2013 in review.

2013 in review from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

this year really was a magical one.

hazel vid.

time for a hazel and maisy video!  ready, set, go!

IMG 8038 from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

diy instagram magnets.

please notice: fetus hazel, bottom right.

have you ever heard of sticky gram?  well, i kept seeing advertisements for it and although they were cute, i was really frustrated to discover that it's $15 for just 9 magnets!  so i decided to make my own.  it's actually really easy if you are somewhat photo-editor savvy.

supplies:
1.  your photos:  i sized 6 instagram photos to 2x2in apiece and put them in a 4x6 photo.  (note: make sure your photos are at least 200ppi, preferably 400 or else you will get a pixelated photo.) then i sent the 4x6 prints to costco.
2. sticky magnetic sheets:  can be found at most craft stores.  i got mine at hobby lobby - $2.99  for four 4x6in sheets.
3. modge podge dimensional magic
4. scissors

steps:
1. gather supplies
2. pull sticky backing off magnetic sheet
3. center photo on magnet and press down firmly
4. cut out each individual magnet
5. cover with modge podge dimensional magic
6. let dry 3 hours

this was seriously one of my favorite projects ever!  the magnets turned out so cute.  i hope you enjoy it too.  happy crafting!

christmas morning!

merry christmas.  here's a little video of our hectic morning ;)

christmas morning mayhem. from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

like lightning.

some instas.

1. we were christmas tree shopping with my fam.

2. hazel has to be walking all waking hours of the day.  fortunately for my back, she will use the walker on occasion instead of my hands to steady herself!

3. hazel's quiet book, really coming together.

4. a sleep-deprived john during finals week.

5. andy's baptism!

6. aaaand hazel has been using her christmas present a little early.  do you think she likes it? ;)

happy birthday, john brunt!

my man turns 29 today.  happy birthday, my man!  there are lots of things i love about you, and i'm sure i could name many more than i did in this sappy post three years ago.  but now we have a baby(thanks for her, by the way ;), and although she's asleep in bed and although it's only 8:30pm i can hardly keep my eyes open.  and i know that's no excuse for not listing how many more things i love about you now than i did on that day.  but what i did want to do is wish you a very happy birthday, and tell you that my love for you has grown.  and every day as we live our life together, i am happier than the last.  oh, i love you.  and i'm so glad your mine.  happy 29.

hazel's quiet book, part 1.

there have been some requests among friends and family that i should post my patterns for hazel's quiet book.  i've probably spent fifty hours on this beauty so far - and while it has many imperfections, i love it anyway.

the title page has letters that stick on with velcro so hazel can "spell" her name:

the lion's mouth opens and closes.

the ballerina's shoes can be untied and tied.

the flowers snap into place and can be put on different stems:

the barn page with doors that open and close and finger puppets inside!

and finally, the under the sea page, with a pocket for all the sea creatures:

patterns:  i started by cutting out the largest piece first, and then cutting smaller and smaller pieces as i went.  that way, i didn't have to print a ton of pages.  felt usually comes in 9x12in and i centered the pages on the far right or left of each piece (depending on what side of the page it was going on).  For example, my book cover is on the right of the felt because the binding is on the left of it.  my lion was on the left on the page because he was going on the back of the first page.  when it came to putting the book together, i used a zig-zag stitch to sew the two pages together in a square.  then, just to the left of that stitch about 1/2in i stitched a straight line and then another straight line just to the left of that.  and then i cut the extra felt off.  so by the end i have a page that is about 9in tall and 9.75in wide.  this blog has a decent picture tutorial on the process, although i did mine a little differently.  next time i make a page i will take pictures along the way and post again.  

homemade by jill has some great flower and finger-puppet patterns.  

i used hers for the barn animal finger-puppets.

pho.

the three of us tried a new pho noodle house last week.  although i we didn't like it as much as our orem pho place, it was still delicious.  hazel even had a few bites!  i love little spontaneous dates.  

