8 months!

Four seasons have graced us amongst Hannah’s life. To me that seems impossible and it must still be the winter in which she was born. Alas it is fall and our little girl is 8 months old. This little person has transformed tremendously this month. Her beaming personality astounds me. She is full of so much excitement and happiness; what a joy she is to us and my oh my how she makes life incredibly fun. 

Hannah is a silly gal; she loves to fake laugh when she is excited. She also will squeak and growl on demand.  Brian loves to say, “Hannah, squeak” and with that she will make the most ear piercing squeal. They are always growling back and forth at each other, probably not the best habit but absolutely cute. Those two are the best of friends and I adore seeing their relationship grow. Brian absolutely adores his little girl which is such sweetness to my heart.

 

New in this month are two new teeth and a few more that look that they are well on their way. They have caused some tearful days but overall Hannah has remained a pretty happy camper. Despite generally being a chill baby, Hannah is rather emotional in regards to food. I sometimes feel a little at loss how to reprimand a meltdown of a 8 month baby. She throws fits if she has to wait too long for food, if I am not serving it fast enough, and when the meal is “all done.” Girlfriend is very passionate about food, perhaps a bit like her momma. On the plus side she loves everything that has tried and we are even adding a bit of spices to her food like garlic, sweet curry, and cinnamon. She especially loves making a mess with finger foods like pieces watermelon, bananas, sweet potatoes and peas. My favorite resource for baby food has been http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/

Little bug has finally gotten the complete hang of rolling both ways with ease. Though she isn’t crawling she strategically rolls from place to place. She loves exploring around the living room and getting into precarious things. I feel like she is into everything these days and wants whatever we have in our hands. It is cool to see this new stage of interest. It is fun reading books to her every day. We have a few touch and feel books and whenever I place her hands on the soft and fuzzy objects she smiles and laughs. Watching a baby grow and develop really is truly a testament to God’s creation. 

Two weekends ago we went on a trip to Minneapolis, mainly to see the Rays play. While a previous weekend trip was a lot of fun it was a bit tiring with a baby that didn’t particularly enjoy sleeping in a hotel room, so I was a little weary about this trip. This time we took some steps to help little one sleep better, like bringing along a fan for white noise and her dream light that shines a puppy dog and stars on the ceiling. We also chose a hotel that was more of a suite style with a little separation between the bed area and the living room. When we got to the hotel Brian asked for a quiet room for a baby and they ended up giving us a complete suite with a closed off room. Jackpot! We ended up having a fantastic time and Hannah slept great. It was pouring rain at the Rays game but we still had a blast watching them win. Minnesotans are the friendliest of folk and we met some really nice people. Employees at Target field were so helpful and accommodating with us having a baby in the rain. They got us chairs out of the rain and once the long rain delay ended and the crowd thinned out Brian asked if we could sit closer to field behind the dugout. Brian called out to Yunel Escobar at the end of the inning and he threw him the ball. We had a fun time exploring the city, visiting the Mill Museum, chowing down on some good food, meeting friendly people, and having a blast with our happy baby.

Hannah makes life more sweet and fun. She really is a joy to our family. Sometimes getting out and about seems a little more of a challenge and we aren’t always able to go and do things that we used to. You know you really are a parent when not only does poop no longer bother you, but you find yourself cheering and congratulating your kid for a job well done after a bout with constipation. These little changes in life are so worth it. This little person melts my heart more and more every passing minute. She has filled my life with so much joy and love and I am so incredibly thankful for her. Through both tears and laughs, being a mom is the best. To have the opportunity to parent this kid is an honor and I hope that we will always share a love for each other. 

Little girl, mom loves you more than you may ever know. You are incredibly special and sweet. I know I won’t always get to smother those sweet cheeks of yours with kisses and there might come a day when you resist my discipline, but always know that I care so much for you and love you fiercely. You are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Sweet buggy, I adore you.