Hana had her 18-month pediatrician visit today. Nearly 26 pounds and still the tallest kid in the west. We told her we were going to see Dr. Meezan before we went, and she said multiple times, "I want to go see Dr. Meezan." Then in the car she began asking about "Dr. Berber" (Dr. Berberich) who is another doctor in the practice. The bizarre thing is, we saw him once, the day after Thanksgiving for a fever, and that's the only time she's ever seen him. I have no idea how she remembered his name.
All went well at the visit. She had shots and no tears! We got the go ahead to be a little firmer with her around the food throwing behavior. She throws food, we take it away. She doesn't get to eat while playing. If she wants to eat, she has to sit in her high chair. It's going to be a battle of wills, I can tell already.
Hana has (hopefully temporarily) lost interest in the potty. She has, however, developed a keen interest in removing her diaper and peeing and/or pooping on the floor. Oh joy. She is really quite fascinated with her own bodily functions, which is why I think she is doing this, but as with everything the novelty will wear off and we can return to diapers and the occasional trip to the toilet - or at least I hope that's how it goes.
Funny Christmas story. I asked Hana if she wanted to pick out pants to wear today. She picked out these green velvet pants that I have been saving for Christmas. I told her we couldn't wear them, they were for Christmas. She marched right out of the room with them and put them in the Christmas tree. Makes perfect sense, right?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Leaps and Bounds
Just in the past week or two, Hana seems to have surpassed some sort of cognitive milestone. Suddenly, she is a whiz at shape and color sorters. She knows the words and tunes to all sorts of songs. And she has developed quite the imagination. Tonight, while looking out the window at the rain, she began to sing the "Hello" song, and instead of singing "Hello to Hana" or "Hello to Daddy" like usual, she sang "Hello to raining." And then "Hello to Mommy's car" which she could also see out the window.
She also is able to make up "stories" about things. Today there was one deer in the yard, when there are usually two or three if there are any. She asked "Where's the other one?" and then answered her own question. "Deer is sleeping." She knows all the places we go and when one of us is gone she can usually tell a story about where she thinks we are, like "Mommy go work." And my proudest accomplishment of all, when you ask her who mommy voted for, she shouts "Obama!" Of course, if you ask her who Tigger voted for, or Georgie, she also says Obama, but whatever.:)
We also have hints of readiness for toilet training, but I'm not pushing it, just letting her take the lead. A child potty seat is on its way from Amazon as we speak, just in case.
It is very very hard to comprehend how such a bright and imaginative child can still act like such a simian at mealtime, but I suppose this phase will pass!
She also is able to make up "stories" about things. Today there was one deer in the yard, when there are usually two or three if there are any. She asked "Where's the other one?" and then answered her own question. "Deer is sleeping." She knows all the places we go and when one of us is gone she can usually tell a story about where she thinks we are, like "Mommy go work." And my proudest accomplishment of all, when you ask her who mommy voted for, she shouts "Obama!" Of course, if you ask her who Tigger voted for, or Georgie, she also says Obama, but whatever.:)
We also have hints of readiness for toilet training, but I'm not pushing it, just letting her take the lead. A child potty seat is on its way from Amazon as we speak, just in case.
It is very very hard to comprehend how such a bright and imaginative child can still act like such a simian at mealtime, but I suppose this phase will pass!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Christmas Is Almost Here!!
Hana is celebrating her pre-Christmas days by yanking the ornaments off the tree on a daily basis and giving them kisses. She especially enjoys the Frosty the Snowman ornament and also the Pinnocchio ornament (she is getting pretty good at saying his name).
She continues to be quite the talker. She mostly likes to observe the environment and then announce what is going on. "Mommy go work." "Mommy's home." "Daddy's sleeping." "I eating." "That's Mommy's spoon. Where's Hana's spoon?" Or else it's a declaration of immediate need. "I want to go downstairs." "I want cottage cheese." "I want to go outside." The best is the "I love you's" which are getting much more regular now. She's also become a diva, with her own special renditions of Happy Birthday, Twinkle Twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Hello Everybody.
Hana will become a stereotypical Bay Area resident beginning in January when she will start commuting. Our nanny is accompanying our share family to their new home in Orinda and Hana just loves Bina and the kids so much we couldn't bear to see them go. So we will work out something, for at least 1 or 2 days a week, and we'll just have to see how it goes.
Here are some pics of Hana in her winter get-up, courtesy of Grandma Sharon, as well as some other candid shots. So far, her favorite part of being in Tahoe is the snow - not playing in it, but eating it. To her, the snow is a wide, endless expanse of edible ice. Needless to say, our attempt at a family snow shoe outing was mostly a "let's sit down right here and eat snow for 20 or 30 minutes" kind of adventure. We figure by next year she'll be ready for this kind of thing, and maybe snowboarding too.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Poor Hana
Hana is sick. :( Got a little virus bug with a fever, runny nose, and cough. She's been handling it well, continuing to be mostly in good spirits, playing and romping around as usual, until this evening when her fever went up a little and she was mighty unhappy. After a dose of ibuprofen and a good cry, she hit the sack around 6:15 pm. We're hoping she feels better tomorrow, because....we have Christmas shopping to do! And she needs a haircut pretty badly.
