Great gift ideas for new moms (this is not a hint for Stephen, but if he wanted to buy me something from this list I would be okay with it)

Okay this is a random post, but I've been thinking about the gifts I have loved receiving since Adler's arrival, and figured it couldn't hurt to share my thoughts...especially for those dads-to-be (if that is you, be sure you have a gift in mind for your sweet wife whose body is about to experience all kinds of crazy things you don't want me to explain)

1. Bath and Body Works Anti-bacterial hand soap - this was a great gift because I never realized how much I was going to be washing my hands those first months of Adler's life. In all the craziness, it was nice to have a great smelling/relaxing hand soap. I hate to admit that I can't remember who gave this to me...maybe it was myself? 8 months seem like a long time ago..anyways, on to the next topic...

2. Votivo candles - being at home more than you are used to, it's great to have a fantastic smelling candle to brighten the mood and lift your spirits. KT gave this to me in the "Spring" scent - I will always think of baby Adler when I smell that "Spring" Votivo candle!

3. Bath and Body Works body wash - I had the lemon and coconut scent. This was a great gift from Jaime because I have realized as a new mom, you LOVE your showers! It's your little moment in time to yourself, to not have spit-up on you, and to relax.

4. Breakfast for day after bring home baby day- a great friend of mine, Jamie Clayton, put together a sweet basket of breakfast goodies. Decaf tea (for mom), coffee, jams, honey butter, english muffins, cream cheese, and bagels. She sent her husband over to the house the day we brought home Adler. It was a great treat the next morning for me and Stephen and for all the guests that were at the house. Stocking the kitchen of breakfast food was the last thing I thought of! Thanks Jamie!

5. Powdered Donuts in hospital room - who the heck doesn't like these things? Experienced mom, Misty Fountain, was the life saver on this one. This friend was also thoughtful to bring items like tooth brush and deodorant for a forgetful mom in labor! The donuts were a great snack at all times of the day! Food in general is a great idea. My sister, Rylie, brought a chicken wrap from Jason's Deli - nothing had ever tasted so good!

6. Comfy clothes to wear around house - it was late fall when I had Adler, so when my best friend's mom sent a comfy sweater from the Gap, I was very thankful. I had not bought any non-maternity clothes, so having something new that wasn't a tent or wasn't from last year was a big treat. Thanks Janet!

7. Massage - When Stephen's mom, Raynelle, came for a visit, she took me out for a massage while Stephen kept Adler. This was great time for myself, especially as I was adjusting to picking up and carrying a new born every where I went! A must for every new mom!!

8. A gift certificate for a house cleaning - while I never actually received this gift - I had a great team of cleaners - Raynelle, my mom, and Stephen, but I could imagine if you did not have the help, what a great gift this would be!

9. A great mom to cook all your favorite foods, do you laundry, and maintain your sanity! Thanks so much mom!

10. Special band to wear with my wedding ring - the night before I had Adler, Stephen and I had a great "last date" out. While we were at the Horseradish Grill, Stephen gave me a beautiful "anniversary-type" band to wear with my wedding ring. It was really sweet of him and meant so much that he had taken the time to pick something out special for me. Thanks Stevo, you're the man!

The return of the Nintendo

Just wanted to let everyone know that while I was at my parents house, I snagged the Nintendo I spent countless childhood hours playing...sweaty palms, callused thumbs, the dreaded music, that silly princess always in another castle....these are the memories Stephen and I have been reliving for the past 2 weeks.

The first night, we stayed up until 1am playing. I only have a few games, Mario 1/Duckhunt, Paper Boy, King Kong, and Mario 3, I think I would have the perfect collection if I only had Frogger.

I remember when my sisters and I put our money together to buy the Nintendo Entertainment System. We bought it at Walmart for $199. That was a lot of chores or whatever the heck I did to earn that money!

Anyways, just thought I would share!

Project: Complete the Projects

So, the Hunton house is a bit crazy right now. We're having a little get together in the coming weeks, and Kristine and I just got really motivated to get the house in "presentable fashion"...so thus began "Project Month" where we've been painting the rest of our living room and entrance, finished painting the kitchen, installed new dining room lighting, a new living room fan (more on this to come), started looking to replace our flourescent eye sore of a light in the Kitchen, etc etc. I aerated the grass, am now "de-thatching" it (basically clawing at the ground with a rake in order to get up all the dead grass to promote growth), re-soiled and mulched our tree in the front...back yard tree is next...re-mulching the beds in the backyard, and also sanding, pressure-washing, and finally staining/sealing our deck. The deck is actually looking pretty solid. Kristine was quoted saying "wow...I might actually want to go out there now."

The most challenging aspect thus far, besides the de-thatching , was the living room fan. We have vaulted ceilings, which are quite tall. This shouldn't be difficult with my HUGE ladder though right? Wrong...even with it, I still couldn't reach the top...SO, we pulled over the trusty dining room table and installed the leaf. This made the ladder a perfect fit atop the dining room table (by perfect, I mean "no room left whatsoever"). I then proceeded to stand atop this ladder/dinning table combo and take down the existing fan to replace with the new one. It looks so much better, and was definately worth the effort, but I am glad that I didn't fall and break my face.

