The Hannahans

Happy Birthday Ellie!

2009-10-05T16:54:00.006-05:00

What a difference a year makes!

Ok, so Ellie's birthday was over a month ago, I know, but if you read on you might cut me a little slack. Just maybe.

We had a wonderful time celebrating Ellie's birthday in Columbus. She loved it!

Ellie with something ridiculous atop her head

I made her a cow cake which actually turned out better than I thought.

Moo

Thanks to Baba and Grandchuck for hosting Ellie's 1st Birthday party.

Here's a little video of the big event

Well, it has been quite a year! We have loved every minute of the past year we have spent watching Ellie grow. She has gotten so big and is really turning into a little person, not just a little baby anymore.

Here's a list of Ellie's recent accomplishments and entertaining feats:

*walks and stands all the time
*tries to run after the cat, but usually falls and then continues to chase him by crawling
*laughs when chased
*tries to tickle your toes
*shows her belly when prompted (probably not a good habit as we get older, but so darn cute at this age)
*found her belly button yesterday and discovered that mommy and daddy have them too
*plays hide 'n seek, but peeks through her fingers (uh-oh, early signs of a cheater, I hope not)
*fascinated with the bubbles in the bathtub (which had to be added when she no longer wanted to take a bath)
*says momma, dada, nigh nigh (while crawling to her room to go night night), mo (more food please) and several other unintelligible things that make for a lovely conversation
*makes the sign for "I don't know" (arms up by shoulders, shrug of shoulders accompanied by a tilt of her head)
*loves, loves, loves to swing outside
*loves on all of her animals and baby Betsy
and I am sure there are plenty more adorable things she does that I am forgetting!

loving baby Betsy

And in other news...

We are moving! Oh boy, where to begin? We will be moving to Columbus, GA (my home) and Jim will be opening his own practice just across the river in Phenix City, AL. Jim is only licensed in Alabama so that's why his office will be there. But this should be good because he will hopefully be able to pull patients from the Auburn/Opelika area as well as the Columbus area.

This has been a long and stressful year for both of us. We moved to Mobile so Jim could go into practice with two of his brothers and unfortunately it has not worked out. There is no easy or short way to sum up what went wrong, but after many sleepless nights and much deliberation, we have made a decision that we think will be the best for our family. This has probably been the hardest thing either of us has been through, but I know we will make it.

We really don't know when we will be moving, maybe sometime in the next three months. Jim is working on a lease for a space and hopefully it will be ready for us to open in January. I say us because I will be going back to work at Jim's office.

So we have had a few things going on down here in LA and it looks like we will be headed to higher ground. We are very excited to move to Columbus and have already been overwhelmed by family and friends who share in our excitement. So there ya have it.

St. George Island

2009-08-24T12:41:00.007-05:00

The Cousins - Mac, Ellie, and Wynn

We went to St. George Island last week to be with my mom, my brother, his wife and their two kids. Ellie had so much fun hanging out with her cousins Mac and Wynn. It was great to spend time with Charlie and Paige. We certainly do not see them enough, Mobile to Charleston is a long way!

Mac

Wynn

Ellie demonstrating her crab crawl

Ellie really liked the beach this go round. She played in the sand, loved crawling like a crab, and actually played in the water. She wasn't nearly as scared as she was when we went to the beach earlier in the summer. I have discovered one major problem that I am going to have to overcome as a mother, my fear of sharks. I have a ridiculous fear of sharks. I know it is ridiculous and I do not want Ellie to be scared of the water. I thought I could be brave for my little girl, but I didn't have too much success. I made Jim wade in the surf with me so he could look for sharks. I know it is totally dumb. Any advice for getting over this fear would be wonderful.

The cousins on the beach

Other than that, we had a wonderful time. Jim cooked gumbo and crab cakes. We drank margaritas and just hung out. It was a much needed vacation. It was good to get away from all the drama in Mobile, but more on that later.

Before we went to the beach I made Ellie and Wynn tutus. Holly Homemaker at her finest, ha ha ha. They were so cute and super easy! Thanks for the no sew tutu idea Christi!!!

Wynn in her tutu

Ellie in her tutu

Ellie and Wynn relaxing in the hammock.

In other news Ellie went to "school" for the first time last Tuesday. She did great! She is going to Ashland Place, a church down the street, twice a week from 9-1. I am so glad she will have a chance to be around some other children her age. I can already tell that she has an early birthday for her age group. I went to drop her off and they asked if she could sit up by herself. I responded with yes, in fact she can pull up on anything and is trying to walk. Next question, what is her bottle schedule? Well, she is using a sippy cup and only takes a bottle before bed. Then I took a closer look around the room and noticed that the other babies had been dropped off in their car seats and were perfectly content where they were. Maybe Ellie can teach them all to stand up. Ha, ha. When I returned they did mention looking into the possibility of moving her up with the next age group. Made me laugh!

Ellie on her first day of school.

Ellie and Mrs. Elizabeth
(please notice the baby in the teachers arms)

Vermont Pics

2009-08-12T15:59:00.008-05:00

Here are some more pictures from Vermont, mostly nature stuff.
If you don't like flowers, stop looking now.

