15.5 months

If ever there were a time that I've loved mothering, it is now.  This last month, especially this week has been wonderful.  We've finally found a sleep program that has worked, (Thank you Dr. Weissbluth!) so for the first time since she was a little baby, Hannah is getting the sleep she needs, and doing it without a fight. This has made such a difference, probably mostly because I am now getting the sleep I need as well.

At almost 16 months, Hannah says:
nose
hello
no no
ready
all done
yeah
dog
uh-oh
up
daddy
mama (I thought she was saying this a couple of months ago, but I'm thinking she wasn't associating it with me back then, and if she was saying it, she stopped all together.  I've been trying to get Hannah to call me Mama for a few weeks now, and as I put Hannah to bed tonight, I said "I love you, can you say mama?" and she finally did.  It melted my heart.

she also knows sounds for the following animals:
cow
sheep
dog
cat
donkey

Hannah continues to be such a joy to have in our family. She is so full of energy and spunk and sometimes sass that we are always laughing at the things she does.  She loves to dance to music, and you can tell what a bad dancer I am, by her moves.  She copies her mama, and it's only cute when she does it!  Hannah knows to fold her hands when we say prayer, and can identify so many pictures (where is the fish? chick? giraffe? coat? etc.)  I'm sure all this is normal for a 15 month old, but since she's mine, I'm pretty proud of her!

Today I weaned Hannah...I think.  I have a hard time committing to this, but I think this is it.  It has been a wonderful venture, nursing her, but she has gradually shown less and less interest, to the point of me offering and she saying no no, and pushing me away.  I had an errand to run at the mall today, so to celebrate Hannah taking this step as a big girl, we got Jamba Juice.  It's my favorite, and Hannah loves smoothies as well, so it was a hit.  I love her so much, and I'm so glad to be her mama.

books please

For chistmas my mom made Hannah the cutest soft chair that is just her size. Hannah loves it. i've put it next to her bookcase and her favorite thing to do lately is to read books in her chair. she wont sit still to watch tv or movies, and she wont lay down and nap without a fight, but this busy busy girl will sit for minutes at a time to read. i love it.

backstory: the facts

my laptop died a slow death over the summer. thankfully it held out until Daniel got his first paycheck at the end of September, but it needed replacing. I'm now posting from my new tablet. it is great at surfing the internet, but the lack of keyboard makes it a little less functional for blogging. I'm slow at typing, and unsure how to add pictures from my camera (maybe its as easy as moving an sd card...i just haven't tried it).

so anyway, in the months wherein I wasn't blogging, several really great things happened for our family. the most exciting was that we got to move! with Hannah so mobile and busy all the time, our apartment was feeling smaller and smaller, and i kept thinking of more things i didn't like about it. Daniel was on a business trip in Ohio when my mom and I went to check out a duplex/townhouse that i found on craigslist (where else would you look for housing...) It was perfect. Daniel and I had contemplated buying a house, and I had a list of requirements for my house...we had looked at several houses, and none of them matched my list the way this duplex does. It should be good for the next year or two while we work on replenishing our savings to make the eventual homebuying process more comfortable. the Only downside to this move was that we changed wards, which has been sadder than I anticipated. i know it can take a while to mesh with a new ward, so I'm really hoping that before too long we'll feel more at home in our new ward.

the other really great thing that happened was that we became a two car family. which is so wonderful. Hannah and I can now run errands and go to the children's museum and the library whenever we want. to say we are grateful would be an understatement.


Hannah turned one on November 1st, we moved on Daniel's birthday, November 11th, and got the car on the 18th, so it was a pretty busy month, but we are feeling very blessed.

I'm a goal person. A lot of people aren't, but I thrive on writing things down, and then working on them. So as a goal this year (different than a resolution), I want to be better about documentation. Whenever I tell my dad something funny Hannah did, he asks if I wrote it on my blog. Sadly, the previous post was from September...so if I don't start writing things down, I may never remember things like that really crappy week where Hannah pooped in the tub one day, then had an explosive diaper all over her crib the next and then Wesley missed the litter box the day after. Or how Hannah gives the sweetest bedtime kisses, but only to me. Or how Hannah is 14 months today. Words she says: uh-oh, up, mama, dada, Hannah, all done, moo (what does the cow say Hannah?), and she knows the sign for more and uses it very convincingly. She does tend to get what she wants when she asks for it so well. She has four molars that have come through over the past month, and I feel like we have both earned those teeth. That teething business is hard work. So Happy New Year. I have a good feeling about 2012, but then I generally prefer even years. Here's to more posts, even if they're short. Also, this year is going to be the year I buy a calendar. I always say it, but so far it hasn't happened.

little reminders

Hannah is having her afternoon nap and I was going to use this time before she wakes up to do crunches before I go out on a run with my friend Kim.  Instead, I started a load of laundry (towels) and found a wooden puzzle piece mixed in with the dirty laundry.  

