The Couch Connection

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of moving houses, please allow me to brag about my husband for a moment.

Austin and his close friends are in an improvisational comedy troupe called Curtis Needs a Ride. A few weekends ago, they participated in the Dallas 48 Hour Film Project, and they won BEST FILM. That's right, out of the 39 teams that entered the competition, theirs was the very best. They also won for "Best Use of Character" and "Best Writing."

They've already received some press:

http://www.examiner.com/film-industry-in-dallas/the-couch-connection-wins-best-film-for-48-hour-film-project-dallas-review

Here is the winning film. Enjoy!!

3 Days and Counting...

You probably assume I'm counting down to the day when these two lovebirds tie the knot...

And while I'm just as excited as the next girl to see what Kate's dress looks like this friday, I am actually counting down to something different. This Friday, April 29th, the Hines family is moving!! That's right, we bought a house! Austin and I are officially home owners. So while the world tunes in to see William and Kate say "I do," we will be busy moving all of our belongings to our new home, just about 10 minutes away from our current one.

This is definitely a bittersweet week for me. I have actually grown quite fond of our pink door.

I will miss the chipping floral wallpaper in the kitchen...

The broken window in the bedroom...

The fish tiles in my shower...

And random holes in the wall.

That may sound like sarcasm, but I can assure you, it's not. This house has grown on me. All of its imperfections gave it character. Austin proposed to me in the backyard of this house. He carried me across the threshold when we got home from our honeymoon. So many memories were made here, in our first rental house as a married couple. We are certainly ready for a change, and I'm looking forward to washing my face with warm water (my current bathroom faucet only has cold water.) But this house has been good to us.

So long, farewell, to the blue house with the pink door. I will miss you!

Daddy/Denver Sing-Along

Sorry these pictures don't have sound to go along with them. Perhaps next time. Just imagine the two of them singing a medley of Justin Bieber songs... I'm sure that's what it was.

Rub a Dub Dub

Rub a Dub Dub

One babe in a tub

And who do you think he be?

A mover, a shaker, a giant mess-maker,

Turns out he's cute as can be.

original poetry by Caitlin M. Hines

all rights reserved :)

Denver vs. The Bottle

Denver hates bottles.

It's true. And in the great battle of Denver vs. The Bottle 2011... Denver is victorious.

Don't get me wrong... I am incredibly grateful that I've had the opportunity to breastfeed my son. I believe wholeheartedly that it is the best source of nutrition for him, and it also creates a nurturing relationship between us that he doesn't share with anyone else. It fascinates me that God created my body to not only grow a child, but then to feed that child once he is born.

For those of you who haven't been around babies much, they get hungry A LOT. In Denver's first weeks of life, he nursed "on demand," which pretty much means all the time. Then he started nursing every two hours during the day, and a couple times each night. Now we are into a routine in which he nurses five times each day.

Because he refuses to take a bottle, I have to be with him for every feeding. This means that if I want to spend an evening out of the house, I must be back home by 8:00pm for his last feeding, or I can leave after 8:30. But I can't go to dinner and a movie with my husband from 6:00 til 10:00 like we used to, because my poor child would starve.

I can hear you now... have you tried (fill in the blank) technique to get a baby to take a bottle?! Yes, I assure you I have. I decided in early March that by the end of the month, The Bottle would be victorious in the epic battle. Here is what I attempted....

• different bottle types...Dr. Brown's, Breastflow, and Adiri
• different people feeding him...myself, Austin, a friend, Austin's mom... all without success
• different times of day... morning, noon, and night
• sometimes when he was reeeally hungry, sometimes moderately hungry, sometimes right after he nursed. always uninterested... sometimes downright angry
• I tried "tricking" him. He would be nursing, and then I'd gently maneuver the bottle into his mouth instead, and he was not happy about it
• we tried outside, inside, sitting, standing, walking, rocking....

