Back to her main page: Hana


Hana: The name means flower or blossom in Japanese, and flower, graceful and merciful in Hebrew. I've also read it's meaning to be happiness, flower and work (visit baby names web site). The spelling is also Czech, and Hana's name day is August 15th. Visit here to learn more about name days.

August 7, 2008
I'm a big sister! My little sister, Sara Grace, was born on June 12, 2008. I spent two weeks at Granny and Grandpa's house when she was born, but when my cousin Kaitlyn was born, I came home again.

Initially when I came home I was crying and whining a lot, but I quickly came back to normal. I went back to daycare for two weeks, then spent three weeks at home.

I love to say "We're as a family!" and hold up four fingers. I then count them off as Daddy, Mommy, Sara and Hana. I do this when we get in the car and when we start off as walks. I can count to 10 for sure, and sometimes up to 20, but I usually get distracted before then.

I also love to go to the "splashing park" with Daddy while Mommy and Sara are sleeping in the morning, or after supper. I don't actually run under the water, but I love to run around it and get wet. Sometimes I get cold, and when asked say "I'm cold" but "no, I want to stay" when asked if I want to go home.

Why? Why? Why? Why? The why's started just after Sara was born and have not stopped. Every time I'm asked a question, my first response is "why?" Sometimes it's a curious, good why, and sometimes it's a very annoying and persistant whiny "why?" My mom can sometimes stop the "why?" questions with a long and scientific answer (and boy, is she glad that she knows so many useless facts, because you are entertained by them!) but often if you're tired or hungry or both, there's no stopping the "why" questions. Mom thinks this is one of your definining characteristics right now, and will always remember Sara being born as the beginning of the "why" phase.

I like to help out with my little sister, and will say "shh shh shh" when she cries, and run to announce to my mom that "Sara's HUNGRY!" as soon as she starts to cry. If you ask me, I'll tell you that Sara can't talk, and that she only drinks milk. Until about a week ago, I would have told you that Sara drinks milk from mommy's elbow or her armpit. Now I know it's neither of them, and will answer correctly.

I've gone back to daycare and love to play with Grandma Viola and my friends there.

One of other favorite things to do is to go grocery shopping! Whenever I'm acting up or being uncooperative, mom and dad take me grocery shopping to Superstore and I have a great time. I love to order "ham" from the meat counter, and to put stuff in the cart. I also especially love when Auntie Gwen comes along and I can help her put stuff in HER cart too!

Auntie Gwen bought a house, and will be moving out. I will be very sad, because I stand in the driveway and wait for her to come home every day.

Speaking of Aunties, my auntie Erin had a baby! Kaitlyn is her name, and she was born just 9 days after my sister Sara. I want to play with her too. Last week I went downstairs at Granny's house and found a very small chair, carried it upstairs and announced that it was for Kaitlyn to sit in. I really wanted Kaitlyn to sit there, but Auntie Erin said she was too little.

I can sing most of the "ABC" song now, I just get mixed up after M or so. I like to sing in the car while we're driving, and will sing the first line of a song, then stop and announce "Let's do it TOGETHER!" and mom and dad will sing along with me. Sometimes I know all the words, like to songs like Baa Baa Black Sheep, but sometimes I get them a little mixed up. My mom's favorite is when I sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and sing these lyrics:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
How I wonder what you weigh

And no matter what mom and dad say, you won't sing the right words, you insist that it's "weigh." Mom thinks maybe you're a scientist in the making, since you wonder how much stars weigh.

I still don't eat a lot of meat, but I like to eat chili and spaghetti sauce with meat. I will also eat ham sandwiches. If you ask me what I want, I usually answer "grilled cheese!" and I like to eat tomato and chicken noodle soup. I still love noodles and rice. My favorite fruit is watermelon and I eat a lot of cucumber too. I eat blueberries, strawberries, green grapes and cherries almost every day when my mom can get them.

I've got some new movies that my mom will be posting when Sara is napping, and you can also visit Sara's page to get her update too. I think my mom will eventually merge the two pages, but she's not sure yet, so for now you can visit me here and Sara at her page.

Mom's note:
On Monday we were still at Granny Janet and Grandpa's house, so we all went out for supper to Marathon Pizza. Hana was acting up, being two and generally being whiny and, of course, asking "why" a lot. I kept talking to her to tell her that if she didn't calm down there would be consequences, mainly that we'd take her back to Granny's house before supper was served. After a while she got better and better, then she turned to me, and said
"Mommy, you are a good good good good Mommy."

We went to Costco (Aug 11) to pick up pictures and ended up walking through Costco, just to see what's there. Of course, we got tempted by some items and walked out spending a bit more than we planned, but that's what happens! Anyways, we walked past the flower display and Hana turned to me.

"Mommy, can we get some flowers?"
"For who?" I asked.
"For YOU!" Hana answered. Of course, I said yes. Who can say no to that? Here are the first flowers that Hana has bought for me. What a sweetie! (as an aside, Hana is eating her second supper in this picture, it's actually her lunch for tomorrow, but she wanted to eat again when Auntie Gwen came home and ate supper)
Stuff that makes your heart melt. :)

Pictures






Hana enjoys cereal in the morning while watching TV.



Hana likes to crawl through the end table; here she is with her very own digital camera.



Daddy and his girls!



Hana shares her Leap Frog Learning Gym with Sara!



Hana always asks if Sara can sleep with her.



Hana loves strawberries. Here she is enjoying one at Grandpa Macek's house.



Daddy's little helper; Hana helps wash the car.



Daddy's little helper; Hana helps bring the recycling bins back to the house.



Hana hugging Sara.



The girls; Dawn, Hana, Granny Janet, Sara, Erin and Kaitlyn.



Hana sharing her old crib with her sister Sara and cousin Kaitlyn!



Hana holding Sara and Kaitlyn.



Hana's first trip to Ballet in the Park.



Sitting on a blanket at Ballet in the Park.



Hana at Ballet in the Park. She wanted to go on stage every time the ballet dancers were done!



Sara, Kaitlyn and Hana.



Hana sleeping on Granny Janet.



Hana wishes her Great Grandma Honey a happy birthday!



Hana enjoys milk by the shot at Great Grandma Honey's house.



Hana and her Great Uncle Kenny.



Family pose: Erin, Granny Janet, Sara, Honey, Kaitlyn, Kendra, Dawn. In the front row is Dylan and Hana, and the dog Rover.



Hana sitting on the Honda 70 trike that Dawn and Erin got when they were kids!



Hana, Julian, Kaitlyn, Erin and Sara getting ready for a walk to get some ice cream.



Auntie Erin and Hana love ice cream!



Hana really loves her ice cream cone!



A future cake decorator? Hana iced the cookies herself and is adding ivy as a garnish.



Sometimes we can't wait to eat, here's Hana raiding her lunch on the way home.



Hana sitting with the first flowers she bought for mommy.




March 3, 2008

Oh hello! Would you like to share some tomato soup with me? It's one of my favorites!

I know we haven't updated this site in far too long, and I hope you'll all bear with me, as things have been hectic around here.

The biggest news is that I'm going to be a big sister! You can visit the web page here for my new little brother or sister. We don't know what it will be yet!

I'm talking like you wouldn't believe now. I am saying new things all the time, and sounding smarter and smarter to my mom and dad.

I can count to 13 most of the times, and sometimes I even count all the way to 18! I love to count everything, especially steps I take. It makes going up and down the stairs fun!

I know most of the alphabet too, but sometimes I miss some letters.

I can also write the letter "H" if you ask me too.

Here's a few older updates, come see some neat pictures:


  • Birthday and Christmas Pictures: Click here
  • Movie of Hana enjoying the first snow: Quicktime movie
  • Another Hana picture: Hana enjoying the first snow!
  • Remember this? Dawn and Julian's wedding pictures!

    But now I'm off to run around. I will try and update this site more often! Bye!





    Last updated May 1, 2007
    This has been a busy month for Hana. She's much more steady on her feet and is starting to try and run. She loves to be outside, in the stroller going for a walk, playing at the park, and running around. She often cries when she has to go inside!

