Peanut Butter Crunch

365

2011-02-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

25/365 Waiting patiently for Daddy

26/365 Take 2 at 365 project and trying to get them uploaded

27/365 My big boy drinking from a juice box all by himself

28/365 MMMMM cheesecake factory vanilla bean cheesecake

29/365 the new double BOB stroller from my parents....can't wait to go running again with both boys

30/365 Sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed

31/365 I love lollipops

32/365 He's here! Checking out the new little guy.

33/365 Nana and Grand-dude and their little dudes

34/365 Going home from the hospital

35/365 Beautiful flowers from wonderful friends

36/365 New baby asleep in the basinette

37/365 Big brother loves his baby brother

38/365 Love those baby feet

He's Here!

2011-02-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

Bennett Miller arrived 2-1, at 8:04am. He was 9'2" and 21in long. We were completely surprised that he was such a big guy! 2 lbs and 2 ins bigger than his big brother when he was born. So far he is a wonderful baby, eating and sleeping well. And his big brother thinks the world of him!

Big Snow

2011-01-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

We got another snow storm! Not quite as much as last year, but around a foot or so. It was enough to have the entire NOVA area in grid lock for many hours. It started around 3, just in time for the evening commute. Some of our friends had a 5-7 hour commute to go 10miles and others never made it home! Luckily Harper and I were home and Chris made it home in 45 min from work so we weren't sick of it and got outside to enjoy the snow.

More 365 Project

2011-01-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

24/365 Playing in the tubberware

25/365 Waiting for Daddy

26/365 New Years Resolution-365 project

More 365 Project

2011-01-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

20/365 Daddy and Harper making egg salad since Mommy still can't have lunch meat

21/365 New Stella and Dot Jewelry! The Spring line is here! If you like it, check out more at www.stelladot.com/lisrohr

22/365 My little soccer player. Soccer for 18-24 months is so cute. Lots of Chaos, but really fun!

23/365 New baby's letters for his wall. Bennett will be here by Tuesday at the latest.

A Hat

2011-01-19T20:39:00.000-08:00

So last night the hubby and I were watching Hoarders on TV. As we were watching, he says "look those people have the knitting thing you do. Are you ever going to use that? You should probably get rid of it."

19/365 My finished hat, loom and yarn

For Christmas, I was given a hat look by someone I work with. I was totally excited. I have wanted to learn how to knit for a while. But like lots of things it has been pushed to the back burner. Plus I am always scared to try new things in case I'm not good at it. I have kinda a fear of being bad at things so I tend to stick with things I think I can do well first try. Knitting was one of those things, I thought I would be bad at for some reason so I was pushing it off. Today I decided I was going to try it. I didn't want to just save it in the closet. So during Harper's napime I broke it out. Luckily the directions had pictures. I even finished my first hat today!

My talented little man

2011-01-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

Harper turned 19months on Saturday. I can't believe how fast time has gone! Of course I think he is the most talented, cutest, smartest baby in the world, but I'm supposed to, I'm his mommy. Since life as we know it is about to get turned upside down I wanted to take a minute to jot down all the amazing things he can do.

He knows baby sign language. I will say who ever thought of this is a genious! It has helped us avoid many a temper tantrum and he can communicate with us very well. I owe it all to baby signing times and my friend who suggested this wonderful DVD. It totally keeps his attention and I think he learns a new sign every time we watch it.

Here are signs he knows:

milk,

juice,

drink,

eat,

horse,

bird,

frog,

please,

thank you,

ball,

more,

all done,

cereal,

cracker,

diaper change,

banana,

Santa,

hat,

baby

He is also talking up a storm! I can't believe how many words he has.:

Mama,

Dada,

Papa,

Nana,

ball,

Mickey,

all done,

what's that,

wow,

thank you,

who's that,

bus,

car,

football,

ball,

I sit,

go,

I get it,

all gone,

cracker,

dog,

Elmo,

uh oh

bye bye,

giggle,
up,
ok,
yes,
yumm yumm,
awww (when he hugs you)
ta da,
Bubu (Buddy)

He also knows where a bunch of body parts are and what a lot of animals say.

He can point to his:

nose,

eyes,

mouth,

teeth,

tounge,

ears,

feet,

hands,

head,

tummy,

elbows

He can tell you what these animals do:

pig (points to nose)

cow (moos)

dog (ruff)

cat (meow)

horse (does sign language)

bird (does sign language)

Chicken (flaps arms like chicken wings)

monkey (scratches head)

frog (does sign language)

elephant (uses arm like a trunk)

sheep (baaa)

duck (quack)

I am totally a proud Mama! I'm sure lots of toddlers can do all these things, but Harper amazes me everyday!

Decided to start back up

2011-01-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a post for a very long time. Chasing after an 18 month old, being pregnant with #2, working full time, trying to start a side business and keeping up with life in general has kept me very busy to say the least and very exhausted. Now I am on bed rest until the new little guy makes his grand appearance so I have a little more time.

I'm going to try the 365 project again this year. I'm hoping it will give us a glimpse of what is going on everyday in our life. I started 1/1/11, but this is my first post. I will try to be much better this year!


1/365 Lazy New Years Day

2/365 Playing Superman with Daddy. He loves to be picked up and rough house.

3/365 Snuggling Puppies. No matter what is going on, when I see this it brings a huge smile to my face. I LOVE that my dogs love each other so much!

4/365 Peanut Butter and Jelly...finally something Harper enjoys eating!

5/365 Harper helped with this one. I forgot to take a picture, but he made this and saved it on my phone. I think it counts:)

6/365 Bang Bang Bang

7/365 MMmmmmm scones....let's see how much I can fit in my mouth at one time.

8/365 Happy Birthday Grand-dude! Helping to blow out the candles.

