Our Little Family

HE'S HERE!!!

2011-08-22T23:53:00.001-06:00

We are so excited to (finally!) say...Tristan is HERE!!! Our newest little baby was born on August 22nd, and we are so happy to have him!

This was a completely different experience than my first baby, partly because I knew what was going on, and also because I was induced, so I didn't have to go into labor on my own. Since I'd known the induction date for a while, I was able to plan ahead a lot. I got the whole house cleaned (deep cleaned...I was hoping it would put me into labor, but no luck), and we planned to have my mom get here a couple of days early, so I felt totally prepared and un-rushed about everything.

The night before, I could hardly contain my energy/nerves/whatever. I'd been wishing and waiting to have the baby for so long, and I was just ridiculously anxious for the phone call from the hospital to tell me when to come in the next day. Finally they called and said that I was the first person on their list for the next morning, so to expect their call at 6:30 or 7am. I thought that was odd for them to call me to tell me that they were going to call me, but oh well. I enjoyed my last night with my "baby" Ashton, and then proceeded to toss and turn the rest of the night until 6:30am came.

The phone rang almost on the dot at 6:30. The nurse said to come right away, so I hung up the phone, "woke" Tyler (who I'm pretty sure was already awake, too), and we quickly showered and left. We live a little ways from the hospital, though, so we didn't make it there until more than an hour later. According to the nurse at the desk, I was the last of the 13 women being induced that morning to get there. They took me back, got me changed, hooked me to the baby monitors, started an IV, and then checked me. I was still at the same 3.5 as I had been for weeks, but the nurse was happy with that. Then just after 8:30 my doctor, Dr. Lamoreaux, came in to check me as well, and he broke my water. A few minutes later the anesthesiologist gave me my epidural, and by 8:45 I was on pitocin and contracting. And completely pain free! With Ashton, my epidural made my whole lower body dead, but I could still feel pain with the strongest contractions and when he was coming out of me. With this epidural, my lower legs and feet were barely numb at all, and I could still sort of move them, AND I didn't have any pain! It was the most glorious epidural I could have imagined! Thank you thank you thank you to the random anesthesiologist!!! Worth. Every. Penny.

For the next hour or so Tyler and I chatted and relaxed. After a while I tried to nap while he read a magazine, but to no avail. Then, just after 10am, the nurse came in and I said, "I think I feel like I could push now." She checked me and said, "Nice work!" because I was already 10 cm and definitely ready to push. We waited a few minutes while she went to find Dr. Lamoreaux, and when he came in he also said, "Nice work, Mom!" When they had me set up to push, the nurse said, "Depending on how long you have to push, yours will be the first baby of the day! I had one mom yesterday who only pushed three times..." I kind of felt like she was challenging me, so when I started pushing I really focused hard. I pushed through two contractions and his head came out! Then one more push and he literally POPPED out (there was actually a loud popping sound). They flopped him on top of me, in all of his purple, gooey, screaming glory, and I was instantly in love with him. Tyler cut the cord and then I made him run for the camera. :)

Tristan Alexander

August 22nd, 10:25am

7 pounds 10 ounces, 20.5 inches long

That's right, folks. Not even two hours from start to finish!!! The nurse kept saying, "That's got to be some kind of record." So I guess it's a very good thing I didn't ever go into labor, or I may not have even made it to the hospital!

Once he was measured, weighed, and sort of wiped down, the nurse yanked my gown open and stuffed him inside. I was a little flustered by the yanking of the gown, but I was quickly distracted by my handsome little baby.

(Side note: Why is it that I actually did my hair, and even some makeup, and I never felt one second of pain, and I only pushed for three contractions, yet I still look horrendous??? I honestly think I look like I got run over by a truck, when I can promise you I felt fantastic. And why is it that other people I know go through hours of excruciating natural child birth and they end up looking like a model in a birthing magazine? Something is not adding up here...)

Then it was Daddy's turn to meet Tristan. Just like with Ashton, Tristan had been crying (see: above picture), but as soon as Tyler had him he was perfectly happy.

I texted our family and friends to let them know Tristan was here, and then we got to sit and hold him and try to nurse him while my epidural was wearing off.

Since Ashton never caught on to the whole nursing thing, I was hoping Tristan would--and he did! He nursed like a pro the very first time, and I was so relieved. Once he'd eaten they bundled him up, and Tyler went with him to have his first bath while the nurses moved me to my room.

Tristan is such an angel, and I honestly had an amazing experience with my second birth. I had a great doctor, great nurses, a great anesthesiologist... it was all so wonderful, and honestly very enjoyable. I'm so grateful for Tristan's quick, painless, and perfect delivery.

The First Bath

2011-08-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

Tyler said that Tristan did a great job at his first bath. He waited very patiently for them to get everything ready.

And he didn't even cry while they were checking him out.

And then Tyler got to go watch and help with the actual bath--hence, no pictures of it. But here he is just after, all clean and fuzzy!

And then I got to have him back! It had only been an hour or so since he was born, but he was already looking a lot less smooshed.

Such a sweet baby boy!

The last picture...

2011-08-20T16:32:00.001-06:00

This is the last picture I have of Ashton as my only baby. *sigh* We had pancakes for dinner, with strawberries and whipped cream, and he kept saying we were having "strawberry shortcake." It made him so happy, because he thought we were having dessert for dinner! Apparently he couldn't get enough, because after he ate all of his own, he started stealing Grandma's.

Oh, that sweet little face! He has no idea what's about to come... (Oh boy!!!)

The Doctor & The Farm

2011-08-16T16:16:00.001-06:00

Today was my last doctor's appointment. I'm 38 weeks now, and if this kid doesn't come in 6 days, he will be forced out! We have an appointment to be induced on the 22nd, so one way or another, the end is near! I've been 3.5 centimeters dilated and 90% effaced for at least two weeks now, which makes the doctor continue to say, "Oh there's no way you'll still be pregnant by the 22nd!" But I know the truth. My baby's don't come unless something forces them to. I have contractions all night long, and nothing happens. I get my membranes stripped (TMI?) and it doesn't even phase me. So, oh well...

Anyway, while I was at my appointment, Grandma Becky took Ashton to the Thanksgiving Point Farm. He loves the animals, and I'm sure he's been dying to get out of the house, since I don't really go anywhere at the moment. I'm glad Becky offered to take him, and even more glad that she thought to text me a few pictures!

I guess this time he liked the cows and the ducks the best.

He also made a little friend by the duck pond!

I guess they waited in line for a long time to get a pony ride, but then when he got on it the pony sneezed or whinnied or something and then he was too scared. (Sounds like he's my child!) So he went and rode the toy tractor instead.

And after they were done he went home with Grandma to eat ice cream and wait for Daddy to pick him up. That way I got to do some things at home and rest a while, all by myself! Notice how he chose to play with the farm animals for the rest of the night...?

Thanks for the fun time, Grandma Becky!

5 Ways to Tell That Mommy is 9 Months Pregnant:

2011-08-13T17:50:00.003-06:00

1. You spend way too much time on the couch watching Sesame Street, because Mommy is having contractions and can't manage anything else.

2. Tiny baby clothes take over your old dresser, and when you try to wear the hats or put the onesies on like a skirt you get in trouble for stretching them out.

3. You get to make as big of a mess as you want, because Mommy is too round to pick it up and too exhausted to make you do it yourself.

4. Most days you don't even get dressed. (And did I mention watching TV...?)

5. Mommy is too lazy too discipline, and often resorts to bribery. (See: crunch berry covered face at the store)

BONUS! 6. (Not pictured) You only leave the house to go to the store, and when you get there Mommy immediately hobbles to the electric cart and drives herself around like a little old lady...

Big Belly

2011-08-06T14:37:00.001-06:00

Apparently a pregnant belly makes a great felt board. Ashton started piling them on, and my belly is so big now that it took me a while to even notice!

That is a 37 week belly, folks, in all of its roundness and glory. The end is so close I can almost see it!

The Guys

2011-08-05T17:53:00.000-06:00

Ashton got a Sesame Street felt board for his birthday. It has a bunch of different characters, and he calls them his "guys." Whenever we go anywhere, even if it's just upstairs, he hurries to bring them. ("My guys come, too!") He is OBSESSED, with a capital everything! All he can talk about is Sesame Street and any time I look over at him, he is playing Sesame Street.

He is just so happy to be with his guys.

He often talks to them...

...and he screams in their faces (mostly screaming their names at them)...

...and kisses them...

...and organizes and counts them...

...and tells you who they are (over and over and over)...

...and of course he dances with them!

My favorite thing is that there are two random muppet guys. One is a mailman monster, and one is a monster with a basketball. When Ashton asked me who they were I didn't know, so he just started calling them Bo and Bear. I think it's hilarious, and I have no idea where it came from!

We're so glad Grandma Becky thought to get the guys for him. They are definitely a big hit!

