Sunday, April 8

Kalamazoo Air Zoo

This year for our Good Friday trip we went to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. It's an airplane museum with lots of rides to keep the young ones happy. We took Hillary's family and had a great time.
Here we are with our heads up in the clouds.
Alexis and Chelsea in the balloon ferris wheel.
Chelsea riding in a plane.
Airplanes made out of pop cans that cost $130! I didn't post any of the pictures I took of the airplanes or the paintings on the walls, which were all really cool. The rides were fun and Dad is STILL talking about the flight simulator. We bought a grandparents pass, so for the next year if any of you want to go, just let us know.

Thursday, April 5

32 week ultrasound

At my 20 week ultrasound they thought they saw an extra piece to my placenta and so they wanted to have an ultrasound at 32 weeks-when the placenta was bigger-to confirm yes or no.  So yesterday I went in for my regular appointment and they gave me a quick ultrasound.  They did confirm yes that there is an extra piece-it's not a big deal, they just needed to make sure because if there was they just need to make sure it comes out so that there isn't any hemorrhaging later.  And as an added bonus, she checked for the gender and it is confirmed 100% that we are for sure having a boy (phew!) and took one or two pictures of his face.  Now that he's bigger and has more soft tissue on his face you can see in the picture above that he really is a human and not an alien.  I actually think he looks a lot like my other kids...I mean, look at those cheeks!  She measured his body too and his head is measuring around 35 weeks and he is 5.4 lbs (yikes!) already.  She showed me a line graph with a line of normal babies weight at this time and a line of his weight and his was WAY above the normal weight line...hahaha...good thing I've decided to be induced a week early, I don't know if I would be able to push him out if I waited.  I am really getting excited to meet him and love him...6 weeks seems like forever.

Wednesday, April 4

Spring Break Fun!

We've been trying to do more fun, family things during spring break this year. Monday we went bowling (we forgot to take pictures) and had a blast! Today we went to a local frisbee golf course and had a blast too! We are really enjoying having extra time together. Although, our together time tomorrow is going to be mowing the lawn. I don't know that that will be quite as fun for the kids as some of the other things we've been doing. Oh well. Can't win them all.

Pinewood Derby

Jaxson won 3rd place at the annual pinewood derby this year. Granted it was 3rd out of 4, but still it was third and he got a trophy (which was all that mattered to him.) We love the derby. It's quite a family affair for us. We all made cars. I'll have to post a picture of those soon too.

Sunday, April 1

Our new baby goats

This is Izzy and Deli standing next to Mom, Candy.
This is Izzy.
This is Delicious (Deli for short)

Our one good snow day

Happy Birthday, Jaxson (really late!)

Happy Birthday, Alexis (really late!)

Happy birthday Merrit (really late!)

Friday, March 30

Glucose Results

Joy's 3 hour Glucose test came back normal! That means no Gestational Diabetes for her!

Ypsi update

I just realized I can't call us the Ypsilanti Hutchinsons anymore since Jim and Joy live here too now.  Anyway, I thought I'd post some pics and give you all an update.

Mythbuster - March 16

This event was the highlight of Harvey's 4 years of life.  We counted down for several weeks ahead of time and I really doubt he slept much the night before.  The night of the show we got downtown early since you never know what traffic is going to be like.  While this idea was practical, Harvey did not appreciate it.  He wanted to see the Mythbusters and he wanted to see them now!  Here is a pic we took at Comerica Park.  He was not amused. I'm not sure what he was doing in the photo but he was probably saying, "Come on, guys.  The Mythbusters aren't here, they are across the street."


We finally got in to the theater (they opened the doors as we were walking past the front of the theater so I think we were actually the first people in, much to the chagrin of all of the fools who stood in line) but Harvey's patience was wearing thin.


When we got to our seats he literally could not sit still.  He jumped, paced, danced, jittered, and asked every few seconds if the show was starting.





Sorry for the awful quality.  I have a cheap camera I keep in my purse for when we forget our good camera, which is almost all of the time.  Yes, he is wearing a cape.  He was the youngest kid there and possibly the most excited.  He was disappointed he didn't get picked to go up on stage but it was probably a good thing since we know from experience that he would freak out.  He got pulled into the Lion King show last spring when we were at Disney and he lasted about 30 seconds.  During the Q&A he really wanted to get called on so he could ask Jamie and Adam for their phone number so he could call and talk to them for longer.

