Two!

Hannah turned 2 years old this month. It's absolutely amazing how quickly time has gone by since she was born. I remember when she was barely 7lbs, waking up every 2hrs, and drinking only breast milk and formula. Now, she's a little person. We can have full conversations with her, she knows (well) how to express her needs, and we see different phases of her personality developing every single day. She has a few defining characteristics (besides being cute). One is that she's incredibly talkative--asking me "Did you have a good work today?", telling us to "sit back down", remembering things like "I got a shot at the Dr. and got a bandaid on my leg" weeks after the fact. She's also a very social girl (some who are not her daddy would say flirty), always saying hi to people we pass or meet in public, wanting to come and talk with our friends when they come over, and not liking when she's not included in the action because she has to go to bed. She is also quite demanding. She knows how to express her needs, and knows how to take it up a notch when she doesn't get what she wants. This, I think, is something that all kids learn at a very young age. As she gets older, it will be interesting to watch how these different personality traits evolve.

All in all, things are great and Hannah is thriving. Dealing with a 2yr old can be challenging at times, but the amount of love Maria and I feel for Hannah is immeasurable. She's our sweet boiba, our Louie, our tootsie, our sweetie, and our zeesa.

Hannah's First Day at School

Hannah started at Genentech's brand new daycare/preschool facility yesterday. It was the first change we made in her child care since she was born, so it was a little traumatic all around. Lots of kids flip out when they first leave the house and go to a full-time program, so we were expecting the worse, but Hannah did OK. We both went to drop her off, and when I left, she said "Bye Daddy, love you" without being prompted. And then when Maria left to go to work shortly thereafter, Hannah said "By Mommy, don't forget to smell the flowers!" Keep in mind, Hannah is not even 2 yet. We'd never heard her say that before, so it took us by surprise and was just about the sweetest thing she could say.

She cried on and off throughout the day, as people came and left her classroom, or when the other new kid got upset. She didn't nap, but that's not surprising since she's used to napping in her crib, alone, as opposed to in a room full of kids and toys and teachers. All things considered, she did great. There's tons of things at the center to stimulate her and help her continue developing, and the center's staff seems great. They're trained educators, so they can provide Hannah with things that even Maria and I could not. They play outside, do arts and crafts, sing, and even have an organic kitchen for snacks and lunch. It's kinda like a full-time Summer Camp. I kinda wish I could hang out there all day!

Today was a little better than yesterday. She cried less, napped for an hour, and seemed to have more energy when she got home. I'm sure we're not far away from the point where she'll be throwing a tantrum when we come to pick her up, or when she wants to go on the weekends!

Along with smiling, solid foods, dropping the bottle, talking and walking, this is yet another milestone in Hannah's life. Another little sign that our precious little girl is slowly (quickly?) growing up. Her 2nd birthday this week will be another, as will her first real birthday party on Sunday.

Almost Two!

Hannah is at an amazing stage. It's hard for me to believe that she's going to get cuter, but that's what a friend of mine who has a 3 year old says.

She's like a little person now, able to express herself with words, and if you keep it simple, converse. She gets shy around people she doesn't know, but generally, she's got the gift of gab--talking up a storm, learning new words and phrases all the time, singing, and even bossing us around.

She has a few favorite phrases these days. One is "not yet." She says this frequently when we ask her to do something she might not be inclined to do, primarily sleep. It's mostly whiny, and often accompanied by some fake crying. Another of her favorites is to yell out a command, and after a pause, follow it with a "please." "Mommy SIT DOWN...please."

I think I've mentioned before how young kids learn to manipulate their parents--even non-verbally. Hannah is at her best when she's working us to not go to sleep, either for a nap, or at night. First, she'll ask for her water. I picked up on that pretty quickly, and bring it upstairs with us after dinner. Then, she wants the music on. Sometimes lullabies, sometimes Phish, sometimes Steve Wonder. I figure this is OK too, since it doesn't really keep her up. She might also ask to read--Cat in the Hat, Curious George, or one of her other books. I typically oblige here as well.

The kicker is "Daddy, Hold Me" or "Daddy, Hold You." For a while, I was resisting this, because this was just pure manipulation. But at some point, I realized that even though she was trying to stay up as late as she can, she wouldn't be little enough to ask or want me to hold her forever. So no matter how tired I am, or how hungry I am, our nightly routine now includes a few minutes of cuddling time on her rocking chair. Sometimes I'll just rock her, but others, we'll play games that involve me kissing her and making her giggle, or pointing out each other's nose, ears, eyes, etc. Whatever it is, I'm going to cherish every minute of it. I never imagined how much love I would feel for my daughter. It's an amazing feeling.