And So It Begins...

I don't know if I'm ready for this. Everyone told me once Hana started crawling everything would start happening fast. I thought I was prepared, but I didn't think it would happen in one weekend. As I was on the phone with Hana's Great Aunt Dian telling her about the crawling, I look over and Hana is sitting up perfectly. She wasn't propped against anything, she wasn't in her Bumbo, she wasn't using her hands to hold herself up. She was just sitting there looking at me with a great big, beautiful smile on her face! Then just a minute ago Joe calls me in to look at this...

Yes, she pulled herself into that position...all by herself. Can you see the terror on Joe's face in the picture?! After a day of hard work she seems to have tuckered herself out...

Good night!

More Peas, Please!

Looks like I've got a veggie lover on my hands! Today was Hana Grace's first day to have peas and she ate them without a problem. She seems to like them even better than green beans. She had rice cereal and apple juice for breakfast and peas and water for lunch today, what a big girl! (she also had breast milk before, after, and in between)

Joe-Joe the Yert-Faced Boy

Yes, Hana spewed all over her daddy's face this morning. It was awesome. I just sat there in awe. I couldn't move a muscle. It was all over his face and puddled up between his neck and the pillow. Greatness. He immediately got in the shower. Way to go, Hana!

Here's a cute video for you...Once again, sorry about the cave.

Now for the moment we've all been waiting for. If you're not sitting, you'd better sit down and grab a Kleenex.

HANA CRAWLS!!! THE REAL THING! NOT SCOOTING OR CRUISING, SHE CRAWLS...A LOT. NOT A COUPLE OF STEPS, ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!

TAH-DAH!

TGIF!

Hana got a walker! She hasn't quite figured it out yet. She mostly just likes all the new gadgets on it. Every once in a while she'll move it a bit and she gets tickled. As soon as she gets it going I'll post a video. Here's a pic...

Oh, and here's her first taste of juice. it was apple, one of my favorites!

Check out this website and see how many five year olds you could take in a fight! I could only take 15 because I'm so short and have short arms. Joe could proudly take 33! How many could you take?

http://www.howmanyfiveyearoldscouldyoutakeinafight.com/

Y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Forgot To Tell You

I forgot to let you all know what Hana's doctor, Dr. Nail, said regarding Hana & my breast milk. All of you who joke about my steroid milk will appreciate this. He asked me if I am making cream instead of milk...Ha! Ha! Go ahead and laugh, it's funny!

Also, Joe just called and he talked to Brad. Dian is out of surgery and she is doing fine. I'm going to wait to call until later. I'm sure she's sleepy and recovering right now.

Oh, and Hana has a new trick. She has been giving me zerberts all morning. You know the "toot" noise she makes? Well, she's learned to do it up against skin! She's so smart! She'll do it on my leg or arm and just laugh! She's so much fun!

Thinking of Dian

Well, Dian should be at the hospital now preparing for her surgery. I hope it all goes well, I'm sure it will. Also, Mark's Dad's funeral is this morning. Joe is going to meet my Dad over there and they are going to represent the family. I'm so happy they are going. I never met Mark's Dad but Joe and Dad both did and they both talk about what a great guy he was. Speaking of Dad, he had a little check up yesterday and from what I hear it went very well. He is perfectly healthy, of course that makes me extremely happy!

Not much else is going on today. I'm preparing for the Rippetoe's to come over tomorrow and the Lagos's to come over on Sunday. We've got a fun, busy weekend ahead! I think I'm going to cook a pork roast for tomorrow and we're going to cook fajitas on the grill for Sunday-Yum!-so Hana and I will be going to the grocery store. Fun!

We finally got our trees trimmed! Yippee! It looks like a completely different house! I'm so happy. Joe really talked the guys down on the price. They trimmed the huge tree in our front yard, the huge tree in our back yard, our two great big crepe myrtles, the bushes down the back side of the house, and the red tips at the front and on the side of the house. Oh, and they also cleared out the creek area, all for $400! (He did warn them about the poison ivy) It's funny because when Joe got home and saw what all they had done he felt bad for talking them down so low so he went and got them beer and sodas! I've got to love him!

That's pretty much it for now. Like I said, there's nothing too exciting going on right now.

To The Doctor We Went

Once again, Hana received an A+ at her doctor's visit! Dr. Nail went on and on about how well we are doing with her and how happy, healthy, and intelligent she is. She got shots and barely even cried. Actually, the only reason she cried is because she was being restrained. Once I let go of her arms and the nurse let go of her legs she was fine. As always, the nurse was shocked at how well she reacted. Okay, here's the info you have all been waiting for. (drum roll please) Miss Hana Grace is 27.3 inches long and 20 pounds. (and she still fits in both of her car seats) She's still in the 97th percentile. It's all muscle! =)

Now I'm going to go take a nap with my daughter. We did end up going to our play date this morning, we had as much fun as usual, but my tummy is still upset and I am exhausted from a busy day. After we left Annie's we dropped by my old branch and visited with everyone. Betsy looks so cute! She's really starting to show! Okay, we're off to take a nap before I cook potato soup for dinner. (I hope that might help settle my tummy) TTFN!

To The Doctor We Go

Last night's feeding of the green beans wasn't as easy. However, she did eat them all! For some reason there was a lot gagging going on and she spit them out once. I don't know what the deal was. Joe had never seen her gag like that, it freaked him out. He expected green puke to go flying at any second. I witnessed her gagging like that once before when I made her cereal with nursery water instead of breast milk, it was not pretty! Bless her little heart!

Here she is showing off her green bean moustache...


