Hunter's Great Adventures

New Blog

2007-09-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! This is the last post on this blog. We have decided that since Hunter will no longer be an only child, we should have a family blog. So please direct all of your browsers to www.connelly-family-blog.blogspot.com for all of your information needs from now on.

New Shoes

2007-07-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hunter got her very first pair of shoes last weekend. They are Dora the Explorer sneakers and she absolutly loves them. She wants to put them on and wear them everywhere.

I just hope her foot never gets as big as her dad's!

2007-07-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hunter has been very busy playing with her daddy during the week. Here are a few things she has been up to.

Playing with earthworms her daddy found in the backyard. Check out the size of that sucker!

Helping her dad install cabinet locks in the kitchen. I don't think she realized what they did until they were finished installing them. I'm not so sure she would have been such a big helper if she knew they would keep her out of the cabinets.

Spending some quality time with her mommy.

And giving everyone and everything fishy kisses.

We're talking fishy kisses for everything. The couch, the leaves outside, the old piece of cheese she finds on the floor. Even the rolly polley on the porch got a fishy kiss yesterday. We are being to worry about OCD, she now must kiss every bit of food that goes into her mouth before eating it. You can see more fishy kisses here. And we must not forget the cutest fishy kisses yet, the kisses she insisted on giving her friend Danny on the 4th of July.

Sorry!

2007-07-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I have started a new full-time job and Shane is now staying home with Hunter. This had led to me wanting to spend every second I can with Miss Hunter when I am home, and less time on the computer. I honestly don't know if I have turned the home computer on at all since starting my job. Shane and Hunter are having a wonderful time together at the house. He is such a wonderful father. She will do just about anything for him, including taking her nap everyday. He has even helped Hunter survive a four day battle with a 103-104 degree fever. We think it was a side effect of the MMR shot she got at her 1 year check up. She finally started to be herself again yesterday.

In my blog absence I have managed to accumulate a few photos that need to be posted. I will try and get them posted for all to see this weekend. And I promise that once our lives become more routine, I will be back to blogging more often.

1 year old

2007-06-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

What do you do after spending all of your time entertaining visitors and turning one?

Take it easy of course! Hunter had a blast entertaining her grandma Sheree and her grandpa Schmies. She was so full of energy and spunk! She didn't nap the entire time they were her, and I think she is catching up on her sleep now.

Hunter had a great birthday party and wants to thank everyone for coming and celebrating with us. You can view some of her birthday photos here. Don't worry if you were unable to attend, we ate enough cupcakes for all of you!

2007-06-20T19:17:00.003-07:00

Does anyone know which food group mustard belongs in?

Hunter took her first steps the other day! I couldn't believe it, she is getting so big. She tries so hard to take each step. She can take about four, and then she wipes out. I'll try to get it a picture or a video soon.

My mom will be here this evening, she is coming in for Hunter's birthday. We can hardly wait to see her. I think Hunter knows something is up because she did not want to go to sleep tonight. What a surprise she will have when she wakes up in the morning!

Happy Father's Day

2007-06-17T19:30:00.001-07:00

Hunter would like to wish all the daddys out there a Happy Father's Day. She spent the entire day with her daddy. They woke up and played on the swing together. Then we spent a lovely afternoon at the mall. She was a trooper being that we missed her afternoon nap by about 3 hours! She didn't seem to be to cranky, she came home and played in her toy basket like a good girl.

Yesterday we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Connelly's house for supper. Hunter's grandma made a yummy brisket and all the fixings. Hunter loved it! Shane and I had a good time too. It was great to see everyone.

Nap Time

2007-06-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

Nap time for Hunter has graduated from napping in her high chair to a nice comfy pillow bed on the living room floor. She will nap there for hours. Shane has to wake her up everyday or else we think she would sleep until dawn.

2007-06-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

Hunter's Aunt Kendra came to visit this weekend. Shane and I had a wedding to go to, so Kendra came down to babysit. Shane and I ate such a big lunch, and then had blizzards after and we were so full and sleepy that we ended up staying in. Yes, that is right. Our first opportunity to go out by ourselves since Hunter was three weeks old and we stayed home!

Here is a pic of Hunter and Kendra practicing Hunter's fishy face.

It has been very hot down here the last few days, but it has given Hunter the opportunity to wear her sunglasses given to her by her Aunt Heather.

Some of us are just to cool for school.

Skinny Dipping in the Back Yard

2007-06-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

And here is a video of Hunter's latest accomplishment, walking with her push toy without assistance!

She loves it so much. All she did today was walk all around the house. I haven't had this much exercise in a long time! But she looks so cute, and she is so proud of herself, I am happy to follow her anywhere she wants to go. Maybe sometime soon she will let go of the push toy and walk all by herself.

2007-05-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like doing this after a nice big lunch?

Hunter decided that she really didn't need those last few bites of chicken strip. Instead she needed a nice, big cat nap! Everyone told me not to worry, that Hunter will eventually take naps when she was home with her dad. Well, it turns out they were right. Now we just have to try and get her in her crib.

