Merry Christmas!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I know we did! This was our first year to not travel anywhere, and that was something to get used to. Normally we are on the road every weekend in December. It was nice to stay at home though and get to celebrate Christmas as our little family.

Christmas Eve was pretty quiet. We spent the evening watching Die Hard (at Zach's request, because after all, it is a Christmas movie :)) and having pizza muffins (a family recipe). Untraditional, yes, but it couldn't have been more perfect. We let Haley open one gift that night. She decided to open the bag with a few books in them. She loves to read. Well, not really read, but looking through at the pictures.

Christmas morning was wonderful. Santa came during the night and dropped off lots of goodies for everyone. Haley found her gifts before we even started to open presents. It took her a little while to get the hang of tearing open the wrapping paper, but eventually she got it. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to help everyone else unwrap their gifts. It was very cute. All in all, it was a perfect morning. Haley's big gift from Santa was a ball pit. Well, actually, it was just the balls to go in her inflatable pool. But it is a hit! She loves playing in there!

The rest of the day was very relaxing. Mostly filled with Christmas movies. We had another couple over for Christmas dinner and it was lots of fun. It was a great way to wrap up a fabulous day.

I've been a bit neglectful in keeping our blog updated, so here's what's going on-

As most everyone knows now, we are expecting baby number two! We are both excited that we are adding a new member to the family. I'm sure even Haley is excited about becoming a big sister. He or she should be arriving sometime around July 21, 2010. This means that I am about 10 weeks along. I've been feeling ok so far, mostly a lot of fatigue, but I think that's normal when you are chasing a 14 month around :) Haley and I have been taking quite a few naps together. We've already had our first doctor's appointment and sonogram and everything looks great!

We have quite a bit going on in the new year. Haley and I are going to Texas for about a week and a half in January. I am super excited about this trip! We'll be going to stay with my dad for a while and then I am going up to Dallas for a friend's wedding. I plan on doing all the things we can't do here, like go to Target! :) Just the other day we decided to plan a trip to Washington DC in March. So there's another one on the books! We're also planning a big trip to Oklahoma/Texas in May. Zach's youngest brother, Zeth, will be graduating from college, so we'll be there to see the big day. We also plan on seeing lots of family!

It does seem like we'll be doing lots of travelling, but we are even more excited about all the visitors we'll be having! Zach's parents will be here in February. We are very much looking forward to them coming to visit. Zeth will also be coming to visit us for a while after graduation. We'll even get to see Zach's older brother, Zane and his wife Melissa in June. We're just very excited to see everyone! If you want to plan a visit, just let us know!

Things are getting a little bit better here. Haley and I have started to make a few friends. We've been going to storytime at the library every week and talking to other moms and babies. I've been telling Zach that making friends is almost like trying to date someone. It's a ridiculous analogy, but it's the closest thing I can come up with. You try to approach someone and talk to them and see if you might get along. If you do, then it's time to set up a "second date" and even ask for a phone number. It's extremely nerve wrecking when you are shy like we are, but I've learned that you just have to take a chance and do it, and it's been paying off so far.

We just had a "cold" front come through today, so the temperature is down to the low 70s during the day. It's certainly not what we are used to this time of the year, but I'll take it over the 80s and 90s like we've having.

I think that about wraps everything up! Hopefully I can start being more current with all our goings on down here!

It's been a while since I've done a Haley update, so here goes!

Haley is so busy growing and changing right now. As you saw in the video from the last post, she is all about helping out. She helps me with the laundry, not so much the folding part. She'd much rather just throw it all back on the floor again. She also enjoys playing in the dishwasher while I load/unload it. When we're done, she'll help me lift the door back up to close it. So sweet!

She's still not walking, but that's ok. It will happen when she's ready. She is standing up more on her own, so that gives us some hope it might happen soon. Haley still loves walking with her walker and cruising the furniture. She's also learned how to get off the couch all by herself.

