Hannah Martin Touchton

New blog

2010-11-09T15:36:00.000-06:00

Sadly, I did not even make it to 100 posts on this address. I feel like I'm abandoning my first born, but we must move on.

Check us out in our new home, Cornbread and Kugel.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-26T19:25:00.005-06:00

I'm lazy

2009-11-28T07:44:00.005-06:00

Sorry... I think we all know this, but I'm admitting it. I just haven't felt like posting on my blog lately. It has been hanging over my head because I have a million pictures and stories to share. I just haven't felt like doing it.

So, I lay here waiting for Hannah to wake up and figure I'll get some pictures up. There are more to come later... we had family pictures taken a few weeks ago (header picture is from that), but I haven't picked out which one will be our holiday card so you'll have to wait for those!

These are all from October. Hannah is hilarious, sweet, mischievous, brilliant, adorable, sassy, prissy, and my favorite person in the world!

Picture pages

2009-10-13T09:40:00.009-05:00

Here are some pictures from the last several weeks. They are in reverse chronological order because I always forget that Blogger uploads them that way. Anyone know how to change that?

Jason took this one the other night after Hannah and I fell asleep. She is a bed hog! (please ignore the messiness on my night stand!)

Hannah and Ellie. You should hear how excited Hannah gets when she says Ellie's name. I think they are BFF's.

Hannah coloring a picture to be hung in the Sukkah.

This was one of the houses on the river. They have their own helicopter?!

Pre-boarding... Jason, Katie, Bryan and I went on a Riverboat cruise to the stadium before the Auburn/Tennessee game. Notice that Katie and I are not wearing any shade of orange!

I believe she was mid-sentence when I snapped this one. She was telling me about the acorns she found.

I did not pose this picture. She is just that cute.

Playing in the front yard. This was one of the cool days we had a few weeks ago so Hannah got to try out her new Ugg's.

Doing laundry.

Playing with Bupert.

Naptime. She usually doesn't want anything to do with her stuffed animals, but this day she demanded to have patches in the bed with her. Notice there are two ne-ne's (one under her and one in the top right). Patches had to have a ne-ne, too.

This is Hannah's favorite part at gymnastics. They have a trampoline runway that ends up at the pit. She is supposed to hop all the way down and jump into the pit at the end, but she just runs to one end and turns around and runs back!

Doing a roll... this one was assisted, but she can do them on her own, and does... everywhere, regardless of the surface or what she may bump into.

Doing the butterfly at 'nacstics

Crying because we had to leave the fishies.

Our little monkey!

Practicing her "nacks-tics" (gymnastics). This is "stick it."

Hanging with Daddy.

We went on a walk to see the fishies. There are some trails right by our house that have two small fish ponds.

Posing in front of the fishies. I was trying to teach her to put her hands on her hips. (check out the mullet! We got it trimmed the next day!)

Hannah got a new pair of shoes... they are $1 store heels, but she loves walking around in them!

After playing in the rain with Daddy, Hannah got an "e-sicle"

Cheese

2009-09-13T15:35:00.006-05:00

Ever since we started using Robert's nice camera Hannah is into getting her picture taken. She calls the camera, "cheese," obviously because we ask her to say cheese when we are trying to take her pictures. During both of the meal times below Hannah asked me to take her picture- "cheese mommy. mommy cheese."

Hannah eating her dinner last night. She napped until 5:30PM, so pardon her messy hairdo... we went straight from the bed to the booster seat!

Dooley does not leave Hannah's side while she is eating!
And, Rupert just wishes he could get some scraps.
Her favorite, corn on the cob...
and chicken nuggets.
yum, this is good!

I was trying to steal a kiss while we were cooking dinner the other night.

I know, Hannah's hair is crazy. I don't really know what to do with it! Right here she was going "ni night" in the kitchen. She used a plastic tablecloth as her bed, a package of paper plates as her pillow, and a cloth napkin/bandana as her "cuh-bers" (covers). She came up with this all on her own!

Pictures...

2009-09-06T15:55:00.003-05:00

Our Little Girl

2009-08-25T08:51:00.006-05:00

I have let another few weeks go by without posting about Hannah. We have been so busy lately! Hannah started her new class last week. She has graduated from the babysitter style classes of day care to the actual structured, kindergarten style class. No more high chairs (we had retired this at home long ago), no more cribs (again, long gone at home), no more pacifiers unless they are sleeping (woo hoo! We have been ne-ne free during the day for over two weeks now. She doesn't even ask for it until she is ready to go to bed, and as soon as she wakes up she puts it down on her pillow!). They have lesson plans, gym, music, play time, and they go to Shabbat at the day school on Fridays. We welcome structure with open arms, and we hope that Hannah will learn to share, take turns, and clean up her toys!

Hannah also started gymnastics two weeks ago. It was incredible. She was excited about it from the moment we told her she was going even though she had no idea what it was going to be. She is in the 18 months - 3 years class, and is the youngest of the 4 little girls; the other three are all 2 and 1/2. She did great, though. She was able to follow most of the instructions that they gave her, and definitely surprised me by what she could comprehend (things like bend down and touch your toes, walking across a balance beam with her arms held out like an "airplane," and hopping). She had a great time, and it was so fun to watch her!

Hannah also had her first haircut recently! We took her to Jeff in Mobile. Of course, she cried as soon as we put her in the chair, but he gave her an "e-pop" (otherwise known as a lollipop) and she sat patiently through the entire process. Her hair is MUCH less mullet-ish now! It has thickened up since the cut and is growing and getting a little more curly, finally.

Hannah's vocabulary continues to grow. She can, and does, express herself very well, and it is very rare that she can't find the words to tell you exactly what she wants or is trying to say. She talks constantly, which we love, and she repeats everything! Her teachers tell us that she is the most vocal in her class (of course, they could be telling everyone this, but we still love to hear it!). She has also started putting a few words together like, "Hannah's bed" or "watch Barney." It is so fun to listen to her and hear her interpretation of things.

We are headed to the beach again for the long weekend, so I will try to use that time to post some pictures. I know that is what everyone is here for anyway!

Pictures from the Archives

2009-08-06T08:43:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures from June/July that I'm just getting around to uploading!

This one is from 4th of July. Hannah wanted to wear clothes that matched her Nana, so they were both wearing pink shirts and white jeans.

Daddy trying to get Hannah in the Gulf.
Fear the Mullet. Stay tuned for updates on Hannah's hairdo!
Hannah loves "boopert" (Rupert)
Eating at Chick-Fil-A after a trip to the zoo with Mommy and Gigi.
Playing in the pool at Ross Bridge.

Playing in the pool at the JCC.

At the crawfish boil. It was HOT outside, so we were all redfaced and glistening!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-08-04T10:52:00.003-05:00

Today is the 2nd anniversary of our wedding.

Jason, these past two years have been filled with love, joy, tears, laughter, frustration, happiness, commitment, compromise, new baby, new job(s), diapers, bills, car trips, cruises, and weekends at home. You are my best friend, and you are the love of my life. You are an amazing father, and every day I think about how lucky I am that Hannah has a Daddy who wants to be (and is) involved in every detail of her life. I love you, and I look forward to the years to come!

Boredom

2009-08-04T10:37:00.004-05:00

I'm taking this survey from my friend's blog. You can tell I'm really busy at the moment...

What is your salad dressing of choice?
Greek

What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it?
Papa John's Pizza

What do you like to put on your toast?
Jelly or Cinnamon & Sugar but only if Jason makes it for me

How many televisions are in your house?
2

What color cell phone do you have?
red

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
the mail bin

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Beth, my middle name. It was semi-traumatic for me to drop it when I got married. I'm not sure I understand the purpose of middle names, but I love mine.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
No way. I won't even use a few dashes on my food!

Last person you talked to?
Hannah- we are singing the Sesame Street theme song.

Last person you hugged?
Hannah, when she stubbed her toe a few minutes ago.

Favorite Season?
Fall. I love cool weather, fall colors, football season, turtlenecks, scarves, chili, pumpkins... I could go on!

Day of the week?
Sunday. It's lazy day for us!

First place you went this morning?
To get Hannah out of her bed.

What's the last movie you saw?
"UP"

Do you smile often?
Yes

Do you always answer your phone?
Not always. I can't while I'm at work, and when I get home I usually forget to turn it off of silent.

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
I wouldn't. I think I would look weird with blue or green eyes.

What flavor drink do you get at Sonic?
Unsweet Tea

Do you own a digital camera?
Yes. And, I left it in Mobile at Thanksgiving, so I'm really missing it right now!

Have you ever had a pet fish?
Ugh, yes, too many.

Favorite Christmas song?
Yikes. Am I terrible for saying I can't stand Christmas music? I dread that time of year on the radio!

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
a new coat or wallet

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
Excited!

Ever been in a car wreck?
No comment.

Do you have an accent?
Some say I do, some say I don't.

Plans tonight?
Happy New Year's Day! We are watching the football games and Jason is cooking black-eyed peas, turnip greens (yuck), and smoking a chicken and a boston butt. And, Gee Gee and Bop are coming over!

Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
I bought flowers for my party, and a bagel and gatorade on the way to work.

Have you ever been given roses?
Given, yes. And, for future reference, I don't really like roses... too cliche.

How did you ring in the New Year?
We had a few people over early, and then I was asleep by 11pm. I did watch the first ball drop, though.

What were you doing at 12 AM last night?
Sleeping

What was the first thing you thought when you woke up?
I can hold it. I know, sounds weird. I didn't want to get out of my cozy bed. Isn't that the first thing everyone thinks when they wake up?

Happy 1/2 Birthday to Hannah!

2009-07-30T11:39:00.005-05:00

Today is Hannah's 1/2 birthday, making her 18 months old. We celebrated by taking her to the doctor to get her last two shots. Here's how she checked out:

Weight- 24 lbs. 7 oz.

Height- 34 inches

Head- 18 1/2 inches

Hannah is still 95% for height and 50% for weight, which Dr. Farr seems to be pretty happy with. She also passed all of the developmental milestones with flying colors. We will have to go back for a 24 month appointment, but she will not get any shots again until she is four. I think our Dr. just likes to collect co-pays!

