the martinez moments

Don't Let Her Fool You...She's a Warrior

2010-11-05T13:21:00.008-05:00

Usually when I get home from work, Harper is dressed like this...like out of a baby magazine. Look at that sweet face...so innocent.

Last night, I was in charge while Mary Marshall went to a much-deserved girl's dinner. So, when mom left, I changed Harper into her renegade playgear for a serious play session before bath and bed. Leg warmers by day = spartan leg shields by night. Check out the intensity in her face...like a little Maximus Aurelius. Her Uncle Guy was soon after attacked.

Our Family Trip to Sarasota

2010-11-03T22:04:00.000-05:00

My cousin Allan got married in Sarasota, FL a couple of weekends ago, so we made a family trip out of it. It was Harper's first time to the beach, but between naps & wedding festivities & the small fact that she wasn't that wild about the sand & cold water, we didn't spend much time on it. It is also important to note that Harper officially started walking on this trip! It was about a week after the 14 month mark. Harper & I went to Houston for a couple of days before heading to Sarasota & she started walking more & more while at my parents' house. By the time we got to Sarasota, she was ready to explore the suite. Another thing I would like to remember about the trip is that it was only the second time we used a non-family member as a babysitter. And she was even in high school! She was a referral of the bride's mother. Well actually, she was a referral from an old babysitter of the bride's who has her own kids now (follow that?). She was awesome. Here are some pictures from the trip:

Harper loved all the attention she got on the flights

The view from my aunt & uncle's room (I forgot to take a picture from ours, but we were only one floor below them in the exact same room, so it was the same)

Beach Baby

Harper & Daddy

Mommy & Harper

Our little family

Me & Harper with Great Great Aunt Peggy - she is Harper's oldest living relative at 87 years old! She was the life of the party too! She lives in Chattanooga & it was her first time to meet Harper.

The Ruch Family (Trey, Mary Jane, & Maggie), Great Great Aunt Peggy, & Harper

And once again the spacing of the pictures is driving me crazy, but I can't fix it! Oh the woes of blogger. :-)

A Great Birthday

2010-11-03T09:27:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday, and when I got home, I had my favorite meal AND my favorite cake waiting for me. And, of course, my wonderful wife got me great presents. Thanks, Mary Marshall, for a great day. And, this little package was waiting to greet me when I got home....safe to say it was my favorite.

The Two Faces of Harper

2010-11-02T14:11:00.009-05:00

Harper is 14 1/2 months, and is just learning new things every day. She is definitely into monkey see, monkey do, and has a huge personality. I recently taught her how to smile and show her teeth when I say "Cheeeeese!" But as you can also see, sometimes you have to furrow your brow...even as a baby. It's not all fun and games in the real world.

Happy 1st Birthday, Harper!

2010-08-17T17:17:00.019-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Harper!

Harper, we love you & look forward to all the joy you will continue to bring us in the future.

We are so blessed to have you in our lives!

photo by John Wong

*This post is backdated because blogger was down on Tuesday & I was busy yesterday. And now I can't change, move, or delete the picture. What's up with blogger? Next Thursday (my first day not working, but Harper might still go to daycare so I can "get things done"), I plan on getting caught up with all my posting (let's hope blogger cooperates). Stay tuned! :-)

Daycare Drama

2010-08-15T22:39:00.000-05:00

Harper & Liam P.

I've had several inquiries about the daycare experience, so I decided I'd get this post up first before any of the other posts I'm procrastinating (which is a lot at this point!). First of all, let me assure you that Harper is fine & was not injured. I think part of our experience was the fact that I'm a parent that ~~obsesses~~ actually cares about what my child eats, how she sleeps, what she does (I'm not judging anyone that is a little more "hands off" than I am), & another part is due to negligence & indifference of our daycare. I know that having a child in daycare means letting go of some control, and while I struggle with that sometimes, I accept it. Because I have to. But I do not believe it should mean letting go of what you know is best for your child.

Back in June (June 7th to be exact), Harper was moved up to the toddler room (yes, I totally agree - 9.5 months old does not a toddler make) from the infant room. Leading up to that day, I was ok with this move despite the fact that Harper was not yet crawling or feeding herself. Harper was doing really well - thriving even - in the infant room & was enjoying her "visits" to the toddler room. They went on morning buggy rides, had playroom time, & even did a few crafts. The infant room teachers assured me Harper was ready for this move. While I could have argued otherwise, I trusted their judgement (mistake #1!) & trusted that the toddler room was ready for Harper (mistake #2!). After 4 days in the new room, Harper was barely eating & barely drinking her bottles ("well, she would hold her bottle, but was having trouble holding it up high enough since she's sitting at the table drinking it. So she really didn't drink that bottle at all" ... "and she didn't feed herself any lunch, so she didn't eat"...WTH?! SHE'S A FRIGGIN' BABY! SHE NEEDS HELP EATING!!). And every one of those days when I went to pick her up, they had her sitting at the table with no toy or anything in front of her while they either sat on the floor ~~while another baby crawled all over them~~ playing with another baby or cleaned the room. You can imagine how happy I was about that. It's like they didn't want to have to deal with her, so they stuck her at the table. The picture (above right) is of her at mealtime at that table, just so you get an idea of how restricted she was. I picked her up on day #4 & had the following conversation with one of her "teachers":

~~~~~

MM: I watch the teacher from right outside the door put a resistant, protesting Harper into the table & proceed to start cleaning the room up, never making any move to hand her a toy or snack. Harper is doing that crying that I call "almost crying" which is like a whine-cry. I wait a couple of minutes & then slip into the room to continue observing until I'm spotted.

Teacher: Oh look, Harper! There's your mommy. She just watched me put you at the table.

MM: Yes, and why is she at the table?

Teacher: I just put her there.

MM: That didn't answer my question. Yes, I know. But why? (keep in mind that a couple of minutes went by before I went into the room)

Teacher: Oh, I was about to give her a toy.

MM: Yeah, right. Oh, ok. (ending the conversation & I pick up Harper from the table & start to gather her things. Once again, she bawls crying when she sees me taking her bottles out of the refrigerator. My poor baby is STARVING!)

Teacher: Bye, Harper! (then in a very passive-aggressive, sing-songy, condescending tone - if that even makes sense) Tomorrow, you'll be on the floor when your mommy comes to get you so she'll be glad. You'll see!

~~~~~

You can bet I marched my fanny right out that door & straight into the Director's office.

I can sort-of overlook the crossword puzzles & book reading (yes, the infant room teachers are guilty of this) & even the nap failures (poor girl barely sleeps a wink at daycare), but I can't overlook blatant negligence on the part of her teachers. Every day I picked up Harper from the toddler room, she was hungry & thirsty & screamed & cried until I gave her one of her bottles that she didn't drink that day because she wasn't used to drinking sitting straight up & down. That is not the normal behavior of my child. My child doesn't scream & cry when she is hungry or thirsty. She rarely screams & cries at all in fact. I was sick to my stomach about the situation. All week, I could barely concentrate on work because I was just so worried about her. The toddler room teachers told me that her milk intake would drop in that room, & while I am sure that is true in the long run & when the child is actually a toddler, I do not agree that it should happen immediately & definitely not for a 9.5 month old. According to our pediatrician (& many other sources), a 10-12 month old should get 21-29 ounces of milk a day. I would try to explain to the teachers that she needs at least 21 ounces of milk a day & 15 of it has to happen at daycare. Because I would express my concerns that she wasn't getting all of her bottles (or food for that matter, but I had to pick my battles at that moment), I felt like every time I opened my mouth to talk to the teachers, they would exchange glances & sort of roll their eyes (ok, so maybe the eye-rolling was my imagination, but the glance exchanging most definitely was not. Nor was the condescending tone I often received. And don't even get me started on the one-nap, hard-sole shoe wearing antics going on in there. For 9.5-14 month olds. Exactly.). How is that supposed to make me feel about the care my child is getting? I am not that mother. I am not the crazy mother that says "follow this schedule to a T & stand on your head while doing it". I don't talk down to them. I go with the flow & try to adapt (as uncomfortable as it makes me), but I will not give on my child's nutrition. Especially if it affects her personality & behavior. She was more or less being starved each day & they weren't the least bit concerned, despite my efforts. Harper had just gotten back on the charts for her weight & I did not want her to fall off again. When I expressed these concerns (read: minor meltdown) to one of my favorite infant room teachers, she agreed that my concerns were valid.

So in a rather large nutshell (more like a coconut shell), the toddler room wasn't ready for Harper nor was Harper really ready for it either. Luckily, it only took about 5 minutes to convince the Director that Harper needed to stay in the infant room. She assured us we could stay as long as we wanted in the infant room until August 30th. That is one of the reasons I am quitting my job earlier than we originally anticipated.

I recently learned that our daycare is moving alot of kids up on August 30th. That includes several of the babies from the infant room. Some of those babies are the same age Harper was when she was first moved up & some are a little younger & some a little older. One of the mothers whose 9 month old is moving up was telling me she was worried about it because her daughter isn't crawling or anything yet. I told her I had worried about the same thing when Harper first moved. But I didn't say anything else. I bit my tongue. Then when I dropped Harper off this morning, I saw that her daughter is still eating pureed foods (which there is nothing at all wrong with that, especially when your child is a 9 month old BABY!), as Harper had been at the time of her move. I'm trying to decide if I should reach out to this mom - who I always talk to when we cross paths up there, but then I don't know what I would tell her exactly. I know she is probably wondering what on earth happened with us (the infant room teachers have made comments that people are "trying to get up in my business") & why we moved back down to the infant room (I know I would be wondering if the situation were reversed, but I'm nosy like that). For now, I've drafted a couple of emails to her, but haven't sent anything. I teeter back & forth between don't-create-drama & help-out-a-fellow-mom. What would you do?

The Changing of the Teams

2010-08-09T16:32:00.000-05:00

I'm supposed to be working on a 2011 Business Plan, but instead I am blogging. I am procrastinating finishing up the posts I've already started - 11 month birthday, pumping, tear duct probing #2, & what's really going on at daycare - as well as the obvious real work I need to be doing. At any rate, I knew I would be writing this particular post one day; I just had no idea how soon. I also had no idea I'd feel so bittersweet about it. I thought I would feel only happiness & bliss & excitement. And yes, I feel all of those things, but there is also a hint of sadness in my heart.

You see, I am switching teams.

Starting August 30th, I am switching from the Working Mom team to the Stay-at-Home Mom team. I will be a stay-at-home mom! A diaper-slinging, cooking, cleaning, tear wiping, "no-don't-eat-that", full-time mother. This has been a dream of mine since Harper came out of my womb & now I finally get to realize it!

This all came to a head when our daycare situation started to turn sour. I will blog about that at another date (like I said, I've started the post, I just need to finish it) just so I can remember the details of our experience & perhaps someone else can learn from our mistakes &/or naiveties. At any rate, my staying home was a decision we made earlier this year, but the plan was for it to happen in January 2011. It's a blessing we decided it so long ago because we've been able to make sacrifices & financial decisions along the way that have helped us be better prepared for my early departure (pun intended - I work for an airline!) from my job. Don't get me wrong. This will be hard. Very hard. For awhile - years - even. But it's all worth it to us.

I told my boss on Friday morning. It was such a relief to say the words out loud. (It felt almost as good as when my doctor said I wasn't in false labor & she was going to break my water & we were having a baby that day. Pure joy & relief!) I practiced my "speech" no less than 150 times over the course of a couple of weeks (seriously) & thought that I'd sail right through it without any tears. Ha! Was I wrong. I don't know why I thought I'd be able to get through such an emotional conversation without showing any emotion. Especially since I'm kind of an emotional person (my family is laughing at that comment). It really is bittersweet for me. I am beyond thrilled about what lies ahead, but I am also sad to be leaving such a wonderful company. I love this job, my boss, the people, & the casual dress code, just to name a few. I will be lucky enough to be able say that I've had my 2 dream jobs: working for one of the greatest companies in the world & being a stay-at-home mom.

I am so blessed & so ready for my new team! Harper, how do you feel about it?

photo by John Wong

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-28T14:23:00.000-05:00

My Mimi's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

2010-07-16T11:30:00.001-05:00

My friend Amanda recommended this blog, Messy Aprons. So I checked it out & they had posted a recipe that is similar to one of my most favorite things in the world: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pound Cake. It was a recipe my Mimi used to make & one that friends are always asking for. Go check out their blog for some other great recipes! 3 Southern girls can't go wrong! I'm looking forward to trying their version of Shrimp & Grits. That's one of our favorites at the Martinez casa.

Here is my version of the Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pound Cake (it varies by 1/4 cup in a couple of ingredients from the Messy Aprons version):

1 package yellow cake mix
1 small package chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
8 oz sour cream
1 cup (who am I kidding, I use almost the whole bag) semisweet chocolate chips
confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions:
Combine the dry cake mix & dry pudding mix in a mixing bowl & mix together well with a fork or whisk until no big clumps of yellow cake mix are visible (They will show up in your baked cake. My Mimi never had even the smallest of yellow spots. I don't know how she did it!). Add oil, water, eggs, and sour cream & mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and spoon the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 min or until wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Here's another version I came across recently that uses CHOCOLATE cake mix instead of yellow. I think that will be so chocolatey & rich which is good because those are pretty much my middle names.

Seven Fifteen

2010-07-15T13:53:00.000-05:00

Four wonderful years.