I don't think we're going to make it to our play date today. I don't know what's wrong with me but I have been back and forth to the bathroom all night. I don't want to get to Annie's and spend the entire time in the bathroom! How embarrassing that would be! Plus, I didn't get much sleep because of it all. We do have a doctor's appointment today at 1:20. Little Hana gets another set of shots. I hope she takes these just as well as she has taken all the others. She's such a good sport! I'll be adding a new post to let you all know her height, weight, etc.

Here's Hana wrestling with the monkey pillow Dian got her...


I just got finished ordering flowers for Mark's dad. If anyone needs a florist I used Flowerland in Sunnyvale. They had decent prices and a pretty good variety. I prefer ordering online so I can see what I'm ordering. The website is http://www.alphaflowerland.com/I had a peace lily sent. I figure someone in the family might like to keep the plant. It's a sad situation, but I know Mark is relieved. Dian said when he called he said to tell everyone his dad was in heaven. It brings tears to my eyes. I'd go to the funeral, but I'd have to bring Hana and I can just see her making "toot" noises. How unbelievably embarrassing would that be? I never knew his dad, but Mark and Glenda are really good people. Dian, Nana, and Brad are very lucky to have the neighbors they have!

Okay, now on to happier things, or actually, not so happy. Does anyone watch Hell's Kitchen? Will they ever get rid of Jenn?! She needs to go! I can't believe they sent Louross home, I really liked him. But Jenn is the devil in disguise! I couldn't believe she made them lose that competition and said "I'm not going to apologize." If Louross would've done that it would've been stupid ass this and dumb ass that. Ooh! I really do not like her at all! She can cuss at people and call them ugly names but when Bobby calls her honey or baby she goes off on him telling him not to demean her. Where does she get off? I'm sure Gordon Ramsey is keeping her there because he knows it makes for good TV, and then people like me will blog about it!

Mom got Hana this little shirt, it was in her Easter basket. I put her in it for the first time yesterday and Joe just had a fit when he got home. He said this is his most favorite outfit ever! So, of course, they had to pose for a picture...


Everyone have a great day!

My New Slideshow

Be sure to scroll all the way down to check out my new slideshow!

Gimme More Green Beans!

Miss Hana Grace had her first taste of veggies last night, she had green beans. She loved them! We got a couple of funny faces out of her, but nothing compared to what we expected. She ate her entire 1 tablespoon serving. We were even posing for a picture with the spoon full of green beans near her mouth and she dove for it! It was a success! I'm so proud of her! I hope she likes all her veggies! Below are some pics of the eating process. The video below the pics is of the actual very first taste. And for the record, that video was very light on the camera, I don't know what happens when I upload them to the computer! Bon Appetit!

Zoned Out...

Happy 1/2 Birthday to Hana!
She's 6 months old today!

Well, we just got back from the Zone. What a nice trip we had! Friday night Joe relived his frat days, Saturday night was Zone Fest, Sunday was sort of a family day, and here we are on Monday, Hana's half birthday. Another whirlwind of a weekend has passed us by.

Friday: A night full of relaxation for Hana, mom and me until Joe arrived home with Phil around midnight or so. They had a bit too much fun sponsored by Brad. The fun consisted of beer, honey-flavored Wild Turkey mixed with Red Bull and lots of fireworks. The grand finale was Joe's now famous last words, "Are we really gonna do this now?" What were we going to do you ask? Only Joe knows!

Saturday: Zone Fest. We had a blast sitting in the new VIP area with the family and the Greens. Yes, we finally got to meet Lauren! What a cute little baby she is! And she is so happy! My favorite part of the night was when we put them both in the play pen and let them sniff each other's butts (to put it in dog terms). JennEllen got some great pics of the two of them! You can view them along with all the Zone Fest pics on her blog http://www.jennellensblog.blogspot.com/. I have posted a couple below. The first is my absolute favorite, the second one is funny. It looks like Hana's trying to get away. They were playing with each others feet and Hana offered her thumb to Lauren, she's so polite! After witnessing them interact with one another Joe and I have decided twins could be a lot of fun!

We missed the Clark/Padilla duo; maybe we'll see them for the 4th? We sure missed quite a few people this year aside from Josh and Angela, the Dietz Family and Joy to name a few. I was happy to get to show off my beautiful baby girl though! It takes me back to last year when I was pregnant at Zone Fest trying to comprehend that this year I would have a 6 month old! Time really does fly when you're having fun!

Sunday: Family day. After seeing Dad off to work, Mom, Joe, Hana, and I spent the day at Dian's visiting with Dian, Nana, Brad, Jeff, Patty, and her son, Tyler. Yes, Hana's Great Uncle Jeff made it to the Zone! I wish we could've spent more time with them, but Brad took them out in the boat fishing, I hear they caught a lot and Tyler was very excited. I've heard a rumor they're going out for more tonight! I hope they have a blast! Before they headed out we set Hana up in the VIP room and let her show off. She can really put on a show! She's really crawling now! It's only a couple of "crawls" at a time, but she's still officially crawling. She crawled around and made her noises so everyone could witness it in person. As always, she was a hit!

Monday: Today has been a lazy day. We made in home all in one piece and now we're just taking it easy. I'm about to cook some green beans and mash them up for Hana's very first taste of a veggie..stay tuned! I'm going to record it so you all can witness the much expected funny face...

I wish we could've spent more time with everyone. It always goes by way too fast. Of course, I missed my Dad, we did get to see him some, but not near enough. I think we'll be back down for the 4th, so get ready! (I'm sure we'll see at least some of you before then!) Oh yeah, I hope Jenn was able to get a pic of Brad for the re-poll. I never did get one and he didn't remind anyone. I'm sure he did that on purpose, he knows I'm going to win again!

