1..2..3..Months Old!

The post is a little late, but I thought I'd note that Hazel just passed the 3 month mark (17th). Happy Birthday, Hazel Jane! Awhile back I thought it'd be great to take a picture in the same place each month on her "birthday" (not an original idea) to watch how she grows. I didn't see much with just 2 pictures, but now adding the third you can really see how she's getting bigger! The task is much more daunting than I thought it would be. It's pretty difficult to get her to sit up and sit still -- and even more difficult to snap a decent expression. There are lots of smiles to chose from, but my camera & I never seem to get it quite right. Oh well, the point is to watch the growth, we'll have other pictures to capture the beauty. Take a look ---

1 Month Old...

2 Months... and 3 Months!

I think I see it mostly in her chubby thighs, but also height & head -- she's just getting bigger all over! This is probably just as amazing as watching grass grow to most -- of course, all babies grow -- but it's amazing to me to watch my baby grow. Like she won an Oscar or something.

The third month has brought joy after joy. She laughs now. She loves watching me motorboat my lips -- finds it hilarious. And tries it herself sometimes, too, mostly resulting in spit bubbles. She woke up the other morning and I guess had discovered her tongue; she just wanted to move it around and in and out for a few days. She's over that now, thank goodness. She rolled over at 2 1/2 months, but we've already talked about that. She loves to play on her belly, and when she gets tired she turns to her back to play. Still loves to look in the mirror and at her mobile, and is getting used to some new "friends" she got for Christmas. (I call her toys "friends", it makes me feel less bad when I let her play with them and go do something else.) Two of her favorites are her play gym & her play tv. I also got her a Kickin' Coaster, and she loves it. I would very highly recommend that seat. She can push herself up and down, and it lights up when she kicks hard enough. Very good for muscle development, and way better than a seat you just passively sit in.

I'm a huge fan of her new schedule. I nurse her & tuck her in her crib around 9:30 or 10pm, and she sleeps until about 7:30am! Sometimes she cries when I put her down, but she is usually over it and konked out within 30 minutes. I like to think that the Bedtime With the Beatles music helps. She takes 1-2 naps during the day, but I haven't found much consistency with her naps yet. If she starts to get really cranky & red around the eyes, it's into the crib to cry to sleep, and she's been doing very well with that method.

I worked out for the first time the other day. My sister got me the Gold's Gym resistance workout kit for Christmas, and it is truly incredible. I don't think I'll ever go to a gym again! Hopefully I'll be back to my old weight soon -- only 7 pounds to go, but they are sure being stubborn. We also did Itsy Bitsy Yoga (for mother & baby) the other day. I almost couldn't finish the dvd because it was getting so cheesy, but every time I thought about stopping, Hazel would crack up like she was having so much fun, so I continued. I think we'll learn the routine & then do it without the sappy instructor.

Hazel & Tory have started to develop more of a relationship as well. It's neat to see her comforted by his deep loud voice & big hands; so different from my approach. It's so sweet to know she can appreciate a wide spectrum of affection.

She goes through several outfits a day now -- with all the drooling, spitting up, and major blow outs, it's just inevitable. I don't mind, really. She's got so many cute clothes and I love to see her in all of them. She grows out of things so fast right now, it's probably the only chance she has of getting to wear everything in her closet!

She is still nursing really well, and I am so thankful for the success we've had in that department. I LOVE nursing. It's such a bonding experience, and I love knowing that she is getting good nutrition. I'm also super glad I don't have to wash bottles & endure all the inconvenience that goes with formula. Our dishwasher still doesn't work. I hope to nurse at least until she is 6 months old, and maybe for a year if we can, but we'll see how it all works out.

Hazel is really such a joy. She is quick to smile and just makes the most beautiful sounds. I really love her disposition, and am thankful to have been blessed with such a breezy baby for my first. I know I'm completely biased, but I just think there is something really special about her -- a spark in her eyes that you don't see in every baby. Yes, I'm in love. Unabashedly in love.

Daisy-o-Daisy

Thought I would blog about another baby today. This is DAISY.
For you regular bluebird readers you may remember her from a posting last fall. Tory brought her home as a pup about a week before we had Hazel. I kind of think of her as "the other woman"... I've never really been a Daisy fan. I couldn't object, because since I've known Tory, I've invited 4 cats & 3 dogs into our lives without consulting him about it at all. So when he finally wanted "his own" dog, I couldn't really say no -- even though I was about to birth a child.

You may remember Charlie, the chocolate love of my life that passed away right after we got married in 07. Part of the reason I haven't liked Daisy is that I feel like she's supposed to be a replacement for him, and that just makes me want to vomit. Like that's even remotely possible. Tory says I've idolized Charlie after death, and I'm sure that's partly true. But he really was amazing, and he was mine. (And that has a lot of value when everything suddenly becomes "ours"...)

