Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my darling Hannah Grace. One year ago you made Mommy's dream come true and everyday since has been a joy. We celebrated by spending the day at Disneyland. We had so much fun, but it was an exhausting day. It's late now, but I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't post on your birthday. In the morning, Tim and I gave Hannah our gifts. Her big gift was a Disney Princess ride on scooter that plays music, lights up, and has a toy wand. She really likes pushing it across the floor and making the sounds go off, but she is a bit unsure about riding on it. Hannah always has been a bit on the cautious side. We then jumped in the car and headed off to the happiest place on earth.

We spent about 6 hours at Disneyland and Hannah did great. I was worried since her first nap was about 30 minutes in the car and her 2nd was in the stroller (only to be woken up after a measly 30 minutes because Tim and I were ready to go on more rides. I think she really liked the day. She loved people watching and waved to everyone she saw. The tram ride from the parking lot to the entrance was a highlight because you are packed in tight and Hannah loved all the attention from the people around us. Once inside she got her special Birthday Button and was very observant pointing to all of her surroundings. Her very first ride was Small World. This was also her favorite of the day. It is really long which is nice and the lights, music, and movement made for a very one year old friendly environment. We got to sit in the front of the boat so Hannah saw everything and again was very cautious making sure to hold on to the rail. We then ventured to Toon Town and toured Mickey Mouse's House. He has these animated chickens that make noises and Hannah loved them so much we had to stand at laugh at them for a good five minutes. Finally we got to meet Mickey Mouse. No surprise here, Hannah LOVED him. She kept grabbing his noise and could barely wait her turn. She was trying to leap out of my arms in the line, and was pointing saying "dada." This was the only character she liked. We also met Tigger and Pooh Bear. She cried and held on to Mommy and Daddy for dear life with both. (Santa trauma may have resurfaced). After meeting lots of character friends, we went on the Winnie the Pooh ride and Jungle Cruise. Hannah's last ride was the Dumbo flying adventure that she went on with her Daddy and had so much fun flying through the air. We are so happy to have passes and can't wait to take her again and try new rides. It was a very fun way to celebrate her 1st Birthday. I think Hannah knew she was special today! Oh I almost forgot, as we were leaving the park, Tim and I noticed that Hannah finally has her bottom two middle teeth. They are had to see, but if you pull her lip down, there they are. Yeah!

We finished the day with Granny and Grandpa where Hannah was given a special gold baby bracelet that my Granny bought for me when I was one. I also made her a cupcake as a special dessert. Hannah enjoyed the Birthday song, but was not a fan of the cupcake. Hannah doesn't like chocolate? Is she really my daughter? She really had no interest in trying it and when I tried to feed her a piece she cringed and closed her eyes. I felt so bad that I gave her Cheerios instead and she enjoyed those. Hannah is such a good healthy eater that I think she just isn't used to sweets, but I am confident she will be a choco-haulic soon enough. It does after all run in her genes.

It was a strange feeling laying my little girl down for bed tonight and reflecting on her first year of life. It brings on a lot of emotion for me, but more than anything I am just so proud to be her mommy. Sweet dreams my little one year old angel and don't grow up too fast.

I know there are a lot of pictures today, but I'm aloud it is her Birthday:
Opening presents from Mommy and Daddy



Disneyland



First ride: Small World


Dumbo with Daddy


Meeting Mickey


Enjoying her Birthday Song, but not the cake




Leave it to Granny! (my friends are not surprised by this at all, they always joke how Deb knows how to shop)...Now if only Hannah could learn you don't eat the little blue box. Check out the little bracelet on her arm, that was mine when I was her age.

Happy New Year!

It's 2012 and this very time last year I started having bad back pain. Shortly after, I knew Hannah was on her way. And at 1:04pm tomorrow I will be the proud Mommy of a one year old. We rung in the New Year with the Tatum family which even included some St. Louis family. Hannah got to meet Tim's cousin's baby girl Julianna who is exactly 10 months younger. And of course she had fun with her cousins Weston and Zane. Unfortunately Hannah got cranky and had to go to bed. She didn't even make it to New York New Year. I followed suit shortly after, but Tim celebrated at midnight on behalf of all three of us. 2011 ended on a happy note with the birth of beautiful and healthy baby Ava. What a fun and memorable New Year's Eve.

2011 was a wonderful year. Tim and I received the greatest blessing of Hannah and January 5, 2011 will forever be the happiest day of my life. With Hannah's arrival, 2011 obviously brought happiness, laughter, tears, challenges, fears, sleepless nights, selflessness, anxiety, a lot of diaper changing, and the recognition of a love so deep that it hurts. Tim started a new job, I quit a job, and started a new job, we moved (shocker), and shared many wonderful moments with friends and family. My hope for 2012 is to cherish everyday (exciting or not) because wow a year goes fast. What will the New Year bring to the Tatums? Well I can't predict the future but I'm thinking/hoping a successful surgery for Tim, dare I say another move (hopefully this one comes with mortgage papers), Hannah will be walking and talking (who knows maybe even using a sippy cup), and God willing maybe a little brother or sister on the way for Hannah. I also pray for an opportunity to see Tyler at some point. Today Hannah and I watched as he went through the airport security check for London and I'm not sure when I will see him next. He loves Hannah so much and while I couldn't be more proud of him he will be dearly missed.

Thank you 2011 and Hello 2012.

Hannah tried but held the noise maker the wrong way

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.