Top 5 Posts of 2010

Looking back on the past year, I am amazed at how much has changed.  2010 was filled with so many big changes and memories!  Our little peanut was born and changed our lives completely!  This year was really the first year of this blog - I technically started it in 2009, but only had 13 posts that year....so it barely counts. ;-) 

I thought it would be fun to look back at the top 5 posts of 2010, based on http://www.statcounter.com/

#5 - Our Little Peanut is Growing Up
#4 - New York, New York
#3 - Crying It Out
#2 - Milestone: Umbilical Cord Fell Off!
#1 - Happy Thanksgiving

Happy New Year!!

New York, New York

We survived...barely.  We made the big trip to NYC with Hannah last week and it was quite an adventure.  We flew out on Tuesday afternoon and came home on Sunday.  Hannah seemed to have a lot of fun (LOTS of smiles!) but I came home exhausted.  I need a vacation from my vacation! 

For the first 3 nights we stayed in a hotel in the city (The Hilton Manhattan East, which I highly recommend!)  The 3 of us were in one room (a small room!) and Hannah did not sleep well.  She woke several times each night (several nights it was every hour).  I couldn't let her cry it out because we were in a hotel with people all around us, and I swear she knew it!  So the only thing that would calm her down and put her back to sleep was to feed her.  UGH!  After spending weeks weaning her off the night feedings at home, we were back to square one.  There was even one night where I fed her 4 times...FOUR!  Needless to say, I was tired!  And don't even get me started on the napping situation.  We were lucky if she would even take one nap per day.  But despite the lack of sleep, she was surprisingly happy and loved the big city!  It was very cold and she wasn't a fan of getting all bundled up before heading out, but once we were moving, she loved it.  We were amazed at how much we didn't do while in the city.  We knew we wouldn't be able to do all the things we normally do, but we had no idea just how hard it would be to do anything.  Literally all we saw while we were there was Toys R Us, FAO, and Times Square....that's it!  We didn't see the window displays at Macy's or even the big tree at Rockefeller!  Awful, I know, but there really wasn't any time with Hannah.  By the time we got her ready to go out into the cold, took the train down to Rockefeller (the subway is definitely NOT baby friendly) and started heading toward all the sights, it was time to feed her and then head back to the hotel for a nap.  Yikes. 

For the last 2 nights of our trip we stayed in White Plains in a two bedroom suite with Brian's dad.  It was so much better!  Hannah still slept horribly, but at least we didn't have to hide out in the bathroom while she fell asleep.  We actually had a living room to watch tv in and didn't have to go to bed at 9pm.  However, I will say that one of the highlights of the trip was eating dessert in the hallway of the NYC hotel and playing cards while Hannah slept.  On the last day of vacation Hannah got to meet her Great Grandma Vaccaro, which was definitely the best part of the trip.  It was so wonderful to see Brian's family and made all the sleepless nights worth it.  But by this point in the trip you could tell that the lack of sleep was catching up with Hannah and she wasn't quite as happy as she normally is. 

We were all thrilled to head home on Sunday and sleep in our own beds!  Funny that when we arrived in Atlanta there were snow flurries, while that morning in NY they were having a warm front.  Go figure.

Traveling always makes me appreciate being home even more. 

Hannah: 9 Months

My Peanut,

9 months old...really?  You have been outside my belly for the same amount of time that you were inside my belly!  (Well technically I guess that's not true, since pregnancy is actually 10 months, but you get what I'm saying.) You are changing so much every day and I can hardly keep up.  It is hard to believe that you are the same baby that I held on my chest the moment you were born - covered in slime, but perfectly content to just lay there with me.  I wish I had known then that you would only let me cuddle you like that for a VERY short time.  After those 30 minutes of snuggling you were ready to conquer the world!  Oh how I miss that chubby little peanut.  But oh how I adore the pre-toddler you are becoming!