i basically feel like hazel is an extension of me.  when i'm not with her, {when she's napping or the rare occasion that i work}, i feel like part of me is missing.  i feel not quite complete.  of course it's nice to catch a break to get things done while she's napping, nevertheless, i really really miss her.

i've been thinking about this a lot lately.  how as i go about my day, hazel is just an extension of my own body.  not as close to me or compact as she once was, but still very much nearby and connected.  when i go to the store, i put her in the cart.  taking care of her intermediately while i shop doesn't feel like i'm taking care of her at all.  it feels more like i am just doing what needs to be done and what i did before she came.  which i know, is simply not true.  because before i had her, i didn't have a her to take care of.  but still, i feel like my life has changed in so many thousands of ways and yet... i have stayed exactly the same.  motherhood isn't a burden, it's like a logical transition.  at the time hazel was born it didn't feel smooth.  but now, i feel like each day i become more used to having this tiny human with me and depending on me for everything.  without her, i would be nothing.

a dark, low-quality video. you're welcome.

stop getting big from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

some things!

oh heyyy there blog.  it's been awhile.  are we still friends?

it's the holiday season, and that means i have been so busy that i don't even know what to do with myself.  {i haven't even gotten much for hazel yet!  mostly because i am waiting to find the perfect few gifts to give her....} and i'm making hazel a quiet book which has to be done by the 19th so i can let her open it on christmas day, and i need a sewing machine to complete it and i have probably spent over 30 hours on this dang quiet book so far.  but anyways, it is 2am and i'm working a full shift and i figure hey - i should document what's been going on in our lives lately.

-  we have gotten gobs {is gobs a word?} of snow over the past few days, and as i was shoveling our driveway one morning before hazel and i ran out to get some christmas shopping done {in high-heeled boots no less} one student walking home literally begged me to let him shovel my walk.  i didn't succumb to his wishes and i'm not sure why.  pride?  determination?  feminism?  {winky-face}

-  hazel has started walking with her walker and standing up for a minute at a time on her own.  rude.  also, she weighs 20lbs 8oz and is 29in long!  aaaaaand her legs really hurt, especially the left from the pneumococcal vaccine.  it's the worst!

-  john saying to me last night:  "when i close my eyes, i see call of duty.  it's awesome."

-  i loved witnessing the other day:  a man trying to push his car through an intersection when it went dead, and seeing three young student jump out of their separate cars to help him.  there is good in the world, i tell you.

and what would a meaningless blog post be without a pic of hazel therese?

"here hazel, you play right here with these christmas lights so i can get something done."

there's been a serious draught on this here blog as of late...

so here's a pic ❤️

tender mercies.

i almost died yesterday. okay, not really. but i felt like i was going to several times. and today i am grateful for the many people who helped me and for the many tender mercies that came my way.

(i am watching my four cousins for nine days. going from one child to five all at once has been craaaazy.)

i am grateful that first off, hazel slept really really well that night. so while i was to and from the bathroom(which is right next to her bed, right now in the master closet) she didn't make a peep almost the entire night. (not that i got much sleep anyways, but i can't imagine doing that and trying to feed/soothe her several times)

and in the morning i sat myself down in front of the tv with a bowl to "take care of" the kids and called my mom just to ask her if she would be able to swing by some diapers later on, since i was incapable of going to the store.

my mom was at the door within 30 minutes. i cried when she got here i was so grateful! she took care of the mathews and my own daughter. got them ready for the day, breakfasted, etc. my mom had to leave, but then grandma showed up a while later, and later on kristen. the day is pretty much a blur of people bringing hazel to me to be fed and then taking her away again, or hazel sitting next to me happily on the bed (bless her heart!) as I lay there, i'm sure on the brink of death. and there was also that one time when no adult was here and lanie wanted chocolate milk... and when i tried to get it for her i ended up hurling in the sink while lanie kept asking me, "why are you doing that?" haha. isn't the stomach flu so glamorous? 

and finally, i am grateful to john, who, even though he had school in the morning, and even though he had lots to do, came up and not only put the kids to bed, but also helped two sad (overtired) girls get back to sleep at night. and he went and grabbed hazel for me when she needed to be fed.

i am so grateful for the tender mercies of The Lord, for my family and their selflessness and kindness, and for the chance of have had to spend with my cute cousins to learn from them and learn more about myself (ex: that i lack patience). ;)

smart girl.

