Hazel Bazel

I'm trying to master the art of writing an update post without actually listing all of the things the kids can do and the things they can't - cause lets be honest - the list would be endless to any mother of any child. And who really wants to hear a mother raving on and on about her child's latest accomplishments. The only people who care the same amount, if not more, about milestones are the grandparents.

I also HATE the comparison thing that happens naturally among parents and their children. If there is nothing I have learned from Hazel it's that all children have gifts and talents that present themselves at just the right time and are usually on the child's terms. Both my kids have taught me that there is no "NORMAL" time to do something, they do it when they are ready. Let's just say "BabyCenter" hasn't been a resource I use often (or really ever). What I do use as a resource, religiously, is Instagram. Every single time I pop on there and see one of the sweet littles that I follow doing something new - reaching a milestone, saying their first words, singing a song, using their first signs, loving on their families, sliding down a slide, using a fork, drinking from a cup or jumping for the first time - my understanding of the absolute individuality among children grows deeper. 

I digress….

What can I say about this little miracle child?

She is just about the sweetest thing I've ever met. Don't get me wrong she definitely has her moments but ohhhh the sweetness - it's almost too much. She has become such a 'go with the flow', easy going, simple kinda gal. Just give her a bucket of water and let her go - she's happy. Put her favourite movie on and give her some chips - perfect. Take for a car ride, no matter the duration, awesome. Cupcakes? WINNER!

That said, you better make sure when she wants to listen to "songs" that you pick the one she wants to hear or look OUT! When in doubt Taylor Swift "Shake It Off" is a fail safe. Over the past few months she has gotten quite good about learning the names of each song or each movie she wants to watch, so that has made things easier (easier meaning cuts down on the whining - Praise Him). Here's the current list: All About That Bass (still), Hey Mama, I and LOVE and YOU, any Zooey song on You Tube, any Jimmy Fallon lip sync battle, any song from The Sound of Music, Katy Perry songs and Adele (still). She impresses me everyday with how many lyrics she has memorized from each of these songs. Also, her dance moves are getting to be quite serious as well. We dance a lot in this house A LOT!!!! 

She has been so great with people the last few months. Always greets everyone with a smile, likes to be around the other kids, doesn't panic when I leave the room, ventures off on her own a little more than before. It's so beautiful to see her actually enjoy people and being out. Something that wasn't always her favourite. Our visits with friends and family have become so incredibly relaxing and fun. I really hope this Hazel is here to stay. Really more for her sake, it's such a joy to watch her have fun and relax with her friends and family. 

If you've been reading a while you'll know that I believe in phases. Especially with kids, everything is a phase. At the moment we are in midst of a great phase with Hazel. I am trying to enjoy every second of her and who she is now. I love seeing her happy and content. I appreciate her willingness to make good choices. I am just plain old enjoying being her mom. She has been an absolute pleasure to parent these days. And no I am not that mom who thinks their kids are a joy to parent all the time - there are times when things are just plain old difficult. Yes, we still have the difficult times but right now the peaceful, happy moments definitely outweigh the pull your hair out moments with Hazel. 

I think my favorite part of this phase is watching her learn and grow. The best way that I can explain it is that she's maturing. I can see her starting to think more, starting to connect some dots, starting to show so much confidence in new activities. She tries things now that she wouldn't even consider trying in the past. Maybe it's the teacher in me but I find myself so interested to watch her thought process evolve and change (I have plans to talk more about this 'evolution' in a future post so I will leave it at that for now). There seems to have been a shift in our lifestyle at home and I would love to share a little more about that with you soon.

For now, I am looking so extremely forward to spending the rest of the summer with these sweet girls of mine. Watching Hazel continue to grow and mature along side her sister. Watching her little expression while she experiences each new days adventures. Observing as she takes it all in, processes it and learns to communicate it back to me. I wait in anticipation everyday for her to ask me to "hold hands" or for a "kiss" (and YES those requests stop me dead in my tracks and they are immediately obliged). 

The bittersweet truth is that she is just now seeming a little less like my baby and a little more like my little girl. It's hard to digest. I have to remind myself that her growing is inevitable, it's happening. I struggle at times to accept this little fact.

