8 Months Old

Every month that goes by, the next one goes by faster!  I cannot believe my little baby is already 8 months old!  She has become such a big girl!!!  She is so happy and just makes Matt and I fill joy every time we look at her!  In the past month, she has gone from army crawling to REAL crawling, from having to be put in the sitting position to doing it ALL BY HERSELF!!  The first day that she sat up on her own, I was going to get her up from her nap and she was sitting in her crib with a HUGE smile on her face.  I laughed and cheered her on and told her what a big girl she was.  And she was just glowing with pride in herself.  It might have been one of the cutest things I have ever seen.  In the past week, I started noticing that at the 3 hour mark when I would nurse her, she wasn't all that hungry or interested.  So I moved it back to around 4 hours.  This schedule has worked awesome, and she has adjusted without skipping a beat!  It is so nice for me to not feel like I am constantly nursing her and we are in a much better daily rhythm.  She still sleeps from around 8pm to 8am and we are still so thankful for that!  Since the new eating schedule, she has been taking 2 great naps a day!  She sleeps between 1.5 to 2 hours both in the morning and the afternoon, and has even given me a couple 2.5 hour naps!!! We've been going to the YMCA in the mornings during the week and Hannah has been doing GREAT in the child care.  It is such a blessing and relief to me, to walk in there after 30-45 minutes and seeing Hannah either playing happily on the floor or happily being held by one of the workers.  She doesn't even immediately reach for me anymore!  This has been a huge concern for me, feeling uncomfortable leaving her because she would basically scream the whole time!  Although I didn't want Hannah to be upset, I knew it was good for both of us, but mostly I didn't want to subject the child care workers to her screaming!!  We are also heading to Utah in a couple weeks and while Matt and I ski, Hannah will be childcare, so I hope that that goes as well as the YMCA has been going!  Hannah babbles all the time!  Her most favorite sounds are mama or mom, and dada, but is also known to say baba and yaya.  She still squeals often and makes other sweet non consonant sounds.  She is playing much more independently which is really helpful for me.  She loves to bounce in the exersaucer and dig through her toy box.  She especially loves balls and things that make noise.  And of course her favorite things to play with are remote controls and cell phones!  She loves a dryer sheet too!  She has gotten much more interested in books lately and will occupy herself for a little while trying to turn the pages.  Hannah loves water and has gotten really good at drinking from her sippy cup.  She has a traditional sippy cup and a new one that has a straw and she does so well from both!    She still eats like a champ!  She eats 3 meals of solid food a day.  Avocados remain her favorite and she also loves mangos.  I think she could give or take apples, but she seems to really like pears.  She still eats well from a spoon, but also likes to try to feed herself more.  A few new things she has tried (and liked!) are chicken, tomatoes, broccoli, and black beans.  I plan on giving her yogurt and cheese in the next few days as she is now a big 8 month old!!  She still loves cheerios too and teething biscuits are a new fun thing we've tried.  Again, we don't know her height and weight, but she is mostly wearing 9-12 month clothes as this point.  So I would think she is over 20 lbs and around 28 inches.  She can still fit into some of her 6-9 month clothes, but they are a little short in the arms and legs!!

I took her little "8 month photo shoot" in a new swimsuit I got her at a buy 1 get 1 free sale at Carter's.  I think it's super cute, and Hannah LOVED wearing it!!  I think we have a little girl that is going to LOVE LOVE summertime!!

Super Bowl Week

As I'm sure you all know, the super bowl was here in Indy this year!  It was a super fun week!  Most of the week we had temperatures in the 60s, so that was an awesome break from winter for us!  One day Hannah and I went out for a nice a walk and we stopped at a little park near house to see how Hannah liked the swing!  As you will see from the following videos, she LOVED it!!!  On Thursday of that week, my friend Rachel and I took our babies and went for a walk down to the super bowl village.  They blocked off 3 or so blocks of streets for a little outdoor party!  There were curbside bars, people everywhere, concerts, food trucks, ziplines, ice sculptures and more!  It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed the 2 mile walk from our house and getting to see all of the action down town.  Matt was out of town most of the week leading up to the super bowl, so he didn't get to see any of it until Saturday when we headed down to go to the NFL Experience. It was CRAZY!!  It was a really neat place to be and I'm glad we "experienced" it, but the lines were outrageous (we waiting 1.5 hours to kick a fieldgoal, both of us missed, and that's the only experience we participated in).  But it was the first nasty day all week with temperatures in the 40s and raining, so we were glad to be inside.  Hannah took great naps in the stroller so that was good.  Then in the afternoon we went out into the village and met up with friends Steve and Sarah.  A couple of Matt's superiors from work were in town for the big game, so we met up with them for a bit too.  We are so thankful that Hannah slept warm, cozy, and dry inside her stroller.  Matt and I were a little bit under dressed, so we were wet and cold!  We then headed home to have our friends from down the street over for dinner.  Hannah was excited to have her little friend Jay over a while.  Matt and I usually have pretty uneventful weekends, but we decided to go all out on Superbowl weekend, because if our nonstop Saturday wasn't enough, we had our community group over for a superbowl party on Sunday!!  It was fun and it I had a good time using some of my serving dishes that I had never used before!  I made meatballs, guacamole, pigs N a blanket, and cheeseburger eggrolls!  To get the eggroll wrappers, I had to go to this asian supermarket, and when asking a lady who worked there where the wrappers were, she asked me what I was making.  I tried to simply keep it at "eggrolls", but then she questioned me further, "like vegetable or seafood", and I said, "no, beef, cheese, and onion".  She looked at me like I was a CRAZY American.  Which I guess I am!!  

