Yogurt love

They're not edited for time, and the first one starts at the wrong angle, but these videos give you a "taste" of Hannah's single-mindedness when it comes to the foods she loves.

Wicked smart baby

I don't really know the exact details of when a kid/baby's supposed to be able to do this, but lately, we've been coming out into the living room to see things like this:



So now I've posted the picture, and it just looks like 3 plates. It's actually 3 plates, each with a matching saucer on top. She does it with the cups, too. I'm quite sure it's because she's brilliant!

Halloween

Here's the latest product from my sewing machine. I'm pretty impressed with the outcome, though frustrated with some of the measurements of the pattern. Either that or my daughter has a really tall head and a very broad back. I know her tummy's large and her cheeks are round, but that's not where the costume needed adjusting!

(The larger format is in honor of my mom's visit to Grandma this week. I think they've been able to pick up someone else's wireless signal there in the past, so hopefully Grandma will get to check out the blog!)

And these are the photos that we I when we tried to recreate the great shot of Hannah on the porch in her costume last year...

Nap time trends

A couple of recent photos... Hannah now naps on a mat twice a week at mothers' day out, so apparently she's okay with thinking "outside the crib" on occasion. (Though the first one was kind of staged because she got up after about a minute, so I asked her to lie down again for the photo.)

We walked in the door and she wasted no time.

By the time I took it, she was on to me! (Larger photo - just remembered Mom is taking her laptop to visit Grandma soon. Apparently you can't go back and make photos bigger, so at least she'll be able to see this one!)

Climber

The soundtrack was completely accidental, as Hannah had requested some music to dance to while dinner was being prepared, but it absolutely makes the video!

Trip number 3 - Flagstaff

Katchina Trail in the San Fransisco Peaks

We did Maine for a week with the LeCuyer family, took our first trip away from Hannah for a McKinsey retreat to West Virginia, then we turned around and took off 2 days later for a week at my parents' in Flagstaff.

Getting there was a bit of an adventure, since Mom agreed to fly with Hannah rather than us taking her for the 2-day drive. Of course Mom was supposed to fly through Houston, but Houston was still rather a mess from hurricane Ike, so Dad saved the day and bought her a Southwest ticket through El Paso. (That should really help their frequent flier account!) Hannah snacked her way across the western US, but was generally cooperative for Mom, and good thing since she (Mom, not Hannah) had a whopping cold by the time she got home. Getting home of course included the 2 1/2 hour drive from Phoenix to Flag, with a borrowed carseat carefully installed ahead of time by Dad. Thank you so much, Mom!!!

Andy and I packed up the car with all sorts of gear (including camping stuff - though we used various brushes with illness to wimp out on our first camping trip with Hannah) and drove to Flagstaff. Unfortunately, there's not a great stopping place - hotels on Andy's points networks - in the middle, so we usually make Amarillo our "half-way" point. This time we pushed all the way to Albuquerque the first day, which left a short 4 1/2 hour drive the second day. So much easier without an empty carseat!

While in Flagstaff, we pretty well met our goal of doing something active outdoors every day. If you've been reading the other vacation posts, you'll notice a theme... We hiked, did some trail running, played tennis, went to yoga, and even took out my parents' canoe that hasn't seen water in years. We attempted a night out to dinner with Hannah in tow, and learned that there are many things easier to eat with a cranky kid in your lap than sushi!

One of the fun things about being in Flag is that my parents know nearly everybody, so they all know who we are. Okay so they all know who Hannah is. One couple even used to go to our church in Virginia! These folks were nice enough to babysit Hannah for the rest of us to go to the symphony one evening. A couple of days later, on our hike, we came across this line of chatty college students. It was the principal horn player, leading her studio on a hike. Hiking horn players and trail runs at the edge of the neighborhood - Dallas leaves to much to be desired.

We also got in some really good house time. One of Hannah's favorite pursuits was playing with the awesome sun beam that streams down the stairs in the morning. We captured some fun short video clips. The drive home isn't really worth chronicling. Some Arizona, followed by New Mexico, then an awful lot of Texas for being such a small portion of the state!

First day of "school"

Hannah's been going to a mothers' day out two days a week this school year. I'm also their new music teacher - though I've only taught one morning because we were out of town so much and then Hannah got sick! The program is at a local Episcopal church, close enough that I can run - if I can leave on time, ever.

