The Hine Family Blog

Back by Popular Demand

2011-08-25T22:02:00.008-04:00

I know, I know. It has been way too long since we have posted anything to our blog. Sometimes, life just gets super busy and the next you know it has been 5 months. Wait, FIVE months? Really? Maybe it has something to do with us trying to get our little bundle of joy potty trained.
Thats right, this guy.
Luckily, just this week, we have seemed to have a break through. He has been dry all week long and we are taking a family trip to buy Tigger.
Why Tigger? Good question. Well recently Porter went to see his first movie. Nanna treated Porter to Winnie the Pooh.
Not the greatest picture, but you get the idea.
He did really well for a while but towards the end he wanted to play on the floor. Gross.

Here is another major step for our, not so little anymore, little guy. A big boy bed.

Here are some other random photos of Porter and his friends over the past couple of months.

Future Tiger???

2011-03-22T20:23:00.003-04:00

Porter and I went to the park today after supper. I put on a visor and Porter said he wanted to wear a hat too, so I put my Clemson one on him. Then he started to do the fight song. Luckily, he repeated it for me so I could catch it on my phone!

We Survived

2011-03-20T14:08:00.003-04:00

So Shine 2011 was this weekend, and guess what, we survived. What is Shine 2011 you ask. Well, that is what our church called its Discipleship Now Conference this year. It started Friday night and ended this morning with the 11:30 service. It included more than 180 middle school and high school students as well as a number of college student leaders. There were more than 8 baptisms this morning at church of students who either gave their lives to Christ or were following up on a previous decision through their public profession of faith.

We were blessed to be able to play a small role in this weekend with the students. We were a host home for the weekend. There were 8 wonderful 8th grade girls in our home this weekend and 2 college leaders. Yes, Porter was here too and he hammed it up for the girls. I was worried about the girls being loud and waking Porter up at night, but he slept just fine.

The kids all worked really learning some dance moves which they showed off at Falls Park downtown. THEY WERE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! Please check it out and tell your friends.

Porter on his bike

2011-03-09T12:48:00.004-05:00

Sorry it has been so long. Here is a video of Porter on his "race track" on the deck. I will try to upload some more stuff this weekend.

Christmas '10

2011-01-04T19:59:00.010-05:00

Sorry it took us a while to get this post up. We had a great Christmas this year. Porter was much more aware and was able to open his own presents. He left cookies and milk out for Santa on Christmas eve. He was very excited to see the empty plate and cup along with the note that Santa left for him. After we read Santa's note we sang happy birthday to Jesus.

After we checked out the note for a little while Porter realized that Santa brought more than just a note.

It is a slinky.

He loves his new tricycle.

Santa also brought Momma and Daddy some stuff too. Momma loves hers.

Checking out my new wool overcoat.

After we opened presents we hit the road for Sumter and Mayesville to spend time with family. Porter got lots of stuff at Yaya and Grandpa's house.

Then it was off to Grandaddy and Nana's house and out to the country with the extended family.

There is that slinky.

Luckily Gam a Gam made it back in time to see Porter before he left for Greenville.

Thanks Nana and Granddaddy.

2010-12-30T23:00:00.002-05:00

Porter got this new keyboard and mic from Nana and Granddaddy. He has figured out how to do more than just blow into the mic now. He is still trying to eat it though.

More pictures and videos from Christmas to come soon.

Porter Pictures

2010-12-13T20:54:00.005-05:00

I borrowed a friend's camera and snapped a few photos of Porter. He did not cooperate. I did get a few shots though.

Recent Videos

2010-11-22T19:27:00.006-05:00

Porter loves the cars that Aunt Joanne sent.

Porter singing in the car. He is so silly.

Porter sitting on a tractor.

Porter on the rocking horse.

I told you he was a monster...

2010-11-01T21:48:00.006-04:00

So Maria and Porter went trick-or-treating on Saturday with some of the other kids from our Sunday school class. Porter did not quite catch on to the concept. Half the time he would say trick-or-treat and just walk off without getting any candy. Then there was that one time, when the lady opened the door, Porter decided it would be a great idea to go running into her house. Not only did he run into her house but he went all the way down the hall and GOT ON HER BED. He laid there and laughed. Maria was quite embarrassed to say the least. Hopefully next year he will do a little better with the candy.

Sunday night we went to the fall festival that the church put on. There were tons of people there. I helped man the cake walk while Porter played with dirt. The train ride was not as big of a hit this time around. He even said "I did not like the little train" on the way home. He was the cutest train engineer that you will ever see.

Porter loves his hat so much he was wearing it again today.

Our little monster is 2!!!!

2010-10-25T13:07:00.011-04:00

Some days it is almost impossible to believe that we have a two year old. We went home for my 10 year high school reunion and to celebrate Porter's birthday with family. We enjoyed a nice picnic at Swan Lake with Yaya and Grandpa and Gama Gam. Then we went to "The Country" to celebrate with Nana, Grandaddy, Heath, Lisa, Johnny, and Katie too. Porter had a blast celebrating and opening presents. Last weekend we celebrated here in Greenville with some of Porter's friends. Porter loves trains so he wanted all of his friends to be able to go for a ride on George the Train. Here are some pictures of Porter's parties.

