hazelnut

When Hazel would move and kick like crazy in my belly, I would call her Hazelnut. Now that she's out, she makes the funniest faces, and the nickname fits better than ever!

hazel's first christmas

Christmas Eve we decided to open presents with my mom since Christmas day was a big day for us. Hazel cleaned up! Not only did she get all these gifts around her, she also was given the vibrating chair from Mimi. (that is also a nice gift for us, since it gives us a little bit of quiet! :) All the gifts were from Mimi and Pops except for the little the pink and tan striped shirt on the far right that we gave her. Also, Nana and Papa gave us money to buy her some things.


And check out the gorgeous blanket Aunt Christi had made for Hazel. It also came with a matching diaper bag and wipes holder.


Hazel's Christmas outfit! She wouldn't hold still for a good pic. Does it surprise anyone that the shoes came from Mimi? Yeah, I didn't think so. :)


Merry Christmas!!

hazel's friends

The day after Hazel was born, Adam & Andrea and Nathan & Kari brought their newborns up to meet their new friend. So Aashini and Hannah and Hazel entertained us with their funny newborn antics when we put them all together. For those of you who are pregnant, there is hope - all 3 babies were early. Aashini and Hazel were both supposed to be December babies, but all three made it out before December.


Hannah says, "Psst...Aashini, check out Hazel's weird hospital gown!"


Then this week, Hannah came back over to play. She's 11 days older than Hazel. Aashini was supposed to be there too, but she's in the ICU this week...please continue to lift them up! Many of us are specifically asking they'll be out before Christmas.


Hazel actually woke up a little to hang out with Hannah.


Even when Mimi was rocking her, she kept her pretty blue-for-now eyes open.


The proud papas with their little girls.

another outing!

Even though Mimi is content just rocking the baby all day, we wanted her to experience at least one fun Indian market and at least one historic site. So yesterday we took her to both, and she had a real fun time shopping, and got some great deals.

It was Hazel's first market experience too! She hung out day with her daddy, who looks mighty handsome with that Snugli don't you think? :)


Look at our bargains! Well I guess you can't really see them...


One of many family photos we took that Hazel slept right through! Are you noticing a pattern here? She gets in that Snugli and conks out. I love all the colors in this pic!


Then we went and had a picnic lunch outside a 500 year old monument/tomb.


James took Hazel up to see the view from above the m0sque.


Mom and me


The Roberts


Hazel and Daddy

venturing out

Last Tuesday, Hazel went out in her stroller for the first time. We just went over to some friends' house for dinner, but I was nervous about what exactly to do if she woke up. I haven't quite gotten down the whole nursing in public thing just yet.
No need to worry - she slept through the whole thing. :)


Last weekend, Mom and I took Hazel for a short walk through the neighborhood. Several people stopped us along the way to ask about her. It's funny - men here wear pink too, so even though she was decked out in pink and flowers, everyone asked if she was a boy or a girl. I met some women who said it was good for us to be walking in the sun. Then I met another lady who gave my mother and me a stern lecture about the dangers of taking a baby out before she's 40 days old. She mentioned everything from her nose getting squished permanently from the Snugli, to me getting a cold forever. My mom and I aren't exactly known for holding in our opinions, so I think everyone who knows us would have been very proud of our silent nods and gracious smiles during the talk. After that though, I decided to hold off one more week on going to church for fear that my friends there would all lecture us some more.

But yesterday, Hazel accompanied me and my mom for her first 'public' outing. We went to a mall full of strangers in hopes that no one would say anything to us. Fortunately, they didn't. Hazel did so well! Here we are in the Mothercare store getting her Christmas present. Don't worry - she slept through it so her gift will still be a surprise. :)
And yesterday we also did a webcam with Pops. (to answer your question, Kelley, my mom did come by herself. Sadly, my dad didn't have enough vacation time to come, too) So here is Hazel's first photo with her Pops. Shocker - she's asleep again! :)

stocking picture

I tried doing the cute stocking picture of Hazel. I put her in the cute red and white pj's from Aunt Christi and cute My 1st Christmas cap from Mimi.


However, the stocking was a bit small to fit over her diapered bottom. And as you can see, she didn't really like being squeezed into a stocking.


Since she was wearing neutral colors, I took the cap off her head and tried a little bow so you could tell she was girl. Once again, she wasn't too happy.


This is the only picture where you can't directly tell she's mad as all get out. Even while crying, she was so cute I couldn't stop taking pictures.


But she's definitely happy in Mimi's arms!

mimi's here!!

Hazel's been getting some very special visitors lately. The best of whom is her Mimi!!

Yes, my mother is in India, and rocking Hazel to sleep all day long. I've never seen a baby take so quickly to someone like Hazel did to her Mimi.


Tonight, some of our friends came to visit Hazel and bring her a cute little outfit.


While they were here, Jaya showed up too! She ran in and hugged my mom (they've been emailing!) like they were long lost friends, and then sat and chatted with us for 2 hours. She also brought a cute little red cardigan and knitted hat.


