Tomorrow...

we meet our daughter! We're scheduled to be induced after my doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. Hopefully, labor will not last too long and she'll arrive sometime tomorrow evening. At least that is my hope. These last few day spent just the two of us have been wonderful, but we are beyond ready to meet our sweet baby girl!

We won't have Internet access so we'll keep you all posted via phone & text as best we can. That also means we probably won't be able to get her first pic out until we get home--torture, I know!

Please keep us three H's in your prayers tomorrow. They have meant more to us in the last 9 months than you will ever know and we are so very grateful...

With love,
John & Kristen (and soon-to-be Lola!)

*Happy 1st Birthday Ellyana*

Happy Birthday sweetie! We have loved watching you grow (so fast!) this year and can't wait for you to teach Lola all your tricks! Hopefully little missy cooperates so we can celebrate with you at your big party Saturday! xoxo

What an awesome surprise!

(Thanks Dana for sending this pic!)
John called me today on his lunch hour to tell me his co-workers threw him a baby shower! How incredibly sweet of them all. When I got home from Mama Mia (super fun movie!), he showed me all the great little surprises they gave us. A daddy diaper bag (very hip!), a beautiful set of outfits, an adorable "Daddy's Little Girl" bib, a baby sling (which I am so excited about!) and an incredibly generous gift card to BuyBuy Baby (John's favorite store of the moment!)...in addition, there were a bunch of sweet yummies left over for me to consume. Yum Yum!
Thank you Team Chase! I can't wait to bring Lola down to visit her Daddy at work and finally meet you all!
Mrs. H

Lola's Eviction Notice

...will be served on July 31st if she hasn't arrived by then! My final appointment is next Thursday (I'm due on Tuesday) and if she hasn't show, my doctor will send us across the street to the hospital to be induced. We're still hoping she'll show on her own sometime before then but if not, Thursday it is!

John will be off all next week in addition to the week when Grandma & Grandpa are here to visit from Florida August 2-10. We're looking forward to getting some nice long walks in every morning to try and coax her out. I can't tell you how reassuring it is to know that if I do go into labor naturally, he'll be right next to me, ready to take action and get me to the hospital!

We'll keep everyone posted! All we ask is for your prayers that our little miracle arrives safely! We are SO READY to meet her!

Love to all!

T-minus 1 week and counting!

Lola is due one week from today. Um, WOW! That pretty much sums it up! She's still as active as ever. Last night laying in bed, she was bouncing around so much I was certain my water would break! But alas, it didn't. So we continue to wait to welcome the greatest little miracle we could ever imagine...

We'll keep you posted!

Happy as a clam...

That's right. Little Miss Lola seems to still be quite content in there still at 38weeks, 2 days. I had a doctor appointment this morning and she's showing no signs of a departure anytime soon, despite our recent begging to my belly. It's crazy, you get so close to the end and just can't take it anymore you're so excited. We want to give her "outside" kisses in the worst way, but she's keeping us all in suspense.

A little side note...she made us think she was ready to show on Friday. From 8 am on, I had contractions all day long. Real ones, the kind that stop you in your tracks. So when John got home at 5 pm and they were about 5 mins apart, we headed down to the hospital (after a quick stop at Panda Express of course!). When we arrived, they hooked me up to the monitors and intense contractions were registering every 4 minutes. But since I wasn't dilated, the resident on call made me and John take a 2 hour walk around lovely U of Chicago hospital to determine if it was real labor or not. I guess walking is the true test. If you take a nice long walk and the contractions persist, you're in labor. If they stop (which they did after the first hour), you're in "false" labor.

I'm praying my water breaks so I don't have to play the guessing game again only to be sent home. Only time will tell...thankfully, it's just another 12 days!

*Happy Birthday Mommy*

Happy Birthday to the World's Greatest Mother-in-law! We love you and can't wait to see you in just a few more weeks! xoxo

ps...This picture shows how we told Mom she was getting a Grand-baby. Circa Thanksgiving 2007

37 Week Check-Up

(37.5 weeks)

Mommy & Lola were at the doctor yesterday and all continues to look well with our baby girl! T-minus 18 days and counting!

37 Weeks Today!

Baby Lola is officially full term as of today. And it's quite apparent she's preparing for her decent sometime in the next 3 weeks. Our little earthquake is getting stronger by the day, so it's only a matter of time now!

Oh. My. Goodness.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Kealey!

We went to my second cousin Susan's wedding yesterday and had a blast! It was a beautiful Mass at an old historic church in Lemont--it brought back alot of the memories of our wedding day. It can't believe it has been just under two years since we stood on the altar and took our vows-- it feels like a lifetime already (in a good way of course!). They had a fun reception at a country club where Mommy got a little crazy to "Footlose" by Kenny Loggins on the dance floor. As she was dancing, she looked over and saw Daddy & Grandma Sue watching from the sidelines with horrified looks on their faces. I guess the way I was movin', they were just a little bit freaked out that I might shake Lola loose right there on the parkay floor! Happy to report she's still as snug as a bug in my tummy :)

SS. Cyril & Methodius ChurchThe beautiful bride arrives with her maids. Her dress was the most beauitful I had ever seen on any bride!
The beautiful church interior.
Here comes the bride...
Presenting Mr. & Mrs. Michael Kealey!

The gentlemen at the reception...
And the ladies!These two are always having a laugh together :)

The first picture John's ever REQUESTED I post to the blog! Isn't he cute?!

Father-Daughter Dance for Richie & Susan

Très Chic

Many of you remember our incredibly talented wedding photographer, Kristina Carter. When we signed on with her, she was one of the best kept secrets in the business. Those days are long gone. She's made quite the name for herself and her work is so deserving of it. Recently, she re-branded from Kristina Carter Photography to Vrai. One of the founding "philosophie" of Vrai is to minimize impact on our environment. You'll find many "Impact Tips" on her blog and recently, she held a contest where she offered her photography services to the couple hosting the "greenest" wedding! If she's not behind a lens, most likely, she's out in nature, probably climbing some incredible rock formation!

Recently, on Vrai's blog, KC asked her readers if they had any suggestions to offer on changes you've incorporated into your own life to help the environment. I said that John & I have been bringing reusable totes to the grocery store when we do our shopping (the few times I've forgotten them, I practically throw a fit like a baby in the parking lot I get so mad at myself--hello, it's so simple!!). So there, that was my lil ol' suggestion. Well, in the mail yesterday, I got the best surprise from our dear KC--a few reusable canvas totes with the new Vrai branding. AND I LOVE THEM! We'll be breaking them in tomorrow when we head to the grocery store. Thanks KC, you're the best! Can't wait to see you at Jenny & T.J.'s wedding in October!