life is messy

Big Sister

2010-10-07T18:44:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted in a really long time but it seems like the right time to do so. Hazel is going to be a big sister around April 3rd! I tried to post a picture, but our internet is being funny. I am through the first trimester and feeling much better.

Hazel's reaction to the news was 1-Can I hold the baby? 2-I can't believe it, I can't believe I'm going to be a big sister!

The joy of no longer being a homeowner

2010-04-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

We sold our house today. We moved about 9 months ago to a little town near Colorado Springs, and we left our house in Golden in the hands of renters, and trusting that it would eventually sell. After a deal fell threw in the fall the day before closing, I had lost hope that we would ever sell this house. Today we sold our house, and while there is a little piece of me that feels sad about our first home no longer being ours, we feel relieved and ready for whatever lays ahead. We feel like we have the freedom to go wherever it is we are supposed to go. Maybe we stay here, maybe we move across the country. The tricky part is who will hire my wonderful husband? Thank you for your thoughts & prayers-

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

We have had lots of exciting things happening here lately. Jonathan had a job interview last Monday, and is waiting to hear back from them...we put our house in Golden back on the market, and have had several showings in the first week. Hazel is such a delight, she loves waking up and announces to us, "Hazel's awake now!" if we take too long to get her from her room. She has turned into a little girl overnight, complete with really long sentences that start with "I am"... when I get home from work she says, "Mommy come play toys with me?" Pretty much everything in her life is "Silly" right now, and she loves learning and absorbing everything she can.
The other exciting news is that Hazel will have a new baby cousin next Thursday! She calls him baby brother and claims he is in my belly, instead of Keri's.

Here is a little Valentine's Day picture since we haven't updated in a while!

Our family pics

2009-11-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

Check out our family pictures:

http://www.katedensmore.com/site/2009/11/jonathonannehazel/

You can see more if you know our last name--enjoy & Happy Thanksgiving

trick or treat

2009-11-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

Hazel went trick-or-treating for the first time this year. She loved it--she walked around all night, saying, "open-it, please candy." The next day sure went on a walk and insisted on carrying her halloween bucket with her. (I think she was hoping to get more candy!)

Snow Day II

2009-10-29T08:22:00.001-07:00

We woke up to more snow this morning, and the news of another snow day! We decided to bundle up and go outside...which Hazel HATED! Here are some pictures from our big snow storm!

SNOW DAY!!

2009-10-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

I have my first snow day of the school year today. I received the first phone call for a two-hour delay at 5:00, then I managed to fall back asleep when the phone rang again at 6:00 calling off school for the day. I loved staying in my pjs until the late morning hours, baking blueberry muffins, and making soup that is keeping our house warm and smelling delicious! Not to mention the extra Hazel and Jonathan time I get today!

My parents came out to visit us in our new tome/home last weekend. Everywhere we went Hazel had to check that Grammie & Granddaddy where right there. They brought out a cute bee costume that Ethan liked more than she did!!

goodnight moon

2009-08-04T20:11:00.001-07:00

my favorite thing that Hazel does lately came from reading goodnight moon. you know the story says, and "...a little toyhouse, and a small mouse..." well, we went to the zoo last week and Hazel saw a squirrel. She pointed at the squirrel and said, "it's a house" maybe it's not funny to anyone but me...is it terrible that I don't want to correct her?

"ma grandmere" digital storytelling final project

2009-07-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is a digital story I created with the help of my mother's memory, my dad's scanning skills, and my understanding of the French language. It is my final project for a digital storytelling course, which will serve as an example to my French III students. They will do a project on someone in their family who has an interesting story to tell. I chose to tell about my grandmother, Ruth Rogers. Enjoy.

"the tank"

2009-06-26T06:51:00.001-07:00

Hazel had her 18 month check up yesterday and is officially giant. She is 28 lbs and 12 oz. and 35 inches tall. I was kind of excited that she is almost 3 feet tall. When we are out people expect her to be "doing" more since she is the same size as most 2 year olds. At her check up her doctor asked if she can say about 20 words, and I said that was probably right. Then Hazel went on to list at least 20 words that she knew, so we decided that was an understatement. This morning, being the proud parents that we are, decided to count, we came up with 62 words, which by the end of the day will be more like 65 or 70. It is unbelievable how fast she is learning right now!

We recently went to the beach for a week, and Hazel got nicknamed "the tank" by her aunt and uncle. She was whipping Will around by the collar of his shirt. She just doesn't know her own strength!

Other news: We have found a place to move! We decided to rent next year instead of buy, since our house hasn't sold yet. We are waiting to hear back about the possibility of our house being approved for FHA financing--and then a possible offer?!

washington

2009-06-01T14:15:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went to Washington for Jonathan's grandfather's funeral. Rudy Claassen was 95 years old, he lived a full life, and everyone who was there was there because of him.

Hazel gave out lots of hugs to her cousins, slept little, played lots.

Hazel & Madeline were pretty exhausted after Saturday's festivities.