Something I NEVER struggle with is celebrating and being proud when she accomplishes something new. It was not so long ago I was sitting with a newborn baby Hazel in my arms. I remember that 30 seconds in the NICU (ok - more than 30sec) when I thought she wouldn't do ALL the things other children do. Such a staggering thought for a new mom. Still to this very day, I can't guarantee what milestones she will reach or how far she will go. What I do know is that I am certainly not going to put a ceiling on it for her. I plan to provide her with every opportunity that is humanly possible for her to reach her full potential. As she is climbing that mountain, I will be there every step she takes to shed a tear when she slips and scraps her knees or to do the crazy jumpy clap thing that only a mother does when her child succeeds. Either way, I assure you that I am the one who has been given the honour of holding her hand while she climbs. 

Nola Granola

Its been a while since I have done an update on the girls here. If you follow us on IG than you are pretty much caught up. If not that's cool, I will fill you in. Nola is naughty and Hazel is an angel. 

THE END.

Ok no but seriously, in the event that I get these pages printed as I have done in the past, I would like to make sure I keep up to date on our crazy lives with our growing girls.

NOLA 

This girl is the life of the party - ALL THE TIME. She's not shy - AT ALL (which is kinda unsettling). She always has a kind smile and greeting to share with anyone she meets. She waves and says "HHIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!" and then looks at me and says, "she says HI!" with a huge proud grin. She requires very little time, in fact it's borderline inappropriate, to climb on just about anyone's lap that may have something to offer her (sometimes a hug will do - other times it's read her a book, or give her your lipstick, keys and/or phone, with a preference for all 3 obvi). She's what one may call an extrovert.

This girl loves to be out and about and she has a serious case of Fear Of Missing Out. For the love of God, please keep her involved in every single thing that goes on around her at all times. Don't ever let her hear you insinuate she is a baby, cause she's not guys. Typical second child. Any time she knows we are going in the car she's a happy camper. Doesn't matter where we go as long as the car ride isn't too far. Then look out. She not a great traveller at the moment on account of the fear of missing out. Refusal to nap in the car or stroller is at an all time high.

Her favourite activities are pretty much every single thing, unless it involves water splashing on her - then she's OUT! Lately we have been going for walks in the evenings, meaning we all walk. Well, except for Nola. She runs. And her run makes MY LIFE. It's probably the one single thing she does that causes me the most joy. Her little body moves so quick in this bouncy, uncoordinated like manner while she's on her tippy-toes. Knees going up as far as they can and her arms and hands are help up by her shoulders just following the rest of her bouncy little self. She gets going pretty quick. It's amazing!!! #purejoy

Her favourite songs are "Hey Mama" by David and Nickki M and "Sisters, sisters" A White Christmas soundtrack. There are many others but these 2 stand apart from the rest. She knows the lyrics by heart. Katie Perry's "Roar" coming in at a close 2nd, but she thinks Kevin Hart sings it due to the Jimmy Fallon Lip sync segment. There's alway music playing. Her and Hazel are always dancing and singing - LIKE ALWAYS!!! 

Alright!!!! Enough ramblings about my genius daughter and all her crazy skills (ahem).

Really all I want to remember about her is her crazy sass, her ability to hear something once and store it in her little brain. She's been in the pool a handful of times and has a some serious swimming skills. I love her love of music and ice cream and popsicles. How much she adores her family - with a special LOVE for Hazel. How she watches Baby Signing Time like it's her job. How her food choices never cease to amaze me (she ate a shawarma the other day). The way she shows affection is quite forceful - we call it the Spider Monkey - so you can imagine what that looks like. The way she freaks out in the evenings about a half hour before bed because she want to sit on my lap and watch TV and/or read books. The way she is fearless but not really. She always tries to not be scared but then she is. The way she sings/screams 'Happy Birthday' a thousand times a day and it's always Hazels Birthday. The way she tries to coax Hazel out of a bad mood by singing to her or offering her toys she might like.

The way she loves so fiercely, laughs loudly, hugs tenderly, meltdown quickly, does anything for a laugh, her general love of life, her insistence on being independent and the way she views each new day as an opportunity to have fun.

For 21 months she has been throwing down the same attitude and zest for life. I am quite certain it is not about to change now. Every single day is a new adventure with this child. Sometimes it's laughter and dancing and other times it's screaming and injury. Either way, when I brush the cobwebs off in the morning I can't wait to see what she has in store for me. I know for sure when I open her bedroom door she will be there to greet me with her raspy little voice and the highest pitch "Hiiiiiiiiii" and "moooornnnning" that she can possibly muster. And every single day I turn to a pile of mush, smile, walk over to her, scoop her up and kiss her neck. It's anyone's guess how the rest of the day will go but at that moment, it's perfect.

