Kat's Korner

To Jonah on his Second Birthday!

2011-04-24T11:44:00.000-04:00

I can not believe that it has been two years since you were born. I walked into that hospital with so much anticipation, wanting nothing more than to be a mom. What I got was the most beautiful, kind, sweet boy full of life who has made me much more than just a mom. Being your mom has made me a more loving, compassionate human being and I can not thank you enough!
This year you have developed a carefree personality. You have learned to walk, talk, and throw an amazing tantrum. You love playing "Night, Night Ball" with daddy. You can not live without balls, trucks, choo choo's, bubble baths and Mickey Mouse.You love playing with your cousins and you love your puppy, Eli!
Your favorite thing to do is to play with balls. You haven't met a ball you haven't liked. You and daddy have so much fun together playing with your football.
You love your daddy! He can make you laugh so much you have a hard time catching your breath.
Your smile can light up a room. Your carefree personality amazes me, I wish that I had even a pinch of that.
Every day you learn more and more words. Sometimes you can get frustrated because we don't understand what you are trying to tell us, but you are building your vocabulary every day! We can't tell if you are right or left-handed yet. You like to color and eat with your left hand, but then just when we think your a lefty you will switch it up on us. You love to watch Mickey Mouse and Jake and if we let you, you could sit and watch your shows for hours!
You have been a picky eater in your short life. You only eat certain foods, but luckily the list is getting longer every month. Your favorites are chicken fingers, spaghetti o's, applesauce and pizza. You love your Elmo juice, but you drink a lot of milk! You also will eat peas only if we call them "little green balls."
You love your family with all your little heart. You love playing basketball with Pop Pop, coloring with Grandma M, playing with your cousins Louis, and Grace and visiting your family in Idaho. We love to Skype with Grandma and Grandpa, and you love visiting them in Boise. You and your dad love to dance to Rock Roll as you look for balloons when you drive home from daycare. We love to cook together and we have a special Mommy and Me night once a week when daddy is at work. We love to rock together at night and you love it when I sing the Winnie the Pooh song to you!
Happy Birthday little man. I am so excited to see how much you grow this next year as you get ready for preschool. I can't imagine a more amazing life than the one you have given me. I love you!

Jonah's First YouTube Video

2010-06-05T14:44:00.004-04:00

Here is Jonah's YouTube Debut.

Jonah's First Birthday Party

2010-05-02T09:17:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we celebrated Jonah's first birthday with a monkey themed party with close family members. Jonah's grandparents flew in from Idaho just like they did a year ago to spend some quality time with him. Here are a few pictures from the big day.
Jonah and his "Camera Face". It is adorable how he gets a big grin on his face when you are taking his picture.

Jonah didn't eat any of his cake. He didn't like the frosting on his fingers and wouldn't even taste it. Maybe next year.

Here is Jonah's "cake." I actually made 2 different kinds of cupcakes instead of a traditional cake.

This is the first kind of cupcake I made. It is a peanut butter cupcake with chocolate frosting decorated like monkeys. The other kind were banana cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting with birthday picks in them.

Here is Jonah in his adorable birthday shirt we got from Stitcheroos. He had so much fun crawling in and out of the screen door. Luckily the rain held off and we were able to enjoy being outside.

Here is Jonah and his cousin, Louis, sitting in the wagon.

All the cousins couldn't resist taking a ride in the wagon up and down the street being pulled by PopPop.

Taking a break with Grammy and Gramps on the couch. It was a long, exciting, and perfect day!

A Year Ago Today!

2010-04-24T21:19:00.002-04:00

My little man was born!

I can’t believe you turn a year old today. People have always told me that they grow up fast, but I had no idea what they truly meant until I became your mom. I wanted a child for a long, long time. There was a point in my life that I wasn’t sure if I would be able to have kids, but I am so happy that I was able to.

Your arrival was scheduled. We had an appointment for my cesarean section and we made it to that date. Of course everything doesn’t always go according to plan and they had to take you a little early because your little heart rate plummeted about an hour before my scheduled surgery. We were nervous, but I can’t explain the feeling that went through me when I heard your little cry for the very first time. Daddy made sure you were okay and then brought you over to me so I could give you my first kiss. I haven’t been that happy in my entire life.

You have been relatively healthy this year. We have had a rough road with your eczema and allergies, but every day your skin is looking a little better. You have a strawberry hemangioma on your forehead that I don’t even notice anymore and should disappear before you even are able to ask what it is. You are perfect!

From what I understand about babies, you have been an easy one. You are happy. Your favorite thing to do right now is to take off crawling across the floor and look back at us chasing you and laugh. You love the camera and smile most of the time when I take your picture. Your a little daredevil that is going to give your mom a stroke one of these days if it continues. You love sweet potatoes.

Your best friend has been your puppy Eli. You two love each other so much. I am amazed at how much patience Eli has with you when you poke him in the eyes all the time. I can tell you from experience that Eli doesn’t have that kind of patience with everyone, just his little brother.

I love you more than words can possible say, and I hope one day you have a child of your own so that you can truly understand how much you mean to me. Happy Birthday, Mommy and daddy love you!

Jonah's Recent Doctor's Visit

2010-02-28T22:14:00.000-05:00

Jonah had his follow-up doctor's appointment a week ago to check on his weight gain and gross motor skill development. Since the last time I posted about his doctor's concerns, Jonah has started to pull up and cruise around the table as well as bending down and picking up objects. The doctor was pleased with his progress. He has gained a half of a pound since his 9-month checkup and the doctor seemed okay about that. What was concerning was the fact that Jonah has been throwing up about twice a week after eating. The doctor sent my husband and Jonah down to the imaging center to take an inside look at Jonah's stomach to be sure that there wasn't anything we needed to be concerned about. They took pictures and didn't see anything that would be causing Jonah to throw up. They concluded that Jonah's gag reflex isn't fully developed yet and he will outgrow this throwing up in a few months.

I have been very cautious with over-feeding Jonah because he seems to gag more when he is full, and this week he didn't throw up at all! That is until today. It seems like just when I am starting to not worry about the little guy he gives me something to worry about. I wasn't around today when he threw up (I was at the gym trying to work off those last few pregnancy pounds), so I had to rely on Joe's expertise that he overfed him.

The doctor said that the eczema on Jonah's face had gotten so bad that it is now infected. He prescribed some cream that has been working great for the past week. The downside of this magical cream is the price tag. We have insurance (decent insurance) and we still had to pay $80.00 for this small tube of cream! What exactly are my insurance premiums going towards if I still have to pay $80 on a generic prescription? To make matters worse I accidentally left his cream on his nightstand after applying it one night and Eli got into it (he has an obsession with steroid cream, this isn't the first, or second, tube of prescription cream that he has eaten in his lifetime) and now it comes out the sides as well as the top. Luckily Jonah's face is looking so much better that he doesn't need it.
I can't believe how much doctors appointments scare me these days. Every time he goes we come back with something else we need to worry about with him. I guess worrying about him will last my lifetime!

Here are a few recent pictures, enjoy!

A Face Full of Smiles

2010-02-23T21:20:00.002-05:00

BJ had his doctors visit this past Friday (more on that later). Unfortunately BJ’s eczema has gotten so bad his face is infected. He remains a very happy boy. Here he is crawling all around the house as happy as can be. His face is much better now that he has his prescription cream.

A Family Super Bowl

2010-02-16T21:21:00.000-05:00

The Colts lost, but we enjoyed Jonah's first Super Bowl anyway. We had to get a picture of the family (football is big in our house). Congratulations New Orleans.