This is Hazel with her 2nd cousin, or cousin once removed, or cousin...whatever-Bo. We had a great weekend, full of wonderful time with family, remembering "grandpa" rudy.

moving

2009-05-27T08:55:00.001-07:00

Well, I have put off this post long enough. We are moving, I am going back to work, and our house is on the market. A French teaching job came up at the new high school where Jonathan's brother's family lives in Palmer Lake, CO. I applied, and through a whirlwind of events we decided that I should take the job. Since the architecture world does not hold much current hope for a job for Jonathan we thought one of us should probably work. So, once again, we will be switching roles. I could not ask for a better teaching environment: a new school, enthusiastic teachers, only 3 preps, and a beautiful location. We are trusting that this is right for our family, that someone will buy our house soon, and that we will be able to live near family.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to you moms out there! We had a lovely day here in Golden. Went up to J's parents house to see Grandma & Grandpa. Hazel is learning more than I can even keep up with lately. She is all about her daddy, when she gets up from a nap, she says 'Daddy?' and yesterday, which happened to be Mother's Day, she only wanted Daddy...oh well.

that's a dog

2009-04-18T08:55:00.001-07:00

Hazel said her first sentence yesterday. She pointed to a picture in a book of a dog, and said, "That's a dog." WHAT? How did that happen? She said it two more times after that, then she pointed to a cat, and said, "That's a dog." Oh well, it's a start!

She got some artistic freedom with her grandparent's birthday cards. She had more fun taking the crayons out of the box and putting them back in, than she did coloring!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T18:53:00.001-07:00

I hope each of you had a joyous Easter!
More easter pics.

personality

2009-04-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

This kid of ours is so full of personality and life-I love it! She learns what seems like 8 new words a day and always amazes me with what she understands. For lunch today, I asked her if she was hungry, and she did the sign for hungry. I put her in her high chair and she got mad about something. I looked over while I was getting her food ready and she put her bib on...all by herself. She has a great understanding of what things go where. If she sees a phone, it goes next to your ear. If she finds shoes, she brings them to your feet. I could go on and on...

On another note, we went to see my family over spring break and she played with her cousin, Will (weeye/sort of sounds like Willie). They had a blast! He learned how to say Hazel, (Sazel) and I'm told from Keri that he cried while saying Sazel in his car seat after we left. It about broke my heart to hear that.

This kid loves being outside, and hates it when we bring her in.

I can see that this spring and summer will include many trips to the park! It's hard to believe a year ago all she wanted to do was eat, and sleep...oh wait...

hazel

2009-04-01T07:23:00.001-07:00

Dress up

2009-03-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

The new thing around our house is to play dress up with whatever bits of clothing Hazel finds on the floor. She will bring us a jacket, a hat, socks or shoes and "ask" for us to put them on her. This morning it was shades and a vest (over her pjs). What is it about babies and sunglasses that they find so amusing?

For those of you who were concerned...

2009-03-11T15:02:00.001-07:00

or for those of you who wondered...or those who really don't care. Hazel is officially weened.

Hazel's dedication

2009-03-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, March 1st, we had Hazel dedicated. Jonathan & I each wrote her a letter which we read to her during the service. It was a really sweet time of celebrating who she is and who we hope to raise her to be. These are a couple pictures from that day.

We had a really nice time with our families that Sunday afternoon, eating hotdogs and hamburgers, watching Ethan play in the creek by our house. We missed Patrick, Keri, Will, Gordon, Kristin & Madeline.

Here is our good friend Tom, with his son, Henry and (future wife..hehehe) Hazel.

sweet madeline

2009-02-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to visit Gordon, Kristin, and Madeline in CA. We thought that the cousins and aunts and uncles needed some bonding time. We got to spend some time enjoying our sweet niece, Madeline.

We went for a short stroll on Long Beach, and Hazel tried to go swimming. We spent a few hours at the aquarium--both girls really liked watching the fish.

We went to the little park at the end of the block where Madeline decided to eat some mulch. She really liked it, and kept going back for more!

The girls ended their weekend together with some quality bath time. They had lots of fun playing next to each other and making silly noises at each other.

uncle sean

2009-02-04T09:47:00.001-08:00

Hazel, after having a meltdown during the superbowl, just snuggled in with Sean. She even looked right at his face to make sure she knew who he was...we thought it might have been a case of mistake identity. She just needed a little sean time.

"Communication with your 13-month-old is getting more sophisticated all the time. "

2009-01-31T15:42:00.000-08:00

I read this quote, taken from babycenter.com, right after I had just spent about five minutes repeating bldah, bldah, bldah (imagine running your tongue on your bottom teeth/lip while trying to say lalala) back and forth with Hazel.

Hazel walking

2009-01-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

first steps

2009-01-11T21:11:00.000-08:00

Hazel took her first steps (more than one) on Friday night! She had taken a few, unintentional, steps on her birthday. But these were intentional unbalanced, but so cute! The pictures aren't the best, but they give you an idea of her wobbliness--she is very impressed with herself. She gives herself a round of applause after she careens into one of our arms.

Happy 1st Birthday

2008-12-31T16:57:00.001-08:00

We had Hazel's birthday party this afternoon. She had a lot of fun...except when it came to singing happy birthday and eating cake. We have loved this past year of learning how to be parents, and watching our beautiful daughter grow. It is hard to believe that a year ago we were just getting started on this new adventure. We have learned so much, yet we still have so much to learn.

We love you Hazel! Happy Birthday!

