Hannah - 2 Years

Today is our little girl's 2nd birthday!  Two years old, I just cannot believe it!  Time does not slow down one bit, it only seems to move by at a lightening speed.
  
  
                                                           
 

At two years old, she is quite the little lady. Hannah is so talkative, she never ceases to amaze us with how much she knows and says.  We hear from people all the time how well she speaks, must be all those books she loves and we read to her.  She is putting 5-8 words together. It's cute hearing her talk in the third person, "Mommy look at Hannah" or "Mommy, what's Hannah doing?"  It's funny because I catch myself having a conversation with her now.  I ask a question, she answers back and vice versa.  She is no longer my baby.

Hannah can count from 1 to 12, she can also count on her fingers by selecting each one.  She knows that she is "two" and holds up her two fingers. She can recite her alphabet for the most part, but when she gets to J, she skips to P and continues on from there.  She is able to write the letter "H" and points to it and says "Hannah".  When you ask her her name, she will tell you "Hannah Elizabeth", when you ask her her last name, she says "LaMacchiama". She can tell you the basic shapes and point them out when you show them to her.  She is pretty good with colors, she seems to have the basics down there as well.  At daycare they will start to do some "school" work so I'm sure that will help her learning continue to improve.

Hannah is a very friendly and outgoing person.  She is always waving and saying hello to people, although she will have her shy moments where she hides behind mommy or daddy.  She is a leader and very adamant at times.  Hannah will take control at daycare and around other kids by leading them around or choosing the activity to play with.  We are still learning and figuring out the whole sharing business, this is definitely a challenge.

Hannah is such an independent person, frequently telling us "Hannah do it".  We try our best to let her do as much as she can safely, but sometimes we just have to help.  She is getting good at climbing the stairs going forward, and taking a few steps going down, but it still makes me nervous!  She is running and kicking, and jumping all over.  She has been jumping for about 6 months or so now and when she gets really excited she especially jumps around.  She has also been perfecting her forward roll.  For the past 2 months it has gotten so much better, it makes me smile every time she does one!  My little gymnast!  Hannah is still working on throwing a ball but gets a big kick when it goes straight up in the air and back down behind her.

Hannah loves playing with her babies, rocking and singing to them.  She gets so sad when they are sad, and holds them up on her shoulder when they need to burp after their bottles.  She practices changing their diapers and tells me all the time that she "needs wipes for the poopy."  She still has her favorite animal MooMoo, but boy is he ever stinky.  I wish we could "lose" him but I know she would be so upset.  I wish he would wash up nicer in the washer machine, but I will keep searching for a backup, just in case.  Hannah likes to sing: Twinkle twinkle little star,  Itsy Bitsy Spider, a song I made up called Hannah baby, and The Wheels on the Bus", complete with hand motions.

We have a great bedtime routine that has been going strong for quite a long time.  Typically we read her two "night-night stories" which are "Moose and Mouse" and "Goodnight, I love you."  After we read, we say our  nighttime prayer together (all 3 of us if we are all home), then we sing a few songs while rocking, and off to sleepyland she goes.  Hannah does great with this routine, and we are so thankful that she sleeps so well and has slept so well for a very long time!  We are hoping this will continue as we transition her to her "big girl" room and bed here shortly.

We have been working on potty training pretty seriously for a few weeks.  She isn't very good about letting us know when she has to go, but we put her on the potty about every hour to hour and a half to try.  It seems that every time we put her on, she goes.  Her reward is M&M's, which we call big girl candy, she calls it "big candy".  We have days where she is dry all day, and others where she has accidents in her diaper here and there.  Naps and nighttime are hit or miss, some days she wakes up completely dry, others not so much, but we are getting there.  I think I'm going to try the 3 day method and hope to do it once and for good.  My goal is for her to be potty trained before this next bambino comes along.

We have also been enjoying the lovely terrible two's.  I don't know if its because she is so strong willed, but boy can she be stubborn.  And a faker.  I love when she starts crying, and as soon as the next best alternative arises, the tears instantly stop and she's moved on.  I have to laugh at those moments, she is certainly a little drama queen at times.  We have also needed to use the time out corner for some things.  Lately she is becoming a challenging eater.  When she decides she doesn't want food, she just throws it on the floor.  This ultimately leads to a time out, where she cries and cries in the corner and immediately upon time completing, she runs over to myself or John saying "I'm sorry Mommy/Daddy, no throwing."  She knows, but still does it anyway.  Parenting certainly takes a heck of a lot of patience, but we will get there!

                                                          

24 Month Stats:

-Height: 34 inches (75%) 

-Weight: 25 lbs (27%)

-Head Circumference: 47.2 cm (24%)   

                                                                                                 
Hannah did great at her 2 year check-up.  She cried a little bit when we first got into the room (before she was weighed) but after that, she was good.  She cried for a brief moment after she was given her 1 shot and that was when the nurse put the band-aid on her leg.  Then she wasn't too happy and kept pointing at her "boo boo".  She checked out great, no issues or concerns from both sides.  On our merry little way and our next trip back will be in one year!    

Letting Loose

Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and let your kids run around naked in the yard.  After a messy dinner I took Hannah's shirt off and told her she could go play.  Well she decided, no shirt, no clothes or diaper.  She took off running around for about 30 mins, just giggling and squealing!  Some day these photos will come back to haunt her, but for now, I think we'll enjoy the sweet innocence of childhood.

  
 

24 Weeks

4 more weeks have flown by, I can't believe it!  Within those 4 weeks we took a 9 day vacation to PA, 4 day long weekend up north, worked 5 nights over Labor Day weekend, so that certainly helped time to fly by more quickly.

