Overstimulation

"I must take it all in...must...absorb...it...all!" I think this is how Hannah operates much of the time these days. She has a recently new awareness of her surroundings, and definitely knows when we are away from home. We have had a decent amount of activity this week, and while shopping, eating out, or just visiting at another person's house, Hannah has had her senses revved up, trying to observe everything. She has also been learning how to use her hands, and trying, with some success, to get much of what she touches to her mouth. It is fun to see the wheels turning, but this "high alert" mode tends to lead to major overstimulation and frustration. That happened a couple times this week, and is so difficult for T and I to be a part of...periods of true screaming and inability to calm down. The only solution has been to hold her incredibly tight against our bodies, give her something to suck on, and bounce her up and down. Eventually, she lets down and falls asleep. I sure hope that before long, she develops a bit of a filter, and is able to relax a little more when we are in new places.

The activity we've enjoyed this week involved some chats with a couple friends, a three day visit from my youngest sister, Val, and a trip to KC to celebrate my other sister's birthday with my family. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.