After our trips to Sunriver and Sunlands, did Haze and I do what normal people would do and go home, wash clothes, unpack and relax? Heck no, we didn't! My sister-in-law, Marissa, was going to have a kid any day now and I wanted to be there. Unlike the other three siblings in my family, I didn't get to be an aunt or uncle when Hazel was born. I got to be her mother, which is pretty awesome I suppose, minus the part where she starts screaming and I still have to deal with her. If you're an aunt, you get to give the kid back when the kid screams and that sounded like some kind of sweet deal to me.
Poor Marissa. By the time we made it to Seattle, she had been to the hospital twice already, convinced she was in the throes of labor. The hospital convinced her otherwise and sent her home. She was feeling frustrated and oh so ready for Dim Sum to come out. Waiting to have a kid puts you in some kind of weird head space and the hours can draaaaaaaggggggg onnnnnnnn.
Luckily, I have the best solution for such a problem: a toddler. Have you ever met my toddler? The preeminent word these days is MINE. MINE. MINE. Or, better yet: ME. ME. ME. So, I would say she's pretty good at distracting people. I put her in to action by handing her to Marissa and promptly taking off for an open water swim in Lake Washington.
Yes, I know I am a hero. You don't have to tell me.
Hazel did her job. Marissa was distracted. And then I pushed on her stomach and Dim Sum (oops, I mean Eli) conveniently came out on the day I was scheduled to drive home. I like this Eli kid already. Hazel? Well, she's still deciding.
Marissa doing her best to convince Eli to come out:
Upon seeing Eli, Hazel promptly started saying "CHEESE!" in hopes that all attention would be turned back to her. Sorry kid, you have been usurped.
A semi-family portrait (MIA: Ailey, Ritchie, Clayton, Barkernews, The Hizz):
Proud grandparents, two times over:
Hazel meets Eli up close and personal. Her response: Um, yeah. Can we go back to talking about me?
