3 Months

I absolutely cannot believe my baby girl is 3 months old!  I feel like when you have a newborn it's hard, yet wonderful, and when it's hard the 3 month mark is like this magical place that you look forward to.  It is when your baby is officially past the newborn stage.  And I really can't believe I'm here.  Hannah is such a joy!  She is a very happy baby who does not like to take naps....and about the only times she cries are when she is overtired and I'm trying to get her to go to sleep.  She has learned that wrapping her up in the blanket and turning on the sound machine means time to take a nap, so she usually lets me know that that's not what she wants to do!!  Other than that, she smiles and coos all the time!  I love watching her.  She has several different smiles, and I think my favorite is one where she halfway sticks her tongue out.  It's so cute!!  She is trying to make new sounds all the time.  And when she talks, you can see her thinking.  She has begun to tolerate tummy time more and more.  She has begun to move forward (not purposely) when on her tummy. She can get up on her knees but hasn't figured out the "hands" part yet.  I think we are on our way to regularly rolling over!  She did a couple times over the past week, but did it twice in a row on Sunday (the day after her "3-month birthday").  I had assisted her the first time, and then she did it twice completely unassisted.  She loves to be held but has gotten very good at entertaining herself for periods of time while I get things done.  She likes the bouncy seat and the playmat with a tweeting bird overhead.  Hannah still loves to sit outside and watch the cars go by, and she loves to be warm.  I'm not sure what she will think of outside now that it's starting to get chilly here in Indiana!  She really is the joy of my life.

Since I last wrote, Hannah has spent a weekend in St Louis hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa.  We had a great time, it was lowkey and wonderful to spend time with family.  Matt's mom was diagnosed a little over a year ago with Ovarian Cancer, but has been off chemo with no signs of cancer since before Christmas.  The doctors found a small mass in her abdomen and just after our visit, she went to get it removed and we all feared that it was the cancer returning.  On Tuesday morning, we got great  news!!!  It was a tiny "water sac" possibly scar tissue, but it was nothing to be worried about!  So we are all thrilled and thanking the Lord for answering our prayers!!!  We are so thankful.  We also got to introduce Hannah to many of Matt's friends.  One day she went to meet Phil and Erin Jones.  And then we went to a party at Brian and Lauren Simpson's house, so she met them and Paul Paul.

Hannah also spent a weekend in Phoenix, AZ adding state number 8 to her list!  Our baby girl is quite the traveler!  She did great with the time change.  We pretty much just let her go to sleep on eastern time, and luckily she would keep going back to sleep in the morning til we were ready to get up around 7 or 7:30.  We visited our friend's John and Ali Carter and their little girl MacKenzie.  While there, we also went to the Mizzou vs. Arizona State Game.  Although Mizzou didn't win, Hannah enjoyed sleeping through her first football game!  We had a great time and are so thankful for John and Ali's hospitality.

And then last weekend our good friend Joel came to visit!  He had been in Chicago and met up with Matt there while Matt was traveling, and then came on down to Indy for a visit!  Hannah loved Joel and it was so fun to hang out with him!  We look forward to the next time we are in Atlanta to see him again and to also introduce Hannah to his lovely wife!

I guess I haven't really written how I'm doing.  But I am really doing great!  Hannah is such a good baby. I sometimes have a hard time getting things done during the day because she has not been good at taking naps, but that is getting a little bit better.  Getting into the swing of things being a stay at home mom has been the most difficult transition.  I love hanging out with my daughter and taking her on walks, but I also know that I need to do chores around the house and do things like fix dinner, etc.  Matt has been back to traveling since late July, and we are doing okay with it.  We miss him like crazy when he's gone, and if Hannah has been particularly fussy, it's hard not to have a break or someone to help in the evenings.  But we are so thankful that his job allows us the ability to be a one income family.  And when he is home it's wonderful because we see him occasionally during the day and then he's usually home before 5 on the days he's in town.  It is a trade off, and there are some lonely evenings, but we are so thankful for all of his hard work!  I am still really liking Indianapolis and am slowly getting to know people.  I am getting involved in a MOPS group this year and am hoping that this helps me get to know people better, and that I build some good relationships through the group.

Hannah with Phil

Meeting Paul Paul

Ready for the Mizzou game

Our attempt at a family picture....it was about 6:00, which is 9:00 eastern and Hannah was ready for bed!!!

