Adeline the Porcupine, King John VI, Sir Nicholas the Great & Count Greyson, the last hurrah.

John Michael

2011-06-08T09:07:00.000-05:00

John Michael is quite the fighter these days. I honestly can't think of anything he loves more than to gather his growing collection of Nerf swords, shields, daggers, battle axes, maces, etc. and bring them to Johnny to have a war. They fight and fight and fight. It really feels like the essence of boyhood. He swings as hard as he can only to be blocked by his strong daddy. He grunts and giggles and shrieks with delight. He talks about his gear when he isn't playing with them and carries it around the house. He's in love. And we're in love with him! Because despite this all out boyish behavior he is the most tender child that ever lived. He loves to care for people, to comfort them, to bless them, to snuggle with them, to encourage them. He's growing up to be strong and sweet.

Breaking the Pattern.

2011-06-07T12:02:00.001-05:00

To the three people who still might read this blog... namely, my parents, my grandparents and my sister, long time no see!

Here is a sweet little picture of Greyson. He is 15 months old this week. He hates vegetables & fruit and only sometimes eats dairy. He usually doesn't say no to carbs though! Especially the snacky kind, goldfish, pretzels, crackers, etc. He's still very smiley but is learning very quickly how to throw a tantrum. He isn't walking but for the first time I'm noticing some readiness skills. He is looking at the next thing to hold onto and considering going over to it without holding on before plopping down and crawling. I think this summer will be when he starts walking!

His eyes are so blue and spending time in the sun over the past couple of weeks is making his hair blonder. He loves to be wrestled with, thrown around and held. He loves telephones and computers and reading books. He hated taking baths for the entire first year of his life but now he BEGS for them and cries when he has to get out. Everybody is gaga for grey grey.

After I posted this i realized that his eyes aren't all the way opened and he looks constipated. Oh well, he's still cute. :)

Greyson's First Christmas

2010-12-09T18:06:00.002-06:00

Today Greyson is 9 months old and I didn't even realize it until I started to write this post. These days my brain only keeps track of who is eating wheat these days and who isn't. It only registers poopy diapers and cries of pain... while little milestones get overlooked.

And its his first Christmas. He loves the Christmas tree... but there isn't much he doesn't love. I call him the happiest baby in the world, because he is. I think I can count the number of times he's really cried on one hand.

Grey got his first tooth last month at my sister's house. It was a rough night for him but it finally came through and he's chomping away at Cheerios and puffs these days!

He's a sweet boy. I can't wait to see what he's going to be like when he's older. He's definitely my most relaxed baby yet... and I'm sure he gets that peaceful demeanor from his mother. :)

He is one of the most precious gifts God has given us and it is my prayer that I will learn to enjoy him more and clean less. That I will show him how great my God is and that he will call Him his Lord too. That I will be the display of the grace of God to Him and that his memories of life at home will be joyful, full of the Spirit and fun.... not just efficient.

My little Grey-bee.

Glasses Girl

2010-10-13T20:12:00.000-05:00

My girl got glasses.

My girl loves glasses.

My girls insisted on pink glasses.

I love my girl.

John Mikey

2010-10-08T08:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday while I was making my free Walgreens photo book I realized that I don't take many pictures of John Michael! And I don't know why because he is my most willing subject. This boy LOVES the camera and he is FULL of personality. He a full dose of the cheesy-nses that Johnny & I both have and its a non stop show for him in our house. He's a true 2nd child, laughing one minute, crying the next. There's nobody like him!!

A few other things about John Michael.

He loves school. He BEGS to do school... and while his fine motor skills aren't very strong he rarely gets an answer wrong. (I couldn't resist the rhyme, I know, I know...)

He eats more meat than Cookie Monster eats cookies.

His hair is adorable if he washed it that day... if not people look at me strange.

He's cuddly and snuggly.

His first instinct when he gets hurt is to ask me to pray for him.

He *adores* Greyson... but is often a little too rough with him. :)

He's still very attached to his "b" (Blanket) and wants to take it everywhere even though we try to limit it to his bed.

Addy calls him John Mikey, Nicholas calls him John Yichael.

He's really, crazy tall.

We love him!

How I spend my time.

2010-09-29T23:29:00.001-05:00

Someone very dear to me is often teasing me about the fact that I don't always answer my phone or my texts. I assure them that its not personal... but it is. A while ago it occurred to me that if I put down a child or a book or a toy to answer the phone every time it rings that I'm showing my children that something is more important than spending time with them at that moment. I work hard. Most of the day I am working... so these times when I am sitting with my kids, playing, reading, pretending... are precious. And few things could be worth interrupting those times. Those personal, one on one, or one on four :), times of personally connecting with my kids.

I have the privilege of connecting with my kids just about every day. This year we made the hard decision to homeschool. It was embarrassing if I'm honest. I feel like I'm constantly defending my choice to home school (is that word one or two??) with, "Well, you know, private schools are just SO expensive." And they are. And we might've sent Adeline to a private school if circumstances were different. And that would've been fine and good. But as it is, circumstances aren't different and through MUCH prayer and MUCH conversation we've chosen to homeschool. I kind of went into it kicking a bit... and stressing a LOT. I wanted to be a stay at home mom whose kids were in school all day! What if my child ends up illiterate? What if he/she ends up completely socially awkward? What if they are DORKS!? What if it doesn't work? What if I choose the wrong curriculum? But what it comes down to for us is this: every day for the foreseeable future *I* have the privilege of being the one to personally connect with my school age kids. I have the opportunity to train them live for God and not themselves. I have the delight of watching them learn to read, to write, to discover, to love, to worship. I won't lie, its hard.... but its personal. Its connecting. And its my life right now.

I took the obligatory backpack picture because all my friends were doing it and I didn't want Addy to not have one (YES, I have ISSUES.) but this one is so much more us. :)

Someone stole my curls.

2010-06-19T12:08:00.001-05:00

I used to think pregnancy robbed me of my curls.

Now I know it was John Michael.

2 months later

2010-05-11T21:57:00.001-05:00

Two short, sleepless months later and we simply could not imagine life without Greyson. He is such an easy baby. I am still surprised at how little he sleeps during the day but he has officially started sleeping through the night. My friend Rebecca is going to have to take the cake for the hardest baby #4... and I'll happily let her have it!

Greyson started smiling early.. maybe between 4 and 5 weeks. He started sleeping through the night around week 7. Its not every night but its more nights than not! He's avoided a stomach virus - even sleeping through the night with me while I had it! Sadly though, he does have his second little cold and is handling it like a champ. :)

There isn't much more to say! He survives all his sibling's violent affection,

spends more time in his swing than I'd like to own up to,

doesn't get bathed as often as he should,

is beginning to enjoy his blanket,

smiles easily,

cries rarely,

and is the perfect addition to our family.

I'm planning on getting this one printed. :)

Nick, on the move!

2010-05-05T11:57:00.002-05:00

Nicholas is 19 months. He hardly sits still these days! It makes it hard to get a non-blurry picture of him!

Nicholas:

1. Is my only green eyed child.

2. stands up in his high chair no matter how faithfully we train him.

3. Just started eating meat without complaint!

4. Calls his paci "Fwa-see go!"

5. Loves his b.

6. Won't let his brother and sister push him around.

7. Laughs at just about everything.

8. Keeps us VERY VERY busy.

9. Is average in height and weight.

10. Takes 4 hour naps - hallellujah.

11. Lights up this home with laughter and craziness.

12. Has shaggy, poorly cut hair.

13. Cries more than he needs to.

14. Calls bananas manas.

15. Warms my heart.

One Month old

2010-04-08T13:17:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow Greyson will be one month old. Wow. I might cry at each monthly milestone knowing that this is the last time I'll see it with one of my kids. I'm not a weepy person... but I have my share of post partum hormones these days.

Today I put him in his discovery gym to see if he would be interested. He wasn't. But he looked cute being bored. :)

At four weeks he was 9-7 and 22 inches long so he's growing well. I think I'm done with chunky babies. :( My milk must not be as fatty as it once was - it sure isn't because I'm eating healthier. or exercising. Who has time for exercising when they're busy watching The Biggest Loser anyway?

He's sleeping better too... but the little stinker DEFINITELY loves sleeping in my bed.... and I'm a big advocate of having your baby sleep in their own bed... but not more than I love sleep. So, clearly... Greyson is sleeping in bed with me.

I have a few of post partum "issues." I wouldn't call it depression but I'm definitely battling my emotions more than normal. To top it off I'm not losing ANY weight. I literally only lost Greyson's birth weight... and then put on another 3 pounds. So, I'm basically a chubby, edgy recluse. Feel free to visit anytime - I'm seriously good company. :) hehe

Greyson. Day 19.

2010-03-29T10:45:00.002-05:00

To put it simply, I have never had a newborn who has been this awake!

Addy, John Michael & Nicholas all shared a love for sleep. When they were newborns I had to wake them up to eat. I would literally have to take all their clothes off, rub them down with cool wash cloths, blow on their damp bodies and still... they would snooze on.

Greyson is totally different.

The kid doesn't sleep.

Okay, that's probably an exaggeration but he doesn't sleep nearly as much as my first three babies did! He's a happy little guy - as long as he's being held or paid attention to - but he doesn't want to miss a thing! And wake him up to eat? Psh! He wouldn't miss a meal if his life depended on it. Or a snack. Or a midnight snack. Or a second middle of the night snack. :) I joke around that I was determined to enjoy every minute of every day with this little guy because this is our last baby... and he's just as determined to make me do so. "You want to enjoy every minute of every day with me? Then no sleep for you!"

And I'll concede. Because, tired as I am (and I am seriously tired), I haven't yet tired from looking at this adorable little man who has book ended our family.

Greyson. Day 19.

And I'd like to say thanks to my mom and dad for staying the weekend with us. I got to sleep in, take a break from domestic responsibilities and even go to church with just Greyson for a little while on Sunday - and then have lunch with friends afterwards. Thanks Mom & Dad. You've helped make this transition so much easier.

My First Baby

2010-03-24T00:15:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago I had a baby.

Five years ago I had my first.

First of all, may I just say: Coupling post-partum hormones with your first baby's fifth birthday is *not* a good combination. As if I'm not emotional enough! Then, to top it all off, one of the first things she says to me this morning is, "Mommy, since I'm five now do I still have to call you Mommy?" As my tears welled up in my eyes at the mere thought of her calling me "Mom" vs. "Mommy," I tried to play it off... "Well, what do you think you'd call me instead? Michelle?" "No." she replied... and left it at that. Whew.

My precious, beautiful, precocious little girl turned five years old today. Her life is passing before my eyes.

Thanks to our friends in the church I have not had to make many meals since Greyson joined our crew.... which meant that Addy and I had time today to make her a birthday cake. It was a simple recipe from the infamous Pioneer Woman and I think just making the cake made her birthday wonderful. She loves to help cook - much more than she loves to help clean. :) But, to top it off she also got to pick out her breakfast and go to Tyler's Tender for lunch. She rode the train, played video games, ate her favorite lunch (grilled cheese and apple sauce) and had an ice cream sunday brought out to her on a train while the staff sang Happy Birthday to her. She commented throughout the day, "Isn't this the most wonderful day ever?"