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day. We all went over to Jen and Dave's new house for a little grilled fun. They just bought the house, and it is beautiful. Hunter had a great time playing with Ari and Taya. Like the great mommy I am, I didn't get any pictures. But I promise to try harder next time. :0)

2007-05-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hunter got to try out her new swing today. She really liked it.

Here she is waving goodbye. I think she thought the swing was going to take her somewhere!

And here she is after swinging for a little while...

I think Shane must have passed on his motion sickness to poor little Hunter. But no worries she was feeling better in no time!

2007-05-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

As promised...

2007-05-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Hunter and I went over to her friend Danny's house yesterday. The kiddos went swimming and had a great time. I took some video, but it is taking FOREVER to get processed on Google, so you can check out some pics LuAnn took on Danny's Blog. As soon as the video is ready I'll post it. Hunter got to wear her fancy American Flag swim suit. Good thing to because she has three more she has to wear yet this summer! Dad get the pool ready, Hunter's going to be coming down to swim, and she would like for the pool to sparkle blue, not green!

2007-05-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

We had a great Mother's Day. Hunter got me a beautiful plant. I don't know how she did it, but somehow she discovered how to use the internet and ordered the plant online! Pretty soon she will be buying her own tickets to Ohio. Here she is trying to see how the plant tastes.

Shane took me out for lunch at Amaya's Taco Village. Yummy. Then we went for an afternoon of shopping. I'm not sure how this happens, but everytime I go shopping with that boy he always ends up buying more things than me! Bargains Shane found: New shirts, Bargains I found: An oreo cookie milk shake from Jack in the Box. Somehow I still think I got the better "deal." After shopping we came home and spent the rest of the afternoon chilling on the couch.

Then Shane cooked a great Mother's Day dinner for me. Ribeye with potatoes and grilled zucchini and squash. I should have become a mommy sooner!

Me and Grandpa Schmies

2007-05-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hunter's Grandpa Schmies came to visit us this weekend. We had a great time. Hunter has a little cold, but we managed to get some quality time in anyway.

Here is Hunter showing grandpa how to get around Austin.

And here they are waiting for lunch to be ready. I cooked, so you can only guess how long they had to wait for the yummy burned chicken strips.

I have started back to work part-time. Shane has taken on the task of watching Hunter on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. They have really been able to bond with each other. And it gives me some adult time during the day. Who knew people still had adult conversations in this world!

2007-04-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a few recent photos of Miss Hunter.

Strike a pose.

Walking around the house holding on to everything she can.

Being cute for daddy.

And this is what happens when I try and feed her.

She is growing like a weed. She has 6 teeth, 4 on top and 2 on the bottom. She laughs at everything I do. And I must say has been making life GREAT.

Grandma, Grandma, Grandma and Grandma??

2007-04-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

It is not everyday that Hunter gets to see all of her grandparents at one time. So, here is a photo of Hunter with all of her grandmas...

Grandma Connelly, Grandma Carolyn, Grandma Schmies and Grandma Frazen

And Hunter with her grandpas...

Grandpa Schmies and Grandpa Connelly

You can see more photos of the visit with my mom here. There are also some photos of Hunter playing with her toy car that her Aunt Kendra gave her.

And for all of you up north dealing with the cold, snowy weather, don't sweat it. Hunter is enjoying the sun here in Texas for you.

Happy Birthday!

2007-03-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

Hunter would like to wish her Aunt Kendra a very Happy Birthday!! Hunter celebrated by helping me eat a yummy Moose Tracks ice cream bar. I don't think she will ever eat real food again!

We love you Stacy!

2007-03-31T08:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know, Shane's twin brother and Hunter's Uncle Stacy passed away last weekend. We all miss him very much. Life is to precious and to short, so please go and tell your family how much you love them after you are done reading our blog. Hunter had so much fun with Stacy. Here are a few pictures of the short time they had together.

2007-03-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

This was Hunter after a long Saturday of playing with her piano.

Then she woke up and a few minutes later to...

the revenge of the piano.

The result...

her first bump on the head. Growing up can be very painful. The good news is that Hunter had her 9 month check up yesterday and she is doing great! She still weighs in at 20 pounds and she is about 28 inches tall. It was hard to measure her because she did not want to stay still. The best part was that she did not have to get any shots! The bad part, she had to have blood drawn and the nurse had a very hard time finding a vein. They had to poke BOTH arms. Looks like she takes after her mommy, my veins duck and dive as soon as they hear the work needle. But Hunter seemed to take it all in stride. I think it is because she knows she is going to see her grandma in a few days! We will be in Arlington for the next week, so we won't be able to post anything. But I promise as soon as we get back we will tell you all about our trip!

2007-03-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hunter got this cool little piano from her Aunt Heather. She absolutly LOVES it. She has been playing with it non stop since Friday! She bangs on the keys and bounces to the music. It is really helping her to pull up and stand for a long period of time.