One Big Happy Family

2011-08-04T17:16:00.001-06:00

A few months ago, our ward's Young Men/Young Women had a silent auction fundraiser and I decided to donate a photo session. (Apparently it was one of the big-ticket items--I might have been a little proud of that...) The girl who bought it is super cute, as is her whole family, and I was very excited to take pictures of them. She asked if I'd be willing to take pictures of the extended family as well and I said absolutely! The more the merrier, to me. It turned out to be really fun. The combination of the perfect time, a beautiful location, and a whole lot of cute people.

Grandpa and Grandma

Cute Family #1

(The one in my ward...)

Cute Family #2

Cute Family #3

Cute Family #4

Grandparents and Grandkids

Everybody

Thanks for letting me take your family pictures!!!

This morning...

2011-07-31T16:49:00.000-06:00

...I was brushing my teeth, and Ashton was playing in my room with some toys. Or so I thought. When I finished and turned around, he was reading his "prophet book" in the bath tub!

When I asked what he was doing, he looked at me like duh and said, "Mommy. I'm reading."

Yes, because reading in the bathtub is such a normal thing to do. Sheesh. If I get this much attitude when he's two, how much am I in for when he's a teenager?!

Corn on the Cob

2011-07-22T16:41:00.000-06:00

It's not exactly a new food, because he likes corn already, but it's a new form! He wouldn't ever touch corn on the cob before, but tonight he took it right off my plate and started chomping. Woo hoo! That's progress!

But I don't think he realized you aren't supposed to eat the cob...

An Afternoon With Janet

2011-07-19T17:56:00.001-06:00

My dear friend Janet is from Stevensville, but her parents live in Pleasant Grove. Sometimes when she's in town for a visit, she comes to see us, too! Today we met her for lunch and then went back to her parents' house. They have a couple of goats who just had a couple of babies, and we thought Ashton would like them. He definitely did! He was very interested in the tiny little babies.

He was a little more intimidated by the big ones, though. He kept picking up walnuts and throwing them in their water bucket, but every time one of the big goats came to see what he was doing, he froze like a statue.

I guess he inherited a little bit of my animal fears... oops. But he loved seeing the goats, and he talked about it endlessly for the next several days. And, of course, I was glad to see Janet. Come back any day, and we'll hang out with you, Janet!!!

Gut Buster

2011-07-15T17:45:00.001-06:00

It would appear that this baby boy is not only bouncing, but he's trying to bust his way out of my belly single-handedly! He is ALWAYS moving--way more than Ashton did. I finally caught it on video, and I promise you, this is all the baby. I held my breath until the very, very end of the video.

That would be why I don't get any sleep at night... Too bad I'm only 34 weeks--I've got to make it through at least five more weeks of this!

Art 101

2011-07-09T17:37:00.000-06:00

Ashton loves to draw, and he loves to ask us to draw things for him. He is constantly asking for "pretty pictures." Today Ashton asked if I would draw Bert and Ernie and Elmo. I told him to draw them first, because I was right in the middle of something, and this is what he drew:

Might not look like much at first, but I thought this was amazing! I started watching him while he drew, and he made a big circle for the head, a scribble on the top for the hair, and a scribble in the middle for the face. To me that is pretty good for a kid who's barely two! Oh, and I asked him who the big one was, and he looked at me like I was a big dummy and said, "Mommy, that's Big Bird!" Duh. How could I not tell...

Flag Dance

2011-07-03T17:21:00.001-06:00

We got home from church today and Ashton saw his flag on the floor. He shrieked, "My flag!" and then busted into an impromptu flag waving dance. It was too funny.

Wish he would have done it long enough for me to grab the real camera. Then all the pictures wouldn't be blurry...

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-02T16:59:00.000-06:00

We celebrated our Fourth of July on the 2nd. We had Becky, Carlton, and Bryant over to our house for dinner and fireworks. It was nice to have people come to our house. Usually we're the ones going everywhere, so it was fun to have a night at home. Becky brought a little American flag for Ashton, and he kept running around waving it. It was getting dark, but I managed to get a few pictures before all the light went away.

Ashton was also very intrigued by the fireworks. But he's a Hinton and a boy, so I should've expected it...

After a little bit, Ashton started getting sleepy, since it was almost 9:30 at night. (Yes, that is a bottle in his mouth. We're working on it. Don't judge me.)

Happy 4th of July!!! We're grateful for our country, our freedom, and the people who sacrifice so much to protect them for us.

Barely Too Late...

2011-06-28T15:54:00.001-06:00

Of course the day after I post is the day Leah puts up her wedding pictures. Ha ha! I stole a couple from her Facebook so that you could enjoy me in all my (31 weeks) pregnant bridesmaid glory. And so I can remember those flowers that I spent forever making! So anyway, enjoy.

Married in Vegas

2011-06-27T17:32:00.000-06:00

One of my best friends since high school--Leah--got married in Vegas!!! But not the real Vegas way...ha ha. She actually planned a wedding and was married in the Las Vegas temple. Tyler and I got to go, and I was so happy to be there for it. It ended up being a long, full trip, so here are the day-to-day highlights:

Day 1: We drove down to St. George (after stopping at our favorite restaurant in Beaver), where we stayed for the night and got to go see The Little Mermaid at Tuacahn. It was excellent!

Day 2: Went to pick up Leah's tuxes in St. George, but the place didn't open for another hour, so we killed some time touring Brigham Young's winter home. It was interesting, I suppose. Definitely better than waiting around for an hour. Then we took the tuxes and drove to our hotel in Vegas--The Stratosphere!

It was definitely one of the coolest hotels we've ever stayed in. We couldn't check in until the afternoon, though, so we had to kill some more time. We started out by eating at the buffet at the Wynn, which was very beautiful. It could have used some better food, but the gelato bar was super yummy! Then we went to the Luxor and went through the Titanic and Bodies exhibits. Both were really interesting. Then we could finally check in to our hotel, dump our stuff, and head out to Henderson to see Leah! Tyler spent a lot of time helping to set up the church for the reception, and I helped some and had to go get my bridesmaid dress fitted. It was a late night, but I was glad we made it out there to help.

Day 3: We picked up the flowers for the wedding and hauled them to the church. Tyler and I spent almost the entire day putting flowers together. He helped me a lot, and when there were things he couldn't help with, we watched movies on his work laptop. I spent a lot of time on my feet all day long, and they were starting to swell, so at dinner time we left to take a break. We drove back in to Vegas to the Venetian and saw Phantom! It was soooo good! It reminded me why I used to be obsessed with Phantom of the Opera--because it is amazing! It gave my feet a good rest, and then we picked up some dinner and went back to finish flowers. Another very late night, but at least we got everything done.

One of my table arrangements...I didn't take any pictures myself (dumb!), and this is the only one Leah has on her Facebook so far...

Day 4: Not only did I have to get up early to make myself look like a presentable bridesmaid, but I also got to go out to Leah's house and do her makeup for the wedding! I LOVE doing makeup! I was so happy she asked me. I'm glad her friends thought to take pictures, too. (Though I am not glad that I look like such a pregnant whale in them!)

Then it was off to the temple for the wedding! It was a nice sealing--very calm and peaceful. Leah was all smiles for the rest of the day!

Once we came out of the temple, I went and changed into my bridesmaid dress while Tyler handed out flowers. Then there was a long marathon of pictures. I feel bad, because Leah's flowers were so beautiful, but it was SOOOO hot outside! Vegas + June = wilted flowers after not very long. I just hope they lasted long enough for the pictures... I'll have to post them later when they're on Leah's Facebook...

After pictures there was a luncheon, a ring ceremony, and the reception. It was fun, but by the end of it all, my feet were swollen to the size of grapefruits! (The picture doesn't do it justice.)

At the end of the night we sent Leah and Rick off to their honeymoon and stumbled back to our hotel. I was so happy for her and so glad that we got to be there and help out.

Day 5: The next morning I felt like I'd been run over by a truck! The only reason I dragged myself out of bed was because we were going to my favorite place in all of Vegas: the Paris hotel's breakfast buffet! I cannot explain how very amazing it is. It just is. After breakfast we went to the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. It involved a LONG walk to get there, which was not a good idea for my poor feet, but it was still fun to go to. Then we went to a benefit concert--Tyler's idea. He wanted to see a singer named Josh Strickland, who was the original Tarzan on Broadway. He was supposed to sing a song from Tarzan in the concert. Tyler was very happy with it, but I wasn't as satisfied. I thought he did a great job on his one song, but the rest of the show was a bunch of mostly-naked Vegas showgirls, so we spent a lot of time looking at our laps. It also appeared that we were the only straight people in the room. The sparkley feather boas they gave out on the way in should have been a dead giveaway... Oh well. Lesson learned, I suppose! After this last great adventure, we got in the car and drove the long way home.

So where was Ashton during all of this adventure? At Grandma Becky's house! He had a great time going everywhere with her.

He even got to go with Grandma, Grandpa, Bryant, and Royce all the way to Manti for the Mormon Miracle Pageant.

