Hecht Family Summer Vacation - 2012

We just returned from our summer vacation and it was definitely an adventure.  Here are some highlights and photos to help tell the story.

Sunday, 8/5/12 - 10+ hour car ride to our first stop at GiGi's house in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  Both girls were real troopers and the trip was relatively uneventful.

Monday - Left GiGi's house for the 45 minute drive to West Palm Beach, Florida.  We stayed at a great resort right on the beach.  Maddy had her own bed but was only able to sleep in for a couple of hours before the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate the hotel at 11:30 pm.  False alarm but added a little excitement to the evening.

Tuesday - Spent most of the day at the beautiful beach with a great set up.  Spent our evening with a nice dinner, fountains and ice cream!

Wednesday - Spent our morning at the beach again.  Both girls are TERRIFIED of the water so this was as close as we got without a complete meltdown.  Later that evening we drove a short distance to Del Ray Beach to have dinner with Uncle Lou and play Putt Putt Golf.  Mommy got a hole in one - just saying.

Thursday - We decided we were DONE with the beach.  So, we visited a Nature Center in Boca Raton.  It was great.  HOT but great.  This place rehabilitates injured sea turtles and helps get baby sea turtles ready for ocean life.  After spending a considerable amount of time cooling off, we ended our night with a great dinner, more fountains and rides on the carousal!

Friday - We said goodbye to our great hotel and headed back to GiGi's house for another quick visit.  We loved being able to spend some time with her and she cooked us two AMAZING dinners during both visits.  We left GiGi's house around 1am Saturday and arrived back in Charlotte at 10am Saturday morning.  Long trip but both girls were great!  We are still recovering but so happy to have made so many great memories with our girls. 



**Check out our photo website for more photos from our trip.  http://www.madelynmay.smugmug.com/

Heavy Heart

My heart is heavy today as my family gathers to say goodbye to Grandad and I'm 1,000 miles away (literally).  I know that Grandad is in such a wonderful place having the best reunion imaginable.  All the people he has loved and lost and now together again.  Ganny, Mindy, Phillip and others.  All of them standing together again and that is a wonderful thought.  I'm sorry that I'm not there to support my family today and say a proper goodbye.  However, I know I will see Grandad again someday and can join in this reunion. 

Summer Fun!

We have been very lucky to spend a few days this summer in the pool!  Kenny and Cristina have invited us over to enjoy the water.  Maddy has finally turned a corner and is "swimming" and Hannah just prefers to snack poolside. 

Thursday night excitement

Well, our Thursday night was interesting.  I'm sick so I was locked in our bedroom and Matt was taking care of the girls. Once the girls went to bed, he went outside to do some yard work and I went into the kitchen to eat dinner.  The next thing I know, Maddy is coming around the corner in tears and with panic on her face.  "Mom, I have one of these stuck in my nose!"  WHAT!?!?!  So she showed me this little gemstone and said the other one was up her nose.  At first I thought maybe she was wrong but sure enough, she had a little gemstone up her left nostril.  Good grief!  So I SCREAMED for Matt who came in with a flashlight and tweezers to save the day (night).  It was WAY up there but he was able to slowly remove it and save us a trip to the ER.  Definitely got our blood pumping and sufficiently scared the !@#$ out of Maddy.  Still can't get a straight story on how it actually happened but hopefully a lesson learned. I'm hoping the weekend is a little less eventful. 


The one on the left was the one in her nose



Hannah Dean - 15 month visit

Hannah's 15 month check up was today and she passed with flying colors.  She is definitely starting to realize what the doctor is all about so that made the trip a little more challenging.  Hannah is now shaking her head yes and no and signs for 2-3 words which is nice because we feel like we know what she needs a little more than before.  She doesn't say much but it's clear she is comprehending lots of things so that is great.  Her eyes are still a beautiful blue so we're hoping they stick around!  2 shots this time followed by a guilt trip for Mommy.  Her scream was not one of pain but ANGER.  This was one time I'm glad I didn't know what she was thinking because I have a feeling it would not have ended well for me.  Having said that, she seemed to rebound quickly and didn't really have any side effects so that's a good thing.  Measurements are below - right on track.

Weight - 24 inches (70%)
Height - 30 1/2 inches (50%)

UPTOWN GIRL

Maddy's dance recital was Friday and she did great! It was tap this year and her song was "Uptown Girl."  So fun!  Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Mitch all were able to be there and Daddy brought her flowers to celebrate.   

Dress Rehearsal on Thursday

The big night!

On the move...

Hannah Dean is on the move! 

She's been "walking" for a couple of weeks at school but for some reason, refused to walk at home.  Maddy has been walking with her and today she took off!!!! Not really a middle ground.  Seemed like it was overnight but she is off and running and is SO proud of herself.  Big Sister Maddy was definitely the motivator.  There are just some things that only Maddy can do and this was one of them.  We have now gone from a crawling baby that is into everything to a walking toddler that's really into everything.  Let the madness begin!

