New post...

I know it has been a long time since I have "blogged", and there is a reason. I have no problem looking at every one's updated blogs, but to me if felt a little weird blogging about the good things that are going on in life. Because honestly that's mostly what people blog about. kinda like pictures, they mostly capture the happy times and smiling faces. Ya know the good stuff. Since my brother passed away I didn't want to blog about life, because it just felt weird and too early to say hey look how happy we are. When we are happy, but still sad everyday that my big brother Gary is no longer with us... It's weird and I don't know if I am explaining it right for others to understand. My big brother. Was awesome. And he completed my "original" family, the one I was born into. He started us. Gary Pool Jr. very simple guy. He was super smart about so many different things. He was a out doors guy. Loved to work on cars, it was so good to have a private mechanic, loved hunting, especially bow hunting. which caused my Dad to discover a new hobby,( he joined Gary bow hunting) and spend hundred's of dollars getting all the gear that goes along with it, including a jeep. He loved taking his HUGE boat to waters. Even if his little truck at the time looked silly hauling it there. He loved doing all these things with his little babes. In his last year I think he really developed a new love for Wal-Mart. :) He was definitely not the type of person to sit still.



(the picture in the center is one of my favorites. After he just got his motorcycle, he was really happy)

My brother got Leukemia around May 2008, it took a long time for doctors to finally diagnose him with this disease. I think 4 months later in September is when they were done guessing and going back and forth and said yes, Gary, it's leukemia. He had a very hard battle because his type of leukemia came along with a Philadelphia Chromosome. I don't know much about all the science behind all of this stuff but it made his bodies job a lot harder to fight off the cancer. But Gary did his best, and he did a good job.

I guess there were a lot of times when things were looking bad, (more than I know because my parents tried to only report the best news when things weren't looking well) and for whatever reason, probably his two children, Emily and Ethan, he would come back fighting.

What my brother needed because of the philli Chromosome was a blood transplant. And I was Lucky enough to be the exact match he needed, what an honor! It was scary and such a great feeling knowing that my body, my blood could potentially save my brothers life. But I was pregnant so we had to wait, and wait, and wait. We can't be sure if Gary would of made it if he had be able to get the transplant sooner, as with most things in life. You can never be sure about the "what if's". What my family tries to think is that we were just blessed to have him around as long as we did. Because a blood transplant is such a serious medical procedure and would of wiped his body completely of practically everything, and (the goal would of been) for my blood to take over and take the job of his blood and make him healthy. There is a chance that the person getting the transplant wont make it. So we never know, maybe the reason I got Pregnant with Hazel was to prolong his stay with us.
Gary left us on September 17th, 2009. We had his funeral on September 22nd, 2009.

My family is so blessed to have had the 30 years with Gary in our lives. I am lucky that he was my oldest brother, and I am so so thankful that I got to share so many memories with him. So greatful that he got to be at my wedding and be there for the birth of my daughter. I thank God that he gave me such a great family, and that I am Gary's little sister. "ankle biter" as he and his friends used to call me.

Anyway there is a "brief" reason as to why I haven't felt like blogging. I know it's weird. It's just blogging. posting pictures of my baby mostly. But the things that you think about when you lose someone close to you. It's unimaginable. I will miss my brother, Gary, forever. And these holidays are going to be just absolutely bazarr... But we will get through with the memoeries that we have as a complete family, and I know that is memory will live on. (cheesey but as a family we love talking about him, and how unique he was.)

- Gary's little sister.


sorry if my puctuation and writing and all that is messy. I don't really worry too much about that stuff unless I am writing papers that need to be graded which has been awhile...

my baby...

My baby, is rolling all over the floor.
tri-podding herself up with her hands,
turning in almost circles, and...
doing push ups!

WHAT?

I can't believe that she is growing so quickly!
Danny is really trying to help her get there, it's so funny.
we think she will be crawling sooner than we know.
love being able to watch her develope.
she is so amazing.

Hazel

I was just looking around on the web today, and I came across this web page the baby name wizard. I looked up the meaning of Hazel. Here's what it says. The first part is obvious...

Taken from the name of the hazelnut tree, which is derived from the Old English hæsel (hazel). Alternatively, the name can also be derived from the Hebrew hazā'ēl (God sees).

I just thought that was really neat especially because she was named after her Daddy's eyes...

4 month check up...

Here is Hazel, waiting for the nurse to call her name. I love this picture, almost looks like a baby mug shot. :)

We went in for her well child check-up last Wednesday. We missed her 2 month one. The nurses thought that she was 6months old until told otherwise...
She weighed 18.9 lbs, and was 26.3 inches long. Doc said she was off the charts but that didn't matter because someone has to be at each end. Anyway she is a healthy happy little baby.

She did really well, she only cried when the nurse stretched her out to measure her length. I thought that was kinda weird but as soon as I picked her up and carried her back to the room she was happy and giggly again. Oh yeah... she can giggle now. Danny discovered this the other day, and it is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard!

