Gorilla Baby

Emmitt just recently started doing this thing with his arm when he gets excited about something...usually Mommy. It reminds me an awful lot of when gorillas beat their chests. See for yourself:

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Emmitt's Stats

Emmitt finally went in for his 4 month appointment. Long story short, he wasn't well enough for his "well baby" visit at two months because he had just been in the hospital. That pushed all of the rest back by two weeks almost. That would have made his appointment time for Friday of last week, but the doctor was out on Spring Break with his family, so we went today instead! What can I say other than he is GROWING! The doctor was exaggerating, but when he came into the exam room, he said, "So Emmitt is four years old....but is as big as a 9 month old!" He is more like the size of a 6 month-old when compared to Jesstine's size as a baby! At 4 1/2 months, Emmitt weighs 17 lbs. 4 oz. (77%ile) and is 26 inches (70%ile) in length. There was no percentile given for his head circumference, but it was 17.5 inches. The doctor was quite impressed with him. He was most impressed with how strong his legs are! He stands quite well with only the support of hanging on to someone's hands. The nurses were in LOVE with him! He is such a happy, mostly laid back baby. He, like most babies, did NOT care for his shots! He cried more than I have heard in a long time! Maybe even worse than in the hospital when he was sick with strep! Poor guy! He sported two bandaids for a little while afterward!

 My sharp dressed little man.

We already had one bandage come off, but here is one of his boo boo legs!

In other news, as of yesterday, March 27, we have an ambi roller!!! He can rolled from back to front and from front to back now! He still struggles with front to back quite a bit, but he has done it a few times now. He just can't remember where to put his hand to get himself back over sometimes! As long as someone is entertaining him, he is perfectly comfortable on his tummy!

Smiling at Mommy!

His favorite entertainment is Big Sis. I still can't get over how much this little guy just adores his big sister and how mutual the feelings are! So far Jesstine has shown very little if any jealousy issues about Emmitt. She can't get over how cute he is! She tells EVERYONE so much! "Awww! He's so CUTE!" (Cute is always said in a decibel that would make dogs run for the hills!)

 He also is SO in love with his Daddy. Again, the feeling is mutual! He is starting to get on a schedule where he is pretty much taking two naps in his bed each day when we can get him there! He still needs a "snappy" nap at night though. 

 He is such a cuddly baby! To get himself to sleep, he has to have Daddy or Mommy's hand. Sometimes we can replace it with one of his soft blankets after a minute or so. I don't think Daddy OR Emmitt wanted to let go during this snappy though!

He has also grown tired of the bouncy...for the most part. He has decided to entertain himself with the hanging toys instead of just the kick pad (there are feet on the loser part of the seat that are over a kick pad that when pushed on the interaction setting will cause the lights and sounds to go and the hanging toy in the center, which is missing a piece, also works the same way).

So, we are just kickn' and rolln' here! Enjoying God's blessings! Tomorrow is Spring Picture day at Jesstine's preschool!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Bow Ties, Sippy Cups and Sandboxes

We pretty much skipped Winter her all together and went from Fall to Summer. We had unusually high temps this year for the months of October through March. Spring officially started a few days ago, but today is our second 80 degree day in a row! Last week it mostly rained which is more indicative of Spring. Here are a few pictures of happenings since the LAST post.

 Stephen and I FINALLY were able to go out for our 9th anniversary celebration. The kids got to go to Grandmom's while we let our creative juices flow. Emmitt really dressed for the occasion!

 We have started to introduce more solids for Emmitt. He tried oatmeal and did great. Tried some squash and now will refuese to eat his rice in favor of squash and oatmeal. Oh, and if I bring out the sippy cup before he eats anything, we have to call the WHOLE thing off! He loves this thing!

My brother-in-law, Ryan, is currently deployed. My sister is really struggling with the situation, so she moved back for a couple of months to get some support from family. So today the kids came over to play outside with us. They really played nicely together! 