Hannah slept even with the loud cheers of football fans!!

Here I am being a big girl on my tummy time mat (thanks Ali!!), Hannah can push up this high even without the wedge to help, but on the wedge, she really gets up on her knees too!

Hanging with Joel

2 Months

I can't believe my baby girl is over 2 months old!!! We went to the doctor on her 2 month birthday and she weighed in at 13 lbs 10 oz (officially in 3-6 month clothes!) and 23.5 inches long! She is staying right along the 95th % for height and weight. A few days after she turned 2 months we left for her first plane ride! We went to St. Augustine for a week at the beach with my family, and my extended family who lives down there. Hannah did awesome on the plane ride! We got several compliments at how good she was. We had a great time at the beach as well! Hannah loved the water, but mostly sat under the shade sleeping or looking around. She took a few naps in her baby tent which was great! Mommy and Daddy had the chance to get in the water!!! I loved taking her pictures on the beach I grew up going to and at all the sites of St. Augustine that I've visited since I was a baby. Hannah also loved her time with her cousins and meeting all of my cousins and aunts and uncles. This week also marked the beginning of regularly sleeping 10 hours at night!!! It doesn't happen every night, but we are getting more and more consistent!!! We got home from the beach on Saturday and this week Hannah has been doing an awesome job at taking naps!! She still doesn't sleep very long, but has increased from 30 minutes to 45 minutes, and no fussing when laying her down!!! She likes to sit up all the time, and definitely thinks she is a big girl! It will be wonderful when she can sit up on her own so I don't have support her sitting all the time!!! She is much happier spending time not being held, which has really helped me get more things done and eat meals without a baby in my lap!!

Hannah's first concert "Thompson Square" at the Indiana State Fair

2 months old!!

Loving hanging out with her cousins, Caroline holding Hannah, Abby in the back and Molly next to her!

Hannah loves Aunt Catherine!

Hannah's first dip in the water!

This was Hannah's beach time napping spot.

My cousin Jason started up a restaurant called The Black Molly, it's awesome! This picture is of all the Hamilton cousins, except Eric....we missed you!!!

Hannah got dressed up for cousin Jason's restaurant

Daddy and Hannah in front of the oldest wooden school house in the USA

Daddy and Hannah in front of the old fort!

The whole family, again, we missed Eric and Melissa a lot!!

The last full day of our trip, Hurricane Irene was off the coast of Florida creating some pretty rough surf. In the afternoon we got several sudden downpours, I'm guessing from the outer bands of the hurricane. Around 6 we were still hanging out on the beach when the biggest and worst downpour happened. We ran back to the condo (I had Hannah under my coverup and a towel wrapped around me) and then when the rain ended we saw this awesome double rainbow telling us the rain was over! It was so beautiful, and the first time I'd ever seen a rainbow over the ocean.

Hannah Page Seiter

Hannah joined our family on Friday June 17th! She weighed 9 lbs 12 oz and was 21.5 inches long! She is such a joy and a blessing to us! She was a stubborn little girl and although my water broke on Wednesday the 15th, she really wanted to hang out until her due date! So she arrived at 5:42am on her due date. Matt jokes that she is a rule follower like her mama! We couldn't be more thrilled to have a daughter and the past 7 weeks have changed our lives forever!!! Hannah has had a busy first 7 weeks of life, having already been to 4 states and met almost all of her aunts and uncles, and all of her cousins. At the hospital, Hannah met most of her grandparents. My dad was missing but flew in a few days later. The first week we had my parents in town helping out and giving Hannah lots of love. She went out to her first dinner that week and to our pleasant surprise slept through the whole thing! Then in her second week of life she joined Mommy and Daddy on an anniversary dinner date to Maggianos. Again, Hannah was perfect!

Proud Mama after 30 long hours of being in the hospital

Lots of sleeping in those first few days!

We're scratching our heads too Hannah (at how we got such a wonderful and beautiful little girl!)

Then at 3 weeks old Daddy had to go out of town for work, so my mom, sister, and 3 nieces came for a visit. It was so fun to have them here! Abby, Caroline, and Molly Ryan are awesome cousins and did a great job holding Hannah. Of course I always love hanging out with my mom and sister and was just so glad they came. We ventured out to the Children's Museum and I'm so excited about Hannah growing up with such an awesome place to go!!!

