Happy Birthday Hazel!

It was a great weekend to celebrate the birth of my sweet daughter. I just can't believe how fast time has gone! Last night I was rocking with her and she put her little head in the crook of my neck with her body sprawled across mine. This was her favorite position as a newborn and young baby, only I could hold her there securely with one arm. I miss those days, but I am so in love with watching her grow and see each new stage she's in. Did you know that some people consider one year the beginning of toddler-hood? Oh my gosh - not ready to use that term for my little baby!! I actually need to get out of the habit of calling her "little baby" at work in conversation, as in "I have a little baby at home". I get a strange look when they ask her age and I tell them "a year". New goal: "big baby" or "young girl" or "young toddler" or "older baby". Hmm. Maybe I'll just say "baby". Anyway,these days Hazel has been busy! Here's the latest update:
- Stands in one spot for a few seconds.
- Will walk along while her hands are held.
- Says "mama" more often (still more like "maamaaa"), but still "dada" for most things including her daddy. Says "uh oh" (sort of) when she drops somethings with about 30% consistency and "Da!" for "doggie".
- Loves books and will usually sit to listen to half of a short baby book.
- LOVES DANCE PARTIES!! She will crawl up to our CD player when it is playing, turn it up, dance/wiggle, crawl away, dance/wiggle. The other night she was downstairs and music was on upstairs. She paused, danced/wiggled, then proceeded to crawl up the stairs, pausing every 2 steps to dance until she got to the CD player in our room to turn it up and dance some more. It is pretty dang cute.
- Improving on consumption of baby food, although she still mostly eats a wide variety of "big people food". Actually, she still mostly eats breastmilk with teeny portions of a wide variety of real food.
- Loves playing outside and eating dirt. Still loves the toilet. Loves toys that make noise, puzzles (she does not put them together - we're not that advanced), her lamby, and all her new Birthday toys! It's been fun playing with the new stuff as the old stuff has gotten ... old. For both of us.

We spent Hazel's party mostly indoors due to the surprisingly cold day. We ventured out for a bit at the end to play some outdoor games as it slowly but surely warmed up. We also played parachute games (thanks for the idea Ashley!), which were a huge hit for all of about 5 minutes (this is considered a success considering the age range of party guests).

On Hazel's actual Birthday we went to Irvine Park for a walk around the zoo and some swinging after church. It was nice to spend this time together, just the three of us. Happy Birthday little girl!

Enjoying SPRING!!

We have been loving this gorgeous weather! Haze and I get out running and she loves her little hair blowing in the wind and tossing cheerios in the air with as much joy as if they were rose petals on her wedding day. This past weekend we made a point to have some quality family time and took a little stroll downtown with some friends. It was a perfect way to enjoy the weekend and welcome in the new season (finally!).

Twins turn two!

About this time two years ago, there was a huge baby boom among people I love. My twin nieces had their Birthday party this past weekend, and we had a great time seeing family! As Hazel gets older, it's fun to see how she gets along with her cousins. I'm sure they'll only get closer as time goes on.

11 months

My daughter is 11 months old. At this time last year, I was a rolling beast in disbelief how much life would change at "any moment" (Isn't that what we say at 36 weeks? As if a first baby will come then.). Life has changed so much, and I can't even remember what it was like living only for myself. I was just obsessed with my schedule and had details and planning down to a T. Now it's second nature to know that my "schedule" is totally dependent on how Haze is feeling, and that is perfectly fine with me. As a mom, you naturally become less selfish and self-involved because there is someone else you're living for. My little someone is just the sweetest peach you will ever meet; I'm so blessed to have her in my life! She's growing fast, and here is what she's up to lately:
*Waves "Bye bye" when you put on your coat without being prompted; waves with prompting, too.
*Improving with consumption of real food, and she eats a variety of teeny portions including black/refried/kidney/white beans, all cooked veggies, imitation crab, tofu, tortillas, bananas, strawberries, mango ... I guess this is a dumb list because she'll sample anything right now. Moving on.
*Can feed herself with a bottle or sippy cup one handed, but usually uses two.
*Typically sleeps through the night. Emphasis on Typically.
*Still says "dadadadada for most things. Specifies it for the real "dada". Says mama more consistently but it sounds like it's in slow motion "muuuumaaaahhh".
*BLOWS KISSES!! And smacks her lips loud to make kissy noises. This is really new and really cute because it kind of surprises her, but she keeps repeating it and smiles/gets surprised with each little kiss.
*Is smiling/laughing most of the day.
*Is SO EXCITED FOR HER BIRTHDAY PARTY. Oh wait, that's me.
*Still enjoys power walking the mall, but is lasting for shorter periods of time. Yesterday, on the 50 degree day, we went out for a long walk with a friend and she lasted over an hour. Thank goodness Spring is coming and I have an outside loving girl. Bring it on!