Yesterday we had Thanksgiving in SF with Marc, Jessica, Logan, Andrew, Vicki, and Izzy. As usual, Hana had a blast. She got quite possessive over Logan's balloon, which she declared to be hers right off the bat, and Logan was none too happy about it. The "mine" phase is quite fascinating to watch. In one sense, it seems so odd that kids develop the "mine" phenomenon. On the other hand, we realize we've been training her for it - "no, that's daddy's coffee, not for babies" "no, those are mommy's shoes" etc. We've basically been teaching her that objects belong to people, and lo and behold, she wants some objects, too.
Other than the bug, she's doing quite amazing. She loves to skype, play with buckles, eat by herself, and run away from me screeching and giggling. When she's not running away, she can't stand to not be touching me. I either have to hold her or walk with her. "Mommy walk" or "Mommy come" she says, leading me by the hand. While very sweet, this makes it nearly impossible to do anything. Pete has become the master cook, house cleaner, etc. She has become a very affectionate child, even though she's not particularly cuddly. She loves to give quick fierce hugs and spontaneous kisses, and she even said "I love you, Mommy!" the other night, followed by "I love you , Daddy!" even though Pete wasn't there. We are hoping she gets better soon so she can be back to her normal playful happy self.
Yesterday we had Thanksgiving in SF with Marc, Jessica, Logan, Andrew, Vicki, and Izzy. As usual, Hana had a blast. She got quite possessive over Logan's balloon, which she declared to be hers right off the bat, and Logan was none too happy about it. The "mine" phase is quite fascinating to watch. In one sense, it seems so odd that kids develop the "mine" phenomenon. On the other hand, we realize we've been training her for it - "no, that's daddy's coffee, not for babies" "no, those are mommy's shoes" etc. We've basically been teaching her that objects belong to people, and lo and behold, she wants some objects, too.
Other than the bug, she's doing quite amazing. She loves to skype, play with buckles, eat by herself, and run away from me screeching and giggling. When she's not running away, she can't stand to not be touching me. I either have to hold her or walk with her. "Mommy walk" or "Mommy come" she says, leading me by the hand. While very sweet, this makes it nearly impossible to do anything. Pete has become the master cook, house cleaner, etc. She has become a very affectionate child, even though she's not particularly cuddly. She loves to give quick fierce hugs and spontaneous kisses, and she even said "I love you, Mommy!" the other night, followed by "I love you , Daddy!" even though Pete wasn't there. We are hoping she gets better soon so she can be back to her normal playful happy self.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Almost 18 Months
Hana is such a big girl now, she was able to stay home for 4 days with daddy while mommy went to Atlanta for work. Daddy and Hana had a lot of fun, but daddy was exhausted by the time mommy got home. :)
Other signs of her big girl-ness - she can almost put her pants and shoes on by herself. She asserts her independence by doing everything I say "no" about. (Perhaps a little reverse psychology is in order?) She can feed herself with a spoon, not elegantly, but she makes it work. Her hair is actually long enough for me to put it in a small ponytail or two pigtails, if she'll sit still and let me. I can't wait until the independence translates into potty training!
And she has a social life of her own, that apparently her parents are not a part of. I had the day off yesterday after being gone for 4 days, so I spent it with Hana. In the afternoon we went to the park. While watching the ducks, an adult walked up to us and said "Is that my friend Hana?" They chatted for a bit, shared a couple of high fives, and then she introduced herself to me. Apparently she has known Hana for quite some time, because she said that Hana is a very busy girl and is always asking questions like "Where's this? Who's that?" (Obviously, she knows here well. :) Hana spends a lot of time in the park with her nanny, so this must be how she has gained her celebrity status. She also periodically asks about Tucker and Angie, neither of whom I've met, but I assume are park friends.
We took Hana to her first soccer class last week and she loved it so much we are going to try to sign her up for the winter session. So Mia, if you're out there - the pressure's off! We've got the soccer player in the family covered. She learned to score a goal, stomp on bubbles with her feet, do soccer stretches, say the different colors of the different balls, and do some counting. Oh, and by the way, she can count to 5 now. The other morning she just busted out with it!
New phrases and sentences:
"Go see truck" (when she hears one, she wants to go see it)
"Go see kitty"
"I want get OUT!!!" (of car seat, high chair)
"I like it."
"No like it."
"That's mommy's/daddy's [spoon, shoes, shirt, etc.]. "Where's Hana's [spoon, shoes, shirt, etc.]?"
"No [pinch, poke, bite]." (immediately after she says this, she proceeds to pinch, poke and/or bite, but lately she has sort of caught herself in the act and says "hug" and switches to a hug which is very sweet and also much less painful)
On another note, the moms from my moms' group with dads and toddlers are coming over tomorrow for a brunch. Hana enjoys nothing more than a house full of kids to play with. It'll be a fun day.
Other signs of her big girl-ness - she can almost put her pants and shoes on by herself. She asserts her independence by doing everything I say "no" about. (Perhaps a little reverse psychology is in order?) She can feed herself with a spoon, not elegantly, but she makes it work. Her hair is actually long enough for me to put it in a small ponytail or two pigtails, if she'll sit still and let me. I can't wait until the independence translates into potty training!
And she has a social life of her own, that apparently her parents are not a part of. I had the day off yesterday after being gone for 4 days, so I spent it with Hana. In the afternoon we went to the park. While watching the ducks, an adult walked up to us and said "Is that my friend Hana?" They chatted for a bit, shared a couple of high fives, and then she introduced herself to me. Apparently she has known Hana for quite some time, because she said that Hana is a very busy girl and is always asking questions like "Where's this? Who's that?" (Obviously, she knows here well. :) Hana spends a lot of time in the park with her nanny, so this must be how she has gained her celebrity status. She also periodically asks about Tucker and Angie, neither of whom I've met, but I assume are park friends.
