Fashion Show

Have you met those parents who just love to dress their children up in cute outfits just to show them off? I thought I was above that, but apparently not! Hey, at least I just take a picture of her every day and refrain from putting multiple outfits on her each day.

This is her cute ladybug outfit from her Poohma & Poohpa. She wore it to church today and managed to spit up very little, which is a miracle!
Also note Mom's new haircut. I really was in the mood for a change so I got shorter bangs and some layers. Sometimes I don't even care if it looks better or not, as long as it is different. I'm not sure what type of Freudian analysis could be done on that habit, but oh well. I like them today. Ask me tomorrow and you might get a different answer!




You woke me up for yet another picture? Seriously, people!


As always, Pooh is happiest when she is semi-naked. Or at least just in a blanket. This is a soft little blanket made by her Daddy's Aunt Deb. Check our the chubby little arms. And to think that we were initially worried that she wasn't eating enough!


Her adorable froggy sleeper that Poohma & Poohpa got for her when they were in Minnesota. They purchased it back when they didn't know if she was a girl or a boy! Hard to believe there was a time when we didn't know she was a special little Hania.


For some reason, she doesn't like overalls. It seems like she always has a bad day when she has any type of overalls on. Maybe I'm just drawing that conclusion with no reliable correlation, but it sure seems like one exists. She is pretty cute though!

Daddy's home!

Johnny arrived home safety from South Korea on Thursday.
Hania was obviously very happy to see him! There is no question that she recognized her daddy. He said that she definitely looked much older and is far more expressive than she was 2 weeks ago.



While he was away she learned how to make fun noises with her mouth. I made some sounds and it was obvious that she was focusing and attempting to copy me. Several days later she just caught on and now she seems to do this when she is bored or hungry. I like Daddy's response: "that's really strange!" More like "really brilliant" but perhaps I'm biased...

Recap: the wedding

Since this blog is a way for us to share the events in our life, I think it is important for us to catch everyone up on some of the things that may have been missed over the past couple of years. For example, our wedding! The following pics are the only ones that we have that are digital. (It was only back in 2004, but I guess digital cameras were not as popular yet.) We will have to scan some of the actual wedding photos someday....I hope to get to that by the time Hania is ten! Even if you were there, maybe you didn't see these pics and they will make you smile. Most of these pics came from my cousin, Clay, on the Mundy side of the family. We are so grateful to have these candid shots!

We were engaged in October 2002 shortly after we moved to Atlanta, and decided to have the wedding in Charleston, SC. Many, many, many wedding planning trips later, our actual wedding date was March 27, 2004.


Here's Victoria...about a year before Hannah showed up! Tori has been one of my best buds since middle school and I was honored that she was one of my bridesmaids.


We don't have any shots of the ceremony because it was a historic church and photos were forbidden. (boo!) But we have tons of lovely shots before and after. This is at the reception site, which was a club house in an amazing neighborhood called I'on in Mt. Pleasant, SC. It sits right on the creek and has a wraparound porch with couches and rocking chairs lined up.


Ready to PAR-TAY! What a handsome guy. I'm glad I married him.


Even though it was late March it was very warm and humid. Which explains why my hair looks like I just got back from the gym! In fact, it was so warm that all my family from Minnesota got excited and jumped into the hotel swimming pool. Now, when I say "warm" I mean warm for March...only maybe 70's? Those crazy Minnesotans!


My mom and I with her aunt Emma Mundy, and her cousin, Donnis Mundy.
Aunt Emmy was one of my favorite people ever. She was my Granny's sister-in-law and she used to come to Missouri from Virginia to visit every summer during my childhood. Emma and Granny were a riot when they got together, always cutting up. She was a funny lady. For example, guess what we're discussing in the picture? You'll NEVER guess. The sticky, life-like bra pads in my wedding gown! AKA "chicken cutlets". Yep, I'm serious. I was pretty proud of my attempt at cleavage, and she was saying that she knew I had to use something fake b/c I was a late bloomer! Aunt Emma passed away this past year after living a very long and happy life. She had a "goodbye party" that she had prearranged instead of a funeral, and it actually was very festive and a great way to celebrate her beautiful spirit.



Johnny and I cutting the "unique" cake. Those are supposed to be tulips. Up close, the tulips look like nipples. I guess you had to pay extra for tulips! Soooo funny. The cake was absolutely delicious though. So delicious, in fact, that I BIT Johnny's finger when he was feeding me my piece of cake. That is why we're both laughing in this photo. One of the layers had fruit filling, and when he stuck the piece in my mouth I felt like it was going to drip down the front of my dress, so I bit down as hard as I could to get the piece from falling. Um...that was a finger. The groom's finger. Did I mention that it was bleeding? Our photographer captured the sequence perfectly...feeding each other cake...Johnny pulling his finger back and saying "ow"...the bride about to fall down laughing. Yep, it was a very serious and solemn event.


