Hannah is 18 months old!

For some reason 18 months seems like a really big month "birthday" to me. I guess because the first year you really pay attention to each month milestone but then its just 1 year...18 month....2 year....3 year.....4 year. This is the last big "month" to celebrate.

Unfortunately she is very sick and there's not much celebrating going on but I still wanted to do a little update. Here are a few pics of our morning so far:

Don't let the smile fool you, she spent 30 minutes of screaming before the cereal and there were about 8 other pics where she was definitely not smiling. This is her first bowl of cereal EVER. She has eaten out of my bowls of cereal but never her own. Notice that she's not using the spoon and there's milk running down her belly

She had about a 10 minute period where she actually wanted to play with her "new bracelets" 

or old stacking rings

This is how she has spent a lot of the last few days. Or in my lap reading books and cuddling. In fact, right now she's sitting in my lap so I'm typing this one handed while she sits on my lap holding bunny and watching Elmo and the computer rests on the arm of the recliner. 

Stay tuned for my other 18 month update.....

Updates from June and July

Here are some pics and stories of the last month. I always think of little things I want to put on my blog but of course then 2 weeks go by and I have forgotten what I wanted to tell all of you. But here are some stories with pics to jog my memory.

 We planted some flowers and Hannah loves watering them with her little watering can! But they are thriving in our backyard so she must be watering them perfectly. 

 The kids all having a "sandbox meeting"-I'm big on hats and sunscreen! (L to R-Miles, Maddy, Hannah)

 I don't know what she is eating in this but she obviously loved it!!

 At my sister's (Lauren) wedding. She is holding my bridesmaid bouquet and looking adorable. 

 Mowing my Dad and Jimmi's yard the day after the wedding

 She got some little stairs so she loves to wash her own hands and play in the water. She's such a big girl!

 The kids playing in the water! Fun times in the backyard.

One night Hannah kept hugging and kissing Jesse. But everytime I tried to snap the picture she would move and it'd be blurry or not good. This is the best I got but it was a very cute evening!

We are working on potty training so she spends a lot of time on the potty and she likes company while she sits. During this photo she is watching Baby Einstein. (notice dolly has her own potty too) 

More potty time while reading books. 

Next week, on the 26th, Hannah will be 18 months old! I can't believe how fast this is all going! I will give an update next week with all the info from her doctors appointment and a review of the last 18 months. Stay tuned!

Cow Appreciation Day

Chick Fil A is great at giving away free food. I think everytime we eat there they are giving free food. This spring (I think it was march) they gave away a free Chicken Biscuit every wednesday. You didn't have to do anything, just show up. This was different. It was a free MEAL-that's right-MEAL. That means an entree, side and drink. And anyone dressed up got a meal; meaning, Hannah and Maddy both got their own meals. Though at breakfast I just had them share a Chicken biscuit and fruit. Neither of them could eat a whole meal on their own. So, the moment you've all been waiting for....the photos! (remember, you can click on the photo to make it bigger and take in all the facial expressions and nuances) 

Her lips are pursed because she was saying "moo" which really sounds like "mmmmm" 

 Ready for our free breakfast!

 Two little calfs (calves?) ready for their chicken biscuits!

(This is maddy, the little girl I watch Wed-Fri)

 They were both scared of the people who took this photo, so Hannah looked away and maddy made that face.

 These are "those" people. Honestly, I was a little scared too. I held closely to both girls. Fortunately they got their food to-go. 

 The marketing director for CFA came into the store and was smitten with our little calfs (calves?) and took this picture for the CFA website! She also gave us the two little toy cows in this photo. 

 Playing in the toddler area after breakfast. They loved this little treehouse. 

THEN....2 hours later, we came back for lunch. I'm not crazy, just like free food. 

Hannah was TERRIFIED of the cow: screaming, crying, and shaking. So we didn't attempt a picture. But I wanted a picture with the Cow. Maddy loved the cow. So much so that she wouldn't turn and look at the camera. She kept trying to move her head around mine to get a good look at the cow. 