Hazel's garrison birthday party

2008-12-28T17:56:00.000-08:00

Hazel had a birthday party today in NC with her grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncle. She got her first taste of chocolate...and she loved it! She had more fun opening presents today than she did on Christmas. More x-mas and birthday pictures here.

merry christmas

2008-12-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

Santa

2008-12-21T04:37:00.000-08:00

Hazel & Will went to see Santa yesterday...He got put in Santa's lap first---was absolutely terrified. Then Hazel joined him. Poor Santa, my mom recognized him as the local story teller. At least he is a nice guy.

nothing is off limits now

2008-12-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

Hazel just discovered that she can climb pretty much anything. She climbed into her old bouncy chair that is out for a baby I watch two days a week. She climbed into the laundry basket, she climbed on top of a box of Christmas decorations I put on the floor, she climbed on Christmas present, then onto the foot stool then onto our chair...let the fun begin!

This picture cracked me up. She went from trying to tear this tupperware lid in two, to playing some sort of peek-a-boo with it.

I cannot get enough of how much her little personality is shining through lately. She is learning and exploring everything.

Walking

2008-12-04T06:56:00.001-08:00

On Thanksgiving Will took his first steps! Then last night we got to watch our nephew walk between his mom and dad. It was the cutest thing in the world. Also my computer won't let me turn off the underline function...

Hazel's first turkey day

2008-11-29T12:05:00.001-08:00

Let the eating begin please!!

Hazel had lots of different foods on Thanksgiving: Turkey, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Stuffing, Asparagus Souffle, Cranberry Sauce, and I can't remember what else. This was the first time we've let her have salt, and kept saying, "mmm!"

We went on a hike after dinner, and Hazel quite bundled up! She looked like the little boy from A Christmas Story. I can't believe she is 11 months old!

Grammie & Granddaddy

2008-11-20T09:09:00.001-08:00

My parents came out for a visit last weekend, and Hazel got to go on a few adventures. She LOVED my parents, and thought my dad was the funniest person she'd ever met. She perfected her wave and her fake laugh while they were here.

We went to the Children's Museum and Hazel sat for about 10 minutes before she started exploring. She loved this stump. There were speakers in the stumps that were triggered by movement or weight, and they giggled at you. She couldn't figure out where the person was who kept laughing.

She also went down her first slide--head first. She was unsure about it at first, then couldn't get enough. It must have felt good on her tummy?!

On Saturday we went to the Zoo. She had a pretty good time--she had a very close encounter with the Gorilla. Right after this picture it got up on it's hind legs. I would have been terrified if I were her. She just kept pointing at it.

She had a really fun visit with her grandparents, and now when we Skype (cameras on the internet) she recognizes them. We also get to see them for 10 days over X-mas!

it's good to have a pal

2008-11-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

Kinds of duets: 4 hands, one piano. 4 hands, two pianos. Or, cute.

don't forget to vote

2008-11-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

Even if you don't want the same person elected that I do...don't forget to vote.

bed head

2008-11-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you can tell from these pictures--but Hazel has been sporting some really nice bed head lately. I wondered when her hair was going to start taking after her father & me...not that either of us have big hair or anything like that...

Halloween Cont.

2008-11-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

We carved our giant pumpkin! When we carved it we were amazed at how warm the inside of the pumpkin was. As you can see the rind is really thick! We used a stencil to try to make a fun face...but as always in CO we get granny faced pumpkins after they have been out for a day. Oh well. We let Hazel play with the pumpkin seeds--she just wanted to eat them. Then she got sleepy.

Our stencil was called "Lumpy face"

For Halloween we went over to our good friends Tom & Mindy's house. We thought it would be fun for the kiddos to play in their costumes...they didn't really care. Mostly they got really warm in their costumes. I think we had a record warm temperature for Halloween this year. We decided not to take Hazel around to other houses since we would be the ones eating the candy. Maybe next year she will get to enjoy trick or treating?!

Henry & Hazel as a puppy dog and a lady bug! Why are kids with hoods on really cute?

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T10:02:00.001-07:00

Homemade baby food

2008-10-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

I decided to make Hazel some homemade baby food. The stuff in the jars smells and looks really weird. Jonathan & I both tried all the batches and we thought they tasted great. Hazel, on the other hand, did NOT want the food. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures but it is all over her--she was desperately trying to not eat it. Then I got the camera out, and she posed and thought that was fun.

The good news is that on day #2 with the baby food, she decided she liked it!
She is still not sure about the couscous and chicken...I guess I will keep trying!

Friends & Family

2008-10-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hazel has had lots of visitors lately. My Aunt Catherine came through on her move to Minnesota. Hazel LOVED her! When Catherine came in the door Hazel waved and smiled at her. They were instant pals.

Hazel also got to meet our dear friends Scott & Claire. They all had a pretty good time hanging out. Hazel thought Scott was pretty interesting. Claire & Hazel got to spend the afternoon together when I went to my class

Hazel is pulling up on everything--which also means she is falling a lot more. She had a rough few days...and one bruise:( I can't believe our daughter is big enough to stand on her own, and to be able to reach our kitchen table...how did that happen?

you can dance if you want to

2008-10-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

baby gate

2008-10-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Last week, I tried to find the perfect baby gate. I didn't realize how expensive a piece of plastic could be. So, I got the cheapest one, made out of wood that I thought would do the trick. Well, of course, it didn't. So in the mean time Hazel has figured out how to climb the stairs. By the time I get around to getting another gate that works properly, she will probably have figured out how to go down the stairs.

Did I mention that our pumpkin weighs 40 lbs? I was at Safeway last week and they had a pumpkin for sale that is the same size as the one we grew. It was $60!! If I wasn't so attached our pumpkin I might try to make a little bit of money.

