1st Halloween

We started the night as a flower......


And ended as a pumpkin.....

Along the way we saw a shark, a cowboy, a lion and a pirate....

We even ran into Obama and Sarah Palin!

Hannah Cate enjoyed her first Halloween. I suppose next year she'll expect to have some candy instead of a bottle!

**A special thanks to Martha Anne & Lucy for the flower costume and B & Pops for the pumpkin jammies!

Breaking the Habit

This post is specifically for my Mom (Mimi). I happened to mention in conversation the other day that we are working on breaking Hannah Cate from the swaddle blanket for sleeping. I literally heard her take a deep breath and if I were in the room with her would have seen a weight lifted from her! She said it made her day (along with the fact that she also found out my sister would be delivering her baby the next day, but that's another post coming soon because he's still not here yet!). She has been worrying about that sweet baby rolling over in her sleep and not being able get back over because her arms are pinned to her side......but the kicker is that she had not breathed a word of her worry to me, fearful that she would push her opinion on me or "get into my business". She makes me laugh because I crave her opinions and wisdom, but at the same time I appreciate her desire to not be over the top.

There's a balance, Mom, and you have always been good at finding it! So, just for you, here's documented proof that we are making progress! Look at those sweet arms all spread out!



And for all you other grandparents out there that might have been worried, take a deep breath!

Cold Snap

It seems that we've skipped Fall here in Fairhope and gone straight to Winter. I think it's just for a couple of days, but you never know, I'm not one to necessarily trust the weatherman! The 40 degree temperatures didn't keep us from going on our evening stroll around the neighborhood, though it was a little more tricky with Hannah Cate in tow. She made it just fine.....her real problem was that she was probably sweating by the time we got home!

Her First Meal and a Tribute

Well, I wouldn't really call it a meal. She wasn't too thrilled and didn't get past the first bite! We thought she might be ready based on signals our pediatrician told us to watch for, but I guess not. So, we'll hold off and try again later. It sure was fun trying though and we got some good laughs!

And this was her "Okay, that's enough of that" face!

My Mom sent us a sweet little silver spoon for Hannah Cate's first meal that was part of my Grandmama's silver pattern. It's the perfect little spoon for a baby and I feel so grateful and thankful to have it. I loved her so, so much and find myself missing her often these days as I watch Hannah Cate with her grandmothers. She was so kind and loving. The epitome of a Southern Lady. She loved her family, especially all six of her grandchildren. She would do anything for us and loved taking us to the park, shopping, to Baskin Robbins and to get a sucker at the bank where she used to work. Her house was a home and had the most wonderful smell that was so "her". She always had gingerale and saltines waiting for me when I got to her house because I almost always got car sick on the way to her house through the winding roads of Mountain Brook. She had a bubble gum machine at her house and a little basket of dimes so that we could get a piece when we arrived. We always had a Christmas Eve dinner and celebration and an Easter egg hunt at her house every year. She was my friend and such a special lady. I have the fondest memories of her that I will always treasure and look forward to sharing with Hannah Cate someday.

The note Mom sent says: As you enjoy your first real meal, just remember, you were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth, but you inherited one from your Great-Grandmother. She would have loved you so! Almost as much as Mimi does!

I don't have access to all the family albums down here in Fairhope, so these are two of the best pictures I could come up with of my Grandmama. Of course, she's loving on two of her grandbabies (me in the first and my cousin Betsy in the second). These are really so typical of her though, always taking care of someone else, never really concerned for herself. I'm certainly better for having known her and having been loved by her!

Retail Therapy

Nini came over last week to watch Hannah Cate while we went to a networking function for Matt's work. When we got back, Nini decided to teach Hannah Cate all about the power of this itty bitty card. Hannah Cate was quite enthralled and quickly learned that she could get just about anything she wanted.....which this time included a Trick-or-Treat bag and outfit from Pottery Barn Kids! Thank goodness it was Nini's card!!

"Oh thank you Nini....Mama and Daddy never give me free reign."

"I've actually had my eye on a few new things.....I could really do some damage with this thing!"

"Who me? I would never take advantage of anyone!"

So that's what they're for!

Hannah Cate has finally figured out what her hands are for.....grabbing all the pretty toys she's been staring at for the last four months. It seems like over night she can't keep her hands off whatever is in her reach....toys, Mama's hair, blankets, her clothes. She's working on mastering "what's in my hand, goes in my mouth" but she's not quite there yet. I can tell you that I'm about to invest in some antibacterial wipes for the days that are ahead!

I just can't believe how much she's learning and figuring out everyday. It's been such a joy to watch!
Her other new trick is to follow us with her eyes and head when we are walking around her. In this picture I started out on her left side and walked behind her to her right and she followed me all the way around (even stopping to stare at me in the middle as I took her picture). Such a funny girl!