Here are some things Hannah is doing at 18 months:

she loves to play "out-ki" or outside
she likes to list all of the names she knows. It usually starts with Daddy when we get in the car to go home from school. She continues with Boopbert (Rupert, our dog), Gooey (Dooley, our other dog), Gigi, Bop (I think his name has officially changed from Pop to Bop), Ooey (Lucy, their dog), Nana, Ah-bert (Robert), Papa, and Oh-ah (Noah)... usually in that order, but she sometimes mixes it up.
She LOVES Elmo, still. She wants to watch Elmo all the time. She gets mad when Elmo goes to clips of real people. She can name most of the characters including Cookie, Grover, Big Bird, Abby, Zoey, Telly, Bert & Ernie.
She can COUNT TO TEN. I am not making this up. She does need a little encouragement, but she can do it!
She goes tee-tee in the potty most mornings when she wakes up. It is so exciting to her.
She likes to pretend feed everyone in the room. She feeds herself with a fork or spoon, and she holds out her food to everyone in the room, says your name, and then expects you to pretend you are eating it. This includes both dogs, and the Sesame Street characters on her placemat.
She loves to ca-or (color). She has "colored" all of my cookbooks in the kitchen.
She has started to become interested in her baby doll. She likes to watch me change her baby's diaper, put on and off the baby's clothes. She will share her milk with the baby, give it her paci, and rock it night night.
She loves to "tee", which means brush her teeth. When I pull out the toothbrush she immediately sits on the stool and says "pay" for paste. Then she brushes her teeth, which is really just her version of licking off all of the toothpaste.
She can climb on and off of any furniture by herself, which includes our really high bed (only off).
She can also climb up or down the stairs by herself, and is really fast. Sometimes we don't realize she is on her way up until she is halfway there! She won't go down without holding someone's hand, though.
She has become less picky about foods she will eat, but she will tell you exactly what she wants to eat when she is hungry.
She loves to have ponytails or pigtails in her hair. She calls them bows, but she doesn't like actual bows.
Funny story... the other day I said, "Hannah, Daddy stinks." She replied by saying, "toot."

That is all I can think of for the moment. She is such a big girl, and so smart. We can't wait to see what she will do next!

Hannah has a new bedroom!

2009-07-11T15:11:00.002-05:00

I've been really busy at work getting ready for the convention next week, so I apologize for the lack of blog posts lately.

Last weekend we went down to the beach for the 4th of July. Hannah, Jason, Dooley and I joined Nana, Papa, Buster, Noah and Lara for a weekend of fun in the sun. Hannah, of course, loved the beach and the pool. We spent a lot of time in the sun, and Hannah has a cute bikini tan. She looks like the Coppertone baby! She didn't stay awake for the fireworks, but I have a feeling she would have been afraid of them anyway.

When we got back home we decided it was time to move Hannah to a new bedroom. Which meant "big girl" bed. When we took her in the room for the first time she literally said, "Wow." She has enjoyed her big girl room!

I'll post pictures of the room and the beach trip later. I hear someone waking up from her nap!

Elmo, Elmo, ELMO!

2009-06-29T17:46:00.004-05:00

Without realizing the impact it would have on Hannah, I mistakenly introduced Elmo. Let me restate that, I regrettably introduced Elmo to Hannah. This child has never been interested in television, or formed an obsessive attachment to any objects other than her pacifier (no blankie, stuffed animals, favorite toys/books, etc.) When I say she is OBSESSED with Elmo I think it is an understatement. Any time she sees or hears a television she begs for Elmo. She wakes up in the middle of the night begging to watch Elmo. She says Elmo in her sleep! Elmo has hit our home hard, and I'm afraid there is no turning back.

I am also afraid that, like every other new development, Hannah is early on hitting the terrible two's. Maybe she just doesn't feel good, or is tired (she was sick over the weekend), but in the past week or so she has been throwing tantrums. She is most definitely her mother's child... she knows exactly what she wants, and she wants it NOW! She says no a lot, and has become more and more impatient. We are hoping this is just a symptom of her illness and not a sign of times to come!

REMINDER: We are going private on July 1st! If I do not have your email address on my list you will not be able to view the blog. And, don't be shy, I look at a lot of blogs, so please just tell me who you are so that I can get you on my list!

It's potty time!

2009-06-07T15:58:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I decided I wanted to start potty training Hannah. I know it is early (she's just 16 months), but she was showing some signs of interest, so I got her potty out. So far she has done pretty well. We put her on the potty the minute she wakes up, and 5 out of 6 days she has tee-tee'd in the potty. We try putting her on it several times during the day, but we have been unsuccessful other than first thing in the morning. It's a start... so maybe by 18 months we will be diaper free!

We are going PRIVATE!!

2009-06-04T13:08:00.003-05:00

I have decided, at the request of some concerned family members, to take the blog private. This will happen on July 1st, so if you are a regular reader, sometimes reader, one time reader, etc. please email me, or leave a comment, with your email address so I can give you permission to read the blog. You have three weeks to let me know if you need to be added. If you don't email me by July 1st you will lose out on Hannah updates!

Momma and Mara sound a lot alike...

2009-05-29T21:51:00.006-05:00

At least to Hannah they do! Last weekend we went to Atlanta to celebrate Bryan and Katie Woods's wedding. We stayed with Mara & Phillip and Hannah was OBSESSED with Mara. She wanted nothing to do with me. She loved Mara, and didn't even notice when Jason and I walked out the door to go to the rehearsal dinner. I have to say, it was nice not worrying that she was crying all night. Saturday Jason spent the day with the groomsmen, and Mara, Hannah and I tried to do some shopping. We had lunch with Noah, Lara, and Wendy- by the way I am still thinking about how yummy that sandwich was... I will now want to go to Souper Jenny every time I come to ATL. After lunch we had to help correct a tux shop mishap, and then we hit Target for a last minute shoe purchase to go with my dress. We headed back to Mara's house where Noah and Lara were waiting to hang out with Hannah. We got there just in time for me to get in the shower to get dressed for the 6:30 pm wedding.

I do have to back up for a minute... girls, have you ever worn a new pair of shoes and the dye from the shoes has bled all over your feet? Maybe I just have sensitive skin, but this happens to me sometimes with black dressy shoes. I borrowed a pair of shoes from Mara for the rehearsal dinner and afterwards the bottoms of my feet were black! So, Saturday afternoon I'm in the shower and I decide to try and scrub this black stuff off the bottom of my feet. I get one foot 75% clean when I go to the other foot. I scrubbed the second foot and just when I was about to step down I busted! I fell in the shower! I immediately thought I had broken my arm, but I made myself put my weight on it to get up. I knew if I could do that it couldn't be too bad. I looked at it though, and it was immediately badly swollen. There was a huge knot right on the end of my elbow, so I thought that was the bone sticking out. I debated what to do, but decided to miss my husband's first cousin/best friend's wedding, in which he was the best man, to go to the doctor. Mara took me, and Noah & Lara stayed with Hannah. After a few hours of waiting, a passive agressive doctor, a man with a severed finger, and a nurse who failed to put the protective cape on me while x-raying me (good thing I'm not pregnant) I found out that it was not broken, was given some pills, and sent home. A week later my elbow is still slightly swollen and I have traded black soles for a black and blue elbow. Moral of the story... don't wash your feet standing up in the shower!

But anyway, this blog is about Hannah right? She is hilarious. We put her hair in a Pebbles-like ponytail on top of her head Monday and she loved it. She now has to have her hair like that all of the time. We have managed to get it to not stick straight up, but she just loves her little ponytail! She says everything... literally, everything. There is nothing that she cannot say. Of course, she is not making out sentences, but if you tell her something once she retains it and will repeat it (Robert, that is not permission to teach her bad words!). She is eating a little better these days, but still doesn't eat very much at meals. She loves music, and we have recently discovered the Toddler Tunes channel in the music channels of our cable. She loves it, and her favorite song is "If you're happy and you know it." She says "happy" until you sing it to her. When you try to stop, or when a song ends on the radio she says "more, more" until it starts again. She loves school, and when you ask her in the morning if she is ready to go to school she runs to the door and says, "go, go, go." She is so much fun and makes us laugh every day. We are so blessed and thankful that we have such a happy, healthy baby girl! Happy 16 months, Hannah!

Tonight Hannah put her baby in her choo-choo and was pushing her around. She is really going to love the stroller that she doesn't even know she has. Too bad her birthday and Hanukkah are so far away!

Swimming at the JCC on Memorial day. This was right after we put her in the water, so she had not yet given up her ne-ne, and was not really smiling yet. It took about 30 minutes to get used to it!
On our way to the pool. Hannah was sporting her new sunglasses!

At the park with Mara and Belle.
Yes, my child has a mullet. FEAR IT!

If only I could get that ne-ne out of her mouth. Trust me, I tried. This was the only picture that she was not screaming in.

Hannah "Buckethead" Touchton

2009-05-18T10:37:00.001-05:00

For her Aunt Mara...

Party like it's 1999

2009-05-12T15:35:00.004-05:00

This past weekend was my 10 year high school reunion. I have been looking forward to it for a while, but as the planner for it I was also dreading it a little bit. Even though it is a job I volunteered for, and even though I do plan events for a living so I wasn't too worried about how it would turn out, I was anxious. I felt personally responsible for how much fun would be had, if any at all! I have to admit, I was also a little anxious about seeing people I hadn't seen in a while. Not embarrassed or nervous, just apprehensive for reasons of nostalgia. I tend to think of high school as the "glory days." I loved high school and everything about it. I had great friends and made great memories. It's kind of like when you had a favorite place as a child that you remember to be so wonderful, and then you revisit it as an adult and it is not as glorious as you remembered. This is what I was afraid would happen. Luckily for me, nothing has changed. Some people might think of this as a bad thing, but for me it was like putting on an old sweater. Everything just felt right. Of course, some things have changed, some people are married and some are a little more mature (most people!). But, for the most part, everyone is exactly the same and I love that. For the first time in a long time I felt at home. I love my life, Jason and Hannah, and my job, I've just always been more comfortable/happy in Mobile than in Birmingham, and this weekend confirmed that. Of course, not everyone is always in Mobile, and maybe that is why weekends like this are so great... it is the some of the few times we are all back together. Thanks to everyone for making it a great weekend! This weekend confirmed for me that high school was a great experience. I'm sorry that I have lost touch with some people, or not been as good at keeping in touch with others, but it was great to catch up with everyone and I promise to be better about staying in contact in the future. Here's to the class of '99... hope to see you all at the next reunion!

Momma's little girl

2009-05-03T21:25:00.005-05:00

Hannah has always been a momma's girl. Maybe it is the 9 months she spent growing inside my belly. Maybe it is the 12 weeks we spent together after she was born. Or, maybe it is just because Jason smells bad (just kidding!). But for whatever reason she loves to snuggle with mommy, be held by mommy, sit in mommy's lap, be fed by mommy, fall asleep in mommy's arms, etc. etc. etc. However, every once in a while my mommy's girl loves to be with her Daddy. I have to admit, I love the fact that she "prefers" me, and on those rare occasions that she vies for her daddy's attention my feelings are deeply hurt. Today was one of those days. She wanted to be with her daddy, and when I left to go out of town for the night she just waved bye bye. I never want my baby to be upset, but it would have been nice to have a few tears when leaving her with dad. Now I know how you feel, Jason.