Porter was a little scared of the loud horn.

Porter and Friends

2010-10-11T21:50:00.009-04:00

This is going to be a short post. It took a while for the pictures to upload today for some reason. Anyway, here are some updated pictures of Porter. We went to Homecoming at Clemson and Porter loved playing with his friends and looking at the floats. We went to Orangeburg this past weekend to see our cousin, Katie in homecoming, but didn't get any pictures. Boo! Nana got some for us, though. Hopefully, we can download some of hers. We met Yaya, Grandpa, Uncle Richard, and Gama Gram on Saturday for a Fall Festival in Columbia. So good to see them and Porter had a great time on the tractors! On Sunday, we went to pick out a pumpkin for our house. Porter ran all over the pumpkin patch and wanted to take all of the pumpkins home:)

My New Cast

2010-09-03T10:16:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of Porter with his cast. He is very proud of it. "It's Blue." He picked the color out all by himself. He routinely holds up his arm and says "Now take it off" and "It itches". Hopefully he will get a little more used to it. I have included some videos of him singing and chasing a cat. He is too cute.

Porter's little accident

2010-08-29T20:07:00.004-04:00

Our sweet Porter had a little accident last night. He was trying to throw a ball up the stairs and when the ball came back down, so did Porter. Thankfully, he had only climbed one stair, but he hit the ground hard enough to fracture his little arm. We called the doctor this morning and they said we should probably take him to the emergency room. So, we spent most of the morning in the emergency room. They did an xray and now Porter has a little splint. He is going to have to have a cast which he will have to wear for at least 4 weeks. Please pray for Porter:) Here's a little video of Porter telling John what happened.

Porter being silly

2010-08-20T11:28:00.002-04:00

You have to turn the volume way up on this.

Take me out to the...

2010-07-21T20:46:00.005-04:00

So last night we went on a little outing with some friends to Fluor Field to watch a little baseball. We shot a little video on the way there. Porter was very excited, or so we thought.

Porter was a real trooper and braved the heat until almost 9. He even got a free hot dog and chips, which he devoured (which we think resulted in an upset stomach making for a long night).

Fluor Field is a not quite exact replica of Fenway which makes it pretty cool.

Summer Update

2010-07-21T15:17:00.005-04:00

Porter is growing so fast and talking so much. I was changing his diaper a week or so ago and he looked up at me and said "hug" and so I gave him a hug. Then he looked right into my eyes and said, without me asking him to, "I luv you". My heart just melted. His new favorite song is "Read your bible, pray everyday" and he says grow, grow grow. It's so cute! Enjoy the pictures:)
Loves to try on Daddy's shoes...
and tries to tie his!
He's totally aware of the camera now!
Loves playing with his new friend Alli! We're so glad they are here!
Playing speed slice on the Wii with his buddy Frankie!
Daddy and Porter at the park!

Vacation

2010-05-18T21:34:00.011-04:00

Kudos to the Peden's! Thank you Lisa and Johnny! We are loving it here and Porter is having a blast! You know he loves being "owside" and he loves the pool! Enjoy the pictures!

These cranes were in our backyard yesterday morning!

He loves filling up one bucket and dumping it into the other bucket, then says "Yay!"

Daddy at Downtown Disney...

Porter at Downtown Disney...

We all shared a Mint Bliss from Ghirardelli! Mint Chocolate chip ice cream and 86% Ghirardelli Chocolate! Yum!

We ate at the Rainforest Cafe. Porter loved the fish, but was a little skeptical when it thundered in the rain forest:)

Waiting for his drink...

Houston we have a problem.

2010-04-29T12:11:00.004-04:00

Sorry it has been so long. I am working on getting some video edited so I can put it up on the blog.

But I digress. Porter has decided that he no longer wants to have hair so he has started pulling it out in clumps at night while he is in his crib. Not sure what the deal is but hopefully we can figure it out soon before he looks like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings with like three little bunches of hair on his head.

Here are some Pictures of Porter. He is trying to do a pushup like daddy in that last one.

Tubes and some other stuff.

2010-01-09T19:11:00.006-05:00

So for those of you who have not heard, we have had a busy couple of weeks around here. Porter finally got tubes put in his ears. He was soooooo good. The only problem came when we put him in the car to come home and he threw up all of his apple juice projectile style. Here are some pics of him looking cute in his gown.

Unfortunately the same day Porter got his tubes, my dad had to have Gabe put down due to a heart condition. He was a great dog.

We had a great time in Sumter for Christmas. Porter has started walking (some) and he had a blast opening his presents. We got a wii and have been having a blast with it so far.