Our 5th Anniversary

2008-10-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jonathan & I celebrated our 5th anniversary! As a standing tradition since year #2 we have made ravioli. Each year, we get better at making ravioli. Just to give a brief history on our ravioli--the first year we made it, we stacked all the ravioli on top of each other after we had filled them. So, when we went to cook the ravioli--we had one giant blob. The next year we decided we needed to redeem ourselves and made better ravioli. We ended up with WAY too much and again, we decided since the ravioli stuck together, to layer them on wax paper...well, you can imagine how that went. we had lots of floaties in the water and a lot of cooked dough without much filing. The next year--we remember our mistakes and made pretty decent ravioli.

This year, we had written notes to ourselves as to "what not to do" and we made the best ravioli yet. We made a spinach, ricotta filing and for our sauce we made a butter, sage sauce. It was really simple, but quite delicious!

We also decided to make creme brulee for dessert...we have leftovers we are going to enjoy all week!!

A good friend, Laura Martin, makes ravioli every thanksgiving with her italian side of the family. We asked her what was the key to making good ravioli, since we had such a hard time with it. She said, "lots of wine, make sure you can read newspaper through your noodles, and lots of wine." We added cheese to the "lots of wine" advice.

Hazel was much happier with this whole process after dinner and when she got to rip some tissue paper to shreds!

chapstick...friend or foe

2008-09-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Recently, in an attempt to not lose myself to frumpiness and mom jeans, I bought a "tinted" chapstick. Well, then I started getting these really strange fat lips...it took me a little while to realize what the exact cause of fat lips was. So, I stopped using the tinted chapstick. Then, I bought some new chapstick, softlips, well two benadryls later and I still look like some sort of collagen treatment gone wrong. Oh, chapstick, why do you hate me?

How did time pass so quickly

2008-09-29T07:25:00.000-07:00

This morning Hazel had her nine month check-up and when I left the Dr.'s office today I made her 1 year check-up appointment. Hazel now weighs a grand total of 22 pounds and 6 oz. and is 30 inches long. I thought she seemed awfully heavy to me lately.

I recently hung out with a friend who has a newborn, and it is crazy how quickly Hazel has changed and become her own little person. She is now crawling on her knees and yesterday she pulled herself up to standing for the first time.

She loves to pull herself up and then hold on to you as she walks around the room.

Below is her other new trick. She loves to bite her ball as hard as she can and then crawl with it in her mouth. What a goof! I am loving every minute of being with her.

Obama in Golden...it gives me hope

2008-09-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

This morning Obama came to Golden. I didn't manage to get tickets to go see him--but I did wait outside to hear him through the loudspeaker and to see him exit the building. One funny thing that happened while waiting was a woman who lived across the street from the building had two McCain signs in her yard. She mowed her lawn over and over and over again for about an hour and a half. At one point the people waiting for Obama to come out started chanting, "missed a spot, missed a spot" I thought it was kind of funny. Obama spent about an hour visiting with families after he gave his speech. We were told that he was not going to make an apperance and that we should clear out. Well--Hazel & I waited and he came out, gave the crowd some waves and away he drove. It was hot, I got sunburnt, but it was worth it.

I don't want to say too much here in case I offend any friends who are McCain supporters. But, this man gives me hope that the next four years in our country will be much better than they have been.

Madeline-Our cutie pie niece

2008-09-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

We got to meet Madeline this past weekend, and Gordon, Kristin & Madeline got to meet Hazel. They were pretty cute together. Hazel is not much of a social bee. When I got home from the airport-she was smiling and chatting and crawling everywhere. She isn't sure about new situations and lots of people. Oh well.

Madeline is such a sweet baby. She seems really tiny compared to our 21-22 pounder. I didn't take very many pictures of these two--because they were a little overwhelmed with cameras.

I will post more pictures when I get them from the grandparents or Gordon & Kristin.

2008-09-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

I was feeling a little girly--Hazel got to play with a necklace and some bracelets. She thought it was great!

We are trying to teach Hazel how to drink out of a cup. She thought it was great-She wouldn't let go of the cup. Most of it ended up on her--as you can see on her sleeves and her high chair.

She has been keeping me busy lately. She is crawling and discovering EVERYTHING! She also just figured out she can sit herself up.

She knows she is doing something that we do--she thinks it is pretty neat.

This is what happens when you are gone for a week

2008-09-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Beach

2008-09-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a week at Kiawah! The kids had a blast. They played in the sand, ate sand, and played in the ocean. We built lots of sand castles and enjoyed doing nothing all week.

Will had his first taste of ice cream...and he LOVED it! Hazel had her first taste of sand..and she LOVED it!

When we got back yesterday we were worried about the state of our garden. We had 5 HUGE zucchinis, 4 large yellow squash, 3 tomatoes, and 1 HUGE pumpkin. (picture to come)

Most of our pictures from the actual beach are kind of fuzzy. The camera wasn't used to the air conditioning and then the humidity.

Hazel's first wedding

2008-08-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

We went to Scott & Becki's wedding this weekend in Walnut Creek. Hazel was a trooper. She flew really well on the way out to CA. She loved the rehearsal, because she got to roll around on the floor. She learned several new things this weekend. She figured out how to get up on her knees and lounge forward. She learned how to give a fake smile to the camera. She FINALLY cut another top tooth, which had been bothering her for about a month now.

We forgot to take pictures of us all together--but we got a lot of her at the rehearsal.

