One Year Old

What's it like being the parent of a one year old?

It's buying new doohickeys...

It's a new tooth every other week...

It's testing out the waters...

It's "sky hooks" all day long...

It's teaching to share...

It's bigger bibs...

It's tea parties...

It's petting zoos...

It's bigger messes...
It's all new...

...and it's exhausting!

Outtakes from the First Year

Generally, when I take the time to post an update to our blog (which is not often enough, I know), I pull out the cutest, most appropriate pictures to get across the experience that I happen to be blogging about. However, tonight after organizing some pictures in our files, I have decided that there are some crazies that will never probably make the cut if I don't just put them out there. So here you are: one full blog entry of the pictures that Hannah probably WON'T pick to display at her high school graduation open house! Enjoy!

Spring Fever

It's finally SPRING!!! We are so excited to finally open the windows and get outside! Mike has been on his new road bike as much as possible, and is anxiously awaiting the opening of his favorite mountain biking trail in Lebanon Hills Park, near our house. Hannah has been spending lots of time outside, during the day with Grandma or Julie (at daycare) and in the evening with mom and dad. She loves her red wagon, and is learning how to get comfortable on her tricycle.
Hannah had a very fun first Easter. There was an Easter party at daycare, and then the Easter Bunny left her a basketful of goodies at Grandma & Grandpa Reierson's house, Grandma & Bumpa Frame's house, and even Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa Hoaglund's house! Hannah and I drove down to Berne (near Pine Island) to celebrate with my mom's side of the family on Sunday, while Mike decided to spend the day at his Grandma Reierson's house with his family. Hannah and Alexis loved being in the grass while finding Easter Eggs. (Actually, Hannah found the grass more interesting than the eggs!)

It was hard work, but she eventually did make it over to that egg! Hannah's been crawling for a little less than a month now.

The girls looked lovely in their Easter dresses.

Hannah has finally grown enough hair for a very small mohawk. It's hard to see, but this was an excited picture taken of her very first mohawk after her bath!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, here is our best recording of Hannah cracking up! (Sorry that the video is sideways. Apparently it can't be flipped like a picture can.)

It's been awhile since we've updated our blog, which I think is because of the sleepy nature of the winter season. There's not been much to report on: most nights we come home to enjoy some cozy family time. Of course, Hannah's been grow-grow-growing, and we've been teaching her new things everyday. In January, she started attending daycare two days a week. She loves playing with all of her new friends (especially Ahna, who is a month older than her and a kindred spirit in her "chill" attitude towards generally all things). She has also begun eating baby foods and trying out the sippy cup thing.
I have decided that it's high-time Hannah start pulling her weight around the house (or am desperate to entertain her with new things), and have given her the jobs of organizing the tupperware cupboard and pairing the socks.

She is a good little helper!

We've been working on encouraging her to think about rolling over or crawling, but she's not quite there yet. She is bouncing back and forth on her knees sometimes, but hasn't made the move yet! She loves watching her cousin Alexis running around the house, though! Everytime the two girls get together, Hannah learns so much from Lexi. They had a wonderful (actually, Alexis=ecstatic, Hannah=not so much!) time playing out in the snow in Alexis's new red sled.

Mom and Dad have had some opportunities recently to spend time with friends and family, and are looking forward to some planned adult-fun time in the near future. I am planning a girls' weekend in DC in Mid-March, and Mike has joined a softball league full of college friends for this summer. One night, while I was having dinner with some friends, Mike and Hannah had fun playing "dress-up" with a Wild hat:

Perhaps the biggest news in our life, though, is that Hannah has uttered her very first word (if you ask her father). One of the kids at daycare taught her to say "Dada". Enjoy! (turn up your sound)
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Baby's First Christmas

Well, as you all know, this was my very first Christmas. I had a very busy week. On the Saturday before Christmas, I got to visit my Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Nouska at the VA. Lots of my dad's aunts, uncles, and cousins (including Jaquel, Brielle, Evan and Logan) were there too! Here's a picture of me being silly when we opened presents:The next day mom and dad and I drove down to Berne to have a party at my Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Hoaglund's house in the country. There were lots of family members there too, and I got to play with my cousins from Oklahoma: Isaiah, AJ and Connor. Then, on Tuesday night, we got all bundled up and drove down to Bumpa and Bumba Frame's farm in Pine Island. I got to have a slumber party there with Alexis! When we woke up (at 6 am), Santa had been there and we all opened up lots of presents. Alexis and I loved playing in the wrapping paper and toy instructions. My favorite toy I got there was a musical table. When I get as big as Alexis, I'll be able to stand up next to it to play with all the buttons! After all that fun, everyone took a nap in the living room. I got to nap on Bumpa's lap!

