Four Months Old
Dear Hazel,
You are now four months old. Four months old. I've been a mama for four whole months.
You laughed for the first time a couple weeks ago. A real, true laugh. An adorable baby giggle. You laughed for Katie (Mayer, there are a lot of Katies in your life) blowing raspberries for you. Your laugh was so deep and throaty, there was no way we could resist laughing along with you.
I tried repeatedly to get you to laugh at my raspberries, but apparently Katie is funnier than I am. Papa, too, apparently knows how to blow raspberries right.
Eventually, raspberries lost their humor. You're a sophisticated baby and you demand more sophisticated humor. So now, when I want to make you laugh, I pretend to eat your neck. See? Sophisticated.
Your papa and I have been slowly watching our way through Twin Peaks. Yes, I seem to have a fondness for watching TV shows decades after everyone else. I'm sure this habit will drive you crazy at some point. Probably when you are about 13. Anyways, we've been watching Twin Peaks. It's very cozy to light a fire and cuddle up on the couch, just the three of us. While watching, we often pause repeatedly, just so we can stare at or laugh with you. Our family.
You have learned how to grab things. Boy, have you learned how to grab. Your favorite target is my lower lip, and you have quite the grip.
Yesterday you came to work for a bit. When Michelle realized you were in the office, she left a note for you: "Hazel, please come cuddle me. Love, Michelle." You do love her, and were exceptionally interested in her face. You put your little fingers all over her mouth. You grabbed her nose and were fascinated with her bangs. I think I'm glad I don't have bangs.
You still love to stand up in our laps. You are very stable, and we can even hold your hands and dance with you. If you want to stand, there's no getting you to sit down. You go all stiff, and push with your legs. You have no problem communicating what you want.
You are getting better and better with rolling over. When you want to, you can now be from back to tummy fast as a blink. You lay on your stomach, head up and staring around. I like to put your little stuffed lion in front of you, and the two of you have a good heart to heart.
Now that you can grab and hold things, you enjoy toys even more. You grab them and -- of course -- promptly stick them in your mouth. OK, I'm sorry Hazel, you're just going to have to forgive me this, but OH MY GOD, it is so cute when you put things in your mouth and nom them. Yes, yes, I know, every baby since the history of babies has nommed on everything in reach. Somehow, though, when my baby noms on things, it's like I've never seen it before.
In fact, with you I often feel like I've never really seen a baby before. Of course, I love babies. I've loved and cared for a good few. And I enjoyed them all. That's why I had a baby of my own. I had no idea, though. No idea. The love and fondness I felt for all those babies never prepared me for what I feel for you. I wake up with you next to me every morning, and I am just so happy.
Yesterday I was playing with you, doing Hazel presses. You finally think it's funny when I do these. Yesterday, though, I was lifting you up and down, and laughing with you when you decided that would be a lovely time to spit up. I managed to avoid a direct hit, but I did get a good splash on my chin and chest. Later the same day you managed to get your papa the same way. I guess we should expect that if we put you on amusements rides, we may have to pay the price.
Right now, as I'm typing this, you are in your papa's lap as he balances the checkbook. He has a full lap. You, the laptop and Molly. You are grabbing Molly's ear, and she's putting up with it. I think you two are going to get along just fine. Your papa points out that this is your first reconciliation with him. When he says things like this, I like to point out that he is a giant dork. He's our dork, though, Hazel. Just remember that.
You spend three days a week with Suzanne, Ben and Alli. Alli calls you Hey-el. Ben calls you Haze. Looking at Alli and Ben is like looking into the future. I see you and Alli getting into all sorts of shenanigans together.
Speaking of shenanigans, we had a nice day with your cousin Zach, Aunt Michelle and Grampa and Grandma. Zach is growing fast, and he think you are another toy to crawl on. Just give you a few more months, though, and you'll hold your own. I remember how much I loved (still do) my cousins. I am glad the two of you are so close in age.
We've been on a few more hikes with you. You even stayed awake for some of them. Michelle and I took you to the ice caves and around the Mountain Loop Highway. You enjoyed the walk, and it was cozy to walk along with you cuddled against me. You looked like you had your head on a swivel, you were so fascinated with the scenery. You still love trees.
We took another trip to the ice caves, and this time your papa carried you. You were just as cozy, although you slept a bit more on this trip. That trail was already old hat, clearly. You are a sophisticated baby and you demand new scenery.
Most of the world is new scenery to you, and that is so exciting. We will get to explore it together. Trails and rocks and streams and snow patches. Just please, as you're scampering around yet another bend in the trail, remember to turn back and wait for me once in awhile. I'll be there.