The pond

Summer

2009-08-11T11:27:00.008-05:00

Well summer seems to be coming to an end. As I listen to all my friends discussing classroom preparations and the excitement of meeting their new group of kids, it makes me miss being a teacher. I love the beginning of school, even as hectic as it is. Hopefully one day I will get back in the classroom.

I don't think that our summer is officially over because we have one more trip to the beach next week. We are headed to St. George Island to be with my mom, Charlie (my brother) and Paige and their two kids. I can't wait for Ellie to have a chance to play with her cousins Mac (5) and Wynn (3 1/2).

I just realized that I never wrote about our trip to Vermont. Yeah I know it was only a month ago, but at least I am getting to it now. We had a very easy trip going up and Ellie loved it all. She loved the airplanes and enjoyed watching all the people in the airport. Our last flight was from Boston to Hanover, NH. We flew on a tiny plane, i.e. 8 passengers + 1 pilot + no co-pilot =small. Ellie loved it. She squelled with delight throughout the entire flight. It was a long trip, but so worth it.

Ellie "helping" me pack

A view from above

Ellie enjoying the little plane

We did a lot of visiting, eating, hanging out, and just enjoying being with my side of the family. It was a much needed vacation for Jim! The roll call included Goggie (my grandmother who turned 91 while we were there), Baba (my mom), Aunt Tink and Aunt Peg (mom's sisters), Marg (my cousin) and John and their three kids, Marien, Christopher, and Mercer. We had so much fun just being with the fam. Jim had to leave and return to reality and my sister, Carter, took his place.
It is so pretty in Vermont. Everything is so green and lush. The weather was fantastic and included wearing jeans and long sleeves. What a relief it was to get away from the heat of LA.

Pictures from our trip to Old City Falls

The walk down

A very rare family photo, not sure why we all look so pale.

Hanging out by the waterfall

Ellie and Baba

Our trip home was not as smooth as the trip up. Our first flight was delayed because of fog so that made all of our other flights change. We ran into some bafoon in Boston who took so long reprinting our ticket that we subsequently missed our second flight. Then when we got to Atlanta, my flight to Mobile was also delayed. Needless to say after 15 hours of traveling we were exhausted. Ellie could not have been better. She only got fussy a few times, but overall she was amazing! A million thanks go out to my mom who flew with us.

Sunset after a little storm

I have more pix to put up later.
Peace out!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-06-29T16:04:00.009-05:00

It has been crazy since the beginning of June. Here's a recap.

We started the month with a trip down to Dauphin Island. It was fun hanging out with Aunt Missy and Uncle Robert, cousins Catherine (15) and Melissa (13), and all the other friends who came around. Jim, Robert, and some of the cousins and friends went fishing. Most of the older girls stayed behind and played. Ellie loves swimming in the pool, watching the birds and playing with the puppies when we are down there.

Ellie and Hazel

Coco

Hazel and Aunt Missy

Hazel checking out Ellie.

Ellie, Melissa, and Coco

Hazel loving on Ellie.

We went over to Perdido Key for a dental conference the second week of June. Ellie had her first experience at the beach. She sorta liked the sand, but I think the ocean waves were too loud. She really didn't like putting more than her feet in the water. We sat on our balcony a lot because it was too hot and she liked looking out at everything.

Ellie and her daddy

Momma actually got in a picture

Checking out the surf

At the end of the week, my parents meet us in Mobile and then we went back down to Dauphin Island with Jim's brother Robert and his family. Robert and Missy have been so good to us since we moved down here and we love spending time with them and their girls. They are even kind enough to let us all stay at their house at DI. Ellie loved playing with the puppies again and Jim loved the opportunity to do a little more fishing. We had a blast and I am so glad that Baba and Grandchuck were able to join us!

Ellie loves watching the birds.

Hazel and Coco

The next weekend Jim had another conference this time at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear. Ellie and I went over and spent Saturday at the hotel. We loved spending time swinging under the huge oak trees, going into town for lunch and making some new friends. It was hot, but we enjoyed it. We went to a dinner party that night and Ellie loved it. We were outside and she loved watching the birds and listening to the music. Then people started dancing and they had lights...she was totally entertained. We had to pull here away at 10:00 to go home! I intended to take Ellie back on Sunday to take some pictures, but we were exhausted.

Last week we had Ellie's 9 month portraits taken. It was hot, yet again, but she did great. I can't wait to see them! We also went out to lunch for Aunt Missy's birthday, twice! Lucky us!
This weekend we were actually at home. It was nice to just be at home.

On another note, today is our anniversary. It is so hard to believe that it has been 7 years! I don't know where the time went. Here's a little something from that day.

Now June is just about over and it is on to July. We will be heading to Vermont on the 8th. I can't wait!!! More about that later...

New Favs

2009-05-24T23:30:00.005-05:00

Ellie has hit some recent milestones. Crawling, pulling up, using a sippy cup, eating cheesy poofs and cheerios and playing, playing, playing.