Offically "Chasing Nola" too

 

Month 6 and 7 have been very eventful for our newest little. Here's what she's been up to.

I know this pic is blurry but, THE FACE!!!

1. Eats whole bananas, cucumbers, strawberries, pasta, blueberries like its her job

2. Got the Army crawl down to a science

3. Pulls herself up on everything

Nothing like having to do an emergency dropping of the crib mattress right before bed. Immediately after I snapped this pic, she fell and smashed her face on the crib railing :(

4. Goes from laying to sitting

4. Claps while saying "Yeaaaaahhhhhh" - I swear she is!

5. "Na Na Na Na" is her sound of protest

6. She growls always, like always.

7. She is SO loud, going out for dinner is completely out of the question

8. She is just starting to get comfy doing the four point crawling. Most of the time it ends in a bear walk of sorts.

9. She refuses to not be included in the festivities

10. Plays Peek-a-boo like it's her job.

11. Her life's current mission is to hunt and track Hazel's sippy cup. Must. Get. Sippy. Cup. Must. Drink. From. Sippy. Cup.

Watching Frozen like a big girl.

Daddy is moving up in the ranks with Nola. It's quite sweet.

She's teething, like hard core teething. She's got 2 bottom teeth, one top so far. And I'm pretty sure the next 3 at the top are going to be out shortly. She suffers, you guys. Just ask her.

Some of her "firsts" over the last couplel of months. Sprinkler, Swings, pool floaty, PASTA, and road trip.

Off to continue month number 8...crazy!!!

Physiotherapy - Strengthening Hamstrings & Quads

Physiotherapy (PT) is the therapy we use in order to help Hazel with limitations she may face due to low muscle tone. To read other posts about Hazel's therapies click here.

 

The latest in PT around here is that Hazel very rarely bends her legs to step over things. She side steps everything. She defaults to a bear crawl when she thinks her legs aren't strong enough to lift over an uneven surface. So, she has basically learned to overcompensate for her low muscle tone and still get where she needs to be. Sounds about right. Something Hazel would do. NOTHING is going to slow this girl down.

As a result, we are trying to help her gain strength in her hamstrings and quads by doing 3 activities in PT.

1. Stairs

Going up and down the stairs is a great muscle strengthener. There is a lot of bending and supporting herself, balancing on one leg (holding the railing too, of course). We have her facing the stair rail and side stepping up and down. This ensures that she gets that bend in her knees and still feels safe and secure holding the railing. We happen to live in a ranch so stairs are not easy to find around here. We have 2 steps coming into our house that we use. Up. Down. Up. Down.

What do we do?

• Use stairs at someone's house
• Use stairs at the park on the equipment
• Use stairs at our PT center

We do it where ever we can! Sometimes we have to be creative.

2. Tricycle

I have yet to decide which tricycle I am going to buy Hazel. The problem is that I can't find one that is suitable for her arms and legs. No matter which one I buy I will have to make modifications to it. For now we use the tricycle at our PT center.

Here are the 2 I am trying to decide between:

Kettler...

Radio Flyer...

Any and all suggestions are welcome. What have you done to modify your tricycles for your little ones?

3. Jump

Trampoline = jump.  I bought ours at a local store called Mastermind. Click here to view. We LOVE it. Hazel LOVES it. She has a blast on it and she started to immediately use the muscles in her legs to bounce. It took her until about the 3rd time on it to start to trust her legs enough to start to bend. This model is small enough to fit into any home. They also have a bigger one that we use at the PT center we visit.

Hope this gives you some ideas to bring to your next PT session.

As always ideas and suggestions are welcome here. Would love to hear from you!!!

Please check with your child's PT before trying any of these activities with your kiddos.

Nola, Nola

 

Ok...so...she's 6 months already. In a way it feels like it's flown by like the speed of sound, but in a very different way it feels like she's been here forever. It's the latter, I am going to try to savour. I thoroughly enjoy her company. She is such a smiley, happy, curious little girl. Seriously, she literally is TOO much. Jammed packed full of pure joy!!!

As a quick side note: Since she has started eating solids, her sleeping through the night has improved dramatically. I think this MAY be (just may be) part of the reason why I feel like I love her so much more at the moment. Do not judge me! I think I have been honest about me not being my "best self" when I am sleep deprived.

I digress...This is about Nola.

