Sizes

A few weeks ago it seemed that Hana was about to out grow her size three diapers. They were getting kind of tight, and so when we went to COSTCO for the big diaper sale we got a few boxes of threes, and four boxes of size fours. Well, since then Hana has gotten a lot more active. She sits and plays all day, trying to crawl, and pulling her self up into an almost standing position. In fact, if you balance her right, she can stay in a standing position holding on to the edge of her crib or the couch or a chair. So with all this exercise her leg muscles are developing quite well, and well, her diapers are no longer getting too small. In fact, the size threes fit better than ever. So now we are about to run out of threes, and have to go buy more, and lucky for us, we have four big boxes of size fours sitting around that she can use in a few months or so.

Bath Time 

Be nice Hana

Paige came over for lunch this Shabbos. She is 16 pounds now, so she is gaining on Hana, but she is still pretty far being as far as development in that she can't sit up or roll over. Anyway, so the two girls spent some time "playing" together. Paige laid on the mat staring at the sky, and Hana sat next to the mat playing with toys, and both girls gabbered away to them selves. Actually, Paige seemed to have much more to say. She loves to talk to her self while laying around. Later the girls were sitting on the couch with their Mommies, and Paige wiggled, and Hana saw it and laughed the way she does when she sees the cat go by, and she reached over and pulled Paige's hair. It was not meant to be mean of course, Hana just wanted to see what the wonderful new toys was, but poor little Paige cried. And so the trouble begins. Little tiny baby fights.

Mommy's straw

I've taught Hana how to drink from a straw.
This is how it happened.
I was drinking water from my big cup with a very nice pick straw and Hana was watching me and motioned that she would like to have my cup and straw. So of course, being such a nice Mommy, I held the cup for her and put the straw in her mouth. It took her about five seconds to figure out what to do. The first time water got in her mouth she was very surprised and spit the straw out. She then tried again, and was surprised again. The third time she forgot how to suck and just grunted at it, and then she remembered and got too much water. After that I took away the straw and cup. I don't want her getting all wet like when I let her play with the sippy cup with water in it. Anyway, so Hana has once again proven how skilled she is. Plus Paige's Mommy, who is a speech therapist for babies, says that straw cups are way better than sippy cups for mouth development. And we happen to have a big box full that we got from Hana's cousin. So we are all set. Sponge Bob straw cups all around.

Ha Ha! 

Human swiffer

Well, it's not crawling, but we do have movement. Hana can now slide her self around on the floor. She lifts her legs up and balancing on her tummy like a top she can maneuver her self around in circles and backwards. I suppose it helps that the floor is smooth, although for all the effort it takes to hold her legs up in the air she may consider using them soon. The stress on her stomach muscles makes her sit up so I have to chase after her with a rag or she'll end up smearing the milk puddles all over the place. Aaahhhh crawling babies! I guess we need to get baby gates now.

In other news, Hana enjoys grabbing her right foot and giving her big toe a good suck and then biting it with her tiny little tooth. It also looks like she has been exploring her new tooth with her toung. It is all red at the tip.

Baby Cat and baby Hana make a mess 

Hana was a little scared to meet Gus Dog 

Dog

Today we went for a drive up to see Aunty Vicki. Hana slept in the car on the way up. When we arrived she was still confused and cried when she heard big Gus Dog barking so he had to be locked up in the basement, but he came out later and Hana got to meet him. She was a little scared, but he behaved himself and she was able to pet him and he was able to lick her hand. Then she had had enough and he was sent away again. She is still too little to play with such a big dog. Aunty gave Hana Max's baby recliner chair that Great Grandpa gave him. It is very cute. Hopefully we can clean it up so Hana can use it. We also got some other baby toys that were saved in the attic. We hung out in Rhinebeck all day and then drove home in the snow. It was a big day.

Talk talk talk

Friday evening, after several weeks of squeeks and heavy breathing, Hana started baby talking.
na na ga na dai mmmm na na squeek na na ba da va dei ha ah ha na na na nai nai nai nai aaaahhh ahhhhh ha heh ... heh... ahh na na na da ba va ha na na na ma na squeek ma va ga da....da ba na na na va aaahh ahhhhh ha heh ... heh... ahh na na na da ba va hana na ba da va dei ha ah ha na na na nai mmmm na mmm na da na nai oh ah na da da dai va buh ahhhhaheeiii.

A tooth!

Hana has a tooth.
It came in today.
It was not there yesterday.
It is her bottom center right tooth.
She is a big girl now.
oh dear.

Peas Please! 

Uh oh.