Here's a video of everyone trying to get Hana to crawl in the VIP room


Alright, I'm going to go cook my baby some green beans...wish us luck!

Here's Nana talking to Hana...

Zone Fest? Bring It On!

I am so excited for Zone Fest this year. Not that I'm not every year, but this year I'm really excited! I'll have my camera ready so I can take plenty of pics of Hana's first official Zone Fest. Last year she was still in my tummy and about the size of a Lima bean! I can't wait to have one of JennEllen's pomegranate margaritas, mmmmm! I'm really excited to see everyone too. Hana is going to meet her great Aunt Joy for the first time and her great Uncle Jeff if he is still able to make it. He lives in Colorado and his place of work was destroyed by a tornado yesterday. I hope he can still make it despite everything. I'm looking forward to finally seeing Lauren and Joe is going to get Zack to swing him around by his ankles. I've heard Zack has done some growing in the past year. Apparently he's about as tall as Rick, and Rick's a tall drink of water! When Zack was little he used to spend the entire evening of Zone Fest begging Joe to swing him by his ankles, this year Joe is going to beg Zack to swing him around! He might can do it! It's going to be great seeing everyone, and this year Aunt Victoria is coming! WooHoo! She's a Zone Fest virgin! We'll have to break her in good. Maybe it'll be her year to get sick behind the house! I'm sad Tricia won't be able to make it, y'all would really like her, she's really, really funny. She'll keep you in stitches. Oh well, there's still the 4th, Labor Day, lots of birthday celebrations, and then the holidays. She'll make it down eventually!

So Joe talked with one of our old friends the other day whose wife had a baby at the beginning of January. So that makes him a month and a half younger than Hana. The baby, Logan, was a little over 6 pounds when born. Our friend says they had to buy Logan a new car seat because he has already outgrown his! Are y'all ready for this? Apparently little Logan is 27 inches long and weighs 21 pounds! I thought Hana was big! She's in the 97th percentile. He can't even be in a percentile; he's like in the 110th percentile or something! Now I take Hana to the doctor on Wednesday so we'll see then how big she is, she might be right there with him, I have no idea. Last time she went was at the end of March and she was just under 18 pounds and just over 23 inches long. She could be right there with Logan, I suppose. But she still fits in her car seat. Actually she still fits in most of her 3-6 month clothes. I think the catcher here is that Hana Grace is pretty much mobile. But the funniest part of this story is that our friend told Joe that "it's all muscle." When was the last time you saw a muscle-bound baby? I laugh thinking about this little guy doing squats and bench presses! What a riot!

On another note, Joe says I just might be an over-blogger. OVER-BLOGGER? There's no such thing, right? I'm just giving the people what they want! ; )

See y'all at the Zone!

Getting Under Everything Except My Skin!

If it's there, Hana Grace will figure out how to get under it!

Don't worry, she got herself out!

Crack Coffee Running Through My Veins

I don't know how many of you have had the chance to try McDonald's new crack coffee, but it should come with a warning! It's all Jennifer's fault, she got me hooked. Now I'm riding the iced coffee horse. Every morning I plan to go get a giant cup of it. Hana is my savior. If it weren't such a hassle to get her ready to go I'd be sitting in that drive-thru every morning. And what's sad is I can't even have the big one, I always get the regular because I breastfeed and I don't need to pass my crack coffee addiction on to Hana. I'm completely convinced they put a heaping spoonful of crack in each serving. It's so good and so addictive! Well, I figured out the recipe. Yes, Jennifer, I am sitting here right now as I type enjoying my very own version of McDonald's crack coffee! Are you ready? Here it goes: I made a 2 cups of coffee. (Dunkin Donuts brand. Mom & Dad introduced me to it, it's delicious) While it was still hot I mixed in Irish Creme flavored creamer, sugar and chocolate syrup to taste. I would be ashamed to let anyone know how much of each I added to this cup of coffee! I put it in the refrigerator to let it cool down. Once cooled I poured it into a cup of ice.....YUM! It tastes JUST LIKE IT!!! Now I can have it every morning and I don't have to fuss with getting Hana ready to go!

Okay, now that I have a sufficient amount of crack coffee in my system I can move on...

Hana is starting to figure out she needs to move her arms in order to crawl. It's funny to watch her because she gets really spastic when she does it! Sorry this video is so dark, I live in a cave.

Her favorite noise this week is coughing. When she first started it I was concerned she was sick so it brought on a lot of attention. I think she continues doing it looking for attention. It's a fake cough! I have to admit, though, it is adorable! I'm sure y'all will hear it at Zone Fest. Speaking of Zone Fest, it's going to be sad without Josh and Angela there. I try not to think about it, I still get over-emotional when I realize they're halfway across the country! By the way, Josh, you have such a "guy" blog. Mom, Jennifer, and I check it daily and we're lucky to get a full paragraph out of you! I'm picking on you, I know you're busy. It's just when you do say something it's always funny and we look forward to that!...Back to Hana. She has also started making this weird kitty cat sound, at least that's what it sounds like to me. In this next video, she's making her usual "toot" noises, but she's also making that little kitty noise you'll start to hear about halfway through.

