Josh Sentiments

"Man, I love this kid so much already and she isn't even out yet!"
"Whatever big mamma wants, big mamma gets."
"I'll have her on skates before she walks."
"Do you think she'll be as hairy as me?"
...and we are lucky that I could remember this many

Nursery Taking Shape

This weekend Josh and I have been very productive.  Starting with taking apart our desk, moving it out and refinishing our kitchen table at my parents.  Then we got the bug to put the crib together since we had so much space in the nursery with the desk gone.  We also moved Josh's bureau into our bedroom....his man cave/work out room has been taken over!  I also just had to put on the crib skirt because it was too cute to keep in the package.  Jenn's artwork nicely hangs above the crib!  I love it!  Finally, I thought, "why not consolidate photo albums?"  After 2 hours of rearranging photos, we now have 2 nice albums rather than 4 fairly shotty ones.  I guess it was worth it?  Josh is now telling me to relax for the rest of the night, but I felt like making corn bread and there are 3 out of 15 shelves that I haven't organized today.  I might be a slightly crazy lady!

Christmas 2012

The following is an email that I sent to my mom and three sisters.  I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful family!

 To My Fave Four,

I just want to say that I had such a great time with each one of you this Christmas.  I am grateful for our relationships and the love that we share together.  I am so blessed to be surrounded by women like you who are sincere, sensitive, loving, fun, funny and my best friends!  Even if I am not vocally contributing to a conversation or not looking too "alive", I am in heaven just being with you!

As I was unpacking, I found myself remembering all the moments that took place during these past few days.  Surprisingly, I didn't cry, but was smiling quietly to myself.   Josh and I have complied the following list of our favorite memories of this Christmas....it is certainly not completely inclusive! 

1. 17 different kinds of cookies
2. Surviving Santa's Village
3. "rocking" out in the women's car ride up to RJ
4. Maren calling everyone "macaroni head" and not eating her own macaroni
5. Twin black eyes
6. Jenn and Lo performing charades
7. Dad's "Saturday Night Fever" thermometer
8. Dividing endless amounts of cute little girl clothes for 2+ hours thanks to the Armstrong's generosity
9. Guys goofing off on the Kahuna Laguna water slides
10. Watching Maren and Addie shoot out the bottom of the slide with arms up in the air
11. Guys ripping up their toes playing hoops
12. Left, Right, Center
13. Mom's Hams
14. Extreme sledding with rules and without rules
15. Jonas' photo shoot
16. Dad and Em on Dance, Dance Revolution
17. Gourmet homemade meals three times a day
18. Buck Hunter- Safari Ed.
19. Oz books
20. Roasted marshmellows
21. Constant nose blowing
22. Kim killing it at poker
23. Wet Legos
24. Baby bumps
25. Jenn's slow motion sitting up slide ride
26. BEING TOGETHER!!!!!!

Thanks to each one of you for making this Christmas so special for Josh and I.  Thank you Mom and Dad for making Red Jacket possible.  It truly was a place for everyone to have a blast!  Josh and I love you and your husbands very much!  How fortunate are we to all get along so well?  We are all besties!  We are certainly unique in that regard I would say.  

Unfortunately, my vacation has come to a close, but I have so many great memories to remind me of the spirit of this Christmas season!  You were each an integral part in making Christmas special for me, thank you.

I love you all very much,
Kimmy......and Josh

Bumping 29 weeks

 A few pics from Hughes family Christmas! 

Kim 29 weeks

Jenn 30 weeks

Bumping around DC!

Josh and I have now gone to visit Jenn and Jonas for Veteran's Day weekend this year and last.  It is becoming a tradition!  We had a blast hanging out with the Anderson's as they are such great hosts.  They showed us around Baltimore, Frederick (Josh's old stompin' grounds) and DC.  We missed out on Dorothy's slippers, but Kermit was equally as good to see!  From gelato in Little Italy to the Hirshhorn....we covered quite a bit of ground in such a short time.  It was mostly fun for me to walk side by side with my sister who also has a baby bump showing!  We love DC and we love the Anderson's!  It's never long enough, but at least Christmas is coming up soon! Thanks to the Anderson's for a great and much needed weekend away! xox

Taking a rest at the American History Museum
"Do you want to skip the old stuff?" - Jenn (reading my mind)

Ai Weiwei: "According to what?" exhibit

Our fearless leaders

Blue Men

A few weekends ago, Josh and I went to see the Blue Man Group with a some friends from the ward.  We have now seen it twice.  We had a great night topped off with some pizza! Thanks for a fun evening to the Coles and Eubanks.