Here's what you are up to at 9 months old:

• You weigh 19 lbs. 15.5 oz. (75%) and are 29" tall (90%!!)  You are gonna be one tall girl!
• You wear mostly all 12 month clothes (9-12 months) and some 18 months (12-18 months).  But surprisingly you can still wear some 6 month stuff (3-6 months) and a lot of your 9 month clothes (6-9 months).  The sizing labels are so misleading sometimes.  We just put you in whatever fits! ;-)
• You are wearing a size 4 diaper and size 3 or 4 shoes.
• You have started to give kisses, but only Eskimo ones and usually only for daddy.  He says "Hannah, give daddy a kiss" and you lean forward with your mouth wide open and rub your nose on his.  It is precious!
• You are still attached to your pacifier at night and for all naps!  Some day you will give it up. ;-)
• You are pulling yourself up onto everything and even starting to cruise a little from one piece of furniture to the next.  You have mastered standing up and sitting back down and now I hardly worry about you falling or bumping your head at all.  I'm glad you learned that skill quickly!
• You aren't waving or clapping yet, but you are so close.  You love when I clap your hands for you and sometimes if I wave you will hold your arm out and flap it a little, but nothing consistent.
• You love to knock down block towers!  As soon as I start to build one, you abruptly knock it over and smile your huge smile in amazement! 
• You make all kinds of sounds now - "Uhh Uhh Uhh", "Da Da Da", "Ba Ba Ba" and occasionally an "M", but mostly just a lot of random noises.
• You have one tooth now, with one more on the way.  You got your bottom left tooth a few weeks ago and the bottom right one should be popping through any day now.  Thankfully you haven't started biting yet!!
• You are still eating all kinds of foods and have recently started eating more finger foods.  Your favorite right now is whole peas.  It is so fun to watch you pick them up with your tiny fingers and put them in your mouth.  You are becoming a pro!  You are also still LOVING the puffs and would eat them all day long if I let you.  They were our saving grace during our trip to NYC this past week!  We had a break through with homemade green beans and peas a few weeks ago too...you are finally eating them without a fight!  YEAH!  But now that you are are getting so good with your fingers, I think I will just give you pieces of green beans and whole peas now instead.
• You are still nursing wonderfully and still 4 times per day - 8am, 12pm, 4pm, and 7:30 pm.  I aim for 4-5 minutes per side and lately you have been doing great with that.  You still eat solids 3 times per day - 8am, 12pm, and 4pm and are slowly increasing the amount you eat at each meal.
• Your sleep is still very erratic and this past week while we were in NYC it got completely out of control.  With you sleeping in the same room as us and in the pack n' play instead of your bed, you were just completely out of sorts.  You were up at least 3-4 times every night (some nights it was every hour!) and ate 2-4 times in the night.  INSANE!  But last night you were back in your own bed and did a little better (only woke 3 times and only had to feed you 1 time).  Hopefully things will get back on track now that we are home.
• You take 2-3 naps per day, but lately it is more often just 2.  Each nap is 40 minutes - 1 hour and you usually go down perfectly for them.  Two 40 minute naps is not the ideal, but I take what I can get with you!
• You HATE having your diaper changed and being on your back.  The moment I lay you down your goal becomes to flip back over and get as far away from me as possible!  It has become quite the wrestling match to get a clean diaper on you.
• You have had a mysterious "rash" on your bottom and thighs for the past month or so.  We finally went to the doctor today and confirmed my "self-diagnosis" of eczema.  I hate that you have that, but hopefully if we keep you lotioned up it will clear up in no time.
• You still have crazy hair that sticks up like you just stuck your finger in a light socket....I LOVE it! 
• You now take a bath in the big tub and LOVE it.  You still slide around a bit, so I have to keep a hand on you at all times, but you just love to splash in the water!
• This month was filled with more firsts - first time riding in your big girl convertible car seat, first time meeting Santa, started standing up in your crib, first time eating cheerios, first tooth, first Thanksgiving, first time eating chopped up green beans, peaches and whole peas, first time eating broccoli and mango, first trip to NYC, first ride in a taxi, and met Great-Grandma Vaccaro for the first time. 
• You can climb up the stairs with limited assistance, but you haven't figured out how to get back down without a lot of help.
• You started "sharing" your pacifier and toys with us in the last week.  It is adorable!  You hold out your pacifier and when we take it you smile your HUGE smile and then a few moments later you reach out to get it back.  You like to do that game over and over!
• You love playing with people's noses and mouths and you LOVE when daddy pretends to bite your fingers.  Such a silly daddy!
• You are still the most social baby and smile at everyone!  You are incredibly happy as long as you are out and about and not going to sleep!  You have the most adorable smile and dimples.  We must get told how cute you are at least 10 times every day.  I am realizing just how important it is going to be to have another baby soon so you don't become a complete brat! ;-)  But mommy isn't in any rush!  I want to enjoy your babyhood before we bring another one into the family.