9/365 Cupcakes I made for our girls' secret santa afternoon

10/365 Our house is all sports, all the time. I'm sure it will just be more with baby boy #2 coming in 2 weeks!

11/365 Daddy's home! This is what it looks like everyday when my husband comes home from work. He he thinks no one cares if he's here or not.

12/365 Static Hair. He loves to jump on the couch in the basement. His hair is so funny when he does this!

13/365 This is the nursery/guest room. Almost done:)

14/365 My sleepy baby boy.

15/365 Driving back from MD where you can see VA too. Wasn't supposed to travel so far but so glad I got to spend the afternoon with a good friend!

16/365 View from me sitting inside my closet. I took everything out trying to organize. Can you say nesting?

17/365 Apple pie with vanilla ice cream...yummm

18/365 Woke up to an ice storm this morning. Glad I get to stay indoors today

#2

2010-08-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

This summer has also been busy because of some other news.....baby #2 is on their way! Our due date is February 4. I can't believe that Harper will already be a big brother, but we are excited to add on to our crazy family! This time has gone by so much faster. It's hard to concentrate on your self when you are chasing around a 1 year old. I'm about 14weeks now and we will find out what we're having on September 20. I'd love to be patient enough to wait for the surprise, but I already can't wait until the 20th to see if Harper will have a little brother or little sister.


Had to get the big brother shirt already...can't wait to get the little ____ to go with it!

New baby at 12 weeks

We have a neice and nephew!

2010-08-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I have posted anything. This summer has gone by in a blur. We did have some wonderful people bless our lives on July 12. Little Miss Ashlynn Ann and Mr. Collin Micheal! Our new niece and nephew! We couldn't be happier to have them in the family and Harper is thrilled to have cousins. We were lucky enough to be able to go down and be there when they were born too! Can't wait to see the babies again!

Ashlynn Ann


Collin Micheal


Happy New Family

Harper's Birthday Party

2010-07-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

Harper had a wonderful birthday party to celebrate too. Since he has a summer birthday, we did a beach theme with baby pools and a sandbox. So many wonderful family and friends came! He is a very loved little boy:)

Harper's Birthday

2010-07-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month to say the least! I am a little behind on blogging. Harper had a wonderful time on his birthday. Still hard to believe that my baby is 1! I wanted to share some pictures.

Presents from Mommy and Daddy

Cupcake Time

Trying to start with a fork

Nah, just shove it all in my face

Messy Boy

Having fun opening presents

Loves his new ball pit

My Baby is 1 today!

2010-06-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that a whole year has gone by since Harper blessed us by entering our lives.

From the beginning he has been a wonderful baby. He has always been happy. Not overly fussy or too much crying. Usually when he cries it is to be picked up which I love to do. He only cries when he really needs something even now.

His smile lights up my life. His laugh is the sweetest sound in the world. It's a belly laugh that is contagious. He thinks so many things are funny and wonderful. Harper makes friends where ever he goes. He smiles at strangers. Everywhere we go people say "what a happy baby". Already you can see his kind personality emerging. Such a blessing!

He is also my snuggle bug. We still take naps together some afternoons. Even when he plays he often stops for what I call "drive by hugs". He stops just long enough to hug me and then goes back to playing. In the morning when you go to get him out of his crib he just hugs you for the longest time. He loves to give kisses. Harper will grab both sides of your face and go in for the kiss. It's so funny.

Harper is also super active and curious. He loves to see new things and tries to figure out how things work. He is always getting into things he's not supposed to because of this, but does it with a smile. He has started to understand what we say and we are almost having conversations now. He can say ma-ma, da-da and dog. He talks all the time, but we are not always sure what he is saying. He is all boy. He loves rough games like dropping and wrestling. His favorite game right now is to crawl on top of our dog Buddy and tumble to the other side. He will repeat this for a long time.

He can crawl faster than any baby I have ever seen. Sometimes his legs move faster than his arms and he falls. But gets up without a tear and keeps going. He can cruise around all the furniture and stand independently. Harper has taken his first steps, but crawling is so much faster that he's not too interested in walking just yet.

I thank god every day that I have Harper in my life. Happy Birthday baby boy! May you have many, many more wonderful, amazing years! I love you!

1 year photos

2010-06-09T03:36:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my precious baby will be 1 next week! I am a little obsessed with photos so of course we had to have a special 1 year photo session. They were taken on Sunday by a friend I work with. I just have the preview so far, but I think they turned out well:) I'll post more when she is done.

Diaper Derby

2010-05-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

This week I was looking into things to do this weekend and I found a Strawberry Festival in our area. One of the events was a Diaper Derby. The diaper derby was a crawling race between babies 3months and 12 months. After I read this I really wanted to go. Harper is the fastest crawler. He can go to one side of the house to the other in no time at all.

So this morning we went to the Diaper Derby. Harper won the first race hands down. He speed down the track and won easily. So the got to the championship. He took the lead early on, but every time he'd go really fast, people would cheer and Harper would get distracted and sit and look at all the people. So in the end another baby passed him while he took a break to watch his fans It was so cute! And so funny to see babies race! It's amazing how competitive and proud you can be with an 11month old.