Her most favorite thing to do right now is talk on the phone. And anything is a phone. Sometimes she talks on her hand, or her fork or spoon, and sometimes an actual phone. And when people do call us on the phone, we'll put it on speaker so she can hear the voice. She is very intrigued by where it's coming from.

Another activity Haley loves to do is dance. When she hears music on the tv, she'll do her little dance and it is beyond cute. It's mainly her just bouncing up and down, but it still is adorable. And when she hears people cheering or clapping, she joins right in and claps with them.

We are up to 12 teeth now. Her front top and bottom 4 have been in for a while, but over the past month she's been cutting her first four molars, all at once. Needless to say, we are very thankful for Orajel.

I think that should do it on the update. It's hard to believe that our little girl will be 14 months tomorrow. I have no idea where the time has gone, but we have enjoyed every minute of it.

Mommy's Little Helper

Haley has really been a big help around the house lately. She enjoys anything to do with the dishwasher. She also enjoys helping with the laundry. I'll set her up on the dryer while I put the clothes in the washer and she watches every little thing I do. Now, she helps me unload the dryer. And she took everything out all by her self.

Thanksgiving

It's a little after the fact, but we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mom, Glen, and Joel all came out to help us celebrate the holiday. We went and picked up Mom and Glen at the Key West "International" Airport on Tuesday afternoon. It's the smallest airport I've ever seen. Had a great afternoon showing them some of the sights and going on a nice walk with Haley. Wednesday we spent "downtown". We went to the Butterfly Conservatory, which was pretty cool. Haley enjoyed watching the butterflies fly around. We also went into a lot of the local artists galleries. It was then time to go pick up the brother. That turned out to be a bit of problem. The weather was not very good here or in Miami, where he was flying out of. A couple plane changes and a few delays later, he finally got here.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. There was almost a slight mishap when part of my turkey was still a little frozen, but in the end it turned out just fine. The food was delish and it was just wonderful to be surrounded by family. After lunch we decided to get out of the house and do some walking. We went down to the Southern Most Point and took some pictures. The boys came back to the house with Haley so she could nap and mom and I did a little bit of shopping. It was just a great day.

Friday was full of fun! The weather was nice and cool (70 degrees) and perfect for being outside.

We planned on doing all the touristy things- the Pirate Soul Museum, the Shipwreck Museum, the Conch Tour Train, and Mallory Square at sunset. Haley hung in there all day and finally gave in to a nap late in the day. She really was a trooper. All in all, I think everyone had a great day!

Finally it came time to say goodbye to family. That was such a hard thing to do. I cherish the memories we made on their trip and can't wait to see them all again soon.

Someone decided to play with the paprika

Joel, Mom, and Glen at the Southernmost Point

Zach and I at the Pirate Soul Museum

Everyone on the Conch Tour Train

She loves her water bottles

Key West Update

Having been here for almost two months now, we've learned quite a bit about Key West:

• There are roosters and chickens all over the place. There are heavy penalties for hurting one. Seriously.
• People stop and park their cars wherever they feel like. Usually it's right in front of a store that they are just running in and out of, instead of parking in the parking lot.
• There are just about as many scooters as there are cars on the road. Scooters are very popular here.
• You better know what a conch is. And it's pronounced "conk" not "conch".
• Things are a lot slower here. That can be good or bad. Most of the time it means you're going to get very poor customer service. But they don't care.
• The bus has stops within the three shopping centers here. We thought that there were just a bunch of homeless people hanging out, but it turns out they were just waiting for the bus. But there are quite a few homeless people here. They just hang out in the park.
• "Downtown" is about 1/4 of Key West. Instead of high rises, there are incredibly narrow streets with minimum parking.
• You can always tell when a cruise ship is docked. The population on the island just about doubles.
• Random power outages are fairly common. The first time it happened I called maintenance and the guy asked me if I was new here.

