Christmas is coming...

Because we're staying home for Christmas this year, our families are being gracious enough to travel to us and include Bill and I.

I've dubed it "Christmas-paloza" in honor of Michelle,

and because it's an extended celebration. :)

On the 17th my mom and grandma arrived to spend the weekend visiting. Friday night we put up our tree and decorated it. This is quite the turn-around as we traditionally helped my grandma put her tree together, and this year, she helped us! :)

Saturday morning was "Christmas". Bill and I opened gifts from Mom-mom R, Uncle Paul and Aunt Sandy. As you can tell, Bill was excited! :)

I mean, who doesn't want Bucky-balls for Christmas?

I was also very excited to recieve a requested sweatshirt - lined, hooded, zip-up. :)

Another shot of Bill with a new mug to annoy co-workers and students alike! :)

A new robe for me! :)

A highlight of the morning actually ended up being the last gift. Mom-mom kept telling me to make sure I had the camera ready. We opened it and Uncle Paul and Sandy had sent Cinnamon a little treat, and a little outfit. We put it on her right away and started snapping pictures. She's very patient with us, as we were all laughing at her!! :)

This year she is one of Santa's little helpers!

Christmas-paloza part one was a success - we enjoyed good company and a relaxing weekend.

This evening we are part of our church's Christmas play - can you guess who Bill and I will be playing? Tomorrow morning we'll open stockings and gifts, and then we were invited to share Christmas dinner with some good friends of ours. We'll be missing our families, but can't wait to visit with them when Christmas-paloza 2010 continues next weekend!! :)

Dropped or not?

Here's the end of 8 months ~ does it look like I "dropped"? A lot of people think I have!...

Family Baby Shower

Over Thanksgiving, both sides of my family came together to celebrate Baby Hoffman and his quickly approaching arrival. We had a lot of fun - playing games, designing quilt squares, and enjoying food and cake. Here are a few pictures of everyone hard at work making their square.

Right before everyone left, we got this picture of me with the Grandmas! :)

It was a fun time and we were very blessed with everyone's generous gifts!

Thanksgiving

We traveled to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving this year. We didn't go last year because we had just moved into our house - doesn't seem like a year has past, but it has!

We enjoyed lunch at my Grandma Barton's house...

and dinner with my Grandma Ritter.

We stayed with Bill's parents, and also got to visit with his Grandma Hoffman, but I didn't get any pictures of us with them. :(

We stayed through Sunday because both sides of our family threw a baby shower for us. More on that later...

End of Seven Months

I've reached 31 weeks, which marks the end of month seven! Here's what to expect for the next few weeks ~ into month 8:

Baby Hoffman will gain about 1/2 a pound a week, weighing about 5 1/2 pounds, measuring as long as 20 inches by week 25

brain development - practicing swallowing, sucking, breathing and kicking

antibodies developing in his immune system

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to one cool dancing Dad :)

Baby Room Progress!

Here is what it looked like when I was cleaning and moving stuff out: (yikes!)

I taped the edges, and Bill reminded me to take one last shot of the "old" paint before the new stuff went on.


Ta-Da! The new paint is more yellow then the last, but not a huge change.

This shows the new paint and the put together crib from Mom and Dad B. :)

Curtains are still in progress, but should be done soon!

Halloweenie

Halloween trick-or-treating was tonight for Penn Township. Bill dressed as a "mad scientist", I had a pumpkin belly, and Cinnamon was a "Halloweenie" We sat out on the porch and passed out candy to a lot of trick-or-treaters! Michelle was visiting for a few days, and before she left she took some pictures of us!

Happy Halloween!

End of Month 6 = end of 2nd trimester

Here you go! The picture you've been waiting for!

Next week I'll be into month 7 - which is crazy to think about, but it's true!

Not much new to report since last time. Doctor's appointment went well last week... next week is the glucose blood test (do I have diabeties??) and then I'll start going to the doctor's every two weeks instead of every four weeks.

The baby has been doing a lot of kicking around lately - especially in the morning and evening!

Here's what the book has to say about week 27:

Your baby graduates onto a new growth chart this week. No longer will he be measured crown to rump, but rather from head to two. And this week that head-to-toe length is a ful 15 inches (more than a foot long)! Your baby's weight is creeping up the charts as well, coming in at just over 2 pounds this week. And here's an interesting fetal factoid: Your baby has more taste budes now than he will have at birth (and beyond).