Porter and His Car

2009-11-04T17:15:00.002-05:00

Porter got a car for his birthday and just LOVES riding in it and pushing it around. Enjoy:)

Scene of the Crime

2009-10-25T19:37:00.007-04:00

Maria and I decided to take Porter to Whitewater Falls today up in NC. For those of you who do not know the uber romantic story, this is where I made Maria the luckiest woman on the planet. That's right, I asked her to marry me on top of the waterfall. If you look really close you can see where we were almost 7 years ago to the day (Oct. 26th, 2002). The weather was perfect and the leaves really seemed to be at their peak. Porter had a great time. He smiled at every single person we passed on the way up to the lookout. If you have never been, you need to check it out.

The view from the parking lot.

The family before we head up the trail.

Half way to the lookout spot.

The view from the lower lookout platform.

Porter walking back to the Car.

More Birthday Pictures

2009-10-14T16:03:00.004-04:00

We didn't get very many pictures of the HIne family because our camera was charging. So here are some more pictures with YaYa, Grandpa Doug, and Great Grandma Helen.

Thank you, YaYa for sending the CD!

Porter's Birthday Party

2009-10-10T19:59:00.004-04:00

Well, we just finished up a fun day with family for Porter's birthday. He Turns 1 on Thursday but we decided to have the party this weekend. Porter's cousin and aunt and uncle spent the night with us last night as did his great aunt and uncle. Porter's great grandma, YaYa, and Grandpa came to celebrate with him too. We had burgers and hotdogs along with some cake. Of course Porter got his own cake. Check back soon for some videos of Porter destroying his cake.

Porter LOVES his new car.

And the box it came in.

MMMMMM........CAKE

Before he destroyed it.

Porter is almost 1

2009-10-01T10:07:00.002-04:00

Here is Porter's latest little trick. And he has a tooth now.

Jam Session

2009-09-11T16:47:00.002-04:00

So here are a few clips of Porter rocking out on the drums at our friend's house. He really loves the drums. It is hard to believe that Porter will be one year old in a little more than a month.

Porter Laughing

2009-08-04T21:39:00.004-04:00

I am so thankful we got this on video. John was shuffling his feet and Porter thought it was hysterical!

9 Month Check Up

2009-07-26T14:19:00.002-04:00

Porter loves his Johnny Jump Up. He is still not technically crawling yet, but he gets around pretty quickly. He had his 9 month check up and he weighed 19 lbs 11 oz. He was 29 1/2 inches tall and his head circumference was in the 92 percentile. The doctor is pretty sure that he is about to have a growth spirt any time now. Still no teeth. Apparently Porter may be one of those kids who decides he wants to skip crawling and go straight to walking.

Some Videos

2009-07-15T18:26:00.005-04:00

So we have been lazy...and sick. Turns out I had strep throat and so did Maria and Porter had an ear infection. Everyone in the house was on antibiotics. We are all better now though. Here are a couple of videos that Maria got on her phone. I hope you enjoy. Don't feel obligated to watch the whole thing.

Fun in the Sun

2009-06-24T21:23:00.005-04:00

We've been out of town every weekend in June, but we will be home this weekend! I've enjoyed seeing everybody, but I'm looking forward to some time at home to catch up on some things around here, and maybe work in a nap:) Last weekend we had a family reunion, my friend, Cathleen and her son Will came to stay with us last Tuesday, and this past weekend, we went home for a shag party that my dad puts on ever year. We invited John, Loren, and their son Joel who is 20 months old and David, Sarah and their son Benton, who is 17 months old. We stayed at my grandmother's house and we had a blast!! Joel and Benton had a great time playing together. Porter will be chasing them next year, but this year he just squealed and smiled a lot:)

It was great to see everybody at the party. My sister Rebecca, brought Haley to the party and she had so much fun. We've decided she has more energy as the day goes on. She just walked all over the farm and was covered in dirt, but enjoyed every minute.

Porter slept through most of the family reunion.

Porter loved spending time with cousin Patrick!

We stopped by to see our friends Ben and Emily and their new baby Hannah. What a beautiful little lady!

I can't believe we snapped this one with all of them in the air at the same time:)

Haley on the dance floor!

Porter with Momma.

Cathleen with Porter.

Click here for more pictures!

This one is for Sara

2009-06-24T15:15:00.004-04:00

I saw this on the road yesterday and had to take a picture. Sorry you don't get the pleasure of Cheerwine up north.

Look Ma...No Teeth

2009-06-06T13:42:00.002-04:00

So Porter loves to slam his rattle after he eats and show off the fact that he still has no teeth. Ironically enough, his shirt says "Teeth are over rated".

Where does the time go?

2009-06-04T18:44:00.022-04:00

So my dad informed Maria that it had been over a month since the last update on the blog. I am deeply sorry to all of those out there who's lives have been a little empty this past month without any updates. Well here you go. I will stop typing now since I know all anyone cares about are the pictures of Porter.

We had our first family trip to the beach for our anniversary. Porter looked so cute in his swimsuit. We had to buy him some sunglasses and a hat since we left the one that cousin Michael bought Porter at home. If you can't tell, he is trying to eat the tag on the sunglasses.

