Hanalei you are One Year Old!

One year old

 Dear Hana,

We are so excited that you are turning one, what a huge milestone! You have brought a light to our little family and we feel complete now that you are here.  This year has been amazing watching you grow from a tiny little infant, just 7lb 8 oz, into a beautiful little girl. 

I remember it so vividly.  One year ago, I was getting anxious because you were 10 days overdue.  Everything was in order: diapers were stacked in your freshly decorated nursery, the baby bag was packed and I had been off of work for a few weeks to get ready for your arrival.  

mama's belly at 39 weeks (3 weeks before you came!)

I’d been experiencing Braxton-hicks contractions in the evenings for weeks, and kept expecting to go into labor at any minute.  By Valentine’s day, I was getting antsy and was determined to avoid getting induced.  So after a firm pressure point massage, I got out the stretchy pants and walked 4 miles around Lake Miramar.  I must have been a sight hauling my ginormous belly around the lake.  

It did the trick though, because that evening the contractions kept getting harder until we knew you were ready to come.  After laboring at home for a few hours, we packed up for the birth center where you were born in the water at 12:45am on February 15^th.  

3 days old

You were the best valentines present that your papa and I could have given each other. 

This year has been very exciting for us as you have grown into a little person and we have all grown as a family.  Here are some highlights of you at one year:

• You are a healthy 19 lbs with 5 teeth and hair just long enough for tiny pigtails

• You love to climb.  No chair, coffee table or drawer is safe with you around.  Sometimes you take a big tumble, but it doesn’t seem to distract you.

Exploring the Mc Donalds play structure

• You are snuggly and cuddly.  Though you love to grab toys and bring things to us, you will often crawl into our laps and just sit there and play (though that may involve climbing all over us, offering to share your food with us and sticking your fingers in our mouths and noses).  I just love that you want to give us hugs and snuggles.  That must be a little girl thing.

• You love to sort things.  Shape toys are your favorite.  Putting play food in and out of your dishes is a very close second and putting toys back in the storage containers is second nature.

• Sleeping can be a challenge.  Some times you are sound asleep all night, but just as often you wake up at least once during the night and then punish us with an impossibly early 5am wake up time.

• Toothbrushes rock.  Hands down toothbrushes are your favorite toy.  Playing with the family toothbrushes keeps you occupied while mama gets ready in the morning. 

• Eating … not so much.  You are certainly eating solid foods, but have no patience for a spoon.  You only want food that you can feed yourself so yogurt and oatmeal are off the table.  String cheese is hands down your favorite, but more often than not you toss food on your highchair right to Samson.   You do about 4-5 bottles a day, and often don’t finish them.

• Booger face. You've had a low-grade cold for the last month and a half which means we are constantly wiping your nose.  We've even changed the lady gaga song from “poker face” to “booger face” in your honor.

• You love your brother. No one  makes you laugh as hard as Max.  You tolerate his rough wrestling because you love his attention.  He hoists you up by the armpits and carries you around, it just cracks us up.  As you’ve gotten older, you don’t let him get away with stealing your toys anymore.

• You know the important words.  You are proficient at “ma-ma” and “da-da-da” especially when you want something ;-)  you call for the “doh-doh” when you want Samson to come over and eat your food, and can ask for a “bah-bah” when you are ready to drink your milk.  You jabber and chatter in only a language that Max seems to understand.   
• You took your first steps last week.  Though you still prefer crawling right now, you are becoming a walker one step at a time. 

• You have a sweet, calm nature.  We know that if you are crying and fussing it is because you are not feeling good.  The rest of the time you are sunny and even-keeled …smiling and pretty patient with us parents and your brother.

We love you Hana and are so excited to celebrate your first birthday with you today!