Support

I was having a rough day at work yesterday and the only inkling that Chris had about this state of affairs was a note that I sent saying, "very busy. annoyed and will be home late."

Because he is just so absolutely awesome and so completely understand of my demanding workload, he sent me this to cheer me up:



And cheer me up it did.

* This image is of Annika circa 8 months old. Look how short her hair is!

Big girl

Little girl can now say three words -

1. "Hi!" She can say hi prompted, and sometimes doesn't need to be prompted. For the most part, she recognizes that this is a greeting, but sometimes just likes to hear the sound of her own voice. She greeted me yesterday when I rescued her from the crib with a bright "hi!"

2. "Baby." She has no idea what baby means, but if I say the word baby, she knows that it's a word she can say, and often she just goes ahead and says it. She tends to whisper it, and my theory is that she's not quite confident with that word, but likes to try and say it. But really, she has no idea that a baby is a tiny person like herself. Though I do get a kick out of her saying it whether is means anything or not.

3. "Dad-dee." Daddy, more often than not, is the beneficiary of this word. That said, she also likes to say it when pointing to balloons, asking to walk, when she wants to play with her drum set or pretty much...whenever she wants to communicate anything. Anything and everything is "Dad-deee!" But if I say "Annika, where's Daddy?" She looks right over at Chris and gives him a big smile. (Conversely, if I say "Where's Mommy?" she looks around blankly. Seriously Annika - 25 hours of labor. What part of that don't you understand?)

Surprise!

I was shooting this at Negrete Manse during Memorial Day weekend, and while I was so engrossed in shooting valuable footage, I forgot there were sub-1 year old babies in the pool. Little Nico said "Take that, Lady!" You'll be happy to know I rescued her immediately - with zero help from any of the other 8 people at the house. Annika also got her hair wet.

Blogging mishap

Check out the post before the video...don't ask why it wasn't dated July 1. I said...don't ask!

In the meantime, enjoy:

More video

This kind of speaks for itself.

Obligatory post

Why must they grow up so fast?

Why do I suddenly feel 100?

My little baby girl is 1 year old. Godmommy Lisa said that she's not a baby anymore, but a toddler...not sure I agree with that (shouldn't she be "toddling?") - but still. She's OLD! Chris turned 30 this year, I turned 29 forever, and Annika is 1. My first born. Growing up. So fast.

My labor story is ridiculous, extensive and not worth repeating. My pregnancy was similarly ridiculous, but mostly uneventful. Ridiculous only because I had no idea at the time what this condition does to the body. Uneventful because it was an extremely healthy pregnancy.

Annika, though born at slightly over 8 pounds, was so very small. So quiet (at first). Then so loud. So very, very loud. She has always known how to effectively complain. Then she starting smiling. Then oohing for Daddy. Then laughing. Then playing for stretches at a time. Then swatting at other babies. Then walking around coffee tables. Then hugging and kissing Mommy.

She has such a personality. She is growing, literally, every day. She is the pride and joy of all that know and love her. She is mine, and I have no doubt that whatever life brings her, she will be always be loved by myself and her Daddy absolutely forever.

Knight Rider?

Does anyone else have a problem with this?

So you think you can dance?

Annika's new trick is to dance...to the soundtrack in her head. She's actually been "dancing" for a while - she kind of bounces wherever she's sitting - usually to the Friends theme song. (I know, we're bad parents. Don't send me any emails).

Now she has a new move...I call it the Pepsi Shoulder Wave. It can only be described as a rhythmic gyration of her shoulders from her left to her right and then back. She does this for 5-second stretches.

The first time this move debuted was during the presentation of this delicious piece of pop candy. (I still love you, Jess...but Nick is such a nice boy!)

Now she does this whenever she hears the word "dance." Or, just because. She did this at Bed, Bath & Beyond last night...in the shopping cart. A woman was compelled to stop and say "My, are you dancing?" So - see? It really is dancing. A credible third party has confirmed.

Guess what's happening July 1...kisses from Annika to the first five people who get this question right!

Number 1 fan

I am Annika's number 1 fan...but apparently she prefers the SF Giants.

Happy Daddy's Day

Happy Father's Day, Sweetie! You are so wonderful and Annika is so blessed to have you in her life.

Love, Jenn

Photo shoots

The criteria for when Annika is ready for a photo shoot:

- Cute outfit (#1 factor)
- Hair looks decent (not too pointy)
- Lots of smiles (teeth everywhere)
- Laughing (usually upside down)
- Funny position/situation (we have a shot of her taking off her shirt, but only getting one arm out - score!)
- Special occassion (Daddy's b'day was yesterday)

Criteria for when Annika + Mommy/Daddy are ready for a photo shoot:

- Mommy isn't feeling fat
- Daddy isn't feeling fat
- Special occassion

Note how the baby's appearance does not play into joint photo sessions. Usually that results in presentable parents, not-so-happy baby.

So with that in mind, I share with you a rare image of a smiling baby and Mommy!

[Insert name here] Knows Best

I knew that it would eventually happen. I knew that some random lady would walk up to me and tell me how to raise my child.

OK...let me back up a bit. When I was pregnant, I quickly learned that my pregnancy was everyone's business. From the retail clerk asking how far along I was, to a co-worker asking me if I "had an elephant in there" to my family warning me that "it was really going to hurt."

You would think that something that forces a woman to gain, ahem, 35 pounds(+), be cranky, have tummy issues and feel naseous would be a private thing. When a woman is "festively plump" no one says to her "Wow - you sure have gotten big!" That special comment is reserved for us lucky pregnant ladies.