Well, I ruined that for her pretty quickly by forcing her to take a few pictures for me to commemorate the day. :) But, she jumped right back into "great day mode" by jumping on the trampoline with Johnny & John Michael and inviting guests over to share her cake.

She loves guests. I pray that this love for guests turns into a love for hospitality. :)

Adeline loves to read.

Adeline loves to read the Bible.

Her best friends are John Michael and Faith.

She's bossy.

She's smart.

She has a memory that impresses me.

She loves to argue.

She loves to eat.

She loves to eat sugar.

She has a quirky little accent thats a mix between British and Region.

She loves to sleep in our bed... and gets to do so regularly.

Her favorite color is pink.

She still loves her Lucy.

She's our only girl.... and the joy of our home.

We thank God for her every chance we get.

Our girl.

So, I hope the gazillion pictures I'm posting don't bore you. I simply couldn't narrow it down. And why should I?

Sass.

I like this picture because even though she looks girly in most of these pictures she LOVES to get dirty. :)

This picture makes me smile. She's really so silly.

And this is SO her.

She has her Daddy's lashes.

And of course, eating her cake. :)

Baby Grey Grey

2010-03-19T12:47:00.000-05:00

Everyone keeps saying things like, "I can't wait to see Greyson's newborn session!" Well... this little guy doesn't stop eating long enough to allow me to take his picture! He's seriously a non-stop grazer.

So, I am hoping to do a newborn session in the next couple of days but until then I thought I'd at least take a few pictures. I have been terrible about taking pictures since I got home so here's an attempt at changing. :)

I have such a hard time deciding between color and black and white!! Johnny chose color for these... I chose black & white... so I'm just going to mix it up and do a little of both. :)

Baby Grey Grey - day 9

From Grass to Greyson

2010-03-15T22:16:00.005-05:00

Okay, okay... I haven't officially stopped eating grass yet but its on its way out, I promise! And I can't think of a better replacement for my addiction than my adorable, gift from God.. Greyson David.

Who doesn't like to be right every once in a while? I recently predicted that Greyson would be born on March 9 and I'd like to take a moment to boast that.... I was right. I don't get many opportunities to say it so I'm just going to take this moment to say it again... hehe... I was right! :)

Greyson was born on Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

Since March 1st I was having regular, consistent, uncomfortable contractions.... but alas, they always went away. I even ended up at the hospital one night because I thought I was in early labor.... and ended up taking the walk of shame out of the labor & delivery department back to home sweet home. :)

Every night for the next week we'd clean the whole house & get the kids clothes out for the next day in hopes that *this* would be the night I went into labor. But, he made us wait for it.

So, when Monday night came around and I was having regular, consistent, uncomfortable contractions I figured it was more of the same - but I still cleaned the whole house, caught up on the laundry and set out the kids clothes. I crawled into bed around 1:00 am and fell fast asleep thinking about whether or night tonight would be the night.

When I woke up at 4:00 in the morning to a really hard, painful contraction I knew. Normally, when contractions wake me up I time them and end up going back to sleep. This time I immediately woke Johnny up. This one contraction was more than enough to let me know this was the real thing! We did the standard - run a hot bath, start timing the contractions steps but after about 10 minutes there was no doubt in my mind that it was time to go. We called our Moms and started loading up.

I chose to use a midwife for this pregnancy and the closest midwife my insurance covers is in Oak Park, IL. The hospital they deliver at is about an hour away so we knew we were going to have a long, uncomfortable drive ahead of us. Luckily, because of the early morning time, we were able to take a more direct route (94) instead of the more indirect route we normally take to avoid traffic (294). The shorter route combined with Johnny's crazy speeding we made the 60 minute trip in 35 minutes!

My midwife and I agreed that she wouldn't come in to meet me there unless I called her to say things were getting "intense." Her plan was to have the Triage nurses check me in and call her and that she would head over to the hospital at that point.

warning. the story gets a little graphic at this point. :)

We arrived at the hospital at about 5:30 in the morning and they wheeled me up to the labor & delivery unit. They checked me and let me know that I was a "6 and very very stretchy." They called my midwife and told her to go ahead and come in and then set me up on a monitor to check my contractions and check the baby's heart rate. After about 5 minutes of being on the monitor my contractions were so bad I couldn't help but *go* to the bathroom.

I went into the bathroom a "6 and very stretchy" and came out in transition. I remember looking at Johnny, with panic in my heart, saying "Hey babe? You know that part I get to when I say "I can't do this anymore?' Well, this is it. This is that point. This is the point that its really, really hard. Like, really hard." He just kind of smiled - like 'Yah, we've done this before.... guess it'll be a couple of hours and the baby will be here.' kind of smile...

The nurse came in at this point and said she'd like to put in my heplock for my meds (I had Group B strep so they wanted me to get 2 rounds of antibiotics before the baby was born). I refused. I told her I didn't think there was time for "all that." She must've sensed that I was close because she said, "Okay, we'll wait until your midwife gets here to decide. How about we get you into a regular room to finish monitoring the baby." I agreed getting into a room was a good idea. She asked if I'd like a wheelchair but I refused. I was WAAAYY too uncomfortable to sit down in a wheelchair! I'd rather waddle to the room and have contractions on the way than sit down! So, off Johnny went to transfer all of our stuff to the new room and off went the nurse and I to walk their slowly...

However, I took less than 5 steps out of the room and had to lean over a chair because the pain was so intense. The contractions were literally one on top of another and I was barely getting a break enough to take a few steps. I tried to start walking again and had to lean against the wall because I literally felt Greyson coming out. I alerted the nurse that "he was coming!!" and she got on the intercom and alerted the nurses to help "stat."

Meanwhile, Johnny is in the room noticing all the nurses coming in, prepping, setting up, getting everything ready for delivery and he thought... "Wow, they're really getting ready early!" He dropped our stuff off in the corner and came back out into the hallway to help me walk the rest of the way.

Simultaneously, a nurse came up behind me with a wheel chair and said, "Michelle, please sit down in this wheelchair or you are going to have your baby in the hallway!" Sitting down was SO not an option so I kind of fell back in the wheel chair with my lower back on the edge of the seat.

It gets a bit more graphic at this point...

Because of the position of the baby my legs came up with me when I layed in the wheelchair... which meant I was in the public hallway, laying in a wheelchair with my legs open for everyone to see.... THANKFULLY, it was early in the morning on a night when nobody was having babies because anybody walking through the hallway would've gotten quite the show!

As Johnny walks out of the room this is what he sees: two nurses sprinting me down the hallway with my legs up in the wheelchair and all he can see is the baby's head crowning and about ready to come out. He calls out, "The head is coming out!!" They run me into the room and almost up to the bed where a nurse was frantically putting on some gloves and reaches down to catch Greyson plummeting out of my body in the nick of time.

It was mahem.

Sheer chaos.

I have seriously never experienced anything as wild and fast paced in all my life.

The nurse who caught Greyson attempted to put him on the bed but was immediately stopped by the warning of another nurse: "Wait! He's still attached!" Luckily, at this point a doctor walked in and took control until my midwife arrived. Under her direction they placed Greyson on my chest and took the steps to clamp and cut the umbilical cord. After a few moments they took Greyson to get weighed and measured and helped me move from the wheelchair to the bed. My midwife arrived at this point and everything seemed to slow down and go smoothly and as planned.

But, all I kept thinking was... "Wow. Its over! I just had a baby! Wow. That was crazy. Oh my gosh. I just had a baby in a wheelchair. Oh wow. I almost had him in the hallway."

Greyson was given back to me and nursed right away... and literally hasn't stopped since. :) I have simply loved and enjoyed him so much. After Nicholas' first few days of life it makes me remember that staying up at night with my baby is a privilege, not a burden. Its a gift, not a chore. And I'm trying to savor it.

Special thanks to Johnny's mom who watched the 3 kids for most of the 2 days I was in the hospital. And thanks to my mom for staying with me the first few days after I came home from the hospital. Today was our first day on our own and while there have been a few crazy moments we're definitely both excited to have our family of four under the same roof and begin this next stage of our lives together.

The proud parents.

The proud siblings.

The unproud sibling. :)

The six of us. Wow.

And the star of the show.

My little Grey.

Greyson David - sneak peek

2010-03-10T15:13:00.000-06:00

Greyson David

2010-03-10T11:42:00.002-06:00

Johnny & I are so proud and excited to announce that Greyson David was born yesterday morning at 5:39 am. He was 7 pounds 13 ounces and 19 inches long. It was a short and crazy labor and we're all doing great. I'll be sure to share pictures and our story with everyone soon!

Things that make you go... yes.

2010-03-05T14:30:00.002-06:00

There are times that I think... what in the world was I thinking having my kids so close together? This is nuts!

Then there are times...

when I overhear Addy teaching John Michael how to add.

when I see John Michael giving Nicholas his "B" to comfort him.

when I listen to the kids on the monitor laughing and being silly with each other when they're supposed to be sleeping.

when I see Addy pushing John Michael in a laundry basket... laughing.

when I walk into the room and see them cuddled up together on the couch looking through photo albums.

And I think... yes. I'm so glad we "clustered" our children. I'm so glad they are each other's best friends. I'm so glad they keep me busy and exhausted and confused and exhilarated and proud and amused.

I hope these are the moments I remember forever.

Addy-Daddy time

2010-03-03T13:36:00.001-06:00

Addy was never a snuggler When she was a baby she always wanted to be put down so she could crawl around or run around. She would give hugs and kisses with abandon and shower affection, smiles and joy on everyone and anyone... but she did NOT like staying still to snuggle.

She changed.

She'll be five this month and one of her absolute favorite things to do is snuggle with her Daddy. She loves to curl up next to him or climb on his lap and say "Hey Daddy, how about some Addy Daddy time?" Johnny will often try to use this time to talk to her about her day - what she did, etc. but Addy is adamant.. "No, Daddy. This is Addy Daddy time. No talking please."

I guess snuggling is serious business. :)

7 Years

2010-03-02T13:50:00.000-06:00

Johnny & I celebrated 7 years of marriage together yesterday. I feel like I should say the same old addage everyone says about marriage and kids... "Its gone by so fast!" But, really? It hasn't. Its been a journey. Some years were hard, some weren't.... but when I look back it doesn't seem like just yesterday that we got married - quite the opposite really. Life before Johnny is blurry. I remember being single. I remember college life. I remember high school... but my life with Johnny, though only a little less than a quarter of my 29 years alive seems like my only reality. And its a good reality.

