Hazel Update

Here is a little update on Hazel Laine at 21 months:

• You are the most ornery, hilarious, cute little girl! 
• Your favorite thing to do is to grab whatever the kids have (when they aren't looking) and run away laughing and giggling. You have this little process where you don't want to give it back and the kids scream and get upset. Once I interject, you will gladly just hand it over as if you are so happy to return it and so proud to do the right thing. The kids are slowly catching on and know that if they are just calm and ask nicely and show you a little attention, then you will hand it over.
• You also love to hit them or me when I am having to scold the bigger kids when they have misbehaved. You catch on that someone is in trouble and will either walk over and hit them or hit me. I have no idea why! But, it's so funny (not in the moment, but funny that you think you are helping me by hitting them I guess?)
• You love to play with your babies and puppies and puzzles and read books. You like to play the big games that have little pieces like Connect Four or Mastermind or Go Fishing or Zingo or any other game with fun pieces. You don't know how to actually play, but you want to play with the pieces and will entertain yourself for a long time.
• You are both a mama's girl and a daddy's girl. You were all into Daddy for months, but recently ask for "mama" all the time, especially when you just need a snuggle. 
• You have funny bedtime routines with me and Daddy. Right now, with me, you want to sing songs, do your puzzle, play with some toys, read some books, get into bed and walk back and forth while I chase you and you giggle. Then you lay down. With Daddy, you have been reading the Kitty Book and act like a puppy until he tells you "puppy - lay down for bed" and then you do it and go to sleep.
• You LOVE one-on-one time just like every other kid. You are so happy to have it. 
• You are a great sleeper and still sleep until 9ish on most days. You go to bed between 8 & 9 each night.
• You are getting pickier with your food. You still like strawberries, blueberries, apples, grapes, oranges, and bananas. You like goldfish and chocolate chip granola bars. You also like club crackers, ritz crackers and graham crackers. You love fruit snacks and yogurt covered raisins. You like cookie, but not really cake or ice cream. You eat chicken and raisin or banana bread. You love rice and beans and because you are getting good at a fork, you are starting to eat pieces of things we put on your plate (like a little casserole or chicken or sausage). You don't love vegetables, but will sometimes eat green beans. You sometimes like yogurt. You love cheese of any kind. You only like water and only drinking milk when I can sneak it in. Oh! And you love marshmallows and chocolate chips!
• You love to be outside and like water, but not swimming. You also have only recently liked to get on the trampoline. And we've had it for almost 5 months. You crawl up the slide to get on by yourself (scary!) and you want to crawl on it, but you do not want to jump or have anyone else jump. You like the Cozy Coupe and bubbles and your slide. You love a playground, although we haven't been on one in so long, it seems, with COVID-19. You love to take walks but have hit a stage where you don't want to listen when we tell you to stay on the sidewalk instead of the street. But, your daddy takes you on a wagon ride almost every evening and you like it so much.
• You are a stinker. The kids say that all the time and it's true! But, they love you so much. You are just funny. Being the 4th kid, you know you need to make yourself heard. So, you are in the middle of everything and I love it! You are so active and crawl over everything and are not afraid of anything yet. It will be fun to see if you are always so independent or need mommy a little more before you are a big kid!
• You are starting to pretend and play with Everly. She is so sweet to you (unless you take her favorite toy) and will just talk and talk and tell you what to do and pretend cook or be puppies or ask you to join her to play. I am exited that you two are close in age and will get to grow up playing together and pretending. 
• You LOVE to sing "Let it go!" and "Into the Unknown" and "Happy Birthday" and probably say 25 words at this time. I have them listed on another post. 
• You also love the songs: "Bringing home a baby bumblebee", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Two Little Blackbirds", and singing "Rock-a-bye Baby" to your babies.
• Puppies are your favorite: whether in stuffed form, real life, or on T.V.
• You also like to watch Frozen 2 and during this at-home life, have started watching it once a day. In fact, I may or may not use it when I need to get stuff done and let you watch it. You have also started loving Moana!
• You love to put on your shoes at soon as you can. You also love to put clothes on and if you see an outfit that you are not wearing, you will bring it to me to take off whatever you are wearing and put the other outfit on.
• You did NOT like bows in your hair for a long time, but tolerate them just fine now (until you are tired and frustrated and then the bows must go).
• You are done with your high chair and only want to sit in the booster seat at the table.
• You are so proud to say your prayers and clink your glasses with us over and over at the table. Hearing your little "Amen" is so great!
• You are still so tiny but so snuggly and as my kids grow up, I miss that soft, sweet baby body so much. So, I'm glad I still have it with you!
• Oh! And you are in 18-24 month clothes and some size 2 if you are the 3rd kid to wear them, because as I've learned, cotton clothes shrink after time!
• I can't believe it's been two years since you were growing inside of me. We knew we wanted this big family, but sometimes even I can't fathom how God created the perfect kids for our family and you are the perfect little girl to be with us. We love you so much!