    Hana's vocabulary is really growing lately. Her noises are getting much closer to words, and she will say mom, dad, ball, all done, and more such that even other people can understand her. Her signing is also picking up, and she's starting to use them much more.

    Hana loves to read, just like her mom. She even likes control systems magazines (an engineer in the making??). At times I have to carry her into daycare with the book still in her hand, because she doesn't want to put it down! We have a chair next to the bookshelf in the living room, and she'll go to it and try and climb the chair every day, saying "more" and nodding, hoping we'll give in and sit and read to her.

    Remember when she was just born? These pictures were sent to me by my friend Duncan McNairnay, taken on Feb 12, 2006. She was less than 2 months old here, here, here, and here.

    Since the last web update, her top two middle teeth have come in, and she has all four bottom teeth now. If you look closely, you can see her eye teeth just starting to poke through.

    Hana is starting to want to do what we're doing, so here she is eating frozen peas off the counter while helping mom make supper.

    She still loves to play, so here are some pictures of her playing hide and seek, and outside at the park. She loves her green chair and takes books and toys there. She's also quite the ham at times, on the couch with dad, in the bath, and with a slightly different look.

    One of Dawn's friends' mom made a dress for Hana, that came all the way from Botswana. Here's some pictures of Hana in the dress, which she loved to wear!





    Last updated April 10, 2007
    Well, I'm pretty far behind on this web page thing, but it gets harder and harder to find time! Hana is walking like crazy and is falling only once in a while. Today she took a nasty spill into the corner of a chair, but didn't cry for very long.

    Hana enjoyed some nice weather with the snow in her sled at her Auntie Erin and Uncle Chris' place.

    She's also started "reading!" She's signing the images she reads in books, such as ball, duck (bird), hat, and "shhh" and sleep. She's also touching her feet when she sees socks and shoes.

    This past weekend we went to see the family over Easter, and Hana loved walking around outside and visiting with all her cousins and second cousins. She had a lot more fun this year than she did last year! She also got to see a brand new baby colt, cows, a donkey, dogs, chickens and cats. She even pretended to be a dog, getting down on her hands and knees to "eat" from his bowl! We took a few pictures before making sure she didn't eat any dog food.

    Hana loves to be outside and cries when we take her in. Here's her first walk on the driveway (with her ball) - ever! Her dad took her for her first park trip of the year, and she had a great time on the play structure. She tried her hardest to go up the slide and then asked for help when she couldn't do it. Visit the Movies page (see the links at the bottom) to see it!

    Julian's dream came true, and we finally went and picked up a bike trailer. Hana enjoyed her first ride wearing her new helmet and spent the trip looking out the window of the trailer.

    Her teeth are coming in fast and furious. She had just the tip of one front tooth and the beginnings of a bottom on March 7th. But today she's got two front teeth and three middle bottom ones, and the fourth middle bottom one is making its way out.

    On March 25th we went to visit Granny Janet and Grandpa Brian in Morden. On the way home we thought Hana was entertaining herself with her parka and toys, but when we turned around to look all we saw was KLEENEX! She had emptied the whole box beside her on the seat of the car and all over her legs. Dawn pushed them off of her as best she could, but the remainder of the trip (until Hana fell asleep) all we heard was the ripping noises as she ripped the kleenex to shreds. Here's a picture of the damage. She's asleep in the picture.

  • March 13, 2007

    Visit us in California here!



    WE ARE WALKING!!!! Hana's up to 6 ot 7 steps now, and can get up herself.
    Hana now has NINE teeth. This picture is of her with eight, and the ninth is coming up right beside the bottom left tooth. It's a little further out now. Now that she has 4 molars which all line up, her eating has become a lot better. She can actually chew food. I'm just waiting for her top middle two teeth. Her Auntie Erin caught this picture while she was in her playpen.


  • January 29, 2007



    This past week has been a big change in this household! Dawn has gone back to work as of January 22nd, and Hana has started daycare. The good news is that Hana loves daycare and the daycare provider can't believe what a good baby she is. She's constantly surprised that she doesn't cry when you put her down for a nap, or cry when she wakes up from one. She is loving playing with all the other kids at the daycare (there are 3 others) and waves "bye bye" when I drop her off every morning.

    Work is interesting... there's a lot of changes, and it's taking some time for me to get used to the new people and new procedures. I can't wait to really get going on some projects though!

    Hana has somehow taught herself to go down stairs! I asked the daycare provider if they had taught her, but she said no! So I'm not sure how she figured it out... maybe from watching another of the kids go downstairs? I've put a video up for you to see on her movies web page (scroll down for the link).

    Here's some pictures from the last update until today. Enjoy!

    This is what happens when mom runs to answer the phone, thinking her little angel will drink her bottle like a good girl. Shake! Shake! Shake!

    Hana loves her new drum set, especially those drumsticks.

    Hana also likes crawling into places she's not supposed to be. Can you find her in this picture?

    She was so proud of herself when she got into the box all by herself! Of course, she was waiting for someone to pull her along like a sled!

    January 24th: the day Hana found Jeopardy! on TV. She loves to watch it.

    Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?

    Hana brushes her teeth before bed.

    I've been trying to teach her the sign language for "book" which she almost can do. However, she asks for books all the time now! Here's one of her favorites, "I'm a little teapot."

    Little Miss. Curiosity! She crawled under the stool in the kitchen and couldn't figure out how to get out! I had to get her to back up as I pulled the stool out, because I couldn't lift it up when it was under the counter. She was not a happy camper!

  • January 9, 2007



    Hana has survived many Christmas celebrations, her birthday, New Years and a Ukrainian Christmas celebration and her dad's birthday since December 21st. I'm sure she's wondering where the presents are, as her last few weeks have been full of them!

    Here are two pictures from her Sears birthday photo shoot. Close-up! and Hana is ONE! She was crying and not happy at all, so there were not too many happy ones to choose from! And here's her six month photo shoot for comparison.

    And here are some pictures from our Christmas photo shoot. The family and Red shirt and Christmas Dress (this picture is coming, I have to go and take it out of the frame!).

    And, of course, Hana got a nasty cold and cough between Christmas and New Years, and it's still hanging on with a runny nose. Poor girl, I've been chasing her all day with a cloth to wipe her nose, and she does not like it!

    Hana liked to rip the paper open on her presents once we started it, but she would rip a tiny piece of paper, hand it to the nearest adult, then go back and rip another tiny piece of paper, and again, and again, and again. It took a very long time to get into her presents! She is enjoying chewing on the little people and the learning treehouse people, stacking rings (both wooden and plastic), trying to do her puzzles, playing with her bee-bop band and, when she's old enough, she'll be able to drive her John Deere e-Tractor! Right now she just likes to sit on it and wait for someone to push her around. She got many other presents and nice clothes, so thank you everyone for being so generous.

    She still loves to read books, and will bring you book after book to read, but often doesn't stick around to hear the end of the story, or insists on turning the pages before you're done reading.

    Hana went for her one year old checkup and immunizations yesterday. She started crying the minute the doctor walked into the room - she's got a good memory! Three needles waited for her, but now she's vaccinated for chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella and has a booster flu shot. She's also 29.5" tall and weighs 21lb 3.3oz. She's not quite the top of the charts any more, and has "averaged out." Maybe she won't be taller than her dad after all! :)

    Hana also took her first sleigh ride, after we got snowed at Granny J and Grandpa Brian's. Ironically we had left her new sled at home, so we jury rigged something up, involving a wooden toboggan, bungee cords and a Superstore green bin. It worked, so that's the main point. She had fun with daddy that day!

    Dawn goes back to work on January 22nd, so Hana is about to enter the land of daycare. We found a great home-based one on the way to work for both of us, so hopefully Hana will have fun playing with the other 3 kids. We're also starting up Baby Rhyme Time again!

    Hana now knows a new sign - the sign for "open." She was sitting next to her new toys and signing "milk" then "eat" over and over, so we thought she better learn to ask for what she wants! She can also sign "done." My family thought it was pretty funny that we were teaching her sign language, but they have to admit that it's useful when she crawls over and sits at the door and says "open" instead of just crying!

    She also started "winking" whenever you say "take a picture!" or "cheese!" with the camera in your hand. It's making it difficult to get a picture with her eyes open, but it's just so cute!

