my weekend-long party

everyone came to see me this weekend. it was so much fun! mommy got caught up in preparations and things that she didn't take many pictures at all, so hopefully everyone who did take pictures will send her some to post.

gramma debbie and grandpa wayne were the first to arrive, on friday afternoon. next, were uncle nate, aunt cheryl and cousins emmy and maddie, a bit later. finally that evening, aunt sara and uncle grant showed up. i gave emmy and maddie my room and mommy and daddy stuck my pack and play in their walk-in closet... i did not care for that. but since their room is so close to the action, they knew i would hear everything if they didn't put me to sleep tucked away. i didn't sleep well friday night. partly because i came down with my worst cold yet, and partly because i was excited about all the company. i woke up a couple of times during the night, and early in the morning, so mommy and daddy took me into their bed. i played there and fell asleep for a little bit before all of us got up for the day. (they have discovered that massaging my neck and back relaxes me, and it helped me settle down to rest with them.)

saturday was the big day. granwendy and grandaddy tom, uncle adam, aunt becca, uncle brett, cousin juliana, and her "aunt" anna, kelly, jamey, catey and matt all came to my party (along with the others, of course). they gave me lots of clothes and lots of fun toys. when it came time for the cake, i was so tired that i just wanted to get the sticky stuff off my hands after i grabbed the corner of it. i didn't eat much of it at all.. until sunday night, when mommy gave me a little more... i LOVED it. i had frosting and crumbs all over me. daddy was so intent on cleaning me up, that he forgot to take something very important off before he put me into the tub.

mommy and daddy appreciate everyone's help and generous presents this weekend. i had so much fun playing with everyone!

Happy Birthday Hannah-Bear!

This past year has been one of the best because of you!

hannah and mommy a year ago

i think this was my 39-week belly shot. my date settings weren't set on my camera, but based on the proximity to hospital pictures and the size of my belly, this should be the last belly shot taken before her birth....

here is an excerpt from my journal, written on the 24th of October of 2005:
I'm sitting in the nursery, looking at what will soon be hannah's home. I can't believe how quickly the 9 months have passed! The next time I prop my boppy pillow on my lap, it will be to help hold our precious little girl.

I'm experiencing a mix of emotions right now. Excitement at the thought of seeing and touching this precious child who is fearfully and wonderfully made by her Creator. Fear of the unknown- labor is unlike any other experience. It is a pain that ultimately brings forth new life. I don't know what to expect, but I know that every birth experience is unique. I am trying not to feel guilty fpr scheduling what should come naturally into our life. Why should I, when it will allow her to meet and spend time with her Daddy? I pray that she is ready, that she is perfectly healthy.

I wonder if she will have her Daddy's waves and curls, if she will have dark brown eyes like her parents, and if other traits from previous generations will be apparent?

This entry was followed by a letter to Hannah, which I will keep private. I do remember crying tears of anticipation as this was written. At 6:30 a.m. the next day, we were at the hospital, and Hannah's birthday had begun.
*****

3/7/07
if you are here for the photo tag, i've posted more belly shots on my other blog... awanderingheart.blogspot.com

a year in review...

tomorrow will be our baby bear's first birthday, so i thought
i would share some pictures from our collection....

I hope you get to read this, Great-Gramma!

This is how Gramma Debbie gets to see so many pictures of me (and my cousins). Mommy is not good at getting her pictures printed very often. But she decided to ask the nice people at the rehab center help you on the computer. I wish I could see you in person more often!

Have someone show you how to scroll down, and you will see lots of pictures of me getting into trouble!

If you click HERE with the mouse, you will also get to see pictures of my cousins Emmy and Maddie!

scrapback.....

i had originally planned on beginning my scrapbook endeavors with our wedding... but i changed my mind and decided to start with hannah's birth. i've managed not to start crying, but then i've been more worried about putting the pages together than thinking about how quickly our baby is growing...

the cover:
5 days old, 6 months old, blank space for 1 year old

page 1: the announcement

page 2: the hospital

these 2 pages only took 3 hours, plus the time it took to select papers and do a little photo cropping, with Pam's assistance at the new Scrap 'n Memories shop just a mile and a half up the road. It will be worth it when I am able to give my daughter a book that highlights her life as an infant. I just need to go back to her old website and previous blog entries for journaling and page ideas.

brave bear

mommy and daddy have to keep an extra-close eye on me these days:

yesterday, i used a box as a step-stool.

tonight, daddy wouldn't let me drink soapy water out of a cup during bathtime...

so i drank it straight from the tub instead!

acrobat

this morning, as hannah "helped" me unload the dishwasher like she normally does, she decided to try a new trick. she grabbed the top rack, then STEPPED onto the lower door . she stood there for a couple of seconds while i had my back turned toward the cabinet, and then when is saw her, i swiftly set her back on solid ground.

making connections

at the end of hannah's bathtime, we unplug the drain but let her stay in the water while the water level drops. hannah has figured out how to turn the drain plug until it closes back up.

yesterday, hannah picked up the tube of teething gel and her paci and started banging the tip of the tube against the nipple of the paci. she knows that we put the teething gel on her paci, and was trying to do it herself. then she was mad because nothing was coming out.

yes, mommy. i have a.....