So, my new theory is that people in your pregnancy bidness is a warm-up to people in your baby-raising bidness. People just loooove to give you their little nuggets of what/how/when/if you should feed them/put them to sleep/read to them/give them stuffed animals. It really never ends. Oh - and everyone is right! EVERYONE! Even if you get conflicting advice!

Well, I'm a self-professed know-it-all, so I understand the inclination. But since we can probably all admit that we're each screw-ups in some special way when it comes to raising kids, I'll take your advice with a grain of salt and mess her up on my own, thank you very much.

So, I get a lot of this from family and friends - and that's ok (usually). They are actually well-meaning, love my daughter, and want to help. But when a lady in the park has the following exchange with me, I'm like...WHAT?

Scene: Mommy and Annika walking around the park - Annika enjoying the sounds and sights of children playing.

Crazy Lady: Oh hello there! (to Annika) What is your name?
Mommy: Her name is Annika.
CL: Don't you want to climb this gym?
Mommy: Oh, we can't walk yet!
(eyes narrow)CL: OH? How old is she?
Mommy: 11 months.
CL: Oh...(pause). My grandson walked at 12 months! All we did was tell him to do it! All you have to do it just let her!
(Mommy thinks - Oh is it that easy? If I only I had known!)
(actually says)Mommy: Yeah, well, we walk around with her and hold her arms - she's getting good at it!
CL: Oh yes! That's what you have to do! My husband did that with my grandson, and he quickly learned!
Mommy: Um - ok. Annika - say bye-bye.

- The End. -

What upset me about this scene was 1) the implication that something was wrong with Annika because she wasn't swinging from the jungle gym and walking 10k hikes and 2) that I got defensive. I do not like it when anyone implies that Annika is less than perfect because she truly, truly is in my eyes. It's a shocking realization to firmly believe that there's not one imperfection with your baby. I'm pretty sure that I would testify in a court of law that Annika Madeline is perfection to infinity.

Sickening, I know.

Anyway, the moral of this story - I'm a big crank when it comes to my kid!

Pictures

I am not a photographer. Though I usually manage to keep eveyone's heads in the picture, that's really as far as my expertise goes. But Annika makes me want to be a photographer. She makes me want to look for interesting colors, textures, light...you get the drift.

As much as I want to, however, I'm not really capable.

That being said, I still have no shortage of "cute" pictures of the baby girl. They may not be expert quality, but the subject looks pretty darn good about 99.48% of the time.

So, Chris wanted to send a picture of Annika to an old friend. His direction to me was "send me a cute picture of Annika, fairly recent."

Like...HELLO. All of the pictures from the last month fit this criteria!

So I send him this one:


Then he writes me back and says "Yeah, I need one that features the crazy hair."

Well, FINE - but let's be more specific next time. So I send this one:


Which one do you guys think is cuter?

2 cute 4 U

Every night, about 20-30 minutes after we put Annika to bed, one of us barks to the other "Go check on my baby!"

It's much more collaborative than it sounds.

When the one who went to check returns, we report back on what we witnessed. We go on to describe her level of awakeness (usually fast asleep), if she seems hot (checked her forehead, and it's cool), where the blanket is in relation to her body (wrapped around her face) and what position she's in (various options, insert here: ____).

She is just TOO CUTE when she's asleep. I can't even tell you. I want to grab her out of the crib and kiss her all over, but it's only been 11 months since weeks of sleepless nights, and the memory is still all too clear in my mind, so I'm able to easily restrain myself.

This is what Chris discovered this evening:



You'll note the side-lying position, the crossed feet and the blanket placement. The first time I found her on her side was only a few weeks ago - she had been a very diligent back sleeper up until that moment. Now we find her in all sorts of places in the crib. One of her favorites is flat on her back with her arms spread wide and her left foot propped up on the crib bumper. Seriously guys....2 CUTE 4 U!

Oh yeah - and check out the hair. When we take her to stores/restaurants/the park, the most common exclamation re: Annika is, "Oh my God! What a head of hair!" Happens very frequently. I usually roll my eyes and say, "Yeah, it's crazy." I mean...isn't it? Like, Albert Einstein crazy. Maybe she'll be a genius! Maybe she already is! Maybe she's German!

I'm tired now (obviously). Good night!

Mommies

Do any of you guys remember that there used to be a TV show called "Mommies?" I seem to recall it was horrible. How sad for us!

Yes...us...I am a Mommy. Wow. What a moniker. How hard to live up to that word and all it implies. And how quickly it becomes a part of who you are, how quickly loving your child becomes all of who you are.

I had a wonderful day today simply because I was with the two people I love most in the world - my husband and my daughter. Annika gave me a card and many smiles - and even said "Mama" after much prompting. Don't ask me if it were in context...because I won't tell you the truth.

But what I want to say is that I've learned so much from other mommies out there that I know. How much over the last 10.5 months I have learned from girlfriends who traded in their purses for diaper bags and who have fed their babies from their boobies...maybe with a little complaining (well, that was mostly me) but all of them - without fail - completely changed their lives for their little ones without question and with a whole lot of love. Happy Mother's Day to:

Lisa. My Annika's godmother was with me for every moment as we carried our babies in our bellies. Only 6 days after Annika joined this world, little Nico was born, and we've navigated Gymboree, breast pumps and sleep sacks together. She has taught me patience, joy in each new wonderful thing these kids do and how to use hair gel in baby hair. I love you Lisa!

