The Week in Pictures

So, Hazel turned fifteen weeks on Tuesday. We are almost at the Four Month mark and I can't believe how time has flown by. She is so big, and so silly. Last night she actually slept for nine hours, from 7:30 until 4:30, then she went back to bed until 8:30! We couldn't believe it! I really hope that this is a new pattern for her. She has learned how to screech and seems to be getting louder every day as she practices more. She also loves to stand up in my lap (obviously with support) and look down on me from above. She can bear all of her weight on her legs for several minutes and gets so proud of herself. She is definitely more of a social baby than a physical one; she has no interest in sitting up or rolling over or anything like that. She is perfectly content to lay and look. She LOVES to watch other people and just stares and giggles. When we are out-and-about all day, she never sleeps because she is too busy keeping an eye on everything. When we are driving in the car, I just listen to her in the back blowing raspberries the whole way. She cracks herself up. I'm thinking that some little teeth are starting to work their way up and out; she is drooling nonstop and rubbing her gums with her little index finger. I give her a baby washcloth to play with and she loves it! She rubs it on her gums and chews on it, and it also keeps the drool mopped up. Currently, it's the only toy she has much interest in.

We are starting to leave the Tiny Infant Stage and moving on to really big things around here. Soon she will be starting solid food and so I'm starting to plan that next step. I got this really cool kit from my friend Jaymee that includes everything you need to make and store homemade baby food. I'm going to pull it out of the box soon and start making purees as things come into season at our farm. I'm going to be making homemade cereals instead of using the highly-processed commercial stuff, so I'll be grinding up brown rice and barley to store, as well. I'm so excited, and I can barely wait two more months to see the goof-ball look on her little face when she gets her first bite of avocado!

Other news in the Donovan Household: Jamie has been super busy at work this week, and he is missing his girl fiercely. He is going to have to go to Houston again sometime this month, so I'm hoping that after that trip he can take a few days off and reconnect with Hazel. We all certainly need some time together as a family. We are hoping to get out of town for a long weekend or two sometime soon.

I've recently made some changes in my life, a restructuring, if you will and I feel as though I've lost a good ten-thousand pounds. I really like the way things are heading for me and my family, and I've been sleeping better at night. I'm really excited for the future with Hazel, because I love being her mama so much. I feel so lucky that she chose me to be her parent, and I swear I'm going to do everything that I can to respect her and my role as her guardian. It's important work, and not something you can just change your mind about when the going gets tough. I'm honored to have the opportunity to do it, and I'm going to give it 110%. When Hazel was born, I whispered a promise to her that she could always call me Home, and that she would never feel unloved or unwanted. I'll spend the rest of my life working to fulfill that promise that I made to her when she was still slippery and new, and I'll do anything to keep it. Becoming a mama to such a cool kid gives you such perspective and clarity. She and the integrity of my family are and always will be my number one priority. Sorry to be so cryptic. Those that know me, know what I'm talking about, and those that don't know what I'm talking about, don't need to.

On with the good stuff.

We went to Cousin Oliver's First Birthday party on Saturday. Check out the birthday boy...

Oliver and his mama.

Grandpa Donovan with Hazel, discussing adorable grandchildren with Oliver's grandmother, Farrah.

Uncle Jeremy with Hazel's Cousin Owen. Clearly both are fashion icons.

Uncle Patrick, Oliver's dad, doing something that I dont really have the vocabulary to describe.

The obligatory face full o' cake shot.

And here is Hazel at her cousins party! The firehat was not initially part of her outfit that day, but once it was on, I couldn't resist. I think that these just might be the cutest pictures ever taken of any baby anywhere, no?

And here are some silly pictures of Hazel's adorable little body in her adorable little gDiapers.

Always licking. This is how Tummy Time always goes. Lick, lick, cry.
Hazel's fabulous Meatball. I want to bite the computer monitor just looking a this picture and if you don't feel the same way, then there is clearly something wrong with your brain. Magnolia's mama pointed out that Hazel's belly button is a perfect spiral. It looks just like the hurricaine evacuation sign graphic.

Some more cute.

And we were visited by the fabulous Carl and Stacey Robinson on Sunday. We all went for a walk on the beach and ate cheseburgers at Choate Bridge Pub, where Hazel is a regular.