Hazel, Henley & Holden's House: September 2009

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Rainy afternoon? Play dress-up!!

Hazel received a special birthday gift in the mail today from Michelle. She tore into the package and was completely delighted to find an assortment of goodies fit for a princess! What a fun way to spend a rainy September afternoon at home with her mommy!

Oh, and she received her first PEZ dispenser. Funny that she knew the little rolls inside were CANDY. Hmm. I guess being the daughter of a PEZ collector, she was born with the innate knowledge. :)

She flew all over the living room with her new wings.

She figures out PEZ very quickly!

Oooh...PEZ!

Oh...and I ventured into a salon for the first time in 5 months today. Figured it was time for a change! Note the 39 week belly. (Like you could miss it!)

Hazel is a cheese-ball!! She sees the camera and YELLS, "CHEESE!"

We had fun with a short mother/daughter photo shoot while daddy was still at work.

ENJOYING my last few days with my only child!

Squeezes for mommy. Thank you Hazel!!

You are going to be such a great BIG sister.

Monday, September 28, 2009

In celebration of fall...

...and in celebration of my first day of maternity leave, I indulged in a special treat I look forward to this time of year...sharing with Henley too of course.

Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte.

This year the version was decaf, but still yummy. Henley did a few kicks and pokes to show his appreciation for the sugar!! :)

Welcome to Hazel and Henley's room...

A few weeks ago I put the finishing touches on the nursery...taking it from Hazel's girl palace, to a room fit for both my princess and prince! Here are some pictures to show you a peek inside the tiny room that Hazel (so far) seems eager to share with her baby brother.

She wakes up and points to Henley's side of the room and says, "Henley's crib." (Sounds more like "Henlewy's crib.") Then she points to her side and says, "Hazel's big girl bed." She really likes her letters that hang above her bed, and so far hasn't shown interest in pulling them down...wonder how long that will last.

All we need now is Henley!

Femeke knit this darling mobile for baby Henley months ago. What a treasure!

When dealing with tiny spaces, one is forced to be as organized as possible. Here is my attempt - thus far.

Girl clothes on the left, boy duds on the right.

Hazel's big girl bed.

Henley's crib - vacated by Hazel a few short months ago.

Hazel's corner above her bed.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

SPEECHLESS!

Last night friends gave me a baby shower for our soon-to-be-arriving little man. It was such a fun night to play silly games, eat GREAT cake and laugh until my belly hurt!

Beau and I both work at the same place, and our co-workers all went together on a very amazing and MOST appreciated gift. I am still in shock and sooo excited to put the DUALLIE BOB STROLLER to use!! The generosity of our co-workers is overwhelming.

What a fun evening, thank you to all who took my mind off my aching back and reminded me of what a joyful time this is. I am blessed to have such great friends.

Sweet Life - made this DELICIOUS cake!

This was just after the blind fold was removed from my face...what lies beneath?

Wow! Can you tell I was not expecting this extravagant gift?

Saturday, September 19, 2009

My painted lady

Hazel received this little makeup kit for her birthday a few weeks ago. Beau and I got it for her when we were at the coast, and thought she would get a kick out of making a good mess with it. Well...we were right! She literally DUG right in without a second thought yesterday. She especially enjoyed taking peeks at herself throughout in the compact's mirror. What a funny little girl. It should be noted that our other gift to her was a beginner set from Thomas the Train - her other love as of late. Thankfully Thomas doesn't leave his mark on the couch as does the makeup.

Puckering up for the mirror!

Some serious work - putting the cap on the lipstick

Hazel took a makeup break to go for a run outside.

I love her determination in this one.

What a silly little girl!!

Monday, September 14, 2009

A friendly wager...

My due date is quickly approaching...anyone care to offer a guess as to when this little guy will make his appearance? Official due date is October 8th.

I will compile a list with everyone's guess and post on the top of the blog. Please include your name, date you think baby boy will arrive, and your guess as to his weight (be kind). :)

I will start...

I guess he will come October 2nd, and weigh in at 7 lbs 9 oz. Who's next??

Beau just cast his vote - October 4th, weight of 7 lbs 5 oz.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Hazel's top TEN at TWO years old

Hazel celebrated her second birthday this past Tuesday!! Here is a look at what makes Hazel happy at age TWO...