Jonah's skin is still looking rough in these pictures. He is slowly doing better. We have another doctor's appointment scheduled for Friday so hopefully we can get a Dermatologist referral. Lets hope!

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-09T21:14:00.001-05:00

We got hit this week with a bunch of snow. Jonah had a cold so we had to keep him inside. Both Jonah and Eli were really wanting to go out and play in the snow. Here they are looking out the front window wishing they could play. I couldn’t resist a picture of the two of them!

The Big Game

2010-02-07T12:52:00.000-05:00

I haven't talked much about the colts this year, but I am still a huge fan and extremely excited about the Super Bowl. We are headed up to Noblesville to watch the big game with Joe's family. I am so excited that Jonah's first Super Bowl has our favorite team starring in it! The Super Bowl is always a big event in our family! It is also a little bittersweet as today will mark the end of the football season. Joe and I have so much fun during the season. We get a little sad thinking that we have to wait until September to watch the games again. I will leave you with this:

GO COLTS!

Our Little Racecar Robber

2010-01-31T15:53:00.001-05:00

Jonah has been rocking on a rocking horse at daycare and he loves it, so Joe and I went out in search of one he could have at home. We didn't find the rocking horse, but we did find this racecar that "grows" with your child in stages. The first stage is the rocking racecar. Joe set it up on Saturday and Jonah has been rocking out all weekend. On Saturday night Jonah and I were home playing when I turned my back for a second. Jonah seized this opportunity to steal all of the magazines off of the coffee table and laugh hysterically. I thought it was so funny I grabbed the camera and took some pictures.

I had to throw in this cute picture of Jonah and Daddy! They are adorable.

Happy 9 month birthday my little guy!

A Headrick Christmas

2010-01-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

We are back from Idaho and trying to get back on a schedule. We had a great time visiting my family in Boise and Garden Valley. Once again, my entire family (sans MJ) got food poisoning and was out for a day or so. Meanwhile, Joe, MJ, and I watched the now infamous Colts game in a bar in Garden Valley. I proceeded to get very upset. We didn't let it get the best of us and went snow tubing on Monday and had a blast. I was sore for days afterwards but it was well worth it. Here are a few pictures from Jonah's first Christmas!

A Hodson's Christmas

2009-12-22T09:22:00.000-05:00

We had Joe's family Christmas on Sunday. It was one for the books! Very interesting day. I will tell you more verbally about it if I know you personally. Here are a few pictures from Jonah's (and Edilu's) first Christmas celebration.

Cousins... okay guys are you ready for a picture for grandma?

Come on man!

This isn't so bad...

I'm outta here!

Just Grace and Jonah left.

Yummy bow!

Edilu is back!

Almost done.

Slinkys are still cool!

Edilu and his daddy!

Pop Pop

Grammy

Uncle Brian

Mommy and Jonah opening up gifts.

On to the next Christmas Celebration in Idaho, Headrick style.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-20T07:07:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!
We hope you find 2010 to be the best year of your life!
Love,
Joe, Kat, Jonah, and Eli

Homecoming

2009-12-20T07:03:00.000-05:00

Edilu is home! We went and picked all of them up at the Chicago airport last weekend. He is adorable and from what I hear he is adjusting well to his new home. Here are a few pics:

On our way to Chicago!

Wating for our new little cousin at the airport!

The newest addition to the family!

Uncle Joe and Louis!

Jonah's First Thanksgiving

2009-12-04T20:55:00.000-05:00

We headed up to South Bend this year for Thanksgiving. Jonah was a trooper. He slept the entire way there and the entire way back. We were fortunate enough to be able to stay with Joe's Uncle and Aunt, Kevin and Joan, and their four boys. Jonah love the boys. Thanksgiving consisted of about 50 aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family members. I love getting the entire O'Connor crew together. There is always someone to talk to and someone to hold your baby when your arms get tired. Joe had a blast playing music with his brother, cousins, and uncles. I hope Jonah learns how to play the keyboards someday and joins in the fun.

Aunt Emily and Jonah

The Turkey Bowl

Jonah and Daddy

The View From Upsidedown

Mommy and Jonah

A Very Handsome Jonah in His Thanksgiving Outfit

The Cute Little Man

Grace and Aiden Eating Thanksgiving Dinner

Jonah's First Haircut

2009-12-04T20:39:00.000-05:00

Here are the before and after pictures of Jonah's first haircut at 7 months.

My handsome guy with a full head of curls!

The cutting begins.

Hey there!

Almost done.

Look Grandpa, I'm a handsome little man!

Bad Blogger Mommy

2009-12-03T22:18:00.002-05:00

I know... bad blogger mommy. I am sorry I have been so busy. I promise I will update this weekend. I have wonderful pictures from Thanksgiving. One little side note: Andy, Emily, and Grace are on their way with Aunt Amy to Ethiopia as we write! They should arrive tomorrow at about 11 and will be able to meet Louis for the first time. I can't wait until next Saturday when we go to the airport to pick them up! My little nephew is almost home.

A New Adventure

2009-11-14T07:35:00.000-05:00

I have been working for the past few months on a Family Product Review website. I am really enjoying myself and I am learning a lot about the industry. My primary focus is helping parents find the best products on the market that are both stylish and durable for their families. I also feature a lot of companies that provide organic products. (I promise that this is the only plug I will give my new adventure from now on this site is devoted to my family). I have three great giveaways going on right now that you can enter:

A $25 Visa Gift Card
A Cushy Closer Door Cushion from Baby Urbana
Late July's Organic Mini Sandwich Cookies

Please check it out at amomsimpression.com

Edilu's Party

2009-11-14T07:25:00.000-05:00

I have so much fun creating and planing a shower to celebrate the arrival of Edilu. My Mother In Law, Sister In Law, and I threw a party last Saturday up in Noblesville for Andy and Emily. So many of Andy and Emily's friends came, and we had lots of fun playing with airplanes, talking, and playing with all the kiddos who came. I wish my nephew was here to enjoy his party, but... They have gotten the phone call! They are off to Africa in early December to bring home our Edilu! He should be home before Christmas! What a wonderful Christmas it will be. Two cousins celebrating their first Christmas together. Here are some pictures from the shower.

Jonah is 6 Months

2009-10-31T17:26:00.001-04:00

Jonah has been sick this past couple of days. I have been a mess trying to cope with Jonah coughing and sneezing. He doesn't have a temperature so that is good. Today he was smiling and very happy so I think it is on its way out. I hope so. Here are some pictures of the two minutes Jonah had his Halloween costume on. It was difficult for him to get on and off and it was really warm. So here is my little monster:

Pumpkin Patch 09

2009-10-18T17:01:00.000-04:00

We had our second annual pumpkin patch trip to Stoney Creek Farm today. Joe, Grace, Jonah, Grandma, Grandpa Hodson, and I all met at the pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins and have a lot of fun. Grace was a year older, and she wanted to try a little of everything this time. She did the bouncy floor, train ride, pony ride, haunted maze, pumpkin patch ride, and the hay stack. She also helped me pick out the perfect pumpkin for Jonah. I really enjoy this event every year. I hope this is a tradition that we can continue for years to come. Enjoy the pictures!

