The Hutchins Family

2009-03-14T09:16:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick link about something Eleanor said this morning. We were making french toast together and she asked me if I had any phobias. I though she must be confused about the word, but she said it clearly. I dismissed it and just said no. She brought it up a couple of other times so I asked if she had any phobias. She said yes and looked around the room for a phobia. She found a large bottle of Gatoraid and told me that was her phobia. This didn't seem to bring me any closer to solving this mystery. Finally, I asked her where she heard people talking about phobias. She then informed me that she heard it on "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown". Lucy tries to diagnose Charlie Brown with a phobia. Detective mom solves another one.

Random Pictures

2009-02-28T09:06:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time since I posted. Most of these are from our unseasonably warm Christmas. We went to Virginia and visited one of Eleanor's favorite places...Uncle Johnny's farm on the New River. We fed the chickens and both the children really got into it.

John has been working for 3 weeks now at his new job at Appliance Parts Pros (.com) as a customer service rep. It isn't his dream job by any stretch but we will continue to search for a job in a church. We had to hire a Part-time Nanny and so far so good. It has been hard to leave them in the care of someone else and next year we may have to both work full-time. I do wish that one of us could be with them till William is about 5 (part-time at least). I love my job (most days) and the grant has been extended so it will continue next year. The grant is Reading First: "This program focuses on putting proven methods of early reading instruction in classrooms. Through Reading First, states and districts receive support to apply scientifically based reading research—and the proven instructional and assessment tools consistent with this research—to ensure that all children learn to read well by the end of third grade." http://www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/index.html
We are also looking for a church and we are not sure which denomination will be best for us. Each Sunday we visit a new church.

In Summary, things are going well and we don't know what we will be doing next year as far a jobs go.

Movie Quotes

2008-12-20T19:28:00.000-05:00

1. Pick 20 of your favorite movies. (No particular order)
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Bold when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search or other search functions.

Part 1:
1.) But the worst thing I ever done - I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life.

2.)Okay. But dogs CAN look up!

3.) It's better to help people than garden gnomes.

4.)Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you’re going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.

5) I don't *know*, Margo!

Part 2:

6. They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up.

7. Why would a reviewer make the point of saying someone's *not* a genius? Do you especially think I'm *not* a genius? You didn't even have to think about it, did you?

8. We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?

9. George: Drive carefully. And don't forget to fasten your condom.
Annie: Dad!
George: [shrieks in embarrassment] Seat belt! I meant, I meant seat belt.

10. That's right, Peter, second star to the right and straight on till morning.

11. Gordon: Go on then, run!
Dennis: Isn't there some kind of like... special technique?
Gordon: Well... yeah... you put one leg in front of the other over and over again really really fast.

12. The nameless warrior was executed as an assassin but buried as a hero...But even now when the Chinese speak of their country They call it Our land.

13. Little Girls, Little Girls, everywhere I turn I can see them.

14. don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.

15. Am I wearing boxers? For future reference, I usually prefer briefs for their security and peace of mind. Going free-bird is not exactly ideal. I don't like it.

16. L: I want my lamp back. I'm gonna need it to get out of this slimy mudhole.
Y: Mudhole? Slimy? My home this is!

17. The last ever dolphin message was misinterpreted as a suprisingly sophisticated attempt at doing a double backflip through a hoop while whistling the star-spangled banner but in fact the message was this: So long and thanks for all the fish.

18. Rob? Tsk tsk tsk. That's a naughty word. We never rob. We just sort of borrow a bit from those who can afford it.

19. [saying her bed time prayers] I forgot the other boy. Oh, what's his name. Oh, well, God bless What's-his-name

20. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go on an overnight drunk, and in 10 days I'm going to set out to find the shark that ate my friend and destroy it. Anyone who wants to tag along is more than welcome.

Holidays

2008-12-19T13:27:00.003-05:00

Eleanor turned 3 on December 8th and we had a Wiggles party with her friend Clair. I made waffles with all the fixin's and we played treasure hunt. She also had a princess party at Nana's house. She is a big girl now as she reminds us daily. It has been a big milestone for her. She now sleeps in a big girl bed and doesn't use diapers anymore (she is still in pullups for bed and nap time) and she just about gave up her binkys. She also decided that she was no longer shy and she sat on Santa's lap yesterday. I don't take many pictures anymore because it is so difficult to take their picture. William always runs off and Eleanor just wants to take pictures with the camera.
My parents bought the kids a rocking horse and Eleanor picked many names before finally deciding on Doorknob. Other names were: Pickles, Dress, Tinsel, Christmas, and Blanket. In case you are wondering if my kids run around half dressed all the time the answer is yes for Eleanor and no for William. William doesn't like to be cold and he doesn't know how to take his clothes of yet.
I hope to get some good family shots soon.
Merry Christmas Everyone.

Updating The Outside

2008-11-11T16:56:00.003-05:00

So, we have been working to get as much done before the winter. We (and by we I mean John and his dad) painted the door orange, and the shutters and garage door brown. Notice that the garage door looks a lot like a chocolate bar. My dad and mom helped us cut down a large tree...I thought someone might get killed, but we all survived.
The before picture is the one with William in the foreground. The paint job was hunter green and cream and painted on freehand so that the mistakes were very evident.

Fall in our yard

2008-10-07T18:35:00.002-05:00

The leaves are just beginning to turn and we are enjoying our yard. Today is Williams first Birthday and we will celebrate this weekend.

Kid's room

2008-09-18T19:18:00.003-05:00

Bringing the 80's back?

Are those Horns or just Cheerios? This wouldn't happen if he would stop eating with his face and use his hands.

The kids room...not much to look at, but compared to the before it is a breath of fresh air.

The back deck. One of my favorite places.
The kids are now sleeping together and I love it!

Twins

2008-08-12T19:02:00.002-05:00

We realized not too long ago that William looks very much like Eleanor's doll. William is so fun. He loves to laugh and smile and give hugs.
The job hunt is still on, but nothing too promising right now. Part-time jobs for me (Mary) are not paying enough to make up for the cost of child care so I may have to go back full-time.
We do not use our old cell number since I washed it in the washer. We do have a new house number if you would like that just e-mail me and I will get it to you. I do not have your number since my phone was ruined.

Teeth

2008-08-07T21:10:00.003-05:00

William is 10 months now. His teeth came in in a strange pattern leaving the front two to come in later. He is goofy and has a really funny laugh. What a sweet heart.

