Bad Joke :(

It has to be a bad joke that my little baby girl is two and a half months old...it just HAS to be!!! Mommy is very sad :(

If You Are Reading This...

If you are reading this post, then please sign up to follow our blog if you haven't already. Given the fact that I am posting pictures of the most precious thing in my entire life, I am curious to know who reads this blog.

I choose to share our life experiences for a number of reasons and truly hope that each of you enjoys following along with our journey. Well, I guess you do enjoy it or you wouldn't be reading this post :)

For now, I have chosen not to take the blog private, but should I choose to do so later, I would certainly like to know who to invite to be a part of our "blog life".

Thanks for understanding! I'm sure I love you all (even if I'm not 100% sure who you all are at the current moment)! And if I don't know you personally and for some reason you find my life fascinating enough to read about, please feel free to keep following. I welcome new "blog friends" at any time :)

And on the farm, there was a...

Grandma and Papa John have a "farmlet", E-I-E-I-O. And on the farmlet there was a chicken, with a cluck, cluck here and a cluck, cluck there, Here a cluck, there a cluck, everywhere a cluck, cluck. Grandma and Papa John have a farmlet, E-I-E-I-O!

Grandma and Papa John have a "farmlet", E-I-E-I-O. And on the farmlet there was a rabbit, with a nose wiggle, nose wiggle here and a nose wiggle, nose wiggle there, Here a nose wiggle, there a nose wiggle, everywhere a nose wiggle, nose wiggle. Grandma and Papa John have a farmlet, E-I-E-I-O! (Yes, I know that is a hard one to fit into the tune of Old McDonald, but I don't think rabbits make much noise and so "nose wiggle" was the best I could do!)

We spent Father's Day weekend in Louisiana at Grandma and Papa John's "farmlet" (aka mini farm in the making)! It was a nice and relaxing trip...I forget sometimes how nice country living really is. Sophie just adores being outside and it was fun watching her find enjoyment from things we grew up around. I'm hoping my baby girl turns out to love animals the way her Mommy does! From the looks she was giving us, I think this might be a pretty safe bet :)

Here are some pictures from this weekend!

I'm pretty sure she adores her Grandma and Papa John :)

Grandma and Sophie

Papa John and Sophie Grace

Yea for chickens!

Mommy, Sophie and the Chickens!

Happy Sophie!

Who knew chickens were so hilarious?!

Meeting the bunnies!

Hello Bunny!

Papa John holding me while I stare at my bunnies!

I love my Papa John and Grandma! Can't wait to visit again :)

Two Month Check-Up

Well, Sophie and I survived the first round of shots yesterday. I was so proud of her...she only cried during the injections and then for a couple of minutes afterwards. But after being poked three times, I would have cried too! She was such a brave girl and once she stopped crying she gave one of her award winning grins ~ now how could you not melt at that?!

She took a fairly long nap (especially for her) once we got home, and then, dum-da-dum-dum-dummm...the after effects of the shots took hold :( I felt so bad for my sweet baby girl! We rocked, took a ride, rocked some more, sang songs, had a bottle, and finally once the Ibuprofen kicked in, she was out like a light. Around 2:40 this morning she woke up fussy and a little hungry, but after a snack, diaper change, second dose of Ibuprofen and some snuggling, she slept until 8:00! And the best part, she woke up smiley! I am hoping the worst of it is behind us (at least until her four month check-up)...

Overall the doctor was VERY happy with how Sophie is growing :) Here are some stats from yesterday ~

• Weight: 9.9 lbs = 25th Percentile
• Height: 23" = 75th Percentile
• Head Circumference: 15" = 25th Percentile
• Seems to be advanced developmentally (we always knew she was smart)!
• Eyes, ears and throat all look good.
• HIPS ARE PERFECT! This one I'm always nervous about. Since she was a breech baby, we will continue to monitor for any signs of hip dysplasia until she is at least a year old.
• Dr. McGrann predicts her eyes will stay blue but said we should know for sure at her next check-up.
• And finally, she said...get ready...that almost all of her tummy issues should be almost all better by 4 months of age!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!

And that, in a nutshell, is my precious baby girl at two months! Mommy couldn't be prouder of you sweetheart ~ I love you more than you could ever know!

Happy Father's Day!

Yesterday the Classy Chassis car show was held in Houston so we took Kevin for an early Father's Day gift. I couldn't really think of anything to get him, but then I found out the car show was going to be here and figured why not?! It's what he loves to do :)

This the second time we've been to this particular car show. Shriners Hospital puts this on every year as a fundraiser and while it isn't a cheap date, it's for a wonderful cause! Shriners Hospitals for Children is dedicated to improving the lives of children through specialty pediatric care without regard to their families ability to pay. And if that isn't a worthy cause, I don't know what is!