Air Show

I've been a bit neglectful in updating our current activities around the Hinten household, mainly because there hasn't been much. But we did manage to sneak out of Key West and head up to Homestead Miami for the air show.

We went up for the air show to see the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. It was pretty windy (because of Ida) and overcast, but still a great day for the show. Haley enjoyed getting to watch the planes in the sky. She only got fussy a few times when the fighter jets flew by really close. She was a great trooper through it all. It drizzled on us a few times, but not enough to deter us from seeing the Thunderbirds.

All in all, it was a great day. Haley even fell asleep in the stroller on our way back to the car. Poor thing was exhausted from all the excitement.

Isn't she precious!

The Thunderbirds

She was so tired

First Word

It's official! Haley has spoken her first word- daddy. She's been saying mama and dada for a while, but daddy is her word of choice. She is constantly saying it and every time is cuter than the last. Zach and I both think how adorable it is that when she says daddy because she fully enunciates the word by saying dad-dy. We've tried catching it on video, but Haley just stops when she sees the video camera. Once we do catch her saying it, I'll make sure to post.

Lost

I'm not lost physically because I know exactly where I am. Key West, Florida. The southern-most city in the whole country. Farther away from my family and friends than I have ever been. I'm more along the line of emotionally lost.

The whole move and transition from city to island and working to staying at home has got me all messed up. I may not love where I live right now, but it's not permanant and I really am trying to make the best of it. Really I am. It's all just been a lot harder than I thought. Harder to start over, harder to make new friends. And I've been getting out there as much as I can. Really I am. Today Haley and I went to storytime and the local library. There were quite a few kids Haley's age, but no one wanted to play with her and no one wanted to talk to me. It's times like that that make me wish I wasn't so shy around new people. I wish that I had the gift of walking up to a total stranger and striking up a conversation and it not be so awkward. I tell myself that I can do it and then I don't do it.

The one thing I feel I've lost the most- myself. I'm not the same person that I was only two short months ago. Yes, I realize that as life changes I change too. I just miss my old self.

I'm just at some sort of something right now. I can't even describe it. I miss everything about our life in Texas. Work, friends, family. Yes, I know that things will get better and that I just need time. But I'm impatient. I need something to change, soon.

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween this year. Haley got to dress up for the first time (I don't really count last year since she was only three weeks old for the holiday) and I think she was pretty darn cute. We went out to the Botanical Gardens here and did some trick or treating. Haley also got to help carve her first pumpkin with Zach. I think she thoroughly enjoyed getting to play with the pumpkin guts, eww. So here are a few pictures of her first Halloween.

What in the world is in there??

Got the guts!

So proud of herself!

All dressed up!

Pumpkin Patch

This afternoon we decided to venture out to the Key West Pumpkin Patch. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I think Haley had a lot of fun. She got to play with the pumpkins and all the hay. She even got her first hay ride, sort of.

Two Years

Two years ago I married my best friend. I still remember the big day like it was yesterday. It has been a wonderful journey so far and I couldn't imagine sharing it with anyone else. It was complete chance that we met four and a half years ago and I still feel like I am one lucky girl. I think he's pretty lucky to have me too :)

I'm looking forward to the many years that lie ahead of us.

What She's Doing Now

Here is a little update to what Haley's up to now.

• She loves to talk! Granted it's not actual words, but she is trying so very hard. Whenever you say a word to her you can tell that she is really trying to repeat it. Sometimes it's very close to what you said and sometimes it's not, and that's ok. The other day Zach swears that she said "book" to him after he said it. It was pretty close, but until she starts repeating it consistently, I don't think we'll count it as her first word.
• She knows who mommy and daddy are. She'll say "mamama" when she's talking to me and "dadada" when she's talking to daddy.
• Haley understands what you're saying to her. If you ask her to go to daddy or come to me, she will do it. The other day we were playing with her ball popper and one of the balls flew out. I asked her to go get the ball and she went after it and brought it back. She's brilliant! :)
• Haley is in to everything, and I do mean everything. She doesn't sit still for very long and is always out looking at things or playing with them. She recently discovered the mixing bowl cupard. Whenever I am in the kitchen, she is usually right there playing with her mixing bowls.
• She is very close to walking. We walk around with her holding my hands quite a bit. Recently, I've been trying to get her to walk just holding one of my hands so that she can balance herself a little better. At first she would just sit down because she didn't want to do it, but now she'll walk a little with you. And then yesterday, she stood by herself for the very first time! It was a blink and you'll miss it kind of event, but she did it! I think as soon as she can master standing, she'll be off and running, so we'll keep practicing.