On a different note, we were ALMOST homeowners. I mean signed contract, official at the bank, TWO boxes packed. It ended up falling through, not our fault, and it's okay with us. Everything was happening way too fast, and it was an emotionally exhausting roller coaster of a week. Back on the hunting/browsing track for us, although I'm afraid we're a little gun shy at this point. We were so excited/close to buying and it fell through, and now we're happy about it... how does that happen?? And what does that mean for the next one that we're so excited/close to buying??? UGH it's a scary thought. Not TOO scary as we've already been out looking at houses again, but if it's up to my husband we'll just buy the duplex next door and with a little construction - tada! A 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house and no moving! Just kidding - although he did bring that up.

Valentine's Day

No pictures to post here because, well, we don't take any pictures without Hazel in them. What consumed my picture-taking obsession prior to my daughter's birth is one of life's true mysteries. This Valentine's day was a success - C.J. and I went to our church's Enchanted Valentine Dinner for Married Couples (I love that they specified "married" in the title). Before you slap us with the "Major Dork" label, let me tell you - it was a perfect night! We had a delicious dinner in a beautiful, romantic setting with wine and hearts galore. We were super impressed. There was a speaker about marriage who was also excellent, and we even renewed our vows, so it looks like we're in it for the long haul. We took full advantage of a night out and stopped out for a margarita and guacamole after dinner. This was all Saturday, by the way, as the official Valentine's day hasn't even happened. The real Valentine's day might consist of a heart shaped pizza or something along those lines if C.J.'s lucky. Either way, we thoroughly enjoyed our little celebration. Happy Valentine's day everyone!

Surprise, surprise - 10 months post

Apparently I only post these monthly updates. Poor you - must be a snooze to read. However, I know I will enjoy looking back at how my sweet girl has changed over the months, so here we go:
At 10 months old, Hazel Leann:
-Waves bye bye
-Calls everything dadadada or dada or da. Even mama. Sweet. Girlfriend, I did NOT give birth to you naturally and nurse you for 10 months and counting to be called "dada". This stops now.
-Loves sledding, playing with her baby doll, the toilet, magnets, eating tortillas, getting scared by her parents, playing peek a boo, crinkly toys, plastic bags, ripping paper and eating it, ripping napkins and eating them, snuggling, playing in daddy's closet, family dance parties, going for walks, playing at the mall, eating big girl food.
-Claps, clasps her hands after we pray (timing isn't her strong suit), waves both arms to cheer, signs all done after eating. The last one might be a wave, but she also won't eat any more after she does it - so that's a sign to us.
-Practically runs up the stairs. The girl is fast.

She's just the delight of our lives, if you can't tell.

MY DAUGHTER IS 9 MONTHS OLD - HOLY CRAP!

I just cannot believe how fast this whole parenting thing goes. Whoa.

