20 weeks

independent thinker

Huntleigh chose all accessories for this outfit. Her bracelets from Mexico have been a permanent item on her body for a couple weeks now, the sunglasses have become an indoor regularity, the camo boots are an everyday thing from the time we wake up until about the time we eat lunch, and the watch is Daddy's. That's a special feature that she asks him to put on her wrist from time to time. I couldn't resist the photo op.


Stayin' Alive.

just hanging out

we finally spent a bit of time on our deck since the weather decided to cool down for a few days. I couldn't resist buying Huntleigh these little Keens. Mommy Keens and Huntleigh Keens...they're just too cute. She loves them and I thought they would make a good sneaker-type shoe for the fall.

a love letter

Dear Huntleigh,

I was looking through old pictures of you and was allowing myself the time to reminisce about those first few months when you entered our lives. A large portion of those months are a blur to me, but there are so many sweet moments that I will never forget. I treasure them in my heart. Now you are 22 months old and I am watching you become such an amazing little girl. Sometimes there is nothing more difficult than being able to be at home with you, but I am convinced that there is nothing more rewarding than it, either. I would not choose to be anywhere else than with you. Today, I picked you up from our friends' house and as I was saying good-bye to her, you sang the entire alphabet to yourself. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I was so proud of you. Since then, you have sung it for me several more times. And this is only the beginning. I cannot wait to teach you letter recognition, and then how to read, and then how to use language to create beautifully written words.

You have been trying to jump for quite some time now, and then, this past Saturday, when you were wearing your camo boots, both your feet came off the ground at exactly the same time. Daddy and I were so proud of you and were clapping and shouting when it happened. It is incredible that seemingly simple milestones like these make our hearts feel as though they could explode.

We have been working on your children's catechism and you have mastered the first three questions. Your answer for "Why did God make you and all things?" is a hearty "Gory!" (without the "L") because it is a little much for you to say "For His own glory" right now. (Your sentence usage is still at its simplest form.) You get ahead of us, sometimes, and give us different answers for the questions. But we are so proud of you and can imagine nothing more beautiful than for these words to become truths that you claim with your whole heart.

Today we found out that you are going to have a little sister. I am so excited that you will have a sister (because I never had one), and I cannot wait to watch you two grow in love for one another. I know that you are going to be a remarkable big sister to her. You point to my belly and know that there is a baby in there, but I know you really don't have a clue as to what that means. I pray that you will not feel "put out" when this new little life enters our family in January, but I know that you will quickly fall in love with her. She will be your lifetime playmate, your comrade, your biggest fan, and hopefully, your best friend. My prayer is that you will be strong women of the Lord, who love Jesus with all your hearts and love others so powerfully that there is little room for them to not see Him through the both of you. And that you both will be the biggest fans and advocates for your littlest sister, Gracie, who may still just be a pipe dream somewhere in the heart of China.

I love you so much. I never knew how much you would change me and make me more of the woman who God wants me to become. It's not easy, but it is worth it every single moment of every single day.

Love, Mommy

sweet baby girl h #2

daddy and daughter time

Josh has taught Huntleigh to "pretend sleep" and she thinks it is such a fun game. I've noticed that she will randomly lie down on the floor and make her fake snoring sound and say "seeping." She is just hilarious. I think this is the first picture I have ever taken of our guest room. Not that this is interesting to any of you, but I just thought I would mention it.

rainy friday afternoon activities

So, it's still way too hot in saint louis to do anything outside and then it rained most of the afternoon on friday. The thunder woke my babe up earlier than usual from her nap, and so we spent the time doing these fun things.
Reading Elmo books.

Mixing and baking Jiffy blueberry muffins.

Running from the paparazzi.

ready boots? start walking.

Dear someone out there who really loves me,

I really love these boots. Didn't I tell you how gorgeous they were?! I mean, how could you resist NOT buying them? Oh damned expensive catalogue! Why did I ever even open you up just to take a quick peek? I hate that you even came to my mailbox and caused me to covet. It's all your fault. Seriously, though, if you really love me (whoever you are) wouldn't you buy these for me? Just think how cute my swollen pregnant feet would look in them in about 3 1/2 months? And then for a lifetime thereafter? Just chew on it and let me know.

Love,
a dramatic 30-year old.

turning 30 isn't so bad

I'm not sure if I had expectations about what it would feel like to turn 30, but it's not so eventful...just like any other birthday. I didn't think I'd be sharing my body with another human being on my 30th birthday, but I'm not so sure that's relevant, either. It didn't really make that big of a difference. I guess I just feel a certain confidence about myself and my life and who I am that's quite different from what I felt in my 20s. It's refreshing.

For lunch, Josh and I went to this awesome Indian restaurant with our good friends, the Walkers. If you like Indian food, we highly recommend it. It was incredible food. We were able to enjoy an amazing lunch while our daughters ran around the table tickling and hugging one another. They put us in the corner of a very large room with very few people in it, so we allowed our children to do the out-of-the-ordinary. But then, everything about this restaurant was somewhat unusual. It's called India Palace, and it's on the 11th floor of this Best Western by the airport. If you want to know how to get there, call them: 731.3333. Here's Lucy tackling Huntleigh...or vice versa?



