6 Months Old!

Hazel turned 6 months old last week! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. At her well-baby checkup on Wednesday she was a petite 14.5 pounds and 26 1/4 inches. She's very strong though.

It's so fun to watch Hazel as her personality develops. Already she is a very opinionated girl. For example, she sleeps with her pacifier and this giraffe toy. Well, if she decides she doesn't want to sleep at that moment, she will throw her giraffe then throw her binkie! I think we are going to have our hands full when she's 2.

Hazel cut her first two teeth this week. She was amazingly good for cutting two teeth at the same time. Mostly she just babbled in a very loud voice all day (Mike said she was very "bossy")

Hazel eats several foods now and loves to feed herself graham crackers. Unfortunately she decided that there is simply not enough time in her busy schedule to sit down and nurse for more than a minute or two. To her bottles are not only much easier but also much more fun because she can see the world. So, I'm in the process of weaning her. It makes me sad, but I must say it's very nice not to spend my lunch break in the furnace room at work pumping.

Hazel is starting to understand signs. It is so funny - sometimes she "talks" by moving her mouth but without making any noise. I'm not sure if all babies do this or if she just does it because she understands we sometimes talk without making any sound. Either way, it's adorable.

We love having this cute little thing around!

I was really hoping to put this off for at least a few more months.....

Skiing!

On New Years Eve we went skiing with my family (well Mike snowboarded and the rest of us skied). Gabby was nice enough to stay home and watch Hazel, though if it were up to my Dad she would have come with us.




Sorry Hazel, no skiing for you until you are at least as tall as your skis!

Short Trip to Utah

The Monday after Christmas Mike, Hazel, and I flew to Utah to see his family. Mike's parents and sisters were in Utah so for our Christmas present from them, they flew us out to visit. Hazel was an angel on both flights! She laughed the whole way there and slept the whole way back.
While we were there, Mike's younger sister Alicia received her endowments in the Salt Lake Temple. All of Mike's siblings are now endowed - it was great to go to the temple as a family. While we were on temple square we ran in to Mike's cousin Erin who is serving her mission there. What are the odds? Alicia leaves for her mission the end of this month to Atlanta, Georgia. She will be an great missionary!Mike insisted that we go to In-n-Out while we were there. He even gave Hazel a french fry. He was in heaven:) We stayed with Mike's grandma (Hazel's great-grandma). In her house Mike found an old suit from the 70's. I am so glad they don't make clothes like this any more!!!!

It was a great trip overall. Thanks Teri and Tony for flying us out!

Christmas!

For Christmas, we headed up to Denver. Christmas Eve my parents hosted their traditional taco bar party. My dad make's the best green chili and it's a tradition in our family to have it on Christmas Eve. This year he bought some tamales to go with it - yummmmy! Harrison, Gabby and Jake were all out from Utah. It was great to see them.

Christmas day we opened presents. Hazel mostly got things she needed like cups, baby food, and such. Not that it mattered much - she would have been perfectly content just eating the wrapping paper. She also got some peek-a-boo balls that she loves! My parents got her a beautiful Christmas dress. When I was growing up my Grandma bought us a new dress every year at Christmas and Easter. My mom decided she wanted to keep that tradition going. Hazel is obviously very pleased with her dress this year:)

More than anything, it was wonderful to have a break and relax with family while remembered the true reason for the season - the birth of our Savior.