She's also starting to sit by herself more. She can get into a seated/laying down position all by herself. She props herself up with her arms. She's growing up way too fast! It's so exciting and so saddening all at once! I can't believe she'll be 6 months old on the 26th! Where has the time gone? In 6 more months she'll be 1! Yes, I am already planning the birthday bash in my head. If the weather is nice enough I would absolutely love to have it at this huge park right around the corner from our house. There are two huge pavilions with picnic tables, there's a lake off in the distance and a really nice play area. I think this place would accommodate everyone. I want to invite so many people, our house just isn't big enough. I don't know how many people would be able to attend with her birthday being so close to Thanksgiving, though. Joe laughs at me and says "You do realize that her first birthday party is more for you than for her, don't you?" Well, duh! Of course it's more for me, but there will be plenty of pics to share with her when she's older! Here's a video of her "sitting up" and making her infamous noises!

Man, I'm giving y'all all kinds of videos this morning! It's the crack coffee running through my veins! I do have one more video to share with you before I go. Mom bought her this monkey that snores when you push it's hand. Hana has discovered this and LOVES it! She thinks it's so funny. Of course, it's impossible to get her to react the way she normally does with the camera on her, but this is a pretty funny video. At the end she shows that she is just done with this monkey by growling and pushing it away. Sorry it's sideways, I can straighten pictures up but I haven't found a way to straighten videos.

This is Hana watching me type all of this...

Now I'm done, I promise! (I wonder if all of this is going to fit on one blog page?) It seems I have adequately titled this entry "Crack Coffee Running Through My Veins."

Happy Hump Day!

I had to go to the dentist yesterday for my 6-month check up and cleaning. I have to admit I was nervous because the last 2 times I went I was pregnant so they couldn't x ray me and I've heard that being pregnant & breastfeeding can really mess your teeth up. Drum roll please! I have never received such a good report! The dental hygienist even commented on how nice it was to floss someone whose gums didn't bleed! They couldn't even tell me what to do to improve! That's a load off! I went last May and had just found out I was pregnant and the dental hygienist gave me good advice: Brush and floss like crazy! Apparently one little piece of tartar can cause all sorts of problems in a pregnant lady's mouth! So I did as she suggested and I passed their test with flying colors. Hooray for me!

Joe was in the doghouse for a bit yesterday. I had my dentist appointment set for 3:20 and he had known that for weeks. We had even discussed the fact that he had the time written down wrong on his calendar at work; 3:30 is what he wrote down. That wouldn't be any big deal though because he was planning to be home by 2:45 giving me plenty of time to make it to my dentist in Plano. I call his cell at 2:48 and he was just then signing off of his computer to leave! I snatched Hana out of her swing and threw her in her car seat, grabbed the diaper bag and left. The whole time I'm wondering if she'll be good in her car seat while I'm having my teeth cleaned. I knew she probably would be, but wouldn't that suck if she started crying and wanting out while I'm hoisted practically upside down in that dental chair? I was also concerned that I had her in a white onesie with a green bib and she was in her green car seat. They'll think she's a boy! Then I remembered I had her pink and white "Hana" bib in the diaper bag. Whew! Can't have anyone thinking she's a boy! (It cracks me up because I never understood that until I became a mother! Everyone in the world must know that she is a girl at first glance!) Anyhow, Joe redeemed himself as he always does and beat me to the dentist office to take Hana. She had fallen asleep on our way, I hoped she would wake up a bit confused being in the same car but now Daddy's driving. She didn't though. She was still asleep in her car seat when I got home.
(I was impressed that Joe had done my little trick of just leaving her in it and letting her sleep. He usually tries to take her out and put her in her crib.) That means she probably would've been just fine and more than likely would've slept through my appointment. Although those eerie dental sounds may have woke her up!

So today is laundry day. I have to get it all done so we have clothes to bring to the Lake for ZoneFest. I'm pretty sure we'll be heading down Friday. I think Joe's going to take my car to work & park it in the parking garage and I'm going to pick him up in the Explorer when he gets off and we'll head that way. We'll just leave my car in the garage for the weekend. His work is practically halfway to the Lake so this'll save us a lot of time! Today is also bath day for Hana. She's starting to smell like a foot. I don't like my baby to smell like anything other than Baby Magic! I'll try to get a pic or 2 of her in the tub, or in our case the sink!

I better go, I hear her sucking her thumb really hard & that usually means she's hungry! I'll be back!!!

Sneaking Up On Hana

I Won! I Won! I Won!

It looks as though I have won the poll! Hana looks like me!!! Sorry, Joe!

Sorry I missed a day, yesterday was just hectic! Hana & I went to Half Price Books to look for some new books for her. They do have a really good children's section, but I didn't see anything I just had to have for her right now. I saw plenty of stuff for when she's a bit older though; that will definitely be a place we will frequent often! I did see the game Jennifer had told me about. I meant to grab it before I left but I forgot. (I had a stinky, dirty diaper on my mind at the time!) This is the game Joe meant to invent! It's called Quip It and it's all about movie scenes and quotes, you know, the stuff Joe remembers and no one else does! Joe has been talking about creating this game for months...once again, too late! It's just like those shirts he talked about making back when Anna Nicole Smith was alive and they were trying to determine who was Dannielynn's father. "I'm Dannielynn's Father" is what he wanted them to say, within 2 days I saw the shirt in a magazine! He needs to start moving a little faster on these ideas of his! So anyway, after Half Price Books we went to Target and changed the diaper and did some more shopping. Nothing too exciting, she was just a little fussy once we got home. She did not want to take a nap! Now that I've written about yesterday it doesn't sound too hectic, but I guess when you go through the day with an almost 6-month old nothing can happen and it feels hectic!