This was an attempt at taking a pic with two one year olds. You can see how well it went. Hannah laughing and falling off the booth and maddy grabbing at my cow ear. 

For future refrence I won't be wearing a trash bag. I look huge! But I got a lot of compliments on my "creativity". Hah! A trash bag? Creative? 

Then it was time to play in this locations toddler area. No tree house this time but a wall of fun!

 Hannah does NOT like smiling for the camera right now. 

It was a great day! Then we went back for dinner....

JUST KIDDING! I was chick fil a'd out!

So, all in all, the costumes that were completely free and took about 1 1/2 hours to make earned us a chicken biscuit, chicken minis, hash browns, fruit cup, apple juice, coffee, water, two stuffed cows, a photo on the chick fil a website, an encounter with creepy cows, fun in a treehouse, a chicken sandwich, a spicy chicken sandwich (eaten by my friend shawna who joined us for lunch but isn't pictured b/c she didn't dress up and ate Maddy's free meal while Maddy shared Hannah's adult sized meal), chicken strips, three orders of waffle fries, another fruit cup, two sodas, milk, an experience with a wall of fun, and memories to last a lifetime!! Phew!

Warning: Lots of pics, stories and videos!

So, its been a while since I blogged! I'll make some excuses for that.

1) We were out of town for 5 days for my grandma's funeral and I didn't feel up to blogging while she was declining and we were mentally preparing for her death.

2) I am now watching 4 kids. I know, I know. You probably think I'm crazy. One of them is 8 years old and is only for about 4 hours in the morning and he lays on the futon in the basement watching tv the whole time. The other is the same age as Hannah and he is at random times, usually once a week. And finally is Maddy. See my first blog for info on Maddy.

3) I'm now working during the week so my weekends are free for our family and all the many activities we do which seem to take up the whole weekend. (You should see our lawn, we really need to be using the weekend for yard work b/c now we will be doing that tonight. We look like the amazon jungle!)

Now, here are some pics and stories from the last few weeks:

Hannah loves straws and does a great job of using them. This is the water cup I was given when I was in Labor with Hannah. It all comes full circle, doesn't it?!

She loves to dip, no not tobacco, but ketchup, jelly, ranch, whatever! If she can dip something, she will. Jesse and I were eating egg rolls with a sweet and sour dip and she wanted to dip the chicken from her dinner. She saw me eating ritz with jelly so she wanted to dip. So thats this picture-crackers in "dip".

We live outside these days. Its only June and I already have an obvious tan which is so rare for me. I put sunscreen on Hannah and I all day but these two pale ladies are turning dark. As you can see from the above "dip" pic we even have snack time outside. Our usual day goes like this: eat breakfast, watch a "movie" (20 minute video or sesame street), go outside and play till nap, nap, lunch, go outside and play or run errands till nap, nap, snack outside, play outside and walk to mailbox, color with chalk out front or walk out front till daddy gets home, come inside and play with daddy, dinner, bed. We live outside and here are some pics:

I always check on Hannah and open her bedroom door when I go to bed at night. This is what she looked like a few weeks ago. But she was out! I took a flash light in there and took this with the flash and she didn't even flinch when it went off in her completely dark room. So silly!

While we were in Wichita for my Grandma's funeral we went with my cousins, my sister Blaire, and one of my Cousin's kids to the zoo. Hannah had a great time even in the 100 degree weather and humidity. She loves the zoo!

And one day my cousin brought over their baby pool and all the kids played in the yard. Hannah loves having cousins to play with!

Hannah's new summer look: New shades and New sun hat! She's so stylin!

Now for the videos! I know, its what you've all been waiting for.

She is starting to do really well with the spoon which is wonderful for me, as the mess-cleaner-upper. Its also very rewarding for her. Spoons are great!

Hannah has also started loving throwing the ball for Parker and he seems pretty patient with her small throws. She loves her doggies!

Hannah playing with Parker

Well, thats all for now! Hannah has finished her afternoon nap and we need to get to the grocery store fast!