Talkin' & Tantrums

Hattie's vocabulary has developed so much in the last two weeks. She is now saying "bye-bye" as she waves to herself. She calls every animal "cat." She loves when Mommy puts on her "sock" and "shoes" (yep, only one sock as she can't say "socks" quite yet). Also, last week I was at Home Depot with Sean's mom who needed a new dryer, and as I passed the stoves with Hattie in the shopping cart, she pointed to the stove and said, "Hot!" I always tell her, "Hot!" when she gets by our stove at home, and I was so proud of her for making that connection; though, I don't think she connects hot with danger quite yet as she loves to touch the stove.....hhmm..... Hattie will also pick up her dolls and say, "Babeee!"

I can tell that Hattie is absorbing EVERYTHING. All day long she points to things, and I tell her what they are, and she tries to copy what I say. It's amazing. However, our smart little cookie has also mastered whining and a form of throwing tantrums. She now arches her back when she doesn't like where we're taking her (i.e. her bed). If she points to something that she wants, and I hand her the wrong thing, she throws it and a fit at the same time. If I tell her, "No!" she immediately does whatever I was aiming for her not to do and looks me right in the eye as she does it. Woo-wee, we have quite a little pistol on our hands, I think. It's hard to know what the appropriate form of discipline is for her age. There is so much she doesn't understand yet, but I also don't want to form bad habits at a young age.

Luckily, for the most part, our Hattie Ruth is a happy girl and is more content than not, but I worry about these toddler years sneakin' up on us because I was quite the "toot" as a toddler as my parents and older sister love to remind me :0).

On that note, I leave you with this lovely picture:

Hattie Pics

Here are just a few pictures of Hattie having fun at her Mimi's house.....

We went to dinner tonight with Missy and Walker and their 4 beautiful babies. I was holding Hattie because we were about to leave, and Eva Rose put her hand on me while she was talking to me. Hattie couldn't stand it! She kept pushing Eva Rose's hand away. She was SO JEALOUS! I have never seen her act that way. Such a sin nature my daughter has! I wonder if she knows that someday she WILL have to share me. She will be better for it, but she won't like it.........

The T-Shirt Says it All!

Ingram's Baptism

My newest nephew, Ingram, was baptized this past Sunday, so Sean, Hattie, and I made the trip to Houston to be part of it. I love new babies, and it amazes me how fast Ingram has grown from the tiny newborn that he was to such a beautiful infant. He is such a gift from God to his family! Above is a picture of the proud parents with Ingram and the minister who baptized Ingram.

And here is a picture that Sean's dad took of Sean and me at the baptism. Hattie was sleeping upstairs for most of the reception so we didn't get any pictures of her :0(.

After the baptism, Hattie and I decided to stay a week in Houston "just because." We have enjoyed our relaxing week! I want Hattie to know her extended family well, and she is really enjoying herself - mostly getting aquainted with her Mimi's two cats and her Aunt Christie's dog. I never knew my child was such an animal lover. I am not. I would say that Sean is, though. I think we'll hold out on getting a pet as long as possible (if Mommy has a say in it ;0)!).

Anyways, I just wanted my faithful readers (who are too many to count ;0)!) to know that we have not fallen off the face of the earth; we're just enjoying ourselves in Houston right now, and Daddy will join us on Saturday. I'm sure I'll get around to posting a ton of pictures of our stay when we get home.

Spontaneous Poetry

The 45 Minute Nap

Hattie goes sleepy twice a day,

And Mommy gets some time to play.

The sad thing is the naps don't last;

They start and stop so very fast.

Seriously, I don't know what Hattie's deal is for the past 2 days. Actually, I think I do. Just 2 days ago I told someone that Hattie's naps were GREAT and LONG. Then POOF. I think she heard me and wants to keep Mama on her toes because for the past two days she has only taken NOT SO GREAT and SHORT naps of which she wakes up cranky and not well-rested.

Really, I don't know if it's time to go to one nap or if teeth are the culprit. I say teeth because a week ago she had 4 and now she has 7, about to be 8.

I don't have any new pictures, but I don't feel like my post is complete without a picture ...... Here's a random old picture for my random post. My football obsessed husband and my bald baby.

Happy Friday!

I just love this picture that I took the other day, so I had to post it - notice Hattie is wearing a "big girl" headband :0)! I love the shirt, too, Aunt Brittany - Thank you! Nothing much else is really going on. Hattie is back to her normal self and Sean is back home, so I am thankful for that.

We had a playdate with several other moms yesterday. Hattie was terribly afraid of the dancing Elmo that was there. All of the other kids LOVED it, but she HATED it. She is also so much more passive than the other babies. She's the youngest in the group by a couple of months so that's probably part of it, but all of the other babies were fighting over and stealing sippy cups from little hands, and my daughter couldn't have cared less when it was her own hands they were stealing a cup out of. I guess we haven't reached the major meltdown, tantrum phase yet, but I'm sure it's comin'!

Hope everyone has a happy Friday and a good weekend!

Tagged

Laura tagged me to reveal 8 random things about myself, so here goes:

1.) I hate tomatoes, but I love ketchup. It's true! I could eat ketchup with anything, but I can't STAND tomatoes. Loved 'em when I was pregnant, though - weird!

2.) I wanted to be a nun when I was little. I guess that changed when I had my first big crush in highschool, but my favorite movie as a little girl was The Song of Bernadette.

3.) I have to sleep with a pillow between my legs. It's been that way ever since I was pregnant with Hattie. Carrying 40 extra pounds just did a number on my back, I think, and now it hurts at night unless I put a pillow between my legs.