Shane wanted to post this next picture. Why is it that I can try for days to get a good teeth picture and Shane tries for a few minutes and ends up with this?

Say Cheese!

2007-03-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

I finally managed to get a shot at Hunter's new front teeth. They have been very camera shy! Hunter is now really starting to take to big people food. She has a little bit of toast in the morning and some carrots or green beans for lunch. But her favorite thing to eat is still the veggie puffs. She is getting really good at picking food up off of the highchair and putting it into her mouth. She gets so proud of herself when the food actually makes it in! This morning she managed to get 5 pieces of toast into her mouth, and then she realized she had a mouth full. But not to worry, she managed to spit it all out and start over again! Ah, to be a kid again.

I also have been able to capture Hunter's new pout on camera. I must tell you it is incredibly hard to maintain a straight face when you say, "Hunter, no no, the curtains are not toys," and this looks back at you..

Mmmm Thundercloud!

2007-03-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hunter and I had lunch with my friend Jen today at her office. We had Thundercloud subs. Hunter had a great time. Amy's son Lane was there (he is 2) and Hunter was immediatly in love. She chased him around the office, and played with his trucks. Here is Lane trying to escape!

Lane even let her play cowboy with his hat!

Hunter and Jen had fun playing Tube Telephone. But I think Jen did most of the talking!

What a Life!

2007-03-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

Some of us just have it rough!

2007-03-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hunter's friend Danny came over the other day. They had so much fun playing together! Here is a photo of them learning how to share. You can view the rest of the playdate photos here.

In my quest to get Miss Hunter to eat real people food, I purchased this little gadget. It is a mesh bag that you can fill with fruit or vegtables and they are suppose to eat the fruit and vegtables through the bag. Well, not Hunter. She decided it was more fun to mush the banana and spread it ALL OVER. She had it on her face, in her hair, all over the high chair and basically anywhere else she could reach. She did, however, have ALOT of fun.

This weekend both of Hunter's bottom front teeth have broken through her gums! You can kind of see them in the photo below. I promise as soon as I can get a better photo I will post it.

2007-03-02T09:49:00.001-08:00

Here is a clip of Hunter clapping with her cousin Parker.

2007-02-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

On Monday we went over to Heather and Ryan's house to visit with Shane's Aunt and Uncle. We had a great time visiting with everyone. Parker, Owen and Hunter played so well with each other. Hunter was having so much fun she stayed up until 10pm!

Today I decided to let Hunter try a Biter Biscuit. She thought it was so cool that she could feed herself. She tryed to eat that thing for about 10 minutes, which is the longest time period she has ever been interested in food.

She still does not want to eat baby food, so I have been trying to give her little bits and pieces of things I am eating. I was beginning to thing she was going to be on the Magic Boobs forever, but she has taken some interest in the Gerber Veggie Puffs so I am hopefull that she will eventually start eating big people food.

I think tomorrow I am going to try small cut up pieces of bananas. I think she thinks she is to grown-up for baby food (my mom is reading this and thinking - I always told her what goes around comes around). I have a feeling Miss Hunter is going to think she is wise beyond her years for many years to come.

2007-02-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hunter got this cool dinosaur for Christmas from her Grandma. I finally got around to putting it together this weekend. She loves it! Thanks Mom!

I'M HOW OLD?

2007-02-23T13:17:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and could not believe that Hunter is 8 months old. These past months have flown by so quickly. She is doing so many grown up things now. She can crawl, wave and she is beginning to learn how to clap (as you can see in the first photo). She has brought her dad and I so much joy we can hardly wait to see what comes next. Although I must admit I am hoping that sleeping thru the night comes next. Here are some photos I took of Hunter earlier today. We have been having such great weather, but today it was cloudy and sprinkling but Hunter didn't seem to mind.

Hunter's Grandma & Grandpa Schmies came to visit us on Wednesday and were able to stay for a few days. We had a great time with them. We took some photos that everyone can see here. We love you guys!

2007-02-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to Owen's birthday party (Hunter's cousin). He turned one year old! We had a great time. Owen and Hunter were able to play together instead of Hunter trying to rip poor Owen's face off. The game of choice - lets see if we can balance this red block on Hunter's head.

On Sunday Hunter's Uncle Stacy came over to visit. The had a great time. Hunter just adores him!

Hunter has been keeping us very busy chasing her around the house. This weekend she figured out that crawling is a mode of transportation and can pretty much take her anywhere in the house. Her favorite thing to chase - poor Puppy!

Look what I can do!

2007-02-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

HUNTER CAN CRAWL!!!

Can you believe it! She has finally taken the plunge. She has been trying for almost a month now, but she has finally figured it out. She took her first few crawling steps yesterday, but we were able to finally get it on video tonight. If you can't see the video below you can watch the video here! It may take a second or two to load. Since this is the first video I have posted, let me know your thoughts!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

What happens when moms away...