She loves to crawl all over the place and will barely sit still any more. She loves to crawl all over the kitchen when Jim is cooking. Another favorite target is the cat. RC is not so sure about her recent ability to move about. He tries to hide on top of the ottoman, but low and behold she learned to pull up about three days after learning to crawl.

After RC...

but he escapes.

Daddy has to separate the "children".

Did you see me, I almost got him!

Ellie also loves her new found talent of feeding herself. She loves the Gerber lil crunchies that we refer to as cheesy poofs. She could eat the whole can if we let her.

She is not as crazy about cheerios. She likes to pick them up and toss them around, but only eats a few at a time.

Ellie is also not as excited about her sippy cup. She would much rather sip out of a cup than use the sippy cup which proves to be very messy.

Ellie loves to play with her toys. We found these great boxes for her toys and she loves to grab them, turn them over, crawl over them, and generally make a big mess.

We also got a baby pool for her this weekend and she went "swimming" for the first time Sunday. It was a little cold at first, but she really liked it. I have a feeling this is where we will spend most of our summer afternoons.

Heading to the slide!

Weeeeee

And They're Off...

2009-05-12T13:10:00.003-05:00

Ellie had her first annual Kentucky Derby party the first weekend of May.
Here is the picture from her invitation.

We drank Mint Juleps (or juice boxes, depending on age), wore fancy hats and had a good time with our neighbors and friends.

Ellie is not a ship!

2009-05-11T16:49:00.008-05:00

Goggie and Ellie

We had Ellie baptized the other weekend. Just to clarify, she was not christened, you do that to ships. My bad, but good ole wise Grandchuck set us straight.

Ellie was baptized at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus. It is the church where my mom and dad were married, where I was baptized and where Jim and I were married. I am so glad we made this decision.

I was sitting in the pew during the service and it just felt right. It was ok that Ellie was babbling away and I was so happy to be surrounding by so many of our friends and families. It was truly a blessing!

Afterward we had a little get together at Baba and Grandchuck's. Jim and I decided to do the food ourselves. I would like to take some credit, but it truly was all Jim. He really is amazing in the kitchen! It was a wonderful day and I am so touched by all those who were able to join us on this special day for us. What a wonderful first Mother's Day for me!

All the pictures from the church are on my mom's camera so I will post those when I get a copy. Until then, here are some pics that I took.

Enjoying lunch on the front porch

Ellie and her precious Columbus friends!!!

Moms and babes

Ellie, What's that in your mouth?

2009-04-29T09:58:00.010-05:00

Well last weekend was the pits! Ellie was fussy and cranky all weekend. I thought maybe it had to be some of the new foods we had been trying. That I had maybe fed her something that made her tummy upset. And then low and behold Sunday morning Jim let's her chew on his finger and painfully discovers another tooth! So that explains it. Now we have a shark who lives among us! She has three teeth and man can she bite...hard!!!!

In other news, Ellie is now crawling! Exciting, yes, but not so much for momma. I personally think she has been taking lessons from the cat. She tends to pounce as opposed to crawl. She rocks back and forth and then leaps forward onto her hands. I will try to get it on video. But this new found talent means that she likes to wonder around the living room to discover new territories.

We have really enjoyed the beautiful weather recently. Jim and I have been able to take Ellie for a cocktail stroll in the evening after he gets home from work. We have cocktails and she strolls! We have also been able to spend sometime playing outside. Ellie loves to sit in the grass and pull it up.

Eating the grass

Ellie was helping Jim plant our herbs. Please note the outfit she has on. Her daddy got her dressed that morning...oh my!

She loved playing in the water...

And this is what happened when we fell in the water

We will be heading to Columbus next weekend to have Ellie christened at the church where we were married. She will either be wearing the christening gown that I wore or one that Goggie's father wore, my great-grandfather. Just depends which one she can fit in.

Here's a preview...

And a few other recent pictures.

Just kidding. This last one is of me when I was little. See any resemblance?!?!

Catching up

2009-04-17T18:11:00.012-05:00

Here's a quick update of recent events.

I drove way too much for four weeks in a row.

Ellie and I went to Columbus.
Mom and Dad agreed to keep Ellie for two weekends while Jim and I went turkey hunting.

Daddy couldn't let Eelie stay away for 2 weeks so we drove back to Mobile for a visit. Carter, my sister made the trip back to Mobile with us.

Eliie and Aunt Carter

Then it was back to Columbus and on to Darlington for our second hunting weekend. The weather was bad so we left early to spend the rest of the weekend with my parents and went hunting at my Uncle's.

Then we headed back to Darlington to get Jim's truck and back to Mobile. Confusing, I know!

Baba came to spend the next week with us in Mobile. She helped me clean out Ellie's room and trade out the clothes she had already out grown. Then she kept Ellie for the third weekend in a row but this time down here.

We were able to have another successful hunt and returned early. Unfortunately we returned to plumbing issues, apparently we had roots growing in the pipes which backed everything up into the house. Fun, I know!

Then we returned to Columbus for Easter. We enjoyed spending time with my family even though we were the only ones from my generation that were there. We missed everyone who was away!

Elli and her great-grandmother, Goggie

Four generations

Grandchuck and Baba with Ellie on Easter

So we've done a lot of driving, hunting more than I thought we were going to be able to do this year, and enjoyed seeing friends and family in Columbus.

