Wednesday, August 14, 2013

One!

This past weekend, we celebrated a sweet little girl turning one with family and friends.  It was a super hot summer day and it was pretty sweltering inside our house by the time everyone crowded in, but I think the kids had a ton of fun...and I really enjoyed visiting with everyone.  I cannot believe an entire year has flown by.
It seems like it was just yesterday that...
...I was telling Jonathan to go easy on the bumps as we headed to the hospital.  
...I was pleading with the lady in admissions to move faster and questioning (rather loudly) as to why I had to pre-register when this was taking an eternity.
...I was in triage being checked and was quickly dilating.
...I asked for that epidural and was having STRONG contractions while a huge needle was being inserted into my back.
...it was 11:15 pm on August 1 and I was being told the doctor had been called and was 20 minutes away.
...it was 11:30 and I was being turned on my side with nurses literally holding my legs together to keep Harper from making her grand debut.
...I heard the nurses yell for someone to call the on-call OB/GYN and see how far away he was.
...it was 11:50 and I heard the doctor say "Well, you can push now...go ahead."  Haha.  That thought still makes me laugh.
...four contractions later, a sweet baby girl made her debut at 12:06 am.
...we were a complete family of four and brought our baby girl home with wide-eyed wonder, not remembering what life was like with a newborn.
...Hallie became a big sister, almost instantly losing her "baby-ness".
...Harper learned to roll over both ways.
...Harper learned to sit on her own.
...Harper began crawling and consequently getting into everything.  EVERYTHING.
...Harper began solids.
...three months passed...then six...then nine...then twelve!

In fact, it seems like just yesterday that we were bringing Hallie home from the hospital!  And Hallie is SIX!

It just seems that we should still be holding this tiny little being who has gotten so big.  She's turning into a big girl with all her pulling up to standing and cruising around the furniture, babbling, and uh-oh-ing and big gummy grins.  I just can't believe an entire year has passed us by.

I usually want to smack the person in the face who smiles a toothy smile at a crying fit coming from one or both of my children, or the look of exhaustion on my face and says "Enjoy it because it just goes by so quickly".  But that wide smiled person is so right.  Truer words have never been spoken.  It goes by so, so, so quickly.  And do you know what?  It goes by even faster with Baby #2.  So I can only imagine that a mom blinks once with subsequent babies before they're off to college.

I may have a messy house.  Dishes may be piled high in my sink...sippy cups, baby bowls and spoons, etc.  Laundry may or may not be actually filling the Pack 'n Play right now (I had to do SOMETHING with those clean clothes for the party).  And it's possible that I haven't even unpacked from my trip to Alabama...last month.  But one thing is for sure.  I am enjoying my children.  I may be saying, "Hallie, put your sister down for crying out loud!" about a million times a day (give or take a few)...but I'm loving it.  I love the awe on Harper's face when Hallie does a flip off the couch.  I love that Harper "makes" me stop at the refrigerator so she can smile, wave, and blow kisses to a picture of Hallie.  I love that Hallie thinks she's big enough to take care of Harper on her own...yet when I ask her to watch her for just two seconds, she's at the opposite end of the house leaving Harper to her demise just a second after she has been asked to help.

I love being a mommy.  And in just a short week and a half, I'll have a dual role of Mommy and Teacher.  But I kinda love that, too.  Most of the time. :o)

OK...I know y'all didn't come here to read my sappy blog.  So here are the pictures of Harper's party!

 The party table.  I really wish I had gotten more pictures of things close up...and the milk hadn't been put out in this picture.  But you can get an idea of the milk & cookies theme.  So glad I ran across this idea!  I loved how everything turned out.  And I love pink and aqua together!

Sweet cookies!



Sweet Audrey playing with the princess castle. :o)

Sweet, sweet friends!

Harper is wondering why I have taken off her clothes and why she is now the semi-naked center of attention.  Ha!

She was mesmerized by the candle...she even tried to touch the fire at one point.  So glad she didn't!

Harper wasn't too crazy about digging into the cake...even though she had received a message from her cousins that they wanted to see her face smashed in it.  Ha!  She was very dainty...and it wasn't until Big Sister came to help that Harper would even taste the cake!  This from the girl who wants to put everything in her mouth!  Silly girl. :o)

I love my little family of four!

Sweet Campbell and Hadley!

Now this is the sign of a good baby party.  Haha.

Harper sliding...not too crazy about it either.

These two sillies jumping on the trampoline!  Sweet friend, Audrey, and sweet cousin, Esther Margaret.

We were so glad to have Uncle Donnie & Aunt Irene in town from California.
The girls with their aunt and uncle & Gramps and RahRah

So very glad my parents could be in town for Harper's first birthday!  I know the trip isn't an easy one, so I'm extremely thankful they wanted to be here!
Nonna & Pop and their girls!

I didn't do a great job of snapping pictures...so thankfully my dad got a few with his camera.
This is Amy (in purple) and her family--Amy kept Harper for us when I went back to school...until she had her little guy in March.


Not so sure about the cake...


