1st Christmas

Boy was Santa good to Hannah. We had a wonderful Christmas full of family, friends, good food, laughter, memories and lots of gifts. Hannah was a bit overwhelmed on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day by all the excitement, people, and toys galore. Thank you so much to everyone who helped make Hannah's first Christmas fun and special for her. We opened our gifts to each other as our little fam of three on the 23rd. On Christmas Eve we spent the evening with the Collins/Fuller clan. I felt so blessed this year that so many family members were able to get together. It was especially meaningful to have Uncle Tyler there because he leaves for London in a few days and we are not sure when we will see him next. Hannah was completely spoiled and enjoyed eating Honey Baked Ham under the Christmas tree. Tim and I were surprised with Disneyland passes so we are looking forward to taking Hannah there on her Birthday.

We drove through the night and just beat Santa to Bishop for Tatum Christmas. Once again Hannah had more gifts than she knew what to do with. Her cousins Zane and Weston on the other hand got down to business and loved to play with every toy as soon as it was unwrapped. All the kids wore matching pajamas and I absolutely love seeing the three of them interact. Zane loves to show Hannah how to work her toys and Weston would pretty much hug and kiss Hannah all day long if we let him. Also in Bishop we enjoyed many family game nights, snow day, and the duck park. We thought her teeth might break through during our stay because they are so close to popping through you can see them. She is also sooooooo close to walking. She walks while barely holding on to one finger and can stand by herself, but gets scared.

Currently Hannah calls everything and everyone "dada," so don't ask her what she got. I will translate and list a few of the million gifts she received: doll house, toy gumball machine, tea set, play picnic basket, singing Winnie the Pooh, Singing Minnie Mouse, books, clothes, pajamas, shopping cart and a talking zoo with lots of animals from Santa. I can't believe her birthday is in one week. She is such a blessed little girl and loves EVERYTHING she was given. THANK YOU!!!!

Opening her stocking from Mommy and Daddy



Christmas Eve at Granny and Grandpa's House


Christmas Morning in Bishop



Snow Trip: Hannah's cute snow suit was one of her gifts


She did not like sledding and cried whenever she saw Tim go down the hill. Weston is definitely the thrill seeker of the group.

2 Houses and a Heart

2 Houses and a Heart, an odd title, but pretty much sums up our last few days. Let's start with house #1. No we did not buy a house, hopefully soon though:) House #1 is a gingerbread house. Tim has been asking to build one since December 1st. We finally set aside the time and built our first gingerbread house. It was actually more difficult than I thought, but we all had a good time. And of course Hannah had to be involved so her job was to hold the bags of candy. She really liked shaking them and hearing the sounds. She was also able to sneak a bite of frosting. I love how much Tim enjoys the holidays and I think Hannah will share this trait.

House #2 is the Summit House. Tim and I celebrated our three year anniversary a little early since on the actual day we will be in Bishop. We love going back to the place we had our reception. The food is great and the decor is so beautiful at Christmas time. They also had carolers who were amazing. We had a great night and I am so blessed for three years of love.

Finally, the heart... I guess coming off the topic of anniversary it's only appropriate to comment on our vows of "in sickness and in health." Tim has always been by Hannah and I no matter the issue and now we get to stand by him. Most of you know that Tim has a heart condition, but most of you don't know how serious it is because he never complains and always acts normal so others around him aren't affected, but the truth is, for the last three years, he has struggled daily with debilitating symptoms. The cardiologist is finally recommending open heart surgery to repair his valve. Today Tim and I spent a very long day up in LA interviewing surgeons and dealing with insurance benefits (yes, I am becoming somewhat of an expert in this field). His surgery will be in June due to work and recovery will take about 2 months. During this time he can't drive a car, pick up Hannah, etc. so he will get to be pampered for once. The surgeons couldn't believe that they had a 28 year old in their office dealing with this issue so Tim is definitely strong because he will have to go through something most don't. We received a ton of information and it is a lot to take in, but I am so proud of him for being strong and I know this will improve his quality of life. Please keep him in your prayers. On a happy note, Hannah spent the day with her Granny and although she refused the bottle (since it's not mommy) she did drink an entire sippy cup of juice YEAH! great improvement.