This is a picture from Ellie's 6 month portraits.

6 months and counting

2009-03-17T15:16:00.009-05:00

Ellie is now 6 months old. Hard to believe and I have no idea where the time has gone.
I have to apologize to anyone I have not talked to in the past week to 6 months. I have not been the best at staying in touch and if it weren't for facebook I might not have any friends at all. This mothering thing has proven to be a bit harder than I expected recently. I am so grateful to those who have helped me along the way.

A little update on our little monster. Monster, you read correctly. Ellie has become a monster over the past month, six weeks, two months, I don't even know when it began. She stopped sleeping through the night, on most occasions, and has started screaming bloody murder each night at bedtime. Jim nor I have figured out what is going on. She is growing and gaining weight as she should, so we don't think anything is seriously wrong. Is she too tired, does she get too hungry, who knows?

We are both about to pull our hair out so we are trying to figure this out. Currently we are working on her schedule. We are trying or have tried to wake her up at the same time each day, get her to bed a little earlier, more closely monitor how much she eats, and adjust her feeding/playing time. So far, no big change although we did have one night that she went down without a peep and one night that she slept through the night, but of course these two happenings did not coincide.

But other than that, Ellie is wonderful. She is a joy (during the day) and always happy (except at bedtime). Here are a few highlights:

*sitting up and playing with toys
*chewing on everything
*Ellie has two teeth
*loves to go on walks
*loves watching RC, our cat

*only crawls backwards
*babbles and giggles

Ellie and I are headed up to Columbus at the end of the week. She is going to spend the next two weekends with Baba and Grandchuck while Jim and I go turkey hunting. We will be back in Mobile with Aunt Carter part of next week and then Baba is coming to Mobile with us the following week. Grandchuck will join Baba in Mobile the third weekend while Jim and I run away to the woods one more time.

Teething Sucks

2009-02-27T10:46:00.006-06:00

How come nobody ever told me that teething was the worse part about having a baby? Ellie has been fussy for the last three weeks which means mom has been fussy for the last three weeks. And yet no teeth have appeared yet, but boy can you feel them. Some days are ok, and some days are not. The only plus side is she wears herself out during the day so she is sleeping more consistently at night. The down side to that is she is exhausted by the end of the day and tends to have a meltdown right before bed time. I also wish I could say that we are on a schedule, but we are not. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I could probably use some help in this department.

Chewing on my fingers.

Ellie is enjoying sitting up. She is still wobbly and we have only had a couple of spills. Now she just wants to sit up all the time.

Sitting up in my crib.

Sitting up on my changing table.

So all in all we are fussy, often tired, and unpredictable. Can you tell momma has just about had it? It's this precious little face that keeps me from losing my mind.

Here are some recent pictures. I've been trying to take better pictures of Ellie in hopes to get some good ones. I have also been contemplating pursuing photography. I love taking pictures of kids and have often wondered about the career opportunities. I would need a lot more practice and probably some new toys. Let me know your thoughts.

New Accomplishment

2009-02-19T18:52:00.003-06:00

We've been practicing and I believe today we did it.
See for yourself!

Sweet Potatoe Queen

2009-02-10T14:44:00.003-06:00

Ellie ate her first solid foods this weekend. We started with sweet potatoes and she loved them! She was a mess!

A Much Needed Visit

2009-02-10T10:13:00.003-06:00

Last weekend we went back to Birmingham for a visit. Jim had a conference and I took Ellie visiting. Friday morning we met up with Christi and Audrey. Audrey is 2 weeks older than Ellie. Christi and I enjoyed picking each others brains and the girls enjoyed looking at each other and "talking". I can't believe I forgot to pull out the camera! It was a treat for all of us!

Friday afternoon I took Ellie out to Liberty Park. It was like going home again. We had so much fun seeing everybody!!! Ellie enjoyed being the center of attention! Being back made me realize how much I miss my friends and I loved seeing some of my kids from the past couple of years.

Saturday we had lunch with a bunch of friends from LP. It was so nice to have a chance to sit and catch up. I wish it could have lasted all day!

Ella Kate, Melanie, Kristina, and Ellie
(I wish I had taken more pictures. I guess I was too excited to see everybody!)

Thanks to all my dear friends who took the time out of their busy schedules to visit with us. It meant the world to me and I hope we will be able to get together again soon! And to those that we missed, hopefully we will get to see you soon (Shannon, Melanie, Jenny Lou and anyone else we missed). I appreciate all of your friendships more than you will ever know!!!

We have feet and they taste so good!

2009-01-29T11:27:00.003-06:00

I haven't been very good about adding anything since Christmas. Ellie had her 4 month check up and she weighed 14 lbs. and was 25 1/4" long. Looks like she might not be as short as her momma (I hope). She is doing well and growing everyday. Now that she has rolled over once she has decided she doesn't want to do it anymore. I am often reminded that she is not a circus animal ready to perform for mom's enjoyment. Oh well.

We've also started eating rice cereal. Eating is a relative term here, more like trying to eat, drooling, and then spitting out rice cereal. Always entertaining and messy.