Last night Hana went to bed at around 9pm, and then woke up at 11 and wanted to eat, and then woke up at 4am and wanted to eat again, and so I put her in my bed and fed her and went back to sleep. At 8am I was awakened to Hana taking a little plastic, rattle toy which I keep on my bed for her to play with, and smashing it into my face.

At 9:30am Hana was being fussy, so I thought I'd put her down for a nap, but the stupid construction noise from upstairs was going again, so I laid down with her in my bed and we took a nap together, that way when the drilling started I could easily comfort her very quickly and she could actually get a nap in. Plus I got to take a nap too.

Later as we were getting ready to go out for our walk with Paige and her Mommy, I had Hana sitting in her crib for a moment, and she started chewing on the railing. This is normal for babies, and the railings have a special protective layer for this purpose. Then Hana grabbed the railing and started to pull her self up. She did not get all the way into a standing position, but she did get her tush of the ground, which really scared me. Hopefully she wont be the baby that skips crawling and goes straight to the standing stage.

Then we went for a walk to Gymboree and looked at the baby clothes which were very nice, but kinda too expensive for us, and then the kids got fussy so we headed home. The two girls were sleeping so we thought we would keep walking, but it was very cold out so we thought we'd stop by the Y and see Daddy and warm up. We hung out at the Y for a little while, and Hana and Paige woke up and played with the guys, and got their diapers changed on the stage and then we went home.

Another rainy day

This morning Hana woke up at 5am so I changed her diaper and put her in bed with me to nurse. I fell asleep, and after eating so did she. About 8am I felt her moving and I peeked over to see what she was doing. She picked up her passy, that was clipped onto her pajamas, and stuck it in her mouth, and then went back to sleep. It was the cutest thing. My little baby is growing up and learning to do things for herself.

In less exciting news, our upstairs neighbor is doing some kind on construction during the day which includes drilling. For a normal person who stays home all the time this would be annoying, but to a baby who needs to take naps during the day, this becomes an impossible situation. I put Hana down for her nap this morning and she just couldn't sleep for more than a few minutes because the stupid drill just kept starting and stopping. If it were a steady noise it would be fine, but it is so loud and so abrupt that it wakes her over and over. So from 11am today Hana was tired and fussy. But, luckily the nasty construction stopped at 4pm, and so now the sweetie can finally get some sleep. Tomorrow we are going to go for a long walk so she can at least get in a nice hour of so of sleep. Hopefully this nasty rain will go away before tomorrow.

Hana & Daddy at The Gates

THE GATES

Today the weather was very nice and so we took the opportunity to go for a walk and see The Gates. We met up with Paige and her Mommy, and then went to Central Park. The two babies did not seem to be too interested in the art instillation; both fell asleep immediately. But later Hana woke up in time to take some photos, she loves to have her picture taken. We also got a swatch of the fabric from one of the gate keepers. I am going to put it into Hana's baby book next to a picture of her at The Gates so one day she can look back and say, "you call that art?"

Also today, Hana had some more prune juice, and it worked. Such an exciting life.

Hana amazed by all the people looking at The Gates :)

Six month check-up

We went to the Doctor this morning.

Hana is now 20 lbs and 13 oz
She is 27 inches tall, and her head is 43.5cm

Actually we only saw the nurse, but that is normal since we were only there to get shots. yikes.
So, Hana is growing very well. She is 95% for height, 75% for head circumference, and still off the chart for weight. That being said, she is balancing off a bit. She only gained about two pounds in the last two months, in comparison to the 4+ pounds she gained during the two months prior to that. Anyway, her growth is good.

Other than that, we got some Protopic ointment for the little eczema patches on her back. The nurse said that most babies have very dry skin in winter, and Hana had very nice soft skin except for the couple of spots, so we only have to use the ointment, and not slather her with lotion all the time.

We discussed solid foods, and constipation, and so Hana has added a little prune juice to her diet when she gets in trouble and doesn't go for a few days. It seems to be disturbing her sleep when she goes several days with out a BM. Poor little sweetie.

And as for the flat head, both nurses said it was fine and should round out on its own. There are procedures that can fix it, but they are mainly used in cases of possible brain damage like when one side of the head is all flat and the brain is squished, or when the head is so lopsided that the neck is not developing evenly. Thankfully, Hana does not have that problem. Her development is very good. She sits well, nice and straight, and catches herself with her arm if she is falling over sideways. And she can twist at the trunk to see things behind her, and reach for things past her center of gravity without falling over. Plus she is very smiley and socialable for her age. All signs that she is developing fine.