Babies Galore!

I know of 5 other women who are having babies in March.  One is my sister!  Jenn and Jonas are expecting a little GIRL exactly one week before us!  I just know that they are going to be besties!  Our family couldn't be more excited.  We just can't seem to have boys, but we sure celebrate girls!  Josh and I are going to see Jenn and Jonas in DC over Veteran's Day weekend.  It is becoming our tradition to visit them over this holiday weekend.  I can't wait to walk around DC together with our baby bumps!

I also just got back from my friend, Lindsay's baby shower! She is due in January.  It's really neat that after nearly 11 years, my high school friends are still close.  It's comforting to have friends who have known me for so long.  There is no pretense.  We are just ourselves and can pick right up where we left off no matter how much time has lapsed.  Gotta love my Chelmsford girls! 

Huesdoodle!

My mom is a great inspiration to me.  Perhaps, she would say the same as some of my drawings have been used for her designs for children's clothing.  My dad has also graciously made several contributions as an "artist on demand".   My mom has created Huesdoodle from the ground up.  This includes, creating her own website, unique inventory (cards, wall art, clothing from newborns to adult women), finding printers, quality fabrics, marketing, etc.  Her enthusiasm and ability to do 5 things at once without tiring is amazing!  She really believes in our artwork which is so special to me.  My mom has always been my greatest cheerleader.....I just hope she knows that I too am rooting for her as loud as I possibly can!  In her words, "I am passionate about this".  No matter what age, my mother is always rediscovering and enhancing her purpose in life.  I think she is simply passionate about life!

Here are some shots from my mom's first craft fair at Portsmouth High School, NH.  

I think it was a great success!  Check it out for yourself at huesdoodle.com

My mom and her sister Abbe shared a booth.  It was a family affair! 

PINK!!!!

At 9:30 am, we found out that we were going to have a GIRL!  The Hughes tradition lives on!  We can't wait to meet our baby girl! xoxox Mom and Dad

50/50

What's it going to be?  Find out tomorrow, 10 am! We can't wait!

I'm back!

All I can say is.....I feel great!  I have just gotten over a head cold (which wasn't very fun), but now I am a champ!  I can breathe and am not sick to my stomach anymore!  At work, C.diff ain't got nothin' on me!  16.5 and I'm cruisin'!  Literally.  I have gone for a walk two days in a row!  This isn't so bad after all!  Bring it on little buddy, bring it on!  We find out Oct 15th if it's a boy or girl!  Any bets out there?  I'm alive :)

Fall for apples!

Joshua Tree

 

Picking in Maine, can't get much better than this!

Moody Beach, Wells, Maine = Happiness

 
                                                                         

angel face kimmy

  2 pm

  3 pm

4 pm

didn't move an inch

love, Joshie

Jacked up nursery

Josh thought that this could fit with the crib etc. Who do you think won that battle? Surprisingly, it actually was a battle!

Babe at 12 weeks!

Check out that profile!

12 weeks

Things that I have learned about my first trimester..... I am 12 weeks!

Likes:

Lemons, cheese, mayo, deli meat, peaches, mint gum, hot water, hot showers, 630am-2pm, sleep, and number one = having a helpful husband and healthy baby being low risk for complications!

Dislikes:

Looking at Bermuda pics make me nauseous

Canary Square food drifting through my window

Staying at work past 430 and stomaching the adult smells I find at work

Toothpaste (this is troublesome)

Artificial sweetner or any sweets

Milk and cottage cheese

Long car rides

Not being able to stay up past 930

Being deadly company

Not being able to exercise

And that's all I will put on my dislike/complain list.  Soon, I will hope to have many many more likes on my list!  