2007-02-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

ends up on the blog!

Well Check

2007-01-31T17:23:00.000-08:00

We went in for Hunter's well check this Monday. She is doing great! Here are the numbers:

Weight: 20 pounds - 93 percentile

Height: 27 1/4" - 75 percentile

Head Circ: 44cm - 75 percentile

She is 7 months old now and has really started to develop her personality. She is trying to wave hello and goodbye, and she is pulling up on objects. She still can not crawl yet, but I am sure that will be happening soon. She has learned how to make shrieking noises, and uses them to her advantage. But her utmost favorite new trick is shaking her head no. We can thank her grandma for that one. Thankfully she doesn't know what that means yet!

We have started solid foods again, and so far it is going well. She loves her bananas. I think we will try some squash next. We have also introduced a sippy cup. She likes to play with it and I think she gets some liqued out of it every now and then.

Hunter is REALLY ready for her teeth to start coming in. Here she is trying a little persuasion...

El Nino

2007-01-25T17:16:00.000-08:00

Today was the most beautiful day we have had here in Austin for quite some time. I had not watched the weather for a few days, so it came as quite a surprise to me when we reached mid 60s, the sun was out, and there was a slight breeze. Hunter and I decided to enjoy the weather outdoors. I sat her down on a blanket and she played with Puppy and her toys while I tryed to keep her from taking her hat off, and eating grass. She loved it! Here are some pictures of our outing.

This stuff looks weird, can I eat it?

Mmmmmm

Before we ventured outside we went and had lunch with my friend Allison, LuAnn and her son Danny. It was LuAnn's birthday so we went to Austin Java. The kids had a great time, and so did the adults, if I don't say so myself. Happy Birthday LuAnn!

LuAnn has become a brave mommy and has started a health blog in addition to the one she currently has for her son Danny. It has lots of great information on it, so you should check it out here! Pass it along to everyone you know that might enjoy some good healthy tips.

Home at last

2007-01-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

Some of you may be wondering why it has been so long since I have posted any information. Hunter and I went to Arlington to visit everyone and an ice storm froze us in! We were suppose to come back to Austin on Monday the 15th, but we did not make it back until that Thursday!

We had a great time visiting my sister and brother, and as an added bonus we got to visit with my mom who flew in from Ohio. We ate lots of fast food and pleanty of Sonic Blasts. They do not have Sonic Drive Ins where mom lives, so any time she is here we load up on the tasty treats. And to combat the calories we watched loads of network t.v.

Hunter practiced crawling while we were up there. My sister's dog Katy spent some time trying to teach Hunter the proper technique. Needless to say, Katy still does a better job than Miss Hunter.

Hunter tried everything to get her grandma to stay longer. First, she tried sitting in the suitcase.

And when that didn't work she decided to eat her itinerary!

Hunter and I had a great time visiting everyone. We can't wait until the next time we see them. Until then, Hunter is staging a sit in...

she has decided to stay in her car seat until her grandma comes back!

Royal Treatment

2007-01-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

And after the relaxing bath, Ms. Connelly was treated to a luxurious cucumber and melon facial followed by a long nap.

Ready for the weekend

2007-01-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

Hunter and I have been busy working this week. We are both ready for the weekend! Hunter has been busy growing this week, as well as working on getting her bottom teeth. They have not come in yet, but we think they are just below the surface. At least we hope that is what has been making her cranky the past few nights. Hopefully this weekend will bring us some rest and relaxation, because next week promises to be full of excitment.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2007-01-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Today Shane, Hunter and I welcomed 2007. We all tried to stay up until the new year came, but Hunter only made it to 8:00pm and Shane and I only made it to 11:00pm. Sad, but true.

(Hunter's new favorite sleeping position)

This year is sure to be full of excitment and new experiences for Shane and I, but most of all Hunter. It actually brings a tear to my eye when I think of all the new things she is going to do this coming year. She will start eating real food, crawling, walking and talking! I guess Shane and I (ok, I) should start watching what we say now so we don't have to worry about it in a few months.

This weekend we went over to Shane's family's for the Connelly Christmas. We had a great time. It is wonderful to be able to spend time with family. The kids made out like bandits. My favorite gift of the evening was the tricycles. Every child should have one of these, they are so cute! And yes, the light really works.

So before we go today, we would like to wish all of our friends and family a happy and health 2007! We love you all.

Pictures

2006-12-31T16:27:00.000-08:00

Click Here for Batism Photos

Click Here for Christmas Photos

Holy, Holy, Holy

2006-12-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

We are back from vacation! We had a great time in Ohio. But best of all, Hunter got baptised on Christmas Eve during the morning services. After that we all loaded up in the cars and headed to the cabin, where we spent Christmas.

The cabin was awesome! Everyone was able to stay in one place. No one had to leave to go home after Christmas dinner, and we didn't have to wait for anyone to get there before we opened gifts. We must say that Grandma and Aunt Debbee had a great idea! I think we are all going to go back this summer.