Tam. Tam's love for her daughter is documented. If Tamara didn't live on the East Coast, I have no doubt we'd be strolling in the park with our baby girls as we traded secrets of how to get decent sleep while caring for a baby and succeeding at a full-time job. But what is the coolest about Tamara is that she is honest. She knows her limits - but she also pushes them and Lydia is the beneficiary of that. Tam - I miss you! Come back to me in sunny CA!

Katie. Katie is probably one of the nicest people I have ever known. Her kindness is sort of legendary - and you can tell that her baby girl Audrey and new baby boy, Jack, will have no choice but to emulate that. Katie is smart in the way she rears her children, understanding of everyone she knows and even manages to find time to make me feel better about the myriad of mistakes I tend to make. She also cooked me three casseroles after Annika was born which Chris and I basically lived on for a week. Katie - you are a *rock* star.

Laura. Laura is going to have her third baby girl - and if this one is anything like the first two, she is going to be a happy Momma. Her two girls are obviously so incredibly loved and cared for - you can tell this through the way they interact with people and each other. They are kind, funny and actually interesting people to hang out with - all at the ripe ages of 5 and 2! Laura is also the kind of person that knows the answer to everything, which has been such a comfort for me as I try to figure out what the hell I'm doing. Laura, Megan and Alina are so lucky to have you - and I am too!

Mandy. Travis was born just a day before Annika in an emergency C-section. Like, hello...did I even know Mandy had a C-section until 3 weeks after the little guy was born? And like, hello...did she actually send me flowers when Annika was born and Travis wasn't even a week old??? Yes! Mandy is the superwoman that you read about in the magazines. She has a demanding job and lifestyle, but that never slows her down - and she does all of this with a smile on her face. Mandy - you've taught me to stay happy in even the most adverse of conditions. You can come back to me, too, by the way!

And of course, my Mom. She isn't really a "girlfriend" but she is my friend and the one woman that I feel I know almost as well as myself. My mother has a warm, sweet heart and she wears her soul on her sleeve. She will always give you a hug and a smile and make sure the fridge is always stocked with your favorite goodies. She is a harsh critic - but she is fair - and she is constantly striving to be a better person. Mom - you don't have to be better. I like you just the way you are.

Gettin' swingy wit' it

The kids and the swings.

Traveler

I don't recommend taking a 10-month old baby on a plane ride without backup. Oh, how I love my husband, let me count the ways...It's easy to take day-to-day support for granted. Chris and I truly share in the responsibility of raising the baby, and the loss of his presence is felt when he isn't around.

I took Annika to see my parents this weekend while Chris was at a bachelor party in South Carolina (Hi Erik!) - and though her charm knows no bounds, much energy is drained while tending to her many needs. However, it actually all went better than I expected. She didn't have ear troubles, she made quite a few friends (young and old) and kept the complaining to a minimum.

When Chris came back today he remarked, "She looks older!" I think the cabin pressure aged her. I know it aged me.

Caption:"I like plane rides. I like hitting the guy in the middle seat with a bag of Cheerios."

Nagi

Nicknames for Annika:
- Baby girl
- Anni
- Sweetie
- Sweet Pea
- Little Girl (her dad's favorite)
- Nagi (I just started calling her this...no, I don't know why)
- Tiny
- The Baby
- Honey
- Na-na
- Crazy

Grown up

The thing about Annika is that she constantly surprises me. Anyone with a baby/child/BB of their own is probably not as impressed with my baby girl's accomplishments. That's ok with me. I am amazed all too often, and don't need other people suffering the same amount of shock.

The latest:

- She kisses! This is a breakthrough. I say "Give Momma kisses, Give Momma kisses, Give Momma kisses...." with kissy noises...and she does! I must admit, she kissed Uncle Ben first, but that's ok with me...however she chooses to express her love is a-ok! And yes - it's as adorable as it sounds.

- She claps! Not necessarily on command, but well, sometimes. She is a good clapper. Not a golf clapper.

- She high fives! I personally taught her this trick.

- She laughs! She's still a tough cookie to crack, but she does laugh on a fairly consistent basis now. It's as adorable as it sounds.

I just love this kid.

Yeah, yeah yeah

OK, I know I have been bad about this blog. And I know the four of you who read it are crazy angry. Settle down! Get mad at me for something else - like not calling you. See how much you're seething now that I brought that up?

So, my sweet Annika. She is great - went to swim class today and she had a wonderful time. At swim class they actually submerge my precious girl below water level. Her little eyes have learned to shut, but have to be honest I'm not sure how much water/chlorine she's ingesting. But I try not to think about it. Neither should you.

It's been busy here at Casa Hakes. The little girl has decided that she needs to get to sleep a little earlier than in months passed. So now I only have about 2 hours to see her during the evening before she goes berzerk. This is good and bad. Bad, of course, because I don't get to spend nearly enough time with her. Good because I get to go to bed earlier too! Yes, I'm that selfish. Bedtime around here has been, oh, 9:30 - 10 p.m. And that's still late. I'm still ready to collapse on my Tempurpedic and never wake up again.

Also, we're starting weaning. Yes, it's true. My parents will be happy to hear about this since they have been worried about my hospital visits, pain and overall complaining. Of course since we're almost done with breastfeeding, now I miss it. How's that for fickle?

