She's a roller

So she rolled over on Sunday, but she didn't really know what she was doing. Monday night she did it two or three times, and by Tuesday she was rolling over anytime we put her on her back. She now tries to roll over in the swing, bouncy seat, and of course changing table. I guess we are going to have to start strapping her into everything.

Yes, we do let Maggie lick her face. It probably isn't any dirtier than the floor she rolls around in.

3 months old!

Harps,

Happy 3 months to you, happy 3 months to you, happy 3 months sweet Harper, happy 3 months to you!! We have had a fabulous month. I have loved spending every single day with you. I feel like you have become more than just a newborn who doesn't do much more than sleep, eat, and dirty a diaper. You are learning so much. Everyday you explore and try to take in everything that is going on around you. I am so thankful that I am here with you to witness and be a part of your new discoveries. Here are a few things that have happened this month.

* No more swaddle!!!!!! You are free!!!!! You love having the freedom to move your arms and kick your little legs around. You love to rub your face and head with your hands when you get tired. I guess that is your way of soothing yourself. We know you are tired because you always start rubbing your face. It is so easy to put you down for a nap. You just lay there and stare at your mobile and are usually asleep in about 10 minutes. You seem to be a little more vocal at night time. We laugh because you just lay in your bed and coo and talk. It is funny how amazed and amused we are at your little sounds.

* You have gotten really good at holding your head up. We started putting you in your bumpo seat and I think you like it.

* You are smiling so much more this month. It is so neat how you respond to a simple smile. You even smile at strangers, which makes a me happy.

* We are starting to notice you are making what sounds like a laugh. We have heard a few really good distinct laughs, but you are still trying to learn how to do it. You mostly just squeal when you get excited.

* You love sucking your fingers, hand, and thumbs. We are trying really hard to get you to like your pacifier instead; I guess we'll see which you prefer, though daddy is determined to make the paci win out so we don't have to pay an orthodontist as much money down the road.

* You have had a lot of fun with mommy's friends from high school. Emily & Nouhou made a trip from New York. We can't wait to meet their baby boy in December. We also found out that mommy's friend Rachel is having a GIRL!!!! We can't wait until Anna Barton makes her apprearance in February. You and Kate are also getting to know each other. Your form of play is just staring at each other. We just like to sit and watch the two of you together. It should be really entertaining once Anna Barton and Indeehe join us.

* We took a trip with Mimi to Hartselle to visit with family. You spent time with mommy's cousins, aunts, uncles, and your great-grandparents.

* You made your first trip to Auburn! We decided to take you to the first Auburn game of the year on Labor Day weekend against Arkansas State. We didn't do much tailgating beforehand but you loved the football game. Believe it or not you slept through part of it and when you were awake you were looking at everything. Even the crowd noise didn't seem to faze you. We will be spending many more weekends at Auburn and I can't wait to see your running around on Saturdays in the fall.

* You are really starting to grab at things. You love holding onto the legs of your zebra pull toy while you sit in your bouncy seat. Today at lunch we watched in amazement as you tried so hard to grab onto the little bird legs hanging from your carrier. You tried so hard to grab onto them. We could tell you were really concentrating. Then of course when you did we were so proud and thought it was the greatest thing. It is funny to us how we are so entertained and so excited about these little things.

* We took you to your first Homewood High School football game when mommy got her teacher of the year award (Yay!!!). Mommy was sure to point out the Star Spangled girls during the halftime show in case you want to follow in her footsteps...

* The weather has been beautiful this past week (the last week of September). We have been on lots of walks with Maggie, played on a quilt in the front yard, laid in the hammock with daddy, and taken naps on the swing outside.

* You are quite the grunter! You make grunting noises in all kinds of situations. Pretty funny. I like to say that you get that feistiness from your daddy. Maybe you are a redhead after all.

* You light up when your daddy comes home after work. You give him the biggest smile and squeal when you first see him. It is so cute!

* You get very upset if I take the bottle from you in the middle of a feeding. I guess we are going to have to work on the patience thing. (This is also a challenge for your daddy!)

* You are starting to notice Maggie a lot more. When she comes around you follow her with your eyes. You are even starting to compete over whose toys are whose.

* Mommy cut the tip of her finger off slicing potatoes on a mandalin one day. Thank goodness Mimi was there to help. The injured finger made it very hard to take care of you for about 2 weeks. She learned to change diapers, burp, and dress you with her left hand and daddy had to help more than usual.

* You weighed 13 pounds 3 ounces and were 24 inches long on your 3 month birthday.

* You are getting these cute little rolls on your legs that are precious!!! It looks like you have little rubber bands in places that are squeezing your legs.

* Lately when we lay you on the changing table you straighten your legs out, raise them up high, lift you head, and grunt really loud like you are trying to sit up. You get frustrated and keep grunting while we just laugh at you. Don't worry we have it on video.

* You are cooing and talking so much more now. The mirror seems to be one of your favorite toys. You just lay there and talk to yourself in the mirror while daddy and I just stare at you in amazement. You are such entertainment for us.

We have had a fun month watching you change and grow. I go back to work in a few days and this is what happens every time I start talking about it...

just kidding...mommy is the one who might not survive the first day. We are very thankful that you will get to spend your days with Miss Kristen. We'll just have to make Miss Kristen promise to not tell us when you do something new, so that we can discover it like it was the first time. We love you Harps and can't wait to see what you discover next month.

loves to the harps!

mom & dad

How do you...

clean your ears???