Harper in the 1st race

Harper in the championship

Harper racing around in the grass after the race

Passed out in the car after the festival. Poor little guy even fell asleep mid bite with his hand in the puffs.

uh-oh

2010-05-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

So today was my first major catastrophe as a mom. My son fell down and started bleeding for the first time. Harper was busy watching his dad and grandpa work on the deck while he was standing up holding onto a chair. As he tried to move from the chair to the coffee table he either got caught on the carpet, or his feet moved faster than his arms, whatever happened his little hands didn't make it to the coffee table. He started losing his balance and went to catch him self but couldn't. He hit the chair and then bounced off the coffee table and finally hit the floor. All while I watched from the other side of the room. I tried to get there in time, but even though to me it looked as though it was happening in slow motion, it probably took all of 5seconds. I got to him as fast as I can. He was doing one of those cries where he couldn't catch his breath. You know the kind where their little face is so red and can tell they are in so much pain, but no noise is coming out. He had as small little dot of blood on his chin and blood in his mouth. At first I thought his one little tooth had cut through his chin. It would be my luck that the kid has one tooth and that would cause a major injury. But thank goodness that wasn't the case. He must of hit the spot where is next little tooth is about to come in and this caused it to bleed. It was so terrible seeing my baby in pain. Luckily it was nothing major, but it felt awful. It's even harder knowing that this is only the beginning of many more boo-boos for my little bruiser.

If you look closely you can see the cut on his chin (it must be really bothering him, lol)

11month and counting

2010-05-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

Harper turned 11month a week and a half ago. Since then it seems like he is learning one trick after another.

Happy 11months Baby!

He can now say three words that we understand, dada, dog and the long awaited mama!! yeah! He's been saying dada since February. But he can say mama now and I know he's saying it to me! It melts my heart everytime he says it.

He is cruising around the furniture like a mad man. He can move so quickly holding on to one piece of furniture as he moves to the next. Especially if he sees something he wants like a cell phone to suck on or a soda to knock over. I feel like walking is just around the corner.

This is Harper cruising the chairs after the wedding ceremony we just went to.

He is crawling super fast. Sometime his little legs move faster than his arms he is going so fast. His little hips go back and forth. It's amazing to me as I think back to his backward crawling days. I think he could win a baby race hands down right now. He loves to go up the stairs too. His favorite game is to crawl to the stairs and wait till he sees you watching and then once he sees you, crawl up as many stairs as he can without you helping. We play this game over and over all day long.

He can high 5 and wave. He has been able to high five for about a month now, but now if you say hi or bye to him he puts his little hand in the air and opens and closes it.

It's amazing to me. Every new accomplishment blows me away. Of course we think he is the smartest, cutest bay ever. Just like all parents think about their babies. He is the light of my life. It's hard to think he wasn't even here yet a year ago. Everyday is something new right now. Everyone says babies change and grow so quickly but you don't appreciate this comment until you see your little angel do it right before your very eyes!

Day 100

2010-05-16T18:55:00.001-07:00

I made it to day 100 of the 365 challenge! 265 to go...Hope I can finish. This challenge is more challenging than I thought it would be. I love to take pictures, but they are all mostly of Harper and Buddy and Marley. I hope by the end of the challenge I will have grown as a photographer.

Love this quote, I just had to share

2010-05-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today was my official first Mother's Day. I think becoming a mommy is one of the most wonderful things in the world. It's harder than any other job I have ever had, but I love almost ever minute of it. Harper has changed my life in unexplainable ways and I can't imagine life without him. It is so great to have a day to celebrate it!

My husband did a great job! It started off by me sleeping until almost 8! In this house that's almost unthinkable since the little guy gets up around 6:30 every morning, but Chris got up with him. Then I got cards from my furry babies and one from Harper. They also got me 2 charms for my Pandora bracelet. Then we went to brunch. It was very yummy and Chris had flowers delivered there. So sweet! Then we came home had a little nap time before it was off to Leesburg and Frederick to see our moms. We first visited Chris' mom and then went and had dinner with my parents and grandparents. Harper wasn't his normal happy self all day because I think he is getting some more teeth, but overall a great day! I hope all the other mommies out there had a wonderful Mother's Day too!

Flowers I got at brunch

I really wanted a picture with all 3 of my kids....Harper didn't want to cooperate today :(

My flowers and my bracelet with the new charms

My grandparents with Harper and me, us with my parents, my little family (minus the puppies) and then all the moms with Harper after dinner in Frederick

Teacher appreciation week

2010-05-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

This past week was teacher appreciation week at school. My kids made me feel so special. The brought in cards, flowers, jewelry, candy, etc. I love teaching them and definitely don't do it for praise , but it's so nice to know you are appreciated every once in a while! Hope all the other teachers out there had a fantastic week too!

Some of the flowers my kids brought in

Another Busy Weekend

2010-05-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to VA Beach for my sister in law's baby shower. She is having twins in June or July (depending on when they decide to make their arrival) It was a nice weekend to spend with family. I even got to do my first maternity pictures! I was very excited she let me take their pictures. We also got to take Harper to the beach for the first time!

Baskets I made for the twins

My sister in law with her balloons at the shower

Yummy Cake

A few of the Maternity shots I took

Harper at the Beach

2010-04-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

I really want a new house.

On Monday we had our third pipe burst since we have lived here. My husband wasn't home and I didn't know where the shut off valve was so it ran much longer than I wish it had. Luckily his dad lives down the street and luckily the pipe burst over the sump pump, but never the less it is now time to replace the pipes. Not just a couple of pipes, but all of them. $$

Our sliding glass door is broken. It won't roll. The sealant has broken and it is now foggy. Per our HOA we have to have brown windows with diamond grids. Now the only windows and doors that are brown are white on the inside. Our old ones are not. And are old windows are in almost as bad shape as the door. Guess what...it's also time to replace all the windows.$$

Our deck is almost broken. The boards are old and splintery. Not exactly the best surface for little knees and hands. We love to sit outside and haven't been out hardly at all because the deck isn't safe for Harper. We need to replace the deck boards. Sense a theme here?

The killer is we don't even want to be here anymore. We want a yard to play in. We want more room. And yet we have to wait for the market to really bounce back to do that. We always thought of this as our starter house. The house before kids. Now we have 1 baby, 2 fur babies, and would like to add more kids to the mix. All in the broken, expensive house. I guess the upside, is our broken expensive house will have a face lift come the next few weeks.