There are many reasons I love Johnny. I could take this opportunity to do what a lot of bloggers do (and I have done in the past) and list them here.... but I think I can sum it up by saying that Johnny keeps me loving God. My own instincts are selfish and self centered. My heart wanders away from what is most important in this world. Johnny, however, is a steamliner for Jesus and His glory. There are times my choices or my priorities or my attitudes clearly do not line up with His will for my life but I can't say that for Johnny. God has given him the ability to stay strong, no matter the circumstances, no matter his preferences. Its one of the main reasons I married him and I can safely say, 7 years and (almost) 4 kids later - I made a good choice. There could be a top 20 or a top 50 list of reasons I love him more today than I did when we got married but what trumps the most important reason at all? Because of my union with Johnny I am more in communion with my God.

This picture was taken yesterday. I am 40 weeks pregnant with our last baby.

PS Does anyone read this blog anymore?

my baby's last days as the baby

2010-02-24T19:56:00.001-06:00

As little Greyson's arrival draws closer and closer I'm increasingly aware that these are Nicholas' last days as the baby. He's known no other life but everything he knows as normal is about to "flip turn upside down" - as the Fresh Prince would say. :) I thought I'd take a moment and reflect on what he's like right now. :)

Nicholas is... a self proclaimed vegetarian. :( I don't know how he's going to make it in this house of meat lovers but this kid does NOT like meat. Every once in a while he eats it, oblivious to the fact that he's eating meat but for the most part he shoves it away and screams like a banchee if I force him to have a bite. :)

He's also lactose intolerant. He's never done well with dairy and its just getting worse. He's not as sensitive as some kids I've heard of but he absolutely can't handle yogurts, milk, lots of cheese, and without a doubt NO ICE CREAM. I'm tellin' you, it ain't pretty!

As many issues as he may have with food though - this kid is a definite Hamstra/Worthington. He LOVES to eat. He'll eat... and eat... and eat... and eat! Whenever people how much he eats - especially for breakfast - they are always shocked. This morning he ate 2 clementines, 3 pieces of French Toast and some cheerios.

He's really starting to talk. His favorite things to say are: "Peease" "Up" "Where'd it go?" "B" "Paci" "Daddy!!" "Bampa" "Oooeeooohs" (Cheerios) & "Goggy" (Doggy). When he's not speaking English he's jibber jabbering in baby talk which is such a joy to listen to. :)

He barks at all animals - birds, dogs, cows, pigs, cats, fish. You name it, he barks. :)

He just moved into a new bed upstairs with Adeline & John Michael and he's loving it. He sleeps less at night because John Michael and him are always playing and yelling and being silly but that means he's also taking longer naps.

He's a tried and true daddy's boy.

He's a man boy at that. He prefers uncles to aunts and grandpas to grandmas. This kid loves him some testosterone.

He loves to jump on my bed and fall down and say boom.

John Michael's antics always make him laugh.

He eats a banana every morning and few things get him as excited.

He's my baby... at least for the next few days... and I adore him.

The Dead Snowman.

2010-02-23T11:06:00.000-06:00

All year long Adeline has been wanting to build a snowman but as it would happen something always gets in the way. So, when it snowed, wet, packable, perfect snowman snow Sunday night we knew our mission for Monday was to build a snowman.

Johnny & Addy dressed in their snow gear (John Michael was with my parents on a weekend trip) and headed out to build a snowman. I was so happy that she finally got her snow dream that I knew I had to snap a couple of pictures. Here's one of them with the finished product.

I was a little nervous John Michael would come home and be jealous that he didn't get to make a snowman but when he arrived home he didn't mention it at all. Later that evening we left to go somewhere and I saw, with dismay, that the snowman was in pieces all over the yard. "Oh, how sad! The snowman fell apart!" I said, to which Johnny replied: "No, Addy knocked it down." He explained that the snowman survived for a total of 5 minutes before Addy's next dream became to promptly knock it down. She's an enigma.

And on the pregnancy front I'm one day shy of 39 weeks.

At the beginning of my pregnancy my first trimester ultrasound gave me a due date of 2/27 but my midwife promptly changed it to 3/3 explaining that she thought 3/3 was more accurate and that I generally go late anyway. So, I've spent the last 6-7 months unsuccessfully convincing myself that I'm due 3/3 and not 2/27... which means that in about 4 days I'm going to think I'm due even though I'm not. And in 14 days I'm going to think I'm 10 days late when I'm really only 6 days late. :) So, I'm completely expecting Greyson to arrive on 3/9... 10 days after my original due date. :)

Meanwhile, I'll stay satisfied on my weird pregnancy indulgence: Wheat Grass!

And how 'bout it? I made an appearance on my own blog twice in one post!

Its not cold today.

2010-02-19T15:26:00.000-06:00

Today we saw patches of grass under the snow.

Today we went out in vests instead of coats.

Today I wore sunglasses while driving because we actually saw the sun.

Today feels like spring.

I'm not getting my hopes up though because I know how devious and deceptive the midwest weather can be... but I can hope.

Poor Baby.

2010-01-13T22:48:00.002-06:00

My poor baby was sick today. Or at least I think he was... He was really fussy last night at dinner - refusing to eat, etc. He finally went to bed around 8:00 pm and slept until..... ONE in the AFTERNOON!! I finally woke him up (after checking on him several times of course)

Once I woke him up he was lethargic and clingy which is NOTHING like him. He ate fine and drank tons of water and fell asleep in my arms a couple hours later... again, not like him.

He was pretty much zoned out all day long until Johnny came home... and you wouldn't have guessed anything was wrong with him. He yanked his pacifier out and yelled "Daddy!" running to him as fast as his little waddle could carry him.

It was precious. And I wasn't the least bit jealous. Just glad that he enjoys his Daddy so much. :)

And while I felt bad for him that he was out of sorts today I have to admit... I enjoyed slowing down my day to sit and snuggle.

Here's my precious guy staring out the window looking for his Daddy to come home.

Two Peas in a Pod

2010-01-13T00:49:00.000-06:00

These two peanuts are connected at the hip. I honestly rarely think of one without immediately thinking of the other. I think it'll be the same way with Nicholas & this next little guy. There's just something about having your kids SO close together that immediately lumps them into the same age category.

Adeline is spunky and strong and logical and loves to be the boss.

John Michael is sweet and gentle and silly and emotional and loves everything Adeline loves.

They're like two different sides of the same coin... complimenting each other perfectly. I hope they grow up to stay best friends, the way they are now.

Valentine's Day

2010-01-11T14:15:00.000-06:00

Looking for a creative way to send Valentines this year?

I'm selling these customized Valentines Day cards for $10. If you're interested send me a picture and which card you like! Payments can be made through checks or paypal (as long as its a bank transfer, not a credit card.)

Enjoy!

New Beginnings

2010-01-06T02:02:00.000-06:00

Its a new year... and with a new year comes the endless attempts to make ourselves better people with less bad habits and more good ones. Its a noble gesture but one that I have yet to accomplish. No more than 90 days into a new year and my resolutions are either long abandoned or have recently fallen prey to my indifference or laziness.

This year is different. I've resolved not to make any new years resolutions that I don't want to do. For example, I do NOT want to stop eating McDonalds. I do NOT want to work out every day (or ever for that matter), I do NOT want to start back up with a rigorous weekly cleaning schedule. I simply don't.

I mean I get it... the whole purpose of resolutions seems to be to motivate yourself to do the very things you don't ever want to do... but it simply doesn't work for me! And to be honest it doesn't seem to work well for other people either... hehe

So, this year I am trying something new. I'm trying to put together a list of things I really WANT to do. All of them at this point include photography but I have other things brewing in my mind - including a variety of areas of my life. One of them is to take a picture/week. I've written out themes and asked a good friend who is good at photography to join me in my endeavor. (If anyone else wants to join in just shoot me an email!)

Who knows, come March I may end up dropping the ball and count it as another 90 day resolution but for now its something I'm actually excited about. I'm being challenged... even at the get go. I'm the one who made the themes and still this week had me stumped. I have a couple other ideas I'd love to try to post before the weekly theme is up but since the goal is one per week I'm counting this one done as completed!

So here you have it....

Week 1 Theme: New Beginnings

The 3 Muskateers

2009-12-30T01:21:00.002-06:00

My body has forgotten how to sleep... at night. :) Every night I have a hard time falling asleep and sleep fitfully until about 5 am... then I am like a ROCK until I absolutely have to get up in the morning. And I'm definitely not making public what time that is. :) I've trained my kids well.... Reason #45 for homeschooling? You don't have to get up early to get your kids to school on time!

Johnny & I saw New Moon tonight.... and wow. Um, wow. The movie was beyond terrible. I was actually laughing out loud during some of the intense scenes because they were so awful! Its disappointing because I enjoyed the books... the really sad part though is that I'll probably see the 3rd and 4th movie regardless of how bad I thought the first two were... :)

On a random note: Has anyone from this area made the long road trip to Orlando with small kids? We're playing around with the idea of driving it but its daunting... though not quite as daunting as the price of 4 plane tickets.

Weddings for 2010 are booking up. I'm about at my "limit." I try not to take more than one wedding a month so with maternity leave this year that is really limiting me! I've had to say no to several people already - which makes me sad. I LOVE doing weddings. You can see my most recent one on my photography blog.

I think our most exciting family news recently has been the birth of my new nephew, Carson! He is so precious. I had the privilege of being there when he was born and photographing him when he was just days old - thanks to my brother-in-law Adam who flew me out as a gift for my sister. :)

Here's a little sneak peek but I'll be posting more pictures of him soon. :)

And here's a little snappy of my kiddies. As you can see Nick's gaining weight! I think we've been a little lax with his diet because he was always so skinny... time to cut back on the sweets kid. :)

My only girl.

2009-12-28T22:48:00.000-06:00

Its funny how the timing of information makes all the difference in how you respond to it. Just a little over a week ago I found out that our 4th baby is going to be another boy.

And I cried.

Okay, I kind of cried a lot.

I laugh about the timing now because had I started with three boys and just found out I was having a girl I'd be DELIGHTED. ECSTATIC. Beside myself!!

I don't think I even realized how deeply I was hoping to have another girl until I found out. Its not really that I prefer having girls over boys... its really just that I wanted Adeline to experience the joys of having a sister as well as the joys of having a brother. I have a sister I adore and love and couldn't imagine life without and I wanted that for her too. However, since this is more than likely our last natural child (okay Johnny - DEFINITELY our last natural child :)) I knew that unless the Lord brings her a sister through another route that she would be a princess amongst stinky boys. :)

Its okay. I know some of you are cringing right now thinking, "Oh, how sad! I hope that little boy never reads this blog!" But the truth is A.) He probably won't. and B.) Even if he does by then he should know how incredibly happy I am that he's a boy and that he's mine. :)

The original plan was to wait and be surprised to find out what we were having - but in the end I'm glad I know. Already I can't imagine this little boy being a girl.... and its given me that many more weeks to savor the fact that Adeline will be my only one. My only daughter. My only little girl to train in the wonders of femininity. My princess.

And WOW has it transformed the way that I treat her. I look at her differently. I appreciate her in a new way. I savor her in new ways too... I cherish the memories I'm creating now of her playing with her Lucy lambs, of her playing in her doll house... of her bossing around her brothers (though I'm sure those memories will remain fresh throughout all of our lives... hehe). And I'm glad to know. I'm glad I can use these last weeks before this new little guy is born to savor her femininity because each stage is one I'll never witness again.

