Gravity Works

Yes I may have gotten a little “video-posting happy”, but here is one more…

Timberrrrrr!

Presenting our first real tree!  Although we picked a bitterly cold day to go and chop it down (don’t be mislead by the sun).  Suffice to say, we made our decision as quickly as possible.  Notice in the video I observe which way I think the tree will fall as Phillip continues to saw away…it gets good at about the 35 second mark

Can-me-came

We’ve got video!  

Hazel’s first candy cane

The baby of a thousand faces

Katie took these the other day while Hazel was eating lunch.  I thought they were priceless.

29 Weeks and a New Do!

We took a combo shot since I haven’t posted an updated belly pic in a while and I also chopped off my hair!  I am really liking the new look, but a little disappointed because I didn’t know really how much hair she was going to have to cut in order to get the “angled bob look” and it wasn’t until after she finished that the stylist said “two more inches and we could have donated.”  It was hard cutting off that much hair but if I had known I was so close I think I could have stomached the extra two inches.  I mean, it’s just hair.  

Anywho, the pregnancy has been progressing very well.  Lots of fetal movement.  Actually lots is an understatement, I am convinced this boy is going to be a soccer player, punter, or kick boxer.  Consequently, sleep has been a bit difficult to come by lately.  I had my diabetes testing done about a week and a half ago and everything came back fine.  We are still contemplating names, but feel we may finally have a good lead!

29 weeks and a new do

Keep Scrolling Down: Several New Posts to follow!

Katie (KK) And Tim (Timmy)

My good friend Katie and her husband Tim, recently returned to the US after living abroad for the past nine months.  Upon their return, they have spent the past couple weeks traveling and visiting family and friends.  They made Hazel’s birthday party a priority and came to spend a few days with us as well.  We had a wonderful visit and Hazel even developed a little crush on “Timmy.”  

Katie and Hazel reading

chillin with Tim

A tired, bath-time Hazel, warming up with Katie

Terrifically 2!

Hazel woke up yesterday asking to “Blow up Bamoons?!”  (That is how she says balloons).  She loves balloons and couldn’t wait to help daddy blow up 30 of them!  She was quite the helper and carried around all of them, plus her monkey!  After the balloons we painted nails for the first time.  she was quite the interested and patient paintee.  With all of the decorating, balloon fun, nail painting and overall birthday excitement, it was impossible to get her down for a nap.  She happily laid in her bed for an hour singing “Happy Birthday.”  So if she looks a little dazed in her b-day pics it is because she is running on no nap.  She was wonderfully behaved and really enjoyed her party guests and festivities.  

The Monkey that started it all (with one shoe on)

 

Hazel’s second (monkey) birthday party was a great success!  With Family and close friends in attendance we ate, drank (lemonade), and were merry.  Hazel was, of course, lavished with tons of love and gifts.  The monkey population in our house has now gone from one to six stuffed little guys.  Thank you to everyone who came and shared in Hazel’s special day!

The Monkey that started it all (with one shoe on)

balloon holder extraordinaire!

helping daddy with the balloon operation

Happy to see Moo Ma and also note the adorable hair band Katie made

Katie decorating the monkey cake

blowing her nails dry

She was very intrigued

nail painting

She needed to rest

Cousin Finley called to say “Happy Birthday”

balloons in one arm, monkey in the other

“lots of bamoons!”

“Bamoons!”

Kinda pooped, lounging with Emily

opening another monkey with Uncle Doe

excited about another monkey

lounging on the monkey blanket Aunt Kathy made

Eating monkey’s ear

getting into a better angle to blow the candles out

pure joy “Happy Birthday” is her favorite song, she was so happy

“The monkey cake” beautifully frosted by Katie (aka: KK)

Monkey cake and some of the decor

Monkey Timeout

Hazel has been averaging a few timeouts a week, for a variety of reasons, mostly for hitting/pulling/poking/smacking/jumping on the dog.  We set the timer for two minutes and she sits on her timeout bench and takes her punishment like a champ.  We follow the Super Nanny Timeout procedure precisely, and besides the occasional relapse, this seems to really be an effective punishment for her.  I am not judging here, but I just can’t see punishing a two year old who is hitting, by hitting her back.  Seems like the lesson would be a mute point.  Anyway, Hazel, apparently, has the process down as well and we find her reprimanding monkey on an almost daily basis with a timeout.  She is quite a stickler because she tells monkey “Ten Minutes.”  We have asked her several times why monkey is in timeout and it is almost always for “hitting Dora”  or “pulling Dora’s ear”, ironically the same things Hazel has been punished for.  It is too cute to see her sit monkey down, tell him why he was naughty, explain how long he has to sit there,  and “no talking.”  

Disclaimer:  Before you judge me as a mother, after seeing a tip-able plant stand, shade chords, and an open outlet (note: outlet cover on ground) where our child is playing; know that we were rearranging to make room for the Christmas tree, so the room was in a bit of disarray.  

I think it embarrassed her when I caught her in mid-reprimand

Explaining to monkey why he was being punished and for how long

waiting for her playmates timeout time to expire

Mommy Sentiment

My baby girl is turning two on Saturday!  Like any parent I ask, “Where did the time go?”  The changes that occur in little ones in the first two years are extraordinary. I thought I would write a list of everything she is doing and saying, but I just I can’t seem to shake this comment:

(This evening, I overheard someone say) “Don’t have kids until you are ready to lose your life.”

This comment angered and saddened me at the same time.

Even though it was meant in a  negative sense, I thought the same verbiage was completely true in reverse.

We did lose our lives when we had Hazel.  Maybe I was a boring person to begin with, but nothing I was doing, BH (Before Hazel), would even compare to the fulfillment, passion, love, gratitude, happiness, I feel/have for my daughter. The joy she has added to our lives is imeasureable.   It is exhilarating sharing something new with her (like Chirstmas lights) and experiencing her genuine excitement on an almost daily basis. I find myself taking these things less for granted,  trying to experience life through the lenses of a child.

On weekends Phillip and I all but race to Hazel’s bedroom with her first morning peeps.  The sight and sound of our daughter is a gift, one we cherish, every single day.  We hang on her every word, new facial expression, funny bodily function, or really anything she does.

Yes our lives have changed dramatically since having Hazel.   A child is, of course, a tremendous repsonsibility, but the only thing we have lost has been some spontaneity, which is hardly a sacrifice considering what we have gained 100 fold in return.

(I don’t speak for Dora (our dog) who may argue that she has lost a lot of hair)

Happy Birthday sweet girl!