We took Hana to her first soccer class last week and she loved it so much we are going to try to sign her up for the winter session. So Mia, if you're out there - the pressure's off! We've got the soccer player in the family covered. She learned to score a goal, stomp on bubbles with her feet, do soccer stretches, say the different colors of the different balls, and do some counting. Oh, and by the way, she can count to 5 now. The other morning she just busted out with it!
New phrases and sentences:
"Go see truck" (when she hears one, she wants to go see it)
"Go see kitty"
"I want get OUT!!!" (of car seat, high chair)
"I like it."
"No like it."
"That's mommy's/daddy's [spoon, shoes, shirt, etc.]. "Where's Hana's [spoon, shoes, shirt, etc.]?"
"No [pinch, poke, bite]." (immediately after she says this, she proceeds to pinch, poke and/or bite, but lately she has sort of caught herself in the act and says "hug" and switches to a hug which is very sweet and also much less painful)
On another note, the moms from my moms' group with dads and toddlers are coming over tomorrow for a brunch. Hana enjoys nothing more than a house full of kids to play with. It'll be a fun day.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Halloween Was a Hit
Hana had a blast this Halloween. We went for dinner at her auntie Jennifer and uncle Jason's house where she ate a ton of cheese and little bit of yummy butternut squash soup. She had been practicing saying "trick or treat" all day, but didn't quite get it until the first trick or treaters showed up. She greeted them at the door, and they said "trick or treat" and we gave them some candy, and then...she got it. For the next 30 minutes she kept pointing to the door yelling "trick or treat! trick or treat!!" Every time someone came to the door she was right there to see the people. The people in the picture are Jennifer and Jason and their god daughters, who nick-named Hana "Buttercheeks" at Jennifer and Jason's wedding earlier this month.
Then we put on her Tigger costume and went out. She loved it. Went to all the houses, said trick or treat at a few of them, and a few "thank yous" even. Loved all the decorations and scary skeletons and costumes. We brought her back to the house after about 10 houses, took her costume off, and she stood at the door pointing to go out, saying "trick or treat, trick or treat."
She crashed out hard in the car on the way home and we put her straight to bed. Now Pete and I are eating her candy. :)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Dinner Strike
Hana is on a dinner strike. It goes something like this. We put her in her high chair and give her a few pieces of food. She'll eat one or two. Then eat a piece and spit it out. Then she demands the fork or spoon to do it herself. Gets a piece on the fork. Wants to feed it to me. Then eats a piece. Then starts throwing food on the floor. Then screams "Get out!!!" meaning, she wants to get out of her chair. And that's it for dinner.
I don't quite know what to make of this, except it seems to be worse when I'm around. Not sure if it's an acting out kind of thing, where she knows it drives me crazy and therefore that is an incentive to do it more. It could also be that she's filled herself up on afternoon snacks and milk and just isn't that hungry, so we're going to try no snacks or milk after 4 pm. Perhaps it's just a general toddler independence thing. Dinner (and food in general) is not something she has a great deal of control over, in terms of what or when she gets to eat, so I can imagine this must be frustrating for someone who thinks she can do it all.
Yesterday we had our first "getting dressed" showdown. She did NOT want me to put her pants on. Wanted to do it herself. Of course, she's not quite coordinated enough for it, so I had to let her but try to help her without her noticing I was helping her, lest she yell "No!" and smack my hand away. Sheesh! :)
I think she is going to be a Halloween fan. We were playing with decorations in our neighbors yard yesterday and there was a skeleton there that laughed a sinister laugh, spoke a few words, and lit up green when you shook his hand. After a brief moment of fear, Hana decided it was absolutely hilarious. Laughed hysterically for several minutes. We are looking forward to trick or treating on Sunday. Free candy for mom and dad!
I don't quite know what to make of this, except it seems to be worse when I'm around. Not sure if it's an acting out kind of thing, where she knows it drives me crazy and therefore that is an incentive to do it more. It could also be that she's filled herself up on afternoon snacks and milk and just isn't that hungry, so we're going to try no snacks or milk after 4 pm. Perhaps it's just a general toddler independence thing. Dinner (and food in general) is not something she has a great deal of control over, in terms of what or when she gets to eat, so I can imagine this must be frustrating for someone who thinks she can do it all.
Yesterday we had our first "getting dressed" showdown. She did NOT want me to put her pants on. Wanted to do it herself. Of course, she's not quite coordinated enough for it, so I had to let her but try to help her without her noticing I was helping her, lest she yell "No!" and smack my hand away. Sheesh! :)
I think she is going to be a Halloween fan. We were playing with decorations in our neighbors yard yesterday and there was a skeleton there that laughed a sinister laugh, spoke a few words, and lit up green when you shook his hand. After a brief moment of fear, Hana decided it was absolutely hilarious. Laughed hysterically for several minutes. We are looking forward to trick or treating on Sunday. Free candy for mom and dad!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Speaking in Sentences
Two days ago, after I picked Hana up from the nanny, I asked her, "What did you do today?" She said, "I go to park." I nearly crashed the car. Since then, it's all about sentences. Here are a few of her favorites:
"I did it."
"I get it." (when she drops something)
"I sit down."
"Stop it, mommy."
"I scared." (when she hears loud noises, or gets to close to a scary dog or farm animal)
She has also learned some rather obscure words lately, such as "schedule." She knows that the little post-it the nanny writes her food and nap times on is her schedule.