These 2 videos are from Hannah's first time in a swing!  We went by the park while on a walk one of the nice days at the beginning of the week.  She absolutely LOVED it!!!

These next few are from the Super Bowl Village on Thursday before the game.

Hannah and I are the tiny speck by the E

And ice sculpture of the Indianapolis skyline

Hannah and Jay hanging out while Rachel and I ate lunch

This set of pictures is from the Saturday before the big game, when Matt and I went down to the NFL Experience

Hotel where the Patriots were staying

Hannah chillin at the 30 yard line while her Daddy attempts a field goal!

We're goin to Jackson

The weekend of January 20-22, we went to Jackson, Mississippi!  We added two new states to Hannah's list, so now I believe she has been to 11 states!!  Our little traveler did pretty well on the ride there, but got a bit fussy on the way home!  We were in Jackson for one of my best friend's wedding.  Lauren and I have been really close since I was a senior in high school.  We worked at Camp Westminster together and have maintained a close friendship since then!  We have always lived long distance, but I am so thankful to have her in my life and wish I saw her more often.  I didn't get a whole lot of pictures, but here are a few!

At the bachelorette party on the Thursday before the wedding.


The following pictures are from a little photo shoot I did of Hannah in our hotel room.  She was all over the place , but they are cute and I got a few REALLY good ones!!

My absolute favorite!

2nd favorite

3rd favorite

Hannah and I at the cocktail hour of the rehearsal dinner

After the Rehearsal dinner

On our way home, we stopped in Sikeston, MO to eat at Lamberts!  I used to eat at one of their other locations when I worked at Camp Barnabas.  Eventhough he is from Missouri, this was Matt's first throwed roll experience!  It did not disappoint, though made for a MUCH longer trip home and a bit of a fussy baby toward the end of the trip.

7 months

Time just flies by so fast!  I just got my 6 month post up, and it's already time for the next one!  Hannah continues to be such a joy!!!  I'm not sure if I mentioned her teeth in the last post, but she has two pearly whites on the bottom front.  They are so cute when she smiles!  They are now much easier to see, and she doesn't seem to "hide" them quite as much as she used to.  Hannah laughs a lot!  It is so fun to watch her continue to become more and more interactive.  She laughs at things we say, looks we give, animal noises, and of course tickling!  So far her favorite animal noise is a seal.  She likes to give kisses and talk to us.  Sometimes, she'll act like she is going to give Matt or I a kiss and then at the last minute turns away and "jumps" up and down with a big smile on her face.  It's so cute and we think she thinks she's pretty funny.  She loves to eat and definitely prefers the homemade babyfood to the store bought.  I think she likes the thicker consistency of what I make at home.  She has tried lots of things, but so far what I regularly have on hand are sweet potatoes, apples, pears, bananas, peas, and black eyed peas.  I have some blueberries, peaches, and broccoli in the freezer ready to cook and blend up when I have the chance.  She eats 3 meals a day and still LOVES cheerios! They are a life saver as far as meal time goes.  She really enjoys feeding herself and it keeps her busy so we can eat.  Hannah continues to be an awesome sleeper and we are so thankful.  She is taking better and better naps, and I'm struggling right now with the transition from 3 naps to 2.  She nurses about 5 times a day and is so much faster at it!  It is amazing to me that what once took 45 minutes to an hour, now takes 10-15 minutes tops!!  She takes a little bit longer at night, but that's because she is so sleepy and I have to keep jossling her awake!!  Hannah is a champion sitter.  She holds her back up so straight, and can lean over all kinds of ways and return to the upright position.  She still can't get up from laying down, but I don't think that's too far away.  In the last couple of weeks she has really learned to get where she wants to go!!  She is not truly crawling, but her army crawl is fast and efficient!  We are definitely mobile and are now starting to child proof our home!  I can't believe my "tiny" baby is actually able to go from A to B.  It is amazing how fast they learn and grow!!!  She is full of personality and doesn't let a thing get past her!  She is so alert in public places, waving to everyone and really studying some!  She sits very well in shopping carts, so that makes shopping much easier for me.  She is definitely still a mommy's girl and does not like to be held by others, but also loves her daddy and will go to him anytime!  I am so thankful that his traveling doesn't effect her willingness to go to him.  We won't return to the doctor for 2 more months, so I don't have an updated height or weight, but she can now wear most 9-12 month clothes, but still fits into most of her 6-9 month clothes.  The arm and torso length are a bit short for 6-9, but they fit everywhere else just fine!  My guess is that she is around 19 lbs and 28 inches.