The major event of this Christmas...my cousin Justin is going to get married, and my cousin Sara-Rae is expecting her first child in early May! Hunter is going to have a little friend to play with next Christmas! We can hardly wait to meet the new edition.

We have many photos that we took in Ohio, too many to post. So I will put them up on snapfish shortly and have a link so all can see.

Oh ya! Miss Hunter turned six months old while we were up there as well! She is working on many new tricks. She enjoys sitting and playing with her toys, trying to roll over and she is working on crawling.

2006-12-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

We have been a very busy family. Last Thursday we went to my office holiday party. Hunter was a trooper. She behaved so well. I think it was all of the attention she was getting. She even got to wear her new dress.

This weekend we had an early Christmas here at the house with Hunter's Aunt Kendra, Uncle Shaun, Grandpa and Grandma. We had a really fun time with everyone. We ate lots of yummy food and Hunter got to open lots of gifts. But more importantly we got to spend time with family.

Here is Hunter with her Grandma Carolyn...

And here she is with her Aunt Kendra...

On Monday we went and visited our friends Danny and LuAnn. I forgot my camera, but LuAnn took some photos and you can see them on Danny's blog. After we visited LuAnn, we stopped by Hunter's Aunt Heather's house to spread some holiday cheer and see the new house. The house is very nice. Here is Hunter playing with her new toy she picked up while we were there.

Hunter would also like to wish her Great Grandma Washburn a very happy birthday! Sorry we couldn't be there to celebrate, but we will be there soon and Hunter is reserving a birthday kiss just for you!

Snow?

2006-12-14T13:11:00.000-08:00

We bought our snowsuit today! It felt kinda weird shopping for it when it is in the high 70s outside.I made Hunter try it on anyway. It is our way of preparing for Ohio! I think Hunter is very ready to see everyone again. Can't you tell...

New Tricks

2006-12-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

Hunter has been up to lots of new tricks this past week. After she started to feel better, she decided that she was going to grow by leaps and bounds. She has started to sit on her own! Her new favorite thing to do is sit on the living room floor and play with her toys. I realized she didn't have many "grown up" toys, so we had to open a Christmas present from her Grandma Schmies early! Thanks for the mushroom activity center mom. Hunter loves it. When she is not playing with the mushroom, she is trying to grab the dogs ears or neck. Puppy has been amazingly patient with her. For those of you keeping track of our remodling project here are some photos of our living room

I personally think it looks great! Shane did a wonderful job. The hallway is the next project on the list. However, it has been delayed slightly by this cold weather we are having. Hopefully it will warm up a bit soon, so he can paint.

I will leave you with one more photo of Hunter... SITTING!

I did mention that she LOVES her mushroom...

Fever be gone

2006-12-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

Hunter started this week off not feeling very well. She had a really bad fever. It got up to 104! We went to the doctor and it turns out she had a bad bladder infection. So after some sleepless nights, and coutless moans, she is starting to feel better. We have to go in and have some tests done on Monday to make sure there is nothing wrong with her kidneys. So until then Shane and I will be nursing her back to health.

The weather turned cold here yesterday. It got down into the 20s last night! But I think Hunter is enjoying wearing her winter jammies and cuddling with her daddy.

Thanksgiving 2006

2006-11-25T19:44:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving day with Shane's family. His sister Carrie had everyone over to her house and we had a great time. It was nice to be able to visit with everyone. The food was wonderful.

Friday my sister Kendra came down from Arlington and we celebrated Thanksgiving all over again on Saturday. We cooked turkey and all of the fixings. Shane's brother Stacy also came over to celebrate all we have to be thankful for this year.

Kendra brought Hunter some OSU gear, so she is ready for the National Championship game. Hunter has decided that she is going to be routing for OSU now that they will not play Texas again for some time. Doesn't she look cute in scarlet and gray?

Even though we were not in Ohio or Laredo this year, we kept all of our family in our thoughts. Hope everyone far away had a great turkey day!

We took lots of pictures. You can view some of them here.

2006-11-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

Does that face say "what is your obsession with taking my photo," or what?

Hunter and I went grocery shopping today. It should have only taken about an hour, but instead it took almost two! Every single grandma or grandma looking woman in the store had to stop and gush over Hunter, who was of course flirting and smiling at them all. Talk about a shopping distraction. It took me a few minutes each time we stopped to remember what I was shopping for. Yes, I did love it!

The weather is beautiful here. It has been in the 70s all week. It is getting really chilly at night too. Soon Shane will be bringing out the outdoor fireplace for some late night fires.

Shane has been busy painting our living room. I think it will be all ready for us to move back into here in a few days. I think we will push for the hallway to be done next. I think if we stay on course we can have the house finished before Hunter turns one.