Our Own Fixer Upper

2008-07-13T20:08:00.003-05:00

So, we moved it last week to our new home in Cleveland, TN. We have a ways to go yet but our house is now livable. You wouldn't believe the amount of time and energy we have put into fixing it up. The before pictures are pictures of pictures and that is why the poor quality. They can't convey how gross it felt! It was a rental and the tenants had up to 8 dogs. All the work has been done by us, my dad, John's dad, my mom, brother John, a guy that works for my dad, and some of our friends. The only thing we hired someone to do was put down the carpet.
The kitchen has seen massive changes. The cabinets and walls once were slimy with grease and layers of wall paper. We had to put sheet rock up on the walls and after a good scrubbing the cabinets were painted white and adorned with new hardware. New appliances, faucet, a garbage disposal, wood floors, and light fixtures give our kitchen a clean start. Still to come we are going to redo the counters and crown molding.

Off the face of the planet

2008-06-20T20:06:00.004-05:00

It has been over 2 months since we last posted, my e-mail is always full, our internet access is limited, and I (Mary) washed my cell phone in the washer. If you have attempted to get in touch or if you are wondering why we haven't been in touch that is the reason. Oh yeah, we also bought a house in Cleveland, TN and it is a major fixer upper and we have been working on it constantly. I will post before and after pictures once we get better access.

The Practice of Prayer

2008-04-12T07:51:00.005-05:00

Prayer has become something of a theme in our lives recently. John has been taking a class call the Practice of Prayer by Dr. Moonjang Lee (he is Korean and not a hippie as you might think because of his name). John and I have struggled with questions like: How does prayer work? What do we pray? When? Not having satisfactory answers left us with a very scant prayer life...well more like a non-exsistant prayer life. Part of John's class was to pray 30 min a day. He decided to make time for me to spend 30 min in prayer as well. (I can't pray in our tiny apartment with the kids around so I go to the prayer chapel on campus). To help us get started Dr. Lee suggested some exercises in prayer to help soften your heart to the Holy Spirit. I will share a few just in case someone out there also discontented with their prayer life.

1. Timeline of repentance-Start with birth going all through your life and ask for forgiveness and forgive anyone that has hurt you. No matter how small or how big. Forgiveness is so central to Christianity. This may help you see patterns in your life that continue to trip you up. For example you may realize that you always blame others for everything or that you have anger issues.

2. Dialog with God-Most of us probably think in Monolog form. Try and change your thoughts "to yourself" to thinking "to God". The purpose of this is so that you will train yourself to consider God in all that you do.

I will post others in the future. This time of prayer has changed our lives. I would also like to recommend a book that I have found transforming. It is "Salvation Is More Complicated Than You Think-A Study on the Teachings of Jesus" by Alan P. Stanley. It points out that salvation is more than just a confession but a lifestyle. I don't often recommend christian books but this one is well worth your time. It has been very challenging.

Feel free to post any "exercises in prayer" that you have found helpful.

Tentative Plans

2008-04-10T19:52:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately, our little ones are sick again. The picture of William was taken when he was feeling pretty bad. He is feeling better and taking antibiotics for an ear infection. He is also cutting his second tooth. Both children enjoy taking baths together...but I am not sure that they get very clean, but we ALL get very wet.
We move out of our apartment on May 1st at which time we will attend a retreat called Ten Days of Prayer. We are looking forward to this retreat and think it will be a wonderful opportunity for us to grow closer to the Lord.
John's Graduation is May 10th although we don't think that he is going to go since we will still be at the retreat. May 11th we plan to make our way south. We are still working on the specific dates, but the plan is to spend 2 weeks in Tennessee and 2 weeks in Virginia and hopefully by then we will know where we will be living. Still no major job leads.

Fun Times

2008-03-29T09:04:00.002-05:00

We have been having a blast with the kids. It is such a fun time and Eleanor does so many funny things. I will try to post as many of theses stories as possible. Eleanor is in the midst of potty training and we have been doing sticker charts. I looked over one morning and she had covered William's head in stickers. If you look closely at the picture you can see the stickers. Evidently he has been a good boy.
Eleanor poops in the potty on a regular basis and when she looks in her potty it looks like things to her and she is proud of her "creation". I am not making this up and she comes up with this on her own...and the crazy thing is it does look like what she says it looks like. The first time she did this she announced to me, "I pooped a J" and sure enough he poop looked like the letter J. The next night she came out to the living room and whispered to me, "I pooped a banana", the following days she has pooped...a snake and bubbles...a 6 and a W...and a snake and a duck. I will not take pictures and post them for you. Use your imagination.
When our computer is not acting up I will include more funny stories.

Computer Crash

2008-03-29T08:56:00.002-05:00

I havn't posted in a while because we have been having computer problems. It doesn't look like it is completly fixed, but hopefully it won't take much longer. Here are some photos of the last month.

Twinkle Toes

2008-02-23T20:31:00.002-05:00

Eleanor aka Dancing Queen can be seen dancing many different styles of dance on any given day, but Friday is ballet class. She can't stop dancing...don't you wish you had just an ounce of that energy? She loves the ballet class but tells me she is afraid of the other girls (they are all 2 years old) and needs lots of reassuring.
William is a pleasure as usual and we are working on the sleep schedule. He turns over both ways, reaches for everything, puts his toes in his mouth every time he gets a chance, and still refuses a bottle.
John is writing a paper and working hard to finish up. We both feel our time here was well spent but we are looking forward to the next phase of your lives...but we still don't know what that will be. John graduates in 11 weeks.

Daddy's Valentine

2008-02-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

Today I helped Eleanor write a Valentine's Day card for her dad. I came up with the sentences and left some words for her to fill in. This is what she came up with. Eleanor's responses are in parentheses.
"Dear Daddy,
I love you more than (Chocolate treats).
You look like (white) and you smell as wonderful as a (toe).
I am forever your (library).
Love,
Eleanor"

Happy Valentines Day

2008-02-11T09:21:00.000-05:00

Eleanor loves her little brother! I told her that Valentine's Day is for telling people we love them. I asked her who she loved and she said, "I love NaNa. I love Rowdy (my parents dog) and Papa John and PaPa." Then she said something about a red car and Papa and MaMa-Shell. I asked her if she loved Mommy and she said, "nnnnnnoooooo." Oh well. Happy Valentines Day from the rest of us.

The many faces of William

2008-02-01T16:18:00.000-05:00

William is a wonderful baby and smiles more than he cries...except at night when he doesn't want to sleep. It is taking much longer than we had hoped for him to be sleeping through the night, but I am hopeful that things will change in the near future. These are some funny pictures that I hope you enjoy.