We are enjoying the warmer weather!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Babies

Jesstine has been really hot and cold when it comes to babies and being like Mommy. When she was 18 months old or so, her favorite thing to do when we went grocery shopping was to go down the baby aisle. So we got her a baby doll for Christmas that year....which she hardly touches! I tried to get her interested again when we were a couple of months from Emmitt's arrival. She still was only interested for MAYBE a day! Just in the last week though, she has started to play "baby" with Dumpty. She takes Dumpty for walks in her stroller and puts her to bed in her doll pack-n-play. She even has a little bed in her own bed that Dumpty and her buddies lay in. Today there was a consignment sale and I told her if she was REALLY good, I would let her look at toys when we were done. I told her she could pick one toy out as long as I approved of the price. She right away latched onto a set of baby stuff that had a diaper, plate, spoon, fork, bottle, and all kinds of toiletries! She was SO excited she couldn't get home fast enough to play with it! So here are a few photos and a video of Jesstine and her "Baby" Dumpty.

This doll bed was special made by Stephen's uncle Gilbert and Aunt Sandra made the "mattress" for it.

(Turn your volume up quite loud to hear her sing: "Go to sleep, Go to sleep...."

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

SPRING FEVER!!

The flu isn't the only source of fever around here. After a week of cold and flu fevers and rain, rain, rain....someone is itching to get outside! She has spring fever now! Don't believe me, see for yourself!

Really, she is doing MUCH better! After 6 days of fever, she was fever free today and most of yesterday. She is still taking antibiotic for an ear infection, but she was in much better spirits today. Just in time for her cousins to come and play. She still tires easily. The nice thing is that she takes long naps. She doesn't have as much energy to keep herself entertained though. That is one of the downsides. It is sure nice to see this smile again though! Earlier she brought Dumpty to me and said she needed to change her clothes because her diaper leaked through. Wonder where she would ever have heard that!

More Spring Fever face! Isn't she just the cutest?!

Emmitt and I currently have colds. I went ahead and went to the doctor at the minor emergency center last night because my cold had spread to my eye. I don't have it as bad as the Stephen and Jesstine though. No fever. Hopefully Emmitt's is more of a teething thing and not a cold! Not optimistic with out our week has gone though!

Speaking of Emmitt, I just can't get over how cute he is. Jesstine is cute too. I never thought that it would be different, but I look at my kids each differently. It makes sense; they are different people! I love the baby stage now that he is a little older and more interactive! He is  growing so fast. It amazes me how certain mannerisms start pretty much right off the bat. For instance, crossing your legs/feet (see below). This week he discovered his feet and that they work to move things. Those feet are just adorable!

On that note, it is time to watch a movie with hubby!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Stuck Inside

When you are stuck inside with sick family members, what is there to do? Well, how about take pictures of your cute kids? The first pictures are of Emmitt and all his handsomness. He is quickly outgrowing this really special cute outfit that Grandma Griffee bought for him. He absolutely ADORES the blanket! It helps him get to sleep each nap and at night time!

 Studying the doggie!

 Cute feet in his spinning saucer.

Jesstine has been running a fever off and on for four days now. When she is feeling well, she is almost her usual spunky self with just a little bit of a sick look in her eyes. So this is what she has been up to!

 Dumpty stuffed into doll clothes.

 Does this picture remind anyone else of the 80's???

Yesterday, she told me that her ear was really hurting. So I made the decision to take her to the doctor, thinking that this virus has turned into an infection. While there I was hoping that I could get her some cough medicine so that she could sleep better at night. She was excited at the prospect of wearing "real" clothes as opposed to night clothes. Although St. Patrick's Day has passed, she decided this was what she wanted to wear:

Our good friend and babysitter, Kara, wore holiday dresses when she was a little girl. Her mom and her ADORE Jesstine (not to mention Jesstine adores THEM)! Johnna (Kara's mom) thinks of me as a younger version of herself when she sees Jesstine and I! It is so fun! So since this is on loan, I thought I would take a picture to share with them but also for us to enjoy! Better late than never!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Happy St. Patty's Day.....

from me Lucky Charms!!!

These are for Grandmom who LOVES green!!

