five

2011-06-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

First Family Picture as a Family of Five.

Late last Friday and Saturday Caleb turned a corner. The light came on and he started taking all his feedings out of a bottle on his own. We were cautiously optimistic as we had been told that babies this young can tire really easy, overdo it, and then regress a bit. On Sunday afternoon Caleb's Dr. came by and said if he continued to do well he could probably go home on Monday. Then Sunday afternoon I returned to a room in Labor and Delivery and Caleb got to spend the night with us. Hooray! Then we were officially discharged on Monday.

C in his going home outfit, ready for a road trip home.

We drove home and went straight to the doctor to have his oxygen adjusted for our 9600 ft. altitude and then hurried home to see everyone. There was a great big "Welcome Home Caleb" sign hanging in our kitchen and Jack and Hannah were pretty excited to see all of us. Both kids seem to be doing well with our new family member. Jack is just his normal happy self and always seems excited to see Caleb. Hannah is very curious and we find ourselves looking for constructive ways to let us have her help us.

The kids helping out their babies,
just like Mommy.

I am thankful we got to come home before my parents left town. They were a huge help watching the kids while we were down in Louisville, I only wish I had gotten more time with them.

Caleb is doing great! He sleeps a lot, then he eats, then he sleeps. Night time is going well - the last 3 nights he has eaten every 4 hours, which is as long as we are supposed to let him go given how much he is eating. We are having to wake him up to eat, so hopefully this a good sign of what is to come --maybe he will be a good little sleeper for us once he can take more food.

Saturday Fun Day with my little monkeys

2011-05-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

I looked forward to yesterday all week - the day I got to spend with Jack and Hannah. My parents and Mark brought down Jack and Hannah down to spend the day. I spent the morning with Caleb and then met up with the crew around 10:30. We went to a butterfly pavilion and had a fantastic time. It was recommended to me by several of the nurses and we were told to wear red as the butterflies often land you when wearing that color. We looked at bugs, held spiders, touched marine life (starfish, pencil urchins), and went into the butterfly room where they were flying everywhere. Hannah has been obsessed with butterflies ever since we gave her a butterfly temporary tattoo a few weeks ago and Jack liked to show us with his hands how butterflies fly.

Mark holding Rosie the tarantula.

Touching starfish with Dad.

J&H with Gigi and Grandpa.

After the B-fly pavilion we drove to a nearby park for a picnic lunch and then let the kids run around like crazy on the playground equipment. The time of their life I tell you! Then off for a "rest time," in my hospital room where we watched a little Buzz Lightyear. Next we paid a quick visit to baby brother (no tears this time). After that we went to the Super Wal-Mart where Jack got a hair cut and enjoyed our Skittle bribe. Finally, we went to IHOP for dinner where we got to see firsthand how both our children handle a lack of naps. Jack was punch-drunk happy and Hannah was just agitated. After dinner we said a tearful goodbye and my parents drove the kids home.

So good to see my little ones, I have really missed them.

Update

2011-05-27T10:31:00.001-07:00

My dad drove Mark back home on Wednesday, which was really sad for me. I am sure it is a combo of hormones and just wanting to not be alone down here , but Wednesday afternoon and evening were really hard for me. Lots of crying. My mom ended up driving down yesterday (Thursday) and spent afternoonevening and this morning with me. It is just nice to have someone with me good for grandma/Caleb time too. A friend of mine is on her way now for a quick visit and my parents, mark, and the kids come down tomorrow. Hooray!
Little guy is doing good. His temperature is pretty regulated. He is back on oxygen (no biggie, he will go back up to the mountains with it anyway.) Caleb is on an every other bottle feed. The others he is tube fed. He needs every feeding to bra bottle feeding before he comes home. For now he is getting tuckered out and using so much energy when he drinks out of the bottle that he can't stay awake at the next feeding. But it will come.
For now he is getting loved on and I can be with him. Prayers for c' energy and development are appreciated.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Visitors

2011-05-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

We are a bit isolated here at the hospital. Our hospital in Summit County does not have the facilities to take care of little preemie babies. So they transported Caleb and I down to Louisville, Colorado which is not too far from Boulder. On Sunday, my parents arrived and they got to meet their newest little grandson.

