Adler's first haircut

Before:


After:






Adler had his first haircut on Saturday! It was less traumatic (for me) than I had expected. We kept his hair long, and just cleaned up the front. It's actually much curlier now than it was before! He looks super cute and such a big boy! The hair place gave us a curl of his hair to take home and took the last picture of the 3 of us.

I think one of the pictures shows my 28 weeks bump! He will be here before we know it! We are leaving this week for Texas! We can't wait!

Big News at the Hunton house this morning...

We interrupt your Friday morning with this special report:
This just in....Adler went pee pee in the big potty! We are singing the pee pee victory song and dance!
And now back to your regular blogramming....

Night Night

At Peace, originally uploaded by stephenhunton.com.

Mine, Yours, and Snilky

Mine [mahyn] –pronoun
1. a form of the possessive case of I which Adler enjoys explaining to me and anyone else that will listen: "The train is mine."

Yours [yoorz, yawrz, yohrz] –pronoun
1. a form of the possessive case of you used as a predicate adjective which Adler also like to explain to the same listeners as above, including his trains. "This is yours, Thomas!"

Snilky [sn-il-k-ie)- noun
1. a combination of the words "snack" and "milky" of which Adler affectionately calls his favorite beverage

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry by Rachael Ray

Despite her smoker's voice, I decided to try this recipe by Rachael Ray. I love Thai food and especially Cashew Chicken. I have been looking for something that I could make at home that wouldn't be too much work. I added some sugar snap peas to this and it was really good! You can find this on Foodnetwork.com. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, 1/4 onion finely chopped, 3/4 thinly sliced
2 cups quick cooking brown rice
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds chicken meat: tenders, boneless, skinless breasts or boneless, skinless thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning blend by McCormick)
2 to 3 tablespoons tamari dark soy sauce, eyeball it
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
10 to 12 water chestnuts, whole
1 cup frozen green peas
3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo (2 peppers and their sauce), available in cans on the international foods aisle or substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons ground chipotle powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin, a palm full
2 to 3 tablespoons honey, 2 healthy drizzles
1/4 to 1/3 cup real maple syrup, eyeball it
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley leaves, your preference
1 cup raw cashews
Directions
In a medium pot over medium heat combine 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter melts into oil, add in the chopped onion, cook 2 minutes, then add rice and cook 3 minutes more. Add stock and cover the pot. Raise heat to bring stock to a rapid boil. Once the stock boils, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, 17-18 minutes.

While rice cooks, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan, then the chicken. Season the chicken with grill seasoning. Brown the chicken on both sides, season with soy sauce then move off to one side of the pan. Add the remaining onions, garlic and peppers. Cook 2 to 3 minutes then add water chest nuts and green peas and mix vegetables and meat together. Add the chipotles and cumin. Toss to coat. Glaze the mixture with honey and maple syrup and turn off the heat. Add in the chopped cilantro or parsley and the cashew nuts.

Top rice with cashew chicken and serve.

Trick or Treat!

Some pics from Adler's first Trick-or-Treating experience.....my first as a parent! We had so much fun with our friends, the Huffs and Presleys. Even though Adler dressed as an engineer, he loved stealing Chris's "Florida Fan" mullet wig. 

Fall Festival at School

Here are some pictures from Adler's Fall Festival at school. Just look at that cute little room!

Adler's Birthday Party

Finally! Some pics to share from Adler's 2nd birthday party. I had all the kids decorate "engineer" hats when they first arrived, so they would have them for their "Thomas the Train" ride. The kids were so excited to see the Train and Adler was especially excited. He loved riding the in the red cart because it, to him, was "James". Afterwards, we had some great food, cake and presents....Adler was on a Thomas the Train high! Thanks to all who came! We had a great time!

A Mother's thoughts on 10-29-08

"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the JOY we have in the presence of our God because of you?" - 1 Thessalonians 3:9

For as long as I can remember, my mother has shared a sweet gesture with her girls. Whether we are sitting in church, driving in the car, a waiting room, etc......she will lean in, pick up your hand, gently pat or rub your hand, and sweetly smile. No words are exchanged, you just smile back. It's a way she says "I love you.". It was the other day when I caught myself doing this very thing with Adler. My in-laws were in town and I was sitting in the back seat with him, sharing his world from his perspective. I picked up his little hand and rubbed it between mine. It was then I realized just exactly what my mom was really doing during all those sweet moments. She wasn't just saying "I love you". She was saying....

I remember when I first held this little hand...

when this little hand first held my finger....

when this little hand picked up it's first toy....

it's first bite of finger food.....

it's first crayon......

first back pack.....

