Baby number two will be joining our family around July 17th!!!!!
This is the main reason I was such a slacker on the blog. I'm finally getting past the super tired stage of the pregnancy which is a huge relief. I feel like I was much more tired and it lasted longer with this one than with Hazel. But, I really can't complain - I wasn't nauseous once. We find out if it's a boy or girl on March 1st and I'm counting down the days.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Hazel at 18 Months
Since Hazel will be 19 months in a few days I thought I should get my act together and post about how adorable she is right now. I have to say, I LOVE this age. She is learning so much and getting such a cute little personality. Here are just a few of the adorable things she's up to....
* She is talking and signing up a storm! She must know at least 75 signs and 50 words. It is amazing and she learns more every day. She especially loves animals and knows how to sign a ton of animals (and say some of them). What I love the most is that when I can't understand what she is saying she will sign it too and then I realize, "Oh, you're saying ____"
* It has become far too obvious that Hazel's only "sibling" is a dog. She likes to put her lovies in her mouth and play tug-o-war, she plays fetch with her toys, and when she sees Kiara rolling on the ground she has to do the same.
* Hazel has strong opinions about what she wears (see the photo above). She likes to pick out her shoes and jacket and if you give her the wrong one she gets upset. We were late to church last Sunday because we couldn't find the pair to the shinny black shoes and she refused to wear the velvety back shoes. I think soon enough I'll need a sign to pin on her some days that says "She dressed herself today"
* She loves necklaces and asks for one any time she sees me wear one.
* She is becoming the quite the good helper. She will put her diapers in the trash, get Kiara's leash for you, help unload silverware, etc.
* Hazel already amazes me by the strength o f her Spirit. The other morning I was changing her diaper under the picture of the temple we have in our house and she signed and said "temple!" She also reminded me that we hadn't read scriptures one morning while Mike was out of town. So sweet!
* She is still obsessed with Signing Time. The only other movie or show she will even look at is Snow White which she calls "Ho-Ho" (because the dwarfs sing the "Hi-Ho" song).
* Sometimes I feel like Hazel is 18 months going on 5. She tries to be such a big girl sometimes. She likes to sit on the potty and she has even peed on it once! She refuses to eat with her fingers and must always have a soon or fork (sometimes she has to use her fingers to put the food on the spoon before using the spoon to put food in her mouth). She always wants to sit in big chairs instead of regular chairs, etc, etc.
I'm sure that's more info than you really wanted about her, but what can I say, I love that girl. She gets bigger and cuter every day. We love you Hazel!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Disneyland!
We had a blast at Disneyland! Hazel loved every minute of it:)
Merry-go-Round. At first she didn't want to get on the ride, but once it started she was in heaven. She cried when she had to get off.
Hazel also LOVED the Nemo Submarine ride. The second picture is hard to see but it's Hazel with her face pressed right up against the glass. Too cute!
Mr. Toad's Wild ride
She made a ride while waiting in line:)
Jungle Cruse ride
Peter Pan
Santa brought Hazel and I matching shirts which he found at Target for only $10 each. So much better than paying $30 each in the park.
By the end of the day Hazel was exhausted. She fell asleep in her stroller and so we stayed for dinner and a few more rides. It was a great day!
Grandma and Grandpa got her a huge sucker first thing.
Merry-go-Round. At first she didn't want to get on the ride, but once it started she was in heaven. She cried when she had to get off.
After that she was all about the rides. She wanted to ride Dumbo so bad but the line was horrendous. Luckily for us Tony ran in to one of his former students who was a manager there and he gave us two passes to jump to the front of the line. We used one for Dumbo:)
Mid-morning Hazel decided she was tired and took a nice nap on my shoulder:)
Hazel also LOVED the Nemo Submarine ride. The second picture is hard to see but it's Hazel with her face pressed right up against the glass. Too cute!
Mr. Toad's Wild ride
She made a ride while waiting in line:)
Jungle Cruse ride
Peter Pan
Santa brought Hazel and I matching shirts which he found at Target for only $10 each. So much better than paying $30 each in the park.
By the end of the day Hazel was exhausted. She fell asleep in her stroller and so we stayed for dinner and a few more rides. It was a great day!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
California!