In addition to our exciting beach vacation, Porter has been trying all kinds of new food. The only thing that he has not liked is peas. He loves everything else though.
Yep, those last two are peas.

Stay tuned...Porter is really close to crawling.

Porter Update

2009-05-02T17:34:00.003-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since we updated our blog! Life is kind of crazy in the Hine house, but as usual, God is always doing great things! Porter is growing so fast! I can't believe he's already six months old!! He's sitting up really well now and he's talking so much more. He laughs too! A few days ago I was trying to get him to sleep and he grabbed my lips, so I reprimanded him, saying "No, No, Porter" in a stern voice, and he just looked at me and laughed. I'm sure that was a glimpse into our future:)

Anyway, our 5 year anniversary was yesterday and I feel so blessed to be right where I thought we would be five years ago. I was just counting all of my blessings yesterday. I have a husband who loves the Lord, loves me and loves Porter, and family on both sides that would do anything for us, and for that I am truly thankful! And what would we do without all of our friends! I don't think we thank God enough for the blessings in our lives.

I know this has been a rambling post, but here's what you really want to see....Porter pictures....

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES

Porter's first trip to the beach with Nana and me.

Porter working with Granddaddy, Grandandy, Rut Rut - He hasn't decided what he wants to be called yet:)

Porter and his buddy Philip carrying on a conversation:)

He's sitting up so well now and he LOVES this toy. It sings a little song every time you put a shape in it. Thanks to the Smiths for this!

My sweet baby! I love being a mom!

Porter's First Easter

2009-04-14T20:43:00.002-04:00

Sorry it has taken a few days, not than anyone is really out there holding their breathe or anything. Porter looked really cute in his new outfit but it was way too big. I think the clothes were for 12 months but the sweater was Maria's little brother's when he was a baby. Porter's great grandma just loves to hold him. It is hard for anyone else to get a turn when she is around.

I almost forgot. We started Porter on solid foods today. His adventure began with green beans. He was a little unsure at first but we think he likes them.

Pictures from Nana's Camera

2009-04-11T09:05:00.006-04:00

Here are a few pictures that my Nana took of me. I hope you enjoy.

New Pictures

2009-04-05T13:41:00.006-04:00

Some of my college friends and I try to get together at least once a year to grab lunch and play a game or two. This year we ate Mexican and played cards. Porter was helping Sarah decide which card she should play in this picture. He's so intense, sometimes:)

One night, I asked John to bring Porter's laundry basket up from downstairs, and this is what he brought me:) I love that he's sticking his tongue out so much now:)

I met my mom and sister and niece on Saturday at the zoo. John snapped this picture in the car before we left. Doesn't he look excited about going to the zoo?

We bought Haley and Porter hats at the zoo, so they wouldn't get a sunburn. His barely fit, but still so cute and served the purpose!!

Haley enjoyed seeing the animals and it was soo good to see her and Becca. They are going out of town for the next few weeks, so we were so glad we were able to see them before they left!! Here are Porter and Haley right after our lunch break. Haley's almost ready to walk! I'm sure she'll be teaching Porter in the next few months. Click here to see more pictures from the zoo.

I Am Not Only The President...

2009-03-22T21:50:00.002-04:00

Looks like Porter needs to join the Hair Club For Men...or babies. It is amazing what a difference 5 months can make.

Finally Finished

2009-03-21T15:44:00.003-04:00

It only took nine months but I finally got the french doors finished in the living room. Scraping paint off of glass with a razor blade is not as easy as one would think. Here are a few pictures of Porter too just for fun.

BEFORE

AFTER

My Two Gifts

2009-03-10T20:59:00.003-04:00

I've had a wonderful birthday today. Porter and I met John downtown for a nice lunch outside at Mary's Restaurant. The garden looked great with all the tulips in bloom. I can't believe that they didn't die from the snow. We even got a free dessert because the waitress felt bad that the service was slow. Their brownie a la mode is to die for! Both of my boys gave me presents for my birthday. I just thought I would share their gifts. Can you tell which one is John's and which one is Porter's?

Happy Birthday

2009-03-09T23:34:00.002-04:00

Happy birthday mommy. So it is Maria's first birthday as a mom and I wanted to make it a special one. She has wanted one of those baby collages for a while now so I decided I would make one for her. Here are a few of the pictures I included.

Its all Fun and Games Until...

2009-03-05T19:42:00.004-05:00

So as you may have noticed, we got some snow on Sunday. What may not be so evident from the previous post is that shortly after I made that post, our power went out, for two days. Thats right, two days. After a very sketchy trip up the driveway we packed up and went to David and Sarah's house since they still had power. There were only about 20 houses on our street that lost power and of course we were one. On top of all that Porter came down with his first ear infection. He had a fever and we took him into the doctor and he gave us the good news. Gabe got to rough it in the cold by himself while we slept at David's but he did not seem to mind too much. On a side note, I did get the tv up on the wall and I even managed to hide the wires without causing too much destruction. At least it gave me an excuse to buy a new 8" drill bit.