In the evening, I had a bunch of friends and family over to continue the celebration. Thanks so much to everyone who made my birthday really special. I am thankful for your friendship. And mom, thanks for my awesome rainbow chip cake. Yum. Huntleigh, thanks for being such a privelege. Josh, I'm glad we've reached 30 together. I look forward to this new decade with you.

swashbuckler

well, not in the pirate sense. actually, huntleigh really loves to buckle anything. on friday, i took josh's car to get an oil change, but he had taken my car to work leaving us stranded without the car seat and the stroller all the paraphernalia, so hunts and I used the Kelty carrier. it was buckle heaven for the babe.

party hair

This picture doesn't best capture it, but it still is a somewhat accurate depiction of Huntleigh's party hair. You know...party hair: when one has put much product in her hair the night before and then attended a fun event (or partied) and then slept on it and woken up with big hair...not as big as the night before, maybe, but still big enough to have the memories of all the fun. Party hair. Huntleigh has this awesomely thick hair that she did NOT get from me. That's a Hager thing, for sure. I'm quite jealous.

he's doing it better. in fact, he's the best.

This is my (not so) little brother, Scott. And me. Sometime in the eighties. But this entry isn't so much about the eighties and all our great hair styles and clothing choices as it is about today, August 2007. I just have to say how proud I am of my brother and how excited I am for him. You see, he has been through some major career changes this year, and he is in the process of opening his own bike and ski shop. Fox Creek Outfitters. Check it out. I mean, the possibilities of being an English major/Philosophy minor are endless! Scott learned a ton about business while he worked for one of the more incompetent (however, still very popular) outdoors stores in Saint Louis and was always critiquing how he could do things better, until he realized that he was quite capable of doing it MUCH better and so, after a string of pivotal events, he decided to do that very thing. It has been an amazing process for us to watch and he is looking forward to opening his doors in October. Josh and Scott have their seasons of discussing the same topics every time they talk, and now, they talk business ideas all the time. It's fun to watch their energy as they brainstorm together. It's a nice change from hunting talk....which will happen soon enough, seeing as the dove season is approaching. But Josh could talk skis forever and Scott could talk bikes forever (and skis, I guess, because he's worked with them for so long). They're two peas in a pod. All this to say, Scott, we know it's crazy and life is going to be busy for awhile, but we're so proud of you and so excited for you (and Abby) as you enter this adventure! We can't wait to be some of your biggest patrons!

today i found a freckle

this morning i was playing with Huntleigh's hair, tucking it behind her small ear, when I saw this freckle. (look closely...you can see it.) i had never seen this freckle before. perhaps i never noticed it, perhaps it is new on her young body, but i found it to be so beautiful because it reminded me of how wonderful an act of creation she is. she truly is "fearfully and wonderfully made" and there are just going to be myriad more things to discover about her in her lifetime. this freckle is such a simple outward manifestation of the greater, more intricate facets of her personality that have yet to be unfolded and revealed to us. i can't wait. and i can't wait to know this even littler one growing inside of me.

i.o.w.a.

The hunts and I took a quick trip to a place I. O.therwise W.ouldn't A.way, but Josh has been out of town for a week and we took a little break from the St.L. It was actually cooler to be in the car driving up the Avenue of the Saints in the 100+ degree weather, than to be resting in my house, out of the sun and the heat. We went to visit the halvorsons as they so graciously let us relax in their house. It's just hot all over the midwest, I believe, and I don't think it's getting any better anytime soon. There is a lot of corn in between here and Cedar Rapids. It's a very exciting journey. Huntleigh was, once again, my stellar little traveller. We ate a lot of fruit snacks, drank a lot of milk (even I cannot get enough of it lately!), danced to The Postal Service, Pinback and Death Cab, and watched some Backyardigans. When we watch the Backyardigans, Huntleigh's mantra is "Pablo, Tasha, 'Niqua...Pablo, Tasha, 'Niqua" which are three of the characters names. This may mean nothing to you at all, but it is just so funny for me to listen to her. Josh and I were laughing together at our daughter's new cartoon mantra, he in Hong Kong, me in Iowa. I'm so grateful for international roaming.

O, busy little hands

16 weeks

That's four fingers I'm holding up; not five. It looks kind of confusing, but I was 16 weeks in this picture. Today I am 17 weeks and I just felt the baby for the first time yesterday...ever so slightly...as I was taking a nap. It was like a little "hello" kick or tap in my belly. I love it when the baby's movement becomes more apparent. It's the craziest thing to be building another kiddo. Josh likes to call me his little manufacturer, which makes he and I both a part of the manufacturing business. Oh, where in the world would we be without hinge and baby manufacturing?!