The internet says children her age are supposed to know 5-20 words by now. She's easily in the hundreds. Perhaps we have an orator on our hands. Or a politician. (Democrat, of course.)
"I did it."
"I get it." (when she drops something)
"I sit down."
"Stop it, mommy."
"I scared." (when she hears loud noises, or gets to close to a scary dog or farm animal)
She has also learned some rather obscure words lately, such as "schedule." She knows that the little post-it the nanny writes her food and nap times on is her schedule.
The internet says children her age are supposed to know 5-20 words by now. She's easily in the hundreds. Perhaps we have an orator on our hands. Or a politician. (Democrat, of course.)
Saturday, October 9, 2010
First Haircut
Quote from Jess, my stylist, who gave Hana her first haircut: "She makes the Gerber baby look like a troll!"
It's Been a Long Time
We have been so busy, I haven't had a chance to update the blog. This is our first weekend home in a month. We've seen both grandmas and grandpas, been to Tahoe, and to a wedding in Mendocino.
Hana is doing just fabulously. When I put her to bed tonight, I asked her if she was happy and she said "Yeah, happy. Happy, happy, happy." Her language continues to develop, she's got a mouthful of teeth, and she is a full-fledged toddler. She is also officially weaned, as of Monday. She's been a pretty good sport about it, too. We've had a few tears when she's asked for milk and I've said no, but she's pulled herself together and moved on with her day.
We are relishing this odd developmental moment, where Hana has decided that sharing is really cool. She doesn't always do it, but often she shares without asking - food, toys, etc. - not just with mom and dad, but also with other kids. I don't think it will last, but it's nice to see. This morning we went to a kids' music event and she picked up the basket of shakers and went around and handed them out to all the kids. Very cute. Then she went around collecting them.
We've also had no biting for a week. I must say, it's been nice!! Don't know what to attribute it to, except perhaps the worst of the teething being over.
The other nice thing is that since it started getting dark earlier and staying dark later in the morning, she's been sleeping longer, about 7:30 pm to 6:45 am. We LOVE this. I especially like the extra 30 minutes of sleep in the morning that I get.
Today she picked out her Halloween pumpkin. Pics to come.
Hana is doing just fabulously. When I put her to bed tonight, I asked her if she was happy and she said "Yeah, happy. Happy, happy, happy." Her language continues to develop, she's got a mouthful of teeth, and she is a full-fledged toddler. She is also officially weaned, as of Monday. She's been a pretty good sport about it, too. We've had a few tears when she's asked for milk and I've said no, but she's pulled herself together and moved on with her day.
We are relishing this odd developmental moment, where Hana has decided that sharing is really cool. She doesn't always do it, but often she shares without asking - food, toys, etc. - not just with mom and dad, but also with other kids. I don't think it will last, but it's nice to see. This morning we went to a kids' music event and she picked up the basket of shakers and went around and handed them out to all the kids. Very cute. Then she went around collecting them.
We've also had no biting for a week. I must say, it's been nice!! Don't know what to attribute it to, except perhaps the worst of the teething being over.
The other nice thing is that since it started getting dark earlier and staying dark later in the morning, she's been sleeping longer, about 7:30 pm to 6:45 am. We LOVE this. I especially like the extra 30 minutes of sleep in the morning that I get.
Today she picked out her Halloween pumpkin. Pics to come.
Monday, September 6, 2010
One Skinned Knee, a Fat Lip, and A Rash
We spent our 3-day weekend in Tahoe with the Habers. Hana had a fabulous time playing with her friend Izzy, as indicated by the multiple hugs and affectionate stealing of toys. Her vocabulary seems to be exploding yet again, with new words like shower, trash, push, hold, buckle (she LOVES to play with buckles and clasps), eat, car seat, and avocado. This afternoon on the car ride home, she was like a Jewish mother trying to force me to eat some bread: "Eat! Eat! Eat!!!" This was after pulling all the wipes out of the packet and leaving them in a heap in the back seat of the car.
At the pool this weekend, in her excitement, Hana went running and tripped and fell and skinned her knee. We cleaned it up and she got some Neosporin and band-aid. She was very excited about the band-aid, and all weekend she's been asking what it is, and we've said "it's an owie." She now likes to point to her knee and yell "Ow!" She also developed a rash on her arm this weekend that looked suspiciously like poison oak. But then it showed up on the backs of her knees and legs also, so I think it might be eczema. So there is hydrocortisone for that. Then last but not least in the owie department is the fat lip she gave herself while running across the room after we got home and landing flat on her face. She bit her lip really hard. There was quite a lot of blood. We ruined both her shirt and mine. Once she calmed down, she was OK sucking on some ice. Her lip is now a sort of reddish purple and swollen, and you can see the two teeth marks where she bit herself. Pete said I was mean, but after she felt better I said, "See, that's what it feels like when you bite people." :) (And speaking of biting, we stopped to visit cousins Mia and Kasey on the way home and Hana bit Mia and pulled Kasey's hair. I don't think we're going to be invited back anytime soon.)
Seriously, the poor girl really took a beating this weekend. In addition to all this, she fell off a bench at the table twice this weekend and landed on her back on the ground (she was more scared than hurt). Not only does she never stop moving, she's resilient as anything. A few tears, and she's back in business. At some point, I'm hoping a healthy sense of caution will develop, but for now, she can't help but give it 120%. She's just lovin' life, and no matter the little inconvenience of a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises. She went in a bouncy house for the first time on Saturday and loved it. If we could get her her own bouncy house for the backyard it would be like a little safe haven where she could go crazy to her heart's content and not worry about injury. I'll have to look into that!