I have had only one melt down which was today on the phone with my mom.  Lo and Steve are visiting from AZ and I just didn't have it in me to drive back up there for one more day with them and then sit in Labor Day traffic getting back to Boston at night.  Plus, even if I made it, I'm not sure I would be much fun as I try to keep my mouth shut so nothing will spontaneously fly out of it!  Everyone keeps telling me that it gets better.  Cheers to getting better....soon please!

I really am 9 weeks!

I am so happy that the U/S for dating my pregnancy is on target with where I thought I was.  I really would have had a hard time if they told me I was only 7 weeks.  Each day is a little different, but boy, I'm still feeling really gnarly most of the day now!  Let's hope that 12 weeks brings a new settled stomach.  Wishful thinking?  At least, I've found that lemon and mint gum seem to help settle my stomach for a little bit.  Check out that yolk sac :)

Little peanut

This is from my 8 week check up!  However, our doctor thought that we were a little shy of 8 weeks as our peanut is on the smaller side.

This was an OB visit that I will never forget. Right after my abdominal ultrasound, the fire alarm went off.  The entire East Campus of Beth Isreal was evacuated, all 10 floors.  I was happy to not have to get dressed! We hadn't made it that far, luckily!  So, Josh and I were escorted by our doctor, Dr. Atkins (who is awesome), outside and she stayed with us until we were allowed back in.  I basically gave my medical history to her on Longwood Ave! haha!  She was great and answered all of our questions.  She also said that Josh and I were going to make great parents because we adapted so well to unexpected happenings.....like fire alarms!  We saw the flickering rapid heart beat, no audio, but saw the heart rate flashing right before our eyes.  Next visit is in one month!  Here's to hoping that this peanut keeps growing!  We are very excited!  I was also happy to come home to Schwepp's Gingerale awaiting me on our counter!  Thanks Josh :)

3 pm = worst time of the day

Man....what's up with calling it "morning sickness" if it doesn't hit until 3?  This past weekend, Josh and I went to Newport, RI with our friends, Mary and Derek Staples.  We had a great time, but man, once 2:30 hit, I was down for the count.   I made it through Breakers and a short jaunt on the cliff walk, but soon after I was hurting for certain.  Not to mention the slightly soggy lobster and avacado salad I ate at Diego's was starting to make my stomach turn. 

Luckily, for me (and Josh), I passed out in the car on the drive back.  However, I was pleasantly awoken by Josh taking a snap shot of my lovely self; neck contorted, mouth wide open with double chin exposition in full affect.  We had a deal that those days were over.  Not a good move, Josh, not a good move.

I can't get over how specific my cravings are.  In RI, all I wanted was salty avacado (minus the lobster...ugh).  Today, it's cottage cheese.  Random.  But boy, I am useless after 3.  And if the food of choice is not available at that time.....look out!  Good thing I wind up at work around 4 because it's getting a little dicey. Maybe I'll make some burgers!

Salt running in my veins

Cravings?  Are they really possible?  At 6 weeks, I can't seem to get enough salt on my food these days.  I have a little tupperware container in my work lunchbox with kosher salt that almost needs refilling.  Honestly, either my tastebuds are dead or I need to chew salt-releasing gum.  Hopefully, this will pass as I hope to not bloat to epic proportions.  Either that, or I'll owe my employer several bottles of Tomato Juice.....what? Gross, I would never have had this before and really, really enjoyed it!

Bermuda....Oh Baby!

I'm not one for long introductions, so here is my launch of our new blog!  Enjoy and welcome to the crazy, simple, fun, complex, loving and happy world of the Ackernecht's!  Check out what's going on with us "Day and Necht"!

Josh and I have been long awaiting a tropical vacation!  Our original honeymoon was wonderful 3 years ago in Bar Harbour, Maine, but we finally bit the bullet and booked a trip!  Little did we know that we would be celebrating many, many exciting changes in the Ackernecht family! For instance, we toasted to:
Josh's MBA
Josh's new job/leaving Sherwin Williams behind
My graduation
and......
My being 6 weeks pregnant!

Yes, that is correct......we are expecting a little one soon!  It's exciting to know that our little one has already traveled abroad, swam with colorful fish, almost witnessed his father become sea treasure, explored St. George's and sweated it out with his parents listening to jazz at sunset in the Bermuda Triangle! Soon this twosome will become THREE!