She's our joy and our delight... and she'll be the family princess for life. :)

And with intimidating looks like this I'm sure she'll be helping me whip this house full of boys into shape in no time. :)

A Boy & His Bath

2009-12-14T16:36:00.001-06:00

This little man LOVES his bath! He especially loves it if he can take a bath with his brother and sister. :) If he has to be the first one out everyone on the block hears about it. :)

Here's a little "snapshot" of bath time with little Nick-O.

See that?

2009-11-23T17:01:00.000-06:00

Its amazing to me that we are days away from Thanksgiving! We are so incredibly excited to have all of Johnny's family in town. The Maples are actually staying with us so the kids are literally beside themselves ready to have a crazy party with their cousins. :)

I have to admit though, I have some mixed emotions! This is the first ever Thanksgiving I won't be spending with my family. My parents & my brother are in Atlanta waiting patiently for my sister's baby to be born. He/She is scheduled to come meet us tomorrow! I'm predicting a boy but I know my mom's hoping for another girl. :)

I'm not 100% sure what Nicholas' first words were... but I'm almost positive it was "See that?" I love the 2nd picture in this series because its just after he said, "See that?" Every time he wakes up he points to his toys and asks me if he's seen them... It makes me wonder if he sits in his crib and stares at them while he waits for me to come get him. :)

Houston, we have a walker!

2009-11-22T12:38:00.001-06:00

Although he hasn't made the switch to exclusively walking Nicholas has definitely passed the first stages of learning to walk! He now regularly chooses to walk instead of crawl and can take 15 or so steps at a time! I can't believe my baby is old enough to walk. It seemed like it happened fast this time too. He went from having absolutely no interest in walking to full blown walking in about 6 weeks.

In my book, that makes him a walker. :)

Argh, Matey

2009-11-21T01:21:00.000-06:00

On any given day you can find John Michael dressed up as a pirate. Last year for Christmas Tara & Adam bought John Michael & Addy pirate costumes and the novelty has not worn off since!

He's also my little drama child. He's the most expressive and I think the most imaginative. I'm regularly overhearing him fighting imaginary bad guys or rescuing people in distress. It warms my heart.

Fashion Hypocrite

2009-11-20T12:27:00.001-06:00

I feel a bit like a fashion hypocrite. When I leave the house I try to look cute - I love wearing things that are in style and trendy and unique. But when I'm home, which is the majority of my life, I wear my pajamas. All. Day. Lately my pajamas are oversized t-shirts and pants that are two sizes too big so you can imagine Lucky magazine has been breaking down my door for a photo shoot and a list of my winter must haves. :)

I'm the same way with the kids. My children have been blessed with a grandma who loves to buy them clothes - so their wardrobes are nothing short of adorable. But when we're home they wear mismatched clothes or run around naked....

Which leads me to my title. I feel a bit like a hypocrite! People think I'm SO stylish and SO put together because they see me once a week in public... but then they come over to my house or see me when I'm running out to the grocery store and they look at me compassionately and ask if I'm sick. "No," I kindly reply, "I just don't usually wear make up during the week."

So you see, its out. I'm really just a lazy bum at heart.

Though I will say that if Addy has cute cotton dresses I will put those on her every day. My mom recently bought this one from Target and I happened to have tights that matched perfectly. I figured I better take advantage of the non pj moment and grab a few snappies.

Chatty Cathy... or should I say Mumbling Michelle?

2009-11-19T12:37:00.000-06:00

Blogging is actually one of my favorite things to do. I think I've always liked to hear myself talk so having a place where nobody is doing the talking but me has to be appealing to my inner chatterbox. Its so different than being with people and always asking myself... "Am I talking to much?" In those situations you're worried because you know that person is "stuck" listening to you for the sake of being polite - even if they're bored to tears and wishing your mouth had a remote control... but in blogworld you can just click your little red dot (or that little "x" for PC users) and shut me up in an instant if you'd like.

I recently read that what makes a great photographer so great isn't necessarily her pictures... but her personality. That you aren't just selling someone your "work" you're selling them yourself... because you are pouring a part of yourself into all of your work - and especially when someone books you for their wedding you are literally sharing every minute with them for 10-12 hours! So, its important they like YOU and not just your pictures... though I promise I won't talk your ear off on your wedding day if you book me. :)

All of that to say that you can expect this blog to be a bit wordier than its been this past year. I'm feeling chatty again and I plan taking it out on you, dear Internet.

And because even I know that words simply aren't enough.... here's a peek at our Halloween this year:

If you mess with the bull...

2009-11-18T00:12:00.000-06:00

If you mess with the bull...

you get the horns!!

But don't worry, he's a nice bull. :)

Fall is fleeting

2009-11-16T22:32:00.001-06:00

Fall is fleeting... which means that these shots I grabbed of the older kids in the leaves might be the only leaf shots I get this year. :( I'm hoping for ONE nice day this week I can sneak Nicholas out for one too but so far its forecasted to rain every day.

At least I got these while I could!

John Michael last week: "Its too spicy."

Addy: "Here John Michael, have another."

John Michael: "I don't like it."

Addy: "Yah, you don't like too spicy."

John Michael: "Yah Addy, I don't like three spicy either."

hehe

And one more

Me, at dinner: "John Michael, stop picking your nose."

John Michael: "Mommy, I'm not picking my boogers out, I'm putting them back in."

24 Weeks

2009-11-13T17:59:00.000-06:00

I'm 24 weeks pregnant... and my butt thinks I'm 40. Someone send it a message to STOP. GETTING. BIGGER.

Wear Mumus.

2009-11-12T14:28:00.002-06:00

Wear Mumus. Because you can... and they make you feel fancy, even when you're not. :)

Worth coming home to.

2009-11-02T20:04:00.000-06:00

I've been doing a lot of sessions lately. Its my busy season, what can I do? :) As much as I enjoy it though it definitely wears me out... so you can imagine how sweet it was to come home to this little guy waiting for me tonight.

Promise: Every post won't be exclusively about Nicholas. :)

The toothless wonders

2009-11-01T14:08:00.000-06:00

My children aren't exactly concerned with "normal." They're either abnormally big or abnormally small, never right down the middle. They either do things quite advanced (okay, maybe not) or quite a bit on the tail end of normal. Nobody walked before they were a year. As a matter of fact it was several months afterwards. :)

Teeth are no exception to this precedent. I even thought Addy might make it to her first birthday without any teeth but around 11 months she finally popped one through. Nicholas seems to be on the same boat. He's 13 months old and just has two bottom teeth... but any day now I think we'll see 3 or 4 new ones on top!

Its a good thing I think gummy smiles are so cute. :)

When I need a little smile...

2009-10-27T20:30:00.003-05:00

...I just peek at this picture.

Light Saver

2009-10-24T20:54:00.000-05:00

John Michael loves the lightsaber he got for his birthday from TuTu & Grandfather! But I can't quite convince him its a lightsaber. He insists on calling it his light "saver." Well, I guess he's gone green. :)

Boo!

2009-10-23T13:58:00.002-05:00

Don't be afraid of the teeth... he doesn't bite. But if I were you I'd be afraid of the drool!

Nicholas "Doonka" - our little monkey!

2009-10-20T21:10:00.001-05:00

For those of you who don't already know, Nicholas' was affectionately nicknamed "Doonka" by Adeline when he was just weeks old. The nickname, unfortunately for him, has not only stuck but in true Hamstra-Kotynski clan form has morphed into a variety of names: Doonks, Doonkster bottoms, Doonky boy, etc.

Nicholas is the baby everyone says looks like me. He's got the dark hair and his eyes aren't as crystal blue as Adeline's or John Michael's. In fact sometimes I think they look green!

He's a ghetto crawler. He usually crawls with one knee and one set of toes. If he's not using that method he'll resort to hands and toes and on a rare occasion (though more often these days) he'll actually crawl properly. I'm sad to admit that the hands and toes thing might have originated from his unwillingness to touch my dirty floors. :)

Getting pictures of him is tricky. He doesn't really like to look at the camera and he's constantly moving - though I guess most moms of 1 year old boys don't expect much more. :) Here he is trying to catch the little dusties you can see in the window light. It made me laugh.

And my very favorite physical attribute about Nicholas right now is his hair. :) I've never been able to grow John Michael's hair out - its too course or frizzy or something... but Nicholas' just looks so cute I can't bring myself to cut it!

With the exception of a short time in John Michael's life, none of our kids have shown a strong preference for Mommy or Daddy. They seem to love us equally and prefer us equally. Some nights its all Mommy and others its all Daddy... but Doonka ADORES his Daddy. He looks for him outside (until he gets distracted by the barking dogs and starts barking back) and gets SO excited when he gets home.

He's going through a rough stage right now... not sure what things are upsetting him but he's definitely crabbier than normal. I keep thinking teeth are the culprit but he's 1 year old and still only has the two teeth on the bottom! He also has some food "issues" that I can't quite figure out - some slight excema and some bad diapers but nothing seems to be the reason for it. Part of me is pretending that if I ignore it he'll outgrow it... is that silly?

Anyway, we love the little guy. I can't believe he's going to be a big brother in a few months! He's still such a baby. But, I'm sure he'll love it and adapt to it the way he adapts to most everything else, with a smile. :)

Adeline, our 4 year old Princess.

2009-10-19T11:21:00.000-05:00

She may look like a Hamstra but Adeline is all me when it comes to personality. I have to admit, its both cute and sanctifying to see your own personality displayed in its raw, uninhibited form day in and day out!

For whatever reason getting Adeline to actually look at the camera is always challenging!

Her favorite things to do right now are to read books, play in the basement with Mom Mom, play babies with her many Lucy's (but never baby dolls), and go to Steak & Shake!

She also loves to dress up as princesses. John Michael can often be found donning his pirate outfit while Adeline, the princess, is bossing him around. John Michael will usually go along with what she says but he's getting a bit of a backbone himself.

She's the queen of arguing, and effectively too! She often has a good point, its too bad that being "right" isn't worth much in the economy of God. So, we're doing what we can to teach her to be kind and respectful... and we're doing what we can to teach me the same. :)

Everyone has a nickname for Adeline... and she could tell you all of them. But don't you dare call her by a nickname she hasn't accepted or she'll be quick to correct you. She's my porcupine, her daddy's dear, Mom Mom & Bampa's "punkin", GG's goofball, Bampba Doodle's princess apple and everyone's joy.

My 3 year old little man.

2009-10-16T23:18:00.001-05:00

Its hard to believe John Michael is 3 years old. Sometimes I still think of him as 2 and other times I think he's been 3 for forever! He kind of gets lumped into the same age as Addy since they're basically connected at the hip. :)

John Michael is the sweetest and most tender hearted little guy. Don't get me wrong, he has his moments ;) but overall he's our snuggler, our kisser, our concerned one, and our sensitive one. He's easily overjoyed... and easily devastated. One of these days I'm going to have to post a picture of him pouting. Its seriously like a cartoon!