Gigi and Grandpa meeting Caleb

On Monday, Jack and Hannah got to meet their new baby brother. They showed up at the hospital saying "Love you Mommy," (made my day) : ) We talked about "mommy's hurt," (my incision from the C-section) and also about how the baby is no longer in my belly but instead down the hall sleeping. Mark and Grandpa took the kids to the store before coming to the hospital and they each got to pick out a little something to give Caleb as a "present." Jack picked out a little pull toy that is a bird and Hannah picked out a monkey. I am pretty sure Hannah thought she was going to get to keep it. We took the kids to the nursery window and they got to watch Dad come over with Caleb and give him the toys that J&H picked out. As soon as H saw Dad holding Caleb she lost it. Lots of tears and "Daddy Hold you." We quickly tried to distract them by bringing out presents from Caleb to the kids. It was 2 baby dolls wrapped in Target bags...then we talked about how everyone was holding a baby. Daddy had a baby, Jack had a baby, and Hannah had a baby!

The rest of the day was wheel chair rides from Grandpa and Gigi around the hospital halls. Popsicles from hospital staff, a movie in the room, trips to ice machine, and lunch as a family (minus Caleb). I miss those little turkeys and can't wait to see them again - hopefully on Saturday!

2 Tired kiddos with Dad after an eventful day and No Nap.

Gratitude

2011-05-24T14:34:00.001-07:00

We are so thankful for so many things right now. Friends who come over at 2 in the morning when you go into labor, friends who take shifts to watch your children, friends who clean your house for you, friends who offer to take your 2 dogs until your newborn comes home...grandparents who drop what they are doing and get on a plane, grandparents who rearrange their schedules so they come much earlier than expected...nurses who go above and beyond giving you medical attention but shower you with genuine care, nurses who truly love on your little guy when you can't be with him.

This in addition to all the encouragement, prayers, texts, phone calls, emails, etc. that we have received that continue to remind us that there are people who care about us and praying for us.

Also so thankful for our new little guy Caleb who is working so hard to learn all these new skills we are throwing up at him. Little guy is maintaining his body temp and has been moved out of his isolette. He has had 5 of 6 successful feedings on his own (no feeding tube). He is mainly getting bottles but getting to nurse twice a day. His weight is 4 lbs.5 oz. but hopefully we will see him on the upswing here soon.

We are thankful that Caleb is doing as well as he is and that we will all be together soon! This is but a short time that we will all be apart and thankfully neither Jack, Hannah, or Caleb will remember it down the road. Just Mark and I, and we will most likely forget so much of it because of lack of sleep and exhaustion.

Please keep praying for strength, weight gain, and maturity in our little Super Man.
Prayers for Jack and Hannah that they continue to do well with the transition .
Prayers for Mark and I for peace, energy, and endurance.

Introducing...

2011-05-21T19:33:00.001-07:00

CALEB JAMES HUBBARD

Born 5.21.11

4lbs. 10 oz

18 inches

A picture of M&I right before the C-section.

Hooray, he is here!

I came out of "recovery" super fast so that I could go visit my little guy.

All 3 of us before heading down to Denver. This was my first time holding him.

Just a few hours old and going on his first "road trip."

My first visit to see Caleb at our new Home, I mean hospital.

Today's Pics

This will by far be the best part of my day. They let me be skin to skin with my little guy for 30-45 minutes. Makes this Mama happy!!

Our little superman holding his own.

The Last 2 Days - Details

2011-05-21T18:44:00.001-07:00

This was supposed to be our camping weekend. However, earlier in the week we discovered that the weather was not going to cooperate and so we decided to stay in Breck.

Friday was Family Fun Day...

We looked at mattresses for our rental, we went swimming, I went to the gym to walk on the treadmill, I ran some errands (Target and Tuesday Morning), I stopped at my beloved Starbucks, we took the kids to a dinner for the students we are involved with, and we (M&I) went on a date to celebrate our 5 year ANNIVERSARY! We had a really fun, busy day.