There's nothing that goes on around her that she doesn't want to be a part of. She loves everybody. Always has a big smile to share and a snuggle to give. Still, I am her favourite. I can't say I'm hating that. She will literally do a dive bomb out of Daddy's arms to try and get to me. She also does the same thing when she sees her food coming near....sooooooo. Still, I am sure it's me she's obsessed with and not food. Right?!

With each passing month she changes so much. I am forever thanking the gradual passing of time. A mama heart can handle their babes growing, as long as it happens slowly, gradually.

Here's some of the changes that have been happening 'round here over the past couple of months:

She started sitting up. I need to be sitting next to her just in case she topples over (which she does). I can't say that I am encouraging the gross motor. I just want her to stay put and be little forever. She's not on board.

She got her first couple of teeth. First tooth - May 4 2014 and second tooth - May 19th. It's been fun. Poor babe.

We started solids. That's been great. She loves it. Not so much fruit (I remember Hazel was the same), but veggies YES! Started rice cereal (April 27 2014). Not a fan until I added banana or sweet potato.

See...Much better.

We have been introducing new foods quickly. I try one per day. I was very interested to find out that the guidelines have changed since Hazel started solids. According to my pediatrician (and this is only him - so please ask your docs before you start your children on solids), you can introduce any foods anytime now. Yes, peanut butter and yes, eggs. As long as you only do one food at a time. We are just doing what we feel comfortable with and taking Nola's lead. So far she's a happy girl. Onward...

Nola's babbling has become somewhat of a nuisance. She will be heard guys! She will be heard. SO LOUD all the time. I literally can't watch a TV show while I am nursing. I can't tell you how many a line on "Friday Night Lights" I have missed because of Nola and her need to talk. (Complete side note: Friday Night Lights will leave a mark on your soul and change the way you view life - just sayin')

Girlfriend loves to play with cups any shape any size, strings and tags. Also, anything Sissy has. Hazel has offered to share, twice, that's all. She will do whatever she has to, to see the TV once The Wiggles have been put on for Hazel.

Last thing. There was a baptism. It deserves it's own post. The pics are unreal.

What else can I say? I just want to bottle up all these little tiny details so that I never EVER forget what makes my girl my, my girl. No matter how long I go on here, I will never be satisfied that I wrote enough, or described her well enough, or added enough details about her. There will always be things that I forget. So, I guess here is a good a time as any to stop.

I love you my sweet little lamb. You literally brighten up our hearts and our home with your smile.

Filling up our tool boxes

WARNING: There is a rant coming your way. You might want to leave now while you still can (but I really hope you don't - sniffle) or grab a coffee and come back prepared to take a moment to read my plea about "milestones."

Oh good, I am so glad you stayed...here goes.

I don't know if you've noticed over the course of reading and following the blog that I am not really one for comparing other kids, worrying about when milestones will be reached at what time, or giving praise for how quickly some kids do things compared to others. I am not sure how many times I have been asked...

"Is she walking yet?"

I always just answer in the most honest way that I can and hope that it satisfies the person asking. I find it interesting how our culture and society is always worried and focused on that next step. We just don't spend enough time focusing on the present (which if y'all have been reading for a while, know how I feel about "being present"). Enjoying the phases our kids go through in that moment. Let me ask you this...

"What is the next milestone you are going to ask me about if I tell you she IS walking?"

What do you want to know about after the walking? I have no idea what is after this. Is it talking? Running? Reading? Drawing? I'm not sure.

What I can tell you about the way that I see things is that every child reaches milestones when they are ready. We can't force them to feel confident enough to take that first step, say their first word, turn the pages in a book or feed themselves with a spoon. All we can do as parents is be there to teach, support, challenge, be patient and give them a soft place to land when the first 50 attempts end in a little heap on the floor or a huge mess on the wall. Developmentally, as our children show interest in these things, we start to fill our tool boxes with the necessary items to help them achieve, progress and grow.

Even before Hazel came along and taught me about being present, I mean really forced me to live in the moment, I never placed much emphasis on what milestones kids were reaching when. I would always be there to celebrate their success but never wonder when they were going to do certain things. Of all my nieces and nephews, I couldn't tell you what age any of them were when they started to meet milestones and become the little people they are. I am just proud of them. All of them. For the things they can do and the things they are learning. I like the people they are becoming and to me that is all that matters in the end. I'm just glad to be a part of the journey.