Allergies suck. I'm still fighting with them. I have broken down and started taking Allegra although I was hesitant ever since the (insert bad word here) at our pediatrician's office told me Allegra is "relatively safe" for me to take while breastfeeding. She wouldn't suggest anything better for me to take she just said if it works for me, go ahead and take it. Thanks, lady. That makes me feel great! Now I suffer until I cannot suffer any longer and finally break down and take it. I did look it up on one of my new favorite websites http://www.kellymom.com/, it's all about breastfeeding & parenting. According to that website Allegra is okay, however Allegra-D can dry up your milk supply.

Little Miss Hana has decided she LOVES Barley! She sits there open-mouthed until I spoon it in! She just waits for it, or she tries to feed herself! In a couple more weeks she's going to start getting veggies! I assume all of you experienced moms are mocking me, but I'm following the schedule the doctor gave me. Mom was at that doctor's visit with me. He was very specific on how to introduce solids, so I'm sticking to the plan. Remember, I have no idea what I'm doing!!! I'm very excited about giving her veggies. I'm going to make her baby food myself! I've already bought the little containers to put it in and everything. I bought them from One Step Ahead and they are supposed to be awesome. You can freeze food in them and microwave them! (Hey, it's the small things, right?) I am not looking forward to veggie diapers though. The barley cereal has made a gross enough impact, I cannot imagine broccoli!

We've pretty much completed baby proofing the house so she's free to roam about as she likes now! Joe's decided she's going to be a hider. He says he hid a lot when he was little. She's always working her way up under our couch or the ottoman! Every time we turn our back this is what happens!
It's starting to get interesting!

I'm am so stoked for ZoneFest! I am really looking forward to playing Cranium. I don't know why but that's what I'm looking forward to more than anything this year! Well, besides the brisket and potato salad! YUM! I'm also looking forward to being less miserable this year. Last year I was pregnant and extremely hot. I wonder if I still have my misting fan hidden somewhere around here?

I guess that's all for now, I'm hungry for breakfast. Blog at ya later!

"There's Something About Hana"

Is that hair gel? No, it's yert! Joe had a hard time just holding her so I could take this picture!

New Pics By Jenn

Hana Grace May 17, 2008

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

Well, we went to Mike's 30th Birthday Party last night. We had a really good time. It was nice to see everyone and we met lots of new people. Of course they all asked about Hana and said we should've brought her. But if we would've brought her then her wonderful Aunt Jennifer wouldn't have been able to babysit! (more on that in a bit) We went to a restaurant called Tino's Too in Plano. YUMMY! It was pretty good food. They had a small buffet line set up with just taquitos quesadillas, beans, and then sides like guacamole, queso, and sour cream. But I will say it again -YUMMY! Now let me get to the cake. Josh, you would've just died! Peanut butter cup flavored cake and icing topped with ... you guessed it! Peanut Butter Cups! I was too full of my ginormous strawberry margarita to really enjoy the cake! No one told me that I was about to indulge in one of the greatest birthday cakes ever!!!

So we arrived home to an extremely happy baby. Aunt Jennifer couldn't have done a better job. Hana was all giggles and smiles when we walked in the door! That made me feel good. Even though I know I couldn't be leaving her in better hands, I still get very nervous. It's relaxing to walk in to such a happy baby. I expected more of an outfit change though. Supposedly they only tried on the pretty new dress JennEllen got her and then they put her jammies on. Now, Jennifer says she took pictures of a little trick Hana did. Joe claims he's seen her do this, but I have never. She stood up holding on to her little play mat! Why hasn't Joe ever let me see her do this?! I'm sure Jennifer will be blogging about her adventures in babysitting -check it out! http://www.jennellensblog.blogspot.com/

So I got to talk to other mommies last night and I think I may have figured out the reason for our Baby Whisperer situation. Hana can smell my milk and also associates me with food. Therefore when I try to put her to bed she just thinks about food and wants to eat, thus making a very fussy baby. Makes sense, huh? I think she's beginning to wean herself though. The past couple weeks have been one difficult feeding after another. She is just too darn busy. The sconce on the wall is way more important than eating, and if her daddy's home, eating is next to impossible. She stares at him in amazement (kind of like Poochie used to look at Dad)! She is becoming very independent and wants to feed herself. You know, she LOVES her sippy cup and if she's being bottle fed now she wants to hold the bottle. I think I'm about to start pumping and bottle feeding her. Although everyone else that I talked to said they tried that and it lasted a month before their milk supply diminished. (I'm not convinced that mine ever will!) I think I'll stay on top of it like I need to and make sure I pump so I'll continue to produce enough milk. I also want to build up a big enough stockpile so I can donate some more. Joe did make me feel good when he commented on how I'd already made it the 6 months pediatricians recommend and I wasn't sure I would make it this long! I really hope to be able to give her breast milk the first year. Not by actually taking her to the breast but by pumping. Once the teeth come it's over. She's tearing me up right now just with her gums!!! The reason I want to go a year is because after that she can go straight to cow's milk, we won't even have to mess with formula. Hey guys, have you checked the price of formula lately? It is not cheap, and the stuff mama makes is free!

Well, I hear Hana Grace talking in her room now. Yes, in her room again. Her daddy put her to bed again last night and she had a very good night. I love the Baby Whisperer!

Here is what I found when I went to her room just now...