Momma and her girl after spending the day at Oak Mountain.

Quiet weekend, not so quiet baby

2009-04-21T12:35:00.003-05:00

UPDATE: I counted over the weekend and Hannah has a vocabulary of 23 words!

Hannah is almost 15 months and is just chatting and babbling all of the time. Last weekend we spent our time at home for the first time in a while. Friday night we went to Tot Shabbat, Saturday morning we went to the bookstore, and Sunday morning we went to the park, but other than that we were at home all weekend. We played, A LOT, and had a cranky, napless Sunday (yikes!). Hannah is so fun right now, cranky or not. She is responsive to questions and will say "da" for yes or "no" for no. Some other words she is saying now: "ni ni" for night night or go to sleep, bye, hey, "na no" for all gone, ball, "wa wa" for water, tee tee, baby, of course doggie dada& mommy, and there are probably others I can't think of right now. Also, if you ask her what sound a cow makes she moos! We are amazed at how smart she is, and she picks up on things so quickly.

A few blogs that I read are private or plan to go private soon. I am considering this, but kind of want some feedback. You would have to subscribe to my blog by giving me your email address. If you do not give me your email address you will not be able to view the blog. I know that my friends and family look at the blog, but I also know that some friends of friends look at it, too. I don't mind if people that I don't really know read my blog, as long as I know your connection to me. So, if you feel strongly about me going private or staying public please let me know!

Aahh... finally, a trip to the beach!

2009-04-14T11:11:00.010-05:00

This past weekend was packed with travel, holidays, birthdays and fun. On Thursday afternoon we headed down to Mobile for Passover. Hannah slept most of the way, so Jason got to listen to his book on tape while I read with Dooley sitting in my lap. We got there and Nana was getting dinner ready. Hannah played outside with Aunt Mara, Uncle Phillip, Uncle Robert and the three doggies. She was having so much fun running around the patio. Later we sat down to a nice seder, and Hannah did ok. She lost patience towards the end, but overall did well. We had a yummy meal of gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, brisket, spinach casserole, potato casserole (my all time fav), apple casserole, and cheesecake and chocolate cake for dessert. Needless to say we were all stuffed! Friday morning we hung out with the fam and then got in the car to head to New Orleans. We had lunch at Lucy's in New Orleans and then met Gigi and Pops at their hotel. Jason, Hannah, Gigi and I walked down to Jackson Square to let Hannah run around, drank yummy daiquiris, and went back to the hotel. We took a cab to the Pat O'Brien's on the River where the party was taking place. We were the first to arrive, so Hannah got to run around and play with all of the balloons (by far her favorite part of the evening). Scott showed up around 8:30 and was "surprised" to see all of his friends and family gathered for a 30th birthday party. We left the party around 10pm and got in the car (again... ugh) to drive down to the beach. I fought to stay awake, but didn't even make it to Slidell before I fell asleep. We got to the condo around 1:15am and got the car packed and Hannah back down to sleep. Sunday morning we woke up to a gorgeous day! Jason walked over to the beach to get our tent and chairs set up while I fed Hannah breakfast and got her greased up with suntan lotion. We walked over to the beach around 9am. Keep in mind this was Hannah's first sand experience. We went to the beach last year but never took her to the sand, only the pool. As soon as we walked off of the stairs and into the sand she started crying; and I was holding her! I think she was crying because she saw the water, and, thanks to her swimming lessons, is now afraid of all water (bath, pool, gulf, etc.). So I carried her down to where our tent was set up and sat down in her tent with her. I played with her bucket and shovel, and after about 10 minutes she was having a great time. She loved making Mommy and Daddy fill her bucket up with water and now says wawa. She would walk about halfway to the water, the safe zone, and dance with excitement while she waited for the return of her bucket. She had so much fun, and it was so fun to watch. We spent about 2 1/2 hours out there before we headed back for lunch. Just as we were coming back to the condo Nana arrived with Dooley to spend the afternoon with us. She took us to a delicious lunch at Cobalt, and then spent the afternoon with me on the porch while Hannah napped and Jason went back to the beach. Hannah woke up around 3:30 and played with Nana for a little bit before she had to head back to Mobile. That afternoon we went back over to the beach for a little bit more sand and sun, and then came back to cook dinner. Sunday morning was beautiful so we thought we were going to get another great day at the beach. Unfortunately, it was ridiculously windy, so we could only stand to be out there for an hour before we gave up. We went back and cleaned up, packed up and had lunch before leaving to head back to Birmingham. We stopped at the Strawberry Festival on the way home... total waste of time, and made it back to Birmingham around 6:30pm. Although busy, we had a great weekend full of fun and lasting memories. Below are a few pictures. I do have more on my video camera so I will upload those later.

Hannah and her Pop on the balcony at Pat O'Brien's on the River.

Hannah met the Easter Bunny at Uncle Scott's birthday party! Despite the look on her face she was actually not scared. She wanted to touch the bunny's nose.
Enjoying a beautiful afternoon at Jackson Square.
Of course, she looks at the camera when I'm not in the picture!
My cutie-pie!
Aunt Mara taught Hannah how to throw ice at the dogs.
Hannah wanted to get in the doggie cage. She cried when I took her out!
Hannah was marching around Jackson Square. This is the little walk/dance move she does when she is really happy and/or we let her roam free.
Jason found himself a hiding spot when we were playing in Jackson Square. This picture is actually taken from pretty far away!

I took the picture above on our way out of the parking lot in New Orleans. She fell asleep immediately and slept the entire car ride to the beach.

Daddy's empty beer bottle makes a great toy! I took this one for you Jason!
It was so windy on Sunday that Hannah couldn't walk straight! You can tell by her hair that the wind was blowing!

Wordle, part 2

2009-04-07T16:02:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Hannah accompanied me on a business trip to Mobile. We, of course, stayed with Nana, Papa and Robert, who were more than happy to babysit Hannah while I was in meetings. Friday afternoon Adrianne and Mason came over to play. It was so fun to get our two little ones together, and they played really well together. Saturday we went to visit The Cole's and to meet baby Mattie. Hannah slept during most of the visit, but really wanted to stay and play with Meredith. Big girl toys are so much more fun!

I'm still kind of wowed by the wordle website. I have created another one for Hannah. This time I put in my own words rather than pulling from the

website and this is what is wordled!

Our little fishy

2009-04-01T10:30:00.003-05:00

Hannah has now taken two swim lessons with Coach Rebecca. The first one was in the afternoon, so Jason and I were both able to attend. We watched as our poor baby screamed, floated, kicked, and got dunked (this was painful). By the end of the first lesson she was able to pull herself up on the side of the pool and turn around to sit on her behind. All of this, of course, is caught on video, on my camera that does not speak to my computer.

For the second lesson I was trying to be sneaky. It was scheduled for 1pm, so Coach Rebecca was just going to pick Hannah up from her classroom and take her over to the pool. I was supposed to be sitting in the background, watching from a distance. But when 1:15 rolled around and there was no Hannah/Coach Rebecca, so I had to go down to Hannah's classroom to get her and page Coach Rebecca. As soon as we walked int

o the pool area Hannah started crying... she knew what was coming. I sat on the si

de as Hannah floated back and forth down the pool. She SCREAMED the whole time I was there, but turned her head and waved when she passed by me, all the while still screaming! Here are some pictures from her second lesson.

2009-03-25T11:59:00.005-05:00

This weekend Jason, Hannah and I went to Saturday morning services. We are trying to decide which temple we want to join, so we me with the rabbi at Emanu-El. After services Hannah took a 2 1/2 hour nap before we headed to Vulcan Park. It was a beautiful, sunny 76%, so we walked around and let Hannah run around in the grass. Afterwards we enjoyed lunch on the patio at Jackson's. That night we went to Parker's birthday party (Harriet's dog). Hannah had so much fun playing with the dogs, John Paul (Harriet's nephew), and being passed around by all of the adults. I think that there was actually an hour long period when I didn't even see her. This is a HUGE change/improvement from Mara & Phillip's wedding. Thank goodness! On Sunday we spent the day cleaning and cooking for our early evening company. The Joyner family came over to play and have dinner. We had fun sharing our toys and our home. You could just tell that Hannah loved Delia. She followed her around and copied her every move. We can't wait to hang out with them again!

Last night on my trip to buy milk I decided I was going to try and find new foods for Hannah to try. I am getting so bored with mixed vegetables and mandarin oranges, so I know Hannah must be! We tried chick'n tenders and string cheese last night. Hannah really likes anything she can hold herself and bite into, so these two choices were perfect. Below are several pictures from the weekend!

We tried two new foods last night, string cheese and "chick'n" tenders (vegetarian chicken nuggets). Both were a hit!
Umm.. this looks yummy!

Hannah has now taught herself to drink from a sports top bottle.
Hannah loves Rupert!
My table set for company. Hmm... I wish I had nicer chairs!
The peanut butter kiss cookies that seemed to be the hit of the meal!
Hannah's new favorite parking spot.

If only her eyes were open!
Hannah and Jason playing at Vulcan Park.
Hannah and I enjoying the view from the bottom of Vulcan. Well, at least one of us is enjoying it!

Kiss me, I'm Irish!

2009-03-17T08:53:00.006-05:00

Or part Irish at least! Hannah wore green for St. Patty's Day today. She has not yet learned how to sit still or pose for pictures, so this is the best one I could get.

This past weekend my parents (Nana and Papa) and Robert and Buster (the dog) came to visit. It was a last minute trip, but much welcomed and a nice surprise. Friday night we cooked dinner and just played with Hannah. Saturday Jason and Robert went to play golf with Bryan, so the rest of us went shopping in Homewood. It was raining all day, so we headed home after lunch. Jason and Robert were back so we relaxed for a little while before a marathon trip to Whole Foods. If you have ever been grocery shopping with my dad you can understand what this means. There are no quick trips to the store. We shop every aisle and come out with a lot more than we went for. Whole Foods didn't have all that we were looking for, so we went to Publix, too. For dinner we went to the Fish Market. It is a seafood restaurant where you stand in line to place your order and then they call you when your food is ready. Hannah was having so much fun. When Robert went up to get our food she stood up in her high chair and kept yelling "hey" to him. She thought it was so funny. After dinner we went for ice cream, and then took our sleepy baby home. It was a short trip, but we were so glad they came to visit!