Hunter is really happy now sleeping in her own room at night. I got her some nice warm sheets and she is perfectly happy turning in at 9pm every night. Finally some time to myself before I have to crawl into bed. I think I might even see if we can move up her bed time to 8!

Thanksgiving is slowly approaching and we are so ready to gobble up some turkey! Have a great Thanksgiving everyone.

Daddy's little pretzel

2006-11-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm Good

2006-11-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well we survived the night alone in the crib. I was up multiple times checking in on Hunter, but she only woke up twice to eat. I think she likes her room and her crib.

Today we gave Hunter sweet potatoes for the first time. She seemed to enjoy them. We took some video and some pictures. I think in a few days we will try some squash!

Poopin Good Time

2006-11-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hunter and I have been working hard this week at DeLaune. Yesterday, Hunter had a leaky poopy diaper and messed up her outfit as well as mine. My great friend Jen was nice enough to lend me a shirt so I could continue working. Today Hunter's diaper decided to leak again. But this time I did not have an outfit to change her or me into. So I got to drive home with baby poop all over my shirt and Hunter got to drive home half naked. It must take allot of energy to poop your diaper, because it sure wore her out.

Tonight Hunter is sleeping in her crib in her room for the first time. We have decided that the pack n play is no longer a proper sleeping environment for her. Needless to say, I am having some trouble sleeping. We have the baby monitor turned on and we have left her door cracked open, but I am still afraid I am not going to hear her when she wakes up and wants to eat. This is going to take some getting used to. I wonder if the crib will fit in our room?

Make New Friends

2006-11-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

Last night Hunter met my friends Ryan and Tracey for the first time.

After a long week at work, Hunter had a little night out on the town. We went to the Draught House and had a few with friends. We had a great time. After sleeping for the first hour and a half, Hunter decided it was time to wake up and entertain everyone. She slept extremly well last night.

Trick or Treat

2006-11-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! Here are some pictures of Hunter celebrating the scary day.

Tummy Time

2006-10-31T07:53:00.000-08:00

Can you think of a better way to exersize than with a friend? Yesterday Hunter and I went over to visit our friends LuAnn and Danny. While the moms were socializing the kids decided to get in a little tummy time. However, if you ask me I think there was more chit chatting going on than working out!

Today is Hunter's first Halloween and we are very excited. Tonight we will put on the costume and had out some much wanted candy to all of the trick or treaters (if Shane doesn't eat it all first).

The Morning After

2006-10-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

After a long evening, we woke up to a beautiful morning and a much happier baby. We finally have some fall weather here in Austin. So we threw on our sweatshirts and headed outside to enjoy it. Hunter really enjoyed being outside in the fresh air. Plus we got to put on her cute bear sweater. Nothing like having a child and dressing them in all of the cutsie outfits you swore you would never make your children wear. But, I a will tell you now - you just can't help yourself.

Puppy was also happy to see us venture outside. She got to play fetch and hang out with the entire family. However, she did sit still long enough for Shane to capture a picture.

After all the excitment, Hunter did what everyone would do if they could get away with it. She took a big poopy and fell asleep.

Four Month Stats

2006-10-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

Weight - 16 pounds (90%)

Height - 26 inches (95%)

Head - 41 cm (55% finally an average size head)

Jumparoo

2006-10-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we put together the Jumparoo that Hunter's Aunt Kendra gave her. She loved it! She has not figured out how to jump yet, but she loved being able to stand on her own and play with the toys. She stayed in it for so long she wore herself out.

She has been really busy learning how to vocalize. She makes new sounds everyday. She has also become quite interested in her feet. Yesterday after the Jumparoo she fell asleep holding on to one of them. She has even tried to put them into her mouth a few times.

I am not sure why I bother to buy her any toys. Lately all she wants to play with is the remote c0ntrol and my key board when I am trying to type. That should make for some real fun when we go back to work on Tuesday.

We are going in for Hunter's 4 month visit today. She is going to get a few shots so if we don't write for a few days that is why.

Jet Setter

2006-10-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our trip to Ohio. We had a wonderful time. Hunter got to meet her Great Grandma and Grandpa for the first time, as well as her Great Aunt and some second cousins. She also got to spend ALOT of time with her Grandma. Here we are on the plane ride up.

Hunter did great on the plane. She slept most of the time. Her ears did not seem to bother her a bit. The plan ride home, however, was not to be desired. NO AIR CONDITIONING! Talk about hot and miserable. Not to mention we cried (well I did) most of the way home. We can't wait to come back to Ohio for Christmas.

We took lots of photos while we were there. Below are a few of my favorites.

Great Grandpa Washburn with Hunter:

Four generations - Great Grandma Washburn, Grandma Schmies, Me, and Hunter:

Here is a shot of the entire gang, less Justin who was angery because we ate dinner without him:

Hunter with her new bunny friend:

And Hunter wishing she could drink Grandma's margarita:

A Few of my Favorite Things

2006-10-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hunter is going to turn 4 months old while we are in Ohio this week, so I thought I would take some time to show everyone some of her favorite things to do.