Hana had two shots, cried for a moment, and then was fine. When we got home I gave her some tylenol because the shots make her legs sore. I could tell she wasn't feeling well this evening because she kept fussing, but wanted to snuggle with me. Even when Daddy came home, she didn't want to play with him, only Mommy.

Six Months

Six months is a great age. Hana can now communicate what she wants for the most part, and even better, when she wants me, she reaches for me and gives me little hugs. It is the greatest thing. Of course a Mommy always enjoys holding her baby, but to have her hold you back is fantastic.

The less enjoyable part of six months is waking up at 6am and demanding to be fed. Since she was three weeks old Hana has been a fantastic sleeper, hardly ever waking up in the middle of the night, but lately she has taken to waking up when ever some one flushes the toilet or turns on the shower, plus some nights she wakes up for no reason at all at 1 or 2am. And she likes to get up at 6 to eat. Granted she usually goes back to sleep and then gets up at a more reasonable hour, but not today. Today for the first time she woke at 6am, ate, and then wanted to play. She did not go down for her nap until 10:20am, so poor Mommy was very tired.

A Walk

Today we woke up early and went for a little drive since Daddy had to move the car anyway. We didn't get much done, but we did pick up an umbrella stroller from a friend who had one for us. When we got home we had some lunch, and then went out for a walk with Paige and her Mommy. We went to the BIG playground at Carl Schurz Park. It was a cold day so not very many kids were there, and well, really Hana and Paige are too little to play at the playground, but we walked around and looked at all the things the girls could do when they get a little bigger. And when it warms up a bit, we are going to see if Hana can go in the baby swings. I think she is big enough now. Just have to wait for a nice sunny day when it is not so cold and windy. Yuck. Anyway, so then we went to the drug store, and the bank and the bookstore, and then to Piece of Cake Cafe for a snack since we were pretty hungry by that point. By the way, Hana and Paige slept the entire time. And then we stopped at the Halmark shop and Hana woke up and was very hungry and fussy so we ran home and had some lunch. And then we played and had a bath and then another nap. It was another big day.

Hana and Daddy at the concert

Big Day

Today Hana had lots of fun. First she played with Mommy until around noon, then she played with Daddy until around 2pm. Then we all went to the Y to meet Anna and her family to have a little play date. Anna is two and a half years old now, and thinks Hana is her baby sister. It is very cute to watch them play. Hana loves big kids. After playing in the stage for a while we were all hungry, so we went to the Y cafe and had a sandwich. Hana sat in the big girl high chair and had some avocado. She liked it very much. At 5pm we went home and had a nap and some supper and then got dressed to go to the Chiam Dovid concert. Hana wore her new Brooklyn shirt with her Snoopy jeans and jean jacket. Very cool. The concert was at the Shul, and it was very good. Hana really enjoyed herself, She danced to all the fast songs, and chewed on her cup to all the slow songs and talking parts. And then we came home and now little Hana has gone to bed. It was a big day.

Hanging out at the Y cafe 

Hana & Anna on stage at the 92nd Street Y 

Peek-a-boo!

Hana likes to play peek-a-boo now. I tired to play earlier, but she only smiled a little. Now she thinks it is very funny and laughs at Mommy, and waits with great anticipation for me to pop out from my hiding place and surprise her. We play all the time now. Also, now when she is sitting down and starts to fall sideways, she puts her arm down to catch herself so there is no big flop. Pretty good.

So cute! 

No vacuuming

Hana is scared of the vacuum. I turned it on and she screamed and screamed. I turned it off, and comforted her. I tried to show her that it was ok, but nothing worked. Even if she is in the other room she gets all traumatized, whimpering and looking around frightened for several minutes after the terrible noise has stopped. I knew she did not like the hand mixer which also makes a loud noise, but this is much worse. She doesn't seems to mind the noise of the subway or cars, but a fire engine bothered her once. She also cried when she saw me yell at the cat. Maybe it's just loud noises in the house that upset her. Poor sweetie.

Share

Hana has shared her cold with Mommy.
Mommy is now sick.
Blah.

Hana at the Malava Malka with Rabbi Bleich

Mommy's bed

This morning I heard Hana wake up and cry. I heard Sean moving around so I assumed it was around 7am and that he was getting up for Shul. In my zombie state I went to the crib and took Hana out and brought her to my bed to eat. And then I looked at the clock and it said 4am. I was so tired and confused that I just fed the baby in my bed and went to sleep. And that is how Hana ended up sleeping in my bed last night. Confused Mommy.