Thanks to uncle Richard for the new clothes. This is the only one he fits in right now but check back soon to see the others.

Porter's First Snow

2009-03-01T18:27:00.004-05:00

Finally, after a couple of close calls, we got snow. There has been snow both in Greenville and Sumter but we missed it both times. Here are some pictures.

Randomness

2009-02-27T17:54:00.011-05:00

We went to Columbia a couple of weekends ago to meet John's family for February birthdays. This is John's brother, Richard with Porter.

We went back to Richard's house after our birthday supper and we all got on his Wii Fit to see our weight and Wii Fit age. This is John's grandmother, Helen. Her age was right on the money, where it should be, 90 years old! I hope and pray I am in the shape she's in when I'm 90!!

Last weekend we celebrated January, February, and March birthdays with my family. This is my grandmother with her two great grandchildren, Haley and Porter! She was so happy to see them and showed them off to all of her friends and neighbors down the hall. We even interrupted musical hats at their activity time!!

Nana was so excited to see Porter and it was so great to spend time with them too!

I couldn't resist taking this picture. I was talking to John on the phone and Porter was whining a little bit and I was telling John I better go put him down for a nap, and the next thing I knew he was out like a light!

We tried rice cereal a few days ago and Porter was more interested in the bowl than the cereal. We'll try again soon:)

Chillin' - Thanks Sara Carrington for this cute outfit:) Sara - that was the perfect word to put on a shirt for him because it totally fits his personality.
Click here for more pictures of randomness:)

He must be Butter...Cause he's on a roll

2009-02-11T21:06:00.001-05:00

Trip to Lexington

2009-02-11T13:50:00.017-05:00

We went to Lexington this past Saturday to visit my family and to a couples baby shower for our friends Benjy and Emilie Ingram. We are so excited for them and can't wait to meet Hannah!

This is my aunt Beth and cousin Rachel with Porter. We had a such a good time visiting with them:)

Me, Emilie, and Kelly - Love these ladies!

Porter at his first baby shower!

Betsy, me, and Ashley - Love these ladies too and miss my Cola friends!

This picture is for our Florida friends! I needed a shirt to match his navy pants and look what I found! Congrats to the Gators for their big SEC win!

Stay tuned - Porter rolled over yesterday!!! I'll try to post the video soon!

Visit from YaYa and Great YaYa

2009-02-07T13:34:00.007-05:00

YaYa and Great YaYa came to visit us on Thursday. We met John for lunch at the Overlook Grill downtown. We wanted to take a walk around the park, but it was too cold. Too bad they didn't come today. It's absolutely gorgeous!

They were supposed to stay longer, but weren't able to because I had to take Porter to the dermatologist. He has terrible eczema. They gave him a prescription lotion, an antibiotic, a special shampoo, soap, and moisturizer. Well we used the shampoo, soap, and moisturizer Thursday night, and on Friday he had a rash all over his body! Bless his sweet heart! I felt so bad. Needless to say, we called the doctor and we stopped the soap and moisturizer. We have a follow up appt. on Thursday, so we'll let you know how he's doing then. Please keep him in your prayers:) It wouldn't bother me if it didn't bother him, but he has his hands in his head a lot scratching it.

This is a random picture I just had to post from our Superbowl party we had this past Sunday! I just thought it was funny:)

Play Time

2009-02-04T18:59:00.005-05:00

Porter and I try to meet on Fridays with our friends Mary Teal and Benji. We usually walk if the weather is nice, but lately it's been too cold to take our boys outside, so last Friday we went to the Little Paris Cafe downtown for dessert and coffee. Well, Mary Teal had coffee. I don't drink coffee. I did have some very yummy dessert, though! Here are some cute pictures I took of our boys together. It was nice they were both awake. Usually one is sleeping:)

Porter and Friends

2009-01-31T11:59:00.018-05:00

I don't know where the time goes. I keep taking pictures, thinking "Oh! this will be great for the blog" Well now I'm finally posting them to the blog:) I absolutely love this one!! I put him in the Exersaucer and he was just fascinated! He's really too small for it, but we've been wrapping him in a blanket to keep him propped up until he can do it better by himself. I'm just glad I had the camera handy!

Last Sunday we went to Benton's 1 yr birthday party (David and Sarah George's little boy) They let him dig into his own personal cake. It was too cute!

Porter was just chillin' in his seat for the first part of the party, then he woke up for this cute smile.

Benton opened his presents and I think he just ate up all of the attention. He loved the drum set from Mama and Daddy.

John showing him how to play on the pillow:)

On Sunday night Hannah came over from Clemson to visit us and Porter and we treated Hannah to Smoke on the Water for a birthday supper.
Click here for more pictures! Enjoy:)

More Smiles!

2009-01-23T17:53:00.008-05:00

I have really enjoyed watching Porter develop lately. He been smiling so much and he loves playing under the Baby Einstein. I'll post a video of him playing soon. It's so much fun to watch! He's just discovered that he has hands and feet in the past few weeks. He just stares at his hands sometimes and you can just see the wheels turning! Here are some new pictures. When I change his diaper, he looks up at the banner on the wall that has "All Creatures Great and Small" on it and just smiles and kicks his legs.

