Best Face Forward

Dear Peach,
Last weekend you faced forward for the first time.  You took it like a big girl.  No problem for you.  With giggles and lots of raspberries blown you and Henry enjoyed yourselves.  Henry didn't like it when we turned his seat around.  I think it felt so different to him.  I caught Henry a couple of times trying to hold your hand.

You took it all in in your usually laid back style.
Love, Mama

Take Initiative!

Dear Henny, 
You are amazing.  I already knew this but you've really stepped things up in recent months.  You've become such a caring and helpful big brother.  You find so many ways to make Hazel flip out squealing and laughing.  You've also really taken on chores lately that impress me.  Often you remind me to take out the trash and when you get home from preschool on Tuesdays you run out (sometimes without me asking) bring the cans back up to the garage.  The other day you wanted some ice cream and I gave you four tasks to do when you were ready... bring up the trash cans, pick up some sticks in the yard, fill the water up in the fountain and pick up your laundry and put it in the hamper.  You came in and rested a bit then I was looking for you... I look out the back window and see you walking from the side yard to the back wood pile with a handful of sticks.  

You came in the back door and went out the front and started the hose, came back in the front door went back to your room and came walking down the hall with an armful of laundry.  

You came out of the laundry room, returned to the front and turned off the hose and walked to the driveway and pulled up the trash cans and recycling.  

I was so impressed!  You organized your work load and had it all completed in 15 minutes!  

I felt a lot of pride and I took pictures out the window.  The other day I looked at the living room and said, "Man we need to get this straightened up so we can have dance time when Daddy gets home."  I went in the other room to change Hazel.  I came back to find you had picked up all the toys and books and put the in the toy box.  You were sitting on the couch waiting for dance time.  !!! 

You offer to help, you do things to be a part of how the house works without being asked and you do a great job.  Man!  I am a lucky Mama for so many reasons.  My workin' buddy!

Love, Mama

Piggie Wiggie!

Dear Hazie!
Today I did your hair in pigtails and it was the most amazing thing ever!  Who put this little girl in my house?  Baby is sayin' bye bye (literally you said bye to Daddy today as he left for work and the Physical Therapist as she was leaving our session) and figuratively...I am starting my pile of Hazels.  You're an amazing little baby lady.  So funny and so pretty.  Your PT and OT today could hardly take your cuteness with the little fountains of hair pointing out the sides of your head.  You're starting to throw in some fiestiness too.  This is refreshing, yet a little shocking.  You grabbed the fork out of my hand at dinner on Monday and threw it to the side because you were done eating the cheese.  

You were trying to use the brush on your own.

All you really need to do is sign all done, but who knows when you're really done because you EAT AND EAT AND EAT.  You're signing when you're sleepy, you want more, you're all done, and I love you.  The other day you sat on the floor for several minutes making a plastic alligator bite your big toe, to which you'd let out a good giggle, over and over again.  

Though you don't yet stand on your own or walk you did cruise three steps today.  You're off of formula and on to milk with no fanfare or battle...Oh crap, that's all for now, you just climbed up on to the fire place. 

Love, Mama

Cousins

Dear Henny, 
In my life some of the most important people have been my cousins.  We played and had so much fun as kids.  I could never wait until the next time we would get to hang out.  Now as adults we support each other through births, adoptions, marriages and hardships.  You have two first cousins and, if my count is correct, you have 10 second cousins that you see with regularity...there are lots of birth cousins you occasionally get to play with, and other second cousins whom you also get to occasionally play with.  It is your first cousin Jonny that you can't stop talking about.  What had the good fortune of having him near us about an hour and a half away.  It has been a hard transition for you to have him move back to Florida for school this year and to live with his mama.  You miss him and talk about him constantly.  You've tried to convince Bahboo to dig a tunnel directly to Jonny's.  It does make you very excited that in February you'll get to go to Grandpa Tim and Trish's in Florida and we hope to work out a visit to Jonny Cakes'.  I should get in contact with his mom Michelle when we know more of the plan while there.  It would be great to have you able to run on a Florida beach together.  You did have a fabulous summer together.  You played together as much as possible, traveled to Chicago and tried to out jump each other on the diving board at Grandma P's and Bahboo's.  So here are some photos of the two cousins who can't get enough of each other.  Love, Mama