He especially enjoyed "Grandma's swimmin' pool."

It was nice to not have to drag a baby through the whole busy weekend, but by the time we got home I was missing my Ashton so much. Thanks for taking such good care of him, Becky!

Happy Father's Day!!!

2011-06-19T20:39:00.000-06:00

This was the first year that Ashton made something for Daddy all by himself! Almost. All the little nursery kids at church painted rocks for paper weights and then wrote "Dad Rocks" on them. Too cute. Their leaders were even thoughtful enough to take a picture of them hard at work.

Too bad Ashton was facing the wrong way.

The finished product:

And the proud artist:

He loves his Daddy so much!

They make a pretty cute team, if you ask me!

Happy Father's Day, Tyler! We love you and are so grateful that you are such a wonderful daddy!

Cupcakes

2011-06-17T20:30:00.000-06:00

Good thing there were leftover cupcakes from his birthday party. He is now obsessed with them!!!

Not sure what we're going to do when we run out, though...

Two Years Old!!!

2011-06-16T15:54:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe it's true...my "baby" is two! How is this possible??? The big day came and Ashton was excited. I don't think he quite understood why a birthday is cool, but he knew we were going to Grandma Becky's house, that there would be cake, and that the presents on the counter were for him. That was enough to make the day cool to him!

I dropped Ashton off in the afternoon so that I could go to my Week 29 doctor appointment. (Baby Boy kicked the heart-beat doppler thing--it was funny.) When I got back, Ashton had already opened a present from Bryant, because he needed to leave for Youth Conference. It was a little soft baseball and a glove with velcro on it. So cute! He was very excited to show it to me and asked to go outside to play with it. No problem, just let me get my camera...

He still didn't really know how to play catch with it yet, so it ended up being more of a "run around the yard" time than anything...

Here's the cute Sesame Street cake he had for this birthday. Grandma even got him his own little Elmo cupcake.

While I was taking pictures of the cake, Ashton climbed up on the table and started ripping into his presents!

So we decided to take them all to the floor and begin the opening of the gifts. By this time all of the light was pretty much gone so I had to use my flash. I don't know anything about flash photography, so it pretty much reduces my beautiful camera to a point-and-shoot. Grrr.

Sesame Street felt board...

Elmo dishes (and an Elmo DVD in the bottom corner)...

Elmo pajamas...

Sesame Street board books...

Did you notice the Elmo/Sesame Street theme? Ha ha. Pretty much the only non-Elmo present he got was a toy farm with animals. He calls them his "Farmer Dell Guys" (like the Farmer in the Dell). Too funny.

Once they were all open he wanted to immediately play with/wear everything!

And then it was time to light the candles on the cake.

Singing "Happy Birthday" to himself.

Blowing out the candles.

And enjoying the feast.

And of course, you can't have cake without ice cream!

We love that messy face.

Happy Birthday, Ashton!!!

Curls

2011-06-15T15:09:00.001-06:00

Just can't get enough of them!

Unfortunately the good picture-taking attitude only lasted a few minutes, so I had to bribe him with craisins. Didn't work for very long.

I'm dreading the day when I have to cut his hair. It's already starting to get out of control! At least now I'll never forget it...

(Side note: Two years ago today was my due date with Ashton and I was cursing him for not having come yet. If I'd only known I'd just have to wait one more day! It seems like so long ago...)

OCD

2011-06-13T13:28:00.000-06:00

I often tease Tyler that he is "OCD" because he is very organized and detail-oriented. (Which is actually a very good thing, people--hence, I just said tease!) Now, though, I'm starting to wonder if his OCD-ness is rubbing off on Ashton...

Today I was cleaning up in the kitchen while Ashton was rolling around on the floor with his Noah's Ark animals. I snapped a picture of his cuteness and left him to his fun while I washed counters and such.

A while later, I noticed he had been awfully quite, so I went to check on him and found this:

Ashton had spent ten minutes carefully organizing his animals and putting them in their proper places on the boat! I know this because I bumped it and knocked a couple off and he was very distraught. He frowned and said, "No, no, no," and proceeded to carefully place them back in the exact same positions again. Like I said, maybe a little OCD in there after all...?

Apparently it's an exhausting life to lead. :)

Too Big!

2011-06-11T16:39:00.001-06:00

I snapped this picture when we were waiting in the car, and I could not believe how old Ashton looks! He doesn't look like a baby! When did this happen??? I guess I should have expected it--he frequently tells me "I too big!" And now I have to agree with you, my sweet boy. You are getting way too big...

Jam Session

2011-06-09T14:49:00.000-06:00

On Royce's birthday, we had a little family dinner at Grandma Becky's house. At the end of the night, Royce brought out his guitar and serenaded us all with his excellent strumming skills. Ashton kept getting in the way trying to play the guitar himself, so Becky went and got him the ukulele from Hawaii. He was SO happy that he could have his own "guitar" and that it was just his size!

Happy Birthday, Royce! Ashton will jam with you anytime.

Letters

2011-06-05T14:18:00.001-06:00

A new obsession for Ashton is letters. He has a set of mini books--one for each letter--that he likes to read, and he has some foamy letters that he plays with in the bathtub. Combine that with his love for Sesame Street and the "letter shows" on the computer (see starfall.com if you're interested), and he has started to learn what all of the letters are. He doesn't have the entire alphabet down yet, but he does have about half of it, and it seems like he's learning more every day. He asks to "read letters" on our shirts or in our books and magazines, and he is so proud to tell you what they are. It's freaking me out that he can do this and he's only turning two in a couple of weeks. I don't know how I feel about having children that are smarter than me...

Again with the bucket on the head. And the dancing. Always dancing.

Here's a little sample of Ashton "reading letters." And yes, I realize that my repeating everything he says is quite annoying and probably unnecessary, but it's just one of those Mommy habits I've gotten into and can't quite stop. I apologize.

EFY Visitors

2011-05-31T13:57:00.001-06:00

My Dad brought the kids down for EFY again this summer. Patrick and Lexi got to go to a session at BYU, and Dad and Nicholas just stayed to hang out for the Memorial Day weekend. It was fun to have them around even if it was only for a short time. Ashton was quite excited. He especially loved the present Papa brought him--a "Bill Fulbright for County Attorney" shirt!

(Ignore the ridiculously pregnant-looking me in the background, please...) We also had fun playing Lexi's Wii game, Just Dance 2. Ashton was endlessly entertained by this game and would dance around to every song.

While everyone was here, we had a haircut party. Both Patrick and Lexi wanted it done before EFY, so my Dad buzzed while I trimmed. (Nicholas had his cut right before they came, but we wanted him in the picture anyway...)

It was so nice to just relax with everyone and enjoy a weekend together.

Ashton loves his Aunts and Uncles! Too bad they don't live just a little bit closer...

(Judging from this picture, I'd say he's got a little bit of Fulbright in him...)

Eating

2011-05-27T12:28:00.002-06:00

The Five Food Groups (According to Ashton):

1. Fruit (any...so far)

2. Vegetables (limited to tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, corn, and the occasional carrot)

3. Bread/Grains (one specific--very expensive--brand of wheat bread, sometimes a roll from Grandma's bakery, and a few--emphasis on few--varieties of crackers/cereal)

4. Dairy (whole milk, yogurt, and ice cream, of course)

5. "Candy" or "Treats" (aka things that are sugary and not good for you)

It's no secret that Ashton is a stinker when it comes to eating. But I suppose he could get a lot worse...knock on wood! Oh well. At least he's cute while he's doing it!

Chinese

2011-05-22T15:10:00.000-06:00

Ashton found Tyler's Chinese dictionary and asked him to read it. For some reason, as soon as Tyler started reading the words, Ashton went insane! He started flailing around the room and repeating the characters and laughing. I guess he thinks Chinese sounds pretty funny...

Bandanna Boy

2011-05-17T14:51:00.000-06:00

Thanks to many years of Girls Camp, I have a plethora of bandannas in just about every color there is. Ashton found them one day, and Tyler tied one on his head like a pirate, and he thought it was hilarious. Ever since then Ashton will bring them to us and insist that we tie them on to various parts of his body. It's pretty stinking cute...

And of course, it wouldn't be as much fun without a little music and dancing thrown in there, too.

We love this silly boy.

The Pianist

2011-05-15T14:44:00.000-06:00

Tyler's cousin Rachel came home from her mission in Texas--yay!!! We went to her homecoming at church and the party afterward, and it was so good to see her again. Ashton hasn't seen her since he was 6 months old or something, so she was amazed by how big he is. We had a nice time eating yummy food and talking, and Ashton had fun playing outside with the other kids. Right before we left, though, he made a discovery...the real piano! He was having a great time banging on it until we went home.

He had the bright idea to play with his feet and hands at the same time. Adds some flair, I suppose...

I guess we'll have to get a piano of our own someday, so he can learn to play it for real!

