I am probably the only mom in the world who wanted her kid to cry on Santa's lap (makes for a VERY funny picture...note Max), and of course, Hazel had to be Hazel and she didn't make a peep. She was just totally curious and kept staring up at him and grabbing his beard. Here are the very non-funny pictures. (:
So my card reader is broken and I can't get any pictures on the computer, not that I'd have time to anyway. We are crazy busy, Christmas is so chaotic (but I still LOVE it!). So in case I don't get back to blog in the next couple weeks, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a dang awesome New Year!
I secretly always thought Reindeer were fake but the other day my mom, Hazel and I got our picture with a real live one.:) It was so pretty and looked just like the ones in the movies. It's amazing how excited I was over this.
p.s. Nate, Amy and Miles were also there. This is very important information. Feel better Ames? :)
My cousin Stacey and her husband Sean had their darling little boy Jackson Mark Dixon on December 3rd. We are so happy to have him in the family! Congrats Dixons!
Hazel is 11 months old today! She is more entertaining and fun than ever- and she is well aware of it. Here is what she's been up to the last month...
1. You are officially walking now! It's so fun to see you learn and grow but it also make mom sad to think her baby is walking!
2. You are what my mom calls a total 'ham'. You love to tease and be teased, you're always goofing off and trying to make us laugh, and you think you are really funny (and let's face it, you have a point). Grandma Koplin always asks how in the world we'd ever have another child with as much personality as you. I agree with her, that would be very hard to come by. Our little Miss. Personality you are.
3. You finally like to drink from your sippy cup
4. You love music. Anytime you hear any kind of music, you start to dance (bouncing on your knees and flapping your arms in the air).
5. You love being chased. When I say 'I'm gonna get you' you flip around and start cruising as fast as you can away from me. It's our favorite game.
6. You love other kids and you are turning out to be very social. In church, you just go right up to any kid and start playing with them- with a smile on your face the whole time.
7. Your hair is getting really long- especially over your ears. And it's really fine but fluffy. You look like a true muppet baby.
8. You suddenly hate getting changed- clothes and diaper. It's like we are torturing you and you scream relentlessly until we're done. It's getting to point where it's not even possible to change you because you won't stay still and you are too strong. We used to be able to distract you with a toy but now you're onto us and that rarely works. I don't know who you got this stubbornness from? ;)
9. You love being tickled and you have the cutest giggle when we do it. I wish I could get it on video but every time I bring the camera out, you get too distracted and won't focus on laughing anymore. :)
10. You love to play with clothes and you drape them over your neck. I'm not sure if you think it's jewelry or if you're trying to get yourself dressed. I wish you were that willing when I am trying to dress you.
11. You have a fetish of eating baby wipes. Don't ask.
Our little Princess, we love you! Thanks for giving us something to smile about every single day!
Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you all had a good one.
Here's what I'm grateful for today...
1. Holiday's and the excuse it gives us to spend hours and hours being with our family.
2. My testimony and the trials in my life that have given me the chance to strengthen and deepen it.
3. Naps in my warm snuggly bed.
4. Grandparents and the chance they give us parents to eat during dinner. And like Tom said today, the chance to digest after eating too. My dad took Hazel the second she started fussing- even though I know he wasn't done- so that Tom and I could enjoy the rest of the meal. He always does that. Love that guy.
5. Tivo. We just got it and it's glorious. Recorded Jazz Games...what on earth could be better?
Today I am grateful...
1. For my mom and her medical knowledge as a nurse. I called her at 2am last night frantic because Hazel had a fever of 104 and I had no idea what to do or if she was going to die. (yes, once again my being a first time mom is obvious). She knew exactly what to do, told me calmly that Hazel would survive and after doing what she said, Hazel's fever was down and she went right back to sleep. I don't know how I'd ever survive without my mom.
2. For Hazel. With her being sick lately- and more sick than I've ever seen her- it's crossed my mind 'what if the worst happened?'. I spent a long time rocking her and just staring at her beautiful face last night while she slept. My heart is bursting with love for my angel and gratitude for every moment I get to spend with her.
3. For Tom's hard work so that we can live such a nice, comfortable life and I can be home with my girlie. And even though he works so hard, he doesn't obsess about it and he isn't consumed with money; he puts his family first always and keeps his priorities straight. He has found the balance of provider, husband and father and he does it so incredibly well. He is our rock.
4. For Skinny Cows so I can have a treat at night that tastes good and not feel guilty.
5. For snow. How different the season feels looking outside and seeing sunshine and blue skies. I don't know how people live in California.
I'm taking my friend Lindsey up on her idea to post 5 things I'm thankful for all this week. I think it's a good way to remind myself each day how blessed I am and after all, isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about?
Today I am grateful for...
1. My family. All of my family- my husband and daughter, extended family, in-laws, everyone. Each one of them is such a blessing in my life.
