Meet Hank

Say HELLO to Hank. Hank has been officially adopted into our family. He's a boxer mix (most likely, according to our vet), and is a very sweet boy. Are we crazy? Pretty much. Let me tell you how this came about.

The Monday before Thanksgiving, Davey and I were outside putting up Christmas lights on the house. Lailey was with Grammy and Granddaddy for the day, riding the pink pig and getting spoiled...I mean, having a ton of fun. (That's what grandparents are for, right?) Rudy was outside hanging in the yard while we worked. I saw a dog wander near our yard, and of course Rudy went quickly out to greet him, despite me hollering like a crazy person for him to stay in the yard. I worry about Rudy and stray dogs since he's quite bold and they may be quite unfriendly. Anyway, they engaged in the usual dog-sniffing behavior, and the dog didn't seem bothered whatsoever about Rudy's crazy, ahem, "friendly" behavior.

Eventually he wandered over to us as we were working and we engaged in the usual dog-petting behavior. Rudy was a little perplexed and kept trying to rough house with him. I suppose he was trying to establish that it was his yard and his humans. He came back to the house on and off that day and then spent part of the night on our porch.

If you had asked us the day before that if we'd adopt a stray dog, we both would have said "no way." But there is just something about him. He's a good soul. The next day I called the Humane Society and Animal Control to see if anyone had reported a missing dog. They said no. He has a collar (seen here) that is quite faded, no tag, and is definitely a bit underweight.

Davey decided one day he needed a name. While considering it, his face suddenly lit up and he said "Hey! What about "HANK!?" I quickly agreed. You see, Davey loves the name "Hank" for a boy and tried to make a good case for it before we had Lailey. I, however, vetoed it. (It's okay. He vetoed lots of my suggestions too :) I knew if the dog was named Hank then none of our future children would ever have it!!! Don't worry, I was completely honest about my sly plan. The name stuck.

Over the next few days we talked, discussed, prayed, considered, and thought and thought about it. Finally on Friday Hank went to our vet. He was calm in the car, calm at the vet's office, and calm at Tractor Supply Co. where we bought dog food and a no-bark collar -- a necessity if we want to stay on friendly terms with our neighbors. The vet guessed that he was around a year and a half old. It didn't occur to me until just now, but if that's true, then his birthday would be around Lailey's birthday (April 7th), which is also Rudy's birthday!
With the help of our brother-in-law, Tim, Davey started building a large dog pen in our backyard last weekend and is trying to finish it up as I write this. The rain has set him back, but he's been at it as much as possible. Hopefully Rudy and Hank will have a nice dog pen by the end of the week. Thanks to a Humane Society volunteer, we're getting one dog house for free and another very cheap off of Craig's List. The boys should be comfy in no time.

Oh yeah. Lailey LOVES him.

Thankful Thursday

Welcome to my first "blog hop." To explain this, I will quote my friend and future famous blogger for her hilarious stories:

Blog hopping "is basically where you blog about the same thing someone else blogged about, and then hop over to their blog and post the link to your blog. I think the overall goal is to get more followers."

Thanks, Lindsey, for the idea. Here's her blog so you can laugh and smile. I've been considering a Thankful Thursday post for awhile, but never seem to think about it on Thursdays, or a Thursday when I have a moment to sit and blog. So, I don't know the rules [if there are any] to how many "thankfuls" you have to have, but I'll just start and see where it goes.

I'm thankful for the following things, in no particular order (except the first one...he does get to be my #1).

1. My wonderful husband. He cleans, does laundry, keeps me sane, balances out my crazy moments, is an incredible daddy, is even trying to learn to do Lailey's hair...

and not only uses cloth diapers but listens...very patiently...when I talk about them, while doing an outstanding job of making me believe that he is actually interested in such mommy things.

2. Mint Fudge Covered Oreos. I didn't think you could improve an Oreo, until I met these. I almost burst into spontaneous worship while eating them. Soooooooooo good.

3. Our house. We would love to sell it, but God is teaching us contentment where we are, and it's wonderful.

4. Hot showers. The privilege of having indoor plumbing is something I never want to take for granted. Sound silly? Visit a third world country and it will change your perspective.

5. How much more I notice the little things in life now due to having a toddler. The moon, bugs, spiders, leaves falling, cows, horses, to name a few of her favorites.

6. The opportunity to be a mommy. I am continually reminded each day, even amidst the "toddler moments" that we have, that this is such a gift and privilege. I want to cherish every moment, the good and the...not so good...and learn, grow, and enjoy it.