March of Dimes

2010-04-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

Today we walked for the March of Dimes. The March for Babies. Babies who are born early. Babies who are born sick. Babies born that go directly into the NICU. Babies that are healthy. Babies that are born on time.

We walked for my friends who have had miscarriages. We walked for a friend who lost her baby half way through the pregnancy. We walked for my niece and nephew who aren't here quite yet, but I hope have a safe and healthy delivery when they come. We walked for my friends who's babies came a little early and had a few obstacles to overcome. We walked for a baby who was on time but had a very hard first month. We walked for all the wonderful little lives that have been born in the last few year and we are fortunate enough to know. And we walked for our little healthy blessing who graced our lives last June. Who changed my life and I will be forever grateful that he is healthy and happy.

Sleeping Angel before the walk

Harper and Daddy towards the end of the walk

Vegas and a baby?

2010-04-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

My brother is stationed at Fort Irwin in CA. It's pretty much in the middle of the dessert. SO to see him, he would rather meet any place else. Las Vegas is about 2 hours driving distance from him. Last week we went for a family visit to see him. This means Harper's first plane ride was to Vegas. Not the first place I would have chosen to take Harper on a trip, but oh well. He was so well behaved through out the whole trip. He wasn't fussy at all. The change in pressure really didn't bother him either. I was really worried before we left, but so glad I worried about nothing. Vegas is definitely different with a baby, but we had fun none the less. Below are some highlights of our trip.

Lunch at the Stratosphere Restaurant

Date Night

The Family at the top of the Stratosphere

Bellagio Fountains

View of the Strip from the Stratosphere

White Tigers at the Mirage

My two favorite guys at our hotel

Wedding Weekend

2010-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago was Harper's first wedding extravaganza. My good friend from elementary school was getting married and I was in the wedding, so I had asked a while ago if Harper was also invited. A lot of the weddings we have been to lately, have been either adult only or late at night so Harper stayed with a grandparent while we went. I was so excited when she said Harper was invited too.

I went to to mall for mission baby suit. I was determined for him to look the part. I found his outfit at Children's place. Navy blazer, khaki dress pants, white button down and a little yellow and blue tie. Not a clip on either, a real tie. I was so excited for him to wear this outfit.

So on Thursday the weekend was finally here. We left as soon as I got off work around 11:30. I forgot completely how long it took to pack the car for a weekend trip. Usually there are two of us to pack up our car and get us going, but Chris was coming later so it was just me. When the car was finally packed, Harper has still not woken up from his nap, so I had to wake him up. Ugh. Anyone who has ever been around babies knows this is not a good idea. But we had to get to MD, so I had to wake him up. There was some screaming and crying, but he eventually went back to sleep and slept until we got there around 1.

We needed to get up there to help with flowers. My friend was putting together her own bouquets, boutineers, centerpieces, etc and I said I would help. This was a big undertaking. Especially with a little baby crawling around. I put Harper on the patio to crawl around. He was ok for a few minutes, but then he wanted to be held, or crawl in the grass, or grab flowers, etc. Within another few minutes he had lost a sock and skinned a toe. Then he was hungry. Then he wanted puffs. All while I was trying to help with flowers. Then he would cry. I think just to cry. Usually I pick Harper up as soon as he cries, but I couldn't while I was helping. So I would talk to him and try to explain what I was doing, but come on he's 9month old so obviously that wasn't working. Then I tried to make flowers with a baby on my hip. Not really working either. Then my friend's mom offered to take Harper for a walk. Whew! Finally we could work on the flowers.
We got a lot done in the thirty minutes they were gone. Of course once they cam back he was in full mama mode. I put him down on the patio one more time. This time he managed to dump an entire dog bowl full of water on him, so after that it was time to go home. When I put him in the car, he was soaken wet, lost both shoes and one sock, had a skinned toe, in other words a complete mess. And I was exhausted.

Next it was time to get ready and go to the rehearsal dinner. So we went to my parents' house which is right around the corner from my friend. When we get there my parents are very excited to see him. He is excited to, but remember he has been adventurous all afternoon and only had the nap in the car. It is now 4 o'clock and he is well over due for a nap. This means melt down could happen at any time. He starts crawling around their house. They tried to baby proof everything, but I think they may have forgotten how much he is capable of getting into. And of course he bee lines for everything he's not supposed to. I ask my dad if he can watch him, while I get ready. The first thing my dad says to Harper is "do you want a cheerio?". For some reason my dad is obsessed with Harper eating Cherrios. So as I walk back to the room to get ready my dad is following Harper around as he crawls asking him if he wants Cheerios. For one he shouldn't eat while he's crawling, another he just ate, but I left it alone. Then I hear crying. I yell is he ok? My dad says yes and I hear him offer Harper another Cherrio. As if cheerios will fix everything. I was running short on time so I couldn't really do much about it, except hope that Harper was still in one piece when I got back and not OD on Cherrios.

When we got home, Harper was passed out in my parents' bed between them. He won't sleep in the pack and play at their house, so my mom kinda waits up for us when we sleep over. When I go pick him up out of their bed to go to sleep, of course the munchkin wakes up and is ready to play. At 11pm. Again ugh. We're all tried, but Harper is ready for a party. So he plays for a little and then goes to bed.

As always, Harper doesn't really get the whole concept of sleeping in so he's up at 6am. I get up with him and he gets a bottle and he plays for a little while, but somehow he is ready to go back to sleep around 8 and I gladly join him for a little nap.

At 10:30 I was off for the day getting ready with the bride and friends. Harper had the whole day with daddy. At our house this would be no problem, but being at my parent's house this is a little more difficult. Not many toys, not his crib, new surrounding. My poor husband was a trooper though and took it in stride.