Finally, baby girl now has four teeth. The top two teeth are making their way through her sensitive gums, ans she's been surprisingly okay with it. Now, she does get bitter occassionally, but has learned to self-soothe. Good girl!

Quick note

I had this "big" idea to watch all of the video we've shot of Annika since she was born. We watched it last night, and it's just amazing how different she looks...so cute then, but in a different way than now.

Sad to say that the first video we actually took of her was in mid-September - when she was about two and a half months old. Bummer. However, she had "skinny" legs back then! (It's all relative).

Also, Annika was just captivated by her own image on the TV. She was especially responsive to her own voice and the sounds she made on the video. Chris and I wondered....does she understand what she was saying?

Happy Birthday from your daughter

Dear Mommy,

Happy Birthday! Today my gift to you is....sleep and shopping!

As you know, I slept until 8:45 a.m., which I unheard of. I have to say...staying asleep that long is just too much. I'm not exactly sure how you do it. However, I hope that you enjoyed the extra time.

Also, I asked Daddy to stay home from work today to hang out with us! He took you to the mall (which he hates) without any "guff" as you say. He also took us to Starbucks this morning, which he also dislikes. Wow, Daddy doesn't like a lot of things. But I digress.

At the mall, you bought a shirt for your new job and at Starbucks you got your "usual." I was an angel and everyone remarked at how cute I was. Aren't you lucky to have me??

Happy birthday! I heard you telling your friends that today you are "turning 29 forever." What does that mean?

Love you,
Annika

***

Dear Annika,

I love you too - thank you so much.

Love,
Mommy

Big foot

Baby shoes are just so adorable. They're tiny, and cute and decorative. They really complete an ensemble. However, my baby rarely wears completed ensembles.

The trouble is she has big feet. Well, more accurately: Fat feet. They are fairly wide, and the ankles don't really have...definition. Her leg is just sort of attached to the foot. This makes shoe wearing and purchasing difficult.

She has approximately two pairs of shoes that really fit - shoes that she can wear and won't tear off or fall off. One pair is from Payless Shoe Source (you could pay more - but why?). They're sneakers and they are "wide." Who knew they made wide sizes in baby shoes?

Then there's Robeez. What's cool about these is that they are elastic - and fit her wide foot quite nicely. And she has little success in ripping them off. And so stylish...you can see for yourself in the picture. See how "complete" this ensemble is?

Bad hair day

For those of you who haven't seen Annika's hair in real life (the blog being "fake life") might not realize its quality. It's very thin, light and easily manipulated. It's also what we call in our house "crazy." It's not quite long enough to look girlish, and not short enough to look neat. It's just...everywhere.

It keeps getting longer and weirder, though it really just adds to her charm. Unfortunately, its strangeness happens to coincide with our recent attempts to get her to sleep in her crib during the day for naps. (That's what they say).

When she's put down in her crib during the day, usually she's not too happy about it. She writhes, screams and makes her way to the top of the crib where the bumper is. When her head reaches the top, she rubs her head back and forth, back and forth...when you take her out after she finally falls asleep, you find a staticky-haired child with some other strange bends that form a sort of...fro?

You decide -------->

Told you so

So, as I suspected, Chris was reticent to believe that Annika was ready for the swings. However, I convinced him it was "all good" as those crazy kids say, and we went for a trip so he could see himself.

Though he still seems a little worried about the whole concept, "she doesn't seem big enough for this thing..." he still enjoyed the smile on her face as she swung back and forth. So did I.

Swing

Two posts in less than 24 hours...how will you people keep up???

OK, so I took Annika on her first trip to the park swings today. I had been telling Chris for a few weeks that I was going to do it, but he kept indicating he didn't feel she was big enough. I think he forgets how far she's come. Also, he hasn't been to the park where I see these tiny kids swinging, and I know she's much bigger. And perhaps he forgets what a daredevil she is - she loves to be tossed in the air, flipped upside down, and in general, "play rough." (Ask her grandma). So, I knew she'd be ready, and I knew she'd like it.

And she did! She giggled each time she came flying back to me. At first, I think she was trying to understand where she was, but she very quickly got the hang of it, and seemed to grin wider and wider the harder I pushed. I think we'll be going back.

We're back, baby!

OK, OK...I have received a few complaints/death threats about the state of this blog. i.e. the lack of updates. I was actually a little surprised since, well, no one reads this, but, well...maybe they do? Then I have to remember the subject of this blog is Annika, and who *wouldn't* want to read about her?

So, here's the scoop: We've been busy. And by busy, I mean sick. The last blog post was Valentine's Day and the reason it was so timely because I was at home with the baby and the in-laws who were helping me watch the baby as I tried to battle this horrendous cold and get some work done. Work got done, the battling did not, and I wound up being sick for the rest of the week and most of the weekend. I say I had the flu, but Chris says I'm a crazy wuss and that it was a cold. Laid up for nearly 10 days? YOU DECIDE. Anyway, the baby also contracted this virus, but on a much smaller scale, which I am grateful for. In fact, she was probably happier and easier to care for during her illness than most of the time. She had a nasty cough, though, and that proved annoying to her when trying to sleep - not that we could blame her. But she actually managed to sleep pretty well during the stretch of her cold, and right now, we're both healthy on that front.

Then about 2 days after I started feeling better, I started feeling worse. Not a cold this time, but a breast infection. Sparing you the details, let's just say it doesn't feel good. And part of that process is to have 'flu-like symptoms.' So I had it again! So, to wrap this up, I wasn't in a blogging "place" for the last two weeks, not to excuse myself, but to explain that I am a very weak person.