The Prophet Book

2011-05-12T13:53:00.000-06:00

A while back, Grandma Becky got Ashton an illustrated Book of Mormon. He is absolutely obsessed with it! He calls it the Prophet Book and runs for it first thing every morning. He sits and reads it to himself while I keep "sleeping" for as long as possible. But eventually he always says, "Mommy wake up! Mommy read it!"

Anyway, I made a video of Ashton discussing the things he has learned from the Prophet Book. Since he is talking quiet and hard to understand, I posted a transcript of the video below. So if you want to open it in another window and follow along, you can.

Me: What book is that, Ashton? What is this?

Ashton: Prophet book.

M: Yeah. And who is on the front, who is that?

A: Nephi.

M: And who else?

A: Lehi.

M: And what did Lehi find?

A: Hona Ball! [That's what he calls the Liahona.]

M: And what are they doing?

A: Big boat. Build a big boat to go big blue water.

M: That’s right.

A: Laman and Lemuel! And Sam.

M: Yeah. Now look at this page. Can you sing the Nephi song? Sing the Nephi song.

A: Lord commanded Nephi, go and get plates

From the wicked Laban, inside the city gates

Laman and Lemuel, both afraid to try

Nephi was…

M: Nephi was…

A: Courageous! This his reply.

I will do…

M: I will do…

A: Things…

M: The things…

A: The Lord…commands!

Provide…me to…

M: Wants me to…

A: To obey!

M: Good job.

A: That page…

M: What’s this page back here? Here, show me this one. Right here. Who are all these guys? Who’s that?

A: Jared.

M: Jared, that’s right. Brother of Jared, huh?

A: Touching the rocks.

M: And who’s that?

A: Lehi.

M: Lehi? And who’s that?

A: Nephi.

M: Nephi. Who’s that?

A: Sam. Laman and Lemuel!

M: Yeah, who’s that?

A: Alma.

M: Alma. Who’s that?

A: Bin-dai! Bin-dai. [That's what he calls Abinadi.]

M: Abinadi. And who’s he talking to?

A: King Noah.

M: King Noah. Who’s that?

A: Jesus.

M: Jesus, huh? And who’s that?

A: Mormon.

M: Mormon. Who’s that?

A: Ammon!

M: Ammon!

A: Him…no… [This is what he says when he doesn't know who someone is.]

M: King Lamoni.

A: King Moni.

M: Who is this?

A: Moroni.

M: Moroni. And who is that?

A: Joseph Smith.

M: Joseph Smith. Do you love the prophet book? (He nods yes.) Yeah? What’s your favorite story in the prophet book?

A: Nephi. Nephi.

Tooth Brushing Jam

2011-05-09T15:38:00.000-06:00

Brushing your teeth is infinitely more fun with a little music and dancing...

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T15:24:00.001-06:00

This was a milestone Mother's Day for one good reason: it's the first time Ashton has ever made something for me!

I never thought I would love a paper flower made in nursery so much, but I do. :)

But not near as much as I love this boy! I'm so proud to be his Mommy.

Photography Class! Part 2: On-Location

2011-05-05T14:49:00.000-06:00

Well, photography class is over. It was excellent, I feel like I really learned a lot about lighting. It's only a drop in the bucket of all there is to know, I'm sure...but it's a whole lot more than the nothing I knew before! The last day of class was the one I was most excited for. We were supposed to go out to various locations in the area and have lots of models and lots of time to take pictures of them. Well, that only sort of happened. None of the models showed up that day, so we had nobody to take pictures of! So, we just went out as a group to the locations and took pictures of each other. This was problematic for many reasons. Most of us weren't prepared to be photographed. We weren't wearing nice clothes or makeup or fancy hair or anything. Plus everybody wanted to be the one taking the pictures; nobody wanted to be in them. Everybody (myself included, I'm sure), felt so self-conscious that they wouldn't stand for very long or ever relax. By the time I took a few pictures to check my settings they would run away and it would take me forever to convince someone else to pose for me. Needless to say the on-location shoot was not what I'd hoped for. But oh well. Eventually I stopped waiting on everyone else and just wandered around photographing the beautiful location. I can't believe I live in such a gorgeous place! Hope you enjoy the results...

I always wondered why people said they would never eat a fish from Utah Lake... now I see why!

Yes, that's a real snake. I almost stepped on it! Gross. After that I decided I was done... :)

The Genius Child

2011-05-02T14:31:00.001-06:00

Our child is a genius. And yes, I am aware that every parent thinks that, so mock me if you will, but I still think it! And here are some videos I humbly (hmm...) submit as evidence of my claims.

Exhibit A: Ashton counting to ten. He skips 6, but this was taken a long time ago when he was still learning. I'm just too lazy to take another one.

Exhibit B: Ashton saying his ABCs. Notice the dramatic flare? I wonder where he gets that from... I also love how every time he gets to Q he speeds through to the end all at once--even the "now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me" part. Ha ha!

Pretty good for a kid who's not even two yet!

Helping!

2011-04-29T14:07:00.000-06:00

Ashton is always eager to help me around the house. He hands me the dishes when we unload the dishwasher...

and sweeps the dirt pile on the floor...

and helps me cook the food.

I'm glad he likes to help! Don't ever grow out of it, Bud!!!

Playing Dress-Up

2011-04-26T13:29:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it's a makeup bag...

Or dirty clothes and random shoes...

Or buckets and blankets...

Or scarves and shape-sorters...

And sometimes it's nothing at all!

Let's just say that Ashton's taste in fashion is still somewhere in the experimental stage...

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T10:52:00.000-06:00

I was excited for Easter this year, because I was sure Ashton would have lots of fun and realize it was a special day. And it was! Of course, it wouldn't be a major holiday without me forgetting my camera (grrr!!!), so the few photos I took were on my sad phone camera. I swear being pregnant has made me a total space cadet...

Here is Ashton in his cute Easter outfit. My favorite part is the pink tie. He was so proud to wear a pink tie just like his Daddy today, and I thought he looked so grown up and adorable.

For Easter this year we started out with a visit from my Fulbright grandparents who were on their way up to Montana. (Too bad I forgot to take a single picture!) Then we went over to have Easter dinner with Tyler's family. We got Easter baskets and did lots of fun things. Ashton's favorite thing to do at their house is "shoot hoops," as he calls it. He's getting pretty good, if you ask me...

Grandma Becky also busted out the bunny ears, which Ashton thought was hilarious. Here he is looking at himself in the mirror with Daddy. See my belly sticking out on the right? I felt like a fat pink Easter egg all day!

And it wouldn't be Easter without a little egg coloring!

This was Ashton's first colored egg ever. I wrote his name on it, then he chose to put it in the orange and put ball stickers on it. (His second one was blue with farm animals on it, but I didn't take a picture for some reason...)

And this is the missionary egg that Grandpa Carlton helped him make for Kyle. They drew a picture of Kyle together and then Ashton chose to make it purple and put a basketball. Kind of a cool coincidence since Kyle played basketball for Lehi (purple!).

The rest of the night was spent hanging out and having fun with the family, as well as a little dance party. (You can see the video below...) Happy Easter!!!

Great-Grandparents

2011-04-22T14:21:00.000-06:00

With the exception of one great-grandpa, all of Ashton's great-grandparents are alive and kicking. What a lucky boy to have so many grandma's and grandpa's to love him!

(Ashton and Grandma Fisher--my mom's mom. I usually don't think to take pictures when it's a quick visit like this, so at least I remembered this time!)

Shows

2011-04-22T12:49:00.000-06:00

Ashton has now come to the age where he asks for "shows." He still has a pretty short attention span, though, so we just started out with little segments of Winnie the Pooh. He loves it! He is always asking, "Watch a Pooh show!" As soon as it comes on he starts dancing and shouting out everyone he sees. It is quite cute.

He also knows who Elmo is, so when we're upstairs at the computer I turn on some little videos from Sesame Street's website. He especially loves Elmo's Song, and no matter how many I let him watch, he always wants to end with the "Elmo show."

Hmm, I have a feeling I'm going to get really sick of these shows...

Funny side note: Ashton calls all of the videos I make of him "Ashton shows." So whenever he sees the blog he asks to watch the Ashton show--I love it!

Dates with Nate

2011-04-21T14:49:00.000-06:00

My friend Val, who I used to work with at EFY, had a baby boy named Nathan eight months before I had Ashton. I remember when he was born--he was so tiny and cute! Now he is 2 1/2 and Ashton is almost 2, and they love to play together. (Which makes me happy, because then I get to hang out with Val!) Ashton always wants to "go Nate's house" and "play balls." It is so cute to see him play so well with a friend. And even though Nate is older than Ashton, he is very patient and nice to him, so they both have lots of fun.

This is Nate showing Ashton the letter magnets on the fridge--which was the main inspiration behind Ashton wanting to learn his letters. Nate showed him how to push the button and make it sing the ABC song. Then they kept taking turns pushing it and dancing around the kitchen. Too cute.