Hannah's newest trick is that she wants to spoon feed herself. If you give her the spoon she dips it into the food. If you don't give it to her she grabs it from you and very forcefully pulls it away from you. She wants to do it herself!!!

Chili, Squeakers and Happy Purim!

2009-03-10T14:02:00.006-05:00

This weekend was a busy one! Friday night I surprised Jason with a Radio Flyer ATW wagon. Of course, it is for Hannah, but I think he was more excited about it. I thought it would be the perfect mode of transportation for our busy Saturday, but we decided we needed to test it out with Hannah before going in public. On Saturday Hannah slept until 8:45! It was unbelievable. Jason and I were able to clean the kitchen, start laundry, take care of the dogs, and get breakfast ready all before Hannah woke up (yes, I did check to see if she was breathing at about 7:45). We had breakfast and then got dressed to go to Homewood.

First stop was Sikes Children's Shoes. Hannah has outgrown the pair of white mary-jane keds that we got in January (size 4). I was actually excited because I thought now she would finally fit into white leather shoes. I'm not kidding when I say that we tried on 12 pairs of shoes! For a 1 year old! She apparently has "soapbar" feet, which mean they are shaped like a soap bar, rectangular and thick. So nothing would fit her! We settled on a pair of white leather Mary-Jane's (size 5) that have a few little flowers on them (I was not happy about this part). However, the real kicker is that the only shoes that would fit her are the ones that squeak when she walks! She thought they were hilarious; everyone else thought they were annoying, but we left the squeakers (they can be removed) in for the whole day because she was so amused. See video below. She walked around in circles all day just to hear herself squeak!

After Sikes we headed to Homewood Park for the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off. It could not have been a more perfect day for an outdoor event. The sun was shining and there was a nice breeze. I am a terrible mom, though, I forgot sunscreen and Hannah got a little tan! There were probably 100 different booths all serving up their version of the best chili around. I tasted about 5 different ones before I burnt my mouth on some chili that was not even spicy hot, but too temperature hot. Jason, as evidenced by the stains on his shirt, tasted more chili than I did, and I think his favorite was the booth who gave us beer. As promised, we did vote for them as People's choice. After tasting we headed inside to get some beer from Good People Brewing Company. My pale ale was not so pale, so I gave it to Jason and he downed that along with a brown ale and a coffee oatmeal stout (sounds yuck to me!). We watched the band play for a little while and Hannah was just mesmerized (see picture below). She wouldn't dance, but she didn't want to move away from them! The ice cream man was there so I got a bomb pop (the red, white and blue rocket popsicle) thinking that Hannah would like it, but she wanted nothing to do with it. So, we just watched her run around the field at the park and listen to herself squeaking!

Because we really didn't eat a meal of chili we headed over to Taziki's for a lunch of greek salads and hummus. Lately I cannot not get enough greek salads. I have become somewhat of a connoisseur. I think I have tried every greek salad in the city and I have to say that the best one is at Pappas' Grill in Vestavia. Taziki's was not so great, but we needed to stay around that area to meet Gigi for the handoff. Hannah was spending the night with Gigi and Pops, so we met Gigi after lunch to give her Hannah. Jason was much better than I was, and he went to workout Saturday afternoon. I was beat from the sunshine and activity so I laid around and caught up on some DVR.

Saturday evening we attended the second "Babies & Bagels in Birmingham" program. This is a group of Jewish couples who have babies from 0 - 4 years old. This was not really a program as much as it was an excuse to drink Margaritas! They had a buffet dinner for us a Zona Rosa in Liberty Park, and all the margs and Mexican beer you could drink. We met some really great people, and had a lot of fun having a night out. After dinner we went down to Billy's at Liberty Park with two other couples. We stayed to hear the band play one set (mainly because we paid a $7 per person cover charge! RIDICULOUS for 4 on the Floor) and then Jason told me it was time to go home at midnight. He was turning into a pumpkin!

Sunday we slept in, thanks to Hannah spending the night out. I made a fifteenth trip to the Apple store because my computer broke AGAIN, Jason worked out, and then we put together the wagon. We got it all strapped down in the back of Jason's truck and headed to Trussville to show Hannah her new toy. Hannah, Jason, Gigi, Pops and I all went to the park. We pulled Hannah around in her wagon, which she seemed kind of indifferent about, and then we played on the playground. Hannah didn't really want anything to do with the slides or other playground equipment. She just wanted to play with the gravel! It wore her out because she fell asleep on the way home. She had fun!

Last night was my first time to play in a Bunko group that I was invited to (thanks to Saturday night's event!). It was great catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, and playing an easy, yet entertaining game! I didn't win, but it was still a fun time.

Today is Purim, so Hannah went to school in a costume. It was kind of a last minute decision, so Hannah went as a ballerina. The pictures are from my cell phone, so they are not great, but you get the idea. She's a cutie!

Biggest Loser Update

2009-03-06T21:17:00.002-06:00

As you may or may not know, Jason and I are participating in "The Biggest Loser" competition at the JCC. There are two teams of five, and one Touchton on each team. I am on the 5:30 am team, and Jason is on the 5:30 pm team. We are currently in week 4, and we have both lost weight. Jason has been the biggest loser overall in 2 out of 3 weigh-ins! The one he didn't win was post cruise, and we just won't talk about that one. He really is doing great. He works out at least 6 days a week, which is more than me, and he really is enjoying it. The program only lasts 8 weeks, but hopefully we will both make it a habit to eat right and exercise often!

Wordle

2009-03-03T11:18:00.003-06:00

I found this fun website that jumbles random words into a cool shape. They can take words off of your website, or you can type in exactly what words you want them to use (very cute idea for a "Save the date" if anyone is getting married anytime soon!). You can choose from several fonts and colors, and the more you have a word listed the larger it will appear. The website is www.wordle.net. Above is my creation!

Hannah IS A GIRL!

2009-03-02T12:25:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I thought this problem would have gone away once Hannah's hair grew back, but apparently she still looks like her gender is questionable! At Brookwood Mall on Saturday a lady sharing the elevator with us asked us, "how old is he?" You can see she was wearing lime green with polka dots, ruffles, and pink shoes. Do you know anyone who dresses their boy like that? And, I may be biased, but she is way too pretty to be a boy! You can also see her getting her first taste of lollipop! She was a little more interested in playing with it than licking it, but she figured it out pretty quickly! FYI, we do not plan to make giving her candy a habit, but this helped out when she was losing patience in the bra department of Belk's!

Snow on March 1st!

2009-03-02T08:55:00.015-06:00

As all of you know (because you were/are probably victims of it, too), Birmingham had a huge snowstorm yesterday! It began snowing sometime after midnight- I know this because Jason got up at this time to have a midnight "snack" and it was not snowing then- and it didn't stop until sometime between 2-3pm. We think we got about 3 - 4 inches, but I'm no meteorologist, so you be the judge!

Hannah had more fun playing inside than outside in the snow! I thought it was neat to have the snow in the background, though!

A snowflake fell right as I was taking a picture, but you can still tell that Hannah does NOT like being left sitting in the snow!

I guess it is a good thing I've never actually put a plant on my plant stand! (see below)

Does our house have more curb appeal with snow in the yard? Unfortunately, I don't think so!

Below you can see how high the snow came up off of the curb in our yard. 3, 4 inches?

Below you can see two cars parked on the street. They are parked there because they tried to drive up the hill but they slid right back down!

This is why people who live in places that it snows all the time have mudrooms!

Splish, Splash...

2009-02-27T09:29:00.002-06:00

Hannah loves to take a bath! Recently, Hannah has really started to love the bathtub. She plays with her foam letters and splashes the water. She is not afraid of the water running or being drained, and waves bye-bye to the water as it goes down! Last night she was singing in the tub, and so we gave her a mohawk. The picture quality is not great because we used my cell phone, but you get the idea!

Cozumel, Mexico

2009-02-25T10:25:00.001-06:00

That's right, Jason and I went on another cruise to Cozumel! This time it was for work. My Winter Convention was aboard the Holiday, and Jason got to tag along. It was mostly work for me, but we managed to squeeze in a little fun, too! Hannah got to spend the weekend with her Gigi and Pops. I don't think their house will ever be the same! I know they had a great time, and I'm sure by Monday were ready for some rest and quiet. We REALLY missed Hannah, and we could tell that she missed us just a little bit, too. We had a great time, but we are glad to be home and back into our routine!

Blog Design

2009-02-18T16:54:00.004-06:00

This blog was designed by Erin Burns Schwant at EBS Designs. Thanks for your business Michelle! Hannah is precious!

Need a Blog Design? Visit EBS Designs!

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T20:31:00.004-06:00

How life changes when you have a baby! For the second year in a row Jason and I have strayed from the traditional romantic Valentine's date night and opted for spending a fun night with our sweet girl. Below are pictures of Hannah playing today. She is wearing the outfit that Aunt Lara and Uncle Noah gave her for Hanukkah, but it seemed so appropriate for Vday!

href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dOrv5R7ngvs/SZd9iIJh7LI/AAAAAAAAAw0/HBaG4rywbsg/s1600-h/DSCN0951.JPG">

My makeshift Valentine for Jason. I forgot to buy him a card!

This was actually last weekend at the car show. Hannah got to meet Big Al for the first time. She wasn't scared! She just wanted to shake his hand!

More pictures from Hannah's Birthday Weekend

2009-02-14T20:05:00.007-06:00

Aunt Mara trying to teach Hannah how to use her new sit & spin

She looks so unhappy but she really had fun. I think she was overwhelmed with all that was going on!

Hannah is ONE!

2009-02-03T16:03:00.004-06:00

Pictures from Hannah's Birthday (courtesy of Pops and my cell phone... I'll add more from my camera later!)

Last Friday, January 30th, Hannah turned 1 year old! We began her birthday weekend by singing "Happy Birthday" to wake her up. She thought it was so funny, and she stood up in her crib and danced! She went to school that day dressed in a cupcake t-shirt, pink leg warmers, pink hairbow, and pink TU-TU! She looked adorable, and loved the tu-tu (pictures to follow)! That night we had Morgan and Scott over for dinner because they were in town for a wedding. Hannah played with them, and kept showing off for Scott.
The next day was her birthday party. We kept it to family, but we still had 15 people (and 3 dogs)! The attendance included myself, Jason, Hannah, Nana & Papa (my parents), Mamaw (my grandmother), Gigi & Pops (Jason's parents), Grandmother (Jason's Grandmother), Uncle Dave (Jason's Uncle), Mara & Phillip, Noah & Lara, and Robert. Hannah was dressed in a pretty pink birthday present that was a gift from the Goldberg's, and she actually wore a bow in her hair for a while. Jason and Phillip made burgers and bloody mary's, and we all enjoyed a casual, yummy lunch. After eating we sang Happy Birthday (Hannah danced in her high chair), and we had cake. Hannah got her own "smash cake," and as you can see by the pictures she really enjoyed it! After cake and ice cream we opened presents, and Hannah really racked up! She got toys, clothes, jewelry, books, and luggage! She now has more toys than her daycare classroom, which is crazy! After all of the excitement it was time for a nap (3 1/2 hours!). Dinner that night was Cocina Superior, which turned out to be not so great despite all of the time that we have been there and it was delicious. The next morning we met everyone for breakfast. All of the company left, so Jason, Hannah and I went to a baby super bowl party. It was in the gym at the JCC, and there were just a bunch of babies/children running around playing with balls, riding bikes, and socializing. After a lunch of pizza and cookies we went home for another long nap. It was a very fun, but exhausting weekend!