Rolling

2008-01-27T16:19:00.000-05:00

William is now rolling over both ways! It happened last week so he was 3 1/2 months old. The bad news is that he isn't sleeping very much day or night.
We are all recovering from various ailments. John, William, and I all had a bad stomach virus and Eleanor had pink eye. The good news is that we are all on the mend.
Ian and Sally have moved back to South Carolina and they will be missed. Eleanor would be heartbroken but luckily Eleanor just thinks Sally is at work and Ian is at the Library.

Christmas

2008-01-21T09:12:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone that made our trip so wonderful. It was nice to see everyone.

Snow Day

2007-12-18T13:08:00.000-05:00

We currently have about a foot of snow on the ground and this picture is of John and our neighbors Ian and Derek digging the cars out. Today it is really cold but soon we will be flying south for less snowy weather. We are leaving tomorrow, December 19th and arriving in Charlotte. We will then drive to visit my parents in Virginia until December 26th. We will then drive to Cleveland, TN to stay with John's parents till January 3rd. We will then drive to Charlotte again and hopefully stay with my brother James (James, if you are reading this...can we spend the night?). We fly out on January 5th. If anyone is going to be around any of those places while we are there...contact us and we can get together.

Happy Birthday

2007-12-09T16:56:00.000-05:00

All is well in the Hutchins household. Yesterday Eleanor celebrated her 2nd Birthday party with several of her friends. I made her a pink cake (her fathers favorite) and the party was a dress up party, although, Eleanor didn't want to dress up. She looked forward to it all day and had a blast. She was afraid of the lit candle so I had to blow it out for her. After we cleaned up and we were getting ready to go she turned to John and said in a very grown up way, "I am so tired!".

Family Photo

2007-11-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

Eleanor has been into playing with her dolls and doll house. Today we pretended to visit our families in Virginia and Tennessee. I took pictures so that you would know what you look like. I got a kick out of it.
The picture in the doll house is: (left to right) Rowdy (the dog), Mama-Shell, PaPa, Uncle James, Auntie Jen, Uncle John, and the horse that Papa is buying for Eleanor for Christmas. No pressure Papa.
The next family photo is: (Back left row) Sadie (the cat), Aunt Tammie, Mommy, Cousin Matthew, Papa, and Nana. (Front row) Daddy, William, and Eleanor.

Christmas Countdown

2007-11-16T20:58:00.000-05:00

We have decided to make a new Hutchins family tradition. We are now going to watch a Christmas movie each weekend a couple of months out so that we can watch as many of the good movies as possible. We will start with movies that are less Christmasie and become more as the weeks go by. Currently the list looks like this:

Definetly watch: The Griswald Family Vacation; The Christmas Carroll, Die Hard I, Nightmare Before Christams, Scrooged, Charlie Brown Christmas, The Elf, Miricle on 34th Street, The Muppets Christmas, The Grinch That Stole Christmas Cartoon, Die Hard II, While You Were Sleeping, The Snowman (Eleanor and I loved this one), and A White Christmas.

Others that we will alternate in:
Die Hard II, The Pollar Express (didn't really love it), Home Alone, and It's A Wonderful Life.

We have already watched many of these movies and I am sure I have left out some good ones. Please make suggestions for movies I have excluded and comment on our list.

Halloween

2007-11-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

For Halloween (Reformation Day) we let Eleanor dress up as a flower and knock on some doors in our apartment building. The outfit was so funny. This is her eating chocolate...a rare treat for her. She seems to enjoy it. William is a month old now and time is passing so quickly. He is such a sweet little boy and very laid back.

Fall Pictures

2007-10-28T12:33:00.000-05:00

Week 3 has been a bit difficult for us. I have an infected clogged milk duct (Mastitis) which comes with chills and a fever. I am taking antibiotics and things should clear up soon. William seems to be fine...eating plenty and sleeping as he feels the need. We were on a pretty good schedule till I got sick. Now he does as he pleases.

My mom leaves on Tuesday! I hope we can make it without her. This first week will probably be the hardest as I am still recovering and we are not on a schedule.

If any of you have any ideas on keeping Eleanor busy please share. She loves to, "Help", but I am having a hard time thinking of things for her to "help" with.

The First Two Weeks

2007-10-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

So I (Mary) am back to posting on the blog again. The past two weeks have been wonderful, but I am very tired. My mom has been here since the day I left the hospital, my dad was here for about 5 days and my sister is here for 4 days. It has been busy and that has kept Eleanor preoccupied. She has been extra vivacious since the arrival. I often worry about how I am going to make it when my helpers leave. Overall, everything is going well. I am recovering quicker than with Eleanor and William rarely cries. He is such a good little man. My sister calls him Wild Bill, but he is very mild mannered although he hates to have his clothes taken off (unlike his sister). Can't wait for everyone to meet him.

2007-10-10T19:08:00.000-05:00

We are now trying to get back into a routine. Mary is trying to get William on an eating and sleeping schedule; "Mama-shell" is trying to keep Eleanor from bouncing off the walls; I am trying to stay out of the way. We all slept better last night and have a little more energy today. Eleanor is getting more excited about having a baby around. Throughout the day she runs up to him screaming "baby" and then kisses him or pokes him on the nose. She even got to hold him today, and she seemed very proud. Everyday is getting better for all of us.

Mom and JW

2007-10-09T15:21:00.000-05:00

We are home. Everybody is doing well despite being exhausted. Here's a clip of Mary with her #1 son.

William: Day 2

2007-10-08T19:43:00.000-05:00

Eleanor met brother baby today for the first time. She seemed a little over whelmed with the whole experience, so she spent most of her time playing with toys. But she did give him a hug and a kiss. When everyone is home I think she will warm up to him. William is doing great. He slept most of the day. When he was awake he was either eating or resting contently in his mom's arms. I think they have already bonded. We have had friends all working together to take care of Eleanor. They have been an incredible help. Eleanor has probably had more fun in the past two days than she has in a long time. Mary's mom is coming tomorrow to take over. Hopefully everyone will be home in the next day or two. We will keep everyone posted.

It's a boy

2007-10-08T01:11:00.000-05:00

John William Hutchins was born at 10:57 p.m. on the seventh of October two thousand and seven. He weighs 8 pounds 14 ounces and is 21 inches long. He has dark curly hair and he eats like a hoover vacuum cleaner. Mary did a great job and is feeling well. She once again had a natural birth and did it like a champ. Dad is doing fine as well, but he knows his daughter will wake up very early and excited about meeting brother baby, so we will have to post more later.

The Count Down...