I probably should have taken a few more pictures of them playing together, but sadly I didn't. I was a bit distracted by Val's new baby Lucas! He is only 2 months old and sooooo adorable. I think it is hilarious that we are both going to have two boys that are almost the same ages, since Lucas will only be 6 months older than this next baby. Hooray for more play dates!

Lucas has a curl on the back of his head that looks like a little duck tail. Love it.

So I probably got a little carried away with the picture taking, but I seriously can't help myself when there is a cute little baby around...

My. Absolute. Favorite. What an adorable smile!

Brothers. So sweet!

Something must have been very funny...

Check out that drool string. Yes, that's my child.

Ashton has been particularly interested in Lucas. (He says, "Baby Oo-cas!") He always wants to hug him and lay by him and love on him. And he sometimes says, "I hold him now."

I'm not sure Lucas is quite so interested in Ashton...

I'm so glad that we get to go and play with Nate and Lucas. It gives me hope that Ashton will be a great big brother. And I love that Nate is such a good friend to him. I know you didn't exactly plan it this way, Val, but thanks for having such sweet little boys at the perfect time for mine to be friends with!!!

Baby Hinton 2.0 is a...

2011-04-19T14:30:00.000-06:00

...BOY!!! Yes, yes another boy! We weren't surprised at all, because what else would a Hinton be, but we were very happy to know for sure. The whole family came to the ultrasound--Tyler, Ashton, and I. Ashton was not too happy about the doctor poking around my belly, but he did stop crying long enough to watch the "baby show" on the big TV. We have the whole ultrasound on a DVD, but it was incredibly difficult for me to get any still images from it (for lots of reasons I won't go in to). So, even though they aren't very good images, these are all you get:

This is the baby's head and back. The spine is running across the top, with the head on the right, and the baby is facing down.

This is when the doctor was trying to get a good shot of the top of his head and the baby looked up. So (if you're good at figuring out ultrasounds) you can sort of make out the eyes, nose, and mouth on the right. The small little ball to the right of the face is a fist.

Hooray for us! Two boys! Now Ashton will have a little brother, and we won't have to buy a whole different wardrobe of baby clothes. And best of all, it's already been proven that we make very cute, smart, and sweet baby boys. Yay, yay, yay! Now if only we could choose a name...

Every morning...

2011-04-15T14:56:00.002-06:00

...once we're all dressed and ready for the day, we come downstairs for breakfast and the gathering begins. Every ball must be found and placed carefully on the table, with Big Purple Ball securely underfoot. Then and only then can the eating begin.

Once breakfast is finished, the balls are transfered from the table to the floor, where they are lined up carefully from biggest to littlest (or something close to it). Then Ashton wedges himself in the lineup somewhere and basks in the glory of all the balls. Seriously, folks. Every. Morning.

Then the playing begins. Each ball gets its own turn. Little White Football...

...Little Little Baseball...

...Jingle Ball...

...Socc Ball, Big Fwiss (orange) Basketball...

...and, of course, Big Purple Ball.

(Side note: I think he looks just like my brother Philip in this picture. He made this face a lot when we were little. And had his lip in his mouth a lot.)

He sure does love that thing.

Good times.

Couldn't resist that face...

2011-04-09T14:13:00.001-06:00

Right as we walked into Walmart, we came face to face with a giant tower of enormous bouncy balls. Ashton thought he'd gone straight to heaven! They were only $2.50, and Ashton was in such awe that we decided a couple dollars was worth making his day. We let him pick any color he wanted and he insisted he wanted the big purple ball, so that's what he got.

How could you deny that cute face such joy???

Almost the MoTab...

2011-04-08T14:17:00.000-06:00

Tyler and I were invited to sing in the choir for a production of Rob Gardner's The Lamb of God. There were two performances--one in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake and another at Weber State in Ogden. It's very pretty music, and it was a great way to get in the Easter mood. And didn't I mention we got to sing in the Tabernacle?!?! Yay! It was almost like we were the MoTab. Almost.

Lots of people came to see it, even though they had never heard about it before. There were rumors flying that General Authorities might come, but alas none ever showed. Oh well, it was still pretty packed without them.

Since Tyler is a tenor and I am an alto, we got to sit next to each other--the best part. We were on the very back row with the organ towering over us.

It was excellent. Except for the part when he (Rob, the composer/conductor) said he wouldn't ever cue us to sit down! The choir had to just know when and do it alone. Well, the problem with that is that nobody wants to be the only one to sit down, so everybody waits for everybody else to sit, and that means that NOBODY sits! I would have gladly been the first to sit, but as I said, we were in the very back, so nobody would notice and sit at the same time...grrr. So, we all had to stand for the entire hour and a half! Doesn't sound hard, but try it--and do it in dress shoes and without moving. Oh, and be five months pregnant! Ha ha ha. Looking back it's actually pretty funny, but in the moment the entire choir was about to pass out! Hooray for concerts!

Photography Class! Part 1: In the Studio

2011-04-07T14:44:00.001-06:00

One of my Valentine's Day presents from my wonderful husband was a seven-week photography class! It's for intermediate photographers, and it focuses on cost-effective lighting techniques. It has been way fun, and I've learned a TON. I've only ever used natural light, so this has been very educational. Each week the teacher shows us an expensive lighting instrument and what it does, and then she shows us much cheaper ways of duplicating it with a speed light/off-camera flash and some homemade attachments. (It has made me realize that I really want a speed light!) The two main things we've made so far are a beauty dish and a snoot. This is the part where I try to explain what they do, and more experienced photographers will laugh at me...

A beauty dish can help direct and focus light on a specific area, and can leave a really cool round shadow edge. Here are two examples of a picture taken by a real photographer with a real beauty dish:

I think they are super cool. I couldn't wait to try it myself! The only problem was/is that I don't have a speed light, so on our studio shoot day, I had to share a set-up with another person from class. This particular set-up was not how I wanted, but I didn't feel like I should change it, since it wasn't mine--beggars can't be choosers. Anyway, the lighting wasn't quite what I wanted it to be, because the flash was too bright and the dish was too far away, so it was more like a really big fill flash, but oh well. That is a legitimate way to use it, so it was good to practice. Here are some shots I got of the teacher's crazy husband. He kept acting weird--I think he was uncomfortable being a model for two straight hours...

The other thing I mentioned--a snoot--is the same type of thing, but it focuses the light even more directly, so it's more harsh and directional(?). The other people in class kept hogging all the good backdrops and all of the models, so we had to stick with the plain white sheet and steal a two-year-old from her mother for the snoot section.

I don't think I would have chosen such a harsh light for such a cute little girl, but oh well. Hopefully I will get a speed light someday so I can practice and get even better. Yay for continuing education!

Sleeping Beauty

2011-04-06T14:39:00.001-06:00

So cute when he's sleeping. And just like his Daddy--mouth hanging wide open!

If only he could be this calm and angelic when he's awake!

Singing and Dancing

2011-04-03T14:22:00.000-06:00

We sing lots of songs and dance around a lot in this family, so it's no surprise that Ashton loves to join in. He has been making up his own babbling songs for a while now (like the "Big Blue Basketball" song), but recently we've started to teach him real songs. With the real songs, he mostly just does the actions or dances around and throws in the occasional word. But its very cute and fun, so I preserved some of my favorites on video. Here is Ashton doing the actions to "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home." (Or as he calls it, the "Daddy Song.") He is doing them all from memory--I'm not prompting him at all.

And here is Ashton helping me sing "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam," aka the "Sunbeam Song."

This last one won't be familiar to many people, but I'm posting it all the same. I have a playlist on the computer and we listen to it sometimes when we're upstairs. One of the songs is from the musical The Color Purple, and one day--out of nowhere--Ashton just started singing the whole thing, almost word for word. I was so surprised! He still does it every single time, and it is adorable! Unfortunately, he gets camera shy (or maybe just camera distracted), so when I recorded this, he was just staring at the camera instead of singing the song. Usually I don't have to tell him to say anything, he just does it, so I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't get a better video. But oh well. At least it's enough to help me remember it when I'm old. :)

Blowing a Kiss

2011-04-01T14:19:00.000-06:00

And just being cute in general.

I wish my big camera was as easy to carry around and whip out as my cell phone. Then my pictures would all be way nicer...

Baby Belly #2

2011-03-30T13:49:00.002-06:00

Before I show you my attempt at self-portraits, let me just tell you that I hate self-portraits! (And not just because I don't like pictures of myself.) They frustrate me beyond words! I can't hold the camera far enough away to click it myself, so I have to use the timer. But the auto-focus won't focus unless I am in the picture when I click it, which I can't be, so I have to put some kind of object in my place for it to focus on. Then I have to click the button, sprint to get in the right spot and move the object...and most of the time it doesn't work anyway. Grrrr. I really should just wait until I have someone to take them for me. Oh well. So here are my lame attempts at a self portrait.

Hopefully you aren't offended by my bare belly. If you are, join the club. It offends me when I see it, too...

