It's a Girl!!

obviously this news has been out for a month, but like i said i am playing catch-up.

i actually made two shirts before going into our obgyn appointment. one said "FYI: It's a Boy" and the other was the shirt shown above. i must admit we thought it was a boy when we initially saw the ultrasound. but after a double and at triple check, we saw that we are having another girl! (unfortunately i don't have a good ultrasound photo to prove it. you'll just have to take my word for now).

anyway, i changed into my awesome t-shirt before going out into the waiting room, because i had my whole family + kris (lizzie's boyfriend) waiting there. my parents and lizzie were leaving from the doctor's office to drive to Idaho to drop liz off at college, so we decided it'd be fun to have everyone there.

kirk made sure my coat was velcroed all the way up the front so you couldn't see what i was wearing when i walked out. then it was easy to unveil the t-shirt and it looked way cooler than unzipping my jacket. :)

we are so excited to have two girls. kirk is way outnumbered in our family now: our kitty. sydney, baby girl #2, and I are all girls. i love having sisters and i know syd will love it too.

Christmas

this Christmas was the "Hill Christmas." we try to switch off every year with who we spend Christmas with. so we did Christmas Eve with the members of Kirk's fam who could be there, and Christmas morning/church with his fam as well. then we went over to my parents' for some gift giving that afternoon.

it was a great Christmas!

our Christmas Eve feast! 

baby Everett and Grandpa Hill. Sydney is only four months older than Everett, but she kept calling him "the baby."

Chai and Syd at the kid's table. Chai had caught a bug so he was looking at his trap. 

Alayna's family has the tradition of doing Christmas crackers on Christmas Eve. the crowns were in the crackers. super fun!

the kiddos were having a blast demolishing the tree.

in her Christmas pj's ready for bed on Christmas Eve!

Greyson, Grandpa, Chai and Grandma. of course you have to read The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. :) sorry Grandma, i think you were mid-blink in this one.

Christmas morning we woke Syd up earlier than she usually gets up...she was a little grumpy at first. 

opening presents! (her main present was in our backyard--a slide/swingset combo).

all ready for church on Christmas day. (i made the tutu by the way. can you tell i love little girls in them??)

every year the Hills get pj's on Christmas Eve...the girls matching and the boys matching. this pic has all the grandkids, but we had to wait to take it after Christmas, when the whole fam was together.

i will use this picture in Sydney's wedding montage. just you wait. 

Moody Gardens with My Sisters

not only am i determined to play catch-up with my blog, but i am missing my sisters TONS right now. so i'm going to post about our moody gardens trip to see the lights (this obviously was during Christmas time).

sydney was mostly a zombie when she was in the stroller (it was past bedtime), but she had a great time running around and pointing to the trees that had lights wound around their trunks. i don't think she really understood that these lights were supposed to create pictures. to her they were just bright bulbs that she had to grab. we had an awesome time though. on the drive there we blasted Christmas music (there was some arguing as to what type of Christmas music to play...some people like the justin bieber variety, while others like the traditional genre) and when we got home from our long drive, we ate some yummy cinnoman rolls that Sara made. good girl bonding time while kirk had to study for his bajillion tests. did i mention that med school just seems really hard to me? sooo glad kirk is the one doing it!

anyway, here are some pics from the event:

gotta have the bunny ear for a perfect, thumb-sucking good time!

it's past my bedtime...

Lizzie is 19, and she still loves Spongebob. we just had to take some pics. :p

Words Syd the Kyd Says

i have to write these down or i will forget:

"B" is "bunny"

"Crackoo" is "cookie"

"Mommy" is "mama" (she has always resisted saying mama very much. now she says mommy all the time)

"EFG" is the ABC song

"Sizzy" is "Lizzie"

"Wablalala" is "water

"Banalala" is "banana"

"Saw" is "soft"

More
Baby
Cracker
Kitty
Addie
Dada
Grandad
Oma
Uh-oh
Tree
Bye-bye
Yeah
Jack

Sydney's first day of nursery

every member of the LDS church who has kids will understand the excitement i was feeling this past sunday. from birth until 18 months, you are in charge of your child during all  three hours of church. that meant that for the past 6 months, kirk and i took turns roaming the halls or running home to put her down for a nap while the other one attended class. but sydney turned 18 months on december 3rd, which meant...she is in a primary class for two whole hours!

