Tuesday's Update:

Hello, friends. I realize that I haven't posted with a family update in awhile. While we are all healthy and safe, there is a member of the Hingley family that is extremely miserable (ahem, me). Each morning, before getting out of bed, I munch on some crackers and take small sips of ginger ale in hopes to reduce "morning sickness". After William snags a couple of bites, I drag myself out of bed and begin my day...or at least my journey to the couch. I have so much guilt going on right now. Because I am so miserable, William has to entertain himself most of the time. I hate that. I know that we have our down days where we may not do anything, but we also have days where we do go out and do things. I need to remember that it's ok to be still and not do anything. William does not need to be entertained every second of every day. It's ok for him to have some independent play. I know all of this, but the guilt is still there.

Maybe I wouldn't be so guilty if the two of us have at least gotten bathed today! Perhaps I should go and do that...perhaps. Please continue to pray for strength and energy...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

UPDATE: I forgot to mention something last night (in the midst of my ranting). How come no one (The View, tabloids, Entertainment Tonight, bloggers, etc) has brought up Jon's earrings?? Am I the only one who thinks it's a little ridiculous he got both ears pierced? Oh Jon, are you having a mid-life crisis at 32?? If I were Kate, I'd rip those suckers right out!

For years, as you know, I have loved and adored Jon and Kate Plus 8. Even Kate's nagging didn't really bother me because, hey, I can sympathize. I am so over the show now because, let's face it, there really is no show. After tonight's episode they're going to have to call it Jon OR Kate Plus 8. I am so frustrated that I have followed this family for years, read their books, was one of Kate's few supporters, and I no nothing more than that they "don't hate each other and they are in it for their kids". Could someone just please come out and say if there was, in fact, and affair? If so, why is Jon so angry with Kate? Years of pent up anger? I'm so confused.

I have one question that I would really like answered: Why on earth would you renew your vows, then less than a year later, get divorced? I know that they didn't "plan" on this happening, but couldn't they pull a little bit from how they felt last summer? How can a couple go from vow renewal to divorce in the blink of an eye? I realize they're under immense amounts of stress, but some was self-induced. Did they really have to make this severe jump?

I know I am not a marriage expert, but I simply felt compelled to comment on this topic one more time. I honestly felt as if I knew this family because of how long I've watched them, read their words, and shared in their devotionals. Is it silly to be saddened by all of this? They are a real family, going through a real tough time, needing real prayers. I think it is a terribly sad situation that requires more prayers than ever. I am saddened by all of this. Am I alone in thinking this??

Prayer Request:

**UPDATE: The appointment went very well. Baby's doing great and I even got to sneak a peak at him/her! There's nothing like seeing your baby's heartbeat for the first time, is there? I remember when William was born, I would just lay with my ear up to his chest and listen to his heart beat for the longest periods of time. The miracle of life continues to amaze me each and every day (even though I may feel like crap)! Thanks for all your prayers!

Please pray for me, dear friends. I have my first appointment at the Midwifery Center today and while I am very excited, I am also nervous. My specific prayer is for a healthy appointment and that everything is fine with both baby and me. It was at this point, during my pregnancy with William, that I had heavy bleeding and was told to walk as little as possible. That fact is never far from my mind...


You better believe that I'll update later with how the appointment went.

Vid of the Week...

You'll notice that there's a lovely new addition to *our* blog... you had to pass by it to get to this post.

Did you see it??

Each week (or so) the video will be changed out for another one that I feel compelled to share with you. If you have any suggestions for inspirational video picks, feel free to leave your comments here.

This week's pic is a video by Avalon. The video itself is pretty 90's....just the group singing together, but I LOVE this song. You'll have to excuse me while I take a trip down memory lane because this was the song I danced to at my end of the year recital...when I was 15. Ahhhh, the good old days!

I'll have fries with that!

In an effort to culture my son, we went to the local Japanese Steak House for dinner tonight. For some reason (beyond my understanding) William was scared to death of the cook. He did not laugh at the knife/spatula tricks, was not amused by the flaming volcano, nor did he appreciate seeing the entire cooking surface turned into a screen of fire.

