Yikes.
I get behind, and then I'm too far behind to blog because it's overwhelming. So, I avoid it altogether and then I'm months and months behind and then I end up posting a big huge long post about nothing.
Here goes.
This was Hazel when she was three months old. My mom and I took her to a pumpkin patch and snapped a few pics. She was adorable and way too cute for words. I think the lady wanted to give us a free pumpkin, just for how cute she was. Side note: The picture in the top left corner--Hazel fell over and hit her head on that bucket just moments after I snapped the photo. Bad, bad mommy.
This is Hazel at four months. She was tired and didn't want to smile at all. So, I got a cute little picture of her crying. Hazel will be five months in just 5 days, so I'm hoping for a blog post update then. Fingers crossed.
Hazel has been a joy in our lives. She is too funny. She absolutely LOVES her Daddy. When Caden comes home, or walks into the room, Hazel lights up. She smiles for others, but no smile compares to the smile she gives her Daddy. It's adorable. She's definitely a Daddy's girl, and I secretly wish she loved me more. Just kidding. She has learned to stand while leaning against the couch cushions, roll from belly to back, almost crawl while on tummy time, and blow bubbles with her mouth. Daddy practices tricks with her while I'm at work. She should be walking and talking in no time.
This week was her four month check up. Doctor said "So, is she sleeping through the night?" No. "Is she eating solid foods?" No. "Is she eating 6-8 ounces?" No. Yikes. I felt like a pretty bad mom when we left that office. So, this week has been Hazel boot camp. I am terrible at the self-soothe process. I've been rocking her until she falls asleep and I've been picking her up every time she cries. Apparently that's some bad reinforcement. So, we have been trying to self-soothe at night. It hasn't been going super great. Night one, she cried for a solid hour until I gave up and rocked her to sleep. Oops. Night two, she cried for 45 minutes until I gave up and rocked her to sleep again. Oops. Day three, I layed her down for a nap and she cried for 10 minutes, I went in to check on her and she cried a little longer and then fell asleep. I'm hoping tonight goes as well as nap time did. Fingers crossed.
I've racked my brain trying to get Hazel on a "schedule". I think I've written down 5 different "schedules" for the day. Wake up at this time, nap at this time, eat at this time, bed at this time, yadda-yadda-yadda. Well, each day is different and it hasn't worked out super great for us. Every parenting book I've read states we absolutely need a schedule for baby to be happy. So, of course, I've been stressing like a mad woman to get her on a schedule. But, sometimes she's home all day with me. Sometimes she's with her Daddy/Grandma. Sometimes she's out and about running errands, and she hardly ever wakes up the same time each day. So, it's stressing me out. New mom problems.
We started her on solids this week, too. Solids. When did she get so big?! I feel like she's literally growing up right before my eyes. She's still figuring out how to eat properly, but we are getting the hang of it. Love this cute little babe.
I've started working full time. Yep, I did it. I went full time. It hasn't been as traumatic as I imagined it to be. It's only one extra day, and the benefits have really helped our family. Insurance is cheaper, my checks are bigger, and Caden gets to spend one full day with our little Hazel May as a daughter-Daddy day. Which, I'm sure she loves. I'm super grateful to have my mom, mother-in-law and husband watch Hazel while I'm at work. I can't imagine taking her to a daycare or a stranger's house. I think that I would quit my job, no joke. Thank heavens for the awesome people in our lives.
Caden and I have continued to have date night each week. Ohhh, how I love date night. I love being able to drop my "mommy-duties" and be a wife for a night. Caden is great at making me feel special.
He constantly is making me laugh and I always tell him that I should write down all the funny things he says. His humor is my favorite kind and it's rare for me to go a day without laughing at him or the things he does/says. One night, we were laying in bed and I told him that someone should record our lives because he is so funny. Without skipping a beat, he looked at me and said "ACTION!" and I laughed and laughed. Sometimes, we lay in bed and make shadow puppets on the ceiling with our cellphone flashlight. Sometimes he dances in the kitchen to the beat of his own song. And always he makes up songs about me and Hazel that are too funny for words.
When we are bored, we walk around PetCo. Which, if you know my husband, is really strange. Caden is TERRIFIED of animals, of all kinds. Although, he loves reptiles and would like some tree frogs of his very own. So, sometimes we go to PetCo and look at the reptiles. This particular day, the worker was checking on the animals and getting them out of their cage. I LOVE to hold animals. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I'll hold any animal, I don't care what it is. Caden, on the other hand, has never held any animal and he's absolutely certain that animals will eat him. Including snakes and lizards. So, the worker man was getting lizards out of their cage and explaining to us that these lizards like to be held. As he was talking, he reached out and put a lizard on Caden's shoulder. Caden about pooped his pants. He screamed a little and the worker said "Oh, you must not like lizards."
It's things like this that happen on a daily occurrence in the Hall home.
Sure do love our lives.
Until next time, blogland.
I hope it's sooner, rather than later.
xo
4 comments:
yay! you posted again. seriously, I feel like a creeper when I comment on your stuff but I think its a mom thing? I don't know. please don't judge me!
we don't have parker on a schedule and I totally don't even care. sometimes it makes for hard nights when she wont go down when I want to but not always. and I also don't think that because you rock her to sleep that you are spoiling her or that she isn't learning to sleep on her own. I am a firm believer that you don't sleep if your babe doesn't and if you getting sleep means you rock her, so be it. you cant be a good mom on no sleep. just my two cents(:
hazel is such a pretty baby. oh my gosh she is darling. those big blue eyes are stunning!
Sounds like everything is going so well.
We really struggle with self soothing, too. When I told the Pediatrician that Lewis would cry for 45 minutes solid before I would go into the room he shook his head and said, "No, longer. Looonger" It is SO hard! So for a while I was still getting him, just on my own schedule. I'd say, if he cries before 1 (or 2) then I'm not getting him. Then he'd cry until that time and then I'd go get him and I hated it. Then one night he'd eaten only a few hours before so we let him cry it out, and he's been sleeping through the night since. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays this way. haha
I had a hard time with a schedule, then I remembered that every Mom and babe are different so we don't have a schedule. In fact, Finn put himself on a schedule. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. If she's a happy gal then let her be. I stopped reading the mama books because I was feeling guilty and sucky at the whole job.
Finn struggles to self-soothe but we've found a few tricks that seem to help - like if he has his blanket right next to his face, he calms faster.
Don't be afraid to try new things! You're doing great!
We haven't had either of our kids on a schedule either, its so hard when you are working. But luckily they both seem to be doing fine so I think its okay :-) Plus sometimes I just want them to stay up a little longer and play with me.
You sound like you are a great mom! As long as she know you love her I think that is wonderful and it sounds like she gets lots of love! She is adorable too!
I am so impressed that you guys go on date nights every week, that is so wonder and makes me jealous. Hopefully we will do the same after my husband is done with nursing school.
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