Tomato Seeds

2011-03-28T13:46:00.000-06:00

Ashton got a tomato seed stuck on the end of his nose during dinner tonight. He had an enormous fit every time I tried to wipe it off, so it stayed there for most of the night. Looked pretty silly...

Hypnotized

2011-03-21T13:34:00.000-06:00

Ashton's new favorite show (grown-up show, anyway) is Dancing With The Stars. He calls it the "dancing show." Sometimes we don't get dinner finished before it comes on, so we watch while we're finishing up. Well, there is a reason you aren't supposed to eat and watch TV at the same time...

Ashton gets so mesmerized he won't even eat his food!!! I wonder where he gets it from? (Perhaps you can partially see a hypnotized Tyler in the background...)

He also does this with American Idol. Or as he calls it, the "singing show." Oh dear.

Window Watching

2011-03-18T13:23:00.000-06:00

On days when it's cold and yucky outside (which it has been a lot lately), Ashton stares out the window with this look on his face, like, "Oh when will the sun ever come out again???" So instead of playing outside, he looks longingly through the window and names everything he sees. Trucks, cars, garbage cans, dogs, houses (sometimes he says he can see grandma's house...), water (the lake), trees, grass, etc. If it's raining, he points and says, "All wet out there!" And if it's snowing he says, "Snow out there!" Poor kid. Hopefully it will decide to warm up soon, so we can go outside and have some real fun.

Crazy Obsession

2011-03-15T12:55:00.000-06:00

Ashton's love for balls is now a full-blown obsession. Everything he does revolves around balls. When he wakes up in the morning, the first thing he asks for is one of the balls. When we sing songs, he sings about balls. When we tell stories, it has to be a story about balls. When we draw pictures, we have to draw balls. We eat with the balls, play with the balls, take naps with the balls... ahh! It is getting a little old for me. But not for Ashton. Even on the rare occasion that he plays with another toy, a ball is still somehow involved...

One day we got some coupons in the mail for Denny's, so we decided to eat there. Ashton was in heaven! The kids' menu was page after page of balls that he could color and "read" and look at. His pancakes came fried like doughnut holes, so they looked like balls, and the syrup was drizzled to make a basketball court. And the best of all--his juice came in a cup with a soccer ball lid, and he got to keep it! He was so so so happy to hold his cup and drink out of it, and even more happy when it got to come home with us.

Another day, Ashton was talking to himself about balls. He pulled up his shirt and said, "little baseball tummy!" I decided to ask him what kind of tummy I have, and he said, "big basketball tummy!" Hmm. I suppose I did ask for it. When Daddy got home that night he said the same thing--he has a little baseball tummy, and I have a big basketball tummy. So Daddy asked, "What kind of tummy do I have?" And he thought for a second and said, "soccer ball tummy!" Ha ha!

Chatterbox

2011-03-13T12:13:00.001-06:00

Ashton has become a little chatterbox and I love it! His little voice is so cute, and I love the way he says his words. I want to remember it forever and ever, so I made a few videos. He says some of the same words in each one, but I couldn't choose between them, so I posted both. Unfortunately he kind of clams up when the camera is on. Usually I don't have to tell him what to say, and he doesn't usually mumble and whisper. But close enough!

Small side note: Ashton made up a song about his basketball. (Yes, he loves it THAT MUCH!) It goes: "Oh big fwiss (which means orange) basketball!" And sometimes he says blue instead of orange, because his grandpa has a blue basketball. Just so you aren't confused. :)

Big Helper Boy

2011-03-11T11:34:00.001-07:00

Ashton is becoming such a good helper! He is always asking to help or to just do something himself. I seriously hope this lasts and isn't just a phase, because it is excellent. Here are a few of the things he is good at helping with:

Babysitting: One day we watched a little boy named Gavin, who is about Ashton's age. He had never been to our house before, so when his mommy left, he was VERY upset about it. After a while he didn't want me to hold him anymore, and he just laid on the floor in despair and whimpered. Ashton was so worried about him. He went and laid by Gavin and put his arm around him and said, "Otay Gabin," until Gavin fell asleep. It was SOOO cute. I was very proud.

Cleaning up after dinner: Ashton loves to put his plate in the sink and push his chair up to wash his hands. He would stay there all night playing in the sink if we let him.

Putting things away: He is very good at putting things away when I ask him to. And if he sees us putting something away, he usually wants to help. At our Pinewood Derby the other night, he saw all the men putting away chairs and wanted to help.

He's also very good at picking up his toys (when I tell him to), putting dirty clothes in the hamper, helping with laundry, and emptying the dishwasher. Hooray! Here's hoping he is always so cheerful and willing to help around the house... (I get the feeling I should cherish it while it lasts!)

Bookworm

2011-03-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

The only thing that can distract Ashton from the joy of basketballs and baseballs, etc., is a pile of good books. He loves them. He piles them all on his lap at once and "reads" them over and over--which means he points to the pictures and names what they are.

I think he has a little of his father's brains. Perhaps we should start learning a letter or two...

Big Balls

2011-03-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally did it--we got the big balls when we were at Wal-Mart this weekend. Ashton was soooo happy! He wanted them all piled on top of him in the shopping cart so that he could hold all of them at once.

Ever since we got them home, he hasn't let them out of his site. He brings them to us and proudly says, "Big basketball!" "Big baseball!" "Big soccer ball!" And the best part of all...they don't get lost like the little ones did! Thank goodness.

Colors

2011-03-02T13:49:00.001-07:00

If you ask me, I'd say that Ashton is a little smarty pants. I am his mother, though, so I am supposed to think that! One thing he has mastered in the past few weeks is his colors, and now he loves to tell us what color everything is. This morning he went in my drawer and grabbed a handful of socks, and then he proceeded to tell me, "blue sock," "green sock," "pink sock," "brown sock." So of course I ran for the camera and snapped a quick video for all of you to see:

Pretty good for a year and three-quarters, eh?

Baby Jayce

2011-02-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend Tyler's cousin Megan was in town! We got to go to Becky's house and have a nice visit with her and baby Jayce. He is so cute, and I was glad I brought my camera. I might have gone a bit crazy, but I cannot resist taking pictures when there is a baby around. It wasn't a formal photo shoot or anything, but here are the pictures I got!

Jayce has the cutest Mickey Mouse outfit. Ashton knows who Mickey is, and he kept saying "Mickey hat! Mickey hat!"

We realized after Megan took the hat off that it disappeared. Ashton made off with it and we didn't even notice! Pretty sneaky.

I'd say he looks pretty pleased with himself...

Gloomy Day

2011-02-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today the lake looked dark and gloomy. It was actually very cool and pretty, I think. I was staring out the back door at it for so long and then I realized--I should just take a picture!

Sadly, I cannot claim to be a landscape photographer, (I think I might have used the wrong lens...) so the pictures don't do it justice. Just trust me, it was cool. I love having such a great view from our house!

For His Entertainment

2011-02-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Some of the interesting ways Ashton chooses to entertain himself:

1. Wandering around wrapped in a blanket, which includes getting very upset whenever it falls off. His recent favorite is the pink snuggie that Tyler got me for Valentine's Day.

2. Watching DVDs. And I don't mean watching the movie. I mean literally sitting and staring at the DVDs--it's too funny! Sometimes he pretends to count them, or he names the pictures ("dog!" "boy!"), or he takes them out and tries to put them back. But other times he's happy to just sit and stare.

3. Dressing in strange clothing. Like pajamas, a blanket cape, church shoes, and a snow hat. Or other times, he tries to put on multiple pairs of pants at once.

And of course those mini balls are always close by...

A New Favorite

2011-02-13T12:39:00.001-07:00

We have my mother to thank for this one! When she was visiting, she bought Ashton three little foamy balls--a basketball, a baseball, and a soccer ball. She also got him a bouncy Buzz Lightyear ball. He is now completely attached to them, the way most kids are attached to their blankets or pacifiers! No matter what he's doing, they are usually in his little hands or carefully lined up close by. The only problem is that they are so small that they often get lost, and oh dear, you would think it was the end of the world. He gets extremely distressed when he can't find one, and we have to drop everything we're doing and scour every inch of the house until we find it. But how could we not? Just look at the joy on that face!

(We have decided, though, that we will be buying him some larger balls soon that won't get lost so easily...)

Family Picture Flashback

2011-02-06T13:45:00.006-07:00

We got a present in the mail from Alycia--our family pictures from Christmas! Yay!!! So I have to interrupt the current postings for a little flashback, because these are too good to miss.

We went out to take these pictures on New Year's Day. It was one of the coldest days of the whole winter, so we had a very narrow window of time to get it done before we all froze to death. Add on top of that the fact that half of us had the flu, Alycia had her appendix removed only days before, and the sheer number of people involved (three of whom were small children who don't like to look at the camera when told)...it is absolutely amazing that Alycia got all of these great pictures. So here we are: the Hinton Family!

Carlton and Becky

Myself, Ashton, and Tyler

Ashton, who decided to sit in the snow for his moment.

