Hannah @ 14 Months

*This post is pictureless for now. Blogger will not allow me to upload any and my kids are ready to be released from their respective beds. Trust me--she's cute.

Poor child number 2. Her blog posts are already feeling the effects of not being the firstborn. So it goes!

Hannah turned 14 months old on January 14....9 whopping days ago. I could wait to do her 15 month post, but there have been so many happenings worth writing down recently, that I decided to proceed with this post. (Stating the obvious much?)

We now have a full-time walker! Miss Thing is toddling around everywhere, with the occasional crash, but always bounces right back up. With this newfound freedom, she is able to get wherever her little heart desires! The other day I found Drew and Hannah in the bathroom; Drew was tearing Hannah off chunks of toilet paper, and she was shoving them down into the water. Thank goodness I had just cleaned the toilet the day prior. Ever since then, if she sees a bathroom door cracked open, she tears off toward it! With her new ability comes the desire to want down in public situations; she's no longer content to be carried around everywhere! She wants in on the action!

Hannah is an eater. She'll eat just about anything we give her except Stouffer's Cordon Chicken Bleu (but, in her defense, Drew nor Andrew ate it either). She loves breads, sweets, and juice, so I'm thinking she takes after her mama. ;) But she also loves green beans, carrots, potatoes, lima beans, peas, goldfish, animal crackers, muffins, puffs, and nutrigrain bars. She can chug a sippy cup of juice in record time. She can also chunk said cup onto the floor even faster. She nurses twice a day: once in the morning and once at bedtime.

Filling and dumping out containers of toys/DVDs/stuff is another favorite pastime. Our poor bins on our TV table are going to need to be replaced pretty soon. Hannah thinks they're her small toyboxes made for climbing, carrying, and emptying. She loves to open DVD cases, empty out the wipes container, and play with the shape sorter (and she's pretty good at it!).

Bath time makes her giddy!

She signs two words now: "more" and "all done" (Hands in the air) or now becoming known as "Praise the Lord, Hannah!"

She loves to get on all fours and put her head on the ground and have her back scratched. Funniest thing to us!

She still uses passy at every bedtime/naptime/carride/when upset. She also has her favorite pink/brown blanket she sleeps with. And when she's tired, she goes and gets both items and comes to you. ;) She sleeps from about 8pm-9am (or later) and takes a nap around 12:30 every day. Her naps are FINALLY lasting longer than 45 minutes. Last week she took several 2-3 hour naps. PLEASE let that continue!

She's fully in a 12 month size clothes, but sometimes can fit into an 18 month. I have no idea how much she weighs or anything because I'm a major slacker parent who needs to take her child for a check up. :) She's still in a size 4 diaper and a size 4 shoe. I bought her some squeaker shoes last week (yay Ebay!) and she LOVES to walk in them. She thinks the squeak is the funniest thing.

I love my sweet girl so much. She brings a gentleness and softness to our family that fits in so perfectly. We love the way she gives kisses, lays her heads on our chests, snuggles on the couch (momentarily), and smiles that big grin that takes up her whole face!

Happy 12 (er...13) months, Hannah!

Hannah,

I'm so late on your 12 month post. Like...almost a month late! But I wanted to write in a few things for memory's sake!

The day after your birthday, 11/15/11, you walked with the walker for the first time like you'd been doing it for months!
Today, 12/12/11 you took your first unassisted steps!

Your newest favorite "thing" is to take a huge sip of your milk/juice and then open your mouth and let it all run out. You love it. Me...notsomuch. ;)

You're whiny with your brother. If he barely touches you or tries to hug you, you look at me and start whining as if to say, "Mama!!!! Don't take your eyes off me! He might hurt me!!!!"

You really like a few of the ornaments on the bottom of the tree, but you're FAR BETTER about the tree than Drew was his first mobile year. I'm not complaining!

You love to babble on and on. You say mama very clearly, dada very clearly, and bye bye when you feel like it. You know that I'm mama and Andrew is dada.

Your smile is absolutely precious and stretches from one ear to the other! Combine it with those baby blues, and I melt!