My Little All Star

2009-01-13T13:29:00.005-05:00

Porter was being kind of fussy this morning, so I thought I would try out the Bumbo seat. He loved it! So of course I had to pull out the camera. He looks so big sitting up like that:) We went to Target to get a present for some friends of ours last week and I found these cute overalls and just couldn't pass them up!

Christmas 2008

2009-01-11T14:19:00.016-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since we updated our blog. When I have free time during Porter's naps, there are so many other things I think of that I need to do other than post to the blog, but I'll try to be better about it:) We had a wonderful Christmas with our families. Porter and I went to my aunt Beth's house in Lexington on Christmas Eve and celebrated with my Dad's side of the family. John couldn't go because he had to work, and we really missed him, but we had a very yummy brunch with them and enjoyed our time there. Christmas was a whirlwind day as we spent Christmas Eve at our house in Greenville. We had our little family Christmas very early Christmas morning. We read the Christmas story before we got out of the bed, and then we opened our presents. John helped Porter open his little present. Santa only brought him one thing...the book Guess How Much I Love You, since he couldn't ask for anything yet:) Then we packed up and went to Sumter and had brunch with John's family. It was great to see John's brother, Richard. Props to him for the digital picture frame! What a great idea! Grandmommmy Mary made caramel pecan rolls, which tasted fabulous as usual. We visited with them and opened presents until a little after 2, then we went to Mayesville to open presents with my immediate family. Nana, my mom, had some appetizers including a really good new dip and toasted butter pecans (some of my favorites:) My sister's little girl, Haley, and Porter enjoyed their first Christmas together. We got some really cute pictures of Haley with antlers:) We stayed there for an hour or so and then went to my grandparents house to celebrate with my extended family. We ate supper there and opened presents. We really missed our grandparents this year as they both past away last year, but we all enjoyed the day and I'm so thankful for all of my family. Whew! We were exhausted at the end of the day, but it was all worth it! John drove back to G'ville and Porter and I stayed in Mayesville. Click here to see more pictures.

Its almost Christmas

2008-12-20T10:50:00.004-05:00

I love this picture. The girls from the office threw Maria/Porter a baby shower the other day. I made Maria put Porter in his Santa outfit. He also wore his bib that says "I have been good mostly". I think I bought all of the stuff target had in his size for Christmas wear. I am a sucker.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-10T17:04:00.018-05:00

I know, I know...it's almost time for Christmas! We've just been too busy to update our blog lately. We had a great time with our families over the Thanksgiving weekend. John's aunt, Celia, came down from Maryland and his uncle, Mike, came down from Connecticut. It was great to spend some quality time with them:) We spent the night in Sumter and then went to the Thanksgiving service in Mayesville and ate lunch with my family. We had 24 people there!! Then we came back and had supper in Sumter with John's family. It was a full day, but we had a great time with everybody. On Sunday, my aunts, Lisa and Kelli, and friends, Marjorie and Andi, hosted a shower for Porter and me. It was nice to have one after he was born so we could get some boy clothes:) This is a picture of all of the hostesses, Kelli, Lisa, Andi, and Marjorie with me and Porter. I feel so blessed to have such a caring family and so blessed that Porter is a part of our family now. What a miracle and blessing he is to us!

Click here to see more Thanksgiving pictures and pictures from the shower.

Happy 1 Month Birthday Porter

2008-11-15T10:25:00.008-05:00

And yes, his eyes are crossed. I keep telling him they are going to get stuck like that but he does not care.

So today little Porter is 1 month old. I thought I would post a few more pictures for everyone to see our little boo. Thanks to Jessica for the little onesie that says "Tax Deduction" which was Porter's little birthday gift to us. Thanks little buddy. To see more pictures of Porter with his family CLICK HERE.

Porter's First Play Date!

2008-11-05T20:54:00.006-05:00

Porter and I met my friend Mary Teal and her new little boy, Benji, for lunch today. Then we came back to my house and went for a little walk. It was a beautiful day today and the leaves here are absolutely beautiful!! I love the fall! Mary Teal had Benji October 17th, two days after Porter was born. I actually saw her husband looking in the nursery in the hospital when they were wheeling me out to the car. It's nice to have a friend that has a baby the same age as Porter:) It was so nice to get out of the house and visit with a friend! Of course we compared notes about labor and breasfeeding, but we had a great time, and got a little exercise too!

Halloween can be SOOOO Scary!

2008-11-02T14:09:00.004-05:00

Since it was Porter's first Halloween we had to get pictures. Enjoy.

Video

2008-10-25T21:03:00.008-04:00

Just in case you were wondering what a week in the life of Porter is like, here you go.

