Doors and locks

Hope you all had a good Ash Wednesday. Hannah did!


For a while now Hannah has been interested in doors. Going in and out, opening and closing is so much fun. Most of all slamming them shut is really fun. So when I heard her calling me and found her shut in the bath room earlier today I wasn't very surprised. However, I was surprised when I tried to open the door and it was locked! Luckily our inside doors can be unlocked with a coin!

Here are a few pictures that I didn't get posted from the weekend - or rather from Monday before Hannah and I left Mom and Dad's house.

Can you find her?






After we got home I was making dinner and Hannah was playing in the dining area. She had a rattle so when I looked over and saw her shaking something I just thought how funny it was that the rattle kept her attention so long. However, it was not the same "rattle".

Hannah had gotten the pepper shaker and was shaking it all out onto the table. What you see here isn't even a third of what was on the chair and floor!

So I moved Hannah to her own table with her new map pencils. Her crayons kept her happy for a while, but she really wants to use "grown up" stuff and the pencils seem to be close enough for now.

Sick Tuesday

Hannah is still sick. She feels fine, but the diapers - oh the diapers!

This afternoon we decided to go for a walk. It was so windy that I felt like we were blowing away.


Here we are!


We picked up a friend on the way home. (I have no idea where this dog came from. Gotta love my neighbors and their dogs running loose....)


After we got home Hannah played with her shape sorter for a bit.


She's no fool, if she can't find the right hole she just takes the lid off to put them in!






Before she went to bed Hannah had a look at Guster and found what she thinks is his belly button.


Yes, I did stop her before she touched!

What a day!

I know I've said this in so many of my recent posts, but Hannah just amazes me! Last night as Pete and I put her to bed I told her "I love you" and she mimicked back "I uv ooo". I know she doesn't really understand the words yet, I know that she means it, but not the way I do, but it's such a wonderful thing to hear! Especially since she said it to Pete a week wor so ago - I've been waiting for my turn ever since!

But this morning she did better than say a few words, she showed me. I have been trying to make an appt with a specialist for a week. It's such a hassle. I can't seem to get in with anyone at a time that will work for us. This morning, after another possibility fell thru, I started crying. I came in the living room to tell Pete and Hannah walked over to me so calm, stretched up her arms, and hugged me while I cried. She had her arms around me, her head on my shoulders, and was STILL! Pete came over to us and she told him "no" and pushed his hands away. SHE was taking care of mommy! I felt so much better (although I still wanted Pete to hug me anyway!)

After Pete left Hannah found a basket of clean towels. In it was the terry cloth thing we use on the mop. Did I mention that it is clean?! She thought it made the coolest hat.





Notice the semi-black eye? Poor baby!

When Hannah woke up from her nap this afternoon I was in the shower and she had to wait about 5 minutes till I could get her. I guess that was a little too long, because this is what I saw when I went in. See the books on the floor? See the bookshelves beside the crib?


Taking pictures of Hannah has a whole new challange these days. As soon as I get out the camera she runs to it yelling "See! See!" and wants to see the pictures on the back. As you can see, I was trying to take a picture of her on her "see saw" or rocking moose, but she was more interested in getting off and to me to see any pictures that might be there!


Finally she stayed put long enough for a picture!


We left the house planning to go to the park with some friends. I ended up calling them from less than a mile away to tell them we wouldn't make it. Why you ask? Becuase Hannah threw up all over herself and the car seat as we cruised down the street to the park. It was one of the most horrible experiences. I was crying so hard I could barely see. I had to strip her to a diaper on the side of the road, then put her in a too small tshirt and dirty jacket. I did my best to clean up the seat with a few paper towels, then got us to Brian's house where we were able to clean a little better before driving home. She got straight into the bath at home and thought it was loads of fun. What's better than playing with paints in the bathtub?


At least the day ended well. Pete, Hannah and I went to eat at Waterloo Icehouse. Hannah was pretty impressed with my straw.


After we finished eating we wandered around Target a little before coming home. Hannah is completely fine. I think she is teething again as she's been chewing on her fingers a lot and I suspect that she gagged herself. I'm thankful for small blessings!

Talking

Tonight Pete was giving Hannah a bath while I cleaned up the kitchen. Hannah refused to get out so Pete called me to talk to her. I went in and asked her if she was ready to get out and she said "NOOOO!" I asked her if she was ready to read a book and she looked at Pete, stretched up her arms, and said "up!" So he pulled her out and was drying her while the tub drained. Hannah turned to the water and started waving, then said "Bye-bye agua!" It was adorable. She's so smart!

So we went and read the bedtime stories, then sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". Two nights ago Hannah blew us away when we got to the end of the song and she sang sky, star, and are at the appropriate times, babbling something close to the tune in between. She's done it every night since.

Hannah amazes us every day with all she is learning. I always knew that babies learned a lot in their first few years of life, but I never have been able to witness just how much. It is too, too cool!

A day in the life

Pete asks me all the time what Hannah does all day. So today I decided to document it, however much I could. Of course there are many moments I missed, like when she moved the stool across the kitchen and pulled out half the contents of a cupboard before I noticed what she was doing, but here are the highlights.