All in all, it was a great experience.  Harvey talks about it every day still.  He wants to be a mythbuster when he grows up.  In fact, he's watching a mythbusters as I'm writing this.


April 7th - We are going on a cruise!  We got a crazy good deal on a really good cruise line.  We just booked the cruise two days ago!  This is the ship we'll be on.



Harvey is going to be up north with my folks for two weeks.  I shutter to think what post-Petoskey detox will be like when we get back but at least Kurt and I should be relaxed!  We'll both celebrate our birthdays on board and we're going to be celebrating our 10 year anniversary as well.

Other news - Part of the reason we decided to book the cruise was also to celebrate how well this pregnancy is going!  I still don't feel great and the gestational diabetes is kind of a pain but the baby is healthy which is all that matters.  Also we found out that we're having a BOY!  I'm super excited, I love the idea of having a whole passel of boys.  Kurt is still sulking a little bit because he is longing for a daughter.  I'm starting to feel the baby move.  We still haven't told Harvey.  I think I'm finally ready but I really don't want to tell him and then ship him up to my folks since that was basically how the timeline went when we lost Xavier.  I have my 20 week ultrasound the day after we get back so we're planning on taking him to that appointment.  I'm still so gun shy that I plan on having the tech check first before he comes in.  Hopefully I'll be feeling the baby so strongly by that point that I won't need to do that.



Monday, March 26

Spring Picutres

Here are some pictures I took this morning.
This is a swan at Kensington.
The forsythia bushes are blazing yellow everywhere right now.
I picked these daffodils out of our front yard. I hope you all are enjoying the spring!

Thursday, March 22

exciting

Yesterday I went to the doctor's and set up my induction date.  I am going in Friday May 18 during the day and will hopefully have the baby that day.  That means I only have 57 days to go...unless for some strange reason my body decides to take matters into its own hands for the first time, and go earlier.  But, it's something exciting for me!  Wahoo!!

Friday, March 16

Happy Birthday Jim

Happy happy birthday Jimmy dear, happy days will come to you all year. If I had one wish, then it would be, a happy happy birthday to you from me!

Wednesday, March 14

Joy's 13 week Ultrasound

Dr.Jefferies tried to listen to the baby's heartbeat but she said the baby was moving around. The doctor then did an ultrasound, we still couldn't hear the heartbeat (the sound didn't work). However we did get to see our baby again!! We should find out next month if we are expecting a boy or girl!



Monday, March 12

Baby Hutchinson

We have more recent pictures but these are the best.  Last week he refused to cooperate and did handstands and gymnastics during the whole ultrasound (I love getting to see him dance around!).  Right now we are thinking of Ian for a boy and have kicked around Anne Shirley, Cordelia, or Leah for a girl.  We'll see.

Friday, March 9

Gestational Diabetes



Well, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes this week.  I'm fairly bummed about it.  I've been having a hard enough time eating at all and now I have to follow a pretty strict diet.  I'll see a dietician next week and will learn how to use a glucometer.  I'm getting closer to accepting it, hopefully I'll have a better outlook after meeting with the dietician. 

Kurt and I got to see the baby on Wednesday and he's doing fine.  (I don't know that he's a he, I just like having an actual pronoun.)  I go in for another appointment this morning.  I can't figure out how to convert a .pdf to a .jpeg.  When I get it figured out (really, when I make Kurt do it) I'll post pictures. 


Wednesday, March 7

Anniversay Gift

Since not all of you were able to be with us on Sunday for our family dinner, which turned out to be our anniversary dinner as well, I just wanted to thank all of you for your kindness in buying tickets for Beauty and the Beast for us. I really appreciate it and I know Mom does as well. As most of you know, it is one of my favorite shows and I have always enjoyed watching live performances of it; none to compare with Jim's outstanding performance, however. We hope to turn that night, and maybe the next day, into a nice winter getaway.

We love all of you so much.

THANKS!!

Thursday, March 1

This is where we live

This is the drive to our new, little basement house

simply gorgeous!


This is our front door
right there, under that!



yes, here! now you see it!



This is our front yard


those are our neighbors...oh wait, there aren't any!





This is our apartment
standing in the front door, from left to right, boxes and all








These are our pets
sort of



And this is what we DO

run!




play!


Virginia is so beautiful, and we are loving our time in the country!