When I saw him again at the wedding, Harper was in his little suit but had already lost a shoe. When I saw him as we walked into the church my dad was carrying him around. When he saw me he screamed for his mommy. but I couldn't get him. This is how my dad spent most of the ceremony.

If you look close you can see how Harper has now lost both shoes and a sock. It was pretty chilly outside too. But at least he is happy. At the reception he was a little angel and I got to share him with some friends I haven't been able to have him meet yet. Over all it was an eventful and fun weekend for Harper's first wedding.

50 down....315 to go

2010-03-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

I've made it 50 days so far of my 365 project. I am pretty proud of myself. I usually don't stick with things very long. Especially if I am not perfect at it from the get go. But I am sticking with this, and I am definitely not a perfect photographer. Far from it. But I am learning and I feel as though I am getting better. I can't wait to take more pictures and see how I have changed from the beginning to the end. I hope I can get more subjects too. I love taking pictures of Harper, Buddy and Marley, but would love to expand my portfolio. Here are my 50th day photos :) Inspired by the first day of Spring!

9months

2010-03-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

To my Harper:
Happy 9months to my favorite little man! My how you have grown! From a teeny baby who didn't want to eat to a big 22lb guy who can't get enough.

You are quite the momma's boy and love our time together. I love the way your face lights up when you see me. I'm sure mine lights up just the same when I see you. You have the cutest way of "giving kisses". It is more of a cheek suck, but I think they are sweet kisses.

I have taken so many pictures of you as I have tried to capture every moment of you before you change. I don't want to miss anything that you do. That hobby of mine has caused you now do the "cheese" smile whenever you see a bright light, even at the doctors getting your eyes checked. When you did that smile at the doctor's office I laughed so hard I cried. Your smile brightens the room. You smile not just with your mouth, but your whole face. Even your eyes twinkle.

You have a love of life and love to explore. You especially love things that are a little too grown up for you. It seems like you are always trying to push the envelope and see what else you can do or what else you can get into.

You love to move and the doctor said you may be walking soon. I have to admit I hope you stay crawling at least a little longer. You are still bald and toothless, but pull it off so well! You have cute little peach fuzz that stands up just a little bit when you wake up from a nap. I am enjoying every moment with you and so happy that I am your mommy! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect baby! I can't believe we only have 3 more months before your first birthday!

(the cheese smile)

New Clothes

2010-03-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

I have always been a clothes horse (btw I think this is the craziest expression to call someone who loves clothes, but anyway). I love to shop. I love to get new clothes. I love to put outfits together in my head and then feel the need to complete them. When I have a bad a little retail therapy always helps.

BH (before Harper), I got new clothes a lot. I would give any excuse to buy something new. We have a wedding, I need a new dress. There is a birthday party, I need a new top. My friend is coming for lunch, I need a new belt, etc. I would buy something new for everything and anything. Often times there wasn't even a reason, I just wanted something new. My favorite stores to buy from have been the LOFT, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Coach, White House Black Market, Victoria Secret, Target, etc. I always lust after things at more expensive stores but never could buy there.

AH(After Harper) we have been trying to save money. That means little to no shopping. I do a lot of online shopping, putting it in the cart, but then not actually buying it. I look at the cart over and over and kind of pretend that I am going to buy and then either things get sold out, or I cancel my cart after a few days ( I know this is really pathetic). I miss shopping. A LOT. I am at the point right now where I really don't like most of my clothes. After having a baby, things don't fit quite right sometimes and after being so used to shopping it's really hard for me to wear the same things over and over again ( I know, again really pathetic).

Today I was dying. Yesterday I must have tried on 50 outfits before I decided what to wear. SO when I woke up today I had shopping on the brain. After going to the LOFT.com and putting 200 worth of clothes in my shopping bag that I knew I couldn't really buy, I decided I would go to Target and let my self get a new top or two. So this afternoon went to Target and got two new tops. This is what I bought:
This is from the Liberty of London collection from Target. If you need a cute, inexpensive top I highly recommend them. I also bought a navy print top that I can't find a picture or a 3/4 length sleeve white cardigan. Hopefully this holds me over at least a little while.

Good Week

2010-03-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's the weather, but this week has been pretty good! Sunday we came home from our first weekend trip away from Harper. I was so worried because of his separation anxiety lately, but my parents said they don't think he cried once! I think I may have missed him more than he missed me! They played, laughed and had a great time with their grandparents, but I did get the best smile and lots of kisses from my three babies when we walked in the door.

After that we went for a family walk. Yay again for sunny, warm weather! Then we had a lazy day of snuggling, playing and relaxing. Harper even crawled up his first stair!

On Monday, my kids at school were absolutely wonderful! They listened and did so well! Being a kindergarten teacher can be very difficult some days, but when everyone listens it is so fun. They are so excited about learning and everything is new! Monday afternoon we played and napped. Harper and I even went to the gym. I had to leave the class early because Harper was crying, but I got a 40 minute workout.

On Tuesday, Harper and I went for our first run outside with the jogging stroller and had our first trip to the park. Harper had his first time in a swing! It is so fun to see him experience new things.
Today we had Babygarten. It is so fun to see the kids play and interact. Especially after seeing them all so little and how much they have changed over the last few months. It's amazing how much they are able to do now and how independent they are trying to be. They are all so cute and wonderful. Harper was so cute playing with his friends. They crawl on each other, sit on one another, steal toys, etc. It's so fun to see how they are learning about each other. I wish I had pictures to share.

I hope the rest of this week continues to be so great. I am so thankful for all the wonderful things in my life right now.