Caroline is holding Hannah, and then Abby is holding Molly Ryan

At 4 weeks, we drove to Cincinnati, Ohio for a Cardinals game. Hannah had her first hotel experience and her first Major League Baseball experience. We had a great time!

Then at 5 weeks, we drove through Illinois to St. Louis to meet all of the Seiter relatives! We had such a wonderful weekend. Hannah was a bit overwhelmed with all of the love she was getting, and was a bit cranky. So we felt bad that everyone had to see her like that, but we still had a good time. We also learned that Hannah doesn't do very well if mommy eats asparagus, so on Saturday her tummy was upset all day. We had a bar-b-q shower to welcome Hannah and introduce her to family and friends. It was so awesome to see so many people that we love and to show off our sweet little girl! We are so thankful for Matt's family to putting together such an awesome event!! We were also celebrating because on the day we arrived in St Louis, Matt's older brother Jon proprosed to Andrea! We can't wait for Andrea to officially join the family!!

Cousin Aaron holding Hannah, and in the back is cousin Elizabeth, Grandpa, and cousin Andrew

Cousin Timothy

morning cuddle with Uncle Jon

Aunt Julie and cousin Sophie

Now we are at 7.5 weeks and she has been smiling very regularly for the past few weeks .....usually right after she has eaten, and mostly in the morning. It is so fun to see her sweet smile! She is a very strong girl and can already hold her head up very well and push her head and chest up while having tummy time. She sleeps about 6 hours at night and even gave us an 8.5 hour night!! She has started taking naps during the day in her crib, but only lasts for about 30 minutes, so we are still working on that! Since birth she has loved to sit out on the front porch and listen to the cars go by. It has been so hot the past few weeks that we can only spend time out there in the morning, but this week we've had a break in the temperature and are enjoying lots of walks and time outside! At her 4 week doctor appt, she had gained 1.5 lbs and was weighing in at 11 lbs 4 oz, and had grown an inch at 22.5 inches long! She is getting very close to outgrowing all of her 0-3 clothes!!

Happy Girl!

I'll try to update more frequently with Hannah's developments and adventures!!!

May Fun and The Waiting Game

May was a busy busy month for us. It was also a very fun month! We had an awesome visit with some friend's and their little one. Matt and Jarrett were good friends in college, and it has been such a joy for me to get to know him and his wife Jamie over the past few years. Their son Luca just turned a year old, and is super cute!! We enjoyed showing them Indianapolis and exploring new parts of the city for ourselves. We took them to the Indianapolis Museum of Art where they have several acres of garden space that is open to the public. It was a nice day to walk around. We also went to an air show. The pictures below are from the air show.

Cute Luca walking on the grass

The Blue Angels doing a fly by

Matt and I right before we left. The belly is definitely getting bigger!!!

Then Memorial Day weekend, Matt's parents came into town. We had a great couple of days with them! Matt and his dad went to the Indy 500 and they had a great time!! His mom and I also had a great day. We went shopping at the mall, got pedicures, and out to lunch!

And finally, we get to the last part of the post. I am 39 weeks pregnant as I write this, and I'm definitely feeling every bit of it!! I feel pretty good, but am just HUGE!!! I am often asked if I am due today and if I am having twins. But the baby is healthy and we are crossing our fingers that he or she will come sometime in the next week! The ultrasound I had today is estimated our little one at 9 lbs......generally these measurements are super inaccurate, but they are definitely thinking it's atleast 8 lbs already. So, by my calculations that means that this baby is cooked!!! I am so ready to meet him or her and hold him or her in my arms. The picture below is me at 38 weeks. Doesn't seem like too much room to grow!!!!