And Mimi brought with her some really sweet gifts from some family members back home. This is a cute little Christmas outfit from my Aunt Barbara. Hazel is modeling it wearing her fussy face.

lucky hazel!

Most people here believe that when a woman gives birth, she and the baby must stay indoors completely for 6 weeks. I'm pretty sure I'll be risking the occasional scolding from strangers to go out some. But there is at least one really cool post partum custom I am gladly taking part in...the post partum massage! For those 6 weeks, a masseuse is supposed to come daily to massage the mother and the baby. Jaya totally hooked me up with this! Although I'm having her come every other day for a month instead. But it's great! And because this is India, it's super cheap! I must say, though, that Hazel did not enjoy her massage like I did. Getting her first massage at 4 days old...she doesn't realize how lucky she is, does she?

video of hazel at the hospital

Here's the awesome video Andrea made!

what you really want...

a november baby after all!

Obviously I have much to write about the last 4 days! I'll try to sum it up over the next few posts. Also, I tried to put pictures to this post, and had to delete them because they formatted very strangely.

Friday, November 30 - Labor Day! (yes, this is summed up...)

• Although I had stronger cramping in the days leading up to Friday, I noticed the labor pains began around noon. Ironically, I was watching Notes From the Underbelly!
• I classified the contractions as painful around 3:30pm.
• By 5pm, we were at the hospital, and Dr. Kapur said I was only 1.5cm dilated and 60% effaced. I was nervous she would send me home, but she assured me I was definitely in labor because my contractions were strong.
• James ran to get Subway because we knew it would be a long night. My wonderful 'co-labor partners' Andrea and Tonya kept me company. Knowing it took my mind slightly off the pain, Andrea chattered during my contractions, and Tonya rubbed my shoulders and back. Andrea also reminded me of the focus technique, which also helped a little.
• I hit a time of panic, where I cried and repeatedly told James I was a wimp and couldn't do it. He encouraged me in the literal sense of the word - gave me courage. What great support he gave me throughout!
• Friends of ours topped in to affirm me and pray. It was awesome!
• Dr. Kapur had predicted I'd be at 3cm around 7pmand could get the epidural then. I don't actually know how far along I was when I got it, but it was an incredible relief! It didn't hurt a bit. I did freak out for a moment, though, when right after I got it, I felt a pain in my lower back and thought they made a horrible mistake. I yelled, "My back, it hurts!" until I realized it was just a contraction I felt. I'm sure the anesthesiology staff found me very odd.

• After that, I felt no contractions for about an hour. It was pure bliss! When they wheeled me back to the room, I cheerfully exclaimed, I'm back!" James said he was relieved to see me back to normal. At this time, I was able to call some family members back in the US to update them.
• While I had been gone, my visitors had predicted when they thought Hazel would be born. I guessed 3:30am.
• I began to feel my contractions more, and soon was in incredible pain even though I was still receiving the epidural. After about 30 minutes of complaining to the staff that my pain was unbearable, a doctor came in and checked me, and discovered to both our shock that I was fully dilated. She declared I as ready for delivery, and I think I asked, "What does that mean?" I honestly couldn't believe I went from about 3cm to 10cm in 3 hours!
• During the check, my water broke, and the doctor cursed. She informed us the baby had already passed the meconium, and was in distress. Obviously, we were freaked. She whisked us off to delivery where Dr. Kapur met us and told me I'd have to deliver quickly or I'd have to do an emergency c-section. With Nurse Tough-Love pushing on my stomach and telling me not to yell, me praying outloud to Jesus to give me strength and save my baby (Dr. Kapur even joined in once!), and Dr. Kapur's double whammy of the vacuum and threatened c-section, Hazel arrived after 25 minutes of pushing.
• I could actually feel Hazel leave me - there was a definite flattening of my belly and I knew immediately without seeing that she made it out!
• James and I stared in awe, and when she cried we both started crying. It was a release of so many emotions. She was born at 11:06pm (J.O. guessed one minute off at 11:07!) and weighed 3.51kgs (7lb12oz). Praise the Lord she wasn't the 9lb baby I was so nervous about!
• James ran out to tell those waiting that she was born. Dr. Kapur and I both laughed as we heard him yell from down the hall, "I'm a dad!"

The Lord was so gracious to us! I had been praying for months that she’d come between 38-39 weeks and be under 8lbs, and obviously He didn't have to say yes to these, but He did. I had asked Him for a daytime labor, also. He took care of all this and more. He gave us a healthy and safe labor and delivery, a beautiful and healthy daughter, and friends who not only came to support us, but went above and beyond. As many of you know, Adam and Andrea posted pics and also sent out pictures to our friends and family while we were in the hospital. They stayed with us after Hazel was born until around 2am (with their own newborn in tow!) so that they could get the pictures, since the hospital kept her in Nicu for a couple of hours to monitor her. And they also made a movie and sent it out that I will post here soon. What great friends we have! Much more than a support network, wouldn’t you agree?

baby time?