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Terrific Tuesday

Tuesdays have become a great day at the Miller house. It's the day that Hannah Cate goes to stay with Matt's Mom and Step-Dad (Nini and DeeDa). I miss her like crazy all day and am always glad when they pull in the driveway, but I do get lots of good quality time by myself "in the office". What really makes it a great day is that they always send us dinner....meaning I don't have to cook or even think about what we are going to have for dinner and these days that just makes my day (sometimes even week)! Tonight, to top off child care and a home cooked meal this was waiting on me when I got home from a meeting in Mobile:

Plus another basket full of folded clothes. Yep, Matt loaded up our dirty laundry and took it to his Mom's house and she did all of our laundry today! You've heard my laundry stories and know I need some help in this area! Thank you Nini!

I am so thankful for family that loves us and takes care of us so well! This is just one of many stories where our family has come to the rescue. I've always heard that it takes a village to raise a child and now I feel like I can really understand that. We wouldn't have it any other way!

A New Toy

We pulled the exersaucer down from the attic a couple of weeks ago, thinking Hannah Cate might be ready for something new in the world of baby entertainment. She was enamoured with all the toys and activities, but not quite ready to reach out and touch them just yet. She kept her hands pretty close!

I got such a kick out of her little legs and feet hanging in the air...they can almost touch the bottom, but not quite!

She lasts for about 15 minutes, but we know one day it will provide lots of entertainment!

Four Months!!

Dear Hannah Cate,

You are four months old! I can hardly believe it, but at the same time it's hard to remember life without you. We went for your four month check-up today and Dr. Breslin gave you a glowing report saying that you are doing all the things that a baby at your age should be doing (trying to roll over, smiling, tracking things and people with your eyes, reaching for objects, etc). Daddy felt the need to make sure that you are not "slow in development" because you never seem to really cry! Dr. Breslin assured him that you are right where you should be and that he should count his blessings now and live in fear of your little brother or sister because he/she will likely be your complete opposite! Today you weighed in at 13 pounds 7 ounces and exactly 2 feet long/tall. That puts you in the 45th percentile for weight and 40th percentile for height.

We've had a good, but busy month. We've traveled four out of the last five weekends and you have been such a little trooper! You are my little rebound baby. It seems that no matter what we do or where we go, you just go with the flow and then you settle back into our normal routine once we get home. A funny example of this happened this past weekend while we were in Birmingham. Granddaddy and Mary Rose were so sweet to keep you on Friday and Saturday night while we went to my 10 year high school reunion. Daddy and I got home on Friday night around 10pm to find Mary Rose had already gone home and Granddaddy was all alone in the den watching TV. When we asked about you, he told us you were asleep. I asked how long you had been asleep and he proceeded to tell me you had been asleep since Daddy put you down for a nap at 4pm! I nearly died. You had been asleep all evening....for six straight hours. We had a big day ahead of us on Saturday, full of shopping and a birthday party and a long reunion night for Mama that would have been very difficult had I been up all night long with a wide awake baby! Fortunately for me, you are my rebound baby. I got you up, fed you and we laid down together and you fell asleep at midnight and slept until 5:30 the next morning. All in all, you never missed a beat and would never have known your schedule was so off. In Granddaddy and Mary Rose's defense, I didn't give them any instructions to wake you at a certain time, so they were following the age old advice that "you never wake a sleeping baby". You can be certain that I left clear instructions on Saturday night!

You have gotten to spend quality time with all of your grandparents this month, even spending the night with each one of them at some point. They all love you so much and welcome the chance to spend even five minutes with you. They are always thanking US for the opportunity to keep you. I'm always getting emails and calls of praise after you have been with them. Earlier in the month you stayed with Mimi while we were in Birmingham and I had to work in the office and she said: "Thank you for entrusting Hannah Cate with me...I couldn't have enjoyed myself more!! She is such a good baby and is very well schooled in letting you know when something isn't quite right! She fusses, you figure it out, solve it, and she is so happy again! I hope you both realize what a GOOD baby you have!" And after a Tuesday at Nini daycare, she wrote me and said: "Hannah Cate was a joy today, as always. Thank you for the chance to spend time with her. We had a good day, and she charmed us with her smile and sweet expressions. " You are one loved little girl!

You are really getting in touch with your emotions these days! Your Daddy and I have both noticed that when you are happy you are really happy, and when you are sad you are really sad. You are learning how to express yourself so much more. Your pouty lip has become one of my favorite things to see. You will try so hard not to cry but you can't seem to keep that bottom lip from poking out. One of my not so favorite expressions has been when you get scared. On a few different occasions you have been jolted by one thing or another and let us know that you didn't like it. I was with you outside in the stroller the other day and had let Clive and Gabby out to play with us. Clive got right next to your stroller and started barking at me to play with him and you cried so hard and loud because it really scared you. You are most definitely more aware of your surroundings and it's been a joy to watch you come to learn about your new world.