    She's also learned how to bowl and give hugs to her toys. Visit the movies page to see them!

  • December 25, 2006



    MERRY CHRISTMAS
    Dawn, Julian and Hana wish you all a very Merry Christmas and lots of love and joy as you spend time with your families.

    Here's a picture of Hana from her birthday party. Thank you to everyone who visited and sent best wishes and presents, Hana enjoyed them all.


    Here's a little bit of fun: Do You Know Hana Marie?

  • December 26, 2006



    A letter to Hana:

    Dear Hana,
    Tomorrow you will be one year old! I can't believe it! At thist time last year we were in the hospital just waiting for you to be born. It was a very exciting and very tiring time, and your poor Dad was exhausted. He barely took time to go and call your family, and didn't eat much.

    Right now you are supposed to be napping, but you're talking to yourself in the crib. You're not saying any concrete words yet, but you're close. You say "ba" for bye, and "gen" for Gwen. You also say "Ahh-AHH" for Adam and Erin, and make a "don" sound when we ask you if you're done. You're close to saying hi, and say "ha" when waving hi to people. You love to make noises all day, and I'm sure you're telling us lots of stories. You even "yell" at us (we call it "giving us heck" when you're angry).

    We've been trying to teach you lots of things this year. You now can point to your head, and if we ask you where your tummy is, you make a washing motion on it. You know what your feet are and love to pull off your socks. You can clap your hands when we ask you to, and you clap when we sing songs. You can do the actions to "If you're Happy and you know it..." by clapping, holding your arms up high for hurray! and stomping your feet (by kicking them).

    We've also taught you some sign language. You can sign milk, eat (or hungry) and, sometimes, you'll do done. It has made our lives a lot easier because we know what you're asking for. You can drink by yourself from a sippy cup, but you still refuse to hold a bottle. I guess you know we'll hold it for you! You also feed yourself lots of food, like cheerios (your favorite!), pieces of fruit and pasta. You love to eat soda crackers and peeled mandarin orange segments. You still don't like very sweet food, and won't eat peaches! You're not a big fan of chicken or beef yet, so we have to sneak it into you.

    You are a very fast crawler! You seem to be getting faster every day, and we've got to close doors to rooms now, and those baby gates we put up are closed all the time. When people come to visit you, you like to crawl away, then stop and look back. Your favorite thing is when they chase you, especially if they crawl too! Then you take them on a tour of the house, laughing like crazy the whole time.

    You greet each morning with a smile! It's hard not to be a morning person when you know that your hugs and smiles are waiting in the crib to be picked up. You don't hug very often, mostly just in the morning and at night before you go to sleep. You are the perfect baby when it comes to sleeping. We carry you to the crib, give you hugs, and put you down. We give you your soother, and turn on the monitor, then cover you with a blanket and leave the room. Then you fall asleep! You are one of the very few babies that we know that doesn't like to be rocked. You would cry even harder when your granny J tried to rock you to sleep, to her dismay.

    You love baths, and can splash and play in it for a long time. Your dad taught you to pull out the plug, and you like to put your hand in the tornado that the water forms when it's draining out. You love bath time with daddy! After your bath you get dressed, have your hair brushed and then brush your teeth. You know how to brush your teeth yourself, so we just give you a toothbrush! Then it's time for a bottle, then you go to bed.

    Your life will change after Christmas, since I'll be going back to work. You're going to be in a daycare with 3 other kids who are all older than you. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun playing with them, especially if they chase you when you crawl.

    You love to play. You're a very enthusiastic player, and can hit and then chase balls all over the house (your favorite toy!). You sit and read, and sometimes read out loud to yourself. I hope you'll be a reader, just like me! You still like your exersaucer, but you don't go in it very often. You love to push the buttons on your toys that make them play music, then you dance like crazy! You are very gentle, and use just the tip of your index finger to push the buttons. Sometimes you pull off your socks and carry them in your mouth as you crawl away.

    You've got THREE teeth! The two bottom middle ones, and you also have your left incisor - but not the middle two! We're still waiting for those, and your other incisor to pop through completely. Right now only one corner is making an appearance. However, you can bite really well with the three teeth you have, and love to bite your stars or cheerios. You also love biting your baby mum-mums.

    I'll be adding more pictures and stories to this web site, especially after your birthday party tomorrow.

    But for now, I want to end this letter by telling you how much love and laughter you've brought into our life. Even though we don't get to do all the things we used to do, we do a lot more new things with you, and it's so exciting to see it through your eyes. Who knew that a beach ball could be so amazing! Your dad and I, and your whole family, love you very much, and we're so happy you're here with us. Thank you for being such a wonderful, happy, beautiful, amazing little girl!

    Love,
    Mom


  • November 21, 2006

    I can't believe it's been a month since I updated this site last. Time is just flying around here.

    Hana is crawling faster and faster (movie), and is getting quite fearless. She has figured out how to climb up steps (movie), but not get down. She wants to go head-first, and hasn't learnt to turn around yet! She'll sit still for a picture, but only rarely (and her boo-boo is healing quite fast).

    She'll climb lots of things now, including on top of laundry baskets (sometimes I put them on top of her, and she laughs and laughs!). She is getting more and more brave about using things to stand up, including our legs and will use walls (without grabbing on to things) to get up to standing. Then she cruises along the wall, couch, chair, exersaucer, to get where she wants to go.

    We've been going to Baby Rhyme Time at the local library, and she's loving it. We're sad (well, I'm sad) that next week will be our last class. Hana loves to crawl around and visit the other babies, and play with all the books and toys. She will clap along to songs and dance, and knows to clap at the end of songs now.

    Halloween was supposed to be fun, but we both ended up with the flu. My mom rescued us by taking care of Hana and I, so she made it out to two houses on the street in her costume.

    The weather has been getting colder, so when we go for walks she's all decked out in her snowsuit now. She hasn't quite figured out that she can move in it, and always sits very very still when we put it on her.

    Hana went to her very first birthday party this past month, where she celebrated Beatrix turning 1. I was busy making invitations for my friend's wedding, so Julian took her and captured the moments with the camera. After a little initial shyness and a cuddle with daddy, Hana was quick to crawl over and play with the other kids.

    Hana can be entertained for hours now, just give her a few books! She will read and read and read all her board books, and rarely chews them. She'll even read them out loud to herself (it's so cute!). She's always talking. She's also learned to "wink" at you if you wink at her (she closes both eyes). I'm trying to get a video of it, but it's difficult! She can also touch her head if you ask her where her head is, and knows her tummy, shoes, socks and toes.

    Are you wondering why I don't have as many updates and pictures any more? It's because she's never sitting still (when she's awake!). All my pictures are of her bum as she crawls away. I'm lucky to get one or two of her looking at me before she's off and crawling away.

    We're still waiting for the 4th tooth to come in, but she's eating very well with the three she has. She still loves cheerios, and has widened her fruit likes (finally!) to include cantalope and honeydew. We've also added freeze-dried apple bits to her diet, and she loves them. She still enjoys bananas, and has recently started to eat cucumber.

    One month until she's ONE! I can barely believe it. In the first months time was crawling along slowly, but now it seems that each day is gone in the blink of an eye.



  • October 20, 2006

    Hana has learnt a lot in the last month. Her crawling skills have become amazing, and she is very cute when she crawls as quick as she can across the room.

    Of course, that's not always the best idea, as she hit her head on the TV stand the other day. It was Hana's first big boo-boo! I think Mom and Dad felt worse than she did, since she stopped crying after a couple of minutes.

    Tomorrow Hana will be 10 months old. Besides crawling, she can now give hugs and high fives. We're still working on clapping, but she'll do it once in a while. She pulls herself up and walks along the furniture, and is getting a lot better at getting down once she gets up.

    Our house looks a little different, with two baby gates up, and the play-pen is a permanent fixture in the living room, so we have a safe place to put Hana while eating dinner!

    Hana now likes to eat cut-up food, but only if it's cut in a long skinny piece. She's drinking from a sippy cup herself like a pro now, but still doesn't hold her bottle.

    Hana went bowling for the first time, during Mom and Dad's anniversary celebrations. She had a great time, but quickly got tired and fell asleep under the flashing lights.