Sharing Henry's Birthday together

BB Gun

Pool Time with Bahboo

Aliens in a strange land

Lake Michigan

Cuddling on a cool beach

Castles with 2nd cousin Jospeh

Shedd Aquarium

Robot dancing in the Chicago Skyline

Riding the 4 person bike at Navy Pier

Playing in a Chicago Fountain

Buddies warming up on the hot concrete in Chicago

'Buddies!

First Hazel Haircut

Dear Hazel, 
Just before your birthday we took you to Tamara at Boomerang to get your first haircut.  It was pretty tame... Your hair wasn't that long but the texture kind of changed all at once and it was hanging in your face down your nose, making it difficult for you to see when you are crawling.  It was quick.  You stood at the couch and she went... snip, snip, snip... and it was all over!  And you looked cute and I could see your sweetie pie face.  There were a few barely there wisps to put in two plastic bags, one for us and one for WW.  

Love the look of it.  The first hairstyle of many.  At least someday the perm trend won't make you a victim.  haha You're such a beauty. 
Love, Mama     

*Henry's first haircut.    

Today Hazelita is 1

Dear Sweet Hazelita,
Today you are one!  What! I know!  I can't believe it either.  We are having a little party at our house today at 3.  It rained last night.  There was no rain on the radar for Sunday all week...now there is. Let's hope our 70% chance of no rain or thunderstorms beats out the 30% possibility.  Mommy has a pinata for you.  We spent an hour trying to throw the string over the super high tree branch yesterday.  I woke up this morning and my throwin' arm wasn't tryin' to move!  I was so close each time.  It would hit the branch or be about a foot short.  I waited for Bahboo, who took one throw and got it over.  I don't care.  I just wanted it to be there.  We are picking up tamales and lots of friends and family are going to make it!  Including your birth mama, WW!  She hasn't been to the house before so we are super excited.  We haven't been able to have a real visit since the IAC picnic.  We did stop in and see her at work one day.  We are so happy that things are going so much better for her in a years time.  She has a job, the cutest most perfect house and a nice boyfriend. A year ago we got the text about this hour that WW was in hard core labor.  We all jumped up, got ready quickly and on the road.  Henry had lots of questions about you and bringing you home, little dude had no idea that it would flip his world so much.  Sometimes he laments about the "old days when it was just us."  

Our last picture just the three of us.  Look at Henry's excitement!

Look at the poor Henry's shock.

I know he loves the heck out of you though when he designs tasks that would be "good for your therapy", picks you up out of harms way or declares an amazed, "HAZEL!  What are you doing!"  when you bust out a new skill.  ....We made the hour plus drive in 45 minutes.  Just in time to see your placenta hitting the table!  ( I will show you the picture someday) 

You were the sweetest cuddle monster from the start.  You ooze gentle love from every nook and cranny, ever strand of hair, every explosive smile.  You love your brother more than anyone, squealing laughter and attacking him whenever you can.  This year you've worked hard for almost 4.5 months in occupational and physical therapy bulkin' up those muscles to struggle to crawl effortlessly, pull up, feed yourself, play with toys and play drum on Henry's back.  

You should have your glasses on here, but you constantly pull them off now.

You love to be in the middle of things trying to do what we are doing.  I especially love when you sort laundry, tossing it to and fro, sorting and passing to me with such a serious work face.  You're so amazing.  I start to fall asleep at night but am distracted by the need for one more of your smiles, one more of your hugs.  You became a part of our lives so quickly, so unexpectedly, so gently that I am total disbelief at times.  We love WW.  We love that you are a part of her, and you are a part of us.  Forever grateful and humble. 
Now let's have a sensational day birthday girl!
Love, Mama