Babies

Hazel is really obsessed with baby dolls. I don't know where baby dolls come from, but somehow we have about eight and she lovingly takes care of them all. This picture was taken in the summer, when her obsession first began, and although she has more hair and chubbier cheeks now, her love for baby dolls continues. Just this week I put the doll crib in her room, and every time she's going to bed or down for a nap, she scoots off my lap and carefully kisses each one before placing them back in the crib and tucking them in with one of her swaddle blankets. My sister Kristen also had a real baby this week, and Hazel is constantly begging to look at the "Baby! Baby! Baby!" on my phone.

Let's hope her enthusiasm keeps up, maybe with a little less eye poking, because we are officially dethroning her as the youngest and welcoming another baby in May.

We told the kids on Thanksgiving morning, and they are excited out of their minds. They each opened an "early Christmas present" that contained a block with a word on it, and it was adorable to watch them work together to solve the message. Madeline figured it out first and immediately jumped into my lap and snuggled me with happiness. Violet and Jacob shouted for joy and then Jacob said, "That's funny, you're having a baby but you're not even pregnant!" I told him that I am actually pregnant and it blew his mind. Hilarious. The kids immediately decided to call the baby "Tiny" since we don't yet know if we're having a boy or a girl, and they haven't wavered in their choice for even a moment. Let's hear it for Tiny!