THREE tricks. from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

hey there!

- the beebes only woke up once last night {!} that hasn't happened for months.

- she is getting really restless and wants to crawl so bad.  this is causing her great distress because, as long as she has been alive, she has hated tummy-time.  it is her number one enemy.  so now, she can't decide how to move where she wants to go.  she just kind of lays sideways with one knee under herself and gets stuck and frustrated.  

- i never want to forget that one time today a lab was snooping around our shed and i couldn't figure out why, until a yorkie bolted out of a small whole in the side of it.

- i also never want to forget that one time hazel had a blow-out on the avocados in our cart at costco.  {actually, maybe i do want to forget about that... but can't?}

- pumpkin pie + cookies and cream in shake form at the creamery.  life changed.

- aaaand, for the record, my baby does not like throwing leaves into the air, as i thought she would.  she was quite concerned.  

hey, happy friday!

the magic of leaves is lost on her.

maybe next year.

mmmm..... fall....

i'm convinced fall is my favorite time of the year.  we have been having 50 degree weather and hazel and i wear sweaters and go on walks.  it's pretty perfect.

for the purpose of documentation.

it wasn't enough that hazel woke up, wide-eyed and ready for the day at 6:30am.

she also had to have a blow out on john right as we sat down in our first church meeting.

and, after being changed, i had to take a spill in the drive way with her in my arms (don't worry we are fine, hazel especially since i broke the entirety of the fall with my body, she was practically unscathed.) as i hurried to get back over to the church.

then, she needed a nap during sacrament meeting (because she woke up at the crack of dawn) and i had to take her out in the middle of the sacrament due to she was throwing a fit (taking half of the sacrament still counts, right?)

and then a bishopric member sees me leave and texts john, "are you guys okay to get set apart today after church?"

bah!  church is not easy some weeks with an 8-month old.  but, of course, it's no fault of hers.  and i have thought a lot about what more of a blessing and a sacrifice it is to attend church each week since i have become a mother.  no matter what time our church is, hazel always needs a nap during some part of the 3 hours of it.  i look up to all those moms (including mine) who do church with six kids consistently each week because they believe it is true and want to follow God's commandments.  even if you aren't a member of the LDS faith, i hope you can take this post for what it is - a realistic and honest look at what lengths we go to to exercise our faith.  i am grateful for the knowledge that i am one of God's children and that he loves me.  

hazel's new trick!! from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

after writing this post i felt like such a downer.  here's our lovely girl doing a fun new thing this developmental leap has brought on - copying us.

some things.

hazel has changed a lot in just the past couple of weeks.  she went (is going) through a big developmental leap and we are trying to adjust to it.  she now she cries if i step out of the room for just a second.  she isn't sleeping well these days either, which just stinks for a sleep-fiend like myself. and sleep training is a beast, let me tell you what.  hazel cried for longer than i care to admit last night before john and i caved.  no one is getting good sleep in our household these days.

aaaand hazel is getting closer to crawling.  i'm not putting all our breakables up high yet, but in the next month or so, i might be.  she can "scoot" backwards a little if we put her on all fours.  {she doesn't scream at me when we do that anymore.... progress!}  and she's started feeding herself a little bit, which is revolutionary when you consider how much she despised solid food at the beginning.  she still really likes bath time, but i'm having to watch her even more closely (no more instagram during bath time...) because just tonight she took a little tumble headfirst into the water before i could catch her.

so peeps, i'm just going to go ahead and admit it.  i feel like i am struggling as a mother these days. it's probably only the hundredth time i've felt like i've failed as a mother, since i became one.  100 is pretty good by eight months, right?