At the pool this weekend, in her excitement, Hana went running and tripped and fell and skinned her knee. We cleaned it up and she got some Neosporin and band-aid. She was very excited about the band-aid, and all weekend she's been asking what it is, and we've said "it's an owie." She now likes to point to her knee and yell "Ow!" She also developed a rash on her arm this weekend that looked suspiciously like poison oak. But then it showed up on the backs of her knees and legs also, so I think it might be eczema. So there is hydrocortisone for that. Then last but not least in the owie department is the fat lip she gave herself while running across the room after we got home and landing flat on her face. She bit her lip really hard. There was quite a lot of blood. We ruined both her shirt and mine. Once she calmed down, she was OK sucking on some ice. Her lip is now a sort of reddish purple and swollen, and you can see the two teeth marks where she bit herself. Pete said I was mean, but after she felt better I said, "See, that's what it feels like when you bite people." :) (And speaking of biting, we stopped to visit cousins Mia and Kasey on the way home and Hana bit Mia and pulled Kasey's hair. I don't think we're going to be invited back anytime soon.)
Seriously, the poor girl really took a beating this weekend. In addition to all this, she fell off a bench at the table twice this weekend and landed on her back on the ground (she was more scared than hurt). Not only does she never stop moving, she's resilient as anything. A few tears, and she's back in business. At some point, I'm hoping a healthy sense of caution will develop, but for now, she can't help but give it 120%. She's just lovin' life, and no matter the little inconvenience of a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises. She went in a bouncy house for the first time on Saturday and loved it. If we could get her her own bouncy house for the backyard it would be like a little safe haven where she could go crazy to her heart's content and not worry about injury. I'll have to look into that!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Fruit Overdose
Last Sunday, we inadvertently (and very unpleasantly for Hana) found out what happens when she eats too much fruit - like strawberries, several plums, oranges, and lots of blackberries from the empty lot next door - all in one day. She poops and it STINGS! I haven't heard her scream so loud since we took her for her kidney tests. She was hysterical. Wouldn't let us get anywhere near her. The rash went away by the next day, but the poor girl was miserable. We kept her off fruit for 2 days after that.
Other than that, she continues to be a happy chatty Cathy. We've had a bit of "regression" in terms of nursing. We were just nursing in the morning, but in the last week or so, she's been asking for milk several time a day and I've given in a few times to end the whining and tears. So we might be back to a more regular 2-3 times a day, unless I decide to cut her off. On the one hand, I hate to do it, because she enjoys it and it's good for her. On the other hand, I don't mind once a day, but 2-3 times a day is a bit much. Plus I can't dye all that gray hair she's given me until I wean her, because of the chemicals!
Other than that, she continues to be a happy chatty Cathy. We've had a bit of "regression" in terms of nursing. We were just nursing in the morning, but in the last week or so, she's been asking for milk several time a day and I've given in a few times to end the whining and tears. So we might be back to a more regular 2-3 times a day, unless I decide to cut her off. On the one hand, I hate to do it, because she enjoys it and it's good for her. On the other hand, I don't mind once a day, but 2-3 times a day is a bit much. Plus I can't dye all that gray hair she's given me until I wean her, because of the chemicals!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Little Stinker
Hana is still biting. We have a new routine now, which I think will work eventually. When she bites me or is about to bite me, I say "Hana, no biting. Mommy says no bite. If you bite me again, you are going in the crib." Then, inevitably, she bites me again 2 seconds later, so I pick her up, whisk her away, plop her in the crib, and leave the room. She does NOT like it. She wails. I let her cry for about 30 seconds or so, then I go get her, remind her no biting, and tell her I love her and I forgive her. So far, this has cured the biting for the rest of the day.
Today when she went to bite me and I said "Hana no bite" she looked up at me, eyes all innocent, and clear as day said "I want to bite." The little stinker. I had to laugh when she said that because it was just so darn honest.
Bunches and bunches of new words every day. Today: dance, clap, hug, ice cream, blackberry and "no touch."
Today when she went to bite me and I said "Hana no bite" she looked up at me, eyes all innocent, and clear as day said "I want to bite." The little stinker. I had to laugh when she said that because it was just so darn honest.
Bunches and bunches of new words every day. Today: dance, clap, hug, ice cream, blackberry and "no touch."
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Molars
Hana's got two molars coming in, one on each side on the top. She's really been a pretty good sport about it, given that it must hurt to have hard bony things pushing through your gums. She's been chewing on her hands for the better part of the week and I caught glimpse of them when she was lying on the floor laughing. I know better than to stick my finger in there to see how far along they are. :) Alas, she still thinks biting is super hilarious.
After several months of being totally fine with nursing just once a day in the morning, the past week Hana keeps asking for milk every time she sees me. She says, "muk muk," tries to lift up my shirt, and gives me the most pitiful puppy dog look. When I say no, a slow whine builds, which I can usually cut off with a piece of cheese or other solid food distraction. I wonder if this new development has to do with teething.
Pete got some great pictures of Hana scarfing down blackberries we picked from the brambles outside our house today. I'll see if I can get Pete to post them.