For Your Viewing Pleasure

The pictures above are Hana with her daddy this morning, they were snuggling in the bed. The video below is of Hana trying to crawl some more. Turn your volume up, aside from being able to hear Pagan drinking water in the background you can also hear Hana cooing and making "toot" noises with her mouth! (I have to record her from behind because she freezes when she sees the camera)

So I Really Did Marry The Baby Whisperer

Okay so get this. Joe puts Hana to bed last night and within two minutes she's crying. He picks her up, calms her down, and within five minutes she's back in her crib fast asleep. That was at 11:00, it is now after 7:00am. I have not heard her for over 8 hours. I just left her room and yes, she is breathing. I just don't get it. This is bad news for him though because this is about to become his job! Maybe it's like giving a dog table food. They sniff out the weak one (you know, like Rowdy & my mom!!!) Maybe Hana knows I'm the weaker one and she can eventually get her way with me, but she knows her daddy means business so she just immediately gives in. Whatever the case, it works and he rocks!

So, I'm sick. It feels like someone took a razor blade to my throat. Hopefully I'll be able to fight this off before it gets too bad. I'm so afraid I'm going to get Hana sick. I know it's okay for me to continue to breastfeed her. It's supposed to help her immunity and she can't catch an illness through my milk. I'm just carrying around a can of Lysol now.

Okay, now on to the TV shows. Have any of you ever watched The Verminators? OMG!!! Some of these people need to have their children taken away from them. No seriously. We were watching this episode where this lady had roaches EVERYWHERE. Just standing in her living room you keep see dozens of them crawling up and down the walls. Get this, they were living and breeding beneath the wallpaper border in her daughter's room. The guy pulled back the paper and they scattered. The poor little girl had letters spelling her name out on her wall - but they were all falling down and some were missing - there were roaches running all over the letters. The guy pulled the refrigerator out from the wall...there aren't even words to describe it. CPS should watch these shows and go take children away from these people. I'm not kidding. It's one thing to be poor but it's a whole other thing to be filthy. They were talking about the harm that this is potentially causing the little girl. Roaches carry all kinds of diseases. You could tell the woman was a little embarrassed but nothing like she should've been. What kills me is they went in and killed these roaches and then left it to the woman to clean up afterwards. Hello! The reason her house is this way is because she's a filthy slob!!! You should've seen all the food that was underneath the refrigerator! I mean, I understand a couple roaches here and there but this was an infestation. Roaches had to be crawling on these people when they went to sleep at night. Ugggghhhhh!

Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot Hana's new trick! So I'm holding her in my lap last night and she's facing me. She grabs my hair with both hands and pulls me towards her and opens her mouth and kisses me! Well, it was actually more like sucking on my chin, but she was trying to kiss me! (Of course I was careful to keep my mouth shut since I'm feeling sick.) She got so tickled at herself! She kept looking at Joe and laughing and then she'd do it again. My baby girl loves me and wants to give me kisses! This is my favorite trick of hers by far!

Better go, I'll blog at ya later!

Here's a short video of Hana drinking out of her new sippy cup. She's really getting the hang of it! She seems to like this one because it has handles.

Happy Birthday, Baylee!

Okay! I think that sums it up for the May birthdays! Whew!

So I don't have too much talk talk about today. Last night was a crappy night. After I blogged Hana woke up again and again and again. The battle used to be getting her to fall asleep. Last night the battle was trying to get her to stay asleep. Any advice? At 3:00am I broke down and put her in bed with us. Call it what you will: bad parenting, weak parenting, I don't care! I'm now thinking she needs white noise. Maybe it's too quiet in her room. I have to sleep with an oscillating fan on high but aimed at the wall (so it's not too cold) in order to sleep well. I cannot stand it quiet! She's been sleeping in our room with that fan going all these months, maybe I've created a white noise habit for her. Jennifer suggested putting a radio in there for her. I might try that. The only thing is we would be able to hear it through the monitor and I'm not one for music or TV while I'm sleeping. But it's worth a shot! I would rather sleep with a radio in the background instead of a crying baby!

We've got a pretty busy weekend ahead of us. JennEllen is babysitting so we can go to that birthday party tomorrow. I have to go shopping tomorrow. I was supposed to go today, but Joe took my car to work and it has the car seat/stroller combo in it. I can't use the other stroller yet because Hana can't sit up on her own too well and she looks like she's just going to topple right out of it. Then Sunday I've invited Betsy and Alvin over. I figure they need some baby practice before little baby boy Lagos gets here. I really like the name they're thinking about. Calen. I LOVE that! Calen Alejandro Lagos. It's a mouthful, but it's pretty! Joe and I have considered Cale or Kale for a boy so I hope that won't be his nickname! If we have a boy someday the name is definitely going to be Liam Clark. So no one else better steal that! We even refer to Liam in conversations. "Hana is going to be so mothering to little Liam," we'll say. I'm so happy I married someone as crazy as me! But if there is ever a boy number two his name just might be Cale or Kale. We seem to really like 4-letter names.

Just a little over a month before Charles Harrison Broom arrives. Joe & I are really excited about that! I can't believe Chuck & Christine are going to join us in parenthood! Annie & Dave's little boy gets here in September but they haven't decided on a name for him yet. Babies, babies, babies! I love it! Joe & I are thinking we'll have Hana start school later rather than earlier so she'll be more mature. (You, know she'll be going on 6 when she starts school instead of 5). The area we are planning to move to is even closer to Chuck & Chris's house, so little Charles and Hana may be in the same grade at the same school. I think that'll be good. She'll have a buddy, someone like a brother to look after her. It makes Joe cringe. He's just thinking of the teenage years!

Well, I just heard a really gross sound come out of Hana so I think I need to go change a diaper!