7. Getting to take a "sister trip" to Boston! I need to do a post about it eventually. We had a blast!

8. Easy Mac 'n' Cheese. I have been saying now for a long time that I swear they put something addictive in that stuff.

9. Getting to read and snuggle with Lailey every evening. Again, I should probably blog about her favorite things (including books), but I make no promises.

10. (Hey, I made it to 10! Do I get something for that?) Knowing that God is ultimately in control of our lives. This is a tough time to live in right now, but I'm so glad He's sovereign.

Halloween 2010

In the Akin house, Halloween calls for some favorite family traditions. We began the weekend with our annual pumpkin carving. Lailey got to experience a little more of this tradition this year since she's older now.

She was fine with touching the pumpkin guts, but reaching inside? I don't think so. She gave me several emphatic "no's." She was willing to take the seeds out of my hand and put them in the bowl though.
The finished products did not get finished until well after Lailey went to bed. Here they are! I carved Elmo, and Davey did an INCREDIBLE job on E.T.

Just for memory's sake, here are our 2009 pumpkins, award-winning mind you. Hmm...I wonder who did the Ghostbuster pumpkin?

And the moment you've ALL been waiting for (or at least just my sister) .... dun dun dun....

MILK AND A COOKIE!!!

A cookie on a mission

Oreo and Ghostbuster

Grandaddy and his little Oreo

Somehow I didn't get any pictures of the back of my costume with the Nutrition Facts, but I think my dad did, so maybe I can get those later.

On Saturday night we went to Harp's Harvest (church's fall festival) and had a great time. Grandpa Jim chased Lailey all over while she gleefully ran, embracing her temporary freedom.

Then on Sunday evening we went over to visit Davey's grandparents and show them our costumes. It was a pretty busy weekend but a fun one. I've already got to start thinking about next year's costumes!

Milk's Favorite Cookie

Apparently I'm into using slogans for post titles lately. Anyway, with Halloween just around the corner, I've been itching to start creating our costumes. Now, as you may know, Davey will be a Ghostbuster for the next 50 years, so his costume is already taken care of. Mine and Lailey's, on the other hand, have been in my head now for a few weeks. Costumes in pairs make me so excited, don't ask why. But I had to go with a theme for our costumes of course. Here are a few pictures of today's progress...

I love a good before picture of materials waiting to be transformed.

My model. Sad to say, he did not live long. His demise was a glass of milk that made it onto the crafting table. Also sad to say, his successors did not make it either.

A work in progress, with my online template I found. I am almost ashamed to ask this, but what the heck did I ever do without Google?

Cookie #1 is finished! Only took several hours of cutting and hot gluing.

I should explain that this is Lailey's costume. Well, the front half. I'm hoping my toddler will actually tolerate wearing two foam cookies on her front and back. It's a gamble I'm willing to take for the sake of Halloween fun. I haven't started my costume, but I'm not going to say what it is yet. Any guesses? Remember, we go together. It's a theme, people.

More Flags, More Fun!

Last weekend the Akin clan took the annual Six Flags trip in October. I don't care much for Fright Fest festivities, but there is still plenty of stuff to do. We all met at Davey's parents' house before driving together. One of Lailey's favorite things to do now is run over to see the neighbor's "horshies," so off she went before we left. That's how I got this beautiful picture.

Since Lailey is now big enough to enjoy a few kiddie rides, it was a whole new experience for us. We really had a great time watching her do stuff.
She is pointing at a "bider," which was a 3-foot hairy spider used as decoration on the carousel. These spiders are on various things throughout the park as part of the Halloween decor, and Lailey was fascinated with them, of all things. In fact, she kept asking emphatically, or demanding really, to "touch it!"

That's Aunt Whitney, Uncle Eli, Grandaddy [waving], and Grammy in the background.

3 Men and a Baby

Despite her unhappy look, she really did enjoy the rides. She just doesn't understand the whole "look at the camera" thing quite yet.

The cutest little Munster you ever did see!

And this picture is my favorite...of the year maybe!

Whoa!

Yeah, that's what I said. It's been insane around here lately. Not exactly sure when the ball starting rolling but our life has been full speed ahead now for...well, I don't know. The best place I know to start is back at my last post before today, so go check it out because I've since added pictures to "NQC."

18 Months Old

We are having so much fun with Lailey lately. We always do, but lately her budding personality and enthusiasm for life have made things even more exciting. I'm continually amazed by the things she picks up daily. I started this blog for my grandmother, Grandma Cele, to keep up with my pregnancy journey since we live so far away from each other and I didn't want her to miss out. Now more than two years later, I continue blogging for her and now a few others who tell me they enjoy reading about Lailey. But I also blog to keep a record. Any parent knows it's hard to remember all the stuff your kid does, and I try really hard to write (or type) things down so I can look back and smile and laugh at all our blessings. I also want Lailey and her future sibling(s) to have a record of life before they remember it. Don't know where that all came from, but there you have it. Now on to Lailey... This post is long, but I don't want to forget what she's like at this age.

