52 pounds in 52 weeks

To all my closest friends -

Hazel here. That's right, guest appearance from yours truly.  I just felt so tired that all this talk was going on about me and I really, so far, have had no say.  Well, folks - that all ends tonight.  First, I want to thank all the folks that sent me cards for my 3 week birthday this past Thursday.  You guys don't need to do that EVERY week of my life but I sure have appreciated the elaborate gifts and money that has been sent my way in honor of aging.  Seriously though, can you believe I'm THREE weeks old?  That means the next Thursday that comes I will be able to tell people my age in MONTHS and no longer in weeks - unreal.  The bad news about my 1 month birthday is that if I read the blog correctly, it's about a month in which I go really pale, my hair falls out and I get bad baby acne - MAD calls this the awkward baby stage. 

Exhibit A - Grayson around 1 month

I'm not afraid though.  One thing I have going for me that Gray didn't was that I have hair in the back long enough to pretty much hold a french braid.  Mom braids my hair often (as you can imagine) so even if I lose everything up top - I'll still have this 'party in the back' to work with and style as I please.  Oh the joys of being a girl!!!

So far so good around the house.  I mean, what's there to be bad from my perspective? I cry and I get either a) a milkshake or b) picked up and cuddled.  Wow, tough life.  I poop and my butt is wiped in a matter of seconds and people "oooh" and "ahhh" over me constantly.  NOW, if you ask mom and dad their opinion of life right now, they MAY have a different story :).  I think I heard mom describe me the other day as "needy" - if that's not the pot calling the kettle black!  Listen, my hands move without me controlling them and I slap myself in the face constantly when left uncuddled in someone's arms.  It's a big world out there and I'm just a little girl - can I help it if I prefer to be bundled and safe in the arms of love rather than thrown to the wolves (by wolves I mean Daisy and Grayson) and left unprotected in the bouncy seat or the swing?  Mr. "I don't want to touch my sister" sure has gotten a little more brave in these last three weeks and I'm not about to take my chances with him if I don't have to.  For all I know, he could go for my pony tail!!

About the subject line.  Here's my goal for the year - 52 lbs in 52 weeks.  All I know was that in ONE week of my birth I was successfully able to gain a full pound.  The doctor walked in the room with mom and I and the first words out of his mouth were, "well, congratulations, mom - you definitely are successful at nursing her!"  I personally think I should have been congratulated but whatever, Dad already taught me life isn't always fair.  So, I made a goal to keep up the momentum and gain a pound a week from there on out.  So, I was 9 lbs after a week, add 51 more weeks to that and I hope to be 60 lbs by age 1.  I'll keep you posted as to my progress after each doctors appointment.

Okay, it's been 15 minutes so I have to go back to sleep but let me leave you with some highlights.

1. Apparently I pee more when getting my diaper changed than my brother.  I just feel the fresh air and my whole body relaxes.  Good news is that mom's face stays dry when it happens - bad news is that the ottoman that she's changing me on does not.

2. I have made up for the fact that I can't shoot my pee at MAD with the fact that I have been able to shoot my poo at MAD.  I say that's even better.  Yes, it was the middle of the night and yes, I was on their bed and yes, their comforter will now be forever stained, and yes, mom laughed so hard she cried.  Trust me, they have already thanked me.

3. Grayson is getting much more brave with me.  He even will ask to hold me.  He's still very sweet with me!

4. I can smell mom as soon as she enters within a 20 foot parameter of my whereabouts and it can literally wake me out of a deep sleep.  The other day Dad had gotten me to sleep and placed me in the bouncer (so tricky of him to wait till I had fallen asleep) and mom simply came downstairs into the hallway when I got a whiff of my next meal.  I gave them my best "pop-eye" showing I was aware of her presence and Dad immediately banned her from the hallway and the kitchen so that I would not be wakened.  Gray apparently never had a nose like I do but I'm not afraid to wake up if I think food is on it's way to be delivered - do you REMEMBER my goal from above??

(if this picture below isn't the look of "feed me" I don't know what is...- also, notice arm that is flying out of the picture uncontrolled by me - do you understand NOW why I want to be held?)

4. I'm a sweet, sweet girl and although not always convenient that I appreciate physical touch, MAD say they wouldn't have it any other way (85% of the time). :)

(This picture below is part of the 15%)

  

Wow, blogging is exhausting.

hugs and kisses,

Hazel

an ode to Lucille

Smiling is my favorite -

Life as we know it..