In the Middle of the Night

I keep finding myself sitting at this computer in the middle of the night. This time I fed Hana and fell asleep as I was sitting up with her to let her digest - that's supposed to help with the spitting up. So we slept with her on my chest for about 2 hours. When I finally put her in her crib she woke up crying. I think she's asleep right now but I can still hear her sucking her thumb. I'm waiting until I'm 100% sure she's asleep before I go back to bed. I've turned the monitor off in the room once again so Joe can't hear. He opens again in the morning.

Today was a good day. Nothing too exciting happened, just the way I like it! Tomorrow I have to go shopping. I have to find something to wear to that birthday party we're going to Saturday. I'm not really looking forward to going. I don't really know Mike, although the times I've spent with him and Ximena I really like them and they have kids so now we can relate. I think that's why Joe lost contact with Mike. He "grew up" before we did! I'm sure it'll be fun. It'll probably be just like the wedding I didn't want to go to but ended up having a good time at.

My post-baby body absolutely sucks! Everything has changed. I now weigh just about what I did before the pregnancy but my old clothes do not fit! Everything has shifted. I still have dreams about being able to get my wedding rings on! I do have to say though, I met a lady at Hana's play date who was wearing her rings on a chain around her neck. They were nowhere close to being able to fit and she was much smaller than me. I can get mine on, they're just hard to get off and I don't care for that sensation. It sends me into a panic. That's why I took my rings off so early in the pregnancy. They would slide on easily in the mornings but by the time I got home from work I had to lube my finger to remove them. No thanks!

Well, I suppose that's enough jibber jabber for tonight. The baby girl seems to be fast asleep so I should be too. Good night!

Prepare To Be Amazed!

Happy Birthday, Angela!

Well, you'll all be happy to know that shortly after posting my entry last night I got Hana to sleep - in her room - and she slept peacefully all night long. She woke up this morning her usual happy self and we are going to have a wonderful day!

I see JennEllen has started her own blog. She keeps saying it won't be as interesting as mine, but I have to disagree. She has a lot of good opinions about a lot of things and I know I will really enjoy reading her blog. We watch a lot of the same TV shows and I always like listening to what she has to say about them. That along with the abundance of knowledge she has in that brain of hers will make for an interesting blog in my opinion. Then you have Josh's blog. I love his already. The parking wars story is hilarious! I was on the phone with him just yesterday and heard a tow truck in the background! I think his blog is a great idea, he can document his experience in LA and keep it forever! This just means we're going to have blog-offs.
Blog-athons. We're all becoming blog-aholics!

Now I want to talk about Hana a bit more. I bought some of that Nursery water to mix with her cereal because it's a bit of a pain to freeze my milk in such small quantities to just use it for mixing with cereal and a tiny bit for her sippy cup. I guess I didn't think it through all that well. I never thought it would taste much different, but she did not like it! Bless her heart she just about threw up! She took a bite and gagged. She took another bite and gagged. Her eyes got all watery and red, she was miserable! I also tried to feed her barley. Yuck. She was not pleased. I learned my lesson: mix the barley with my milk until she's used to it and mix the oatmeal and rice cereals with milk and water and slowly extract the milk and add more water. It's funny because Joe didn't think I should mix up her cereal, like feeding a dog. He thought it might make her sick to her stomach if she has rice cereal one day and barley the next...I love him! That sounds like something I would think up!

So, yesterday was my birthday. It was a good one, but I think I've hit the point where birthdays don't really matter anymore. Was I excited or upset to turn 27? Oddly enough I don't feel much emotion about it one way or the other. Mom called and played "Yer Birthday" for me. I look forward to that every year. I plan to carry on that tradition with Hana. She is going to be a Beatles fan! Well, I realize I can't force it on her, so at the very least she will be exposed to their music unlike those idiots on American Idol! I couldn't believe that during Beatles week the majority of them admitted to not being too familiar with their music. Do they live in a cave?! Who raised these kids? Are they also not familiar with the music of Elvis or the Stones? If they are truly passionate about music they should indulge in all kinds of it. Okay, okay, I seem to have veered off into another American Idol rant. Sorry. Back to my birthday. Joe showed up from work early with flowers, a balloon, cheesecake, and a bottle of melon vodka which I still haven't had one drink out of. Man has my life changed! Two years ago that bottle would be close to empty by now and Joe would be mad that I wasn't hung over this morning. Joe's so sweet! We were supposed to have a nice dinner last night but I had a big lunch and just never got hungry enough. You see, Kroger makes their own tortillas. I know most of you have had them via myself or Jennifer. They are sent from heaven! They are hands down the best tortillas ever. Jennifer's Kroger sells double bags but I've never seen them at my Kroger. I bought some the other day because I was making soft tacos. I grabbed two packages because one is usually eaten before dinner is ready. (I have a couple on the way home, a few while cooking, Joe has some, before you know it the package is gone) So I grabbed two packages and didn't realize until I got home that they were double packages! I have tortillas coming out of my yin yang!!! Hence the reason I had a big lunch and never got hungry for dinner last night! (Want me to overnight some to LA, Angela?) This morning I'm going to make myself a couple breakfast tacos...mmmmm!

And on that note, I'm out!

Here's a video for you to enjoy! Hana loves looking at herself in the mirror!

Cry, Baby, Cry

Doesn't that song go a little something like..."Cry, baby, cry. Make your mother sad. You're old enough to know better. Cry, baby, cry." (Ironic)

Here we go again. Hana has decided she doesn't like bedtime again tonight. But this time it's worse for me. Joe has to open in the morning so I'm going it alone. Add that to the fact that we're putting her to sleep in her room and you've got her and I both in tears! I gave her a pacifier and that seems to be working for the moment. Honestly, I don't care much for her sleeping in her room. I'm now the one with separation anxiety! It's silly, I know, but I can't help it. In reality our house isn't even that big, but when she's on one side and I'm on the other it feels enormous. - Well, I'm weak. She's in my arms now. All is well...for now.

