Jordan Family Time

Here are some pictures with GG (Great Grandma) and Great Grandpa. Aunt Jill and cousins Chris and Kelsey came up from Visalia to visit too!! What fun Hazel had with so many family members who love her. We leave for home tomorrow, and though we have had a wonderful visit, Hazel is starting to really miss her daddy! YAY, we get to see him tomorrow night!

Hazel with mommy on at GG's house

Hazel with GG

Mommy, Hazel and GG

Hazel and cousin Kelsey

Hazel with cousin Chris

Hazel enjoy's GG's flowers

Hazel "flies" with Aunt Jill

Hazel with Chris

Hazel and Great Grandpa

Hazel loves her Great Grandpa

Hazel stretches her legs with Mommy, Kelsey and Kirby!

Cousins!

GG, Mommy & Hazel

California Girls!

Hazel, my mom (Nana) and I all trecked down to Stockton, California on Wednesday to spend the second 1/2 of Spring Break with relatives in the Golden State! We have stayed with GREAT Grandma and Grandpa and Hazel has really enjoyed figuring out all the new funny faces and voices as she meets more family and friends.

We were due to leave Tuesday, but when I came down with my FIRST (and I pray LAST) migraine headache, we were forced to delay our departure a day. Thankfully, Hazel wasn't put out by this, and was quite the cheerful traveler for the 9.5 hour drive! Mom and I took turns sitting in the back seat with her when she wasn't due for a nap, in order to keep her awake and her sleep schedule somewhat on track. It worked!! She slept the first night here in Stockton for ELEVEN hours straight, as did mom and I. Heaven!!

Here are a some pictures from our visit thus far....

Hazel meets Great-Great Aunt Sharon...she was VERY inquisitive!

Hazel reaches for a taste of her mom's hot dog from "Dad's Dogs."

Hazel meets (second) cousin Ava for the first time!

Hazel meets cousin Bobby and his new bride, Sarah.

Second Cousins....Ava, Trenton, Auston & Hazel.

Kissing Cousins! Ava was generous with her kisses for Hazel.

Hazel was smitten with Ava.

Hazel in awe of the big kids!

Oh NO!

I can't believe what I did last night.....I wiped off ALL the pictures from my memory card, INSTEAD of the ONE picture I meant to delete. I tried and tried and tried to recover the precious pictures of our visit with Grandma and Grandpa Garner this past weekend, and Easter.....but those pictures are GONE. I am soooo very sad and still can't believe how quickly something like that happens. I suppose a lesson has been learned, but I can't get those pictures back! :( I better end this rant as it is getting me frustrated and upset again.....

Happy Easter

Hazel had her first Easter!! She wasn't too sure about the silly tights that she wasn't able to pull off (like she does her socks), but humored her mom by sitting pretty for a number of pictures! She had some cute conversations with her bunny rabbit and then gave up on getting a response from him.

We spent Easter day with Nana, Grandpa (Jordan) and Uncle Patrick and Bonnie. Hazel ate right along side the rest of us at the table, enjoying some asparagus for the first time (thanks to the food grinder). Surprisingly, she seemed to enjoy it. She really liked watching me eat my food in between giving her bites of her own...such a big girl!!

Happy Easter to all!

(I will post pictures tonight.)

Grandma & Grandpa Garner

Hazel had a great visit with Grandma & Grandpa Garner this past weekend! She was sooo delighted to see them again and show them what a big girl she is becoming. They came with the most adorable childsize bench that Grandpa put together and placed out in Gwen's Garden in the front yard. Hazel tried it out in the living room and definitely will be sitting in it more and more as she gains stability!

(I will post pictures when I get home tonight!)

Hazel's Chair

My mom, Nana, made this special chair for Hazel...and it is soooo exciting to see Hazel enjoying it now! She loves touching the dots of colored hot glue and is slowly figuring out how to "rock". Don't worry, I am always RIGHT THERE, as she gets interested in the bottom of the chair and then I am sure you can imagine what happens...balance isn't that easy for Miss Hazel just yet.

I just love this picture of Hazel in her new velour jumpsuit from Auntie Joanne!

