Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Fun at McWane

Yesterday we spent a fun morning playing at the McWane Science center with friends Maggie & Rollins. They have great play & explore areas for kiddos. The kids especially loved the water area where they could fill buckets and splash around. There's a ton to do there- we only made it to one and a half of three floors, and it sufficently tired us all out! There's lots of pictures, so I'm trying out one of these slideshows- click below to see all pictures...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Special Weekend Breakfast & Dinner

I've been wanting to post these pictures from this past weekend, so, even though we have fun pictures from our outing today to post, I'll save those for tomorrow and post about the weekend before the weekend is too far past!

Saturday morning Georgia & I made a special breakfast for daddy. She helped me make french toast (or "french bread", as we called it b/c she knows what "bread" is but not "toast")- breaking the eggs, stirring, shaking the cinnamon, putting the bread in the eggs, and helping us eat it up- in bed! Yep, we brought daddy breakfast in bed! He said that was the first time he'd ever had breakfast in bed, so we might have to do it more often. Georgia thought it was great fun eating with us in bed, and ate lots!, so we'll have to try it again for her. I wonder if our little vegatarian would try breakfast sausage if it was eaten in bed??
Yummm, bread!

Adding cinnamon- shake shake shake!
Oops- too much shaking!!

Stir it up!!


Saturday night the 3 Phelps came over. That was special because it was Logan's first time to our house, and one of his first big outings. Larry grilled some steaks, and after we and all the kiddos ate, the girls watched Miss America upstairs and the guys watched Saw V downstairs. And of course we had to get some shots of the boys together, even though they were both sleepy!
Lincoln (8 weeks) & Logan (3.5 weeks)
Doesn't look like they're dancing?!
Can't we just go back to sleep, mom?!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Lincoln: 8 Weeks

Dear Lincoln,
Just as I have tried to do with Georgia, I will be posting letters to you to record what you are doing and learning and the fun we're having together! This is your first one:

I can't believe eight weeks has sped by! The first month was especially a blur as we brought you home in the midst of Christmas preparations and celebrations. It was a fun time with lots of family here to meet you, help us and just enjoy being together. Things have slowed down a bit now and I am adjusting to my days with you and Georgia at home. We stay busy with feedings, naps and keeping up with your big sis! We've been a bit housebound by sickness and cold weather, but I think it is part of God's plan to get me to slow down and just enjoy this time with you. I try to take advantage of any quiet moments in the day to gather you in my arms and talk to you, snuggle or just hold you while you sleep. I think I let to many of those moments slip by with your big sister as I was busy trying to figure out schedules and just how to be a mom. She and I still had our special time, but I also know that just as a product of being the second child, your one-on-one time with mommy will be less, so I try to take advantage of any opportunities for it that come up. And you are a snuggle-boy and seem to love it too!

Here are a few more 'milestones' you have reached:
~You are a great eater and growing big & strong! At your 7 week checkup last week you were 11 pounds exactly and 22 1/2 inches long- up 2 lbs 2 oz and 2 inches from birth. You have sweet baby rolls on your legs and arms, a double chin, and pinchable cheeks!

~You were a horrible nurser, like your sis, and so mommy is back to pumping her baby's milk. But you eat great from a bottle and I'm just thankful that you're eating and healthy! You eat about 4 oz, 6 times a day. You do great on a 3-hour schedule and wake up like clockwork every 3 hours during the day, ready for chowtime!

~After your last feeding at about 11pm, you sleep till about 7 or 7:30 am- 8 hours!! Mommy & daddy are so grateful for this! You still sleep a lot during the day, but are also starting to have some regular "wake time" after eating when we get to play with you.

~I think I have another chatterbug on my hands! You have started cooing and making noises at us, and once you get going it's hard to get you to stop- not that we want to! You are smiling at us too and it's so sweet to see your twin dimples when you smile real big! You also have started to watch the fish that circle overhead in your swing and like to talk to them. When they stop circling you let out a cry to alert us to restart them!