We can't wait for the holidays and wish you all a Merry Christmas. We also anxiously await the arrival of Hannah's cousin, Baby Fuller who could be here any day now. We can't wait to meet the beautiful little girl.


The Candy Monster



Finished Product with Daddy

Sneaking some frosting

The Magic of Christmas

Three years ago Tim and I were days from becoming husband and wife and our first nephew Zane was about 9 nine months old and the Nelson/Tatum clan decided to start a Christmas light tradition. There is a neighborhood in Brea that goes all out with street after street of amazing lights, decorations, music, live nativity scene, hot chocolate stands, and this year even a real life Santa and Gingerbread Man. We always go to dinner, grab a Christmas Starbucks drink to stay warm and then hit the streets. I will never forget my darling nephew Zane during his 2nd year on the streets (20 months old) saying "ights ights." He loved it and this year (almost 4 years old) he loved it even more, leading the pack and making sure Hannah and Weston saw the lights, blow up Santa Tigger, etc. Zane and Weston even got to participate in the Starbucks this year with their very own Hot Chocolates. Hannah enjoyed the ride and every now and then pointed to the lights. I'm guessing she liked the houses with the music the best.

Ready to Go...




Cousie Love

ENT update

"Do you hear what I hear?" Yes Hannah does because her ear tubes are still looking great. We had an ENT check today and both tubes are still in place with no infection. When she has her appointments, he has to clean out the tube with this long metal thing so that is doesn't get plugged and it is really gross to watch. Hannah does not like being held down on the table either, but it goes quick. Hannah is always very friendly with other kids she sees in doctors offices which makes me happy. She also had a formal weight check and is currently 19 lbs. 8 oz. Obviously we have to wait until the surgeon looks in January because it's his specialty, but I did feel good that the ENT thought the healing looked good.

In other news, I have completed three weeks of work (which is only three days). I hate leaving Hannah and can't wait to get home to her, but once I am there I do enjoy it. I am really glad to be back in an elementary school again too. Hannah loves her cousins so much and we are blessed that Laura is a patient person. I'm tired watching just Hannie, so I'm not sure how she does it, but we sure are glad we have her. Auntie Laura says Hannah has been doing well, but I'm not sure she would tell me other wise. She is still being stubborn though and chooses not to drink without me and will just wait out the day. We continue to work on using a sippy cup so that she can drink on her own, but progress is slow. The other day she drank two ounces which is great, but it hasn't happened again. Some new things Hannah enjoys are watching toilets flush and playing chase. She laughs hysterically is you crawl after her and pretend like you can't get her. Who needs a gym right?

Holiday Cheer

Hannah loves Fridays because she gets to play with her two best friends Luke and Cole. We started play date when Cole was just a newborn and it is so fun watching the three of them grow together. Luke and Hannah are crazy, crawling all over the place, making each other laugh, and needing to be watched 24/7. Cole is so sweet and likes to smile at Hannah. Sure there is at times eye poking, pushing, and stealing toys, but their interactions are getting better each week and it is so fun to watch. Today we did Christmas crafts and made hand print ornaments. It was at Madeline's house this week which has stairs. When Cole went up to his bedroom for nap time, Hannah wasn't ready to say bye and crawled up the stairs. She doesn't get many opportunities to attempt stairs so I was impressed that she could do it.

One of the things I love most about the holidays is all the traditions. I love watching Hannah do and use things I did as a child. One thing I loved when I was growing up was our Decembear Calendar. There is a little bear you move everyday and he is trying to find his family for Christmas. When Tyler and I were kids we loved moving the bear so much that my mom made us rotate days and take turns. Well I decided to outsmart the system and stole the bear so that when Tyler woke up on his day, he would have no bear to move. My mom eventually found it sleeping with me in my bed and I'm sure I got a talking to about sharing. But for now, Hannah does not have to share and she gets to move the bear each day. We put it right outside her door and she crawls over to it all day long and points. Little ones sure do bring back the magic of Christmas.