My NINE month old daughter is up to the following:

Tries to sit up from laying down. In actual sit-up style.
Crawls all over and loves exploring!
LOVES mommy & daddy ... quit saying "dadadadadada" generalized and says "mama" or "ma" with me or when looking for me somewhat consistency.
Squeals with delight when I return from an outing sans baby, hence melting my heart.
Has crawled up the bottom stair platform with standby assist and can crawl steps with moderate assist.
Can pull herself up from sitting position onto furniture.
GOT BIT IN THE EYE by a little demon at the mall.
Plays "peek a boo" and clearly thinks it's the bee's knees. However, she keeps eye contact with me most of the time as she peeks around the blanket.
Drinks from a sippy cup and bottle with set up and occasional min assist
Loves books! Especially those with touchy-feely things.
Has a real baby doll that laughs and Hazel stares at her and laughs right along with her like two little friends do. It's adorable.
Loves other kids! Especially boys. She stares and laughs at them at the mall. Or climbs on them. Oh no.
Is still working on the whole sleep thing. Talked to her pediatrician today and he recommended letting her cry for 5 minutes, comfort, cry for 10, comfort, cry for 15, comfort, and cry for 20, sleep. He said to do this for a few days, and she will be cured. Apparently it will help her establish good sleep habits for the rest of her life because she needs to learn how to put herself to sleep. Great. Welp - we've had 1 nap since then, and let's just say we're 0 for 1 in the following of that sweet little regimen.


We had a little "crafternoon" the other day with a friend and her two kiddos - thanks to Anna for the easy crafty idea! I had intended on doing this months ago but got discouraged when I didn't have an exacto knife and regular scissors would not suffice. To save time this time around, I just used the older picture. I'm so glad I did! I didn't realize the mohawk was so out of control. I miss it.

Christmas

As with most families with large and chopped up extended families, we had a lot of rounds to make this year. I reckon this makes it fun as it gives me an excuse to truly rock out to the Christmas tunes for an extended period of time. As always, it ended up being a very wonderful love and family-filled month. Christmas began in St. Peter on the 10th and will end this Friday the 30th. We spent the Friday before Christmas Eve with my extended family in Stillwater, having a less traditional lasagna feed and gift exchange. Oh boy! This was even more splendid considering that little Haze has not reacted from me eating dairy in the past 2 weeks, and hence it has returned to my diet in full force. HELLO CHEESE! I can't believe I went 9 months without you. Apparently my body forgot how to digest it during this time, forcing me to reduce it to a minimal to moderate intake from here on out. Live and learn.

Christmas eve morning was brunch at my dad's - our traditional cheesy scrambled eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, and mimosas, followed by a large pile of presents and smiling children. It ended, naturally, with tired, crying children of all ages. It never ceases to amaze me how this little family of my dad with 3 daughters has turned into a full fledged familial party. Rock on!

That night was another tradition for my other family - my mom, brother, and their significant others - dinner at the glorious Red Lobster on Christmas eve. This tradition began 21 years ago, believe it or not. This is where the dairy binge truly took off - clogging these ol' pipes RIGHT up. It did not disappoint at the time, but cheddar biscuits, blue cheese dressing on a salad, and crab Alfredo proved to be the perfect storm. I'm still not sure if I regret the decision.

At this point we had had 3 Christmases in 24 hours - and as wonderful as it is seeing family and having the opportunity to enjoy the holiday with them - I know we are SO blessed and would never complain about having a lot of people to love - we were flat out zonked by Saturday night. Christmas day was a day to recuperate and focus on the real meaning and how blessed we truly are. This was the first Christmas that I can remember not having a larger family celebration on the day. Hazel, C.J., and I slept in (Ha! Obviously that's a joke.), opened gifts from Santa, made a nice breakfast, and then went to church. After church Hazel took a long nap, and Ceej and I played a game of Scrabble and watched the Christmas Story. P.S. - Did you know this movie was on repeatedly for 24 hours on Christmas day? I mean, seriously, that is some fame. Anyway, it was a perfect day and I have zero complaints. Well, besides the fact that I did all the shopping this year which meant that C.J. didn't get me anything. NOT A THING - not even a card and ornament which we've done every year for the past 10 years - because he "ran out of time". I was over it by the night before and how I managed to refrain from being passive aggressive and crabby all day is beyond me.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you felt as blessed as you are!

