Oh, the things you can think....

Hannah's 1st Birthday was yesterday and I am working on getting the pictures uploaded from the little party we had for her on Sunday with family.  Until then, here's a list of just a few things that I have learned over the past year.

1.  Sleep is overrated.... unless you are young enough that people still say your age in months.  If so, sleep is very important and appreciated by everyone that lives with you.  For those of us who are described in years, sleep is the least important part of the day/night... apparently.

2.  You can never wear enough pink when you are a baby girl.  Same for blue if you are a baby boy.  I dress Hannah in lots of pink because one day she will be able to dress herself and she may not like pink so I am taking advantage of the power I have now to dress her.  This includes lace, bows and cute shoes that are in no way practical.

3.  Dog toys are more fun then baby toys.  Especially when said dog is attached to the other end of the toy.  Unfortunately the dog is still learning that the baby is not trying to play tug of war with the toy when she picks it up.

4.  Speaking of toys, toy cell phones are the best invention ever.  I think every parent should invest in at least 5 of them.  One for the car, one for the house, one for the diaper bag, one for the stroller and one to keep just in case the others are lost.   Even better if it is pink:)

5.  Things I can no longer do when my little "helper" is awake:
-unload the dishwasher
-vacuum
-shower
-clean in general (or at least that's what I tell Todd:))
-decorate, touch or even look at the Christmas tree (this will remind her that it is in the living room thus motivating her to try to climb on it)
-read
-take the dog out (poor Lily)
-cook (again, that's what I tell Todd)
Oh, the list could go on, but I won't bore you.

6.  Husbands don't quite have the same tolerance for crying that wives do.  I don't think I let Hannah cry a lot and I generally go to her when she is upset, but Todd can't stand to hear her even wimper before he goes rushing to her side.  I'm pretty sure this is about 60% due to the fact that she has him wrapped around her finger, and about 40% due to him being really annoyed by crying.

7.  The Diaper Genie is only magical for about the first 5 months.  After that, the "aroma" doesn't disappear like it once did.  Even after it is bleached out and left outside for several days.

8.  There is no better way to wake up in the morning (at a reasonable hour) then by the sound of Hannah "talking" in her crib.  This usually includes her shouting "dah?" and banging on her crib.  The best part is opening the door to her room and hearing her excitement to see that you are awake and ready to start the day.  It's so cute that Todd often asks if he can be the one to go in and get her.

9.  No matter how long I'm away from her, I kind of always miss Hannah.  When I'm done with my hour long class at the gym I can't wait to go get her from the nursery.  Or if I have to go run an errand I'm always looking forward to coming back so I can see her get excited to see me.  It would be really great if Todd would also flap his arms and start to pant in elation when I return from somewhere.

10.  Parenthood is the best job on earth.  Sounds so cliche but this past year has been tough but wonderful at the same time.  I can't wait for many more years to see this beautiful child grow up to be a beautiful girl and woman.   (PS.  I'm still not at the point where I can think about having another anytime soon... so don't even ask)