Feliz Navidad

We are officially back from our Worthington family vacation in Manzanillo, Mexico, (luggage and all). As you can see we had a great time. Addy had a bit of a hard time adjusting for the first few days. I think the heat and the pack and play were the two main culprits. She didn't like the ocean much (as you can see) but she eventually got used to it as long as someone was holding onto her tightly. The pools weren't heated so it was a bit of a shock for her at first but she grew to love it. Daddy & GG took her in several times a day.

Besides swimming in the ocean Addy started a couple of new things while in Mexico. She started drinking out of a straw, trying new food and eating like a pig. Up to this point she was only eating one meal a day... by the time we left Mexico she was eating three meals and three snacks per day! Most of this is due to the fact that one of her GG's new passions in life includes feeding her granddaughter... as if she isn't chunky enough. The bathings suits you see on this 9 month old gal are size 2T!!!

More pictures and more stories soon. Feliz Navidad!

back from the dead

I wish I had some exciting reason why I've neglected posting for so long but the truth is that my mom came into town right about the same time I started really feeling sick... so I've taken total advantage of her kind, gracious and doting motherly and grandmotherly qualities by lying in bed all day long while she cooks, cleans and cares for Adeline. Thanks Mom.

I'm posting some pictures of the Leep's Christmas party last week. Luckily I was feeling great that night and we all had a great time!

More pictures of "Daddy's Addy" soon.

sick as a dog

i'm writing this during one of my good moments... the new baby is wreaking widespread destruction on my stomach. keeping my weight up is a major priority right now if i want to continue to nurse addy (which i do) but keeping food down has become my new obstacle.

fortunately, my grandma spend the day at my house helping me prepare for my mom's arrival tomorrow (by cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and buying me lunch!) and enabling me to rest while she played with addy. then, johnny's mom stopped over to help me put dinner together. i am well taken care of. please pray that my milk supply will stay strong and that the nausea would not... :)

here are some pictures of addy with her adoring uncles and with her grandma on her grandma's birthday. also, a few of addy after bathtime feasting on my book.

more when i'm able to

Addy loves to change the sheets!

While Johnny & I were changing the sheets on our bed we decided it might be fun for Addy if we laid her on the bed and threw the sheets up and down over her face. Of course she wouldn't stay on her back but we did it anyway and she loved it! here are some pictures.

I love the pictures after these too because they capture Addy's personality. The one of her with her hand on her head is her scratching her head. I wish you guys could see her do this, its hysterical. She slaps her hand against her head and then makes a fist, opens up, makes a fist, opens up and that's her version of scratching. Everyone who sees it just laughs and laughs at her. She's done that for a while now.

Today is Johnny's mom's birthday and we're on our way out the door to celebrate. She's going to get her very own digital camera (and doesn't know yet!). She loves taking pictures of her family and this will make her passion a bit more economical. :)

Hope you're all enjoying the blog!

Our escapee and her Christmas tree

Our precious girl has learned how to get on her knees and hold onto the bars of her crib! Unfortunately, when I went into her room this morning and found her in this position she, in her excitement to see me, lifted up her arms to reach for me, forgetting that she was on her knees, and fell face first into the side of her crib. It was one of my first parenting moments when I fought the urge to laugh hysterically and instead poured out compassion for her pain and shock.

She entertained DD, Josh, Johnny & I during dinner with her new trick. Holding her hands together above her head and throwing them down and up and down and up. Here is a picture of her waiting to throw them down again.

We put up our Christmas tree. I'm convinced that I'm the world's worst Christmas decorator. I dread it every year! Call me Scrooge but I think its way more work than its worth. BUT, I know that Johnny loves it and Addy will love the tradition and so as long as I can't convince him to buy a prelit fake tree we'll go through the sappy, messy, painful process. Here is a picture of Johnny & Addy enjoying the result.

New Camera, New Pictures!

We got a new camera! "w00t w00t!" as my high school friends would say :) We chose the Canon PowerShot SD450 and got a great deal on it at a last minute sale. Its so nice to have a camera again!

Today was a rough day (i promise I won't go "emo" on you). It was the 2nd to last day of our calligraphy class and I just couldn't seem to do anything well. But, they say practice makes perfect and I haven't had much time to practice lately. Then I had an emotional breakdown over defrosting chicken (thanks for being patient with me Mom H) and poor Addy didn't get to nap all day.

BUT, on a positive note, Anna is back from Iraq!!! That definitely calls for a woot woot. I got to see her this afternoon and it was so nice to see her beautiful face safe and sound back here in the States. We love you Anna!

Here are some pictures of our little Motzart. Do you think he was eating the piano at this age?

Hamstra Brothers and their gals

Pictures from our downtown adventure.

oink oink

Though I recognize that many of you have voted for more pictures of Johnny & I we are still without a digital camera... but we are ordering one this week! I'm really looking forward to having a nice new camera, especially with the new baby coming!

As you can see in these pictures Addy is definitely a porker. Eating has become her favorite pastime. On Thanksgiving she had homemade applesauce (with sugar!!) and mashed potatoes for the first time. Of course she loved both of them. She loved the applesauce so much she groaned in delight while lunging for more and when she was eating the mashed potatoes she screamed her head off until her cousins gave her more (thanks Lindsey, Ashley and Shannon!)

Monday is my first prenatal appointment. I am returning to the doctor I had with Addy. However, she is pregnant and will be on maternity leave when we deliver AND we are switching to an insurance company that doesn't cover her... So, we're going to get an early check up and ultrasound before hunting for a new doctor. The good news is that the new insurance company will only charge us $10 from start to finish!

This weekend we had a great time with family. It was so nice catching up with my side of the family and having Jason in town. Saturday night Johnny & I went downtown with DD, Beth, Josh & Michelle on one really big date. :) We went to the infamous H&M and took a carriage ride with steaming cubs of Starbucks.

I put up a new poll... check it out and make your vote accordingly (only one vote per visit Dave!!)

"Thankful" for Surprises!

This Thanksgiving we surprised our families by telling them that Adeline is going to be a BIG SISTER! Our families weren't the only ones surprised though... this was an unexpected discovery for Johnny & me too. But, a discovery we are confident was planned before the beginning of time! We're SO grateful to God for children and for surprises too!

Listen to the above audio of Addy responding to the news of her becoming a big sister - priceless. :)

Broken Right Arm...

Okay, I didn't break my right arm but my CAMERA is broken... which is like my right arm being broken. So, unfortunately, no new pictures since these pictures of Addy in the morning. This is quite the problem considering the results of our most recent minipoll: pictures of Johnny & I and pictures of Addy are tied for the lead. I'll include some older ones for your enjoyment.

Johnny & I are looking forward to Thanksgiving. RJ & Joz are staying with us, as well as my bro. Jason. We are spending Thanksgiving Day eating at Johnny's parents house and then visiting my grandma's (Nana) house to see my side of the family. There is talk of breakfast at the Prince house on Friday but we still don't know if Johnny is off of work that day.... Saturday afternoon we are going to Tiebel's with Grandfather, TuTu & Jason and then taking Jason to the airport. Saturday night we are going downtown with DD & Beth, Josh & Michelle.

This past weekend we had a Thanskgiving feast with Axis, had dinner with friends in Kankakee, pizza at Jeeninga's, saw Lindsey star in her school play and Johnny went to a church event Sunday evening. Jam packed :)

Hopefully more soon!

good morning sunshine

Here are some pictures of the porcupine right after waking up. For those of you who will find this amusing... she is wearing a 24 month onesie!

She definitely hasn't mastered creeping or crawling but as you can see in some of these pictures she is up on her hands and knees and learning to move around in rather creative ways!