Oh and can't forget to post that on Wednesday, March 14, Emmitt rolled from his back to his tummy for the first time. He couldn't fully roll over because he was SO busy chewing on his hands (his first tooth is ALSO popping through at just 4 months!!!), they were in the way of him fully rolling over. Today he figured it out! He was so proud of himself until he discovered he STILL didn't know how to roll the other way! I am sure that will be coming too!

Daddy and Jesstine have the flu. I am crossing my fingers that the tickle in my throat is just allergy related and not the flu! If I get it, Emmitt will more than likely get it and he is just SO young! Besides that, he has been sick enough! Poor guy! Prayers would be GREAT!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Rolling in the Deep....

Adele has NOTHING on this boy! Guess who is rolling? AND he has a TOOTH! Can't believe how much faster things seem to be going with this sweet little boy! He is really getting sweeter and sweeter each day! I don't know if that is even possible, but it sure seems like that is what is happening! He is always smiling at me! I can be clear across the room and he catches my attention. He smiles super big and sometimes even chuckles. Then other times he can be screaming and yelling to get up out of bed, but when I go in to get him, he is as happy as a lark! So, eat your heart out Adele (for those of you who don't know, this is a very popular pop artist right now).

 I count this as rolling over because if he wasn't teething and chewing on his hands CONSTANTLY, they would be out of his way and he would be all of the way over. He arches his back and looks behind him with the proper form to roll from his back to his tummy. It is so funny to see him like this because he will get in this position and then he gets frustrated because he can't roll back the way he came and also he can't reach his hands to chew on them! Funny boy!

 He is also sitting up MUCH better (assisted of course).

 Playing in the Bumbo seat.

 You can't tell from this picture, but the flu has officially hit our household. Stephen came home Tuesday because his coughing was disruptive at work. Not much later, he started to run a fever. This beauty started to cough last night and started to run a fever after breakfast today. You can tell when she has had meds and not! In this picture, she is sitting on her pallet thinking she is so cool wearing Mommy's shoes and eating her oreo! Don't let her fool you though, she isn't ALL sweetness! Pretty close though!

So why do I not put my child on the playmat? Truthfully, I did! This was an eye opening moment for us! We need to get our carpets cleaned and be WAY more diligent about getting Jesstine to keep her small toys off of the floor. This guy is getting closer and closer to mobility! He started out with his head on the lion (under the crossed section of the playmat. I came back after doing something in the kitchen to find him completely off of the playmat! Fun boy! (You may recognize the shirt from HERE!) 

I am so thankful for these beautiful children! Thank you God for Jesstine and Emmitt! (Emmitt is saying the prayer with me, "In Jesus' name we pray, Amen!")

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Weekend Fun

This was the moment Jesstine had been waiting for all week! We decided about a month ago that because Emmitt usually only wakes up once a night if at all, we were ready to take a trip as a family of 4 for the first time! So, we did it! We went to see Seth and Jenni this weekend! Jesstine couldn't stop talking about it the week leading up to the trip. She was excited to see the sloth and frog (from our visit in October!!!) and she kept talking about Aunt Jenni this and Aunt Jenni that! Such a sweet girl! We of course were worried about how Emmitt would do. He fussed a little, but never really screamed until the last 10 miles from home on the way back! He did fantastic! Just as he was with Jesstine, Ian was absolutely in LOVE with Emmitt! One of the proudest moments of this trip for me was when Ian came down sad about something that had happened upstairs. He was still upset after talking to his mom, so I interrupted and asked if he would be interested in holding Emmitt. His face lit up like a Christmas tree! It got a shade brighter when I asked if he would even like to FEED him. Again, the moment was PRICELESS! Such a sweet boy! All three boys clambered over Emmitt. They were as amused with Emmitts toys as he was! Their favorite toy was Emmitt's Daddy! Hehe! Stephen had a great time and expressed how excited he is for when Emmitt is old enough to rough house with! Noah and Ian started soccer season this weekend (or maybe the weekend before). Because of the times of their games, Connor was unable to go. It was nap time. Jenni said she was going to call a babysitter. I wasn't sure what the weather would be like or how Emmitt would do, so I offered to stay with Connor while he slept so that she didn't have to have someone else come. Emmitt didn't sleep much more than 20-30 minutes at a time, so I had a fun time playing with him. Below is a video! I think he had a good time too! We are happy to be home, but it was a fun trip and I can't wait to see them again! 

