O-H-I-O

Ok, let's not talk about how I fell off the face of the earth there for a while.  First things we're pretty slow and boring and then things got fun and busy: neither of which are conducive to blogging.  So here I am, really and fully back to real life after a lovely week long stint in Ohio taking care of the newest and sweetest of nieces: Miss Hazel Michelle.  Take me back already!  Can you say baby fever?  Cus I've got it.

We started off the week by getting up ridiculously early to beat LA traffic down to LAX - no fun, but, sadly, necessary.  And while a 4-hour flight felt like for-ev-er, we were mugging on that cute baby's face by dinner time.  Air travel is really kind of amazing.

And holy crazy cuteness.  I don't think we gave that little lady up to her parents more than was humanly possible.  She was the sweetest, happiest, cutest (I guess I'm biased), easiest little baby you ever did see.  And now I'm pretty sure I've got crazy high expectations for my own future children because all babies are this easy, right?  Praying that trait is hidden somewhere in the Tobler genes, and my mom said I was an easy baby so...hey, I can dream, can't I?

We were pretty rotten and almost never put that baby down when she slept - which WE loved, but, you know, she probably shouldn't get used to.  And, if I'm being honest, I wasn't the best at taking pictures of anything except that cute baby.  The rest of us who were there?  Didn't quite make the cut.

We also celebrated my birthday Ohio style with some seriously good eats, baby girl snuggling, and a cronut!  Not sure if it was legit because it was basically a glazed croissant, but I'm not complaining.  It's also the only picture we got of me on the first day of year 24, which was an epic fail, but oh well.  There were babies to be mugged on.  Priorities people.

We also bundled up baby girl that night and took her on a twilight stroll.  It was ridiculously fun to watch her little eyes take in the world and just cuddle her.  Pretty much the sweetest thing ever.

I mean, look at that little Buddha baby belly - I could just eat her up!  And her little ruffle bum leggings??  And little headbands?  And sweet little coos?  Babies are the best.

And I could just lay on the couch like this all day, every day with a sleeping babe on my belly, thank you very much.

I wish that picture was better quality, but between studying for finals (one of the real reasons we were there to help), this is the spot you could find Brendan.  Just staring at baby girl in her swing.  She's a daddy's girl already.

And then there were the saddest of goodbyes.  Makes me choke up just thinking about kissing that little lady's head and knowing I won't see her forever!!  Ok, really it's just two months, but that's forever in baby time.  She's going to be so big by then.  These are the perils of living much to far away from family.  Add that to the list of things I would change in a perfect world.

So glad we could come and stay with you Brendan and Megan!  Give Baby Hazel an extra cuddle from Aunt Carly!