4th Month in Pictures

{ The many faces of Hazel in a restaurant  }

 

{  First time at the pool!  }

{  "Happy Father's Day, Dad!"  }

{  It was a good mail day for Hazel  }

{  Hazel had her first fever and got sent home from daycare in the middle of the day on a Wednesday. Her fever dropped that night, but Thursday evening it spiked again, so she couldn't go back to daycare until the next Monday.  }

{  Action shot! -- Just swingin' and chewing on her elephant  }

{  Chewing on her bottom lip and holding her toes; two new things she learned to do  }

{  FRAAANZ  }

{  There's the drool!  }

{  There's some more!  }

(  First 4th of July!! - We walked up the street to see the town's fireworks, and she slept through the whole show. }

{  Twins! She got her eyes from me :D  }

{  We tested out the cow jumper, but she just wasn't quite big enough yet. Norbert wasn't sure what to make of it.  }

{  Serious cowgirl  }

{  Do you want to eat her cheeks? ...or is that just me?  }

{  Possibly one of my favorite pictures!  }

{  We have had Norbert for 26 months which mean he is about 29 months old (give or take)... maybe he'll get a 30 month post all to himself... but probably not. We love you Norbert!!! <3  }

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4 Months of Hazel

Dear Hazel,

I can't believe another month has already passed. You have been learning so much so quickly and of course you are still growing quicker than my heart can handle. You are now 26 inches long weighing 14.2 pounds. Everyone comments about how tall you are going to be, because you're already so long.

You are wearing 3-6 month clothing now (although we still squeeze you into some of your smaller stuff.)

You have changed a lot this past month. You literally learn things overnight. Suddenly one day you knew where your feet were and now you love to grab onto them while you're playing on the floor. You are getting better control over your hands, and you frequently try to grasp things and put them in your mouth. You have gotten much better at holding your head up while laying on your tummy, and you're rolling around a lot! At daycare they say you're a reckless roller because you roll over so quickly and sometimes hit your head on the floor in the process.

You are learning all kinds of new sounds, but our favorite is your laughter. Sometimes you sound like a little old man laughing, because you still haven't quite found your voice for it. A few nights ago, though, we took a family trip to Office Max. Your dad was pushing you around in the cart looking at things, while I was waiting in line for customer service. Suddenly, I heard this loud, high-pitched baby laugh and I had to jump out of line and track you guys down to see if it was really you laughing. Sure enough, you were just giggling away at your dad's face and I could hear it all the way across the store.

Lately, you have been in such a good mood. Everything is interesting to you and you love taking in the world and seeing new things. You are entertained by funny faces, and you really like to see your own face in the mirror. You still enjoy being outside and going for walks too.

If there's one word to summarize this month, I would say it is DROOL! You are so drooly and love to chew on your hands, our hands, teething toys, and your pacifiers. You can soak a onesie in drool in no time at all. I haven't felt any teeth poking through so I'm not sure if you are actually teething or just exploring the world with your mouth.

Your sleep schedule has stayed pretty consistent, although the past week you have been waking up an extra time or two during the night. You still sleep in the pack and play next to our bed. We moved you into your nursery for one whole night, but we missed you and brought you back to our room the next day.

I made a big change this month by leaving my full time job. I will be working part time from home now in order to spend more time with you! You will still be hanging out with Mimi and Grandpa one day a week, and still attending daycare a couple days too. You seem to like daycare and do fun things like make artwork, and you have many new friends that you'll be able to play with too (Willa, Zadie, Amelia, Harper, Anastasia -- so many cute names!). But of course I plan to relish in all the Mama-Hazel time I can. Get ready for lots of walking and library story time and whatever other fun things we can come up with to do (Mama-baby yoga?!).

You and your dad have developed a special bond. I don't think anybody can make you smile quite like he can. You are completely infatuated with him and just love to watch him do whatever it is he is doing.

Later today we are heading to Arizona and you get to take your first airplane ride. You're going to get to see a new slew of family members who have been anxiously waiting to meet you. I know they are going to love you just as much as we do.

I love everything about you. The way to stretch your arms the very second I unwrap you in the mornings. Your stern looks and crossed eyebrows. Your broad grin and little dimples. The chubbiness of your thighs, and your jiggly cheeks. Your barely-there, fluffy hair. You are better than I ever could have imagined you'd be. We're so smitten. And our fondness for you just keeps on growing.

Love, love, love
Momma


I'm going to have to do a separate post with all her 3-4 month pictures, because I need to finish packing and head to the airport! -- I also didn't proof read this so sorry for any errors! #NoTime

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First Father's Day

This is, of course, a little belated...

Sunday was Tyler and Hazel's first Father's Day... and I couldn't wait for it. Seriously, I think I was more excited for it than the two of them combined. Part of the reason I was so excited was to give Tyler his gifts. Hazel and I made him a really awesome onesie (for Hazel to wear, not Tyler) to commemorate the day, complete with her daddy's face on it. Hazel also thoughtfully made him a World's Best Dad magnet in school, which was so sweet, and she even hand painted it (her first artwork!).

{  Tyler would really like her first words to be "Yes, Daddy!"  }

Really though, it was a day to tell him what an awesome dad he is. Because he is the awesome-est of dads.

I knew he was going to be an awesome dad when we first got Norbert. I know a dog is nothing like a baby, but Norbert brought out a very fatherly, goofy side of Tyler and I knew it would only be enhanced by a real baby. He hasn't let me down.

He is an excellent caretaker and the only thing that really separates our level of care for Hazel is the fact that I have the boobies that feed her. He's the diapering expert of the family though.

I love when he gets home from work and I pass Hazel into his arms; they are both nothing but sweet smiles. He makes up the silliest songs to sing and stories to tell, and I know they are going to have so many little inside jokes together. Already, he instills good values into their "talks" and encourages her to be whatever she wants. (They have been working on her blast-off skills just in case she wants to be an astronaut.)

I love to watch him love her, and I can't imagine anyone being a better father. Happy (Belated) Father's Day to you both (again)! You two make me proud.

{  It wasn't Norbert's first Father's Day rodeo  }

And happy (belated) Father's Day to our dads (again) and their first year being grandfathers!

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