You've been to one of Mama and Daddy's favorite places this month, twice! We took you to Auburn for two different football games. The weather was not too hot, not too cold. We all enjoyed ourselves and Daddy got to go watch the Tigers play two times! You are not quite ready for the actual stadium experience, maybe next year! Never-the-less we decked you out in your game day attire and had a great time! We know we will be spending many more family weekends in Auburn in the years to come. Your Daddy and I walked the streets and remembered what it was like to go to school there, meet each other, develop a lasting friendship and start dating......and now years later we have you. Auburn will always be such a special place to us!

Your little hands have become very active this month. You are grabbing onto everything, most commonly my hair! By the time you make it out of this stage, I will be lucky to have one hair left on my head! You love to put your hands in your mouth. Sometimes it's a finger, sometimes a few fingers, sometimes your thumb and at times your whole fist. Often you get carried away and gag yourself, but you don't seem to care because you go right back to chewing on that hand. You are also loving sticking your tongue out and starting to spit/drool a good bit. You are doing so well with holding your head and neck up and sitting up when we are holding you. You like to sit in your Bumbo seat for a little while and do really well laying on your tummy on the Boppy. You love to look at the fish and listen to the music in your little aquarium. You could look at yourself in the mirror for hours. You are such a happy baby and it really is rare that we hear you even cry. I have such mixed emotions because a part of me wants you to stay a tiny baby forever and another part of me loves all of these new stages. I tell your Daddy all the time that it's so hard for me to believe that you won't be a baby forever!

We love you so much baby girl, and cannot imagine our life without you. You have brought us so much joy in four short months. I wouldn't trade you for the world!

I love you so much it hurts!
Mama

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This is me being transparent

It's never easy to admit that you don't have it all together. Have you seen the movie Definitely, Maybe? It's a cute little movie, I would recommend it if you are in the mood for a light watch. Anyway, there is a line in the movie that Matt and I constantly laugh about. The girl in the movie says to the guy in the movie "Your s**t's a mess!" Well, these days I feel like that guy. (I hope I haven't offended you with my choice word, but again, this is me being transparent.)

So, onto my transparency. I'm embarrassed to admit, for a few weeks now, Matt and I have often been walking around smelling like mildew. Yep, I left a load of dark clothes in the wash too long. I've really never done this before, that's because I had my s**t together, but these days it's a mess! After hugging Matt yesterday and realizing he smelled terrible, I finally decided to do something about it. So, in case any one else finds themselves in this same, smelly situation.....here's how to fix it:

Add distilled white vinegar to the smelly load, along with your normal detergent. I just poured some in, but I would estimate I used about 2-3 cups for a large load. Once it's run the full cycle, wash them again, this time with detergent only. Works like a charm!

My apologies if you caught us on one of our smelly days.

Can you see through me yet?

Working Mom

I haven't talked much about being back at work, I suppose mostly because it's gone well and there's not all that much to say. I've worked for the same company for nearly six years now. I've had several different positions, all under the same umbrella of sales. My canned response to "What do you do" is that "I sell software to doctor's offices". It's true, that's what I do. When I started working, my territory was 1/3 of the country....Illinois and Indiana all the way over to Washington and Oregon is the way I always used to explain it. So back in the day, I really racked up the frequent flyer miles and hotel points. Fortunately, I've been able to move into a position that doesn't require nearly as much travel. It has been wonderful. Not only am I not traveling as much, but I'm also working completely from home with Hannah Cate there with me. She's a good little office mate.

Today marks my first trip since Hannah Cate was born. I left for Minneapolis first thing this morning before Matt and Hannah Cate were awake and I will get home tomorrow night most likely after they are both sound asleep. I had to fight back the tears as I pulled out of the driveway this morning heading to the airport and again when Matt called to say that she rolled over for the first time tonight. Seriously, how could that happen on the one night that I've been away from her in her entire life? I do suppose that tonight is the first time that I've been a little sad that I'm a working Mom. I hate the thought of missing out on even the little things that she does, much less the major milestone. However, I am so thankful for what this company affords me and for the most part I really do have the best of both worlds.

So, all the way from Minneapolis, I am so proud of my baby girl for finally making it all the way over! Let's make this a one time deal on Mama missing the major milestones though!

And because I don't think a blog posting is quite complete without a picture, here's one of our latest. We've been working on the Bumbo seat. After a few minutes she looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but she's getting the hang of it!