We had a wonderful time visiting Mike's family in California! It was very relaxing and great to see everyone. We didn't take nearly enough pictures while we were there, but here's a sampling (in reverse order. I hate how blogspot loads pictures to the beginning of a post and not the end, and I'm not in the mood to move them all around. But I digress, back to the point...)
Hazel and Aunt Jamie
Check out these adorable hats. Jamie got one for me for Christmas and I love it! It's so cute and fun especially when they're all lined up:)
Hazel loved playing with Grandma B.
Hazel loved playing with the "bug" app on Grandpa's iPhone. The "bugs" were bacteria that multiplied when you fed the donuts, repeated everything you said in a high pitched voice, and laughed hysterically when you tickled them. Who comes up with these things!?! Hazel loved it though.
Christmas Day all of Mike's extended family came to the house for dinner. Hazel met lots of people for the first time.....
James Allen whom Hazel loved. I think they would be 2nd cousins.
Hazel, TJ, James Allen, and his mom Noella
Hazel loved riding a little bike Grandma got for her.
It really was a great trip. Also, thanks to some very willing baby sitters Mike and I had three date nights! Three! In one week! It was wonderful. One night we hung out at the mall (which quickly overwhelmed me. Now I see why people from California complain about the malls here). One night we got in a short date in Disneyland after Hazel fell asleep. Grandpa and Grandma took her while we rode a few rides and watched fireworks. Finally, we took a day to go to the temple and out to lunch. It was the first time we've gone out to a sit down restaurant alone since she was born! Thanks Teri, Tony, and Jamie for babysitting!
Hazel in the airport waiting to go home. She was an angel on both flights!
Of course we had to make a few stops to In-N-Out. It's only Mike's favorite restaurant of all time. I must admit, I love it too!
Hazel and Aunt Jamie
Check out these adorable hats. Jamie got one for me for Christmas and I love it! It's so cute and fun especially when they're all lined up:)
Hazel loved playing with Grandma B.
Another mandatory stop was the ocean. I love the ocean! Hazel didn't even mind getting her toes in the sand. I think the vastness of it all scared her though because she clung to my hand/leg/body for dear life the whole time we were there.
Hazel loved playing with the "bug" app on Grandpa's iPhone. The "bugs" were bacteria that multiplied when you fed the donuts, repeated everything you said in a high pitched voice, and laughed hysterically when you tickled them. Who comes up with these things!?! Hazel loved it though.
Christmas Day all of Mike's extended family came to the house for dinner. Hazel met lots of people for the first time.....
Great-Grandpa Craig and Phyllis
James Allen whom Hazel loved. I think they would be 2nd cousins.
Hazel, TJ, James Allen, and his mom Noella
Hazel loved riding a little bike Grandma got for her.
It really was a great trip. Also, thanks to some very willing baby sitters Mike and I had three date nights! Three! In one week! It was wonderful. One night we hung out at the mall (which quickly overwhelmed me. Now I see why people from California complain about the malls here). One night we got in a short date in Disneyland after Hazel fell asleep. Grandpa and Grandma took her while we rode a few rides and watched fireworks. Finally, we took a day to go to the temple and out to lunch. It was the first time we've gone out to a sit down restaurant alone since she was born! Thanks Teri, Tony, and Jamie for babysitting!
Christmas 2010
We had a wonderful Christmas this year! It was so much fun to see Hazel's reactions to everything. She LOVED the Christmas tress and lights. After we took down a small tree she had in her room, she still asked for her "tee on" every night for about two weeks! She also loved opening presents and getting new toys. Watching her made me appreciate the joy and magic of Christmas all over again. More than anything else, I was amazed by her attention when we taught her the Christmas story. She sat quietly listening to the story of our Savior's birth and signing baby over and over. Kid's understanding of the gospel and the things that really matter in life is amazing!
On to the festivities...
