Hazel's Dedication

She's such a wonderful little girl, I just have to start by saying that. It was such a blessing to have her dedicated at church. We set aside Sunday, March 15th, and invited some friends and family to join us to celebrate her dedication.

Hazel did well! She didn't spit up, toot, or fill her pants while Pastor Brett held her and prayed. He mentioned several times how adorable and "comfy" she is, which only caused my heart to swell to the bursting point.



We had lunch at Macaroni Grill following the service...




I have to take the opportunity to mention here that Hazel is mesmerized by Grandma Jo's voice. She stills and stares whenever Grandma Jo speaks to hear - it's fascinating to watch Hazel's very physical response to Grandma's voice.


When we got home from church and lunch, I took some pictures of Hazel. With every day that passes, Hazel becomes prettier. Or so her parents think. Every time Nate returns home from work, he comes to kiss us hello, and he stares her in the eyes, pauses, and then says, "Yup, you're cuter. How'd you do it, girl?"

A smattering of events.

First, a very nice cleaning and paint job was done at our new house! We had Stephen helping Nate practically every day to finish the paint job by the time we had a crew in to clean. Things looked so pristine before we moved in - it was amazing and we are so grateful for all the help we had, both cleaning and moving. The before and after pictures are so different...




Second, Maggie was born, a much looked forward to event! Of course, you can't tell from Hazel's expression. Congratulations to friends Adam and Julia!





Third, Nathaniel's due date sprang up on us; March 13th marked year two of his missed due date. We visited his grave with Hazel after picking up some flowers from New Seasons. It feels weird to not set aside an entire post and dedicate it to him on this day that was so important to us, but it also feels like healing that I can post only one picture and not feel guilty about it. God is good.


Hazel's dedication is coming up! We're so excited and I can't wait to share pictures from the event.

Oh, and about Hazel's blankie, I wasn't kidding. A parting picture to make you chuckle.

Going back a bit.

These few pictures are from Nate's birthday this past January. I think they're kinda fun.

Hazel and her blankie.

Hazel has become incredibly attached to my old blankie, one that I used to sniff while I sucked my fingers. A couple weeks ago I thought it would be cute if she liked it - I haven't really been able to get it away from her since...

She grasps it in both hands and pulls it straight up over her head to cover her face. It's a show to behold. And at night when I wake up with her, she's clutching it like a lifeline. I'm loving that my old blankie is being loved on all over again!