Summer time

These are backwards... But on the 3rd of july, Danny and I decided to Take little Hazey baby to the lake. Foster. We didn't have a bathing suit so we decided to just dip her naked bum bum in the water. It was a little too cold for her liking, but she didn't mind too much. Her first trip to the lake. We didn't stay very long. The ants drove us away.
In these pictures she is modeling her new bathing suit. She likes it.







On the 4th of July, Danny went to his Grandma's house to help haul hay... What a nice guy. Hazel and I came back home and took a nap. We woke up way too early. After Danny was done we came back home and Hazel took another nap with Danny. Not as long as he would of liked. But while they were napping I went to Old Navy and got her a super cute swim suit. I love the ruffles, and the flowers. cute cute cute. She looks like a little girl in it. My baby is getting so big.







I covered her in baby sunscreen. It was so hard to get it on her baby scalp, she has so much hair that it was hard to get it worked in enough to get on her head. So her hair is FULL of sunscreen. It took quite some time getting it out in the bath later.
I LOVE the picture of her and Danny in the water.

We are a happy little family of 3.

Rise and shine sweet baby

Danny and I love watching Hazel wake up from a nap or in the morning so much we decided to do a little photo documentry of one occasion. It's so sweet her faces and her long drawn out stretches. She's is a very happy baby after a good sleep. Here are the images we took while waking her up from her nap one lazy sunday afternoon.




Here is Hazel May sleeping so soundly.




Here is Daddy eager to wake his sleeping babe. He loves being the first one she sees.








She was in a really good sleep and didn't want to wake up.








So we had to unwrap her from her cacoon made of receiving blankets. To get her to sleep really well we snuggle her up really tight in her blankeys.











Here is little Hazey getting used to having her eyes open again. More funny faces and spit bubbles.













Oh, being parents is such an amazing experience. It's crazy how something as simple as watching someone wake up can make us so happy. So glad that we get to be the ones to great her good morning.

Hazel is growing so fast. We think she weighs around 16 pounds! She smiles, and has been talking a lot more lately. She's been noticing her little hands a feet, and is really holding on to somethings. Here is another thing that made Danny and I so excited to be able to watch together. A proud parent moment. looking forward to all the more to come.

The other night on Danny's birthday we got to watch Hazel struggle to roll from her back to her front. It was really awesome to be able to sit on the couch and witness her struggle and pull through. Such proud parents we were! As soon as she did Danny swooped her up real quickly and scared her and then she cried... haha he was so excited. So now our little baby can roll from front to back and back to front. What a strong baby she is. Growing very very fast and getting very chunky. Lovely lovely little Hazel.

Hazel May is 7 weeks and 1 day old!

my precious baby girl is 7 weeks! I can't believe that it's been almost two months since she's come into our lives. It's completely amazing being her mama. I love it. She's so perfect.

g diapers

I got my small g diapers today. I am so excited. I am bad at them though. She has already poohed on the liner and the orange diaper... Ha it keeps scooting to the side and the diaper part is getting out of the way. So luckily we still have diapers from the shower so I can use both until I have the eco friendly g diapers under control. But it is pretty cool that with the push of the toliet handle, FLUSH away goes the poopie and it's not in the trash to be smelly. :) Love Love love it. Also it's not bad for the environment. Hazel will be so happy.

a glimpse of the last 6 weeks.

just wanted to post some pictures since I have been so lazy lately with the blogging.
Here are a few from our life after Hazel. :)


This is the day after we brought our sweet baby home.


she loves falling asleep on Daddy.


my 24th Birthday. May 1st.


Hazel's cousins on daddy's side. Chloe and Trinity. This was at Chloe's birthday party. April 24th


doesn't really look like us. Maybe Hazel... ha. Lady was drawing pictures at chloe's party. Papa's pizza.


this was my outfit that I wore when I was a wee babe.



Hazel's cousins on mama's side. Easter. Windy windy windy day.


I love this picture, When Gramma Ro was bathing her.


This is her first bath at home. She wouldn't wake up until the end. Funny. :)


laying in the crib, that she hasn't slept in yet.

Hazel May Pepperling

On March 22nd at 1:32 in the afternoon, Hazel May Pepperling was born!
She is named after both Danny and I. Hazel is the color of her Daddy's eyes, and I was born in May.





I ended up having a C section after 32 hours of steady contractions. I was kinda sad that I was going to have to have her that way but after hearing that she weighed 10 lbs 5 oz. I was glad that we did. She would just not drop, even though I was fully dilated. The doc was thinking of breaking my water but said it would be too dangerous because there was a risk of her umbilical cord coming out first. So after a lot of thought, pain, and sleep deprivation, we decided that it must be Hazel's way of saying there's no way she's coming out that way.




Danny getting ready for the operating room.


Daddy cutting the cord.


first family picture. Still couldn't feel the bottom half of my body at this point...


Grammy Ro


Hazel was born on Danny's good friend Bud's birthday.