11 Months

11 Months Old Today! In four short weeks, Tim and I will have a one year old. Wow! Hannah is the light of our lives and is growing up to be one sweet, smart, and beautiful little girl. Lately she has fun crawling through her colorful Caterpillar tunnel, dancing to music, being with mommy, opening cupboards, getting her hands on cell phones or remote controls, and reading books. Her dislikes include having things taken away from her, being confined, being away from Mommy and being cold after her bath. Some of her favorite foods include cheese, zucchini, broccoli, blueberries and spaghetti with meatballs. She is such a healthy eater and enjoys anything we offer to her. Not sure where she gets that from since both of her parents order burgers with no lettuce or tomatoes. I figure I might as well keep her as healthy as possible now because soon enough she will be begging for a happy meal. We are still working on saying "Mama." We also hope to soon have teeth, be able to use a sippy cup and maybe even walk. She can walk if you hold onto one of her hands. Tim and I have bets on what will happen first walk or teeth? I did an informal weigh in today and she was 20 lbs.

Tree Decorating

Yesterday we went out and bought Hannah's first Christmas tree. Since she now pulls up on everything, we decided to put the tree on the coffee table out of reach. So far it is working great and appears to be a baby proof method. It also makes our 5 footer look more like an 8 footer. Most of you know that Tim LOVES holiday spirit. Not just at Christmas, he really loves getting into all holidays and he wants Hannah to participate in all events even if she is only eleven months old. He also started a tradition of making homemade hot chocolate on tree decorating day. Getting our tree was very nostalgic for me because it was this time last year I sat waiting for Hannah's arrival knowing it could be any day. This is such a special time of year for our family with TIm and my anniversary and of course Hannah's birth. It's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.

Santa Clause Is Coming to Town

Unfortunately for Hannah, Santa Clause is in town, visiting South Coast Plaza to be exact. We thought for play date this week it would be fun to take the babies to meet Santa. I mean he is after all a jolly man who loves children, brings them toys and hands out candy canes. Well, Hannah saw right through the big red suit and fake beard and wasn't fooled for a moment. I had no expectations going into the picture because Hannah has had pretty bad stranger anxiety for a few months now. She was good waiting in line, but the second I handed her off to Santa, she screamed in pure fear. She tried to warn her best friends Luke and Cole of the evil trick and that the nice elf named Sprinkles was really an evil elf who took you from your Mommy, but they didn't listen and actually liked Santa. Hopefully I haven't scared her for life.





Hannah loves her nativity. Sometimes, I feel awkward when she is chewing on baby Jesus, but Nana says that means she loves Him so I guess it's okay.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a busy and exciting Thanksgiving we had. Tim, Hannah and I hosted our first Thanksgiving which included our first turkey and all the fixings. We actually had fun and I think it turned out better than we had expected. We hosted Pop, Great Ger Ger (who turned 90 years old today) and Uncle Tyler. Tim and I both commented that we appreciate our parents so much more now and realize how much work they have done for so many years. After the Robbins' Thanksgiving, we moved on to turkey number 2 which was also delicious. Hannah loves eating turkey. She went back for second and thirds! We spent the evening with Granny, Grandpa, Great Auntie Linda, Great Uncle Ricky, Uncle Tyler, Jeff, and Michelle. Hannah had a great time and loved soaking in all the attention. As for today, we are full force into the battle of the sippy cup. If only Hannah knew that I am starting work on Monday and will not be there to feed her. This means if she doesn't learn to use the sippy in the next two days, mommy is going to have a very anxious first day of work worrying that Hannah is starving. So far, she has cried all morning looking for her bottle. It's a battle of wills at this point and I'm afraid I might break first, I don't like knowing she is hungry.

Jibber Jabber

This last weekend we had a little get away to Bishop to spend time with Nana and Gramps. Hannah had so much fun at the duck park and wouldn't stop pointing and saying "Duck." She now says three words in context....Dada, Baba, and Duck. It's possible she has also said dog and cat, but I'm not sure because it's inconsistent. Do you see a pattern here? Maybe I am singing Old McDonald too much and not practicing "Mama" enough. She also has done away with her baby bath and likes how the big bath holds more toys. Hope all our friends and family have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Pictures to come of Hannah eating turkey dinner.

The ducks love when Weston is in town. He goes crazy with the food!


Hannah and Weston


Big Bath

10 Months

Happy 10 month old Birthday! I know I sound like a broken record, but I just can't believe how fast Hannah is growing up. It seems like yesterday we were praying Hannah would sleep through the night and now we are starting to think about her first birthday party. Hannah is the joy of our lives and everyday is wonderful watching her explore the world. So what is Hannah up to at 10 months old?