We've gone from this

To this

And I couldn't be happier! Happy Anniversary, Ryan! I love you!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T15:33:00.003-05:00

The Mean Face

2010-06-30T14:39:00.000-05:00

Harper has become quite the ham lately. She started doing this "mean face" to us about a week ago & hasn't stopped since. I think she finds it as hilarious as we do. This video is from her earliest versions of the "mean face", which now includes a more furrowed brow than seen in the video. But I wanted to capture this moment before it's gone.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Another story that goes along with the "mean face" --

Yesterday at daycare, Harper was in the walk-about (you know, one of those toys that's like a reverse exersaucer that the babies can walk around while in this bucket-type thingy). She would walk around it & every time she came back around, she would give Ms. Kellie (Harper's fave teacher) her "mean face." Ms. Kellie told Harper, "Harper if you don't stop giving me that mean face of yours, I'm not going to take you outside when I go out there in a little bit." Kellie said Harper just looked at her & said, "Ooooooooh" with a tone like we used to use in middle school when someone would cut someone down. Kellie said she & the other teachers laughed forever about it. I'm pretty sure Harper told me "No!" last night when I tried to wipe her still goopy eye. I think we are going to have a little sassy, fireball on our hands!

10 Month Chair Pictures

2010-06-29T11:48:00.000-05:00

If you zoom in on this picture, you can see her tooth!

After all that waiting to get all my pictures uploaded, I forgot to put the chair pictures on the 10 month birthday post (which I also forgot to back date to be at the 10 month mark - June 17th - but oh well, I can't remember everything)! I also forgot to mention that on June 24th she weighed 17 lbs 3 oz (she had to go to the pediatrician for her second H1N1 shot). I haven't yet mastered getting her to look at the camera. Instead, she looks at her Daddy or my other hand that is usually waving in the air. She's also not very fond of sitting still which makes for an interesting photo shoot. Here are some of the chair pictures of Harper at 10 months. I'm in love with her hair right now.

I've also updated the bump watch on the sidebar. I have googled & researched how to fix this slideshow so that every other picture doesn't turn the wrong way, but alas, I haven't found a solution. I love Picasa, but hate this one thing about it. Until I figure out how to do what Reid did to my MM & Ryan Through the Years slideshow, this will have to do!

10 months

2010-06-28T17:03:00.001-05:00

Happy 10 months, Harper!

June 20, 2010

(In an Amy Poehler-like voice) 10 months...RE-ALLY?!?

I truly can't believe that Harper has been in this world 10 months. 40 weeks. She's been outside my tummy for the same amount of time she was in it (give or take a couple of weeks). This girl is ON. THE. MOVE! We are having so much fun with her & look forward to what each day brings.

* She got her first tooth on May 25. Well, it wasn't all the way in (still isn't), but that's the first time I could feel something coming through. It's her lower right tooth. I'm pretty sure another tooth is coming in right next to it since she is constantly running her tongue over her lower gums (& tooth).
* She's been picking up more & more food, but still needs some help with her eating.
* Some of the new foods she's tried that she loves are baked tilapia (with herbs, olive oil, & black pepper), baked chicken (put in the Beaba until it's crumbly), cheese, & mashed potatoes (she tried these at daycare & apparently loved them so much, she clapped after every bite. Just like her mama :-))
* She ate her first hamburger (just little bites of a patty with cheese & some of the plain bun) right at the 10 month mark. It was from Burger House who was catering a big party at work. And just like her Mama & Dada, she loved it! We refrained from giving her french fries for now though. I don't want to create a monster yet.
* Speaking of cheese, she LOVES cheese! That's a finger food I can't go wrong with. It's easy for her to pick up (the only thing she picks up flawlessly & never misses her mouth) & she eats it all up.
* She has really started dancing. Well, we call it dancing, but it's really just bouncing & kicking her leg.
* She got her FIRST KISS (May 22)! I actually think she made the first move. We're going to have to watch this girl! We were on a playdate with Owen who we know from daycare (his mom Nancy & I have become good friends). Owen & Harper were in the baby pool & all the grown-ups were just talking away & I looked down & Harper & Owen are mouth to mouth with their eyes wide open looking at each other. She kissed him just like she kisses her reflection in the mirror, except not quite as open-mouthed (thank goodness - ha!). I wish I'd been prepared with the camera because it was the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Annika (born across the hall from Harper on the same day & same L&D nurse!), Harper, Owen

May 22, 2010

Owen Taylor, Annika Campdera (in the background), & Harper

* Speaking of kissing, she's been doing this kissing face or fish face recently that cracks us up everytime (excuse the blurry iPhone photo). She thinks it's funny when I do it & kiss her with it.

early June 2010

* She started swim lessons at the YMCA which really shouldn't be called swim lessons because we didn't actually learn anything. Good thing they were cheap, cheap, cheap. It was fun to swim & sing songs with her though.

May 7, 2010

May 14, 2010

Mary 21, 2010

* She has really started playing peek-a-boo with us. She'll do it with her books (holds it in front of her face & then pulls it down) or with toys. She waits until you say, "Where is Harper?" a few times, then pulls it down & smiles a big grin. Here she is doing it with her bucket:

early June 2010

* She loves being on her Daddy's shoulders & loves bouncing in our laps. If we are bouncing her (on our lap, on our shoulders, just holding her), she'll immediately start ah-ah-ah-aahhing & making her voice bounce with the movement. It's so cute!

* She officially started crawling - like hands & knees crawling - on June 5th weekend. She went from two crawls & a belly flop to crawling across the room/house & pushing back to sit. She gets faster & faster everyday. She figured out how to get up the one stair from the den into the kitchen a week later (June 12). We were running in front of her picking things up off bottom shelves. It was hard to really baby-proof when we couldn't picture her actually crawling. Now we are very behind!

* When she pushes back to sit, she keeps her knees locked & ends up plopping down on her bottom into a straddle sit. It's pretty funny & I think one day she's just going to stop midway & stand up.

* We converted our dining room into a playroom on June 12. Now the formal living room is the dining room & the formal living room died a quiet death.

* She started wearing a size 3 diaper on the day she turned 10 months, although she still occasionally wears a size 2 (trying to use them up).

* She is Mommy crazy & will do anything to get into my arms. She has definitely entered the Mommy preference stage. Sometimes I just have to leave the room so she will play peacefully & not whine for me to hold her.

* She will imitate sounds. One day we were outside & heard the neighbor's dog barking & she started saying, "ooh, ooh, ooh" like a bark. It caught me off guard but that's definitely the sound she was making. She's also attempted to say ball.

* She says dada, mama, & hi alot now.

* She likes to click her tongue & then see me do it. We go back & forth doing this a lot.

* When she nurses, she sometimes likes to stick the 2 fingers she usually sucks on in my mouth. (And I wonder why I'm sick so much?)

* She loves the remote control so much that we finally had to give her an old one to play with. We occasionally act like we're using it to pique her interest in it.

* She now takes baths in the "big girl" tub (June 13) & doesn't use the blue baby tub anymore. She absolutely LOVES her new found freedom & spends the entire bath time crawling from one side to the other - fast. (We have a non-slip mat in the bottom of the tub now).

* She likes to watch herself in the mirror when we comb her hair.

* She loves to drink water out of a cup. Although most of it ends up down her front (& on me) or choking her, she can't get enough of it.

* She was moved up to the Toddler (really? Toddler?!?!) room at daycare on June 7th. After 4 really long, awful days in there (which I will blog more about in a separate post), we moved back down to the Infant room (June 11th). I am very proud of myself for standing up for what's right for Harper & getting them to agree to the move back. Not that I ever doubted that I could argue for the well-being of Harper, but I just hadn't ever been put in that situation & I will say that I shined. :-) After all, Mommy knows best!

* She will roll a ball back & forth with you.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Musings

2010-06-18T14:54:00.000-05:00

I finally posted the 9 month birthday post...a month late. I had it written for a month, but it took me that much longer to get around to uploading the pictures. So if you don't subscribe to the blog in Google Reader (it came across my Google Reader), click here to go read about Harper's 9th month. I don't know if it shows up in other feed readers if it's backdated. The 10 month post is written as well, but we forgot to take her picture last night before bed (the meltdown after bath threw us off), so I haven't taken, nor uploaded, her 10 month pictures. Hopefully, I can do that sometime this weekend. Who am I kidding, let's hope for next week! Check back for that post. It will be dated June 17th no matter if it's September when it gets posted. Also, check out the sidebar. I updated the Baby Watch to include a 9 month picture.

Is it really this hot already outside? I can't believe it's only mid-June & it's 100 degrees. 4 years ago, the first day over 100 was July 15 (I know this because it's the day I got married). The summer just seems to get hotter & hotter, earlier & earlier each year. We've learned that Harper is a head sweater (as in sweaty, not as in cardigan) like her Mom & Dad. I'm sorry that we passed that trait on! It will drive her crazy throughout her life. But at least she'll be able to look back at her wedding pictures & say, "Wow, I was the second sweatiest bride there ever was. My mom was the first." Ha!

We went to breakfast last weekend with our dear friends, the Wakefields, & had such a wonderful time. Travis is such a sweetheart & was just delightful. Harper was a bit whiny/clingy & wouldn't sit in the highchair (the adorable, expensive highchair cover wasn't enough to persuade her), but we had a great time nonetheless. And she definitely ate half my grits, half the avocado off my omelette, & alot of the cheerios & cheese we brought. That girl is loving her table food these days! My point is that this is one of my favorite candid pictures we've taken of Harper recently. This perfectly portrays what she is up to. She is constantly grabbing & swiping at us & really testing how much we will let her do. She didn't waste a moment to reach out & get her a piece of Travis. And look how sweet Travis is being just letting her do that. Those nails are sharp too! If anyone has any tips on clipping the nails of a 10 month old, I'm all ears. I seem to only be able to get one at a time & they grow so darn fast!

June 12, 2010

Happy 31st Birthday, MM!

2010-06-08T15:24:00.005-05:00

Congratulations on turning 31 years old today. You don't look a day over 21, and you still get carded if you are not with me. People think you are a teen mother. You can still use your college ID to get movie discounts. You are beautiful, vibrant, and you transcend all time...like a Michael Bolton ballad. A little known fact about you is that your first CD (at your request, no less) was Michael Bolton's hit album, "Time, Love and Tenderness." There really is nothing else to say about that.

Age-wise, the only thing that you can't do is become president. But, that job will definitely be up for grabs in a few years, so don't give up hope. You share the same birthday as Barbara Bush, Joan Rivers, Rob Pilatus (half of the acclaimed Milli Vanilli), Keenan Ivory Wayans, Kanye West, and J.D. (the one year-old with the big head from Harper's daycare class).

And, most importantly, we have a baby sitter tonight, so we get to go to dinner (for a change), and then we are going to see Wicked, the musical, and I get to pretend like I don't want to see it and tell people that we are just going because it's your birthday. It's a WIN-WIN!

Happy Birthday, MM!

We survived.

2010-05-21T13:20:00.003-05:00

Warning: This is a very detailed post. It's for my records & for the other moms I know that are approaching this same decision. And if they are anything like me, they want to know every last detail about what's going to happen to their little babies. If you aren't interested, feel free to scroll down to the bottom of the post to my "Procedure Review in a Nutshell".

Yesterday morning we had Harper's eye doctor appointment with Dr. Cynthia Beauchamp at Pediatric Ophthalmalogy. First let me start with this - I was impressed with the practice from the moment we made our appointment. I expressed concern over the possibility of the tear duct procedure, so they gave me the option to talk to the nurse technician. I left her a message & she called me back later that same day. She walked me through the entire process which helped me (& Ryan) feel a little more prepared going into yesterday's appointment. We really didn't wait long before our appointment - maybe 25 minutes. I was expecting much longer since I'd heard there's usually a long wait at that office, but it really wasn't bad. There is a "kids" section with toys & books & a TV that can be seen anywhere in the waiting room playing children's movies. Yesterday it was Finding Nemo.

As soon as we were called back, we were asked a few questions about Harper's eyes & our eyesight history & then Harper was given some yellow dye eyedrops by the same nurse tech that I spoke with on the phone (so nice!). Of course, Harper didn't like having drops put in her eyes, but she only whined while it was happening & then was a happy girl. The drops dye her tears so the doctor can see with a special light if the tears are pooling more in the eye than they should be.

Less than 5 minutes later, Dr. Beauchamp came in. She spoke with us about what we were there for & began her examination of Harper. She turned out the lights & played peek-a-boo with her special blue light & had another fun, spinning light thing for Harper to stare at. (She is really great with kids! Oh & she's a mom too). Harper cooed & loved it. She did squint & try to look away when Dr. B shined a little flashlight in her eyes, but who wouldn't? Dr. B turned the lights back on & began to go over our options.

1. Don't do anything & wait to see if she grows out of it (they say that usually after 6 months of age, the chances are slim that the child will grow out of it). Continue doing massage & "treating" it as we have. This choice would lead us to 2 possible scenarios:

a. She grows out of it & all is well.

b. She doesn't grow out of it by 1 years old & we have to do the procedure.

2. Do the probing procedure today & hope she is in the 78% success rate category. If she isn't, then the doctor would do the procedure again in-office (she said she usually won't do it more than 2 times). If it doesn't work a second time, she would need to be put under general anesthesia to have a stent or tube put in to hold open the duct.

Side note: The probing procedure is best described in this article. One thing I found comforting was that the doctor said she would actually know if she dislodges something from the duct. She can feel the "pop" & would know if the clog became dislodged if the saline flush went all the way through (they know this because Harper would swallow the saline once it hit her throat).

Dr. B did not pressure us one way or another & never seemed "trigger happy" to do the surgery. She stressed that it was completely up to us & what we were comfortable with. I liked that. Because we really want to avoid having to put Harper under general anesthesia, we opted to go ahead with the procedure (despite feeling awful about putting her through that discomfort). Harper is 9 months old now & has been fighting this blocked tear duct since day 1. Her eye was always red from us constantly wiping it & we were tired of putting her through that daily torture. We have been lucky enough that she hasn't been plagued with consistent conjunctivitis, but that was always a risk with a blocked duct. We were also tired of her always looking like the dirty kid. Come on, we're human. It's a real reason.

