A DAY AT THE ZOO

I've had a fantastic weekend - the best part was my very first ever visit to the zoo. Mum, Dad and I went with some of our friends to celebrate Mum's birthday. She really loves the zoo and I think she's hoping that will rub off on me. Could do eventually, but I might have been too little this time - in fact I'm not sure that I even looked at any of the animals. No, wait. I watched a pelican sail past and then Daddy tried very hard to get me to look at the elephants, but you know how it is....

But I still had a great time. I got lots of cuddles from my 'aunties' and got to see Sophie and Dylan again. I got to eat lunch in the park and cruise around in my pram all day - it really doesn't get much better than that! I was so tired by the time we made it to the crocodile that, well, you can see how the day ended for me.

Can't wait 'til next time when I can check out all the animals for myself - will probably be walking by then, how exciting!

Hannah

CRAWLING MACHINE!

Hi all.

Just a quick one today to let you all know that I am now a crawling machine. As predicted it has only taken me a week or so to go from rocking on all fours to full on forward crawling.
I can make it from one side of the family room to the other in no time at all, especially if Johnno is sitting on the other side - only problem is he seems to get up and walk away every time I get close. He's either very smart or very rude! Tracksuit pants and socks also tend to make the tiles a little slippery so the carpet really is my crawling surface of choice.


So look out, I'm on my way!

Hannah

I LOVE MY POP

I've been very lucky this weekend just gone - my Pop Mark has been visiting from Brisbane and man have we had some fun! I got all dressed up in my beanie and new bunny shoes and we went out for dinner in Mandurah. Dad got a little embarrassed as I thought the acoustics in the restaurant were just right to practise my squealing. I think Pop was very impressed with my vocal range!


Then we caught up with Pop the next day at Great Grandma Doffie's house. We had a yummy curry for lunch - well, the grown ups did. I think I had potato, pumpkin and beef. But after that my Pop gave me my very first taste of watermelon. The jury's still out on whether I really liked that or not, I'd have to give it another shot.

From Grandma's we went to visit Aunty Leith and Uncle John and bonus! We also got to see Dave and Jack who were there too. I think I like Jack very much - he's so much fun.

And then it was time for Pop Mark to go back to Brisbane - much too soon. But I guess it's OK - I'll see him again in May and I think Mum and Dad are planning a little trip to Brisbane in June before Mum has to go back to work.

Thanks for everything Pop - I love you and can't wait to see you again.

Hannah

ALMOST 6 MONTHS

I'm back again. Sorry about the delay, Mum has become really slack on the photos lately. I mean, I kind of expected it would slow down as I got older - it would be pretty hard to maintain the 1000 photo per month pace she was setting in the early days!

So the eating is going really well. I am up to solids for breakfast, lunch and dinner now, but I still get a bit of a milk top up. In fact I am becoming a bit of an eating machine and am definitely more interested in the vegetables than the fruit - but this might be because I am more hungry at dinner time when the vegies are on offer. Mum even thinks she is getting the mess under control - huh! Just wait 'til I start feeding myself!









As for the moving around... I have graduated from the rolling to pulling myself up onto my hands and knees and then rocking back and forth. Look out crawling, here I come!













And this last picture is a favourite of mine - it's me and my friend Talia. It was a little embarrassing that we were wearing the same thing, but the Wondersuit is a modern classic. The funny thing is that she is 10 months old, I am almost 6 months old and no, it's not an optical illusion caused by the angle of the photo, I am actually bigger than she is.

Love,

Hannah

FOOD IS GOOD

While my Gran was visiting, I have been busy honing my skills on the mat and my new found talent for eating!
As far as the eating goes, it's pretty much just been rice cereal so far - Mmm, ground up rice mixed with milk, who wouldn't go nuts for that! I have also tried some pureed carrot and some pureed apple. I'm not so sure about the carrot but I think apple will be a favourite of mine. Mum can't be sure how much food is actually making its way into my tummy, it appears that most of it is shared equally between my face, my hands, my bib, the clothes under my bib, the high chair tray, the table next to the high chair, Mum's hands and for some reason Mum's arms end up caked in the mush of the day. But I'm getting there!


And as for my tricks... well I have perfected the back to tummy roll. I practise that when I am supposed to be going to sleep in my cot. The fact that I end up squished up against the bars with my arms hanging out of random gaps makes the sleeping part a little hard, but it's fun to watch Mum or Dad come running when I cry out in pain.

I can push right up when I am lying on my tummy now which makes eye to eye contact with Johnno a lot easier - if only he would stay still for me. And I am started to lift my bum up which means crawling is only weeks or even days away.

Time to go and talk to my buddy Johnno (not the greatest conversationalist, but gee he's cute!)

Love,

Hannah

GRAN'S VISIT

I have been so lucky the past week and a half - my Gran has been over from Brisbane! Her trip kicked off with Mum, Dad and I surprising her at the airport. Big deal, I hear you all saying - the big deal was that she flew in at midnight and that's pretty late for a little person like me! I was a little bit tired when she arrived but was soon all smiles and cuddles.