i feel far from "good" at mothering.  i might just throw it out there that i'm downright mediocre at some aspects of it (like sleep-training, for starters).  this 24/7 job feels even more 24/7ish now that we're up during the night a lot these days.  and i am finding myself wishing for a magic button that will help ease my baby through this tough time in her life.  but i know we'll get through it.  i am just hoping that i can do what's best for her as we both struggle around blindly, feeling our way through this dense and complicated mist that is nine months.

sometimes, we take photos.

last sunday, it happened like this.
"hey mom, we're coming up."
"yay!"
"and you're going to take pictures of us."
"okay!"

my mom used to sing this to me as a little girl.

now, i sing it to hazel.

i'm a mean old witch from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

happy halloween!

what are you doing for halloween?  we have been to a couple parties and we will probably (?) go up to salt lake this evening to see my family in their halloween costumes!  this has to be the most involved costume john and i have ever done, but it is also one of my favorites.  it took my mom and i many hours of planning and sewing, a lot of time myself crafting {the shield itself took 3 hours. am i nuts?!}, but in the end, so so worth it.  {we won best costume at our ward party.  woot woot! ;} we are super big nerds.

also, hazel was really super happy to be flying.

today:

failures:

missed our flu shot appointment

missed hazel's second nap

dropped baby food jars 4 times while leaving the store

was short with my husband

got silently angry at a friend

4 coke zeroes

successes:

took B on a loooong walk

made a yummy dinner

read three books to hazel

my house is clean

made a thanksgiving printable

made time to watch tv shows with john

today has been one of those days, man.  no matter how many hours of sleep i get, i am still trashed by the end of the day.  i have tried really hard to be on top of things and i constantly feel like the more i get around the house, the less of a good wife and mother i am.  i am so grateful for the patience john and hazel constantly have for me.  without it, i don't know what i would do!  i am so grateful for the chance i get to love/be with/take care of them.

life.

happiness is a walk on the beach. california, part 3.

well, we are home from cali.  and it is both sad and relieving.  i feel like i have been going going going the past few weeks so it is nice to actually have time to vacuum my house this week.  

but we loved spending time with john's family this weekend.  we had a relaxing sunday.  jordan and christina met us for fish tacos and balboa bannanas, and g&l's friends/family came over for dinner. hazel's cousins made us matching rubber-band bracelets (she wore it only for a few minutes in their presence... i was too afraid of it falling apart and becoming a choking hazard...) which was so sweet.  monday we went out to lunch for fish tacos {again, obsessed}, and lounged at the pool. tuesday we went on a walk through crystal cove state park/beach and then laguna beach once more.  we had such a wonderful time.  if i ever get back to jayme's beach again, i'm putting up a tent and never leaving.

thanks for the fantastic time, g&l.  we love you both!

john harman.

sometimes, he helps my sister jenna with math homework even though he knows he is going to be up all night doing his own.

sometimes, he instinctively nods his head in approval as he eats the dinner i made.

sometimes, he says, "there's always time to make cookies"  even though there really isn't.

sometimes, he wears church socks with his vans and looks really, really cool.

sometimes, he doesn't complain about anything for weeks.

sometimes, he can get me to be in a good mood, even when i am determined to be in a bad one.

sometimes, i notice him staring fondly at hazel.

sometimes, he laughs out loud, and i love it.

he just happens to be my best friend.  and i really owe him a small apology for being so scatterbrained and selfish lately.  just as he always does, he bears my tantrums bad moods with the greatest degree of love and patience, and for that i am so so grateful.  thanks john, for everything you do.  just so you know, i really like you.

california, part 2.

our second day in california we spent lounging on the beach at aunt jayme's house.  she seriously lives in the most perfect place imaginable.  to hear the waves as you wake up each morning?  simply awesome.  

hazel wasn't so sure about the sand.  she would play with it and when it got stuck on her hands she would lift them up next to her face, squint up her nose and inspect it.  it was so freaking cute!

^^ hazel and her cousin avie, 6 months apart.

