Her first decade

Hannah at age 3. She was enjoying a tea party with her dolls.

This was Mommy (with Mary in my tummy), Hannah, Sarah, Daddy and Mamaw.

Hannah loved to build and she still does today!

Ten years seems such a long time. Today, however, it feels as if it just flew by! My first baby girl is beginning her second decade of living. I remember how nervous and excited we were for her to be born. My parents were staying with us and from Thanksgiving on we passed all free time playing Mexican train and thinking about the baby coming so soon. We were scheduled to have an induction because the baby (we didn't know the gender) was already pretty large. The labor was pretty easy considering. The epidural worked wonderfully and other than pushing for 2.75 hours, trying the vacuum twice, and then using forceps, the birth was a wonderful experience. I remember Alpheus quoting scripture and whispering endearments to encourage me. I remember the joy when the baby was out and they said she was a girl - the first granddaughter on my side of the family. She was 8lbs. and 9 oz. and nearly 22 inches long born at 8:21PM. She was an angel the first night and a screaming terror the second night. On the third night we were home and she was on the bottle. She slept wonderfully at 4 hour stretches. I however had to watch her nearly all night. I just knew she was going to stop breathing if I didn't watch her. We didn't have a bassinet to put by our bed, so I made her sleep in the stroller all night so she could be right by the bed. She scared me a second time by sleeping 8.5 hours the day before she was a month old. She said Daddy first for a week at 5 months and then didn't talk again until she was nearly 8 months. She was walking by her first birthday and showing her interest in drawing at an early age. She has always been a cheerful girl who loves to laugh and be silly! She is a great big sister and a big help to me now as she has grown. I am so thankful God gave her to us. I look forward to the next 10 years. I know there will be many challenges as there were in the first 10, but I trust God to work in her life and to guide us as we guide her to be ready for adulthood.

We love you Hannah!