So we said, "Let's do it."

We decided that Ryan would go in the room with her, while I waited behind in our regular examination room. I felt like it was important for me to not have a strong reaction about it (and we know how emotional I am) & I would surely breakdown if I was in there. Plus, Ryan knows her cries as well as I do, so I know he would be able to tell me every detail I ever wanted to know.

Less than a minute later, the nurse tech came in to escort Ryan & Harper to the room where the procedure would take place. Ryan said there was a table that looked similar to a regular examination table at the pediatrician's office, except a little smaller & higher. The papoose (like a swaddle) was attached to the table. He described it as thick & heavy looking, similar to what they drape on you at the dentist's office for x-rays (but I doubt that heavy). They warned us that she will probably cry when she is strapped down. Of course, Harper didn't cry when she was put in the papoose because she's that easy-going & proceeded to stick her tongue out & smile & coo at them. She did cry when they put the numbing drop in her eye though. She didn't like them holding her eye open like that. And from what I remember from eye doctor appointments, those eye drops kind of sting. Dr. B quickly got started. The nurse tech held Harper's face to keep her head still. Dr. B rested her hand on Harper's forehead so she could remain steady & move with Harper if she moved at all. Ryan said she wore some fancy magnifying glasses & the way he described them to me, it sounded like they looked like the eye pieces from a microscope attached to glasses. She used a surgical tool that looked like a cross between a needle & what they scrape your teeth with at the dentist's office (which sounds so much better than what I was imagining which resembled more of a wire coat hanger). He said it was over in minutes. Like less than 5. Since I was in the other room, I was surprised at how quickly they came back as I was expecting it to feel like eternity. I barely got done with my prayer! He said Harper cried, but not her "I'm in pain" cry & more like her "I'm tired/mad/annoyed/a little bit hurt" cry. Once they got back to the room I was in, she let it all go when she saw me. It was the "oh Mama, it was awful cry". Dr. B assured us Harper wasn't in any pain though. Harper quickly calmed down & laid her head on my shoulder, sucked her 2 fingers, & cuddled her lovie. I learned quickly that I shouldn't have worn white. Her eye & nose had some bloody discharge & there was still some leftover yellow dye from the drops. I did put a burp cloth on my shoulder, but of course she moved around & didn't end up with her head on the burp cloth. I treated the stains as soon as I got home from work & washed my shirt as normal & it all came out.

Dr. B told us she felt 2 pops, so Harper had 2 blockages in her duct. One towards the top by her tear duct opening & one further down the duct near the bottom of her nose. It was a good decision to do the procedure. We were given a sample of antibiotic-steroidal eye drops to give her 3x/day for 5 days to prevent infection & promote healing. It was nice to not have to get a prescription filled. She went over what to look for if it gets infected or irritated & told us to call her if we are concerned at all. Now, we just wait & see if it worked. We go back in 2-3 weeks for a follow-up, but we should know in a week or so if it worked. Her eye will either clear up or remain goopy like it was before.

Here are some pictures of her afterwards:

We kept Harper home the rest of the day (Ryan stayed home since he has more flexibility with taking days off) just because we weren't sure what she would feel like & how her eye would react. Also, we know she doesn't nap whatsoever at daycare & we wanted to ensure she got 1-2 good naps after all the drama & crying. She was a perfect angel the rest of the day & wasn't fussy at all. She played, napped, ate well, & screamed with laughter at her daddy. What more could we ask for?

This morning when she woke up, there was still a little bit of blood in the corner of her eye, but we could already tell there was significantly less goop than before. For starters, her eye wasn't matted shut. So far, VICTORY!

Procedure Review in a Nutshell:

1. It went well.

2. We really liked Dr. Beauchamp.

3. It was over in just a few minutes. Literally.

4. They put Harper in a papoose & inserted a long, needle like thing into her tear ducts & down the nasolacrimal duct (side of her nose).
5. Harper cried the hardest afterwards when she saw me.

5. She was happy & fine & not pouting less than 30 mintues afterwards.

6. There are some bloody tears afterwards & a little bit of a bloody runny nose.

7. Don't wear white & bring your child's lovie/paci/soothing item if he/she has one.
8. And poo on you for skipping the rest of the post!

9 months

2010-05-17T15:23:00.084-05:00

Happy 9 months, Harper!

Like I always say, I can't believe it's been 9 months already! Time is just whizzing by. Harper is more fun than ever & really coming into her personality. I feel like a broken record saying that, but it's true. Her 9 month doctor appointment was with Dr. McClard instead of Dr. Denison. I really love Dr. McClard (she's around my age & has a little girl a few months older than Harper & she went to med school with a friend of mine), so I didn't mind at all that Dr. Denison had her cover his patients' 9 month check-ups. Harper squealed & hammed it up for the doc, perfectly demonstrating her personal & social skills (she passed that section of her Ages & Stages questionnaire with flying colors). She ripped up all the paper from the examination table (I wish I'd gotten a video of it) & managed to rip the little urine bag they taped to her bottom in one tug. Guess we'll try to get a urine sample at the 1 year check-up. Here are her stats followed by the things I don't want to forget that she's doing right now:

Weight: 15 lbs 13 oz - 8th percentile - YAY! I'm so proud that she's back on the charts again. She's got some yummy, rolly-polly thighs to show for it too.
Length: 26 3/4 in - 30th percentile
Head: 17 in - 25th percentile

* Harper sleeps LIKE A CHAMP! 11.5-13 hours a night & if she's at home, she'll take 2 good 2 hour naps (except at daycare, but it's not because they don't try!). She sleeps in a sleeveless sleep sack with a long sleeved onesie or footed PJs.
* Eats really well. She's eating chunkier purees & has tried almost everything (at least the normal things that are in our house). There isn't a food she doesn't like right now.
* Claps ALL THE TIME. If you say "Yay!" she will stop what she's doing & start clapping.
* Waves to everyone & even seems to say "Hiiiiaaaa"
* High fives when prompted
* Still no teeth! Although I think it's right around the corner. Her new thing is sticking her tongue out all the time & I think she's feeling her gums with it.

May 15, 2010

* Started saying "Mama" the day before Mothers Day (5/8/10) - oh be still my heart! I love to hear those words come out of her mouth!
* Gets up on her hands & knees & rocks; getting better at army crawling; crawls backwards & rolls like a log flawlessly
* Blows raspberries like it's goin' outta style
* Had her first double ear infection & we didn't even know it (April 30th - weighed 15 lbs, 4 oz)! Daycare thought she had pinkeye because both eyes were extra goopy, so we took her in & apparently that's an indicator of ear infections. She was prescribed antibiotics (which we had CVS flavor with banana) & antibiotic eye drops.) Then I got a sinus infection & had to also be on antibiotics. If she's sick, I'm sick. That's how the story usually goes.
* Gives kisses & hugs all the time! She's so sweet & especially affectionate to me (I think we're entering that mommy preference phase). Probably explains why I'm sick all the time.
* Wears size 2 diapers, sometimes size 2-3 at night
* Wears 6-9 mo clothes (could possibly go up to the 12 month size in the Carters brand I think)
* Extra squirmy on changing table & just in general. Dang, this girl is CURIOUS now!
* The same daily routine as 8 months
* Has found a new favorite friend

early May 2010

* Started puffs & cheerios as practice finger foods. Well actually I tried giving her pieces of avocado dusted with cheerio dust/crumbs, but that stuck to her fingers too much. The puffs seem to dissolve in her mouth faster than the cheerios, so she has an easier time with those.
* Ate her first "table food" - green beans from Texas Smokehouse on our way home from Shreveport. I ordered them as my side item & she was acting interested in them since she was sitting in my lap. I took a plastic knife & just chopped them up into some pieces & fed them to her with my fingers. She absolutely loved them! I'm sure it was the grease & salty goodness they are cooked with, but I think this is a step in the right direction. The eating whole veggies part. Not the grease & salty goodness part. (May 16, 2010)
* Her favorite toy is her dollie. We call her Baby (I'm not real creative with names). Actually, I call her Baby; Ryan calls her Mrs. Huffines. I'm not kidding. It's because she's a Baby Huggums Madam Alexander doll & he can't remember that for some reason. So he started calling her Mrs. Hufffines. And that's pronounced Miss-us.

*To soothe, she sucks on her pointer & middle finger of her right hand & loves the satin-y side of her lovey. We were playing "Donald Trump hairdo" in this picture. We pretty much do that after every bath. I don't know that it will ever get old. You can see she isn't as amused as we were.

*She is already showing dominance over her 5-month-younger cousin, Daxton. These 2 are going to be a mess when they are older!

We are loving life with our little girl & are so blessed! Our cup runneth over.

Here are some pictures from her photo session on the chair. I was having camera issues due to taking the pictures at dusk which made the camera freak out about the lighting. Well, that or I'm just not good at figuring out my camera settings yet. That couldn't possibly be the reason though. Ha! Some of the pictures aren't as centered or zoomed as I would have liked, but they will do because they did capture Harper's personality right now. It's getting harder to do these pictures because she is so squirmy & mobile as you can see from the very last picture. Luckily, Ryan was there to save the day!

Blocked Tear Duct

2010-05-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

Our pediatrician has referred us to a Pediatric Ophthalmologist (Cynthia Beauchamp) due to Harper's clogged tear duct. We have been dealing with this since bringing her home from the hospital & it doesn't seem to be getting any better. We massage it several times daily & are still constantly wiping the goop out of her eye. It's to a point now, where I can look at her & she'll have a blob or two just floating on her actual eye. Almost every time she wakes up, her eye is stuck together. Poor baby! So as much as it pains me, we are going to have to do more than massage the hell out of it & wait for her to grow out of it. I've done some online research & it seems that the common treatment is strapping her to a table & probing the tear duct while another treatment involves general anesthesia. Oh help me.

Have you or anyone you know had experience with this? I have left a message with a technician (same as a nurse?) at the doctor's office to ask all my questions, although I'd really love to talk to someone who's been through it. What was the actual procedure like? Did the procedure actually work? Does your child hate you now? Did your child have bloody tears afterwards? How long did that last? Was your child out of commission for the rest of the day? Has anyone been to Dr. Beauchamp for other reasons? Were there any side effects of the procedure?

Any advice or consolation is appreciated! We go Thursday morning at 10:30. Say a prayer for my sanity & of course for Harper. Stay tuned for the 9 month post. Harper is finally back on the charts with her weight - 8th percentile! I'm so proud.

I Get It

2010-05-09T12:47:00.018-05:00

I get it now. The world makes a little more sense to me as a mother.

I get why there are one-piece swimsuits.

And spf 70 (oh that irresistible, perfect baby skin).

And floor-to-ceiling Spanx.

I get why mothers always eat the burnt toast.

I get why mothers wear old clothes & shoes because they'd rather spend their money on their kids' clothes & shoes.

I get why mothers feel a little disconnected from the world as it's hard to finish conversations with friends once you have babies.

I get why mothers don't work.

I get why mothers do work.

I get why mothers take their babies to the doctor because they know what's best (Mom, I'm so sorry for always telling you I hated you when you took me to the doctor).

I get why mothers breastfeed.

I get why mothers don't breastfeed.

I get why mothers drink coffee (or any caffeinated beverage for that matter).

I get why mothers can't be sick (and why they are always the ones to get sick!).

I get why mothers lick their fingers to clean/style/smooth kiddos' faces & hair.

I get why there is jewelry that doubles as baby teethers.

And why mothers of younger babies don't wear a lot of jewelry.

I get why after all that mommies go through to have babies, they would do it again in an instant.

And why they go to great lengths to have babies.

I get why it's a big deal when your baby says "Mama" for the first time (melts my heart every time).

I get why people say your life changes for the better after you have a baby.

Because it certainly does.

Happy Mother's Day, Mama! Thanks for all that you have done for me in my life. Then & now. I love you so much! And Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy friends! I certainly wouldn't have made it this far in my motherhood journey without you either. And thank you, Ryan, for making my first real Mother's Day with Harper so wonderful! I love you both so much!

Mother's Day recap with a picture (taken a few days after Mother's Day since I forgot to take my picture with Harper on the actual day) to come later...

Happy Birthday, Gumbeaux!

2010-04-24T13:59:00.003-05:00

Sleeping the first day we brought him home - July 4, 2008

Gumbeaux is 2 years old today. I can't believe he's been in our lives for almost 2 years. Alot of times it seems like it's been much longer than that. I hear that 2 is the magic number for dogs. That they will start acting normal & not crazy. Let's hope that is the case for dear Gumbeaux!

Gumby has been "vacationing" in Houston with Mimi & Teddy (my parents) since Valentine's Day. I haven't talked about it any on the blog because it was sort of a sensitive subject for a little while, but the situation is currently working, so I've learned to accept it. Gumbeaux has gotten more attention, more exercise, & more training & is loving every minute of it. He has learned to sleep in his own bed (not the kennel or my parents' bed) - SHOCKING - & is working on not barking so much. He's become so much more independent! He has come leaps & bounds & we owe that all to my parents. They have been lifesavers for us & we can't thank them enough. They hired Jim Burwell from Petiquette & he worked with them on being better pack leaders. We've learned (ahem, gotten affirmation) that Gumbeaux is one of those high-maintenance types of dogs that needs constant discipline. He's been wearing a Thundershirt & it actually works! It has helped tremendously with the tail-chasing (if I haven't mentioned it before - he obsessively chases his tail & chews on it) & seems to help some with the barking. I know it also helps that he isn't in his kennel 8 hours of the day since someone is constantly in & out of my parents' house.