Why so sad?

That's better!

(My favorite! Love, love, LOVE that face!)

Gabe, Carter, Alycia, and Preston

Royce

Bryant

Grandpa and Grandma with their handsome grandsons

And the most random of the bunch...the German soldiers. From what I understand, Royce has long been interested with German soldiers and WWII. His uniform (far left) is an actual Nazi uniform from WWII. The other two are reproductions. Pretty interesting. And spooky.

And that's all of them! Well, actually these are just my favorites--there were many, many more than this. Pretty good for only being there a half an hour, eh? Like I said, Alycia is amazing. If you are anywhere near Seattle, you should definitely use her for all of your pictures! You can see lots more of her stuff at her blog: puzzlepiecephotography.com/blog. Thanks Alycia, we miss you!!!

Say Cheese!

2011-02-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

Can't get enough of that smile...

Baby Hinton 2.0 -- The First Glimpse

2011-02-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Yay! Even though it still looks mostly like a blob, I was happy to see this beautiful sight. It's healthy, happy, and Dr. Aagard said it definitely looks like a boy or a girl. (Thanks. So helpful.) This first ultrasound also showed that Tyler and I are very good due date calculators. We were guessing August 27th, and that's exactly what it is. The doctor was even like, "Wow, you guessed well. Ten and a half weeks to the day!" So, woohoo! August 27th, here we come!

Flying Solo

2011-01-30T13:30:00.001-07:00

Ashton wasn't supposed to start going to nursery until this past December, but I was called as a Nursery Leader, so he has been going with me since September. Unfortunately, even though I've been with him the whole time, he has not enjoyed it so much. He screamed and screamed the whole time and clung to me like a koala bear in a tree. It's only been a few weeks now that he has been brave enough to get down and play with toys, but he still keeps one eye on me to make sure I'm not going anywhere.

Well, this week my assignment has changed. Now I am the Secretary of the Primary, so I have a hundred things to do during class time, and I can't be in nursery with a clingy boy. I was so worried that he would freak out, but today I just dropped him off and left when he wasn't looking...and he did great! He stayed and played, and every time I peeked through the window to check, he was having a great time!

What a big boy! We're so proud of him! Hurray for the first day in nursery!

Shoe Thief

2011-01-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ashton has become a shoe thief.

His favorite ones to steal? For some reason, it's my red ones.

If I leave them lying around for too long...

...he always finds them!

Yes, Ashton, I definitely think red is your color!

Bye Bye Hill

2011-01-26T12:08:00.001-07:00

When we first moved here, our backyard ended with a big, steep hill and a barbed wire fence on top, and we were told that a farmer lived back there and he would never ever sell his land. Well, after living here a few months a construction company knocked on the door and said that there is no farmer, and that they have owned the land for the last ten years! (Weird...) Now they are doing a bunch of digging on all the land back there to level it and turn it into another subdivision of homes within 5-10 years. They offered to leave our backyard hill the way it was, or to take out the barbed wire and level the hill for us--for free! So we said go for it.

A big backhoe came to knock the hill down during breakfast one morning. Ashton was so fascinated by the big tractor that he pushed a chair to the door and stared and stared the whole time. He kept saying, "Bye bye hill."

Now the hill is gone, there's no more barbed wire, and we have another 2 or 3 feet of flat ground added to the backyard. Yay!

8 Ways You Know You're Grandma and Auntie Are Visiting

2011-01-22T14:40:00.001-07:00

1. You get to do all the fun things that you're never allowed to do! Like not wearing pants, sitting on the counter, playing with Mommy's keys, or wandering around the house with two sticky apples! Or having breakfast from Burger King, watching "Reba" episodes all day long, staying up late to talk, and getting foot massages when your morning sickness makes you wants to shoot yourself.

2. Ashton gets hyper and starts doing crazy things. Like putting buckets on his head and screaming.

3. You clean up more messes than usual. Like the time Grandma April let Ashton hold the entire bag of fruities, and he proceeded to happily shake them all onto the floor.

4. Ashton is so exhausted he falls asleep before we can even put his pj's on.

5. Ashton learns new things. Like drinking yogurt instead of just eating it.

6. You can wear whatever you want, whether it's pajamas, church shoes, or nothing at all! And did I mention messes? Like the time Grandma gave him her (very full) cup of juice so he could have a taste. The stunned look on his face says it all. That woman is far too trusting of small children... :)

7. Ashton would rather nap with See-Saw (Sarah) than in his bed.

8. They always try to take us home with them.

Ha ha! My mom and sister came to visit us for a whole week, and we had a fabulous time. Too bad they don't live closer so that we could be together more often. We miss them and can't wait for them to visit us again!!!

To Use the Tray or Not?

2011-01-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

This week I've tried taking the tray off of the booster seat and letting Ashton eat at the table like a big boy. I'm not quite sure if this will stick, though, because not having the tray presents us with a couple of problems. First, he makes a bigger mess when it's on the table. I'm not entirely sure why, but when seated at the table it becomes exponentially harder for the food to make it in his mouth. And once it's spilled all over the table, he feels the need to lick it up.

At least he's not wasting food, I suppose. :) Another problem is that the absence of the tray gives his feet more freedom. And where does he think his feet need to be? On top of the table. (Yes, in the same spot he was previously licking. Eww!) Even if we push him in so his feet are under the table, he pushes himself out and pops them up back up there.

So, I'm not sure if the tray will stay off for good, or if we'll revisit it for a while, but at least we're trying to be grown up here!

P.S. In other news, Ashton decided he likes ranch dressing! He swiped a tomato from Daddy's salad that was covered in it, and it was a hit. He quickly followed with a cucumber and a ranch-soaked piece of lettuce. Maybe there's hope that he'll eat real food after all!

Ambidextrous

2011-01-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

What's better than eating yogurt with a spoon? Eating it with two! Ashton insisted, so I thought, what the heck, let the kid hold a spoon in his other hand. He probably won't even do anything with it. But I was wrong! He was alternating bites between hands like he was a pro at using either one.

Pretty impressive, actually.

Mommy's New Toy

2011-01-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said I got everything I could have wanted for Christmas and more? Well, one of the things I was referencing was my new camera lens! It's a 50mm f/1.8, which I have wanted for quite some time, but haven't been able to justify the expense. Lucky for me, Alycia got a new one and was willing to let Tyler buy her old one for me! And I didn't even know. Yay!

Unfortunately, its seems that baby #2 is trying to slowly finish me off, because I have been SOOOO much more sick and nauseous and awful than I ever was when I was pregnant with Ashton. Some days it's all I can do to change Ashton's diapers and give him food and water. Poor kid, I hope he doesn't feel too neglected. So that would be why I've not only been very behind in blogging, but also why I haven't taken too many pictures with the new lens. I have done a few, though.

Yay! I love my new lens! I can't wait until the morning (bah! try all day!) sickness wears off so I can stage a few photo shoots. Woohoo!!!

5 Things That Don't Really Work

2011-01-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

1. Drinking out of two bottles at once. Especially when they appear to be empty.

2. Stealing the remote control when you don't know how to use it.

3. Stripping all your clothes off in the middle of winter. (I suspect he figured out that it's freezing cold, hence the blankets.)

4. Cooking naked. I've never tried it, but I imagine it could be disastrous.

5. Cheap diapers. They sag a little too much under a heavy load.

Winter Colds

2011-01-06T14:32:00.001-07:00

After Christmas it seemed like every person in our family, as well as the rest of the Hintons, was suddenly sick with the same HORRIBLE cold/flu bug. It was awful. Just when we thought Ashton was starting to get better, he spiked a very high fever and woke up screaming in the night several times, so we headed for the doctor. Turns out the kid had a double ear infection--the first he's ever had, in fact. Poor little guy! He was a trooper, though, and smiled through the misery.

Pretty impressive to be 19 months old and barely get your first ear infection, I think. I've heard of some kids who get them all the time. That would be terrible! Get better soon, buddy!

The Little King

2011-01-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

I think Ashton's new year's resolution was to be treated like royalty! He had a bowl of grapes, but apparently he didn't want to feed them to himself. He put the bowl on Daddy's lap, climbed on top of a mound of pillows, lounged like a king, and waited for Tyler to place them in his mouth.

He seemed pretty pleased with this new plan.

