Week #18: 4 Month Birthday!

This was the last week home with Daddy - I can't believe it has already been another 3 weeks. Now Daddy will have to shave, trade in his tee-shirt, shorts,and giraffe accessory before heading back to the office.  

Hazel had her 4 month check up this week. She got some more shots and didn't like them very much.We found out she is the same size at 4 months that I was at 9. The doctor said she is a beautiful, healthy baby - I guess this breastfeeding stuff is really working for now.

4 Month Stats:
Weight:  15lbs 5 oz (85%)
Height: 25.5 inches (95%- taking after Daddy)
Head:  16.5inches (75%)

Hazel in her swing...or wait is that really Cindy Lou??

Week#17: R & R (Road Trip & Rolling Over)

 
Check out my budda belly...got to love it!

 

Turning the pages of my book with Daddy!

This is the second week Mike has been home spending time with Hazel.  He is just loving it and Hazel is too.  I was totally impressed that Hazel would just sit on Mike's lap, calm, cool, and perfectly content. I think Hazel can sense Mike's "zen" like demeanor and it rubs off on her.  Since Mike is so very patience and gentle by nature he is adapting great to his role as daddy.

We hit the road over the weekend and headed up to NDSU for Jake's (my cousin) graduation. I wasn't sure how Hazel would do in the car for 4+ hours but again she amazed us - only needing to stop two times to eat and stretch.  Actually, I think Hazel was totally entertained during our journey as she sat in the middle of my mom and I watching our every move in between naps. We rented a SUV cause with all our stuff we would have never fit it in our car.   And yes we did bring the exercise ball and the sound machine but all necessary!

 

Favorite Things this Week:

•  Rolling over from her back to her stomach.  She just keeps rolling.. and rolling.. and rolling. However, she hasn't quite figured out how to roll back over to her back from her tummy yet but I am sure she will be hard at work on this maneuver.
• Helping Daddy hold the bottle for feeding time.
• Kicking off her little booties
• Wearing 6-9 month clothes 

MARVELOUS MOTHER'S DAY

 

Celebrating Mother's Day this year was extra special. After all, I am officially a mom now and loving every single minute.  This year we continued our Mother's Day tradition of participating in Race for the Cure (5k walk). This year we had awesome weather and wonderful company.  I was nervous to see how Hazel would do but she loved it.  She started out in her stroller, then at mile 1, we transferred her to the Baby Bjorn to finish the walk. She was a trooper and sleep most of the way. After the race we headed to Nana & Papa's for a wonderful brunch.

 On Mother's Day, Mike surprise me with not only flowers but also an addition to my wedding ring. My wedding ring  previously represented our past, present and future with three bands. With the addition of Hazel to our lives Mike gave me another band. We previously had talked about adding bands to my ring as our family expanded but we hadn't talked about it for so long I couldn't believe that Mike even remembered.  

What a sweet, sweet, surprise!

Another surprise came on Mother's Day as well - my brother Bryce actually sent me flowers too. 

What a super duper day!

Week #16: Staying at home with Daddy

I made it through my first week back at work.  It feels good to know that I could actually do it because I seriously didn't think I would  physically be able to leave little Hazel.  To help make the transition better I had wonderful support from family & friends. Here is a little note a great friend passed along my 1st Monday back at work.  I have kept this e-mail and look at it whenever I feel sad about being back at work and not with Hazel.

Okay... Breathe.....
Hazel is okay........
Mike is Okay.......
You are okay........ Or you will be
529 plan... Remember.....
It will be hard......
Harder on YOU than Hazel.....
There will be many tears......
Mostly yours........
This is a BIG step....
One of many more to come....
And know that you have the support of all of us around you.....
We love you.......
Have a good day......
Drink that mocha.......
Embrace that other part of you....
That professional woman.....
You make Hazel proud.........

After all, many great women paved the way back to work before me.  It will defiantly take time to get in a routine being back at work, pumping, and everything else in between but I am up for it.  I have told myself to be strong and be thankful. I am thankful because.....

I get to hold Hazel each and every day.

She is not off to war nor is she sick. 

Every day I work the more we save for her 529 plan.

Favorite things this week:

• Chilling with Daddy
• Aggressively pulling Mr. Giraffe and Mr. Parrot off the play mat
• Sticking out my tongue
• Sucking on Sophie, the rubber giraffe
•  Cute little article in the paper about our " Baby Reveal Party" for Hazel.   Hazel in print check it out....

Week 15:. STOP....don't go so fast!

Time, where did you go?

This was the last week I was home from Maternity Leave. This entire week I was so sad and cried often as I thought about leaving my little love for an entire day when heading back to work.  I told myself not to think about it but when the thought consumed me, my eyes would fill with tears. Whenever I would talk to people about the "w" word (aka returning to work) I would get all choked up.  It is not that I don't enjoy my work. I  know I am very blessed to get to work for such an incredible company like General Mills for the past 8 years.   However, if you think about it, I have not been apart from little Hazel  for well over a year.  From the time she began growing in my belly, to feeling her first little kicks, to her birth, to her three month birthday until today, I have not left her for more than 4 hours and tomorrow May 3, 2010 I will have to leave Hazel for 8+ hours while I go to work.

  The song Time by artist Chantal Kreviazuk might have just captured my exact feelings this week and the weeks to come.

Time, where did you go?

why did you leave me here alone?
Wait, don't go so fast
I'm missing the moments as they pass

 

This is a beautiful song.........take a listen when you get a chance cause time does just got way to fast!

Favorite New things this week:

• We moved Hazel from the pram next to our bed to her room. This was hard for me to do but she was definitely out growing her pram.  During the night she would move her way down and be crammed at the bottom of the pram so we decided she needed a bigger bed.
• First time Hazel got to feel the grass between her toes & smell the flowers
•  The little ducks in our pond hatched 
• Hazel began really pulling off the toys on her play mat- mostly with her left hand.  She likes the giraffe and parrot but isn't fond of the monkey. 

Well, I better wrap this up and get to bed.  As I head off to work tomorrow I will  just try to keep reminding myself that many, many women have already paved this path ahead of me.  They have been strong and survived this transition and so shall I. As this transitions is a drop in the bucket to many others we could be facing.  I know Mike will have a blast with Hazel and he deserved Daddy/Daughter bonding time too!