10. Books - Read by a loved one, or read by herself...Hazel loves a great story. Some of her favorites at age two are; Five Little Monkeys, Good Dog Carl, and Bless Me.

9. Singing - Hazel especially loves rounds of sing-a-long by the family in the car. Her favorite track, ABC's. Other favorite songs she loves; Muffin Man, Twinkle Twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Mr. Moon, This Little Light of Mine, and of course HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

8. Cuddling - Hazel has become quite the cuddle-bug in the past few months. Unfortunately, her mommy is running out of good space to cuddle with the ever growing belly. Hazel has adapted, and every morning can be heard asking to "cuddle shoulder mommy." I hoist her up to perch on my belly and she then rests her head on my shoulder.

7. Hugs and kisses - Hazel is such a warm and loving little girl. She showers her mommy and daddy with hugs and kisses throughout the day. Often, after getting a hug goodbye in the morning, she will run back into the house to give her daddy "more hugs." Hazel also shares sweet hugs and smooches with her friends at day care. Often, when I arrive to pick her up it takes us a good 10 minutes to leave as Hazel has to do her rounds giving hugs goodbye. She certainly has a sweet little heart.

6. Wagon rides - Some of Hazel's most favorite outings this summer have been her wagon rides to the park courtesy of her daddy. Hazel is so content to sit in her wagon and bump-bump her way to the park and back. It will be fun to see her share her wagon with her baby brother next year.

5. JELLY BEANS! - Hazel discovered Jelly Belly jelly beans at the cabin this summer, thanks to Jill and Kelsey. For ages after we returned, Hazel thought every small colorful item was a jelly bean. Key to Hazel's heart...a handful of jelly beans!

4. Lips - Hazel is such a little girl. She discovered a love of lip gloss/chapstick a few months ago. She also is a quick study and discovered quickly all the drawers and special places where mommy keeps her stash. She has been told she has to ask mommy before using "lips." She will at times come out with a full slather of sticky gloss on her mouth (chin and nose), and proudly say to her mommy, "ask mommy!" Hmm...we have to work on that one.

3. Pretty Nails - Hazel's Nana polished her nails for her months ago, and ever since Hazel LOVEs having her nails painted. She sits sooo still and is patient as she softly blows them dry. Hazel also is an admirer of other's "pretty nails," always commenting whenever she spies a nice pedi/mani.

2. BIG GIRL BED - Hazel has embraced this step in her growing up, sigh. She loves playing bedtime in her bed with all her friends...Cookie, Elmo, Ernie, baby Andrin, Owlie. She tucks them in, reads them books, and sings them to sleep.

1. Baby Brother - Hazel will see me touch my moving belly, and she runs over, puts her hand on my belly and asks "moving?" She talks about baby brother often and points to the crib and says "baby brother's bed." I don't know how much her two year old mind grasps, but she seems to be gearing up for our new arrival. Baby brother will be covered in Hazel kisses before we know it...

Two years old! Wow...Hard to believe. My little girl is certainly becoming more and more of a big girl. She is embracing the new skills she continues to learn...drinking from cups without lids, sleeping in big beds, reaching the light-switch, climbing steps on her own.... I embrace her enthusiasm for all these new milestones, but often wish to slow down time, if just a little.

We love you Hazel!

Monday, September 7, 2009

HITS House Reunion Weekend

This past weekend, we headed to Lincoln Beach along the Oregon Coast for a weekend to reconnect with college friends, Heather, Karina, Susannah, and Ellie. When I was in college, I had the pleasure to live in a house with these four ladies. Our house was referred to as the HITS house as our phone number ended with "4487". We all haven't had the opportunity to get together in over 5 years, so a reunion was planned.

What fun! All of us are married now, and all the husbands famously...playing "Killer Bunnies," watching football and playing the arcade game that was in the basement. We rented a beautiful three story, 5 bedroom home set on the beach. Hazel adored the staircases and became quite proficient going up and down, up and down.

Hazel also adored meeting 4 new friends. Katie is 2 1/2, Grace is 15 months, Rebekah is almost ONE, and Cooper is 9 months. Hazel was so delighted to meet them, as was her mommy and daddy! What sweet children, such fun to see them and hear their little voices.

After a weekend of great company, food and friends...we all left knowing that we cannot let 5 more years past before we get together again. Thanks HITS ladies for making this happen! As you can see from the quantity of photos below, we had many wonderful moments...