We got to see Gumbeaux at Easter when we were in Houston & it was such a sweet reunion (I didn't take one picture with or of him though. Doh!) He even slept in the same room as us, in his bed, however he did test me several times to see if I would break & let him in the bed. And I did not. He definitely remembers us & Harper & still prefers me over anyone in the world. I truly think this is because he slept in my arms the entire drive back from Austin when we picked him up from the breeder. I will always be his mommy. I really do miss him, but this is the best scenario for us & for him right now. It's not about me. It's about what's best for Gumbeaux & ultimately Harper's development. We're able to put her down on the floor & play independently which we would not be able to do with Gumbeaux around. My mom was kind enough to take some pictures of him on his birthday. She called them his "Proof of Life" pictures, hence the Houston newspaper.

He really is the best looking dachshund I've ever seen.

Happy 2nd birthday, Gumbeaux!

8 months

2010-04-17T15:47:00.003-05:00

Happy 8 months, Harper!

To say that time is flying by is an understatement. I can't believe we're closer to her 1st birthday than we are to the day she was born! She is still my little baby though. I love that she's really coming into her personality more than ever. She's smart, sweet, cuddly, & easygoing. We really have the best baby in the world!

* She's still a good sleeper (12-13 hours a night on the weekends; 11-12 during the week), but has started to talk to herself & play in her crib instead of sleeping. This usually happens right after we put her down for the night or when she's waking up in the morning or from naps (on the weekend). The first time she did this was on March 25th.
* She wears size 2 Pampers Swaddlers. She's been wearing some Huggies size 2s at daycare (leftover from baby shower decorations) & has had more blowouts the past couple of weeks than she has in a long time. I believe we will stick to Pampers from now on.
* She wears size 6-9 month clothes (she's finally outgrown the 3-6 month things, with the except of a few items), especially Gerber onesies.

* She gives high-fives when prompted (this started shortly after her 7 month mark).

* She has also started waving. It isn't necessarily used appropriately, but it's cute! She mostly waves a la the Little Rascals (but she does it next to her mouth instead of under the chin), but she will sometimes wave normal too. Here is a video of both waving & high-fiving. Again, please excuse my voice. I have no excuses as to why I sound that way.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

* She started clapping the other morning (April 15th) & will do it on command now & just when she feels like it
* She sleeps in a sleeveless sleep sack with a long-sleeved onesie underneath
* She still loves her lovie & her Sophie giraffe
* She can get up on all 4s, sort of. It's more like she pushes up with her arms & her legs stay in a frog position with the knees out. She mostly rolls from place to place & will occasionally do her version of an army crawl. It involves the whole body rocking to one side while reaching with that hand to the other side (see video below - and please excuse my drawl). I'm still not ready for her to crawl! That will really change the game for us.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

* No signs of any teeth. She's been drooling since about 2-3 months old & definitely chews on her toys, fingers, etc, but there isn't even a knot on her gums. I'm sure we're just around the corner from teething though.
* She really found her laugh on Easter weekend & it's a good ol' belly laugh. Just like her mama. She practiced it alot that weekend, including during church, but has since tapered off & saves it for really funny things. Now, she does her look-at-me laugh/chuckle that sounds kind of like a-huh-huh & is kind of deep. It's hilarious.
* She will imitate sounds we make now, so we play lots of back & forth games like that. She especially likes to do that throaty sound like she's clearing her throat. That always makes her laugh or grin. She also clucks her tongue & likes to watch me do it & then she'll do it.
* Speaking of throaty sounds, she will also do that sound & at the same time close her eyes & smile & kind of nod her head. It's like she shows her excitement in one quick burst. She'll also do this for attention.
* She figured out her jumper & really loves it. She even tries to bounce in the exersaucer now. Sometimes when she's just sitting down on the floor or in the bathtub, she will rock her body like she does when she's in the jumper. We've started playing more music too & she seems to bounce a little to the beats. I think it's more of a coincidence right now than it is dancing, but it's a start! Now that she's clapping & once she gets the dancing down, she'll be well on her way to a drill team or cheerleading career.
* She eats really well now. (And in her high chair!) The transition into solids wasn't the easiest, but what did I expect from a baby who refused a bottle even at 5 months old!? Her schedule at the moment is:

6:30 am - Nurse

8:30ish am - Drop off at daycare

9/9:30 am - Oatmeal, Fruit, 5 oz bottle

Nap - hopefully

12:30 - Veggie, Fruit (sometimes), 5 oz bottle

Nap - maybe if didn't nap in the morning (we aim for 2 a day, but she really doesn't nap well at daycare)

3:30 - 5 oz bottle

Nap - maybe, hopefully

5:30 pm - Pick up

Nap - in car until we get home since she's usually beat from a day of no naps

6/6:15 pm - Oatmeal & veggie & sometimes a fruit (dessert)

6:40 pm - Bath, massage, pajamas, play & act silly

7 pm - Nurse, read books, say prayers

7:30/7:45 pm - Bed

* She loves her oatmeal (especially with cinnamon) & her fruits. There isn't a fruit she doesn't like. I've made applesauce, peach puree, mango puree, mashed bananas, & mashed avocados (technically a fruit). The veggies she has tried are carrots, sweet potatoes (she liked them with allspice & plain), green peas, asparagus, squash (she didn't like squash, but we haven't tried it again since about week 4 of solids), broccoli, green beans (plain & with mint), & zucchini. I know there are so many more to try! I've been making all her food with my Beaba & have really enjoyed doing so. I'm just bad about keeping an array of choices on hand, so she tends to get the same couple of veggies & fruits for a week. I'm going to get better about making ahead & keeping more things frozen so we have more choices. I've been using my Cooking for Baby cookbook & Wholesomebabyfood.com as guides. I want to start introducing more herbs with her veggies to expand her tastes & will probably try meats sometime soon. 9 months maybe? I'm still not sure about the yogurts. I need to do more reading on that.

* A funny story from daycare about a week ago. There are 2 new babies in the infant room at daycare. Usually the new babies are young, but these 2 are 6 months & 9 months. Needless to say, they started right in the middle of the stranger anxiety phase (I don't blame the parents for starting them late - this daycare is hard to get into & at one point in time we weren't going to get in until March). Well, these 2 babies cried all day long their first few days. The teachers said Harper would look at the crying babies & then look back at them like, "what is wrong with them?" Or she would make a "whah" sound like she was mocking them & then laugh. And at one point, I guess it got to be too much for Harper & she put both hands over her ears. Our child is a genius I tell you.

And lastly, here are some pictures from 8 months:

"what on earth is on my shirt?"

"hey, did you put this on here, mommy?"

"seriously, what is this thing?"

"how about a hand here?"

this is what happened to the sticker after it was all said & done

playing outside in the front yard one pretty Sunday

those 2 fingers are what she has settled on for soothing

Click here to see all the birthday posts. It's so neat to see how much she has changed!

Harper's Baptism

2010-04-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

On December 13, 2009, Harper was baptized at our church, Highland Park United Methodist Church. We had family & a couple of friends over for shrimp & grits, bloody marys, & mimosas afterwards. It was just a perfect day!

We got Harper up extra early (5:30-5:45ish) so I could feed her & put her right back down for a "nap". She napped until it was time to eat again. I got her up, fed her, & then we were off to the church. Mimi & Teddy (my parents), Guy (my brother), Gran (my mother-in-law; we were so sad Pops couldn't make it & I know he was too), & even my Uncle Michael from Fort Worth came in for the occasion. Our dear friends Tina & Chris, who are also members of the church, came to the service to watch & support us. Dana & Luke (my sister-in-law & her hubby) weren't able to make it in from Little Rock because she was about-to-pop-pregnant & her due date was a month away. We definitely missed them & Pops!

Harper wore the gown & bonnet that my brother wore when he was baptized (mom couldn't remember what I wore or find it) that my mother sewed for him. She revamped the bonnet with some new silk ribbon & Harper just looked precious!

Mommy & Harper

Harper was perfectly behaved during the remainder of the service & even fell asleep on her daddy's shoulder. Once we got home, she cooed & played & enjoyed all the attention. She didn't end up napping until after everyone left the house, which was closer to 3pm. Bless her heart, she was so worn out! Here are some more pictures from the day:

Teddy, Guy, MM, Harper, Ryan, & Mimi

MM, Harper, Ryan, & Gran

Our family (minus a few)

Chris, Tina, Harper, MM, & Ryan

Me & my parents

You can click here to see more pictures from the day.

Harper's 6 month photo session

2010-03-31T12:42:00.002-05:00

On the first day of Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum, we had Harper's 6 month pictures taken with Emily Mulkey. It was a beautiful day even though it was a bit chilly. Harper was perfect throughout the shoot, but she did get a little whiny when I took her sweater off. She looked precious in her little smocked dress from Mimi (my mom), her bow, & her dachshund shoes that you might remember from this post. We're so pleased with all of the pictures & are having a hard time picking out some to print. I want to print them all! The ones of just Harper perfectly capture her seriousness & occasional smiles. And I adore the family pictures too. I really can't say enough great things about Emily's work. We always have a great time & love the pictures! Emily posted about the shoot on her blog today, so you can check out some more pictures there. Here are a few more of my favorites (I tried to show some different ones than she showed):

And the last picture we took - you can see how Harper was feeling by the end with those 2 fingers in her mouth :-)

**Please do not copy any of these pictures. They are copyrighted & are the property of Emily Mulkey Photography.**

Cousins

2010-03-29T22:10:00.000-05:00

Back in February, Harper & I finally got to meet her first cousin & my first nephew, Daxton. He sure is a cutie! As of his 2 month check-up, he had already surpassed Harper in weight, but not quite in length. It's going to be fun to watch these 2 grow up together! We wish he lived closer though (Little Rock).

So here's the deal

2010-03-29T16:50:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Mary Marshall and I'm a procrastinator.

Hi, Mary Marshall!

While I mean well in having a blog, it's been more of a dark cloud hanging over my head than anything else these days. Much like that wedding scrapbook/album & the baby book. Like I said, I mean well, I just have a problem with completion. And procrastination. The more time that goes by, the more stressed I feel about not getting a post up. The real problem is that the only time I usually have to post is during slow times at work (shhh) while I'm pumping (when I don't fall asleep). Then, I don't have all my pictures at work so I end up not doing the post because I don't have the pictures to go along with it. I know you're thinking, "why don't you write the post, save it, & add pictures later?"

Because that makes too much sense, that's why.

Truthfully, I've been swamped lately. Not only at work, but just with life in general. I feel like there is so much happening with Harper lately that I don't want to stop & watch it happen through a camera lens or a blog post (although we've taken TONS of pictures lately). I want to be there, in the moment, & cherish it. I've also been sick at least half the time, if not more, that I've been back to work (read: since she's been in daycare). Currently, I have some sort of gem of a virus (I'm assuming it's a virus - aren't they all?) that gives me a throat that feels like it's on fire & a voice that sounds like I've been smoking for 30 years. Oh & at times, the usual aches & pains that come along with a cold or flu. While most of these illnesses don't keep me home from work (darn), they do drain the energy & the want-to right out of me. I'm hoping that by putting it out there & talking about the elephant in the room (me not blogging) will help take the pressure off & help me get back into the frame of mind that this is a fun thing. I truly enjoy the writing & the recapping & the sharing, but I just need to stop putting so much pressure on myself. There was a great blog post recently on one of my favorite blogs, Rookie Moms, about reducing stress & taking the time to remember that I'm doing the best I can. I really am. I have to remember that.

So keep the blog on your Google Reader & check back every now & then because I (or Ryan) will surprise you. One of these days (is tonight the night?) I will upload pictures to the 6 month & 7 months posts that I've already written & post those (back dated of course).

And on a more positive note, I'd like to welcome belts back into my wardrobe. It's been over a year since I've needed one & it's nice to have them back!

**as you can see, Harper gets a serious case of bedhead as shown in the pictures on this post**

Sitting Up!

2010-03-19T14:47:00.005-05:00

Harper is officially sitting up on her own.....right at the 7 month mark. Right on schedule. Very proud of her. They grow like weeds, don't they? Weeds, I tell you!

7 months

2010-03-17T10:39:00.066-05:00

Happy 7 months, Harper!

Now THIS is my favorite month! Harper is like a little person. Her personality is really coming out more & more each day. She's an independent, sweet little girl that knows exactly what she wants. She has really started doing everything this month it seems like. And because I'm writing this a bit late (ha!) & back dating it, I am including things that have happened after the official 7 month mark. I just don't want to forget & we know how much I procrastinate doing these posts.

* She is wearing Size 2 diapers full time - FINALLY! (still Pampers swaddlers - no yellow indicator line anymore though, boo)
* She wears some size 3-6 month & some 6-9 month. Depends on the brand. Definitely the 6-9 month Gerber onesies though.
* She is sitting up on her own! She went from sitting up & wobbling one day to sitting up & reaching around her the next. She started sitting up on her 7 month birthday.

* She is interested in & attempts to drink out of a cup. Most of the time the water runs right down her chin onto her & my clothes, but we'll get there.

* She LOVES Sophie the giraffe

* She also LOVES her satin & velvet lovey (Little Giraffe brand). Really, she loves the satin of the blanket. She rubs it & puts it in her mouth. I think it's the cold, smooth of it that she likes. I wanted to buy another one for back-up & was shocked to find out they are $30. $30 for a 13x13 blanket! I can't believe it. Of course we'll buy one though. We will do anything for this little angel. She has started sleeping with her lovey.

* She hates the sun being in her eyes. She will dramatically bury her face in my shoulder/neck or throw her hands over her eyes or pull the blanket or carseat cover over her eyes to shield her from the sun. We call her our little vampire. She's Team Jacob with me & Ryan is Team Edward. It's a house-divided.