2007-10-05T12:51:00.000-05:00

So the due date is October 8th. That means 3 days to go. I am not having any contractions...it seems like even the "fake ones" have stopped. I am 3cm dilated and 70-80% effaced. The baby is in the head down position and the rest of his body is balled up on the right side of my body facing my left side. He has been lopsided for several weeks now. If I lie on my left side it seems like he starts punching and kicking. The midwife told me that she would allow me to choose to induce no sooner than the 15th. Hopefully, it won't come to that.
Eleanor seems to notice things are changing and she has become more needy and demands my attention. When we go for our daily walk she insists on saying my name every 3 seconds. John and I find it difficult to have a conversation. She wants to be carried more, and when she asks it sounds just like she is saying, "I kill you". That is, "I carry you"...she is still working out her grammar.
We plan to post on the blog as soon as we can after the baby is born and we can get internet access. So keep checking in on the blog.
This is a picture of me taken about 2 weeks ago. I haven't changed all that much. The bassinet is in the corner of our bedroom and is where "brother baby" will sleep.

Baby Shower

2007-09-24T19:10:00.000-05:00

The girls in my Bible Study, building, and Eleanor's playgroup showered our son with nice gifts. The little guy should have enough socks for a long while! We have been very fortunate to have been given hand me downs so that we have enough clothes for the winter and some of Eleanor's things will work nicely for baby brother.
Some people have asked us for a list of things we still need:

Diapers and wipes (no diaper rash cream, soap, or lotions...we have some left from E still)
Baby Wash clothes
Bassinet sheets (30"x15")
Gift cards
Nursing clothes or a nursing cover-up (Med/Lg)
"Snow suit" with a slot for the car seatbelt (3-6 month)
ROBeez or knock-offs (shoe for kids with fat feet: Target) 9mon or 12 mon

And if you want to buy something for big sister Eleanor:
2T clothes
3T-4T PJ's (really warm with feet)
Socks (she has thick ankles so I don't really know what size)
Snow suit (water resistant and in a gender neutral color so that it can be brothers)
Doll house furniture
Anything Elmo
Bath toys
Books about being a big sister

If you want to get Daddy something:
Acoustic Guitar strings (He has been playing with 5 strings)
Water bottle

For Mommy:
Sleep, food, water...you know the basics.

McDonald's and Apples

2007-09-22T20:57:00.000-05:00

Eleanor attended her first birthday party at McDonald's for her friend Jessica who just turned 2. She has never been to the playground at McDonald's before (as far as I can remember). She loved it.
We attended our 3rd annual Building outing at Russell's Orchard for some apple picking and hay rides. It was a bit hot and I was exhausted by the time we picked our apples so we didn't stay long. It is really wonderful to be out while the weather is still nice and I don't have to nurse all the time. Trying to make the most of it before the Due date (only 2 more weeks).

Chef Eleanor

2007-09-16T15:59:00.000-05:00

Eleanor helped me make a cake yesterday and did a very good job at following directions. She didn't even stick her fingers in the icing, which is more than I can say for John. Don't worry because he went to time out.

Friday I went to my 36 week appointment. The midwife tells me I am one centimeter dilated and the baby has dropped a little bit. Typical for a second pregnancy at this time so they are not expecting anything to happen in the near future. I have gained over 30lbs. now (I only gained 25 total with Eleanor).

Funny story: Eleanor thought everyone had a baby brother in their tummy for a while, especially John. John told her it was just a food baby. At the doctors appointment, Eleanor pointed to my tummy and said, "Brother Baby", she then turned and pointed at John's stomach and said, "food baby". I am not sure what she expects to happen when baby brother is born. Maybe she expects a little boy or she could be expecting a pizza.

We have several families that are going to help us out once I go into labor by taking care of Eleanor for us until my mom arrives. We are so blessed with people here that are so willing to help us out.

Blackberry

2007-09-03T12:17:00.000-05:00

This morning we celebrated Labor Day by taking a quick trip to pick blackberries. At the farm Eleanor had a nice conversation with a turkey and ate as many blackberries as she could stand. If the animals were in stalls or at a hard to see place Eleanor would say, "I see you." She is asleep now and we will have to see what the rest of the day holds.

I am 35 weeks now so I only have 5 weeks left. I feel even larger than I look and most of the time feel very...well...pregnant. Last week we had another ultrasound to see if the baby was breeched. He was not. They told me he was about 6lbs already and that is about 1 lb over the average at this time in pregnancy. My goal is to keep working up until week 39 and make the most of the nice weather while I can. Unfortunately my body isn't always cooperating.

Sandblast 2007

2007-08-26T15:18:00.000-05:00

Crane Beach had their annual sand competition. We were a bit late so some of the sand sculptures were already knocked down. Eleanor ran around the entire time and stayed in the 60 degree water as much as possible. It was one of the hottest muggiest days of the summer so we were glad to be in the water. By the time we left Eleanor was so tired she could barely stand it and we are all still recovering today.

33 Weeks

2007-08-20T12:04:00.000-05:00

So I have about 7 weeks to go before baby number two arrives. We still don't have a name picked out, so keep those suggestions coming. Over the past week Eleanor has decided very suddenly that she likes to watch TV. She likes Elmo, Curious George, and her favorite is a 10 min DVD sampler called Classical Baby. She gets mad now because we won't let her watch as much as she wants.
In the picture with Eleanor and John, John was taking a nap and Eleanor had just gotten up from hers. She decided to crawl up on the couch with Daddy and nap. She laid still for about 10 seconds then made John get up too. She is quite the daddies little girls these days.
The other picture of Eleanor is of on the playground stealing toys from a friend. I love her outfit. Its very vintage.

Doctor's Orders

2007-08-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

At my 32 week appointment it was disconcerting to my midwives that I had LOW blood pressure. So low that they sent me to my primary care physician for an EKG. Good news...my heart, iron, and sugar levels are in peak condition. My normally low blood pressure is lower even for me. This isn't a health concern for me or the baby (only if I pass out and fall on the baby). I just feel kind of like passing out all the time and I don't have a lot of energy. Get this, my doctor recommended that I drink more caffeine! I told him that was a funny recommendation. I will happily drink caffeine! I should have asked for a prescription for Starbucks and tried to see if my insurance would cover it! So if you would like to help improve my health, feel free to send me gift cards for Starbucks in any amount.

Wingersheek Beach

2007-08-06T12:53:00.000-05:00

We found out that you can go to a couple of local beaches after 5pm for free. Yesterday we took Eleanor to Wingersheek Beach for the first time. It is a perfect beach at low tide for the little ones. The water was shallow, the waves were gentle, and tidal pools were warm. Eleanor pulled John all over the place. She loved every second of it...until we had to leave. Tears ran down her face as she had to say goodbye to birds, water, sand, ocean, and everything beautiful.