Birthday Girl

It's official! Our baby girl has turned one! It was a fun filled day for Miss Haley. We started off the morning by giving her her birthday gift from mommy and daddy (a butterfly rocker).

After a little nap, we were off to the Key West Aquarium. Haley really seemed to enjoy looking at the fish and all the other little critters they had there.

We came back home and let her open up all of her birthday presents. Well, it was more like mommy and daddy opening presents and Haley playing with all the paper. And let me just say, she LOVED playing with the cards. It was almost better than all of her presents. She could have played with the cards all afternoon.

Once we were done with presents, it was dinnertime! We found a nice local restaurant to celebrate. We topped off the evening with a slice of key lime birthday cake. Haley enjoyed it and I enjoyed letting her actually eat the cake instead of smashing it :)

All in all it was a great day! I can't believe that Haley is already a year old. I have no idea where the past twelve months went. So to end this post, here are a few pictures from the day she came into our lives.

The Park

The past few nights we've been walking around the block and stopping off at the park to let Haley swing and play. She's really been enjoying it. So here are a few pics:

House

We got our new house last Monday and all of our belongings arrived on Tuesday. It's been pretty crazy around here not knowing where things are or just because there is so much stuff in a small area. The boxes are slowly getting unpacked. But just because they are unpacked doesn't necessarily mean we know where the stuff in it is going. We are now learning to live with just what we need, there just isn't room for all the rest. We also are realizing just how small Key West is because the last (and only second time) Zach went to Taco Bell, the guy in the drive thru recognized him. Once we really get settled in I'll have a little more time to post items of substance, but just wanted to get out a quick update!

Weather

I feel like I should dedicate a short little post to the weather here in Key West. It is certainly something else. In the time before we got here I would always check the weather just to see what to expect once we moved. I knew that the temperature would be "cooler" than San Antonio, but would feel hotter. Like right now, it is 89 degrees outside with a humidity of only 76%, but it feels like 100 degrees. This morning we decided to go for a quick walk around base. We were only out for maybe 30 minutes, but by the time we got back we all had sweat dripping down our bodies. I think we'll save walking for late in the evening. And speaking of humidity, it sure does hit you in the face the minute you walk out the door.

Another thing I should mention is that there is not much variance in the weather here. I've done some checking and in the spring/summer/fall the low is usually in the lower 80s and the high is in the high 80s. In the "winter" the temperature does drop a little with lows in the mid-60s and highs in the high-60s/mid-70s. So, if any of you cold winter people need a place to hibernate, you can always come visit!

We Made It!

We have finally arrived in Key West! It took us 24 driving hours to go 1650ish miles. It was a long week getting here and I'm glad that it's over with.

I think that Thursday was probably the longest day. We left Thursday morning to drive to Orlando. I was under the impression that Florida was the sunshine state, but it sure did rain on us quite a bit. It took us about an hour longer than it should have to get to Orlando and then there was the time change. So we are now eastern time. That's going to be interesting. But anyways, by the time we got to Orlando we were all exhausted. I went to check us into the hotel and they didn't have my reservation. I know that there was one because I had the confirmation sheet. Luckily, they got us a room anyways. When we got to our room I went and looked out the window and there was Sea World. It made me a little sad because we could see Sea World from our house in San Antonio.