Here are 12 things you should know about Hannah, the 12 month old!:

1. She is walking so fast/well that I can't even remember what it was like when she was crawling. She can pretty much run, and is surprisingly NOT bowlegged.

2. She can, and does, do/use the signs for "more" and "milk." We have been trying to teach her more for a while, and she will only use it sparingly. But she picked up on the sign for milk at school, because she just starting doing it one day!

3. She has "cold turkey" quit the bottle. It was not as scary or difficult as I thought it was going to be. She doesn't drink nearly as much as she used to (32 ounces per day), but she gets enough (20 -24 ounces per day). She prefers sippy cups that have straws, but will drink out of any kind.

4. NO MORE FORMULA!!!! This was the most exciting for me, because, of course, my sweet Hannah was on the one of the most expensive versions of formula out there. So, no more $60/week on baby formula... she drinks whole milk.

5. She is a picky eater. We try new things every day. She still loves mandarin oranges and peaches. When you give them to her she inhales them. We have tried deli meat, scrambled eggs, ground beef/turkey, and diced chicken but can't seem to get protein into her diet. She will occasionally eat cheese and hummus, so maybe our little girl wants to be a vegetarian. Yikes!

6. She is 30 inches long, 20 lbs, which puts her at 75% for height, and 50% for weight.

7. She has moved to the forward facing carseat. Don't tell Dr. Farr, but we did this a little earlier than her birthday. She LOVES facing forward. She dances to the radio, laughs when we can see each other in the rearview mirror, and sits quietly most of the time.

8. Skinny-minnie is STILL wearing 9 months clothing. She can wear 12 months stuff, but it is mostly a little big.

9. Unfortunately, she still takes a pacifier. She seems to love it even more now that we took away her bottle. I didn't want to be too mean and take both away at the same time, so that will be a project for another day.

10. She is all of the sudden scared in the bathtub. It may be because we finally got rid of the baby tub. I think the big tub is a little overwhelming!

11. She still only says doggie and dada. Other words come out, but I'm not sure what they mean!

12. She is the biggest baby in her class. There are 8 babies in her class ranging in age from 6 months - 12 months. She is not the oldest, and certainly not the youngest, but she is the tallest! No surprise there since Jason and I are both above average height.

I think this will probably be my last month count. Maybe I'll do 18 months, but that might be too difficult!

A week from tomorrow...

2009-01-22T16:48:00.002-06:00

Our sweet baby Hannah will be ONE! I just can't believe it. She has grown so quickly, especially in the last few months. I have a picture of her sitting on my desk that was taken in October, and in just 3 short months she has gotten so much bigger, learned to walk, grown tons of hair, gone up a size in diapers, and cut a top tooth. I am a little teary thinking about this time last year. I was one week away from meeting our baby for the first time. I was so nervous about the actual process that I didn't even have time to worry about how we would adjust after she arrived. Sometimes I miss being pregnant... I loved every minute of it, but nothing is better than waking up every day and seeing our little girl, Hannah Martin.

Pictures as promised!

2008-12-30T21:58:00.007-06:00

There are so many pictures that I decided to put a link to my album rather than spend hours posting them all on the blog. Hope you enjoy!

November/December

I'm a better mom for not spending so much time blogging

2008-12-29T20:16:00.002-06:00

Sorry... I realize I have not updated the blog in quite a while. We have been very busy over the last month. November brought Thanksgiving and the Iron Bowl (ROLL TIDE!), and Hannah turning 10 months, and December has been Mara's Wedding, Hannukah, Christmas, and in a few days New Years! My computer just returned from being fixed, so I have not had a chance to download pictures yet. I will do that tomorrow if Jason remembers to bring home my camera. Tomorrow Hannah will be 11 months old... here are 11 things you should know about Hannah:

1. She is walking all over the place! She walks more than she crawls now and is into everything!
2. She still only has 2 teeth. I am dreading the arrival of the next ones.
3. She said ducky tonight for the first time... as in rubber ducky in the bathtub. she talks to herself constantly. Mostly it is babble, but there are a few words mixed in there for good measure.
4. She has started pointing and saying "eh" to get what she wants (sound familiar Robert?)
5. She understands "no ma'am," but thinks it is funny when I say it and, therefore, doesn't always stop what she is not supposed to be doing.
6. We visited the zoo for the first time this past Saturday. She had the most fun on the carousel. She also rode the train, petted a sheep, and called every animal we saw a doggy.
7. She has moved up to size 4 diapers, but can still wear her 9 month clothing.
8. She finally pays attention to her baby Huggums doll. We introduced her to the baby a few nights ago and she hugged her. She also will kiss her on command, but watch out... Hannah only gives open mouth kisses!
9. Her hair is finally growing! When it is wet it looks really long in the back. When it is dry the back is starting to curl up.
10. She talks on her play telephone. If you hold it up to your ear, then say that the person (usually Nana or Gigi when we are playing) wants to talk to her she grabs the phone, puts it up to her ear and squeals "Hey (Gigi or Daddy)."
11. She will bring things to you if you ask for them. For example, if she is holding something and you say, "bring that to mommy," or "give that to Uncle Scott," she will take whatever she is holding to that person.

I could go on and on about how wonderful Hannah is. She makes us laugh every day, and never ceases to amaze me. She is the happiest baby I have ever seen (for those of you at Mara's wedding- that weekend was an exception!), and is just so much fun.

From the lost files

2008-11-24T18:45:00.001-06:00

A few very cute pictures that I forgot about!

These boots are made for WALKing

2008-11-22T08:26:00.003-06:00

Well, almost... Hannah took her first steps this past Sunday! We did manage to capture it on video tape; however I haven't figured out how to get that video up here. She first took just a few steps, and got that funny look on her face like she had done something fun. Then she just stood up and walked a good 4 feet! She has one of those toys that you can ride or push at her Gigi and Pops house, so she spent all day Monday pushing it around the room! She still prefers crawling at this point, but pretty soon she will be fully mobile!

Some new foods that Hannah has tried lately are ground beef, turkey, mandarin oranges, biscuits, toast, and macaroni noodles. We are always looking for ideas for new foods, so if you have any suggestions please feel free to let us know!

Halloween

2008-11-10T16:20:00.005-06:00

UPDATE:

Last week we celebrated Hannah's first Halloween! Unfortunately, it was not much of a celebration, but we had fun watching her play in her costume. Jason went to New Orleans for Phillip's bachelor party, so Hannah and I went to GiGi and Pops' house to help pass out candy. Hannah dressed as a monkey, and had a monogrammed banana candy bag for all of her treats (thanks Aunt Mara and Nana).

This past weekend we headed to Atlanta for the night. We got to stay with Noah and Lara, and had a great time visiting with them. Bryan and Katie met us for dinner at Six Feet Under, which was really yummy until I spilled drawn butter all over my favorite jeans (yes, it stained). On Sunday I went to a shower for Marla, while Hannah and Jason spent more time with the fam. It was a short trip, but we really enjoyed seeing everyone.

For some reason blogger is not letting me upload pictures, so I will try to get the Halloween pictures up later!

Hannah is 9 Months!

2008-11-02T19:39:00.003-06:00

It is unbelievable how time flies. I look at Hannah every day, and it just amazes me how much she has grown, and how smart, funny, and adorable she is. We have spent the last two days together, and this was the first time that we have been by ourselves and without Jason. I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend my weekend with! Hannah's 9 month appointment was Thursday, and unfortunately, it was not a pleasant one. Not only did she have to get three shots, but she has a double ear infection and is anemic. I felt so sorry for her, but she did ok. You would never even know she was sick. The pictures above are a small preview from our portrait session a few weeks ago. We have the most beautiful pictures of Hannah. There are too many to share, but if you are expecting a gift from me anytime soon you can bet that it will probably be a picture of Hannah!

Here are 9 things you should know about Hannah:
1. She can now say doggie, and identify a dog! She say da-gee anytime a dog (or cat, as I found out yesterday) comes anywhere near her.

2. She can also say/wave bye bye (but not always on command), and say ma ma and da da

3. Her new favorite thing is the light switch. Our old bathtime routine always ended with her laughing at herself in the mirror, but now she turns off the light!

4. She can now start eating some table foods such as well cooked vegetables, scrambled egg yolks, and potatoes. We tried diced peaches and bananas yesterday, but neither of them went over very well. Today we tried a mixture of corn, carrots, and green beans, and she seemed to like them a little better (most of them ended up in her seat. I have a feeling our dogs are about to get fatter!).

5. She can almost stand on her own. She is standing up and will let go, but usually only lasts a few seconds before she falls or has to grab onto something.

6. She dressed as a monkey for Halloween! (pictures to follow soon)

7. She is still wearing 9 months clothes, and they are a little too big, but she is now in the 50 -75th percentile in height and weight instead of just the 50th.

8. She is 19 lbs and 28 inches, which we thought meant she could move into her new carseat. However, Dr. Farr (or Dr. Uncle Phillip as we affectionatley call him- he looks a lot like Phillip) said that we have to stay rear-facing for the entire first year. Dr. Farr also said that we need to be completely off the bottle and using sippy cups by 12 months... yikes!

9. Hannah can high five and give kisses... again, not always on command, but we are working on it!!

Roadtrips, Fever, and JOB... oh my!