Hannah was really into it the first few times, and then seemed to figure out that maybe she was getting the short end of the stick on Mama time. She was not thrilled to go this week, and I'm wondering how it's going to work to teach music to her class and then leave her there. She got to go with me and teach the other classes (2 year olds through big grown up 4 year olds!) the first day, which she found to be exciting and exhausting. Too bad she only likes to nap an hour a day!

I was also pretty worn out, but I really enjoyed working with kids who are old enough to follow directions, respond appropriately to "the look" (though Hannah does pretty well with this one), and really sing songs. It was also amazing to watch Hannah participate in these classes. She picked up on all of the movement instructions, whether spoken or modeled. I'm constantly amazed by how much she understands!

Trip number two - baby free!

With the Wilsons - friends from the beginning of

Andy and Geoff's McKinsey days

(it was supposed to be a "White Night" event -

we're not usually quite this dorky!)

After 19 months, we finally found an excuse and a way to get away for a short trip without Hannah. My mom graciously agreed to come stay with her while we went to The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia on a McKinsey retreat. (Things you'll never do through your public school job...) Mom was thoroughly worn out by the end, but considering the hurricane that didn't hit us, the AC that died after we came back, and the cold she got on the way home, things could have been a lot worse!

We did pretty well about not missing Hannah except when we were around the cute toddlers other people brought with them. Of course some of those were Houston folks who had planned baby-free trips only to have to make last-minute changes and bring the family along. If you have to evacuate, a nice resort in the mountains with child care isn't the worst place to have to go!

Having enjoyed the mountains in Maine the week before didn't stop us from getting out as much as we could in the mountains of West Virginia. We were just a few ridges away from Virginia Tech and in very familiar territory, so I greatly enjoyed the visit "home". We were able to again hike and kayak - though this was our first kayak on a river and it was just lovely. The river felt a lot like the North Fork of the Shenandoah that I spent a lot of time on growing up, so I was loving it! I also managed to fit in my first ever facial, and it left me wishing I had oodles of money to blow on things like that on a regular basis!

There aren't any more photos because who remembers to take them when Hannah's not around?

Vacation number one

Sunset Farm, Mount Desert Island, Maine

(For the record, it's pronounced more like a treat after dinner rather than a hot place with a lot of sand. As in French for bare mountains. Apparently the locals just call it MDI.)

September was a busy travel month, so I'll try to get all of the adventures in before the end of October! The first week of the month, we went to Maine for a week at a house near Acadia National Park with Andy's family. The house was actually a duplex of sorts that was an old farm house on 100 acres with access to Long Pond and a canoe and kayaks. A mile up the road was a lesser-traveled section of the national park with lovely hiking trails. And there were blueberries - lots and lots of late-season blueberries! (And mosquitoes, but that wasn't so bad with a big house with new windows and screens to hide behind when needed.)

Hannah had a great time hanging out with her cousins, Elliot (4 1/2) and Juliet (2), and getting out to enjoy the mountains and coast. Okay, they're pretty small mountains, but there's also an ocean, so it's all good. We hiked, with and without Hannah in the carrier, ate popovers at Jordan Pond, canoed and kayaked, swam in not-too-frigid Long Pond, and spent some time exploring the shore.

I'll leave the rest to the photos from Karen's (Andy's mom) awesome camera!

The family at the shore - Grandma Karen, Cousin Elliot, Aunt Anna, Cousin Juliet, Grandpa Jack, Aunt Claire (Andy's sister), and you know the rest. (Missing was Andy's brother Nick, who just started a new job, which meant a move to Denver where Claire is - yay, but he couldn't get away for vacation yet - bummer!)

Brave kids with cold toes.

At Jordan Pond - very excited about a Dog

Using Daddy's Princeton hat to make Hokie colors. Very clever!

Forever to be known as the ice cream cone photos. Amazingly, Hannah didn't seem to notice that she was the only one without one. One of the many benefits of thumb sucking!

Don't think it's an approved carseat

But at least she's doing her research!

Colander

Classic

Hannah charms Flagstaff

Hannah and I took off for a little grandparent time with my folks in Flag last week. The travel was long, but she did a wonderful job considering delays and missed connections both directions. Mom and Dad secured a real crib and high chair from some grandparent friends, which made a world of difference. Hannah did wake shortly after the sun every morning (which is very early in a place with no daylight savings time), but luckily my dad does as well, so I was off the hook.

I really enjoyed watching Hannah explore the natural surroundings at my parents' house and on a hike up the inner basin of the San Francisco Peaks. We've done some "hiking" in North Texas, but we don't much put her down to let her wander - in the dust, fire ants, and poison ivy.