Orphanage Donation Items

2009-10-11T16:56:00.002-04:00

Ethiopia Orphanage Donation Items Needed

*Baby wipes

*Preemie, Infant and toddler size diapers

*Semilac formula milk in powder form. Semilac with iron and lactose free are preferred

*Anti fungal ointment and tablets

* Bed Sheets, bed covers, crib sheets, draw sheets (for infant cribs and older chid home)

*Medical shoe covers (worn in hospitals during surgery)

*Bottles

*Anti-fungal shampoo

*Neosporin or antibiotic ointment

*Hydrocortisone creams

*Infant and child Motrin, Tyenol or other fever reducer

*Pedialyte or Kaolyte (preferable powdered form)

*Infant and chid decongestants

*Infant and child vitamins, liquid

*Children's Vitamin D supplements (found in several multivitamins)

*Vaseline

*Infant Clothing

*Bactoban Ointment

*Alcohol Swabs

*Saline spray or drops

*Antibiotics

*Petroleum Jelly

*Nystantin (Mycostatin)

*Standard bottle nipples

*New or like new children's shoes

*New or like new children's clothing (infant to 14 years of age)

*Developmental toys for children

*Baby Shampoos

*Baby bath soap

*Baby oil

*Baby powder

*Disposable surgical masks and gloves

*School supplies

*Books for very young children (Board books and easy readers)

*Polaroid Film

Almost 6 Months

2009-10-11T16:45:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday Jonah and I will go to his doctor's appointment for his 6 month checkup. The months have flown by. I am also hoping to get some 6 month pictures taken of my little guy. He is doing great. He is belly laughing at people. He loves his doggie. He loves putting toys in his mouth. He loves hanging out with his daddy. He loves when mommy sings to him. He is an amazing little boy. Yesterday I tried baby food for the first time. He loved eating the sweet potatoes even more than the cereal! Hopefully we have an agreeable eater on our hands.

Joe is doing great! His band was just chosen to perform at the Vouge for the Broad Ripple Music Festival. One of his goals in his life was to perform at this venue, so I am so proud and happy for him.

Eli has 2 more months of the drug trial. He is looking really good! The only bad thing is that this drug won't be available until December 2010, so we won't be able to get our hands on it until then. At least we found something that works.

School is going great. I have a wonderful group of kids. They want to make a quilt this year so my mom has graciously offered to help us. I find it difficult to balance home and work, but every day gets a little bit better.

There isn't an update on Edilu's arrival yet. Hopefully we will hear soon!

Kat

Upromise Guest Shopping for Jonah

2009-10-03T08:05:00.002-04:00

Upromise Guest Shopping for Jonah

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Birthday Weekend

2009-09-27T12:56:00.004-04:00

I had a wonderful birthday weekend. On Friday I went out to dinner with the Hodsons. I had a great burger and enjoyed yummy cupcakes from the Flying Cupcake! On Saturday we went shopping at my favorite store (Costco) and hung out at home. Jonah received an activity center from Andy, Em, and Grace and was extremely excited to play in it (he also received a bouncy doorway jumper that we haven't tried out yet, lucky guy)! Grace joined us for an unexpected sleepover last night. We had a great time last night and woke up to birthday donuts! Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

First Bites

2009-09-13T08:31:00.007-04:00

We started Jonah on cereal last week during which we decided to take a few photographs of his first brush with solid food. Here we go...

In it goes.

What is this!

This isn't so bad.

A little more please.

What is that?

The clean up crew!

Mommy, Eli likes me after all!

Back to the good stuff.

That was fun! When do we do it again?

P.S. Jonah rolled over for the first time yesterday! Look how fast he is growing up!

The Two Cutest Kids Ever!

2009-08-30T21:11:00.001-04:00

Come on, I mean does anyone stand a chance with these two kiddos?

Birthday Wishes

2009-08-30T21:09:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Grandma Maureen!

Four Months Old

2009-08-24T21:33:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't written lately. School started and I have been exhausted. Jonah is four months old today. It is hard to believe that he is already four months old and that he is only four months old at the same time. He is such a happy boy. It seems like he is constantly smiling and laughing. He is getting two teeth, and is still gaining weight rapidly. I can't imagine my life without him. Happy four months baby boy. I am so proud to be your Mommy! I will post some recent photos soon with a longer update when I am not so exhausted.

It's a Boy!

2009-08-06T17:53:00.003-04:00

Andy, Emily, and Grace received their phone call yesterday. They are officially expecting a baby boy. He is about 8-10 months old and his name is Edilu Hodson. They are planning on calling him Louis. The travel plans are tentative at the moment but we are thinking that they will be traveling (with Grace) to Ethiopia around October. I am very excited to be an Aunt to a little boy. Jonah is going to love having another cousin. These Holidays are going to be wonderful with two new boys in the Hodson family. Congratulations Andy, Emily, Grace, and Edilu!

Idaho

2009-08-01T21:49:00.006-04:00

We're back from our vacation to Idaho. We had a wonderful time. It all began last Thursday evening when we took off from Indy to Boise via Denver. Jonah was a champ! He was perfect the entire way. I am thinking that maybe the older they get the worse the plane flights are. Who knows, but I was pleasantly surprised. On Friday morning we got up and visited my grandma and grandpa at their house in Boise before heading up to our cabin in the mountains. We spent Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at the cabin playing golf, reading, playing games, swimming, and hanging out together as a family. My brother, sister, and my parents enjoyed getting to know Jonah better! He dazzled them with his smile and his laughter. I was able to knit a little and do some summer reading, a big treat for a new mom. My two great friends from my high school days came up and visited us at the cabin. Between the three of s we have four kids now. I loved hanging out with all of our families. We went back to Boise Monday evening. On Tuesday my brother took Joe and I floating down the Boise river while the grandparents babysat. It was so relaxing. It was about 85 degrees and sunny, perfect! We showed Jonah off for the next couple of days and headed back to Indy on Thursday. Once again Jonah was an angel on his flight home arriving at 1 in the morning on Friday. We had a great time. Jonah is off his schedule, but we are working hard getting him back into the swing of things. His rash is much better, but he has really dry skin where the rash was right now. The soy formula didn't seem to help, so we moved to the hypoallergenic formula. He seems to be doing much better on that. I will have to continue to pump breast milk to offset some of the cost, but I know it is in the best interest of my child. I will have to learn how to make it work when school starts.

Speaking of school, I went in to my classroom to get it ready on Friday while Joe hung out with Jonah and Eli. I am so excited about how I organized my books (fellow teachers will appreciate this). I found some inexpensive magazine files at IKEA and organized all of my books, labeling them for the entire year according to subject. I might take a picture of it just to show you how great it looks. I had to rearrange some shelving but it looks fantastic. I feel organized. I meet with some of my new kindergarten students next week. I am really getting excited about the new school year. My two teacher friends and I went to Cincinnati today to buy some clothes and some things for our classrooms. I had a great time! I feel so lucky to have great friends and family. I hope this finds everyone healthy and happy!

Jonah and I visited Emily and Grace before we left for Idaho. I made Grace a tutu and here she is modeling it for us!
Peace and Rock and Roll!
Grandma giving Jonah a bath.
The family at the Payette river.
Tia, Grandma, and Jonah.
Grandpa and Jonah

I wanted to take this "Blaine" picture ever since Jonah was born. Blaine Oscar Headrick, Michael Blaine Headrick, and Jonah Blaine Hodson. Three generations of Blaines.
Jonah and Dad relaxing at the cabin.
Joe and dad getting ready to chainsaw a big tree that fell on the lot.
Jonah and Alice
Kathy, Jonah, Kendra, Nataya, Trace, Tawnya, and Alice
Kendra and Alice
We had 5 dogs up at the cabin.
Kirsten, Scott, and Jonah
Aunt Michelle
The great-grandparents
Jonah loved great-grandma!

