Announcement, announcement, announcement!

Ok, so we've been a little slow at getting this big news up here. I needed to get a good picture to be able to post!

Hopefully you can read some, it not all of Hannah's shirt. It says "big sister in training" because that's what she is! According to our calculations, she will be a big sister sometime around June 28th (although if this little one is like Hannah we will have a July 4th baby!)

We went to the doctor earlier this month and already heard the baby's heartbeat, which makes it seem more real! I've been feeling pretty good for the most part, but it does seem that I'm feeling chubby a whole lot sooner than last time!

We hope that you all have a great Christmas. We have sure enjoyed our early Christmas present news...hopefully Hannah enjoys her new sibling, too!

Pettitt for President!!!

Nate coined the phrase that "the Carroll Country Club is the place to be in 2007." This became true on Friday when Mitt Romney stopped by and hung out in his office for a couple of hours before he spoke to over a hundred people at the Club. Nate received a call a week earlier from the Romney Campaign to host this event and now Nate may be his running mate!!! You can hardly tell who is running for office if you look at the picture. Mitt says, " your girl is beautiful." Nate says thanks and Mitt says, "Your wife that is!" Just another day in good old Iowa!

Christmas Craziness

Sometimes things are too convenient!

So last year at Christmas we gave all the grandparents and great-grandparents little photo albums with some pictures of Hannah in them. The idea was that we would send them pictures throughout the year to fill them up (which I tried to do, although the pics usually got there like 3-6 months after they were taken) Anyways, so for Christmas we had some "real" pics of hannah taken that we were giving to family as well as a bunch more pics that we had taken from home.

Wal-mart has been super convenient about pics...I can download them at home, choose them, order them, and then go pick them up in the store. All very nice to do from home when you have an over active 15 month old. Last time I ordered pics, I had them sent to CO, because I was going there and could deliver them to family while I was there and not forget to pack them, etc, etc. SO this time, I spend all this time looking through the pics, choosing them, etc, etc, order them, get an email that they are ready in the store, and when I go to pick them up they aren't there. They are in COLORADO, where I had pictures sent last time. Very nice, huh? At least we will be going there in a little over a week, I guess everybody (except for my mom and stepdad's parents, who are the only one's in CO now) will get their Christmas presents late. Sorry!

Rice Krispies and shoes

Lately Hannah has two new favorite things...Rice Krispies and shoes. I still don't know why I didn't think of rice krispies earlier. Maybe because only about half of them make it into her mouth, especially when she tries to use her spoon! Anyways, while I was pregnant with Hannah I guess you could call Rice Krispies my "craving." I never made Nate run out and buy some in the middle of the night, but about every morning I had a bowl for breakfast and at least another bowl sometime during the day for a snack. I'm not sure there is a whole lot of nutritional value to puffed rice, but at least there is some calcium in the milk, right? I'm sure somebody somewhere claims that a mother's cravings during pregnancy result in the child's liking for something, and so far this is totally true in our case! She'll finish one bowl and then another and then another. She goes to the cabinet where we keep the cereal and ask for more during the day, etc., etc. Silly girl!Hannah has also always enjoyed putting her shoes on. Well, at least she likes the idea of putting her shoes on. Usually she will get all excited, run over to me, sit down, and then start running off before I even get a sock on. Lately she also thinks it if fun to put other people's shoes on. If she doesn't find any shoes around the house, she runs to mom's shoes and starts pulling them out of the closet. Although sometimes it is nice to just have her entertain herself for a few minutes, I wish she understood the concept of putting things back a little better!

Hannah found dad's shoes in the kitchen. She gets so proud of herself when she manages to put both shoes on!

Hannah being such a big girl and trying to put on her own shoes. She gets so excited when she finds her shoes in the house.

This is Hannah on Thanksgiving wearing Aunt Kristen's high heel shoe. She kept walking around on the wood floors and you would hear "clop, clop, clop" throughout the house. Hannah's foot isn't quite as big as Uncle Kirby's yet!

Colorado continued...finally!

It has only been almost a month since our trip to CO, but I have a few more pictures to share.

My stepdad's parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary earlier this summer and so he and his sisters put together a surprise party for them. This was the reason for planning our trip to CO.

Here little Hannah is trying so hard to be patient while we visit with all sorts of people I've never met. As long as I kept the snacks coming and let her run around like crazy every once in a while she was OK.

We also got to go the Denver Art Museum while we were there. Here are a few pictures out front. Hannah even survived the museum and didn't get us kicked out. Once again the pretzel sticks came in handy...although I'm not really sure they technically allow food in there. Oh well!

Hannah with mom and Great Grandma....when can I get out and run around!?

Hannah and Great Grandma.

Hannah trying to decide which rock she can stick in her mouth without mom noticing.

We also had a feast while Hannah and I were in town. My mom cooked a turkey, mashed potatoes, etc. Pretty much like and early Thanksgiving, which was nice since we were in IA for Thanksgiving. So for Thanksgiving you need pumpkin pie and, of course, whipped cream.

Hannah decided that even if it took some time, it was worth it to get at the yummy whipped cream!