Contractions for 4 hours now, they're every 4-6 min apart.  Dr. Kapur told me to come on in...we'll see!  Check out Andrea's blog for updates, I'm sure she won't mind. :) 

a special song and things they don't tell you

My friend Kelley who had a baby here last year said that some of our Capital friends sang her a song the night before she went into labor. Last night, we got a phone call from these friends, and I was hoping it was the magic labor song. It was!

Baby Hazel
(to the tune of Baby Caskey :)

Baby Hazel, won't you come out
Baby Hazel, you'll be so much fun
Baby Hazel, you'll be number one...in your family
Oh Hazel baby, Oh Hazel baby

They sang it twice for good measure, and I know Hazel appreciated it. Her mom and dad sure did!

Since she hasn't come yet, I've come to the logical conclusion that some of you just aren't praying hard enough. James keeps reminding me that I still have a week (well now 6 days) to go until the due date. I really can't complain because my pregnancy has been so easy and active. But there are some things that other moms don't tell you about the ninth month of pregnancy. For those of you who are either not quite to the 9th month or not pregnant yet, let me be your honest informant:

1. The pelvic bone softening pain! It's incredible how much you can feel your bones softening. Putting on pants, kicking off shoes, standing, sitting, walking...it's all very difficult, and causes quite a few loud sickening pops.
2. The carpal tunnel when you sleep. I haven't had any swelling during the pregnancy, except now my knuckles swell when I sleep. So I have to wake up about 4 times a night and drink a glass of water to help with the swelling, which of course, makes me need to wake up 4 times a night to also go to the bathroom.
3. The fatigue. If you think it's bad in the first trimester, just wait.
4. The pelvic bone softening. It's so bad, it deserves a second mention.
5. The mood swings. Lucky for James, these have been limited mainly to just crying spells and not all-out evil. But I'm sure it doesn't lessen his confusion.
6. The nesting. Well, to be fair, they do tell you about the nesting to a degree. But it occurs differently for everyone, so when you wake up one morning, and unknowingly rearrange the living room furniture, it's quite a shock after you see what you've accomplished.
7. The incontinence. That's all that needs to be said about that.
8. The painful baby movements once she drops. I swear I can feel her grinding her head into my cervix, and if I didn't know any better, I'd think she took some sort of evil pleasure in doing so.

This is all said lightly, because honestly, it's really not all that bad. In fact, it's pretty incredible to think of how God designed our bodies to do this. I mean, the pelvic bone softening thing hurts like a mother, but the fact that He had our body (and even our baby!) produce hormones to allow for a slightly easier passage of the baby, it's mind-blowing! And there are so many examples of this work, I wonder how someone could go through pregnancy and not believe it was intelligently designed.

baby bedding

Last week, we got a much awaited package from James' family. As soon as we found out we were having a girl, James' mom (a talented quilter) began making a pink girly quilt for Hazel. It's beautiful, and I wouldn't expect any less from her!


On the back, there is a very sweet note for Hazel. Does this mean she has settled on being called Nana??


Along with his parents, James' Aunt and Uncle sent along some sheets for the crib! They are in assorted colors, and will keep Hazel nice and cozy. Thanks, y'all!!

'tis the season - officially

We decorated for Christmas last night! I had actually asked James if we could decorate before Thanksgiving (yes...I'm one of those people), but wisely, he opted for us to wait until at least the day after Thanksgiving. So...we pulled out our measly/tacky decorations and got to work. It's fun to think that soon we'll be taking a picture in front of the tree with another family member.


Since I need to stay off of ladders and chairs, for the first time in our marriage, James put the tree up, including the lights! I didn't know what to do with myself while I waited to decorate the tree.


1. We don't have a good tree topper, so I decided to just tie a couple of ribbons on there. 2. Notice I need to make a new stocking! 3. No, I can't believe the size of my belly either.


The Roberts, soon to be three!

thanksgiving - 38 weeks pregnant

Did any of you think the lack of posting was because we had the baby? Sorry to disappoint. Hazel is still enjoying my tummy. Come join us, Hazel! It's fun out here!

I haven't taken any pictures since Diwali, and I was shocked when I saw these pics of me. Not only do I look tired (getting ready for those sleepless nights?) but I am huge!


Andrea and I doing a 'belly picture'. Yes, that is the same Andrea that looked like she was carrying a beach ball under her shirt just two weeks ago, and look at how tiny she is already! Now I'm the one with the beach ball!


And here's the beach ball. :) Precious baby Aashini, who slept through most of Thanksgiving, but was gracious enough to wake up long enough for me to hold her for a few minutes.

After lunch, I went for a long and fast walk. Well, fast for being 9 months pregnant. I also added extra poultry seasoning to my leftover dressing for dinner because sage and thyme are supposed to bring on contractions. It may all be wives' tales, but I'm still trying it all!