Experimentation

2009-07-21T11:04:00.002-04:00

So of course Jonah would have allergies, it runs in the family. If you are familiar with this blog you know we have been dealing with the dog's allergies for some time now (by the way he hasn't had any new allergies since March?). I guess I just wasn't expecting Jonah to have allergies this quickly, and to basically the first thing we have introduced to him. As most of you know I will be returning to work in a few short weeks so I have been introducing formula into Jonah's diet gradually over the past couple of weeks. Well, he got what appeared to be the same little rash on his cheeks and arms that he had the week after he was born. I thought it would go away, he probably has bad skin like his mommy. Well, he spent the night with his grandma Hodson over the weekend and when we picked him up his rash was a lot worse. His grandma suggested that he might have an allergy to Similac. I went home and did a little research and all signs point to this. His rash that showed up after we left the hospital was after he was being supplemented with Similac (because he lost too much weight, kinda funny to think about considering what a chunkster he is today). Yesterday I brought him into the pediatricians office and they think he is allergic to cows milk. So not only does Jonah have a restricted diet, so does mommy. We are both on soy milk now. I am not allowed to have any milk in my diet until I am no longer breast feeding (pumping in my case). Jonah is trying a special soy milk formula. We are hoping that this formula will work because if he is also allergic to soy we have another formula to try and it is about twice as expensive. After we left the pediatricians office we stopped at Whole Foods and picked up some soy products. I got soy milk, pudding, and cheese (not eating cheese is going to be the hardest for me, I love it). We also got some rice ice cream. If someone ever told you soy milk is good, don't believe them. I think it is nasty. Also rice ice cream does not taste like frozen yogurt or ice cream, I had to pour some chocolate syrup on it to eat it. I will do it though, and I am determined that this is the last time I will complain about it. I have a wonderful, beautiful, healthy baby boy and it is all worth it. I will keep you updated on how things are going with this experimentation.

We are traveling to Idaho on Thursday. I am so excited for my family to meet Jonah. Joe and I are a little concerned about the flight over with an infant, but lots of people do it and we will survive as well. Any tips on flying with a baby are appreciated. Adoption update: Andy and Emily haven't heard from the adoption agency yet, we are hoping to hear before the Ethiopian courts close for two months. Please keep your fingers crossed. The call could come any day (I am guessing when we are up in the Idaho mountains and can't be reached). Jonah is looking forward to playing with his new cousin, and I am looking forward to spoiling my new niece or nephew.

New Pictures

2009-07-15T10:03:00.004-04:00

Here are some recent pictures of Jonah. By the way, he hasn't slept through the night since Sunday night... so sad. But it doesn't matter that much since he is a happy and healthy baby!So much like his daddy, rock on little guy!
He loves his play mat aquarium thingy.

I love him in his overalls!

Please Vote For My Website Jonah Blaine

2009-07-15T09:28:00.002-04:00

My website Jonah Blaine has been nominated for Hottest Mommy Blogger. Please vote by clicking on this button, and visit my other website Jonah Blaine.

Sleeping Update

2009-07-14T06:50:00.003-04:00

So, last night he only slept until 3:30. I was so bummed. I guess this is how it goes, one night great, the other night okay. I just hope tonight isn't awful.

Last Night

2009-07-13T12:16:00.002-04:00

We have been having a hard time trying to get Jonah to fall asleep at night. He just doesn't want to go to bed. Last night we put him to bed at 10:00 and he slept until 5! 7 hours of sleep for mommy! I fed him and put him back to bed. He slept until 8:30 ish. Then we were up for the day. He is taking about 2-3 2 hour naps during the day. Hopefully this trend will continue. Keep your fingers crossed.

2009-07-10T06:35:00.004-04:00

Jonah is lifting his head up when he is having tummy time!
Fourth of July outfit!
Joe playing music in the park. Jonah's first concert.
Emily and Grace enjoying the music.
Jonah and Grandma. It was a cold day outside for the concert, Jonah is sporting a hoodie.
Riely O'Connor Band

Fo'Hawk

July Firsts

2009-07-07T09:16:00.002-04:00

July started out with Jonah going to his first daddy concert. Joe and his uncle played a gig at Eagle Creek. We went to check it out in spite of the rainy weather. Jonah loved listening to his dad play the guitar. We were joined with Joe's family and had a picnic dinner. Overall it was a great time. We had a wonderful time at our annual 3rd of July party with the Landis Family. We introduced Jonah to Joe's college friends from Xavier. The next day we celebrated the 4th of July with the Hodson's at Andy, Emily, and Grace's house. In spite of the rain we had a great time. All in all, Jonah enjoyed his first holiday with the family.

Joe and I are doing great. We are gearing up for our trip to Idaho in a few weeks. Other than that trip, we are staying home this summer. We are anxiously awaiting news from Ethiopia on the arrival of our new niece or nephew. It should come any day. Jonah is so excited for another cousin, he is already in love with Grace. Lets hope we get the news soon. I will keep you posted. I have some great pictures that I will post later. I hope this finds everyone healthy and happy.

Odds and Ends for June

2009-06-30T11:10:00.004-04:00

We had a great June. We traveled, celebrated, laughed, cried, and slept (a little). Here are some recent pictures we took.

Here is our new light fixture we purchased at IKEA. I love it! Joe did a great job installing it over the dining room table. I thought you would all like to see it!

Sweet Dreams!
All three of my boys.

I love these pictures. Jonah looks like a little man.

His onesie says "Jonah, our little monkey." It should read, "Jonah, our chunky monkey."

Two Month Doctor Visit

2009-06-25T22:28:00.002-04:00

First of all I want to wish my fabulous husband a happy 4th anniversary, I love you! We were able to go out to watch a movie (UP which is wonderful) and eat out at our favorite restaurant. Thank you to Grandma Hodson for babysitting. Jonah weighs in at 14 pounds 3 ounces (90%). He did very well at the doctor's office. He actually cried less than I did with his immunizations. The bad news is that he has a strawberry something or another on his forehead. This thingy usually doesn't go away. It should fade before he turns 3, but there is a chance it could stay or get bigger. He is still a cutie no matter what. He is doing well now, he did have a slight fever but the office warned me of that and I am prepared with children's Tylenol. Well, he kept me up last night so I am off to bed while Joe stays up.

Kat

Two Months

2009-06-24T16:39:00.002-04:00

Jonah is two months old today. I can't believe how fast the time went. He gets cuter every week. Right now he is looking adorable swinging away in his little lamb swing (which we couldn't live without). We have our 2 month doctors check up tomorrow. I am a little worried because I have to go alone this time and he is getting 3 immunizations. They make you hold him down and I couldn't do it last time, Joe had to. He is smiling all the time now and sometimes he will give out a little laugh. He loves his cousin Grace and will smile a lot for her. He also loves being with his daddy. They had a great time together on Father's Day. He will sit and stare at Joe and just smile. He is going to be a daddy's boy. Here are a few of my favorite pictures that I have taken recently. I will update tomorrow after our doctors appointment. I am sure you are all curious how much the chunky monkey weighs in at.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-20T22:08:00.002-04:00

Happy Father's Day to my Dad, my Father in Law, and especially to my wonderful Husband who is celebrating Father's Day as a dad for the very first time. I love you all!

