18 weeks

Hannah all dressed up in her Sunday best for baby dedication at church.  She turned 4 months old this week and had a check up with the pediatrician.  Everything looked great!  She now weighs 10lbs 4 oz and is 22 7/8 inches long.  Her weight is 3% on normal growth charts and 25% on premie charts.  

This week I noticed that Hannah was paying more attention to toys.  This light up snail with the mirror is clearly her favorite.  It is the first time I have seen her reach for something and smile at it!

We have had more success with the bumbo. She especially likes to sit in it and play with her mobile. 

Happy Valentine's Day!  Brian and I did not make any formal plans since Hannah had a doctors appointment that morning.  We spent the day driving around and exploring Montgomery Bell state park.  It really made us ache to go camping, hiking, walking through the park, fishing, kayaking, picnic....anything outdoors! 

This was pretty much the way she was the rest of the day after getting her 4 month old shots.  She slept most of the  day, but was otherwise in a happy mood. 

Baby dedication at OtterCreek is a big deal.  There were so many babies!  This is only half of them.

Mommy and Daddy with Hannah.  The decorations were so sweet.  We had our very own table and enjoyed barbecue from Jim N' Nicks. The whole family was able to make it and it was such a fun day!

Hannah and Nonna

Hannah's shoes she wore for dedication.  They were a gift from Mimi.  I cannot tell you how much I love them.  They are the sweetest baby shoes I have ever seen!  They are still a little big so I am hoping she can wear them for Easter :)

Eye color is still a toss up.  Her left eye seems to have a little bit of brown showing up and the right one is still blue.  Only time will tell what they will be!

Sleepy head :)

17 weeks

Since Valentine's day is approaching, we dressed Hannah in hearts for her weekly photo. Her shirt says "Daddy holds the key to my heart". How true it is! Already at 17 weeks, you can tell she loves her daddy. She talks to him more than anyone else. She lights up when he comes home from work and to see them dance and play makes my heart so happy. It is the sweetest thing. 

 Nap times have become so much easier since Hannah has started sleeping on her stomach. I lay her down, usually with her paci, and she will suck on it and then her hand for a few minutes before falling to sleep without a whimper.....aaahhhh.....so nice! She still sleeps on her back a night simply because I am not there to check on her as much as during the day. She is getting closer to rolling over from her back to her stomach. A few times this week she rolled onto her side.

 I love it when she sleeps with her bottom in the air

Sleeping on her side. 

Hannah has really started sucking on her hands lately. Especially while she is sleeping. She almost has her whole fist in her mouth! I don't know how she can sleep like this, but it does not seem to bother her. It soothes her to sleep better than any pacifier. 

She loves tummy time when she is looking at her mirror book. 

Hannah videos

Here are a few video's of sweet Hannah

16 Weeks

Hannah is getting so big! She has doubled the amount that she drinks every 3 1/2 hours.  She went from averaging 2 oz to now guzzling 4 oz.  I have a feeling that we are going to see a huge weight gain soon. 

Hannah playing with her dolly

As of late, Hannah has been moving up and down her crib at night.  We will swaddle her tightly in the middle of the crib and wake up to find her side ways, all the way at the head of the bed.  We took this as a indication that it is time to teach her to sleep without the swaddle.  This was the first attempt...to my surprise, she went to sleep without a peep.  Did not even cry once and stayed asleep her whole nap time. (Here is also a rare moment enjoying her paci)

Success! 

During nap time, I will occasionally put her on her tummy to give her head a break...I know, I know...but she seems to really like it.  She can get to her hands easier, which she loves to lick and suck on these days.  She has control of her head, and a few times when I have gone in to check on her, she has rolled over onto her back. 

Sweet smile :)

Hannah and I getting ready to go out.

Baby leggings are so fun!!! 

Hannah riding on Daddy's shoulders for the first time...she grabbed onto his hair as tightly as she could :)

15 Weeks

Hannah has now grown out of most newborn size clothes.  She still wears newborn diapers and 0-3 month clothes are still a little big, but she is growing so fast.  She is sleeping 10-12 hrs a night and drinking 3-4 oz every feeding...my baby girl is getting big! We estimate that she now weighs 9.5 lbs and is 23 inches long. 

I can't tell you how many times after a car ride that I find her asleep like this.  It does not seem to bother her.  Maybe it acts like a sleep mask. :)

All snuggled up and ready to go for a ride. 

Smiling at herself in the mirror.  She will lay here for at least 20 minutes kicking her legs, waving her arms, and smiling at herself in the mirror.  It is so much fun to watch her play!

For the most part, Hannah does not seem to like her pacifier.  She will take it while she is in the carseat for a car ride and sometimes if she is in her swing.  The majority of the time, though, she will suck as hard as she can for about a minute and then spit it out.  She won't take it for long while trying to sleep, and if she wakes up early from a nap, she wants nothing to do with it.  It is a little frustrating, because sometimes I do think it will help her sleep better, but she wont keep it in her mouth.  Below, I tried several different types...each one she spit out after a few seconds....sigh...oh well :)

14 Weeks

We started a new schedule this week.  Hannah now takes her feedings every 3 1/2 hours.  Her bedtime is 8 pm, and most nights she will sleep until 8 am...AMAZING!  Even with this much sleep at night, she still takes 2 hour naps during the day!  She is amazing!  She has started smiling this week...YAY!  In this picture she looks like she is smiling, but she is actually in the middle of a cry.  We have not been able to catch a photo of her smiling yet.  When she smiles, its like the world stops!  I know that sounds cheesy, but that's how it feels.  I never knew I had the ability to make such odd noises and faces to get her to smile.  Brian and I will spend the majority of her wake-time trying to get her to do it again and again.  :)