New Year's Eve

2010-12-31T13:42:00.001-07:00

Though Ashton tried valiantly, he didn't quite make it until midnight on New Year's Eve. We weren't expecting him to stay up. I think he just made it longer than usual because of all the exciting things going on. Aunt Laura's family came over (with the new puppies in tow), and we had fun party food and games. We brought our Wii over and got everyone except Uncle Dwayne to try the Broadway Wii Dance game. It is so fun, and it seemed like everyone was having a good time. (And we eventually got Dwayne to try a round of Wii golf, so at least he participated...) Preston loved the Wii Dance, and he kept asking to play it again and again. And even Ashton and Carter were dancing along with the adults! It was funny. Ashton also busied himself trying on all of the various pairs of shoes by the front door. Until he fell into a deep sleep, that is. :)

Happy New Year!!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-12-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Yes I am now 27! Though the thought makes me feel pretty old, I am not ashamed to admit my age. :) My birthday was excellent this year for many reasons, the first of which was that Tyler surprised me and stayed home from work! I thought he slept through his alarm so I woke him up and asked him what happened. But really he took the day off! Yay!!! And because he stayed home, he helped me clean up the house and get ready for dinner, which I would have otherwise had to do by myself. Double yay!!! That night Tyler's whole family came over and had dinner and cake and opened presents, and it was very fun. Since Tyler spoils me, I got a whole bunch of awesome presents from him and everyone else. The very last present we opened, though, was more like a present for everyone else...

Yes, I am pregnant with baby #2!!! I thought that maybe I was pregnant, so I took the test earlier that day. When it was positive we decided we didn't want to wait to tell, so we wrapped it up like a present and whipped it out for everyone to see. It sort of backfired, though. Carlton and Becky didn't really recognize what it was, so it took a bit of explaining, but once they got it they were all very happy! Too bad we couldn't send it wrapped up to my parents...that would be pretty gross. We just called and told them.

This was most definitely a very happy birthday for me!!!

Bed-Head Mohawk

2010-12-27T13:24:00.002-07:00

Ashton fell asleep with wet hair after his bath, and he woke up with a pretty sweet mohawk.

Poor kid still looked pretty tired. Must have been all that tossing and turning.

Christmas Day!

2010-12-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone was excited to open presents on Christmas morning! Becky got up earlier than the rest and made a very nice breakfast, so we all woke up to the smell of blueberry muffins, hot chocolate, and scrambled eggs. It was so yummy! When everyone was ready we started in on the presents. All three of the little boys were so happy about each new toy or book, and as soon as it was open, they wanted to play with it. They were also very good about sharing their new things with each other. Ashton literally climbed on top of Carter's mountain of presents to share a toy with him.

In their matching pajamas, Carter and Ashton look like twins! (At least I think so...)

For Ashton, opening a present was very slow and methodical, but he wanted to do it all himself. Preston had the job of taking the bows and paper scraps to Grandpa. You can see his little hand getting the bow from Ashton.

Tyler's family does presents just like mine: taking turns from youngest to oldest, and everyone watches what all the others get. (It's totally more fun this way, people!) But apparently it was pretty boring for the babies, because Ashton wandered off. We noticed him dancing around in the background with the elf hat on a few minutes later. Too funny.

Everyone had so many presents! Between Tyler and everybody else, I got everything I could have wanted and more. (There will definitely be more on this subject later...) For the rest of the day we lounged about and enjoyed all of our new things.

We also sat by the piano, and Tyler played while everyone sang Christmas songs. Carter and Ashton were dancing around, and then Carter tackled Ashton with a big Christmas hug. I seriously love watching them together.

Just before bedtime, Aunt Laura and her family stopped by to show us their special Christmas present--two adorable wiener-dog puppies! One girl and one boy. They were so cute! Ashton really liked them, except when they tried to lick his face.

It's funny how Christmas seems to take forever to come, but then it's over super fast. Now we have a whole year more to wait...

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T15:20:00.001-07:00

Christmas this year was with the Hintons, and it was a great one! We spent Christmas Eve hanging out, playing games, and watching Christmas movies. (Tyler had fun showing Preston an old tape of Christmas cartoons he recorded from TV when he was young.) Poor Becky had to work most of the day at the bakery, and we figured the last thing she'd want to do when she got home was cook some more. So we all pitched in and cooked Christmas dinner together. Ham, sour cream potatoes, green bean casserole, sunshine carrots, jello salad--it makes my mouth water just remembering it! It was ready and waiting when she got home, and I think she was pretty happy that she got to rest for the rest of the day.

Since Ashton still won't eat ham or potatoes (or anything, really), he enjoyed his own dinner beforehand with Papa Carlton.

Once everyone's dinner was over and cleaned up, it was time to bathe some little boys and get ready for bed.

Rub-a-dub-dub, three boys in a tub

The boys took the plastic nativity set in the tub with them. A pretty appropriate Christmas Eve activity, I say. Ashton had fun showing us all the animals, like the donkey, the sheep...

...and the cows. I love how Carter is frantically running away from the shampoo in Grandma's hands (behind Ashton).

For some reason, Carter was fine letting Ashton wash him. :)

And Ashton was happy to have Grandma wash his hair!

My cute, clean boy singing a bath time song.

This picture doesn't really have anything to do with anything. I just think Ashton has the cutest expressions sometimes, and this happens to be one of them.

Once all the boys were clean, it was time to open the Christmas pajamas!

(I think Ashton is wondering what he should be so excited about...)

Trying on the new PJs.

Unfortunately, this is the best picture we could get of him once he was dressed. He was tired and did not want to cooperate with my phone camera. They are pretty cute pajamas, though.

The rest of the evening we spent by the tree, and then it was off to bed.

And of course we could hardly wait until morning!

Gingerbread Boys

2010-12-23T12:44:00.001-07:00

Baking gingerbread houses and gingerbread boys is a long-standing Christmas tradition for the Hintons. My family must not like gingerbread very much--I know I don't, at least--because I don't really remember us baking gingerbread at Christmas. (Although I do recall a few "gingerbread" houses made of graham crackers...) I was excited for Ashton to try it this year. Turns out he's a natural!

Rolling out the dough

Sneaking a little taste

Messy flour face!

The part he liked best was eating them once they were cooked. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of it. He always wanted the bites with the M&M's on them. Of course.

Snow Storm

2010-12-21T12:29:00.001-07:00

It snowed A LOT in the middle of the night, just four days before Christmas! When Ashton and I came downstairs we found a whole foot of snow piled on the back steps.

And that was on the side of the house that didn't have the wind blowing on it! Out in our driveway so much snow was blown in that we had two and half feet! Poor Tyler used every ounce of his strength to carve a path for his car through half of it, and then he gave up on getting any further.

Alas, all that snow still didn't stop Ashton from ripping his clothes off, as he always does. I don't think he does it as much because he wants to be naked; I just think he does it because he likes to take off the clothes and then try to put them back on again. Unfortunately he isn't so good at getting the pants back on, which is why you may have noticed that he hasn't had pants on for the last several posts. Oh well, what can I do? This morning he was trying so hard to put his clothes back on, but he must have given up, because he came running into the kitchen like this:

Pants on the head, one arm still inside the shirt--getting closer, but still not there yet, buddy! (At least the shirt is facing the right way...)

Too Excited to Sleep

2010-12-18T14:22:00.001-07:00

Tyler's sister and her family are finally in town for Christmas! Yay! Ashton is very happy to have Carter and Preston to play with. We spent a lot of the weekend at Grandma Becky's house hanging out with them. Ashton was so excited and happy and wound-up that he would not take a nap at all on Saturday--even when Carter and Preston were sleeping. That night he was so exhausted that he fell asleep in the middle of dinner.

He's never done that before! We took him home and put him to bed, but unfortunately we have 8:30am church. (Awful! Too early!) We waited until the last minute to wake him up, but I guess he still didn't get enough sleep. As soon as we got home and started lunch, he passed out in his chair again.

Poor kid! We put him on the couch and let him sleep for a while before we headed back to Grandma's house. He wouldn't have been very fun to play with without a little rest...

Mischief

2010-12-16T14:14:00.001-07:00

If we're upstairs and I'm not paying attention, or it seems a little too quiet, then that means Ashton is doing one of two things:

1--pushing, clicking, and generally messing things up on the computer

2--looking in the drawers for a pen so he can color

He finds them both incredibly entertaining and fun, no matter how many times I tell him he can't do it. Grrr. How exactly do you teach a one-year-old limits? I swear we do this at least once a day...

(P.S. I almost forgot--today he is one and a half!!! Wow, he is getting too big.)

On the Phone

2010-12-15T14:04:00.001-07:00

Tyler's mom called him tonight, and I told Ashton that Grandma was on the phone. He immediately ran to the toy basket and found some little toy that resembled a phone. Then, for the remainder of the conversation, Ashton stood at Tyler's side "talking" to Grandma. It was pretty sweet.

Ribbon Dance

2010-12-12T13:54:00.001-07:00

Ashton wanted to "help" wrap the Christmas presents this year. In a way he did help, but not with any actual wrapping. Instead he found a pretty pink ribbon and entertained himself the whole time by dancing around the kitchen with it.

When he noticed that Tyler and I were laughing and taking pictures, he suddenly stopped and looked very embarrassed.

This will definitely be among the "embarrassing" pictures that we show to his future wife someday. What a cutie.

Feeling a Little Better

2010-12-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

It seems Ashton is getting a little better. He played with his funky hat and has been drinking lots of water.

He even managed to get my keys off the counter!

Since when did my boy become a little gangster? Drinking, stealing cars...We're going to have to put a stop to this! :)