A Day in Cincinnati

2009-06-20T21:56:00.002-04:00

Jonah took his first road trip today with Joe and I. We went to Cincinnati to visit Joe's grandma and to go to IKEA. We had a lot of fun with grandma, and she was very excited to meet Jonah. Jonah loved her and gave her a lot of Jonah smiles. After our visit, we went to the new IKEA in the Cincinnati area. We don't currently have an IKEA in Indiana (IKEA people what are you waiting for?) so this was the closest one to us. I fell in love at first sight. I have seen catalogs and I have heard other people praise the store, but I had never actually been inside one. I LOVE IT! The decor is very modern contemporary which is the style Joe and I both love. I could furnish our entire house from that store. In fact, Joe and I talked about going there after we buy our next house. Jonah did well during the trip. He had a mini-meltdown in IKEA, but Jonah's meltdowns are very minor in comparison. Tomorrow is Father's Day and we will be going up to Noblesville to share it with Joe's dad. Today is my dad's 60th birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! I wish we were there to celebrate with you, but we will see you in a few short weeks!

7 weeks

2009-06-13T20:58:00.004-04:00

Jonah is 7 Weeks Old... Here are some recent pictures!What... you talking to me?
Jonah is looking very cute in his pajamas he got from Grandma Headrick!
Another Jonah Smile.

He just finished his bath. He loves being in the water!

I love this picture of my little man. He is so handsome.

No Longer a Newborn

2009-06-05T17:23:00.003-04:00

Jonah is officially out of his newborn clothing and newborn diapers. I packed them all up for later use by another (hopefully). I can't believe he is no longer a newborn. He is an infant. I guess they were right when they said that they grow up so fast. Here are a couple more recent pictures.

Jonah Smile

2009-06-04T14:23:00.003-04:00

Isn't this the cutest!

Baseball Weekend

2009-06-02T15:04:00.003-04:00

We had a great time at the Indian's game this weekend. We gathered there to celebrate Mike Hodson's birthday. Jonah enjoyed his first game (I think, he actually slept through the whole thing). Here are some great photos from this weekend.

1 Month Doctor's Well Visit

2009-05-30T15:11:00.002-04:00

Jonah had his 1 month doctor's visit on Friday. He weighed in at an astonishing 11 pounds 4 ounces! He is a chunky chunkster. He is 21 1/2 inches long (30th percentile), his head is in the 20th percentile, but his weight is in the 76th percentile! I was a little worried about all the weight he has gained, but the doctor said not to worry at all that he is perfect and healthy! Jonah and I had a great week. We visited with Sharri and Grace on Friday and went out to eat. We had Grandma and Grandpa Hodson over for dinner last night, and tomorrow we are going to an Indians game to celebrate Grandpa Hodson's birthday. Joe is in for a wild week as he gets sworn in as a federal agent on Monday and works 12 hours every day next week. Eli, Jonah, and I will hold down the fort. Keep checking out the blog as I add more pictures and video's from Jonah's life!

Testing Video To See If It Works

2009-05-26T20:30:00.002-04:00

The First Month

2009-05-25T14:34:00.004-04:00

I can't believe that Jonah is one month old already. The month went by so fast. He is growing everyday. He has his one month checkup on Friday, I can't wait to see how much he weighs. He has given me a few smiles, but I'm not convinced that he did it on purpose. He is starting to notice his surroundings more everyday. In fact, today he looked at himself in the mirror for the first time. I wonder what he was thinking? I am continually amazed at how well behaved he is. He only cries when he is gassy, hungry, or needs to be changed. I wish his sleeping pattern was a little more consistent, but overall I think we have it easy for a newborn. We had a great time this Memorial Day Weekend. We had a grill off at the Hodson's, while Grace enjoyed the sprinkler. Jonah was passed out all day (and up all night to compensate). Here are some pictures!

Three Week Pictures

2009-05-17T07:58:00.004-04:00

The Third Week

2009-05-15T22:58:00.002-04:00

I can't believe he is already three weeks old. He is growing very quickly and he is eating like a whale. We had a great week. My parents flew back in town on Saturday. We spent Mother's Day at the Marriott and had a great Mother's Day Brunch. It was very special to me to celebrate my very first Mother's Day with my mom. I am very lucky to have such a great family and such great in-laws. Joe gave me a watch which I absolutely love. Jonah is doing great. His eye infection is in the past, he is eating very well, and he is sleeping great for the most part. I can't wait to weigh him again at the next doctor's visit. I am betting he gained a lot of weight. My parents have helped out a lot this week. My wonderful mother has made us several casseroles that are now filling up the freezer. I know that those will come in handy this next week. I am so thankful that my parents were able to spend time with Jonah while he is young. WIth them living so far away our visits are not as frequent as I would like. With their help I have been able to get a lot of sleep. I am a little afraid of what will happen after they leave. I will be truly on my own. Joe went back to work this week. I think that he was glad to get back to reality, but I know he missed being with Jonah and I. I am going to need to develop some kind of schedule. I hope to post more pictures this weekend of my beautiful baby boy!

More Pictures From Jonah's First Two Weeks of Life

2009-05-08T08:12:00.004-04:00

Two Weeks

2009-05-08T07:33:00.002-04:00

It has now been two weeks since Jonah was born. He is doing so well. He had his two week well visit to the doctor this week and it turns out he does have an eye infection so he is on antibiotics. In the last day his appetite has increased dramatically. He is eating all the time. I am hoping that this is just a phase he is going through because it is hard to provide that much milk for him. It helps that the freezer is stockpiled with pumped milk Just in case. Eli is doing great with him. We had one scare with the dog, but he seems to love Jonah (or at least tolerate him). We will see how Eli does when my parents are back in town tomorrow (Eli doesn't like strangers in his house). Joe has to go back to work on Monday. I am really going to miss all the time we were able to spend together as a family. Joe is a wonderful dad. He took care of Jonah last night for both feedings and I was able to sleep through the night! What a great gift to give a sleep deprived new mom. I am glad that my parents will be around for the next week as I get adjusted to our new schedule. This is hard work, but with the best payoff ever!

One Week Old

2009-05-01T09:07:00.002-04:00

Wow, what a week. What a life changing week. We have the most precious little boy home with us and we are doing great. He seems to be a pretty easy baby with a couple of poop incidents and a couple of long nights, but nothing major. I can't believe it has already been a week. Here are a few more pictures to tide everyone over.

More Pictures

2009-04-26T08:51:00.002-04:00

Hi there. We are still in the hospital. Everyone is doing great. We are going home tomorrow morning. Jonah is so handsome! Joe is a natural daddy. I am hanging in there trying to breast feed. It is a lot harder than it looks. I have some more pictures to share and I will update as soon as I can.

Pictures

2009-04-25T11:02:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures.

He is here!

2009-04-24T23:34:00.001-04:00

Jonah Blaine Hodson made his debut today at 12:01 p.m. The c-section went very well, I am having issues with gmail and facebook here at the hospital, but I hope to send some pictures in the morning. I am going to try to sleep now.

Kat

Less than 48 hours to go....