Bedhead!!

My first hairbow!

Getting Ready

I'm ready!!!

A little video of Hannah's sweet laugh!

Ready for the snow!

Playdate with our friend Jay

I'm 7 months old!!

This big!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

The weekend before Christmas we went to see Santa!  Hannah surprisingly did awesome!!  She is generally not a big fan of strangers, atleast of them holding her!  She loves talking to them and smiling and waving!!  But, she did not even bat an eye when Matt placed Hannah on Jolly St. Nick's lap.  It was very sweet and an excellent opportunity for a cute picture!

After our visit with Santa!

Decorating for Christmas is something that I LOVE to do!  I really actually need to get a few more Christmasy things to celebrate the season.  But, among other things, decorating the tree is my favorite and always has been.  I have always loved digging out the ornaments and remembering where I got them, or who gave them to me, and finding just the perfect place for each of them!  Since Matt and I got married, we have gotten our tree at Home Depot, and once again, they did not disappoint!  I would LOVE to start cutting down our own when Hannah is older to build fun memories, but for now, Home Depot is perfect.  The only thing I would have changed this year is going for the taller variety!  I had no idea just how tall our ceilings were until I got the tree in the house!  The following pictures are just a few of the things we had around the house to celebrate the season!

We went to Atlanta for Christmas this year.  On the 23rd it was a balmy 65 degrees and even warmer in direct sunlight!  It was so nice to be outside and just soak in the sun.  We celebrated Christmas with my family on the 23rd.  My sister's family, and my brother and his wife came to my parents for a delicious meal and to open presents.  It was so fun to hang out with my siblings, their spouses, and my precious nieces!  I am so glad that Hannah has such loving cousins on both sides of the family!  It is really sweet to watch them interact with her.  Abby and Caroline just love babies and are so good with Hannah.  They hold her and do a great job playing with her.  Molly Ryan also LOVES babies and absolutely adores Hannah.  She wants to hold her all the time and be right by her side all the time!

Caroline, Hannah, Abby, and Molly Ryan

Abby, Hannah, Caroline, and Molly Ryan

Caroline helping Hannah stand up!

Hanging out with Uncle Eric and Aunt Melissa

Molly Ryan, Hannah, Caroline, and Abby

Loving being held by Aunt Catherine and Molly Ryan

Hannah thinks she is a big girl playing with Molly Ryan's new toy!

On Christmas Eve, the Goforths came back over for a delicious brunch, and to hang out for a little while before they headed back to Asheville.  Then in the evening, we went to church with my parents.  It was a very nice service and Hannah did awesome!  I wasn't quite able to hold the candle for the candlelight portion because Hannah was VERY interested in it!!  We had saved our presents to eachother and to/from my parents for Christmas morning.  We woke up to see what Santa had brought for Hannah.  I think the bows and paper were her favorite part.

Then we went to church, and after church drove up to see my parent's lakehouse at Lake Lanier.  Everything was finished except for the floor.  It looked so awesome and we are so excited to spend time there this summer and for years to come!  That evening Matt and I left after Hannah went to bed and walked around the village at Stone Mountain.  It was all lit up for Christmas.  It was beautiful and fun to spend a little time alone with Matt.  We had a wonderful Christmas for sure!!!  

On the 26th, we went over to Eric and Melissa's house for dinner.  They were so sweet to have us and served awesome steaks and potatoes!  We really loved to spend time with them and see where they live.  Then on Tuesday, we ate dinner at our friends' the McClure's house.  They were two of the first people we got to know while living in Boston and back in the summer they moved to Atlanta!  It was great to see them and spend time catching up with them.  They have a little girl as well who is so precious!  She was still a baby when we left, but now is just full of so much sweet personality!  

We came back to Indianapolis for a night to unload our Christmas loot, and then headed to St. Louis.  Although I don't have any pictures to show for it, we had an awesome time!  Hannah LOVED being with all of her cousins and aunts and uncles, and see the other set of grandparents.  She was very happy the whole time we were there and let everyone play with her!  I think she really enjoyed showing off her new sitting up skills.  While we were away, she really figured out how to sit up!  She doesn't fall over now unless she means to.  She also figured out how to wave and clap!  The other development is that her 2nd tooth came in!  She now has both of her front bottom teeth!! So fun to see these new developments in her. While in St. Louis we ate delicious food at Matt's parent's house, we went bowling, and spent New Years Eve at dinner with friends and then back at Jonathan's house with him and Andrea.  We so appreciate their hospitality in letting us come take over two of their rooms!!

This is Hannah on New Years Eve....she just couldn't hang on!!!