In the last 18 months (cause Hazel is 18 months now...crazy!) I have met and become so close with so many other mamas who have babies with DS. I embrace every single milestone that their children reach. I am proud of them. I know what goes into being a mom of a child with special needs. I know how much effort and energy goes into OT, PT, and Speech. I KNOW some of what's in their tool boxes. I get it.

Are all our babes reaching milestones at the same time? Of course not. But we all take out our hammers, levels, and cordless drills and give it the best we got.

Mamas to typical children: Do your children reach milestones at the same time as their peers? Of course not. But you take your measuring tape, screw driver and chalk line and give it the best you got.

Children are individuals and that is what makes them ours. That is what makes them the people we love. Watching them overcome challenges and hurdles is what makes us beam with pride. To see something that was once so difficult become so easy, makes us proud.

In the end we are all the same. We all want what is best for our babies. We want to provide the foundation that they need to become stronger, successful, stable, productive members of society. It's just that the tool box we use is filled with different tools and tricks.

But it's ok...there's more than one way to build an empire (just ask the Romans).

Sometimes we share the tools of others because they make sense to us and sometimes we hoard our little boxes and stick with what we know works best for our kids. Either way, we have all spent the time slowly collecting the tools that are helping us do what we need to do.

Make our children happy.

So I guess I just took the really round-about way of telling you all that Hazel has started to walk.

She took her first steps at 16 months and has been practicing at her own pace ever since. She is still very wobbly and it ends in a heap on the floor a lot of the time, but she is proud of herself. She is confident and she gets back up and tries some more. To me this is a success. Looking at her determined little face makes me feel like my box has all of the right tools stashed away in it. I'm sure in the future I will take some away and add others, but for now I feel fully equipped to build my empire. My empire is Hazel's confidence. As long as she gets back up and tries again, I am proud.

She was not letting go of that stick for anything. Also, she was giggling and laughing the whole way walking down the sidewalk.

Keep on gettin' back up baby girl. You got this!

PT & OT 9-12months (for Hazel)

First, I MUST share this video. It's the John McGivney Awareness Video, the facility where Hazel's therapists work. LOVE!!!  

Click here if having trouble viewing 

Amazing, right?

Ok...moving on...

This post is a medley of old and new(ish) Physical Therapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT). I am working on a new post of activities from 12 months and up.

YIKES!!! Time fly's...Hazel grows and then we start new activities.

Hazel started to do these activities when she was 9 months. She is still working on some and has mastered others. As with all of my PT and OT posts, these activities have been approved by Hazel's therapists for Hazel, please check with a therapist in your local community before trying any of these activities with your children.

Occupational Therapy

1. In & Out

Hazel is working on putting objects in a bowl and taking them out. We use any big bowl available. I think maybe a metal one would be better so that when she drops something in, it makes a louder noise. Sometimes when I am feeling brave, we use a huge metal pot (side note: holy it's loud!!!) Any little toys work to drop in, links, cubes, pegs, balls. Hazel often has a hard time hearing anything drop in because she is constantly talking and babbling while playing. What is that saying - "you can't talk and listen simultaneously" - wait...did I just make that up? Oh, either way, you know....

She takes toys out of her bin, not so much put them back in. That's my job. I think she just wants to make sure my position as maid is secure. She's so kind and thoughtful.

2. Drinking/Eating

We are always working on eating and drinking. Hazel practices drinking out of a cup and a sippy-cup everyday. We try to encourage self-feeding by giving her pieces that she can pick up herself and put into her mouth. Her pincer grasp is not finessed enough for her to pick up really little objects like Cheerios, but she does well with penne noodles, crackers, bread and bananas (to name a few). Poor girl still has no teeth, so taking bites is difficult. When she gets the pieces into her mouth, she can't bite a piece off. Frustrating!

3. Rings

Put them on. Take them off. Put them on. Take them off. Put them on...

So that's that one.

Oops...that's cheating! You can't just dump them all, Hazel!!!

Oh yes...bang them together is another game she likes to play.

Physical Therapy

(these activities are not all we do, just some)

1. Weight Bearing on Arms

This one is a precursor to crawling. Here is one of the positions that works for getting her ready to push herself up in a 4 point. It is also encouraging her to weight bare on her arms. We try to get her to go from one side to the other. I find it easier if you hold a toy out for her to see, however, it feels like I need another hand to support her and hold the toy. You have to find what works for you.

When I move the toy in front of her, she follows along with it and sits looking forward and then I drag it to the other side and she leans to reach it. It's a tricky one!!! This was also great for getting her comfortable with putting herself in the sitting position. She would push herself back into a sit.

