Outdoor Photo Shoot

What a happy baby.
Mom, the sun is in my eyes...
I'm chillin'

Abby standing guard.
Hannah trying to suck her fist.

Okay, I admit it....I went a little crazy with the pictures...but I couldn't decide which one(s) to post, so I put all of them up.

Mother-Daughter Banquet

Last week Hannah made her first trip to West Virginia.

I went to my parents' house to surprise my mom and attend a mother-daughter banquet with her at her church. Dad knew I was coming about 2 weeks ago, and we managed to keep Mom in the dark (although it caused a minor "tiff" when Dad left her a note asking her to make "an effort" to come home early). We hid my vehicle behind the garage, so she was totally surprised. When Mom said "where is she" - there was no doubt that she was talking about Hannah and not me, because once Mom saw Hannah downstairs she didn't come upstairs looking for me!

Front porch swing, WV flag, and rhododendron pictures.



Mom loved showing off Hannah to everyone at the banquet.


I'm not sure if I've ever seen her that excited, and trust me -- my mom gets excited over lots of things (she used to teach Kindergarten - excitement is required there, I think). Hannah was really good and actually allowed me to eat my dinner. Afterwards, we stopped to see my friend Merritt and her two kids. Merritt's kids were also born early, so it is nice to have someone to say "did you go through x" and "when did your kid do x". David and Emma were both very good holding Hannah, but Merritt held her for most of our visit and declared her adorable and "a keeper".

4 Months Old

Hannah is 4 months old now (or as a "numbers oriented" friend of mine put it, .25 years old). We took her to the doctor for her check-up (and 4 shots - ouch!) and she is doing WONDERFULLY. She already weighs 10 lbs., 6 oz. and is 22 inches (and some change) long. She is growing so well and is becoming so much more expressive. She smiles now, she coos, and is really fun to be around.

Of course, she still eats every 2 hours, so that does get a little tiring for me, but I am enjoying the time that I have with her - regardless of the amount of sleep that I'm getting.

Mom - you forgot my hat!
How cute in her little "cherries" outfit.
That's my smiling girl!!
She's all smiles today!
Oh Mommy, my wrist tastes so good. I'll suck on it until it's time to eat.*

*Hannah does not like to take a pacifier, so we are thankful that she enjoys her wrist, her hand, and her thumb. I think we'd be in trouble if that wasn't the case!

Mommy's Day Out

Jon had his first full day of "daddy duty" today. I left at 10am for an all-day scrapbooking event and didn't come home until around 9pm or so at night. It was my first day out and about without Hannah -- and I was rewarded handsomely by winning TONS of prizes (even the grand prize) at scrapbooking (ie. I got lots of free stuff, including a nice frame).

I'd been prepping to be away for a few weeks...Hannah downed about 15 oz. of milk, but I had plenty stashed away in the freezer, thank goodness. Since we haven't been giving bottles very regularly, I wasn't sure how much she drinks (but I now estimate about 1/2 gallon (32 oz.) in a 24-hour day). Jon even fixed lunch for some friends that stopped by to see him & the baby. He had quite a busy day.

What I enjoyed most was the magic sentence that came about an hour after I got home... "Honey, after today I really appreciate all you do for Hannah." I think that warmed my heart more than anything.

Mother's Day

Finally! A family photo where I am showered and not wearing PJ's.


Mommy & her girl
Abby & Hannah

My first Mother's Day. What a treat. I've been showered with gifts all weekend and was finally able to take my little one out to show her off to some of the people who prayed for us when we were in the hospital.

Our whole little family went to church today for the first time since we became a family of three. Hannah slept through all of the music and was so quiet...at least until Pastor Hattenfield went up to preach his sermon...then she started to fuss, so I missed almost the entire sermon. Today's message wasn't so much about mothers, but mother-in-laws and how non-biological mothers (and women who aren't related at all) can have a big impact on people (the passage was about Naomi and Ruth).

I received a dozen roses from Jon and Hannah on Friday...my mom sent a wonderful card, a book for Hannah and some clothes for Hannah professing the wonderfulness of Mommy & Grandmas....my mother-in-law got me a nice rosebush to plant.....and my sister-in-law and her husband got me some flowers too. Today after church Jon and I went out to lunch and had a nice time with Hannah in tow (asleep).

It is amazing how my life has changed in just a year....but I am loving every minute.

Playtime

Playtime in our house is so much fun these days. Hannah is much more alert and active and is starting to interact with the world around her. This morning I watched her follow her Brutus Buckeye mobile around in a circle for the first time (you can correctly assume that Dad registered for that gift). She is a mover and a shaker -- it is a rare occasion when her arms and/or legs aren't flailing about.

Hannah plays on her "worm"
Such a happy girl (for now)
Looking at Mommy

Time Flies

What a difference 2 months makes -- here are pictures of Hannah now in her swing....and the first time we put her in her swing in early March. My, how she has grown!

May

March

Hannah is already 15 weeks old now. After her bath this weekend I weighed her and she was 9lbs, 6oz. It is so much fun to see her legs getting chubby and to see her looking around more. She's even starting to grow out of some of her newborn clothes -- but she still acts like a newborn when it comes to eating (on demand, sometimes as often as every hour) and sleeping (let's just say I don't get much - I think 4 hours is a real treat).