What's so wrong with my child that he would rather be at McDonald's than a hibachi?!? Oh, where did I go wrong? At least I got him to eat some chicken and fried rice with the chop sticks....I mean, what little boy hasn't dreamed of eating with sticks??

Let's just say that this is one of the restaurants that will be moved to the "date night" list. OK, you got me, we don't do date nights...that would just make too much sense!

Have a great night and an even better tomorrow!



p.s. I neglected to bring my camera, but William wailing isn't something you haven't seen before, I'm sure!

parenthesis make the story better (duh!)

This won't be a long post, dear friends, because I have had a completely exhausting day. It's funny how Wip and I go from a day of doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to one where we are running ourselves ragged. Can we say happy medium??

We had intended to join my mom and brother, at the pool that they are members of, for Kiddie Day. Too bad it was dreary all day and we had to reschedule! Instead we had a delicious lunch at Olive Garden (I've been seriously craving some soup, salad, and bread sticks). After lunch I made some purse deliveries (which were super cute I might add) and then met up with friends for a Chuck E. Cheese play date (where we only spent $5. Can we say "thank you Toddler Zone"??). I also watched my friend's son, Nathan, who is an absolute doll. Nathan is my brother David's age (11) and I've been watching him since he was 6...he's practically family. Nathan joined William, Sean, and me at David's first swim meet of the season. While there we enjoyed a delicious, nutritious supper of sidewalk tacos (AKA "tacos in a bag") and hot dogs. Yum!!

William fell asleep in the car (with his clothes on, I might add) on the way home and I felt as if I would do the same! Now that we're finally home (and it's 11:20) I think I may do just that (well, in jammies, of course!). I hope you all have a great night and an even better tomorrow! Thanks for all the prayers for energy...keep 'em up (please)!

Tuesday's Update:

Hey guys, just wanted to give you a quick Hingley family update. I've been meaning to post more, but William's baby (that's the only nickname that's stuck so far) has been keeping me in a horizontal position. I know I've heard at least a dozen women say that they didn't have "morning sickness", but rather "all day sickness". Ladies and gentlemen, that is what we have here. I have yet to "get sick", if you will, but I feel as if I am going to 24/7. Oh happy is the day that I feel like I am a human rather than a walking ball-o-gook. There ya go. That's my update....

...Here's William's:

Sweet Wip has been the best boy a mom could ask for over the past couple of days. While I have had to rest, sip on ginger ale, and munch on ginger snaps, he played quietly right next to me. I swear (even though it's quite unlady-like) that he didn't even tear out! By 9 am he usually has handed me all the pictures off every table in our home, taken all the magnets off the fridge, and peed on the floor. Thank GOD that the past couple of days he has not decided to partake in any of these activities. Other than being my angel, Wipee has played outside, gone to the pool, played with his dear friend Alie, and enjoyed a shopping trip to Trader Joes.

Sean has been healing up quite nicely and is nearly done with his antibiotic. I thought that I healed up quick until I saw Sean's progress. He is already down to one band-aid....seriously?! That's all God, baby. I am so grateful that he is feeling better (and I don't have any selfish motives...at all).

Please continue to pray for our family and William's sweet baby. He is just so stinkin' cute these days. Whenever we tell him to kiss the baby he runs over to me, pulls up my shirt, and kisses my belly (or fat pooch). I sincerely doubt that he has the slightest idea of what he is doing, but I love that he's a fast learner!

My specific prayer these days are for energy, a positive attitude, and the desire to function has a normal human being (I would totally stay in PJs all day if I could....and I do). Also, please pray for both of my baby's health, safety, and well-being....something that it never far from my mind.

I have my first official midwife appointment on Friday and I am so excited. I will definitely post with an update for you all! Have a great night and an even better tomorrow!

If you're worried and you know it, raise your hand! ((hand waves in air))

Well, it was bound to creep up sooner or later. You know what I'm talking about: worry. I am a self-proclaimed worry-wart extraordinaire. So far, this pregnancy has been going very smoothly. The only "morning sickness" I've had is some light waves of nausea throughout the day, and aside from being perpetually tired, I've felt great. I've been keeping up with my "Pregnancy Week-By-Week" book, just reading along to see how big my baby love gets with every day.

