Babies Galore!

Well, it's been a while since I posted something Hannah-related, so I figured I'd better do so. :) Today we had 3 other moms and their babies over for a playdate. It was a lot of fun, and all of them were pre-walkers, so Hannah fit right in. It is amazing, though, how different each baby is--even if they are the exact same age! All of them were at different stages of crawling, and Hannah was the only one pushing her little push toy around--I'm bragging a bit, but that's okay, right? ;)
The moms were all so nice & friendly; it's just been really wonderful to get to know some other moms with babies about Hannah's age. Now you may be wondering how I met all these women & babies...or maybe you're not wondering, but I'm going to tell you anyway...These are the options of how I did this:

A) Online
B) Standing in the mall play area with a sign that said "Need Other Moms to Play With!"
C) Using Telepathy
D) Waiting around for other people I know to have babies

Well, the answer is...A! I went to Meetup.com (which is a great website, by the way) and filled out a profile. Then all you do is choose which groups you want to belong to. You kind of "apply" via a message on the website, and then the organizers contact you if you've been "chosen." It's a very thorough process....just kidding; my guess is as long as you have a picture of yourself holding a child, you're in. :) After a 30-day trial period in the group (and you can be in more than one) you pay a nominal annual fee (anywhere from $6-$10; it's the best money I'll ever spend!) and then you're a member. Then it's just a matter of choosing the events you want to attend or hosting your own. There is a range of activities, some of which have costs associated--but you don't have to go to any of those if you don't want to! It's very cool. I've managed to fill up the last couple weeks pretty nicely with an activity every other day, and it works out well for both Hannah & I!
Anyway, that's what I've been doing, post-vampires. :) (I'm done with the third book and waiting anxiously for the fourth--coming out Aug 2nd!)
Hope you are all well!

Vampires are SOOO cool!

Well, this title may seem really weird, but if you have read (or are currently reading) the "Twilight" series books, you will know what I mean. :) Afton recommended these literary "drugs" to me, and she even supplied them to me! I have finished the second of the three-part series, and I am "thirsting" for more. :) Haha. Okay, enough with the metaphors and on to a more detailed description of why I am seriously considering becoming a vampire. ;)
First of all, let me tell you that I am NOT a science-fiction-genre type of girl. I thrive on living & reading about reality, or about things that could possibly happen in real life. I watch reality TV (or at least The Office, which is close) and I read books that either take place in the current time period, or at least very good historical fiction. When Afton first told me about these books, she raved...but I was skeptical.
Upon reading the first page (the preface--not even the first actual page of the chapter) I was totally hooked! For the next 24 hours I read every chance I got--and with a 10-month-old, you'd think that would be impossible, but obviously, I found time. (Ask my husband, who, at various times would try to distract me with silly questions about dinner or something.) During the novel, I kept feeling compelled to ask myself "How could this EVER be possible?" or "Oh yeah, like that could really happen." But as soon as I stopped trying to explain or reason away every part of the story, I REALLY got into it, and all of a sudden I realized I believed what I was reading. At a couple points, my heart was actually pounding as if I was watching the scene unfold--I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!
Now, please don't get me wrong--I do not really think vampires are real, nor do I really want to be one (I mean, who wants to drink blood--yuck!) What I am saying is that this book is written very well and I would highly recommend it. Not only is the portrayal of a particular clan of vampires very interesting & fun to read, there is a beautiful unrequited romance that develops that literally brought tears to my eyes. I have to run--I need to start the last book...and wait for the movie to come out in December. :)

Sissy's Home!

Well, this is a test to see how fast Senia responds now that she is HOME! :) I am so glad that she is back from college for the summer, especially since she happens to attend a college that is about a million miles away (she should know--she and my brother drove home from MN Thursday & got home last night.) Anyway, I am thrilled that she ended up coming home, and I am excited for all the fun stuff we will be doing throughout the next few months (namely, hanging out at home, going for walks/swims/runs(?)/classes at the gym, going to the mall or Target just to browse, going to the beach, spending time outside with Hannah, watching Hannah splash around in a wading pool, talking, drinking coffee, watching The Office, watching The Cosby Show, watching movies, talking some more, laughing, having Senia overnight, etc. etc.) (Did I miss anything, Sen?

Anyway, it is good to have her back nearby. Beyond that, I'm just really thankful that we have the kind of close relationship where we WANT to hang out endlessly with each other. That is worth more to me than even SHE knows. :)

Ahhh...I know it's sappy, but I don't care. That's my prerogative.

The Smile

I love this little cheesy grin Hannah has been showing off lately. She scrunches up her nose, squints her eyes, and shows her two teeth by giving an open-mouth smile. It makes me laugh every time, and she knows everyone likes it! :) She's already a social butterfly. What I love more than the smile itself, though, is the reaction that she can get out of people--even the most surly & grumpy. In the last couple of days, in particular, I've found how fun it is to watch & see how Hannah tries so hard to interact with everyone, and if they don't look at her or don't notice her, she just sits there & smiles at them until they DO look! This is especially fun when her target is someone of a particularly grumpy nature and one who seems to not have anything to smile about. The other day, the clerk at the DOL was kind of a pouty woman, and it seemed like she wanted to be anywhere but there. As soon as Hannah flashed her grin, though, that woman melted & became a baby-talking, gushing queen! :) Then yesterday when Hannah and I were waiting in line at the Dr's office, the receptionist was a bit the same way, and once Hannah showed that little wrinkled nose & scrunched-up eyes, the woman couldn't look away! :) I think this phenomenon is truly a gift from God--it's a way to brighten someone's day and help each person remember that there are still innocent, young minds in this world that just want attention & love--and then they are perfectly content & happy! This thought has been on mind these last few days, and it really makes me happy to know that my little one can bring a little bit of sunshine to someone's day, just by smiling a silly little grin. :)

*On a more selfish side note, it also wins people over very quickly, which can be handy if you want an extra plate from Starbucks, a cup of water from any food vendor, or a blank check. ;)