Hey gang -

gray here...feels good to have the blog back in my control.  Dad took hostage for a few days and every once in a while I see Hazel sneaking her way onto the computer but so far I'm maintaining ownership of this thing so that you can get the real lowdown on life at home.

My seeester is HOME!  Let me tell you a little bit about her and I'll throw in some pictures of her first bath (which Dad now gives her and I baths every night together and it's one of my favorite things ever), visits from friends, and then a few of myself when I opened a gift brought to me by my aunt KJ and grandma Sands.  Note that Grandma has sent me plenty of cars to entertain me as well!!!  Let's see - well, for starters she eats a lot.  Actually, in the last 24 hours I think Mom has had a few issues at feeding time but prior to that my sister can probably challenge me to an eating competition.  Girl likes to chow...that's how I confirmed she was indeed a Brock.  I don't TOTALLY understand the eating thing with her right now and here are the questions I frequently ask during feeding time.

1. What's 'dat??? (you can imagine what I'm looking at)
2. What's Hazel doin'????
3. Hazel eat chickin' nuggets wit Gwayson?
4. Hazel eating mommy!!!!
5. What's mommy eating??
6. What's 'dat???

....and from there I start again on repeat.  MAD keeps trying to clarify that my sister isn't ACTUALLY eating mommy but eating from mommy and it's some sort of special Hazel milk.  I offered to give Hazel some of my milk from my sippy to give mom a rest but apparently that's not a good idea.

I have been told I'm a great big brother - (yea, big shocker there, right??) - MAD acts like it's this big surprise that I'm a good big brother because every time they tell someone that they say it in this voice like, "we're really surprised but so far he's been great!" --- my deal with my sister is that I really emotionally care for her.  I want to know where she is and what she's doing and I get concerned when she starts crying.  However, I don't necessarily want to touch my sister.  I think I'm a little nervous I might break her so I keep my distance.  I will blow her a kiss but haven't actually touched my lips to her body yet and one time I touched her hair with my hand and I thought that was hysterical.  So, apparently MAD has to not worry so much about germs or me being rough with her because well...there's no physical contact.  They've been calling it a WIN/WIN.

Dad's been pretty much on full time Grayson energy patrol and I have LOVED LOVED my time with him while Mom and Hazel try to figure out life together.  Dad's been able to learn a little about me (e.g., of course if I ask a question or request to do something and it doesn't get answered or satisfied immediately, I WILL keep asking again and again and again and again and again until it has been answered or my need has been met to my satisfaction.  Who wouldn't keep asking???) and I have been learning a little about Dad (e.g., he can build a race car ramp out of old cardboard boxes in a matter of minutes with twists and turns and legs to support it in order to give me something new to play with).  Some would think he's trying to buy some alone time...psshhhhhhh, I just think he's awesome and not going to get any of that alone time :). 

We've had a few visitors and great, great friends already bringing meals to us.  I told mom she should give me a new brother or sister every month!  Dad gets 5 weeks to just play with me and I eat better than ever before. Booyah.  Dad said he was game (pending he got some alone time between this five weeks and the next five weeks)...Mom just rolled her eyes...well, either she rolled her eyes or they involuntarily rolled as she fell back asleep. (here's how Dad found mom and Hazel last night..about 2 hours after Dad asked if she was ready for her bath and didn't get a response).

We really are doing great.  Hazel has been a very sweet sister and a good sleeper for MAD.  Mom came down with some common nursing infection but she's on anti-biotics and recovering nicely.  We've been out as a family and Hazel has already enjoyed her first Babies R Us visit, Kinkos visit, Children's museum visit, Chick fil-a visit, and World Market visit.  She was asleep through them all but I'm pretty sure she loved it.  Mom is embracing the pink and loving some little girl outfits.  I think she's still in shock that I have a sister - I hear her say often that she thought she and Dad would only breed little boys but is VERY thankful the Lord had different plans.  Well, thankful for now....apparently she may think differently in 12 or 13 years from now :).

Alright, off to find my sister and head to the big boy playground...maybe Hazel will want to go down the slide with me :)!

-Gray

Fun Pics with Julie Ramsey

This is where I normally sleep!