Toothless

A couple of weeks ago, Sawyer came bouncing into the kitchen, where I was preparing dinner. He wore a grin from ear to ear, and I kid you not - he had a little twinkle in his eye. "I think I have a loose tooth!" he said. At seven-and-a-half years old, he has been feeling his teeth for months, hoping to find a loose tooth. Often when we go to floss and brush his teeth in the evening, we even check for him. But this time - it was true! I felt his bottom right tooth, and sure enough, it was wiggly! Quite wiggly, in fact! 

He kept bouncing around the house, doing nothing in particular. I asked him if he was bored. "No, I'm just excited!" And then, he asked me, "Mom - will you take a picture of me before my tooth falls out? Once it falls out my smile will change forever, you know." Okay, so I had been bouncing around all excited for him, too - and then he pulls that one out and yanks right on all the mama-strings in my heart. "Of course!" I tell him - partly super excited for him, and partly sad that this little milestone seemed to suddenly sneak up so fast. 

I told him I wouldn't be surprised if he lost his tooth in a day or two at most, so perhaps we should do it right then? And so, we did. Seven year old Sawyer, first grade. First loose tooth. He is such a handsome, smart, and fun little boy. I love him SO much. My firstborn. Just look at his gorgeous eyes. Still such an innocent soul. His world is made up of legos and outdoor adventures. Of wearing shorts every.single.day because he can't stand "long sleeves" of any sort. Of wearing pajamas whenever possible. Of dashing around the house either dressed up as a werewolf, or with his light saber. Of star wars and dragons. Of detailed pencil drawings and nature journaling. Of little treasures hidden in secret places, and piles of books on his dresser (he's a big reader, and an amazing one for his age). Oh, this boy. This BOY. 

Sure enough, his tooth fell out that very night. In the middle of the night. When I woke up I went to check on him and he was about to burst into tears. He was making his bed (he amazingly makes his bed every morning before he gets dressed, without even a single prod from me - mind blown!) and I said "did you lose your tooth?" to which he relied "I LOST my tooth!" He then told me that it came out during the night, and he held it tight in his hand the rest of the night, but when he woke up to use the bathroom, he accidentally flushed it down the toilet. He was so upset. "How will the tooth fairy find me if I don't have my tooth?"

We had a little chat and I assured him that the tooth fairy would find him - and that children lost their lost teeth (sometimes they even swallow them!) quite often. I told him the tooth fairy would know when to come when he wrote a little note and left it out for her (at least he thinks it's a her). Two nights later, he was ready to write that note. And so, he did. And to his amazement, she even wrote him back! She left him a tiny little wooden treasure box on his dresser. It was filled with chocolate gold coins (he still hasn't eaten them all, two weeks later!), 2 quarters, and a tiny little note rolled up in a scroll (as you would expect in a treasure box ;) tied with a tiny piece of what looked to be embroidery floss. Her note said that it was okay that he couldn't find his lost tooth, and that (just as I thought) it was a pretty common occurrence. To avoid misplacing it in the future, she left him the treasure box, and told him that next time he loses a tooth he can keep it safe in the box. She said that she usually brings coins but it depends on her mood - sometime she might even bring something fun like stickers or tiny tattoos. To say he was excited about the tooth fairy assigned to his teeth - well, I'm sure you can imagine.

Pure Magic.

I told him we should call him "toothless" (he loves the books/movies "How to Train your Dragon" so it seemed fitting). 


So - his smile has changed, forever. And I think I'm okay with it (he sure looks cute with a missing tooth!)

Hudson at 10 months

Today we have been loving on this boy for 10 months! He can stand on his own for a few seconds, and cruises around the house, taking steps here and there. He loves climbing the stairs, and we're teaching him how to go down them on his tummy. He is a busy boy, but will always stop for cuddles. He adores his big brother and sisters...and bath time! He also adores being pushed on the swings! He's turned so brown this summer and has sun-streaked hair like a little surfer boy, and tan lines between all of his deliciously chubby rolls. He loves blueberries, spaghetti, and steamed broccoli. He loves his stacking toy, and wooden blocks. He's got pretty amazing coordination and loves to build towers...and knock them down. He drums on everything and enjoys music. And when he says "mama", it's like music to my heart. He's such a fun guy to have around - couldn't imagine life without him here. We're continually grateful for the joy he brings to our family and everyone he meets. I can't believe it's time to start thinking about what kind of cake he might like for his birthday!

