Smiles

My aunt Adeta and uncle Mike visited us today to meet Hannah for the first time. Mom and Dad also came for some Hannah time. We ate burgers on the deck and had a nice afternoon. Steve and Mike even played some washers. Hannah was very happy to have so much attention and rewarded us with lots of smiles.

New Tricks

Now that Hannah has better control of her head she can do exciting things like....

sit facing out in the Baby Bjorn

and sit up in her Bumbo

Memorial Day Weekend

Friday I went to the "Back to the USA" picnic at school. It is to celebrate the end of our fake trip around the world. All of the kids wear red, white, and blue and we eat hot dogs with the parents/siblings/grandparents. It is a fun way to wrap up the year and a good time for me to say my goodbyes to all the kids. I've been on maternity leave for 10 weeks now, which is as long as summer break. They don't even seem like "my" class now. When I got home Steve and I ordered a pizza and ate it on our deck. Before we had Hannah we usually had Friday dinners on our deck or a restaurant patio. We are slowly getting back to our old life and it feels good. Steve was so excited that he took a picture.

Saturday Tamra and Lucas drove over from Columbia to visit. The guys played disc golf while the girls went to the Nerman Museum. It was Hannah's first art museum. She slept through it.

Sunday was Hannah's first time at church and Steve's first time visiting the church 'cry room'. Marissa and Casey came over Sunday afternoon and the guys again played disc golf while we went shopping.

Monday we hosted a Memorial Day BBQ / Washers Tournament for my siblings and cousins. Mom and Dad came to provide babysitting support. Steve and I are past tournament champions...but we came up short this weekend. Justin and Lauren took home the golden washers after whooping the competition with numerous cups. Although Casey deserves a mention for making a cup left-handed and behind his back during the 'toilet bowl' match.

Hannah Stats- Two Months

Hannah is 2 months old! She is smiling and cooing now, although we still hear some growls every now and then. She is doing a great job of batting at toys...and not so great at tummy time. She screams until you flip her over. Most nights she only wakes up once during the night, which I appreciate very much. Today was her 2 month check up. She is now 10 pounds 3 ounces (45th percentile) and 23 1/2 inches (80th percentile). She started out little, but she is catching up fast!

Pictures from the doctor's office:

before the shot

after the shot

Dancing Baby 2

Mother's Day weekend

On Friday we went to the African Market at school. The 2nd grade studies all the continents. Market is one of the activities we do while studying Africa. The kids get goods to sell (old toys or things they have made) and then bargain with the buyers to get the best price. The kids have fun dressing up, get practice making change, and all of the money goes to Heifer International. It's one of the kids' favorite things in 2nd grade and mine, too! The whole school shops at the market plus the parents of the 2nd graders. Everyone was delighted to see Hannah. Steve took off the day from work and he had fun bargaining with the kids...maybe too much fun. He was ruthless!

When we got to Chillicothe on Friday night we went to a movie at our old high school. They are tearing it down soon and they made a movie of people's memories of the building. We got to walk around and see our old lockers and where we talked for the first time. Steve and I went to the same school since 7th grade, but we didn't talk until the first day of senior year. It was right after the only class we ever had together: Calculus. Then it took us until sophomore year of college to start dating. Anyway, it was fun to remember high school and we ran into Tamra (one of my best friends in high school) and her husband Lucas, so that made it even better.

Saturday was my sister Marissa's graduation from graduate school. She received a Masters of Arts in Education degree from Truman. She is very happy to be finished! It doesn't seem like she should be that old already. It wasn't that long ago that I was graduating.

Sunday was my first Mother's Day. We went to Trenton for a BBQ with Steve's extended family. Hannah met more of her relatives, including Trent who was the ring bearer at our wedding. Here he is with Hannah. We had a fun weekend, but I was exhausted on Monday!