Sweet Moments

2010-03-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Last night around 2 Harper woke up as he has the last few nights wanting to play. So I brought him into our bed hoping he would go back to sleep. He snuggled right against me and I thought went right to sleep. A few moments later when I had almost drifted back to sleep, I feel a little hand against my cheek. I open my eyes and these two little eyes are peeking at me. I don't know if he was watching me sleep or hoping I would get up and play, but the way he was holding my cheek was so sweet and done in such a caring way. It's like the way I often stroke his cheek. I wish I could have taken a picture. It's one of those little moments I think I will always remember. Moments like this are what is so wonderful about being a mommy.

My cute little guy playing during the day.

Eating

2010-03-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to babygarten. It's a singing, playing, reading class for babies that's offered at the library. We're taking it with a bunch of moms from mommy bootcamp (yay!). We don't get to go to bootcamp very much so it's so fun to see them and their cute little guys!

When we started way back in August, Harper was the youngest and smallest of the babies who we made friends with. When we went yesterday, while he is still the youngest, he is definitely not the smallest. He was by far the chubbiest baby there! At 6months, Harper was 18lbs 8oz. We are thinking he is well over 20lbs now, but not positive. We should know for sure on the 15th. The other babies are all so cute and definitley not as chubby.

Now I am worried though. Does he eat too much? I am feeding him the wrong foods? Is it my fault because I stopped nursing 6months and now he gets formula? Is chunking out now, but will lose it when he starts walking? Am I overly worried about nothing and he's totally fine?

He started gaining more weight around 6months. He does love to eat. He stops when he is full though. He is right between 6-9month clothes and 9-12month clothes. So I think that's pretty on par since he will be 9months old on the 15th. It's so hard to know what is right and wrong as far as feeding the little ones. We found "guidelines" online that we follow, but it's not cut and dry. I even hold things off and wait until the late end to expose him to things. I wish there were rules or a list to follow so I would know if I was ok or not.

My little one eating some yogurt juice and cherrios for dinner.

Great Poem

2010-03-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

I know I feel like this a lot. Since I am home all afternoon I feel like nothing gets done, but I am busy from the second I get home until bedtime. Here's the poem.

Stay at Home Moms, What Did You Do Today?
Today I left some dishes dirty, The bed got made around 3:30. The diapers soaked a little longer, The odor grew a little stronger. The crumbs I spilled the day before, Are staring at me from the floor. The fingerprints there on the wall, Will likely be there still next fall. The dirty streaks on those window panes, Will still be there next time it rains. Shame on you, you sit and say, Just what did you do today?I nursed a baby till he slept, I held a toddler while he wept, I played a game of hide and seek, I squeezed a toy so it would squeak. I pulled a wagon, sang a song, Taught a child right from wrong. What did I do this whole day through? Not much that shows, I guess it’s true. Unless you think that what I’ve done, Might be important to someone, With bright brown eyes and soft blond hair, If that is true … I’ve done my share.
-Author Unknown

Photography

2010-03-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

SO for Christmas Chris got me a gift certificate to take a photography class. I learned so much in such a short amount of time. I've always loved photos, but now that I understand them more and am starting to edit them I am kinda obsessed. I just want to get better and better. I want to practice. The thing about me is that unless I feel successful right away at something or think I will be successful I usually don't try. Failure scares me and I never want to take the risk. This is something I am willing to take a risk at. I do feel as though I am getting better and becoming more successful. Here is my flickr page. http://www.flickr.com/photos/39375425@N08/ I now just need guinea pigs so I can keep practicing.....any takers?

A few of my favorite shots.....

Working Out

2010-03-02T11:25:00.000-08:00

Before I got pregnant with Harper, I worked out pretty regularly. Almost everyday. I really enjoy running and taking classes. I love the way my body feels afterward and I also love that I feel like I can eat yummy food! In the may before I got pregnant, I even ran a half marathon (didn't get a great time, but I at least finished!) Even when I got pregnant, I was getting up at 5 and running before work (yay for me!) especially since I am NOT a morning person! Well, I was pretty sick while I was pregnant. I tried to keep running, but getting sick every few strides is kinda discouraging. I would still walk while I was pregnant, but that is not running.

After I had him, I started going to Mommy Bootcamp. I absolutely loved this! I felt very out of shape though. My endurance was definitely not the same after not working out for so long, but going to class 3-4 times a week really got me back in shape. I was fitting into my old jeans! woo hoo! This was great until I went back to work.

In October I started back to teaching. It's only part-time, but 23 kindergarteners are exhausting and coming home to a baby is doubling exhausting. SO needless to say, working out went out the window unfortunately. I have only worked out spuratically since going back to work. Here and there exercise does not change your body back to how you want it to be.

So I tried to make a schedule and train for a 5k. I tried to follow it, but got off track after a few weeks :( Then I signed up for a challenge at the gym. 25 classes in the month of March. I thought I could go at 12, but so far that seems to be right in the middle of naptime. The morning classes are while I am working and the night classes are dinner/bedtime. I'm so frustrated with this. I want to workout and take classes. I definitely want to go back to liking how my clothes fit. It just seems like something keeps coming up. Harper is my first priority. I have to figure out how to make myself a priority too and fit working out into the working/taking care of the baby day.

Chris' Birthday

2010-02-28T07:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Chris' birthday. He didn't seemed too excited about the birthday this year. I asked him what he wanted to do and he said let's just do a family thing. I thought ok that's easy. We'll just have everyone over for dinner. Everyone could bring something. It will be at our house so everyone will have time with Harper. Good idea, right?

Harper had other plans. He decided that no one could hold him but me. Not even Chris. He also decided that he couldn't be put down. This made for such a wonderful afternoon for me. I couldn't cook or get anything together since I had a 20lb child on my hip. He wouldn't let me put him down even close by. I have never heard shrieks like the ones Harper made. SO high pitched they hurt your ears and tears gushing everywhere. I love that he loves me and that he is some what of a momma's boy, but this was ridiculous! They were all family that he knows and met before. Not strangers off the street I let in the house. I wasn't leaving him. I felt bad for the grandparents that don't get to see him very often and I felt bad for his Daddy that was getting screamed at on his birthday.

