End of summer fun!

We have been trying to make the most of the warm days on our weekends before it gets cold outside. We didn't get as much done as we had planned but we did make it to the air show, Royals game and Zona Rosa Art Fair.  We have been doing more yard work like weeding, taking out flower beds and re-landscaping, seeding the yard, getting fall mums and replanting hostas and day lillies for next year.  Quentin also replaced our bathroom floor with faux tile.  It looks so real you would never know unless I told you.  He did a fabulous job...he even took the toilet up YUCK!!!  Our next indoor projects are building a storage bench for blankets and pillows in our bedroom along with Gus' bunk beds.  Our next outdoor projects are replacing siding and trim on the house and then painting.  Needless to say we have LOTS to do!  Any volunteers?

The baby is now 18 weeks old weighing in at 7 oz and the size of green pepper.  I have felt little twinges of movement but not the full experience of it yet.  My appetite has definitely increased as it is supposed to but I haven't been packing on the pounds yet so I'm good with that :-)  i definitely feel stretched though!

On to the Gusser...he is picking up on things quicker and quicker everyday.  Words are starting to become more clear and he is communicating wonderfully.  He saw bubbles on Grandma's computer screen, pointed and said, "b...b...bubbles!"  It was very cool.  He spent Friday night with Grandpa and Mimi until about 10pm when we went to pick him up asleep and put him back in his bed and he spent Saturday night with Grandma until about 10:30pm and we did the same. He did great both nights.  We think he is officially ready for his overnight at Grandpa and Mimi's next weekend for our anniversary where he will share the weekend with them and Grandma as well.  I think he is really starting to see how much fun he can have with his grandparents. I wonder what it is they are letting him do or eat that we don't :-0  Notice his big boy hair cut in the pictures!  Some of these are from the previous weekend as well.

Daddy, Gus and the Elephant at the Zoo.



Grandma, Great Aunt Debbie and Gus waiting on the tram at the zoo.

A little girl let Gus borrow her safari hat for a picture at the zoo.

Grandma, Daddy and Gus getting ready for the train ride at the zoo.



Mommy, Gus and baby swinging at the park.



"Daddy let's look in here...this looks cool."  Gus and Daddy walking inside a huge plane at the Wings over Whiteman air show.



Gus in the cockpit at the airshow.

"Oooohh Mommy look at the sky divers."

Daddy and Gus looking at the B2 that Daddy worked on in the Air Force.



Gus is really starting to like slides.

Phew...that was fun!

Mommy, Gus and Baby at the Zona Rosa Art Fair.



Daddy and Gus hanging out at the art fair.

Daddy and Gus being goofy!

"Gus, let me tell you a secret!"



Daddy:  "Gus, what is in your hands?"
Gus:  "I don't know, you look?"

Belly Button!

Daddy, "Gus where is your belly button?"  Gus, "bel bu"

Everything new is cool!

We now officially have moved on from an apple to an avocado! We just had our 4 month checkup and everything is going swimmingly! The heart beat was 140 this time and it was 165 last time but I think the appointments were at different times of the day. I have officially gained 3 pounds so far but feel like I have gained 10! I should begin to feel the baby at any moment. Between now and the next two weeks...so they say. I'll be so glad when I have that extra reassurance. No major cravings yet but I have had to have mac'n'cheese at least once a week and desserts at night have become a big event! We lit the fire last night and has smores! YUM!!!

Quentin and I do not have much personally to update you on...work is work and we look forward to weekends more then anything!  This weekend we are going to the Zoo with Grandma, Prairie Village Jazz Festival, Old Settlers Days and possibly Emma's Soccer Game.  Big weekend with lots of fun ahead!

Onto the Gusser...well he thinks everything new is cool these days.  We took him to the dog park and I thought he was going to crawl out of his skin with excitement.  "Ooooh Mama Ooooh....Dada Dada Ooooooh Oooooh!"  It was really cute.  He wanted to play with all of the dogs.  We also went to Santa-Cali-Gon days which Gus slept through most of but was able to wake up for some fair food, pulling ducks for prizes and staring at the ferris wheel in amazement.  Unfortunately he is still to small to ride anything but he wanted to.  He is getting his final 4 teeth in which has been a little bit of a rough ride but we are ready for the full grill so we can stop having a slobber monster on our hands :-)  His new favorite thing is helping Daddy with anything he is "fixing" especially if it involves tools!  His favorite is the wrench that probably weighs more then he does!  He will tell you all about what he is fixing as he points, works and jabbers about it.

Love hanging out on the porch...though it is hard to eat a banana and smoosh your face into the screen door at the same time!

Not a huge fan of fettucini noodles sticking to my face while I eat!  That fork thing is difficult!

I'm so tired I can't even eat my snack!  Sleeping and eating at the same time is a great talent to have.

Playing tea party at my Second Cousin Missy and Great Grandpa's Birthday party with Kaitlyn and Brady.