He loves pirates. He regularly dresses up in the pirate gear Tara & Adam got him for Christmas. Here he is making his "Argh matey face" halfway.

Nobody's sillier than him in this house, even Johnny! He is one endless jokester and does. not. stay. still. He's loved learning to wrestle with Johnny this year and his newest version of snuggling with his Daddy is knee diving into his stomach. :)

He warms our hearts. Johnny & I often lay in bed these days and talk about how much we're enjoying his 3rd year. He's really turning into a little man with a LOT of personality. Now... if he'd just finish up potty training. :)

You gotta do what you gotta do

2009-10-16T01:31:00.003-05:00

Well, its official. I'm a bad mom. I have very few pictures of Nicholas' first year of life. Its really quite depressing. And now, with #4 on the way (yes, I'm pregnant) I'm a little worried I might end up with NO pictures of the next little one! :o

So, feeling guilty, I pulled out my camera today and took a few snapshots. I thought I'd throw 'em up here even if they aren't quality work. After all, its a family blog, not a professional one, right? :)

The kids jump on the couches. This makes things interesting when we go to other people's houses and they jump on their couches. Usually people like to say things like, "Your mommy doesn't let you jump on your couches, does she?" To which they get a confused look from my children and a "Yes, she does." response. Classic.

Here's Addy jumping in her favorite outfit.

John Michael sets up the table in between the couches and plays Buzz Lightyear yelling, "To Infinity and Beyond!" over and over. :) He has so much energy its almost comical. Too bad it isn't contagious.

There's nobody like him. He's goofy and crazy and wild and endearing in every way imagineable. Even his pouting makes me chuckle... at least temporarily. He's a middle child to the T and I love it. :)

And he still adores his "B."

And my baby. My sweet little peanut. He's still quite tiny (I'm not publicly announcing that he's in the 10th percentile for weight). He's beginning to stand on his own, though he's not walking at all unless he's "cruising".

He recently developed a love for the piano.....

as well as pulling his sister's hair.

We can't quite figure out how he is so skinny... he LOVES to eat - for breakfast he can easily down a container of yogurt, 3 waffles, applesauce, grapes and Cheerios. He's got the metabolism I would die for. :)

I won't say more soon... how cliche of me... and you wouldn't believe me anyway. But if guilt has its way it won't be too long before I post again. :)

what's keeping me busy theses days

2009-06-21T23:51:00.000-05:00

Here's a sneak peek of my newest newborn session. Finally rocked this pose I've been trying. :)

Its a bird! Its a Plane Its a.....

2009-06-20T15:47:00.002-05:00

Bird. :)

I have to admit. I think birds are kind of dirty. I'm pretty sure my mom told me they were when I was little and now I want nothing to do with touching a bird....

But, I do think their silhouettes are cute, I once had a wooden one in my living room until it got broken, one of my favorite t-shirts has a bird on it as well as my current journal.

And I totally dig this picture I took in my backyard.

come rain or shine, my adeline

2009-06-15T00:58:00.002-05:00

Laying next to me in bed tonight is my precious girl.

She is fantastic.

She is beautiful.

She is creative.

She is asking me to please "turn down" my computer so that she can sleep.

She is Adeline.... and I love sneaking her into bed with us at night.

Shh... don't tell.

Its a battle.

2009-06-13T12:32:00.003-05:00

My heart is constantly at war with... well... everything.
Every. Single. Morning. I battle my body just to get out of bed.
I battle the temptation to be critical about everything.
I battle being kind when I want to be snippy.
I battle finding my worth in my weight or my wardrobe.
I battle being self-righteous when I secretly know that the sin inside me is repulsive.
I battle to go consistently to God daily, to worship Him as He deserves, to fill my heart and my mind with who He is.

Most recently I find myself battling the temptation to be overly focussed on my own abilities vs. believing what God can and will do in and through me. As Johnny & I embark on this new adventure (planting out a new church in Highland!) I am finding myself more and more aware of how little we have to offer in regards to skill, gift, experience, wisdom, etc.

And yet.

Even as I type those words tears come to my eyes.

And yet.

God is kind. He is good. He is powerful. He is loving. He is merciful. He is forgiving. He is sovereign. And because Jesus died to pay for my sins He extends these things to me...

God is kind to me. God is good to me. God is powerful on my behalf. God loves me. God is merciful to me. God forgives me. God uses his sovereignty to guide me.

And so, in the midst of these battles I am asking God to help me lift my eyes off of myself. Off of my sin. Off of my fatigue. Off of my own thoughts on how things should be done.... and onto Him. This God of infinite wisdom and power who loves me intimately & promises to guide me daily.

I choose to walk by faith.

To remember that God has been faithful to me in the past.
To believe He will continue to be faithful to me today and in the future.

To believe God will help me win the battle.

"I lift my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber or sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore."
Psalm 121

And Nicholas has green eyes. Nobody believes me but if you want to battle it out I hate to break it to you but I'm gonna win.

Cowgirl Addy & Cowboy John Michael

2009-06-11T19:11:00.007-05:00

I've had a few requests to notify people when I'm coming to Knoxville... so here it is! I'm coming to Knoxville! If you'd like to book a session please let me know. I have a few people who have first choice because they contacted me previously but if they don't all book a session I'll be opening it up to more people. So, let me know if you're interested in a session and I'll put you on my "hold list". Tentatively my available dates will be early morning and evenings of July 8-11.

Maybe I'll even bring this awesome cowgirl/boy hat as a prop. :

blogging burnout

2009-06-06T00:59:00.007-05:00

I don't blog a lot. I guess I can chalk it up to lack of interest. When I first got a blog I loved updating it, I loved writing about my kids, their silly antics, how they were growing and how I was coping. Now, I love to think about blogging. If I could blog the way I twitter I'd blog all the time... but as it is I've turned out to be a blogging burnout.

Sometimes when I blog I feel the pressure to show lots of pictures and say little. Other times I feel a bit lame not writing much. :) This time I'm going to keep it short and include a picture... because everyone loves pictures, especially when they're of this adorable peanut.

I'm waiting anxiously for my big sister to send me a picture of her belly. She's got a baby in it. :) This will be the first sibling we've had to have a baby and we are SO E X C I T E D. It'll be a Thanksgiving baby and we will all be very thankful!

Meanwhile I'm staying very busy with photography, the kids are growing like weeds. I should videotape them more. They say the funniest things and have the funniest little accents/speech impediments.... which comically have transferred to many adults we know!

Here are some of our fave things they say:

JM: Cuz I want to sometimes.

Addy: I yuv you werry werry much.

both kids: "Ganks"

JM: Umm.... Actuawee.... um... no

Well, maybe these mini posts will encourage me to post more often.

Until then.... enjoy this warm weather!

A Boy & His B

2009-04-20T22:21:00.003-05:00

For those of you who live far away... allow me to introduce you to our 4th child... John Michael's blanket. :) He has affectionately nicknamed it, "B" which is cute because his Uncle DD also had a "B" and one day, before John Michael could really talk much DD asked us if John Michael called his blanket his "B"? I kind of rolled my eyes like, "No, why would he call it the same thing you called it? That seems weird." Not a week later John Michael started calling it his "B." I was officially humbled. :)

The original blanket came from my sister's mother-in-law. Its a super nice "Kashwear" blanket that he was immediately in love with. My sister got him a back-up blanket and also picked him up a knock off one he loves. He is rarely seen without it.

Its his best friend. You should see his face light up when we get it out of the dryer. He even asks us to "tuck it in."

Its hard to imagine that one day he'll be "over" it... but until then they're pretty much connected at the hip. :)

serious, serious cuteness

2009-04-18T23:57:00.001-05:00

If you're interested... I rocked out a family session this week. Here's a peek at the cutie who just melted my heart. :)

Cooking. Share the Wealth.

2009-04-17T10:42:00.002-05:00

Most people know of and love allrecipes.com, me included! But I also have a couple of recipe/cooking blogs on my google reader that consistently posts things my family enjoys!

The first one is Easy Meals for Moms. Its a collaborative blog with many of my friends in Knoxville. There are a variety of recipes, healthy, not so healthy :), but one of the things I LOVE about this blog is that the contributors are all moms so most of these recipes are very practical. And if you're into organic or healthy (as in whole wheat, not as in fat free) eating look for recipes by "Honey." She's got some great ideas. :)

The second one is My Kitchen Cafe. Its a blog by one girl, Melanie. I don't know her but I stumbled onto her blog linked up to another blog and I've loved her recipes! Hers vary in difficulty (yeast rolls vs one pan meals) but I've loved following her blog too.

And most recently I know I can hop over to Mama Knows Best. Its a website dedicated to mothers so of course its getting its share of tried and true recipes too!

Any recipe resources you'd love to share? Post a comment below and share the wealth with me! My family loves trying new recipes so I'm always on the hunt!

So, I thought I'd share the wealth!

And because every post is better with a picture check out this cutie from my most recent newborn session. :)

Like Father Like Sons

2009-04-07T15:51:00.003-05:00

Adeline is not the girliest girl to walk the planet. She would trade her Barbies in for a good adventure any day. But, while she'd rather be a dog than a Barbie she's never been that into sports.

John Michael & Nicholas however. share their daddy's love for basketball. From a young age John Michael and Nicholas were obsessed with balls. They love playing with them, pushing them, chewing on them, throwing them, etc. And while John Michael's fascination with balls is maturing and developing, Nicholas' is just beginning.

Woo-hoo! I've joined the ranks of basketball lovers!

Hmm... What else could I do with this thing?

Eating it is always an option.

Yah! These things are good for so many forms of entertainment!

Friends

2009-04-06T15:25:00.004-05:00

When raising kids you have so many dreams and hopes for them. I dream, more than anything, that my children will grow to know, love and cherish Jesus Christ with all their hearts...

I desire that they'd be disciplined, hard working children and adults.

I desire that they'd love, above all.

I also desire that they would surround themselves with God loving friends.

One of the things that is hard for me is that I know that one of the main ways to help my children become this way is to model it in my own life as well as to create opportunities and training for them to learn to become that way. I'm grateful that these things don't fully depend on me though. God, in his mercy, is the one who will cause the seeds I plant to grow.

So, one of the seeds I'm comitted to planting more in my children's lives is to spend more time with young Christian kids. And since we've been brainwashing Adeline & Faith that they're best friends since they were born I think she's a great place to start

Here are the 4 year old gals enjoying an afternoon of fun and royalty.

my family.

2009-04-04T01:01:00.001-05:00

i love 'em.

My baby is a peanut

2009-04-02T15:59:00.003-05:00

I took Nicholas to the doctor today for his 6 month checkup. He was so much smaller than my other two babies were at 6 months! He weighed in at 17 pounds 4 ounces (39th percentile) and was 27 1/2" long. (76th percentile)

Compared to Adeline at 6 months:

21 pounds (GREATER than the growth chart, 27 1/2" (92nd percentile)
Compared to John Michael at 6 months:

20 pounds 10 ounces (97th percentile) and 291/4" long (GREATER than the charts)

His eyes are most definitely getting brown flecks in them too. We may have a Mexican baby on our hands after all!! Well, Mexican or not he's happy to be alive. Its a rarity to see this baby unhappy... unless you're not holding him that is. :)

While we were there Addy & John Michael were weighed and measured too.