Name Game

2007-08-05T13:55:00.000-05:00

OK, so we are at 31 weeks now and that means we have about 9 weeks to go (give or take 2 weeks). We don't have a name for this kid. We would like some ideas, so give us your opinion.
Things to remember:
1. We are having a boy
2. His last name will be Hutchins
3. His sister is Eleanor Grace
4. Other family names: John Michael (father), John Leonard (Paternal grandfather), James Owen (Maternal Grandfather and Uncle), John Robert (Uncle), Matthew James (Cousin), Jacob (cousin), Joshua (cousin)
5. If you suggest the name you plan to name your child and we like it...we are not above taking it.
6. Don't be offended if we don't like your suggestions. We haven't agreed on any suggestions so far.

By The Time I Am 40

2007-08-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

I (Mary) will turn 40 years of age on June 6, 2018. The reason I am thinking about 40 is because it seems that I will have to revisit some of the things I wanted to do by the time I am 30, which will be next summer. My big goal was to have visited all 50 states by 30. At this time I have not visited Alaska, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware, or New Jersey. I am confident that the last 4 could be accomplished rather easily as they are all near where we live, but the other two seem to be beyond my reach. So, I think I have to get a 5 to 10 year extension for that one. There are other things I would like to do. Some of them have been on my list since high school some of them are new. Just to name a few, I would love to learn to sail, play tennis (and actually be good enough to complete a game), and I would love to participate in some type of outdoor challenge. Maybe in some grueling race of sorts that requires biking, hiking, and canoing (If you know of one let me know). I want to race a horse as fast as it can go and learn to ballroom dance. I want to go to another country (yes, I have been overseas, but I want to go somewhere further and more foreign). I want to learn another language enough to speak to a native. I want to create some type of art and grow a garden. I would love to go to a day spa (not exactly sure what goes on at a day spa, but I would like to be pampered). I want to meet up with old friends every couple of years and never loose touch. I want to try new foods and read more. I want to watch a sunset every week. I want to research our family tree. I want our kids to spend a summer on the New River eating catfish, tubing, and hearing stories about "when we were kids".

Well, I had better get started. What about you? What is on your list?

Ocean!

2007-07-28T18:18:00.000-05:00

Eleanor loves the beach. We have gone twice in the past week and today she asked our neighbor Ian to take her to the, "Ocean" but its been storming all afternoon so she had to stay inside. The first time we took her she was a little cautious at first and immediately got knocked down by a wave. It only took her a little while to really warm up to the ocean and she kept dragging me further and further into the water. I needed to take a break from the water so I tried to interest her in building a sand castle. I told her to pat the sand down and after she did she said, "burp...excuse me" which is a line in one of her favorite books. It really made me crack up that she was burping a castle instead of a baby.
Joanna asked to see pictures of my tummy. So here I am at 29 weeks.

Country Girl

2007-07-17T17:56:00.001-05:00

Eleanor took to the country life quite well. This was the first time for her to play in the river and she loved it! She tried to swim while PaPa held her. She showed no fear. I am not sure if that is good or bad? She also enjoyed her fair share of wild blackberries...as you can see. I brought her back home today covered in bruises and scrapes, but smiling.

Virginia Vacation

2007-07-17T17:35:00.000-05:00

Eleanor and I traveled to Virginia by ourselves to visit my family. John had to finish up his German class so we had to go without him. We had delays so it took us over 12 hours to get to my parents house. Lucily, I had "Eleanor Monkey" to entertain her. We both had a nice time and Eleanor fell in love with Rowdy, the family Jack Russel. Rowdy tolerated Eleanor very well, but I am sure that he is glad to see her go. Eleanor would talk about Rowdy or PaPa from the time she woke up untill the time she went to sleep.

Happy 4th

2007-07-07T14:15:00.000-05:00

Eleanor enjoyed herself at the cookout that we attended with some of your friends. She loves watermelon and had more than enough. The July 5th marked the fourth year of my marriage to John. I am 26 weeks along in the pregnancy and all is well. Still no name, but Eleanor points to my tummy and says, "Brother Baby".
John is half way through his first month of German and seems to really like it.

Strawberry Festival

2007-06-23T11:41:00.000-05:00

Today Eleanor and I went to the Strawberry Festival at our favorite public farm. We picked our own strawberries, well Eleanor ate as many as possible...caps and all. Then we said hello to the sheep, ducks, pigs, geese, chickens, and miniature horse named Reba. Eleanor got her finger pecked by a chicken, but didn't seem to mind. Today Reba was her favorite.

Virginia Visit

2007-06-16T16:50:00.000-05:00

Eleanor and I will be visiting Virginia (via Charlotte) next month. For those of you that do not live in the Galax area and you are willing to make the trip, we would love to see you. I know that for some of you this would be a very long drive, but you are still welcome to visit. We are arriving on July 10th and departing early on July 17th.
Poor John will be by himself learning German, but Eleanor and I look forward to seeing everyone.

Endicott Park

2007-06-09T19:10:00.000-05:00

Today we took Eleanor to Endicott park in Danvers. It wasn't a very nice day to be out, but we couldn't stand being inside all day. Eleanor got to see a "Goggie" (a goat), a quirrel (Squirrel)which she chased up a tree, and two "orsies" (horses). We also saw some gucks and geese.

21 Weeks and Ultrasound photo

2007-05-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

This is me at 21 weeks. I have gained about 12 pounds and all of it pretty quickly. My stomach feels very tight and I feel like our little boy is pressed for room already. These pictures don't make me look as big as I really am. The Ultrasound photos were taken last week. Both are a side profile of his head. In one you can see that he is touching his nose with his finger. I think that he is going to be a really big baby, but the doctors haven't said how big they think he is. I am getting quite a bit of protein and cookies in my diet. I really need to watch the cookie intake.

2007-05-28T20:21:00.000-05:00

Family Vacation

2007-05-28T20:02:00.000-05:00

This weekend we volunteered at a Christian campground in Rumnney, New Hampshire. It is located just south of the White Mountains. We worked hard, but enjoyed our stay in New Hampshire. Eleanor loved exploring everything and has the bruises, scrapes, and scratches to prove it. Somehow she never seemed to run out of energy. John and I speculate that if we didn't make her sleep she could go for about 24 hours without stopping. As you can see from the pictures Eleanor enjoys picking flowers, playing shuffle board, and eating out. Hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day.

Smile!

2007-05-19T21:17:00.000-05:00

We are having A...