Sleeping: Well, it's hard to admit, but Hannah is officially down to only one nap. It's on the early side to drop a nap, but she would just way rather play than sleep.

Eating: Hannah now eats real human food cut into small pieces. Her favorite things so far seem to be pears and avocados. She has also tried banana, corn, applesauce, pineapple, chicken, cheese, rice, broccoli, and oatmeal. She is working on picking the food up and feeding herself. We are also working on using a sippy cup, but so far it is just a fun toy. It makes me sad to read the baby books that encourage getting rid of the bottle at one year and no more bedtime feeding at 10 months. This seems so young to me. Hannah is still a little baby in my eyes and we are in no rush to push her into toddlerhood.

Tricks: Clapping, waving and pointing are still her go to. Hannah crawls everywhere and is getting fast. She also pulls up on anything and everything, including her crib. It is so weird to see her standing up waiting for me in the morning.

Sounds: Hannah said her first word last night "DaDa" At first I didn't count it because it was more like babbling, but over the last 24 hours, every time she sees Tim she points and says "DaDa." She loves to babble "yayayaya" and also make the farting noise with her mouth.

Favorite things: Hannah is in a mommy stage so I am probably her favorite thing:) With that said she also loves all toys, books (especially when you let her turn the page), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Music, remote controls, cell phones, opening drawers, dogs, being outside, singing songs (Old McDonald, Twinkle Twinkle, Elmo Ducks are current favs)did I mention opening drawers.

Dislikes: Not getting what she wants, being left alone

What may be coming soon: Teeth???? walking, more words....

Here our pics from our park outing this morning:

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween! We hope everyone enjoyed their evening as much as we did. As a child Halloween was such a fun holiday but for the last 10 plus years it just wasn't the same, until last night. Now that Hannah is in our lives, Halloween is fun again. We started the night at Granny and Grandpa's house. Hannah also got to see Great Auntie Linda and Uncle Ricky and one of her favorite things on earth Bella the dog (who was also a pumpkin). My mom's neighborhood was decorated very cute and there were many young families out and about. We then went to trick or treat with cousies Zane (aka Batman) and Weston (aka Lion). Also joining us were a few other little friends Lilly, Thomas and Conner. When I was a kid my cousins John and Jeff came over every year so I had so many flashbacks of my childhood roaming the streets with cousins, trading candy and having fun. I am so happy Hannah has loved ones near by so that she too will have good memories of holidays. If we were still up North it just wouldn't have been the same so I am so thankful Tim made it possible for us to live here again. Hannah's favorite thing about trick or treating was holding her bucket because she liked to shake it and hear the candy rattle around. TIm and I enjoyed eating the candy. Hannah was the cutest little pumpkin and we can't wait until next year.

BOO!

First my apologies for lack of blogging lately. Things have been getting busy around the Tatum house. We can't believe that holidays and birthday are right around the corner. Hannah is basically back to normal from the surgery. Her mouth looks unbelievably great. She is starting to eat real human food too which is fun. So far she has enjoyed chicken, cheese, banana and pizza hut pizza (that was a special treat on pumpkin carving night). She likes all food and is doing well with it. She is crawling all around and loves doing naughty things like pulling down the blinds, turning the xbox off and on, finding/eating controllers, removing all dvds from the cabinet, opening drawers, etc. You name it, Hannah is into it. Her vocab/babbling has taken off as well. She says yaya, ba, da, and ne. Lately we have been enjoying Halloween festivities. Here are some of our favorite pictures.

At play date we dressed the kids up. Cole slept through the whole photo session, but he is also going to be a pumpkin.


Family pumpkin carving. I was really proud of Hannah. I laid out a play mat and let Hannah roam free to help. I was worried she might crawl all over making a mess or grab for the carving tools, but she was so amused by the pumpkins that she did a great job and stayed on the mat the whole time.




Pumpkin patch fun. Hannah enjoyed playing with her friends, looking at pumpkins, eating hay, and going through the Haunted House with her Daddy.






Hannah with her three Best Friends (Yes, Amee she loves you, but we are talking about baby Scig, Cole, Luke and HGT).