Months 3 and 4

      Time is flying by...I guess that's why I completely have been slacking on the blog posting. Going back to work has been difficult but one of the best things about the last two months have been Grandma Chevalier being up here. She has been watching you any Tues or Thurs or both if I work those days, which means some weeks she stays the whole week with us and it's been FANTASTIC.  She really has sacrificed a lot of time, and has been taking the train up from BG each week and we couldn't be more thankful for her. Especially since you have had a cold for what seems like the entire last two months since you started daycare. It's been hard to have you so miserable on some days with everything from the sniffles, to an awful cough, to running fevers and throwing up. It's been hard but luckily with Grandma here she has been kind enough to watch you on the days where you are too sick and tired to go to daycare. Having her here has been more of a blessing than we could have imagined and I think the four of us have loved it so much we can't imagine what it's going to be like when she stops coming every week...I think the only one excited about that inevitable end is Grandpa :)

       Things new going on in your world...Grammy bought you a little yellow duck that you love to suck and chew on and have long conversations with. You are very vocal, especially at 5-6am when you tell your dad and me all sorts of stories.  We have a light above the dining room table that I think you think is a person smiling back at you and you talk to Mr. Light (as we so lovingly refer to him now), and you laugh and giggle at him like you are flirting. You have become very interested in the kitties and try and grab hold of their hair everytime they walk by, luckily they have been quite patient with you. Even though you have been sick, you have still been such a joy and such a good baby. We truly won the lottery with you sweet girl and are so blessed. Thanks for always being such a trooper, your mom and dad love you so. xxoo

First Halloween

        Your first Halloween was a success!! We started celebrating a little early with our buddies from the North, Roland, Trish and your pal Leah came down the weekend before Halloween to hang out. The original plan was to go to the Woodland Park Zoo in your costumes but we got rained out so we managed to get you two in your adorable outfits anyway and catch a few shots. It was a fantastic way to start off the holiday. On Halloween I had the day off from work so we decided to go have lunch with Auntie Abbie so she could see you in your full on gear. She loved seeing her favorite little mouse all dressed up. The evening was all planned out several weeks before, we were going to go to Proctor (a little neighborhood in the area, where all the businesses close down and just hand out candy) with Your Uncle Danny, Aunt Heather, buddy Lyla, and Danny's family.  I was a little worried because you have been fighting a darn cold for weeks now and evenings are usually when you start feeling the crummiest. Luckily, you pulled through and seemed up for the challenge. We had a blast watching Lyla go around and get candy and checking out the outfits of all the hundreds of kids everywhere. I even joined in on the fun and dressed up just like you in some grey and pink clothes and a little mouse tail and mouse ears. We will have to convince Dad to join in next year :) It was great to spend the day with family and friends and see you in awe of it all. Cant wait for you to be walking around next year and see you even more excited about the festivities. 

Back To Work :(

      

        This blog post is something I’m sure many, many millions of moms have either written about, called their best friend to cry about, talk to their mom for advice about how they handled it, spent countless sleepless nights worrying about, and/or have had tear filled heart to hearts with their spouse over…heartbroken about having to return to work after having a baby. I can’t believe this day is almost here and I can’t believe the anxiety it is giving me. I knew it was going to be a tough transition and I would dislike having to go back but I never understood until  last week, when it fully started to sink in, just how much it would SUCK. I have enjoyed every single one of the 83 days with you sweet girl. You are so much fun to be around, your smiles, funny faces, snuggles, and even your tears have brought me more joy than I could have hoped for. I feel split between feeling like we got so much good quality time together and it feeling like we really took advantage of every day, and the other side of me that feels like, now that it’s time to go back…where did the time go? I know you will be in good care and it’s good for you to get out and play with other fun kids, and feel comfortable being away from me and me to feel the same about being away from you.  I just wish that reassurance would make the physical pain I feel in my heart and knots in my stomach go away. You are a true gift from God that we feel blessed beyond belief to have been given. I know we will get through this together as a family and hope in a few months from now it will just be our normal routine, I’m just praying these next few days and weeks don’t suck as much as I think they are going to. My hope is that you will LOVE spending time with both your new daycare friends and your Grandma Chevalier a few days a week and that when I come to pick you up every day we are both overcome with joy to see each other and we have more fun than ever telling each other about our days. I love you more than anything sweet girl…xxooxxooxxoo (times a million and one).

A Few Lost Photos From Your First Days

Holy BELLY AND CHINS :)

Heading out the door

LOVE

First hours home

Present from Auntie Abbie and Grammy

I blame baby hormones but I was balling I loved it so much

Our first nap together

A love like no other

        I was looking at Grandma Chevalier's pictures on her phone the other day and found a few gems from your first days here. It seems like forever ago that I was SUPER prego and we were dying to meet you...and then when we finally were heading to the hospital. That excitement/fear/love/anxiousness is something I could never ever fully explain but it was the best few days ever!! You were so tiny and small and we weren't quite sure what we were doing those first few hours and days but we knew one very BIG thing...we had never loved anything or anyone nearly as much you.

Hannah Snuggles Are The Bees Knees

Great Grandma Chambers AND Grandma snuggles.

Papa snuggles

Uncle Q snuggles

Uncle Stan snuggles

Auntie Abbie kisses and snuggles

Mama snuggles after a morning full of shots

Daddy snuggles

More Daddy snuggles

       
        I think everyone agrees Baby Hannah snuggles are priceless. You are such a good baby that it makes your snuggles even better. You are so easy going and usually just full of smiles and curiosity. These are just a few shots of everyone enjoying cuddling with you sweet girl. Most of the time it’s hard to get you back once someone starts snuggling you ;)…not a bad problem to have.

Oregon or Bust

Your first wine tasting...dont worry we didn't actually let you taste :)

Touring the winery with Great Grandma Jackie

Nothing better than Great Grandma snuggles

Zonked out in our McMenamins hotel room

Your dad, Aunt Nikki and cousin Mercedez

The McClain Clan

Meeting Grandpa McClain

        We took our first trip to Oregon at the end of August so you could meet the McClain side of the family. Your Great Grandma Jackie is an Oregon State Senator and lives near the Capital in Salem. We started out with just a fun Saturday with Great Grandma and had lunch and she loved on you and you were right at ease in her arms. We even got a tour of a winery and had some tastings.  Then we spent the evening at Hotel Oregon in McMinnville. We didn’t realize there was a car show going on until midnight right outside our window but even through the noise you were so wiped out from the drive you were an angel and fell asleep. The next day we had a family BBQ with Great Grandma’s famous ribs…yum!!! Uncle Brian, Aunt Nikki, Mercedez, Chase, Uncle Bill, Aunt Pam, Whitney and even your Grandpa McClain were all there. It was so much fun and you were a hit ;-). We were sad to leave but it was a great weekend filled with the best thing…family.