    Hana had another first this month - she spent her first weekend at her Granny J and Grandpa Brian's house! She wasn't alone there, as Auntie Gwen and "uncle" Adam, Auntie Erin and Uncle Chris, "grandma" Mary and great-great auntie Joyce and great-great uncle Garth came to visit her while she was there. Her Grandpa Brian picked her up in Winnipeg and drove her out on the Friday, then she got a ride back in on Sunday with Auntie Gwen. While she was there she had a great time and learnt to climb up the step from the living room to the kitchen (see the movies!). Her mom and dad were off in Mississauga for her mom's IEEE meeting.

    You can't leave her anywhere any more, she'll crawl on the couch (and pick the leaves off the plants!) and loves to play with shoes in the entryway.

    We spent an hour one afternoon playing with a pumpkin and the leaves, along with Auntie Erin.

    And sometimes, she's just too cute.
    Bath time!
    Playing in the kitchen.
    Playpen
    Hana grew some hair!
    Playing in the Pumpkins (a collage)





  • September 21, 2006

    Today Hana is 9 months old. It's hard to believe! So what are her new skills? Well, crawling is the main one, but she is now a master of waving "bye bye" and even open and closes her hand when doing so. She can also eat cheerios in seconds, with extreme accuracy. She loves them so much she gets really excited when she sees you opening a container full of them! She is also eating a lot more solid food, like pieces of peach and banana, as well as peas, carrots and sweet potato. I think she'd live off of cheerios if she could. She also pulls herself up to standing in her crib!

    She also had a busy few weekends. September 10th weekend she was babysat by Auntie Gwen while her mom and dad went out for their anniversary, celebrating 6 years of being married! Then, on Saturday, she went to a BBQ at her auntie Milena's house for her cousin Corissa and Natasha's birthday celebration. Then she went to a BBQ on Sunday for Michael Potter's birthday. It was a very busy weekend!

    The next weekend was a big first - her first vacation at Granny Janet and Grandpa Brian's house. She left on Thursday night and returned home on Sunday, while her parents went to Toronto. She had a great time there, and even learned how to climb up the 1/2 step from the sunken living room to the kitchen.

    She doesn't say any words yet, but has lots of sounds, some of which sound like mum-mum and some like da-da. She also is getting very good at shaking her head "no," often during feeding time. She does have TWO teeth now! One is much bigger than the other, but the second one is catching up quicky. They're very sharp.

    She's quickly outgrowing her clothes! I am finding all of her pants too short, so we have to move to a bigger size. Yesterday she weighed in at 19lb 15.4oz (9054grams). She's a big girl! And she's learning to get into trouble with her crawling - here she got stuck under the buffet. She was not very happy! And she managed to find the doors to the coffee table and enjoyed reading some postcards. They're now rubber-banded closed.

    She loves to play with balls and water or pop bottles. You would think that the water bottles contain the answers to all of life's questions, given the way she studies them.

    She's also started laughing this week. Really laughing, at lots of things. Other babies make her laugh and so does dropping things. Before she would just giggle once or twice. It's lots of fun!

    Diaper changing is getting a bit more tricky, as she loves to roll over during and try to sit up or escape. But if you sing her a song, she'll listen and smile and often stay still just long enough. A toy will also get her attention, if you need one!

    One of her favorite things to do is help mom make the bed. I put her on top of the pile of blanets and pillows, then roll her around while straightening the comforters under her. She has a blast! She'll roll and fall and sit-up and roll again. Laughing the whole time. One of these days I'll have to take a movie of it.

    She now has 3 movies up on her movies page, so please, take a look You can see her start to crawl, pull herself up on the coffee table, and climb the stair at granny and grandpas!



  • September 10, 2006


    HANA IS CRAWLING!!!!

    As of September 10th, around 7:30pm, Hana finally started crawling.

    Click here to watch 8 seconds of crawling(4MB). You need Windows Media Player to play it.

    Or, watch the whole thing (opens a new page)! This isn't her first crawl, but the first few videos were really dark until we put up a lamp so that the basement would be brighter.

    That's her Auntie Erin in the background, who decided to come visit today, and Auntie Gwen is tapping the empty Penatin Creme can to lure Hana towards her. We spent the evening taking things away from her so she'd crawl towards them! Poor girl, she was so tired when we were done!

    It was a busy weekend. We went out for supper on Friday to celebrate our 6th Anniversary, and left Hana home with Auntie Gwen to babysit. Then we went to Auntie Milena's house on Saturday to celebrate her cousin's birthdays - Corissa and Natasha. On Sunday we went to the park to celebrate our friend Michael Potter's birthday. It was quite the weekend.

    I'll have more pictures up soon, but now I've got to go and run around and baby-proof. I'm sure I'll be out shopping for some gates tomorrow, and I'll have to set up the playpen to put her in while I'm putting things up high.

    What else is new? Oh yeah - a SECOND TOOTH! It's just popping through on the bottom (we could finally feel it today!), right beside her first one. Poor girl, she's been teething terribly this past week.

    But Hana's learning to talk a little bit... Hana talking (you need Windows Media Player to play it)

  • August 24, 2006


    I'll write a story later, but today, it's all about the pictures.












  • August 15, 2006


    Happy Name Day Hana!

    Today is Hana's name day. You can read more about it here. I don't know what we'll do to celebrate it, but next year it will be just like a birthday.

    Hana is really moving now. Not crawling, but just getting around. She used to sleep all swaddled up, and just last week she started escaping. Now she is all over the bed when she sleeps, I never know where I'll find her (here her leg escaped from her sleeper too)! She also likes to cuddle with her bumper pads.

    This past weekend she went out to visit her "Uncle Stuart" at his birthday party in Carberry. She enjoyed sitting in her stroller and watching everyone - except she gave Daddy a funny look because he was wearing sunglasses. She was such a good girl!

    Then we decided to visit Uncle Chris and Auntie Erin on Sunday at their house in Portage La Prairie. Julian even got to drive a swather and swath a field of canola. He was so excited and had so much fun! Because Hana is moving so much, we had to take the playpen for her to sleep in. It took her a while to fall asleep, because she was too interested in "scratching" the sides! But it worked great.

    But the big news around here is TEETH! Hana has cut her first tooth - you have to look closely in the picture, it's that little mark in her bottom gums. I'll be sure to take another picture when it's more popped out. It first made it's apperance on August 11th as a tiny dark spot and something hard when you rubbed her gums.

    Monday was the first day of swimming lessons. Hana got a bit scared when we were first in the pool area because it was full of little kids taking their lessons, but she enjoyed being in the water with mom, especially when mom "jumped" her out of the water and she could splash.

    If you haven't been here lately, be sure to visit the updates page for some of the past updates. I'm trying to update more often so you'll have more to look for!

    Here's just a cute picture. She's so happy!




  • August 8, 2006


    Hana has really started moving. She's not crawling yet, but when she's sitting she will reach way forward and kind of scooch her bum. She's also become much more confident at rolling over, and I have found her on her tummy a few times after her naps. I can't just put her down on the floor anymore and find her in the same place! Here she is in the bathroom. I left her near the green soother on the floor before I got into the shower, and when I was done, she was in the garbage!

    The only problem is that if she finds herself on her tummy she gets upset and doesn't know how to roll herself back over, so I have to go and "rescue" her! She still doesn't like being on her tummy that much.

    It's also nice that we can tell more about how she's feeling. When she's tired she rubs her eyes, and when she's hungry she makes a "mmmm mmmm mmmmm MMMMMM!" noise.

    She still doesn't cry much, only when she falls on her face when trying to reach something, or if you leave her on her tummy too long.

    We like to go outside, but not when it's so hot! We've been to the park to go on the swings and enjoy the sunshine. Next week we're also going to be starting swimming lessons at the pool, so we're looking forward to that!

    Hana loves the lawn, and will pull the blanket we put her on until she can reach the grass. She loves to pull it out over and over, but not eat it (much).

    Because of her recent attempts to get around, we've lowered the mattress in her crib from where it was originally.

    She's also visited her grandparents and great grandmothers a few times! It's been a busy couple of weeks.