2. My friends and how much fun we have when we get together. And that we can talk for hours about everything and never get bored.
3. Heat. It has been such a cold day.
4. Modern medicine, infants' Motrin in particular. My girlie has been sick and anything that helps those sad little eyes look happier deserves a lot of praise.
5. Internet. I can keep in touch with my friends, journal (blog) about my life, shop for Christmas presents while Hazel is napping, and the thing I've appreciated most lately, see my niece Sophie grow up through pictures and videos even though I can't be there in person.
Ok, YOUR turn.
My awesome husband turned 27 yesterday! He is such an old fart. I met him when he was 22 and he'll always be that age in my mind. I keep reminding him that he's almost 30 and he just looks at me like I'm delusional and need a refresher course in math. Nevertheless, we had a really fun week- went to Park City overnight, out to dinner a couple times, and breakfast and presents yesterday morning. I never feel like I can do enough to show him how much I love him, but hopefully my feeble attempts count for something. I love you Tom and could never do this life without you. Hope you had a good one.
[not doing a cheesy post with every detail of why I love him was his last birthday present...anyone who knows Tom knows that's not his thing. Here's to not humiliating you this time hun!]
Yes my friends, I chopped 12 INCHES off my hair! Thanks to the stylist, I didn't even have a chance to chicken out. She put it in a ponytail and before I could jump out of the chair it was gone. I could barely breathe. I haven't had this short of hair since second grade. Occasionally I panic when I look in the mirror and don't recognize myself. Or when I try to flip my hair off my shoulder and there's nothing there. But overall I like it. I don't have a headache for the first time in years it feels like. And when I do stumble across a moment of remorse, I remind myself that someone will benefit from my hair and that makes it all worth it.
This is such a superficial thing to blog about, but I just need some help deciding. I have a hair appointment on Wednesday and I am tempted to chop my hair off. It's really long right now- past the middle of my back- and I'm thinking of cutting it to my shoulders. Do you think I should? Or should I just trim it and keep it long? I can't decide!
Hazel turned into a goldfish last night...and it was the cutest fish I've ever seen! We first went to Dodds & my mom's for her famous Hamburger Stew, Witches Brew (homemade rootbeer), and scones. YUM! Then we trecked to the Koplin's for yet more soup, sugar cookies and ORANGE hot chocolate (and Hazel helped herself to a healthy serving of dog food). We ended the night at the Henderson's where Scott turned into Grandma Beth (see picture below). It was such a fun night- Halloween is WAY MORE FUN with a kid!
Our camera is broken so we had other people take most of the pictures and I don't have those back yet, but here is what I got with our substitute camera...
Yes, sweet baby girl you are 10 months old today! You are growing and learning so much and it has been the most incredible experience to watch you develop into a little person right in front of our eyes. You bring us so much happiness- we spend so many of our days just laughing at every little thing you do. Here's what you've been up to the last month...
1. First of all, in the first week of October, you took your first steps! This, however, does not mean you're walking. You do not understand why we would make you work to get to us when you could crawl and get there twice as fast. Every now and then we can coax you into walking to us, but you don't like to do it for long. So for now, you are still very much a crawler.
2. You have this funny thing (it's grandma yoj's favorite) where when you're standing or crawling and you get excited, you point one leg out to the side and start kicking it. Kind of hard to explain but it's like a really hyper ballerina. You have also started to walk and stand on your tiptoes. We may have a dancer on our hands already.
3. You give kisses and they are our FAVORITE thing! You lean in with your mouth WIDE open and slobber us. We love it! (this is something you will only love if it's your own kid. Don't worry- I won't make her slobber you.)
4. You click your tongue. I don't know how to explain it but I'll show you when you read this later and are confused.
5. You have learned to clap. And you get so very proud of yourself when you do it. It's too cute for words.
6. When you are standing and something excites you, you start flapping your arms about as if conducting an orchestra. We need to get this on tape.
7. You follow mom around all day long. A couple weeks ago I tried to hide from you (don't judge- sometimes you'll do anything for a break) and I watched you crawl into each room of our house and look around for me before moving to the next room. Yes, you don't just see me and come crawling, you actually go around LOOKING for me and don't stop until you find me. I was laughing so hard when this happened I couldn't possibly be annoyed.
8. When it's past your bedtime and past the tantrum of being tired, you get in a very loopy- and our favorite- mood. You are totally drunken. You have no coordination, laugh hysterically at EVERYTHING, and lay on us and stay still (although I think this is just a lack of energy and coordination to move, but hey, we'll take it as snuggling). Sometimes you'll kiss us and just stay there for a few minutes- with your face smashed against our cheek. Dad and I laugh harder in these times than any others.
9. You still scare easily and unfortunately your father likes to take advantage of this. Let's just say you may be traumatized for life by the tape measurer.