And of course the dancing. My favorite part!!! I wish I could go to weddings every weekend so I could get my groove on. This one is a little fuzzy, but it is all of my college girlfriends dancing to Cotton Eye Joe by the Rednexx. Yes, I know, that is embarrassing, but one of my guilty pleasures. I guess that's just the Missouri girl coming out.


No more digital pics to share. But hopefully that is a little snapshot of our special day for those who weren't able to be there!

Nothing big going on today, just thought I'd post some cute photos for the grandparents! Is she a future Domer? Looks like she might be...thanks to auntie Amanda for the ND onesie! Gooooo IRISH!



Look at the RED HAIR!!! I can't believe it. She actually has my dad's coloring, and there are red heads on both sides of her family. Hania has picked Mr. Elephant as her favorite, so now he goes with us everywhere and rubs his ears.





Hania has started to crack up at certain things we do. I still haven't been able to capture a really full smile or laugh on camera, but hopefully Johnny can film her while I do incredibly silly things to elicit a giggle. Johnny, you won't believe how much more active she is becoming. She's a wiggle worm! Can't wait to pick you up in 2 days!

Keira 11 - Dog Mama 0

For those of you who have not visited our home in the past 4 yrs, I'd like to introduce you to Keira. She was a wedding gift. Yes, yes, I know that you are not supposed to give and/or accept pets as gifts, but it's a long story. And Johnny really wanted a German Shepherd. We just didn't factor in how this breed would work with our busy lifestyle. She is a "herding breed" (ie shep-HERD) and she loves to stay extremely busy, or she begins to destroy things and wreak havoc. Keira is notorious in our neighborhood for this behavior. When anyone (human, canine, vehicle) goes by the house she goes berserk, which has resulted in many replacement blinds, and eventually some customized shutters that are now hanging in broken pieces from one of her wild outbursts. BUT on the upside, she is a very loving and loyal animal, which is the only thing that has saved her from being turned out many many years ago! Not to mention the fact that our 2 youngest kittens think that she is the bee's knees and follow her everywhere.

Normally Johnny and I are both take turns exercising her, but since he's been out of town she is not getting the attention that she normally needs. So... the final straw came Friday when I discovered that she had eaten 11 pieces of Hania's clothing out of the laundry bin. Really nice items...things that I would have liked to give to a younger sibling, or have her save for her children... For some reason that was it. Now she's done MUCH worse in the past, but I knew that I couldn't take it anymore. So Keira went to the kennel from Fri-Mon. It is a very nice place that she enjoys going to. The best part is that when she returns she is exhausted from playing with the other dogs. I felt guilty for oh, like 5 whole minutes. But when I came back to a quiet home with ONLY 4 cats and a baby it was incredibly nice.

I'm sure this is not the last blog post about Keira's antics. In the meantime, does anyone want a doggy visitor for a couple of days?

Hania at Ethan's 1st birthday

Hania attended her first birthday party today! Our neighbors, Jenny & Keith, put together a fabulous party for their little boy, Ethan, who is 1 this week. Hania was the youngest party guest, but loved being held and passed around...it is her secret plan to give everyone baby-fever. Doesn't she look quite festive in her party hat? I'll post some pics of the bday boy if I get permission from his mom...he's adorable and I'm sure that Hania will be chasing after him once she is old enough. Jenny really did such a great job keeping all the kids and adults organized and the party moving. Now I know who to talk to when it is Hania's turn for a party. We missed you at the party Johnny! Everyone enjoyed tales of your culinary experiences in Korea. They want you to bring home some silkworms... Nummy-nums!

Shout out to Baby Daddy in Korea!

Johnny is in Korea for work for approximately 10 days. It is not really a long time, but we thought that a blog post would be a good way to keep in touch. Please excuse this newsy, random post, but I want to catch Johnny up on the latest and greatest in our household.

I ADORE this picture of Hania. She is starting to look like a little girl, not just a baby. I took this on 1/14/08. She's been wonderfully laid back this week despite several late nights at work. Her recent accomplishments in the past several days:
pulling the bottle up to her mouth
grasping a rattle more firmly, and bringing it to her mouth
grabbing her clothing, and bringing it to her mouth (are you seeing a pattern here?)
kicking at the crib piano (it is obvious that she becomes frustrated when she continues to hit the same key over and over, so I have to move her a little one way or the other to help her hit a different one after a while)
sitting up with assistance from the Boppy
many, many smiles.

Keira the dog is taking full advantage of the pack leader being gone. She has been sleeping all over your pillow. Yes, I will wash it before you get home. Or will I? hee hee... She is also trying to put her stinky dog heinie up on the couch, which I quickly put a stop to....when is the last time she tried THAT? Definitely thinks I'm a pushover.

