Random Stuff

Mr. Awesome

Holy cow, Asa makes me laugh. He has really taken to dancing lately and he goes all out! Here is a little video I took of him dancing in the car yesterday.

Asa and the Hairbow

One Sunday morning before church, Asa was running around with one of Hazel's bows on his head. We were about to leave for church so Berkeley took the bow off without Asa's permission. Asa was not happy. After a mild freak-out, we gave the bow back to him. The following sequence of pictures tell the story perfectly.

Quick Catch-Up...In NO Logical Order.

We spent the 4th of July in Idaho with Berkeley's Aunt, Uncle and Cousins. It was a blast! We went boating, relaxed in the hot tub, and enjoyed nature at the cabin in Island Park. This trip was a dream come true for Asa. He got to ride 4 wheelers and tractors and ride-on lawn mowers the entire time. He lucked out and was given this power wheels tractor. Thanks again Curtis and Becca! He spent the majority of the warm weather days on this baby!

We went to Rowley Farms with my family just before Halloween and enjoyed some fun times there! Asa loved the hayride and playing with his cousins. Hazel chilled out in the pack!



Asa is still a snuggle bug and I take every chance I get to cuddle him.

Hazel is so much fun these days! She is super happy most of the time. She is tons of fun to play with. She is laughing quite a bit and smiles most of the time. She is such a joy.

Asa has all but given up on naps. Naps usually only happen if he settles himself down enough to accidentally fall asleep on his own!
Asa has a fantastic time in Nursery and it sure is nice to have him want to be there and stay there!

Berkeley won a $50.00 gift card to the Cheesecake Factory for winning his company Halloween costume contest. Yep, he's the one that's half naked. I told him that his abs won the gift card.

Asa was supposed to be Frankenstein for Halloween, but he hated wearing his costume. About two minutes before going Trick Or Treating, he decided he wanted to be a farmer, so we threw on a plaid shirt and overalls. He decided the bright yellow fedora hat was the final touch, so he wore that too! He also drove his little Power Wheels tractor to Trick or Treat all over the neighborhood. Hazel was just about the cutest little ladybug ever, and she slept soundly in her carseat through the whole Trick Or Treating experience.
During the summer, we ate A LOT of popsicles. This was Asa's favorite treat for a period of about 5 months straight. He's now moved on to Skittles and M&M's.
We took A LOT of walks/bike rides this Spring, Summer and Fall. Seriously, 3 or more per day. It's a wonder I'm not back to my pre-baby weight!

Well, there is a lot more where that came from and just skims the surface of what we've been up to this past year. I hear my sweet little Hazel babbling in bed so I'm going to go play with her!

Totally Random.

Wow, I don't blog anymore which is sad. Yesterday I was reading through my blog from the beginning and I realized that I used to be funny and kind of cool. I think I'm still funny and kind of cool, but I don't have the time or energy to blog like it. I think I am going to take on the 4 post per week challenge, so maybe it will encourage me to think outside the box!
For today, here's an update on what's going on in the Ward household. I am home with the kids full time which is a blessing, though sometimes I feel somewhat overwhelmed, especially when they are both sick for two months straight. This is our current situation...colds, ear infections, colds... 'Tis the season!
In other news, remember how I started a work out blog forever ago with the hope of completing P90X again? Yeah, that was an epic fail. BUT...I am proud to say that I have found a committed work out buddy (THANKS LISA DROLLINGER!)and we have begun doing the Insanity program. We are only one week in, but it's awesome. Super high energy, super high caloric burn, no equipment needed, only 35 minutes per day (that's the real kicker!). We are working out at 6:30 AM Mon-Fri and Saturdays (not at 6:30!).It's amazing how much better I feel when I am consistently exercising.
You might be surprised to learn that I have taken to cooking/baking lately. I have been somewhat adventurous in planning meals and have been trying lots of new things. Recently I made my first from scratch "pumpkin" pie, though I used butternut squash, and I even made the crust. It was pretty much delicious. I have made lots of different types of freezer jam, including plum, peach and apricot. Also, for the last month, I have been making all our bread without a bread machine or mixer... yes, I have been using the good old fashioned kneading method! I have found this new cooking hobby to be somewhat relaxing and therapeutic.
Berkeley is doing well. He is about to have a major change in his routine! He is quitting his job in January and going back to school full time!! Whoa! That will be a whole new life for us. The military will pay his tuition and give us a little extra for housing. We will also use pell grants, tax return, and Berkeley's bonus to get us through hopefully a few work-free semesters. He is planning on majoring in secondary education and would like to teach English Literature. I think he would make a fantastic teacher. I am really excited for this new adventure and for Berkeley to be able to dive into school without any other obligations. There is a chance Berkeley might be deployed for a few months to Africa. It is not certain yet, but definitely a possibility. A few months is better than a 7 month deployment for sure! We will keep everyone posted on that situation.
Our kids are good, minus the sickness! Asa is hilarious! His favorite thing to do is play cars. If I had a nickel for every time he says, "Do you want to play cars?", I would be super rich. I know it is time to give potty training a try, but I am so not wanting to tackle that challenge yet!! Berkeley is anxious to get it done, but I think I will wait a couple more months.
Hazel is a sweet, beautiful little girl. She is rolling all over the place and she sits up on her own now. We have just begun giving her solids a couple times a day and it is going well so far. She is a smiley girl, but the only time she laughs is when Asa does something she thinks is funny. She is a hard nut to crack when it comes to laughter! She and Asa already have a sweet, special relationship. They just love eachother so much.
Otherwise, life is good. Time is just flying by and we are trying to keep up! Here are some random pictures for your viewing pleasure.