  • July 24, 2006


    Hana is now 7 months old. She can sit up for over an hour before slowly falling over, and is a pro at reaching and grasping for things. She still has only rolled over once, but is now twisting and turning and rolling on her side when she's lying on her back on the floor. She has excellent grasping skills now, and can pick up items she wants, like her rubber duck, although she's still learning how to drop something that's already in her hand if she wants to pick something else up.

    When on her tummy, she'll kick and kick her feet, but doesn't pull herself along yet. I'm sure it's only a matter of time! Family legend has it that Dawn didn't crawl at all; she just got up and walked at 9 months. Julian was a crawler. So who knows what she'll do!

    At her last doctor's visit she got 3 needles (poor girl!). She was weighed and measured and is a big girl at 27" long and 8kg (17lb 10oz). We're sure she's over 18 pounds by now!

    Since she's growing so fast we took advantage of Sears Days yesterday and went and bought the larger size of cloth diapers (Toddler), and a new car seat. I think we'll put the new car seat into the black car and move the base of her bucket seat into the red car. That way we're shuffling them back and forth less. She'll grow out of her infant seat when she hits 29" or 22lbs - not too much time left for it!

    Hana is eating a lot of solids now. She eats rice and oatmeal cereal. Vegetables include peas (her favorite!), carrots, sweet potatoes and now beans. She has also tried pears, but doesn't like them very much. We'll try peaches next, I think.

    We've been busy this summer, with a BBQ celebrating father's day and Dawn's birthday, as well as Auntie Erin and Uncle Chris' anniversary (and Chris' parent's anniversary too!) and Erin's birthday (and some other June birthdays too!). It was a fun day, even if it did rain a bit. Hana got to meet some of Dawn and Julian's friends she hadn't met before, like Michael and Kimberlee Potter, and Ian Edwards and his girlfriend Marcela, and Diana Newbury and Sean Cody. She even got to see her friend Liam Southcombe again!

    Hana also had her first swim in a lake this past weekend, when we went to visit Uncle Didier and Auntie Milena and cousins Corissa and Natasha at White Lake. They were very surprised to see us! We enjoyed a BBQ at the camp site and brief swim before heading back to Winnipeg.

    Hana also enjoys sitting outside while mom does some raspberry picking. She even picked some grass and clover for the first time and tried to eat a daisy!

    Hana also went for another visit to Great-Grandma's place (here are all 4 generations!) and stopped in at great Aunt Jennifer and great Uncle John's place on the way home. It was her first time there, and she loves to see her 2nd cousins Amber and Crystal! But it was a long ride home, and she got very tired.

    Last night she tried the jolly jumper again and actually got some jumps in! She's working on those leg muscles, that's for sure. She has a blast in her exersaucer and loves the jolly jumper too! She's always looking for ways to move, including rocking back and forth when you're holding her!

    Hana loves when people come to visit, like Auntie Erin, so come on over! She might even play hide and seek with you (but she's not very good at hiding yet, especially under hats).



  • July 10, 2006


    Is there anything this kid can't do? Apparently she barely bats an eye at driving across the country. This last week we took a vacation to visit her Grandma Jarmila, who lives 1500km away. We packed up the car on Friday, June 30th and began our journey. We were very surprised at how well Hana did, she only needed to stop to get changed and then we could continue on our way, feeding her a bottle, cereal and veggies in the car. We spent the week with her grandma, and are now home again. Only on the last two days did she really get fussy at around 5pm, and we knew it was time to get somewhere to stop, so that she didn't have to be in a car seat any more. Lucky for her, we were only about an hour away from our hotel room on Saturday, and almost home on Sunday.

    She spent the night a variety of hotel rooms - a Super 8 in Superior, Wisconsin, 2 hotels in Elliot Lake, and a night in a hotel on Lake Michigan, and her favorite was a Residence Inn in Minneapolis.

    Firsts while on this trip? Well, first time spending 8+ hours in the car! It was her first time seeing any of the Great Lakes, and she even took a walk out to a lighthouse on Lake Michigan. She had her first swim in a pool! She was not scared of the water (or the big boys yelling in the pool area) at all - and was kicking and splashing her hands the whole time. The hardest part was trying to keep her hands out of her mouth so she wouldn't "drink" too much of the pool water!

    She had another BIG first - seeing her Grandma Jarmila! She smiled at her right away, so we know she recognized her voice from talking to her on the phone. Grandma Jarmila couldn't believe how sweet she is in real life, and how beautiful her smile is. Of course, we knew this all along. She did wonderfully there, and enjoyed long naps on Grandma Jarmila's bed and eating at the table with all of the family. She even met some of the neighbours, and was a good enough girl that mom and dad could go for some drives to visit the place where her dad went to high school while she napped.

    Depending on where we were, she was changed in a rest stop bathroom, or restaurant bathroom. However, some places didn't have change areas, so we used the rear deck of the car. Julian enjoyed it, as it was the perfect height for him. Of course, Hana did have her bum shown to many passing motorists!

    Dawn drove most of the way, because to her, driving was a welcome break, and Julian sat in the back (when necessary) and fed Hana, and played with her. She had a lot of toys to chew on, her "tag" blanket and crinkle book were among her favories.

    Pictures of the trip here!
    All in all, the trip was a success, and we all came back feeling refreshed. Although Dawn is very happy to be near a sink and washing machine again! No more smelly bibs and bottles to wash at the end of the day is great!


  • June 21, 2006



    • Dear Hana,

    Today you are 6 months old. Every day I am amazed at how happy you are when you wake up and give me a good morning smile. It makes those early mornings a little easier to take.

    I can.t believe how much you can do now. You can put your toes in your mouth when you.re having your diaper changed. You laugh when we hold you in the air or play peek-a-boo, even if we don.t hide! You love to be in your ExerSaucer and chewing on all the toys. You can sit up on your own for longer than we think, and can sit alone longer every day. You love to reach for toys, especially ones that light up or play music. Your favorite toy is the sock with the butterfly on it because you like to chew the wings. You also love to chew on the labels and on the ribbons of your ribbon blanket. You even managed to roll from your tummy to your back once, on my birthday. It was an amazing present! When you get really excited you put your arms straight out to the sides and shake because you just don.t know what to do first.

    We.ve been expecting teeth for a while now, but have yet to see any poke through. Every day I check your mouth for any thing poking through, but still only find gums. You have a lot of drool, and sometimes you get a rash around your mouth.

    You.re eating rice cereal, carrots and peas now, and so far you.ve liked them all. We love feeding you, because you get so excited to be eating like us, especially at the table when you.re sitting in your high chair.

    Some days are harder than others, especially when we get out of routine and I can.t tell if you.re hungry or tired or what you want and you start to yell. You.re not a screamer or a crier, but you can .talk. loudly when you want to! Those days remind me that not everything is on a schedule, especially when it comes to you, and that I need to relax and really watch you to see what you need. A good nap or two, and a good night.s sleep is all we need to get back into a happy routine.

    You love to watch anything bright, like the computer monitor, the TV or outside the window where the leaves are blowing on the trees. You get scared of sounds when you don.t know where they are coming from, like the stereo, but after a few tries you are OK with them. Your favorite colour is bright yellow, and you like patterns on clothes. You like to try and scratch or pick up the bears on the blue flannel cover of your nursing pillow. You also love scratching the couch.

    You love to have your picture taken! Every time a flash goes off you will look and smile for the second, and third, and fourth picture being taken of you. You smile even when you just see the camera! Your dad and I have about 3000 pictures of you and your family, and so do your aunts and uncles. We all are amazed by how much you change every day.

    You came with me to .Pilates for Two.. At first you were scared of the big room and the music and microphoned voice of the instructor. You also didn.t like to be left alone on your back, so we worked at it, and by the end of the 10 classes you were happy lying on your back looking at me. You were also scared of the room full of people at the support group we went to on Wednesdays. You were fine until a sudden loud noise, like when everyone would laugh at once. Now I can leave you with one of the public health nurses while I leave the room and you.re just fine!

    I can.t believe how strong you are. I often have to warn people when they hold you, because you love to rock back and forth without warning when sitting or standing on their laps. You can stand for a long time when we hold you, even if we.re holding you just by your hands. Sometimes you will .scootch. down daddy.s legs when you.re sitting on them.