 Jesstine entertaining herself in the car by putting her snack cup on Glitzy's (her pink dragon) head! Silly girl!

So proud of this wonderful boy! The little one is great as well!

My silly boy!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Emmitt 4 Months and Blanket Forts

Yep! It is that time again! Well, sort of! I am a couple of days early, but that is because I won't be able to post this actually ON his 4 month birthday. SO it is what it is!

Emmitt is growing SO fast! It is kind of sad, but yet we are glad that it means his sleeping patterns are changing for the better (at least at night!). Emmitt weighs 16.5 lbs (as of a week ago when he went to the doctor) and is almost 25 inches in length. He is mostly in size 6-9 month clothes, but can still fit into some 3-6 month clothing (as pictured below). He still wears size 3 diapers and is in a size 3 shoe.He is giggling even more. He has developed a squeal and almost scream lately. He is SO close to rolling over on his tummy from his back. He can get on his side really easily. He tries to see what is behind him which is just what he needs to do to roll over. He is still eating 5 ounces per bottle every three hours. Sometimes when he is done he will complain because it is gone, but when we attempt to give him 6, he won't eat more than 5! Just today, I started to feed him rice twice daily. Starting next week, he will slowly start eating all kinds of other foods. He is such a fun boy. He has the brightest smile! He is a cuddly boy too! He likes to hold my hand or his blanket in his hands as he goes to sleep! Much different than Jesstine! She would rather just be put in bed to fall asleep on her own! He would rather stay a while! So, here are the chair pictures! 

 His buddy the Elephant!

 Yeah, it is getting much harder to get good pictures of him without his hands in his mouth! (Also, I removed the red eye, but forgot to crop, so you will be seeing a bit of my front doorway!)

He has also been named the "Spasmanian Devil." He is constantly jerking his arms and legs (when his hands aren't in his mouth). This was probably the best picture of all of the chair pictures, but he is about to fall down because he is jerking around! LOL! Sweet boy!

So, not to leave Jesstine out, it has been fun around here this week. Both kids were sick at the end of last week, so we didn't get much playing in! We made up for it this week. Our friends Kylie and Carter came to play!

 First it was princess dress up (Kylie brought her own dress and shoes. Jesstine's were just not good enough! She likes the purple crown we have though!)

 Carter had to get in the picture too! You can't see it, but he has a magic wand as well!

 Jesstine was inspired by Emmitt's bed (see the last post) and a book, If You Give a Pig a Party, to make a blanket fort. So I made one for her, Kylie and Carter to play in. It has a tunnel out the back...

 Lots of room for a tea party....

 And even a front door!!

Have a great day!!!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

"Mommy, I have to follow the bad guy's footprints...."

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Stranded...In Tents...With Happy Lunches

With Emmitt being sick, we have pretty much just stayed in the house. Jesstine and Stephen went to church yesterday and Emmitt and I hung out at home. Today it is me and the kids at home. As promised here are pictures of Emmitt's tent and a couple of the happy boy himself! He is getting MUCH better! He is smiling a lot more (he never stopped, it just wasn't as often) and even laughed a couple of times last night! I hope this means we are over the hump. Jesstine just has a slight cough and runny nose. She is currently dressed up as Belle (courtesy of Aunt Jenni) and dancing to her Elmo boom box while Emmitt plays on his play mat.

 His nest is BEST!

 More of the smiles I was referring to.

Jesstine had a "happy lunch" today! She rarely eats peanut butter and jelly (weird, I know), but requested it today for lunch. I thought I would make it fun since we are stuck in the house today. She appreciated it. Surprisingly, she ate EVERY bite! She got a fortune cookie for her treat. Her fortune read: "Fame is in your future." Dancing Belle impersonators beware!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family