  

At this point, I am feeling great. Besides the normal growing pains, I have been feeling really good.  I don't have any complaints, except heartburn again.  Gotta love the second trimester feel-good-moments!  My "bump" is certainly not a little bump anymore, in fact it seems to have jetted out there pretty quickly.  Compared to Hannah's pregnancy, I seem to look very similar size-wise, in the monthly pictures we took.

Things I am thankful for this month: I am thankful for comfy maternity clothes!  I'd have to look back and see when (and if) I documented the switch over, but boy do I enjoy the roomyness and comfort of these loose clothes!  Now if only my scrubs could feel that way.  Thankfully I get to wear scrubs to work.  This way I don't have to worry about dressing up and looking "nice" for an office job.  I love scrubs for that reason.  But, since we switched to uniforms, they don't offer any maternity scrubs like I got to wear for my last pregnancy.  Come on Grey's Anatomy, offer maternity in hunter green please!

I'm also thankful for a very helpful husband.  He is such a lifesaver most days when I need a little pick-me-up.  He jumps right in and takes over making my life a little easier.  He is just wonderful!

I'm thankful for our beautiful little girl, she is my sunshine.  I'm so thankful my work schedule gives me so much time at home with her.  And the days when she does go to daycare, I know she is in safe and loving hands, giving me satisfaction.  She is always so happy, and playful, laughing and giggling most of the day away.  I'm/we're so blessed :)

Hannah has been funny with the "baby belly" lately.  At night when we read our goodnight stories and sing songs, she will sit on my lap and tell me "baby kicking me" and holds up her hands on my belly saying "feel it".  I just love it.  Before she lays down for the night, she hugs my belly and lays on my chest.  I love those little moments.  I am convinced more and more that she is going to be a great big sister, I just can't wait!


24 Week Details:
-Baby is the size of a corn on the cob (12.5 inches)
-Baby weighs 1.25 lbs (We are in actually pounds now!)
-Over the past 4 weeks, baby's digestive system has continued to develop.  Baby's senses are also developing.  Taste buds are forming and nerve endings are developed enough to experience the sensation of touch.  Baby's respiratory system is rapidly growing, lungs are developing in preparation for breathing.  While there is still room inside the expanding uterus, baby is actively moving around, kicking and flipping positions.  It might even be possible to see the movements on the surface of the belly.

 

Charlevoix and Traverse City

We had the wonderful opportunity to travel with John for his work to the beautiful town of Charlevoix for an overnight trip.  I've never been to Charlevoix before but have heard so much about the area, it was such a fun experience.  We left Lansing when I got home from working Wednesday night.  I snuck in a quick nap on the drive in the car and soon enough, we were there!  John had a work lunch and conference right away, so this gave Hannah and I the chance to walk around and do some exploring before we could check into the hotel.

We strolled along and checked out the little shops, had some yummy lunch at a little bakery cafe, and walked along the docks checking out the boats.  The day was beautiful, very sunny with a slight breeze to keep us cool.  We discovered a splash pad along the docks, we would defintitely be checking that out again on Friday. We also stood next to the drawbridge as it opened and closed allowing the tall boats to pass through.  Hannah was watching so intently, it was really neat to be standing right next to it happening.

We ate dinner that evening with the group John was there doing work with.  The food was delicious (and we had WAY too much).  We grabbed some ice cream then walked out onto the pier to watch the sunset.  What a unbelievable view!  The sun just disappeared down behind the water, it was a sight to see.  After a little smashed chocolate chip ice cream on both John and Hannah's clothes, we headed back to the hotel to call it a night.  All 3 of us cuddled in bed and watched a the last 45 minutes of "Up", such a cute movie.  It was a great end to the day.
  
           

On Friday, Hannah and I were on our own after breakfast until John was finished around lunchtime.  We headed back down to the splash pad for Hannah to try it out.  She was a little hesitant at first, but then had a great time.  Of course, she made friends and had fun playing with the girls.  We were lucky to enjoy another beautiful, sunny day!
 
      

When John was finished for the day, we packed up and headed towards Traverse City.  I snapped this picture with my cell phone outside of Short's Brewery in Bellaire.  We made a little pit stop there for lunch and so John could pick up some growlers.

We stayed at the ParkShore hotel in TC and decided to book a ground floor room with a porch overlooking the water.  It was perfect to sit outside and enjoy the evenings once Hannah drifted off to sleep.  It was nice for John and I to spent some quiet time together, to sit up, talk and dream about our future.  We stayed at the ParkShore for one of our anniversary trips, so it certainly brings back some good memories for us.

We took advantage of the sun and perfect weather, and spent some time playing in the sand and out in the water.  Hannah loves the water and John was great about taking her all over.  They had fun playing on the "boat", as Hannah called it, but it was a tied down dock.  We will definitely need to look into swimming lessons for this kiddo!  

           

Saturday afternoon we headed off to Bobbi Jo's baby shower.  Unfortunately I didn't take my camera or snap any pictures on my phone, but we had a great time.  Baby Lawrence got a lot of cute things and was spoiled with love!  Hannah had fun running around and playing with another little girl around her age, but they both did not enjoy sharing the balloon between the 2 of them.

On Sunday we packed up and headed downtown to grab some lunch before our drive back to Lansing.  We have always talked about eating at the Blue Tractor but always seem to skip it.  Since the morning was a little overcast and sprinkling rain, we figured we'd just go for it and eliminate walking around in the rain.  It turned out to be delicious!  We were very happy with our selection.  Hannah also enjoyed her quesadilla and corn on the cob.  She had just recently discovered the joy of eating her corn still on the cob, she was going to town.  
 

All in all it was a great weekend get-away and definitely something we needed to cap off our crazy month of August!