She would often shift her weight and would be in a 4 point stance for a couple of seconds, which was great to get her used to the crawling position.

2. High Kneel

This was my favourite PT activity (now she does it all the time on her own while she's playing)

It is easy and efficient for mommies and very effective in teaching backing in to a sit. It is also perfect for strengthening her arms by encouraging her to weight bare on them for a extended periods (by this I mean about a minute...maybe more if she was really into the toy that day). When backing into a sit she just pushes off the toy with her arms, leans to the side and goes down.

I would often switch up the tools we used to get her into a high kneel. Here she is leaning on a pillow or nursing pillow that is on top of the foam piece we have. Works perfect. Sometimes I would put her mirror in front of her so that she would stay there and talk to herself for a while.

At some point, she started going into this position and rocking. Crawl prep...

3. Crawling

Turns out this is the best PT there is. So, we just encourage her in which ever way motivates her that day to crawl around the house. Under the advisement of her therapist, we are not working on walking with Hazel. She is gaining so much strength in her arms, legs and core by crawling that we are just content to keep her doing that.

Speech Therapy

1. READ! READ! READ!

Lots and lots of reading. The same books over and over. We make sounds of animals, we point to the text. We start again...

Girlfriend is obsessed with books. She will sit forever with me and read. I LOVE IT!!!

Sometimes, she can't decide, speech or OT??? Decisions...

  

We have since added a bunch of new activities to our daily routine. I will share in a later post. Hope this helps to give some ideas!

Happy Days...

5 Physiotherapy Tools - Down Syndrome

Here is the latest PT happenings in our house (from 7-9 months).

Sorry about the randomness of some of these photos. We do so many different things that is is hard to keep them all in order. Also, I am sure I have missed something because she grows and changes so fast, which means all her PT changes as well.

Disclaimer:

All of the activities shown here have been approved by our PT and OT. Also, these activities benefit Hazel and you should consult your PT and OT if you are thinking about trying any of these with your children.

Another important thing to mention, is that when Hazel is not happy doing any of these activities, we stop. We try something new and if she's not into it, we drop it for a while. I never pressure her or force her to do any PT or OT.

Our Tools:

1. The Foam

When using the foam in this position, it encourages Hazel to weight bare on both her knees as well as her arms. These pics are from a while ago.

If I lean her up against the side like this, she leans and rests her arm on the foam. It gives her practice weight baring on one side at a time. It, also, helps her to support herself better because her arms are a little shorter than most.

We cut the foam so that Hazel's legs will stay together. This ensures that the weight is on her knees and that she is not flat on her hips.

Sometimes I put the foam out in front of her so that she can reach to put weight on her hands as well as her knees. Trying to get her into the 4-point crawling position.

We are doing some PT outside (this pic is old). I think it's nice to change the scenery so that Hazel always has something new to look at.

In this position, Hazel is learning to put weight on her hands and elbows.

I often will hold a toy up for her to reach for so that she learns to shift her weight from one side to the other.

Sometimes she doesn't like to do PT, so we stop.

We have her sit on the foam and pull herself up. She gets a great bend in her knees and it forces her to use all the muscles in her legs to stand.

As you can see, she is pretty proud of herself (I know the pic is blurry but look at that face).

2. The Mirror

One of my favourite PT toys to use is this mirror. Hazel will sit up for the longest time talking to herself, and trying to grab at her face and hands. It is great for encouraging her to remain in the sitting position, rather than grab a toy and then fall over and just lay down and play.

Plus, it has the added feature of being the most entertaining thing for me to watch. She yells, dances, makes silly faces. It's great!!!

Oh yes...and tries to give herself a kiss.

3. The Medicine Ball

The medicine ball is the BEST!!!

Hazel loves it and it is so effective for core strengthening. It was a little nerve racking at first but we took it slow and now I really love it. We use it everyday. I bounce her really slowly and move the ball from side to side and front to back. Her natural reaction is to stay up so she is constantly flexing her abs trying to balance. She thinks it is pretty funny.

4. The Play Mat

These pics are pretty old but I still put her on her play mat sitting so that she can reach up and play with her toys.

Hazel has been really working on core control. Her posture is getting very straight. She practices sitting often and enjoys the freedom she has with her hands.

5. The Exersaucer

She spends time in here everyday and is really getting the hang of standing and sitting. She thinks she's hilarious when she stands (again...blurry but the faces kill me).