2007-05-08T18:47:00.000-05:00

We went to our ultrasound appointment this morning and until we got there I was still a little hesitant about finding out, but I changed my mind. It's a Boy! I still can't believe it! We are excited and it was so nice to see him moving around. Due to the fact that he wouldn't hold still, the were not able to see some of the things that they need to check out so I have to go back in a couple of weeks, but everything seems to be fine. The ultrasound pictures really aren't that good but if the ones next week time are then I will post them. I have gained about 9 pounds and I gained it all this past month! Other then back pain and a little swelling I am doing well. I hope to stop taking the anti-nausea medicine soon.
John finished his semester...and it was a difficult couple of weeks at the end. He took the day off today and will be working on a sem-link class untill summer school starts in 2 weeks. Unfortunately, he doesn't get much of a break.
Eleanor is doing well. She had a cold last week, but is getting back to normal. This afternoon was also the time when the horses and hounds ride through campus. We took Eleanor and she loved seeing the dogs and horses.

Sweet Sixteen

2007-04-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

I am 16 weeks along and Eleanor is 16 Months old. I feel like I am bigger than what the picture shows though. I am starting to feel less sick and my apatite has picked up quite a bit. I am still really tired by the end of the day, but overall I still have more energy than a couple of weeks ago. The sunshine has really helped a lot. I am hopeful that things will only get better from here out. Our next appointment is May 8th and we have decided that instead of finding out the sex right away we will have them write down what we are having and put it in an envelope. That way we can find out when we choose. I wouldn't be surprised if we can't wait past the parking lot of the hospital though. I am not good at waiting.
I almost forgot but the baby just reminded...I can feel him/her moving. He or she is moving right now. The movements are getting stronger and more frequent as the days go by. I first felt movement on Sunday while in church.

Visit from Papa and MaMaShell

2007-04-18T19:16:00.000-05:00

My parents came for a visit this week. It was really nice to have them here. They were a big help to me as I am still feeling sick. It was nice to not be trapped at home. We went out every day and did something. My dad has more pictures that I will try and post. We went to Jordan's which has a liquid fireworks show, a flying trapize, and bean town made entirely of jellybeans. Eleanor enjoyed riding in the stroller that was a taxi.
Today before my parents left we went to the Boston Children's Museum. It was packed full of kids, but we managed to have fun. Eleanor missed her nap so she was really tired. She is going to miss my parents so much. They tried to spoil her, but now its back to her routine.
We have been and are still on a water ban because of the rain. It has been raining for days. In just one week we will go from 30's with sleet, rain, and high winds...to almost 80 degree temps on Monday. The warm weather is definitly welcome!

Squirrel, Blue Nose, and Ping-Pong

2007-04-18T19:01:00.000-05:00

So this will probably be embarrassing to Eleanor one day, but it was so cute I thought I should share. Eleanor has bath crayons that she loves to use. On this particular night she tried to stick the blue crayon up her nose. It was really funny. Thankfully she hasn't tried again.

We got a bird feeder and Eleanor loves to watch the birds and our friendly squirrel as they fill there tummies. What is so funny about the squirrel is that he eats hanging by his feet. Eleanor will tell him to get down. She pronounces bird, "berk" and squirrel, "curl". She can say a surprising amount of words.

John and our next door neighbor and good friend Ian played in the ping-pong tournament. I wish that I could say that the won. They lost in the first round, but they play often now.

Easter

2007-04-09T11:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Easter and we put Eleanor in her fancy dress, went to church and had dinner with some of our friends. Afterwards, we took Eleanor to the big field on campus for and Easter egg hunt. The wind chill was about 25 degrees so we didn't stay long. Eleanor didn't have any interest in finding eggs, but enjoyed playing on the playground. She actually didn't want to come back inside despite the cold. It would have been nice to have been with family over Easter. We miss you all very much.

Last week we went to the midwife for our second appointment. Not much has changed and I am now 14 weeks and I have gained half a pound...which is more than I had gained when pregnant with Eleanor by week 14. Next month we find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I am tempted to wait to find out until the birth, but not so tempted that I will actually wait. John doesn't want to wait, but I still think the surprise would be fun. Any ideas on waiting as opposed to finding out now? The biggest reason that I want to find out now is so that I can clear out all the girl stuff if it is a boy. Is that a good enough reason for finding out now?

The last snow?

2007-03-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have had about all the winter I can stand...I really hope we don't see anymore snow untill next winter! Eleanor has a hard time walking in the snow and falls down with everystep. She love the sled though.

Model

2007-03-23T11:42:00.000-05:00

Eleanor wanted to show off her Easter dress. She picked it out herself.

Outside!

2007-03-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

Meusem

2007-03-23T11:37:00.000-05:00

Last week we went with some little friends to the local meuseum. Eleanor loved the train exibit and the pilgrim playhouse (she got to sweep with a little broom).

Go for a walk outside...

2007-03-12T19:11:00.000-05:00

Today was so warm, I think even in the 50's. We spent an hour and a half walking and playing on the playground today. We were all tired but so glad to get out. Notice Eleanors rubber boots and that the "swamp" is still frozen. Most of the ice is almost gone from the grass though.
We have about 25 geese that graze constantly on the big field and they seem to hold a special power over Eleanor. We were all on the playground and the geese started to make a big rukus. The next thing I know Eleanor is wandering off down the field; never once looking back. She probably made it about 40 yards before I caught up to her. I don't think she would have looked back untill she had a couple of tail feathers in her hand. I have to keep my eye on that one.

First Doctors Appointment

2007-03-05T19:52:00.000-05:00

We went to our first doctors appointment Tuesday. Again, we have chosen to go to the Liberty Tree Midwife group. They have already been a wonderful blessing for me with the morning sickness. I wish that I could says that the sick days are behind me...but I can't. I can say that I have been taking medication that has been helping me manage it much better than when I was pregnant with Eleanor.
The appointment was mainly just taking blood and backgroud infomation. Being that I am only 9 weeks, they doubted that they would be able to hear the heartbeat, but we did hear it. It was so comforting and makes it much more real to hear the first heartbeat. My midwife said that hearing the heartbeat this early is a good sign that we are progressing quickly past the miscarriage zone. Eleanor and John were both at the appointment and Eleanor was very well behaved.

Funny Face

2007-02-26T09:35:00.000-05:00

When Eleanor sees a flower, she sniffs and makes this face. It still cracks us up.

Expecting

2007-02-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

Eleanor is going to be a big sister! We are expecting another child in October. I am about 7 weeks now and our first doctor's appointment is March 6th. Eleanor will be 22 months when baby number 2 is born.