we tried to talk about nursery a few days before like it was the best thing ever. not sure how much got through to her, but she knew there was something exciting happening.

kirk dropped her off, because sydney has had some attachment issues with me (so sweet, but a little hard to drop her off places right now). to be honest i kind of wanted them to come get me and say "she kept saying mama!" but i was also relieved that they didn't do that. it really helped that her best friend Addie is in the same class. i told Laura (Addie's mom and my good friend too) that Addie wasn't allowed to get sick. ever. because then sydney would probably flip out.

so needless to say, sunday was a big milestone for the hill family.

here's to six more months of going to class without a child. then baby #2 is going to be roaming the halls before we know it. :)

Things to be Grateful For (100 things)

This only took me like ten minutes to do. It makes you realize the blessings your have in your life. We are all so blessed. 

Take a Gratitude Challenge

1. 1. 
   Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for.
1. The ability to conceive
2. The ability to walk
3. The ability to breathe
4. The ability to hold the ones I love close
5. The ability to sing
6. The ability to type this list
7. The ability to make love
8. The ability to read
9. The ability to speak
10. The ability to throw my daughter up in the air
2. 2. 
   Write 10 material possessions you are grateful for.
1. Our house
2. Our cars (the fact that I have one while Kirk goes to school is a blessing)
3. Our clothes 
4. Our shoes
5. Our computer
6. Our tv
7. Sydney's toys (keeps her occupied)
8. My books
9. Our food
10. Our kitchen
3. 3. 
   Write 10 living people you are grateful for.
1. Kirk
2. Sydney
3. Baby #2
4. Mom
5. Dad
6. Sara 
7. Liz
8. Joe
9. Kirk's fam (that's way more than one!)
10. All of my friends (holy cow I'm so grateful for those people who are family in spirit)
4. 4. 
   Write 10 deceased people you are grateful for.
1. Our Savior Jesus Christ
2. Joseph Smith
3. Martin Luther King
4. Susan B. Anthony
5. Tim Filichia (I didn't know him very well, but the brief bit I knew him, he was such a light in everyone's lives)
6. Grandma Siddoway
7. Granddad Siddoway
8. Grandma Ball
9. Jane Austen
10. Our first baby that I only carried for a few weeks
5. 5. 
   Write 10 things about nature you are grateful for.
1. Sunsets
2. Rainstorms
3. Sunny days
4. Waterfalls
5. The humidity in Houston that ensures I don't have to slather on lotion every five seconds
6. Forests 
7. The sound of ocean waves
8. The tree in our front yard
9. The fact that Sydney LOVES playing outside now
10. Crunchy fall leaves
6. 6. 
   Write 10 things about today you are grateful for.
1. I get to go shopping with a friend
2. I get to play with Sydney
3. The heater is working in my house
4. I can already feel my little baby kicking
5. I love that my husband is studying away, even though if it means I can't see him quite as much
6. Sydney's best friend is coming over. I love seeing both of them happy.
7. It's cold and cloudy outside, so it actually feels like December
8. I get to take a nice warm shower when I'm finished with this list
9. I just ate pure sugar for breakfast because I can (well, sugar cereal)
10. I got to wake up on our nice foam mattress cover
7. 7. 
   Write 10 places on earth you are grateful for.
1. Belgium
2. The United States
3. My home
4. The temple
5. My parents' home (so glad they are living there again)
6. Italy (specifically Venice)
7. London
8. Provo, UT (don't judge...I spent some good years there at BYU)
9. That little camp in Botswana that we stayed in for a few days. I was sorely tempted to stay there forever.
10. My bed
8. 8. 
   Write 10 modern inventions you are grateful for.
1. The computer
2. The Chi
3. Running water
4. Sound machines
5. Dishwasher
6. Cars
7. Planes
8. The ipod
9. The tv
10. The internet
9. 9. 
   Write 10 foods you are grateful for.
1. Mac and cheese
2. Pizza
3. Gingersnaps
4. Mashed potatoes
5. Popcorn
6. Water
7. Chocolate
8. Crepes
9. Spaghetti and meatballs
10. Quiche muffins
10. 10. 
    Write 10 things about the gospel you are grateful for.
1. The atonement
2. The scriptures
3. The temple
4. The sacrament (that I can partake of every week)
5. Our Lord Jesus Christ
6. My loving Heavenly Father
7. The plan of happiness/knowledge that there is life after death
8. The resurrection
9. The chance to live with God again
10. The priesthood