Here is Hazel's kind of fake cheesy camera smile.

Hazel made good friends with the whole Stover family. She kept saying, Bobobobob, which is Mark's dad's name. She LOVED Janelle and Annie, Mark's mom and sister. She got to play with crazy uncle Mark, and his girlfriend, Julie.

Our flight back was way too early, but we are home, rested and recuperating for our flight on Saturday to NC, for a week at Kiawah!

hazel's first camping trip

2008-08-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

We went camping on Saturday night in honor of Jonathan's upcoming b-day. Hazel hung out in her pack-n-play--we got cracked up at how funny it looked just hanging out in the woods.

She slept pretty well that night--she had, what we called, high altitude grunts. Unexplainable grunts that expressed her uncertainty about the situation.

She got to wear her new hoodie and cuddle up by the fire.

Sunday, we went on a short hike by Guanella pass. It was absolutely beautiful. I think it will be a year or two before Hazel will make it to the top of a 14er.

This is up at Guanella Pass--probably 10,000 feet high.

My baby is getting big

2008-07-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

This week we had a very good, dear friend visit. Laura Martin. Hazel had a really good time playing with her--she learned how to wave through some constant encouragement from Laura (and her swim class) she was playing the footstool drum...we had a great time.

Hazel has also been taking a baby swim class. She likes to float, try to climb out of the pool, and mostly do some serious people watching. Today she gets to go down the baby slide! Yesterday she went under for the first time. She didn't hate it--but she didn't like it. This swim class has helped her LOVE bath time. She was pretty indifferent to it before, "just get it over with mom." Now she sits up and splashes..it's pretty fun. This picture is of her being a little unsure of the camera (i think).

We got kicked out of our class early on Tuesday...someone pooped in the pool. Please don't poop in the pool.

for your entertainment

2008-07-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hazel's first Rockies game

2008-07-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

We took Hazel to perhaps the hottest rockies game...she enjoyed it until the rockies started doing well, meaning that people started cheering and yelling. Then she had some really sad cries. One lady said, "that is just heart-breaking"

I snuggled her into the snugli and walked around with her for about 10 minutes. Then she slept for about 30-45 minutes. We kept a wet rag on her head the whole time to keep her cool. I was really thankful when she woke up--because I was burning up!

Overall--she might have enjoyed herself--who knows. But, the rockies won 11-3-with a series sweep. (jonathan will be proud of my baseball knowledge)

there's just something about camp friends

2008-07-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

that makes you feel at ease. This weekend Stephanie and I had some friends from Camp Tekoa visit. Jessica and Kate. I hadn't seen either of them in several years, yet it seemed like it was just yesterday when we were lifeguarding, rock climbing, being exhausted, telling crazy stories about bizarre campers, etc.

Hazel immediately warmed up to them and they immediately warmed up to her. I throughly enjoyed seeing them and hope that the next visit won't be 3 years from now.

flying alone

2008-07-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

a little disclaimer: the following contains semi-graphic information about bodily functions

Hazel & I just got back from our trip to NC. We had a great time and really enjoyed hanging out with my parents, patrick, keri & will. Jonathan, Hazel & I flew out last thursday--the flight went really well, she didn't cry, no poopy diapers, etc. Jonathan left on Sunday to come back, and Hazel & I flew back alone yesterday. As soon as we leave the gate at charlotte Hazel's face starts getting really red and she starts grunting really loudly. Then of course, since she has started solid food, she has a very solid poop..which apparently hurt her because she started crying. (it is kind of sad how hard babies have to work at pooping) So, I nursed her to sleep, since I couldn't get up and change her diaper. She slept for about 45 minutes, and then woke up. We change the diaper, etc. Then we get back to our seat.

Well, she starts in again with the grunting, straining, etc. and she poops again--then she starts crying again, because I guess it hurt her. well, then we hit turbulence and the fasten seat belt sign came on. (Meanwhile, since she hasn't pooped in a couple of days it doesn't smell very good. The people in front of us kept lifting up their little girl and smelling her bottom to see if she smelled poopy...nope it was us!!!) So, I gave her a pacifier and got her back to sleep. She slept the rest of the flight and woke up as we were landing. I guarantee you that none of that would have happened if I had been traveling with Jonathan.

my nephew

2008-07-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Will is quite possibly the funniest baby i have ever met. He flails his arms and legs with excitement at just about anything. He is quite chatty and will let you know if he is displeased with anything. He has wild hair that sort of describes his personality.

When will & hazel first played together he wasn't so sure of her...the more they played together the more unsure he was. she rolled over his lap--pulled his hair--and stole his toys. But, he fought back--he stole her pacifier out of her mouth, gave her a good talking to, and in the end they became pals.

swimming

2008-07-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hazel and Will got to go "swimming" in patrick and keri's little pool on their deck. Will absolutely loves the water and was splashing and giggling. Hazel wasn't so sure about her cousin and all the water all over her face. I think in the end she enjoyed it...even though Will did all the splashing and she did all the watching.

the 4th

2008-07-06T06:19:00.000-07:00

Jonathan, Hazel and I made it out to North Carolina for the 4th. Hazel got to meet her namesake--my great aunt Hazel.

Aren't these two cute?