2008-10-23T16:14:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we piled all of our gear into Jason's truck and headed down south for Mara's Bachelorette weekend. We left Thursday and drove down to Mobile to get Hannah set up at Nana and Papa's house. We had a nice lunch with Mamaw on Friday, and then went to Gulf Distributing to pick up a few necessary items. WOW... does it look awesome! There is a tiny bit, and I mean tiny, that I recognize, and everything else is brand new. The upstairs offices are nicer than my house (so I might be moving in up there), and the warehouse has a fan that has 40 ft. long blades (I might be exaggerating, but it was HUGE)! Jason and I then drove over to New Orleans where we got to spend a little time with Scott before they dropped me off at the hotel. Mara did not have the easiest travels, so we surprised her with a drink, some cheese (which proved to be a good call later that evening), and some decorations courtesy of Katie and Ellen. When everyone got into town we went to dinner at NOLA. I could write an entire post about how amazing this dinner was. I'm salivating right now thinking about it. After dinner we went out in the quarter and all had a great time. The picture above is from our trip to Pat O's. Saturday we had brunch at Bacco, and then had a limo take us to several bars uptown. That night we had a great dinner at a new place called Meaux, and then I retired back to the hotel while everyone else hung out at the bar right nextdoor. Sunday we headed home, and of course picked up Hannah on the way! This week was semi-normal, until Hannah came down with a fever on Tuesday. Poor baby... it is so hard because they just can't tell you where it hurts. This is the first time Hannah has had a fever, so we just didn't really know what to do. The highest it got was 101.5, which was last night, and she was just fussy and generally unhappy. We let her sleep with us, and then she went to spend the day with her Gigi and Pops so they could nurse her back to health. We're not sure if the fever is gone, but she is a happy little girl today. I couldn't stay home with her because I started my new JOB today! YEA! I'm going to be working for Norton's Florist, and I'm training to be the manager of the Gift Basket division, as well as do some corporate sales. I'm really excited, and I think it is going to be exactly what I've been looking for. I will keep you posted!

Roadtrips, Fever, and JOB... oh my!

2008-10-23T16:14:00.000-05:00

Ouch!

2008-10-16T09:42:00.003-05:00

Hannah has cut her first tooth (finally)! We thought it was never going to happen, but as of Tuesday you can feel something a little sharp on her bottom gum. You can't really see anything yet, but you can definitely feel it! Hannah has not really been unusually cranky, but she has had a runny nose, which I hear is a symptom of teething. She is drooling a lot and chewing everything (including the grocery cart, gross!), but neither of these are unusual for Hannah. We do have Orajel and Tylenol on hand just in case! The pictures above are from this past Sunday. The Touchton family, minus Dooley, went to Veteran's Park to visit Pops at his car show. Hannah got to swing and slide, and was again called a boy several times. I think I'm going to throw away the overalls (not really, because I love them, I don't care if you think my baby girl is a boy!). On Monday we had family portraits taken and Hannah was a star. You would think that she was born to be photographed. She was smiling and laughing, and doing everything you would hope your baby would do for family pictures. Unfortunately, it was 100% humidity outside, so my hair was HUGE, and for that reason you may never see the wonderful pictures of Hannah! I haven't seen them yet, so maybe they aren't so bad, but it does make me a little nauseous thinking about it. Let's hope my big hair didn't block Hannah's pretty smile!

PS- I almost forgot to thank all of you for your support and comments in my fight against mean people who call Hannah a boy! I have been putting her in dresses more often, but until she can walk we will still have to wear pants!

Is it really that hard to tell she's a girl?

2008-10-08T10:17:00.003-05:00

I know Hannah has no hair, but seriously, isn't she too pretty to be a boy? Lately, we have encountered a lot of people who think our pretty little girl is a sweet baby boy! I don't dress her in boys clothes, although I don't always put her in a dress. She doesn't have enough hair for a bow, and I'm kind of anti headbands. She can't wear dresses all of the time because it hinders her crawling, so what is the answer? The picture below is an example of an outfit she was wearing when someone called her a boy. They also laughed and said, "I bet your Daddy dressed you today!" Actually, I dressed her... it was cold outside, and who are these people that make comments like that?

Hannah is 8 Months!

2008-10-03T08:22:00.003-05:00

So, I'm a few days late on this one, but Hannah is now 8 months old! She and I just returned from a trip to Mobile. She had fun visiting everyone, and she got to meet her new friend Peyton Rudolph! Sorry,only one picture with this post, my camera had to be shipped off to be fixed, but I do have new computer, so those old problems should go away!

Eight things you should know about Hannah (in no particular order):

1. She has several nicknames including, but not limited to: Hannah Banana, Hannah B., Little, Sweet Sweet

2. Hannah has started eating Saltine crackers. She doesn't really eat them as much as she gums them, but it is still a milestone.

3. She can drink from a sippy cup, but still prefers her bottle.

4. She is starting to wave bye bye. Not really on command, but we are trying!

5. She has baby eczema on her elbows and knees, boo. It doesn't seem to bother her at all, but I sure do hate it for her.

6. Hannah is going to be a monkey for Halloween. Aunt Mara suggested that Dooley be a banana... we'll see.

7. She is starting to get separation anxiety. She cries for a just a minute when we leave her at daycare, and when we are together she looks at me for approval before going to another person.

8. She is starting to hold her bottle. Yay!

Busy weekend!

2008-09-15T09:32:00.004-05:00

We have a had a busy weekend! On Friday, Hannah and I went over to the Aldridge's house for a playdate with Jill and Bradley. It was the first time we have gotten the two together, and we had such a great time! It was nice to catch up with Jill, and talk baby to another new mom. We have so much to learn, and it is great to see how other moms do the same things we do day in and day out. Jill took the beautiful pictures that you see above, and convinced me that I REALLY need a new camera! Friday night Hannah, Jason and I went to the Greek Festival for some yummy food! We love Greek food, and look forward to this every year. Saturday morning Hannah and I met Mandy (her teacher from daycare) and her little boy Daniel to go to Babypalooza. It is a booth type show that was at Brookwood Mall. They had booths from baby stores, hospitals, and everything in between. It was great for Mandy because she is expecting number 2! Hannah and I got some information about the new carseat we want, and I think I'm going to go buy that today. I just have to decide what color I want. They come in Red & Black (which would be my first choice, but Jason already said no), Pink & Black (which is not practical if we are going to be using this again in the future), Gray & Black and Khaki & Black (the two I'm choosing between). After that Hannah and I will be going to another playdate with Jill and Bradley, but this time at Jessica Garrison's house. She has just moved back to Birmingham, and has invited us all over to see her new house, and to play with her and Moseley. I'm sure there will be pictures to follow!

I left out Sunday! Yesterday, we had a lazy day watching football and napping, and then met cousins Gary, Evan, Ryn, and Aunt Irma for dinner at Haciendas. The food was pretty good, and there was a Mariachi band! Hannah loved meeting her cousins/great-great aunt, and dancing to the music!

PICTURES...finally!

2008-09-07T16:41:00.004-05:00

So, Jason let me upload all of my pictures to his external harddrive, and I can now share them with you! There are a lot since my computer has not been working lately. I hope you enjoy!!

Jason and I on our cruise. Sorry, forgot to rotate the picture before I uploaded!

The first time I walked in to get Hannah and she was standing!

Hannah and her doggie, Dooley.

No, I did not pose this picture. She looks so studious!

Hannah and her doggie, Rupert.

This is what she looks like when she wakes up in the morning.

these are the letters that GiGi made for Hannah's nursery.

Hannah is Seven Months!

2008-08-31T09:18:00.005-05:00

No, we are not Auburn fans, but Daddy, Gigi and Pops are, so they got Hannah this cheerleading uniform. I think the colors are really ugly, but I must admit, she looks really cute!

That's right, little Hannah Martin is seven months old! She continues to amaze us every day. She spends her days playing and laughing, and we get so much joy from watching her discover the world around her. The last few weeks have been busy and fun-filled, while I have been jobless and getting to spend more time with Hannah and Jason. Last week Jason and I went on a cruise to Cozumel! It was the perfect vacation. We were on the ship for a day and a half before docking in Cozumel. On the ship we layed by the pool, played bingo, read (yes, Mara, I do read books), and caught up on some much needed rest. Once we were in Cozumel we shopped a little before heading to the all-inclusive resort that we had day passes to. At the resort they had snorkeling in the crystal blue water, pool and hot tub, full open bar, all you can eat Mexican cuisine, and massages in a tiki hut overlooking the water (these were not included, but Jason and I indulged!). We were in Cozumel for about 8 hours before the ship headed back to Mobile. While we were gone Hannah was on her own vacation in Mobile. She stayed the long weekend at her Nana and Papa's house and had so much fun! She got to play with Uncle Robert, who she loves, and Buster, who she loves even more! She had a lot of visitors, and got a lot of new toys. She didn't want to leave!!

This week I really got a taste of what is like to be a stay at home mom. Although I did have a few interviews in the beginning of the week (all unsuccessful), I spent most of the week with my sweet baby. We have been attempting to get Hannah accustomed to her playpen, so most of my free time this week has been watching her play in the playpen. She resisted at first, but now she seems to really like it. She loves the netting on the sides, and is even known to smush her face and tongue against it! It is the funniest thing you have ever seen (think fat cheeked child blowing on a car window). She has also started squealing with delight. Anything that makes her happy or smile she squeals just to make sure you know how excited she is. Right now she is sitting in her playpen watching me type and squealing nonstop! Hannah and I have also gone to the pool, visited Daddy, Gigi and Pops at work, and gone to the grocery store. We plan on going to the pool again today, and maybe going to Oak Mountain tomorrow for a picnic and hike. And, I have just learned from her blog that Jess Garrison and family are now officially moved back to Birmingham, so maybe while I'm still unemployed we can get our two little ones together!

At seven months Hannah is speed racer crawling, standing up, using anything and everything to balance so that she can stand up, putting anything and everything in her mouth, chasing the dogs, laughing, squealing, jumping, bouncing, saying ba ba and da da (we don't assume she is saying daddy), resisting eating/napping because she would much rather be playing, and starting to pay attention to the tv (we have begun only putting it on Nickelodeon or Wee Sing when she is in the room).

My computer still sucks, and will not talk to my camera (a screw just fell out of the bottom of my computer, and this happens often), so the only pictures that I have are courtesy of Gigi and Pops. If anyone wants to help me with my crappy computer please feel free to offer advice!

Growing so fast

2008-08-13T19:49:00.002-05:00

Our sweet Hannah is growing so quickly! She is fully crawling now, and loves to chase Dooley, Rupert and Lucy. She is trying so hard to stand up, and can do it with support. Any day now!! Friday she moves up to her new class at daycare. She will be in the 6mos - 1yr class, so she will be with most of the same babies that she is already with, plus a few new ones. I'll be going to Vegas this weekend for a bachelorette party, so Jason and Hannah will be on their own! Wish them luck!

Hannah is Six Months!

2008-07-30T19:58:00.003-05:00

Hannah helping with the laundry

Hannah at the doctor's office. She loved the sound of the paper on the table and just wanted to play with it.