2009-04-22T16:51:00.002-04:00

My parents are flying in tonight! Yeah! I was hoping that this guy would hold off until they got here and it looks like he is going to. Joe and I have been preparing for Jonah's arrival every weekend by doing a lot of projects around the house. I think the house is prepared, I am not sure if I am. I told Joe that this week is like the week before we got married. I wasn't anxious about the actual event, but those few days leading up to it racked my nerves. I am really excited to be a mom and meet this little guy, I am just nervous about everything leading up to that point. I am not all that excited to have a c-section, but I know it will all be okay. What a weekend this is going to be. Joe and I are going to miss the Teb's Troops Call to Arms for the first time since it began. We are both a little disappointed because we look forward to this event every year. We are excited that our little guy is going to share a birthday with our special friend Tricia. We miss her and we know that Jonah would have loved sharing a birthday with her! If you are in Indianapolis be sure to go to this great event. You can get details at www.tebstroops.org.
In Eli news, his allergies are under control. We don't think it is the food, but he is off his medication as of today so we will find out. He is going to spend the week with his Aunt Amy as we prepare for the baby's arrival. I keep telling him he gets to go play with the puppies (Amy has 2 dogs) and he gets really excited. We will see how he does when he comes back and he has to deal with an infant. Well, I should get going. I still have a lot to do before picking up my parents at the airport. If I don't write before the big event, I will post some pictures as soon as I can.
Kat

Easter Pictures

2009-04-13T20:28:00.002-04:00

Here are a couple of Easter Pictures of Joe and I. I am huge! Only 12 more days!

9 months

2009-04-05T10:44:00.002-04:00

The ninth month. The best and worst month of them all. I am so uncomfortable and I can hardly breathe. However, only three weeks to go until I meet this little man. I am very excited and scared at the same time. I am very anxious about seeing Jonah for the first time. I wonder what he is going to look like (hopefully he will take after my handsome husband). I have 2 1/2 weeks left of school before I take my maternity leave. I won't have to go back until August 10th. I would post some pictures of my expansive belly, but I have a rash on my stomach and it looks terrible. Hopefully it will go away before the big event. The nursery is finished. We have everything we need thanks to our family and friends. We are so very thankful to everyone who supports us. I am sure that we will be needing your moral support here soon when we have no idea what we are doing.

Joe is going to take two weeks off when the baby comes, so he has been busy at work. He has been running and biking with Eli every chance he gets (depending on the Indiana weather). He has been practicing his music, and taking some time out to read. I really hope he can continue all of his activities after baby comes. Eli has been to the doggie dermatologist two times now. We believe that it is allergies and not an immune system deficiency. That is the good news, the bad news is that we still don't know what he is allergic to. We are starting with his food. He is on a very strict diet of prescription food and the only treats he can have is marshmallows. He is already showing improvement so cross your fingers that it is only food.

I am really going to miss my kids after I leave to have the baby. I have really enjoyed my class this year. I know the teacher taking over and I am confident that they will be in good hands. I hope I can make it the next two and a half weeks. We will see. I passed that stupid portfolio, and I need to get my permanent license this week some time. That is a load off. I have been reading a lot this spring break. I don't think that I will have a chance for a while. I re-read the last Harry Potter book and the Twilight series. I am going to miss reading whenever I want to. It looks like a storm is coming. I better go and make sure the basement is okay.

Kat

More Nursery Pictures

2009-03-15T11:26:00.003-04:00

The Nursery is Done!

2009-03-15T11:20:00.002-04:00

Well, for the most part the nursery is finished. We still have a lot of stuff in the basement that we need to find homes for, and Joe needs to clean out the closet. I thought it turned out really cute. Thanks to all the people out there that sent gifts. Without you guys this would never have happened. Here are some pictures.

More Pictures

2009-03-15T11:17:00.002-04:00

Indianapolis Baby Shower

2009-03-15T11:14:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures from our Baby Shower last Saturday. Thanks again to the Hodsons for throwing us one great bash.

Up All Night

2009-03-04T05:12:00.002-05:00

So it has begun. I am officially not sleeping well. Tonight is kinda the dogs fault, but mostly I can not get comfortable. I have had numerous people tell me that this is God's way of preparing me for the lack of sleep when the baby comes. One would think that God would want me to be at my best when this baby is born, not sleep deprived and moody. I am also sick and I am staying home from school today. There is some kind of virus going around. I had 6 kids absent on Monday and 3 absent yesterday. I feel yucky, but I don't have the stomach bug yet. I am hoping that if I stay home today I won't get it. I have a doctor's appointment today. I have them every two week right now, and it will change to every week next month. I can't believe that in 7 weeks I will meet this little boy. Joe and I are slowly putting the nursery together. We have a baby shower on Saturday so hopefully we will be able to finish the nursery by Spring Break. I think it looks adorable already. We ordered a toy chest and we are getting some shelves soon. The toy chest and glider are on order and are not supposed to get here until April so hopefully they beat Jonah here. Jonah must be getting big because his movements are beginning to hurt a little bit. I was reading a story the other day to my kids and he moved. It really hurt, it felt like he was tugging on something important in there. I am beginning to think that these last weeks are going to be long ones.

The Nursery

2009-02-22T14:02:00.002-05:00

We have broken ground on the nursery. Joe and I painted the room this weekend, and Joe assembled the changing table. We added some artwork that my sister got us, and it is underway. We are going to try to assemble the crib (Thank you Grandma Headrick) this week and add it in. As you can see from the pictures, I have already filled up the changing table. We have cleaned the room from floor to ceiling (disgusting). I can't wait to see the finished product. I will be sure to update you again when we do. We still need a few more items and our Glider (Thank you Grandma Hodson) is still on order. This is the most fun I have ever had putting a room together.

President's Day

2009-02-16T19:48:00.002-05:00

Well, I was supposed to have the day off, but my two snow days in January took care of that. I went off to work this morning and left my husband in bed sleeping. It was an okay day. Life has been good. Jonah is kicking and moving a lot every day. I can't believe that he is going to arrive in 9 1/2 weeks. Joe and I have decided to go ahead and put the nursery together. I went to a baby shower this weekend for a friend who is due a week after me with twins and she is all ready to go in her nursery. It really made me think we should do it now instead of waiting for Spring Break. You never know. We are meeting a babysitter tomorrow so wish us luck. I am really nervous about finding the right person to watch our little guy when I go back to work. I wish I could stay home, but that is not in the cards. I hope this finds everyone well and happy.
Kat

Monroe Melton

2009-01-28T11:40:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to congratulate Joe and Alison on the birth of their baby girl Monroe. She was born after a long labor and delivery at 10:58 Monday evening. She is beautiful and a very big baby weighing in at 8 pounds 15 ounces. If you know Joe and Alison you are probably very surprised that they had a baby that big. I can't wait to meet her!

More Pictures

2009-01-19T11:58:00.003-05:00

Here is Eli in his new bed, and me at week 23 (2 weeks old) baby belly.

Cold...An Understatement

2009-01-18T21:33:00.003-05:00

Driving to work on Friday morning I look over at my temperature gage and it says -14. I hope I will never have to see that number on there again. I don't think I have ever been that cold in my entire life. There was a school delay that day for the kiddos, teachers are not as lucky as they have to be there at their regular time. Needless to say, Indiana has been through some cold weather lately. I am already sick of the cold and I am ready for spring. I want to begin to get the baby's room put together. I am so excited. We are going to do his room in monkeys. We are just debating on what we are going to do with the stuff that is currently in the spare bedroom. We also have decided that it is a good time to teach Eli that he can not get on the furniture. It is a slow process and he doesn't understand why he has to stay in his own bed, but we are making progress. What a shock he is in for. I had a doctors appointment a week ago and I have gained 6 pounds in a month. She also was surprised at how much my stomach has grown in a month. I hope this doesn't mean that he is going to be huge. I am already feeling huge as it is. From this month on he is supposed to gain a 1/2 pound a week. That is a lot more weight to gain. I am not so much worried about gaining the weight as I am about losing it. Well I need to get to sleep so that I can finally finish this stinking portfolio that I keep putting off.