You love to shake your head to the right and left. But you REALLY love it when people do it back to you. It makes you laugh so hard that you get the hiccups!

Sitting in the fireplace is one of your favorite pastimes. Well, that and climbing the stairs. We finally had to put the baby gate up after you toppled down a few steps one day--whoops!

Favorite foods: goldfish, puffs, carrots, FRENCH FRIES (note: you are a french fry monster!), apples, pears, bananas, any bread, potatoes, potato soup, spaghetti.

Favorite activities: climbing stairs, pulling toilet paper off the roll, taking books off shelves, playing in the pantry, getting in the fireplace, playing in Drew's room (when he's not putting blankets on your head), pretending to play the Wii, pulling up on everything, walking with the walker, and taking a bath

Least favorite activities: diaper changes (let me go!), clothing changes (let me go!) and long car rides (let me out!)

You're so much fun, Hannah! Your cuddles are the best right before naptime/bedtime and your sweet, soft hands make me want to keep you little forever.

We love you, sweet baby!

Hannah @ 5 Months

It seems so odd that I’m able to type this title! Where is my infant baby going?! This last month has brought some fun times!

Hannah had her first taste of cereal (hated it), her first taste of applesauce (cried she hated it so much), went in the nursery for the first time at church (did fabulously!), and grew like a weed. She’s found her newest love, her feet. She chews on any form of cloth she can get her hands on, and I suspect her bottom left tooth will cut through in the next month.

Like an awesome second time parent, she still hasn’t had her 4 month check up, but she currently weighs 17 lbs. She is filling out her 6 month clothes perfectly and even most of her 6-9 month stuff. And if you could see her chubby thighs, you’d see why this is true! This girl has ROLLS galore! I just want to eat them with a spoon. She’s in a size 3 Pampers Swaddler diaper.

Maybe it’s those precious lumps of fat getting in the way, but she’s not the least bit interested in rolling over. She hasn’t even attempted it (however she’s NEVER on her tummy more than 30 seconds. She hates it.)! But she’s able to sit up on her own for several seconds at a time on some days. She can tripod pretty well for now. I’m looking forward to this milestone since it will make her a little more independent in terms of playtime. But on the other hand, it just means she’s growing….and that hurts me!

This girl is the easiest going kid in terms of a schedule. She’ll nap whenever, for however long or short is required, and just goes with the flow. She’s RARELY fussy. If she is, she probably just wants her mommy. Yes, we’re in that stage! (But I secretly EAT IT UP because I know it won’t be forever that she feels this way!)

Hannah loves singing (especially with her Daddy), bouncing up and down, noisy toys, her monkey wubanub passy, her pink/brown blanket, baths, hairbows (okay, that’s her mom), dressing up (maybe me too), and my cell phone. Yes, she LOVES my cell phone.

Oh and she LOVES her brother. LOVES.

She’s still exclusively breastfed (minus those 2 tastes of horrid “food”), and eats every 3 hours during the day and still about every 3 hours at night. Mommy’s ready for a good night’s sleep! However, when I go into her room and feed her at night, sometimes I just want to wake her up and play with her ‘cause she’s so stinkin’ cute! Her little hands are so soft and sweet and she just coos the sweetest coo. I could seriously just gobble her up.

I loooove these blue eyes!

I fall more in love with this girl DAILY and I cannot thank God enough for the blessing of her beautiful life!

Transition...

Today I tried Hannah in her crib for the first time and she LOVED it. Instead of sleeping for only 45 minutes as she does in her swing, she slept for an hour and a half for her first two naps and is still asleep for nap #3. Sweet, sweet day! I was worried about trying this (don't ask me why), but she transitioned just great.