Love,
Mama
You are now four months old. Four months old. I've been a mama for four whole months.
You laughed for the first time a couple weeks ago. A real, true laugh. An adorable baby giggle. You laughed for Katie (Mayer, there are a lot of Katies in your life) blowing raspberries for you. Your laugh was so deep and throaty, there was no way we could resist laughing along with you.
I tried repeatedly to get you to laugh at my raspberries, but apparently Katie is funnier than I am. Papa, too, apparently knows how to blow raspberries right.
Eventually, raspberries lost their humor. You're a sophisticated baby and you demand more sophisticated humor. So now, when I want to make you laugh, I pretend to eat your neck. See? Sophisticated.
Your papa and I have been slowly watching our way through Twin Peaks. Yes, I seem to have a fondness for watching TV shows decades after everyone else. I'm sure this habit will drive you crazy at some point. Probably when you are about 13. Anyways, we've been watching Twin Peaks. It's very cozy to light a fire and cuddle up on the couch, just the three of us. While watching, we often pause repeatedly, just so we can stare at or laugh with you. Our family.
You have learned how to grab things. Boy, have you learned how to grab. Your favorite target is my lower lip, and you have quite the grip.
Yesterday you came to work for a bit. When Michelle realized you were in the office, she left a note for you: "Hazel, please come cuddle me. Love, Michelle." You do love her, and were exceptionally interested in her face. You put your little fingers all over her mouth. You grabbed her nose and were fascinated with her bangs. I think I'm glad I don't have bangs.
You still love to stand up in our laps. You are very stable, and we can even hold your hands and dance with you. If you want to stand, there's no getting you to sit down. You go all stiff, and push with your legs. You have no problem communicating what you want.
You are getting better and better with rolling over. When you want to, you can now be from back to tummy fast as a blink. You lay on your stomach, head up and staring around. I like to put your little stuffed lion in front of you, and the two of you have a good heart to heart.
Now that you can grab and hold things, you enjoy toys even more. You grab them and -- of course -- promptly stick them in your mouth. OK, I'm sorry Hazel, you're just going to have to forgive me this, but OH MY GOD, it is so cute when you put things in your mouth and nom them. Yes, yes, I know, every baby since the history of babies has nommed on everything in reach. Somehow, though, when my baby noms on things, it's like I've never seen it before.
In fact, with you I often feel like I've never really seen a baby before. Of course, I love babies. I've loved and cared for a good few. And I enjoyed them all. That's why I had a baby of my own. I had no idea, though. No idea. The love and fondness I felt for all those babies never prepared me for what I feel for you. I wake up with you next to me every morning, and I am just so happy.
Yesterday I was playing with you, doing Hazel presses. You finally think it's funny when I do these. Yesterday, though, I was lifting you up and down, and laughing with you when you decided that would be a lovely time to spit up. I managed to avoid a direct hit, but I did get a good splash on my chin and chest. Later the same day you managed to get your papa the same way. I guess we should expect that if we put you on amusements rides, we may have to pay the price.
Right now, as I'm typing this, you are in your papa's lap as he balances the checkbook. He has a full lap. You, the laptop and Molly. You are grabbing Molly's ear, and she's putting up with it. I think you two are going to get along just fine. Your papa points out that this is your first reconciliation with him. When he says things like this, I like to point out that he is a giant dork. He's our dork, though, Hazel. Just remember that.
You spend three days a week with Suzanne, Ben and Alli. Alli calls you Hey-el. Ben calls you Haze. Looking at Alli and Ben is like looking into the future. I see you and Alli getting into all sorts of shenanigans together.
Speaking of shenanigans, we had a nice day with your cousin Zach, Aunt Michelle and Grampa and Grandma. Zach is growing fast, and he think you are another toy to crawl on. Just give you a few more months, though, and you'll hold your own. I remember how much I loved (still do) my cousins. I am glad the two of you are so close in age.
We've been on a few more hikes with you. You even stayed awake for some of them. Michelle and I took you to the ice caves and around the Mountain Loop Highway. You enjoyed the walk, and it was cozy to walk along with you cuddled against me. You looked like you had your head on a swivel, you were so fascinated with the scenery. You still love trees.
We took another trip to the ice caves, and this time your papa carried you. You were just as cozy, although you slept a bit more on this trip. That trail was already old hat, clearly. You are a sophisticated baby and you demand new scenery.
Most of the world is new scenery to you, and that is so exciting. We will get to explore it together. Trails and rocks and streams and snow patches. Just please, as you're scampering around yet another bend in the trail, remember to turn back and wait for me once in awhile. I'll be there.
Love,
Mama