So, Annika is GREAT! She is funny, laughs a lot, does an excellent ventriloquism act...ok, not the last one, but she's quite the entertainer. As her personality starts to develop, we see how she loves to be entertained and to entertain. She loves people - especially people she knows - she loves food, and hates taking naps because she doesn't want to miss the action. In short, she's my daughter.

Because Annika has been such a champ lately, we finally went where we've never went before...on a date night. Uncle Ben watched the little one from 5 - 11, and we actually went out to dinner (!) and to a show! It was a fun night. Now, let's remember that this date was right in the middle of my "cold" (flu) and my breast infection onset...so I was a little tired. But nothing was going to stop me from going out! Chris was also exhausted from watching us both for weeks on end...but he also maintained and I think we had a great evening. I'm looking forward to more, but not sure if Uncle Ben is up to the task...any other takers?

Happy Valentine's Day...

...from everyone's sweetheart!



I have to say, I had visions of my adorable daughter in her super cute pink shirt all clean, neat and well, picture perfect. But the above evidence is really how it rolls over at our Casa.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone who reads this blog - if you love Annika, she loves you too! And so do I!

A first time for everything

Annika is a fairly big fan of the bath. Is it the scent of Huggies wash cloths? The shiny faucet in our guest bathroom? The tub that fits her little butt perfectly? Or the warm water? My guess is not the warm water.

This week, Annika had her first swimming lesson - in fact, it was the first time she's ever been in a pool. Being the fan that she is of her baths, I thought she'd get a kick out of the pool times...but not so much. It's not that she *didn't* enjoy her experience, it's that she didn't love it. Which was a little surprising.

The lesson consists of some singing, time in the water (duh) and a few exercises designed to get the little ones used to being underwater and held by other people. Annika let out a few yelps, but most of the time, she looked about wide-eyed and confused. She seemed a little cold towards the end with some blue lips, but the water was 90 degrees. Hmmm....

Anyway, I think she's going to start liking it more soon enough. She's a social creature, so she'll definitely enjoy that aspect. Also, she looks ridiculously adorable in her new swim suit (Target: $8.99). In fact, we had more than a few comments about how cute she was, how cute she was, and how CUTE she was. It's true. I don't lie about compliments directed toward my baby!

Sushi roll

Little girl is finally rolling with some consistency! Now, "consistency" is marked by the inconsistency of babies, but she's definitely a lot more interested in mobility than she was a week ago. We can leave her on a blanket for 20-30 minutes where she'll flail and eat her feet and yelp a bit until she finally finds her way onto her tummy. From there she looks aroundm bat at whatever is in her face, shakes her legs a bit, and then she's back to her back again. She actually is a pro at staying up on her side, that's her preferred position when on the floor, but this rolling thing has opened some doors for her. Or some floors, as it were.

Tomorrow we go to swim class for the first time. What fun/trouble that will bring, who is to know, but you know it'll be reported in this barely read blog.

Big event for a little baby

Little Annika had her first big event - at least the first big event meant especially for her. She was baptized on Saturday, and it was beautiful. The ceremony was quick and special, and Annika was an absolute angel (pun intended). She never cried nor fussed - though she was chatty for much of the priest's homily (to his chagrin).

Afterwards, we had much of Annika's friends and family to the house. Well, mostly family. The house was packed and we were busy, but as usual, Annika just loved the energy. She was very calm throughout despite the fact that she was passed from person to person. In fact, she prefers it that way.

Later that night she went to sleep without a fuss - a big day for the little girl!

The new normal

The last few days (nights) have been trying. Annika has shed her former reputation for being a sleep queen. Like anything, I know it's not going to last, but darm if I ain't very very tired, My body literally aches with exhaustian. I stare at my computer screen and work, and my eyes play tricks on me. It's like one of those 3-D poster things that were popular in the 80s. So far, I've seen a fireworks display, the Grand Canyon and a balloon.

What is more disturbing than the sleepiness is my worry. Is it normal to worry so much about your baby? Before you parents respond with your raucous "YES!'s" please remember that I'm new at this Mommy thing. The sinking feeling I get in the pit of my stomach if I consider for any length of time the things that can go wrong with Annika...well, it's a new feeling. A new normal, if you will.

My father was a worrier. He would wait up for me when I went out with friends when I was in high school. Not too bad, you think. Well, I was in band, and hung out with like-minded-bandy type folks. In essence, there was nothing to worry about. In addition, I was rarely home past 10. I think I was late by 20 minutes once, and both my father and I had to give each other CPR because of our mutual heart attacks. Mine because I would feel guilty making him worry, his because he was freaked I was in the bottom of a well with no dog to save me.

As sweet as it is to think about in retrospect, I have to admit, I didn't want to be that kind of parent. I want to trust my kids and sleep soundly when they're out, or in their cribs...but yeah, that's impossible. Usually my vision of Annika alone in her crib includes some sort of rope that she's found mysteriously halfway down her throat, and as she gasps for air...well, let's not think about this too much. My point being: I worry. I worry a lot. It literally keeps me up (beyond her cries) and if I were honest, the fact that she wakes up is sort of comforting, if not *tiring*.

I love her so very much. If I could get some sort of contract that she'll live and be healthy until the year 2109, that'd be great.