Hannah's Activities

playing on her activity mat

eating glow worms

swinging

hanging out in her papasan

helping with laundry

taking a bath

eating

crying
sleeping

Hannah Lounging

Firsts

This weekend was the first time we had a group of friends over since Hannah arrived. Thankfully, the Baileys brought pizza so I didn't have to cook anything. Taco was staying with us and Dan, Wendy, Tyler, Sarah, and baby Norah came over Saturday night. It was quite the experience with two babies! If they hadn't already made up their minds, I think Dan and Wendy will definitely be waiting a few years to have kids after witnessing the insanity firsthand. We did bath time, feeding, and finally got both babies to bed....with only a few times of quieting a crying baby (usually ours). Taco was so good at calming Hannah that Sarah called him "the baby whisperer."

Hannah also smiled for the first time this weekend. Saturday was a smile for Steve and Sunday was a smile for me. She has smiled in her sleep before, but this time it was with eyes open and looking at us.

On Monday we took her to a restaurant for the first time. I was a little nervous and wanted to go some place close by so we could make a fast exit if necessary. We went to O'Neills that is so close to our house that we usually walk. She did great. She slept for most of the time, but even when she woke up she didn't cry. I think she was on her best behavior because her granny and great-granny were eating dinner with us.

Interview with a Taco

Name: Taco

Daytime Occupation: Engineer

Superhero Alias: The Baby Whisperer

On a night that was neither especially dark nor stormy, our seemingly normal friend Taco came to visit. His wife loaned him to us for the weekend to help us with the baby. They both had been bugging us about having a baby for over 2 years and now she was finally here. And crying.

We knew that Taco had baby experience, but we didn't know about the deep and mysterious powers he possessed. Baby powers. Our friend Taco was a baby whisperer.

After a relaxing weekend of sleeping until 10:30, going to movies, seeing friends, and catching up on errands (all while Taco babysat Hannah), we felt like we should try to pry out some secrets from the whisperer and share them with our readers.

Megan: Taco, our monitor batteries ran low last night and although our room is right across the hall from the baby and you were staying on another floor, when I got up to check on the baby you were already there...whispering. How do you do it?

Taco: Shh, there's a baby crying down the street right now. The cries of the little ones fill my head.

Megan: Creepy. Some of our readers know that you have two boys of your own, ages 2 and 11 months. Did you first become aware of your powers when taking care of them?

Taco: No. I knew very early that I had a gift. For instance, when I was a baby I always knew when I was crying.

Megan: What's your greatest challenge in whispering?

Taco: It's difficult sometimes that babies are drawn to me. For instance, did you notice that the Vroomans brought their baby over to your house when they came to visit and I am staying at your house, too? Coincidence?

Megan: Right. What is your everyday disguise to fit in with the non-whisperers?

Taco: I've learned to observe the local habits and dress accordingly.

Megan: Well, if you had a baby whispering costume what would it look like?

Taco: It would probably be Teflon-coated to repel spit-up. It would also have multiple pacifiers sticking out for soothing many babies.

Megan: Like many other superheroes I assume you have a nemesis? Maybe someone that charms away babies like an Angelina Jolie or a Madonna?

Taco: Yes, they are worthy adversaries, however, my greatest nemesis is Jo the Supernanny. She's English and I'm Irish so it's a natural feud. And I'm still a little angry about her getting that primetime TV show.

Megan: Do you have any tips for non-whisperers?

Taco: Never sleep. Learn to use one arm for all tasks.

* At this point we decide to call Taco's wife to corroborate his facts.*

Megan: How does it feel to be married to a baby whisperer?

Jane: Fantastic. I get to sleep.

Megan: Is there anything else we should know about Taco?

Jane: His powers get weaker over time. When the babies grow up he starts to do some not-so-helpful things like teaching them how to wrestle, feeding them candy, and playing baseball indoors.

Taco: Babies love that!

Megan: One final question for the whisperer, how do we know you will use your powers for good and not evil? I imagine it wouldn't be terribly difficult for you to create an army of babies for your own purposes.

Taco: (innocently) Um, I wouldn't say that....I, uh, just want everyone to have a baby. You know, because they are so much fun.