AND then...

a little after 11 on Friday night I started getting really bad back pain that prevented me from falling asleep. I thought maybe I was having contractions but wasn't sure, thought maybe it was gas pains. I am nervous and kind of hungry so I eat Doritos while watching Pretty in Pink on TV - not my brightest idea. Around 11:40 I start timing contractions. Every 10 minutes, then 8 minutes, 4 minutes, 2 minutes...all with a lot of pressure. Yikes! I wake up Mark for the 3rd time (1:30 AM)still in denial and we decide to go in to the hospital.

A friend came over to stay at the house and Mark and I drove to the hospital in blizzard like conditions. They check me in (2:15 AM), check me out, and sure enough I am dilated and completely effaced, they call the Dr and she comes in for a c-section.

AND now we introduce our new son Caleb James Hubbard, born at 3:57 AM, 18 inches, 4 lbs. 10 oz.

I got to see him for the first time around 6AM, and got to hold him for about a minute shortly before they took him by ambulance down to a hospital in the Denver area around 7 AM. I followed in a separate ambulance around 9:30 and Mark drove down separately in our car.

We are here at the same hospital and I am able to visit him about every 3 hours or so in the NICU. He is doing well. He is on oxygen, has a feeding tube, and an IV for anitbiotics. Each time we go in I am able to touch him, cuddle him, etc with my hands. It is really hard to not be able to hold him but I know that he is where he needs to be for right now in order to regulate his body temperature, heart rate, etc.

He is beautiful and we are so blessed to have him in our family. We look forward to knowing him and loving him.

WELCOME CALEB!!

34 Weeks

2011-05-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

I realized that we haven't taken any pictures to document my growing belly...so here is one Mark took last week - just barely 34 weeks in the picture.

2011 Graduate

2011-05-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

NOW, it is finally finished. I recently talked about how Mark is finished with grad school but now that he attended graduation it really is over. I think he is excited and relieved to be done. Of course, I am proud and thankful. It is great timing with #3 coming soon, no more homework nights or conference calls.

This last weekend we went to Ft. Collins, home of Colorado State University to celebrate and attend the ceremony. We found a great little 2 BR VRBO just a couple of blocks from campus. The morning of graduation we went to the M.B.A. "open house" for a light reception and a tour of the building. The kids came too - they enjoyed the snacks. After that we got ready for the ceremony and had a babysitter over to watch the kids.

The ceremony was nice and felt like a" Celebration" and an "End" to Mark's 4 years of hard work. It was long...almost 2 and a half hours - there were over 800 graduate students walking. We were anxious to get back to the kids after the ceremony and went out to celebrate at a local pizza place.

Little man and I with his "fake smile."

H enjoying some pizza!

Congrats again to Mark!

Stay Tuned

2011-05-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you who check the blog, don't give up. I have some things coming...like Jack's birthday pics. I can't believe my little guy turned 2 last week. We had a great time celebrating.

I am taking advantage of the times my husband is home and the kids are sleeping by laying down myself. To be honest I am exhausted and feeling every bit of the 33 weeks pregnant that I am. There isn't much going on here but laying down, reading books, and watching netflix at night with the hubs. I am not on bed rest but have my feet up as much as possible.

Pics coming soon.

AND to all the moms out there hope everyone had a beautiful mothers day! I did.

ALL DONE

2011-05-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

A big "Hooray" and "CONGRATULATIONS" to my hubby Mark, who tonight finished his last project for his last class towards his M.B.A!!!!

He is done. He has worked so hard over the last 4 years and we are so proud of him.
Jack, Hannah, and I look forward to celebrating with him at his graduation ceremony in a week and a half!

Easter

2011-04-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Easter was a lot more fun this year than last year. Last year we were so tired from having gotten off a plane from Africa with our new daughter the day before that we barely remember it at all. This year we felt like we got to enjoy the service and we remember it - in addition to the kids being really into EGGS.