I got Charlie at a time in my life when I was available to spend a lot of time with him and train him. That, combined with getting to run off a ton of energy at the farm with Tory everyday, made for a very well behaved dog. And he just knew me in such a wonderful way. I loved being known. He was also what I believe to be the most attractive dog ever. When someone says "dog" I have always, and still do picture a brown, block-headed, short-coated dog. Just plain and strong and beautifully brown. I've never really cared for multi-colored or long haired breeds. Ick.

When Velda went into heat last year (she's the yellow lab below), Tory tried to mate her with Bear (a very regal and strong chow mix from the Olathe farm). I probably would have welcomed this offspring, even though their coats would have been a bit long. But when the pups came out, it was clear that the little bitch whored around a little before Bear got to her. Because all the pups were obviously Pablo's (the black dog below).

Pablo has a lot of fans out there (most of Tory's family loves him), but I have NEVER been one. The dog just bugs me. He jumps like crazy, which I think is completely unacceptable. And he just has this funny energy about him... I don't know. He doesn't know how to mind, and I just don't get the appeal on any level. I will say the dog can run fast. Probably even faster than Charlie (that statement shows I have retained some degree of objectivity). But he's so hairy and jumpy and just ... ick. So there's another strike against Daisy.

By the time I shell out love to Hazel, and to Nelson (the scruffy pup above), and to Chin (my cat), there's just hardly any left for Daisy. And I didn't even mention Tory in that list -- he needs love to. And what about myself? Always passed over these days. Daisy is a puppy -- into everything and lots of energy. She's just challenging for me to love. Really challenging.

But I have realized this past week that she is the dog that Hazel will grow up with. I mean, there's Nelson too, but he's a terrier and not much of a cuddle-bug. There is a chance that Hazel & Daisy could develop a beautiful relationship of knowing and being known. So I've decided I need to invest some of myself in this dog for that very possibility. She does have a sweet heart, I can tell that already, she just needs "rules, boundaries, and limitations" as Cesar Milan would say. I can't have my Charlie back, but there's a chance Hazel could have a shot at the same kind of love, so here goes.

Daisy, come here honey. Let's spend 30 minutes trying to teach you how to hold still.

Twenty Little Piggies

This is special to me. Very precious. Morning wake-up & play in pajamas time. She's going to be walking in no time.

Some pretty morning pics

Hazel Rolls Over!

Hazel rolled over from front to back for the first time on January 6th, at the young age of 2 1/2 months. Way to go! Here's a video of one of her stunning performances. (Turn your sound down unless you want to hear my super cheesy stage-mom voice.) Watch for the victorious fist pump at the end.

One of my favorites...

More Onesies for New Babies of Old Friends

Today Hazel went to one of her first & finest girl parties. Our dear friend Becca (www.wirkenphoto.com) is expecting a little girl, and Hazel & I have been so excited! Well, ok, Hazel doesn't realize it yet, but give her a few years & I think she'll be great pals with the little Spears just like I am with Mama Spears. I don't have any pics of the party, my hands were busy enough with baby & the most delectable pastries you've ever seen. Becca rented out Natasha's Mulberry & Mott down at Mission Farms for a Marie Antoinette Tea Party themed baby shower. It was a beautiful party, and Hazel & I were so happy to go.
Over the summer I copied my mother's hobby and started embroidering. I really love it. I haven't had a creative outlet for quite awhile, so it was nice to experience that again. (I was crazy craft girl in high school...) I made quite a few onesies for Hazel that turned out really well. (I posted pictures of those last fall.) Here are the two I made for Becca's little darling.

I'm never sure whether it's appropriate to complement your own handiwork, but I'll go ahead this time and just say that I LOVE this owl. I was so proud of it. It was actually kind of complicated & took me longer than any I've made so far (which is only like 7, but still). You can't see in this picture, but the branch wraps around the side. I used several different types of stitching to hopefully give the lines different textures, and I used several different colors of thread in the eyes to give it a little more dimension. There isn't a lot out there right now on interesting embroidery technique, so I'm kind of making stuff up as I go. Anyway, I love it, and I think Becca does too.

Christmas... Just Us

I think this is my favorite picture from Christmas, and it doesn't even have Hazel in it! The weekend after Christmas, Tory & I had our holiday celebration. We always have crab legs, and this year we added lemon roasted potatoes, "red lobster" biscuits, and caesar salad. Finish it off with some angel food cake with berries & whipped cream, and it's about the best meal I can imagine. It felt so good to just take time & cook and not have anyone else around. Also felt good to polish off a good bottle of wine. After a few presents (he got me Spanish Rosetta Stone & a gift card to get a chiminea & truck load of pinon), we ended the night watching A Charlie Brown Christmas on the laptop in bed. So relaxed. So nice. More traditional holiday pics to come later, but I wanted to get this one up first.