Noooo

Hannah has been a little slower to speak than some children, and I’ve tried not to be too concerned. At her 18 month doctor’s appointment, the nurse asked if Hannah could say 6 – 10 words. We really couldn’t think of that many, and I was afraid she had flunked one of the questions. Around 20 months, Hannah started saying a few more words, and it has been so cute and so much fun to hear her use each new word. Until now. Her most recent word is no. I guess I should be thankful that she’s been saying yes for a couple of months now. I’d kind of gotten used to her being pretty agreeable to things. Just recently she learned about no, and I think it’s been her most used word yet. Even when she disagrees, she still sounds cute when she drags out the word into nooo. After all, she will be two just a couple of months from today. In addition to no she’s also saying

apple, baby, ball, bar, Bible, bird, boo-boo, book, boots, cheese, choo-choo, church, dada, dink (drink), doggie, ears, Elmo, eyes, fish, mama, moo, nana (banana), peez (please), purple, shhh, shoes, that, yes

And since I can’t write a post without a picture, here’s the one I just put on my desk.

Same Sweater, Different Dress

When I purchased Hannah’s Easter dress for this year, I was hoping since the holiday fell in mid-April, the weather would be warm. It was a tad cool Sunday morning, and while it was an opportunity for Hannah to learn sometimes looking good comes with a little sacrifice, I still felt the need to provide for her. I’ve saved a few of my favorite outfits of Hannah’s, so I searched the attic for last year’s Easter cardigan. I was hoping if she just had something to cover her little arms, she would survive from the car into church. But our dainty little girl was totally able to wear her 6 – 9 month sweater from 13 months ago! At this rate, we’ll be lucky to have her in a 3T by kindergarten.

My Little GPS

Hannah may not know her telephone number or address yet, but she can show you exactly how to get to the neighborhood playground ½ a mile from our house. Last Sunday, Hannah and I were outside helping Steve in the front yard. I ran inside for a second to check on the laundry, and when I returned Steve and Hannah were holding hands and walking across the street to the sidewalk. I caught up with them and asked where we were going. Apparently, Hannah had taken Steve by the hand and begun leading him across the street. I assumed she just wanted to go down the sidewalk for a little bit, and we would turn around after a couple of houses. Pretty soon it was apparent that this little girl was on a mission! She followed the sidewalk to the 4-way stop, and when we suggested a turn, she was adamant that we continue her path. We went through the 4-way stop and crossed over the bridge. When she caught sight of the playground, I think her gait picked up a little speed. If I would have known our destination when we began our travels, I would have taken the camera. Since I don’t have a picture from this Spring yet, here’s Hannah about a year ago in her favorite spot on the playground.

She’s Not a Baby Anymore

My baby girl is becoming such a big girl. As if time wasn’t flying by fast enough, I lost an hour with her due to daylight saving time this past weekend! Last Sunday at church, she pointed to her classroom and was ready to go in when we arrived at Kidz World. She walked right into the room without as much as a tear.

Bedtime is usually when we snuggle for a few minutes while we rock in her room. We say our prayers and sing Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves the Little Children. The past three nights she has wanted to go straight to her bed without even rocking. No matter how much I tried to hold her and snuggle, she wiggled and squirmed until I gave in and put her to bed.

For the most part, she is capable of feeding herself with a spoon now. She gobbled up her dinner last night with minimal help from me.

Last night was too warm for her fleece pajamas, and I've not started shopping for summer sleepwear yet. Since she's so tiny, I held on to her 12 month pajamas from last summer, and she wore those just fine last night. It was even more obvious how big she's getting when the pants that used to drag the ground came just below her knees.

Since the weather was so nice over the weekend, we spent lots of time at the playground. Hannah has always been a fan of the swing, but this weekend I introduced her to the slide. After I helped her the first time, she figured out how to climb up the ladder and slide down all by herself. If she went too fast, and her bottom landed on the ground, she just jumped up, brushed herself off and went back for more.

Remember when she looked like this? I guess I’ll have to figure out how to stop blinking.

They Call Me the Fireman

Last week at school, Hannah learned about community helpers such as police officers and firemen. She came home Monday with a police badge that was nearly as big as she is. On Tuesday, her class learned about firemen, and she made this adorable little hat. Can’t you just hear her on top of a fire truck shouting “Wheee” just like they do on Wonder Pets!?

Happy Valentine's Day

This year was the first year Hannah got to take Valentines to school for her friends. Her party at school snuck up on us, so we were scrambling the night before for cards to send. We took a quick trip to Walgreens the night before her party and selected Abby Caddaby cards for her friends. I guess it’s been awhile since I watched Sesame Street because I had never heard of this character that was new to the show in 2004. I thought Abby was cute enough and girly enough to suffice.

We took a quick picture the morning of her party before her clothes were covered in cupcake icing.

Payback

Since Hannah has become mobile, we’ve occasionally had to put our dog, Madison, in his cage. Madison sometimes wants to play too rough or just needs a break from his baby sister. When we’ve put him in his cage, I’ve often wondered if he was thinking to himself, Why do I have to be the one to be put away? Even if it’s his choice to be in his cage, Hannah usually never leaves him alone long enough for him to rest. Finally, it was Madison’s turn for some peace and quiet.