Cute Boy Alert!!!

Cute Boy Alert!!!, originally uploaded by stephenhunton.com.

Had ourselves a little photo shoot for Eli turning 4 months old the other day. Will post some more pics soon, but wanted everyone to see our smiling boys! Kristine and I are so blessed!

Hunton boy update

Last week, Adler had swim lessons at a friend's neighborhood pool. Each day had a new challenge, but in the end, Adler learned some valuable skills that we can keep working on for the rest of the summer!

Day 1: Adler refused to wear his swim shorts. He kept saying "I'm wet!" and "Take it off!". We tried to explain that getting wet was the point, but it didn't seem to make any difference. We were able to negotiate leaving the swim diaper on, but the board shorts had to go. 

Day 2: Stephen picked up some Euro swim trunks at H&M. One had Lightning McQueen, so that was a no brainer and Adler kept the suit on for the lesson. 

Day 3: Adler decided he didn't like the swim instructor or the pool and spent most of the lesson sitting out saying "I don't like it" and "it's NOT!" (whatever that means). 

Day 4 & 5: We took a positive turn and things got fun! Maybe we finally figured out the right combination of suit, daddy participating, bribery with suckers, and maybe he had gained some confidence. By the last day, he was going under water, kicking, and loving it!

Eli and I enjoyed cheering him on from the side lines!
This week, I also started Eli on a homemade mixture of banana and rice blend. I'm not sure how much he actually ingested, but it seemed like good practice. He has been sleeping better at night (waking up at 5:30am), so not sure how much of that has to do with the food or age, but am enjoying the sleep!

Happy 7th Anniversary!

7 years ago today we were on a flight headed to St. Thomas as Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hunton! God has been so gracious to us! As an anniversary tradition, we watched our wedding video last night- we always laugh at the same clips and it was a great reminder of that special day! It also made me miss all the friends we had at our wedding! Being married so young was so fun because so many of our college friends were able to attend (no one had really moved away yet). 

We had a great date night on Saturday! I left Eli with the world's best sitter for the first time (Mrs. Sharon-who is a teacher at Adler's school and has kept Adler for us many times) and we went to the Virginia Highlands Summer Fest. Afterwards, we had an incredible dinner at Spice Market at the W Hotel in Midtown!

Both Adler and Eli remembered our anniversary and each had their own gift! Adler had his first "tell mommy and have a big poo poo in the potty" and Eli rolled over from back to tummy for the first time! Funny the things you get excited about these days!

Quotes to remember during potty training

OK I'm only making this post because this is a private blog, and all 5 of you who read this are friends and family. Adler will probably hate me for sharing this but it is too funny. So, the potty training has continued at our house. Adler has come up with a few hilarious comments while getting frustrated pushing out a poop......(also, there are plenty of hysterical concentration faces he is making while doing this)

"Mommy do it!"- I tried to explain there was nothing I could do to help him

"It's too heavy!" - (meaning it's too "hard")

"Adler squeeze tight!"

And a few times.... if I'm sitting on the potty, Adler gets mad and says "MY TURN NOW!!!!". Geez, can't a girl catch a break?

Potty training:

Here's how that is going...

he doesn't want to wear a diaper

he doesn't really want to wear underwear

he really doesn't want to use the potty without candy as a bribe

he really doesn't want to do anything he is instructed in regards to peeing and would rather just run around the house naked and pee on the floor. 

that's how that is going.....

Adler's first ice cream truck adventure

Adler's first ice cream truck adventure, originally uploaded by stephenhunton.com.

a few weeks ago, we were at one of our favorite parks, hanging out and watching the train go by when the ice cream truck rolled into the parking lot. Kristine and I were definitely excited to share the experience with Adler, since he'd never bought an ice cream from the ice cream man. I think he was a bit shy at first, but once he got his mouth around that Orange Dreamsicle he was sure sad to see the truck go. Adler waved goodbye to the truck as it drove away, but I'm sure this will become a lasting friendship for years to come. :)

Awe, that's sweet, Daddy!

Stephen gave me a big hug before he left the house the other day. Adler saw his daddy hug his mommy and said, "Awe, Daddy, that's sweet!". It was too cute!     