She's Laughing!!

My little Hazel Jane laughed for the very first time yesterday (9-6-2011) evening! That sound is like music to my ears. It was sad because she did it just after Berkeley had left for work, but I managed to catch the last minute or so on video. The video I took doesn't at all compare to how hard she was laughing in the beginning, but at least I managed to capture some of it! Oh, and you might laugh too when you hear how totally ridiculous I sound...

The Magic Cry Stopper

Kids!

Hazel is 3 months old and sweeter than ever! She is smiling much more these days and has quickly learned she would much rather be held than put down. Even so, she is such a calm, relaxed little girl. She sleeps like a champ only waking up to eat once at night. She can roll over from her tummy to her back when she chooses to!



Asa is two and a half and he is total mess! We call him Jeckyll and Hyde boy because his moods change in a split second! Regardless of the terrible two's, he is still totally adorable, hilarious and we love him like crazy. Last Sunday was not a good church day for us as this boy was being a stinker! Here is a little video of him recapping our church experience that day.

We LOVE This Little Angel!

I took Hazel in for her 2 month check-up a couple days ago and she is happy and healthy. She weighed in at 9 lbs 10 oz (25%) and is just over 22 in long (45%). She is becoming more animated everyday and is filled with smiles for us. She is beginning to "talk" and her little arms and legs go crazy with excitement when anyone talks to her. We sure love our little Hazel.

Hold Me Accountable!

I am putting myself through hell for the next 3 months and I am doing it purposefully. If you want to see what I'm talking about and follow along while I challenge myself, then check out my new blog. All the support and encouragement I can get will be greatly appreciated. Creating the new blog for everyone to see is my way of holding myself accountable for reaching my goal. Click the following link.

Check it out!

Rather Than Cry, Take a Picture.

I was making salmon and roasted veggies for dinner tonight and while the oven was heating up, I kept smelling something funny. It progressively got worse and finally I noticed thick white steam pouring out through the oven vent. I opened the oven door and discovered this:




A few nights ago, we had pizza for dinner. I guess Asa decided his pizza was not quite cooked well enough because he put his slice of pizza, which was nicely situated on a green plastic plate, into the cold oven and closed the door. Yeah, that oven had to be turned on at some point...
I think it's safe to say that Asa's pizza is now cooked well enough. What a mess!

Sweet Hazel Jane!

Oh, how I love this little girl of mine! What a sweet baby she is. In our short five weeks together, here's what I've learned about our little lady:
Hazel loves baths. She would lounge out in her tub all day if I let her. Her favorite way to be held is out in front facing me. It's quite exhausting, but she is so happy and content when held that way. Hazel must be swaddled in order to sleep for longer than 10 minute increments and if allowed, she would sleep perfectly on daddy's chest or in his arms all night long. She is a super grunter. Ever since day one, Hazel has always made her presence known via grunting. She grunts all the time, especially at night when she seems to be sleeping. This explains why her super light sleeper mom is often on the couch while dad sleeps through all the noise! Hazel would starve if I wasn't constantly forcing her awake to continue eating. It's like nursing is an instant sleep trigger for her, so she gets her toes tickled, chin wiggled and blankets removed in efforts to keep her awake for half an hour while nursing. She has so many facial expressions already and I can't wait to see her littler personality emerge.
I took this little video yesterday and it turned out to be a funny one. Asa and Hazel keep me laughing all day (most times from joy and sometimes from being on the brink of insanity), but I don't dare leave those two alone in a room together and you'll see why at the end of this video.

Tiny.

Seeing a new baby in the carseat always puts their little bitty size into perspective!

Little Girl 2 Week Stats and Big Boy Bike!

Hazel had her two week appointment last week. It is hard for me to believe two weeks (now three!) have already gone by. Time goes so fast especially with two kids to keep me busy! Hazel is healthy and doing great. She now weighs 6 lbs 11 oz (birthweight 6 lbs 6 oz), supposedly she shrunk because she was measured at 19.5 in long (20 in at the hospital), and her head is 12.5 in around. She is practically the exact same size as Asa was at his two weeks visit. We like to be consistent and I like 'em on the small side! She is darling and we are so lucky to have her in our family. This video is when Hazel was just a couple days old. She had an irritated, goopy eye so that's why one eye looks puffy. Still totally adorable though.

Having Hazel here makes Asa seem so much more grown up to me! My little toddler is so smart and independent. Asa picked up riding a bike so fast! His favorite thing to do at Wal-Mart was try out the bikes, so a couple weeks ago we got him one of his very own. He is very possessive over his bike and loves it so much.

I Love Berkeley. Yup.

Berkeley and I just celebrated our 6 year anniversary! Time sure goes fast when you're married to someone as caring, helpful and fun as Berkeley is. I was looking through videos and found this little gem. We did Wii Just Dance for family night back in December and it was tons of fun. I love that Berkeley enjoys being silly with me. Happy 6 Years and here's to many more!

Uncle "Gugwas" and Uncle "Kire"

We are renting Berkeley's paren't house right now and we are so lucky to share the house with Berkeley's brothers, Karl and Douglas. To say Asa loves them would be an understatement. He LOVES them! They are so good to play with him and give him lots of attention and love. Karl and Doug don't just play with Asa in passing, they really invest time (like an hour at a time or more) to really play with him. It has been so nice having them around, especially with the new baby here. I can't give him the amount of time and attention he is used to anymore, so having two awesome uncles to spend time with has been great. Yes, Doug might be trying to indoctrinate my child with some Aggie pride, but that's okay!

Thanks Karl and Douglas for being such great uncles! Asa loves you both!