He ended up crashing towards the end of the day and we finally got a break from the screaming and Chris got to enjoy the end of his birthday dinner (I hope). He woke up as my parents were leaving and was happy again. I don't know if he really was upset and overwhelmed or if he just knows how to manipulate his mommy really well. Probably a little bit of both.

Harper and Daddy after everyone left. Thanks goodness his Daddy got some birthday love!!

Seperation

2010-02-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

It started about 2 weeks ago. Harper gets handed off to someone or is put down for more than 5 minutes. Immediately reaches for Mommy. If Mommy leaves the room or says "you are ok" immediately a blood curdling scream, followed by a flood of tears so thick it leaves his face and shirt soaked within seconds.

The first time it happened was a Mommy Bootcamp. He was in the stroller while I worked out around him. The first 5 minutes were ok. Than he started to realize I wasn't going to pick him up. He screamed, and screamed and screamed some more. At first I thought he'll stop. It's just because the stroller stopped. So I kept the stroller moving. Didn't work. Than I tried toys. Nope. Didn't work. Than I tried a snack. Nope, just screamed harder. I finally gave in and picked him up. Happy as can be. Me not so much as I tried to run and lift weights with a 20lb baby on my hip.

Next time it happened my father-in-law came to watch him while I went back to school for a meeting. He came in and I handed Harper over like I normally do. He looked at me and reached. I said, "you are ok." Screaming. Tears. I said, "I'll be back sweetie." Screams so hard that the screams stop making any sounds. I had to leave and it broke my heart.

Third time, Chris' aunt came to watch Harper as we went to a wedding. When we left he was still napping so we didn't witness the screams, but heard all about them when we called to check on him and when we came home.

The most recent time was today. I have been paying for a gym membership every month, that I have not been using. I figured today that I would give it a try and go back. They have a kids club and Harper likes other kids so this should be great for both of us. Nope. It started off great. He was smiley when we got there. Went right to the girls working. I was so excited. I told him good bye and that I would be back and went to work out. I thought we were great. I even got through 30 minutes on the elliptical. I had almost let a sigh of relief when I saw one of the girls coming towards me. "Harper's having a really hard time she said." Apparently he screamed on and off the entire time I worked out.

I'm almost at my wit's end. Every time he screams like that it breaks my heart. It makes me never want to leave him. But I have things I need to do and places I need to go. I am so torn. I feel like the worst mom ever making him cry. I guess all we can do is keep trying. This phase can't last forever, right?

My happy little man when he's with his Mommy & Daddy.

8 months

2010-02-22T12:12:00.001-08:00

On Monday, my baby turned 8months. I know 8 months is still a baby but to me he seems so big. He went from this little swaddled little face to a moving expressive little boy. He may not say words yet, but you can tell what he is thinking and what he wants from his sounds and expressions. He now crawls around the floor getting into everything. He's changed so much in what seems like such a short amount of time. It's scary how fast the time flies by. Everyone says this but you don't realize it until you have a child of your own.

My sweet baby boy

Valentine's Day

2010-02-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Harper went on his first long car trip to NY. To be honest I was kind of dreading it. Not the weekend of course, but being in the car anywhere from 5-8 hours with the little man. He has decided recently that he is not a huge fan of the car seat or anywhere else that reigns in his newly aquired crawling skills, so I was thinking he was really not going to be a fan of the car. And naturally since Chris drives on long car trips, it was going to be my job to jump from front seat to back seat to entertain our energetic, little one.

I was pleasantly surprised though. One, because of all the snow we have had there was about half the traffic on the road as usual on a trip to NY. This was great because we didn't get stuck in any bumper to bumper traffic like we usually do. Two, we left shortly after he had his first bottle and he took a great two and a half hour nap! This is much longer than he will sleep when he is at home. He only woke up for about an hour or so and we played and ate and then he went back to sleep. He was so good! Of course there were a few moments of blood curdling screams when he realized that he was in his car seat and couldn't get out to play. But he was easily distracted by the excessive amount of toys we kept in the car to play with.

Once we got to NY, we had a great weekend. We got to hang out with Jen and Pete, see their family and meet their cute little niece Emily. She and Harper are only 3 weeks a part so it was very fun to see them play together. They even traded binkies! Emily and Harper are both Jen's godchildren so it's extra special that they had a chance to meet.

On Valentine's night we even got to go on a grown up only double date which was really fun. I'm glad to say the car ride back went just as well as the car ride up so it was a very successful first trip weekend :)

Friends

2010-02-11T18:22:00.001-08:00

I have to say I truly love my friends. They are the family I never had but always wanted.
“Friends: family that you can choose for yourself.”
I truly feel that way. I love my family, I should say my extended, I truly do, but I really love my friends.

I've always wished for a very close family. I have always seen super close brothers/sisters/cousins and been jealous. "Why don't I have that", I would say to my self. I wanted a brother to go places with and be protective of me. I wanted a sister to stay up late and share everything with. For some reason it always seems as though what you want the most in life is always one step away. The grass is always greener on the other side type of thing. My mom would say she always wanted my brother and I to be close and wasn't sure why we weren't or what went wrong. When I married into a huge, ginormas family I was sure I would have the siblings I always wanted. It ended up that we aren't so close either.

But through it all I have always had friends. People to turn to. People I trust. People to share things with. People who are there for me and I am there for them too.

And all though sometimes I feel as though my family is not there, I am blessed with wonderful friends who are and for that I am truly grateful.