Pictures to come.

Hello

Just saying hello today. As you can see, I finally figured out how to post videos without Stephen's help. Adler and I flew out to Texas to spend a week with family. It was definitely interesting flying by yourself with a baby (Stephen stayed at home for a week of bachelorhood). But I had a great time seeing friends and family - pictures posted soon. You can also check out posted pictures from my night out without Adler below. Hope you're having a great day!
xoxo

Adler Tries to Clap

Adler's First Kiss

The Faces of Adler @ 8mo's

Momma wore heels

I would like to say my calves are sore from a really good work out. Actually, they are/were sore from a night out in heels! I was invited to a really fun work party last Thursday. I got to see all my event industry buddies, favorite caterers, staff, and my old boss, Robyn. It was really fun to hear people say I was missed...after 8 months of changing dirty diapers, I had forgotten I used to handle 3-4 200 person events in a weekend with no sweat. Jamie let me borrow a super cute dress, so it was also fun to get dressed up. However, I realized I'm a bit out of practice with the curling iron when I burned the side of my face (ouch!)...nothing a little added blush wouldn't hide!
Anyways, I'll post pictures soon to prove I actually left the house without Adler!

Happy Father's Day to me!

Well, my first Father's Day has come and gone, and I honestly don't know how this first one will ever be topped. Kristine gave me a great gift, a new lens for my camera that I've been wanting for a while, PLUS some really great pictures she printed out of us that I'm going to bring to the office to remind me that no matter how tough a day is at work, I get to come home at night to a great family.

Adler's present to me was probably a little less predictable (seeing as I'd sent Kristine a "helpful link" of where she could find the lens I wanted....should she be so inclined to purchase it ;)

We were at Church, and following the service, Kristine needed to feed Adler in the nursing room, so I took a walk to check out the Church's new bookstore. Kristine let me know that they were done, and that the room was empty so I could come in and help get Adler's bags/etc. When I walked into the room, Adler looked up, saw me and said "Dadda" in such a sweet voice. It was the perfect Father's Day gift, and so awesome that Father's Day was the day he figured out that I was "Dadda".

We then took Adler to experience The Varsity for the first time. Famous for their chili dogs, frozen orange drink, onion rings, and mean old ladies that yell impatiently at you for your order, I knew that Father's Day was the only day in which I could request such a meal without too much resistance from Kristine. It was a great meal, and Adler got his first Varsity cap (see below). I can't wait to take him back when he's old enough to actually eat there and experience "The Frozen Orange".

So, overall, Father's Day was a great day. I felt so encouraged by Kristine, and couldn't help but think of how blessed I am to have this family.

*a couple pics from the new lens!!!

Adler

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad! Stephen and I had a fun day together. Church, lunch at the Varsity (famous Atlanta drive-thru/diner restaurant)...I'll let Stephen write about his day and Adler's special gift to his daddy!

St. Simons Island

(having trouble with the lay-out with this one, sorry!)

For our 5th Anniversary, Stephen and I had a get-away weekend to St. Simons Island. We had a great time and would highly recommend the island to anyone looking for a low-key weekend.

We stayed three nights at the Village Inn and Pub. We had a great little room with a balcony overlooking the main street. The Pub had live music and great bar service late-night. The Inn also provided a great breakfast, pool, and friendly atmosphere for a couple who really needed some R&R. Here I am in front of our Inn:



We got to the Island Thursday night. We slept in on Friday morning. I'll repeat that...I SLEPT IN FRIDAY MORNING. Do you realize how long it's been since I've done that?? At least 8 months because I was not sleeping well when I was prego. It was GREAT!! Friday afternoon we went to lunch, then rented bikes and rode around the island. It was great exercise and we got some great shots of the island.

Our second day was a bit more relaxing. We rode bikes to the beach and layed out all morning long. We came back for lunch and for a couples massage. This was GREAT and exactly what I needed. Stephen declared that a couples massage is now a MUST on all future vacations...this, of course, is completely okay with me!

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach after our massages. It was so nice to just lay on a beach and not worry about the sun, sand, wind, naps, feedings, dirty diapers, for just a short moment. I will say, though, that we spent most of our time of the beach watching families with little kids and saying things like "awee...won't it be fun when Adler is doing that?"












After a day at the beach, we walked to dinner at a restaurant called Crab-Daddy's. This was a much better experience than our first night at The Red Barn. (The Red Barn has a "verbal menu to make the experience more personal", but I think I insulted the waiter when I asked about prices. Don't you want to know if you are ordering a $10 plate of shrimp or a $25 plate?)

Anyways, we had a great weekend together and best of all, we didn't have to worry for a second about our precious Adler because we knew he was being well taken care of by his Grammi and TomTom! Thanks again, guys!