For some reason, today I started to have pangs of worry about the health of my baby. Why? I don't know. Well, I guess I do know, it's because I follow a lot of blogs where babies have have various genetic disorders and passed away shortly after birth. Tragedy can strike anyone and I'm starting to realize this.

I hate to feel like it's just a matter of time before "the other shoe drops" because our family is so blessed. I have to seek comfort in the fact that our dear Lord does not work that way. He doesn't let our blessings buildup then smack you with a disaster. I believe that's just not how our God works. However, I still am worried. I know this is completely normal for a pregnant mother to feel, but I am afraid of driving myself crazy. I have 32 weeks (give or take) left of pregnancy and I don't want to pace my way through it.

Please pray for me, friends. Pray that this baby will be healthy and safe, and that I will give all my worries fully and completely to the Lord. I think that one of the things that is bugging me the most is the fact that I may not have my first ultrasound until 18-20 weeks. I go to the first official appointment with my midwife next Friday where I'll find out more, but as far as I know, they only do them on a need-to- basis. It would be comforting to have checkpoints where I can see that everything's fine. Ya know??

Thank you for listening to my griping and whining- you'll never know how much I appreciate it. Thank you, thank you!

A ((good)) day in the life...

Good evening, friends. Since I had such a dreary day yesterday, I thought I owed it to you to post an update today. Whereas yesterday I accomplished absolutely nothing, today was quite different. Right off the bat, I could tell that today was my day. Even though I had a touch of morning sickness, I still managed to do more by noon than I did all day yesterday!

This was a ((good)) day in the life of us:

-We woke up relatively early (7:45) and actually had breakfast at breakfast time (imagine that).

-While William munched on his mini pancakes, I made our pasta sauce for supper.

-After breakfast we played, watched Barney (argh), and I cleaned up a bit.

-William resisted his a.m. nap a bit, but after 2 nice, warm bottles, he eased into a deep sleep...

- ...for an hour.

-During that hour, I was able to get ready for the day and enjoy a few seconds of shut-eye.

-After sweet boy woke up, we ate our lunch on the balcony while watching William's birds. He loves sitting in his Elmo addarodake chair, muching on cheese cubes and yobaby, and watching the world pass by.

-Next we went to my friend Courtney's house. (I am watching Courtney's boys one a week for her this summer. She has a beautiful home and three sweet boys that William and I are looking forward to spending time with).

-William and I then made a Target run with our dear friends: Hillary, Emily, and Alie (by the way, William said 'Alie' today!).

-After getting home and finishing up supper, we went on a lovely walk to a new park that we recently discovered. It's a fenced in playground that is about 4 blocks away at a Presbyterian church. I called them the other day to ask if it was reserved for members only, but to my surprise, it was open to all. It was such a well taken care of place that I am trying to think of something to do to repay the church. We'll see what comes to mind...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

William's now in bed and I am going to join him very shortly in dreamland. Tomorrow we are going to my youngest brother's award ceremony at his school, and then brunching with the family for my middle brother's Birthday. Looks like we'll be nice and occupied tomorrow as well! Thank you for all your love, support, and prayers. I greatly, greatly appreciate it. I hope you all have a great night and an even better tomorrow.

Bring on the rain!

Hello, friends! I decided to sit down to write a post now, during William's nap, as opposed to later this evening (you should feel special...I rarely give up my sacred nap times!). The past two days I have been a complete and utter waste of space (and I mean that in the nicest way- ha!). Yesterday I was somewhat productive- actually getting out of our apartment- today, not so much. I am out of my jammies, but you better believe that I slipped right into a pair of yoga pants and a tee!

All day I kept thinking, "I need to get into a routine, I need to get into a routine!" I'm not used to the luxury of being able to stay home all day with William, and I tend to have the mindset "well, if I'm not going anywhere and if no one's going to see me, why shower??". Maybe for sanitary reasons, Erin.