Bobble Head Porter

2008-10-25T11:55:00.004-04:00

So our little Porter had his one week doctors appointment and he is already back up to his original birth weight. The Dr. said that was very impressive especially since we have not supplemented with any formula. He has been a dream baby so far, I just hope that does not end. Every time we try to burp Porter he moves his little head around so much he looks like a bobble head doll. I can't believe how strong his neck is. He just sleeps all the time. He has also started to open his eyes more and it looks like they are grey, but it is still hard to tell.

Our little gift from God:)

2008-10-17T21:57:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everybody for your prayers! Our little family is doing well. We came home today a little before 4 and everyone is doing well! Gabe is adjusting, though:) We've had several people come to our house with babies, so Gabe is use to seeing them and usually just sniffs, but today he knows something is different. He keeps checking Porter out and he kind of looks at us like "When is somebody going to take him home?" Thankfully, my mom is here to help us for a few days, then John's mom will be coming to stay. Click here to see more pictures of our sweet Porter:)

Pictures

2008-10-16T15:35:00.004-04:00

I have posted some pictures of the little guy here.

Sorry, I forgot all about the details (Thanks Betsy). Porter was born at 8:34pm and he weighed 8lb 9oz. and was 21.5 inches long. Maria's water broke at around 8:30am. We got to the hospital and at 9:30 she was 4cm. Then at 11 she was almost 8cm. Then she got the epidural and things really slowed down. She did not start pushing until 6:40 so the pushing part did not last that long. Everyone is doing great, other than being a little tired. The funny thing was the nurse tried to tell Maria that she did not need the epidural since she was handling the pain so well, but Maria was glad she got it.

UPDATE: MORE PICTURES ADDED TO LINK.

ITS A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-15T21:04:00.002-04:00

William Porter Hine is here. Watch out ladies. pictures to come tomorrow.

Almost Time

2008-10-15T14:28:00.002-04:00

Well I got to work this morning as usual and then Maria called me about 45 minutes later. Her water broke about 8:30 this morning. We are now at the hospital just waiting for Mr. or Miss Hine to join us. All the nurses and doctors keep saying how amazing Maria is doing. So the prayers are working, but keep them coming. Stay tuned.

Tag I'm It!

2008-10-13T14:32:00.009-04:00

I've been tagged by my friend Sara Carrington, who thought I needed something to do while I wait for this baby to get here. She's so right. I'm going nuts just waiting! Anyway, here it goes...

Eleven of my Favorite Things:

1. Clothes Shop: Ann Taylor Factory Store - they have the best deals at the Tanger Outlets, but if I want to splurge I love Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft. I like to find good deals too and I love to shop, so if I'm in the mood and not going for convenience, I like to look around everywhere!!

2. Furniture Shop: Lately my favorite furniture store to look in has been

,

but I love Whit Ash in Columbia, SC.

3. Sweet: I love almost anything sweet, but if I have to pick a favorite, right now I would choose vanilla ice cream (or sweet cream at Marble Slab) mixed with crushed Butterfingers!

4. City: I don't think I have a favorite city, because we haven't traveled too much, but am loving living in Greenville, SC!!

5. Drink: I love a good cold on ice.

6. Music: One of my favorite CDs is Chris Rice's The Living Room Sessions. He is a extraordinarily talented! I wish I could play the piano like he does. And... thanks to my father I love beach music. Oh, and my car is usually tuned to the Christian radio station.

7. TV Series: I used to be addicted to Days of Our Lives, but I haven't watched it since we moved to Greenville and don't really care about it anymore. And...I don't have a TV show that I just cannot go without watching, but my favorites that I have on DVR are CSI, the Vegas one, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Law and Order: SVU, and Numbers.

8. Film: Steel Magnolias - I was trying to think if my favorite quote from the movie, but there are just so many good ones, I can't chose!!

9. Workout: I've played tennis since I was in high school and have played on a USTA league everywhere we've lived until I was 5 months pregnant and my center of gravity kind of slowed me down. I really miss it!!!

10. Pastries: I totally agree with Sara - anything from Baker's Sweets in Sumter, SC.

11. Coffee: I do not drink coffee. I hate the aftertaste!

I'm not going to tag anybody else, so if there any takers, just let me know....These are so fun to read!

Stay tuned!

2008-10-07T12:25:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to update everybody that's interested:) I went to the doctor this morning and I'm 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. The doctor said that I would probably not make it to the due date (October 23) and that he might even see me this weekend since he's on call, so stay tuned! We might have a new addition to the Hine family sooner than we think, but only God really knows the time. Who knows He just might bring him or her into this world after the due date:)

Waiting Game

2008-09-27T16:12:00.006-04:00

We had two showers last weekend (One at Harmony, where John went to church, and one in Mayesville where I grew up). I feel so blessed to have such wonderful and faithful people in our lives that care so much about us and that will be wonderful influences for our children. What a blessing! Click here to see some pictures from the showers. Other news....I went to the doctor last Tuesday for my Strep B test, which I will find out about next week, but they also checked (at my request) to see if I was dilated. I was kind of surprised when the doctor said "Oh, you are dilated!" She said the baby's head is down, that I'm dilated about 1 cm, and that I'm 90% effaced! She also said that she could eat her words, but didn't think I would make it to the due date!! So, we're just praying the delivery will go smoothly. My bags are packed and we are just playing the waiting game now! We have also added a few touches to the nursery like the baby monitor and the growth chart. Mrs. George came through with some great looking cushions for the glider.

