Dear Hannah,

You are a little older than five months now, not quite five and a half months. If I were a really attentive mom, I suppose I would still know how old you are in weeks, but I lost track of that a couple months (or about 8 weeks) ago. You can put that on your list.

You are a wonderful baby. I think we'd find you amazing no matter what you were like, but you are definitely breaking us into this parenting thing gently. You are so happy all day, except when it's time (or past time) for your nap, or when you roll onto your belly and get stuck. Even that isn't so frustrating now that you've figured out that you can put your hands out in front of you, so you don't have to just hold your head up with your back muscles. No sign yet of rolling off your tummy, but I'm sure it will happen soon, way before we're ready for you to be independently mobile.

One of your newest tricks is reaching out to grab things. Now that you've figured it out, you want to grab everything. I have pretty much stopped wearing jewelry- especially earrings- and am contemplating shaving my head. You still don't have perfect control over your hands and they sometimes shake around when you're trying really hard to grab something small. You get a very determined, frowny look when you're concentrating hard on your hands.

Once you do latch on, whatever you've grabbed goes straight in the mouth. We're pretty sure you're teething because you've started to gnaw on things. You're also making these really funny faces- I think you're grinding your front gums against each other- that bring to mind Winston Churchill. Not your cutest look, but pretty funny. Your dad and I are also entertained when you really get to chewing and put both hands in your mouth at the same time. Believe it or not, most grown-ups can't do that. (But the ones who can are a big hit at parties.)

I have yet to find something that scares you. You like the vacuum cleaner and the blow dryer. You love to get a horsey ride- the bumpier the better. When your Grandpa Jeff gave you horsey rides in October, you'd start pumping your legs like you were saying, "faster, faster!" And you'd keep bouncing on your own after he stopped. We sing a Merry Go Round song at baby class, where you "ride the horse up...and ride the horse down" and the higher and lower you go, the more you like it. You also liked to be surprised- "I'm gonna get you!" is a favorite game and one of the few things that makes you giggle out loud. You smile a lot, but we don't hear you really laugh very often. No one has been able to replicate Grams' gigglefest from September.

I read a quote that went something like this: Having a baby shows you what it's like to have your heart walk around outside your chest. It amazes me. I go into your room at night, and sometimes at naptime, just to watch you breathe. We are so blessed that you are healthy. You're also good-natured, social, beautiful, independent, curious, a great sleeper and adorable, but none of that matters as much as healthy. Earlier this week, your dad had to go into the hospital at night to do a procedure on a baby. The goal was to keep him from having real surgery, but it didn't work. He said the only time the baby made eye contact with him was when it was headed out the door at the end. That look, plus Daddy's knowledge that the baby had an operation in front of him, kept him from sleeping the rest of the night. He couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like if it were you. We both pray we never have to find out.

Hannah Banana, HB, Hamster, we love you so much. You delight us every morning when we peek over the edge of your crib to find you kicking and smiling, ready to start a new day. Every day you change a little bit. Some days we see it- you make a new face, move a new way- and some days we just feel it. Thank you for coming to live with us.