Hazel & Bella

Bella was quite interested in Hazel sitting in her little baby rocker (from Nana). Bella always loves when Hazel is "on her level" and something about her sitting like a big girl was very interesting to Bella. I intended to just snap some pictures of Hazel enjoying the rocker, but Bella kept getting in the way...until I just let her be, as she is becoming more and more a buddy for Hazel.

Three Amigos

Hazel spent time last weekend with her buddies, Ryan and Nathan. I spent time with their mommies, Ang and Patti. It is SO amazing to see the three of them developing, becoming so much more social, especially with each other. Ryan REALLY wanted to tackle Hazel when the three were supposed to be sitting pretty for the camera.....

(Nathan very innocently watched as Ryan tackled Hazel!)

6 Month Photos

I will try to share a few photos from our 6 month photo adventure last weekend at JCPenny...however, since the photos are protected I am not sure if they will come out way too small or not. Here is a test...

Go Ducks!

Will and Beau went to the Oregon Duck men's basketball game last night!

The Ducks WON!

Will had fun getting in the Duck spirit...what a good sport for a Boise State fan! :)

Hazel with Hair...hopefully when it grows in it won't be this shade!!

Half Birthday!

Hazel is SIX months old today. What a big girl! She is sitting so well on her own, eating sweet potatoes like they are going out of style, and laughing and squealing at all of her mommy and daddy's "funny" antics! What a precious daughter we have been blessed with. She makes each day an adventure like we have never known. Each day we see her blossom and change. Each day our love for her grows. Thank you Hazel for the past six months...just the beginning of what lies ahead...

We took Hazel to get photos done at the JCPenny photo studio today. Hmm. Didn't go as I wanted, and yet again I was forced to remember the important lessons of flexibility and patience. Hazel was smiling and laughing as we waited our turn to pose for the camera. Kiddos came in left and right with their mommies and daddies....we kept sitting. Then it was our turn, and our little girl, who had been so content, became miss fussy pants! I guess this is part of being a parent to a little one.

We did get a FEW good shots. As the tension faded in my shoulders, and I scooped up my tired and hungry baby girl, I thought about the bright side. Maybe a FEW is better than many. My wallet wasn't quite as light as it could have been...and my indecisive mind appreciated not having even more of a challenge.

We should get the photos in a few weeks and I will scan them in to share.

Happy * Half * Hazel

(Maybe the professional photo session will go better at one year??)

Yummy Sweet Potatoes!

Hazel tried sweet potatoes for the first time last night! She loved them. Here are a few photos from last night and a few from this afternoon when she got her second taste of them. She very well may love food just as much as her mommy & daddy!

Cool & Crisp

I LOVE this picture!

This expression says to me,

"Mommy, you are soooo cool and soooo funny."

Okay... maybe it is more this,

"Mommy, you look awful funny from down here."

Happy Birthday Uncle Patrick!!

We had a gorgeous day here in Oregon, no wind or rain...cool and crisp and sunny. It reminded us of Fall days in Spokane. After work, we all headed to the park to exercise Bella. Hazel loves going on park adventures, and was wide-eyed watching as Bella ran back and forth, back and forth across the field after her precious tennis ball "chucked" by Beau.

Sitting Up!

Laughs!

TURTLE-neck

Don't you think Hazel would make a great TURTLE for Halloween this year?

Time with RYAN!

Hazel and I got to spend a few hours today with the Petrjanos Family! We love them. Jake, Ang and Ryan welcomed us in and we all just hung out on their living room floor for a few hours of play time. It is a close call....do the babies love the toys more than Jake?? :) Oh, and note Hazel's new trick....sitting up! She can't do it for very long (on her own), but little by little she is getting STRONGER! Do we have a future American Gladiator on our hands?? We will start thinking about her stage name now. Any ideas?

Ryan gives Hazel a love pat....she doesn't mind one bit!!

My buddy...my buddy...my buddy and me.

(Note how Ryan has his arm around Hazel...awwww.)

Ryan helps Hazel adjust her new headband

Learning to share already