We went to the library and did an egg hunt the week of Easter. The day before Easter we went to a big Egg Hunt at the Rec Center, complete with blow up jump castles and lots of eggs to find. On the morning of Easter we did our own mini egg hunt. Mark and I decided to put one jelly bean in each egg and the candy was definitely a hit inside the eggs. Both kids had a hard time opening the eggs themselves (I am sure we won't have this problem next year). Our church service was really nice and we stayed for some yummy treats afterwards. In the afternoon we were thankful to celebrate with some close friends and enjoyed some brisket and other homemade goodies.

enjoying jelly beans

An Easter HUG.

Wordless Wednesday - Having Fun

2011-04-27T13:22:00.001-07:00

Birthday to ya

2011-04-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

"Birthday to ya, birthday to ya..." this is J's version of the Happy Birthday song. This week we celebrated Mark's birthday which is the beginning of the 5 month birthday celebration we will now have in the Hubbard house. Mark is April, Jack is May, Baby boy will be June, Hannah is July, and I am August.

Last year we had Hannah's blood drawn in Denver on his birthday, so this year had to have been a better day for him. When he came home from work we had homemade pizza for dinner, opened some presents and cards, and then topped off the evening with a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake.

The kids are really liking the birthday thing and all the things that come with it...balloons, singing, cake, presents. Good thing we have 4 more to go!

All he wanted was a kindle. Hope you enjoy!
Love you Mark!

Family Time

2011-04-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

One thing that is really difficult for me about living in Colorado is that we are so far from our families. I appreciate the time we get to spend with Mark's family (parents, sisters/spouses, cousins, etc) as well as the time we have my family when we make visits. I was especially thankful this trip as there was almost one whole day where we were together the entire time. My mom and I started the day early with some garage sale-ing where I picked up this super cute monkey costume for H. Then my parents and I loaded up the car with the kids and drove to the zoo where we met Uncle Jacob and Aunt Amie.

Amie and Jacob

Grandpa and Jack

GiGi and Hannah

Hannah enjoying the woodchips - notice they are in her hair

Jack at the petting zoo.

Warm weather, trains to look at, animals to see, the playground (truly the biggest hit), and time together at the zoo made for a fun and exhausting day. Later that night after some well-earned naps we celebrated my brother's birthday with some yummy burgers and ice cream cake!

It was lots of fun and much needed to have time with my family on this trip. Love you guys! Can't wait to see you again when you come visit this summer!

Airplanes and warm weather

2011-04-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

Flying while pregnant with two almost 2 year olds sounds fun right? Thankfully, on the way to vistit my parents, my Dad and a coworker were in Denver for some meetings and scheduled their return flight to coincide with ours. This made our trip to Oklahoma so much more fun and so much easier for me. It was great to see Grandpa in the airport. And the motorcycle too.

When we arrived to OK there was a welcoming crew...GiGi, Aunt Amie, and Uncle Jacob all came out to say hello! The first day we were there Jack was a little upset when he couldn't pull his shorts down - the kid isn't used to wearing anything but long pants. We had to explain that shorts show your legs and you wear them in warm weather.

Speaking of warm weather we took full advantage of it all week. J got a haircut outside...

we played with chalk...

...we blew bubbles, raced around the backyard, got pushed in the swing, explored, went for walks, went to the park...

It was Awesome!!

Dreamin'

2011-04-11T06:43:00.000-07:00

I have been dreaming about warm weather and a visit with my parents all winter/spring and it is finally here. I have been in Oklahoma since last Tuesday evening enjoying some family time, time with friends, and lots of outdoor fun!! We return home tomorrow night and are wrapping up our time here. When I am away though, I have dreams of this man! I am a lucky woman to married to this guy...he is a thoughtful dad and husband - we all miss him and can't wait to see him tomorrow night.

(Pic of our big ice cream sundae last Monday on date night)

Cake Lover

2011-03-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, I love cakes! (Making them that is.)

I was recently asked to be a guest speaker at the SCY (Summit County Youth) program for elementary school students. Each week there was someone different talking about some of their talents and things they enjoy doing, the series ends with a talent show. There was a videographer, an artist, a baker (me!), and a seamstress.