TOOTH!!!!! these pics are just me being, cute though. the tooth isn't sticking up high enough to be seen in photos. but mommy says it's sharp.



mommy and me... caslon, will you teach daddy to use the camera?
we need some pictures of me and mommy... mommy had to take this one.

mommy says the pictures fuzzy, but the smile is still priceless!

giddyup!

stylish outfit straight from the runways of downtown platteville...

hannah o' lantern
(the cap will wait til halloween, it's a little too small for my big head!)

daddy's little pumpkin!

ain't nothin' like the real thing, baby

hannah tasted her first pork chop tonight. i ground it up in our kidco food mill and added a little water to it. she loved it- ate between 1 and 2 ounces. she won't eat the canned meats unless they are mixed with veggies , and even then she's moody about it ( i can't blame her- they smell like cat food). between the formula in her sippy, her mixed veggies with leftover egg noodles, and ground pork chop, she had a well balanced meal! i saved some of our sweet potatoes for her to eat tomorrow. one of her teeth is finally starting to break through, but it's coming slowly. maybe she'll have a tooth by her birthday! she's such a big girl!

expanding vocabulary

10/12/06
after i locked the gate at the top of the stairs
(which hannah insisted on slamming until i did lock it,
as i was between her and the top step, anyway),
hannah immediately saw her stuffed kitty, exclaimed "cat!",
crawled to her beloved toy and picked it up.

more snapshots of my life

rock, chair, rock!!!
*mommy says to check out granddaddy's painting behind me.

juliana and the carousel
i can reach the keys!!! (10/10)

how much free jewelry do i get, mommy?

 

more photos...

juliana tastes cucumber (10/6)


i shoved a whole piece of cucumber into my mouth...
hence cheeks as big as granddaddy's

sharing the guitar (mommy made us)

swapping sippies (juliana's matched my outfit & my cup matcher her outfit better, anyway)

 

2 weeks in review...

meeting ollie the otter puppet

if i open my big brown eyes can i have the camera?
please, mom?
i'm not in the mood to pose.. neither is baby doll...

studying great-gramma

 

tp and wipes

hannah discovered how to unroll toilet paper today. i found her with a foot ling ribbon of tp dangling from the roll. and while i was at my jewelry show tonight, she opened up the wipes dispenser and pulled out several sheets of baby wipes, much to daddy's chagrin and amusement. she reportedly was quite proud of herself.

we think we'll see the 1st tooth soon, probably even before her 1st birthday. her bottom gum looks jagged, and boy does it hurt when she bites our fingers or nose! plus, she's been a little crabbier than usual.

to great-gramma's and back

baby bear and i just returned from accompanying gramma debbie to visit great gramma in the great cheese state. hannah did so well on the road. oh, the trip was lengthened by diaper changes at every stop, but we enjoyed the journey in spite of the circumstance.

hannah seemed to recognize great-gramma's house. she made herself at home, crawling wherever she could get to. people who had never seen her before thought she was mini-daddy, but those who had met her on previous visits (february and may) said she is starting to look like me, too. the first day, we set up her mini-pack and play in great-gramma's hospital room so we could wait during the surgery. hannah didn't think napping there was acceptable, and was particularly grouchy on saturday. gramma debbie tracked down great-gramma's car keys and drove separately so hannah wouldn't have to stay so long the rest of the week. i observed that hannah seemed to know not to tackle great-gramma like she tackles everyone else. perhaps it was the sterility of the hospital room, but she did not climb up on her shoulder, she crawled on he gingerly at first. she cruised furniture, attempted to escape the "prison" and go down the hallway, but she did not beat up our injured loved one. the nurses and staff loved her, and great-gramma loved having her there.

on tuesday, the change in great-gramma's surroundings from the hospital to the rehab room also seemed to affect or little socialite. perhaps it was the carpet, or the homey furnishings in the common areas, or the fact that great-gramma was in her own clothes instead of hospital gowns. whatever the reason, hannah seemed much more content. except when she couldn't push the wheelchair because the brakes were set.

when we arrived back in memphis last night, hannah was thrilled to find princess the cat waiting for her. princess would never admit it, and by this morning she was hissing so we had to separate the two of them. hannah chased that beige tabby-cat all over the living room, kitchen, and dining nook at daddy's parents' house. she giggled her deepest belly-laugh, and was overjoyed to be out of her carseat after 14 1/2 hours on the road.

after princess finally decided to hide, we bagan playing with her toys. "where's toy kitty?" i asked. she crawled and picked up the grey stuffed cat which aunt sara and uncle grant brought her on their very first visit to meet her. "where's baby doll?" again, she successfully identified the correct toy. "where's coon?" right again. perhaps it was by chance, but i like to think she really was answering my questions correctly.

hannah and daddy spent quality time together while i went to bunko and my jewelry show tonight. daddy said she's grown a lot and her hair is longer than it was a week ago. must be that wisconsin cheese.