Just one of the hundreds of mushroom colonies along the trail. Mom was seeing fairies and trolls at every turn!

Hannah coming in for a kiss at the springs.

We had a simply magical evening in downtown Flag with my parents' dear friends Karen and Maury, and were later joined by Dad's best bud Mick. There were free dancing lessons in the square that night, so Hannah took the opportunity to critique and dance the night away!

Apparently my mom had never seen, much less done, this trick before. Sheer glee!

It was really wonderful to watch Hannah interact with her grandparents now that she's getting old enough to play back. As to be expected, her Baba is her new best friend, and she was calling for him by the end of the week. (You think he picked a repeated-syllable name by accident?) We'll spend a week with Andy's family in Acadia soon, and I'm looking forward to her spending some quality time with the rest of her family!

The girl loves her shoes. And other people's shoes.

She did not, however, love Dad's circa 1949 little boy suit. We're guessing it was for his 1st birthday. It was a little short, but we couldn't pass up the photo op!

Today's conversations with Hannah

Mama - "If you're done, please put your cup on the kitchen counter."
Hannah - "Do"

Mama - "Do you want some super smoothie?"
Hannah - "Do"

Mama - "Please help me clean up your toys."
Hannah - "Do"

I think you get the idea. For "Do", think the word for the musical syllable, not the "yes, I'll do that" variety. I just couldn't bring myself to type "doh" for my baby's dialog, and "no" just really doesn't capture it.

In happier news - it's been raining this week! A lot! I'm quite confident that our grass will recover from the dry and return immediately to it's crisis fungus state, but at least we're not doing the sprinkler samba every morning for now. Hannah got to go out on her first puddle-splashing adventure, wearing my 30-plus-year-old Wellies from England.

Catch up: Hannah stuff

Hannah's grown up so much while I've been neglecting the blog! I know I'm going to forget a lot, so I'm going to be lazy and list...

Words - she's really into this whole speaking thing these days. Most of her words are still starting sounds (or random sounds from the middle or end of a word), but Andy and I are usually able to translate for those who don't speak Hannah.

Lovey-dovey - she still loves to give hugs and kisses, and they're more often than not the pucker kind rather than the wide-open-mouth super-drooly variety! She can also say hug ("ughh") and seems to have possibly pick up "a choo" as an attempt at mimicking "I love you." She and I will go back and forth trading a choo's, hers with varying levels of hilarity in the pauses, full-body emphasis, and giggle. What could be better?

Helping - her ability to follow directions is really amazing. I guess you could call them 2-step directions, since it usually involves going and getting something, then bringing it to us or putting it somewhere. So cool! In general, we're pretty impressed at how much she understands when people speak to her.

Laughs - oh, how the girl loves to giggle. She's an excellent tickle-ee, peek-a-boo (that's "pee" in Hannah) artist, victim of surprises, and observer of all things funny. I love that she and I are able to laugh together!

Independence - she definitely has a shy side around new people, but pretty quickly warms up to new places and situations. She's a great explorer and flirt. She doesn't seem to be afraid of much, but she did have some moments of sheer terror/glee watching her Baba pretend to be an airplane. She would say and sign done when he stopped - so cute!

Eating - who new that this would be the most stressful part of parenthood, from day one 'till ??? The rule still seems to be "let nothing green pass these lips", and protein is a mixed bag, but so far she'll still drink her "Super Smoothie" - straight out of the jar. (It's going to be sad when she can read and I'm ripping the labels off greenbeans and rice baby food.)

Sleep sacks - it totally snuck up on me, but they've become her lovey/blankie/cuddly thing. When she's tired, she'll go find one of them and bring it to where I am and lay down with it. We've talked about trying to wean her off them, especially in the heat, but I still come back to the fact that she can't climb out of the crib in one (though she did her her feet good and stuck yesterday) and she can't claw at the eczema on her legs all night. Plus it's a great source of price that I made the two that she uses most of the year.

Catch up: the facts

Some event-type things that I've missed... (more random cute photos at the bottom if you want to skip to the good stuff)

Lakewood 4th of July Parade

Andy's parents came for a great long-weekend visit in July. It was good and hot, but we had fun going to the Dallas World Aquarium and getting out for early walks. From her early months, Hannah's had a sweet spot in her heart for men, so true to form, Grandpa was her new best friend. She also enjoyed some great floor time with Grandma, and I really enjoyed being off-duty for a while!