Picture Update

Here's what I came home to after a wonderful morning out while Stephen kept the boys.....

We had some friends over last Friday night...all the girls fought over Adler and he of course, loved it!
Sweet brothers!



Finally! I got a picture of the matching Easter outfits! Eli has already grown out of his!
Loving that smile!
Grammi sent some goodies....

Adler's prayer

At nap and bedtime, we always say a prayer with Adler. We ask him who he would like to pray for. Here was today's list:

Rylie

Billy Jean (rylie's dog)

Mommy and Daddy

my trains - then he was very specific on which ones....Thomas, James, Percy and Gordon

and chocolate

The last prayer request reminds me he is definitely my child!

Coffee date

Here's my little "coffee" buddy. Is it bad my 2 year old already asks for coffee and will steal mine if I'm not keeping my eye on my cup of joe? It's not like this child needs any more energy! Neanie gave Adler his own coffee mug last Easter, so he is enjoying drinking "coffee" (or watered down decaf coke) with his mommy. 

Menu planning simplified

Sometimes I'll peep onto this blog. She always has interesting home making ideas...how to save money, grow a garden, make your own...., good reads, etc. I liked how she wrote out a monthly menu and thought interesting how she grouped the day by "theme".  It definitely did seem to make things simple. (I'm usually still trying to decide what to cook at 4pm) This may be a bit too rigid for me, but I thought I would share how she planned her menu:

Mondays - Main Dish Salads

1. Southwest Chicken Salad
2. Stir Fry w/Rice & Veggies (twice a month)
3. Chicken Ceasar Salad or Wraps

Tuesdays - Sandwiches & Soups

1. Grilled Veggie Sandwiches (our favorite frugal summer meal!)
2. BBQ Beef Sandwiches
3. Dijon Chicken Sandwiches & Garden Chowder
4. Fish & Chips (with homemade French Fries)

Wednesday - Italian/Ethnic

1. Pasta Presto
2. Hummus Platter
3. Penne w/Chicken and Asparagus (or in season produce)
4. Chicken Curry over Rice

Thursday - Mexican

1. Grilled Stuffed Burritos
2. Grilled Asparagus (or in season produce) Quesidillas
3. Chicken Fajitas
4. Baked Potato Bar

Friday - Special Dinner Night

Friday is family night, so we also have  our once a week dessert on this night

1. Homemade Pizza (twice a month)
2. Hamburgers, baked beans
3. BBQ Chicken

Saturday & Sunday

Leftovers, Spaghetti, Nachos, or Waffles (our favorite Sunday night treat)

Eli's bath-time

Keeping that stylish hair super clean!

Compassion

This morning, Adler displayed so much compassion for his mommy. It meant so much to me. I was walking from the kitchen to the living room, when my foot caught the end of Adler's wooden picnic table. It seemed I hit it just right, scratching the skin at the same time and crumbled into the couch groaning in pain. (ok maybe I was being dramatic, but it really did hurt) I was really surprised Adler even noticed because he was in his "Little Einsteins" trance. He came over to me with the sweetest look of concern. "You OK mommy?" "Hurt you? Boo Boo?" "I kiss it?" So sweet. I showed him my red foot. He took it into his hands so delicately, like when he approaches Eli, and kissed it so sweetly. At this point I had tears, but they weren't from pain, but at the tenderness of his heart. He then crawled up on the couch with me and said, "Come here, mommy" as to console me, and laid his head on my chest and gave me a big hug. The injured foot was long forgotten and I was reminded my sweet Adler is growing up, developing, and caring for others. This was something I couldn't teach him, but something he felt on his own. It was such a sweet moment (and I do mean moment) because the next thing I knew, he was off chasing Sadie with his pet "snake" (a towel he drags on the floor making a "ssss" sound). But at least we are making some progress!

Level6 Records

Level6 Records, originally uploaded by stephenhunton.com.

Things have been super busy for me over the last few weeks. Photography is becoming more and more time consuming, which is awesome and I've had the opportunity to shoot some unique stuff recently. You can see more at my photo blog:
http://stevohunton.blogspo.com

Happy Mother's Day!

a friend emailed this to me....