After several months of being totally fine with nursing just once a day in the morning, the past week Hana keeps asking for milk every time she sees me. She says, "muk muk," tries to lift up my shirt, and gives me the most pitiful puppy dog look. When I say no, a slow whine builds, which I can usually cut off with a piece of cheese or other solid food distraction. I wonder if this new development has to do with teething.
Pete got some great pictures of Hana scarfing down blackberries we picked from the brambles outside our house today. I'll see if I can get Pete to post them.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
...And Counting
I realized this morning I forgot a few words:
Peekaboo
Flower
Bike
And now I can't remember the rest. But there were more. And I swear today she said to me, "I want to go in the car."
Another funny change that has happened is she's developed a bit of (healthy) fear. This is especially noticeable with dogs. Her latest behavior when approached by a dog is to be totally thrilled - laughs and squeals - while at the same time burying her head in my shoulder or grabbing me around the legs and scrambling to be picked up. Yesterday at a friends' house their big dog chased her around the room. I soooo wish we had gotten it on video. She was completely intent on getting away from the dog and into the arms of whichever adult was closest, but she was not distressed in the least. Now she refuses to pet dogs, even when we are holding her. She has also stopped trying to pet Kitty (although she does screech at her to try to get the cat to move or jump out the window, which she always does).
"No" has now made a meaningful appearance. When she says "no" she means it - No! (don't take that away from me) No! (I do not want my diaper changed) No! (I do not want that food you are trying to force on me) No! (I do not want to get in my carseat) I can't wait until this phase passes.
On another note, Hana got her first pair of big girl shoes yesterday. In fact, we bought two pairs. I may return one. I am a sucker mom who has bought all the marketing hype that unless you want to damage your kid's feet for life, you have to buy good quality shoes. Each pair was over $40 each!!! And the average lifetime of shoes at this age is 3 months before they grow into the next size. Ridiculous. Guess an Ivy League college is out of the question now. We won't be able to afford it because we have to divert the money to support her shoe habit.
Peekaboo
Flower
Bike
And now I can't remember the rest. But there were more. And I swear today she said to me, "I want to go in the car."
Another funny change that has happened is she's developed a bit of (healthy) fear. This is especially noticeable with dogs. Her latest behavior when approached by a dog is to be totally thrilled - laughs and squeals - while at the same time burying her head in my shoulder or grabbing me around the legs and scrambling to be picked up. Yesterday at a friends' house their big dog chased her around the room. I soooo wish we had gotten it on video. She was completely intent on getting away from the dog and into the arms of whichever adult was closest, but she was not distressed in the least. Now she refuses to pet dogs, even when we are holding her. She has also stopped trying to pet Kitty (although she does screech at her to try to get the cat to move or jump out the window, which she always does).
"No" has now made a meaningful appearance. When she says "no" she means it - No! (don't take that away from me) No! (I do not want my diaper changed) No! (I do not want that food you are trying to force on me) No! (I do not want to get in my carseat) I can't wait until this phase passes.
On another note, Hana got her first pair of big girl shoes yesterday. In fact, we bought two pairs. I may return one. I am a sucker mom who has bought all the marketing hype that unless you want to damage your kid's feet for life, you have to buy good quality shoes. Each pair was over $40 each!!! And the average lifetime of shoes at this age is 3 months before they grow into the next size. Ridiculous. Guess an Ivy League college is out of the question now. We won't be able to afford it because we have to divert the money to support her shoe habit.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Vocabulary
I have been wanting to sit down and see if I can list all of Hana's words but haven't had the chance until now. Let's see...
Food:
Cheese
Milk
Water
Broccoli
Peas
Cracker
Apple
Numanum (this means banana)
Animals:
Kitty
Animal sounds:
Woof woof
Meow
Moo
Caw caw
Other:
Whee
E I E I O
Yes
No (accompanied by vigorous shake of the head)
Hi
Hello (when holding phone to ear)
Bye
Dada
Mama (only very occasionally, but more and more every week)
Car
Keys
Up
Hot
Shoes
Ball
Babo (this means belly button)
Diaper
Wash
Brush
Walk
Rock
Baby
Pee pee (when she sees someone go in the bathroom :)
Phrases:
I want to go
More...(fill in the blank, usually with "cheese")
All done
Up above (when we sing Twinkle Twinkle)
Wow, that's about 40 words, and I'm sure I've forgotten some. We've sure got a talker on our hands. It just blows my mind how quickly her language has developed. And of course she understands much more than this. (Does she do what we say though? Nope! I understand it will be a few years before the obedience neurons start firing.)
Food:
Cheese
Milk
Water
Broccoli
Peas
Cracker
Apple
Numanum (this means banana)
Animals:
Kitty
Animal sounds:
Woof woof
Meow
Moo
Caw caw
Other:
Whee
E I E I O
Yes
No (accompanied by vigorous shake of the head)
Hi
Hello (when holding phone to ear)
Bye
Dada
Mama (only very occasionally, but more and more every week)
Car
Keys
Up
Hot
Shoes
Ball
Babo (this means belly button)
Diaper
Wash
Brush
Walk
Rock
Baby
Pee pee (when she sees someone go in the bathroom :)
Phrases:
I want to go
More...(fill in the blank, usually with "cheese")
All done
Up above (when we sing Twinkle Twinkle)
Wow, that's about 40 words, and I'm sure I've forgotten some. We've sure got a talker on our hands. It just blows my mind how quickly her language has developed. And of course she understands much more than this. (Does she do what we say though? Nope! I understand it will be a few years before the obedience neurons start firing.)