The milk & cookies table in action. :o)


**Cake and cookies by Kristy's Kreation.  You can find her Facebook page HERE.  Her cakes and cookies are absolutely delicious!  And she can truly create anything!**

Monday, August 5, 2013

Four Shots and a Finger Prick

Today was Harper's one year well-child visit.  And it started out pretty great.  We love our pediatrician and the office staff.  We had actually just been one day last week because we feared Harper might have an ear infection with all the fussing and ear-pulling she was doing.  Thankfully, her ears were clear (then and today).  Harper was greeted by her sweet nurse, Veronica.  And the checklist of "can she" questions was asked.  Can she point to things she wants--yes.  Does she play interactive games--all sorts.  Is she walking--um, no.  And does she have to?  Then on to the vitals.  Harper got to sit on the big girl scale and she had a blast doing so!  Then she had to lay down on the measurement table and she did NOT enjoy that.  At all.  As in, she probably lost at least two inches on her length because of all the trashing and non-complying she was exhibiting. :o)

After all that, Dr. Burns came in and did the rundown of another series of questions.  Yes, she is dumping buckets and has been for several months now.  Yes, she's putting things into buckets.  Yes, she's reaching for things and trying to walk and pulling up and cruising on the furniture.  Nope.  She is not talking.  At all.  Oh, she'll say "Mama" and "Dada" on occasion.  But she'd rather not waste her time.  She knows who we are.  She knows a multitude of things.  She is following simple commands--"Give this to Daddy"..."Hand Mommy the toy" and so on.  She looks at the person (or animal) when you call a name.  She's very honest when you ask if she has something in her mouth, too.  But the words just aren't flowing.  Oh, she talks.  Her own language.  All the time and rather loudly.  But mostly when Hallie isn't around.  The suggestion from the doctor made me giggle.  First she said that Harper is one part lazy (so true) and one part...hmm...overshadowed, perhaps.  In other words, she can't get a darn word in edgewise with Hallie around!  So, it was suggested that we spend some one-on-one time with her to help her get to talking.  My thought is that Hallie talks enough for four children...so if Harper isn't talking...oh fine.  I know Harper needs to be talking.  Thankfully, we know she can hear.  We know she can follow commands.  She is talked *with* CONSTANTLY and we read books to her every single day.  So the words will come.  And when they do...well, then Mommy and Daddy surely won't be able to ever hold a conversation with each other again during the daylight hours.  And it will be wonderful, I'm sure! :o)

Blissfully unaware of anything that might take place in the next 30 minutes...like shots.

Big girl!  So cute!



Happy as a clam...pre-shots.  We love Dr. Burns!



Four *separate* shots and a finger prick to check for anemia later, we're heading home.  She is so cute with this little Band-Aid on her finger.  She kept rubbing it.  


Sweet girl fell asleep on the way home and slept for 2.5 hours.  We're praying she won't have any side effects from the shots.  So far she is sleeping pretty peacefully!

Harper Stats I want to remember...
*28 inches long (though again, probably longer)
*20 lbs 8 oz
*Loves watermelon, blueberries, apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, yogurt
*Will try anything if it's chased with yogurt :o)
*Stands for a few seconds by herself
*Waves hello and good-bye
*Loves our dog, Charley...and LOVES sharing her food with him
*Thinks Big Sister Hallie is the cat's meow...no one can get Harper giggling like Hallie
*Loves being outside and loves playing in the water
*Enjoys reading...favorite books: Goodnight Gorilla, Goodnight Moon, The Belly Button Book
*Enjoys standing at the play kitchen
*Crawls from one place to another faster than I can turn around...stealth-like
*Does not sleep through the night...this is something we will be working on as I realize she is a healthy baby girl and no longer needs a middle-of-the-night feeding...but maybe I need to give her one!
*Goes to sleep around 7:30, wakes a few times in the middle of the night and is usually up by 7:30
*Nurses 3 times a day--morning, before nap, before bed
*Eats 3 meals a day and one snack
*Likes cow's milk...but isn't completely sold on it just yet

Harper will be having her FIRST birthday party on Saturday--Milk & Cookies!  We cannot wait.  I'm busy with lots of cute little things to make it super special.  I have a feeling Miss Priss is going to love her some cake and cookies! :o)

Friday, August 2, 2013

Harper is ONE!

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby.  I cannot believe a year has passed.  It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming you into the world!  A quick (er, long) recap can be read HERE.  We are so blessed to have you in our lives and certainly cannot imagine our lives without you (or your Big Sister)!  We love you to the moon!  And back.

A quick look at Harper through the year...the "ONE" picture is slightly fudged...she was a couple of days shy of being one. :o)
                        

                        

For your first birthday, you had blueberry muffins!  You *loved* them!  You enjoyed hearing us sing "Happy Birthday" and were mesmerized by the sparkling candle!  Daddy and Hallie helped you blow out the candle.  After breakfast, we headed to the YMCA for a little swim with RahRah. What a way to spend your birthday--in the sun and water.  Two of your favorite things!  You were so tired and fell asleep on the way home...and stayed asleep for a couple of hours!
                                 

We always go out to dinner or have dinner for our birthdays.  So Harper shouldn't get any less, right?  It was hard to decide where to go because she hasn't eaten a whole lot of "people food". But she *loves* pancakes.  So IHOP was the place.  She decided she would try their crayons.  Ha. The great thing about IHOP is that kids eat free from 4 pm-10 pm...so she got her very own meal!  A bowl of fruit.  And one of Hallie's pancakes.  She loved it!
                                         

This picture cracks me up.  Hallie was trying to convince Esther Margaret to eat her pancake. Harper just wanted to be in on the action.  But I love the way Harper has her hand on Esther Margaret's leg.  So sweet.
                                         

Sweet Cousins!
                                         

Daddy & his sweet girls!
                                         

This picture just makes me smile.
                                 

A few after dinner pictures of my sweet one year old!





We cannot wait to see what God has planned for you in your second year of life!  You will always be our baby (of course, so will your Big Sister)!!  Happy Birthday, sweet Harper Shea!  We love you so, so very much!