First day of School 2015

This morning was Aspen's long-awaited first day of kindergarten, and Sawyer's first day of first grade. I have surprised myself - so far, I haven't cried dropping off my kindergarteners! I get a little teary thinking too much about it, or when we first walk in and they leave us for orientation - but the morning of, they have been simply so happy and excited about the big day - how can I cry? I just smile, and my heart is so happy for them, excited that they're excited, grateful for the wonderful neighborhood school they attend, and for the zest and love for learning. I love these two so very much, and it is a joy and a pleasure watching them learn and grow! We had a wonderful summer together, but now on to new adventures! I tried to catch a few moments as they were getting ready this morning. It was fun to see them goofing off together - and then, as if on cue, they decided to hold hands as we walked to school. Sawyer held the door open for Aspen - and insisted we take her to her classroom first, because "ladies first" - he is a sweet little gentleman. These two are seriously best friends. They are so lucky to have each other, and to be so close. I hope their sweet relationship continues to bloom and grow throughout their lives. I am just so grateful to be their mama and to watch them shine, as they share their spark and spunk with those around them. What a treasure, and what a gift they are to our family, our community, and our world! Off they go! May it be a wonderful school year for them both!

Hudson at 9 months

Nine months old! Gah! This little hunk said his first word a couple of weeks ago... "uh oh!" He has recently started taking a step or two as he holds onto furniture, too. His favorite is to play in the teepee, but his most favorite of all is to play outside. He's a total water baby, loves the bath and loves the pool (and rivers, creeks, lakes, etc.) He's finally taking at least one awesome nap per day (2-3 hours) and sometimes, he even takes two! He's got seven teeth and the cutest, silliest smile. He doesn't like pureed baby food, he prefers finger foods like steamed veggies or soft fruits. He's been practicing with his spoon and does pretty well with a bowl of yogurt, applesauce, or cottage cheese. He's also pretty good with his sippy cup, and likes to sneak sips from his siblings water bottles when we're out hiking. He goes down to bed in his crib (which we moved into our room) around 9pm, and wakes around midnight for a dream feed and to join us in bed. The way he snuggles up and curls his little legs right into me, like we were meant to be molded together, is just so sweet. A happy place for us both. He is happy, and an easy baby. He gets so excited when Daddy comes home, too, following him around with his happy prancing crawl, until he scoops him up. We love this boy so much. It's crazy how quickly the days fly right on by. I'm loving each and every one.

Hudson at 8 months

Can you believe our little guy is already 8 months old!?! To describe him in one word: Happy. He is just SO happy! Such a joy to have around. Super easy going - I mean, he has spent more time on the trail and sleeping in a tent than most babies his age, and he just goes with it! He loves the outdoors, and is always up for a new adventure! He is also filled to the brim with energy and just go go goes all day long. He started pulling himself up a couple of weeks ago, and he loves to stand up, then let go, and plop down on his bum (even in the bath tub!). He loves to laugh, has the cutest giggle, and in the past couple of weeks, his four top teeth have erupted. Soon, his big, happy grin, will be showing a lot of teeth!He eats well and mainly eats soft finger foods these days, favorites being melon, blueberries, a variety of steamed veggies, and graham crackers (the only part of the s'mores he gets this summer ;) He loooves swimming. Oh, and thankfully, he is finally starting to take a real nap. He nurses, cuddles, and nods off for a short nap in the morning, but he has started napping for an hour or two in his crib in the afternoon. He still loves to nurse, but is easily distracted these days. Life is extra good with this cute guy around!

Hudson at 7 months

This one's a little blurry because this SEVEN month old just can't hold still! He kept laughing and trying to lunge forward to crawl off the sofa, so I had to snap quick and grab him! Yes, Hudson, he's a busy one! He has 3 teeth on the bottom now, has mastered the crawl, still drools a lot through his happy, contagious smiles, chews on everything, and this past week has started pulling himself up to stand! He's still wobbly, and quite chubby - which makes for a dangerous fall here and there. He loves finger foods these days - watermelon, peaches, avocado, and bananas are some faves. He's hit and miss with his water in his sippy cup, but getting there. He also takes baths like a big boy now, sitting up in the tub with a sibling...or two...or three. Overall, he's just a happy, easy going little guy, and I love his peaceful nature and the joy he brings to our oft-crazy circus. I could squeeze him all the live-long day (and often do!) and oh! His cheeks! And rolls! Ah, he's growing so fast. I have mixed feelings about that, but mostly, I just love watching him learn and grow and his enthusiasm for the simplest things many of us take for granted. A lucky boy to be loved so well!

