Brody

Hannah wasn't sure about Brody at first....you know, he's younger....and he eats sand.  But then he grew up, started walking, and got a train table. :)  She said, "We're both Thomas fans!"  Here they are in their Thomas pjs reading a Thomas book.

  

Hannah Quotes

"I cannot believe this bubble bath!"

"The best thing about ice cream is that you eat it."

"There are tears coming out of my nose!" (She had a runny nose)

(while hugging Olive) "Sister hug.  Sister love!"

me: Are you drawing a picture of a car?
Hannah: But it's not a car.  It's a monster truck.  I'm drawing a monster truck.  I'll give you a hint.
me: Okay.
Hannah whispering: It's a monster truck.

Hannah (picking at her fingernail): This thumb is in trouble.  I can't get it.  Mama, can you do it?
me: (pulled off the hangnail on her thumb)
Hannah: YOU DID IT!  You are a  hero!  You are a hero!  You saved the day!

me: Tonight I have to go back to school for a program.
Hannah: (frowns)
me:  Are you sad?
Hannah:  I'm sad because you are leaving.
me: Yes, but you get to stay home with Dada and Olive.  You'll have a great time.  Dada is lots of fun!
Hannah:  If you say so.
* She had a similar conversation with Steve when he had to be gone one night.  She changes her loyalties daily...usually it is whoever reads her a bedtime story the night before.

*I think my mom did lots of great stuff, but one thing I especially admired how she apologized if she was in the wrong.  It showed us that even kids deserve an apology and everyone, even mom, makes mistakes.  I want to show my kids the same thing.
me: I'm sorry I lost my temper.  I was just really frustrated.
Hannah:  It's okay, Mama.  Everyone gets frustrated.
me:  I know, but I need to be more patient.
Hannah:  It's hard to be patient.
me:  It is, but I'll keep trying to be patient.
Hannah:  Yeah.  Keep trying.

Twins

Olive Stats- 9 months

Olive is now 19 pounds 9 ounces (75th percentile) and 28 inches long (60th percentile). I freaked out when I saw 60th percentile and asked if she was growing okay. I am used to seeing 95th percentile, then I remembered that was Hannah and last time Olive was just 75th, so it wasn't that big of a change. The nurse assured me she was fine. Then the nurse weighed her three times because she didn't believe she was under 20 pounds.

This month Olive learned to clap her hands and crawl up stairs. Amazingly, she learned to do stairs the second time she tried. Anytime she gets out of baby jail (the living room), she makes a break for the stairs and climbs as fast as she can while smiling and laughing. I am debating taking down the gate altogether since she is such a pro at stairs. She has been saying "da da da" for awhile, but she started saying "ma ma ma" now too. I *think* she is really saying Mama to me. It is usually her sound to tell us she doesn't like something and wants to be picked up or comforted. That's asking for Mama, right? She is getting sturdier on her feet. She can walk using a push toy and can stand on her own for a few seconds. Olive continues to be a happy baby. She is quick to smile at strangers, loves playing peek-a-boo, and puts everything in her mouth.

Backyard

We have been completely spoiled with warm weather this December and January. I found these pictures from New Year's Eve...outside without coats. Today it was over 60 again.

Playing Together

crawling races...and she lets Olive win :)

Snow!

There's barely any snow on the ground, but Hannah couldn't wait to get her gear on and go outside. I haven't broke the news that it is going back to 50 degrees and the snow will soon be gone. A mild winter is tough for a snow-loving girl.

Mama Lips

Hannah's first experience with make up. She asks for some "Mama lips" while she watches me get ready. I give her my lip gloss. She puts in on her cheeks and says, "I'm gorgeous."

Crawler

She's crawling up the stairs now. Sigh.

New Year's Eve

For New Year's Eve we went to the Vrooman's for game night.  We played board games and also their new Kinect.  My favorite, of course, was Kinect dancing. Hannah's no-sleep policy continued.  She stayed in bed watching videos, but never went to sleep.  So I figured she might as well watch the ball drop and ring in the new year with us.  She thought she was pretty cool being up so late.  Especially since it was Tyler's birthday and she got to eat some birthday cake.  She had another first the next morning: sleeping in until 9:00.  She probably could have slept longer, we woke her up so she'd still take a nap.

Playing Kinect dancing until the wee hours of the morning...


And because I love looking back.....here's last year and the year before that.