I know she was thinking these things because that's what I was thinking as I looked at my now toddler of a baby. His hand is so big now, we can almost inter-lock fingers! (well at least the tips of mine) This of course all occurred in a matter of three seconds because that's how long you have until they are moving on to the next thing and hand holding wasn't on Adler's list. But it was just enough to remember how quickly this time I have with him is going by.

My sweet Adler turns 2 today and I am overflowing with gratefulness. He has brought SO much JOY to mine and Stephen's life. God brought 1 Thessalonians to me today, and there are no better words than "how can we thank God enough for you?". Adler, we love you so much! Happy Birthday!

Famous Uncle PT

So Adler's super cool uncle, PT, is officially famous. He is on the road playing bass for Christian musician and Canadian, Matt Brouwer. Check out Matt's site! They are currently in Canada and played at the Covenant Awards (like Dove Awards in U.S) where he was nominated for Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year for his song, "Beautiful Now", and for Male Vocalist of the Year! We will be missing Uncle PT tomorrow at Adler's birthday party! However, he did send Adler a very generous birthday gift....wooden Thomas the Train and James and DVD! It must be nice making the big bucks as a rock star now :) You can follow PT on his website. We miss you Uncle PT and will be cheering you on along the road!
xoxo

Just curious....

Anyone else stop and wonder if green colored M&Ms really give you special powers? I guess I am a product of 80s advertising. I specifically remember the ad where the kid was getting struck out at a baseball game, he ate a green M&M, then bam...he hit the ball out of the park. (and kids are obese why?) I secretly still think about this when eating M&Ms and I try to eat all the green ones if I am sharing with someone. Yeah, I'm green M&M hog. With the Halloween candy around, I guess I've been thinking about my green M&Ms and wondering if they can give me special powers to withstand the tantrum of a two year old, or maybe fold that pile of clothes that has been growing on my couch all week? I just bought a bag, so I'll let you know if I notice anything different around here!

Here's something that will brighten your day...

Getting a picture text from your bffs!

Benefits of antique shopping with a toddler

Well, my friends, there is only one I could come up with.....


Once the child wants out of the stroller (after 5 minutes of shopping in Adler's case), you don't have to carry around your new purchases!

Maylee Collection

Here are some pics of my "Maylee" collection. :) Stephen says we need a better name than "burp cloths". Any ideas? I've just been calling them burpies....

Happy Birthday, Stevo!

Happy Birthday, honey! Hope you had a great day and a fun surprise birthday dinner! We love you!
xoxo

"Stephen, how do you make mailing labels?".........(laughing) YEEEEESSSSS!!!!!!

Our community group is currently reading a book called "Bondage Breaker". I'm still undecided about the book, but after asking Stephen this question, I realized I had been released from a certain bondage in my life. One that has plagued me since graduating college in 2002. One I thought that a girl with a Marketing degree would never have to face, however, it seemed to follow me from one job to another. That would be the bondage of mailing label making.

In my first job, I was the freakin' Queen of Labels. I could merge you a labels list from Access in under 30 seconds.....with any kind of specifications you asked....alphabetized, by age, by gender, by city....oh, was I good. I made through 3 levels of Access classes. (ok, maybe this was to get out of the office, but that is besides the point) In my second job, they hired me pretty much because of my query building knowledge of Access. So, there I was again, crowned Queen of Labels again, teaching others my skill. In my last job, I wasn't using Access, but I was still the "go to" person in the office when it came to Labels.

Now, I have a toddler and a second baby on the way, and my 2 year anniversary of not driving in Monday morning traffic is coming up in a couple weeks! Stephen and I were sitting at the kitchen table...Stephen editing pictures, me working on Adler's two year birthday party invitations. That's when I asked the question. "Stephen, how do you make mailing labels?". That's when I started hysterically laughing with joy, fist in the air, praising "YES!"!!! I'm free!!! Stephen stared at me in wonder. The memory of label making has been erased from my mind! But let's be honest, it's probably been replaced with the words to the "Thomas the Train" song and the names of all the characters on Adler's favorite shows. Well, friends, I'd take Thomas any day!

Happy Monday!

Adler is the next Nadal

Alright, alright......

I get the point....time to retire the "regular" pants and switch over to the dark side/maternity! Wow, do you have to make it so obvious??