Kat

Countdown

2009-01-18T21:32:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Tickers

Snow Snow Snow

2009-01-01T22:17:00.002-05:00

I retuned today from Idaho (sans cell phone oops). I had a wonderful time. We started out by visiting my grandma and grandpa and then traveling into the snow storm up to the cabin where there was at least three feet of snow waiting for us. Scott and Kirsten were waiting for us. We had snow for two days and thought we could get snowed in, but alas we had to return to Boise on Monday. We had our Headrick Christmas on Monday with the family including Michelle and MJ. On Tuesday Michelle threw me a baby shower for the little guy (see pictures below). On Wednesday, my friends Tawnya, Kendra, Michelle and I went out to eat and visited. Tawnya just had a little girl, Alice, seven weeks ago and my friend Kendra has an eleven and six year old so they were giving me pointers about motherhood. We visited with my grandparents again and then went out with the family to our little chinese restaurant. We finished the night with a fierce Uno match and rang in the new year by sleeping through it. I arrived home today to my hubby and dog. What a great vacation. We have decided on a name for the baby, but I am not going to let the cat out of the bag until we tell our families first. Stay tuned....

Baby Shower

2009-01-01T22:13:00.002-05:00

My sister threw me a baby shower when I was in Boise this past week. She cooked some amazing food! It was great to see my family and friends together. Thank you all so much for the gifts for the little guy! Here are some pictures.

More Christmas Pictures

2008-12-22T11:14:00.004-05:00

We had our Hodson Christmas last night. Grace was in rare form and a big hit with all. She was very excited to open gifts. She dressed up in her dress up outfit Joe and I got her and played her guitar that she got from her Aunt Amy. She also looked stunning in a long sleeve pink colts shirt from Grandma and Grandpa. It was a great night. I am looking forward to flying home and spend some time with my family at the end of the week. My brother purchased his first home and I have yet to see it. My sister remodeled her kitchen and I haven't seen that yet either. I am really excited. I wish Joe was coming with me, but he and Eli are going to have a boys week. We are off to South Bend tomorrow to visit with Ryan and Sharon and the boys. We are also visiting some of Joe's family for the day and returning on Wednesday. The weather is going to be COLD and snowy. Eli has a date with the Doggie Daycare. I hope this finds everyone happy and healthy. Enjoy the Holidays!

Hodson Christmas Pictures

2008-12-22T11:09:00.002-05:00

It's a Boy!

2008-12-11T20:48:00.000-05:00

A Close Up

2008-12-11T20:45:00.001-05:00

Thoughts Before the Big Visit

2008-12-11T07:54:00.004-05:00

We head to the doctor's office in about an hour to see our little one on screen. I am really nervous. I just want everything to be okay. I am such a worrier that this scan has gotten me up early and here I am pondering my thoughts on my blog. It doesn't matter to me if this child is a girl or a boy, I just want a healthy baby. Most people out there think it is a girl. The chinese calendar says it is a boy. My class took a poll yesterday and all the girls think it is a girl and all the boys think it is a boy so no help there. Along with the ultrasound today, I will have a blood test to check for abnormalities such as Down Syndrome and Trisomy 18. I will also have a doctors appointment that is long overdue. Since my last appointment I have thrown up a lot and then once every two weeks, I had a child in my classroom with the Coxsacki Virus, I have blacked out, I had pink eye in both eyes, I have had a giant cold sore take over my nose and lip, and I have a mysterious rash on my tummy. It sounds awful (sometimes it is) but it is all worth it. I guess they really weren't kidding when they told me my immune system is not what is normally is during pregnancy. I am going to be relieved after this visit is over and hopefully really excited.

This Weekend

2008-11-30T12:38:00.002-05:00

Joe and I decorated the house for Christmas! We haven't done this for three years due to a very feisty doggie. It is so relaxing the sit on the couch and look at a fully decorated Christmas Tree. Everyone is doing great. I am feeling okay. It seems that every two weeks my body decides to remind me that I don't have any control over my nausea, but other than that I feel great. I am in the middle of completing my portfolio for the State Department of Education for my permanent teaching license. IT SUCKS! There is so much that goes into it. I have spent hours already and probably have 5 or 6 more hours to invest to finish this thing. My goal was to finish it before December. Seeing as how December starts tomorrow, I am now trying to finish it by Friday. I hate the stress. Our Thanksgiving was lovely. We traveled to Noblesville with the Hodson's. Joe baked an apple pie from scratch that was very tasty. He also smoked an 11 pound turkey. I think that we will do this again. It was very good. I will post a picture of Joe after he carved the beast. Joe is turning 32 on the 8th! What an old man he is turning into. A few days later we will find out the gender of this baby. Any bets? So far most people think that it is a girl. I hope this finds you healthy and happy!
Kat

Week 17 Belly Pic

2008-11-30T12:36:00.002-05:00

This is picture from last weekend, week 17! (I think I have grown since then)

Countdown

2008-11-23T20:39:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Tickers from WiddlyTinks.com

Baby Update

2008-11-13T16:45:00.002-05:00

Hello to all. I want to say Congratulations to my friend Tawnya. She gave birth to her little girl, Alice Dawn Kline, this week. She is doing well and Alice is very cute!

I am now 16 weeks (as of Friday). I felt the baby kick once last week. I think I feel he/she move but as I am new to this pregnancy stuff I am not sure. I have finally stopped throwing up! Yeah! The last night I was sick was election night. I think the baby was really excited and wanted me to know it. Speaking of the election, I am really excited about how it turned out and that Indiana went blue for the first time since President Johnson ran. We have our big ultrasound scheduled for December 11. We hope to find out the sex of the baby at that time. The doctor has scheduled my c-section tentatively for Friday, April 24th.

I broke down and purchased some maternity clothes. I hate the thought of buying clothes that I can only wear for 5 more months but what are you going to do. I am trying to be creative with some of my outfits at work so that people don't realize that I am wearing the same pants two or three times a week.

Joe is doing great. He has been so amazing the past few months. I am a very lucky lady to have him around. Eli still has allergies . We have changed his diet, the seasons have changed, and still no change in his allergies. We will keep working on him. We need to buy stock in Benedryl.

I am going to take pictures this weekend of my expanding tummy. I will post them later.

Kat

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-18T13:55:00.002-04:00

We just got back from the pumpkin patch. Joe, Andy, Grace, and I went to the pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins. The event included a hay ride to the pumpkin patch and back. There was also events there for the little ones. Grace was very excited to ride a miniature pony. Andy and Grace also went through a corn maze. We had a lot of fun and I think that this will be something we will do again in the future. I really recommend it.

pants too small

2008-10-15T20:17:00.003-04:00

I am starting to grow out of my pants. Today I had to get a safety pin to pin them. Joe says that I am showing. Well I thought I'd let you know, I am off to watch the final project runway.

Kat

Joe's New Toy

2008-10-14T17:38:00.002-04:00

Well, we finally caved and purchased a car for Joe. The Sable doesn't have heat and after an awful winter last year I promised Joe that we would get him something with heat before the next winter. We went with a 2005 Ford Escape. It looks like a family car. There actually is room for the dog, baby, Joe and I. There is also space for Joe's music equipment. I will take a picture soon and post it so you can see Joe's new baby.
On the baby front, I haven't thrown up for 2 days! Maybe I am finally starting to feel better. I will be 12 weeks on Friday. They say that the second trimester is much easier. I hope they are right!

