Hanna's Home

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday.  Daddy and I spent some time in the card store finding her the perfect card from me. We settled on a fun one that said,

"MOM, you put the WOW in mom and the Happy in Me!"

Daddy also wrote a little message that I whispered in his ear,
"Thanks for always taking such good care of me."

Happy Birthday Mom!

Love Hanna
XOXO

My little banana

Watching Hanna on her tummy is like watching a woman on a mission. There is no standing still.

She reminds me of an exercise we had to do in our dance classes growing up - the banana. We'd lay on our stomachs and lift both our legs and upper body at the same time, creating the shape of a banana with our bodies.  I think this exercise is supposed to strengthen the back but I remember it would kill my hip bones dug into the floor.

Hanna does this exercise with ease. Although the picture doesn't do justice, she easily holds her legs a foot off the ground. She's my little Hanna banana.

Three months ago

Three months ago, Hanna was born into this world - a world made brighter by her presence. To celebrate, Brad and I took Hanna in the stroller for a walk at Glenmore Reservoir. We soaked up the beautiful sun and the stillness found in the water of glass. We chose a path through the trees and noticed all the fallen leaves around us - a sign that winter is just around the bend, but hard to believe given the 20 degree weather we experienced. It was heavenly.

As we sipped our coffee, we spoke of possibilities... creatively structuring our income streams so we have more time with Hanna, new opportunities to make a difference in this world, and new ideas for some old problems. If there is one thing Hanna has taught us, it is about embracing possibilities - the power in walking down a new path. 

As we walked through the trees, I realized that we never know what is on the path ahead of us, just around the bend. From where we stand, the view is blocked. It could be the most breathtaking scenery, or a hungry bear. Until you walk the path, you just don't know.

And so it is in our own lives. Three months ago I could never have imagined the life I live today.  I spent more time fearing the bear, than enjoying the scenery. So, my advice to you today?

Pack some pepper spray and walk the path. In fact, walk a new path.
Enjoy the scenery and see things you've never seen before.
Look back in three months to see how far you've come.

Look at me

Hanna seems to attract attention wherever we go. The other day, a man in line at Costco said, "Wow, does she ever look like her mother."

I smiled.  "She sure does," I replied, knowing how similar she looks to Katie. He was a kind man, looking for a kind thing to say. I appreciated that.

Now that Hanna is starting her own version of baby talk, she is turning more heads her way. I can't wait to discover what all her sounds mean. I'm sure one of them means, "Look at me!"

My vision for Hanna's Home

I woke up this morning from the same dream I've had a couple of times.  In it, I'm sitting in a boardroom looking down at some documents that contain "Hanna's Home" as a logo on company letterhead. It makes me think that Hanna's Home is to grow beyond this blog into something much greater. 

A foundation? A charity? An organization that helps children?

I'm not sure.

But I do know that the moment I put this in writing, the universe shifts to support my ideas.  So I throw this vision to the wind and see what comes of it. 

I welcome your thoughts.

Look ma... I can balance

Heh everyone,  it's me, Hanna.

Wow, how time is flying.  Here's a little progress report. Let's see... my new babysitter started last week and she is awesome. I'm 2 pounds heavier than one week ago, topping the scales at 14 pounds.  (Now I'm really off the charts.) My legs are super strong and I can easily launch myself off the change table.  And, my giggles keep my parents up at 5 in the morning.

Plus, daddy is teaching me tricks. Look ma... I can balance on his one hand.

Daddy, mom says to put me down. RIGHT NOW!

(We'll practise when she's out running or something...)

Tomorrow, I'm going to a special ceremony at the centre my mom goes to. It honours all the young children added to the community recently.  I'll tell you about it soon.

Kisses,
Miss Hanna

Melt your heart

So, here's the smile I talk about. Hanna is blossoming into quite the little girl. It melts my heart to watch her, because everything in her world is an adventure.  She knows no bounds, she has no fear. She wakes up smiling, ready for whatever the day holds.

We have much to learn from children.

Through the eyes of a child

Through the eyes of a child, I see the world differently.

I see brightness and pretty lights that contrast the dark.
I see all sorts of shapes and colours that stir my imagination.
I see warm faces and kind hearts, with smiles galore.
I see endless possibilities, with so much to discover.

Open your eyes to see the world.
As through the eyes of a child, see it for the first time.

Screaming to smiling

Hanna has a good set of lungs on her. The other day, as she was getting up from a nap, her scream could be heard from any corner of the house. I walked upstairs and began talking to her.

"Hi Hanna. It's mommy. It's okay baby!"

As I entered her room, I could see her mouth wide open in mid-scream, eyes glued shut. But the moment she heard my voice, her eyes sprung open and the scream turned to a smile.

She was so happy to see me, and began her cooing and giggling routine.  It's amazing to me how quickly children can move from one emotion to another, with not a breath in between.

Two feet tall

Hi folks, it's me again.

Guess what? I'm two feet tall, and 12 pounds heavy. My dad says that I'm in the 90th percentile. I have no idea what that means. But I think it means I'm eating really well and growing really, really BIG.

My dad is away this weekend "camping with the boys".  So mom and I are hanging out. I hope I get to go camping with my dad when I'm bigger than two feet tall.