Checking in with the check-up

Annika had her 6-month check-up this Friday. Of course, she is healhty as a horse (how healthy are horses?), but we were able to get a few of our questions answered. Most of these questions were about food since when the nurses from the post-partum ward send you out into the world with your newborn, they neglect to indicate that kids need to eat beyond breastfeeding. Around 4-6 months, you start to worry - do I feed this kid milk forever, or shove a piece of pizza in its face? Well, no to both of those, but you get the idea.

For about a month, we've been feeding Annika oatmeal and a 2.5 ounce serving of Gerber Stage 1 foods. She likes pears the best. She tolerates green beans. Anyway, Annika always seems hungry so we never know if we're doing this right. And don't get me started on scary books that imply we're doing everything wrong.

Well, our pediatrician was comforting, for once, and seemed pleased with our food decisions. He even encouraged us to give her more solids if she seemed hungry after the servings we were providing.

We were also told to give her a dose of flouride each day since she's growing teeth. And he told us to probably stay away from juice since excess juice consumption can lead to obesity. We'll start to use water when feeding her from the cup. At Annika's age, it's time to start teaching cup drinking. Who knew?

Here are the latest stats:

Weight: 17 pounds, 10 ounces
Height: 26.75 inches
Head Circumference: 17.25 inches

Chris and I chuckled when we heard that Annika's head size remained in the 90th percentile. But our pediatrician did not find this funny, as he indicated that larger heads could have brain abnormalities or excess fluid! We were like...um, it runs in the family, trust us. He took a second look at Chris's head, and seemed to agree.

Had to share

Don't have much to post, but how cute is this???

Houston, we have a tooth

I thought this day would never come, or rather - I had hoped. (If you're wondering why I am simultaneously excited and chagrined by this development, it's simply because I have a sensitive "chestal" region, and frankly...I'm scared.)

Annika's first little tooth has broken through the skin. It still has a few millimeters to grow, but the stub is definitely there. This image is proof! OK, hardly decipherable proof, but you'll have to trust us.

We'd like to thank good genetics, hearty breastmilk and of course, the Academy, for this tiny tooth. May she grow many more! And may we never have to go to an orthodontist!

2006 and counting

It has been a while since a post because Annika and her family have been quite busy. In fact, we've been so busy that I don't even know where to begin to give you the latest updates. But you know I'm going to try.

- Annika's first Christmas: As expected, Annika is coocoo for wrapping paper. She just can't get enough. She is very good at opening gifts, and even better at shoving the paper in her mouth while she growls and screeches. It is quite a sight to behold. As for the actual presents, she sure did rake it in, and I'm going to be spending the rest of 2006 writing thank you notes on her behalf.

- Annika's tricks: Annika is now the proud owner of a number of exciting tricks. These include (but are not limited to) sitting up unassisted for long periods of time, smiling a great deal at things that make sense, laughing even more - usually when her parents are being silly and eating large amounts of food in all forms. Her favorite foods so far seem to be pears and sweet potatoes. However, she will eat almost anything with gusto. She has a morning meal of oatmeal that she gobbles up - and it's not like it has brown sugar in it!

- Traveling, Annika style: As part of the holiday festivities, we brought Annika by car to her maternal grandparents' home in the Los Angeles area. This drive usually takes Chris and I about 5.5 hours, but with a baby that needs to eat, it took 7. It wasn't too bad though because she rarely complained, but quite happy to either play with her many toys or to sleep most of the way. I only had to sit in the back with her a couple of times. As usual, she exceeded our expectations. On a slightly related note, she slept through the night every night at her grandparents' house, which isn't rare at our house any more, but the fact that she could do it in a new environment was awesome.

2006 looks to be a great year for little Annika. Can't wait to share the updates of her life with the people that love her!

P.S. Did anyone see Dick Clark on New Year's Rockin' Eve? Chris and I were simultaneously saddened and uplifted by his appearance and voice. So amazing that he decided to ring in the new year with America despite the fact that he's not yet 100% after his stroke. You go, Dick!

Food

So Mommy reads a lot of child development books, online sites, magazines - a lot of them. And in addition to the pediatrician's recommendation, we wanted to wait to give Annika her first solid foods until she was six months old per the advice of all of these resources.

Before we knew it, Annika was 5.5 months old! It came up so fast that I started freaking out that she hadn't even touched a solid food, let alone eat them. And of course, I read yet another resource that said waiting too long can increase a baby's risk for diabetes later in life! Are we kidding??

So last Sunday, I ran to the store to get a special spoon, and we prepared to serve Miss Annika Gerber Bananas that I bought about a month ago at 50% off...yes, I'm that cheap. And no, they aren't expired.

Anyway, Annika had no idea what the fuss was about. As if she had eaten hamburgers her whole life, she popped the spoon in her mouth like an expert and proceeded to eat her new food with gusto and without fuss. She was also shockingly cleanly about the whole thing. I don't know what her deal is, but this kid is hard to impress!

But she impressed me, yet again.

"First" "Christmas"

Annika's first "Christmas" was this weekend when her Mommy and Daddy hosted a holiday party for friends. She took this opportunity to open some gifts for the first time. It was preview for the real Christmas Day, and I have to say, I'm a little worried.

When presented with a brightly wrapped package, Annika tore it open like a hungry animal, grunting and squealing and violently ripping apart the gift. Now, we were all extremely impressed with her innate ability to open these gifts (she must get that from my side), but a little concerned about how she approached the event. I must admit that I'm a little worried for when she's presented with a number of packages and she tears everything to shreds and yells like a banshee when the paper is taken from her. Good times are in store.