The next day was the Monday of the long weekend so our little family decided to pop down to Wagin for the day where Gran was staying with Great Grandma Farm.

And Uncle Paul and Aunty Zoe even came across from Katanning so we had a lovely lunch and yes, Uncle Paul had a hold and cuddle this time (not that Dad left him much choice as he thrust me into his arms!)


Back at home I got to show Gran all my new tricks, like rolling and pushing up on my tummy and even my specialty - splashing in the bath! She was pretty impressed by how good I am with my hands now and that I can almost sit up on my own. We went shopping together and visited Gran's good friend Kaye - now there's a lady who knows how to put on a morning tea, thanks Kaye!
And then all too quickly it was time for Gran to go. But she was very tough and there were no tears (none from me anyway...) and the best thing is that she'll be back in May. And even better, my Pop is coming to visit pretty soon too!
Better go - Mum says I actually have to sleep at night, how rude! Thanks again Gran, you really spoiled me and I love all my little pressies but most of all I loved the cuddles we had.

Love and kisses,

Hannah.

WISH I COULD CRAWL!

Here I am. Five months old and incredibly frustrated that I can't move on my own!

I guess that's not entirely true - I can roll both ways now and am pretty good at using my hands to push off and spin around when I'm on my tummy. I just can't get the forward motion happening and it's really annoying. I mean how am I supposed to achieve my full potential for mischief when I can't zero in on the pretty home entertainment centre equipment sitting exposed just metres away from me!

I have also learnt the invaluable skill of sticking my legs in the air and my feet in my mouth. Makes going to sleep in my cot so much less appealing - I mean why would I waste my time sleeping when I can play with my own toes!

Got to run (more like spin in a circle, but you know what I meant)

Love,

Hannah

THANK YOU FOR WAITING

Hello again. Thought I had better update the page since I seem to be getting a little slack in my old age. There's just so many more committments as a 4-month-old... Kind of makes me feel a little tired...


So what have I been up to? Picnics, lunches, visiting, shopping - like I said, it's very hard being a baby! Mum and I had our most recent visit to the child health nurse yesterday. I now weigh 9kg and am 70cm tall (I wonder what age I'll stop telling people how much I weigh??) That makes me the size of your average 9 - 10 month old, so yes, I am still well and truly in the biggest 1% of Australian babies. The nurse also says my bottom teeth aren't far off coming in - perhaps that's why I've been such a grumpy bum lately. I have no problem reaching for and grabbing things with both hands and am a pro at rolling from my tummy to back. I am also starting to roll from my back to front and am doing some weird kind of spin on my tummy that is apparently the start of crawling. I talk all the time and have learned how to squeal, much to Mum and Dad's delight.


So things with me are excellent - I am even settling in to a bit of a routine (don't worry, Mum is completely prepared for the fact that this is likely to change at the drop of a hat). Mum has plans to start me on solid food soon so stay tuned for the upcoming post with pictures of me hiding under piles of baby rice and other assorted mush!

I'll leave you all with the first inappropriate beer bottle photo my folks took - I can't believe they lasted 'til I was 4 months for this one, but gee I look cute!

Love and kisses (more like licks really, but that doesn't sound as good),

Hannah.

WATER BABY

It's official - I am becoming a water baby! After seeing how much I love my bath time (I am quickly learning that if I kick hard enough, I can almost completely cover Daddy in water), Mum thought it was time to go for a paddle in a slightly larger body of water. After the recent disaster that was 'swimming at the beach', Mum decided on the delightful backyard pool of Alene and Guy (Nana and Grandad's good friends) heated to a very bearable 32 degrees.

While I wasn't so sure about it at first, I realised that Mum wasn't executing a devilish plan to dispose of me and reap the resulting full night's sleep (I just say that as she may have mentioned it once or twice...). Mum had surprisingly safe hands and I wasn't dunked at all, not even once! I didn't really like the floaty chair thing that she brought along but I think with a bit of practise I might enjoy that a little more.

So a big thanks to Alene and Guy for letting me come over and invade their yard - it was great!

Hannah

BACK TO THE BEACH HOUSE

After some careful consideration and another visit to the beach house, I have decided that I could get used to that kind of lifestyle! Sitting outside watching the boats come and go, the trees blowing in the breeze, watching Mum and Dad sip their wine while reading the paper and magazines - tough, but someone has to do it and I might just be that person.

We visited the beach house this time to catch up with Uncle Paul and Aunty Zoe. They were great, although just a little reluctant to hold me - give it time, I'll wear them down! Uncle Paul was teaching Mum how to use some of the special functions on her new camera, hence this rather interesting snap!


We spent a good part of the day at Occy's Brewery - a new, little boutique brewery near Newtown House and the Abbey shops. It was a very relaxing afternoon and I only lost it just a little bit as I started to feel a little overtired - nothing a ride in the pram over gravel couldn't fix.