Don't I look like a little man and not a baby anymore?

Daddy did my hair...YIKES!!!

This is one of my favorite outside toys...unfortunately I always try to sit on the worms neck instead of the seat...lots of crashes but I'm learning...now if I could only figure out how to go forward and not just backward...reminds me of when I started crawling!  :-0

Working on Grandma's new bike with Dad!

This tool works much better then the wrench!

Oooh Mama look at that doggy!

Look at Rudy in the water at the Dog Park!

Going for a stroll!

Smell the wildflowers!

Getting out and about!

The 'surprise Hoffman" has graduated to an apple!  I can't believe we are 15 weeks along already.  This means Gus has a few months left to get ready to be rid of the mommy-itis and become an independant 18  month old!  We will see how that goes...

"Awwww...the apple of our eyes."

Gus has been experiencing all kinds of things at school these days.  He graduated to the frogs room along with his "girlfriend" Lauren.  She must really like Gus considering she took his diaper off while he was sleeping the other day and waived it around the room like a victory flag.  We had to have a mother - son talk after that one! 

He loves his new room.  They have been playing with play dough, painting, going outside and singing with Mr. Rob that comes in once a week.  He greeted me the other day by pulling up his shirt,  pointing to his belly button and saying bel be - bel be...his word for belly button...the funny thing is he thinks Quentin has 3 of them.  Is it too early to say nipple not belly button?  :-)

He has been eating and drinking milk like an athlete before a final game and growing everyday.  His 12 months clothes are almost too small on him.  I have a feeling him and his Dad are going to keep the dairy farms in business!  In that respect we need to have a girl.

Gus has been "practicing" over at Grandpa and Mimis house for longer and longer periods away from Mommy and Daddy.  He is up to an hour and doing well.  We are going to try 1 1/2 hours this weekend. 

Grandma has been spending lots of time with Gus as well they play with toys and read a lot of books together on the weekends.  Grandma recently bought Gus some clothes for the fall since he didn't really have any.  Mommy enjoyed the shopping trip with Grandma while Daddy entertained Gus in the store!  He is going to be super cute in his new outfits!  Look out Lauren!

It is a dark and rainy morning on the way to school.  It must be a very relaxing drive since Gus fell asleep with his hand in his cheerios that he was eating for breakfast on the way.  Too Cute!!

 

Gus and Mommy hug before their bike ride.

Gus and Mommy are ready to go on a bike ride!

Come on let's go...I'm ready!

Daddy and Gus leaving for a bike ride.

Gus and Jazzmin are playing in the laundry basket while Daddy pulls them around the room.  We now have to hide the laundry basket or Gus gets in and is READY for a ride!

Laughing everyday!

Our son makes us laugh everyday now.  His newest thing is pursing his lips, opening his eyes wide, raising his eyebrows and saying, "oooohhhhh"  to everything.  It is so funny we can't stop laughing which is a good thing!  :-)  Gus has been walking/running everywhere he goes and is pretty much done with being held unless he wants to cuddle or see something.  He becomes more and more independent everyday.  Once he hears it is bath time he walks into his room, gets his towel and he carries it into the bathroom and waits by the tub.  He loves bath time!!!

Baby H#2 is growing like a weed...we had a sonogram last Friday and it turned out really well.  Our due date has not changed it is still 2/21/11 and our tests came back negative for Downs Syndrome as well as two other chromosomal abnormalities.  The baby's heart rate at 11am was 161 which was very close to what Gus' was.  We have another sonogram in 8 weeks to follow up and make sure any genetic or chromosomal issues if there are any are detected.

Quentin and I tried to have a date night and go to the Royals game last Friday but we got rained out.  :-(  It was pretty disappointing since that doesn't happen very often these days.  We still enjoyed each other's company and some ball park food while we were there though.

Below are some pictures of our family going to Deanna Rose with the Moffitts and also our day trip to the Missouri State Fair plus some extras.  We had a lot of fun and ate a lot of "terribly" good food!

Baby H#2 at 13 weeks!

This is approximately how big Baby H#2 is.  The size of a medium shrimp!

Look at me!  I'm a big boy eating off a plate and using a fork!

Vroom vroom!  Cool tractors at Deanna Rose.

This is one of the horses that took us on a hayride!  It almost put me and Daddy to sleep!

Caden loves to help me.  He is a lot of fun to play with!

Daddy is helping me learn to milk a cow in case I ever need to know how!

Playing with cow bells at Deanna Rose.  They make lots of noise!

Playing with water, buckets and measuring cups at Grandma's house.  Super fun!

Gus and the piglets with their mommy.  Ooohhh!!!

The fair tuckered me out!

Balancing at the playground.

Playing at the playground with tons of other kids at the fair.

Mommy, Gus and Ronald McDonald.  Gus thought he was very funny!

Arriving at the Missouri State Fair

My first band!