Merry Christmas!

This is how she repays me?

So, what maybe Annika doesn't know is that I gave birth to her. What that means is that her 8-pound body came flying out of my own. And it hurt. So I suppose there is some sort of expectation that she would appreciate that.

However, I have recently been informed by Annika herself that she is not impressed.

Annika's new noise is constant, loud, and precise. It goes something like:

"Da da da da da da da da da....Dada."

Per your request

As requested (you know who you are, Garfield!) here's a pic of the Hakes family Christmas Tree. Its name is "Yuletide."

Also, I couldn't help but include this picture of Annika in this hat...doesn't she look about 18 months old in this shot? Hats do a lot for her!

Smells like Holiday Spirit

So the countdown begins to Annika's first Christmas. Stockings aren't hung by the chiminey with care, but the tree is up! Quite a lovely Noble Fir found at Target.

Mommy & Daddy shopped for Annika's Christmas gifts in, like, August, so she was taken care of early. It's taken much willpower not to buy her everything that the consumer establishment pushes on proud parents. But we've, shockingly, refrained from excess.

Other holiday news includes a trip to our local portrait studio for Christmas photos of our cherished daughter. Nico Negrete stopped by and happened to be in a Santa suit.

Not sure if you've ever been to one of these baby portrait places, but wow, if it ain't exhausting. My daughter hardly smiles on command, so there is a lot of cooing, squeezing of toys and tickling of the cheek to extract that golden smile. After 20 minutes of that, you pretty much want to die.

But we got some great shots and we can now be one of those parents that get those posed shots. I love it!

Day 2

Today wasn't really any easier or harder than yesterday other than the fact that Annika woke up an hour earlier - at 5 - which makes me verrry tired. Luckily, Daddy entertained her before I fed her at 6. The schedule is very important!

She's been having a lovely day with Daddy and went on a few excursions including Circuit City and Bed Bath & Beyond. Details are sketchy on her behavior during these outings, but she's Annika...so you KNOW she was perfect.

Daddy's making dinner tonight!

<-------- Proof that my child smiles even when I'm not there.

Dudes

So today was my first day back at work. I have no pictures because well, I'm not with my baby and the lighting in my office is really bad.

I have no reports of how the day went with Annika, but I assume it went well since I received no emergency calls. Actually, I don't think her daytime caregivers (i.e. Grandma and Grandpa) have my number. Perhaps I should provide that.

Here are the highlights of my first day back -

1. A co-worker (male) walked in while I was pumping. This is not a joke.

2. I cried on the way to work.

3. I stumbled head first into a work-related crisis - can you say "job security?"

4. Chris came by my office for lunch. Soooo weird to be going out together without Annika.

5. Someone stole my Van Gogh wall calendar.

It's too soon to tell how much I'm going to like this new arrangement, but I will say this - if someone has to go back to work, this is the best deal. I work Mondays - Wednesdays (for a month), Grandma and Grandpa watch my baby - who is better qualified? - and they come to my house! I really couldn't ask for more. Well, I wish I could be with my baby all the time.

Pictures to come...the plan is to have Grandma and Grandpa take many pics so I know what happens during the day. I haven't told them that yet. Well, I guess i just did.

Turkey Day

Annika looooves turkey! Well, not really. But she loooves cranberry sauce! OK, that's not true either.

I was looking for a relevant opening line about Thanksgiving, and that's the best I can do. Yeah, seriously.

I am typing this as myself and my sweet baby fight back colds. Neither strain is violent - she has a yucky cough that tends to show up when she's laying down (yes, thereby disturbing her sleep) and I have some congestion that tends to show up when I'm laying down as well (oh yes - thereby distrubing my sleep). So it's been fun, but not too bad. At least I got to call our medical plan's advice nurse and use our saline drops from our baby meds kit! I feel like such an involved mother.

Thanskgiving was a wonderful time. Annika got to see literally dozons of cousins, aunts, uncles, close family friends, grandparents...you get the idea. She was sooo excited to be with so many people. This is how I summed it up to Chris, "She loves the people and attention, but she can't handle it." Not handling it manifested itself in her inability to sleep the first night, and being generally crankier at strange times the next day. She also had a screaming fit on Friday that I wasn't privvy to, but her father was there and he reported that it wasn't pretty.

However little sleep there was, I will say that she (and us!) truly had a great time. Cousins young and old alike fawned over her. She saw her great-grandmother Julie and her two baby cousins Ally and Braden who were born in October and late July, respectively. And she really really likes people. There was constant interaction and activity, and she just ate it up. Even after only sleeping 3 hours Wednesday night, she was in wonderful spirits for most of Thursday and so much enjoyed the love that surrounded her.

By the way, this is the 48th post. YEAH!

Cornucopia

This past week has been a week of firsts. FIRST of all, Annika can hold her own bottle! My friend Lisa and I always look longingly at the toddlers in the malls, all quiet in their strollers with bottles propped on their lips, held by their own tiny hands. Annika is thsiclose to being one of those kids - at four months!

Then we put Annika in her high chair for the first time. It was an experiment - and there would be no food involved. She just seemed sad and lonely in her bouncy chair and kept looking up at the table. So we sat her in it, and wham! There was a happy kid - I think she was just super excited to be at everyone's eye level. I've realized lately how much easier it is to calm her down when she's either in our arms (duh) or proper somewhere that she can easily see our faces without craning her neck. Most of her current activities are on the floor - so Chris and I need to get down there more often lately to keep her happy. I like this highchair thing though - she's safe in there and sooooo cute!