23 things to remember for 23 months

Happy 23 months, Adler! Can't believe you are turning 2 next month! What a blessing you have been over the past two years! Here are some things I always want to remember about you today:

1) You love Thomas the Train. It was Cars for a while, but now you are pretty much over LM. Your favorite engine is James. Which we can't quite figure out since he's not the main character, but for some reason, James is the best.
2) You also love Little Einsteins and ask to "watch rocket?" 100x a day
3) You go to sleep at night with a collection of Cars, Trains, your blue dog, and stuffed Lightning McQueen. Before we go to bed, we come in your room and have to search in the dark for these items. You are usually laying on a few, holding one, etc. We always put them on your nightstand so you can reach them from your crib and play with them in the morning
4) You love your letters and know all of them except two: "W" (you call "M") and "X" (you call "K")...(this thanks to the book you love, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom)
5) You know Red, Blue and Green (this thanks to the fact that the Thomas trains are all different colors)
6) If the dogs bark outside, you will stop what you are doing and yell "NO! Stop!" (you learned this from Mommy)
7) Some things never get old and you are always impressed by your Lightning McQueen PJ pants. You'll say "WOW!, Coo!" but you put a "d" sound at the end of "cool" so it sounds more like "cold".
8) You recently learned the word "scared" and will tell me if something scares you - for some reason, these things are our friends' English Bull Dog, Lucy, and most noisy toys
9) You love playing sports in the back yard, but when it comes to golf, you just want to watch. You insist that I'm the one that hits the ball. You will sit observantly on the deck steps and cheer and give a polite golf clap after I make a hit.
10) You drink a lot! You are always wanting milk or juice and I'm always trying to get you to drink water. This never goes over well. You can use your body weight to open the refrigerator door and will pull out whatever you want if I'm not quick enough. One time I came into the living room and you were sitting in front of the TV with an entire jug of apple juice in your lap. (lid still on, luckily)
11) You love to run. When you see other kids running, you get a big smile on your face, stop whatever you are doing, and run after them. You also love to run in the house, bouncing from one couch/chair to the other. You also love to run in circles/spinning, make yourself dizzy and fall down. When you do this, you do a funny thing with your eyes where you are trying to focus on something while you are spinning, so that your eyes are big and focused to one side of your head as you turn. It's really hilarious.
12) Your favorite person is Caleb. You call him "Cake". He is almost 6 and pretty much like a member of the Jonas Brothers Band in your world. You talk about him constantly. If we get in the car, you ask if we are going to see him. You also know his mommy's name, Bonnie, which is the only friend of mine who's name you actually say when you see them.
13) Speaking of Caleb, you get so excited when you see him, you just want to tickle him. This is your way of playing/communicating your adoration. This usually doesn't go over well in Caleb's world as your "tickling" isn't very close to tickling at all.
14) I really love that you are so big for your age. I don't have to really worry about you amongst other kids...even kids that are a couple years older than you, you probably are the same weight or out weigh them. However, you have learned how to use this to your advantage and will knock other kids down (without ill intent) like dominoes in order to get to whatever toy you have your eye on. Your daddy says this will come in handy when you start playing football for the coach that was recruiting you last month.
15) Lots of times you will decide you are bored with things around the house and ready to leave. If you are not dressed, you will bring me clothes to put on you. Then, once you are dressed, you will say, "Ready to Rock" or "C'mon! Let's go!".
16) You love your dogs. You also put them through a lot. You love to hug, wrestle, kiss, pat, and chase your dogs around the house and back yard. I'm constantly trying to regulate this, but I know a lot of it goes unnoticed. They are pretty good dogs, even though I give them a bad wrap sometimes. You love Sadie best and still call even Tristan "Sadie".
17) You love to jump and your special talent is hopping on one foot. This is actually more like a pose where you stand on one foot, but you are really good at it.
18) You don't really like the stroller but love your wagon "Waggy" and bike trailer. I would have it made if I could only take these things into the mall
19) You are a super sweet kid. You love to randomly give us hugs and when you do, you say, "Mmmmmm, hug". And I love it. You also stick out your bottom lip when you want a kiss.
20) Speaking of kisses, you've started a new thing, when you are in trouble, and I'm trying to talk seriously to you face to face, you will go in for a kiss. Oh, this is hard to resist and you know it!
21) You love to wrestle with daddy. Especially with the living room pillows. It seems the harder you are hit with a pillow, the harder you laugh. Sometimes, I can't watch because it makes me too nervous, but you love this time with your daddy so much!
22) You've suddenly gotten really brave at the play ground and like to climb the highest, most dangerous ladders while I stand as your "spotter" below. Then, we both cheer when you've accomplished your goal. It's fun to cheer you on!
23) You are one tough kid. You will take the hardest fall, complete with splatting noise, and roll and will stand up, brush yourself off and laugh. Everyone is amazed. I've gotten used to this and have learned to not react when you take these falls. Which I'm sure, to other parents, looks heartless, but I just know what your thresh-hold is and it's pretty up there. If you cry after a fall, I know you really did get hurt. And of course, I'm happy to kiss it and make it better.

Oh, there are so many special things about you, Adler! We love you and are so thankful Jesus brought you to us!

Follow up to "Sunday Sabbath"

Note to self: Nothing good can come from or OUT OF a child with no diaper.....