Hudson at 6 months

I can't believe he's six months old! He started army crawling a few weeks ago, and now he's on his hands and knees. Today, he found the stairs. He's a busy baby boy, but when he's not busy he wants nothing more than to be held or worn. He takes short little cat naps (usually when being held or worn), but very rarely a good nap (ie. the kind where Mama can get something "done"). It's all good, he'll get there. He's super-chill-go-with-the-flow-happy-go-lucky so we can't complain. He's also pretty cute, and has the sweetest little voice and giggles galore! He's super chunky, and super duper happy. And we learned last week that he's an awesome traveler, too. He loved the beach in Florida, and painting the town at the French Quarter in New Orleans. His first little tooth (bottom right) made it's appearance about ten days ago, making him our earliest teether. We have just started introducing soft finger foods (mango, banana, avocado) which he loves. He especially loves his mum mum crackers, and Mama's milk, of course. He sleeps great at night and loves snuggling up in our family bed. His eyes keep getting blue-er, and his hair keeps getting blonde-er ;) He loves bath time, being outside, and his brother and sisters. Oh, and Sofie le Girafe. Gah. He's just the best and the world is a better place with him in it. We are head over heels for our Hudson Jude! Happy Half Birthday, little man!

Hudson's first solids

Hudson was excited to try his first solids! I snapped a few pics before things got messy (and fun!)

Hudson at 5 months

This happy guy is 5 months old today. What!?! Rather than lament and scold Father Time for speeding by, I will just focus on all the fun we're having with our littlest boy. He does the tripod sit and is getting better at it every day. (I think he's practicing so he can sit and look real chill on his first trip to the beach in a couple weeks). He is the King of drool. His favorite toys are currently his toes. He can roll all over the room and can scotch/wriggle/crawl about 4 feet. He's super ticklish and has the cutest giggles. He LOVES his brother and sisters. He also loves to nurse, and to be held or worn. He also loves stories and bath time. He brings joy and smiles to everyone, everywhere. Aspen often says, "Mama, I just love him SO SO much!" Me too, sister. Me, too.

Hudson at 4 months

This squishy lil guys is four months old today! He rolls from back to front, and front to back! He pushes up and kicks his legs because he really wants to GO somewhere (or just keep up with everybody else). He manages to go in circles and has started getting around enough that we put the baby gate up over the weekend - and all legos up out of reach. He loves to suck on things and his current favorite is grabbing his toes. He's cute as can be (though he's losing all his hair!) and his giggles are simply delightful. I just put away the 0-3 months sized clothes last night and he weighed in at just over 14 lbs at his check up this morning. He's a chunky little monkey and we couldn't love him more!

Hudson at 3 months

We call him bugaboo, he has the biggest eyes, which are looking rather blue. He's easy going and loves to watch all the action going on around him. He will spend a good hour smiling and watching intently as his sisters dance, sing, and twirl around. He will also happily gaze at the ceiling fan as it spins. He sleeps great at night and cat naps during the day - he always wants to be held or worn, and he loves to be outside. He laughs and smiles, and is getting to be such a cute chunky monkey! Hudson Jude, we love you to pieces, dude!

Hudson at 2 months

On Christmas Day, among many wonderful things, we celebrated that this sweet baby has been with us TWO whole months! He is getting some little rolls, and oh how I love a chubby baby! He delights us with coos and smiles and as long as he has his belly full of Mama's milk, he's an easy going guy. He weighed in today at 10lbs 6oz and the Doc said he is super strong and coordinated. But we already knew that - as he has started rolling over already!

Hudson at 1 month

Today, we celebrate one whole month since this sweet little fella joined our family. He has stolen our hearts in the most delightful way. There is always magic in the air with a new baby in the family, and we are soaking up and savoring our sweet boy and these moments he is so fresh from heaven.

Hazel's first solids

Hazel has been showing signs of readiness for her first food for several weeks longer than I'd like to admit. I was the one who wasn't feeling quite ready. Over the weekend, she hit SIX months(!!!) so I figured it was time! So, yesterday before rushing out the door and off to church, we sat her in the little bouncy seat, snapped on a bib, and had at it. She was more than ready - no hesitating, she took to the spoon like a natural and ate like a champ!