* She babbles nonstop WITH CONSONANTS! The consonants started about 2 days after her 7 month birthday. And they just came out of nowhere. She got her mouth going first & then the "words" just started flowing. So her first unofficial words were ba-ba, da-da. These don't really count though.

* She is starting to lunge toward things so we have to keep a good grip on her when we're holding her.
* She has started pushing up on her knees like she wants to crawl, but hasn't quite figured out how to coordinate her movements.
* She blows raspberries when she doesn't like something whether it's food or getting her nose suctioned.

* She holds her own bottle. She really started doing this right around 6 months.

* She LOVES bananas & will tolerate peas (although she seemed to like the premade jar kind better than the homeade kind), avocado, & sometimes carrots. She also loves her oatmeal. I've started putting a little cinnamon in it & she loves that too.
* She has started doing that hiding her face thing where she'll hide her face in my neck & then look up again at Ryan & grin. And then hide her face & look back at him. It's precious.

* She really loves other babies. When she's near another baby, she reaches for them & wants to touch on them. It's so sweet. Here she is with her boyfriend, George Gray.

* She still isn't a big laugher, but when she does, she really gets going! It's a deep belly laugh (I wonder where she gets that from? ha! Like mother, like daughter). It is usually something random that sets off her laughing such as the noise the bulb syringe makes when I'm fooling around with it. She also laughs at her Daddy alot.

* She has started doing this flirting thing where she leans/cocks her head to one side. You know she's warmed up to a new friend when she's doing it.

Here are some more 7 month pics. She's a wild woman now when we try to get the monthly pictures on her chair! And as you can see, her hair is getting a little longer & fluffier.

I'm pretty sure she'll be a cheerleader or dancer. Doesn't this look like a dance move? The sprinkler maybe?

Harper Look Alike

2010-02-18T09:00:00.007-06:00

My mom found this picture from when Guy & I were little. How much does Harper look like Guy in this picture!?! It's that straight-mouth smile.

6 months

2010-02-17T22:08:00.041-06:00

Happy 6 months, Harper!

Wow - half a year! Time is flying by. Harper is more fun than ever right now. I remember friends telling me each month that that was their favorite month & now I can see why. Each month is so much fun with her & it's amazing to see how much she changes & grows. We're loving being parents even though it's the hardest job we'll ever have. Harper is still a teeny, tiny thing & the cutest thing we've ever seen. Here are some things she's up to this month:

* She wears Pampers Swaddlers size 1. Still. I told you she was little.
* She wears size 3-6 month clothes.
* We quit swaddling her on February 6th & haven't looked back since. Surprisingly, it was an easy transition for us. She sleeps in a long-sleeve sleep sack over her pjs.
* She sleeps on her tummy with one knee hiked up a little bit.
* She sits with support & can sit on her own for about a second
* She rolls both ways & will roll across the room before you know it

* She loves the exersaucer & her Learn 'n Play table (we have it on the ground without the legs right now)
* She babbles like crazy, just not with any consonants yet. There’s lots of squealing & loud sighs.
* She showed the first sign of stranger anxiety on Superbowl Sunday with our neighbor Lisa.
* She now holds her own bottle!

Here are her 6 month stats (at 3/5/10, so 6.5 months technically):

Weight: 12 lbs 13 oz - less than 5th percentile
Length: 25 1/4 inches - 30th percentile
Head: 16 1/2 inches - 30th percentile

Dr. D says we're making great progress on her weight & as a long as we continue along the same curve, he isn't worried about her.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T16:05:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day from our special little Valentine!

this is one of the things she's been doing lately

this is what she does when she's supposed to be eating now

The Week from H-E-L-L Double Hockeysticks*

2010-02-12T21:51:00.082-06:00

*If you don't know who Michael Scott is, you won't get my blog title

Boy am I glad this week is over. We had the worst week this past week starting with Monday morning. Ryan & I both woke up feeling not-so-good & queasy, but went to work regardless. Ryan's stomachache quickly got worse & he went home by 10:30am. I had a stomachache as well, but was sure it would go away as occasional stomachaches for me aren't anything new. I planned on going home at lunch to check on Ryan, but by lunchtime, I was feeling sick as a dog & decided it was best I head home for the day as well. By the time I got home, Ryan & I both had over 101 fever & were pretty certain we would be hugging the toilets sometime that day. I can't remember the last time I felt that sick. Well maybe back in June when I was 30 weeks pregnant with that stomach bug. Boy, were we sick! I cried at the overwhelming thought of taking care of Harper that night with both of us so sick. Mommies can't get sick! Ryan & I drug ourselves out of bed & went together to get her at daycare. I still nursed her that evening despite my fever because I read in What to Expect to continue to nurse so she can get antibodies from me.  We felt like horrible parents that we couldn't just hold her & play with her like we usually do when we get home. We were both so scared we'd give it to her although we're pretty certain she gave it to us (she threw up twice on us the Saturday before, but had no other symptoms so we thought she just ate too much...what do we know?). My fever came down some or perhaps adrenaline kicked in & I felt ok enough to somehow do her entire bedtime routine including a bath (minus oatmeal cereal though) & put her to bed. Then I'm pretty sure I collapsed after that. And thank goodness she went down without a peep!

We took Harper to daycare the next day (Tuesday) so we could continue to recover at home. It felt like old times, just me & Ryan hanging out & eating toast. Well old times of hanging out, not the toast part. I wish we would've felt better, but it was nice to be together nonetheless. On Wednesday, I was able to stop after daycare pick-up & see an old friend & introduce her to Harper for the first time. It was so nice to see her even though it was a quick visit. Harper did exhibit stranger anxiety for the 2nd time (the first was with our neighbor, Lisa, on Superbowl Sunday) which makes me sad but happy at the same time. I'm sad that she's growing up so fast, but happy that she is developing & realizing that we're her caretakers.

Then the snowstorm hit.

All day yesterday (Thursday), the Dallas area got a record amount of snowfall - 12.5 inches! I'm pretty sure we had at least 8 inches if not more at our house. The neighborhood was covered! It was beautiful. By the time I picked Harper up from daycare, they had already decided to close the next day. Unfortunately, my job never closes for snow or any weather for that matter. Not ever. If you don't make it into work or at least log in from home, it is considered a vacation day. Looked like I'd be logging in from home or taking Harper to work with me on Friday. Well, around 11pm our power went out. Awesome.  We decided we'd wait for Harper to wake up (which was inevitable) because she's cold & hoped it would come back on shortly. Within 5 minutes, Harper woke up. I guess the silence from no white noise machine woke her up. So we put her in bed with us to keep warm.

No one slept well, not even Gumbeaux. I was so concerned about Harper & the covers. When I would doze off, I'd jolt awake certain that I'd rolled over on her.  Then, Harper would stir & start grabbing at my shirt to eat. So I'd end up nursing her again to try to get her to go back to sleep. I was like amazon woman just nursing off & on all night long. At one point I was sleeping half hanging off the bed just so Harper could sprawl out.  Then around 3 am, Harper decided it was time to play & cooed & squealed & waved her arms around. I contemplated swaddling her up in several blankets & putting her in her crib. I got out of bed to get the blankets & realized it was easily 50 degrees in the house (we have an old house with some drafty windows, so it takes no time for things to get chilly) & quickly jumped back in the bed with the family.  Harper finally went back to sleep & continued to sleep after we got up to get ready for work sans electricity.

Since Valentine's Day is a really big deal at work, everyone is instructed to wear red or pink on the day it is celebrated, which this year was today - the Friday of no-sleep, no-electricity, & lots of snow. Every year at Valentine's, a big award called Heroes of the Heart is given out to a non-customer-contact department such as Facilities, Fuel Management, or Legislative Awareness (past winners). It's a really big deal & quite an honor since the department that wins is nominated by other fellow employees. I'm so happy that we ended up having to go to work that day because Ryan's department, Investor Relations, WON! He & the 3 other members of his group were quite surprised. I'm so proud of him & his accomplishments. And I promise I did not nominate his group although I couldn't agree more that they deserve it more than anyone. After a nice lunch with the CEO, CFO, founders of the company, & more (I got lucky & they invited me & Harper to the lunch too), I finished up some work one-handed & headed home early to pack the car to head to Houston. There was no way we were enduring another night without electricity. As soon as I opened the door I knew (partly because the alarm went off) - ELECTRICITY! I was so happy! It had only been on about 20 minutes when I got home & the house had already started to warm up some.  Hallelujah! I am so thankful for electricity.

While I started this post feeling very woe-is-me-we-had-a-terrible-week, it doesn't seem that terrible once I've typed it all out. It almost seems comical that all this happened this week. Of course, I found nothing funny or the least bit reflective about it when I was sick as a dog Monday & Tuesday, but now looking back, I'm proud that we pulled through on our own & "acted like grown-ups" (I'll admit - I made several or 10 phone calls to my mother begging for her to come in town).

Nicknames

2010-02-03T09:18:00.001-06:00

Harper has earned quite a few nicknames over the past 5 1/2 months. Most, of course, are courtesy of her Daddy.

Harps
Harpsichord

Harpsidaisy

Smiley Cyrus

Girly Fries (my personal favorite)

Littly Lady

Gerber Girl

Punkin

Sweet Baby

Pretty

Mom-ish

2010-02-02T16:43:00.001-06:00

So I cut my hair off.

Chin length.

It was so stringy & balding (post-partum hair loss rocks & by rocks I mean sucks) that I needed a big change. I haven't decided if I like it. I'm starting to think I got a little over-excited & went too short. Oh well. That is life & it will grow back. The problem is I now feel a little mom-ish. Is it because my mom pretty much has the same haircut? (Mom, it looks really good on you & not mom-ish at all). Is it because new moms always seem to cut their hair off after having a baby? Or is it because I am actual a mom & I will always feel mom-ish now? I don't know the answer. But I do know that this is how I have been feeling since yesterday when the new 'do started sinking in & I realized I am not very good with a roll brush. Well, today my boss stopped by my office & said she liked my haircut & that it made me look mom-ish.

Um, thanks.

That's not exactly what I was hoping to hear. Nor do I think the word mom-ish should ever be considered a compliment (assuming that's what she was going for). It should actually go on the list of those things you shouldn't say to someone. Like, "oh you don't look so good" or "you look really tired today".

But for now, I'll take it since being mom-ish means being a MOM & I am oh so thankful for that.

Welcome to the World, Daxton!

2010-01-22T14:27:00.000-06:00

Ryan's sister, Dana, gave birth yesterday to our first nephew, Daxton Lucas Haynes. He was 8 lbs 8 oz & 21.5 inches long. He is a big boy & I can't WAIT to get my hands on him & love on him! Welcome to the world, Daxton!

RSV

2010-01-22T14:21:00.000-06:00

We've got it. RSV that is. And it is no fun.

Harper has had a cold before (Dec 14 through about Dec 27) & this is much worse than a cold. Luckily, it hasn't moved to her lungs (according to the pediatrician) although the horrible coughing & sometimes shallow breathing would seem to indicate the contrary. But we've been to see the doc twice & have been assured this is still the case & it's probably just due to the loads of mucus she is producing. Thank goodness! It's my understanding that if it moves to the lungs that's when it can be really bad for babies & create breathing problems which means hospitalization usually. I'm so very thankful it hasn't come to this for us. We can thank the babies at daycare for spreading this nice little virus around. I don't know if I believe the doctor that something isn't technically contagious if it isn't associated with a fever. How else would Harper have gotten this? It's for this reason that I've kept her home since Tuesday of this week. Even though she hasn't had a fever (nothing over 100 at least), I don't want to keep contributing to the problem at daycare. Plus, her immune system is down & I don't want to risk her catching something else or developing something else on top of this (I'm terrified of pneumonia after Ryan's battle with it a few years ago - chest tube, hospital, lung surgery = terrible). And I'm pretty sure she's contagious. How would you explain me getting sick now? And Mimi (my mom who has been in town almost all week to keep her while I have to work) is starting to get a sore throat too. I'm just glad Ryan has been so busy at work that he's barely been home long enough to catch anything.

Battling this illness with Harper has reassured me of one thing. We have one easy baby. Granted, we haven't dealt with major fever yet, which I'm sure will change the playing field, but she is seriously easy. You wouldn't even know she felt bad by the looks of her. The worst it gets is that she doesn't want to be put down & just wants to cuddle. Who doesn't want to cuddle this sweet thing?! (ignore the goopy eye - she's been battling a clogged tear duct since birth & it gets worse when she's congested)

Rice Cereal

2010-01-18T13:07:00.003-06:00

We’ve been so busy these days, hence the lack of blogging. I have several posts in the works & am happy to announce Harper is finally 12 lbs! She’s gaining good weight, but we have to make sure she continues to do so. Here’s how we celebrated her 5 month birthday:

5 months

2010-01-17T22:00:00.122-06:00

Happy 5 months, Harper!

I will say it every month - I can't believe it's been 5 months! And once again, like the past couple of months, I've procrastinated this blog post so it's going to be in bullet fashion. Hopefully my memory serves me well:

* Harper has really started noticing Gumbeaux this month. She even reaches for him & grabs a fistful of his ear & tries to put it in her mouth. They have also open mouth kissed a few times which is not something we condone. I'm sure it's happened more times than we've seen though!

* She has really found her voice & the house is full of squeals & screams of excitement. Makes us smile & laugh every time!

*She is routinely hitting the animal buttons on her exersaucer & will hit them in succession to make the music play. She really loves it when Daddy dances to the music for her. More squeals :-)

* We've started swaddling her much more loosely & sometimes with an arm already out of the miracle blanket.