Adeline - 4 years old.

Weighs 44 pounds (93rd percentile) & is 3 feet 6 inches (89th percentile)

John Michael - 2 years and 8 months

Weighs 36 pounds (92nd percentile) and is 3 feet 3 1/2" tall (97th percentile)

n6m

2009-03-27T23:12:00.008-05:00

My baby is six months old.

He's the joy of our family.
He loves his pacifier, but he also loves his thumb.
He loved his sister's pink blanket until we bought him a blue one.
He loves being held more than life itself.
He lives on a schedule.

He still has his hair.

His eyes are changing colors.

I think Beth said it well when she said, "Nicholas smiles at everyone he engages with."

Its true. He's a smiler and he brings joy to all who know him.
He's Doonka.
He's Snicker.
He's Nicholas.
And he's growing up too fast.

My Ballerina

2009-03-23T00:38:00.002-05:00

We're thinking about enrolling Adeline in ballet. She loves to twirl.

She says the cutest things all the time and I never remember them later! But one cute thing she says right now is this... instead of saying, "Hey, I have an idea!" She says, "Mommy! I have ideas!"

I have an idea... how about I package her cuteness up and make millions on ebay. :)

bathtime with the penguin-fly

2009-03-21T16:01:00.002-05:00

Every time Johnny gives the kids a bath they always run out in their adorable towels to find me and say, "Look how cute I am Mommy!" To which I can't help but smile and agree. So, today I decided to capture a bit of that cuteness.

See if you can handle the cuteness.

My fave of John Michael:

My fave of Adeline:

My fave of them together:

And check it out, over at my photography blog Baby Triniti turned a year old. She's a princess, and I adore her! She's one of my favorite people to photograph!

the Swarts

2009-03-09T10:53:00.004-05:00

We had the pleasure of having some of our dearest friends stay with us this weekend. Our kids played so well together, it was awesome. We often wonder if they'll all marry each other... hehe just teasin.... kinda.... but if they ever did we'd have some stinking gorgeous grandkids out of the deal. The Swart kids are knockouts. Here are some snappys from right before they left.

stinking cute

abi is so carefree in this picture, i love it.

I like to entitle this picture.... "laugh with your abs." :)

C is for Cool.... and you thought it was for Connor. :)

Sweet girl.

our kids...

Connor: Yah, I'm getting a juice box out of this.
John Michael: Mmmmm juice box.
Abi: I have to pee.
Adeline: WHY does my Mommy ALWAYS take so many pictures of us!?

Not so sneaky

2009-03-05T10:49:00.002-06:00

Well the few of you who weren't too shy to come play my little game were right! John Michael was the first picture and Nicholas was the second. My precious little man is 5 months old.

He's discovered his own voice and loves to squawk and talk . Its so dang cute. :) He also STILL loves to be swaddled. How funny is that? He's not that great at rolling but I think its because I hold him or put him in his exersaucer or jumper all the time. He LOVES his jumper. Video soon, I promise.

I snapped a few shots of him yesterday, nothing special but here they are.

houston we have a drooler.

href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27147465@N00/3331259832/">

nick vs john michael

2009-03-04T20:21:00.003-06:00

For those of you who have said you don't think Nicholas is a dead ringer for John Michael here's a side by side of them at the same age.

One of these pictures is John Michael, the other is Nicholas. If you're not shy, come out from behind Google Reader and take a stab at which is which.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Mama Knows Best . net

2009-02-20T15:11:00.002-06:00

My dear friend Elizabeth started an awesome new website a couple weeks ago for mothers, called MamaKnowsBest. The idea is to "pool all those tidbits of mommy wisdom into one big jackpot" - to create a super-resource for mothers from all walks of life. There are categories for correction and training, breastfeeding, education, frugal tips, recipes, household management, pregnancy and childbirth, and much more!

There is already a lot of great stuff on there, but since it is brand new, it still needs more content, and Elizabeth is especially looking for people to post tips and tidbits to help other mothers out!

Check it out and spread the word!

must... keep.... up....

2009-02-13T23:22:00.002-06:00

swamped is the word of the month for me so far.... if you're wondering what i'm up to, picture me with my head barely above water, going back under to clean up after John Michael's regular failed, and rather rancid attempts at potty training, cleaning sheets every day, twice a day - the effect of Adeline's regular failed attempts at night time/nap time potty training... making meals, editing pictures, being domestic and then coming up for more air.

So, while I'm up for air, enjoy this picture of my baby. I think his eyes might be turning colors!

And the potty training hater:

And this one just thinks her brothers are so silly.

Nicholas is four months old!

2009-01-27T20:25:00.003-06:00

Happy 4 month birthday to my happy boy!

He's a typical laid back four month old. He smiles, he coos, he likes to be held. He eats and sleeps well and just about anyone can make him smile. I love him dearly and can't stand to be separated from him!

2009-01-15T18:39:00.002-06:00

According to weather.com its a biting -12 outside with a feels like temperature of -31. I don't think I've ever been so cold! Nipsco must be in heaven. So, with these icy conditions I thought it'd be fun to post some pictures of Adeline's ICE blue eyes. Everywhere we go she gets complimented on her eyes and I must admit that they're pretty phenomenal. :) Now our mission os to understand that while God gave her truly beautiful eyes, that the kind of beauty she should work on accentuating doesn't require mascara, but God's Word applied in her life! But meanwhile I'll be happy capturing these traffic stopping eyes on film. Who knows how long they'll last!

Mixchevious Blue Eyes

Laughing Blue Eyes

She was, shockingly, not that into me taking her picture. When you tell her something she doesn't like she does this really funny face where she closes her eyes almost completely, gets straight faced and kind of glares at you through her lashes. This is the face, halfway.

Smirk.

"Wink Eye" (Addy coined the name of this face herself.

Surprised face

Then, all of a sudden she decided to do an arabesque. She just up and told me, "Now I'm going to perform an aerobesque!" Neither of us actually know what that is (at least I don't anyway!). Maybe she learned it from her Aunt Michelle who is a remarkable ballerina!

And, as you can see, vanity hasn't been completely mutilated in her little heart. She still adores looking at herself in the mirror. :)

faux hawks

2009-01-13T07:56:00.002-06:00

to those who have asked me via e-mail... these shots in the previous post (as well as the one in this post) are SOOC (straight out of camera - that is, unedited). I have some uber fancy lenses that are producing some rockin' colors and sharpness! They cost me my life savings... so I guess Photoshop might be a cheaper alternative... but I love 'em all the same. :)

faux hawks.

brudders gotta have 'em.

And here's a couple of clips from Christmas Eve... Santa showed up!

Part One

santa take 1 from Michelle Hamstra on Vimeo.

Part Two

santa part 2 from Michelle Hamstra on Vimeo.

Snow Day

2009-01-12T13:40:00.002-06:00

Adeline and John Michael finally got a chance to play in the snow. Nicholas passed. So did I. :)

I did, however, run out to grab a few pictures.

Upon arriving outside the kids informed me that the snow was too powdery to make a snowman but they did show me how to make snow angels!

Here's Addy, mid-angel trying to eat any snow that might have drifted onto her face:

Have I ever mentioned that Addy is kind of obsessed with eating the snow? Every time we're outside she tries to eat it, white, black or yellow. We've taught. She ignores. What can I say? Its her turkish delight.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Not quite as enjoyable as she makes it look!

Yup, like I said.

Me Again

2009-01-09T14:27:00.002-06:00

Shocked to see me again? Well, I'd like to make blogging more of a priority so hopefully you'll see me around more and more!

My precious, smiley, squishy, "sNICKerdoodle" is three months old! Wow... when Adeline was first born the first three months went slowly, like savoring a fine wine, and then they were over before we wanted them to be. With John Michael they were a bit more of a blur because Addy was still only 7 months old at the time... and with Nicholas they have been shockingly fast. While I definitely feel like he's always been a part of my family I also feel like he's my little newborn... and yet, looking at him smiling and kicking, playing in his exersaucer and his Graco jumping toy I'm realizing that my little newborn is turning into a full-fledged "baby." And I'm determined to savor it.

Today I set out to take some "3 months pictures" a couple of weeks late. :) And while I was attempting some belly shots Nicholas turned over! He doesn't get much belly time so I was kind of surprised but I made such a big deal out of it that I got all sorts of snap-worthy smiles out of him. :)

Enjoy:

IMMEDIATELY after he rolled over.

I couldn't decide color or bw... ::sheepish grin::

"Nick-a-boo"

Nicholas loves to hold hands.... his own that is.

again, a bit indecisive.

Attempt # 2 at belly shots... he didn't roll over again, nor did he find it amusing that I was still taking pictures!

Attempt # 879 at a kid picture... hehe, one day we'll get it!

This is one WELL loved little guy. Addy talks to him all day long, John Michael adores him and tries to give him toys and blankets and pacifiers non-stop... and I'd sit and cuddle with him endlessly if we had a maid and a cook. :)

We love you Nicholas!

today

2009-01-08T15:53:00.002-06:00

Shockingly, these pictures were taken TODAY!

I often think of how I should play catch up but knowing that I never will I've decided just to post whatever is recent and leave the past the past. Eventually I would like to put Christmas pictures up as well as a video of the kids thinking they were seeing Santa... hehe But until then, enjoy day one of John Michael's unofficial potty training (if I make it official then I have to actually be consistent but right now our lives are a bit too busy to make the full plunge.)

I tried for some pictures of all three kids in my bed.

Addy & Nicholas were loving cuddling... UNTIL

The monster brother joined them.

John Michael must've done something painful to Nicholas because he lost it FAST.

"Three kids in a bed gone bad."

And Addy was so cute talking to Nicholas and comforting him.

"Little Mama"

I thought I'd sneak a picture of myself in....

"Self Portrait."

For some reason the kids REALLY wanted to take a picture of themselves sleeping.

Because Nick was so upset I laid him down in his cradle with his paci. I fully expected this to fail and fail quickly... but when I put him down he went right to sleep!

How can this be comfortable?

Hopefully the new year will bring a new comittment to blogging. I really do think this whole photography biz stuff keeps me from sharing pictures because I always feel like they have to be works of art! Well forget it, if I can make something cool and pretty I will.... but if its P&S (point and shoot :)) then that's fine too. :)

David & Goliath

2009-01-07T08:57:00.001-06:00

David & Goliath from Michelle Hamstra on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T23:07:00.000-06:00

Well, we finally got our Christmas cards created... and then never printed or mailed them! Don't be surprised if you get one late.... I'm still considering sending them for those people who don't check the blog!