27 and 6 months

2008-06-30T12:28:00.001-07:00

On saturday we had a birthday party for Hazel and me. It was a wine and cheese party--we had such a wonderful time. We hung out on our "patio" that we have been working on, and just visited with friends into the wee hours of the night. Somehow this is the only picture I managed to take that night. Hazel snuggled in with Deanna and was ready to take a nap. Thanks to all our friends who showed up and made this a wonderful evening. I think Jonathan and I both needed some social interaction that didn't end at 8pm. Thanks you guys for helping me have a wonderful birthday--even though it's not until tomorrow:)

oh yeah--I added a few pictures of hazel in flickr

the mom cut

2008-06-28T12:23:00.001-07:00

Well, I did it. I officially got tired of getting my hair tugged and twisted--I got as Jonathan likes to put it "the mom cut" I just got home from Aveda and rewashed and fixed my hair. I am always amazed at how big my hair is after a haircut. The hairstylist asked me if I liked it...I said, "Well, I think I will." At least it is light and cool for the summer, and then when it gets longer again Hazel will know better (I hope) than to pull my hair.

rollin' rollin' rollin'

2008-06-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

Today Hazel figured out how to roll. Every time I came back into the living room to check on her she was a little bit farther along. She had to be re-directed so she didn't roll right into our piano. I can't believe that we have a baby who is almost 6 months old, and can get herself places. It is great and kind of scary all at the same time.

A belated tribute to my mom and dad

2008-06-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mother's and Father's day I would like to take a moment to write about my parents. They are wonderful, kind, generous, and good-humored people. Without my parents, I obviously would not be where I am today. I would not be a 26(almost 27..yikes) year old who has lived in a foreign country, moved halfway across the country to go to college, traveled to Paris for a weekend while I was 7 months pregnant, is not afraid of new things, etc. From early on in my life, when faced with decisions, my parents always helped me look at both sides of a decision. They never made a decision for me, but through conversations with them, they helped me make my own decisions. These conversations helped me become a strong, independent thinker. As I've started down the road of parent-hood myself, I look into Hazel's eyes and think, "How do you raise a child to have good morals, be kind to others, be an independent thinker, etc.?!" Becoming a mother myself has made me look back at those moments with my own parents, and I realize more and more what a wonderful job they did (and still do!) with raising my brother and me. There is much more that could and perhaps should be said here, but I wanted to take a moment and tell you all about how thankful I am to have such wonderful people as parents. I don't say this often enough to them, but I love you mom and dad!

6 weeks without the internet...

2008-06-18T10:57:00.001-07:00

Well, we did it. We committed to getting Qwest and having a reliable source for the internet and also a home phone. I do have to say that six weeks without the internet feels like an eternity. Why is it that we are so addicted to this thing?

Here is a current picture of Hazel on Father's Day enjoying her and her dad's new toy:

uh-oh

2008-06-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hazel's first hike

2008-06-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took Hazel for her first hike. She LOVED it! She thought it was really funny to be eye level with me and not be held by someone. She was laughing and giggling at who knows what. Every time I looked at her she would smile at me. It was really cute!

Hazel got a little sleepy on the hike and found this spot to snuggle in and take snooze.

Did I mention that Hazel got her first tooth on Friday? This morning her second tooth popped up. It's hard to believe that she could really hurt me now if she chomped down!

My first food--last weekend

2008-05-23T07:56:00.001-07:00

I don't think these pictures really need captions.

my last day of work!

2008-05-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day of work--for who knows how long! I have to finish cleaning out my classroom, go to a staff BBQ and then go home! Hazel is keeping me company here--which just makes it more enjoyable.

Here is Hazel on our Mother's Day picnic. Doesn't she look hip in her sunglasses?

Last week we gave Hazel an empty Starbucks cup--she thought it was hilarious! Once we figure out how to post a video we will do so!

My First Cold...yuck!

2008-05-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it had to happen sometime. Hazel has a cold. She is sneezy and has runny eyes. I got up several times last night to check on her, because it just sounded hard to breath. But, I decided to take the day off of work to hand out with her. Luckily she doesn't seem too effected by her cold...she just wants to be held all the time (which is rare for her)

We dressed Hazel up in her cute sailor outfit on Sunday. After I put it on her, I realized that our 4 month old doesn't fit into her 3-6 month stuff very well anymore.

Here she is getting ready to roll over. Did I mention that I am almost done teaching for the year? I have just about 2 weeks left until I am done. Then I get to stay at home with Hazel. I have decided not to go back to work next year so that I can be with our daughter! I can't wait.

A short day of work

2008-04-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today I got to come home early from work due to a teacher work day. Jonathan told me that earlier today he put Hazel on her back and then went into the kitchen. When he came back she was on her belly! So, I of course was sad that I missed it. But, when I came home she was laying on her back eating Carl the Cardinal, and all of the sudden she was rolling over onto her belly!

The top picture is of her cuddling down for nap time. The other picture is of her just after she rolled over--she seems pretty content checking out the world from this perspective.

Two New Firsts

2008-04-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

On Friday Hazel had two new firsts. She rolled over from her belly to her back twice, and she giggled! She also has started teething, which means that our super mellow baby has some fussy time now.

Here she is hanging out in her Bumbo chair.

Jonathan's second cousin sent us this bonnet. We thought we should document its cuteness.

Hazel loves pulling off "Carl the Cardinal" (thanks for the name Keri!) We also wanted to show off Hazel's rolls!

el pollo loco

2008-04-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hola. Soy el pollo loco. Tengo dos mujeres que fabulosas en mi vida. Aqui estan photos de los dos. Espanol esta muy magnifico, no?