Something I didn't think to consider as our family grew, was how much fun it is to have the older siblings be so excited about all the milestones of the littlest family member. Sawyer and Aspen are a year and a half apart, so kind of too close to appreciate those types of things (or more like Sawyer was still little enough that he would've shoved the spoon down Aspens throat or in in her eye if we weren't careful!) - but having the older two a little, ahem, older, this time around, is soooo much fun! It makes every milestone that much more of a celebration! They each had a turn giving her a few spoonfuls, and now I have plenty of volunteers for helpers at mealtime :)

Yes, it's safe to say the food was a big hit. She was super excited about it this morning. We did take some video as well but of course I'm too lazy to post it, for now. I need to do a six month post eventually, so maybe I'll post some video then...but for now, DIG IN, Hazel Gracie! Enjoy the goodness that is FOOD!

Hazel at 3 months

Our Hazel Grace is 3 months old!

Already?

(don't worry, I'm going to say that every month I post about her being a month older!)

I love her big, bright eyes and sweet, happy face - but I wanted to take a picture of her sleeping because she's just as sweet that way. So serene and beautiful. I only took one frame so the click wouldn't wake her - and I put on the little bonnet that was mine as a baby (because it's sweet and it also covers her bald head :) Sometimes during the hustle and bustle of the day I don't get to just sit and admire her while she's sleeping (sometimes I do) - but late at night when she's curled up next to me in bed, or early in the morning when the sun (yes, there's LOTS of sun here in Austin!) dances in our window with it's warm glow...I just stare at her. I touch her cheeks and nose, kiss her little eyebrows and lips and cheeks and chin and ears...she's delicious. I'm not sure how it came to be that we talk about sweet babies like they're something from the bakery or candy store...but I'll take a sweet baby over a piece of pie or chocolate any day. 

Hazel Grace - at 3 months -

-you are roly-poly chub-a-licious goodness! It is quite evident that you are a purely breastfed baby (I take pride, of sorts, that none of my babies have ever tasted a drop of formula).

-sometimes we call you Hazel Gracie because it's cute (and so are you!)

-you have killer eyelashes. I'm jealous :)

-you have the cutest little voice and have really discovered it the last week or two, I am thinking you'll be just as verbal as your bro and sis (who talk constantly and have huge vocabs for their age)

-you roll over  from back to tummy.

-you DO NOT take a binky, thankfully, you're easy going and don't really need a binky much, but it would be nice if you'd take it sometimes like at church so all your cute noises and talking didn't distract half of the congregation (in a good way, but still).

-you DO take your hands. You LOVE to suck on your fingers and little fists. You don't seem to prefer any certain finger(s) so I think it's just a phase (we haven't had a thumb sucker yet). You just love to stuff all of them in your mouth, it's rather cute and silly :)

-you really are a trooper. you sat in between your brother and sister all the way from Seattle to Austin and never complained. I was relieved you arrived with your eyes in tact. You really know how to just roll with things, which is probably part of being the third child, but also part of your personality.

-people always notice your big, beautiful eyes. We still don't know what color they'll settle to. Currently they're still that baby denim blue color, but they could very easily shift. It's a fun guessing game :)

-you have mastered your little jungle gym - you reach and grab and swat the little animals and rattles and have a ball in there. sometimes you grab the little bird toy and forget how to let go of it, which frustrates you but is kind of cute, too. Often, your siblings join you and secretly wish they had their own jungle gym. 

-your hair has really fallen out. I still think it's crazy how you started out with so much pretty dark hair and it somehow magically falls out. I like to say you're bald but beautiful. I'm sure more hair will start growing in soon ;)

-you're just so cute and sweet, and little. you're still wearing you're 0-3 months sized clothes but in another few weeks I think we'll have to pack them away (tear). You're growing up so fast!

-you still love tubby time but now you also love POOL time! You are a little fishy! We've had so much fun having a pool just steps from our front door in our new apartment home.

-you're a Southern girl now!

-We love you to infinity and beyond!

Hazel's blessing day

On Sunday, August 12th, Hazel received her special blessing at church. Jacob gave her a beautiful blessing, and Uncle Taylor as well as members of the Bishopric stood in a circle with her tiny little self in the midst of them as hands were placed softly on her head and the blessing was given. She finally wore that little dress I bought the day we found out she would be a girl, and she looked every bit as angelic as I had envisioned. Things have been so wild and crazy with getting ready to move, she's really had to roll with the punches around here. I had about 5 minutes to snap a few pictures of her to remember how sweet she looked on her special day. 

I was so happy that my sister, Kaitlin, and her husband, Taylor, and their two cute girls could come spend the day with us. It was a little bittersweet as we knew it was the last time we would get to spend the day together before our big move. We visited, hung out a little bit at the beach, and bbq'd. It was so nice to live (relatively) close and see each other every now and then. She was kind enough to snap a picture of our little family after church. I think it's the first picture we have with all five of us in it!  