    You make noises like .ba ba ba. and .mum mum mum. and you love to go .haaaaaaaaaaa. and do an inhale screech. You really are a talker! You talk all day, so it.s rarely quiet here unless you.re asleep. The best part is that you don.t cry when you wake up, you just start talking.

    You love being sung and read to. We sing patty-cake, itsy-bitsy spider and You are my Sunshine, which all make you smile. We.ve added bouncing songs like Bumping Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon which make you laugh and smile. You love the Red Rooster book!

    You are always looking around at everything. You turn your head and look and look and look. You.ve just started to tilt your head to the side to look at things from a new perspective, and we all love when you shake your head back and forth . it.s like you.re saying .no. . and somehow you always do it when we ask you a question.

    Sometimes I am amazed at how delicate you can be when you look at things. You can play with a ribbon or the pull on a zipper or even my hair for a long time just with one finger touching it gently. You are amazed when I take my glasses on and off when you.re looking at me, or when I drape my hair over both of us when you.re lying on your back on the floor.

    When you fall asleep you like to snuggle your face into your blanket. We always wrap you up so your arms are pinned to your side and your head is on your blanket. When you.re really tired you.ll turn your face to the side, close your eyes, and fall asleep, just like that! We give you a soother to help you fall asleep, but often we.ll find it above your head or under your cheek in the morning. You have been sleeping through the night since you were two months old.

    I love the way your face lights up and you smile when you see me, your dad, or your grandparents and aunts and uncles.

    You.ve taught me to pay attention to the little signals you give and not the clock. You.ve taught me that it isn.t always how far we get, but the journey getting there, and remembering to stop and look at things along the way, because they.re new every time. Sometimes we have to go slower, so you don.t get scared, and so you have time to get used to the new environment.

    Sometimes I wish you.d stay little, and other times I can.t wait until you.re walking and talking.

    All I do know for sure is that I love you and can.t imagine my life without you. You have brought more smiles and love and happiness into our lives than we could have ever imagined. And sometimes, when the light is just right, I realize there's a little angel among us.





    Love,

    Mom




  • May 16, 2006


    We were in Ottawa from May 5th to 7th. I had an IEEE Board of Director's meeting to attend, so we packed up Hana and left for Ottawa. Hana did great on the flight there, since the plane was empty enough that they let us bring her car seat on. I just gave her a bottle as we took off and then she fell asleep and slept almost the whole way there. While we were decending she woke up, so I played with her and gave her her soother to help her with the air pressure. She did great - not one cry! What a kid! We stayed at the Lord Elgin hotel, which was very nice and right beside the Parliment buildings. Hana enjoyed relaxing, and slept in a crib just like as if she was at home - no problem! I had meetings all day, so Julian took Hana on some very long walks. He would meet me for lunch, and again for supper, but otherwise they were on the move. Here they are at the peace tower (no strollers allowed) and in the Parliment building. And outside the Parliment buildings. You can see she's looking at the statue beside her. After all that walking, Hana and daddy would have a nap waiting for mommy to come back to the hotel.

    All the meeting attendees were in love with her from the start. They kept telling us what a great kid she was, and wanted their picture taken with her. She did really well, only fussing when she was tired or hungry. It turns out that strollers can be useful for parties too!

    On the way home, the plane was too full, so we couldn't bring her car seat on, we had to hold her. She didn't do quite as well, with some crying after a change in the noisy bathroom, but we just fed her and she was fine.

    Hana's newest development is grabbing her toes. She can grab one foot in each hand, or one foot with two hands.
    We also signed up for the Nestle Baby program and got some free stuff. No, she's not sitting up herself yet, I'm hiding behind the table. She's very close though, and will sit up unsupported for a short while before falling to the side.

    The weather has been so nice, we've been going for lots of walks. Here we are at the Forks the day after we got back from Ottawa. She loves her jacket that Granny sewed her for the wind. When it's warm enough she just wears a sweater.

    She also helps mommy out with laundry, and making the bed.

    We finally made the trip out to my sister's place for her husband Chris' birthday. Her dog, Magoo, didn't seem to like us much (well, just me!), but we had a great time. Hana did really well, even taking a nap on the spare bed! Here she is with Auntie Erin and the birthday boy, Uncle Chris. She was ready to eat that birthday cake!

    For Mother's Day, Julian took the first feeding of the day and let me sleep in for the first time in months. It was so nice!!! Then we got up, and went to Tim Hortons for donuts, then off to the Vaughn Street Jail for a tour. Hana behaved herself... mostly. Except for with Daddy, but I bailed them out. Supper was at Hu's on First, then we came home and went for a long walk through King's Park. Sunday we went to Vita to my grandmother's to visit with the family, (and pick this up). She even went for a ride on the 4 wheeler - moving this time! Then we came back to the city and went to Julian's dad's to visit with the other half of the family. She didn't even cry for Uncle Joe! Both my grandmother, Honey, and Julian's grandmother, Elaine, celebrated their very first great-grandmother's day! Hana did so well, she barely cried at all and had smiles for everyone.



  • April 26, 2006


    First of all, please visit the Farmer Hana web page.

    It has been a while since I updated the page, but I hope you will all come back to read more about what Hana has been up to.

    It's been a busy 2 weeks, with lots of activity. Highlights were easter (visit Hana's Easter web page for some really great pictures), visiting friends, going to Pilates, a Pampered Chef party and her first BBQ!

    We've attended 3 more Pilates classes. Hana is doing better each time, and the last time she only was fussy for the last 10 minutes or so, I got in almost a whole workout.

    I also took Hana back to where I worked for a visit. She did super well there, without making a fuss at all, even taking a nap while I had lunch! I didn't think to take out my camera and capture it, but I'm sure she'll be back for another visit.

    Easter was ... interesting. Julian's family's dinner on Saturday was Ok, but Hana still gets scared of all the new voices and faces, especially when Uncle Joe riles up the kids and makes them scream! Poor girl. After we got home I had to rock her to sleep (the first time I've had to do that!) because she kept making little cries. She was still scared! On Sunday, we went to visit with my family at my grandmother, Honey's, house. It went much better. I think it's because all our voices are similar and she is more familiar with Gwen, my mom, Erin and myself there. Plus there were only 2 kids, so she didn't have to contend with any screaming or yelling. I was probably more relaxed too. Maybe the long drive (about 1.5 hours) each way helped too, since she had a nice long nap.

    Then she went to visit her friend Marcus. Marcus' mom, Corallee, and I became friends at Hydro, where we both worked. Marcus was born in February, so Hana enjoyed watching a little boy walk around! She also borrowed his jolly jumper, since he doesn't need it any more.

    She also attended her first Pampered Chef party! She was perfect, and spent the time "talking" to me and anyone else she could see! :)

    Sunday took us to an EcoAdventure wrap-up BBQ put on by the McNairnays. I'm sure Hana will enjoy many many more BBQs with these friends!

    Yesterday she got 3 needles. Poor girl! Again, the first one wasn't so bad, but the second two were terrible. Julian held her kicking little legs while the doctor gave her the vaccinations.

    People often have "life counts" of things they've seen, like birds. Hana's "life count" of animals now includes: 5 dogs (2 great Pyrenees, one Bichon Frise, and 2 Blue Heelers), Hereford cows and calves, and 2 white cats.

    And now, here's the part I know you've all been waiting for, some pictures!

    Hana in her exersaucer. She's really starting to figure it out, and still loves her red flower!
    Hana in her crib.. You can tell she loves to read, just like her mom!
    Hana at Assiniboine Park. Julian and I took her there on Good Friday. It was packed with people, and she enjoyed the warm summer air!
    Mom gets a break. Hana is being held by great-aunt Jill, with aunt Frances (left) and grandma Cathy (right) at Jill's house for Julian's family's easter dinner.
    Hana meets her great-uncle Ken. For the first time!
    Hana meets Tiny.
    Hana rides the 4-wheeler.
    Hana rides the big John Deere. with Auntie Erin.
    Hana meets a 4 day old calf!
    Dylan, Kendra and Hana.2nd cousins!
    Sometimes Hana does this.
    Hana meets the jolly jumper. She's not quite sure what to do with it yet, so far she just bends one leg and does a kind of "circle" on the remaining one.
    Yo, yo, hommie H!
    Hana and mom! Here's a picture of her new fleece jacket that her Granny Janet sewed.
    Uncle Chris and Emily (holding Hana). Hana went to her first BBQ at the McNairnays! I'm sure there are many more to come.
    Hana reads again.