After breakfast Hannah did a little dancing with her Papi.


She has gotten really good at jumping.


After Papi went to work she picked out a book to read. For some reason her giant Lady dog was in the way. I have no idea why the giant dog wasn't in some more out of the way place!


I changed Hannah's sheets and I took the mattress of the crib to put new sheets on. Hannah thought the mattress on the floor was super cool.


But a tent in the house was even cooler!




We went back in the living room to play a little "Pat a Cake". Hannah is putting the cake "in the oven".


Then it was time for a diaper change and getting dressed. No pictures of that.

Then Hannah spent a good 15 minutes getting Guster to lick her feet while she laughed. Guster licking your feet is the funniest thing ever!


We went in the kitchen for a little cooking - butternut squash.


And then Hannah had her veggie pattie, cheese, and peaches for lunch.


Next was nap time, but I only took pictures of her waking up.


Another diaper change...


Then off to work!


I couldn't take many pictures at work, of course, but even though you can't see her Hannah is playing on this deck.


After work we borrowed the professional photographer's backdrop for a few pictures.



Then we came home to eat pizza.


Next is getting ready for bed - brushing teeth is NOT Hannah's favorite part!


And finally story time, which we have no pictures of. The end!

New haircuts, new words, and SINGING!

Hannah and I both got haircuts today. I am so happy with them both. I have paid for 2 haircuts for Hannah. The first was fine. It got her hair evened up and out of her eyes, but was nothing special. The second was a joke. They would not let me hold her so, oddly enough, she was terrified and screamed the whole time trying to get me to pick her up. Her bangs got semi-trimmed and that was it.

I have not had a hair cut anywhere but a Supercuts type place since I moved to Austin 5 years ago.

I love both of our haircuts. Hannah now has a few curls around her neck (that you can't see in the picture). I have a haircut that I like, know how to style, and don't have to do a lot with. And as a bonus, it looks good on ME!

Hannah...


And me...




For a while now Hannah has been calling water "wawa". Pete and I call it agua (Spanish for water) to try to encourage a little bit of Spanish in her vocabulary. Wawa does sound a lot like agua, but it sounds lot like water too. Today it started getting much clearer and she is definitely saying agua. Yay! Other new words are chin, foot, behbee (belly button), and cheeee (cheese).

Tonight while we were putting Hannah to bed she gave us a wonderful surprise. Pete and I usually put her to bed together. He brushes her teeth, I read her a few stories, we say a prayer and then sing a song. More often than not we sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" because it's not too long and we know all the words. Tonight as we were singing, at the appropriate time, Hannah burst out "sky!" She then continued to babble in tune, occasionally getting another word in. AND she did the hand signs while she sang! What a smarty!

Here are a few pictures of Hannah talking on her new cell phone. Dad gave her an old phone that is not connected, but still has a good battery. She loves having a phone that lights up and buttons that make real noises. It's a good thing it's not connected because she's called all kinds of people whose numbers are stored in the phone book!

Azenette's quince (Warning - lots of pictures!)

Saturday we celebrated Azenette's quinceniera. For anyone reading who doesn't know, the 15th birthday is the big one in Hispanic, or at least Mexican, tradition. Apparently the tradition goes back to the Aztecs, or maybe the Mayans, or maybe both - I'm not sure. When a person turned 15 they were an adult and there was a celebration or initiation of some sort. Now it's a religious ceremony where the girl (or boy in Mexico) is welcomed as an adult. In the United States the party that follows has become as big or bigger than the ceremony, but both are pretty neat. I have some issues with telling a 15 year old they are an adult, but I really like the tradition.

Anyway, Azenette's quince was a beautiful, elaborate celebration. The day started for me at 1pm when a Hummer limo picked me up to chaperon the "court" on their limo ride. (Note: some of the pictures have been edited a lot. The band had some kind of fog machine that made things come out really fuzzy and grey)


Birthday girl

Azenette and all her damas (minus one)

Azenette and all her court (minus one)

Azenette and the chamberlains



Pete, Hannah, and our friend Rachel

Hannah has learned the word teeth and loves to find them

Junior and Isai

Hannah loved the choir and the guitars

At the reception hall - Isai finishing the decorations
Hannah checking things out

Abuela Keta and Hannah


All of Pete's cousins and Pete with Azenette

Dancing with Uncle Brian

The princess, Hannah Teresa, is presented

Introducing the quinceniera

Junior and Isai, brothers of the quinceniera

Maribel and Beto, parents of the quinceniera

Hannah had a leaky diaper right before she was presented so we had to change - good thing we brought a back up outfit!

Pete dancing with Azenette

The dance Azenette choreographed to dance with her court and escort

Hannah's turn to dance

Isai

Junior

Keta dancing the Chicken Dance

Pete and Maribel dancing - some brothers actually like dancing with their sisters!

Me dancing with Pete's cousins - I was so exhausted and my feet were so blistered but it was easier to dance than to argue!