I'm so grateful for the time we've had here in Seattle - the city that brought Jacob to me, and me to Jacob - and three beautiful children to us. It's hard not to sit and count your blessings when you sit in church and see your husband blessing your new baby, and you see a bit of heaven every time you look at her.

Truly, blessed. Blessed, truly.

The first time she wore a pretty dress...

Hazel was sooo tiny when she was born, that she had to wear preemie sized clothes, and swam in a few newborn sizes, for weeks. She's 5 weeks old now, and is now fitting nicely into the newborn sizes, but her wardrobe was kind of limited for a long time. The bonus for both Hazel and her big sister, down the road, is that a lot of baby dolls fit into preemie sized clothing, so they will have more doll clothes eventually :)  

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I felt like playing dress up. I had made a little dress for the bebe out of the liner of a former skirt I had, and I just eyeballed it and had no pattern. So, it turned out super small. I thought maybe I'd just give it to Aspen for her baby dolls, but then Hazel was so tiny, I thought we might give it a try afterall. So, one morning, I dressed up my little doll. It fit! And she looked so elegant for a tiny newborn (hooray, something besides a onesie!) that I just had to take a few pictures of her. Of course I only got around to looking at them two weeks later (things have been BUSY!) but I'm glad I took a few minutes tonight to see how they turned out. 

Crazy and beautiful things have been happening to our family lately. One of the beautiful little things is this little sweetheart of a girl we gladly welcomed into our family. What a little angel we have here! What an amazing blessing!

I'm sure this little lady will soon start fitting into her bigger/cute clothes, but I am glad I captured a few moments of her wearing her first pretty dress...I'm fairly certain it was the first of many pretty dresses to come.

Hazel at 2 months

It's crazy that Hazel will be 2 months old as of tonight. Last Friday, 8 weeks from her birthday, I took a few photos of our sweet baby. We were in Oregon, so I set my sleeping baby on this pretty antique chair at my parent's house...I no sooner took a couple of frames when this sweet baby's big sister bounced into the room. No more sleeping baby! Her sister loves her so very much she can't seem to keep her hands off her. She is always kissing and hugging her and while at times I have to remind her to give her baby sister some space to breath, baby Hazel herself is, for the most part, all smiles to be the center of attention from her big sister. It's fun to see already how Aspen has eagerly jumped into the big sister role. I am excited to see how their sisterly relationship develops over time...

She has recently discovered her tongue, and likes to play with it (along with sucking on her fingers - she is NOT a binky baby). Oh, and bubbles. Her older siblings thinks she's working some kind of magic when she starts smiling with bubbles coming out of her mouth :)

Sweet Hazel, at two months:

-You sleep like an angel all through the night. A dream feed here and there, but you're probably our very best sleeper as a newborn. (maybe part of that has to do with the fact you love snuggling up in our bed. You love sleeping with us, all snuggled up with Mommy - and she treasures this fleeting time when she gets you all to herself, all night long :)
-You have a most contageous smile, already! 
-You're starting to coo and make the cutest little noises.
-Your getting strong, you have rolled over a few times in bed but we're not counting it official rolling until it's more intentional.
-You're finally outgrowing the newborn clothing and now fitting into most of your 0-3 months sized (cuter!) clothes.
-This week you graduated from the newborn sized diaper to the size 1. You can blame those scrumptious rolls on your legs and your cute little bum for that!
-You're getting roly-poly and so chubby! I love your double chin and your looong eyelashes (lucky girl!)
-You love to be held and sung to. You like it when Daddy whistles and sings to you. You also love it when your brother and sister sing to you - I think the best is when Aspen sings "I Love You, A Bushel and a Peck" - it's darling and it makes your Momma's heart melt!
-You LOVE being outside.
-You took your first road trip to see Grammie and Grandpa and before next month you're about to take a VERY long ride in the car - all the way to our new city of Austin, Texas! You're going to grow up being a Southern girl :)
-You've been losing your hair. Slowly, but surely. We're curious if it's going to stay dark? Or get lighter?
-Jury is still out on the color of your eyes. My guess is we won't know until closer to your first birthday. 
-You LOVE LOVE LOVE Tubby Time! Mommy love love loves giving you baths and how wonderful you smell after your bath and a nice little massage with some baby lotion. Can't get enough! And your brother and sister love to help bathe you whenever they get a chance.
-You are beautiful :)
-Simply put, you are a VERY LOVED little lady! 

Sigh. She's a sweetheart!

ps-Thanks "auntie allegra" for the darling outfit!