Someone might wonder if I realize she's asleep on her stomach. Yes, I am. She's happy and so am I. ;)

A Few Reasons I Love Her

1. She sleeps in the swing.
2. She takes a pacifier faithfully...and quietly.
3. She rides in the car without issue so far.
4. She stays in her carseat and rides in the basket at stores...and falls asleep!
5. She wears large bows on her head just for her mama.
6. She has the cutest hands and feet.
7. She sleeps a 6 hour stretch every night, sometimes up to 8 hours!
8. She's a cuddle bug.
9. She's in a "I really love only my mama" state.
10. She nurses for only 10 minutes...and she's done!
11. She sleeps in worship service.
12. She rides in her stroller peacefully.
13. She smiles with her entire face. So, so, so precious!
14. She likes to be worn in the Moby wrap.
15. She makes old ladies smile. :)

I LOVE THIS LITTLE GIRL!

Hannah is 2 Months Old!

Hannah,

It is amazing just how much a baby changes in the first 2 months of life. You have blossomed with the most adorable personality. Your daddy and I definitely see the "girly" side of you! My favorite thing is when you wake up in the morning. You are grumpy (that's not my favorite part) for a few seconds until you open your eyes; then you smile this HUGE, gummy smile that covers your entire face. You are in the best little mood! You eat and stay awake about 45 minutes, and then you're ready for your first nap of the day.

Naptimes....whew. You no longer sleep anywhere and through any noise. Sometimes you'll fall asleep in your swing if Drew will leave you alone. (That's rare!) Otherwise, if we try to put you down asleep you immediately wake up. *sigh* I really want you to be a great napper! You're 500% better than your brother already, but I want you to be able to nap in your own bed. You took one 1 hour nap in YOUR OWN BED last week, and it was fabulous!

You're still exclusively nursing, but you took your first bottle about 2 weeks ago from your daddy while I visited your great grandmothers in the hospital. Daddy says you took it like a champ! He was very adamant that he be the first to feed you a bottle. :) You're a great little eater and just moved yourself to an every 2 1/2-3 hour schedule with nursing. One of my favorite things about you is the length of time you nurse: 10 minutes MAX. That works so well because I'm always needing to jump up after our nursing session to get your brother out of trouble! ;)

Speaking of your brother, you love him! You'll smile at him most of the time, and he tries to keep you happy. He names the animals on the mobile for you and shows you his favorite squeaky turkey to make you smile. He also tells you to "shhhh" and "stop crying!" when you get on his nerves. A sign of the future, I'm sure!

You love your baths, but HATE changing clothes afterward. You're wearing a size 3 month clothes perfectly and a size 2 Pampers diaper. You like to sleep in the Moby wrap, suck your Soothie paci, sit in the swing for short periods, and watch the spinning fan.

You're still sleeping with us tonight which works well for everyone. You usually sleep from 12-5:30, then wake up every 2-3 hours after that. We finally crawl out of bed around 8:30 or 9:00. I'm thinking about starting to put you in your own crib for that first long stretch of the night, but I'm wondering if you'll sleep that long by yourself.

We love you SO much little girl! I'm having a blast taking you places with me while you sleep in your carrier (usually!). You are FUN, FUN, FUN to dress up!

We love you so much! You're the PERFECT addition to our family!

Love,
Mommy

Update: Your 2 month appointment went just fine. You weighed 12 lbs, 5 oz. and were 22 3/4 inches long!

Hannah @ 4 weeks

Hannah,

Tomorrow you are 4 weeks old! In some ways it feels as though you've always been with us. In another way I feel like I was in the hospital just yesterday. You know what "they" say: "The days are long, but the weeks are so short." True with one child. VERY true with two children.

You are such a sweet baby. You love to cuddle and be held closely. Your favorite place to sleep (we co-sleep) is with your nose barely touching my side. (That's freaking some of you out, I know!) You also love sleeping on your daddy during the day. There's something about him that puts your right to sleep, even if I've been working with you for hours! You really enjoy your baths, minus getting out and being cold! I love to hold you when you're freshly bathed. Your hair is so fluffy when it first dries, and I race to put a bow in it! I see all these little bald babies who are so much older than you, and it makes me love your hair even more! You get lots of comments on your beautiful head of hair. ;)

I'm beginning to learn all your little cries and noises and what they mean. You have this one little cry that simply says, "Humph! That's not what I want!" You're such a girl! And your lungs...they are golden, I tell you. Put them to good use one day and get a singing scholarship or something. Or maybe win a yelling contest. You could do it! ;)

You're nursing about every 2-3 hours of the night. Every now and then you'll give me a 4 hour stretch which is nice. I'm hoping you sleep through the night earlier (much earlier) than your brother did at 6 months.