Mommy said she really needed that nap, because she wasn't feeling so good that day. I heard her coughing and sneezing a lot, so I gave her lots of hugs and kisses. After our nap, we drove up to party at Great Grandma Reierson's house. There were SOO many kids there! I loved watching them all play, but I really loved sitting on my Grandpa's lap all night. He helped me unwrap my presents and I helped him unwrap his.

We got home really late that night, and when we woke up on Christmas morning, Santa had come to MY house TOO! Santa brought me a pink foamy play mat for me and my toys, and mom and dad got me lots of bath toys. My daddy helped me get all the toys out of the boxes:

That day, we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Reierson's house for presents and to eat dinner. There was a VERY big box there that had my name on it!

When I finally got it open, there was a big red wagon inside, just for me! My daddy took me for a ride around the house, and I smiled from ear to ear the whole way!! I loved it!

The Friday after Christmas we got to rest a little, and then I went with my mommy to the Waterford school house to visit with my Frame relatives. I even got to see Ariety, Leander, Sydney, Morgan, Annika and Sam! Oh, and Alexis too! Lastly, on Sunday my mommy's best friends came over for one more Christmas party at our house. They let me sit at the table while they talked about girl stuff and about how they miss Beth (Mommy told me she's in far-away Africa, teaching other kids. I can't wait to meet her someday). I even got some new outfits from Jenny and Carrie and Jeff.

Whew! It was a lot of partying, but I'm kind of a party animal, so I did just fine! Dad took me to Great Grandma Dorothy's for New Year's, while mom when out with Tanya. He didn't let me taste any of the surf n' turf, but everyone said it was great.

I did come down with the sniffles, just like mom, once the crazy week was over. It's kind of an icky thing to have. Especially if you might be teething at the same time. And especially if it's time to go to the doctor to get shots too!!

Thanks everyone for all of the wonderful Christmas gifts you gave to me!! I had a wonderful time seeing everyone!

Love you all,

Hannah

P.S. Mommy is making me post this one last picture, because she says it's too cute. I'm making a mental note to be very mad at her for this one in about 10 years (but for now I guess it's ok)!

I'm Cute.

Hello everyone. It's me, Hannah. My mommy has been doing some writing at home, so she's been showing me how to type. I've been working very hard this last week on being a big girl. Last weekend I went to my friend Reagan McCarthy's first birthday party. There were lots of fun kids there of all ages. When I saw that yummy cupcake that Reagan got to eat, I decided it was time to be a big girl! This week, I had a lot of fun with my new trick. I love bobbing my chin up and down. It always makes my mom and dad sing "Ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-baranne" to me. I guess they think I'm trying to sing that song. Don't they know? I'm trying to say "ba-ba-ba, I want my BOTTLE!"

Today I got to help my daddy with his weekend project. He decided to cook a turkey, just like Alton does. He had to put the turkey in a brine in this bucket. I helped him decide if the turkey was going to fit!

I also played with my mom today. We played dress up. My mom put this t-shirt on me, and thought it was going to be WAY too big! She says that the tag said that it's a 12-month t-shirt. Well, it must not be, because it felt pretty tight on me!!


Guess what else? Today I did a very big-girl thing! I ate cereal for the very first time! See how slobbery and wet my shirt got? It was very nummy, but it was hard to keep it in my mouth. I showed my mom how grown up I was by using my new "ba-ba-ba" trick to get the food on the spoon.

Tonight, I'm going to be watching hockey and football with my daddy. I hope you all have a great weekend too!

Getting Dunked!

Last weekend was a busy one. Not only did Hannah experience her very first Halloween, she was baptized as well! Her baptism was at Christ the King Lutheran Church (where her mom and dad were married). She was a very good girl, and didn't mind the dunking. She did want to tell a few stories to the congregation, though, while she had their attention. A special thanks to all our friends and family who endured a rather strange and very long service, as her baptism coincided with the All Saint's Day celebration (there was chanting and lighting of candles for all the parishoners baptized and passed away in the past year).

Hannah wore her great-great grandpa Bill's baptism gown. He was baptized in it in 1906, and her mother was also baptized in it in 1981.

Godparents Amanda and Dan Swintek

On a developmental note: Hannah has been loving sitting in her high chair lately. She is a little bookworm! She loves reading all books, but is especially infatuated with a particular bathtime book with a cow that goes "Moo, moo!"

She has also discovered her toes! The toe-grab is pretty much her favorite hang-out position nowadays.