I love these little reminders that I'm a mom.  It's a little pause throughout the day to remember that I have a baby.  What I wanted for so long, is happening.  Sometimes after Hannah's in bed for the evening and Daniel and I sit down to watch TV, I get so wrapped up in whatever we're watching that I forget there's a baby sleeping just one room away.  Then I see her pile of toys on the floor and smile.  It's the same realization: 'I am a mother'. 

I hope it doesn't sound callous to say that sometimes I forget that I'm a mother.  It's not like I actually forget, sometimes I just like the little reminders...like the rubber duckies in the bathtub.  The puzzle pieces in the laundry, the baby shoes next to our shoes at the door.  My recent favorite: coordinating outfits on Sundays.  If anything happened to me and I didn't get to watch Hannah grow up, I would hope she knew how much I love being her Mother.

Hannah is 10 Months

What a grown up girl I have! 

At ten months, Hannah claps, waves, walks, (yes, we've got a walker on our hands) climbs, shouts, screeches in the highest, shrillest way possible (usually it's a happy screech), carries a little baby doll around wherever she goes, or a stuffed lemur (that was once mine) sleeps about 11 hours at night without a peep (usually), loves to go outside, loves to empty drawers, cupboards, you name it...she gets giddy when she sees the cats, and wishes she were fast enough to catch them.  She loves to play chase.  The last month has been my favorite so far.  I'm sure this one won't disappoint. 

It's really happening

 I'm posting from Gig Harbor today.  For the past week and a half, we've been house sitting for Daniel's parents and we're still up here this week.  When they offered to pay us to house sit, we figured we might as well since it was $20 a day more than we'd be making living at our own apartment...so here we are, and as of today Daniel is commuting down to Lacey, because:

This morning Daniel went to work! He got a job!! Let me say it one more time...in all caps: 

HE GOT A JOB!!!

The ironic thing (although Daniel would correct me and say it's not technically ironic, per the definition of irony) is where he got a job.  When I took over applying for jobs for Daniel, I decided to look for places where we have connections.  Reluctantly, I looked at my old employer, Saint Martin's University.  They happened to have a Database Administrator position open.  I passed it by Daniel who said it would be a long shot that they'd be interested, but I submitted the application anyway. That was on a Friday.  The following Monday they'd called and asked him to come in for an interview on Thursday.  He came home from the interview said it went well, but that he'd forgotten to put on his dress shoes so he'd been wearing his athletic shoes with his dress clothes...we both laughed and said oh well.  He'd had better leads and perfect interviews, that didn't amount to anything, so the wrong shoes didn't seem like a huge catastrophe.

The following Tuesday as we were packing up what seemed like our entire apartment to move up to Gig Harbor for two weeks the phone rang.  Daniel began pacing the hallway, saying things like "Thank you" and "ok".  I motioned thumbs up or thumbs down trying to get a clue at what he was hearing on the other end.  He gave me a definite thumbs up and when he hung up, let me know he'd been offered a job.  It took a while to sink in but here we are: A walking talking testament of a huge leap of faith.  Things worked out, they always do.  The Lord is good and we have been blessed.

And if I didn't have such a strong testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, I'd swear somebody is trying to make us Catholics!

mischief managed

Happy Weekend to all! I'm sure I'll keep busy chasing after this little girl.  This all took place in the short time I was washing my hands.  As her doctor said earlier this week, now is the time when I need eyes in the back of my head.  I have a feeling this is really only the beginning of the mischief...what fun!

At nine months Hannah has 4 teeth (2 top and 2 bottom) and is 20 pounds 7 oz.  Crawling all over and walking around furniture. Taking steps between objects and emptying any drawer, cupboard, basket, or box she can reach.  Such a sweet girl.  She's the best thing that's ever happened to me!

Photographic evidence of the last four months

Yesterdays post came so easily.  Even though it was so personal.  Then Hannah woke up at 4:30 this morning, and I wondered why on earth I posted all that.  Did I overshare? Am I crazy? Oh well. The comments are off on that post, so I guess I don't want to find out.

