3 Christmases

Christmas 2008:
35 weeks pregnant, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Alethia Joy

Christmas 2009:
Empty arms, broken hearts
The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Christmas 2010:
Missing little Alli, but with arms full of her little sister.

Hearts full of joy.
So very blessed.

Hannah Beth, every time we look at you, we're reminded of God's faithfulness to us.

Starting to become mobile...

Before:

After (a few minutes later):

She scooted herself from a vertical position to a horizontal one! I have a feeling this little munchkin is going to be crawling across the room before we know it... growing up so fast.

3 months

I'm finally writing Hannah Beth's 3 month post, and she's going to be 4 months in just a couple weeks! Time flies and she's growing up so fast.

Sweet Hannah Beth, at 3 months:

• Size: you weigh about 12 lbs and are 23 1/2 inches long.

• Clothes: you're still wearing some 0-3 months and starting to wear some 3-6 months clothes
• Diapers: we're finishing up a box of size 1-2 and will be moving up to size 2 soon!
• You are soo great at making eye contact with people and you definitely recognize Mommy and Daddy. Sometimes you follow us with your eyes around a room.

• You really enjoy your bathtime.

• In fact, you just really seem to like water. When you're fussy, Daddy figured out that we can turn on the faucet and you'll almost always stop crying. You love hearing and watching the water run.

• You're still not a huge fan of tummy time when you're awake, although you hold your head up really well now. You prefer being on your tummy for naptime though [under our watchful eyes.]
• You also prefer taking your naps on Mommy and Daddy's bed rather than your own.
• Just a couple days after you turned 3 months, Mommy and Daddy moved you from your Pack n Play in our room to your big crib in your room. The transition was so smooth and you seem to really like your big bed!
• Speaking of sleep, at about 2 1/2 months old, you started to sleep 8 hours at a time at night. Now you'll even sleep 9 or 10 hours sometimes before it's time to eat again. We're so proud of you!
• Mommy LOVES staying at home with you, Hannah Beth, but sometimes she needs to go places without having to take you out in the cold. You do a great job of staying with either Daddy, Grandma, or Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, a few times each week for 1-2 hours.
• You're doing well at nursing, and you continue to take a bottle of breastmilk really well and that helps too when Mommy leaves you to run errands.
  

• We can see your little personality really coming out now as you coo and look around. You've started to giggle just a little bit...we're still waiting for a full out laugh :)
• You've got a little temper that comes out especially when you're overtired...sometimes you really fight going to sleep, but you're soo much happier when you've had good naps!

• We listen to your lullaby cd's often and they really seem to help you settle down when it's nap or bedtime.
• You still love having your diaper changed and just lying on your changing pad...sometimes Daddy even pulls up a chair next to your changing table to hang out with you while you play.

• Your family sure does love you a lot and they give you lots of attention. You also get lots of attention from friends and church and the youth group girls love to hold you too! Here's a pic of you with your cousins:

• You've really started to become attached to sucking your fingers and mostly your thumb, especially when you're going to sleep. You still take the pacifier once in a while.

Hannah Elizabeth, I absolutely LOVE being your mommy...it just gets better and better each day.
We pray every night for you to become a little girl and young woman who loves Jesus and comes to know Him personally at a young age. We're so thankful for you and so happy to have you here with us this Christmas.


We call you our "sweet baby" and that is what you are!