family walks

My favorite time of the day is the evening when the three of us usually head out for an hour walk. We keep having to push it further back in the day because it's getting warmer. (the high today is 96!) There is a wonderful park just across the nallah from our house. (the nallah is like a stream but is really stinky because a lot of people use it for sewage)

This is something I'm really hoping we can continue in the States. It's a great time for James and I to talk, it's healthy, it helps us meet people, and I think it also teaches Hazel to be active. I want my children to actually use their bodies, not their thumbs, to play sports.

So James likes to get a snack on the walk. In the winter, he usually got momo's. But now that it's warming up, he likes to get ice cream. I can't honestly say that I don't usually imbibe as well.


Hazel loves our family walks. Sometimes I carry her...


...sometimes James carries her...


...and sometimes we switch halfway!


Once, Hazel picked me a flower. :)


The fun usually wipes the baby out. Hazel, too.

buddies

We went over to hang out with the Shefs for American Idol the other night. We tried keeping Hazel up a little past her bedtime so she could 'play' with Aashini, but she wasn't too thrilled about it.
It's funny, both Andrea and I had the idea to title our blogs "Buddies". I think it's because of this picture. How can you look at it and not think they look like buddies? Andrea pointed out that Hazel looks like she's saying, "Oh my!" in this picture.
Then we had the "bright" idea to put the babies on their tummies. Immediately upon being put in this position, she rolls over now. So here she is, frustrated that the pillows are blocking her movement. This was end of the photo shoot for Hazel, who went to sleep promptly after her wail-fest. Aashini's face in this picture cracks me up!

I'm really sad we only have a couple more months to hang out with the Shefs and our other great friends here in India. But one thing that cheers me up is that Hazel will have lots of other buddies to meet when we get back - Sophia, Boston and Olivia, and Micah, just to name a few.

playing

I know I don't really have experience to back up this statement, but Hazel has got to be the most fun baby. :) She's been playing a whole lot lately. She's really close to laughing and squealing, or maybe she already is. She does this little chuckle that I've yet to really capture on video. It could definitely be that her laugh just isn't as loud as her mom's. Here are some fun pictures of her playing.


Speaking of laughing, this picture makes me laugh!:


She's getting stronger!

hazel's first easter

Today was Resurrection Sunday, and we celebrated in several ways. First, we went to a sunrise service in some gardens here that have a lot of really, really old tombs. I love the idea that Jesus' tomb is empty!


We had to wake Hazel up pretty early, but she was pretty fascinated by the gardens and all the people, so she was wide awake through it all. In our sleepy fog we forgot to put her tights on her, and also didn't realize how cool it was outside. I got tsked a lot by some aunties who came around wrapping Hazel in her blanket and covering her head.


I like this picture of her and James.


This is her Easter dress. Dress from Ashley, tights and bow from Mimi, and patent leather shoes from Nana. Thanks, y'all, for wardrobing my daughter! :)


We went to the regular service, and then over to Matt and Tiff's house for lunch and fellowship.


This is Meredith who is 5 months older than Hazel. She loved Matt and Tiff's dog, and squealed loudly in delight every time he came near. She even said her second word today - "doggy". It was pretty cute! I'm looking forward to when Hazel squeals more and surprises us with words.


This picture is so cute! Meredith was trying to comfort Hazel as she toppled over.

sophia's here!

Sophia Camille arrived yesterday!! Don't you just love the name? So Hazel's potential best friend is now in the world. Aunt Christi and cousin Sophia are doing great, and I'm dying to hold my newest niece! Just a couple more months, and I'll get to hang out with my precious nephew and nieces, and Hazel will get to meet her cousins.

alone time

When I was growing up, I loved to retreat to my room to play by myself. My parents quickly learned it was no punishment to send me to my room - instead, they had to take off my door.

Yesterday made me wonder if Hazel is gonna take after me in that way. I played and talked even more than usual with her, and by about five o'clock, she was pretty fussy with me. I set her down on the couch for a second while James and I happened to leave the room at the same time, and guess what? She stopped her fussing immediately! We peeked in a couple of times, and she was just chilling out by herself. I think she was annoyed with mommy's babbling. I guess she just needed some alone time!

just some pictures

No real story behind these, they are just some pictures I took of Hazel this week. :)


She likes her lay and play toy that Nana bought her. She doesn't grab the mobile animals yet, but if I put the octopus leg in her hand, she'll hold it. I'm hoping soon she'll comprehend that it's indeed her hand holding the leg!


These pictures are for my mom, since she mentioned Hazel needs to be in bows. I'm glad she did - I totally forgot I have a ton of them to dress her in! You'll be glad to know, Mom, that now almost every day she's in bows. It still doesn't stop the Indians from asking if she's a boy or a girl. :)

rolling over

It's not the best quality video - I took it with our digital camera. But here's a short little clip of Hazelnut rolling over. It cracks me up every time I watch it. :)

color blind

One of the fun things about Hazel spending her first 6 months in India is that she gets to have lots of Indian friends! I always wonder if she notices the differences in looks between her parents and most of the people around us. Maybe one of the many reasons Jesus said we should be like the children is because babies are color blind when it comes to skin.

Hazel with one of her biggest fans, Jaya.

This is D*, one of the ladies from our prenatal class. Hazel and I went to her house last week to visit with her and her baby boy.

Hazel and Abir. He's 5 weeks younger than her, and much sleepier than her!

Our landlord had been dying to meet Hazel!

The Andrews sisters holding Hazel at church:

hazel's trip to thailand

Okay finally, here are some pictures from the Thailand trip. Hazel really enjoyed it - I think she liked the warm weather. I know we did, too! When we left India, it was still cold. Now it's in the 90s!
She grew up a lot while we were there, it seems. When we left, she could still fit in her footed 0-3 months pj's, but not anymore. Also, we were able to finally break the swaddle habit! That was a huge milestone for us, because it was part of the napping problem - she was too strong for the swaddle, but if her arms came out, she'd cry. Now she's fine with them being out, and takes long naps!:


Every time we stepped outside, she was fascinated. Especially on the road. I took her a few times on morning walks to Starbucks, and she loved it. She's getting to where she recognizes that the Snugli = fun walks. I'm trying to do my best Hazel impersonation!


In the Night Market:


This picture makes me laugh for some reason. We sat down for dinner, and she couldn't take her eyes off the action of the night market. I just love her profile with the turned up nose and chubby cheeks.


We discovered a trick when taking her to restaurants. She's so happy if we just lay her down in a seat, and she can stare and kick around. There was some funny green lighting in this place.


In the Sunday market, helping Daddy order some pad thai. James is a good sport with me when I make him take staged pictures. :)


Another picture of us on the road. She loved riding in the tuk tuks! (we don't have a car, so we don't have any way to strap her in a car seat when we travel. No mean tongue-lashings please, we don't really have an option):


The super nursing dad! Going above and beyond what most dads are physically capable of! James actually has this uncanny ability to get Hazel to fall asleep, but his trick is covering her face. It always looks like he's nursing, so I had to get a picture.


Like I said, it was warm, so she got to hang out in onesies. This one is a new one from Lindsey who used to live in India with us. Isn't that sweet?:
I just loved seeing her in onesies, and watch her kick her chubby little legs!


And finally, she has this new thing. She is always wanting to stand! And the look on her face when she is standing cracks me up. It's a mixture of pride and happiness: I'm pretty sure she thinks she's older than she is.


My little Hazelnut!