Here are just a few of the pictures and a couple of videos from yesterday's outing!

Family Photo

For a minimum donation, you could take a ride in an exotic car. Ummm ~ yes, my husband was all over that!

Race Track

Inside the Car Show

So even if it was a little bit early, I hope you had a wonderful time Honey. Sophie and I are so grateful to have you in our lives and we love you very, very much! Happy 1st Father's Day :)

Always and Forever,

Your Girls

The Best Two Months of My Life

The best (and hardest) two months of my life (up to this point obviously) have come and gone! I simply cannot believe that my sweet, precious girl is so grown up. Where did two months go? I just don't understand how nine and a half months of pregnancy seemed to take so long, but this two month period seems more like two weeks!!!

I absolutely love being a mom...more than anything else in this world, I love being a mom. There are days when I just sit and stare at her; there are days when I get to enjoy smiles and coos; there are days when I doubt my own abilities because she is so fussy I can't help but get frustrated ~ not at her but at the fact that I can't seem to help her; there are days I wonder how in the world God thought I was deserving enough to be her mom; there are days I couldn't even begin to find words for how happy she makes me; but EVERY DAY is a day I am eternally grateful for...she truly is the love of my life and nothing else in the world seems to matter.

At two months old, Sophie ~

• Smiles the most beautiful smile one could ever imagine
• Likes to hang out with Mommy and Daddy
• Can really focus on people and objects
• Melts our hearts with those BIG baby blues!
• Has learned to play with her rattle (especially the flower one which goes for rides with us)
• Can click her tongue
• Is trying to learn to laugh
• Can hold her head 90 degrees for small stretches
• Sleeps between 5-7 hours in a stretch (provided no tummy aches arise)
• Takes between 4-6 ozs per feed
• Wears Size 1 diapers
• Fits well in her 0-3 month tops but not so much the bottoms. I promise you could squeeze another small child in those bottoms!
• Doesn't nap during the day very well at all
• Prefers tummy time on Mommy's chest
• Headbutted Mommy doing above mentioned tummy time and busted my lip ~ this one I hope we don't duplicate often. At least you didn't even seem to notice! (By the way, Daddy finds this rather amusing ~ just wait until it's his turn!)
• Has an uncanny ability to scream bloody murder and then break into a beautiful grin ~ making the last hours of bloody screaming forgettable :)
• Attended her first car show
• And finally, IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!!

Gotcha Kid!

Sophie has been avoiding smiling for the camera for far too long now ~ I was bound to get it at some point! Hey ~ she got her stubborn streak from someone :) Neither of us give up easily ~ time will only tell which one of us is truly the most "strong-willed"!!!

My happy baby girl!

June 6, 2010 ~ 6:47 am

Oh, how quickly things can change!!! Gotta love it :) or wait ;( is more appropriate!

June 6, 2010 ~ 6:48 am

Sophie's First Date :)

Well, not really because she's not allowed to date until she's MUCH, MUCH older!!! But here are our two contently swaddled babies meeting for the first time :) I have a feeling Sophie and Julian are going to get along just fine!!!

Welcome to the World Sweet Julian!

It is hard to believe that five years ago, I started an internship for that would forever change my life. Yes, I got experience that I cannot trade for any of the EXPENSIVE college textbooks that I poured hours into. But more than that, I made friendships with some incredible women that have continually blessed my life in more ways that I can count.

I have always said I'd rather have a few friends that I could trust with anything, than a million "friends" who are when the times get tough merely acquaintances. These women definitely fall into that first category ~ because truly, not only would I trust them with my life, but more telling, I would trust them with my daughter's. And that alone says more than words ever could!

So all that said, over the past five years we have all changed in so many ways. While none of us are still currently with the original company, we have continued to make time for each other and our relationships. We have welcomed two husbands, two new houses, two stepkiddos, and now...NOW THREE BABIES! (Soon to be four when our precious Alexis (Lexi) makes her arrival in a few months)!

Anyway, all that to say...God is really pretty cool and when you think things are going WAY downhill, He actually knows what He is doing...who would have thought right?! I remember when Amber and Traci both announced that they were leaving to take new jobs ~ I think all of the rest of us girls were not only in shock but quite depressed too! We had no idea how our normal lives at work would be after that. And yet, not only did we keep those relationships strong, we formed even stronger ones amongst ourselves.

I never imagined that Debbie would be one of my dearest friends in the entire world several years ago, but now I can't imagine my life without her! She and I are so similar in so many ways and often think and say the same things at exactly the same time! You should see our chats ~ it's like we are copying each others posts :) "GET OUT OF MY HEAD DEBBIE!" (That's pretty much an inside joke!)

