Adelyn is 6 months old. The sweetie is still such a happy baby who just loves being with people. She is very easy going and pleasant.
This has been a big month for her! She began rolling over and now she just rolls and rolls everywhere. It is really cute. Occasionally she will get stuck in an awkward position but for the most part she is able to maneuver her little body on her own. She isn't quite sitting up on her own yet but I don't think that is too far away. She can balance for a few seconds on her own.
She also started to eat solids! She had her first bite of rice cereal on May 17. She wasn't a fan. We waited a few days and then started again. Now she gets sweet potato in her rice cereal for dinner every night. She loves to play with the spoon and if I get it aimed at her mouth, she will put it in herself. She makes the cutest, most confused faces when she eats cereal!
Another huge change: she is being weaned from breastfeeding to bottles. We are doing this really slowly but it is going well. The first week we gave her one bottle a day and she screamed her head off. She was not.a.fan. Josh kept working with her and now she takes a bottle well--- even from me. This week we added in a second bottle, so she has 3 nursing sessions and 2 bottles every day.
She sleeps from about 9 p.m. until 7:30 or 8 a.m. During the day she has one or two naps-- but not really at the same time everyday. It is wild how much I have changed when it comes to scheduling. It is mostly out of necessity-- having a 2-year-old to entertain doesn't lend itself to the most structure! But I am glad she is still sleeping well at night.
She makes adorable sounds and has the sweetest smile. When she is really focusing on something she puts both her arms out to the side and moves them quickly-- sort of like she is flying! ha! She makes a sound that sounds like a high pitched, "HHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIII" quite often.
Adelyn loves her brother. When he comes near she immediately starts laughing and cooing. It is sweet to see so much love between the two of them. Hunter loves to play with her and is still learning what she is able and not able to do. I am glad he likes having her around.
So fun to have her little smiles and sweetness around here!
BTW: I have been taking LOTS of pictures, but I have no space on my computer to upload them. I have got to edit some of the millions of pictures I have and then I will add her 6 months pictures to this post.
As for my postpartum recovery, I feel like I am almost completely back to myself. This recovery has taken much longer than Hunter's did. I think my incision healed faster this time but my hormones did not balance out as quickly as they did with Hunter. It has been a little bit of an emotional roller coaster for me! But just in the past week or so I have felt my body start to even out & I am feeling really good! Hooray!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Want to continue reading this blog?
Hello my cherished readers!
For privacy reasons, I am about to switch this blog to "invite only." This means that you will only be able to continue reading my blog if I send you an invitation. I need the email address you would like the invite to be sent to if you would like to continue to read. And I really hope you do!! ;) Please put your email address in the comments section of this blog entry by June 9. OR you can email me at: Kim . Hammans @ gmail . com. After June 9 my blog will no longer be viewable without an invite.
Thanks so much for reading! :)
For privacy reasons, I am about to switch this blog to "invite only." This means that you will only be able to continue reading my blog if I send you an invitation. I need the email address you would like the invite to be sent to if you would like to continue to read. And I really hope you do!! ;) Please put your email address in the comments section of this blog entry by June 9. OR you can email me at: Kim . Hammans @ gmail . com. After June 9 my blog will no longer be viewable without an invite.
Thanks so much for reading! :)
turning 29
Tomorrow I will turn 29.
29!
I cannot believe I will be entering into the last year of my twenties. In some ways I feel older than 29, and in lots of other ways I feel younger. Even though this birthday is not a special milestone, I feel so excited for it. I am giddy. Like a child! Maybe having children is contributing to my giddiness. I have been talking to Hunter for weeks about his 3rd birthday that is coming up. We have been reading "Carl's Birthday" almost every night at bedtime for the past week or so. I have been telling him all about the birthday cake he will have and balloons. I am so excited to celebrate with him in a few weeks. But now, it is my turn.
Thinking back, this is the first birthday in a long time that I have been free to do what I want. Last year, I was pregnant and Josh was gone to his Army Training. I had a wonderful party with my friends at a mexican restaurant but I had so much morning sickness I couldn't eat the yumminess in front of me. My friends helped me to feel so loved. But I was lonely for Josh. The year before that I was actually traveling on my birthday. I got to wake up to a lovely breakfast with my mom, brother and lots of family and then spend the day with both Josh & Hunter but it was in airports and on airplanes. The year before that I was ginormously pregnant with Hunter. I thought he would arrive on my birthday, which I really didn't want. I celebrated with Josh at the Texas Roadhouse.