I also kept thinking, "Please rain, please rain." Why?? If you read this post, then you'll remember that I said my moods were often a reflection of the weather. I had told you that if it was sunny, so was I. If it was dreary- you've got it- I was too. Well, today, I felt the complete opposite. Weird, huh? All morning, I felt like I just needed to get it together, be happy, and take William outside. Despite my best intentions, we did not make it outside before my deep, dark, wish was granted...

It rained.

Wait, that's an understatement....it poured.

And poured.

And the thunder pounded and the lightning struck.

And among all this weather drama, I smiled. What a weirdo!

Sean and I are going to sit down tonight to make a "daily routine" list for me. I feel that since I am working in the home now, I need a set agenda each day. I never thought I would want a "clean the bathroom" day or a "laundry" day, but I most certainly do! I need a goal for each day- a purpose- a reason to shower, dress, and be productive!

If you don't mind, please pray for me friends. Pray that I will have energy, that I will be attentive to William's needs, and that we will settle into a new routine. Also, I ask that you pray for healing for Sean's leg. He went to the doctor yesterday and had his wound lanced and, fortunately, the infection had not spread as quickly as mine had. The doctor seems to think that with my injury, since there was venom involved, it took longer to heal and spread more quickly. Sean is already on the same antibiotic that I was on and is taking care of himself quite nicely (if I may say so myself!). By the way, Sean's infection was caused by an ingrown hair, not a spider bite like mine. The two cases weren't related- we're just really that random!

While on the subject of prayer requests, I'd like to update you with a praise. William is doing magnificently with the whole weaning process. He is getting plenty of fluids each day, and is even becoming attached to his bottle (as you know, that comfort is very important to me). Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We love you!

I hope you all have a great night and an even better tomorrow!

Not Me! Monday!

Here we go with round two of Not Me! Monday! I had so much fun with this post last week, I decided to make a tradition of it for your reading pleasure (well, and my writing pleasure too)!

Here are all the things I did not do over the past 2 weeks (since there was no Not Me! Monday! last week):

First off, I certainly did not take a tour of our hospital's Midwifery Center. On top of that, I definitely did not love every minute of it. Not me!

I also did not decide to quit my job and stay home with William this fall. I am not worried about finances, I am not questioning my decision, and I am not going to miss those adorable kids at the preschool. Not me!

We also have not eaten fast food nearly every day because that is just ridiculously unhealthy. Hamburgers and fries are definitely not a craving of mine these days! While on the topic of food, I also have not been indulging in my morning cup of coffee or an occasional Dr. Pepper. Oh, Lordy, Not me!

By the way, I definitely did not sleep in until 10:00 last Saturday morning and then take a nap when William did. I also did not sleep in again on Sunday morning. We also did not miss church again for the second Sunday in a row** (gasp)! Not me!

**Update: we did, in fact, make it yesterday!!

Oh yeah, I also did not have to wear a bathing suit bottom in lieu of underwear this week because I neglected our laundry. Not me!

I am not mad as heck at "April's Mom" for misleading an entire Christian group of bloggers. I am not frustrated, angry, hurt, or confused. Not me! (By the way, that's all I have to say about this subject...I am letting it pass)

It also was not me that put William in his crib this morning with his bottle (ahhhh...I know) so that I could go back to sleep. I'm not tired at all even though I'm not sleeping all the time. I also don't think that this baby and his/her big brother are sucking the life out of me! Not me!

Another thing I didn't do was buy a set of Pepto colored sheets because they were on sale and my husband said to get the cheap ones. Next time he won't say such silly things...that is, if I did do it, but it was not me!

...It's a good thing that I didn't do any of these things because if I did, you may just hop on over to another blog and decide not to follow ours! Phew, good thing it wasn't me!




Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Sunday's child

I wanted to share some pictures from today with you all. William had a wonderful afternoon filled with lots of naked fun... Just take a look for yourself:

Yep, that's right, my son belongs in a nudest colony with his crooked crack/ jelly belly/ farmer's tan physique (And if it wasn't oober creepy, I'd be joining him)!

