Sitting

I put Hannah in her bumbo seat for the first time yesterday. She's stll working on holding her head up, but I think she did really well. I'm sure she'll be sitting on her own before we know it.

Up North

As has been tradition in our family since I was young, we packed up nearly everything we own and made the trek up to my parents' cottage at Higgins Lake for Memorial Day weekend. This was Hannah's first trip up north. Jason took Friday off, so we got a jump on the weekend (and traffic) on Thursday night. I think he was more than a little excited to get out in his boat.

We had a great time spending the weekend with not only my parents but also my brother and sister-in-law, aunt and uncle, 2 of my 3 cousins, and even my grandparents (who built the cottage). Since we live on the opposite side of the state from all of them, I really appreciate the times when we do all get together, especially now with Hannah. Of course it would be a very full house if we were all under one roof, but my aunt and uncle have a cottage kitty corner from my parents, and my brother and SIL have a mini-apartment above the garage. It works out really well.



We had nice weather, which allowed us to both work and play. Since it really is the kick-off for summer, the guys got the boat ready and put in the water. We got some odds and ends done around the cottage, too. Jason took his boat out for a spin everyday. He even took my grandpa for a ride, which both of them really enjoyed. Even I went for a ride, and I must admit that it was fun to see the pure joy on Jason's face as he was driving. Aside from boating, Jason and I went out on a date! We had dinner at a place on Houghton Lake and then caught the Indiana Jones movie at a really unique log cabin theater. What would Memorial Day weekend be without garage sale-ing? After hitting several, we had a van-load of baby things!



Jason and I also experienced Wii for the first time. I think I almost had more fun watching Jason and Todd (my brother) box than I had playing myself!



We also gave Hannah her first bath in the sink. At home, she has a little seat that sits on the tub, so she doesn't really get in the water. She absolutely loved sitting in the water in the sink, giving us all kinds of smiles. So cute!




Todd's best friend, Pat, stopped down a couple of times with their little girl Joslyn. She's a week and a half younger than Hannah. What a cutie - such a combination of him and his wife! On a sad note, Pat's family suffered a major tragedy over the weekend. Prayers for him and his family would be much appreciated.



It's hard to believe the weekend is over. Let summer begin :-)

2 month stats

Hannah had her 2 month appointment today. She's stll a little peanut but certainly growing. She's now 9 lbs. 8 oz. (15th percentile) , and 22" long (25th percentile). This was also her first appointment to get shots. I think it was more difficult for me than it was for her. She got 5 shots and 1 oral vaccine (seems like a lot!). She sucked down the oral vaccine like a pro, but the shots were a little more trying. With the first shot, she looked at me with her big blue eyes like she couldn't understand why I would let this happen to her and then proceded to scream. It was awful! I just wanted to cry :-( The nurse was great and had them all done in about a minute. Hannah was fine as soon as I picked her up. I feel so bad for her - 2 little band aids in each thigh and 1 in her arm. She seems to be acting normal now, so I'm praying she doesn't have any adverse effects. And to think we have to do this all over again in 2 months!

Happily playing in her bouncer this morning (thanks for letting us borrow your shoes, Claire!)

Peacefully sleeping after the visit to the doctor

Baptism

Hannah got baptized this morning. Both sets of parents, my brother and sister-in-law (Hannah's only aunt and uncle), and Jason's grandparents all came over for the occassion. Hannah was one of 7 babies and kids getting baptized! Of course, Pastor Steve commented on her big, blue eyes :-) Hannah did such a great job, not crying at all during baptism or the rest of the service. It really meant a lot to us to have our family and friends in the service to celebrate this dedication of Hannah into the body of Christ. We are so grateful to know that our friends and family who mean so much to us will play a large role in helping Hannah develop her faith and love for Jesus. We truly are blessed!

After church, everybody came back to our house for a bbq. Thankfully the weather held out, so the guys even ate on the deck. We ended our celebration by eating cake (from Zehnders - yum!!) and opening Hannah's gifts. She's really building a little college fund :-) Overall, we had a beautiful day to celebrate this important event in Hannah's life.


Nice family picture before church and Hannah's diaper blowout :-( Thankfully, Grandma Cramer saved the day and got the stain out of her dress. Thanks, Grandma!