^^ hazel practically posed for this one.  what. a. ham.

california, part 1.

we flew into long beach on thursday night.  hazel did amazing on the flight.  she hammed it up with all the strangers and i'm starting to think that she really loves being the center of attention.  {i wonder which one of her parents she gets that from ;)} upon walking out of the plane, i remembered why i want to live in california so badly.  the weather is simply perfect.  we were starving and i could smell in-n-out at every corner.  so of course we each got a double-double.  and we may have stopped at sprinkles on the way to the hotel....

the next day, we went to california adventure with the brunts.  i haven't been in several years, and i was so impressed with their new additions.  cars land was so perfect.  and woody's round-up had to be my favorite ride in the entire park.

^^is there anything better than a baby sleeping in a stroller?

this is us on the ferris wheel, our final ride of the night.  the ferris wheel is actually pretty terrifying to me.  and this one is worse, because it swings!  ^^ this is hazel's face as we are swinging.  she makes this face on the swings at home, and basically anytime wind hits her face.  we love her so.

stay tuned for part 2.

loving:

spontaneous trips with family
pumpkin everything
singing and guitar with john
crisp fall air
a full dvr
french vanilla hot cocoa
morning snuggles with a full, content, sleepy baby

things i want to be.

a selfless wife
a tender mother
a caring nurse
a humble child
a willing helper
a positive thinker
a hopeful learner
a kind neighbor

that suckling motion on the cup! seriously, she kills me.

IMG 7477 from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

i take my baby on walks through campus. it's cool.

our weekend.

john and i both had a couple days off so we decided to take a trip up to idaho falls/island park for the weekend.  although we didn't fit in nearly as much as we would have liked, {i was hoping for an ATV ride to big springs, *sigh*}, we had a fabulous time anyway.  {although hazel has decided that she hates her car seat and hates napping in it even more... and we had some screaming that occurred on the drive home... so there's that...} thanks g&l, for hosting us this weekend, we had a blast!

{{some instas}}

hazel in the tub. from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

this is hazel therese.

this is hazel therese.  she smiles at everyone in the grocery store, but particularly the old ladies that communicate with her in high-pitched baby-talk. 

she doesn't mind when i hold her like a newborn, as long as i'm also singing to her.  her favorite food is avocado.  she blows out of her diaper at least twice a day.  when she gets excited, she wildly kicks her legs.  lately, she scrunches up her nose and sticks out her tongue when she smiles.  her favorite book to read is 'pride and prejudice' {the 'little miss austen' version}.  she often tries to eat my face.  if i used one word to describe her, it would be 'happy'.  she has been so flexible with our ever-shifting schedules and lives.  even when she's teething, she laughs and coos all day.  {it's actually pretty adorable}.  she's in no hurry to roll-over or crawl.  and she begs to a sip of my coke zero anytime i am drinking it.

when people ask me what it's like to be a mom, i think they expect the answer, "it has brought me so much joy".  and really, it has, but that's not my knee-jerk answer.  deep down, i know that being a mom has made me so incredibly happy, but that's not what i think about each and every day.  no, when someone asks me what it's like to be a mom, i tell them that being a mom is just so much fun!  because day in and day out, that's what i'm thinking about most.  i think about how gosh darn fun it is to take care of/love/play with my little girl.  

hot pot.

we celebrated our anniversary by going to hot pot. if you aren't familiar with hot pot, you should be. you pick tons of raw veggies and meat and cook them in a steaming spicy pot of broth right in front of you, and pull the yumminess out with chopsticks and eat it as it gets done.... probably my favorite eating experience. it tops hibachi grills, but only just barely. 

we didn't get a babysitter, but luckily hazelnut was her angel self and our dinner was wonderful with her. we finished the night with cocoa bean cupcakes (snicker doodle and pumpkin, thank you very much), and the breaking bad series finale.

it's funny to think about how we have celebrated, just monetarily, each anniversary thus far. the first year we ate at ruth's chris and probably spent $130. second year, tepanyaki $70. third year, four seasons hot pot $40. next year we'll probably make pb&js and call it good. ;)

conference weekend.