Los otros son Maria y Otis.

Will & Hazel

2008-03-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hazel really enjoyed her cousin, Will. She especially loved tickling Will's armpits, pinching his ear and grabbing his stripes!

Will is quite a bit stronger than Hazel, but they both have such strong necks!

Go Tar Heels! Hazel and Will cheered on the Tar Heels on Sunday and Thursday night!

The cousins meeting

2008-03-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Finally Hazel and Will got to meet. They met for the first time on Easter Sunday, and the grandparents got to hang out with both grandbabies! These two are very cute and hardly aware of each other, but they have made some great photos, and cute memories for Patrick, Keri, Jonathan and I!

Happy Easter

2008-03-22T19:24:00.001-07:00

Wishing you all a Happy Easter! Hazel's grandparents came out to visit, and her Uncle Patrick, Aunt Keri, and cousin Will are coming out on Easter. Hooray for family and cute hats!

My Dad's Beard

2008-03-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

Jonathan has been thinking about shaving his beard lately. But after last night's grabbing game he may rethink this. Although the stronger Hazel gets the more this game will hurt!

Chubby Cheeks

2008-03-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

We just wanted to show off Hazel's cute chubby cheeks! When I got her up this morning she was sucking her thumb, and then she gave me huge smiles! She just gets cuter every day.

Hooray for Cousins and Friends

2008-03-10T13:12:00.001-07:00

Introducing Madeline Kay Capp. She was born on March 6th, and was 8 lbs 9 oz. But here she is and Hazel can't wait to meet her new cousin! Congrats Gordon and Kristin!

Here is Will at four months old. He is really cute! Hazel and Will get to meet for the first time in less than two weeks. They can't wait...well actually their parents can't wait!

Here are Hazel & Henry Clagett hanging out! They had fun sleeping while their parents went bowling. Then they got to play!

2 month checkup

2008-03-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

This morning Hazel had her two month checkup. She now weighs 12lbs 8.5 oz. Which puts her in the 90th percentile. She is also 24 inches long which puts her in the 95th percentile. She had four vaccines today, and I have never heard her cry like that before. I think she cried harder and louder today than she did on the day she was born. But she is now sleeping and recovering from the trauma.

This top picture is of her bundled up to go out in the snow yesterday. The other picture is of her sucking her thumb...she is just too cute.

Our first big Oops!

2008-03-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday Jonathan and I went on a hike with Hazel. We had been on this hike last summer, and we saw lots of people with strollers and whatnot. So we thought we would be fine if we took Hazel in her stroller and NOT her snugli. We were really wrong. We took her stroller over snow pack and through puddles...and her little head was bouncing all over the place...oops! We took her out of her stroller and carried her for a while. Now we know not to attempt this until spring is here and all of the snow is melted!

Here we are after we ditched the stroller and carried her for a while!

Hazel recently discovered her hands, and here she was very happy when she found her thumb! Cute, huh?

We have the best little girl

2008-02-24T06:53:00.001-08:00

Starting on Thursday night Hazel decided that she wanted to sleep through the night. She slept from 9:30-5:30...Jonathan and I hadn't had that much sleep since Dec. 30th! Friday night she slept from 10:30-5:30, and again last night she slept from 10:30-6. What a wonderful little girl. This also couldn't have come at a better time. I started back to work on Tuesday last week. I cried my entire 20 minute drive up to school. If I think about it too much, I get a little weepy still. So, please don't ask me how I'm
doing...I might get too emotional on you...just know that I am counting down the days until May 23rd.

Jonathan brought Hazel up to see me at work on Friday, so instead of "pumping" I got to feed her myself.

We are also counting down the days until Hazel's cousin arrives. I am sure Gordon and Kristin are too! We can't wait!!

Happy Valentines Day...a day late

2008-02-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Here is Hazel wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day in her Love Bug outfit.

Capturing the Moment

2008-02-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

This morning we had a smiling session and managed to capture a few pictures of Hazel smiling.

Here she was making a face like she wanted to giggle...but no sound came out!

Here she went from a really cute smile to a sad pouty lower lip.

Here is a really cute smile!
Hooray Hazel likes us...also note her mohawk.

A cute night

2008-02-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

Last night for no apparent reason Hazel decided to smile at me. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen, and then she smiled at me two more times! We obviously haven't gotten a picture of that, but the nice thing about smiles is that once she starts smiling she won't stop!

Here she is pushing her head up.

This morning Jonathan and Hazel read some Winnie the Pooh.

One Month Old!!!

2008-01-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hazel is one month old today. We decided to weigh her and see how big she is. She is about 9 1/2 lbs which happens to be about how much I weighed when I was born. So here are a few pictures of me as a newborn and of Hazel at one month old.

I am six weeks old here--what a chubby baby!

Hooray for snuggle time with mom.

Here she is just thinking about life.

Here she is smiling in her sleep--this is a wonderful glimpse of what she will look like when she actually means to smile!

4 Weeks Old

2008-01-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of Hazel doing amazing things:

I tried to convince her to look at the camera...
We were getting ready to go on a walk, and she was in her warm, fuzzy suit!

Last night she reached out and grabbed her "busy bee" and pulled it closer to her. At the same time she was trying to twirl her hair. It was really cute!

Ok-this is just her being really cute.

Yesterday Hazel and her dad got to bond over her first bottle, it took a little convincing, and I had to leave the room so she wasn't too distracted. She finally got the hang of it, and I am pretty sure Jonathan LOVED it!

