Do you ever stop talking????

I'm not sure when most babies start talking, but it seems that Miss Hanny has a special talent in this area. From the time she wakes (sometimes even in her sleep) until she shuts her eyes, Hannah's mouth is moving. Her vocabulary grows by leaps and bounds each day, and her pronunciation and clarity is improving every day. This of course means Momma and Daddy have to be very careful about what comes out of our mouths. She is a parrot and is very proud to share her thoughts and our words!! So far we have avoided any unmentionable words...but there have been a few close calls.

In addition to talking, this girl likes to sing and dance too, especially to her one true love ELMO. How one fuzzy, red puppet can capture the attention of this little girl...it amazes me. We don't even have cable so her access to him is mostly through books and videos. I wish Elmo was a stock, because I would put all my money on him.

Next month Miss Hanny will turn 18mos...stats to follow with her check-up. The has actually slowed down with weigh gain...stopped according to a weigh in at the on-call doctors office two weeks ago. Not surprised really since we are in CONSTANT motion. Momma has even lost a few pounds without trying!

Next post will be an update on growth stats and stories from our upcoming trip to visit Great Grandma and Gramps. Until then, enjoy our photos..

Longing for Maternity Leave

Disclaimer: This post is in no way a stuble hint about the near future.

Last year at this time I was able to snuggle my sweet Hannahbelle 24/7. She was a cute little 3 mo old bundle and I get to experience every minute of her day and night; missing nothing and worrying only about new mommy stuff. Then came week sixteen, and Mommy had to enter back into the working world, as a mommy. Luckily I was able to cut down my hours by 10 and my days by two. It has been a blessing to be with Hannah four days a week, but I am really missing maternity leave. I think that once a year mommies (and daddies too) should be able to take three whole months off with their kids. No cares but what adventure to have that day. In Canada you can have a whole year off for maternity leave. In the US the law is 6 weeks, though many states due have Family Leave of 16 wks.

Early bonding is essential for child and caretaker(s), but what about the other 18 - 20 yrs your child lives with you? Wouldn't it be nice to have the opportunity to be with them in larger chunks of time? Some of us are lucky to have jobs with the summers off, or have the ability to be stay-at-home parents but for those of us who need to work, and may like to work couldn't a "floating maternity leave" policy be helpful?

Maybe it is just the stress of the holidays? Being a therapist during the holidays is interesting to say the least. I forgot how "everything magnifies, blows up, etc" at mental health clinics during this time of year. Last year the bliss (and sleeplessness) of being a new mommy really did erase all memory. I guess maybe I am seek that sort of existence again...blissful naivete?

My three-day weekends are as close as I get right now to maternity leave. I can immerse myself in my daughter, who is a laugh a minute. No need to check email, voicemail, complete progress notes, photocopy records for court, call countless other providers who are experiencing the same challenges with your mutual client, except you are supposed to be the miracle worker! No, my daughter is just happy if I can make animal sounds with her and provide what seems like an endless supply of "o's" (ie Cheerios) whenever she wants them.

For now, we will make due with our own make-shift maternity leave. It will be chunks, and bits and pieces here and there but we will loose ourselves in the bliss of being a family and let the outside world disappear.

Turkey and All the Fixin's

The holidays are upon us again and Miss Hanny is really enjoying herself and all of the gatherings.  She was quite the little lady at the Thanksgiving dinner - sitting right at the table and using the napkin to wipe her hands and mouth...before using her teeth to tear it to shreds (what can you expect from a baby?).  Family travels, meeting new friends and family members and enjoying some good home cooking is on the menu for the next few weeks.  We look forward to sharing this memorable time with you all and getting to see the holidays through the eyes of a 14 mo old.

Then and Now

Florida visit at 12 mos old

Florida visit with Great Grama and Gramps 6 mos old

First Birthday - 9/19/09 @ 10:04pm

Just Born - 9/19/2008 @ 10:04pm

Halloween 2008

Halloween 2009

Into the Second Year

First Birthday Cake

Momma made the cake....a dog

Exactly 365 days old to the minute...crazy parents!

Visiting the zoo in Tampa with Great Grama and Gramps

Halloween 2009..showing off my moves

We have survived the first year, and despite some trial and error, I think we all did pretty well.  Miss Hanny had a wonderful first birthday party full of friends and family and yummy cake that momma made all by herself...from scratch even.  Though who could resist making anything for such a cute little girl??!!

We are in month 13 and Miss Hanny is truly blossoming.  She continue to be in the 97th percentile in weight and 75th in height, has 7 teeth (four on top and three on the bottom) and has about 10 recognizable words...and 100s of words we have yet to decipher.  Our latest trick keeps momma and daddy on our toes, literally...Miss Hanny is WALKING!!!  

As always, Miss Hanny keeps us laughing and falling more in love with her each day.  She is such a little person now, with bigger opinions she is not afraid to express..."no, no" and even putting her hand out to push you away if she doesn't want a kiss.  Let's hope she keeps her personality but uses it for the best!!

11 Months and Counting

Wow, so time flies when you are a mommy of a budding, soon-to-be one year old!  Such a busy summer schedule on top of running after Hannah while she army crawls, and climbs her way into an new adventure, every moment of the day (AKA LOTS OF TROUBLE).  Quick update and then some pics...we are now crawling, climbing, pulling up and scooting along furniture.  If only we could figure out how to remain on flat feet, we would be walking independently.  No rush though, mommy and daddy have enough trouble keeping up as it is.  Stats -  about 23lbs and 30" tall, wearing a size 12-18mos.  We are completely on table foods, minus the allergens of nuts, strawberries and honey.  Just started tasting whole milk...and like everything else...Hanny LOVES it.  Her favorite foods include her morning fruit and yogurt smoothy that momma makes and share, any kind of bean and legume, green peas and blueberries.  Hannah just cut her fifth tooth and continues to teeth like a champ.  We are waking up a few time overnight due to being uncomfortable, but a little cold water and some rocking gets us right back to sleep.

Daycare was cut down to two days a week for the summer, with one whole day spent with daddy.  Hannah will really miss those days once daddy returns to work in a few weeks, and Hannah is back to three days at school.  She is far from the youngest baby now, venturing much of her time in the toddler area.  The other kids really like her and she is happy to see them and her daycare teachers too.

That's about it.  The big birthday bash and one-year old doctor visit is coming up.  Now on with the pictures.

Changes

8 1/2 mos is so close to a year old!!  Our little one is looking and acting less like a little baby each day.  We have just about mastered crawling and finger foods are starting to be a bigger part of the dining experience.  Where did that little baby go??? Momma and Daddy have to be on our toes, literally, since Hannah is much smarter that the "baby proofing" we had done.  Despite getting down to view the world from Hannah's perspective, we have missed a few things.  Eagle-eye baby however, seems to find all of the fun "no-no's" hidden away from plain sight!  I think Daddy is happy that Miss Hanny will still go to daycare 2 days a week during the summer months...one full day alone with her yesterday, and he was wiped out!!  Poor Daddy!!

Three more days and the school will be quiet.  The boys will be heading home for the summer, not returning until after Labor Day.  We are looking forward to some quiet time, though I know Hanny will miss her "Big Brothers" and I am sure they will miss her too!  Lots to look forward to, beginning with a trip up to visit friends in NH at the end of the month, a possible family reunion with Grammy Linda's family and a bunch of weddings (one that only Momma and Daddy will attend while Hanny has her first sleep-over with Berry and the Cousins!!).