Maddy - 4 year check up

Today was Maddy's 4 year check up and everything went great!  Our pediatrician likes to get as much done at this appointment to prepare for Pre-K and Kindergarten in advance.  I'm grateful for that approach but it made for a long appointment and 3 shots!  In addition to the shots, Maddy also had her first vision and hearing exam.  She passed with flying colors and impressed the nurse with some of her picture recognition.  The doctor also played lots of "brain games" with Maddy to make sure she is on track developmentally and everything went great with that.  Maddy thought it was silly.  Stats are below but Maddy is still our little peanut with weight and height continuing to be in the 25%-50% range.  She is happy and healthy and apparently has AMAZING metabolism. 

Height: 38 1/2 inches
Weight: 31.2 pounds (gained 1 pound since last year's appt)

Ugh - this parenting stuff is hard

First the good news:
Hannah Dean graduated this week to the toddler room at school. So, it's been a busy week for her. She's gone from napping whenever she gets fussy to 1 nap a day on a cot instead of in the crib. This is big! She plays hard all day and goes outside once in the morning and once in the afternoon. It's apparently exhausting because we've struggled to keep her up until 6pm each night this week. Exciting but yet another reminder that my baby isn't really in the "baby" category anymore.

Now the bad news:
Maddy May got in trouble for misbehaving today at school. Of the 5 people that read this, I'm sure someone is laughing right now but the truth is this is very upsetting for us because we have the kid that's always good! Don't get me wrong, she has her moments, but in general she is very well behaved. Well behaved is not exactly the phrase her teacher used this afternoon. So, here is the challenge...How in the world do you "punish" a 4-year old? We can't send her to her room where they are WAY too many distractions. We can't tell her to sit on the couch because, let's be honest, that would drive us crazy. She's a little old for time out. SO, we ended up with no dessert after dinner and going to be 30 minutes earlier than normal. I'm almost 100% sure it made no difference but it least it made us feel like we were doing SOMETHING. Suggestions that don't involve a call to CPS are welcome!

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from the Hecht girls!

Happy 4th Birthday Maddy May!

To my peanut,


Today is your 4th birthday and I can't even begin to imagine where the time has gone. I know it only moves faster from here so I'm trying to soak it all in. We love you so much and cannot even think about what our lives would be like without the light you bring in. You are smart, funny, sassy and a tad bit emotional. I predict you will be our sensitive one. Your beautiful green eyes twinkle when you are excited. You love to sing and dance, even when there is no music to be heard. You make your own and we love that about you. You continue to be very independent and only want to try something when YOU are ready. Here lately we have noticed that you are wanting to try more and more new things. Some of your fear is gone and for that we are grateful and a little terrified. Just this last week you announced that you are bored with the 3-year old classroom and ready to move to high school. You've also starting expressing some interest in Justin Bieber. Both of these things make Mommy and Daddy want to cry! You are the best big sister to Hannah Dean. Her eyes light up when you walk in the room and that means that you are very special to her. There are some days when you are the only one that can make her happy. I'm proud of you and how you are adjusting to being the big sister.


No matter how big you think you are...you will always be Mommy's peanut and Daddy's monster. ALWAYS! We love you more than you will ever know and are so grateful to have you.



We love you,
Mommy, Daddy and Hannah Dean

Thank you for your donations!

Thanks to everyone that donated to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Trike-A-Thon! Maddy raised $275.00 to support an amazing charity. She was very proud to turn in her money this morning at school.

Thank you again for your support!

St. Jude Trike-A-Thon!

Maddy is raising money again this year for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She's raised $200 so far and we still have 1 week left. Yesterday was the Trike-A-Thon at her school and she decided to ride her scooter. We had a great time and Hannah was even able to participate in her stroller! Maddy completed 15 laps and only fell down once so I would consider that a success!

GREEN day!

The girls were able to celebrate St. Patty's Day twice this year. Friday, March 16th was GREEN day at school so they dressed up in all their green. We didn't have much green so Mommy had to make a trip to Wal-Mart the night before to make sure we were able to participate.




Then on Saturday we took them to the St. Patty's Day Parade and Festival. The weather was AMAZING and we had a great time! I've posted those pictures on our photo website.

Visit from Texas!

A trip that has been a long time planning finally happened and we were able to enjoy having Pawpaw, Memaw and Makensey in Charlotte for a few days!!! It was Spring Break for Memaw and Makensey so they all flew here on Saturday, March 10th and stayed until the 13th. This was Makensey's first plane ride and she did great! Maddy was so excited to have them here and show them EVERYTHING she owns. Pawpaw, look at this! Memaw, look at this!