Ellie also loves getting up close and personal right now. She loves to look at your face and touch (or more specifically grab) your face, hair, hands, etc.

This week we have discovered feet. She likes to hold her toes and then try to eat them. It is very exciting. Apparently she only has a right foot now and hasn't discovered the left one yet.

I am supposed to be packing because we are headed to Birmingham this afternoon. I can't wait to take Ellie to Liberty Park so we can visit all our friends. I can't wait to see all my friends!! I miss them everyday! Off to pack...

1, 2, 3, Roll

2009-01-19T21:34:00.002-06:00

Ellie rolled over for the first time today. Here is her historic 3rd roll!

Christmas Card Pictures

2008-12-09T10:41:00.002-06:00

Well, I guess since we now have a baby we can't have a Christmas card with pictures of us and dead things, at least that is what I have been told. These are a few pictures of Ellie from our first Christmas card photo shoot. We probably took 800 and I hope we picked some good ones.

Merry Christmas!!!

The Holidays

2008-12-09T09:01:00.008-06:00

11 weeks (even though I am really 13 now)

Aunt Lindsey, Cousins Grace and Mary Lindsey over for a visit.

Things have been busy (although I can't think of what we have been doing), so it has been a while since I posted anything. We are all doing well. Survived Thanksgiving and preparing for Christmas. We had Jim's family over for Thanksgiving. It ended up being 13 1/2 of us. Ellie was the 1/2 because she didn't eat the meal, but she was definitely present. She did a great job with all the people, noise, and general chaos in our house. We had a good time and Jim did a fabulous job on the meal! I would like to take credit, but we all know who the chef is in our house! I was sorry that I didn't get to be with my family who all ventured to Charleston for Thanksgiving. One of the sad parts of living away from your own family is missing the holidays. Fortunately we will be traveling to Columbus for Christmas!!! Unfortunately this will probably be our last Christmas in Columbus. I guess it is time for us to start our own family traditions. We will have ALL of the Hannahans over for Christmas family dinner before we head to Columbus. I say ALL because it should be 18 1/2 of us. Hope we can find enough chairs and plates and glasses, oh my!

~~~~Thanksgiving Pictures~~~~

Kids Table~Virginia, Erin, and Thomas (Bridgett and Tommy's kids)

Jerry, Joy, Tommy and Bridgett

Missy, Robert, Catherine (Grammy) and Eric

Exhausted after everyone left

Melanie and Russ stopped by after Thanksgiving. It was great to see them and a very special visit for me! Don't they look natural with a baby, hmm.....

Ellie is doing great. She has a very sweet disposition and is learning to love her sleep like her mom and dad. She is such a good baby and we feel very fortunate for this. I am not sure that Jim knows just how fortunate we are to have such a good baby. She has really grown and we have had to retire our first outfit. So sad! There are a few more that are getting snug so I have been searching the internet for things on sale, you know I can't bare to pay full price.
Current favorite activity while momma plays on the computer.

Oh look! A monkey!

Jim and I are doing well. I still miss my friends in B-ham and wish we lived closer to Columbus! Ellie and I are enjoying our daily walks and our twice a week trips to see Mr. Burton (to workout) because there isn't much else to do. We have ventured to the grocery store and to pick out a Christmas tree. Of course we were accompanied by our over protective daddy. We are still fearful of germs and flu season and people in general ha, ha, ha.

I wish I could be with all of my friends and family during the holiday season and hope to see many of you soon!!!

Pictures from Ellie's first bath in the tub (first part of Nov.)

I may look a little scared, but I love my bath!

The Hannahan Elves

2008-12-06T15:39:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Sleepless in Mobile

2008-11-12T15:05:00.006-06:00

Last Friday we went to the doctor for Ellie's 2 month check up. Ellie weighs 10 lbs. 14 oz. but apparently she has a smallish head, about the 25th percentile, like it matters. The doc was trying to reassure us, but honestly neither of us really cared. I have a small head anyway and I think I turned out alright...well I guess that is still up for discussion.
Ellie had to get two shots and take an oral rotovirus vaccine. She did well, but screamed bloody murder when she got her shots and then had the worst pouty face. She was all out of sorts for the rest of the evening which wasn't fun.

On my way to the doctor

It was also Jim's birthday on Friday. We enjoyed just hanging out at home with the fussy Boo (that has become her in-house nickname, Ellie-Boo, Boo-Boo, Boo-Bear, Stinky-Boo, any variation will work). Jim got a new digital camera and enjoyed the carrot cake that Ellie and I managed to make so all in all we think daddy had a good birthday.

Ellie nd Jim on Daddy's birthday

Happy after singing the birthday song

This is what happens if you take too many pictures...

Deer in headlights!

Ellie was fussy all weekend and we think it was because of her vaccines. She has not been eating a lot and therefore she has not been sleeping well. Late nights are making for a tired and fussy momma! She seems to be feeling better today, but still not sleeping better. I am about to invest in a "raising babies for dummies" sort of book, so any suggestions are welcome! I need to find out the tricks of the trade to make a sleepier baby and Jim hopes it will help to make a happier wife/mother (me too!)