~Your big sis loves to give you kisses- this morning she kept kissing your belly and toes! She tries to help mommy (sometimes!) by giving you your paci or throwing away the diapers. She also tries to give you your bottle- unfortunately for you it's usually empty when she's trying to cram it in your mouth! She's only sat on your head once, and thankfully you were to big for her to lift you out of the swing... ;)

~Daddy is a big fan of you too and usually gives you your first and last feedings of the day. He loves to give your sweet cheeks kisses too, and snuggle with you in the big chair.

You have been a wonderful addition to our family! Things can definitely get more crazy with two little ones under two in the house, but I'm loving it! I'm excited to see what new things you will learn in the coming weeks, and to see the relationship between you and your sister blossom. Daddy and I are so thankful to the Lord for giving us a beautiful, healthy, sweet baby boy, and are honored to raise His precious child.
We love you Lincoln!
love, Mommy
1 Week Old

8 Weeks Old

Monday, January 19, 2009

Fresh Air

Yesterday we took advantage of the break in cold weather to get out and play at the park. Apparently we weren't the only ones feeling cooped up as the park was crowded with kiddos. Despite all four of us still being sniffly, the fresh air and even more, the change in scenery was great!

Friday, January 16, 2009

Singing thru Sickness


We've been quarantined in the house all week- Georgia has had a bad cold and shared it with the rest of us. So we've been passing the days with Tylenol, tissues and songs. So we have nothing exciting to share, except our voices :)

Georgia (& mommy) singing "The wheels on the bus"- one of her favorite songs since buses are her favorite vehicle. Oh yea, and she's covered in banana...


Lincoln says he can sing too! His song is called "Wooo-ahhh" (what more can you expect from a 6-week old!)...

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Double-Bus

Yesterday I got ambitious and decided to try out our double-stroller for the first time. I picked it up at the Kids Market consignment sale last fall, anticipating nice long walks with both of my babies. Yesterday's sunshine provided the perfect opportunity- and we did have a nice walk! It felt great to stretch my legs, be out in the sunshine and get my heart rate up- maybe up more than I expected pushing the "double-bus" around! That's my new name for the stroller, since it's as big as a bus!! I got more workout than I bargained for pushing that thing up & down the hills in our neighborhood. Both kiddos seemed to enjoy the ride and the fresh air- hopefully our lives have settled down enuf that the double-bus will be a regular part of our routine!
Kiddos loaded up in the double-bus!
My little sunshine!
Sweet baby boy- that hat used to be my brother's!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Little Milestones

We've hit two little milestones this weekend in the Hipp house- Georgia slept in her "big girl bed" in her big girl room, and Lincoln went 8 hours between feedings at night! Although, both are still works in progress...
We've been slowly setting up a Big Girl Room for Georgia since her brother will need to move into the crib & nursery. We call it "the pink room" since it's, well, very pink. My fault completely. I don't know what's gotten into me- I just want her room to be pink! I have no explanation since I'm usually not a 'pink room' kindof gal. Anyways, I digress...
We waited till company left and our house settled back down to try out the big girl bed, and since this weekend was nice n' quiet for us, we gave it a try. It was a bit of a struggle, but Saturday she napped in her bed! Sunday didn't go so well, and we finally had to put her down in the crib, but today she is again napping in her big girl bed! Granted- it took about an hour of her singing, running laps around the room, jumping on & off the bed, and "discipling" her lamby (hmmm, wonder where she learned that?!) till she finally fell asleep. But asleep she is, in her big girl bed. For those wondering- the "big girl bed" is just a twin mattress on the floor- we figured that would offer less risk of head injuries. And we're just trying naps in there for now, till she gets the hang of it.
And, yes, I did risk it all to sneak in and take of picture!
Lincoln was obviously agreeable to the plan to get Georgia out of the crib, because he went 8 hours for us Saturday night! We were both shocked the next morning when we woke up and saw the clock. We do give some credit for this early achievement to the fact that he's bottle-fed, so we make sure he's good & full before bedtime. (Yes, I am once again pumping & bottle-feeding since my children apparently do not like to nurse.) He only went a bit over 7 hours last night, so our praise may be premature, but we can feel it coming....