I got to share with the kids a little about how I got started baking, what I enjoy about it, the tools I use, some of the cakes I have made, etc. Just in case you might be interested in knowing a little about what I shared, here is a little bit...

~My mom is my inspiration. I always had the best birthday cakes growing up. They tasted great but they looked awesome. As I got older she showed me how to decorate and in the months before I got married I decided to take a cake decorating class to relieve some stress. I found I really liked it. I enjoy making something that looks good and tastes good too. It is fun for me to find new ideas and try to recreate them and then watch as people get to enjoy what I have created.

The kids ooooohed and aaaaahed over the slide show of some of my favorite cakes. They also had some great questions and as I said before it was fun for me to share something that I am so passionate about.

Funny Face Cupcakes

I wanted to have the kids make something that was fun and would allow them to be creative. I baked the cupcakes ahead of time and had different items for the kids to use to make funnyfaces. I encouraged them to think about different ways they could use the items to make different eyes, noses, mouths, ears, hair, using the following:

Froot Loops, Chocolate chips, marshmallows, pretzels, jelly beans, licorice, etc.

They did great and everyone seemed to have a good time!

Introducing...

2011-03-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

...My New Nephew, EVAN!

So cute. Due on March 17th he arrived March 26th! Kudos to his mom, my beautiful sister in law who looks so great after delivering this 9 lb., 8 oz. cutie little nephew of mine.

We can't wait to meet him and are so excited for their whole family.

Happy Gotcha Day!

2011-03-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Meeting Hannah on 3.27.10

(First picture of us with our daughter)

We celebrated Hannah's Gotcha Day Yesterday, March 27th! This marks one year since we physically held her, met her, and fell even more in love with our little princess.

03.27.11

Mark and I decided that in addition to her birthday this is a day we want to celebrate with her every year. Hannah is such a special blessing to our family and we never want her to doubt how much we love and care about her. We decided that on her Gotcha Day we will celebrate with a special breakfast each year. This year it fell on Sunday which is always a challenging day to get out the door and get to church. We decided to focus on breakfast and get to church when we could make it, so we were a little late but had a fun time at the local Donut Shop.

After Dinner we let the kids have a special treat, some Mickey Mouse marshmallow pops they got from their GiGi and Grandpa. We had been saving them for a special occasion. They devoured them. Jack bit off Mickey's face and then asked us where Mickey went ("Mickey go?"). Hannah liked hers just as much as was proven by the sticky mess she was. It was worth it.

LOVE YOU, Hannah!

Their Love is Real

2011-03-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

These two goofballs have started fighting more, but their love is real. Today, I happened to have the camera handy to capture a few of their sweet moments.

"Let me blind you during our hug."

Ah, the open mouth cheek kiss.

"I really love you too Jack."

Grocery Store

2011-03-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the grocery store because I needed just a few things. Hannah laughed and enjoyed the ride while Jack pushed her wildly all over the store. The best was when I stopped to put grapes in the cart, turned around and they were 10 feet away attracting quite the crowd. Here we are cruising down the chips aisle, it's a short video because wild man needed my help steering.
Gotta love em!

Recent Reads

2011-03-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

Two books that I have read recently and would recommend, both very different from one another.

The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven

A true story about a courageous little boy who was in a car accident with his Dad. He survives the accident and comes out of a coma almost 2 months after. The book is a compilation of his Dad's perspective of this time, friends and relatives, and the young man who was in the accident. I can't describe it really other than to say I am so glad it was recommended to me - I really enjoyed it!

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

One of my favorite Bloggers and fellow Oklahoman, Ree Drummond produced yet another great book, the first being her cookbook. She recounts her own love story with the infamous Marlboro Man. Love her writing and the humorous way she invites readers to a "behind the scenes" look at her life.

I'm Being Mommied

2011-03-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

"Mommy?" "Mommy?" "Mommy?"

I must hear this about a thousand times a day. Maybe not a thousand but certainly more times than I can count. It started off with just Jack who wanted to know where I was if I was out of his line of sight. I would jokingly respond "yes dear" to his "Mommy?" Now he sometimes just answers for me by saying "Mommy? Yes dear."