* We started rice cereal tonight because once again she refused her bottle & I had already pumped. We figured we could get something in her tummy to hold her over for an hour or so if we tried a new way of eating. She took to it pretty well & she was the cutest, tiniest thing sitting up with that mouth open. Of course, she wore more of it than went in her mouth. Have you ever tried feeding a wiggly 5 month old soup? That's more or less what it was since we kept it so thin. I fully intended to wait until 6 months to do any solids, but we were desperate. I think it will also help to have started early since she has such an opinion about how she gets her food (prefers me to the bottle) & what she eats (won't go near formula). She needs all the exposure & practice she can get! We'll start doing cereal every night & gradually thicken the consistency.

* She's starting to grab things & wave them around. If we aren't quick enough, she'll grab the diaper & wave it around mid diaper change. Luckily, we've managed to keep the dirty diapers from meeting this fate. And we now keep a rattle on the changing table that she gets only during diaper changes.

* She regularly rolls both ways & seems to enjoy being on her tummy more & more.

* Wears Pampers Swaddlers size 1 diapers - STILL!

* Weighs somewhere between 11 & 12 pounds (tiny, tiny thing)

* We're still concentrating her milk with powdered formula & will probably continue to do that until 9 months or a year

* Wears size 3-6 month clothes.

* Sits with assistance.

* Puts everything in her mouth!

(kissing her first dolly)

* Has sort-of started giving kisses.

Here are some pictures of Harper from the 5 month photo session on the chair. You'll see that it turned into a high-fashion lounging session. Twice.

Mimi brought Harper the greatest book! It's so cute. It's called I Kissed the Baby! by Mary Murphy (not sure if it's the same Mary Murphy from So You Think You Can Dance, but I'm thinking no). We love this book!

A couple of things that I don't want to forget.......

2010-01-06T13:22:00.002-06:00

*This was originally posted by Ryan, but because he thinks he's HTML literate (he's not) he messed with the code & therefore briefly (a week) messed up the blog. I was forced to delete the post & repost it correctly. I am not messing with the spacing however, as much as it pains me to have part left aligned & part center aligned. Oh my OCD issues.*

I'm sure that Mary Marshall will give a much more thorough review of the past few month's happenings, but I was just t hinking about how far Harper has come in her development over the past few months, and I didn't want to forget these few things once she learns a new trick and I become focused on that. These are in no particular order, but you will notice that harper wore her Christmas Elf pjs quite a bit during the holiday season.

Harper's first flight - Christmas Day to Houston to visit Mary Marshall's family. I stayed behind to gate check our stroller, and when I got on the plane, look at these ladies I found in the back row!

Harper & Gumbeaux, the dachshund that eats clothes, have become best buds. I was skeptical, but the dog really likes Harper. Harper has been noticing him lately & watches him intently. Yesterday, she reached out for his face. She tried to touch him, but basically slapped him in the face. Very similar to how Daddy pets him.

Harper has the best & most infectious smile. She isn't much on verbalizing a laugh or too many sounds yet besides the occasional coo at herself in the mirror, but she is not afraid to give out the smiles. My favorite thing these days is seeing her from across the room & saying hi, & she locks eyes & gives me a huge smile back. I literally spend 3 hours a day trying to make her smile & laugh.

Harper loves to either sit or stand in our laps. She doesn't like to be lying down too long or being held like a baby. She is very close to sitting up on her own. When she is finished eating, she plays this game with Mary Marshall where she stands up & leans into her. She'll then plop back down & do it again. She has started grabbing her mom's face with her hands & then opening her mouth & slobbering all over her face as she moves her head back & forth. She loves her mommy!

This picture was from November when Harper's Uncle Guy was in town visiting. It just reminded me that it is really funny to make babies look like they are doing adult activities like having morning coffee.

Sorry for the picture quality.......they are cell phone pics.......pre-iPhone.

*This blog post was sent from my iPhone. No, that's not true, but I bet I could.

Hey Mon!

2009-12-29T11:34:00.004-06:00

Harper has gone Jamaican on us. Or hippie.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

Harper loved her first encounter with Santa. I'm sure we won't be able to say that every year!

Harper's first Christmas was WHITE!...in Dallas?!?

All dressed up with Daddy

Our little family after church

I'm a Slaaaaave To You

2009-12-22T15:54:00.000-06:00

It has happened.

I have become a slave to the pump. At first, I really didn't mind. Knowing that it's the best thing for Harper really kept me going & from even thinking twice about it. But after almost a month straight of pumping all day long, I'm beginning to understand why some working women wean to formula when they go back to work. It is just so hard. There's the physical factor of it just beating you up & there's the time factor of it taking up so much of your day. I soon realized the mistake I made during maternity leave.

I didn't pump enough.

I knew I needed some milk stashed away in the freezer, but no one told me that once I start back to work, I would no longer be able to pump a full feeding & that my milk supply would plummet. This is because God designed our bodies to react to babies & their needs & not a man-made pump. I hear some people say it's because the suction in the pump isn't as strong as the baby's. I beg to differ that point & believe those people must not have ever strapped one of these Medelas on & felt the wrath it brings. I know it's because my hormones react more to Harper than to Mr. Medela. The pump can't tell my body to make more milk. Trust me - I've talked to it, bargained with it, left it on for an hour (ouch), & tried to make deals with it to no avail. It's inevitable that I will have to supplement with formula at some point. Harper is eating more than I am outputting each day. For now, my freezer stash is sustaining us as purely breast-fed, but eventually, sometime soon, I will have to supplement.

I hate that.

I worked so hard at breastfeeding & read so much about it that I can't believe it has come to this. I really in truly wanted to solely breastfeed & not have to worry about formula. I know there is nothing wrong with formula and we actually add a bit of powdered formula to her bottles to up the calories, but it's just that I feel a bit defeated. As of Saturday, I've added Fenugreek and Mother's Milk tea (I like tea & this is not good tea) to my diet. I've also added oatmeal & an egg each morning for protein. I drink lots of water. I'm pretty sure I get enough calories (trust me, I've never had to worry about not eating enough...I love food) & read anyway that my body will use the fat stores I currently have to add fat to the milk. I have plenty of that (ahem, muffin top), so I'm not trying to beef up my fat intake (although I'm sure I'm eating enough of it anyway - oreo truffles, anyone?). I'm pumping every 2 hours at work (3-4 pumpings a day, depending on when I fed Harper that morning) which results in the door to my office being closed for half of the day. I can get about 4-5 oz in the morning during my first pumping, but am lucky to get 2 oz each pumping after that. At times, it's only 1.5-1.75 oz. Harper has three 5 oz bottles while at school, so that obviously isn't going to add up. I'm thisclose to waking up in the middle of the night to pump.

Oh the things I will do for this child!

Christmas Card 2009

2009-12-21T15:15:00.002-06:00

When we took last year's Christmas card picture,

we were just days from finding out we were pregnant with our sweet child. Wow, how a year can change things! For the better of course!

Procrastination at its Finest

2009-12-21T14:40:00.000-06:00

I write alot of blog posts. They just happened to be in my head. Like the one about Thanksgiving & all the great pictures. And the one about the conversation I had with my dad about Hilary Clinton's cankles (and no, he didn't really know what cankles were). And the one about Harper's first day of daycare & how our new alarm system went off & the cops came & it was pouring down rain & just a crazy day. And the one about the end of the bottle strike finally. And let's not forget the one about the Christmas miracle of getting a picture with Santa at Northpark Mall after waiting zero minutes & Harper smiled. And yes that picture did make it on our Christmas card.

Instead of actually writing blog posts, I procrastinate. But really I have been busy. It takes us hours each night to get ready for the next day. Forget watching TV or playing on the internet, we are cleaning & filling bottles, laying clothes out, packing the diaper bag & the pump bag, & just getting things ready for the following day. Not to mention preparing & eating dinner & bathing a baby. Getting Harper to bed before 8pm is out of the question at this point. We haven't perfected our routine enough. We have checklists that we are tweaking as we go to help avoid the mad scramble in the mornings. We're still struggling with our morning routine, but that's mostly because we can't get to bed at a decent time making it that much harder to get up in the mornings. But I am motivated to write the blog posts that need to be written because we are making this blog into a book & it's important to me to capture the major events, so I will. Eventually. There will be some back-dating going on, but it will happen. I mean, look how good their book turned out (I don't know these people, but they made a great blog book)!

So before I can work on the book, I have to finish out my posts for this year.

Off to finish what I've started!

Happy 4 months!

2009-12-17T22:03:00.001-06:00

Happy 4 months, Harper!

Because I procrastinated doing this post (hence the back-dating), I am going to just list some things I remember about what you were doing at this time.

Rolling over from back to front regularly & front to back most of the time
Sitting up with assistance
Cooing & aaaahhhing alot
Blowing raspberries
Looking very serious & like you are studying everyone like in the picture above
Wearing size 1 diapers
Wearing some size 0-3 & some size 3-6 clothes. The 0-3 is getting pretty snug though.
Loving everyone
Sleeping through the night, 10-11 hours at a time
Recognizing the bedtime routine
Holding one or both hands up like this picture
Opening & closing your hand on things like you are feeling them or scratching them
Still only eating/drinking breast milk
Seems to like The First Years Breast Flow bottles...for now

We took Harper to the doctor for her 4 month check-up & she passed with flying colors except for her weight. I was afraid of that. The 2 bottle strikes she went on - each lasting about 8 days - she wouldn't eat all day long until she was with me. And because she is a good sleeper, she didn't wake up at night to catch up on her calories. Here are her stats (at 12/18/09):

Weight: 10 pounds, 9 oz - less than 5th percentile

Length: 24 inches - 45th percentile

Head: 16 1/4 inches - 55th percentile

Per the doctor, we are to start concentrating her pumped milk bottles. This means adding 1/8 tsp of powdered formula per ounce of pumped breast milk to each bottle. Since her bottles are 5 ounces, we will add 1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp of formula. Hopefully, she won't know the difference since she already struggles with the bottle! We are enjoying each & every day with Harper & look so forward to our first Christmas with her!

A Year Ago Today

2009-12-12T15:16:00.004-06:00

I can't believe a year ago today, we had this...

And now we have this (forgive the cell phone quality picture)...

I never would have imagined how different but how much better my life would be! Harper is the best thing that has ever happened to us. We are so blessed.

Pictures

2009-12-08T12:07:00.001-06:00

I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago & for some reason forgot to post it (how that happens, I have no idea). Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Harper recently:

Loving on Daddy (I ADORE this picture!)

Ready for BedCheck out that bald spot on the back of her head - it's even worse now, almost a month after this pic was taken

All smiles for her uncles

(Harper has ridiculously good looking uncles, my brother Guy & brother-in-law Luke, & smiles & coos & attempts to giggle so much for them!)

after bath time

Rolling Over

2009-12-05T10:58:00.000-06:00

Around 5-6 weeks of age Harper rolled over, but we are pretty sure it was an accident because she didn't do it again until the day before Thanksgiving. We were able to catch her doing it on camera (this was taken the day after Thanksgiving). How cute is she!? I could just eat her up. We have a video of another new trick that I will post soon.

So You Think You Can...Nurse?

2009-12-03T14:22:00.001-06:00

I know I have so many other important things to blog about, like Thanksgiving & Harper's new tricks, but I can't help but share this. Here's our conversation during So You Think You Can Dance last night (the show was my choice, not Ryan's):

Ryan: Why is that guy wearing that?

MM: Which guy? What? (I was only half paying attention since I was feeding Harper)

Ryan: That nursing camisole. Why is he wearing a nursing camisole?

And that my friends is another reason why I love my husband. Can you pick out who he's talking about?

I am thankful.

2009-11-26T16:18:00.001-06:00

I am so thankful this Thanksgiving for so many things. I could make a long list, but I'll spare you. Here are my top 10 in no particular order.

My healthy, happy, wonderful sleeper of a daughter of course. Harper is the highlight of our lives!
A loving, supportive husband who cooks (very well I might add), cleans, loves me, & is an even better father to Harper than I could have ever imagined.
Dark chocolate.
A wonderful child development program (fancy way of saying daycare) for Harper to attend.
Gumbeaux, even though he drives us crazy sometimes & eats baby clothes when we're not looking.
Our families & how much we get to see them & how much they get to see Harper.
That I can fit in my jeans again (as long as they aren't fresh out of the wash) albeit a little differently than before (I am NOT thankful for muffin top).
My health.
Our beautiful home that we've worked so hard for.
My friends - old & new. This year I've needed friends more than ever - who is better to give pregnancy/labor/parenting advice? No one I tell you. I'm so thankful for all my old friends (near & far) & for all the new mommy friends I've made.

Back to Reality

2009-11-23T21:21:00.006-06:00

It was so fun to pretend I was a stay-at-home mom for 98 days (who's counting?). I got to be a part of MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) at Northwest Bible Church (not the church where we are members, but they have a huge MOPS program), take Harper on play dates (i.e. lunch or hanging out with friends), visit Ryan at work, & have my own schedule or lack-of. I loved every second of it & am so thankful I was able to stay home that long, even if it was unpaid leave.

Today was my first day back at work.

While it's nice to know I'll have a paycheck coming in again, it doesn't make up for the fact that I wish I could stay home with Harper. I only cried a little & that was after I got home for the day. The day was all-in-all uneventful & went by pretty fast, but I'm pretty sure that's because it's a holiday week & my manager, director, VP, & SVP are all out of the office. No one is here to ask questions or have me run scenarios or analysis. Good thing because my brain is definitely not on. I hung pictures of Harper & deliberated over which picture of her to use as my desktop background. I decided there are too many good ones, so I'm rotating them every day. This one is my favorite right now:

Ryan is keeping Harper this week (Mon-Wed) & next Monday & then she starts Tuesday, Dec 1st at OCDC for daycare. I'm so happy Ryan was able to take off to do this because it's helped me ease back into going to work & not have to also deal with the change of taking her to daycare. And even more importantly, it gives him a chance to spend a lot of time with her. Harper only took about an ounce out of the bottle today (that's 1/2 an ounce a feeding), so I went home for lunch to feed her. I know they'll let me come feed her at daycare if I want to, but I don't think that will help the bottle issue any. I feel like I might just need to drop her off & let them figure it out without me coming in & muddling things up. We'll see though. They told me to send an assortment of bottles & nipples. I think they will be shocked to see how many bottles I found that look like boobs.