It was so nice to have family here and to be able to show them all about our great city. The weather was great so we enjoyed being outside. I was able to take them to my office so Makensey could get a picture of the Panther Stadium from 38th floors up to send to her Dad!! :)

Hannah Dean - 12 month check up

Well, yesterday was Hannah Dean's 12 month check up at the doctor and lets just say it wasn't our best day. She is doing great and is right on track with all of her developmental milestones but the appointment ended with 3 shots, 1 finger stick and an ear infection! Yikes. She was not a happy camper - so Mommy and Daddy didn't take any pictures to record the moment. She was snotty all weekend but I wasn't worried because this was the 2nd time in two weeks plus I knew we were heading to the doctor anyway. BUT I didn't expect an ear infection. So, we are home today taking antibiotics and running the humidifier at full speed.
The other interesting item is that her pediatrician gave the green light to start the process of transitioning to cow's milk. Very early on Hannah had trouble digesting milk proteins so she's been on a special formula for about 9 months. The formula worked miracles for her little belly but it has slowly removed all the enzymes she needs to process milk. So, we can't just stop giving her formula and start giving milk. We have to do it slowly by mixing the two together in different amounts until we end up with just milk. The doctor thinks this could take 6-8 weeks, depending on how her stomach handles it. SO, we aren't ready just yet to stop buying formula but we are working on getting rid of the bottle and Hannah doesn't seem to mind much.
Even with all the shots and snot, Hannie is doing great. She wasn't too happy most of the appointment but she still managed to show off a couple of times for the doctor.

12 month stats:
Height: 28 3/4 inches (25-50%)
Weight: 22 lbs 1 ounce (50-75%)

Hannah eats great, is just the right weight and height and still has those beautiful blue eyes!!! Hope they stay.

Happy Birthday Hannah Dean!

To my sweet, sweet Hannah Dean,

Today is your first birthday! It seems like just yesterday that you were born. Your first few months were rough for you and for Mommy and Daddy. You fought through allergies and tummy issues and didn't sleep very often. Boy have things changed! You still don't like to sleep during the day but we fight to keep you up until 6:30pm each night and you sleep 12 hours! I guess you need your beauty sleep. You spend the majority of your awake time with food. If you are eating then you are happy. You have 11 teeth already and your vocabulary consists of 3 words - Momma, Dadda and dogdog. You are very strong willed and sassy. Much like your big sister. We may be in trouble though because I don't remember Maddy having this much spunk so soon! Just this week you have started rolling your eyes. We are not really sure how to make you stop doing that. You love mommy. You love everyone but your REALLY love your mommy. We developed a strong bond in your first few weeks and we spend a lot of time snuggling. You are obsessed with our animals. Doby, Daisy and Oreo like you but only 2-3 seconds at a time. You have a great big sister who loves you so much and your face lights up every time Maddy walks in the room. I can't wait to see the bond the two of you will have as you grow up together. Mommy and Daddy intended you to be named Hannah but very quickly we realized that your name is Hannah Dean. Not just a middle name of Dean. You have a few nicknames like Hannie, Hannah Banana and Badger(I will have to explain that when you are older). The most popular seems to be Hannie. I told your Daddy that would be the case before you were even born. I had a feeling.

You are beautiful, smart and full of personality. You are your own and that makes us so proud. Mommy and Daddy are so lucky to have you in our lives. You make each day brighter.

Thank you Hannah Dean for the joy you bring to all of our lives.

We love you,
Mommy, Daddy and Big Sister Maddy

Happy Valentine's Day to my Love Bugs

We had a fun time celebrating Valentine's Day with the girls this year. Hannah was sick so the two of us were home Monday and Tuesday. Took her to the doctor and determined it was a virus so we just had to wait it out at home. She was able to go back to school on Wednesday. Matt came home from work early on Tuesday so I could attend Maddy's Valentine Party at school. I told him that only crazy people leave the house with a screaming 11 month old only to go to school with screaming 3-4 year olds!

The party was a lot of fun. Maddy has 10 in her class and they all enjoyed cookies, fruit cups and juice and then opened their good bags from all their friends. There was an UNBELIEVABLE amount of candy! Maddy also received a teddy bear from a boy in her class. Matt was thrilled to hear about this. We ended the party with a little dancing so Mommy was able to show her talent while doing the Hokey Pokey :)

Wow! What happened to Januray!?

The month of January has been a whirlwind professionally and personally for both Matt and I so I've been neglecting our blog. So, here's the abbreviated version:

While recovering from all the germs in our house, we celebrated the new year at home with the girls and Dora the Explorer stick on nails (don't ask).

Hannah is teething again so her sleep habits are anything but consistent. She still sleeps all night but the early morning wake up calls have required us to adjust. She is getting molars on the top and bottom of both sides so she just chews on everything, including us. Lots of "NO BITE HANNAH DEAN!" being heard in our house lately.

Maddy is doing great in school. We received her progress report and the comments were great. The area for improvement - managing emotions. We've always known that Maddy was our sensitive one and apparently everyone else knows too. :) We've started planning her birthday party so she is SO excited. This will be our first year for a "real" party where she invites her friends so she can't wait. Matt took her to the Bobcats game a couple of weeks ago and they both had a blast! Matt calls it Maddy/Daddy Date Night!