Here she is helping me read one of her stories about peek-a-boo.

And as you can see here she loves putting her two fingers in her mouth. Her daddy used to do the same thing when he was little. :)

Here she is exploring her new clothes she got from her Aunt Heather. It is great having a cousin that is older than you! Thanks for sharing all of your nice clothes with Hunter, Parker!

She is growing up so fast I can hardly stand it. She even is starting to make recognizable sounds. My favorite, mamammmmaaamama.

Hey, she is my kid. If I want to pretend that noise is mama, you can't stop me!

Hard at Work or Hardly Working?

2006-10-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

I'll let you decide...

Hunter and I have been busy working away this week. We are gearing up for two weeks of vacation! We are off to visit family in Ohio. We are going to have SO much fun.

The last few weeks have been wonderful. Hunter is reaching many milestones. She is giggling and reaching for objects, as well as trying to put everything into her mouth. She is becoming a little drooling queen.

This past weekend we were in Laredo for a babyshower that was put on for us by ladies in the church I went to as a child. We had a great time! It was wonderful letting everyone meet Hunter for the first time. I want to thank everyone for all of the lovely things Hunter received.

We have also been trying to wear every summer outfit we have left that will fit Hunter. I do believe winter will be here soon! But here are a few shots of her in her summer wear.

2006-10-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of Hunter in her new UT onesie. I think she looks super stylish. We wore it all day on Saturday to help the Horns prepare to play Sam Houston. It must of worked because they won! We then changed into a plain white onesie to watch the Ohio State vs Iowa game. We don't have an Ohio State outfit yet, but I hear Aunt Kendra is working on that.

We have been busy at work all week.
Well, I have anyway. But we have still found some time to play. We went to the movies on Friday with LuAnn and Danny. We saw The Last Kiss. I DO NOT recommend this movie for anyone that is pregnant, or has just had a baby. Otherwise it was pretty ok.

Hunter has outgrown all of her 0-3 month outfits, so we have moved on to the 3-6 month size. I must admit it was very sad cleaning out all of the first outfits she wore from her closet and replacing them with the bigger ones. She is now grabbing at objects and putting them into her mouth. However, her favorite thing to put into her mouth is her hand. She can almost fit the entire thing. She must have her daddy's big mouth (hahaha).

2006-09-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning and it was chilly enough to put Hunter in a long sleeve onsie with pants! We have spent the day with the windows open enjoying this beautiful weather. Hunter spent most of the morning in her borrowed Bumbo chair. She really likes sitting in it like a big girl.

Yesterday was Regina's wedding. We all had a wonderful time. Regina looked beautiful, and the wedding was great. There was a little rain, so we moved the wedding from the Capitol grounds to inside of the Capitol! Then we went to Old Pecan Street Cafe for the reception. We got all dressed up for the first time since Hunter was born. Hunter got to wear her beautiful pink dress that her Grandma Caroline got for her at her baby shower. Unfortunatly we only got a few pictures...

3 Months Young

2006-09-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

3 days old
3 months old

Today is Hunter's 3 month birthday! Shane and I have managed to keep her alive for three entire months. We have enjoyed every second. Hunter gave me the best present, she slept from 10:30pm until 8:30am whith out waking up one time! For those of you trying to figure it out, that is 10 hours. I know this will not happen every night, but it was sure enjoyable to be able to sleep thru the night without having to wake up and feed her.

She is changing so much every day. My favorite part of the day right now is when Shane comes home from work and Hunter talks to him. She tells him all about her day, and how much she loves him. It just makes our hearts melt!

We can't wait to see what the next three months bring. We love you baby girl!

Shopping Spree

2006-09-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the mall with my friend LuAnn and her baby Danny. He has a blog too, just click here to read all about him! Good thing they came along, because I forgot all of my money!! A big thanks to LuAnn for helping me out in my time of need. I promise I will pay you back in a timely manner.

Hunter and I have been busy working this week. For those of you following my car troubles, it turnes out mutiple things were wrong with the Focus. They replaced the battery, the battery cable and a seal connecting the hose to the compressor. Needless to say, the Focus is now running like a champ.

Fun with the girls

2006-09-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

This Saturday Hunter went to her first bachelorette party. My friend Regina is getting married next weekend, so we went out to celebrate her last days being single. While I was into posing for the camera, Hunter was more interested in what she was having for dinner.

Hunter went to her first physical therapy session today. She has very slight torticollis on the left side of her neck. The therapist thinks Hunter will only need about one month of therapy to correct the problem. After therapy we went to Hunter's Aunt Heather's house to spend some time with Hunter's cousins, her Aunts Heather and Carrie and her Grandma Connelly. The kids had a great time playing with each other. Hunter also had fun even though she doesn't look like it in this picture!