we have lots of family and friends in town this week.  which is really exciting for me, since most weeks i am just sitting around, entertaining a baby, going to the grocery store and cleaning. typically in that order.  it has been so fun to see jordan and christina and meet their darling baby girl for the first time!  she is so sweet.  

as is necessary when people are in town, you have to make lots of treats and keep your fridge and pantry stocked.  {or at least i do.  i have discovered that food is my primary love language.  eeek!}

so far, i have made this, and this.  and i plan on making this before the weekend's out.  and maybe this with strawberries.  we'll see where the wind takes us.

also, did you know that looking at too many pictures of food can actually make that food less appetizing and enjoyable to eat?  who knew?  just so you know, this will in no way affect how much i post pictures of food on instagram or the blog.  consider it helpful to your dieting aspirations if you must.  you're welcome.

this is john brunt.

he loves dancing goofy to get me to laugh, he makes a mean breakfast burrito, and he's always up for an adventure.  he owns twenty pairs of pants but only wears two of them.  he is so patient he could watch grass just to see it grow.  he has to listen to a song at least three times to decide if he really likes it.  he can only grow a neck-beard.  he hates that he can only grow a neck-beard.  he hates it when i pop a zit.  he spends way too much time playing games on his phone.  his diet would consist of cereal, take-out, and hot-pockets if i didn't intervene.  he has several must-see tv shows.  he reads jack reacher novels.  he wishes he could be jack reacher. 

he also happens to be my husband.  and for all the wonderful things about him that i love,{and also the things that i have had to learn to love}, i am grateful.  i have grown to love him so much more than i did that first day i saw him - across the room at jordan's birthday party.... dressed in a long black winter peacoat.... awkward with a little bit of red stubble on his face.  that twitterpation has deepened to a love i cannot express nor could i have ever imagined.  if you had told me, when we were newly married, that infatuation wouldn't linger, i would have told you that you were crazy.  and here i am, post-baby and three years of marriage, and i am telling you, that infatuation is still there.  as is the strength and love of going through trials and challenges together.  the bond of making and taking care of a child together.  the faith and charity that comes from trying to be like the Savior together.  

so happy three years, john brunt.  thanks for making me the happiest woman in the world, three years in a row.  that must be some kind of record or something...

welcome, october.

october is one of my favorite months.  i love when the leaves begin to turn, i love whipping out my scarves and boots, making chex mix, not shaving my legs (shhhh!), and i get excited about the holidays that are on the way.  plus, our anniversary is today!  so, yay!  welcome, october.

taking stock.

writing this, made me think of this.  which, come to think of it, is exactly how i feel right now.

wishing:  my baby didn't have to go through teething.

drinking:  coke zero with vanilla all. day. long.

making:  thousands of headbands for my bald baby.

looking:  for my halloween decorations. {where did they go?!?}

reading:  catch 22 every night shift.

wanting:  a watercolor painting set.

playing:  with my giggly baby every chance i get.

waiting:  for a half shift at work that doesn't end at 2am.

hoping:  that i am the kind of wife/mother/daughter/caregiver that heavenly father wants me to be.

making:  headway on my multiple ongoing, endless cleaning and crafting projects

following:  literally fifteen shows on tv.

wondering:  when i'll learn to be more patient.
needing:  a new hairstyle.
smelling:  a delightful "harvest pumpkin" candle.
liking:  the crisp air outside.
noticing:  john's quiet contentment with life.
wearing:  my skinny jeans once again.  {thank you, breastfeeding.}
thinking:  that i might need to get off the computer and go fold some laundry.

thanks for the idea, sydney.

life lately.

things i love:

when hazel puts her hand on my cheek while i'm nursing her.
neck beards.
drinking green smoothies on the porch.
listening to the rain on the roof.
slouchy sweaters.
my dirty coke zero from the drive through.
the feeling i get when football season starts.

tremendously grateful.

for months now i have been having anxiety about letting my nursing license waste away.  i was worried that if i didn't get a teeny tiny job then i would be unhire-able in ten years when my kids were all in school and i decided that i wanted to work.  so i put some feelers out last week and some old classmates helped me score a job where they work.  and i am so so grateful.  i am rusty for sure, but i'm hoping {and praying} that things will fall into place soon.  the best part?  it's on-call and only a six-to-midnight shift usually, so i won't be gone during the day when hazel needs me.  

