Jan 2012

I'm going to try to do just a quick summary of the last two months to try and catchup (sort of...there are still chunks of months missing from the last few years..)

So here are some highlights from Jan 2012:

Samantha got "big girl underwear" and was potty trained within hours.  She had 3 accidents in the first hour and hasn't had another since.  (She still wears a diaper at night).  It was SO much easier than the boys and she was thrilled to be like "Gicah and Wahwa" (Micah and Noah).  She was super delighted with herself each time she went for days.  It just made her giggle.  Poor girl though, the smallest size they had at Walmart was 2T and obviously, those are still way too big for our skinny little lady!

Potty Power!

The kids have L-O-V-E-D the bikes they got from Santa for Christmas.  We take them to the park at least a few times a week and they just ride and ride and ride.  Samantha is actually pretty fast considering how small her bike is, but it is pretty funny (in a sort of sad kind of way) to watch her pedal her absolute fastest to try to stay with her brothers while they zoom on ahead of her.

Even Hanna likes to get in on the action at home.  The girls will both get on Sam's bike like this:

and I will push them around (and around, and around, and around).  They both LOVE it.  They have the cutest little relationship.  It is fun to watch it develop.  Oh and Sam has no pants on b/c this was still during on potty training week.  Noah is still in his jammies just b/c that happens on occasion around here....

Daddy had a movie night with all 4 kiddos while I was at a THRIVE party one Friday night.  They were so excited all day long they could barely contain themselves.  Even Hanna (who obviously didn't really "get" it) would squeal and clap anytime the kids excitedly talked about it during the day:

This adorable little baby lady had a birthday:

Isn't she the cutest?!?  I'm completely smitten with her!  My Mom and sister were here for her birthday, so that was fun.  Unfortunately, Micah and I also got a nasty stomach bug that day so we didn't end up doing much at all.  We don't ever get our 1 yr olds gifts as we figure it doesn't really matter to them and we'd rather spend the $$ on other important things.  But I still felt like her day just wasn't that special.  In fact, she even had her checkup that day and got 9 shots!  Poor, poor lady!  But I did write in her journal a day or two later.  She had cake and a bunch of fun balloons and Nanna got her this fun toy:

It took a bit for her to warm up to it, but she LOVES it now (as do all the other kids and their friends).  Thanks Nanna!

Just for purpose of having this in our family book someday, here is what I wrote in Hanna's journal for her 1st birthday:

1/24/12

My Sweet Hanna is 1 yr old.  I cannot believe how fast this year has gone.  My heart just aches to have you stay little.  You are still the happiest little baby around.  I don’t know anyone who likes to laugh more than you do.  You are always smiling or giggling or full on belly laughing.

You love to give hugs and kisses.  All the kids gave wet slobbery kisses at this age and so do you…over and over and over.  I LOVE it.  But  what I especially love and something that is unique to you is that you also give big bear hugs.  You can barely get your arms to even touch both of your Dad’s shoulders, but every day when he gets home from work, he picks you up and you wrap your arms around him as far as they will go and squeeze.  It is adorable.  Sometimes you will hug me for minutes at a time and not let go.

You are also quite the cuddler which is fortunate since you are the youngest and I don’t think I could ever get enough of it.  You love to lay your head down on my shoulder (if I’m standing) or my chest (if we are both laying down) and just snuggle up close.  Oh, it melts my heart.

You have started making funny faces latey…especially a few funny surprise faces that are just adorable.  I keep trying to catch them on camera, but you stop as soon as I pull it out.  I sure hope I get one before you stop doing it b/c it is the most adorable thing ever.

You started walking over Thanksgiving break.  SO SO early!  Way TOO early!  I would have been fine if you’d taken another year…I just want to keep you as little as possible as long as possible, but now you are really starting seem a bit more like a little girl. (but you still don’t have any teeth, so you still look like a little baby) For quite a few days, you could just take 4-5 steps and then fall.  But one night a few days after we got back from Utah for Thanksgiving, something just clicked.  You just kept walking around and around in circles in the living room giggling in excitement that you had finally figured it out.

You LOVE to climb stairs.  We have a gate at the bottom of our stairs (you’ve fallen down them once) and anytime it gets left open you drop (literally) whatever you are doing and RUN to the stairs as fast as your cubby little legs will go.  Once you start climbing you can barely make it up b/c you are so “drunk” from giggling so hard thinking you are getting away with something…it is hilarious.

Another thing you are LOVING since you’ve started walking is being allowed to go in the backyard with your siblings.  When you were just crawling, I wouldn’t let you go very often b/c I didn’t want you crawling around in all the dirt.  So, you would just sit at the screen door and watch them play.  SO SAD!  But now that you are walking, I will let you go out there with them.  You just walk all around giggling with delight that you are now part of the “big kid” crowd.  I can hardly watch as you walk in circles and the kids all dodge you on their bikes.  There have been quite a few close calls and even a few bumps and bruises, but back out you go the next time!

You LOVE to throw all your food on the floor.  We always give you a plate, but you promptly dump in on the table and then spread it all over and then pick it up one by one and drop it on the floor while laughing.  Probably doesn’t help that the other kids think it is hilarious…you certainly are a crowd pleaser!

Oh sweet Hanna.  I want to capture every single moment with you in the memories of my being.  I’m not even sure how to describe it, but I want to remember how it feels to hold you when you throw you head back so I can “drop” you ( a game we play) or what your toothless smile looks like when I come get you after a nap and how loved and deeply appreciate it make me feel to see you so wholly excited when I walk in  the room.  I don’t want these days to end.  I love you dearly…so so very dearly.