A cold

Hana has a little cold.
She has a little cough, and some sneezing.
Plus there was that fever last night, and the no sleep business.
Anyway so today she has a cold.
There are very few things you can do when a baby has a cold. One of them is steam.
We sat in the bathroom with the shower on and breathed in the steam for 15 minutes. She did not enjoy it. Too hot. Another thing you can do is get plenty of rest.
Hana slept most of the day. After getting rid of the sore tummy business, she took a nap at noon, and then another nap at 2:30pm, and then again at 5pm, and then went to bed at 8pm.
She was very tired.
Hopefully she will feel better tomorrow.

No sleep

Yesterday we woke up early and went shopping at Centruy 21. It was a quick trip because we had to get home for Hana's lunch and nap and she was fussing in the store. We got home at 1:30pm, and Hana would not eat even though she should have been hungry. She played for a little while, then made a giant poopie. And then she ate and took her nap. When she woke up, I gave her some sweet potato for her solid food of the day. She played and then started fussing around 3pm. Since she had just eaten and taken a nap there was no obvious reason for it. I tried playing with her, and changing her and putting her back for another nap, but nothing was stopping her little complaining sounds. Finally, I put her in the podegi carrier and she was quiet. I carried her around for an hour or so, and then she ate and went to bed. That was 8pm. At 11pm she woke up when Daddy was taking a shower, so I fed her again and then put her back to bed. But she kept fussing, and crying. I kept trying. At midnight I went to bed hoping to get some sleep since I had only slept four hours the night before. At 1am she woke up again. So i calmed her, but it didn't last. She was up again at 1:30am, and 2am and 2:30am and at 3am I decided to feed her again. I put her in our bed hoping she would eat and fall asleep. I never do this at night, but I was desperate to get some sleep. I also noticed that she felt very warm even though she kept kicking off her covers and the room was cool. She ate, but would not sleep. I looked for the thermometer, but could not find it, so I just gave her a little tylenol hoping that would ease what ever pain or fever she was having. The complaining continued. At 4am I realized that I was not sleeping anyway, and poor Daddy had to wake up in two hours so I took the beast and went out into the living room. By this point I had Hana in her sleep sack since she refused blankets anyway. I climbed onto the recliner and curled up with the fusser in my arms. She was quiet. She fell asleep with my arms wrapped tightly around her and didn't wake at all until 7am which is her normal wake up time these days. At 7:30am I fed her and she rested for an hour or so, but was back to the complaining. I took her out to play on her mat and she was fine for a while and then big fuss. I went to change her and discovered another big poopie. Just like the one yesterday. The big sweet potato poopie. As soon as she was clean she smiled. And laughed. And that is when i realized that sweet potato was the cause of the whole business. She had it for lunch two days in a row, and fussed two days in a row, and then felt better after letting it out. Poor sweetie. All the baby books say that certain foods will not agree with your baby. I guess this is what they meant. She couldn't sleep because she had a sore tummy. That is why she was quiet in the podegi and when I held her close. Being held tightly helps babies with sore tummies or gas feel better. Anyway, so I got no sleep, and Hana got no sleep, and don't feed her sweet potato. She is too little.

Pillow wrestling

Hana has taken up pillow wrestling.
She has a little baby pillow that matches her quilt and it is in her crib even though she does not sleep on it, but she likes to look at it. Lately when she is in her crib but not sleeping, say when I am changing her diaper, she grabs the pillow and shoves it on her face and wrestles it in a crazy fit. It is all together hysterical. She will do it over and over, wrestle, catch breath, wrestle...etc. It seems to be a very enjoyable game for her.

Shopping

Today we went to the GAP so Hana could use her gift card that she got for Chanukah. First of all, the GAP is not my store of choice for shopping. I think they suck, and their clothes are overpriced, and they have a lousy selection as far as kids stuff, so we were off to a bad start before we even got there. Anyway, so I couldn't decide what to get or what size to get so I ended up getting 18-24 months which is for a baby 27-30 pounds. Now Hana is only six months old, but she is over 20 pounds already, and I could have got the 12-18 month size, but then she would outgrow it right away. So now Hana has one pair of pants, two shirts and a cute hat that she can outgrow in four months instead of two (if she stays at her same growth rate). The one good thing is that I somehow, magically picked clothes that added up to the exact amount of the gift card, including tax. Hopefully she likes them. You never know with these fancy Manhattan girls.

Caught Napping. 

Spin

We have moved Hana's chair onto our computer chair so we can roll her around. It's good because now I don't have to drag around the other chair that she was on and scuff up the floor. And now we have a new game to play with her. Give a little push and spin her around (slowly of course). Weeee! She thinks it is very fun. And, I have noticed that she is a natural spotter. She will watch me until she can't see me and then snap her head around to the other side just like a dancer does when doing a turn. Very talented baby.

Hana can hold her own bottle now.