Here she is after a bath looking wide eyed and clean. I think she spit up on herself about 30 seconds later!

A Momentous Day

2008-01-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

Well, there are two things that are exciting about today:
1-Hazel slept for four hours straight last night!!!!
2-I am wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans!!!!

Santa-Are you Scott Bravmann?

2008-01-21T13:29:00.001-08:00

I received this book in the mail on Friday. There was no note nor packing slip. It came from someone named Scott Bravmann who lives in San Francisco. Does anyone know who this is or who might have sent it? I have never even heard of this book or of Scott Bravmann, but I like the title. I will have to see if it is a good book or not.

Beginning to discover new things...

2008-01-16T09:03:00.001-08:00

Last night we caught Hazel holding her pacifier in her mouth...it was just too cute.

Now that Hazel Grace is older...

2008-01-14T19:39:00.001-08:00

Hazel had a few visitors this weekend and her cousins kept "calling" who got to hold her next. She really enjoyed playing with them and riding in the snugli with her Aunt Maria. Ethan said to his dad on the car ride up "Now that Hazel Grace is older, we can play dolls together." We are enjoying lazy days and hanging out with our little one.

The many faces of Hazel

2008-01-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Today, like most days, Hazel made about 80 different faces in 30 seconds...I captured a few of those faces...she really likes to furrow
her brow, like her mom and her cousin, Will.
Mostly this little one is really amusing and cute!

Hazel Grace

2008-01-05T16:15:00.001-08:00

Meet our new daughter...Hazel Grace. We love her. For anyone who didn't get an email or a text or a call, she was born on Dec 31 at 12:35 pm. She weighed 7 lbs, 11oz, and was 20 3/4 in long. More interesting info is that she is really cute and sort of squeaks and squeals. Sometimes she sounds like she is impersonating a rooster, and other times a pack of coyotes. She is very sweet, rarely cries herself into a frenzy, and we are learning the schedule that every parent knows: eating, changing, sleeping, holding, walking. We already know a lot more about babies than we ever did before; Hazel seems to have come out perfectly prepared to be a baby. Here are some pictures.

Any day now...?

2007-12-27T21:23:00.001-08:00

Well, according to the doctor as of yesterday morning, we will have this baby within the next week. I have progressed to a point where most first time mothers would already be in labor...I just keep wondering when it will actually start hurting and when we will have to go to the hospital. Because of this news we decided it was time to really try to finish up the wall. We have finished everything except: A--Deanna will do. F-Maria will do. G-my parents and N-Patrick and Keri. We have one space that we will get everyone who helped paint to sign their names...or we will write our baby's name and birthday, etc. on. This is yet to be determined. We are sort of sitting around twiddling our thumbs. So if anyone knows any great games for two people...please share them! We will keep you all posted with baby news and pictures when the time comes!

O Tennenbaum!

2007-12-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

Today we decorated our very cold Christmas tree. I could see my breath underneath it. So far this post might be called "boring", so I will liven it up with this fact: Anne will probably not be pregnant any more sometime in the next three weeks! I'm not due until February.

Thanksmas

2007-12-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

Last week we flew to North Carolina and we surprised Patrick, Keri and Will with a visit. We had thought that I couldn't fly due to the fact that it was 5 1/2 weeks from our due date, but no one said anything and I even had a doctor's note! We were able to spend some time with family and see our new little nephew...who by the way is REALLY cute! Will doesn't really like bathtime, but he does like to take long naps and eat pretty much all the time. Jonathan tried out a snuggly, and Will decided to peak out at the world. With much convincing we got everyone to smile AND pose for a family picture. Hooray for Thanksmas!

Festivus Eve...

2007-11-25T17:40:00.001-08:00

Our party this afternoon had little to do with the actual celebration of Festivus - but it had a lot to do with family meeting friends and anticipating our daughter's arrival.

We picked out an idea - a kind of painted quilt of the alphabet to paint onto a wall of our nursery; each person could choose a letter and a picture (hopefully related!).

Anne and I provided red beans and rice, and mushroom barley soup, and everyone else brought deserts and drinks. We ate well; a fitting end to a week of eating.

Of course, you can see, the art is beautiful. We discussed many different combinations: C for cigarette, U for Urinal...as you can see it's turning out fantastically. Plus, we've got leftovers...

Babies Room...

2007-11-19T15:48:00.001-08:00

For those of you who are coming to our "Festivus Eve" party this is a copy of our inspiration for our nursery wall. You can start brainstorming what sort of animal you would like to draw/paint for your letter. Or you can just use what is here! Hope to see you all on Sunday!

Baby Shower

2007-11-19T15:37:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from the baby shower that my co-workers threw for me last Thursday. We have Tristen, Janet and Pam enjoying a nice margarita after a long days work.

I was very blessed by their generosity and thoughtfulness. Caitlyn, to my right just recently announced she is due in June! Hooray for babies!

And here we have Wendy, who threw the shower and a nice
shot of my belly at 34 weeks! Things are going well with the pregnancy...I am just feeling large and in charge. I am looking forward to the five day weekend this weekend, sitting back, relaxing and eating some yummy food!

William Gregory Garrison

2007-11-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

He was born on Tuesday, November 6th. 7 lbs. 9 oz. 20 1/2 inches long. He is very cute and named after his granddads! I can't wait to meet this little guy.