Thanks for the weekend Uncle Paul and Aunty Zoe - I look forward to the big cuddles next time we see you!

Hannah

2007 KICKS OFF

Hello again. It's been a pretty busy start to 2007 so I thought it was time for another posting.

I've finally passed the magical 3 month mark. I can hold my own head up no worries now and can't get enough of standing up (with a little bit of help of course). So Mum and Dad thought it was time to try out my Jolly Jumper and I'm glad they did - how much fun is that! Bouncing around on my own is excellent and I have to send a big thanks to Megs, Marty and Sophie who bought it for my bubby present.

I have also moved into my own special bath. I just didn't fit it the laundry trough anymore - too many times I tried to push off one end and bashed my head on the other end. This bath is great, I'm much more independent and can splash around much more. Dad pretty much ends up mopping the laundry floor every night, but geez it's fun!

Speaking of how big I am getting now, we just had our latest visit to the Health Nurse. I weigh almost 8kg and am 67cm tall - she says that puts me in the top 1% for size and that I'm the size of an average 7 month old. But what did we expect really when you take a look at my mum and dad.

In more exciting news, my cousin Hemi visited from Melbourne so Mum and Dad had a big rellie bash at our place. You can see me with my Great Uncle Kim in one of the photos and also having cuddles with Grandad on the same day. I am beginning to understand that I have a very big family - they freak my out a bit, but I am starting to get used to it!

And last week I rolled from my tummy to my back all on my own for the very first time. Mum carried on like a right dork and proceeded to tear up and call everyone she knows. I haven't really had another shot at it - I think Daddy is starting to think that Mum made it up, but I'll get there again soon. These things take time you know!

On the weekend we had Bec and Av's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful - I even wore a dress!

But I've rabitted on enough for today - anyone would think it was my Mum writing the way it goes on and on and on...

Love,
Hannah

NEW YEARS AT THE BEACH

Hello again. Mum, Dad and I just spent the weekend down in Busselton to celebrate my first New Year's Eve. Well, I kind of slept through it but I'm pretty sure they celebrated for me! Aunty Mel and Uncle Jamie came down too and I got to meet some new friends who are visiting WA all the way from Sweden. Henrik, Ida and Mathias were all very lovely and I think I might have to visit them soon in Sweden and in Beijing (where Mat is living at the moment).

This wasn't my first trip to the beach house, but it was my first time in the water. First I dangled my feet and then later in the afternoon I went for a real swim and man did I hate it! The water was so cold! I cried and cried and cried and finally Mum gave up and let Daddy take me back to the house. She wouldn't let me post any of those pictures - she said 'no one needs to see that'. I'm not really sure if she was talking about my screwed up crying face or her in bathers. But I did enjoy a nice warm bath after that! And then I got to have big cuddles with Jamie - he is pretty good at this parenting stuff especially for a beginner!

On New Year's Day we went for a drive to Canal Rocks. That was cool! I can't wait to go back again soon.

Time to go, will post again soon. The animals who ride my new train need me.

Hannah

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS

Well, that's it - my very first Christmas and man am I exhausted!

I started the day with a big kiss for Daddy as he headed off to work. Yes, he had to go into work after the big power failure on Tuesday. But he was home by 10am and then we got to open some pressies (just as well since I had to listen to Mum whinge all morning until Dad got back!) I got a beautiful quilted Santa Sack from my Gran and Pop - just as well since it was full by the end of the day!
After Mum, Dad, Johnno and I had our own little party at home, we headed up to Perth for lunch at Great Nana and Great Grandad's. I wish someone had warned me about the chaos that followed! So many people, so many presents and I was totally spoilt. I was so overwhelmed that Mum and Dad had to take me for a drive to calm me down a bit (I think it was more the sore tummy than anything else). After a nice sleep and good feed, I gave everyone big smiles while they ate their Christmas lunch. They were all wearing very suss paper crowns - I wonder if they know what they look like...

Then we headed back to our place and the Walker family came over for a yummy dinner of prawns and salads (I know it was yummy as it filtered through to me this morning together with just a little bit of white wine). Again I was spoilt and Mum finally let me open my big pressies from Santa - I love the Animal Train and am very relieved Daddy and Uncle Dean figured out how to make it drive and play more than just the demo song - that would grow tired very quickly I imagine.

I'm so happy I got to spend the day with all my wonderful family and send big hugs, kisses and just a little bit of drool for all the excellent presents. I can't wait 'til next year when I will be up and about - I'll have to be extra good this year so Santa comes again in 2007. Hmm, 2007. I have big plans for the new year, I'll let you know.....

Love and Christmas cuddles,

Hannah

JUST BEING CUTE

This is the monkey that Bec and Andrew sent from Melbourne. Johnno is eying it off, but I love him even more than he does! Thanks Bec.