34 weeks and counting

Last friday I was at 34 weeks, which means less than 6 weeks till the due date! It is really crazy how fast this pregnancy has gone by. But at the same time, I am beginning to understand why people say that the last couple months creep along. Sleeping has become increasingly harder, which is probably the design to get me ready for baby's eating schedule once he/she arrives, and the number of little aches and discomforts has continued to rise. Overall, I feel great, but daily tasks are getting harder and even resting or being lazy is harder! I am getting ready and excited to meet this little one and know if it is a he or a she! Either way we will be thrilled! In April, "nesting" definitely set in. I was out running errands and putting furniture together and trying to find a home for everything in our house! The house still has some work to go, but I may take some pictures later in the week for you all to see. But, the nursery is as ready as it's going to be prior to knowing if it will be the home of a little boy or a little girl. April also brought Easter! We had a great time celebrating Jesus' sacrifice for our sake with Matt's family in St. Louis. Everyone was in town because it was also the weekend we had a college graduation party for Matt's younger brother Michael. It was so fun to see everyone in the family and also see some of Matt's extended family and family friends that we don't see very often. There were a few people that I got to meet for the first time! Enjoy the pictures!!!

33 weeks, this shirt sure is getting stretched now!

Matt and I on Easter Sunday

Elizabeth, Margie, me, and Lauri in our Easter best!

The nursery!

The crib

Our changing table

March Madness

March Madness is a little bit of a play on words. The basketball tournament was exciting this year as Indianapolis' own, the Butler Bulldogs made it to the championship for the second year in a row. As a side note, people say or rather write "Go Dawgs" up here too......I'm thinking maybe they copied that saying and spelling from my beloved Georgia Bulldawgs.....because they definitely don't have the southern twang to get the pronunciation right up here! But, it is fun just the same to see Go Dawgs everywhere.

The last two weeks of March truly were "madness" for me. The most wonderful kind of madness! I spent two weeks with my family split between Atlanta and Asheville. I drove down (wow, the luxury of being able to drive home rather than having no choice but to fly!), and stopped halfway in Nashville, TN with our good friends the Radbills. Andy and Rachel were good friends from Boston who moved to Nashville for Andy's new job as an attending at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. They have two lovely kids Jack and Kate, and it was just a blast catching up with their family! They were gracious and welcoming hosts!

Then the second day I was in Atlanta my sister and I threw a wedding shower for our future sister-in-law Melissa. It was so fun to be a part of her very first wedding shower and to meet those special in her life, as well as catch up with some of our good family friends. It was also so fun to spend time with my family including my sweet nieces, the oldest of which were very eager to serve every one their desserts and refill their drinks during the shower!

Then I spent a few low key days hanging out with my mom. One highlight of those few days was getting lunch with the mom of my sweet friend Jennifer who passed away when we were in 8th grade. Mrs. Dailey is so sweet and it was such a blessing to see her! I also joined my mom, sister, and nieces on a little photoshoot that my sister had set up for my nieces. They were so cute and it was a joy to watch them smiling for the camera!

The following weekend was quite busy and so fun! One of my best friend's, Kristen Polstra (now Vestal), got married!!! The festivities began Thursday night with a little bachelorette party at a mexican restaurant, then Friday we had the bridesmaid's luncheon and the rehearsal/rehearsal dinner. And then all day Saturday I was busy with the wedding! It was such an honor to be a part of this special weekend for Kristen. She was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL bride and I am just so happy for her! It was a great chance to catch up with an old college roommate and see a few other college friends as well as meet new people! After the wedding, a large group from the wedding and then some of Matt and I's friends from Atlanta came down Virginia Highlands to hang out for a bit. I was so glad to see everyone and that Matt was able to fly down for the weekend.

On that Sunday I had my first baby shower!! It was so much fun and I am so thankful for my sister, Emily C, Lauren D, Emily L, and Ashley S for all of the hard work they put into making it a very special afternoon for me. It was again a great time to see people dear to me and get even more excited about this little one on the way! Speaking of the little one, I am almost 30 weeks!!! It is crazy how fast this is going, but also very very exciting!!!

Then I spent the last few days of my trip up in Asheville, NC with my sister's family. It was so fun to be there and celebrate my littlest niece Molly Ryan's first birthday!!

Enjoy the pictures!!!!

28 weeks!

Sweet Kate before I left Nashville

With my brother and sister before the shower festivities began

Celebrating with Kristen (they made two special non alcoholic drinks for me and the other pregnant bridesmaid)

At the rehearsal in Perimeter Church's beautiful new chapel!

The stunning bride

The pregnant bridesmaid, a.k.a me, and my wonderful husband

With the best hostesses in the world!!

Happy Birthday Molly Ryan!

My beautiful sister with my beautiful niece!