Hannah has caught on to this game and now I hear MOMMY coming from the mouths of both of my precious babes non-stop. Most of the time it is when I am in the kitchen or the bathroom, somewhere where they can't see me. But sometimes they just want my attention and desire a response.

While I am being "mommied," for the 342nd time of the day I sometimes find my frustration growing but I mostly am pleased that they care about me and want to know where I am.

Spring Teaser

2011-03-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

We had a nice warm morning one day this weekend and so we took full advantage of the warmer temperatures. The kids helped dad shovel snow off the sidewalk, Jack and Hannah took turns in the swing, we played on the porch, and Jack had some time in the sand box that Mark somehow managed to dig out. I took the kids on a walk in the morning and then in the afternoon as it was starting to cool off all of us went for a walk together (kids in the stroller).

The warmer weather was nice, we didn't even wear jackets in the morning. I will be excited for it to return. After our nice day it snowed 5 inches at night - yuck! I am over the snow!

A baby shower

2011-03-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend I was honored to co-host a shower with a dear friend for another dear friend who is expecting a baby girl in May! My co-host Tanya is so fun, we are so much alike we even bought the same gift for our friend Jen. Tanya also has a beautiful home and has been blessed with some kind of Martha Stewart decorating gift - it was like a magical little pink tea party when I walked into our home.

I am so excited for my friend Jen...I know she will be a great mother and am so excited to meet her. At 32 weeks she is glowing and looking cuter than ever. It was so fun to gather together, eat some good food, and celebrate her new little one. AND so fun to see all the cute little baby girl things.

Me, Jen, and Tanya

Farewell

2011-03-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

Last night Mark and I finished Season 8 of "24." We didn't watch it last year on television and were waiting until it was released on NetFlix. It recently was released. We watched all 24 episodes in just a little under two weeks - would have gone faster but my man does have to fit in school work too. I am sad to say that we will not be spending more time with Jack Bauer. This has been one of my favorite shows and I will miss the drama and suspense that our beloved Jack brought to our evening television watching. So Long Jack!

My Hero

2011-03-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

I have had this problem in the mornings for awhile now with my little man. He doesn't want me to change his diaper when he wakes up. Therefore, he doesn't want to get out of bed. I hear things like "no," "stay here," "bye-bye, mommy." The kid has been adamant about this. My first approach was to offer him the choice to get out of bed and let me change his diaper or stay in bed. One morning he was up there for 40 minutes. I ran up and down stairs to keep checking on him, meanwhile Hannah found my prego stash of cocoa puffs - smelled like chocolate all morning. Next, my husband suggested that I give him the choice to get out on his own or for me to take him out. This at least gets him out since they are both options I want, but then when I would go to change his diaper he would kick and fight me. AT this point a time-out isn't an option because it prolongs the already LONG process we are going through.

My mom has been listening to me complain about this for some quite time. She had a brilliant suggestion. I am now giving Jack a little bag of cheerios and raisins and he happily complies and lays right down for me to change his diaper. I had tried offering him toys or things to hold before and had even tried singing him songs. My thought is that little man wakes up hungry and grumpy and that this is helping him to be occupied and more happy. We were also running into some tantrums on the way downstairs and refusal to eat...again, I think he was hungry.

This all brings me to the point of my blog post. Moms are the BEST! My mom's job continues just in a different way as I am now an adult and raising children of my own. She listens, encourages, comforts, and guides me. I am so thankful for her! Love you Mom!

Weekend Smiles

2011-02-28T06:34:00.000-08:00

Things that made me smile this weekend...

The number of laps my children run from the kitchen to the hallway to the living room and back to the kitchen.
H's ability to take her clothes off while she is supposed to be sleeping.
Time spent with Mark after the kids are in bed.
J drops his bib on purpose, throws up his hands in wonderment and proclaims "bummer."
Rock band with my kids...they love those drums.
Watching them interact with other little friends. Love watching them pretend they are one of the "big kids."
Kids helping switch the laundry and J says "Good Job Hannah."
H stacked all her stuffed animals behind the rails of her crib so she can see them while they are sleeping (I actually thought Mark had done it).
J now placing himself into time out when he doesn't follow directions.
Watching J&H play together, sing together, dance together, and listening to them talk while they are in their beds. It is clear they LOVE each other.