Kisses

2010-02-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

Every since Harper was born in June, the puppies have loved kissing him. Some people would say it's licking and that it's gross that the dogs do that. I think it's wonderful. Buddy and Marley were/are my first kids. People said I wouldn't love them as much once Harper was born. Things would change people said. Well things changed but not as people said they would. We now have 3 kids in the bed instead of 2. I now have 3 kids to take for a walk instead of 2. We now have to find arrangements for 3 kids instead of 2 when we go out. My love for them didn't decrease. I just added another wonderful little one to our family. That's why I think it is so wonderful that Buddy and Marley love Harper. I love that they kiss him. I am so happy that they have adopted him as another sibling and that Harper loves them right back. That's why this is one of my all time favorite pictures.

I also love this one...

And even though this one isn't kissing, I especially love this one......

Snow, Snow and More Snow!

2010-02-11T13:02:00.001-08:00

We have officially broken all snow records for the area this week! I think we have had something like 54 inches since last Friday. It's so crazy! I've had lots of time to practice taking pictures. Here are a few of my favorites :)

Cookies

2010-02-11T12:58:00.000-08:00

Today is day 9 of snow days. I have been off work for what seems forever. SInce I had to do something productive, yesterday I was baking :) Here are some pictures of my yummy chocolate cookies, sugar cookie dough and brownies.

Moving

2010-02-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

So today Harper made leaps and bounds in the moving department. He crawled around and got into the dog bowls. He had a wonderful time splashing and playing in the water.

It was so cute to see him splashing. Even when he got it in his face, he would make a surprised noise but then keep going. There was water all over the living room.

I know I should have stopped him. Buddy definitely wanted me to stop him as he looked on so sadly from the side. But he was so cute and having so much fun. So instead I grabbed my camera.

Snow Day!

2010-02-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

Today is our third or fourth snow of the year. I think we have had more snow this winter than I can remember any year. It's so nice to have the surprise day off to stay in your pajamas and hang out with Harper and the puppies. I definitely still get as excited as I did when I was little to see the county name scroll across the bottom of the TV screen. They are calling for a foot or two more this weekend. I only wish Harper was a little bit bigger so we could really enjoy it!

Puppies

2010-01-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

We have two puppies. Buddy who is 6 and Marley who is 3. Before Harper, they were my life. Ask anyone and they will tell you I am slightly obsessed with my dogs. They sleep in the bed with us. They are with us all the time. They sign all birthday and Christmas cards. They have been licking Harper since he came home from the hospital. Lately, I have been feeling really bad though. I still love them just as much as I have since the beginning, but I feel like I don't have as much time for them. Harper takes so much time and is so much more needy. This takes away from our long walks and cuddle time. It makes me feel as if I am neglecting them. I just hope they know how important they are to me even if I can't spend as much time as I used to.

Sleep

2010-01-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

Since Harper was born he has slept with us at night. In the hospital he slept next to me in the boppy pillow. The first week home Chris or I held him while we slept downstairs. The first month home he slept in the co-sleeper between us. From month 2-4 he slept in the basinette next to my side of the bed. At month 4 we tried the crib. Usually he would go in at 8 and be in bed with us by 11 or 12. I can't bear to hear him cry, so if I went in once or twice I would just pick him up and bring him in with us. Now for the last week or so, we haven't even attempted the crib. Just started the night with us and he wakes up with us. I know he is supposed to sleep by himself. He's supposed to love his beautiful nursery that is decorated just for him. I know I'm supposed to want him to sleep in there. I'm supposed to want my break. The thing is I miss him when he's not next to me. I feel like something is missing if I can't see him. Even for naps He sleeps on my laps, or on the couch next to me. I like being able to know he's ok. I like being able to fix something right away if he needs me. I'm sure this is something we'll grow out of. I'm sure eventually we'll want our space. Somehow I think it will be Harper who grows out of this first.

Peanut Butter Crunch

2010-01-27T16:39:00.000-08:00

I'm sure the name of this blog makes no sense. I don't even like peanut butter. So let me explain. Everyone said before Harper was born he would have some kind of food nickname from us. Why babies get nicknames about food, it's beyond me but it seems like something that happens. I am so against any of the shortened versions of Harper's name. Especially Harp. For some reason I really don't like it, so he gets called lots of other nicknames like peanut, sweet pea, little one, little man. One day I was talking to him and instead of peanut, peanut butter crunch comes out. I keep calling him this. Then the nickname turns into a song. This song has turned into Harper's favorite song. He loves to hear it. If he's really sad, I can sing this and and he instantly gets much happier. SInce my little guy is one of the happiest babies I have ever met, a song that makes him so happy seemed like the perfect name.

Naked Time

2010-01-27T16:22:00.001-08:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I love clothes. When I had Harper I thought he would have on cute outfits all the time. At the beginning he did. I dressed him up and the grandmothers always thought he was cold so he had a hundred blankets on him all the time. This kids had something on him at all times. Then one day he was fussy. I had tried everything to calm him down. Feeding, changing, walking around, swing, singing, etc.. I tried it all. As a last resort, I was changing his diaper the millionth time. As I started to take his clothes off I needed to get something so he stayed without clothes for a little while. He started giggling. He loves to be naked! Now whenever he gets sad I just take his clothes off and leave him in his diaper and he's so happy. I still dress him up, but he definitely gets his naked time a lot too.

Forward

2010-01-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

About a month ago our little Harper started crawling around backwards. Not fast but he would move backwards and then turn to get where he wanted to go. He had started to get pretty proficient at this. We were starting think he may even walk backwards! Then yesterday at babygarten he moved forward. It was just one scoot but it was forward! Then today he wanted his binky which he had previously thrown across the floor. I guess he wanted it bad enough because he moved forward to get it! I think we may need to start babyproofing!