I can't believe it, but today Hannah turned six months old! She is growing so fast... I'm scared to blink. We went for her six month appointment yesterday. Dr. Farr gave her a good report. She is 16 1/4 pounds and 25 1/2 inches long. Hannah is now bigger than Dooley! We were given the ok to feed her two solid meals per day (instead of one), so she now gets lunch and dinner. Tonight she had chicken and brown rice, and just could not get enough of it! This weekend we are heading to Mobile for her grandfather's birthday. We can't wait to see everyone down there!

Unemployed... again

2008-07-27T19:35:00.002-05:00

That's right, I have resigned from my position with Morrison Management Specialists. Unfortunately, it was not quite the opportunity that I was looking for, so I am now on the hunt for a new job. It's too bad I can't get paid to watch tv or surf the internet, because I've really gotten to be a professional at those two things. I am still working right now, but as of August 15th I will be officially unemployed. PLEASE, if you know of anyone hiring in Birmingham let me know! Tommorrow is Hannah's 6 month check-up, so look for another update then!

Sit Happens

2008-07-16T22:11:00.001-05:00

No, that is not a typo. Hannah is sitting up on her own! And... Hannah is CRAWLING!!! That's right, our prodigy of a child is ahead of the game and can now sit up, crawl, and pull up to her knees with the support of her crib or a large toy. On deck, playing the piano.

The Blog gets a facelift

2008-07-16T20:43:00.002-05:00

So, as you can see, our blog has been redesigned (thanks to EBS Designs )! With my new desire to be a better blogger I decided we needed a better looking blog. My computer sucks, so my camera is still not able to upload pictures, but below are a few pictures courtesy of Hannah's Pops.

So, I recently have discovered...

2008-07-06T20:19:00.002-05:00

that my blog is really not that great! I spent an hour this morning looking at other blogs, and was blown away. Now granted, I'm not a stay at home mom, or SAHM as some bloggers refer to themselves, but the amount of time and creativity put into some of these pages is unbelievable. There are custom designs, family logos, signatures and the like. Not only are their pages more creative than mine, but the blog postings are so much more interesting to read. Is this because we naturally think everyone else's life is more interesting than our own, or am I just a really bad writer? I think that there is a fine line when it comes to blogging. You can easily share too much information, and who wants the intimate details of their lives posted on the internet for all the world to see? And how appropriate is that anyway? I guess the beauty of this blogging is that you are in control of what, and how much, is shared with the rest of humanity. So, I'm going to try to do better at sharing, and try to make my postings more entertaining! I know most of you don't even read the text and just want to see the pictures of Hannah. For those of you who do take the time to read, I hope that my new found efforts will give you a glimpse into the daily happenings of the Touchtons!

Here goes:

Some funny/cute/sweet things that Hannah is doing these days:
1. "swimming," no not in the pool, but on the bed! She is trying really hard to crawl, but she has quite figured out that she has to pick herself up on her knees. So, she lays on her tummy and moves her arms and legs. Or, she just pulls herself towards whatever she is trying to get by grabbing a handful of sheets. We haven't tried this on the floor yet.

2. "talking," in her own language. She talks to the tv, to Dooley, to herself in the mirror... pretty much to anything/anyone who will listen. Her language mostly consists of "da," "gi," "ga," and that funny noise you make when you blow air through your closed lips. (picture drool or dinner flying across the room)

3. holds her own bottle- she's been doing this for a few weeks now, but she is getting better every day. Of course, we do still have to support it, but she will hold onto to it with one or both hands. She also pulls the bottle out when she needs a break.

4. playing with the dogs. Hannah LOVES Dooley (who doesn't?). She laughs at both dogs, but she loves to pet Dooley. Sometimes she pets softly, but most of the time she grabs a handful of fur or ear, and pulls. Dooley is growing more patient, and has yet to snap at her, but you can tell he would much rather be left alone. Poor Rupert would love for Hannah to pet him, but I won't really let him near her. He is much sweeter and gentler than Dooley, so why don't I want him near her? HE STINKS!!! And, he licks her face, which Dooley does too, but Rupert kisses are much grosser than Dooley kisses.

5. trying to sit up. She hasn't quite mastered this yet, but she sure is trying hard. If you sit her up she will stay for about 15 seconds before she either falls forward or to one side. Again, we have not tried this on the floor, yet. The bed seems to be the safest place to try all things baby. I'm not ready for sweeping the floor everyday (sorry Momma), or any trips to the emergency room.

6. She is a tee tee monster. She pees constantly. As soon as you change her diaper she pees again. Often times she will pee while you are changing her diaper (I thought this was just a boy thing). We have started a new trick at bathtime to avoid getting baby tee tee in the clean bathwater. We fill her baby tub inside the big tub with warm water. Before sitting her in the tub we stick her foot in the warm water with her body hanging over the side of the baby tub. That way she tee tees into the big tub, rather than into her clean water. If I didn't learn anything in middle school I went to enough slumber parties to learn that dipping a hand or foot into warm water usually lead to urination. I know, gross, but at least I'm bathing my baby in clean water.

A few things that I love about Hannah:
1. When you feed her a bottle she wraps her arm around you and tickles your side.
2. When she wakes up in the morning or from a nap she smiles when she sees you like you have rescued her from her crib.
3. Hannah is 9.5 times out of 10 friendly to strangers. She will almost always smile, but the cutest is when she gets bashful and smiles, but then hides her face.

Ok, so enough for now, or I won't have anything to write in my next very interesting blog post.

Yay America

2008-07-06T07:58:00.002-05:00

Over the past four days Hannah, Jason and I have had a nice break from the real world. We went to the pool on Thursday, a BBQ on Friday, and spent a lot of time playing and watching Hannah try to crawl!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T21:10:00.003-05:00

Today was Jason's first Father's Day! We went over to Gigi and Pop's house for lunch and watched golf all afternoon. It was a nice relaxing day!

Crawfish Boil

2008-06-01T06:24:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Jason, Hannah and I went to the Crawfish Boil at Open Door. We all had a great time. The weather was a little warm, but pretty. There were a ton of people there, and a lot of other babies and children. We saw so many people we knew, including Martin & Shelby, Justin & Janelle, Kristin & Joey (who also have a baby named Hannah), Katie, Laura, Tyra, and several people from Mobile. Of course, Hannah was the center of attention, and she was all smiles!

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-28T23:46:00.003-05:00

Hannah in her baby float Hannah "laying out"
Hannah asleep with her favorite baby "Blabla"

Memorial Day Weekend Jason, Hannah and I traveled south to Perdido Key, Florida for a relaxing weekend at the beach! We arrived late Friday night after traveling through the crazy traffic and a terrible thunderstorm. Evan was already there, so we came in to a comfortable, air conditioned condo (at the beginning of our trip last year the air conditioner broke!). Saturday morning we woke up and got Hannah ready for her first trip to the swimming pool. We greased her up with sunscreen, put on her very cute bathingsuit, and took her for a dip! We thought she was going to cry and resist, but Hannah did great! She went in the water with Jason first, and seemed content to be "swimming." She lasted for almost 30 minutes before she decided it was time to get out, and then she immediately fell asleep in the beach chair. Swimming is exhausting! We went swimming again on Sunday with Nana, and then it was time to head home on Monday. Everyone had a great time, and we can't wait to go back to the beach again soon!

4 Month Dr's Visit

2008-05-20T21:37:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we went to visit the Dr. for Hannah's four month visit. Dr. Farr said that she looks great, and is growing beautifully! She is 24 1/4 inches long and 13.7 pounds! He gave us the ok to start feeding her rice cereal, so we did that for the first time last night. Hannah was so funny. She blew bubbles and spit it out at first, but then she started to like it. Dr. Farr also told us to start a nighttime routine, so for the past two nights we have fed her, bathed her and put her in the bed. Last night she still wanted to be rocked to sleep, but tonight she fell asleep on her own!

A lot of "firsts" for the Touchtons

2008-05-11T22:30:00.005-05:00

Hannah's surprise portrait! She was 12 weeks in this picture.
Hannah in her bathing suit and sunglasses. She's fast asleep, and although it looks like it, she is not giving a thumb's down.
Hannah dressed in her authentic Kimono, straight from Singapore! Thanks Goldbergs!

It has been a while since my last update, so I apologize for the long delay! The last few weeks have been very busy! Hannah started daycare at the JCC on May 1st. She is in a class with other babies who range from 4 months to 1 year, so she is the youngest right now. She mostly sleeps all day, but we are excited about the social interaction she will have once she is old enough to play with the other babies.

I have started a new job with Morrison Management Specialists, and will be the Catering Manager for Brookwood Hospital. I went to Atlanta all last week for training, so Jason and Hannah were on their own for 5 whole days! I came back to a happy baby, clean house, and tired husband, so I think that everything went well in my absence (I have mixed emotions about this... on one hand, I know he can do it without me which is wonderful, but on the other, hand I know he can do it without me, which is a little sad!).

Hannah's friend Ryan Bradley Aldridge, Jr. was born on Wednesday! He is the son of Ryan and Jill (Puckett) Aldridge. Bradley is so precious, and we got to meet him on Thursday. We can't wait for Hannah and Bradley to have their first play date!

Friday we all hopped in the car to drive down to Mobile for Uncle Robert's confirmation. It was another quick trip, but it was nice to be home with everyone for a few days. Aunt Lara, Aunt Mara, and Uncle Noah were all there, and I think that they are all convinced that they are NOT ready for babies of their own yet. I guess that Hannah will have a sister or brother before any cousins (yes, we are already planning the next one, but don't get too excited, it will still be a few years). We attempted to take Hannah swimming for the first time, but she was too sleepy. She then proved to us that all of her bodily functions are in working order- sorry Nana if we ruined anything!

We had a wonderful Mother's day breakfast this morning, and then headed back to Birmingham for a Mother's day dinner. I got my first Mother's day presents- a Martha Stewart Cookies cookbook that I requested, and a surprise portrait of Hannah.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Pics for Mara and Rob J

2008-04-27T21:07:00.002-05:00

At Aunt Mara's request, we bought a Bumbo! Hannah was so funny when we put her in it. She couldn't really figure out how she was sitting up by herself, so she just kept wiggling around. Then she realized she didn't like and started to cry. The second picture is of Hannah in her "Vance Refrigeration" onesie (pronounced OH-NESS-EE) that was a gift from Uncle Robert.