4.) I hate talking on the phone. Once in a while I get in a chatty mood, but generally, I don't like to be on the phone.

5.) In highschool and college I journaled every day. I probably have 20 journals filled with my thoughts and writings. I haven't journaled once since Sean and I got married 3 1/2 years ago. Well, I guess having a blog kind of counts as a journal, but it's mostly about Hattie and not me.

6.) I think everyone should read the following books: The Power of One, Angela's Ashes, The Road, and The Secret Life of Bees - my 4 favorite books! I also love The Blue Jay's Dance. I read it in college before I was a mother, but it made me want to be a mother even more!

7.) I hate scary movies. Will not see them. Hate them.

8.) I once had 11 warts on one thumb. I know it's gross, but it's true. Please don't judge me! I don't have them anymore. One morning, after years of various treatments that failed, I woke up, and they were gone.

I tag Christie, Laurel, Jamison, and Cheryl.

Mama's Bed

Today has been rough so far. I think the shots Hattie had yesterday are the root of the problem. She's cranky and whiney, feverish, not eating well, and just not a happy girl today. She slept 13 hours straight last night which is more than usual, but she still woke up tired this morning. She was only up for an hour before I couldn't take it anymore, so I put her back to bed. She slept and woke up tired and cranky. I know she doesn't feel well, but it's been a chore to keep her happy so far today, and it doesn't help that Sean is out of town. Finally, after lunch I found something that kept her happy for about 20 minutes. I let her romp around on my bed with her stuffed bear that she's growing more and more attached to. She LOVED rolling around on the pillows and cuddling with her bear. I can't believe something so simple could bring her so much joy, but I remember as a child loving it when I was in my Mama's bed - the warmth and comfort - feeling safe and loved. It was one of my favorite places to be. It's still hard for me to believe that I mean that to Hattie. Sometimes I still feel like I need my Mama, and now I am a Mama. Weird how fast time flies.

Anyways, Sean, your girls miss you and can't wait until you come home. HURRY!

12 Month Checkup

Hattie had her 12 month check-up this morning. She was quite the chatter-box for the doctor. All was well until the shots of course......4 shots this time. It was rough on her. Her weight was 20.4 lbs, so we can officially turn the carseat around, and her height was 28.5 inches - a shorty! Weight fell in the 40th percentile while height was in the 30th percentile. Doc said the bottle has to go "bye-bye." I know, I know. I'm dreading it, though. We gotta do it cold-turkey. Maybe this weekend. Hopefully it won't be as bad as I think it's gonna be.

Hattie also has her 5th tooth coming in. Her two new favorite words are "shoe" and "hi!" Last night I was singing to her before bedtime and one of the phrases in the song was, "On mountains high." When I sang this line, she lifted her head off my shoulder, smiled, and said, "Hi!" She makes me smile so much these days.

Random Shots and Such (Now say that 3 times real fast ;0)!)

We had such a great time in Houston this past week. I was not ready to come back home yet, but unfortunately, time flies when you're having fun. Sean goes back to work tomorrow and Hattie has her 12 month check-up on Tuesday.

Here are just some random shots that we took last week in H-town that aren't exactly post worthy on their own, but I can't leave them out!

1.) My mom bought Hattie the CUTEST OUTFIT as one of her birthday presents.

2.) I didn't get tons of great shots at the children's museum because Hattie was moving like the energizer bunny, but it is THE COOLEST place for babies. They have a room that's for babies and toddlers, and Hattie and Luke LOVED exploring all of the neat toys and things they have. I can't wait to bring her back in August when her Aunt Lallie and Cousin Wendy come from Washington to visit! Here are a few cute shots that we did manage to capture:

3.) Sean and I had such a great time getting away for 2 nights. We slept in past 9 and took afternoon naps both days. Plus we got to see a lot of San Antonio that I haven't seen in years.

Thank you, Mimi! We needed that! I know Hattie had a lot of fun with you, too!

Cake Shots

(I don't know why, but blogger won't let me put a title on my posts all of a sudden?!?!)

Anyways, we had to let Hattie have at her cake the morning after her birthday party because she started having a bit of a meltdown when we were trying to do her cake at the party. So here are some pictures of Miss Priss not being so prissy and clean while she discovers her new love - CAKE! Like mother, like daughter!

More birthday shots:

Birthday Pictures

Sean and I just got back from our little getaway to San Antonio. We left Hattie with Sean's parents for two nights, and she did such a good job! We missed her SO MUCH but had such a good time getting away for a little bit.

We are still at our inlaws house and are heading home tomorrow morning, but I wanted to post some pictures from Hattie's birthday party. Despite the rain, we had a large crowd to help us celebrate our baby girl turning one. Hattie got overwhelmed, I think, with all of the people. She kind of had the attitude, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!" There were happy moments, though, for her, and Sean and I so appreciated everyone who came to party with us; we especially appreciate my parents hosting the party at their house. I'll have to post some of our pictures when we get back home, but here are some that my father-in-law took.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

I can't believe my sweet baby is a year old today! My, how the past year has flown by. Sean and I packed up our video camera and brought all of the recorded footage of Hattie's life thus far with us to Houston. We've been enjoying watching the tapes, reminiscing about Hattie's birth and development over the past year. Our little girl has grown so much. I watch the early footage of her lying in my arms, just trying to get her to make a sound or crack a smile for me. Today, I see that brand-new baby developing into such a bright, cautious, sensitive, and beautiful child. We are so thankful and proud that she is ours. We feel blessed that God has given her to us. We cherish the days we've had and look forward to the days ahead as our little girl continues to blossom and grow. Happy birthday, Hattie Ruth! You are such a treasure to your Mommy and Daddy! We love you!