Hattie's Birthday Party!

I can't believe that my sweet little snowflake is turning 1 in three little weeks! Every one says that time flies and to enjoy them while they are little. They are right! This fall I keep on thinking about what I was doing last year and how I never knew how my life was going to change. And now, I feel like my baby is gone and there is a little person here instead! Hattie is crawling, babbling, climbing, and just a wonder ball of fun! I looked at her last night while she was playing the floor with her nativity set and I said to Ellis, "We have a baby living in our house!" The truth is, she is nearly a toddler! My, how time flies!

Please join us in our fun in celebrating Hattie's birthday! Please RSVP by December 15th if you will be able to attend!

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Don't Bite My Finger!

Over the last few months, a lot has been happening in the Hump Household. Hattie is crawling like crazy! Nothing is safe! Our house is now outfitted with baby gates and plugs for the electrical outlets. I think we have, to some extent, baby-proofed the house. Of course, there are still some areas that need some help (pillows are in front of the hearth and there is that one lamp cord that could easily be grabbed).

Something else Hattie has started is "talking." She has been saying Mama and Dada for a while. But she is working on some other initial sounds. She loves the digital clock on our nightstand. And she knows that a microwave has a clock on it, too. While at the Lyon's house a few weeks ago, she saw their microwave and said, "CLOCK!" But, the rest of the time, it is just "CCCCL." And Chewy the Kitty Cat is "KKKKK." Just this week, she was playing with a balloon and I said, "Don't make it pop!" And she started whispering, "Pop. Pop. Pop." I wracked my brain for other "P" words and came up with "Puffs." Which she loves to eat and now loves to whisper.

About two months ago, GrandBob was feeding Hattie a puff and as he put his finger near her mouth, he yanked her arm back real fast and said, "Ow! Don't bite my finger! Don't bite my finger!" Hattie thought this was hilarious! As a result, GrandBob often plays this little game with her while he feeds her. And sometimes the rest of us do, too.

Two weeks ago, Ellis started asking Hattie to give him a bite of her puffs (we always use these as the last part of her meal so she can have some time of self feeding). She would reach her hand out to give him a bite. Sometimes he would come away with a mushy puff, sometimes it was just a sticky little finger, and sometimes he would just pretend that he was eating something.

Last night, I was feeding my sweet little 10 1/2 month old baby. We had sweet potatoes and oatmeal, followed by peach yogurt. Then, I gave Hattie her favorite puffs. Ellis thinks they are one step away from being cheese puffs, they are that consistency, but not bright orange. Often, I give her the puffs so she can self feed and then I clean the kitchen or work on dinner. But last night, I just sat there and talked to her.

At one point, I said, "Give Mommy a bite!" She reached her little hand out, sticky fingers and puff, reaching towards me. As I was going in for the bite, she yanked her arms back, fast! I laughed and said, "Ow!" Hattie just squealed with delight! We played this little game for at least 10 minutes. She ate all of her puffs and was a happy little girl!

Letter to Hattie, age 7 months

Dear Hattie,

Wow! You have been a busy girl! So much has happened since you were born a mere 7 months ago. First, you like to eat. A lot. Around the clock, even. But that is ok, so do I! Second, you are a cuddle bug. You like to be held during naps. And you like to cuddle with Mom and Dad when you sleep at night. Last, you like to get moving! Anytime someone (Mom, Dad, Mimi, GrandBob, Mammie or Aunt Cassie) will hold you up, you want to be standing! And if you can't stand, you want to scoot across the floor on your belly! You get the cutest, most intense little look on your face when you are trying to accomplish this movement. And you say, "Whooo!" It is serious business for a little girl!

I just wanted to list all the things you've done in your seven months:

*Traveled to a lot of places! More than some people, even!
- Nashville
- Denver
- Salt Lake City & Park City
- Florida
- Atlanta
- Alabama
*You flew on an airplane at 3 months
*You have three teeth now

*You say "Mamamama," "Dadada," and "Bababababa"
*You recognize and watch Chewy the Cat

*You know how to rock a pair of leg warmers
*You like to play at GrandBob and Mimi's house

*You LOVE to be out side: in your stroller, in your swing, or in your little pool
*You laugh when we play pick-a-boo. I will put a little burp cloth over your head and say,"Where's Hattie?" When I pull it off, I say, "There she is!!!" And you LOVE it!