12 weeks old

2008-04-27T09:57:00.004-05:00

That's right, Hannah is 12 weeks! Time is really flying by and she is getting so big! For the past two weeks she has been spending her days with her GG (Suzan), since I returned to work. She has really developed and is now smiling and laughing a lot. This week she learned to play with a rattle, and really got a kick out of the noises she was making. She is starting to raise her head while she's on her back, so our new fun game is to help her pull herself upright. She just laughs! We are having fun dressing her, too, now that more of her clothes fit. It is crazy how quickly she is growing. Some of her outfits that were too big last week fit her this week! Today we are going to run some errands, so we put her in this cute bubble. It may be hard to see it through the car seat, but I didn't want to wake her. She looks like a little doll!

On the road again

2008-04-20T22:14:00.003-05:00

Yes, Hannah took another weekend trip! This weekend we went home to Mobile for Passover. Jason and Hannah came to pick me up from work late Friday afternoon and we headed south for a few days. Hannah was excited to see her grandparents and aunts, uncles, and cousins. Saturday we went over to Mamaw's house for a modified Passover Seder. As the youngest attendee, Hannah got the afikomen, with some help of course! Unfortunately, she was sleepy, so it wasn't very amusing to her. This weekend's visit was short, but nice, and we can't wait to come back soon!

Hannah has just started responding with smiles and laughs, so stay tuned for some great pictures and/or videos. I'll be trying to capture as many as I can!

Noah & Lara's Wedding

2008-04-09T09:54:00.003-05:00

This weekend we all went to Atlanta for Uncle Noah and Aunt Lara's wedding. We had a wonderful time. Friday night we had a nice Shabbat dinner hosted by Lara's family. On Saturday we went to services and had a delicious kiddush luncheon hosted by my parents, grandmother, and aunts and uncles. Saturday night was the Rehearsal Dinner at the hotel. The food was great, and the speeches were both funny and sentimental. Sunday morning we were up bright and early for makeup and hair, and the wedding began at 12 noon. The ceremony was outiside, and the weather managed to hold out for us. Lara made a beautiful bride! The reception afterwards was so much fun! The band was really great, and the dancefloor was full the entire time. Hannah had a fun time getting to know all of her cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends that she had not yet gotten the opportunity to meet!

Poor Baby

2008-03-31T22:49:00.003-05:00

Today was Hannah's 2 month check up. We went to Dr. Farr's office at 9am and were quickly called back to the exam room. We got Hannah undressed and took her out to the scale where she was to be measured and weighed. While on the table she tee-teed, which is par for the course, but this time she also spit up everywhere. We felt really bad for the nurse who had to clean it up! Hannah's measurements came in at 10 lbs & 22 1/2 inches, which puts her in the 55th percentile. After that the Dr. came in and we discussed Hannah's formula and got permission to take her swimming! Then poor baby Hannah had to get 5 immunizations. She had 4 shots in the thighs and took one orally. It was by far the worst thing I have ever had to witness. She screamed like I have never heard her scream before, but calmed down when it was all over. She has been a little more fussy than normal today, but the infant Tylenol seems to help her, and puts her to sleep. Dr. Farr also told us that she has acid reflux, and gave us a new medicine to give her to help with the spitting up and fussiness after she eats. So far, it has not really worked, but maybe it takes a few days to start working. Hopefully, Hannah will be feeling better tomorrow, as this is our last week together before I go back to work!

Eight Weeks Old

2008-03-26T20:25:00.001-05:00

Yes, that's right, Hannah is 8 weeks old today! I can't believe it. She is getting so big!

Videos

2008-03-24T21:48:00.002-05:00

I've been trying since December to post videos on my blog, and have been unsuccessful... until now (I hope!). I think that I have managed to figure this out. These are videos of Hannah on Easter Sunday playing with her new activity gym that her Grandmother (Touchton) gave her.

A Beautiful Friday

2008-03-21T21:07:00.004-05:00

Today was a wonderful start to the weekend. Hannah and I went and picked up my necklace which was finally ready (this is the necklace that Jason bought me when Hannah was born. We had the stone replaced because it was not the right shade of garnet- Hannah's birthstone). Then we met Jason for lunch at Tzaziki's for a yummy greek lunch. Jason left work early because it was Good Friday, so we got to spend the afternoon together. We took Hannah for a nice long walk around the neighborhood. She slept the whole time, and Jason and I got good little workout. When we got home we hung out on the patio with the doggies just enjoying the sunshine and early Spring weather!

Some Pictures to Enjoy

2008-03-19T20:34:00.002-05:00

This is Hannah's trail map onesie straight from Steamboat Springs (courtesy of Aunt Nell & Uncle Elliot).I had to beg, but I managed to convince Jason to take some pictures. I now have a total of four pictures of me and Hannah.

Isn't she beautiful when she's sleeping?
This is Hannah's ballerina outfit that her Grandmother (Bronstein) gave her. It looked so cute!

Hannah's Trip to Atlanta

2008-03-19T11:25:00.003-05:00

This weekend Hannah took her first trip to Atlanta. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and Hannah got to meet Wendy, Marla, and Ryan for the first time. We got to take a tour of Wendy's new home (which is so cute), and visit with everyone for a while. After Hannah tee-tee'd on Wendy's carpet we decided it was time to make our exit! We then went to Aunt Mara and Uncle Phillip's house, where Hannah met Belle (the dog) for the first time. Belle was crazy as usual, but it didn't bother Hannah. Later that evening we went to dinner at Maggiano's, which, if you are not familiar, is a very loud restaurant. Hannah didn't even flinch, and slept through the entire meal! The next day all of the girls went to a shower for Lara. We had a wonderful brunch, played a very entertaining game about Noah, and Lara got some great gifts. It is was a nice trip, although it was too short!

Sunday, Sunday

2008-03-09T19:10:00.003-05:00

It was a busy weekend for the Touchtons! Friday night it snowed, so we woke up Saturday morning to a white wonderland. Saturday evening Jason, Hannah, Rupert and I went to Harriet & Parker Luce's birthday party. We all had so much fun! All of the dogs played outside, while the people visited inside. Hannah got to meet a lot of new people, although she slept through the entire party, and I had my first glass of wine, or any alcohol for that matter, in over 10 months! Rupert had the best time of all... he made a lot of new doggie friends, and was totally worn out. It was nice to get out of the house and do something social for a change. Thanks Harriet! Today we went over to the Touchton grandparents' house for a visit and a yummy lunch. We then took Hannah for a second try at having her portraits made. She did really good this time, and we can't wait to share the pictures! We went to a different place this time, and we won't get the pictures back until the first of April. Then we went to visit Grandmother Woods for a little while. I will have to post pictures later because I can't get it to work now. Sorry!

It's a bird... It's a plane

2008-03-07T17:22:00.003-06:00

It's Hannah! This is Hannah's new favorite trick... although I think that her Daddy is more amused by it than she is. No, our baby doesn't wear the same outfit everyday, I just forgot to add these the other night when I was posting. Shortly after these pictures were taken our sweet, precious baby threw up all over Jason's face. Yes, his face. Luckily, his mouth was closed, but I swear it was the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. Of course, I was sitting 3 feet away.

Back by popular demand... Hannah!

2008-03-05T20:33:00.005-06:00

Ok, so I got a little lazy... sorry! Here are the pictures taken of Hannah since our last update!

Hannah wanted to give Dooley a hug, but Dooley was growling at her, so this didn't last very long.

We went out to run errands on a VERY cold day, so Hannah got to wear her bunting. She looked like a bunny rabbit. It kept her warm, though!Yes, sometimes she cries!I managed to get out from behind the camera for one shot.These were tonight... she can hold her neck up pretty well!

Baby's First Bath

2008-02-16T12:20:00.002-06:00

Today Hannah had her first bath in the bathtub! She did so well. We thought she would cry as soon as she hit the water, but she was sweet the whole time!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-16T10:11:00.001-06:00

Hannah had a special Valentine's Day outift!

Dooley loves Hannah

2008-02-11T14:18:00.000-06:00

So, we were all a little worried about how Dooley would react to the newest member of our family. He has done GREAT! Dooley loves Hannah, and just wants to snuggle with her and give her kisses!

She might be the next Gerber Baby

2008-02-10T09:50:00.001-06:00

I may be a little biased, but our baby is freakin cute!

I caught a smile in this one!

And, here is a good one with her eyes wide open.

We've been home for a week...

2008-02-08T14:34:00.000-06:00

We've been home for a week now, and we are truly enjoying every moment we have with Hannah. She sleeps ALL DAY, and of course is wide awake at night! We have done probably 10 loads of laundry, gone through 30+ diapers, seen spitup and vomit, but best of all... we get a smile every once in a while. Here are more pictures from our first days home up to today!

Dressed for her ride home and meeting her doggy brothers, Dooley & Rupert.Uncle Noah and Uncle Scott enjoying an "It's a girl" cigarUncle Robert was a big help this week. He stayed for a few days to make sure that Rupert and Dooley got enough attention, and that our Wii didn't die from lack of being used.I was trying to catch a smile in this one, but Hannah just wouldn't stop wiggling down the pillow!

Welcome Baby Hannah Martin

2008-02-04T17:34:00.000-06:00

She has finally arrived! Welcome Hannah Martin Touchton, born January 30, 2008, 8 lbs., 21 in. Healthy & beautiful!

The Great Snowstorm

2008-01-19T10:06:00.000-06:00

Yes... snow in Birmingham!

More Christmas Pictures...

2007-12-26T20:31:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2007

2007-12-25T19:39:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2007 has been a great day! Jason got breakfast in bed, then got up and played the Wii for a little while. We went to lunch at Jason' parent's house, where we opened presents and ate A LOT of wonderful food! Best of all, Jason and I received the video camera that we wanted! I tried uploading his first video, but it just was taking too long. Rest assured, there will be baby videos posted in the near future!

Preparing for Parenthood

2007-12-22T09:36:00.000-06:00

Jason and I have completed our "Preparing for Parenthood"classes! I don't know how prepared we truly are, but Jason was able to get a little feel for what it is like to carry 30 extra lbs!

The Nursery

2007-11-30T20:09:00.000-06:00

We almost have the nursery complete! We have all of the major furniture, and the adorable crib bedding! All we have left to do is hang the chandelier, hang pictures, find a rug, and recover the cushions for the rocking chair.

Crib Bedding

2007-11-05T14:02:00.003-06:00

Here are the fabrics we ordered for our crib bedding. Hopefully we will have it soon!

Alabama vs. LSU

2007-11-04T12:35:00.000-06:00

We had a great time at the Alabama/LSU game yesterday. Jason drank for two, and we both ate for two!

Welcome to our Blog

2007-10-27T17:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Touchton Family Blog! We created this website so that everyone can stay updated with progress about the baby, but mainly for after she is born! Thanks for visiting!

Michelle and Jason