It is amazing how fussy one can get without sleep. It reminds me of college, but with less tests and less booze. The amazing part is, just when you hit a low point, something happens to make you feel like it is all going to be alright, a smile, a loud dirty diaper, a squeal. Mine was on Monday when I got a much needed surprise phone call from a friend (Thanks Stephanie!).
Here are some more recent pictures. Off to change yet another diaper...

So happy to get my diaper changed

Oops..too many pictures

New favorite place to hang out is on the kitchen counter

Why yes I am on a dish towel and I love it!

Video Surprise

2008-11-07T19:46:00.003-06:00

I just figured out that our digital camera can also take videos.
This is the surprise I got while playing with it!

Now I just have to figure out how to rotate the video.

Ellie-vis!

2008-11-06T11:33:00.003-06:00

Of course we couldn't go with the typical infant pumpkin costume.
Ellie got her first taste of Elvis on her first Halloween!
Mom and Dad were laughing hysterically at the costume but it didn't seem to phase our little one...she must love Elvis already!

Will the laundry ever stop?!?!?!?!

2008-11-06T10:29:00.005-06:00

Hanging out on my chair

Just a little update. I am feeling completely inadequate! I don't know what I am doing each day, but I sure can tell you what is not getting done! It is very frustrating and I feel like we live in a pigsty! Our poor washing machine and dryer didn't know what they were in for when they got delivered to our house. I feel like they are both running all day long and we continue to have more laundry. Do you think it would be bad if I restricted everyone to two outfits per week? Hopefully I will be able to get on top of this wreck of a house this weekend. My mom is coming down on Sunday to stay for a couple of days. I know she will be able to help. I'll just try not to get lost in our clutter before then! The real truth is I would rather take Ellie for a walk then vacuum and sweep! But who wouldn't with this beautiful weather we are having!
We have had a few more visitors recently. Sarah, my friend from high school came by with her daughter Grayson. Grayson and Ellie have the same birthday, just 6 years apart. We had fun hanging out and visiting. Grayson has adopted Ellie as her cousin, considering the fact that they have the same birthday.

Sarah, Ellie and Grayson

Grayson holding "cousin" Ellie

We love visitors!

Joy, my friend from Liberty Park, also came by with her daughter Ella Joy who is 1 1/2. We had a great time visiting with them as well. It is so much fun to have my friends stop by and see us. With each visit it makes me feel like our house is becoming more of a home, plus it never hurts to see a familiar face and get a much needed hug from a friend! It really was fun to see both of the little girls and think about how Ellie will grow up like these precious little girls.

Joy and Ellie

Joy ang Ella Joy, Dorsey and Ellie

B-Ellie goes on a trip

2008-10-31T10:06:00.007-05:00

Cousin Wynn, Aunt Peg, and Ellie

We had a great trip to Columbus last weekend. Ellie did great on the car ride and slept most of the way. We loved playing with the whole family. Her cousins Mac and Wynn were so much fun to be with and we enjoyed seeing Aunt Carter. Aunt Paige and Uncle Charlie were there briefly too. They were headed to Chicago and left Mac and Wynn with Baba and Grandchuck. Ellie earned her first nickname from Wynn who combined Baby Ellie into B-Ellie.

Ellie and Aunt Carter

Ellie with Aunt Carter and Aunt Paige

Wynn

Cousins Mac and Wynn with Ellie and Uncle Jim

Naked J-birds!

We also enjoyed our visit with my oldest and dearest friends Lynn and Shriver. They brought their girls over and it was surreal to see the next generation playing at mom's house. So hard to believe that all three of us have girls for first born.

Shriver and Ellie, Dorsey and Ellie, Kathryn and Lynn

Kathryn and Ellie
(They look just like their moms when they were little!)

Wynn, Kathryn, and Ellie playing dressup

We were exhausted when we got home, but loved every minute of our trip!

Heading on a trip!

2008-10-23T10:02:00.002-05:00

I am currently procrastinating because I don't want to pack. Jim, Ellie and I are headed to Columbus this afternoon to see my family. My sister Carter arrived last night and my brother Charlie, his wife Paige and their two kids, Mac and Wynn, are coming in tomorrow! I can't wait to see everyone! It will be fun for Ellie to meet her aunts, uncle, and cousins. We will also get to see some of my dear friends throughout the long weekend.
I can't wait to see how this trip goes. I feel like we need to take the whole house with us. Jim's advice was don't worry because whatever we forget, your mom will go out and buy it for Ellie. Scary, but true.
Here's a little update on what we have been up to recently. Last Saturday, my Aunt Peg and Uncle Jerry stopped by on their way back to Columbus from Baton Rouge. It was great to have a little visit with them. On Sunday we took a field trip to the hunting camp. Yes, six weeks old and Ellie has already been to the hunting camp! Jim was going bow hunting with his brother Robert and Ellie and I were invited to come along for the ride. She did great on the two hour car ride and we loved being outside. It was nice to get away from the normalcy of everyday happenings. On Monday my friend Sarah and her daughter Grayson came over from Orange Beach for a visit. We loved spending most of the day with them! Grayson and Ellie share the same birthday, but just six years apart. On Tuesday we found out that Jim's dad had fallen and broken his hip. We didn't know whether or not he would need surgery. He probably would not have enough energy and stamina to pull through the surgery and/or the recovery process. His health is not great, but at least he is at the hospital where he can be taken care of and rest comfortably. They have found a nursing home that will be able to take care of him and he will be moving there tomorrow afternoon.