-She was 18 months on October 7th, 2010.

-She is talking in a few sentences now. She actually says a lot of sentences, but I can only understand a few.

-She is 23.5 lbs. and 31 inches tall. Tiny for her age and perfect. Besides an occasional runny nose, she has been very healthy. Thank you Lord!

-Her hair is growing so long and she has one curl in the middle in the back. I hope it gets more curls!

-She understands an immense amount of words now.

-She says NO a lot. To anything and everything if she's in the mood. I don't ask her things anymore, (are you hungry? do you want to take a bath? do you want milk?) we just do them. No sense in asking if there isn't an option. Before the NO phase it was the O-TAY phase ("yes" in Lailey language) so that's probably why we asked her about everything because it's so cute to hear her say "o-tay."

-She seems to be in the beginning stages of the Terrific Twos. I don't want want to say "terrible" and I don't want to say she's already there, because I may underestimate the power of the Twos (you know, the terrific ones) and then be unpleasantly surprised.

-She finally understands smiling at a camera; getting her to comply is a different story. But that is how I got these pictures.

-When she sees my camera, she says "Lailey?" because she knows she can see pictures of herself on it.

-She's going to have a first, first cousin next May! Congratulations "Nit" and "Lulie!"

-She only takes one nap a day, but sometimes it's as long as 3.5 hrs. I'm SO glad she takes after me in her love of sleep. She goes to bed around 8:00 pm and has been known to sleep as late as, are you ready for this?...past 10:30 am!!! The house must be quiet, but it happens. Blessed child. We're usually all up before that though.

-She can identify all her family members by name.

-She signs a lot, and she's still learning new ones. (recently, "thirsty," "light," "nice" and "cold")

-She LOVES. the. moon. Seriously. She'll babble about the moon on an entire car trip home if she can see it, or she'll ask "la moon?" as in, "where's the moon?" if she can't see it.

-She can run.

-She loves to give us hugs and will grab our legs and squeeze them and say sweetly, "hut."

-She can't say g's or c's. Hence, "hut."

-She loves milk.

-She loves chickens.

-She loves her "miney" (blanket). We have several, in fact, to avoid being without one. She doesn't care as long as it's a crocheted blanket.

-She loves Rudy.

-She loves any phone. If she doesn't have a toy phone, she will make any object into a phone. A toy elephant, a remote, a shoe, a box, and of course if she can get to them, our cell phones.

-Speaking of phones, while hanging with Grandpa, she locked him out of his phone preventing him from using it and they had to take a 30 minute drive to the AT&T store! But it did get her a trip to Monkey Joe's, so I think that was in her masterful plan.

-She might not like it, but she will try mostly any new food.

-She loves pizza. We mostly eat the homemade kind on wheat pitas with pureed spinach, sauce, cheese, and turkey pepperoni, but any pizza will do.

-She enjoys books, especially before bedtime. Her current request is "a-choo" which is the book "Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo." I can almost recite it verbatim. Ask me, if you dare. I'm kinda proud of it and you will be subject to a long recitation. Just ask Davey. "The Eye Book" is almost etched in my memory too. I heart Dr. Seuss. I think I enjoy our reading time just as much, if not more than Lailey.

-She can make a cute face (head to one side with a grin), a surprise face, a silly face (wrinkles her nose and sniffs repeatedly), and a sad/mad face where she actually fake cries. I did not teach her that, but when she first did it I cracked up laughing.

-She likes to sing, by herself and with me. She asked for "Bider" (aka the "Itsy Bitsy Spider") about 8 times in a row in the car the other day. Yes, I obliged.

-She very rarely has any separation anxiety. I can probably count the times on one hand. Usually if I drop her off at Madison's house (her sitter) or church nursery, she hits the ground running and I have to tackle her for a kiss before leaving. I wouldn't have it any other way.

-She loves her time with Daddy but she definitely shows a lot of mommy favoritism right now. I just keep reminding him that it won't last forever and she'll probably go through a phase where she wants him more than me.

-She does not play with many toys, but loves household objects, buckles, doors to open and close, and other things you wouldn't think are entertaining but really are. She has her own cabinet in the living room with items such as a Quaker oatmeal container, a small card file box, a wooden spoon, a stuffed animal or two (they don't get out much), a ball maybe, and probably some hidden mail.

-I live for her sweet giggles and her spontaneous hugs. They brighten my day every time.

I will probably think of more things, but that's it for now. I love my Lailey!