Greenville Baby Shower

2008-09-14T20:54:00.017-04:00

Sarah, one of my best friends in Greenville, and her mom, Lynn, and mother-in law, Joy threw me a baby shower this past Saturday. We had a GREAT time! They really went overboard with the decorations! They were beautiful!! My mom and John's mom (the gorgeous grandmothers) came to the shower and stayed for a visit afterward. We're so blessed to have such Godly women in our lives and I can't wait for them to be a part of our children's lives! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends. It was great to see some of the girls I went to Erskine with (Hannah, Tiffany, and Erin) and my friends from First Baptist Church and our supper club in Columbia (Ashley and Emilie). I hope now that we are in Greenville I can see everybody more often! I missed everybody that couldn't be there! Come see us if you're in Greenville!! Click here to see more pictures:)

Nursery

2008-08-24T20:15:00.004-04:00

Here are some pics of our nursery. We probably are not going to put anything up on the walls until we actually know what the baby is, which will be when we actually have the baby. If you want to see more pictures of the nursery then click HERE.

Props to David Barron!

2008-08-17T21:04:00.006-04:00

We finally have a new light fixutre in the dining room! John did a great job moving the ceiling fan from the dining room into the living room, but we had some problems with the wiring in the dining room and thought we needed to consult an electrician so I would still have a father for our child. So... we've just had exposed wiring for about 3 weeks. Anyway, we went to church today with some friends of ours and connected with David Barron, our friend that went to Clemson with John, and he is a mechanical engineer!! What a blessing! He knew exactly how to fix it! Woohoo, now we can see what we are eating when we have friends over! Come see us:)

getting a little more settled

2008-08-06T20:29:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pictures of our house with some of the minor upgrades that I have made so far. The fence is still not done, but hopefully it will be soon.

Here you can see the ceiling fan that I put up in the front room of the house that we have made our living room. The fan used to be in the dining room, but I will be putting up a chandelier where the fan used to be as soon as I can figure out the rats nest inside the junction box. In the next picture you can see the new french doors that I put up. They will soon be painted white (after the fence is built).

Click HERE if you want to see some pictures of the rest of the house including the nursery.

The Blue's of Being a Homeowner

2008-07-01T23:16:00.003-04:00

It's official. We are now the proud owner's of two homes. And here are some more pictures of the house. We will be moving on July 11th. Big ups to David George, realtor extraordinaire.

Video of Haley

2008-06-20T15:34:00.001-04:00

Haley Hagerla at Rachel's bridal luncheon.

We Will Miss a Few Things

2008-06-14T19:32:00.006-04:00

So, as excited as we are to get back to SC, there are a few things that we are going to miss in Gainesville. Actually people would be a little more accurate. We just got back from the river where our wonderful Sunday School class had a party. It has been so nice to make such good friends in just one year. We will truly miss all of you. Click here to see a few more pictures from the party.

Uncle John and Aunt Maria

2008-06-12T14:04:00.006-04:00

My sister, Rebecca and her husband, Kelby became the proud parents of a precious little girl on May 31, 2008. She was 6 pounds, 7 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long! Her name is Haley Louise Hagerla. Thankfully, John and I were in South Carolina and were able to go to the hospital to see them. She's absolutely beautiful and I love her to pieces already!

Someone Better Test Me for the Juice

2008-06-10T18:28:00.003-04:00

Well Maria and I are back from Connecticut where I played in the Third Annual John P. Hine Memorial golf Tournament. Although I did not defend my title as Gross Champion with my foursome, I did regain my the title of Longest Drive which I won in the inaugural tournament. It was great seeing family and friends again. Maria and I were both looking forward to getting out of the heat in Florida, but apparently we took it with us to Connecticut where it was in the upper 90's.

Our First Post

2008-06-07T13:52:00.000-04:00

So we are sitting in the terminal at the Jacksonville airport and decided that this would be as good of a time as any to start our family blog. We are a little late though, since Maria is now 5 months pregnant with our first child. No, we don't know what it is going to be, and please ask before touching her stomach. And we know, we know, she is going to be pregnant all summer long. We have decided that if our baby is a little girl then we are going to name her Taylor Elizabeth and if it is a boy we will name him William Porter and he will go by Porter.

I am almost through with school at the University of Florida where I am earning my Masters in Law in Taxation. We will be moving to Greenville, SC, A.K.A. heaven, in July. We have a contract on a house up there and our closing is scheduled for July 1. By the grace of God, we finally rented out our house in Columbia to a med student and his family for the next two years. We were really getting tired of paying rent and a mortgage every month. Stay tuned for future updates about the progress of Maria's pregnancy and pictures of the new house once we get all moved in.