Prepare yourselves for a major Hannah picture overload! That's what happens when there's a 3 month blogging hiatus.  

 pre-crawling Hannah (April)

 Sunday afternoon snuggles with Grandma

my 25th birthday

 Oregon road trip with Nanna and Poppa

 in an airplane toy in Oregon

 At the beach in Oregon

 Cape Kiawanda, Oregon

 4th of July BBQ with Grandma

 the beginning of the pig tail era

 sitting like such a big girl

 nothing better than a sleeping baby!

 Watermelon for Hannah

 cherries for Hannah

 Family pictures. Hannah's holding her favorite stuffed unicorn.

 Skipper- the ultimate motivation

 so proud to be standing and playing with my laptop

 first time swinging- loved it

 mischievous Hannah found toilet paper!

 morning story time (she usually enjoys it a lot)

 why we stopped swaddling (and crazy bedhead!)

general cuteness!

What I've been thinking

I think I'm still a blogger.  I guess by posting this, I'm welcoming myself back into the blogosphere.

I used to blog at my desk at work, during my down time.  Then I quit my job to stay home with my favorite little baby, who is just not so little anymore.  Who is so busy emptying drawers, cupboards, baskets, eating cheerios, walking around furniture, taking one little half step out on her own, and crawling after me wherever I go.

My blog time plummeted, but my life satisfaction skyrocketed.  I regularly have over a hundred posts waiting for me in my google reader.  Sometimes I get it down to seventy or so.  Of course I have free time, but I also have laundry and dishes, and job hunting. Daniel is spending so much time focusing on school, so I've taken over the initial job applications for him.

When I left my job, I knew Daniel didn't have full time employment.  It was a huge leap of faith.   I expected things to go a little smoother on that front.  People say that babies bring blessings.  I don't doubt that, I just had hoped for a specific blessing.  When I quit my job, we had a savings account to hold us over for a while until his job came.  I guessed we'd have about four months worth of savings.

Hannah is now a few days shy of nine months, and that little savings account has lasted and lasted.  I'm continually reminded of the story in the Old Testament where the woman and her son were about to have their last meal and then they were going to die as a result of a famine in the land.  They ended up sharing their meager allotment with one of the Lord's Prophets, and they were sustained through their faith.  Their resources lasted and lasted.  They weren't living comfortably by any standards, and the famine raged on around them.  But they had looked death in the eye, clung to their faith, and they were blessed.

I know my situation isn't nearly as dramatic as that.  We have food to eat, a place to call home, and no fear of losing either.  Yes I'm frustrated.  It's so easy to be discouraged when the perfect interview doesn't lead to a job. It's easy to compare myself to others.  But these feelings aren't productive and they don't lead anywhere happy, so I try to focus on what we have.  The other day after two good interviews and no job offers I was feeling particularly frustrated.  While rocking Hannah with tears streaming down my face, I had the distinct impression that things will work out soon.  I don't know how, or what, or when. All I can do is trust that the Lord has not forgotten about us.  He know's we're having a hard time.  He knows what we need.  I know that we are already more blessed than most, and eventually we'll round a corner, and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.  It may be dim, but it will be there.

I don't know if Daniel will get a job, or if we'll end up with lots more student loans than we were anticipating.  I don't know the answers, but I do know that through a sustaining faith, things will work out.

So I'll agree with those that say babies bring blessings.  I've never been happier, than I am as Hannah's mother.  This is what I was born to do. So I keep doing it, and exercising faith that as I keep fulfilling my role as mother, the Lord will bless our little family and that our oil will not run out.

There's a highchair in my kitchen

Hannah is six months old today.  I know how cliche it is, but I simply cannot believe how quickly the months have passed.  I'm really enjoying it though.  I thought at six months I would be in a state of mourning, for the loss of Hannah's newness (anybody else love the newborn stage?) But she's so fun now.  It is so fun watching her learn new things and find her personality.  She's still such a sweet girl and I love spending all of my time with her!  We started solids a couple of weeks ago with applesauce and rice cereal, and the girl loves her food.  I should have known though, she's never been one to turn down a meal! Her six month appointment with shots is tomorrow, so I'll find out exactly how heavy this baby that I carry everywhere is, but I'm guessing at least 18 pounds.  She's fits anything between 6-12 month clothes, which has opened up a very cute new wardrobe!

The discovery that has revolutionized shopping

I typed the title of this post, and then realized it sounds like a cheesy tag line from an advertisement you'd see at the top of some website...but this is real!

This weekend, Hannah learned to sit up by herself.  She is still a little wobbly, but she really does a good job.  This makes her happy, cause she can now sit and play with her toys.  The more freedom she gets, the happier she gets.  (I can only imagine how happy she'll be when she learns to walk!). 