All of those birthdays have been special in their own ways, but I wasn't particularly excited about any of them. I haven't been this excited about a birthday since my 24th... which was the birthday I was engaged to be married and Josh went over the top to celebrate with me. He surprised me with pearls to wear on our wedding day.
A lot of my giddiness this year comes from what this birthday represents for me. I worked hard to lose weight this Spring, and though I didn't meet my goal for my birthday, I came close and I did lose all the baby weight. Also, today marks the beginning of my last year of my graduate program. As of today, I am officially an intern, which means I will be seeing clients as part of my studies this year. This means a lot of things to me, but most significantly it means I am following my calling and I get the chance to live in my giftedness. I view this birthday as a fresh start. A new beginning. I have been tasting a new level of freedom in my life in the recent weeks that has enabled me to enjoy being myself. I have rekindled my love of crafting, decorating, and putting together outfits. I am truly enjoying life and I long to get the most out of it as I can.
So this birthday means a lot of things to me. I am so thankful for all that God has done to shape me to make me into who I am today. I am so humbled as I think of all this next year has in store for me. I am beyond grateful for my husband, my son, and my daughter. I am abundantly blessed.
29!
I cannot believe I will be entering into the last year of my twenties. In some ways I feel older than 29, and in lots of other ways I feel younger. Even though this birthday is not a special milestone, I feel so excited for it. I am giddy. Like a child! Maybe having children is contributing to my giddiness. I have been talking to Hunter for weeks about his 3rd birthday that is coming up. We have been reading "Carl's Birthday" almost every night at bedtime for the past week or so. I have been telling him all about the birthday cake he will have and balloons. I am so excited to celebrate with him in a few weeks. But now, it is my turn.
Thinking back, this is the first birthday in a long time that I have been free to do what I want. Last year, I was pregnant and Josh was gone to his Army Training. I had a wonderful party with my friends at a mexican restaurant but I had so much morning sickness I couldn't eat the yumminess in front of me. My friends helped me to feel so loved. But I was lonely for Josh. The year before that I was actually traveling on my birthday. I got to wake up to a lovely breakfast with my mom, brother and lots of family and then spend the day with both Josh & Hunter but it was in airports and on airplanes. The year before that I was ginormously pregnant with Hunter. I thought he would arrive on my birthday, which I really didn't want. I celebrated with Josh at the Texas Roadhouse.
All of those birthdays have been special in their own ways, but I wasn't particularly excited about any of them. I haven't been this excited about a birthday since my 24th... which was the birthday I was engaged to be married and Josh went over the top to celebrate with me. He surprised me with pearls to wear on our wedding day.
A lot of my giddiness this year comes from what this birthday represents for me. I worked hard to lose weight this Spring, and though I didn't meet my goal for my birthday, I came close and I did lose all the baby weight. Also, today marks the beginning of my last year of my graduate program. As of today, I am officially an intern, which means I will be seeing clients as part of my studies this year. This means a lot of things to me, but most significantly it means I am following my calling and I get the chance to live in my giftedness. I view this birthday as a fresh start. A new beginning. I have been tasting a new level of freedom in my life in the recent weeks that has enabled me to enjoy being myself. I have rekindled my love of crafting, decorating, and putting together outfits. I am truly enjoying life and I long to get the most out of it as I can.
So this birthday means a lot of things to me. I am so thankful for all that God has done to shape me to make me into who I am today. I am so humbled as I think of all this next year has in store for me. I am beyond grateful for my husband, my son, and my daughter. I am abundantly blessed.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Playground Thoughts
This afternoon we took a walk to Conway Park--across the street from campus. We set out a little before 4 p.m. with a picnic and our tennis shoes so we could have a leisurely evening in the beautiful weather. It was so pleasant. Josh & I took turns holding the baby or playing with Hunter around the playground. Hunter continually amazes me. He is so creative. Since he is two, he loves to "boss around" his daddy & me. The perfect place to do that is on the playground--I took my orders with a smile. I so enjoyed going down the slides with him and chasing him around.