And this is just a little bonus picture...
Lincoln sporting a "baby-hawk" after his bath last night!

And Bernie just tries to stay out of the way & enjoy his sunshine!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Sleeping Baby


I held my sleeping baby today, his warm, sweet, milky breath blowing gently on my face. I snuggled him close and he fit instinctively against me.

He had been getting restless and fidgeting and the paci + swing combo wasn't working for him anymore. So I took him in my arms and we burrowed into the corner of the couch. I knew I was using him. He was my excuse for taking advantage of the sudden, rare quiet that filled my house. The quiet that happens -maybe- for only 2 hours in the afternoon, as my 2 little ones rest their busy bodies, the dog curls up in a patch of sunshine and my mind can finally hear itself. Today I took advantage of that moment with my son, letting the thoughts of the laundry half-done, dinner to be decided & thawed, phone calls and emails to be returned, blogging to be updated, my house that hasn't been properly cleaned since my holiday company left and probably since my son was born... letting those thoughts dissolve and instead focusing only on his cherub face resting so close to mine.

His hand flexed in his sleep and I put my finger against his palm so he would instinctively grab it. I marveled at his long fingers. His hands should be chubby, to match his size, but his extra-long fingers stretch out instead. His body, too, should be more rolls and dimples to match his weight, but, to me at least, he just looks- big! He was 11 pounds at the beginning of this 5th week on our home scale- I shake my head in wonder! I only have my daughter to compare to, and, being as uninterested in eating as he is interested, she was always lean and petite. Which makes him seem so- big! His body is warm in my arms as he stretches then snuggles closer. How can such a little person make so much heat?!

The silence in the house stretches mercifully on, even the ice maker seems content not to shatter the spell. My mind wants to jump and race from thought to thought- it doesn't usually get this much time to itself! But I force myself to just sit, and enjoy the moment. I want to capture this time somehow, since I know it's not repeatable. Even by tomorrow he will have grown; it all happens so fast. He already looks more baby than newborn at 5 weeks old, and with his appetite, he'll continue to fill out and get more- big! I wish for a brief moment that there was another silent observer here to unobtrusively snap our picture and capture the moment, but at the same time I don't want to share this space, this moment, my mommy-time. So I let my mind instead describe it as best possible in words, so I can later write it here. I know I won't capture it perfect- the unusually beautiful winter day out the window, the peacefulness that surrounds us, the satisfaction from just holding a sleeping baby in your arms, the connection I feel grow more unbreakable every time I hold this little person. And I know my words are also a Prayer of thanksgiving, for this moment and all in my life that make it possible.

Friday, January 2, 2009

An Early Friend

Lincoln's little buddy, Logan Phelps, decided to make an early arrival!
Our best friends, Matt & Sandy, welcomed Logan Scott Phelps yesterday, Jan 1st, at 1:04pm. He is 4 1/2 weeks before his due date, but a welcome surprise!
The Phelps had been over at our house, hanging out and watching the New Year come in. They left around 12:30am, and we had just gotten Lincoln fed and settled, and were drifting towards sleep ourselves when we got a panicked call from Matt. They thought Sandy's water had broke, and just needed confirmation from someone who'd been there that this was really happening! We told them, Yes! Call the doc and go to the hospital!! At the hospital, they confirmed Logan was on his way, got Sandy started on a bit of pitosin and Logan came on out!
Sandy and son are both doing well. Logan was 5 pounds, 7 ounces and 19 inches. He's so long he doesn't look like he's only 5 1/2 pounds, but is also very lean since he didn't have those last weeks to fatten up. He feels so tiny to hold after my chunky boy! He has a headful of thick, dark hair. Thankfully he didn't have to spend any time in the NICU, and will probably get to go home on time. Thank the Lord for a beautiful, healthy boy for our friends, and playmate for Lincoln!

Tiny, big, biggest- Logan, Lincoln (1 mo), Georgia (21 mo)


Little buddies!


Hipps & Phelps
Yes, that's me in the pink-striped shirt- I've chopped my hair off! :)