We had a fantastic Christmas enjoying all of our favorite out of town family, as well as those in town too. :)

And for you southerners... we don't have dandruff, its SNOWING (that's the white stuff that takes over the world out here!) in this picture!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-11T00:25:00.002-06:00

We *STILL* haven't taken any family pictures for a Christmas card so don't hold your breath to get one from us... ::cringe::

As a matter of fact, we're so behind that we just bought our Christmas tree on Monday! Its still in the living room with NOTHING on it. Tonight Johnny brought up the decorations only to discover that we somehow misplaced or threw out all our Christmas lights last year! Luckily my mom brought some for the kids and his mom had some extra ones so between the two of them we will have plenty of lights to light up our overpriced tiny tree. Is it just me or were trees super expensive this year?

Here are some hilarious pictures of John Michael and Adeline playing with some reindeer antlers they found in the decorations box.

John Michael is getting cuter by the day. He's also getting sweeter and more obedient. He's a silly little guy and the Lord is graciously answering our prayers for him!

Idk why but I love this picture of JM

Funny kids!

I think John Michael looks like Johnny in this next one.. :)

I guess this little Santa needs a nap before driving his sleigh

More soon, I promise! But here's an update - Nicholas weighed 13 pounds 9 ounces at his 2 month check up and was 24 1/4 inches long! That's 4 pounds 6 ounces and 5 1/4 inches growth since birth! He's been a busy little guy. :)

Here's his 2 month picture:

Laird Angus McGangus & Duke, the dancing dogs

2008-11-24T12:40:00.001-06:00

no pictures

2008-11-12T01:05:00.005-06:00

I thought I'd do a rare post without any pictures. I'd be interested to know who actually reads through this instead of scoffing that I took the time to enter something that didn't include visual reminders of my children's innate cuteness!

I've decided I have a love hate relationship with photography. I love it. I love capturing images that are a reflection of who someone is... whether its the unfolding love of an engagement couple or the sweet wonder of a child, capturing that on film (okay, a memory card) can be invigorating.

I also love edgy, different, unpredictable images.... cutting off parts of the body that you thought might be vital - like half of someone's face or the bottom of their chins.... I love that its different and creative and that sometimes it just works.... even though you can't explain why.

I won't lie... I blog stalk. I love finding photographers who are doing something amazing and try to learn from how they think. I love finding ideas and recreating them. Its funny to me that everyone thinks I'm so creative - I'm really just a copycat. I heard someone say once that God is the only TRUE Creator... the rest of us are all just trying to recreate something we've seen before. I think thats true to a degree.

I also love post processing... taking an image that I've captured in camera and creating it into something more.... using editing tools to draw the viewers eye to understand what it is I'm trying to capture. I think that's why I love my photography tagline - Capturing Life. Creating art. I don't want my images to just be photographs.... I want them to be art. Maybe that's why I'm "into" textures right now.

But as invigorating as capturing those moments can be it can be downright discouraging to *miss* it. Lately I think I need to be on meds my love-hate relationship has been so intense! Sometimes when I peruse a beloved photography blog I get overcome with how much I *don't* know. I dream of living where all these incredible locations must be hiding. I wonder how there are so many beautiful people to photograph in the world. And worst of all, I lust after the Canon 5D. I insist I'd be better if I had it. I convince myself that once I do have it my photography will become instantly excellent, my house will always be clean, sin will cease to haunt me and I will lose 10 pounds. Well, okay, maybe I need to quit eating McDonalds and drinking Dr. Pepper to lose that 10 pounds...

Then there are days like Monday. Monday I had an *aha* moment. I succeeded in Manual mode. I usually fail. I almost always resort to Program mode or Aperture Priority mode because its "safe." I was doing a session as a gift though and knew I already had some rockin' images of this super gorgeous couple so I chanced it and it was.... amazing. I think I was on an adrenaline rush for half the day... and no, I hadn't had any Dr. Pepper yet. I'm ridiculously excited to process those images but for now they are waiting in line. Business has been busy.

Speaking of Manual mode... I'm pretty sure my in camera light meter is junk. I'm sure the on on the 5D is remarkable and will change my life. :)

All of that to say that its late.... my kids are at my moms so I feel justified in being online so late... and guilty for not editing pictures right now.... and amused that even though I said I wasn't going to post any pictures of my inhumanly cute kiddos that I'm struggling not to do it as I type.

Okay I'm giving in. After all... its their blog - I was just stealing a soapbox for some public personal reflection. Hope you enjoyed the insight into my mind.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-05T23:43:00.003-06:00

Thanks to my grandparents we ended up with a Spiderman costume! Thanks TuTu & Grandfather! :)

Not much time for blogging these days - I'm super busy at home and all my "extra" time has gone to photo sessions & editing! So, enjoy these snapshots, comment free. :)

(the pictures of Nicholas in the "bones" shirt were taken a couple of weeks ago. He's a bit chunkier now!

spiderman costume anyone?

2008-10-27T15:59:00.002-05:00

i'm looking for a spiderman costume to borrow for john michael.... anyone have one? size 2t-5t would work.

Fall part 1

2008-10-24T00:23:00.002-05:00

Well, fall is officially here! Its really been here for a while... but since I'm posting fall pictures that sounded like I was on top of things. :)

Today we ventured out to the petting zoo at Scheeringa's. The kids LOVED it! The petting zoo is free for those of you who would like to stop in. I suggest bringing your own carrots to feed the animals or you can buy some there. They also have a giant inflatable pumpking that you can jump in so if your kids are jumpers be prepared to shell out $2/jumper. :)

Here are a few pictures from our outing together. I'd post more but I'm not up to sorting through them all right now!

This is one of my favorite ones!

I just got this outfit for Nicholas from a dear friend of mine. Its actually 3-6 months so its a bit big on him but since we were taking these pictures I couldn't resist putting him in it! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this outfit! My friend didn't even know that I had been admiring it at Baby Gap just a few weeks ago. :) I don't think she reads the blog but I"ll have to be sure to write her an extravagant thank you note!

This is how I look these days.... 10 pounds overweight, frizzy pulled back hair and no make up! So, as tempting as it is to not post this picture its really kind of silly... after all, I go out in public like this and rarely look much different! But, I thought a little family picture would be fun.

I also thought a family of my 3 kiddos would be fun.... doesn't this look fun??

I'm sure I got one thats btter but for now that one is definitely my favorite!

The kids liked the petting zoo but they weren't quite as into petting the animals as I thought they'd be. Here they are checking out the bunnies.

And checking out the scenery.

My sweet boy.

Can you tell they liked it?

We also have NEW NEIGHBORS! Johnny's brother DD and his wife Beth bought a house a street over from us and move in this weekend! We are SUPER excited.
We plan on seeing them a lot more often and dropping our kids off there frequently. :) hehe... just kidding.... we'll let them babysit over here. :)

Peanut?

2008-10-15T21:33:00.003-05:00

Well, the jury is out on this one... is Nicholas going to be my biggest newborn but my smallest baby? Right now he's growing at the rate of a snail compared to the other two! At two weeks he wasn't even up to his birth weight yet (weighing in at 9 pounds even - 3 oz. short). The little guy just doesn't like to stay awake to eat! He'd happily eat every 4-5 hours if I let him but I try to do my best to wake him up every 3 hours to eat... the problem isn't so much getting him to wake up as it is getting him to STAY awake! I'll take all his clothes off, flick his feet, get a cold washcloth and wipe his face and body and STILL the kid sleeps on... and if he does wake up he latches on and goes right back to sleep. He even sleeps through his baths!

I'm trying not to worry... but I do get a little concerned about my milk supply and his weight gain.... so its another opportunity for me to trust the Lord. Here are some recent pictures of the little man.

Sleeping through his bath today:

Addy & John Michael went to the doctor with us for Nicholas' check up. John Michael had his 2 year visit too ( a couple months late... ) and they both had their flu vaccinations (which oddly, are now inhaled through the nose!!)

Here's Addy's silly camera face... I wish she'd learn to smile nicely!

My kids LOVE LOVE LOVE going to the doctor!

And here are some more pictures from my first week home:

When all else fails just let the kids play ninetendo.

If you're a prayer... please pray that Nicholas would eat better! Thanks :)

nicholas' newborn pictures

2008-10-12T09:21:00.001-05:00

OH!!

nicholas 9 days old

2008-10-07T16:07:00.002-05:00

Which "finish" do you like better

A - darker

B - lighter

welcome home nicholas

2008-10-05T22:02:00.003-05:00

well, nicholas has been home now for 4 days and he is doing SO WELL. Thank you all for praying for us and checking in on us!

Addy and John Michael are also adjusting quite well. Its been especially nice that Johnny has been home for a few days. He's been showering them with so much love and attention that they're gonna wish we had a baby every week! Not to mention all the attention they got while we were in the hospital. Johnny's parents, John & Ruth, took AWESOME care of them while we were gone that I'm not even sure they missed us! They went to Auntie Shannon's house once and the Barkers took them to the zoo too. Thanks so much everyone for all your help!

Leaving the hospital

Eager Addy running out to greet her newest baby brother!

If you don't laugh out loud at this picture you are being too nice. Her hair alone makes me cry.

My turn!

I was the most worried about John Michael's adjustment to Nicholas' arrival but he is handling it like a champ. He loves to "hold" him and kiss him all over.

But this face reminds me not to forget his mischevious streak!

First ride in the car seat.

First family picture.... and let me tell you how absolutely humbling it is to post this picture. Johnny & I both keep cracking up at how..... large I look! I keep telling myself that its just a bad angle... but then reality kicks in and I realize that I probably was just really big.

Holding the baby.

Proud Grandparents!

Tonight I took an herb bath, compliments of Elizabeth, and Nicholas took one too! This goes against a lot of medical advice since it includes submerging the umbilical "stump" in water... but I figured it was worth a try since Elizabeth has such excellent results. Other than smelling like garlic (which I'm sure Johnny's going to love sleeping next to me!) I can already tell a difference in the healing process - and Nicholas loved it! He was a little confused at first but was completely relaxed in the water and even fell asleep!

We went to church this morning too. I probably would've chosen to stay home and rest but Johnny really wanted us all to go and be part of our church family to share in our joy that Nicholas and I are both well and at home. I didn't regret going at all. It was so encouraging to see and hear from all the people who have been faithfully praying for us. Thank you all!

Now, off to bed. Sleep while the baby sleeps, right? And since he doesn't like sleeping from about 2 am - 5 am I'm going to get some sleep in while I can. :)

Newborn pictures soon, here's a sneak peak to whet your appetite!

Nicholas

2008-10-04T12:48:00.003-05:00

Our last day and a half in the hospital with Nicholas was pretty fast. As soon as we started asking people to pray for Nicholas's breathing and test results he made rapid improvements. He was taken off his oxygen hood the next morning and was off his IV the morning after that. We were able to take him home that afternoon!

Because we were far away from everyone and we weren't allowed to bring visitors in to see Nicholas we asked that only family come to the hospital. It seemed silly for someone to drive all that way to sit in a room and wait with us.

My brother, his girlfriend, Michelle, my sister, Adam, DD & Beth were all able to see Nicholas before the drama started though! I don't have pictures of everyone there because some of them were taken with my mom's camera but I"ll get them eventually.