11. You have your two bottom teeth and mom is sad because she is going to miss your gum-my kisses!
10. You are the happiest baby. You smile and laugh all the time- at the littlest things. You remind us to not take life too seriously. And to enjoy even the small moments.
I am obsessed with this color lately and I have a feeling my kids are going to make fun of me for it in 20 years. Nonetheless, this is one beautiful peacoat.
If only I could spend $78 on one piece of clothing... chances aren't good.
I can dream for free, though, right?
My sister Amy took these pictures of Hazel at Wheeler Farm the other day. She is so good at capturing moments and this was even with a regular digital camera. Let's hope she buys a fancy camera and can start doing professional pictures of Hazel all the time! :) [for free, right Ame?!]
Nate and Brittany (my sister and husband) brought Sophie to town last week to show her off and so we could throw them a baby shower. It was so much fun to have them here, to spend time as family and as sisters, and to have all three of our kids play together (although at this point, the playing consists of Hazel poking Sophie's eye out and Miles getting bugged that Hazel steals all his toys. Still, it's entertaining for us!) The week was busy with family dinners, parties, the zoo and the baby shower. We were so sad to see them leave, but we just keep focusing on Christmas when they'll be here again! Here are some pictures from the week:
FAMILY FUN
the sisters and our babies
Sophie's feet compared to The Giant's feet (aka my dad)
the husbands were kind enough to take the kids home so we could ooh & ahh over Sophie with our mom and sissies
this is what happens if you leave Nate alone with his daughter
Hazel showing off her mad skills to Sophie and Grandpa
THE ZOO
the Koplin gang
is this child abuse?
the only animal Hazel responded to was the Wart-hog. Only my child...
THE SHOWER
Mom and sissies with pseudo sister Jess (Lake-Floor-Stonebraker) :), Sophie and Hazel
sisters and beautiful Sophie
Hazel playing with my Grandma Tippets
Britt, Sophie, my cousin Kristen, and my Grandma Koplin
We had about 18 people at the shower, but unfortunately didn't get a group picture, and I don't have pictures of everyone, so sorry to all those not shown! Thanks to everyone who made the shower so wonderful!
What a fun week! Hey Howell's- can you come back tomorrow?
[I think my hubby looks so foxy in this picture :)]
I am needing to pay a large tribute to my amazing husband Tom. He has done so much for me lately, I really don't think I would've survived the last couple weeks without him. I threw 2 showers and a party in the last week and I really needed to get our condo finished and cleaned beforehand. It was a lot of work and I was freaking out because there was no way I was going to finish in time. But then there's Tom. Who spends HOURS doing ANYTHING I ask him to to help me. And on top of it, he puts up with me frantically bossing him around without one single complaint, and takes care of Hazel through it all. My sister came in town this week too and there were many nights I got to just stay and hang out with my sisters while Tom took Hazel home to sleep or just hung out with her elsewhere so I could really enjoy my time with my family. Again, with NO complaints whatsoever. Then to make things even crazier, after the week was over, I got really sick on Sunday night. Tom, again, took care of Hazel and forced me to relax- take a bath, stay in bed, not move a muscle. He made me my favorite kind of ice cream and brought it to me in bed- twice. The house was a disaster on Monday and he told me to lay down and watch movies all day and that the house didn't matter, I needed to take care of me.
To sum up, Tom is the most kind, considerate, helpful and loving husband any girl could dream of. He has literally saved me these last couple weeks. And the funny thing is, this wasn't a one time thing. He does this EVERY SINGLE time I throw a shower or have something going on that stresses me out, have Young Women's, or even just need a break. He is so understanding of my needs. He is a million times better a husband than I could ever be as a wife. I sat back on Sunday night and just thought how blessed I am to have a husband who loves me this much. And then I thought, wow Heavenly Father, you did an amazing job. I didn't think a guy this incredible could ever be made. I love you Tom and I love you more every day that I know you. Thanks for everything. You are my strength.
We had a bunch of Tom's friends over on Friday night because John Poelman was in town. It was so fun to get everyone together. We have such an awesome group of friends!
We were cracking up that all 8 boys crammed into our tiny kitchen while the girls spread out and chatted in the living room. It's funny how we always separate, but as we girls discussed that night, the boys turn so weird when they're together that it's much easier to talk without them! (clockwise: Lear, Preston, Tom, Tommy, John, Tay, Sperry, Sam)
Hazel wanted to be in the middle of the boys the whole night...she would just sit there and want all their attention on her. Yeah, the teenage years are going to be fun... ;)
the ladies (L to R: Lindsey Harrison, Tally Turner, Ashley Lear, Karen Hayes, moi, Amy Waltman)
Hazel and Hailey were both way past their bedtime but did really well because they were so entertained by each other. Aren't they cute?!
