When I look at Hannah I am instantly inundated with a myriad of emotions.
They stem from the fact that she is our IVF baby -- the only surviving embryo of five years worth of pain and heartache.
She was conceived sometime in 2005 -- years before her brothers and sisters were ever even thought about.
We call her our fifty-thousand dollar baby.
And for good reason.
(We truly have no idea how much our infertility treatments cost, but we know it was in the tens of thousands.)
My emotions regarding Hannah also stem from the incredibly difficult pregnancy I had -- an entire pregnancy of depression and intense illness that left me as near to the bottom as I have ever been.
And then I get to meet her.
From the moment she was born, she rocked our world. She is spunky and spirited and opinionated and snuggly and determined and really, really smart. She constantly leaves us shaking our head in exasperation, amazement, or a combination of both. She is not shy. She gives her big flirty smile to anyone who is kind to her. She is coy and cute and gives the BEST hugs.
Here are just a few of the current Hannah highlights:
- She talks like a crazy person. She literally talks in full paragraphs and can have back and forth conversations with you easily.
- Not shy AT ALL. Doesn't cry when we leave her in the nursery.
- Loves her parents and Grampa and Grama K. quite equally. Can be easily left with any of them without hesitation.
- A great traveler -- does great in the car and in grocery carts making her a good "out and about" companion.
- She sleeps from about 7pm-7am and takes one nap (from about 1pm-4pm). She very rarely cries in her bed. She is happy to be in her crib and doesn't try to climb out (often).
- She is probably my worst eater of the four kiddos. Just very particular about what she wants.
- She will do whatever her big siblings tell/ask her to do.
- She can count to 10 with very little help.
- She loves to dance, run, and ride her bike and scooter.
- She loves to play with her siblings and let them teach her things.
- She really loves books. She will read them herself and loves for anyone who will read to her to read to her.
- She can easily recognize friends and family from photos and tell you who they are.
- She loves to play outside.
- Since birth she has had a lot of hair. She continues to have very long and quite curly hair that is a knotted mess a lot of the time!
- She loves the farm animals.
- She is constantly imitating her brothers and sister.
- She has just gotten into Backyardigans. She also will occasionally watch a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Baby Einstein.
- She likes to find trouble, get into things, and mess with things that she isn't supposed to often and with great gusto!
Man, do we love this little girl. She is BY FAR the hardest of my four children in all ways, but she is also a whole lot of fun! Happy 2nd birthday little Hannah Joy Pomegranate Kitsteiner.
Here is a look back at what her siblings were doing when they turned two:
Elijah at two
Abigail at two
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