Valentines Day

2007-02-15T13:55:00.000-05:00

The weather was yucky on Valentines Day; we had snow, freezing rain, and rain which all froze overnight so that today everything is coated in a thick blanket of ice. It didn't stop us from having our mommy/baby Valentines party. The girls played and sang songs and best of all...they ate cake and candy. It was fun to see the girls playing together and shoving there faces full of candy. I am not sure, but I think it may be the first time Eleanor has had cholocate candy. She had Hershey kisses and tried to eat the foil at first.
In other baby news, Eleanor has started using the potty. She is only 14 months and I am not even trying to potty train her, but we are trying to train the little girl I babysit. Anytime you mention potty, Eleanor has to use the potty. I spend a lot of time wit the girls in the bathroom these days.

Ballet

2007-02-12T09:57:00.000-05:00

John and I got free tickets for the Wang Theatre this weekend. We ate turkeydogs with Eleanor before we made the trip into the city to watch George Balanchine's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". It was my first real ballet and the first time that we have been in the city since before Eleanor was born. It was nice to get dressed up and go out. I also saw my very first Hummer stretch lemo. While wating on the subway, I noticed that John and I were the only people that looked like they were freezing to death. It was a warm night compared to what we have been experiencing, but evidently a few degrees aboving freezing is still not warm enough for us out-of-towners.

Play Date

2007-02-05T17:57:00.000-05:00

Since it has been so cold (Today windchill was -5) we have been trying to get together with Eleanor's Brittish friend. The other picture is of Eleanor playing the scarf game.

Babynet

2007-02-03T11:26:00.000-05:00

Eleanor loves to surf the web. It is actually the only time she will sit in our lab for more than a few seconds. What does a toddler look at on the internet? Pictures of babies, dogs, and cats. She can't get enough. As soon as she sees us at the computer she starts saying, "Baby...Baby".
This week Eleanor went to the grocery store with me and "helped" me push the cart and put the food on the conveyer belt. Right now she is dancing and "singing" along to Miles Davis's song, "So What", its really funny because everytime she hears the trumpet she trys to immitate it. She just started saying, "NO" and she doesn't just say it, she yells it. Its funny right now...hopefully it will stay that way.
The other picture is of Eleanor learning to color. She is finaly getting the hang of it...crayons are not for eating!

New and Improved Nursery

2007-01-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

We have revamped Eleanors room to make it more baby friendly. It used to be John's office / baby's room. We like it much better this way. I still have to put things on the wall. The girls love it. The girls also enjoy playing in the crib together.

Sharing

2007-01-24T08:51:00.000-05:00

Eleanor and Linnea are getting more aggressive lately over toys. I am trying to teach them to take turns...but I don't feel like we are getting anywhere. Anyone have any ideas? She seems to have a bit of a temper. Also new this week, if you say flower Eleanor will sniff. She also learned to say cookie and girl. She just traded Linnea her headband for a John Deere Tractor.

Back To "Normal"

2007-01-14T17:08:00.000-05:00

We are trying to get back on a schedule since our long journey to the South and back. Eleanor and Linnea now enjoy playing dress up (well for about 5 min) and can hold hands. Eleanor is at that stage where she absorbs new information and does something new each day. One of her favorite games to play is running around blindly with something covering her eyes (a hat, blanket, my underware...). This is dangerouse because she always runs into something and she has the bruises to prove it. Just tonight she gave John a "kiss" while he was watching the Patriots play the Chargers. At first we were not sure that she wasn't trying to bite his face, but it turns out she was giving a big wet kiss. Two new words this week have been diaper, "piper" and fish, "feesh".

Tennessee Christmas

2007-01-07T14:17:00.000-05:00

Christmas in Virginia

2007-01-07T14:08:00.000-05:00

Christmas in Virginia

2007-01-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2006-12-12T12:48:00.000-05:00

We opened presents Sunday since we are leaving on Saturday to visit everyone. This is Eleanor's gift...a big red ball. She couldn't be happier! She has played with it non-stop. She even took a bath with it. Linnea and she have had a few fights over the ball, but we are practicing sharing. I figured out how to use the camera even though it is broken so expect pictures weekly again. We are arriving in Charlotte on Saturday evening and will drive to Cleveland, TN late on Christmas Eve. Can't wait to see everyone in VA and TN. I realized that I didn't send out an e-mail with my new cell number. If you want it e-mail me.

Howdy!

2006-11-27T18:41:00.000-05:00

We had a irthday party Saturday for Eleanor and Daniel (he lives down the hall). Daniel's Birthday was Nov. 16th and Eleanor's is Dec. 8th so we decided to combine the two. We had a Cowboy/Cowgirl theme complete with a baby ghost town. I made the cake myself. I did have a video made so if you are really interested then I will let you watch it once the DVD gets made. Eleanor had cake for the very first time and she loved it. She shoved the entire piece of cake in her moth in 2 bites. She was fussy so I had to put her down for her nap and she missed the last part of the party.

Video

2006-11-22T12:20:00.000-05:00

Hopefully this will work. Its my first time trying to uplode a video. I still haven't been able to fix our camera, it is stuck on video so that is why I am trying to post a video instead. There is no sound, the quality is poor, but it is a cute clip. Eleanor started drinking cows milk this month and this is one of the first times she tried it, and it caught her by suprise.

Christmas Plans

2006-11-12T21:29:00.000-05:00

We have purchased our tickets for Christmas and we are flying home before you know it. I wanted to let everyone know our dates. We will fly into Charlotte on December 16th (we have to leave our apartment at 4:00am) and we will stay in Virginia until Christmas Eve. We will probably leave at around 8 or 9 pm and drive to Cleveland. We will not return to Virginia en route to Charlotte. Last Christmas we missed our flight. We will be staying the night in Charlotte on January 2nd and flying back on Jan 3rd.

Our camera is not working at this time so I am posting an old photo. Hopefully we can get our camera fixed or our blog will be a lot less exciting.

2006-11-08T21:08:00.000-05:00

Today Eleanor turned 11 months old. She took her first steps this week! We couldn't be more proud. She can now take about 4 steps before diving into your arms. As you can tell from the picture, both Eleanor and Linnea are starting to compete for my attention.
Today Clair Phillips turns 7 months old.

Atlanta

2006-11-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun in Atlanta this weekend. Thanks Amberly for such a wonderful time. We even got to visit with Nanna and Papa, and Tammie and Matthew. We are now counting down the days until we get to visit everyone for Christmas.