Before I was a Mom, 
I never tripped over toys 
or forgot words to a lullaby. 
I didn't worry whether or not 
my plants were poisonous. 
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom, 
I had never been puked on. 
Pooped on. 
Chewed on. 
Peed on. 
I had complete control of my mind 
and my thoughts. 
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom, 
I never held down a screaming child 
so doctors could do tests. 
Or give shots. 
I never looked into teary eyes and cried. 
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. 
I never sat up late hours at night 
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom, 
I never held a sleeping baby just because 
I didn't want to put her down. 
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces 
when I couldn't stop the hurt. 
I never knew that something so small 
could affect my life so much. 
I never knew that I could love someone so much. 
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom, 
I didn't know the feeling of 
having my heart outside my body.. 
I didn't know how special it could feel 
to feed a hungry baby. 
I didn't know that bond 
between a mother and her child. 
I didn't know that something so small 
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom, 
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night 
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. 
I had never known the warmth, 
the joy, 
the love, 
the heartache, 
the wonderment 
or the satisfaction of being a Mom. 
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, 
before I was a Mom ..

open sky

open sky, originally uploaded by stephenhunton.com.

There's a lot going on at Casa Del Hunton right now, but something about flying above a sea of clouds helps me to realize how small I really am, and just how in control God really is.

Growing up!

Sweet little Elijah Beckett just keeps getting bigger! Already in the Bumbo! He is just a little cutie!

And here's my Mother's Day present! Thanks boys! I'm looking forward keeping up with Adler on the playground while having Eli right with me. This carrier is so much more comfortable and easier on my back than the Bjorn! Eli may need a few more weeks before he's ready for it, but he seemed pretty happy!

And just for fun....here I am...the date on my computer says it was the end of October, so I was 6 months pregnant, but man, do I look big! I have to admit, I do love being pregnant! 

And I have to add...the thing I am loving about Adler these days he how much he is starting to communicate with me. He's able to tell me about things that happen to him at school. For instance, this week, the class bully bit Adler on the arm. This is the second time Adler has been bitten in his class - the first time, the teacher was unable to determine who did the biting. Adler said it was one little boy, but looking back, I think he was just repeating names I was saying to try and get an answer. The teachers took this incident very serious this time, which I appreciated. However, I was amazed by the difference from this incident to the last (only about a month ago). Adler talked about what happened to him at school the entire day. "Will bit you" (he gets "me" and "you" mixed up) and "Ian kissed it and made it better" (Ian is he best friend) "Put ice on it and make it better" (I was sent home with a form that indicated ice was applied) "Ian hugged Adler and made it all better" (he was very impressed by Ian) The first thing he said to me to today when I picked him up from school was that he had a cupcake! (he was very excited....it was a little girl's birthday they had celebrated). Not only is it fun to be able to talk to him more and have more conversations, I love being able to hear from him about his day, what things excited him or made him sad. He's been such a great helper with Eli and such a good big brother! We need Stephen to do some pics of us! Maybe this weekend!

photo booth pics

tum time

Mobile Pics

Sweet Baby Eli is 3 months!

New outfit sent from Neanie and Papa
Hanging out
An outfit I sewed for Adler. That's a crab out of felt on the front. It's too small, it will have to wait for Eli. Adler doesn't care much for the outfit either. He says "I don't want to" and "I don't like it" when trying to get it on him. I admit that it took a bribe for candy to get this picture, but I at least wanted to see what it looked on him once after all that work!
Eli playing on his activity mat. Adler is always jealous and wants to lay down with him
Eli and I enjoying the beautiful weather at the Inman Park Festival. It was a great day and the festival was much easier as a second time mom! I saw some vintage baby boy fabric I regret I didn't buy. It would have made a cute Jon Jon!
Adler likes to take his cars and drive them on Sadie's back. It actually feels pretty good. Sadie doesn't seem to mind much either!
I know this pic is blurry, but it's the best I could do. This is a camera pic of Adler's school pic. Of course, we ordered one because it was so cute!
Caleb and Adler playing Wii.