Hana is changing in many ways. She just had her four month check-up and her stats have flipped around. At 2 months, she was at 78% for height and now she's at 21% (23.8 inches). Her weight was 66% and now she's 43% (13 pounds and 14 oz) and her head went from 54% to 80%. Her pediatrician isn't concerned since Shawn and I both have sizable melons too (she didn't say it that way). We're pleased she's continuing to grow so well and we're anticipating many more such changes. Hana still doesn't sleep through the night, but her doctor says it might not happen for a couple more months. We're actually getting used to it. We're so thankful she's a healthy baby. Her biggest problem right now is eczema. What a completely different world.
Hana is such a happy little girl. She's laughing and smiling a lot now. She reacts to other people's expressions and, much like Mieko, she smiles with her whole body. She's quite flirty and tries to get people's attention, so that they'll smile back at her. Hana really loves to stand up. We've been putting her in the hanging jumpy thing and she does a pretty good river dance impression. She also manages to propel herself quite well.
Daddy calls her a little adrenaline junkie, since she loves all the big movement and action. Seeing Hana develop is a joy, but also different for us. We were used to Mieko's slow progression. She really worked hard for each new skill. We celebrated everything she accomplished. There was no such thing as a small achievement. Hana seems to be changing so fast. In the past few days, she's been rolling from her back to her tummy. She can also roll from her tummy to back. She likes to reach and grab for toys. Auntie Sue gave her an activity tunnel. Both Hana and our kitty Jordan love it.
We're starting the next session of Baby Ballroom in a week. We'll be tackling the waltz, swing, and cha-cha. We also started an Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) class. It's in the same building as Mieko's school, which gives us a chance to say "hi" to our friends. Hana is one of only two babies in the class, the rest are around two or older. We play all together for the first part of the class, then the parents split off to discuss parenting issues like potty training and saying "no". It's not all that relevant now, but the infant-only classes are full. I'm still enjoying meeting the other parents and teachers. Hana stays with me in the class for now. When she's 6 months old, she can go to an infant/toddler playroom with a teacher.
Meanwhile, Shawn is also back in school. He's going to Hamline University at night to get a reading specialist licensure. It will probably take him the rest of this year to finish. As you've seen, Shawn and Hana enjoy reading together. She also enjoys watching Daddy eat burgers (our new Valentine's tradition with friends) . This year, he only ate one and didn't win anything. Last year he won a t-shirt and a stomachache.
Some of you know, Mieko's birthday is coming up on March 9th. She would have been five years old and in her second year of pre-school at Rondo. We're so touched that her friends at Rondo are inviting us for lunch that day. We're grateful to be able to share part of this day with them. Shawn, Hana, and I will also do something together that evening. We'll make it something Mieko would've enjoyed. Though we know it will be a tough day without her, we are trying to focus on all the wonderful times we had together, and of course, that smile.
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