I had no trouble pumping in my office & was even able to sterilize my pump parts just like I would if I were at home. It means so much to me to continue breastfeeding, so I'm happy that pumping is easy for me. It helps that I have the best pump ever - the Medela Freestyle. It's handsfree & battery-operated so I can keep on working. Ryan assures me you can't hear it over the phone, but I think I'll refrain from conference calls while pumping for now.

So far, going back to work hasn't been terrible. I think I'll probably change my mind next week though.

Happy 3 Months!

2009-11-17T21:59:00.009-06:00

Warning: This is a boring post with a bunch of information that I just want to document for our sakes.

I think I'll say this every month, but I can't believe it's already been 3 months! Sometimes it seems like it's been much longer & other times it seems like Harper just got here. I love her more & more every day! It was much harder to take her picture this month (as you can probably tell since my mom's arm is in the picture too) because she's alot more wiggly & doesn't want to stay where you prop her. She's very photogenic, but like all kids, it's hard to get good photos when she moves so much! And her skin really is that beautiful! I wish skin would stay as pretty as a baby's always. Don't you?

She's growing so fast, although she's still a tiny little thing. I estimate that she's between 11 lbs & 12 lbs, but I'm truly guessing. Gumbeaux is between 12 lbs & 13 lbs & she still seems a little lighter than he is. Harper loves to be held upright & loves the Baby Bjorn. She is able to stand in our laps for a bit if we hold her up & has definitely found her hands. She constantly makes "hand sandwiches" (as Ryan calls them), clasping & unclasping her hands & playing with her fingers. Her hands also spend alot of time in her mouth & she loves to try to get both fists in there & doesn't care if it makes her gag. She will grab/swat at toys on her playmat now & loves to look in the mirror & smile at herself (maybe she'll be Miss Texas one day?). She likes to hold onto things which could include my shirt, my hair, my mouth, her dress, etc. It's almost like she is hugging us back sometimes. She sits up very well with assistance (us, Bumbo - don't worry, we don't use the Bumbo on elevated surfaces, only for this picture) & enjoys the new point of view. She is noticing & studying more & more things every day - especially faces. She still hates tummy time, but she will hold herself up on her elbows - almost 90 degrees - for a good bit before losing it & assuming the flying/screaming stance. She's continuing to smile up a storm & has been doing that for a good month now. She's really trying to giggle, but just can't quite organize herself to get it out. The noises she does make & attempt are so sweet & make us laugh. I think her laugh is going to be throaty & squealing all at the same time. She is starting to make a wet razzing sound which surprises us & her when she does it.

She sleeps 9-12 hours at night (I know, we're so lucky!) & it's usually pretty painless to put her down. I think she'll start really recognizing her bedtime routine sometime over this next month. She does enjoy it though. Her routine starts with a massage (I found a lady through this website who would come to the house to teach me. She was great - her name was Barbara Einsohn.) & she just coos & gaas & kicks & pumps her arms in excitement when she's massaged. After the massage, it's bath time. Harper is starting to kick & splash some in the bath which is lots of fun. After bath, we put on pajamas & brush her hair (there is still some left even though she's rubbed some off & some has fallen out). Then we read her a couple of books, say a prayer, swaddle up, & rock until she's sleepy. This sometimes involves singing a few songs. I don't think she likes Extreme "More Than Words" (one of my most favorite songs), but maybe it will grow on her. She usually takes 2 naps a day with a prominent, long morning nap which makes it really hard to do things with her like go to church regularly. She's still refusing the bottle (since October 25th!) & I don't know what I'm going to do next week when I go back to work. Luckily, Ryan will be keeping her until Dec. 1st, but I feel bad because his stay-at-home experience won't be quite as wonderful as mine since she'll be starving most of the time. I know he is cherishing this time with her though. Harper is such a great baby & we are so blessed to have her in our lives!

Happiest Baby on Our Block

2009-11-09T15:02:00.007-06:00

I've finally been weened off the swing.

We've turned over a new sleeping leaf at the Martinez house. After a couple of bad nights (the night of Oct 22nd & Oct 23rd to be exact, but who's counting?) of re-introducing swaddling & back-sleeping & burning the swing (that thing is seriously like crack...for everyone in the house), Harper is a rock star sleeper. She sleeps no less than 8 hours a night & has even made a 12 hour stretch recently (this past Saturday night to be exact)! She also ALWAYS takes a morning nap. This morning's nap was 4 hours.

IN HER CRIB.

ON HER BACK.

I'm not lying.

I can't believe it myself! In addition to a white noise machine, we use a sleep positioner & the miracle blanket & both of these items are a miracle I tell you. The particular sleep positioner we have has a thing that looks like a speed bump at the bottom that is supposed to keep the baby from scooting down. Of course, I didn't figure out what this piece did until recently, but when I moved it to the right spot (it's adjustable) so she couldn't scoot down, she started waking up every 5-6 hours. So I moved it back where it was to allow for scooting & we have a happy camper & marathon sleeper on our hands (me & her). I think she likes feeling cozy around her shoulders. This is what I find when I go to wake her up in the mornings.

I know what your thinking. You're thinking that she could suffocate being down there between the wedges. And trust me, I've had many a days & nights checking on her & making myself crazy about it (that's why I tried moving the bumper to keep her from scooting down in the first place). The truth is, those wedges are vented so air can flow through them AND she really isn't face planted into the wedge as it appears in the picture. She's so happy now that she's getting such good sleep! She's on nap #2 right now & pushing 2+ hours. I don't know what I'll do when she outgrows the Miracle Blanket. I need to find one of those half swaddle, half sleepsack thing-a-ma-jigs. That might do the trick.

I've been reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child & combining some of that approach with some things I took from A Mother's Circle (my most favorite parenting book I've read so far. Sarah Jessica Parker says it's the only parenting book she ever read. It's a really easy read too - not too scientific - which I can't say the same about Healthy Sleep Habits. I reference this book daily). Basically, we put her down awake, but sleepy. If she fusses/cries/screams/acts like she's being tortured, after we put her down, we wait 5 minutes & go in & soothe her either by comforting without picking her up or if that doesn't work, picking her up & comforting her. The soothing usually takes about 5 minutes. Then we put her back down, again not asleep (we have to remind ourselves that this is the important part because she'll never learn to get herself to sleep otherwise & she'll end up being 3 years old & still can't go to sleep on her own), & if she fusses again, we wait 1o minutes before going back in. We do this until we get to 15 minutes & then stay at 15 minute increments until she goes to sleep. Lucky for us, we've never made it past one 15 minute increment. I'm sure we'll run into longer crying periods eventually, but for now this is awesome. I won't lie though, it's always a really hard 25-40 minutes before she finally quiets & goes to sleep. But if we don't let her do that & get out that energy, we'd rob her of all that sleep she's getting! And trust me, she still smiles at me when I get her up. And the pediatrician assures me she won't hold it against me when she's a teenager.

What I struggle with is do I protect the sleeping or the eating? If it's been 4 hours since she ate & she's still napping strong, do I wake her to eat or let her keep sleeping? Also, how do I form this into some sort of predictable schedule? Right now, the components of each day are pretty similar, they just happen at different times each day. I haven't really worked on an actual schedule yet although I feel like I should.

My other struggle is the bottle. We introduced the bottle at 3 weeks of age & all was well until about 2 weeks ago. Harper is officially on a bottle strike. She acts like she is being tortured when she is given a bottle. She looks at you like, "Don't you dare come near me with that fake nipple" & then her face scrunches all up & she starts crying & screaming bloody murder. She will barely get down an ounce to 2 ounces in an hour & at that point we usually just give up. This really stresses me out because I go back to work 2 weeks from today (I know, such a bummer & I dread it)! I've sought out the help of a friend who is also a lactation consultant & we are trying out some of her tips which include me being out of sight & earshot when the bottle is given. This usually means I either physically leave the house or Ryan goes to another room to administer the bottle while I cook dinner or something. It's been quite a challenge these days. I know it will work itself out eventually (it has to, I am going back to work regardless), I just hope it isn't at the expense of a good night's sleep!

Happy 30th Birthday, Ryan!

2009-11-02T14:47:00.003-06:00

Happy 30th Birthday to the most hilarious, handsome, wonderful, caring, loving husband a girl could ever ask for! I love you, Ryan, & welcome you to the 30-year-old club...FINALLY!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T13:26:00.017-06:00

Happy Halloween!Friday we went up to headquarters for the annual Halloween celebration which is an all-out-no-one-works-at-all type deal. Almost every department does some sort of musical skit or carnival thing & everyone brings their kids. It's so much fun. It was my first time up at work since I've been on leave, so it was exciting to get to show off Harper & all of her cuteness. And it always helps to be dressed like a tiny ballerina. Irresistible! And like we've said before, pictures do not do Harper justice. She is the prettiest, most petite little thing. I could just eat her up!

I was a boring black cat this year just because it was comfortable, didn't involve maternity clothes (ok, except for the long sleeve black t-shirt. I can't seem to give up those longer shirttails), & I could still nurse pretty easily in it & not have to take everything off to do so. I'll be back on my game next year.

(See I'm usually a good dresser-upper - 2006 Astronaut, 2007 Richard Simmons, 2008 Geisha)

Anyway, the finance department had a Vegas theme going on (the skit was a parody of The Hangover movie), so Ryan dressed like a Joe Dirt-type tourist. His manager dressed like a lounge singer (that dress is from when she was in high school & she's had 3 kids...how much do you hate her?), & his co-worker dressed like the geriatric tourist. I wish I'd gotten a picture of her with her walker too. It was great!And even though she slept through it, Harper got her first picture with our CEO who was the biggest Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz I've ever seen. He had on size 14 ruby red slippers. Priceless.

And here is our CFO as the Wicked Witch & her administrative assistant as the Tin Man. The Tin Man costume is one of the real Hollywood costumes from the movie. They had a really big group dressed as a bunch of the characters from the movie. It was really neat.

Yesterday, we got together with some of the girls from the First Time Mom's Group I've been involved in at the church & their husbands & babies. We got Harper's first group picture & that was hilarious trying to get all the babies to cooperate.

Going left to right - Lily (born in late June) was a monkey, but as you can see she wasn't too excited about it therefore she wasn't wearing her hat with the ears; Mac was Wonder Bread (born 2 days before Harper); Harper the ballerina (propped up on a butternut squash or is that a spaghetti squash?); Maddie (born early July) was a butterfly & our host; & Rebecca was a flower (born 5 days before Harper & is about 7 lbs heavier now!). You can see how much smaller Harper is than her peers. I hope she gets to be taller than I am when she grows up.

And here is one of our few family pictures. We need to get better about getting all 3 of us in the picture!
We finished off the night trick-or-treating at Travis's in our pajamas (ok, Harper was the only one in pjs) & letting her be held & cuddled while we sipped wine & ate pizza. All in all, it was a terrific first Halloween as a little family & I look so forward to many more!
(This is Gumbeaux last Halloween. This year we didn't even get around to getting his costume out of the attic, let alone putting it on him. Maybe next year...)

New Posts

2009-10-29T20:06:00.001-05:00

Go check out the 2-month check up post (back-dated) & the other 2 new posts.

Harper's First Wedding

2009-10-29T17:24:00.007-05:00

Our across-the-street neighbor, Felix, & his long-time girlfriend, Lisa, got married a few weeks ago on October 10. It was a lovely wedding & it was so fun that we got to bring Harper. We dressed her up in a comfy dress & got to show her off. Lisa looked just beautiful & Felix wasted no time changing into his boots (he's a Texas boy through & through). Here are some pictures (I forgot to take one of the bride & groom):

I love this picture:

Such a neat idea - I wish I had thought of this!
Mommy & Harper:

Daddy & Harper:

Birth Annoucement

2009-10-29T17:19:00.003-05:00

Here is Harper's birth announcement. I told you Emily & Matt Mulkey were talented! I just LOVE how this turned out!

front:

back:

Who does this baby look like?

2009-10-23T10:18:00.013-05:00

2 Month Check-Up

2009-10-22T16:52:00.007-05:00

Harper can talk! I swear I've heard her say "mama" in her sleep & when she's crying really hard (so I heard it a couple of times today). I know, I know. She isn't really talking, but I'm pretty certain that's what it's going to sound like when she does say it. It makes my heart flutter everytime I hear it. Just precious.

Anyway, Harper had her 2 month doctor appointment today. This appointment included 4 vaccines - 3 needles, 1 oral (I thought it was going to be 5 needles, so I was so glad it was only 3!). Besides almost choking on the oral roto-virus vaccine, she pretty much took everything like a champ. Of course she cried - a terrible cry I'd never heard her do before - and I cried, but we both quickly recovered & took long naps this afternoon. Harper is a petite little gal & is growing right on track according to Dr. D. His exact words were that she's "happy & thriving". Here are her 2 month stats:

Weight: 9 lbs, 15 oz (we couldn't believe she wasn't 10 lbs yet!) - 25th percentile

Length: 22 1/4 inches - 50th percentile

Head: 15 1/4 inches - 50th percentile

Here she is with her battle wounds:

So long Bump, Hello Baby

2009-10-19T18:13:00.000-05:00

It's time to retire the Bump Watch & introduce the Baby Watch slideshow. I added one last picture to the Bump Watch from the night I went into labor (I was making chocolate souffles & had no idea I was going to go into labor a few hours later). The Baby Watch is now on the right sidebar of the blog. Enjoy!