Did you know that brownie batter now comes in tubes, just like the slice and bake cookies? Please please please do not ask me how I know that. Really, you don't want to know how much of that tube I've eaten. Maybe it is my postpartum reaction to not being able to eat raw dough for 9 months while pregnant, and I'm making up for lost time! Thank goodness you got the treadmill set up before you left. If I start running RIGHT NOW I will burn off that tube of brownie batter by the time you get back!

We hope you are making the best of your trip to the "land of the not-right-at-all" as you call it. Don't forget to visit the kimchi museum...I know how much you love your fermented, rotting cabbage! We love you dearly and miss you tons!

Pooh's progress

Hania's nickname is Pooh Bear, which has been shortened to Bear, and drawn out to Bear-Bear. Poor kid... Somehow my parents (the Byerly grandparents) have become "Poohma" and "Poohpa". Sounds a little silly, but parenthood (and obviously grand-parenthood) makes you do funny things!
This is a video taken today of her doing tummy time while I was at work...multi-tasking again, I'm on the phone with someone. Still trying to capture one of her precious smiles on video! She is making a lot of progress in holding her head up, and kicks her legs out behind her to try to raise her little head up. THIS is what keeps me in a good mood at work!




Neither of these videos show Pooh at her most animated, but the grandparents need something to see! Last week when I was burping her over my shoulder, I discovered she was trying to stand on my stomach. When I put my hands under her feet she immediately got excited and tried to launch herself over my shoulder! This week she added her arms and tries to "swim" over your shoulder. Sometimes it is accompanied by squawks and squeals, but not in this video.
Do you hear that clicking sound in the background? It took me a while to figure out what it was? Give up? Keira-dog's toenails on the hardwood floors. Yikes!

Happy Tuesday to all!

Working girls

When we started this blog I basically resolved NOT to write about work for 2 reasons: 1) as a social worker in foster care it involves a lot of confidential stuff, and you just never know who is reading the blog (didn't you know that everyone in Kentucky is related?) 2) I don't have very nice things to say about my current company/office, and I would prefer that the blog is a relatively positive forum. But lately everyone has been asking me how it is going taking Hania to work every day. So I say "oh, just lovely, I'm so darn lucky to be able to take her in, we just laugh and play and have a grand ol' time." But the reality is that it is quite challenging, especially for someone who is used to being an overachiever and working her butt off. For those who don't know, our company allows us to bring our baby in daily for up to 6 months. Especially cool because they just did away with the policy so I barely made the cut! Hania and I went back to work when she was 6 wks old and we have turned my office into a nursery. I AM grateful to be able to keep her out of a daycare setting, especially considering that it is winter flu season.

Until I take the time to figure out how to put pictures exactly where I want them, I'll just describe them and you can easily tell which ones go together.
Hania has a nice set up, including a pack & play, a bouncy seat, loads of toys, etc. Johnny is awesome for downloading classical music and nursery rhymes for us to play on the cd player. She also hears a lot of Indigo Girls, the soundtrack to Garden State and Poison's greatest hits. What can I say...she has eclectic taste in music!
A lot of the time she ends up balanced on my lap while I type or talk w/ irate foster parents. The pic of her on my lap was taken today.
My co-worker and friend Monique, with her baby Arial. Arial is 2 months older than Hania and she also spends the day at the office. She is such a joyful baby; her mama says she is nosy, because she's unable to sleep when someone comes in her office to visit. Hopefully they will be able to roll around together and play in a couple months. Kim is holding Hania for the first time.
Funny story: Monique and I are both still breastfeeding, which involves using the breast pump at work. It's easy to be discreet b/c I have a private office. It took a day or two for everyone to get used to knocking and not having immediate access to my office (and my ear), but it is going well. We have only one male in the office, and he has started to use our inner-office intercom system to call me, rather than knocking on my door. I will answer the phone, even if I'm pumping (hooray for multi-tasking!). Recently we were talking and he stopped short and said "oh no, I hear it, you're using the pump! aaaah!" and hung up. So now when he calls over he immediately asks "are you draining?" Draining? Seriously? Dear Lord...

Off with her pants!

It has come to our attention that Hania is not a big fan of pants... AT ALL! Every child-rearing book says that you will quickly learn "your child's needs" and it is clear that she has no need for pants! Hilarious. Yep, until she's 12 and it is no longer socially acceptable to be without pants.

She loves to kick and her movements are becoming stronger by the day. She can hold her weight on her legs fairly well, and this is much more enjoyable without pants in her way.
(my mom commented on her nicely shaped eyebrows in the picture, and I have to agree, they are pretty cute)

Still trying to figure out how to get the text beside or under each photo, so please bear with me!

5 January 2008

Hania turned 3 months old this past Thursday. It's great to watch her progress every week. She is actually reaching out for things now, and looks at things much farther away than before. Missy and I are hanging out with her and her crib mobile, one of Hania's favorite items. She will watch the animals on this colorful, musical mobile for a long time, talking to them while working on her abs with her Army-style flutter kicks. Take a look at this video of her looking at the mobile.