We spent December 23rd at my parent's house to celebrate with them and to prepare for our flight to California on the 24th. Hazel opened her presents from us and Gram and Grandpa while we were there. She got a play kitchen from my parents which she LOVES! She also got a Cabbage patch kid which she loves and calls "Tutu" (I love the name my mom gave her and Hazel readily accepted:))
Mike and I got fitted for the slopes:) Mike got new (ugly in my opinion but he loves them) ski pants and a helmet. I got a pair of skis! I can't wait to try the out:)
Then we were off to sunny California! We hadn't been out to Cali since I was pregnant with Hazel so we were very excited to go. The weather was a bit cold by their standards but felt great to us. We landed Christmas Eve and were able to go to the famous "Charlie Brown" house. These people have their entire house decorated with Christmas themed Charlie Brown displays. It is amazing!
On Christmas morning we had a wonderful breakfast (Thanks Tony!) and by noon we were ready to open presents. Grandma and Grandpa B. had shipped some of Hazel's presents to us in Colorado so we wouldn't have so much to bring back. She had a blast opening those before we left. She got some ADORABLE clothes:)
Then in California came the toys which she loved. A See-and-Say, a toy phone, and best of all tickets for the three of us to go to Disneyland!
The highlight of Christmas day was getting to talk to both Alicia and Harrison! They are both serving missions for our Church and get to call home two days a year - Christmas and Mother's day. Harrison called and talked to my parents in the morning, but I was able to call him for a few minutes too. Alicia was lucky enough to be able to Skype with the family. It was great talking to both of them!
Hazel in front of our tree with her advent calendar signing "candy"
On to the festivities...
We spent December 23rd at my parent's house to celebrate with them and to prepare for our flight to California on the 24th. Hazel opened her presents from us and Gram and Grandpa while we were there. She got a play kitchen from my parents which she LOVES! She also got a Cabbage patch kid which she loves and calls "Tutu" (I love the name my mom gave her and Hazel readily accepted:))
Mike and I got fitted for the slopes:) Mike got new (ugly in my opinion but he loves them) ski pants and a helmet. I got a pair of skis! I can't wait to try the out:)
Then we were off to sunny California! We hadn't been out to Cali since I was pregnant with Hazel so we were very excited to go. The weather was a bit cold by their standards but felt great to us. We landed Christmas Eve and were able to go to the famous "Charlie Brown" house. These people have their entire house decorated with Christmas themed Charlie Brown displays. It is amazing!
On Christmas morning we had a wonderful breakfast (Thanks Tony!) and by noon we were ready to open presents. Grandma and Grandpa B. had shipped some of Hazel's presents to us in Colorado so we wouldn't have so much to bring back. She had a blast opening those before we left. She got some ADORABLE clothes:)
Then in California came the toys which she loved. A See-and-Say, a toy phone, and best of all tickets for the three of us to go to Disneyland!
The highlight of Christmas day was getting to talk to both Alicia and Harrison! They are both serving missions for our Church and get to call home two days a year - Christmas and Mother's day. Harrison called and talked to my parents in the morning, but I was able to call him for a few minutes too. Alicia was lucky enough to be able to Skype with the family. It was great talking to both of them!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Some Updates Below
I got some of the pre-Christmas updates done so check them out. Coming soon, Christmas and our trip to California.
Activation Day!
Two weeks after Mike's surgery, we returned to the audiologist so they could activate his implant. It's a pretty detailed process, but I'll try and explain it.
They started by placing the implant on, but hooking it directly to the computer. Each of the 22 electrodes was tested then set to the lowest volume that allowed Mike to hear a small beep. The computer then creates a personalized "map" that is programed in to the implant.
After everything was set up, the audiologist turned the implant on the for the first time and had me talk to Mike for a few minutes while she adjusted more things. Here is his face as he heard the first sounds.... 
I love the expression! They warned him at every appointment that it would seem very, very loud and he would hate it at first. But, he actually said it sounded weird but not bad and it wasn't overwhelmingly loud. The audiologist then did some simple tests to see how well he was hearing. To say he aced every one is an understatement. She was shocked how well he did and said people NEVER do that well on their first appointment.
He was able to tell the difference between her saying a one-syllable word, a two syllable word, and a three syllable word when she covered her mouth so he couldn't lip read. (Most people struggle to do this at the first appointment, but he did it with no problem). Then he was able to tell the difference between three different two-syllable words. Finally, he was able to understand as she spoke common phrases. At this point both he and I were in tears over how well he could hear! It will still take some time for the implant to reach it's full capacity, but he is already so pleased with the results.
