Blessing Lila Kate

Last Sunday was Lila Kate's blessing day.

She was an absolute angel (she slept through the whole thing!) and we felt so fortunate to have my dad & brothers in town to participate. Savannah wore the same dress, 4 years ago, thanks to my talented mom who made it just for the Hinze girls!







Lila's Blessing:

Lila was blessed to...
Grow in strength & wisdom in the church
Always stay close to the church & the leaders in the church.
Develop faith in Christ
Develop strength in the gospel
Study the scriptures
Grow in knowledge & in stature
Study to grow in wisdom
Be a good daughter & sister
Serve others
Develop faith in Christ
Be a true example to others
Follow the path of righteousness to the temple
Marry a righteous man
Have kindness, sincerity & pureheartedness

Fun with Papa!

The kids are crazy about him (and I am too!)

Dallas Dining

What better way to celebrate good family times than with delicious Dallas dining? I loved introducing my family to some of my favorite spots...

The patio at Patrizio

Chillin' at Chuy's

The private party room at La Madeleine

An Eatzi's picnic at Scottish Rite Park

Custard from Harry's

(Best of all) Pancakes at home from personal chefs, Savannah & Uncle Aaron

Family in Town!

My mom has been in town since Lila's birth, and last week, my dad, my 2 brothers, and their 2 wives all joined us for some good Dallas fun!

It was completely wonderful to have my entire family here with us. We were together for 4 very busy, very fun days.

One of the highlights of the trip was our visit to the aquarium.

We went during Will's nap time, so Grandma & Grandpa volunteered to stay behind & babysit. As you can see from the pictures, Savannah didn't seem to miss Will too much...she had such a blast being the center of attention!

My Secret Weapon

Everybody keeps asking me if I'm feeling well, if I'm tired, and if life with 3 children is crazy.

I can honestly answer that I'm feeling fantastic, I'm not tired, and life with 3 children is awesome.

HOWEVER...

I HAVE A SECRET WEAPON...

AND HER NAME IS...

GRANDMA!!!!

Seriously, my mom has been absolutely the most wonderful, fabulous helper imaginable. She has been with us since August 27th, and we just can't get enough of her! She & I are making a great team (we think that all moms need 2 brains & 4 arms!) and we've really been enjoying this special time together.

She is so sweet with my children, and she just really loves each one of them for exactly who they are.

Here she is in action:

Lunching with Savannah

Crafting with Will

Loving on Lila


So, ask me again, after September 30th (Grandma's date of departure) if I'm feeling well, if I'm tired, and if life with 3 children is crazy.

I have a feeling my answer may soon be changing...

First Big Bath

The umbilical cord is off & the sponge baths are over...

Savannah (who is our resident bathing beauty) has ALWAYS loved her baths & spends HOURS in the tub every week. She was VERY excited to introduce her baby sister to the fabulous world of soaks & suds.

Lila loved it!

Build-A-Bear

Grandma decided to take us all to the mall yesterday & treat the kids to Build-A-Bear. What a HUGE hit!!!

The kids loved every minute of it. Savannah chose a purple bear & named it Fluffy. Will chose a dog & named it Dog. They both chose strollers & they had a completely fun, completely crazy time running around the mall with their new little buddies.

Thank you, Grandma!!

First Family Walk with 5!

We LOVE our Sunday walks, and it was such a treat today to walk with 5!
Lila is just the perfect little addition to our family. In typical Hinze baby fashion, she settled right into the Bjorn & enjoyed a long ride!

Changing Already!

We've been home just 2 days, and it seems that Lila is changing every minute!
I am getting a HUGE kick out of this girl's hair--I love it! She looks so different from my completely bald, completely blue-eyed Savannah & Will! Her eyes are very dark blue now, so maybe Lila will be brown eyed, like her Mommy & Daddy!

A present from Lila

He was a good sport for the first 24 hours (eager to help change diapers, hold her & love her) but I just don't think Will was anticipating that Lila would stay much longer...

Last night, Will started screaming "Baby! Baby! Baby!" from his crib.
We thought he wanted to see Lila, so we brought him out to the front room, where I was holding her. Will then asked for me to hold him, so I set Lila down & let Will climb up on my lap. He snuggled in so closely & so tightly to me & again said, "Baby". I asked him, "Will, are YOU the baby?" to which he promptly replied, "Mmmm Hmmm!" It honestly made me cry. At 22 months old, Will really is still my baby & I just hope & pray he will quickly adapt to his new role as big brother. He's such a good boy, that I really have complete confidence in him!

So, Baby Lila decided to buy Will a present today. Needless to say, he's already a little bit happier about having Lila around!

First Day of School

Wednesday was the first day of school for Savannah & Will.
Savannah is in Pre-K this year, attending 5 days a week, 3 hours a day.
Will just goes once a week, for 5 hours.
The first day was a huge hit--both the kids came home so happy!

I love this picture! Notice Will trying to pose, just like his big sister!!

A Few More Hospital Pictures...

We love our Lila Kate!!!





We're so happy you're here!!!

Lila Kate Hinze

Lila Kate Hinze is here!!!

August 31, 2008
10:43 am
6 lb 2 oz
18.5 in

She is COMPLETELY, perfectly beautiful & I can't express my gratitude in having her here safe, healthy & happy. It's the most wonderful feeling in the world.

My delivery was unbelievably fantastic. Here's a run-down of our day:

8:15am - The Doctor broke my water
8:30am - I received my epidural & pitocin
10:10am - The nurse checked me & reported I was ready for delivery
10:41am - The Doctor told me to push
10:42am - I pushed once & the doctor told me nevermind--stop pushing
10:43am - Lila Kate was here!

That was it! No pain, no tears, just happiness, hugs & kisses.

11:30am - Rod took off to pick up Savannah & Will from church. We just couldn't wait for them to meet her! When Rod got to the church, Savannah ran down the hallway to get Will from Nursery, while excitedly announcing, "Baby Lila is out! Baby Lila is out!" By the time they got to the hospital, they were on a super-sibling high. Savannah & Will were SO happy to see their little sister & it was SO fun to see my family suddenly grow from 4 to 5!

WE LOVE YOU BABY LILA!!

 

 

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