Well, I was out this morning running a couple of errands.  I had to go to the bank, and I realized Rite Aid was on the way.  I don't know about you, but I've noticed that milk has gotten very expensive over the last few weeks, and as a family, we go through 3-5 gallons a week.  (Daniel would go through a gallon a day, easily, if I let him).  Rite Aid has the cheapest milk that I've seen around here, so I've been doing my milk shopping there, to save a little change. 

Normally when I take Hannah on my errands, I remember to bring my sleepy wrap, so I can wear her.  This makes it a lot easier, since my hands are free and she's happier than being stuck in her car seat.  Today, I didn't even think to grab my wrap, so I was facing the prospect of carrying my 17 pound baby girl and three gallons of milk, with my own two hands.  You guys, when I tried that last week, and it didn't work.  I almost lost some milk and eggs with that stunt.

Today, I realized that if she can sit on a blanket on the floor and play with toys, there's no reason she couldn't sit in the cart.  As soon as I buckled her in there, I realized that my grocery shopping trips will be so much easier.  I'm almost done sewing one of those neat grocery cart covers so she won't even get germs on her next time I put her in the cart.  This is great!

sitting! and SO cute in her blue dress!

About the picture: I have such a hard time getting good pictures of Hannah smiling.  Whenever we pull out the camera or phone, she gets the most serious thoughtful look on her face. After five and a half months I finally have a picture (albeit blurry) of Hannah grinning.

25

Tomorrow I turn 25.  Normally I love birthdays, and I look forward to turning a year older, but 24 was such a good year for me.  

So many things happened that were just wonderful.  Shall I list them? 

I started 24 pregnant and nauseous and loving it.

I went on a cruise up the pacific coast with my husband and parents and loved it.

I was pregnant all summer and...loved it!

I worked in a hot brick building with coworkers who sometimes drove me crazy (this one I didn't love so much!)

I gave birth, and LOVED it!

I became a mother and I'm loving it. (I know some would say this is the same as giving birth, I think there's a lot more to being a mother, than just giving birth)

I quit that job I didn't love so much and I stay at home with my baby, which is so much better.

I've lost ten pounds nursing that sweet little baby, and I'm loving that! (Think she'll let me nurse her till she's 2?)

Does 25 even stand a chance?

why I'm more of a cat person

A few years ago, had somebody asked me if I'd be more comfortable bathing a small slippery baby, or a dog, I would easily have chosen the dog.  I'd been nervous about giving my baby baths, until she got here and I found out it really isn't that hard. 

If you were to ask me today, whether I'd rather bathe a baby, or a dog, I'd definitely say baby. 

After play group this morning, Hannah and I stopped by my parents (who are vacationing in Arizona) house to check on their poodle Pippin.  Their neighbor lets him out in the morning, and Daniel has been letting him out in the evenings, but I figured we'd stop by and give him some attention while we were out. 

Pippin was of course eager to greet us, jumping up and down on the other side of the door, just waiting for us to come in.  As soon as I opened the door, I was assaulted with a stink like you wouldn't believe.  I can only assume that on one of his recent trips outside he found something to roll in. He was caked in greenish/brown gunk that had dried into his gray curls.  Both of his sides and his chest were covered in this stuff.  I'm sure he was loving it, but I couldn't let him stay like that, especially the way it reeked!

Thankfully my parents have made every effort to accommodate Hannah at their house.  I was able to deposit her in her exersaucer, and attempt to get Pippin cleaned up. 

As I was bathing him, clumps of gunk kept coming off of him and the water going down the drain was brown.  I don't know what he found to roll in, and how long he'd been like that but it was enough to make me gag.  It may have taken half a bottle of shampoo, and I was soaked from the knees down and up to my elbows, but I did it!  You guys, it is a lot harder to bathe a dog, than a baby. A LOT!

Pippin, clean but hyper after his bath.

the most magical sound

When I was pregnant with Hannah, and nervous throughout the first few months, I got an at home doppler so I could listen to her little heart beat whenever I wanted.  From about nine weeks on, it became a nightly ritual after my evening shower.  I'd spread baby oil all over my lower stomach and put on my headphones and search.  Before too long I'd find it and just soak it in.  As the weeks progressed and the belly grew, that little heart beat became stronger and wiggly.  We'd play a momma and baby game of hide and seek.  