And not only did I never foresee how close the two of us would become, but I never thought we would actually have the opportunity to share the amazing journey of pregnancy together. When I broke the news to Debbie about our pregnancy, she specifically said..."wouldn't it be fun if we could be pregnant together?" But, they had been trying for a while and we didn't actually think it would happen...but didn't God laugh at us!

So with only a mere 8 weeks separating our two precious babies...welcome to the world Julian Cade Hinojosa! We have waited so long for you to arrive and could not be happier :) You are 8.14 lbs of precious, perfect and amazing little boy and we love you more than you could know! Happy Birthday sweet boy! Prepare to be spoiled rotten!!! It's my job as your "aunt"!

Undeserving...

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion says my soul, therefore, I will hope in Him." ~ Lamentations 3:22-24

Today was an especially hard, yet very anticipated day for a very dear person in my life. Today had the potential to change her life forevermore...maybe in a positive way, maybe in a negative way, but a change nonetheless. I spent a restless night waking up and praying that she was getting some sleep, that the Lord would surround her with a peace that she would know without a doubt came only from Him, that we would understand His plan for her life, that this journey we call life would finally cut her a much needed break.

And this morning, I found she did sleep, that she felt the prayers being sent to Heaven just for her ~ not only from me but from all of us who love her, that she was still remaining as strong and amazing as she has always been over the last...well, what seems like FOREVER!

It is truly an honor to know that the Lord has blessed me with a best friend who I can only hope to be like! I love you girl! You continue to amaze me every day ~ never doubt how wonderful you are!!!

Anyway, while her story is not mine to tell, I wanted to share this verse. It is a verse that the Lord laid upon my heart after leaving her house this afternoon. I love this verse...1) because it's true and 2) because I felt His peace reminding me that even on tough days or the night before tough days, His mercies are new every morning! His love never fails and for that I am undeserving ~ but then again I guess aren't we all???

7 Weeks

Sophie Grace is getting sooooo big! It's really amazing to me how much she has grown in such a short time. Every day she shows a little more of her personality ~ I have a feeling she may grow into that red hair of hers!

We spent Memorial Day weekend with friends and family. Mom and Eric came Saturday and babysat for a few hours while Kevin and I had a date day. It was nice to go to lunch and a movie ~ I used to consider this our boring, repetitive date night ~ but now, I just felt blessed to spend some alone time with my husband! Of course, by the end of the approximately four hours we were gone, I was running from the truck to the door to get to my baby girl :) I can't help it ~ I missed her terribly!!!

After Mom and Eric left on Sunday morning, Kevin and I got packed up and took Sophie and the pups over to Aunt Jaime and Uncle James' for Memorial Day. Jaime and I got some scrapbooking in ~ much less than I would have liked since my daughter was CRANKY and spitting up everywhere :( We swam a little Monday (well, George "swam" a lot ~ his swim is more just sitting on the pool steps!) and had burgers and hotdogs for dinner. Sure wish we lived closer so we could do that a little more often!!!

Due to the amount of spit up mentioned above, we switched formulas yesterday from Nutramigen to Enfamil A/R. The thicker formula (the R = rice substitute) has proven to be a miracle worker! She is spitting up a minimal amount, seems to have less of a tummy ache and SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT! One would think that the last part would be my favorite part of that list (especially given the caps) but in all honesty, I would trade that for the first two any day. I have hated watching my baby spit up so much of her feeds only to still have a tummy ache after all was said and done. It absolutely broke my heart to feel so helpless. I hope that the new formula continues to work wonders so that she can be the happy, content baby she has been today. I just love knowing that maybe, just maybe, she might actually feel GOOD for a change!

At 7 weeks, Sophie Grace ~

• Is smiling more
• Way more interactive
• Loves to stare at walls, the picture above our bed that we got in Italy, and apparently out Aunt Jaime and Uncle James' front window ~ this was an Aunt Jaime find on one of their many attempts at "walking it out" :)
• FINALLY plays on her playmat on a daily basis
• Tolerates tummy time
• Still wears Huggies newborn diapers (only until we run out I think ~ then I think we should graduate to Size 1 diapers)
• Wears 0-3 month clothes, some fit better than others. Some look like you could get another child in the same pair of pants!
• Eats about 4-4.5 oz every 3.5-4 hours during the day
• Is gradually getting out of the need to be swaddled phase ~ still a must when we can't get her to quiet down
• Swings like a pro ~ we even bought a travel swing ~ this was a LIFE SAVER at Aunt Jaime and Uncle James'. It is on a timer though, so we were all "PUSH THE BUTTON, PUSH THE BUTTON!!!" every time it stopped :)
• Got into a wonderful daycare ~ we were on a waiting list until recently ~ I'm not sure how I feel about this one :(
• And my personal favorite ~ IS A HUGE MOMMY'S GIRL! And don't worry ~ even her Daddy admits it :)

Here is our precious, growing girl at 7 weeks!