Summer = Trashy TV

It's funny and sadly addicting, but summer always bring on low budget, trashy tv shows that I can't help to watch. I guess it's because there is really nothing else on, but the latest shows I'm watching..

Wife Swap - did anyone see the episode with the woman who said "In the name of the Lord, get out of my house!"? (crazy)

X-Wives Club - where they script and probably pay the "X" to say things like "man, I can't believe I let her go"

Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader? - Shouldn't we be embarrassed as a society by this show? Did anyone see the report about how kids are now out-sourcing tutors online from India because it's cheaper than American tutors?

American Inventor - Did you see the guy who invented the fire proof suit? It looked like he wrapped himself in tin foil. Why would you have time to wrap yourself in foil if your house was burning down...and why did this guy think that was a good idea?

American Bingo Night - I have to admit I haven't seen this one, but they really try to sell it to you on the previews

Just some random thoughts about things I waist my brain power on...and I wonder why it feels like I'm getting dumber??

5 Down, A lifetime to go...

On June 7th, Stephen and I celebrated our 5th year anniversary! (10 years of being together) It's amazing to think what all has occurred in just 5 years. But I guess a lot happens....in 5 years you're ready for elementary school....in five years you're ready for middle school....in 5 years you've graduated from high school...in 5 years you start your first job (maybe longer for some).....

For the Huntons, in 5 years...
We got married and I moved to Arkansas
We got a dog
Stephen quit the band and we moved to Atlanta
Stephen and I lived for 3 months in an extended stay motel while we started our first jobs
We rented our first house
We bought our first house
Stephen got a new job
We had a baby!
I quit my job

It's crazy to think what the next 5 years might hold! Our Father has been so gracious and provided for every need!

As a special gift, Stephen's mom and dad kept Adler during our Anniversary weekend. We went to St. Simons Island and had a wonderful time. I'll post pictures soon. It was a great weekend for everyone...thanks Raynelle and Tom Tom for doing such a great job in taking care of our baby!

Adler's Latest

It's hard to believe our little baby is 7 months old! He is a busy bee, keeping me on my toes...here's what he is up to lately:
Adler can.........
rock on all fours (crawling is coming soon!)
say da-da and ma-ma (although not convinced he is associating with the person)
drinking from a sippy cup (although he would prefer to be drinking from your glass)
laughing and smiling all the time
sit up by himself
sit in a shopping cart (this is a BIG one!)
loves to eat "puffs" (cheerio like finger food for babies)
can drag himself across the room if he wants to
would rather play with your cell phone or lap top than any of his toys

Family Photo Shoot

After reviewing our last 7 months of pictures of Adler, we realized we were missing one thing...a picture with all 3 of us! We decided it would be a good idea to have a talented individual who could capture our family in it's most natural state of entertaining Adler....check out www.btophotography.com for more great images:

Update

My goodness, it must have been annoying to see those same pictures for so long! My apologies! Things have gotten busy and I haven't been good about updating. I always feel I need a picture for an update, and it seems to take me time (something I have little of these days). Anyways, Here are some pics of the last couples must to bring you up to date...

Adler takes his first road-trip to Vicksburg, MS to visit his Great Grandma DO (Kristine's grandma). Vicksburg is a special place because this is where I (Kristine) was born, crawled on this very same carpet (kinda scary), and spent many family trips...


A couple weeks later, we flew into Little Rock, Arkansas to meet his other grandparents. This is Adler with Jean and Wally Hunton, Stephen's grandparents. We were at their house for Easter weekend and had a great time!


Adler also met is Great Grandma Louise, Stephen's grandma in Benton, Arkansas. (Raynelle's mom) Louise bought Adler a special Easter bunny when we were out shopping.
Of course we couldn't leave the great state of Arkansas without seeing Stephen's buddies and former band-mates Zach Gump and Greg Guiott. Zach and Greg are currently playing in an awesome 80's band in Fayetteville called "Molten Lava" if you are ever in the area to check them out:

Adler had to show off his belly to his Grammi..
The Hunton men on Easter morning: Wally, Stephen, Tom and of course, Adler
Grammi and Tom Tom with the boys on Easter morning....

My Easter baby, isn't he cute?
Hunton Family.................
Our latest family trip was to Gulf Shores, Alabama with the Well's family. KT's family invited us to stay with them for an entire week at a rented house. It was a great time - Adler and Emma had lots of fun playing in the sand together, sharing toys, a runny nose...a beautiful start to a marriage :)

Hey ladies, hang on now...I'm taken...

Ha, ha, I know you can't help yourself....

This girl I'm seeing, well, she's thumbs up cool.....
Her mom is really fun.......
And she can't keep her hands off me!
These pics are from March, but I thought I'd throw them into the mix anyways. Aunt Rylie joined us as we took a family trip to the Atlanta Zoo. Adler met the new baby panda (her daddy is in the back ground in this picture) - although I'm not sure how much he'll remember since he was asleep 80% of the time.
Family picture leaving the zoo, in Grant Park.
On my honor, I promise, to be a better blogger..now and forever more. Amen.