She's also been amping up her motor and speech abilities. She has tried to roll again more often - she gets almost all the way there, the flips back onto her back super fast, and then is done with her effort. But she's once again interested in flipping over. Boo! She's also been laughing much more. It takes effort but she is quite fond of being held upside down (???) while having her feet kissed. It sounds complicated, but I assure you it is not.

Finally, her maternal grandparents came to visit this weekend. Annika has been developing stronger aversions to people, so we were a little worried, but it went great! She was excited to have all the attention all day long, and was an angel for most of the visit. Now, getting her back to her regular sleep schedule has been a bit of a struggle, but hey, you can't have it all!

Jinx

Maybe we're the only weirdos who think this, but as new parents, we're extremely superstitious. We are never more so than when we talk about Annika's sleep schedule and patterns. If she has a "good night" - i.e. 6 or more hours of straight sleep - we never really think "this is it! she's figured it out! sleep for all!" In fact, we usually say stuff like "Oh, she slept a lot during the day - you know she'll wake up tonight."

So, I'm here to announce, that for the past two weeks, Annika has been sleeping from....8:30 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.! OH YES, IT'S TRUE. Well, it was true - until it wasn't any more.

So, I've been living my life for the last two weeks - soooo well rested and suuuuch a better mommy because of it. We had a rhythm down. We had a sleep routine. We were rocking!

However, the last two nights, something got screwy. Maybe it was the change in weather. Maybe it was the clean crib sheet. Maybe it was....too good to be true?

So, on night #1 (Sunday), she woke up at 4:30 a.m. Now, that's usually not too bad - because that means about 5-6 straight hours of sleep for us, which is doable. However, when she was smaller, waking up at 4:30 meant eating then going back to sleep. Now that she's all about waking up for good once she wakes up, she thought 4:30 was TIME TO GET UP! That wasn't good. I am lucky, because I have a wonderful husband who was already awake and willing to sit up with her and attempt to get her back down. Sadly, by the time he left at 6:30, it didn't happen. She was eating from Mommy as Daddy kissed us good-bye.

Then last night, it was a little worse. Sleep routine complete, Annika went to bed with a smile on her face. Usually that means she'll hang out in her crib for a while before she cries for someone to rock her to sleep one last time. Daddy went in as requested, and she JUST WOULDN'T SLEEP. Daddy tried rocking, the bouncy chair, a pacifier - she just wasn't interested in sleep. So he finally brought her into our room where she was happily playing with her hands. Then she flipped! Started screaming and just wouldn't stop. We hadn't heard her cry this hard in a while. I finally fed her again, and she drifted off - though not without a fight. This all finished by 11:30 p.m. - which is 3 hours past her bedtime. We surmised that she was likely extremely overtired. But it was still very strange.

The good news is that she did sleep until 7:30 a.m., which was nice.

I continue to remain hopeful that she'll get her rhythm back. But I will never forget those two delicious weeks of sleep...sweet sleep.

Shorty?

Yesterday, Annika went to her 4-month appointment at the pediatrician's. The results were ASTOUNDING! Just kidding.

Annika appears to be right on track in terms of her growth and development. Our regular doctor was out "sick" (if anyone saw Dr. Clifford Yee at the beach yesterday, please call my cell) so Dr. Lee stepped in. What is interesting about Dr. Lee is that she has a son just six days younger than Annika! So it was fun to hear her exclaim "oh, my son does that, too..." or "he doesn't do that yet! She looks great!" I'm finding that parents have an instinctual competitive spirit.

So, here are the latest stats:

Weight: 15 pounds, 3.5 ounces
Length: 24 1/4 inches
Head Circumference: 16 7/8 inches

Of course, these stats fall into "percentiles." Annika is in the 75th - 90th percentile for weight still, but only the 50th for length. So, maybe her new nickname is Shorty? I know 50th pretty much means average...but parents don't like average!

Well, she doesn't have an average sized head. At nearly 17 inches, she's in the 95th percentile. THANKS DADDY.

Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday!

So Annika's first Halloween came and went, and it was bittersweet. Bittersweet because it was her first "major" holiday (ok, I suppose that honor goes to Fourth of July - go United States! Woo hoo!) and that she seemed to take no pleasure in it. The costume I so lovingly picked out for her essentially made her scream every time it got within four inches of her. But we perservered, because she sure looked cute in it! I will also say that the costume was purchased in the beginning of September. By October 31, she grew out of it! Bittersweet - see what I mean?

We celebrated Annika's first Halloween by visiting "cousin" Nico. They were SUPER excited to be dressed up.

Today is also four months of Annika! Her 4-month birthday was marked by a trip to Trader Joe's and some birthday breast milk (her favorite). This is a relatively major milestone as many parenting books use four months as a marker for life changes. This includes the ability to roll (which she has done once, but I shudder to think of her doing it again), recognize faces, touch things with a purposeful mission and general interest in mobility. Oh, and she looooves to talk. Though I look forward to "real" words, Annika language is quite amusing. Here is sample dialogue:

Mommy: WHO'S MOMMY'S BABY??? WHO????
Annika: Ehh...ahhhh....EHHH!!!
Mommy: Is it you? IS IT YOU???
Annika: Uh. (silence)
Mommy: It's you - IT'S YOU!!!! MOMMY LOVES BABY!
Annika: (silence)

Happy Birthday, sweet baby girl, your mommy will always love you.