*You laugh when Daddy holds you up high in the sky

*You like sweet potatoes and squash. The jury is still out on yogurt and peas
*You sip water through a straw! Well, a little bit, most of it ends up on your clothes

*You scoot around the house and play with your letters on the fridge

So far, Hattie, you have been the most wonderful, marvelous little girl. Thank you! And please keep it up! I don't want to have to give you spankings.

Love, Cuddles, and Kisses,
Mom

Little Stories

A lot is going on at our house these days. We have been working diligently on Hattie's room. We have had a couple of showers so the living room is full of some wonderful things! We went to an all day child birthing class last weekend. And I have been gathering stories and advice from friends and family. Add some crazy dreams, and I think I have enough goodies for a new post!


Stories from my mom:

*Her water broke when she was pregnant with Rob. When they went to the hospital and he arrived about 6 hours later. This makes me feel good, genetically I hope I deliver quickly!

*Her water did not break with me, but when she went to the hospital, the doctor broke it for her and I arrived 15 minutes later. WOW!

*One of our births, she was awake through the night with contractions. She paced, laid down, walked, took a shower and shaved her legs, then called her doctor at 6 am because she didn't want to bother him during the night. He told her to get her booty to the hospital! (Does this sound like me? I think so!)

*The day of the other birth, my dad was doing some work under the house. When she went into active labor, she had to figure out how to signal him so he could crawl out and take her to the hospital.

Stories from Ellis's mom:

*She flew cross country from Michigan to LAX with a 6 month old and Ellis's dad was 4 hours late picking her up. How scary! To be without a cell phone (Hello! 1975!), in an airport with a little baby, and thinking your ride ditched you! YIKES!

Dreams I have had:


*There have been several dreams involving animals. Usually I am saving people or children from HUGE snakes (like 15 feet long and 6 inches wide), mountain lions, alligators. I am sure this means something.

*I had a NIGHTMARE! I dreamed that I was 32 and pregnant and back in middle school! Seriously, this was a nightmare for me! I couldn't make any friends, no one talked to me. It was so sad!

*Last week (Week 33) I had my first dream that Hattie was actually here! In all of my previous dreams, I have still been pregnant. I dreamed that I was already home but had not met her yet. Finally I was able to hold her and it was wonderful!

*Last week I also had my first labor dream. I was in the hospital and pushing and working hard, trying to get Hattie here safe and sound!

(This is a "New born" onesie. The tag says for weights 5 - 8 lbs. Right now, according to BabyCenter.com, Hattie is 4.75 lbs. So technically, this might fit her!)

Letter to Hattie

Dear Hattie,

This journey has been a lot of fun! I enjoy thinking about you growing inside my belly. It is the most amazing thing! I imagine you sleeping, kicking around, and listening to my voice and your daddy's voice. When you are kicking, I always say, "That is my little soccer player, just like her mommy!" Your daddy can't wait until he can feel your kicks and movements. He is so jealous that I am the only one who can feel you so far. But he talks to you every day! Sometimes he tells you secrets that I can't hear. When I ask him what he said, he replies, "It is just between us."

Every week I read about how you are growing. I get so excited over all the little milestones! This week, for instance, you are 11 inches long from head to rump. I always pull out my ruler to envision how big you are. And you are right at a pound! You are the size of a large mango this week! And 23 weeks along. Over half way!

I imagine many days ahead of us full of fun and activities. I want to go on walks and jogs with you, take you to the park. Your daddy is already talking about getting a trailer for his bike so you can go on bike rides with him! We will talk about letters and numbers together. And I can't wait to teach you about travel and maps and the world. There is so much out there for us to do together! And the beach! I can't wait to see your face the first time you feel sand between your toes! Will you like it? Or will it be too squishy for you?

My hopes and dreams for you are that you will have a happy childhood, full of love. But I want you to grow and be your own person, too. I want you to be confident and I want you to love yourself. I want you to love how you are not like other people. That being your own person is more important that being a cookie-cutter, stamp of someone else. I want you to find friends who love you for who you are. And I want you to be a good friend to others; compassionate, helpful, courteous, patient. Learning how to be a good friend is important, because sometimes it will be hard to talk to me and your dad. But having a good friend can make all the difference. I dream of you having goals and dreams of your own. I hope that you have the strength and perseverance to tackle your college major and do something that you are truly interested in, find a career path that fits you and you are passionate about.

I love you and I can't wait to meet you! I am looking forward to lots of laughs and happiness in our future!

Love,
Mom