The rest of the week has been spent with a fussy baby. She just got in a funk each afternoon/evening and has had two not so good nights sleeping. Maybe a big trip is what she needs to wear herself out. We are off for a walk! That's right, more procrastinating. I hate to pack! I'll post pictures when we get back from our trip.

Locked Up Mama Cow Escapes

2008-10-15T01:17:00.005-05:00

So this is Mama Cow at 1 a.m. Nothing like trying to go to sleep and having the feeling that your boobs are going to either explode or turn into rocks! So here I am pumping away instead of sleeping. Thought I would try to write some thank you notes and be productive, but I can't find my stationary. Oh well, if you are waiting for a thank you note, sorry you will have to continue to wait.
Mama Cow did make one major break through this week. Ellie and I now have a walking route and are so glad to escape the house everyday for at least an hour, but usually more. I do feel like I have been a prisoner in my own home for the past five weeks. On Saturday I told Jim that I had to get out of the house or I would go crazy. He looked at me like I was crazy already and then sent me to the grocery store. Gee thanks! It was good to get out and so on Sunday I ran away to Target all by myself. Have no idea what I did for an hour and a half, but I felt much better when I returned. So now each days excitement involves walking to Spring Hill College to walk the campus.
I talked to my good friend Melanie today. It was great to have a conversation with someone other than my mother, my mother-in-law, or my hubbie...not that I don't enjoy talking to the later two each and every day, but a nice change of pace. I really miss my friends at school and can't wait to get back to B-ham for a visit! By the way, Melanie and Lelie, I am sure that rest time is almost over...Have you finished your progress monitoring? :)
Milking session complete! Off to bed...

Here some pictures we took today.

Deep thoughts by Ellie Hannahan

Look I can sit up all by myself...well not really, but looks impressive doesn't it?

Chubs!

Family Visit

2008-10-14T16:52:00.006-05:00

Ellie, Me, Goggie

Four generations named Elizabeth Dorsey.
Baba, Ellie, Me, Goggie

Baba and Grandchuck getting one last hug before heading home to Columbus.

We had a busy time last weekend. It started on Friday when my friend Libby, her mother Mary Pat and my pre-school teacher Tootie stopped by on Friday. They were in town for a wedding. We loved their visit!

Mary Pat, Jim, Ellie, Tootie, and Libby

On Saturday my grandmother, Goggie and my Aunt Shubie came down to visit us. Baba and Grandchuck were also in town for the wedding. It was so much fun to have them all here. It was great for Ellie to spend time with her Great Grandmother. We had four generations named Elizabeth Dorsey together. Goggie, who is 90, loved holding Ellie and talking to her. This won't surprise my family, but Goggie repeated the infamous saying, "Dorse, I wouldn't give a million for this." I told Goggie that she might have to up her ante and start making it a billion. Jim cooked us a wonderful meal Saturday night, crab cakes, which got rave reviews. I am amazed, and so appreciate, his talent for cooking!
Sunday we had everyone over for lunch. Jim's brother Robert and his family were able to join us too. It was a treat to have all 10 of us together and a great test for our renovations. It was sad to see everyone go, but we were exhausted by the time everyone left.

Goggie, Ellie, and Aunt Shubie

Ellie and her Great Grandmother.

Goggie and Ellie in deep conversation.

Grandchuck, Ellie, Me

One Month Checkup

2008-10-09T15:25:00.001-05:00

Jim and I took Ellie to the pediatrician for her one month checkup. I can't believe that she is already one month old. Ellie weighed 8 lbs 13 oz. Neither one of us could believe that she had gained almost 2 lbs since she was born. The doctor said she looked great and was doing well. Ellie did have to get one shot. She made the most pathetic face you have ever seen, but only cried for just a minute. They also had to prick her heel, but that wasn't as bad. We survived.
When we got home Jim had to go back to work and then all hell broke loose. I was feeding Ellie and I felt something wet. She had an explosive diaper that went all up her back, through her outfit, and onto my pants. We both got all cleaned up, changed, and settled back down. Then I felt something else wet and realized that her heel was bleeding profusely. So we had to get all cleaned up and change again! Oh the trauma! It was just one of those afternoons. Needless to say we were both exhausted.

More pictures

2008-10-05T07:36:00.001-05:00

Just a few more pictures from our third week of life.

The Gift of the Flying Squirrel

2008-10-05T07:17:00.004-05:00

Ellie is doing well and becoming more and more active each day, and some nights :) Some nights have been more eventful than others. Her big brother kitty-cat, RC has decided to make some of the nights very eventful. We believe he is trying to welcome her to the family by bringing her gifts. Either that or he is trying to earn his keep. It started with the gift of a salamander, then another salamander, then two locusts, and then a frog or two.