We also spent a lovely weekend in Austin visiting friends and getting in some Town Lake (guess it's Lady Bird Lake, now!) and Barton Springs time. Our good friends Mike and Leslin were gracious enough to let us crash at Mike's place, even with the toddler in tow! They're training for Ironman number 5, so they were nice enough not to wake Hannah when they got up at some insanely early hour to run very far! We also enjoyed a wonderful meal with newlyweds Liz and Sascha at their renovation-in-process home. Hannah was an angel and went to sleep in the back while we were able to stay late and chat. What a gift!

Hannah and I just got back from a trip to Flagstaff to hang out with my parents, but that'll be a separate entry...

In mama news, Hannah's going to go to Mothers' Day Out two days a week this fall, and I'm going to teach a whopping 5 hours a week!

On Mondays, I'll teach a little babies and parents music class with a program that's already been started by a neighbor mom and her friend. It's called Rhythm and Rhyme: Movement and Music for Youngsters, and they ran a really successful program last year. I'm pretty impressed with their curriculum and am excited to join them. They weren't offering a class for pre-walkers anymore, and I realized that doing a toddler class in my house is more than I want to deal with, so I threw the idea their way. We're still waiting for enough enrollment (if you live in Dallas - I'd be glad to send you a flier!), but I think it will be fun.

The real "bulk" of my workload will be two 2-hour days teaching at Hannah's MDO at Church of the Incarnation, an Episcopal church nearby. I really like the director, the program is in a great upward transition, and I get a sweet deal on Hannah's tuition for working there. I'm excited to get to work with kids as old as 4! One of many examples of how motherhood's changed me - I used to dread Kindergarten every year. Really wanted the teachers to just keep them until around November when they'd learned to be students and real people. Now I'm thrilled to work with the big 4-year-olds - woo hoo!

Mama's bike jersey - we've been doing more family rides with the trailer and Andy's new smokin' "Dad bike." (An excuse to buy another really good bike that's better for pulling the trailer. He works his butt off and bikes a ton of miles on his road bike - he deserves it!

As close as Hannah will let me get to the piano.

Morning paper - a rare moment of not hounding us for breakfast!

Not sure how to type this sound - imagine "moo" with your mouth closed. It's the sound a dog makes, a cow, and apprently sometimes a baby.

Fashionista! All put on at her request. I see tutus and boots in Winter in our future.

Parting shot.

Not what I intended to capture

My dad was here this weekend, and after spending the day with Baba while Mama went to doctors' appointments and a massage (ahh!), Hannah had learned to climb onto the ottoman and chair. Yay. As she was demonstrating this new skill, I decided it would be great to capture it on video. (You've heard this one before, yes?) So we pulled her off the chair, and rather than climb up again, she of course launched into a fabulous boo hoo routine. I'm surprised you can't see my tears of laughter rolling down the video screen.

Still our baby

So many of the clothes that she wears now are little girl clothes. No more snaps at the crotch! I found this outfit at a yard sale last year sometime and got lucky that it mostly fits this summer. One of the photos is blurry, but you can see the potential, so I'm posting it anyway.

I posted a few more new entries this evening, so scroll down after this one to see more!

Princeton Reunions

We went to Princeton for Andy's 10th reunion last weekend and had a great time. Hannah did well on the flights, for being a squirmy toddler, and renting a carseat was only moderately scary! For those who aren't familiar with this fine Princeton tradition, Reunions is a much bigger event than the typical class reunion. It's held every year the weekend before graduation, and the campus completely fills with people from the current class through the "Old Guard", who are people who graduated 60-plus years ago. It's a big deal to every 5 years, so we couldn't miss Andy's 10th. This is the year a lot of people show up with babies, so it was fun to go show Hannah off and to take advantage of the kid food, play area, and changing room! Pretty sure the class of 08 had a different weekend than we did.

One of the bummers about having transferred mid-way through college was that I don't have a really strong attachment to either one at this point. Despite my initial trepidation about the whole Ivy League thing, Andy's friends have welcomed me to the fold with open arms and I've really enjoyed taking part in this tradition. I'm pretty sure I own more Princeton clothing that either William and Mary or Virginia Tech. That's if you could the new shirt that I bought this year, which we promptly lost. We're pretty sure it fell out of the bottom of the stroller in the dark, as did our travel changing pad. Lesson learned about cramming the thing too full!

Hannah took advantage of the play area, a lot, and learned the joy of stickers!

Long day. 'Nuff said.