Some special Visitors

2011-02-21T20:15:00.000-08:00

Grandpa and Hannah.

GiGi and Jack

We love visitors, especially family. The kids think anyone who walks into our home is a special visitor just to see them. My parents recently came for a few days and the kids loved having grandparent attention. We took GiGi and Grandpa to the rec center so they could watch J&H run around the gym and hear Jack scream like a girl with excitement. We went out to eat, we played, read books, went out to dinner (always a special treat and we rarely do this without help), and just enjoyed having them here. Thanks for coming, we look forward to your next visit!

Grandpa, Jack, GiGi, and Hannah in her new boa.

It's A...

2011-02-18T08:28:00.002-08:00

Getting your 19 month old and 21 month old to reveal the gender the way you want them to is no easy task. Listen closely as it is actually Hannah who tells if it it is a "boy" or a "girl" then Jack repeats her. We are all very excited!!

20 Week ultrasound/Coin Toss

2011-02-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

We had our 20 week ultrasound almost two weeks ago. Everything went well and put to rest some of our fears from our E.R. visit during week 19. When we were expecting Jack we chose not to find out the gender. With this baby we were torn between finding out and waiting. That is, one of us really wanted to know the gender and one of us wanted to wait until the delivery. Both Mark and I felt very strongly about one way or the other so we ended up flipping a coin. I won the bet and we decided NOT to find out.

Upon winning the coin toss I immediately burst into tears: typical for a pregnant woman, I know. But I felt bad about winning. I know Mark really wanted to know. So while brainstorming for a perfect/heartfelt Valentine's Day gift I decided revealing the gender to him would be a great present. The morning of the ultrasound I made a card and took it early to the appointment where I worked out arrangements with the ultrasound technician. During the ultrasound we told her we didn't want to know the gender so she had us look away for awhile while she checked, said she would mark it in our chart, and marked it down for me in an envelope. I later went back and picked up the envelope.

THEN...on Monday night - Valentine's Day. I gave Mark the envelope. Actually, I gave it to him in a bag, wrapped in another bag, wrapped in a box. I wanted it to be a surprise.
So now we know the gender of baby # 3!!!
Jack and Hannah are going to make the reveal in a video post tomorrow, for now...here is a picture of our healthy baby.

Valentines

2011-02-17T14:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day from the Hubbards!

Our best attempt at a family picture.

Jack and Hannah making valentines for their friends at playgroup.

The fruit snacks and the valentines went in the cup.

The Va-Kay

2011-02-15T06:13:00.000-08:00

Finally, some pictures from our vacation together. We had a lot of fun...

Mark and I, downtown Puerta Vallarta.

Some cheesy pictures.
(Thank you Mark for agreeing to pose)

I love this one. Mark got picked to dance in front of everyone on our tour boat. He did a great job! The other guy is jealous of my man's moves, look at his face.

Yelapa, a fishing village we went to.

At the waterfall in Yelapa.

Mark is playing volleyball while I sat at the pool eating nachos.

Relaxing!

Nana and Papa

2011-02-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Nana and Papa who flew out to spend time with our little ones while we were gone. We had a day or two with them before Mark and I left and then were thankful to have a few days with them after we returned. Jack and Hannah had a great time while we were gone. They got to go on outings: the Library, grocery store, toy store, the Rec Center! In addition to having 2 new people to pay attention to them in our home. They learned new things/words while we were gone and most importantly got the gift of spending time with their grandparents.

Ideally, we wouldn't have had to leave them, but it would have been challenging to find a babysitter down in Mexico that I felt comfortable with so that we could attend the functions we needed to attend. In addition to the fact that it was a nice treat to have some alone time with Mark!

So thank you to these two for loving and taking care of our favorite little people!