There was already a pet door onto the back deck when we bought the house and we new RC would love to be able to come and go as he wished. What we didn't realize was that this would also give him the freedom to bring in anything he pleased. The small insects and amphibians have not really bothered me, but alas one night at 3 a.m. I realized that there may be a problem. I woke up and new that RC had brought in a treasure and then discovered that this "treasure" was actually a flying squirrel (and no it was not dead). Ellie's wonderful daddy got up and took the critter out to be released. I don't know if I was more amazed to see the flying squirrel or more amazed that our not-so-agile cat had caught it. And now that we have released our third flying squirrel in the wee hours of the morning, we are hoping that either the flying squirrels become smarter or our cat becomes bored with them. Who even knew that flying squirrels lived around here.
So thanks RC for make our nights even more eventful than they already are!

A Night Out for Mom and Dad

2008-09-29T15:34:00.004-05:00

Jim and I were able to have a night out last week. We went to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Gala on Thursday night. Baba came into town and stayed with Ellie. We really enjoyed having a night out together. It was nice to have some time to just be together. Although I have to admit that it felt a little weird leaving Miss Ellie at home. Our niece Mary Lindsey, who has Cystic Fibrosis, gave a very touching speech at the Gala. She did an excellent job and we are all so proud of her.
Here are some pictures from last week.

Daddy gave me a mohawk!

Weekend Visitors

2008-09-15T18:00:00.006-05:00

We loved having Baba (my mom) here all week to help us out. We would not have made it through the week without her. Thank you Baba! Grandchuck (my dad) came down on Saturday to spend the weekend with us and to take Baba back home. We loved having them both here and enjoyed our lazy Saturday filled with a lot of watching football.

Ellie with Grandchuck and Baba

On Sunday, our first visitors from Columbus came for a visit. My dear friend Lynn and her mom Kay came down to hang out with us on their way to Biloxi. We loved having lunch with them and truly enjoyed our visit! It was great to have old friends in our new home!

Lynn and Kay with Ellie

Baba, Dorsey, Ellie, Lynn, and Kay

This is our first family portrait. We all looked a little tired by the end of the weekend.

Ellie's first week

2008-09-15T17:48:00.005-05:00

We have enjoyed our first week with our new little one. We are adjusting to having Ellie in our family. She is a precious baby and a good baby too! Here are some pictures from our first week at home.

Ellie and Daddy taking a nap.

Ellie has made her debut!

2008-09-10T21:44:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth Dorsey Hannahan was born on September 6th at 2:07 pm. She weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. and measured 21 inches long. We both did well during the delivery and are so thankful to Dr. Max, all the nurses, and especially Jim's brother who gave me my epidural. Thank you to everyone who was thinking about us and praying for us. We enjoyed our stay in the hospital, but were thrilled to come home on Monday. It took us all day to make it home, but we are so glad to be at home!
We are settling in to our new life and quickly realizing that our precious baby is now ruling our household. I am so thankful to have Baba, my mom, here to help me this week. Thanks to Grandchuck, my dad, for letting her stay with us this week! I am tired, but feeling better every day. Last night was pretty rough and we are hoping that we all get some sleep tonight.
Here are some pictures of our little girl. My favorite is the one of her white spikey hair when she is sitting in her car seat when we were on our way home from the hospital.
Thank you for everyone's love and support during this special time in our lives!

Looks like we are having a baby...on Saturday

2008-09-03T15:41:00.002-05:00

Finally!!!!! Went to the doctor today and he said that we could come to the hospital Friday night and they would induce me Saturday morning! Now instead of sitting around twiddling my thumbs, I have come up with a list of a million things to do. Just wanted to share the news that Baby Hannahan is in fact going to make an appearance! More to come...

Hurricane Gustav and the Beluga Whale

2008-08-31T17:34:00.002-05:00

We are making preparations for Hurricane Gustav and our baby and wondering which will arrive first. Anyone want to make a bet? We will be braving the storm here in hopes that the effects aren't too bad for us. Fortunately if we do loose power, Robert (Jim's brother) and Missy have invited us to stay with them since they have a generator. Now the beluga whale (that's me, the big white whale) is just hoping we won't have to venture down to the hospital in the middle of the storm. I guess our name choices may have changed to Gus and Gussie Mae. Hope everyone down south stays safe in the storm. More to come...

Pictures

2008-08-29T08:57:00.009-05:00

Well the boredom continues so I took some pictures of our new house. Well really just the nursery, den and kitchen. I guess these are the three rooms we will be spending most of our time in. The crib is currently inhabited by an alligator.

These are the den and the kitchen which we remodeled. We took out two walls, one between the den and the kitchen and the other between the kitchen and the dining room which is now our bar/eating area. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the pictures organized, so sorry that they are all over the place. Hopefully there will be a baby to take pictures of soon!

Waiting on the baby!

2008-08-28T16:15:00.002-05:00

Well since I am waiting on Baby Hannahan to arrive I decided to start a blog. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before our little one arrives. Hopefully this will give our friends and family a way to keep up with the happenings in our growing family. So here we go...