By next week baby will be blinking, in addition to coughing, hiccupping and taking practice breaths.

Look who's here!

Our friend Carissa had her baby on Tuesday October 12, 2010

Daisy Louise Patterson was 7 lbs, 20 in.

These pictures are from our visit on Friday.

Everyone is doing well!

Staying Warm

Cinnamon needed to stay warm on her morning walks.

So we got her a sweater. (!!!!! hehehe, she's just so cute!!!)

She likes it. :)

Still hard to believe we have a dog that needs help staying warm, but we love her anyway!

End of September!

On the last day of September, I've put together a rather random group of photos to share... :)

Enjoy!

Here's one of Bill with Triton and Lexi - dogs we met at a baby shower for Daisy Patterson - huge dogs, that Bill just couldn't resist!

Here is Michelle and me at the Daisy shower

Our pile of baby clothes is getting bigger... :)
Thanks to everyone who's added to our pile!
(yes, yes, I realize we'll need to keep adding...)


I see FALL in the top left part of this tree - YAY!

They let us out 2 hours early today from school

because of flooding, and potential high winds... :-D I love Maryland...!

Women's Conference

I went away for the weekend for a Women's Conference with my sister's church on the 18th and 19th of the month.

Here is a picture of Alison and I ~

End of five months

Week 22... the end of month five!

Doctor's appointment went well today. Here are some "stats" about the pregnancy so far...

How far along: 22 weeks, 4 days :)

Baby's heart rate: 150 (right where it should be) and the nurse said it was "nice and strong"

Total weight gain: 11 pounds

Sleep: doing well - no worries there, and bring on the pillows!!!

Bellybutton: popping out a little ... yikes!

Food cravings: I wouldn't be surprised if this baby boy is addicted to peanut butter and ice cream... yum....

Labor Signs: um... NO. Not yet!

[thanks to my friend Heather M. who posted this same list about her pregnancy on their blog - trying to keep the family in the loop!! :)]

no video

Yikes... the video just doesn't transfer so well onto the computer screen - oh well! :)

Had a very relaxing weekend and it's off to work tomorrow! Doctor's appointment on Tuesday - I'll update you again then! :)

Sonogram Stuff

Happy Birthday Mom Barton! :)

here are our sonogram pictures to share with you... I tried my best to "label" them...

This one shows his "boy parts" and a leg

This one is also of the "boy parts"


This is a bottom view of the foot

This is a profile view - you can see his little nose and forhead, chin and lips

This is a "4-D" showing his face and his hands covering his mouth

Here is one with the eyes, nose, and mouth

I've got a video to upload as well... Look back in a little while!

Weekends

Before I posted the 'real' stuff... I realized I needed to include a 20 week picture... because I said I would! :) Halfway to meeting our baby!!! I am starting to feel movement during the day (it used to be just a night if I was laying on my back) and that's kinda neat. We're also working on ideas for the nursery - so far we've got fish/nautical theme, or 'camping'/outdoors theme....

okay, now for the "weekends" post!

Bill and I love weekends... especially when we're visiting with family and friends!

The 20-22 of August, we did a cousin camping trip to Bald Eagle State Park near State College, PA. We enjoyed good food and good company!

Julie, Grace, Mike, and Jacob

Jonathan

Erin and Jared

Alissa and Greg

Alison, Chloe, and Kevin

Bill and I (and baby!!)

On the 28th of August, we had a 'reunion' of sorts here at our house for the intramural team that Bill played on at Geneva. There were 4 couples who made it out to our house. The guys spent some time outside throwing the football around, and the girls catching up about what has been going on in our lives since we left Geneva five years ago!

Jonah

Justin

Steve

Bill

Steve and Abby's little guy Simeon

Jonah and Liz's little guy James

...and Steve and Abby's youngest Clay

Bill, me, Steve and Simeon, Abby and Clay, Randi, Justin, Jonah and James, and Liz.

This weekend we enjoyed a quick visit with Michelle on Friday night and Saturday morning - and then a visit with my grandmas and parents for the day on Saturday.

We got a group shot before they left. :)

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!!