Letting the Cat out of the Bag

2008-10-11T08:59:00.004-04:00

I am really excited to announce that Joe and I are expecting a baby in April. I am due on May 1st, but will have a scheduled c-section in April due to my previous surgery. We are both very excited. I have been feeling very tired and have picked up some morning sickness in the last week or so, but otherwise I am feeling great! I can't believe that there is a little baby inside me. We have been to the doctor three times now and have seen the little guy/gal on ultrasound twice now. We are planing on finding out the sex of the baby at our 20 week ultrasound in December. Here is our very first ultrasound picture. He/she looks like a seahorse. He doesn't have the tail anymore and looks like a normal little baby. I will keep everyone posted on the goings on of pregnant life.

Kat

The New School

2008-09-21T12:30:00.002-04:00

The new school year has begun. I feel exhausted. I love having full day kindergarten. There is so much more time to make sure that I cover all the kindergarten standards. I have a decent class and they are already showing progress which is very neat to see. Joe just finished his big city wide sweep last Thursday. Once again he made the evening news. Eli is his cranky cool self. I am doing great. Not a whole lot going on right now. We are very excited for the football season. GO COLTS!

Kat

June

2008-06-24T16:37:00.002-04:00

June has found Joe and I very busy. I have taken a lot of workshops and have been busy packing and moving and now unpacking my two rooms. Joe has been playing out a lot. I didn't get a chance to see him at all last weekend due to his gigs out of town. We are doing great, and we are celebrating our third anniversary tomorrow. I can't believe that it has been that long since our wedding. We are anticipating our vacations in July. First we will head to Idaho. Joe will be staying 6 days and I will be staying almost two weeks. We are going to go on a zip line adventure that lasts about three hours. After we get home, I will have a few more workshops and then we head to Portage Michigan with Joe's family. This will be our third summer that we join the O'Connors for the week. Eli is doing fine. We are bringing him to the vet yet again for a rash (takes after his mom). We are having our bathroom remodeled this weekend. Well, part of it this weekend. We didn't want to finance this project, so we are doing in in phases. Phase one is to redo the tiling and paint the ceiling and walls. We will also get the tub re-glazed. As our facet has been dripping recently, it will be a welcome change. We will do the floor and the vanity in Octoberish. I can't wait to finally take a bath in my own home. I will post pictures of the new bathroom soon. I hope this finds everyone healthy and happy.
Kat

Harcourt Closing

2008-05-28T20:04:00.003-04:00

A link to a video of my school's closing. If you watch closely you can see my butt
dance with a couple of my kindergarteners. I am in a red and white shirt.

Harcourt Closing Link

I will really miss those kids. (But I am so glad for the summer!)

Kat

Kat Who?

2008-05-01T19:41:00.005-04:00

It's been a while so here is an update on the Hodson Household. Eli turned two on Monday. He picked out some great peanut butter woofers for his birthday from the dog bakery. He doesn't act any more grown up, but he actually didn't try to eat the last stranger that came into our house so things are looking up.
Joe just got back from a trip to Nashville Tenn. to play music in front of some big wigs. He really enjoyed the experience. He is playing with three different bands at the moment and is keeping himself busy. The mini 500 marathon is this weekend, and he is supposed to play at that. His job is going well, he even made it on the news a little while back. I am a very proud wifey.
I found out that I will be teaching kindergarten again next year (awesome). I will be at Spring Mill Elementary, in A.M/P.M. kindergarten, and in one school (even more awesome. The sad part is that I am going to have to pack and move two rooms into one over the summer. I am getting anxious for the end of school and the beginning of summer break. I have a lot of classes and seminars that I will be taking over the summer. I am, however, taking time to visit Idaho for two weeks in July and Michigan for a couple of days. We probably won't be doing much else as far as traveling this year. We are anticipating a very long trip next year to Africa! We are in the beginning stages of looking at remodeling our bathroom over the summer. We have gotten a quote from someone to do it, but we might just decide to do it ourselves.
We are anticipating our Primary Election on Tuesday. It is funny that for a state who nobody thought mattered, we are getting a lot of attention right now. I am getting at least one ad in the mail everyday for either Obama or Clinton. I am so excited to vote! I can't wait until November.

That's all for now.
Kat

Easter Photos

2008-04-01T15:20:00.001-04:00

Grace Weekend

2008-04-01T15:16:00.002-04:00

2008-04-01T15:12:00.000-04:00

More D.C. Pic's

2008-04-01T15:04:00.002-04:00

Our D.C. Trip

2008-04-01T14:50:00.003-04:00

We are back from Washington D.C. We had a great time visiting Joe's cousin Ryan, his wife Sharon, and their kids Aidan and Zane. Zane is 9 weeks old, and we hadn't met him yet. We were visiting during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. There were cherry blossom trees everywhere downtown blooming. It was very pretty. I had never been to D.C before, so I really appreciated all the history that I was able to see in such a short amount of time. Joe fell in love with the Metro and wants to move to a city with one. I was able to see the Hope Diamond, the original Kermit the Frog, Lincoln's Hat, and many more artifacts. We met up with Joe's Aunt Connie and Uncle John and cousin J.J. for the Holocaust Museum and a private tour through the Capital Building from the Chief of Staff of Congressman Israel from New York, Jack. It was awesome. We walked around Arlington Cemetery. We visited most of the memorials and monuments, and we saw the White House. There is so much to do in D.C that there is still more to see the next time we visit. I want to visit Mt.Vernon and go to the Archive's. We had wonderful dinners with Ryan and Sharon, and we had a lot of laughs and hugs from the two kids. It was a perfect trip. Thank you for the hospitality Ryan and Sharon, and we look forward to visiting again if you will have us. Here are some pictures from D.C. and our Easter the weekend before.

The Tickle Monster

2008-03-13T21:37:00.002-04:00

Andy and Emily must roll around on the floor with Grace, because the other night I was just sitting there minding my own business when Grace tackled me. She then proceeded to tickle me and she actually told me, "Your not the boss of me!" I think she picked that up from daycare. She is definitely in her terrible twos. She is a fun little girl. You can't help but to smile when she is around.

Gerry

2008-03-11T17:10:00.003-04:00

We lost a wonderful man this week. Gerry Wagner passed away surrounded by his family early Sunday morning. He was a part of my extended familly here in Indiana. I will miss him greatly. He was a great father to Gretchen and Emily, and a wonderful grandfather to Shelby and Grace. He was also a great friend to Joe and I. Please keep Sherri, Emily, Andy, and Gretchen in your thoughts and prayers.

Tough Week

2008-03-11T17:09:00.001-04:00

It has been a rough week, but finally a bit of good news. Check out Brainy Girl's blog for a bit of good news!

A Brand New Year

2008-01-20T10:23:00.001-05:00

Family and Friends,
I have not been a very good blogger so far this year. I am going to try my best to update my blog more often. Joe and I had a wonderful time in Boise over Christmas. We had a great time playing games and sledding and all the fun things we do when we are at the cabin. The new year started off with some great news that may include some traveling for Joe and I. I will explain more when I get the okay from the other parties involved.
We are still in mourning over the Colts lost last weekend. Thank you for not calling me on that terrible day. My heart was broken and I wouldn't have been able to hold it together. We will have to wait until next year to talk about it.
School is going well. I found out that I will know my new placement two weeks after spring break, so about mid-April. I am hoping that I will remain in kindergarten. I am not looking forward to packing up two rooms and unpacking it all into one room. I may try to recruit help in the summer.
Joe and Eli are doing well. Eli doesn't like the winter because he doesn't get out as much as he is used to. He is also shedding right now which is awful. Joe is playing music with a bunch of different people. He is going to play in Bloomington on Friday.
We hope this finds everyone healthy and happy.
Kat