On another note, I have a very important prayer request for you all. Today Sean came to me with a concerned look on his face. Sean does not get concerned looks. When Sean looks worried it makes me terribly nervous. Anyway, he proceeded to show me that he has a stye appearing on his eye as well as a large bump on his thigh. OH SWEET MRSA! You know, of course, what my reaction was!

Sean is going to see our doctor tomorrow morning, so please pray that he'll be able to take care of everything there and not have to run around town to a specialist (as I had to). Also, please pray that he does not have MRSA. Since my infection has been for nearly two months, one would think that he did not get it from me. I am concerned about getting infected again (because I am quite susceptible to it reoccurring) since I can't take the strong antibiotics while pregnant. Please pray for Sean's quick healing and protection for William and myself. Thank you so much, friends. I'll keep you posted on his progress as I learn more. For now, I'm going to go wash my hands! Night-night!

Let's give this baby a makeover!

Hey there, everyone! I decided that my blog was in need of a face lift (I do that every now and again). Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

I hope to post with words and maybe even pics tomorrow, but I really don't have much to add right now. We've had a lazy couple of days and I have taken absolutely no photos (gasp!). Well, friends, I'm off to bed! By the way, I am an avid follower of Little April Rose's blog and I suggest you hop on over there because big things are happening and they need our prayers.

I heart my Ba-Ba

Normally William only takes a bottle at naptime/bedtime, but for some reason he wanted one while I was making dinner last night. He gladly accepted his warm bottle of Organic whole milk, settled down with his "bedtime blankey", and eased into a nice episode of Barney. Ahhhh, this is the life.

I'd like to title this post, "The things William gets himself into"

Over the past couple of days, I've had my camera on hand while William got himself into some hilarious situations. During all of these siuations, all I heard from the other room was "Ahhh...Uhhh...Ahhhh...MaaaaaMaaaaa!" and found him stuck in some sort of way.

Take a gander at this:

Yep, that's William stuck under our end table and caught red-handed "playing" Trivial Persuit.

Now, check this out:
Please ignore the fact that I have multiple laundry baskets in my room and focus on his precarious situation. Also, only my son could get himself stuck in a bucket.

Leave it to a child to turn the day around

I had to share this with you all because it meant so much to me. A little boy in my class sent me this e-mail tonight via his mom:

"I like your beautiful face that smiles at me so much. And I love to go off and get doughnuts and eat cookies with you. Little cookies. Thanks for the whole world and the prayers. I am glad that I really miss you being my teacher. And that is the end."

This is a prayer that he prayed for me...

"Dear God, please take care of ms erins baby next time. And i even love you. Thank you God. And I hope God takes care of baby William and I hope he has so fun over the summer next week. That's all. Amen."

How sweet is that?? I know it doesn't take much to make me cry these days, but even if it did, I would have (and I did). Hop on over here to check out Brody's Mom's blog and learn all about this wonderful family. Thanks, Brodes, for the kind words!

Help, I need somebody...

Hey there, everyone. I have a prayer request for you all (if you don't mind, that is). This week has been a very emotional one for me (I know, I know, hormones surging), and I just need a break. I am so tired of feeling like my world is spinning out of control and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm tired of being betrayed by loved ones, feeling like I've got the flu 24/7, and thinking that every thing's hunky-dory just to find out that it's definitely not. I'd be putting my foot in my mouth if I went into detail (aside from the flu comment....you know why that is), so I think it's best if I were vague.

That's the thing about blogging...you're allowed to vent, but you've got to be careful as to how you do it. Everybody knows everybody in the real world as well as blog world, and you've got to watch your words. Sigh.

Here's the bottom line: If you have an issue with me, whatever it may be, please talk to me. Don't talk about me to others, don't beat around the bush, talk. to. me. It hurts so badly when you think every thing's fine in a relationship and you find out that all along someone had a problem with you. Ya know?

So here's my prayer request: Please, please pray for peace and wisdom for me. I want to react to these issues in a way that would please the Lord.

Thank you for your continued support- It is definitely needed!

I'm offically the queen of random...

I liked it when they made soup in a cup.

I loved it when they made Easy Mac (aka mac-n-cheese in a cup).