Gilligan's Island

2006-10-24T13:01:00.000-05:00

This post is a result of a special request from a special friend, far...far away. This is a house on Bridge street near the school that recreates a different scene each fall. I will try and get a better shot next time I am out.

Fall Festival

2006-10-22T14:24:00.000-05:00

This weekend Gordon-Conwell held a fall festival. Eleanor had a good time. She tried a hot dogs and got a balloon. It was a pretty chilly day so we didn't stay long. The little girl in the picture with Eleanor is Faith, she attends church with us and is one month younger than Eleanor.

Mr. Potato Head?

2006-10-17T18:34:00.000-05:00

Eleanor has been playing with her Mr. Potato Head toy in an unusual manner. A few days ago she was making a strange breathing noise while playing, I looked down, and she had Mr. Potato Head's nose in her mouth. I didn't have my camera ready and figured it was a one time event...but today she had in his teeth and I grabbed my camera. She really cracks me up sometimes. Hey, I don't get out much so I have to find any little thing I can to keep me entertained. I still love being an at home mom...but I miss having co-workers. I will probably start up a play group this winter and I have been helping a Korean mom with her English while the kids play on the playground. Ever heard a Korean with a southern accent? Luckily she already know a lot of English, she just wants to practice (although I am not sure how much help I will be).

Mom and Dad left last week after spending 5 days with us. Dad says, "Eleanor sure does sleep a lot", and I think they were both surprised because she eats so much. Eleanor takes 2 naps (about an hour to 1 1/2 each) and sleeps from 7:30pm-6ish. She is still nursing 4 times a day, eats 3 meals, and about 2 snacks. Believe it or not, she acts as if she is starving before every meal.

John is less excited about his classes this year. He is taking intermediate Greek and intermediate Hebrew, and an Ethics class. I don't think he is challenged enough.

We have a new cell phone so I will e-mail you with our new number. If you don't get an e-mail from me in the next week or so, then e-mail me. We will still have our 423 cell number for another month.

Ten Months

2006-10-09T09:47:00.000-05:00

Eleanor is now 10 months old! In the past week she has really started to attempt to talk. She can very clearly say Hi, Hay, Bye, and make monkey noises. She is learning some sign language and can sign that she wants to eat and she can sort of say: eat, baby, no, and yeah. I am still not sure if she has the mom and dad thing figured out. She pretty much only tries to say the words that Linnea says. Grandma-Shell and Grampy Jim are here for the week. It has been a little chilly at night so I put Eleanor in her bunny pj's.

Pots and Pans

2006-10-07T08:44:00.000-05:00

Eleanor occupied herself while I cooked dinner. She is often hard to work around, but the pots keep her busy. We broke down and purchased a baby gate for the kitchen. The girls (Eleanor and Linnea) have a love hate relationship with the gate. They don't like to be blocked off from the kitchen, but they like to press their faces to the Plexiglas...which is so funny. I want to get that on camera because I know everyone would get a kick out of it.

2006-09-30T13:55:00.000-05:00

Today we attended Bethany's 3rd birthday. Bethany is our neighbor, and the party took place in the park behind our apartment. Eleanor got into a friendly shovel fight with Daniel. Eleanor didn't get any cake...she will have to wait until her birthday.

Playground

2006-09-20T20:27:00.000-05:00

This is the playground outside of our building. Eleanor just started playing on the slide and can crawl all the way up the slide and she can climb up the stairs! She is so proud of herself.

Thank You

2006-09-11T08:03:00.000-05:00

Eleanor read her card from Nanna and PaPa Hutchins while eating her morning snack of Cheerieos. Its been quite the hot item with the girls this morning.

A Day At The Beach

2006-09-10T15:53:00.000-05:00

Today we took Eleanor to the beach for the very first time. This is Cranes Beach, one of the best in New England. It was a little chilly on the beach, but a very nice day. Eleanor loved crawling in the sand and chasing the birds. She is so funny...she made cooing noises the whole time we were there (the entire half hour). She wore herself out though and fussed all the way home because she was so tired. She is fast asleep now and probably dreeming about the sand and the seagulls.

Clam Bake

2006-09-10T07:32:00.000-05:00

The seminary's annual clam bake was yesterday. Eleanor loves to be tossed up into the air, and its such a good workout. We had lobster, chicken, corn on the cob, and Eleanor's favorite-watermelon and cantaloupe. The weather was perfect. It was in the mid 70's with a nice ocean breeze. John's classes start tomorrow and I start babysitting full-time. Eleanor is cutting her two top teeth.

9 Months and all is well!

2006-09-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

Friday Eleanor turned 9 months old! We took her to Penera for coffee to celebrate. The coffee was for us...we have survived the first 9 months! Eleanor weighs 19lb and 8oz and she has met all the developmental milestones for children even older. Eleanor says, "Hey", literally! In 3 months she will be a year old.

Eight Months

2006-09-06T19:54:00.000-05:00

Look at that tear!

2006-08-24T10:54:00.000-05:00

You have to be quick when you change her or she is off. I had just given her a bath and put her down when she wiggled away and crawled off to stand by the couch. She is feeling better now, but still has a nasty cough. Hopefully that will go away soon.

Sick Baby

2006-08-18T23:09:00.000-05:00

Doesn't she look pitiful! Eleanor has been sick the past couple of days and now has an ear ache. She just isn't herself lately, but she should start feeling better soon. Eleanor needed more attention while she felt bad so John entertained her by playing for her.

Cultured Baby

2006-08-13T21:15:00.000-05:00

This weekend we took a trip to the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem. This is one of the oldest museums in the U.S.. We had a picnic lunch in the commons and forgot the stroller so we had to carry Eleanor the entire time. This is Washington street and we were beside the Hawthorn Hotel (Nathaniel Hawthorn, The Scarlet Letter). We had to cut our time short at the Museum short because Eleanor couldn't take it any longer...but she finally fell asleep before we got to the car.

Day 1 of Training

2006-08-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

In one year from today I will be participating in the Crane Beach Triatholon. I road my bike to and from work today. It's not very far, but its a start! Still looking for a partner if anyone wants to join me in training.

Myopia Hunt Club

2006-08-08T20:22:00.000-05:00

Several times a year the Fox Hunting club parades through campus on their horses accompanined by their many hounds. Today Eleanor got to watch. She seemed to enjoy it, but would probably rather be able to touch the dogs and horses instead of just watching them.
I (Mary) also started job number 3 today. I am working one or two days a week at a health club in their child care room. I get to work out for free! Now if I can only make the time and motivate myself to do it.
John is still translating in the library every day from 9-5. We have really enjoyed having him around more. He has translated I Samuel chapters 8-17! Only 20 chapters left.