So Much to Celebrate!
August has turned into quite the celebratory month for us, including my birthday, now Hanleigh’s birthday, and our anniversary. And this year, we were actually in town the entire month (shocking, huh?)! I turned 34 and Trent got me a wonderful massage and some techie stuff to use in training for my half marathon in the Spring. Next, we celebrated Hanleigh’s first birthday. She was in awe at all the people that were at our house as evident by the video and photos. At first, she was hesitant to try the cake and was staring at it with a perplexed look on her face, but eventually (in true, Hanleigh style) she devoured it with an extremely messy face. I can’t believe our baby girl is already one. It is so cliché to say, but where in the world has the past year gone? It seems like just yesterday I was astonished by how quickly she made her entrance into this world and how my heart grew even bigger. Before Hanleigh, I always questioned how it was possible to love a second child as much as your first, but our “little bit” has shown us that doing so is more than possible. Seeing the love between Brayden and Hanleigh and how sisterhood has brought so much happiness into their lives brings us so much joy.
Another big celebration was our 10-year wedding anniversary. We both reminisced about how many things we’ve gone through over these years that have done nothing but make us stronger as a couple. I couldn’t image celebrating this wonderful milestone with anyone else. Trent is everything I could dream of in a husband, lover, partner, and father. I still catch myself looking at him all the time, thinking how handsome and amazing he is and I couldn’t be any more blessed to share life with him. I love you, sweetie! Here’s to a lifetime of anniversaries. We will continue our celebration with a trip to Mexico in October!
Other August activities consisted of a playdate with Brayden’s friend, Landen, a Mexican fiesta at Melissa’s house, a birthday dinner, and a birthday party. Trent had a guys’ night out to draft their fantasy football teams (I drafted my team from our couch at home), Brayden’s dance classes concluded (we’ll resume another activity after football season is over as we aren’t able to do anything on Saturdays due to tailgating), and Hanleigh had some one-year photos taken.
One night, Brayden got really sick out of nowhere and ended up throwing up ALL OVER THE PLACE. We quickly taught her the benefit of keeping a trashcan nearby in these instances as well as the difference between spitting and throwing up. She took it all in stride and was more concerned that her princess nightgown got dirty than anything else.
Hanleigh had her one-year checkup where she weighed 18 lbs., 2 oz. (8%), was 28 ¼” long (24%), and 18” head circumference (70%). She also had a nasty little 24-hour bug one day and we have done a good job of weaning her from the pacifier. The first night we tried it, she cried for about 10 minutes and then passed out because she was so exhausted. Many times, a few gentle rubs on her back is all she needs to drift off to dreamland. It is so cute. There’s that part of me that loves how she is so reassured just by our touch. Hanleigh can now do the signs for milk, more, and eat and she also says (in a language that only Trent, Brayden, and I can understand) dog, this, and book. She blows kisses, but only halfway in that she places her open palm against her open mouth and then just leaves it there. It is precious!
We both think Brayden has pretty good artistic talent…her latest thing is to color rainbows with black pots of gold underneath them. She gives them to us every day after school. I keep nearly all of her art projects so I can look back on them one day and see how her talents progressed as well as witness the development of detail in her drawings.
On an extremely bittersweet note, I weaned Hanleigh of breastfeeding on August 14. Knowing that we are confident she is our last child, it was especially difficult deciding to stop breastfeeding. I knew I wanted to do it a year and my determination and persistence kept me going (even on business trips where it was completely inconvenient), but that final nursing session was a bit tough. I kept looking down on her and just finding it incomprehensible how she had already grown so much and basically just relishing in the moment of nursing her that one last time. As I did this, my eyes were watering and I remember thinking that, to me, weaning means so much more than stopping breastfeeding…it means your baby is growing up, so I try to cherish the year I spent with her doing that and no one can take it away from us.
Brayden-isms:
- Upon seeing someone in a somewhat hideous outfit, she said, “Mom, she’s dressed for the 80s.”
- I was doing something sassy one evening and she said, “Mom, you are giving her some business.”
- One evening, Hanleigh took a toy out of Brayden’s hand, to which she said (in her most Southern girl accent), “Damemit, Hanleigh, damemit.” We think this is from hearing one of us say “Dang it”, which we told her we shouldn’t have said and then apologized. However, it sounds like a blend of “dang it” and “damn it”. This was one of those instances where you try to be stern, but you are trying your best to wipe that ever-approaching smile and smirk off your face!
- Trent recently bought an infrared camera for Hanleigh’s room so we can see what she’s up to in her crib during naps and at night. Trent was telling me about it one night over dinner and Brayden said, “Dad, you are such a nerd.” After all the giggling subsided, we told her that if anyone ever calls her a nerd, she should look at them and say “thank you” because nerds are smart.