Tonight, as I was getting Hannah ready for bed, I paused for a second and put my ear against her chest.  I heard that familiar little heart beating and beating.  What a comforting sound.  She's so full of life and light. I'm so blessed to be her mother.  I think in the stillness of these shared moments, our hearts have been forever knit together.

tiny baby Hannah

Scenes from a Sunday Afternoon

I love Sundays because I get to play dress up with Hannah!

This might just be the cutest dress ever.  Thanks Aunt Kayleen! 

Hannah likes it too.  Especially when she can get it in her mouth!

baby laundry

Isn't baby laundry so cute? All those tiny socks, polka dot burp rags, rainbow leggings, and stuffed elephants...and Hannah of course!  She's such a good helper!

Mondays and Tuesdays

Mondays are good days for me.  Now that I'm not working, somehow I enjoy Monday.  It's a new start, a chance to be productive.  On Mondays I do things like scrub the bath tub, vacuum carpets, load the dishes, wash and fold four loads of laundry, and make sure Hannah gets good naps.

Tuesdays, are not so good days.  Somehow all that productivity backfires or something, because on Tuesdays I fall asleep on the couch while Hannah plays on the floor.  Then I fall asleep on her bedroom floor while she sleeps in her crib.  Yesterday was a particularly vicious Tuesday for some reason.  I felt so foggy.  Around 12:00 I decided enough was enough, and that Daniel could take a break from programming to watch Hannah.  I got myself dressed in exercise clothes, pulled my hair back and went for a run in the rain.  Normally I hate running, and rain, but somehow this was what I wanted, needed, to get going.  I went on my old route, from when I was training for the triathlon.  I impressed myself with how much I was able to actually run, since it has been over a year and a half since I did much strenuous exercise at all.

There are five minutes left of Wednesday.  Today I decided I needed to get out, so I went to playgroup this morning and skipped Hannah's morning nap.  Somehow that morning nap is much more important than most people give credit.  Without that morning nap, she struggles with sleeping the rest of the day.  Daniel is now having his turn at getting her to go to sleep.  It's a shame that overly tired babies fight sleep, the one thing they really need. 

Unrelated, but cute:

I sure do love her!

To answer some questions

A couple of you had asked some questions about the great deals I got while couponing.  I will do my best to provide a little insight/answers.

1. Where do I get my coupons?  Some I get from my parents Sunday paper, but most of them I print from various coupon websites.  Instead of listing all the coupon websites, or searching through them each time I want to find a coupon, the easiest way is to check out the coupon blogs.  The Krazy Coupon Lady has lots of deals, and is updated very regularly.  She also has an awesome section under the link 'print coupons'.  This goes through a huge list of products alphabetically, and will link you through to any coupons available.  For instance, I needed to get aquaphor for poor Hannah (who like her mother, suffers from dry skin). I was able to print a coupon for Aquaphor using her website.  Another website, which has good deals, especially on groceries and happens to be local to where I'm at, is Queenbee Coupons.  This is another site which links to coupon printing websites.  Those are the two main blogs I use, along with my friend Alyshia and her sister Audrie's shopping blog.  They have been so helpful cluing me into deals I might have otherwise missed. 

2.  How do I get such good deals?  Really, I'm just a novice at this whole coupon thing.  I've gotten a couple of good deals, but there are so many more that I've missed.  The trick is to match manufacturer coupons with store coupons/sales. The best way to get good deals is to stay on top of the blogs.  Last weekend I was alerted by the blogs previously listed that Albertsons would be doing 'double coupons'.  They then listed the appropriate combination of coupons and where they could be found or printed, in order to get things free (like the sweet potato fries) or really cheap (like my eye shadow).  Albertsons is doing doublers again through tomorrow (if you don't get the Sunday paper, you can ask the customer service counter for a copy, to get the coupons), so I'm hoping to get some good finds again! I have been kind of busy with Hannah over the weekend so I haven't had much of a chance to put together a shopping list yet, so I'll be looking for deals tonight.

Like I said, I'm really a novice at this whole thing, but if you have questions/want to talk coupons, I'm up for it!

Unrelated: Hannah tried her first momsicle tonight.  It's a hit!

Sparkly me!

I got some good deals couponing today.  I went to Albertsons, and was able to get two bags of sweet potato fries for free, and some cover girl eye shadow for $.86.  I was trying to find a neutral color of eye shadow, so I selected bedazzled biscotti, thinking it looked safe.  Turns out the bedazzled part means sparkles.  It kind of takes me back to middle school when I intentionally wore glitter around my eyes.  So if you see me, and I look extra sparkly, it's because I am.