Happy Birthday Grandmom

Happy Birthday Grandmom! I love you!

Happy Thanksgiving To All!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! IT'S MASHED POTATO TIME!!!

It's the latest, it's the greatest,
Mashed Patato, ya, ya ,ya

A Mashed Potato started long time ago
With a guy named Sloppy Joe,
You'll find this dance is so cool to do,
Come on baby, gonna teach it to you.

Mashed Potato, feel it in your feet now,
Mashed Potato, come on get the beat now,
Baby, come on honey, come on baby.

And then they dance it through and through,
They look for records they can do it to,
They got a dance was outta sight,
Doin' the lion sleeps tonight.

Mashed Potato, Ya a weem o wep a weem o wep,
Mashed Potato, ya, ya, ya, ya,
It's the latest, aw baby,
It's the greatest, come on honey,
Ya, ya ya, ya,

11 Months

Which of these pictures is not like the other?? That's right - that's Papa Jon at 11 months in the center photo, which I think confirms that the resemblance to her parents is definitely shared by both! (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

Last Friday Hannah hit the 11 month mark (can't believe she's almost a YEAR!). We don't know how much she weighs or how tall she is, but it's clear she's had some kind of growth spurt as we've both noticed a distinct heftiness gain over the last week or so. Some of her favorite things to do are:

1) Point -- at anything and everything, from her first moment up in the crib til she goes down at night; mostly she likes to point at any/all lights.

2) Play "Where's Hannah?" -- a continuing favorite exercise, which she indicates by getting down close to the ground in front of you, basically "hiding" til you find her.

3) Swing -- a definite first, and repeated, task at any playground.

4) Explore -- as she gets more and more stable standing upright, she loves to walk around (solo, one hand on the furniture etc., or with a helping hand) and check everything out around the pad.

5) Crawl -- she still retains the "Fastest Crawler" (oxymoron..?) award, amazing strangers and friends alike when she takes off at lightening speed across any wide open space. Sometimes at night she just does laps between the door and the fireplace - maybe a 6' spread - round and round. She's like the puppy we never got!

6) Bang on Everything -- last night, she spent a good amount of time banging on the wall above our bed, while simultaneously watching herself in the closet mirror. She's definitely going to be a drummer.

7) Dance -- she often will just break into a little bouncy dance whenever she hears music - be it the iPod or just a quick little commercial on TV.

8) Babble -- the girl is almost always "talking" (unless in a busy crowded area), in her crib, to herself in the mirror, to us. Recently, I am convinced she tried to say the word "duck" (one of her favorite bathtime pals of course), making the sound "ck", but I'm sure conventional wisdom will say there's no way. Regardless, she is really good at mama and dada, and we're pretty sure knows that those words do apply to us separately. While we'll both miss the symphony across octaves of random sounds she generates, it will be a great day when she can use words instead of tears to get what she wants.. (Wait...that's not until they're like 18, right?)

Happy 11-month birthday Hannah! xoxoxoxoxo

Neighborhood Landmarks: Local Paw Prints

Hannah, there are some distinctive landmarks in your neighborhood which I hope will be around for a long long time to come for you to enjoy. We have not photographed or mentioned enough of the neighborhood on this blog for you yet. Here is one of my favorite landmarks that you and I walked by earlier today. Kristina and I have walked on/over this landmark with you - too many times to count - on our way to the park. The location of this canine sidewalk-signature? Well, by the time you are able to read this we will have already shown you the particular section of cement enough times to make sure you remember, and here we'll just keep the rest of the city guessing...

Helping Dad Make Phone Calls

The Last Time My Cell Phone Worked

Friends, if I have not returned your call in the last five days, you now know the reason why!

Infant Training Camp

Like walking at this point isn't hard enough, I have a twisted father with a strange sense of humor...

Hannah's Current Favorite Room: The Kitchen

Hannah's new favorite pastime is being hoisted up to the kitchen counter where she can hang out next to the microwave, blender and bread box. She loves to look at the contents within the cabinets and grab the containers. The hotel sized strawberry jelly is her favorite, and now she looks for it to be in the same spot each time she visits the counter...

When she can't get the air lift to the second story where all her food exploration awaits, Hannah makes herself equally at home inspecting the quality and durability of cooking utensils. The mesh screen is begging for mercy and the pot left town, without his lid. Everything makes a great sound when it is slid across the tile or, of course, banged together!

What's better: dirty... or clean??

Happy Belated Birthday Blog for Kristina

Kristina, with so much going on around your birthday, I never quite had enough time to send you a proper "Happy Birthday" on the blog. I love you, and here a few messages from Hannah which each say that she loves you too. Whether you two are just hangin' out together, or you are feeding her, reading to her, or just providing a shoulder to dream peacefully on, she loves you and is so happy that she has you for a Mom. Her contented smiles are the only proof you need to know how much fun she has with you. Happy Birthday Kristina, Happy Birthday Mom! Hannah and I love you! For all who don't know, Kristina Caroline Wollan's birthday was on October 15th.
Happy Birthday Mommamamammamamamamamaababababababa. Dad wrapped it and wrote it, but I gummed it and tore it up. Team work is fun!Momma knows that happiness is cheesiness, loveliness, sweetness and goodness all squashed together in mushy mealtimes! Good thing bath-time is just as fun! Pajama parties with Mom are so much fun! I love fuzzy robes and hide and seek. I just poo'd. Let's read a book! Whoah that romote control is awesome. You're tall. I am glad someone understands me! I love you Mom! Walking in the Richmond district on the way back from playing in the park. California Dreamin' made possible by Kristina Wollan, my Mom. I love you. Happy birthday. You make my every day.

Skyping With Jack, Kate & Memaw

Over the last couple of months, Hannah has come to love interacting with her cousins and her grandparents over Skype. She now recognizes voices and loves to point at the heads on the screen when she sees and hears talking. She listens intently when Memaw sings Itsy Bitsy Spider, she waves her hands excitedly when she hears Boppa's deep booming voice, and she spurts out laughter and babbles for her cousins when they talk to her. These still pics do not do this technology justice, for the interaction is so much fun to watch unfold. we took a couple short videos which Kristina will download on the blog site soon. Jack and Kate sing a couple of syllables to Hannah, and then Hannah sings back. Hannah clearly loves her "face time" with her distant cousins. She can't wait to go to Chicago for the holidays so she can see them in person!

The Land of Opportunity

Hannah, we, your parents, voted yesterday, exercising one of our most fundamental rights as citizens of this democratic nation. Years from now, when you are reading history books and listening to your old folks rant about the 'olden days, it is likely that the year 2008 will have significant historical relevance...

Cool As Ice!