  • April 10, 2006


    Last week was a big week for outings. Tuesday was our first Pilates for 2 class. Hana was kind of fussy at it, I don't know if it was the music, the microphoned voice or the 30 other babies, but she was pretty unhappy lying on her back beside me. She loved one of the moves though! I lie on my back and put my knees up at 90 degrees with my shins up and put her on my shins, then do a bit of a sit-up and kiss her (bringing her down towards my head). Actually, the toughest part was carrying her from the car and back!

    Wednesday we went to another support group meeting. Again she cried. Poor girl! I tried covering her, rocking her and putting her in the carseat. Finally she calmed down.

    Thursday we went to an infant nutrition class, with a infant dietition who taught us about feeding our babies solid foods. There were 8 people in the class. This time I left her in the carseat and she was just fine! She smiled and smiled at the lady beside me.

    So she was perfectly fine with her first non-family babysitter! She slept most of the time, and then she woke up so Dessa changed her diaper and fed her. I was so happy that she took a bottle from Dessa. :)

    Last week we also took her for a few walks. We dressed her up in her snowsuit and toque, the put her flat in the stroller. She slept the whole time! Julian was thrilled, as he loves to go for walks.

    Hana loves to stand! A lot! She isn't too impressed with just lying down, she likes to be propped up.

    We went for another dinner at her grandpa Josef and Cathy's house for Josef's birthday. And Uncle Joe made her cry. She had to be rescued from him. Poor girl, she's just not used to his volume! Julian kept reminding him to use his "inside voice" but it didn't help.

    And Auntie Gwen keeps reminding me to dress her up, so here's a picture of her in her Glamour Girl outfit!

  • April 3, 2006


    Making Strange! It's started! Hana doesn't seem to like rooms full of strangers much. She's fine in a mall, but in a room full of people talking she gets quite fussy. I am trying to take her out to places like a support group on Wednesdays, but it's hard when she just wants to cry and cry! I think she gets scared when it's quiet for a while, then people laugh or talk.

    She's finally using her new dresser that her granny Janet, auntie Erin and auntie Gwen got for her as a shower gift.

    She's also got a new lamp! Granny found it for her at Rona, and you can tell that mummy just loved it!

    She's almost started making deliberate moves to put things in her mouth. Right now if you put something in her hands, she pushes it towards her mouth and chews on it. And she recongized her hand once this week. I think it's going to start happening much more often!

    Last week was a busy one. Wednesday afternoon we left for a visit to Granny Janet and Grandpa Brian's house with Auntie Gwen. We were back before 5 on Thursday, so it was a quick visit. While we were there she had a ride in the walker that her mom and aunts used. Granny took pictures, of course! We also put her in auntie Erin's old crib for the night.
    Speaking of sleeping, Hana is still sleeping through the night (knock on wood). I'm sure enjoying it! And we love those lazy Saturday mornings, when Hana joins us in bed. She's also started talking with her mouth closed. I think it's quite funny to watch (10 seconds, 725kb)! Things are not all roses here though. Last week Hana started not wanting to nurse in the evenings, but on Friday she only nursed first thing in the morning and at the end of the day. It was a very trying day, with her screaming and arching her back away from me when I tried to feed her. And Saturday she was just fine. What a kid!

    Yesterday was a big day. She went for her first walk with mum and dad, and slept the whole time in her stroller. We dressed her up in her pink snowsuit and blue fleece toque. Then we took her to grandpa Josef's and Cathy's house for a family dinner. She was quite fussy and cried - more making strange (look at that big lip)! We managed to get a few pictures in without her crying. She even surprised everyone by saying "mum mum mum" when she got really upset. She's been doing it for a while (and probably not on purpose) but it sure sounds like she's calling for mum!

    She was fine for a while in her exersaucer when I was updating this, but I've been typing the last few minutes with her on my lap. She likes to talk to the monitor!

    Tonight she's going to have her first non-related babysitter. Auntie Dessa is coming over! I hope it goes well! :)

  • March 27, 2006



    Since Hana's been born, we've been exercising our digital camera. At last count, we have 1577 pictures taken since she was born. Granted, there are a few other things in there like our family Christmas, but the majority of them are Hana! In fact, I have noticed that she'll look right at the camera now if you have it around her.

    This past week was quite an adventure for Hana and I. I took her to a support group run by the local Public Health Nurses on Wednesday. She was weighed and is now a big 13lb 0.3oz! The nurse remarked that she's half as big as I am. I think we need to take her out more. She was fine for about an hour, then dissolved into tears and wouldn't stop crying. Poor girl.

    Thursday a couple of friends dropped by, and she didn't like the look of them! Ok, ok, that's not quite true. She was hungry and they were strangers, and I think that combination made her upset.

    Friday I took her out again. This time the room was quiet and a man cleared his throat and she got really scared and sobbed! BIG deep sobs! We had to leave to come home because she wouldn't calm down. Of course, the minute I got her outside and walked back to the car she fell asleep.

    So on Saturday and Sunday we took her out to the mall and out for coffee and she did just fine both times, even putting on her new toque wasn't a problem. And we went out without the camera! I think it was a first for Julian to leave it at home.

    I have to show this picture though, since I've been trying to teach her to stick her tongue out. Although this was more of a coincidence than her actually sticking her tongue out on purpose.

    Hana has also started noticing the TV and computer monitors. She will now look at them when it's dark in the room, and is mesmerized by them. It's very entertaining. To get her attention you have to put your hand in front of her eyes, and only then will she look away from the TV or computer monitor.

    Her core body strength is really improving. She has been standing for a while now (see previous updates for a video!), and now you only have to hold her around her bum and she'll stand up straight! She seems to want to skip past sitting up and go straight for standing!



  • March 20, 2006

    This week has been the week of new plastic toys for Hana.

    First of all I built her new highchair for her. Now she can sit with us in the dining room when we eat, and can sit in the kitchen with me during the day when I do things like bake or wash and sterilize bottles.

    Secondly, I built the exersaucer that Pam, Marni and Linda (ladies from work) got Hana. She's just tall enough to touch her toes when she stands in it. She randomly hits the toys on it and gets quite excited at the sound and loves the red flower. I have put it in the computer room so when I check my email or update this web site she can sit and play with me. I also use her bouncy chair for this when I need to. However, I can move the bouncy chair easily since it's so small, so it goes into the bathroom when I shower or into the basement so she has somewhere to sit.

    The third thing she got was a new mobile. I can't believe how expensive mobiles are - some of the ones I saw are $80! So I went with the Fisher Price ocean wonders one. It's a lot bigger than I expected, but I love the light pattern on the ceiling when it's dark. Hana likes looking at the fish in the base, the light and the hanging fish. In fact, I just used it to see if she'd fall asleep to it, and it worked! I also use it when I need to keep her entertained while I clean up from a diaper change or put away her laundry.

    I've been warning Julian that if he carries her naked from the crib to the bathroom for her bath that he'd get peed on... and I was finally proved right. She got him!

    My sister Erin and brother in law Chris came back from Europe, so we met them at the airport and then went for a quick bite to eat at Grapes. They both couldn't believe how much Hana had grown in the 3 weeks they were gone.

    We also made the switch to cloth diapers. I'm now using Kushies Ultra diapers exclusively, except for when we travel. So far I'm very impressed - they're the same amount of work as disposibles, except for an added load of laundry every day or so. We've had no leaks so far!

    Hana has also started standing! If you hold her under her arms and put her on your legs, she loves to stand on you. It's also when she gets the closest to laughing. I think she'll be giggling soon. Watch a video (1 MB, WMV format) to see her standing on our bed.

    And today she asked me why I have to keep putting pictures of her on the internet. Especially that "pee" one. ;) So I told her it's so all her friends could see her!