I tried to give Denver one bottle of pumped breastmilk each day for the entire month of March. I officially feel that I've missed my "window" on bottle-feeding Denver. There will be no four-hour date nights for Austin and me until Denver is weaned. And I feel like I'm finally at peace with that.

As I nursed Denver this morning, I was looking at him, and the way he looks up at me, and the way he smiles at me when he sees me, and the way he waves his arms in the air when I walk into a room like he just won the lottery... and I know that's because I'm his mommy. I'm the one who snuggles with him in the middle of the night when he's crying. I feed him when he's hungry. I have the privilege of being Denver's mother, and right now that means nursing him. Later in life there will be countless other battles. But this little guy is worth it, wouldn't you agree?

So bring on the battles Denver Amerigo Vespucci Hines! (newest nickname for my little crawling explorer)

Our Movin' Groovin' Baby Boy

I know it has been a while since I've posted anything. This is largely because Denver has kept me especially busy lately. He's been going through LOTS of changes. Allow me to prove it to you...

He can sit up on his own

He has started "eating" real food... and when I say eating, of course I mean putting food in his mouth and then spitting it out again.

And perhaps most exciting, but also most exhausting... he can CRAWL! This video was taken last week when he was first learning to crawl. Now he's a pro. :)

Last but not least, a bonus photo for you all... St. Patrick's Day 2010 and St. Patrick's Day 2011. The times they are a changin'...

Stylish Blogger

Woo hoo! A friend of mine gave me an "award." I use the quotes because it's one of those things that bloggers pass around as a way to sort of pat ourselves on the back. But it's still fun!

I got the "Stylish Blogger" award from my friend Lindsay. Thank you Lindsay! You can read about her sweet family here. Her daughter's name is Harper Story... one of the greatest girl names I've ever heard.

Now that I've received this award, here are the rules:

1. thank and link back to the person who awarded you

2. share 7 things about yourself

3. pass award on to bloggers you think are fantastic

4. contact those bloggers and tell them about the award

So... seven things about myself? Hmmm....

1. I love cheese. Like, a lot. However, I am eating very little dairy because it upsets Denver's stomach. I must love him a lot.

2. My husband and I met in Guatemala. That's right. We were both living in Ft. Worth and going to the same church. We both went to TCU. But God had to bring us all the way to Guatemala to meet and fall in love. Here we are dancing in Antigua, Guatemala. I already had a pretty big crush. :)

3. I am working on being "healthier" in my food choices. In college, I lived on Kraft mac & cheese. Now, I try to actually eat vegetables. My current favorite? Roasted brussel sprouts. Seriously.

4. Have you ever heard of people saying that pregnancy changes their taste in food? Example: my mom used to love shrimp. After being pregnant, she couldn't stand the sight of it. Well, ever since being pregnant with Denver, I have begun to love breakfast sausage. I see these commercials for IHOP and Denny's, and my mouth just waters. The thought of this food used to GROSS ME OUT. But not anymore! Pregnancy is weird.

5. I start each day by making a cup of coffee (usually Dunkin' Donuts), with a little sugar, and a little goat milk. Yes, I use goat milk instead of creamer. It is easier to digest, and easier on Denver's tummy.

6. I love our church, Hope Works. I am always encouraged and challenged by my friends at church. Austin and I have been members for over two years now, and it has made a radical difference in our lives. If you are not a member at a church, I encourage you to not just church "shop" or attend different churches every weekend, but to really plant your roots somewhere. You will be so glad you did. I promise.

7. I have the greatest family in the world. Really.

Now it's my turn to pass this award on. Here are a few blogs that I consider to be particularly stylish...

1. Erin at Prairie Fairytales

2. Jen at The Arizona Russums

3. Grace at sincerely, grace

4. Jess at my beatles babies

5. Megan at Baby Baird

6. Kirbie at Kirbie Goes to Hollywood

7. Katelin at Katelin Leaves New York City