Hannah's delicious cake


Aunt Courtney, Uncle Todd, Hannah, and I

Grandma's House

Hannah and I just got back from her first overnight visit to Grandma and Grandpa Davis' house in Owosso. Being the only grandchild so far, she certainly got lots of attention. Yesterday we enjoyed lunch at Grandma's house with Aunt Carolyn and cousin Natalie and Natalie's little boy Colin, who is a month younger than Hannah. What a cutie! Although I'd love to be a little closer to all of Hannah's grandparents, I'm thankful that we're still close enough to do trips like this.


Hannah excited to be at Grandma's house



Hannah and cousin Colin

On the way home from Owosso, we stopped in St. Johns to visit with my girlfriend Karen, her 3 kids (who just happen to be adorable!), and her mom Barb. Karen and I have became friends when she moved into my parents' subdivision in kindegarten and remained friends even after her move to St. Johns in 5th grade. Karen's youngest daughter, Anastasia, is only a week older than Hannah. It's going to be so much fun to watch the girls grow. Hopefully they will become good friends like their moms! I look forward to lots of play dates in the years to come.


Hannah and Anastasia

2 months

Hannah will be 2 months old tomorrow. She's grown so much, especially in the last couple of weeks. I think she's over 10 lbs. now, according to our rough estimation with the bathroom scales. We'll get her official stats after her doctor's appointment on Monday. She's so much more alert and interactive now. She loves her bouncer and lately she's even been kicking the toys that hang from it. However, hands down, her favorite toy is her jungle playmat. She talks to all of the little animals hanging from above and kicks her feet in excitement. So cute! So far, she isn't taking a pacifier, except if she's really fussy, but she has found her fist to suck on for comfort. We'll see if that's something that turns into a habit. She's been sleeping through the night for more than a week now, too!

I can't believe how quickly our baby is growing. It's somewhat bittersweet b/c I'd love for her to stay our baby forever, but it's so much fun watching her change and grow. We thank God for every day.

2 months vs. 1 week

Thinking about returning to work...

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mothers Day to all of you moms! I've had a lovely first Mother's Day. In addition to Hannah sleeping all the way through the night (5 out of 6 nights now!), I found a wonderful surprise in her crib this morning - With Daddy's help, she was very thoughtful and surprised me with a cute card and a beautiful aquamarine necklace (her birth stone). Then, after church, we went to one of our favorite places downtown for breakfast, San Chez Cafe. Amazingly, that place is never busy, and thankfully that held true today. I had their cinnamon french toast, which comes covered in a caramel rum sauce - to die for!! Now, we're at home relaxing. Just a perfect day.


My first mother's day

Now, don't think that Jason was left out in the cold this weekend. He had a pretty great man-day yesterday with boating, beer, and burgers. Since the weather was so nice, we went over to East GR for lunch, and then he took his boat out for a spin on Reed's Lake, while Hannah and I window shopped and watched him from the shore. On the way home, he picked up a new beer to try out to go along with our burgers for dinner. To finish the day, we watched one of his all-time favorite movies - Raiders of the Lost Ark. What more could a guy ask for?!?


Ready to shop in EGR


Jason cruising the lake

Are we on a roll??

For the past 3 nights, Hannah has slept through the night. I almost hate to even type that for fear that she will for sure be up tonight. Although we've been pretty good with her routine, evenings just seemed to be confusing for us. Jason and I decided that we were going to get her on set schedule and routine for bedtime this week, and she's slept through every night since. I don't know if it's due to the new nightly schedule or if she's just been tired, but we'll take it!

Tulip Time

Yes, it's that time of year in West Michigan. Hannah and I both experienced our first Tulip Time Festival this weekend. Jason used to march in the Tulip Time parade with his high school band and had been to the festival when he was young, but those memories are sketchy. We all enjoyed the beautiful day exploring downtown and Windmill Island, home of the glorious tulip fields and America's largest working windmill. It wouldn't be Tulip Time without seeing the Klompen Dancers. Oh, those wooden shoes look uncomfortable. The whole atmosphere reminded me so much of how the Bavarian Festival used to be in Frankenmuth!








All worn out from the day

A few other random picks from the week...

Big Adventure

I decided to take advantage of my time off and take Hannah to visit her grandparents at their houses for the first time. Of course, first-time grandparent pride took over my parents, and they couldn't resist showing her off. In fact, we counted that Hannah had visited with almost 50 people in the course of 2 days! It was quite a marathon. Hannah did great, but I was pretty exhausted! It was fun to visit, but I think we were both happy to get home to see Daddy (and JJ, too!).


4 generations


Cousin Matt wasn't quite a natural :-)


Aunt Lynn certainly was excited to meet Hannah


Lounging with Jason's Grandpa Ocedek


Superstar!