Monday, July 19, 2010
Social Butterfly
Hana is quite the budding social butterfly these days. Last week on the way to Tahoe, Pete had an errand to run on our way out of town, so Hana and I hung out at the Claremont Hotel for about 30 minutes. We plunked ourselves in the lobby, and Hana danced to the player piano and shouted "Hi!" to everyone passing through. She even threw her arms around a few complete strangers. Every occasion since then has been a repeat performance, and god forbid you should not respond if she says "hi" to you. Then she ratchets up the speed and volume "hi hi hi Hi Hi Hi HI HI HI!!!!!" until you make eye contact and respond.
She also went on her first "big girl" hike this weekend in Pescadero. It was our friend Doug's 40th birthday hike. She started out in the Ergo but didn't last very long. She pretty much walked the rest of the way - almost 2 miles out and back! It took awhile, as she kept getting sidetracked by something off the path or she wanted to retrace her steps, but she had a great time. Every time we got walking at a good clip, she would say "Walka walka walka." Speaking of which, new words are emerging every day, and she understands so much of what we say now that we really have to watch what comes out of our mouths!
She also went on her first "big girl" hike this weekend in Pescadero. It was our friend Doug's 40th birthday hike. She started out in the Ergo but didn't last very long. She pretty much walked the rest of the way - almost 2 miles out and back! It took awhile, as she kept getting sidetracked by something off the path or she wanted to retrace her steps, but she had a great time. Every time we got walking at a good clip, she would say "Walka walka walka." Speaking of which, new words are emerging every day, and she understands so much of what we say now that we really have to watch what comes out of our mouths!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The Sickie
Hana has another urinary tract infection! After a few days of on and off fever and just general crankiness and clinginess, the pediatrician advised us to take her to urgent care on Saturday. Sure enough, the test came back positive. So in addition to standard treatment, Hana will now go through some tests to see if there is anything specific that is predisposing her to these infections. Usually the tests come back negative, but it's worth checking because if there is something going on anatomically, it may be correctable.
Otherwise, Hana is still doing great. She keeps on talking up a storm and climbing everything in sight. The first hints of a temper tantrum-like phase are beginning to show. Sometimes, she just wants to do it herself and will swat my hand away. Which would be fine, except usually I have my hand there for a reason - like trying to keep her from walking off the edge of the table she has insisted on standing upon. And the whining!! Oy. A favorite activity has become whining to be picked up, then you pick her up and she whines and points to where she wants to go until you go there. And if you don't, then she howls. If she is standing on her own when she wants something that you won't let her have, she erupts in a frustrated cry and stamps her feet. It would really be quite cute if it wasn't so...irritating. :) As her communication skills improve, I think the whiny-ness will diminish because she will be able to articulate what she wants. So we are grateful that she seems to be very inclined towards learning to talk.
Otherwise, Hana is still doing great. She keeps on talking up a storm and climbing everything in sight. The first hints of a temper tantrum-like phase are beginning to show. Sometimes, she just wants to do it herself and will swat my hand away. Which would be fine, except usually I have my hand there for a reason - like trying to keep her from walking off the edge of the table she has insisted on standing upon. And the whining!! Oy. A favorite activity has become whining to be picked up, then you pick her up and she whines and points to where she wants to go until you go there. And if you don't, then she howls. If she is standing on her own when she wants something that you won't let her have, she erupts in a frustrated cry and stamps her feet. It would really be quite cute if it wasn't so...irritating. :) As her communication skills improve, I think the whiny-ness will diminish because she will be able to articulate what she wants. So we are grateful that she seems to be very inclined towards learning to talk.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Miss "I"ve Got Something to Say"
Hana's vocabulary has suddenly sky-rocketed. Either that, or I just wasn't understanding her before. In the past few days, she's learned the words orange, cheese, and broccoli. Today she learned "all done," which she has so far used (with prompting) to say when she was done nursing and when she wanted to get out of the bath. And, cutest of all, when I sing "Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are" I don't have to sing the next line. She sings "Up above the..." and that's as much as she can say, and then I have to finish the rest. But still, that's a lot of syllables for a 1-year-old!
In addition, she is now an expert mimic. Just about everything we do she has learned to copy. She sees shoes, she tries to put them on. She sees us making her bottle, she shakes her hand to indicate that we have to shake it up (although we don't actually have to do this anymore, since we switched from formula to cow's milk, we still do it since it's part of the routine). Not to mention all the mouth noises, blowing kisses, etc. She's really getting into books - we say "Hana, go pick out a book" and she goes to her shelf, gets one, and brings it to us to read. She also understands "stomp your feet" and "clap your hands."
Here are some pics of Hana in her new sandbox, a birthday present from Grandpa Don and Grandma Sharon. So far, her favorite part is climbing in and out of it. Same with the blow up pool from the Bishops. Climb in, climb out, climb in, climb out.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Hana's Birthday: The Last Pics
What can I say? This girl was so wound up at her birthday party. All the other kids her age were lounging around, relaxing, eating, hanging with the adults, at least for part of the time. Not Hana. Running up and down the path. Climbing on the rocks. Stealing the soccer ball away from the other kids. Sticking her hand in the trash. Playing with the balloons. Rolling in the dirt. She was filthy and had to have a bath when we got home. She had a blast, a really fun day. Strange to think she won't remember it.
Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us! You really made Hana's day.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hana the 364-Day-Old
It's pretty much impossible to believe that this time last year, about 5 hours from now, Hana came into the world a mere tiny 6 pounds and a few ounces. I recall her being unusually alert for a newborn. She didn't seem to sleep much the first few days, because there was just too much to look at and take in. From the start, she was gobbling down milk like crazy. She gave us a run for our money with the colic for the first 3 months. Practically from the start, she was a little ball of energy - kicking her legs (even at night while sleeping) and trying to sit up and crawl and move weeks before she actually had the motor skills to do so.
She has changed so much, and yet, the core of her personality has been there all along. It turns out, the alertness was not just a newborn phenomenon. She is just in love with the world around her. Everything is interesting and captures her attention...until the next thing comes along and grabs her. She continues to be a good eater. Her favorite food is cheese. The colic, fortunately, was not a personality trait - PHEW. But the energy remains. As an example, today I left her in the living room for 10 seconds. 15 tops. When I returned, she was standing on top of the table!!! To be fair, it was the kids' table from her table and chair set, but still...this girl is a mover and a shaker and a climber.
Even her physical characteristics have come full circle. She was long and skinny then, and she is long and skinny now. In between, she was quite the pudge ball. She had a lot of hair when she was born, then it thinned out and fell out, and now she's got another full head of hair. The only difference is it's very blond, and it was dark at birth. Her eyes stayed blue.
Pete and I were congratulating ourselves tonight for keeping her alive for 1 year. It's quite a feat in this day and age, when it seems that the logistics of meeting an infant's survival needs are a little bit insane, what with the pumping, trying every bottle under the sun until you find the one that the baby will drink out of, working so you can pay the bills, finding child care, trying to prepare food that's not full of synthetic chemicals and pesticides...but we did it.
And to be perfectly frank, I'm exhausted. Parenthood is filled with many joyful moments and events. Sleep is not one of the perks. It's weird - Hana is a great sleeper, all things considered. I never have to get up in the middle of the night with her (knock on wood). If she does wake up, she whimpers herself back to sleep. So why am I so tired?
I've pondered this a great deal. I think there are two reasons. First, even though she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night, I STILL DO. (grumble) A fair amount. And it's not uncommon that I have trouble falling back to sleep. I think it's habit, from night feeding (and when I hear her whimpering or rustling on the monitor, I wake up). Second, I have literally not slept past 6:30 am in months, and usually I'm up by 5:30 or 6. It's not really even that early. But if my natural wake time would be 7 am or so, that's about an hour every day that I'm losing, and I don't get to make it up on the weekends. Naps help when I can get them, but it's just not the same as a long uninterrupted stretch of sleep.
OK, enough of the complaining, because in the big scheme of things, we are the luckiest parents on earth. Hana is a happy, spirited, loving child and we look forward to each new day with her.
She has changed so much, and yet, the core of her personality has been there all along. It turns out, the alertness was not just a newborn phenomenon. She is just in love with the world around her. Everything is interesting and captures her attention...until the next thing comes along and grabs her. She continues to be a good eater. Her favorite food is cheese. The colic, fortunately, was not a personality trait - PHEW. But the energy remains. As an example, today I left her in the living room for 10 seconds. 15 tops. When I returned, she was standing on top of the table!!! To be fair, it was the kids' table from her table and chair set, but still...this girl is a mover and a shaker and a climber.
Even her physical characteristics have come full circle. She was long and skinny then, and she is long and skinny now. In between, she was quite the pudge ball. She had a lot of hair when she was born, then it thinned out and fell out, and now she's got another full head of hair. The only difference is it's very blond, and it was dark at birth. Her eyes stayed blue.
Pete and I were congratulating ourselves tonight for keeping her alive for 1 year. It's quite a feat in this day and age, when it seems that the logistics of meeting an infant's survival needs are a little bit insane, what with the pumping, trying every bottle under the sun until you find the one that the baby will drink out of, working so you can pay the bills, finding child care, trying to prepare food that's not full of synthetic chemicals and pesticides...but we did it.
And to be perfectly frank, I'm exhausted. Parenthood is filled with many joyful moments and events. Sleep is not one of the perks. It's weird - Hana is a great sleeper, all things considered. I never have to get up in the middle of the night with her (knock on wood). If she does wake up, she whimpers herself back to sleep. So why am I so tired?
I've pondered this a great deal. I think there are two reasons. First, even though she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night, I STILL DO. (grumble) A fair amount. And it's not uncommon that I have trouble falling back to sleep. I think it's habit, from night feeding (and when I hear her whimpering or rustling on the monitor, I wake up). Second, I have literally not slept past 6:30 am in months, and usually I'm up by 5:30 or 6. It's not really even that early. But if my natural wake time would be 7 am or so, that's about an hour every day that I'm losing, and I don't get to make it up on the weekends. Naps help when I can get them, but it's just not the same as a long uninterrupted stretch of sleep.
OK, enough of the complaining, because in the big scheme of things, we are the luckiest parents on earth. Hana is a happy, spirited, loving child and we look forward to each new day with her.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Latest Movies - On hold
One question: How is it, that even though we watch her closely almost every second of the day, when I took out the diaper pail this morning there were two items of her clothing in it? Ew. I had to go in their and fish them out. She is fascinated with the diaper pail. Loves to put things in it. I just thought I was really good at preventing her from doing that. Apparently not.
I wanted to post a few movies of the little squirt, but blogger's got a bug or something. Have tried the past 2 days with no luck. Will try again another day.
I wanted to post a few movies of the little squirt, but blogger's got a bug or something. Have tried the past 2 days with no luck. Will try again another day.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
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