10.31.2011

Halloween!


Wow, what a fun, FULL day we have had. I have an insane amount of pictures to share, but it will be awhile before I get a chance to edit them. So for now, here's a sneak peek at Hernandez Halloween 2011. Princess Belle and that chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff, He's...Winnie the Pooh!

My 3 year old has been hopped up on the good stuff all day and Daddy got home early so she could go fill her pumpkin with more while Mommy gets baby boy down for the night.

Hope everyone had a great day. What a perfect fall memory.

THANKS TO MY MOM--for capturing these sweet moments of the kids and I!!!

10.29.2011

my {brother & sister}

I got two awesome picture texts from my siblings last night. Had to share...

This one is from my brother, making Pizzelles. Pizzelles are Italian wafer cookies that our Bragie & Papa used to make by the hundreds for all of us in the family because we were OBSESSED with them. After Bragie passed, 8 years ago now, Papa stopped making them. Throughout 55 years of marriage, they did everything as a team and I'm sure he just couldn't imagine making them without his girl. A few years ago I asked Papa for Bragie's recipe book, which included the Pizzelle recipe (typed out on an old fashioned typewriter, no less). The other day, Ronnie asked Papa for the Pizzelle press. I took a picture of the recipe card and texted it to him. He said they taste just like we remember. I can't wait to have one--and introduce them to the kids!!!

The next is a picture of my city-living baby sister, all glammed out in her David Bowie Halloween makeup, looking like she's ready to go have a fun time at a party in the city. I'm so happy she is getting to experience living in the city. I think she is beautiful, always, even looking like David Bowie!

10.27.2011

{photography}

Things continue to be busy in the little world of {kristen hernandez photography}. I am meeting so many fun families as my business has officially entered the referral stage (wow!) and getting to re-connect with friends from high school. There's no way this little business would be growing the way it has if it weren't for Facebook. Free advertising--Thanks Mark Zuckerberg!

Here are some recent sessions I've done:





{johnny-11 months}

Someone pinch us! Our baby boy will be ONE in just one more month. He is just utter perfection and impossibly adorable. He giggles like crazy and moves at the speed of light. It's unwise to take your eyes off him for more than a few seconds. He knows, like all good boys at this age, just were to get himself into trouble and he goes right for it. Thankfully, at least for the time being, we are still able to quickly pick him up and put him back in safe zones, ha!

He LOVES sitting in the bathtub like a big boy, playing with bubbles and laughing with his big sis. He enjoys snacking on his crib railing and drools like crazy as he is a teething machine. I counted 4 coming in at once the other day. Wow.

He loves clapping hands and bouncing to music. We are BIG "Tangled" fans in this house and listen to the soundtrack constantly. He loves the song that is sung by the "Pub Thugs" in the movie and lights up and starts boppin' the second he hears the beginning notes.

His fine and gross motor skills continue to improve and he shows us everyday just what a smart, capable boy he is. Next week is a big week. We'll go for another MRI and also meet with a Physiatrist to have him evaluated for braces for his legs (called AFOs for short--ankle foot orthotics.) He does alot of flat-footed standing, but he still goes up on his toes a bit. So if the braces will help fix that, then that is what we'll do. The sooner we intervene, the less likely he is to need assistance further down the road. This year has been challenging at times, but I thank God for the Early Intervention that has obviously helped him so much already. These last 6 months has been such a time of joy and excitement, celebrating all his accomplishments.

Here's a little album of some random pictures from yesterday. Him just being his adorable self and goofing off with Daddy before bedtime. Enjoy!

Dance class!

Lola is well into her second year of dance class at the studio. We are SO excited because this year she gets to be apart of the recital. Tuesday's class was special because she got to wear her Halloween costume--I remember getting to wear mine to dance class like it was yesterday, I swear. I can close my eyes and still see the class picture my mom took of me and all the other dancers. It is so fun to be a Mom of both a little boy and girl because I feel like I'm getting to experience exactly what my Mom did. And that is very special to me...

10.24.2011

busy mama bee

I don't think I could have packed more work into the last 7 days than I did. 4 days subbing at the Junior High, 2 Thirty-One parties and 6 family photo sessions. Whew! It feels great to be blessed with such opportunity (especially in this economy!) but there is no way I'd be able to do it without help from the Grandmas! I joke with my mom that she had 1 day off this entire week, but she did it all with a smile. And Sue taking Lola for her usual Wednesday evening-Thursday evening visit added to the much needed help this week!

Here's a few pics of their fun with Grammy & Mimi...

Grammy & Brittany took the kids out to lunch at Buca di Beppo. Nothing beats bread & butter!

And some bath time fun at Mimi & Papa's...
Clifford, Lola's "class mascot", got to join in on the fun this week as he was visiting our family from Nursery school. Bert played a gracious host and didn't mind too much that there was another pup in the bed!

10.09.2011

weekend getaway

{John & Kristen, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, October 2011}

This weekend, John & I got to spend some time, just the two of us, up in Lake Delavan at our family lake home. We kind of have to pinch ourselves for two reasons--1. That we have such a beautiful place to stay for free and 2. It includes BABYSITTING! Papa & Mimi watched the kiddos so we could get some much needed rest and celebrate our 5th Anniversary.

We had some really yummy meals and the highlight of our time had to be our hike Saturday morning around Lake Geneva, a neighboring lake (which I like to refer to as the Hamptons of Chicago). There are countless historic, multi-million dollar properties along both lakes, but unlike our Lake Delavan, there is a paved path traveling the entire 22-mile circumference of Lake Geneva. We got to enjoy God's & Man's architectural masterpieces upclose during the hike and it's something we can't wait to do again soon.

Carving Pumpkins-2011

Lola & Daddy carved the pumpkins we picked up at the patch to perfection today!

Click the album to view the pictures:


Loving the elements of Fall around the house...

10.06.2011

{kristen hernandez photography}

Something very exciting has been happening around here. Kind of by accident, I've started a little photography business! I had a friend on Facebook ask me a few months ago how much I charge for pictures. What?! I don't charge! Wait, should I be? So I decided to give her a very reasonable price for a session, explaining that I'm not a professional, just a hobby photographer. Well then more and more people started asking me. And so, it looks like {kristen hernandez photography} has been born.

I still have SO much to learn. And I am SO lucky to have my husband cheering me on through it all. Not to mention Mom and Sue who I can always count on to help me with the kids during the week for a few hours if I have a weekday shoot!

I have been very busy this last week and the rest of October is quite full for my little business. Here's a look at some of the sessions I did this past week:




Pumpkin Patch

Mimi was planning on taking Lola to Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm today, so Johnny & I decided to tag along. We had so much fun! It was a beautiful warm, sunny day and all the kids (big and little) enjoyed the activities.

Click the album to view pictures of the fun!

10.01.2011