  • March 13, 2006

    Hana is not a laid back girl! Whenever we put her in her bouncy chair, car seat or any other semi-upright position, she tries and tries to sit up more, and holds her head up! This week I also bought her a new set of toys - it's a couple of wrist rattles and feet rattles (I paid a little more than the price quoted on that web site!). Today she was staring at them while in her bouncy chair. I am sure she likes them.

    If it's possible, she's also become even more happy. And maybe a little bit sneaky. She's also got more hair than her daddy now.

    She's also started sleeping even longer. We've put her to bed around 10:30 or 11pm the last few nights and she's slept until 7:30 or 8am! Of course, this means she doesn't go back to sleep until 10am, she just stays up to play, but I'm getting a lot more sleep - a whole 8 hour stretch! It's heavenly!

    We had a very busy weekend. On Friday we went to meet Julian at lunch, then we went to Polo Park for a bit. Then on Saturday we went to a wedding with her. We even managed to pose for our first family picture since we've had her. She was so good - except for a bit of fussing in the church right before the exchange of the rings, so we missed that part of the wedding and only made it back to see the signing of the register (from the back of the church). However, she was a happy baby during the whole reception, only crying when she got hungry. She also got to change twice into two party dresses. The blue one that auntie Erin gave her, and a green one that Granny Nedohin sewed her. She looked like a little princess in her shirt, shoes, tights, ribbon panties and green dress. She may have had a bit too much to drink though. She was all partied out by the end of the night.

    Then we took her to Polo Park yesterday for an afternoon of shopping. I managed to feed her twice. Once in the nursing room just beside Petland, and once in the Sears nursing room. Sears beats the mall, hands down. The mall just had two arm chairs, while the Sears room had a sink, change table, two arm chairs and two extra chairs and coffee tables beside the chairs (for the cloths, my drink, etc. that moms need while nursing!). She did really well at the mall, turning her head left and right and left and right trying to see all of the sights! She'll be a shopper yet. ;)

    And she's holding her own bottle! Ok, ok, she's not really holding her own bottle yet, except when she accidentally puts her hands in just the right spot (she did it herself!) and we grab the camera.

  • March 7, 2006
    It's time to put away half of her clothes. Her poor little legs just can't stretch out in her 0-3m sleepers any more! I have a box on the bed, and as each sleeper comes out of the wash I put it away. I've also had to put away all her Gold Bug 0-2 socks as they're way too small, and it's too hard to keep putting them back on as they slowly slide off. Actually, this limits her socks to only about 4 pairs, so I'll have to go and get some more, as she's started wearing pants once in a while, not just sleepers.

    Hana's started making different noises now. She's gurgling and cooing and her noises are getting a lot quieter unless she's really excited. She's also started doing a 'cough' noise when she's really happy, which I think is going to turn into a laugh.

    This weekend she's about to make a very public debut at a friend's wedding. I hope she enjoys it! I'm not sure how we'll handle the logistics of feeding her. We might just come home in between wedding and reception, feed her, then head to the reception. I don't know how long she'll behave at the reception, she's typically fussy in the evenings and eats every 2 to 2.5 hours, but it's not too far to come home.

    Hana's developed a routine now that she's stuck to for 2 weeks (so I'm hoping it lasts!). She goes to bed at 11:30pm, then gets up at 5:45am, then is back down until 10 or 10:30. Then she's pretty much up the rest of the day except for a few 30 to 45min cat naps. Once in a while she'll nap for an hour. When she's up she still enjoys being read too, singing and learning with her LeapFrog Learning Gym.

    A little more developmental news: she's really fighting to hold her head up and sit up! I have been putting her to sit in a nursing pillow and when she's sitting in it, she is constantly crunching up her stomach to sit up. She's also very good at holding up her head, and I almost never have to hold it any more, unless she's really tired. I'm sure it won't be long until I'm reporting her sitting up! :)


  • Feb 27, 2006
    Hana survived another road trip to Morden, and it didn't alter her sleeping patterns at all. Speaking of sleeping, she's now consistantly sleeping through the night. Typically she sleeps from 11pm until 6am or so, or sometimes from midnight until 8am. I feed her, then she goes back to sleep until 9 or 10am! It's heaven! Then she is awake for about 2.5 hours then cat-naps for 30 minutes (then it repeats) all day. It's so nice.

    I'm so lucky. Hana is all smiles in the morning when she gets up and I think she must be telling me all about her dreams, because she starts talking almost right away when she wakes up! She is such a little talker! She rarely cries, and when she does it's for only a minute or so at a time. And - this is a big one - she falls asleep on her own. I can put her in her crib when she's just getting sleepy, stick the soother in her mouth and leave her, and she falls asleep!

    This past weekend we went out for a wedding shower in Morden, and we took Hana along. I dressed her up in her little blue dress that Auntie Erin bought for her and she pretty much slept through the shower in her Granny Nedohin's arms. Everyone was excited to see her, and for a lot of people this was the first time they had met her. What a little angel she was! One of the girls (Melanie) remarked how Hana is such a "little Julian!"

    This past week she also met her first other baby - Liam. Liam was born 3 days later than Hana, so they're very close in age. He was supposed to be born 4 weeks later, and she was supposed to be born 2 weeks earlier, so instead of 6 weeks apart, they're only 3 days! Poor Hana, she got scared when Liam cried, because she'd never heard another baby cry before. I've got some comparison shots, so we'll have to keep taking pictures of them side-by-side as they grow up. :)
    Hana does NOT like wearing her little toque, and she hates being put into the car seat. Once we're in and moving it's OK, but getting in is a big chore as she cries and cries. I guess she doesn't like being constrained in it.

  • Feb 19, 2006
    What a week! Hana enjoyed her first shopping trip on Thursday, and was absolutely mesmerized by the clothes, lights and sounds of the mall. I have to hand it to St. Vital, they have an excellent family room with change counters/sinks and a place to nurse if you need to. Hana sure enjoyed it there. I think there's another shopper in the family! ;)

    Yesterday was a fantastic surprise - a baby shower thrown by the girls from work and IEEE ladies! I was totally surprised, which is no small feat, as I'm usually pretty good about these things. I have to hand it to Dessa, Corallee, Lindsay, Jennifer, and Karen, as I had no clue. Hana got some fantastic stuff, and I'm sure you'll see some pictures of her using it here. Then in the evening I went to a Stagette, which was super fun (Murder on the Menu). It was a blast. Thank goodness Hana takes a bottle, so I could be so busy all day and she was fed just fine. Since I was only away about 4 hours at a stretch, she still was fed by me, but could have a little bottle in between if she was starving.

    This morning was quite a mess - Hana made a real mess of her sleeper spitting up on it, then managed to pee in the crib all over the sheet and waterproof pad I had under it, so it was time for a morning bath (see pictures below, sorry about the half naked Julian shots in there). I kept the naked bum shots off the internet, there's just one boobie shot, but I thought it was tasteful enough to show. Hana is splashing away now, and is pretty much too big for her little bath. She's had a couple of baths in the big tub, and I think it's going to be a permanent switch.

    I can't believe she's growing out of things. She's too big for some of the sleepers already, and has grown out of her baby bath-tub. She's smiling and singing like crazy and really holds her head up well now. I keep expecting her to start talking any day, with all the chatting she does with us.

  • Feb 13, 2006
    It's been a crazy few weeks here with a lot of travelling. Hana has taken a road trip to Morden twice and had a great time both times. She's also attended her Granny's 50th Birthday party and managed not to spit up or otherwise dirty her party dress which is a miracle!
    One thing about having a baby - there are no plans any more. I know it's valentines day, but I don't think we'll be celebrating. Maybe ordering in a pizza will be as festive as we get.
    Hana finally met the rest of the family on Sunday, and was held by her great-grandmother and a couple of great-aunts. Even a second cousin or two! She was a little fussy, but mom's best friend
    () helped save the day.
    So it turns out that Hana absolutely loves music. If you sing to her she will sing along with you for a long time. I've found she particularly loves Freres Jacques, along with anything german. Julian's work chipped in together to get her a learning leapfrog gym thing (pictures to come) and she absolutely loves the songs it playes, especially when it plays the german singing (gutten tag!).


    Last updated June 21, 2006