So Hana Grace had her first play date today. That went over very well. We made a lot of new friends. Hopefully it's going to become a weekly thing. That's the plan anyway. I had fun talking to the other moms. I learned a lot, but most importantly I learned that I'm doing a pretty good job with Hana. I'm so afraid I'm going to screw her up somehow. Should I let her cry? Do I hold her too much? Etc. Etc. Etc.

Dare I discuss American Idol? I shouldn't even bring it up. I'm so disappointed. It's rigged. That Archuletta kid is going to win! He is not an "American Idol." I'm sorry. Yes, he is talented, but are they trying to market a Broadway star this season or what? I get sucked in to that stupid show every freakin' season. This is the last time! I can't do it anymore. But I say this at the end of every season, then, just like every other red-blooded American once the new season starts I'm sitting in front of the TV pissed off.

Now let's talk Top Chef. Joe's starting to like my boy Spike! Does that make you cringe, Jennifer? I love that guy! I did think Andrew needed to go tonight. He didn't follow the rules and he made sushi for a hearty lunch! That's just silly! I can't imagine a bunch of police officers sitting around at a sushi restaurant having lunch! I can't remember the red-headed girl's name, but she needs to go too. She ruined her own stinking rice, no one is trying to sabotage her! I also can't remember the Asian guy's name, but he's another that should be saying good bye. Does he know how to cook anything other than miso and soybeans? I like Antonia (is that her name; the single mom?) and Spike. Those are my two picks...

Well, I better go try to get Hana Grace to fall asleep. She seems wide awake right now but she's quiet. Joe probably thinks she's asleep but she's sitting in my lap! (Shh!)

Recent Pics

Hana & her daddy; Daddy grooming Hana; Nap time

You Say It's Your Birthday. It's My Birthday Too, Yeah!

Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to meeee. Happy birthday to me! 27! Man, that sounds old. I don't feel old though. Only 3 years until the big 3-0. My goodness! Here's a story for you. I remember when Josh turned 23. We were at my parents house and he was all mopey saying, "I'm almost 30! I feel so old!" That was 10 years ago, Big O! I was only 17 at the time. I was still in high school!!! Look at all that has changed, and what all has stayed the same.

So Hana Grace is not a baby anymore. Well, I know that technically she is, but she slept in her room last night. All night long without a peep. It makes me sad & happy at the same time. She was supposed to sleep in her room Monday night, but Joe got all sad that time and insisted she sleep in our room one more night. But we both decided that the time had come and we'd better make the switch before she really realizes what's going on. Joe wouldn't let me leave the video part of the monitor on all night (it's pretty bright) so I just had sound. Every time I heard her move a finger I would turn the monitor on and ever so often I would creep into her room to look at her. Is it normal that she gets as close as she possibly can to the side of the crib to where she's up against the bumper? That's what freaks me out! If she were just sleeping in the middle of the darned thing I wouldn't have many concerns. But she snuggles up to those bumpers, I always check her mouth and nose and make sure she has room to breathe! I'm a big worry wart, I know. I wonder how much better I'll be with the next kid? I know I should be less worrisome then, but I am me. Have you met me? I drive myself crazy worrying over things! I guess that's what balances Joe and me. He doesn't worry much at all. I worry enough for both of us. If there's a situation where he is actually worried, you can bet I'm just about having a panic attack!

Josh & Angela received their package okay. The zoner at EZ Mail seems to have done a good job. I sent them a Texas-themed package. It included bluebonnet seeds, Velveeta, rotel, key chains, a magnet, a car decal, a coaster, a Texas-shaped ice cube tray, a coozie, a small Texas flag, a cookbook of recipes from winning state festivals (including the Black-eyed Pea Festival of Athens), a Texas-shaped cookie cutter, and the movie Born in East LA. I think that's it. I hope y'all liked it! "Enjoy your package!" That's what I wrote in Josh's card. It simply meant that I hope he enjoys the package I sent. Joe, of course, took it to mean dirty things and he still laughs about it. I sure miss you guys!!!

Today is our very first play date. Man, I'm excited! Our friend, Annie (the one who's daughter, Helen, just turned 2) is hosting the play date. Apparently she knows lots of stay-at-home moms because the invite list is pretty big! That's at 10:00 this morning, so I'm sure I'll post an update. Speaking of Annie, she and Dave found out they're having a boy. Christine and Charles are due June 18 and they're having a boy, and Betsy and Alvin are supposedly having a boy. They're sono wasn't 100%. They go back later this month to check again. Boys, boys, boys. Poor Hana!

I better go. I can hear Hana talking in her room! I love the mornings! She's always SO HAPPY!!! Happy Baby is the best!

Hana Says "Nana"

What a Happy Mother's Day !

I decided I had to share my wonderful Mother's Day and birthday gifts! Mom & Dad got me two beautiful charms: A cupcake (Courtney Diann "Cupcake" Clark) for my birthday & "tender love" for Mother's Day. They also got me a book about a mother's love that I will get the strength to read someday when I need a good cry. Joe got me a flower made of hearts charm for my birthday and "mother's love" pendant for Mother's Day and Hana got me a bunny rabbit charm so I will always remember I found out I was pregnant with her on Easter and for my birthday she got me "mother's love" earrings to match the pendant Joe got me! Also, I just received a beautiful bouquet of Gerber Daisies for Mother's Day from Josh & Angela!!! It just keeps getting better & better!