The implant came with two external sound processors. Mike picked a charcoal one for everyday use...
...and a white implant. Why white? So it will match his suit while he works in the temple:)
I didn't mention, but this was on Mike's birthday. After we were done, we went to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate! It was a great day! Talk about a one-in-a-lifetime presant.
They started by placing the implant on, but hooking it directly to the computer. Each of the 22 electrodes was tested then set to the lowest volume that allowed Mike to hear a small beep. The computer then creates a personalized "map" that is programed in to the implant.
After everything was set up, the audiologist turned the implant on the for the first time and had me talk to Mike for a few minutes while she adjusted more things. Here is his face as he heard the first sounds.... 
I love the expression! They warned him at every appointment that it would seem very, very loud and he would hate it at first. But, he actually said it sounded weird but not bad and it wasn't overwhelmingly loud. The audiologist then did some simple tests to see how well he was hearing. To say he aced every one is an understatement. She was shocked how well he did and said people NEVER do that well on their first appointment.He was able to tell the difference between her saying a one-syllable word, a two syllable word, and a three syllable word when she covered her mouth so he couldn't lip read. (Most people struggle to do this at the first appointment, but he did it with no problem). Then he was able to tell the difference between three different two-syllable words. Finally, he was able to understand as she spoke common phrases. At this point both he and I were in tears over how well he could hear! It will still take some time for the implant to reach it's full capacity, but he is already so pleased with the results.
The implant came with two external sound processors. Mike picked a charcoal one for everyday use...
...and a white implant. Why white? So it will match his suit while he works in the temple:)
I didn't mention, but this was on Mike's birthday. After we were done, we went to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate! It was a great day! Talk about a one-in-a-lifetime presant.
Santa Visit and Nutcracker
The first weekend in December Santa was coming to visit at my parent's dentist. Since Hazel and I were up visiting them anyways, we decided to take Hazel to visit. The entire office was decorated for Christmas and they had TONS of homemade cookies. Hazel loved the decorations and the cookies as you can see...
Hazel with her Gram
When it was time to see Santa and Mrs Clause, she wasn't so sure. I was pretty impressed she didn't scream or cry. Instead she just kept saying "No, no, no!" and reaching toward me to get her off. Not too bad for an 18 month old I guess.
This year I was able to perform in the Nutcracker again with Littleton Dance Academy. I was only going to play Clara's mother since I'm not in shape to actually dance, but they ended up needing one more girl in the Waltz of the Flowers. So I had about a month to dust of my pointe shoes and get back in shape. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly my body remembered all the technique:) I've lost a little bit of flexibility, but still have it! It was a blast and reminded me how much I miss dancing. I would love to get in to teaching again at some point, but right now I'm too busy.
My Dad also performed as one of the party parents. They were going to try and put Hazel in the party scene like last year, but this year she wasn't so cooperative. Every time I had to hand her off to go off stage she would cry so she got cut. But, Mike brought her to see the show and she LOVED it! She sat through the whole show and watched without a peep. That's my girl:)
My beautiful dress!
Hazel with her Gram
When it was time to see Santa and Mrs Clause, she wasn't so sure. I was pretty impressed she didn't scream or cry. Instead she just kept saying "No, no, no!" and reaching toward me to get her off. Not too bad for an 18 month old I guess.
This year I was able to perform in the Nutcracker again with Littleton Dance Academy. I was only going to play Clara's mother since I'm not in shape to actually dance, but they ended up needing one more girl in the Waltz of the Flowers. So I had about a month to dust of my pointe shoes and get back in shape. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly my body remembered all the technique:) I've lost a little bit of flexibility, but still have it! It was a blast and reminded me how much I miss dancing. I would love to get in to teaching again at some point, but right now I'm too busy.
My Dad also performed as one of the party parents. They were going to try and put Hazel in the party scene like last year, but this year she wasn't so cooperative. Every time I had to hand her off to go off stage she would cry so she got cut. But, Mike brought her to see the show and she LOVED it! She sat through the whole show and watched without a peep. That's my girl:)
My Dad and I in our party costumes.
My beautiful dress!
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