I love being outside. I have decided it is one of the best ways for me to recharge. Getting away from the distractions, like the never-ending chores and the ever-calling internet, I am able to truly tune in to the moment. I loved watching Hunter run and jump and enjoy being alive. He is so full of life.
This stage of motherhood has been very difficult and I have been struggling with it. Two-year-olds are a lot of work. They require more patience than is humanly possible. Hunter still has a lot of physical needs but he strongly desires independence. He also has a lot of emotional needs as he is learning more and more about his world. For example, he constantly (like at least 3 times a day) asks me if I am happy. This question always takes me off guard. I never want him to think he is responsible for my happiness or that I do not love him if I am not happy. So I don't want to burden him with things he doesn't need to worry about if I am not happy at that moment. But on the other hand, I want to build an honest relationship with him where emotions, both positive and negative, are welcomed. But then again, he is only 2 (almost 3!). In the moment I usually end up saying something like, "No, mommy isn't happy but it has nothing to do with you, I love you." OR "No, I am not happy with your behavior, but I always love you, Hunter." And then I spend the next hour fretting over my word choice. I am not sure what drives his question, but it makes me excited that he cares about how the people around him are feeling.
Parenting is the single most difficult job I have ever had. Though this time is hard, it is flying past me. I cannot believe Hunter is going to be 3 in a few weeks and Adelyn is well on her way to being 6 months old. A relative of mine said on Facebook recently, "The days are long but the years are short." When it comes to parenting young children, that quote is so true. The days around here are long. They are tough. There are moments that I don't know if I will survive. Sounds dramatic, but it is true. I lose my patience, I get bored, I get exhausted by the never-ending laundry and dishes. And then I have moments of pure love as I get to watch little personalities develop, true delight be expressed, and see the sense of wonder in both of their eyes. It is a hard job with rewards. Sometimes the rewards are few & far between. But they do exist.
Tonight when we got home, I did the bedtime routine with Hunter. We read "Telling Time With Thomas" and cuddled on his bed. I asked him what he wanted to pray for and he said three things: 1. "Sir Topham Hat be nice to Thomas." 2. "The wheels on the bus keep going 'round and 'round." 3. "Baby sister would get lotion on her after her bath." True prayer requests of a 2 year old. I was just so happy he wanted to say things to Jesus. What a sweet boy.
I am thankful for an evening with my family-- free from the normal distractions of life and full of simple togetherness. My prayer for the evening? That I would remember how much I love my kids and how this demanding season of their life is just that-- a season.
I love being outside. I have decided it is one of the best ways for me to recharge. Getting away from the distractions, like the never-ending chores and the ever-calling internet, I am able to truly tune in to the moment. I loved watching Hunter run and jump and enjoy being alive. He is so full of life.
This stage of motherhood has been very difficult and I have been struggling with it. Two-year-olds are a lot of work. They require more patience than is humanly possible. Hunter still has a lot of physical needs but he strongly desires independence. He also has a lot of emotional needs as he is learning more and more about his world. For example, he constantly (like at least 3 times a day) asks me if I am happy. This question always takes me off guard. I never want him to think he is responsible for my happiness or that I do not love him if I am not happy. So I don't want to burden him with things he doesn't need to worry about if I am not happy at that moment. But on the other hand, I want to build an honest relationship with him where emotions, both positive and negative, are welcomed. But then again, he is only 2 (almost 3!). In the moment I usually end up saying something like, "No, mommy isn't happy but it has nothing to do with you, I love you." OR "No, I am not happy with your behavior, but I always love you, Hunter." And then I spend the next hour fretting over my word choice. I am not sure what drives his question, but it makes me excited that he cares about how the people around him are feeling.
Parenting is the single most difficult job I have ever had. Though this time is hard, it is flying past me. I cannot believe Hunter is going to be 3 in a few weeks and Adelyn is well on her way to being 6 months old. A relative of mine said on Facebook recently, "The days are long but the years are short." When it comes to parenting young children, that quote is so true. The days around here are long. They are tough. There are moments that I don't know if I will survive. Sounds dramatic, but it is true. I lose my patience, I get bored, I get exhausted by the never-ending laundry and dishes. And then I have moments of pure love as I get to watch little personalities develop, true delight be expressed, and see the sense of wonder in both of their eyes. It is a hard job with rewards. Sometimes the rewards are few & far between. But they do exist.