Lilly Clair, Parker, Owen and Hunter

We had a big surprise when we went to leave, the Focus wouldn't start. I called the Ford rescue line and they sent out a repair man to jump start the car. He did, he left, and then the car died! So we had it towed to the dealership. We will find out what is wrong with it tomorrow. Big thanks to Heather, Ryan, Parker and Owen for letting us hang out at thier house until the tow truck finally arrived at 8:00!

Working Girl

2006-09-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hunter is a working girl now! We have been working part-time at DeLaune and Associates all this week. Hunter really enjoys going into the office. I think it is all the attention everyone gives her. She spends most of her time asleep in her new portable swing. We will be helping out at DeLaune for awhile, so I apologize now for not writing in this blog as much as I should be. But working has given Hunter a few new mile stones:

First Ink Mark

and

First Paper Cut

I'll be sure to put those in the baby book!

We still love the Longhorns

2006-09-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

Well, this was Hunter before the game...

But after a few long hours of fumbles and interceptions..

But don't worry, she still loves the Horns! It was a great game, but we wish the out come was a bit different. So, it looks like we owe Grandpa a few beers!

2006-09-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a while since the last posting. We have been busy, busy, busy. On Wednesday Hunter and I had lunch with my friend Regina at Baby Acapulco's. Regina got Hunter an official UT onsie! We will be premiering it this Saturday during the game against Ohio State. Here is Hunter lunching with Regina.

Yesterday we had lunch with my friend Allison at Brentwood Tavern. We both had a yummy buffalo chicken salad with chipolte ranch dressing. Then Hunter and I went off to work for a few hours at DeLaune and Associates. It wasn't long before Hunter let me and the rest of the staff know that the salad was a very, very bad idea. It gave her quite the tummy ache. No more spicy food for me!

This weekend will be spent watching football and celebrating UT's victory over OSU! I have made a bet with my grandpa that UT will completly stomp them. If I win Shane and I will be treated to a nice cold brewski next time we are up in Ohio, but if we lose we get to treat him. I wonder if they sell burnt orange beer in Ohio?

Hook'em Horns!

P.S. Hunter still loves her Aunt Kendra even though she went to that loser school.

Little Miss Sunshine

2006-09-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

No not Hunter, the movie! Today we went and saw the movie Little Miss Sunshine with my friend LuAnn and her baby Danny.

Here is LuAnn with the babies.

They were both so good! The Alamo Draft House has crying baby Tuesday. They will not kick you out because of your screaming baby. But we didn't have to worry about that. Maybe Hunter can get a job as a movie critic. She gave this movie a thumbs up, but I think she really wanted to see Talladega Nights...

maybe next Tuesday!

2006-09-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend. On Friday Shane cooked ribs for dinner. A little fule so we could watch the 1st UT game on Saturday morning. They blew North Texas out of the water! Matter of fact, the game was over in the 1st quarter, so we decided to drive up to Fort Worth to pick up Puppy. Most of you all ready know that Aunt Kendra was watching Puppy on a trial basis. Well, Puppy decided that she wanted to come back home, so we had no choice but to agree! While we were up there we spent some time with Hunter's Uncle Shaun and then headed back home. Sunday we drove out to Bastrop to look at new cars. Shane is ready to make his next big purchase. Well, if the price is right. We didn't have much luck (the truth is the sales woman was so annoying I was about to KILL her) so we came back home for some chicken stir fry. We are trying to enjoy the weather, it was in the high 80s yesterday. This morning it was actually chilly outside! We keep praying it will last, but it is supposed to be back up in the high 90s by the end of the week.

Ouch!!

2006-09-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we survived our first round of shots yesterday. However, Hunter spent her time between 2pm and 8pm in the position above, or screaming at the top of her lungs. But at about 8pm she woke up and was her normal self again. She got THREE shots in her tiny legs. Shane and I thought the needle was long enough to come out the other side of her leg, but it didn't. For those of you tracking her growth here are the numbers:

Weight: 12 pounds 12oz

Height: 23 inches

Head Cir.: 38.5 centimeters

She woke up this morning around 8am and is currently taking a nap. I think she still feels icky. Hopefully we will be able to have a yummy birthday dinner with Shane tonight...

Growing Up

2006-08-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the photos, Hunter has inherited her Uncle Shaun's head. Yes, that is the same hat in both photos. It is amazing how much she has grown in the last two months. I think all of that growing is making her tired. She slept 8 hours last night! And boy was she hungary when she woke up. I think she is gearing up for her first round of immunizations tomorrow. I am sure she will do just fine. However, I am a little worried about me and her dad. It is also Shane's birthday tomorrow, but I think we will have to wait until the weekend to celebrate.

Blog?

2006-08-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

I have decided to start a blog. Yes, I finally gave in. Hopefully this will help keep everyone informed of what is going on in Hunter's life. For those of you that do not know what a blog is, this is it. I will post pictures and little descriptions of what we have been doing. You can read at will and make comments on our adventures. I will try and keep it updated as often as Hunter will allow. We love all of you!