I was thrilled when they made Velveeta in a cup (aka the best mac-n-cheese ever).

Now I am just plain old syked.

I'd like to introduce to you, the newest addition to the "Meal-O-Cup" food group:

Thanksgiving in a cup!!!!!!

Seriously, all I need now is mashed potatoes in a cup and I'm set for life. I'll never have to dirty up a pot, dish, or stove again. Thank you, Kraft, for making me a happy preggers.

Tuesday's Tribute

As you can see, we had quite a fun-filled day at the Children's Museum of VA. It was the location of this week's meet-up for those who wanted to join us, and we had a great time! I was curious to see if there would be much that William could actually participate in, and I was pleasantly surprised. We are actually planning on becoming a member because of all the age-appropriate things there are for my sweet Wip to do. The cherry on top was the fenced in tot play center. I'm willing to bet, Monday-Friday, you'll find me perched on the sidelines, watching my Wipee playing till his little heart's content. We will then proceed home to nap till my heart's content!

After our wonderful afternoon, we had an even better evening. I had my tour of the hospital's Midwifery Center tonight and, folks, I am STOKED!! There center is fantastic and the midwives are wonderful, talented women. I told you in yesterday's post that I would fill you in as to why I am choosing a midwife this time. Well, here ya have it:

1) William was born on a holiday. I was given pitocin and basically had no choice in it. My labor was progressing fine on it's own (water broke at home and was dilating at a steady pace), but not fast enough for them.

2) Pitocin is some nasty stuff and makes contractions RIDICULOUSLY hard. A midwife believes in the less intervention, the better. I am at that point too. I did not really need to be induced, but I still was. With my second baby I should progress just as well (if not better) because I have been through this before and I think I can handle it without an epidural.

3) I made it to 6 cm without anything last time, let's get to 10 this time!

4) I had a spinal headache after William's birth that was due to a faulty epidural. For the next four days after William's arrival, I had to lay completely flat on my back to avoid the most horrendous headache of my life. After suffering for days, I went back into the hospital to receive and blood patch procedure.

5) Labor is supposed to suck! Afterwards is not. My scenario was reversed last time. Yes, I was yucking it up while pushing with William, but I wasn't able to walk for 7 hours after he was born! I'd rather suffer for a short time, not 9 weeks after the baby's born.

6) The Midwifery Center has only a 24 hour stay.

7) The center has a queen sized bed.

8) One word: jacuzzi.

9) The center is on the maternity floor just in case something goes awry and I need to be transferred.

10) With God's help, I can get this baby out naturally and a midwife will help be my advocate for this.

I know some of you may be thinking that it may be a little soon to start thinking about natural vs. drugged labor, but I have honestly been thinking about it since the day after William was born. So there ya have it- a recap of my day as well as a little info about my midwifery decision. I hope you have a great night and even better tomorrow, friends!

Our weekend, at a glance:

Happy Monday, folks! Here's the post that I promised you last night. There are some pictures from the wedding we attended, and William's new sandbox that his Grammy and Grampy surprised him with. This was our weekend, in a nutshell:

Mark and Mollie's beautiful wedding at Mollie's family farm:

William wanted to join the single men in catching the garter:

William and Wayne (Sean's friend from college and the man responsible for introducing us):

On the dance floor:

Longwood's Rugby house- the location where Sean and I met:

William's new sandbox (thanks Grammy and Grampy):

Poor kid, he thought he could sit on the edge:

Trucks included:

What a handsome boy:

Couldn't you just eat him up:

In need of a break:

On a side-note, I have a tour of the hospital's Midwifery center tomorrow evening, and I am ever so excited! I do believe that while I am there (aside from seeing their awesome set-up) that I will be setting up my first official appointment for baby number two. We are handling this pregnancy quite differently than we did William's (which I'll explain tomorrow). I had some bad experiences with the doctors I was seeing, the hospital I delivered at, and the recovery from the delivery itself. Anyway, I am so excited for this new chapter in our life to begin and I hope you'll join us for the ride!

Have a fabulous night and an even better tomorrow! Talk to you then!