i am so grateful for friends that lend a helping hand, and for my Heavenly Father who is always watching over me and gives answers my prayers.

we're fans.

rise and shout!  

the cougars are out.

really missing our atlanta pho restaurant today.

her little personality.

i always knew our children would be stubborn.  just based on john's childhood stories, (like the one time his dad was holding his hand and john yanked his arm back in protest so hard that he dislocated his own shoulder!)  plus my own memory of my own head-strong nature as a child, (and let's be honest, john and i have not grown out of our stubbornness in adulthood anyway....) i thought there was no chance that we wouldn't get at least one child who knew his or her own mind. and boy, we did.

i have really enjoyed getting to know our little hazelnut's personality as she has increasingly shown it.  even though i spent 9 months growing her, i had no idea what she would be like until she came. and then, once she was here, i still felt like i didn't really know much about her - except that she was the sweetest little human i had ever held, and that i would love her forever.  but as she gets older, i have learned more and more about the lovely spirit that she is.  she is happy, loving, cuddly, patient (she gets that from her father), friendly (smiles/giggles at strangers), easy-going, darling (am i right?!) and definitely knows what she wants.  she is delightfully willful.  and i can't really be surprised.  (john and i have headstrong DNA i suppose....) 

hazel never hesitates to let me know what she doesn't want.  she has such an easy-going nature, but when something isn't right, she doesn't wait to tell you, in her own little way.  this stubbornness really came to light when we tried feeding her solid foods.  to be fair, some babies don't like solid foods at first.  and it was apparent that she definitely didn't.  but we persisted for a total of 3 days, and she resisted until the below video was filmed and i realized that my darling headstrong girl wasn't ready.  so we put a pin in it.  because really, there's no hurry (i really only started her because i wanted to be able to leave her with a babysitter at some point in the future... but alas!).

hazel therese, you are a delight!  can't wait to uncover more of your personality over the years.  it's a privilege to be your mother.

we hate solid foods! from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

better late than never! hazelnut at six months.

someday home.

i dream of smooth, white walls.
i dream of peach trees and raspberry bushes in the backyard.
i dream of cozy homemade quilts and a good book by the fire.
i dream of hot chocolate, snuggles, and sleeping in.
i dream of falling asleep to the clash of waves.
i dream of bare feet on endless hardwood floors.
i dream of card games into the late hours of the night.
i dream of dancing to old records.
i dream of someday home.

happy sunday!

1.  17 lbs 10 oz 84%, 27in 92%

2.  my last picture of atlanta

3.  polka dots and the pool

4.  sneaky singing-time pic

5.  the atlanta temple

6.  hazel's jawa bath towel.  john says, "hoooteeenie!" the entire time she's wearing it!

7.  no caption necessary.

8.  frisbee golfing in roswell, one last time.

9.  a happy sight

10. another happy sight

aaaaand we're back.

whoa.  it took a long time for me to get back on the computer.  between unpacking, cleaning, and soaking up family time, we've literally had zero time to take pictures, let alone upload them!  but here i am, finally sitting down to document.  

what can i say about two plane rides with a 6-month old?  DON'T DO IT.  but honestly, if it wasn't in place of a 28-hour drive, it wouldn't have been worth it.  hazel is just not a flyer.  she screamed during the entire take-off of both flights.  lesson learned:  don't take a 6-month old on two flights in a row.  one is okay.  two is not.  and fly in the morning when she's happy.  

anyways, during the flight a really nice french woman that spoke zero english helped me with hazel. she held her while she screamed and i tried to get my crap together, and then distracted her later on when i was trying to do who knows what to keep her happy.  grateful for little french strangers that are willing to help out.  

the past week here we have mostly just spent time with family and helped a teething/post-shots baby hazel.  john is getting ready for mba school and i am all for this dry heat.  bring it on, utah!