Tonight when we got home, I did the bedtime routine with Hunter. We read "Telling Time With Thomas" and cuddled on his bed. I asked him what he wanted to pray for and he said three things: 1. "Sir Topham Hat be nice to Thomas." 2. "The wheels on the bus keep going 'round and 'round." 3. "Baby sister would get lotion on her after her bath." True prayer requests of a 2 year old. I was just so happy he wanted to say things to Jesus. What a sweet boy.
I am thankful for an evening with my family-- free from the normal distractions of life and full of simple togetherness. My prayer for the evening? That I would remember how much I love my kids and how this demanding season of their life is just that-- a season.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
4 months
Adelyn's 4 month Stats:
Weight: 13 lbs, 7 oz
Height: 24.5 inches
Head: 16 inches
She is growing beautifully! Adelyn sleeps around 9-10 hours in a row at night, eats 5-6 times a day, and is still so laid back! She gives smiles freely to people once she studies their face for a few minutes. Her laugh is adorable! She wiggles her whole body when she smiles or laughs.
We thought we had her sold on the paci, but she has decided her two middle fingers are more comforting. She refuses the paci all the time now... oh well! The pediatrician wasn't too worried about it. I guess I won't worry, either!
We did have a few scares this month. At the beginning of the month, she had poop in her blood several times so we ended up taking her to Children's Hospital ER. Turns out she had a tear on the inside of her that was bleeding as she pooped. We were so thankful it was nothing major.
The second scare came when my mom was visiting. We were eating at Chick-Fil-A and I felt a rattle in her lungs. Josh & my mom felt it too. Since she had a low grade fever, I decided to call the doctor's exchange. The nurse asked me a ton of questions then asked to hear Adelyn breathing. The nurse thought she heard "grunting" so she told me that she didn't want me to panic but that I needed to call 911 and get an ambulance to come immediately. My mom & I (Josh had taken Hunter home at this point) decided to drive to the ER, since we thought we could get there faster than an Ambulance could get to us. Turns out it was nothing major at all. The nurse really freaked me out, but Adelyn was fine. Just an upper respiratory illness. Many hours in the ER later, we took her home....
The third scare was the day after her shots. I changed 3 diapers that had red-tinged urine in them. This is EXACTLY what happened with Hunter after his 4 month shots, which led to 7 months of antibiotics and the diagnosis of urinary tract reflux. So I took Adelyn to the doctor expecting for the same news, since it is genetic. The doctor did not see any signs of infection so we decided to wait it out. So far she has not had any more symptoms. I am really hoping we don't!!!
It has been an eventful month!
Hunter is still doing wonderfully with her. We are so thankful for our little Adelyn!
Easter 2012
This Easter it was so fun to see Hunter begin to put the pieces together of Christ and the Gospel Story. We purchased "Resurrection Eggs" from our church and Hunter loved opening them up and finding what was inside. We told him the story of Jesus Christ as he opened the eggs each time. I hope it began to lay some foundation for Hunter to think about Christ. 
We participated in the campus Easter Egg Hunt-- Hunter did MUCH better this year as he searched for eggs! ;) He found his 12 in about 2 minutes! So fun! Then he colored a little bit and enjoyed some candy.
Easter Sunday we went to church and then went out to brunch with a young family we met at a local playground. Then we went home and rested for a little bit before heading to Courtney's annual Easter celebration. There were more kids there this year which was fun for Hunter. Plus the weather was absolutely gorgeous and we were able to be outside the whole time. It was great fun.
We participated in the campus Easter Egg Hunt-- Hunter did MUCH better this year as he searched for eggs! ;) He found his 12 in about 2 minutes! So fun! Then he colored a little bit and enjoyed some candy. 
Easter Sunday we went to church and then went out to brunch with a young family we met at a local playground. Then we went home and rested for a little bit before heading to Courtney's annual Easter celebration. There were more kids there this year which was fun for Hunter. Plus the weather was absolutely gorgeous and we were able to be outside the whole time. It was great fun.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
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