I took these pictures last night while Hannah was playing with the hose at my dad’s house. She could do this for hours, it was late afternoon and it hadn’t been too hot during the day. The hose water was freezing and she just played and played and never flinched. It made me sad that summer was ending because she has really enjoyed being outside this summer.
A co worker of mine was asking me about when Hannah was younger and at what age she started doing certain things. She has a daughter that is 7 months old now. I was shocked to realize that I couldn’t remember several things about Hannah’s first year. I guess that is why people keep baby books and write stuff down as it happens. I wanted to take a minute and record a few Hannah things from the past year and a half. This is mostly so I can remember, and to remind the family of the things they have forgotten to tease me about. Just a warning - this is a super long post.
Hannah has really bad seasonal allergies. The first summer after she was born we couldn’t take her outside. She would get really stuffy, her eyes would get infected, and she would get really cranky after just 30 minutes outside. We couldn’t give her any medication for this because she was so young. We finally started giving her ½ doses of benedryl so she could make it through the day. She was at the doctor’s office every month for ear infections and for a breathing treatment. When she was about 7 months old, the doctor prescribed her an inhaler that we give her every morning. When she was 9 months old she could start taking zyrtec which has given her 100% relief. We give her both of these first thing in the morning every day. We are still hoping she stops fighting the inhaler soon.
Hannah started to crawl at about 7-8 months. I think she was a little behind on that because she never saw the floor during the first 6 months of her life. She is the favorite at the daycare and I never once saw her not being held. She would get up on her hands and knees and scoot backwards at 5 months but she never could get her hands and legs to work together.
Hannah refused to eat from a spoon until she was 6 months old. She would not eat baby food from a bottle either. She hated the feel of any solid food. Our doctor sent us to a developmental therapist that came over to our house to access her motor skills. After talking to us for about 45 minutes about where she is with her fine and gross motor skills she had me try to feed her with a spoon to see how she would act and how we were feeding her. I put her in her high chair and got out the same spoon and same food we had tried a million times before (bananas). I held out the spoon and she opened her mouth and took the spoon and ate like she had been doing it for months. The therapist looked at us like we were crazy and gave us some papers to sign and left. Hannah has eaten just fine since then. Turns out she was in at least the 90% for all of her motor skills. My family is sure that Hannah planned this to embarrass us. She never would eat baby food vegetables, only fruit. She is now eating table food and she loves everything. We haven’t found a food yet that she won’t eat. She also doesn’t like it if someone else is eating and she is not. She has recently been eating with a fork and spoon and is doing great with it. Sometimes she will pick up the food with her hand and put it in her spoon and then eat it off the spoon. Her favorite foods right now are chicken, cheese, mashed potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, and pretzels. She calls pretzels and crackers ‘cookies’ and she loves them all. Her grandpa introduced her to candy and she can spot anything in a wrapper the moment she enters the room.
Hannah started taking steps at 11 months and would take 2-3 from one person to another. She did that for about 2 weeks and then she stopped. If you put her on her feet she would sit down immediately. At 1 year and 1 week old she decided she was ready and started walking everywhere. There was no in between, no learning, she went from crawling to walking in one day. As with eating, I think she could do it, she was just waiting until she was ready.
Hannah started talking at birth I think and hasn’t stopped since. She talks constantly. It doesn’t matter where she is, at home, in the car. Sometimes I just stop and listen to her talk; she is discovering the world around her so fast. The doctor told us at her 18 month appt that she was talking at a 2 ½ year old level. She talks in sentences and strings several words together. She also understands everything you say, although she pretends not to sometimes. She understands English and most Spanish because that is what they use at the day care. She will answer any question you ask her but she has to say she doesn’t know first. She turns her hands up and makes the classic don’t know gesture. She will then answer your question, again when she wants to. She knows all the animals and what they say, she can also do motions to some animals. She knows how to count but won’t do it because seven and nine are her favorite so she skips to them. She can start the alphabet and knows the tune to the song.
Hannah loves music. Everything can be calmed with a song. If you ever see me driving somewhere, most likely I am singing. Her favorite song right now is Monkeys jumping on the bed. She will even finish the line that the doctor says and do all the hand motions. We told her that she was going to the doctor for her last visit and asked her what the doctor was going to say and she told me “No monkeys jumping on bed.” She also loved to dance. She will sit back in her car seat and dance to whatever is on the radio. She tries to mimic how I am dancing so I have taught her a few moves. When I am in the kitchen making dinner or washing dishes she will come to me and say “Mama, song.” I finally figured out she wanted me to turn on the radio and dance with her, something we do frequently now to get out of fixing dinner or washing dishes.
Hannah hates mornings, like her mother. John wakes us both up in the morning at 5:30. I have noticed he is much sweeter waking Hannah up. She sleeps like a stink bug with her bum up in the air and her arms tucked under her. John will go in and rub her back and call her sweet names until she wakes up.
Hannah loves animals, especially monkeys, dogs, cats and fish. We took her to the fish hatchery and walked up and down the raceways and she loved to see the fish. She loves to go to the zoo, and watching animal planet. She has never liked to watch tv except for sports- soccer, hockey and football. We have found that she also loves to watch Blue Planet and Orangutan Island on animal planet. She would rather be reading a book than do anything else. She has a million books and that is the first thing she goes for in her room.
Hannah is very loving. She gives all her animals kisses and “knuckles.” When she is snuggling you she will pat your back. It’s very cute.
Hannah has been even better than I could ever imagine. I am so glad for the opportunity to be her mother. I am also grateful every day for my amazing family. I couldn’t ask for better role models for my child.
