Hannah’s First Year

 

Today is Hannah’s first birthday! They say that time flies when you’re having fun! And, it sure has. This has been one amazing year! Each day with her is a constant reminder of God’s goodness to us, and our need to completely depend on Him. I thought that this would be a good time to reflect on all that has taken place in the past year, and give you a little peek into Hannah’s world.

Our little one-year-old…. Hannah is generally a content, happy girl (except when she is getting her diaper changed!). She freely gives out hugs and kisses, though usually not on command. One of the best feelings in the entire world must be seeing your little girl toddle over to you, a big grin on her little face, arms outstretched, as she wraps them around your neck, and kisses your cheek (or nose, or eye, or shoulder…). She flashes her adorable smile (with 6 little teeth) at everyone, and she loves to giggle. She will laugh at just about anything, or nothing, and joins right in when she hears others laughing. Makes you wonder if she understands more than you think she does!

Hannah continues to amaze us with her expanding vocabulary. What to Expect – The First Year says that by 12 months, a baby may have about 3 words in their vocabulary, other than “Mama” and “Dada.” So far, we’ve counted about 20+ words that we hear on a regular basis: cat, kitty, duck, quack-quack (in response to the question “What does the duck say?”), mama, daddy, apple, bear, Bible, book, Hannah, milk, Katy, cup, bath, night-night, baa-baa (she uses this for her lamb, and in response to the question “What does the lamb say?), hockey (a favorite of mommy’s and Grandpa’s), ball, pretty, puff, nannas (i.e., banana), please, all done, Amen!

Some of her favorite things…

• Food. She likes “grown-up” food better than baby food now. We really only use it in order to get some vegetables into her. A few of her current favorites include: milk, water (yes, water), “puffs,” Cheerios, waffles, Macaroni and Cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, green beans, peas, pizza, bananas, applesauce, peach, strawberries (we love fruit!)…and just about anything on mommy or daddy’s plate!
• Her favorite toys aren’t really toys, of course. She likes mommy’s cell phone (of course, it does play “It’s A Small World” as the ringtone – what kid could resist?!) and, loves to push the buttons. The other day Jason caught her just after she had dug it out of my purse, opened it up, and pushed a few buttons…I don’t know who she was trying to call! She also loves to play with our keys, but after a locking herself in the car after church one Sunday, we don’t let her play with them anymore! We did get her a set of toy keys – real metal with a keychain complete with buttons that make “real” noises…nope. She knows the difference! I think her current favorite is the TV remote. She’s figured out the volume control, and finds it extremely amusing to flip the channels!
• As far as real toys go, she loves her duckie. She takes it to bed with her, and hugs it and talks to it until she falls asleep. Her car (a Christmas present from Grandpa Whitley) continues to be a favorite, as well. She pushes it all over the house, saying “vroom-vroom”. She also loves to “read”, and will sit and turn the pages and look at the pictures forever. She also snuggles up in my lap and lets me read to her. (One of my favorite times with her is just before breakfast…we’ve started reading through her little toddler Bible every morning. She enjoys the stories, and if I forget, she points at the table and says “Bible!”)
• A true Californian, Hannah loves being outside – whether it is going for a walk in her stroller, playing on the swings at the park, or just sitting on the front porch waiting for Daddy to come home from work. She likes looking at the leaves on the trees, watching the birds, and feeling the breeze in her face. (She does not like the feeling of grass on her bare feet, and will sit down and hold her legs up off the ground until someone rescues her!)
• She also enjoys bathtime – she loves to splash, and feel the water as it runs out of the faucet. We’ve had to cut bathtime somewhat short recently, as she would prefer to bathe standing up, and absolutely refuses to sit down.
• She still loves to chase the cats, but, much to their dismay, is now able to catch them! They aren’t too fond of the game, but they are patient with her squeals, and pats, and kisses.

Lest you think that our life is perfect, we do have our moments… On the darker side of life, here are a few things that she does not like (and that is an understatement!):

• Diaper changes. Getting dressed usually isn’t a problem. At least she is cooperative, and has even become quite helpful in putting her arms through the proper holes, or pulling her shirt over her head. But, changing the diaper is another story all together! She rolls around the changing table, wriggling every conceivable direction, arms and legs flailing, until the new diaper is taped to her bellybutton, and her little toe, and we have to start the process all over again!
• The Nursery. (Yes, she takes after her mama!) Separation anxiety has reared it’s ugly head. She begins to wimper as we get closer to the building, and usually has a death-grip on my sleeve as we approach the door of the nursery room! By the time we get her signed in, and name-tagged, the workers practically have to peel her off, as she begins the tears. It just about breaks your heart, she looks so sad! Even her beloved duckie doesn’t help! (We are all praying that this stage passes quickly!)

Like I said she is generally a happy girl…there really aren’t too many things that she doesn’t like. At least, I can’t think of anything that she despises as passionately as the two above!

What a year! We have learned so much, and little Hannah has been patient with us as we try to figure out how this whole parenting thing works. But, she has made each step an adventure. Just when we think we have her figured out, she has another surprise for us!

Early on in my pregnancy, before anyone knew about it, I was sitting at my desk at work, talking to a man who was wating for his wife to get out of class. He sat in my office with his little daughter (probably about 9 months old). The topic of conversation inevetably turned to children. He asked if I was married, and when we were planning to start a family. I just smiled, and shrugged, and gave the same response we gave everyone, “Well, we’d prefer to wait until my husband finishes school.” (That was our plan…Obviously the Lord had a different idea!) He was quiet for a minute, and smiled at his daughter, who was trying (unsuccessfully) to climb up into his lap. Then he said, “You know, if I had known what a blessing she would be, we wouldn’t have waited so long to have her.” Now, I can wholeheartedly echo that statement! There have been sleepless nights, frustrations, temper tantrums, leaky diapers, and more spit-up than I care to think about! But, there have also been the first smiles, first steps, first words, hugs and kisses, and many, many giggles….I wouldn’t trade the joys of this past year for anything in the world! Children truly are a blessing from the Lord!