We are those people

I believe that this will be the first of many "We are those people" posts. You see Ryan and I were married for 6 years before Harper came along. During this time we were around many couples with children and had a lot of time to observe. We often found ourselves saying "we will never do that." Well, we are those people.

First game of the season. Our season tickets look like our seats will be much better this year. We figured what the heck we'd give it a try. We never know until we try. The weather was going to be nice and our seats are in the shade.

So here we were with a 2 month old in a chest carrier walking up the steps of the stadium. I could feel every stare. I knew what they were saying we had said it many times before in those same seats. "We will never do that." Well we did, and when we finally sat down safely in our seats, Ryan looked over at me and said "we are those peple."

I have a feeling that will not be the last time we say that.

Snuggle Bug

Harper can now grab and reach for things. I guess she decided to grab hold of those stuffed animals that have been in her crib. She is such a snuggle bug. (Please excuse the underlining. I do not know how to get rid of it)

2:05 p.m.

Perfect Day:

Breakfast with Ryan, lots of smiles from Harper, vacuumed house (even tackled the stairs), lunch with friend, more smiles from Harps, perfect weather, read book on swing with Harper asleep on my chest...and the day is not even close to being over...

2 Months

Harps,

Wow this month has flown by. I know I will probably say that a lot, but by golley it is true. August was a fun month and I just can't believe how much you have changed. You are starting to do a lot more than just eat, sleep, and poop. Here are a few things that have happened this month.

We noticed you really started cooing and smiling when you were 6 weeks old. Since then you do it more and more and we love it. This past week you started doing it when you were supposed to be going to sleep. You would just look up in your crib and give this big ole smile. Not the most appropriate time for a smile, but we'll take it. It makes that middle of the night feeding much easier.

You finally like sitting in your swing, bouncy, and laying on your mat. I can actually put you down and you are perfectly content. This morning I turned your mobile on and you laid in your crib for 45 minutes just kicking your arms and feet. I never heard a peep out of you. I was able to take a shower and get ready and you were perfectly content. Thank you!!!!

Last week is really when I finally felt like I had figured you out. I finally got us on a good schedule during the day that seems to be working well. Now if we could just get you to sleep longer between feedings at night. You will occasionally go on a 7 hour spurt, but I wish we could see that more often.

This month you went on a lot of outings. When you were 6 weeks old we took a trip to the lake. It was a much needed vacation for us all. Your dad (that feels weird to say) and I got some much needed relaxing time together. We were very thankful that the monitor would work on the dock so that we could relax while you were taking naps. Dan & Jere also enjoyed meeting you and of course Nonni & pops loved spending time with you.

At 5 weeks we switched you to size 1 diapers. You also got these cute little rolls in your thighs. I am still praying that you will have your dad's legs.

We went for your checkup at 6 weeks. You weighed 11lbs 3 oz (90th percentile) and your were 22.5 inches long (90th percentile). Last night daddy weighed you on the wii and you were 11 lbs 8 oz, so you are still a growing girl. You have grown out of your newborn clothes and have started to fit into all the cute big girl clothes. I have loved dressing you up in all the dresses I wore as a baby. Gigi (Jennifer) bought you an Auburn bow that looks so cute on you. I put your Auburn onesie and bow on one saturday and your daddy made me take it off. He said it was your gameday outfit. He didn't want to jinx it. You will learn that he is quite the devoted fan.

You had your first trip to the church nursery at 7 weeks. Mr. Nathan said you were an angel. He even sent us a picture of you during church with your bloomers on your head!! I guess since it was your first time he had to mess with you a little. We were very glad to get to see all our moutaintop family and enjoy worship together! Boy did we miss it!!!

Maggie has really started to pay more attention to you. She will just come up and give you kisses and lay by you. It is really sweet. She still likes to sleep in your room.

You also took a trip back to St. Vincent's to meet Kate. I know you don't know it yet but Kate is going to be one of your best friends. Kate's mommy and I have been friends since we were 13 years old. Kate is such a cute girl and I can't wait for us to have play dates together. We will also find out soon what Rachel is having. I can't wait!!!

Everyone has been saying that you look more like your daddy. Your hair and eye brows have starting to lighten up and we are seeing a little bit of red in your hair!!

One of my favorite times of the day is in the morning. I feed you at 6 then we eat breakfast with daddy. You just sit by him and just laugh and smile at us. We love it!! It is one of your happiest times of the day and one of our favorite.

You finally sent your dad to hang his head over teh toilet. He was changing you and you pooped all over him. Up his arm, hands, all over his clothes. It was hysterical!!! He was gagging and ran to the toilet. It was so funny. I finally got to tell him, "see how I felt for 9 months!!!"

You are really not liking your swaddle lately. So today I put you down for your afternoon nap without it. You went right to sleep. Maybe you have outgrown your swaddle, we'll see. I still think you will be a belly sleeper.

Nicknames for you: Harps, munchkin, muffin, precious, and muffaletta

Harper, this is my last month at home with you. I tear up every time I think about going back to work. I am going to try to soak in every moment I have with you. I know Ms. Kristen is going to take good care of you. I will just miss spending the day with you.

Harper, I love you more and more every day. I promise I will continue praying for you and for God has in store for you. I love you very much!!!