"I'm a Believer"...

...by Jessica Adams is the latest book I've read. I picked it up at the library because the title intrigued me, and Hannah was itching to get to the children's section. It was very British, very cynical, but also very touching at times. A thirtysomething man has just lost his girlfriend to a freak motor vehicle accident. She soon appears to him in his dreams to encourage him to move on with his life. The book spans about a year, thoughout which he develops new friendships, new interests, and a new love. It wasn't happy, but it wasn't a sad story, either. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being a must-read, I'd give it a 5.

Does anybody actually read this?

I've been inspired by fellow book clubbers, the arrival of a friend's baby, and the impending arrival of my own child to update this blog. Seriously, DOES anyone read this?!

With the holidays approaching, I've been thinking about what I value in my life and what I am so thankful for. Here are some items I came up with, in no particular order: a healthy pregnancy, frequent visits with family even though they are one thousand miles away, a wonderful husband and daughter to whom I love to come home, and an incredibly supportive network of friends I consider my surrogate "East Coast" family. What have YOU been thankful for this year?

Trick or Treat!

Hannah was a pink poodle for her very first Halloween. She didn't actually go trick or treating, since she is usually ready for bed by 6 p.m. But, we dressed up anyway and took some cute pictures. She is getting better and better; her cough is almost gone. She has gotten in the habit of waking up once during the night, so hopefully since she is feeling better, she will start sleeping through the night again.

Hannah has finally figured out how to crawl on her hands and knees, and is getting into EVERYTHING! She pulls herself up with no problems, and is enjoying the new vantage points. She likes to look out the front window while I am bringing in bags from shopping. Every time I walk up the steps, she is just smiling away.

Our house has been on the market, now, for about a week. We found a house in Eldersburg (about 15 minutes from our townhouse) that we really liked. We put in a bid, but it wasn't accepted. Bummer! There must be an even better house out there for us. We just need to find it.

In Search of the Great Pumpkin

We never did find the Great Pumpkin, but we did see a lot of fun things at the farm last Saturday. Our friend Erik came down from Boston for the weekend and we all took a trip to Baugher's farm in Westminster, MD. We wandered through the market, bought lots of fresh produce, went for a hayride, and picked out a pumpkin. Hannah was such a happy baby for the entire trip. She was interested in EVERYTHING and didn't peep at all. Just looked and looked and looked around.

Hannah has started pulling herself up in her crib. At first, it was just to her knees, but yesterday, she pulled herself up to her feet two times! Of course, it was while she was supposed to be napping. She would get to her feet, then cry because she couldn't get down. Silly baby.

Bathtime Bliss

Hannah was having such a fun time in her bath the other night, we just had to take a picture! Her one little tooth has sure poked through. Can you see it?

She is "inch-worming" all over the house now. Not really crawling, but she's certainly getting to where she wants to be. She has gone up to Baxter several times and grabbed a fistful of fur, and he doesn't even move! What a lazy cat.

More Mobile

The other day, I left Hannah on her back on the floor in the bathroom to grab her pajamas, and when I came back a minute later, she was sitting up! She is also starting to crawl for small stretches when she sees something she wants. The gates are up, the cupboards are latched, and the outlets are plugged. Look out cats!

Teething Trauma

Hannah had just gotten over a 2-week cold when she began cutting her very first tooth. She was miserable for an entire weekend! She had a fever, had trouble eating, and was just in a lot of pain. We tried everything: baby Orajel, infant Tylenol, frozen chew toys, frozen watermelon and more. She is finally getting back to her old self, and is her smile ever cute, now!