Jason & Michelle drove hours to get here to see the little guy and Tara & Adam left early in the morning and travelled through gas rationing to make the 12 hour trip. I'm so glad they got here in time to see him before he went to the nursery. I know I couldn't have prevented it but I would've felt terrible if they hadn't gotten to hold him at all... especially after my sister FLEW out here for my cancelled induction a couple of weeks ago!

*These pictures are from before he went into the nursery.

I didn't manage to get a picture of both of Johnny's parents there - probably because they were helping out with Adeline & John Michael!

Hmmm... not sure this is what I expected.

My boy.

My midwife, Julie.

Right after delivery (and multiple passings out... details later)

Not happy to join the world.

swollen newborn shot

Johnny bringing Nicholas to get weighed, etc.

Immediately following delivery. *warning - there's a picture coming up where Nicholas is still "slimy."... if youre weak stomached you might want to skip it.

I somehow managed to convince the nurses to let my sister come in for a quick snuggle before she had to drive home.

Our view from the room (Chicago skyline). These flowers are from my TN gals "E.L.E.N.A." Thanks girls!!

Visiting Sir Nicholas in his quarters.

Watching him turn yellow.

Tia Tara & Adeline. (She loves Tia Tara & Uncle "Adam-Pie!")

More soon.. he's changing so much already! Here's a sneak peak at what he looks like this afternon. I'll post more soon. :)

Check out that nose!

He's my little cutie.

Nicholas Update

2008-09-30T12:54:00.002-05:00

Addy & John Michael came to visit again yesterday. They loved the moving bed! You can see, John Michael couldn't keep his eye off the button that moves the bed!

Nicholas is doing MUCH better today! THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has been praying. As soon as we posted the blog post and texted friends/family to be praying we began seeing an improvement. I believe, with all my heart, that the Lord has been with him both comforting him and strengthening him during this time.

Finally, this morning, he was weaned off of his oxygen "hood." He hasn't been able to eat orally since they had him on the oxygen because they were concerned he asperate (sp?). But, this morning at 9:00 we were able to give him a bottle of expressed milk! He had another one at noon and he'll get another at 3:00. Then I finally get to nurse him again! :) But, since I do most of the feedings I thought it would be nice for Johnny to give him his first bottle.... which, by the way, he chugged!

Here's Nicholas pouting that he can't be held yet!

Here he is, in all his glory...spiky hair, yellow body and arms upward.

Our precious "little" man. Please pray that his retracting dies down, there is no bacteria in his blood and that his jaundice isn't alarmingly high! Thanks guys - we're *hoping* to bring him home tomorrow evening but even Thursday morning would be fine too. Home is the goal either way!

Pictures

2008-09-29T14:12:00.006-05:00

This is another guest blogger, Tara : )

Here is little Nicholas a few hours after he was born. This is one of the only pictures she has with his eyes open, right now he does not seem to like the light.

Check out all the thick dark hair. 9 lbs 3 oz and only 19.5 inches long he definately has the short stocky Mexican blood in him.

Unfortunately Nicholas is having a hard time breating. They are monitoring him , giving him oxgyen and antibotics. We should know how he is doing in the morning.

HE is here!!!!

2008-09-28T15:32:00.003-05:00

HI all, Michelle had a boy, little Nicholas Worthington Hamstra (don't know correct spelling), weighs 9lbs 3 ounces (???). She is still recovering! Will post pics when I get them.

- Kathy

Second Update

2008-09-28T12:27:00.001-05:00

Hey Everyone!

I just got a text from Johnny, she is at 9 cm now!
Praise the Lord, we should see a baby soon!

Sam

First update

2008-09-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

Hey all, Kathy here,

Just got the first update from Johnny and Michelle. She told me she is 7 cm and 80% effaced, so things are progressing well!

Come on baby Hamstra...!!!

going to the hospital!

2008-09-28T07:07:00.002-05:00

I asked Kathy to update my blog for me while I'm there so check back for updates.

Right now I've been having contractions for a few hours at home - they're coming a bit more frequent and intense.... probably about 5 minutes apart... so i called the midwife and she recommended we come in.

Looks like this little guy/gal isn't going to have a 9/29 birthday... or lets hope not or thats one LONG labor!

More soon,
Michelle

Fall has arrived

2008-09-22T18:29:00.002-05:00

Well, even though it was pretty warm out today we are officially welcoming fall to Northwest Indiana! The nights have been cool and we haven't had our air conditioning on in days and days... (though being this pregnant I sometimes wish we did!)

Addy is still trying to grasp the concept of seasons. Right now she thinks all the pumpkins are exclusively for Halloween. John Michael is indifferent about Halloween, though with his sweet tooth (courtesy of the Hamstra blood) I'm sure this will be a memorable holiday for him in the future.

We decided to take advantage of the last of our baby free days by going to a nearby farm stand and picking up some fall decorations.

John Michael insisted he try to pick up a pumpkin on his own:

Addy had a blast playing on the pumpkins. She loved picking up any pumpkin not to heavy for her.

Here are the kiddos cheesin' it up for the trusty ole point & shoot.

And when we got home they collected the scarecrows Mom Mom bought them a few weeks ago to put them in the hay we bought.

And finally, the finished product.

I'd still love to get some mums to put by the door but they were just too expensive at the place we went to. The kids had a blast though and I'm looking forward to the cooler days... and hopefully another little one to share them with!

my cute kiddos

2008-09-20T23:14:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm still pregnant. :)

My midwives had told me they would probably induce me the beginning to the middle of last week... but when I called on Monday to get more information on the timing of it all they gave me a different story! They said they didn't want to induce me after all.... Sadly, my sister had already bought a ticket to come out here to be with me... took off several days of work and ended up missing the birth altogether. I was definitely disappointed. HOWEVER, she had a great time with Addy & John Michael... but even though I told her to remind me to take pictures neither one of us thought of it! We pretty much just hung out at the house but the kids absolutely LOVED having her here.... probably because she has WAY more energy than I do these days and plays with them constantly. What a good aunt!

I thought I'd post these pictures I took of Addy & John Michael a few weeks ago. They were all taken in about 15-20 minutes total since my kids don't exactly LOVE to be photographed. Who does though, right? But even though a couple of these turned out blurry I absolutely love them. I think they will always be precious to me because they really capture their personalities (especially John Michael's pictures!).

I hope to do some more mini sessions with them. I can't believe how I've slacked in taking pictures of my own kids. Sometimes the thought of editing is so daunting that I quit before I even start! But, these pictures hardly needed any editing at all - just a little color/contrast boost and I was good to go!

I couldn't, however, narrow it down from color to black & white... so I'm just posting both. Hope its not too terribly annoying to load! Enjoy:

Those of you who know my children in person probably think this best resembles my little man... its the face he makes most often. :)

and one of him and Johnny that didn't turn out too well but I love it all the same. :)

My new Dream....

2008-09-17T09:34:00.002-05:00

Pregnant with John Michael

2008-09-16T00:24:00.002-05:00

Here is that picture of me pregnant with John Michael at 38 weeks. I was probably a little over a week later in the post below. :)

I definitely think this baby might be smaller!

Ergo Carrier + Diaper Bag + "Birth Date"

2008-09-14T21:40:00.002-05:00

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifFirst.. a picture. :)

Here I am at church this morning with my dear friend, Elizabeth who is due about the same time as me! We're kind of thinking we might have babies on the same day this week... More on that when we find out!

And here are our daughters being girly girls at church today.

It reminds me *again* that I should be more proactive about "play dates" for my kiddies. Currently they have zero regular play dates and very few spontaneous ones!

And here is a picture of me with my friend Adam. When I was pregnant with John Michael we took the same picture... but for the life of me I can't find it! But if I do I'll post them together. :)

And finally, one of me at 38 weeks with John Michael: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3992/1480/1600/IMG_1099.jpg

I think I was bigger then but I can't be sure. Maybe that means this baby won't be as big!

I have a couple quesions for my blog friends.

1. Besides Elizabeth does anyone have an Ergo baby carrier? I'd really, really like to get one but they are SO expensive and I'd like to hear some more feedback before spending the money.

This one is currently my favorite. And for those of you who do have one - do you recommend the infant insert?

Also, I'm in the market for a new diaper bag... anyone have one they love?

More soon!

Did I mention I'm having a boy?

2008-09-10T23:22:00.003-05:00

Did I mention I'm having a boy?

Probably not, because truthfully, we have no idea what we're having. We chose not to find out at either of the ultrasounds we had.. but I am more than convinced that its a boy! Its so funny to me that I feel so strongly about it though! I've never felt so sure in either of the other pregnancies. When I was pregnant with Addy I flip flopped. In the beginning I thought I was having a girl but in the end everyone else convinced me I was having a boy! With John Michael I was pretty sure I was having another girl until we found out that he was a boy! So, my odds of being right are pretty slim - especially according to my track record.... However, I will say that with both of the other pregnancies I never claimed to *know* like I do this time. :)

One of the reasons that I feel so strongly about it is because this pregnancy is VERY similar to John Michael's. The way I gained weight and the amount of weight I gained were nearly identical. I also craved green things and chemical things during my pregnancy with John Michael... the same as during this one.

But, I thought I'd go ahead and make the public statement... I haven't gone as far as to washing all of my boy clothes yet but I'll be honest - I'm tempted! It'd be nice to have that done and ready for when the baby is born... but then the thought of doing all that work, hanging up all the clothes, etc... only to come home with my tail between my legs, pack it all up again and get out the pink stuff has me holding off.... that and the other million things I'm trying to get done before the baby is born!

Enough for now - no pictures, sorry. I might take a "9 months pregnant" picture tomorrow if I have a good hair day... which for me just means at least washing it. :) :)

did i post these?

2008-08-31T19:25:00.002-05:00

this post is going to be a bit of a summer recap... posting pictures I can't remember if I ever posted before! So, fasten your seatbelts, here we go!

SUCH A BOY!

Grandpa "Bampa"'s birthday (In June!)

A painting project

Swimming with the Sade-ster

Joy rides

These are pictures of the kids with their "crazy faces". :)

4th of July parade

The kids absolutely loved collecting the candy as it was thrown out of the passing trucks.

I love this one. Its completely impossible to get the kids all looking at the same time... but I think I'll cherish these types of pictures more than any posed one I ever take! Such good memories!

Cotton candy is now an annual 4th of July parade tradition. :) Addy remembered it from last year! John Michael wasn't really sure what to do with it but in the end I don't think he was without his fair share of sugar. :)

And a few random ones to finish it off. :)

Addy loves her backpack... and her cowboy boots. She's excited about a new pair she just got from Uncle Jason!

And John Michael is really getting into reading. He's reading more and more these days. I think this no TV thing has been good for him... I write that as the kids are watching a movie in the basement. :) :) :)

Can you tell I'm in my "nesting" mode? I'm getting things done like crazy - including blogging!

Check out the photograhy blog for some recent updates. :)