Everyone was right. I love dressing you up and putting bows in your hair. I need to find a job from home so I can afford all these adorable things I want to buy you and dress you up in! I have a feeling this urge only gets worse!

I love, love, love you, little girl! I look forward to our mommy-daughter days to come!

A quick, wordy update...

(in which I use lots of commas and do not have time to spellcheck or proof for errors.)

Everyone is asleep, so I thought I'd do a quick update on our life as a family of 4 right now.

Whew. Life with a very busy toddler and a newborn is....somewhat stressful, very noisy, patience- trying, and leaves you with very little quiet time. BUT...it is so incredible to love two little people this much!

Our biggest challenge has been with Drew--finding activities for him so he's not bored and walking the line between giving him a little extra mercy in this transition, but not letting him get away with murder either.

Overall, he's doing really well with Hannah. He loves to point to all her body parts, tell all the different colors he can find on her (hair, skin, eyes), pat her, talk to her, and kiss her. However, that little booger knows when I'm nursing her that I can't jump up and get him, so he tries to do everything he knows he's not supposed to do while I'm stuck on the couch. THAT'S our problem! We've tried a few new toys, but toys don't hold his attention long at all. Advice there?

Hannah is a great baby. So far we have no signs of colic as we did with Drew (thank you, Lord!). She eats well and sleeps anywhere from 2-5 hour stretches at night. Yes, she gave me a 5 hour stretch 2 nights ago. I was THRILLED! Sometimes she likes being swaddled and it calms her right down, while other times it infuriates her and we take it right off to avoid her screaming. Speaking of her screaming, she is 100% girl. She's got some lungs on her! Her cry is much more of a higher pitched shrill than what Drew had as a newborn. Andrew simply calls her cry "very annoying." I can't really argue! But she rarely cries, so that's a good thing.

We've broken out the swing, and she'll use it for shorter periods of time, giving our arms a rest. Her umbilical cord fell off 2 days ago, so she got her first bath hours after that. She seems to enjoy having her hair washed and being in the warm water for the first few minutes. She's not a fan of having her diaper changed in the middle of the night, being put down, being the least bit cold, changing clothes, or having to wait more than 0.5 seconds for her chef to get ready to feed her. ;)

She has the most darling smiles that take up her entire face. We love them! She has her mommy's hands and possibly her mommy's feet. She has her Papaw's dimple in her chin and her mommy's dimple in her cheek. Besides that, she seems to be the spitting image of Drew, but with more hair. Speaking of that gorgeous hair, it gets oily so easily! Every day it looks like someone sprayed Wesson oil in that child's hair! I'm trying an every other day washing pattern to try not to dry out her scalp. Oh, and her hair is lightening a good bit. It's starting to look much more brown on the sides rather than black. So she's going to fit in with this family after all!

One last thing....I AM SO THANKFUL MY HUSBAND WORKS FROM HOME. Monday is my first day "alone" with both kids. If my husband weren't going to be here, I think I'd be having a panic attack right now. So kudos to all you moms of 2 or more who did it all on your own those first few days. 'Cause truth be told....I'm scared to death! Wish me luck!

I hear a stirring from the bassinet and one from Drew's room at the same time. Off to start again! The break was nice while it lasted!

Hannah is Here!

For those of you not on facebook, I just wanted to let you know Hannah decided to make her appearance just hours after my last post. We had a successful VBAC! Praise God for answered prayers! She and I are doing great, Drew is a great big brother, and I'm remembering just how much I appreciate my sweet husband. Birth story and more pictures to come soon...

Hannah Katherine Laney
Born 11/14/10, Sunday
8 lbs. 6 oz.
21" long