The Holy Family

Hazel had her first acting debut as the one and only Jesus Christ - big shoes to fill for a rookie. She did great and totally passed as our newborn male Savior. She was all smiles up there and enjoyed stealing the show at a local nursing home.

I on the other hand was upgraded from an Angel (back in 2008) to Mary! I could not be more happy. Hazel has changed my life in so many wonderful ways.

8 Months Old & Semi-Freak OUT by ME.

My sweet girl is 8 months old! I just can't believe it. I have a little tendon issue in my wrist, so I won't be typing much (so sorry, faithful readers). A quick little update on her my beautiful daughter and very best friend:

Says "mama" occasionally!! YIPPYYYY!!! Mostly it's "ma" or "mm" or "boogwoohdblah", but I know what she means.
Crawls ... it began with a backward worm thing and now she will get into the plank position and creep forward. We're working on this one. She improves every day.
Has 2 cute little teeth.
Sucks at night lately (sleeping has been an issues lately).
Loves finger foods and enjoys feeding herself.
Laughs like CRAZY at her silly daddy.
Still loves baths and splashing and playing with (in the form of chomping on) her animals and letters.
Has stranger anxiety and is terrified of certain people ... like my dad. Poor guy barely gets a stare down before she starts bawling.


Now for the semi freak out part. If you are a true blog-stalker, you will have noticed that I blocked all readers for about 3 hours yesterday. This is because I all of a sudden got 7 emails about comments on posts from years back. I FREAKED OUT and thought I was being crazy-stalked, like almost murdered. You are now pleased to see that I have re opened my blog for your viewing pleasure. This is because I could not sleep because I was thinking about being murdered, and I came down to inspect a little further of my murderers, who turned out to be fellow graduate students. I see now that I am probably safe, and again trust the world. AMEN! If you haven't noticed my fan base under the "Graduate School Barbie" post from 2010, please explore it. I'm expecting an email from Matt Lauer inviting me to be a guest any day now. It's been fun reading all the posts from grad students and brings back fond memories of my grad school days. I mean, I've been officially done with all things studying for 14 days now, so I can barely remember what it was like.

I have been listening to The Help on my iPod - yes, months after the movie has been out, we do not move fast here, people - and I am in love. It's so wonderful. It has been a life saver as little Hazel becomes the HAZELMONSTER in the night. Mostly she wakes up and wants to be rocked, so I rock her for 30 min to 2 hours, whenever she falls asleep deep enough to stay asleep for more than 10 minutes. Not sure if it's teeth or Satan - but it's been going on for a bit. However, now that I have my beloved book to listen to, I bolt up with a smile when that little whine comes across the baby monitor and I can get back to snuggling my peanut and listening to my book. It's almost finished, but have no fears - I have reserved a Jodi Picoult book on CD (Sing You Home) to be picked up tomorrow.

Fall zipped by, but we sure enjoyed it! Haze loves anything that crunches, so the leaves were a hit. Now we have a layer of snow. I never minded the snow or winter, but trying to hold a round girl in a puffy coat while wearing gloves and a puffy coat is nearly impossible. Also, it is too cold to run or walk with the little one outside, and we haven't done so since the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving with elementary cooking. I'm pretty much over this cold already and rip roaring ready for spring. Thank goodness we have the mall to power walk in.

Hazel loves the Children's Museum here in town. Here we are playing away:

We also have a Christmas tree! I wanted to begin a tradition of cutting down a tree with our little family, but C.J. talked me out of it. After all, walking out in the cold snow holding a slippery bundled baby, not to mention (observing) the whole chopping/dragging thing sounds more like torture than tradition. Maybe next year. Probably not.

Our Christmases began with a 3 day adventure in St. Peter with C.J. extended family. Tons of fun seeing everyone! Here is Hazel meeting Santa for the first time. She didn't even cry - I was so proud!


I'll conclude this excessively long post with some BIG NEWS - I have passed the NBCOT ... ANNNNDDDD (PAUSE FOR EFFECT) I HAVE A JOB!! Woohoo!!