Father's Day

On Saturday M to the Izz-A's mom and granny came over to visit. This was Granny Mac's first meeting with Hamp. There was no shortage of hugging and cheek pinchin' that's for sure. Kate and Hamp both enjoyed being center of attention for the afternoon.

Matt's mom made us a delicious lunch, which we devoured in no time flat. Good ol' Mary came prepared with all the groceries she needed to make the meal and just made herself at home in the kitchen. Boy were we thankful. She sure knows the way to our hearts.

Through our bellies, of course.

All that sugar stealin' wore Hamp out...

And for Father's Day I invited my parents and grandma over for dinner.

I love this fella...

He inspires me in ways he doesn't even realize. From childhood to adulthood, he's always been one of my heroes, showing me right from wrong, teaching me not just through words but through his actions.

Thank you, Daddy, for being the man you are and always have been. I love you so much.

I just love how completely kicked back and relaxed Hamp looks in this picture. But more than that, I love how my grandma is well into her 80's and still paints her fingernails bright red.

For Father's Day Kate worked extra hard on her present for Daddy.

We're pretty fond of M to the Izz-A around here. He's got his own fan club. Talk about an amazing daddy - I couldn't have asked for a better father for my children.

Heck, he's not even scared to do a little role reversal 'er now and then -- cooking, cleaning, and diaper duty...








...even if he does have his own special technique.

Wordless Wednesday

our makeshift water park

It was a royal celebration - Princess Party at the Park

A few weeks ago we had Kate's 3rd birthday party at our local park. It turned out to be the perfect day! Perfect as in the weather was beautiful, the kids had plenty of room to play, and there was virtually no clean-up for the then 9-month pregnant mama.








The princess cake was made by my friend, Tara. Kate absolutely loved it. Remember, she'd been asking for a princess cake since January!

Granny and Paw T

Daddy's girl

The highlight of the party was the pinata. Kate wanted to skip opening gifts and go straight to swinging the pinata stick.

All of the party guests seem to love it just as much as she did, as their faces clearly show. Apparently contorting your face and mouth in a variety of ways helps...

Big Al and Sal Gal

cousin Kennedy

more cousins - J.P., Chas, and Lillie

Kate, you've made the past three years more special than we could have ever imagined. Thank you for filling our lives with love and laughter, and our home with toys and blue marker stained couches. We love you!

Kate turns 3!!

On Saturday my little girl turned three! As you may remember, we had her birthday party a few weeks earlier, and so for her actual birthday we took her to the Museum of Science and History (MOSH). I'll be posting pictures of her party on tomorrow's post. One thing at a time...trying to do more than that makes my brain hurt at the present time. Work with me here.

Kate thought that this black and white wall mural was her great grandpa's favorite TV show. She yelled, "Look! It's Paw's show!"

We chose the Interactive Science Show as opposed to the Planetarium show because I just knew I'd be the first to fall asleep. It's just not a good idea to put a sleep-deprived mama in a dark, air-conditioned room with big puffy seats. Ever.

Kate volunteered to be part of the show, but she had no idea what was in store for her...

She listened carefully to the directions,

waited patiently for "Sparky" to turn on,

and was completely amazed when her hair stood up on her head!

She didn't know what to think when they put the mirror in front of her. I'm just glad she didn't tell the crowd that she looked like Mommy in the mornings.

Wordless Wednesday

And that's what we've been up to

The rest of the story...

On the Monday of Hamp's birth, M to the Izz-A and I, along with my sister Sal Gal and my mother-in-law, headed to the hospital around 5:30 AM for my induction. Kate stayed at home with Granny T so that she wouldn't be stuck in a waiting room all day.


We arrived at the hospital around 6:30 AM and my mom and grandma met us there. Once they got me all hooked up with IVs and monitors, I had to use the bathroom. Convenient? No. But hey, nervousness can get the best of ya. So after a little unhooking and re-hooking, the show continued.


The nurses started the pitocin around 7:30ish and I got my epidural around 11:00 AM. I waited longer before I got my epidural than I did with Kate, not sure why, but I wish I wouldn't have. The contractions got pretty fierce and then when I finally got it, it took them three times of adjusting the dosage before it finally took effect. I think the reason the contractions became so painful was because I went from 3 cm to 8 cm in about 35-40 minutes.


I started the actual 'pushing' around 1:50 PM and had Mr. Hamp at 2:09 PM. Mama clearly meant business.


Now it's been 2 weeks at home with the new guy. He's just made himself at home and fits right in. I've moved on from being a 1 cup of coffee gal to a 2 cups gal. And a few days ago when I put on some jeans and a decent shirt Kate looked confused and asked why I got dressed up and where we were going. The poor girl has seen me in nothing but pj pants and old T-shirts for the past 2 weeks.


Already this morning I've performed my best break dancing moves on our kitchen floor at Kate's request. Just a lil' spinning around on my bottom - all the while with sheet prints on my face, crust in my eyes, and Hamp's "get me outta here" cry coming through the monitor.


So we're really just getting into the swing of things, trying to establish somewhat of a routine, and taking each day as it comes. We love having a new baby in the house, especially when we've got such a good lil' helper...

His cousins, along with Kate, are all pretty big fans.

Hamp's first doctor's visit was a family affair. The four of us joined in for the big event. Kate loves her new riding partner. Not sure if Hamp even realized he was in a vehicle.

Yesterday was his 2 week appointment and he weighed 8 lb. 9 oz. The boy likes to eat! Oh yeah, he's definitely a member of this family. You're talking to the human garbage disposal right here.

And last weekend we had our friends Kristi and Chad over for dinner and they brought their newest additions, Brooklyn and Braelyn - beautiful twin girls. Kate was in heaven.

I promise I brush my daughter's hair.

Sometimes.