We got up Friday to complete the last leg of our journey. We knew that it would take a while, but we had NO idea!! From Homestead (which is the last town on the 'mainland') to Key West it was about 110 miles. Now, in Texas you think 110 miles is about an hour and a half (1 mile per minute). This is not the case in the Florida Keys. It actually took us about three hours (1 mile per 2 minutes). It was an interesting drive through the Keys. You didn't get to see as much ocean as you would think, but it was still neat to see all the small little towns.

We checked into Navy lodging and that's where we will be until next Tuesday, when *hopefully* we get our house. We did drive by it and it looks nice. It's brown, not pink or pale blue like the others. I'll post pictures once we can actually claim it.

This morning we did a little bit of sight-seeing. We went down to the famous Duval street and drove by Hemingway's house. We'll spend more time actually doing things once we get a little more settled. The plan is go to Mallory Square tonight and watch the sunset. Zach said it best today that he's not quite sure that it has sunk in that this is home now and we're not just on a vacation. It's going to take a bit of time getting used to, but we're home.

On The Road...

It's been a while, so I thought I would take a little bit of time to write up an update of the past week. Where o where to even start!?

So last Tuesday, TMO (traffic management office) came and packed up our entire house. It was quite the task to pack up a 2,100 sq ft home, and it took a group of four guys seven hours to do it. It makes me never want to pack up my own home ever again and very thankful to the military for taking on this un-exciting chore. They came back on Wednesday and loaded everything into the moving truck. All we were left with was an air mattress, Haley's pack and play portable crib, a few towels, a few kitchen necessities, and enough clothes to get us to Florida. Then we waited to leave. I think Zach and I have decided that the next time we move, we won't be spending so much time at home before we hit the road.

We spent our last evening in town with a group of our closest friends. We went to dinner at Scenic Loop Cafe, which some of you will remember is where Zach and I got married. It was lots of great conversation and laughs. It was definitely the perfect way to spend our last night. I will admit that it was very hard to say goodbye. There were lots of tears, but I am thankful for every one's friendships and I know that we will keep in touch.

Sunday morning was spent packing up the last remaining bits of what we had left in the house and then getting on the road. We didn't have too many miles to cover as we were just off to Houston to spend the night with my dad and youngest brother. It was nice to spend time with them before we move on to Key West.

And that brings us to today. We left Houston this morning and made our way to Biloxi, Mississippi. It was a little over six hours of driving and we just barely made it. We were about ten miles shy of our hotel and that's when we had our first mishap of the trip. All of a sudden there was a huge THUMP and my first thought was that my tire blew. I hit my brakes before remembering that you're not supposed to slam on your brakes in this situation and then coasted on over to the breakdown lane. I got out of the car (barely able to stand because I was so shaken up) and realized that the tread on my rear tire was completely gone. Zach then noticed that my taillight was busted. Great. Zach drove my car and I was in his and we made it to the hotel on my busted tire. He then took it to a local tire place and a few hundred dollars later, I have two new rear tires. It was certainly an experience I don't want to relive, but I am thankful that it wasn't as bad as it could have been and that Zach was there.

That's about it for now. We are off to Destin, Florida tomorrow where we will spend the afternoon and all of the next day. Thanks to dad for letting us crash there!! Then we are off to Orlando and then on to Key West. It might be another week or so before there's another update, but I'll definitely let you know when we make it!

1st Birthday (sort of)

In anticipation of our moving in the coming week, we decided to celebrate Haley's 1st birthday a little early. This way, everyone could share in her big milestone. We invited friends and family over and it was a great turnout.

I realize that she's not the big 0-1 yet, but as it gets closer, I can't even begin to remember where all the time went. So much has already happened in her almost 11 months and there is still so much more to come!

Mommy and Birthday Girl

Haley's gorgeous birthday cake and personal cake

Presents!

She's ready for cake!!

So messy....

but very proud of herself!