Happy 2 Months!

2009-10-17T12:46:00.000-05:00

Happy 2 Month Birthday, Harper!

Our good friends The Steins gave us these really neat age stickers to put on Harper to take pictures each month. It's such a great idea & keeps me from having to make a sign for each monthly birthday picture. Since the day we brought her home from the hospital, we've taken her picture in her chair with her monogrammed pillow.

So today we took her 2 month picture.

I can't get over how big she's getting! She's about 9.5 lbs (birth-6 lbs 6 oz, 1 wk-6 lbs 9 oz, 2 wk-7 lbs 9 oz, 1 mth-8 lbs 6 oz) & getting stronger everyday. Her head control is noticeably better & she prefers to be sitting up in our laps or carried over our shoulders with her arms up & over so she can rest her head on them.

She has her 2 month doctor appointment on Thursday & will get her first round of shots. I am glad she will be vaccinated, but I still feel very wary about getting her around lots of people who want to touch her since it's flu season. Would it be weird/psycho if I asked every person she encounters if they've gotten their flu shot? Just kidding...sort of. It really wouldn't be a problem if people didn't reach for her hands first thing. Even if they don't hold her or touch any other part of her body, her hands are actually the worst thing for people to touch. The first thing she does with her hands is put them in her mouth or rub them on her face! Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox & get back to my post.

Harper is sleeping really well considering her age & size & only sleeps a portion of the night in the swing now. We're working our way out of the swing completely. Now we just use it for a last resort. She's sleeping in her crib at night & taking naps in her crib during the day. For the past week, she has consistently taken a 2.5-3 hour morning nap which has been so nice! The only problem is that she will only sleep on her tummy! It's making me a bit of a nervous wreck checking on her all the time (we don't have a video monitor), but she's really strong now & can pick up & move her head from side to side & push up on her arms some. Every time I check on her, she's moved into a little bit different position, so I feel a little better that she's strong enough to move her head if she's uncomfortable. She sleeps in 2-3.5 hour stretches, it just depends on the time of day/night. She can go 6-9 hours if she's in the swing, so I know she's capable of sleeping longer periods & going longer periods without eating. We just have to work our way to doing it motionless. We'll get there though.

She seems to prefer the Dr. Brown bottles & will take a whole feeding in a bottle now. It doesn't give me too much freedom yet though because I still have to stop & pump during that time. We're toying with the amount per feeding & 3.5 ounces seems to be the magic number for now. I'm getting more anxious about going back to work since I'm closer to going back than to when it started. I wish maternity leave was 6 months long! Time is flying by too fast...

You Know You're a New Mommy When...

2009-10-16T17:13:00.003-05:00

1. You haven't had a hot cup of coffee in [insert baby's age].

2. You don't hesitate to go out in public with spit-up stains on your shirt. If it doesn't smell...

3. Previously mundane errands, like grocery shopping, have become the highlight of your day (besides that beautiful baby you have!).

4. You might cry more than your baby cries sometimes.

5. Your day is in 3-4 hour increments.

6. You know what is on TV each hour of the day.

7. When asked on a MOPS questionairre "What celebrity (dead or alive) would you most like to meet?", the first person that comes to mind is Ellen Degeneres, Oprah Winfrey, or Martha Stewart. The first sign you watch too much TV.

8. You eat at weird times of the day, not because you forget, but because it's the first chance you get.

9. While trying to eat breakfast/lunch/snack/dinner/dessert & simultaneously hold your baby, you've dropped food on her.

10. You're obsessed with the news on the Swine Flu vaccine.

11. You are anxiously awaiting a phone call from your doctor that they got more T-Dap vaccines in.

12. You poll other experienced moms in Babies R' Us (you're assuming she's a mom based on the fact that she has a baby with her) on things from sleep sacks to bottle nipples.

13. You consider yourself lucky if you take a shower that day.

14. You may or may not brush your teeth before 2 pm.

15. Your house is a mess.

16. The number of loads of laundry that you do is greater than the number of hours of consecutive sleep that you get.

17. You are an expert swaddler.

18. You're still wearing maternity clothes because the shirt tails are longer (at least that's what you tell yourself).

19. You wear yoga pants 75% of the time. Ok, who am I kidding, 85% of the time.

20. You finally get the SNL skit of the Today Show featuring Hoda Kotb & Kathie Lee Gifford (KLG).

21. You've gotten really good at typing one-handed & picking things up with your toes.

22. You have dry, cracked hands due to washing them & using hand-sanitizer so much.

But isn't it all worth it?

Things I Can't Live Without

2009-10-12T22:00:00.010-05:00

So it's been 8 weeks as of tonight since Harper's arrival. 8 weeks! I can't believe it! It seems like she's been here much longer, but then at the same time, it seems like she can't be that old already. I think we've done a pretty fabulous job for being somewhat clueless going into this. There are however a few things that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have survived these 8 weeks without. I've narrowed it down to my Top Ten:

10. Baby Legs - she wears them almost everyday. we have 3 pairs!

9. The sling

8. The Baby Bjorn

7. The Moby Wrap

(Ryan is channeling his Native American heritage)

Can you tell I like to wear my baby?

6. My Brest Friend

5. Purell

4. The Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing

3. The Itzbeen timer (pictured with the sling above)

2. My Parents

1. My Husband

The Dimple

2009-10-08T15:49:00.004-05:00

I forgot I had this picture on my blackberry from a week or so ago. It is the best one yet of Harper's dimple. It was sheer luck that I caught this picture & I just wish it was better quality. Oh well! I just love when she smiles with her whole face like this!

RIP Newborn Diapers

2009-10-08T09:59:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it. Last night was the last time Harper will wear a newborn diaper. We are officially moving up to size 1. I'm so sad! This means my little girl is getting bigger & growing up. While the newborn diapers actually still fit her, she's had a few too many poop out the back of the diaper incidents that indicate she might need the extra room in a size 1. Now, if she poops out the back of the size 1, I'll put her back in newborn size diapers for a bit longer. That just means she has a forceful pooping problem & not a room problem. These size 1's just SWALLOW her! They come up way past her belly button & the tabs more than cross over in the front. It seems the Huggie size 1's are a little smaller than the Pampers Swaddlers size 1's. I sure do like that blue line indicator though on the Pampers Swaddlers, so I'm not sure I can make the switch. How else will we know if she has a dirty diaper? :-) Here's a picture of Harper in her very last newborn diaper.

Photo Session

2009-10-06T14:01:00.015-05:00

I'm BAAAA-AAAACK!

I've taken a hiatus for a bit (did you notice?) to enjoy this precious little angel who has started smiling & touching & cooing & all things good in this world.I don't know what I've been waiting for really. I've just been procrastinating. You know, each day that goes by, more happens & she gets more adorable & I start to feel overwhelmed like my blog posts won't do her justice. Which they won't, but there's no hurt in trying, right?

So let's start with her newborn photo session. I've been waiting to post about it so that our photographer, Emily Mulkey, could post about it on her blog first. Let me just say, these pictures are terrific! Emily & her husband/assistant, Matt, are so talented & are so patient with the little babies. Go here to see the post with some of Harper's pictures. Here are a couple of my favorites in addition to the ones Emily posted:I really can't say enough great things about Emily & Matt Mulkey. Matt designed our birth annoucements & they turned out better than I could have ever expected! If I can quit procrastinating long enough, I'll be addressing & mailing those out very soon. I'll post a copy of it after I've mailed them. I have to keep some mystery to it!

Anyway, we've been getting out as much as possible these days despite the fact that Harper hasn't been vaccinated. I pretty much keep her in my moby wrap (love it!), sling (also love it! i don't have to plan ahead to use it like I do with the moby wrap), or keep the bonnet/cover to the stroller pulled over to hide her. I'm uber careful and have dry, cracked, Purell-soaked, over-washed hands to prove it. She's a great traveler around town & draws lots of attention with her head full of hair. I'm looking forward to seeing what she's like on a plane & in a car for a road trip. She's a great sleeper...in her swing.

Oh Hail The Swing!

For now, we've moved the swing in her nursery & put her in it every night. For a few days now, she's slept about 7 hours at a time in that thing! It's fantastic to get a little bit more sleep although I know we're just buying time until we really have to face the fact that she can't sleep there forever. We are starting to make that transition though by slowing it down a little more each night. I'll keep you posted how this goes. Overall, she's a fabulous baby that doesn't fuss or cry alot unless she needs something. We're currently trying to introduce a bottle & each day she seems to take a little more. We'll get there eventually!

Here are some more pictures of Harper over the past 7 weeks (& as always, the blogspot spacing makes me want to throw the computer against the wall, so don't judge me for the random spacing. it isn't for lack of trying):

A visit from Great Aunt Barbara (my mom's sister) & First Cousin Once-removed Elisabeth (her 2nd namesake)~August 31, 2009

A Labor Day visit from Gran & Pops~September 5, 2009
Ready for Game Day~September 13, 2009
One month birthday~September 17, 2009

A visit from Teddy (we are tossing around grandfather names right now - any ideas? His name is Ted) when Mimi couldn't come to help~September 24, 2009

The face she makes when she's pooping - cracks us up everytime~September 25, 2009I looked everywhere for a picture of Harper & Mimi (my mom) and can't believe I don't have one after all the time she's spent here with us! I feel awful about that. Goes to show how much she's taking care of US & our house & Gumbeaux & not Harper. She's been the greatest & I truly couldn't have made it through the first weeks without her (who am I kidding, she's coming next week for a couple of days to help while Ryan has to work all hours due to quarterly earnings). Thank goodness she's only a short Southwest flight away! I'll get a picture next time she's here.

Anyway, thanks for indulging me & all the random pictures. After going through them to find ones to post, I realize that we take a lot of her sleeping. Probably 75% of our pictures are of her sleeping. We just think she's the cutest thing ever! I'm on a mission to get a picture of her smiling where you can see her ADORABLE dimple! I melt every time she smiles.

Is there anything better than little babies? I think not. We are so blessed!

Beautiful Ladies

2009-09-24T16:43:00.002-05:00

Home of the Brave

2009-09-15T09:20:00.000-05:00

I anticipated doing a bunch of back-dated posts yesterday (I know, blog faux pas, but this blog is for us to capture all of our family's happenings & I don't want to miss any of these "firsts" for Harper, so those will be coming later this week), but my plans changed yesterday afternoon.

Let me just THANK GOD & sing praises for my territorial, crazy-barking dachshund Gumbeaux right now.

While I was enjoying the sounds of the rain & Ellen's monologue & resting on the couch (not napping) while Harper slept, Gumbeaux started barking. The kind of barking that isn't just oh-I-see-a-squirrel barking, but the oh-I-want-to-eat-your-face-off barking (I know that outsiders might find these hard to differentiate, but it's much like a mother knowing her baby's cries). Since I'm so sleep-deprived, I'm not a very quick thinker right now, so it took me bit to figure out why he was barking. That's when I noticed the reflection of a person in the windows of our sunroom which is adjacent to the den where I have been pretty much camped out since we came home from the hospital. My first thought was that TXU was coming to check the meter which is located on the side of the house. Then I realized that it was 2 guys examining the lock & door to get into the sunroom. One in a bright yellow rain coat with the hood up & one in a white t-shirt & jorts. From where I'm standing in the den, which is out of sight of the door to the sunroom, I can only see the reflections in the windows. Still convinced that I'm seeing things, I open the french door between the sunroom & the den & let Gumbeaux unleash his fury. I see the 2 reflections turn & run.

Now sure that I'm not seeing things or being paranoid, I turn & run to our newly installed home phone, which we just had installed last week so if we ever had to call 911 they would automatically know our address. Well thank the Lord we did because in an emergency like this the last thing I want to do is spell out my street name. I tell the dispatcher that 2 men are trying to break in my house & that I think they've run off.

Police are on their way.

In the meantime, Gumbeaux's barks are only escalating, so I go back to the scene to scope it out. Jorts guy is still at the door examining the knob. I can't believe it! I bravely, yet stupidly, go in the sunroom & scream at him through the door (it's a glass pane door) that I've called the cops & to get out of here. He starts trying to talk to me about who knows what & I keep screaming "get out of here!" Finally, he runs off to the alley where the get-away car is waiting (a newer model, small black hatchback type car).

Turns out that they moved our trash cans & broke the lock on the gate to the alley. I have no idea if they scoped out the front of the house & peered in the windows beforehand. I can only assume they thought no one was home. It's scary to think about. What if I hadn't been home? What if I'd been napping back in our bedroom? If I hadn't been in the den, I wouldn't have seen them or heard them until it was too late. What would they have done to me? To Harper? I shudder at the thought.

Needless to say, we're taking extra precautions & getting some extra security in our house which includes bump-proof deadbolts & weapons. The little old lady next door told me she has a heavy iron chair leg & a gun that she isn't afraid to use if someone tries to get in her house.

I think I might ask her if I can have one of those chair legs.

Hanging with Dad

2009-09-14T10:22:00.017-05:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures that I've snapped recently on my cell phone while hanging out with Harper.

A few days after we brought her home, I tried the pacifier one night while we were getting ready for bed. She grabbed it and went to town. I thought it was funny because she is holding it like she has been doing this forever. Note that her feet are in the one millionith percentile. They are like water skis. She is still small for all of her clothes, but her feet are too big for all of the matching socks.

One of her favorite sleeping positions is thrown over our shoulders.

Or curled up in a ball on top of us.

Or perched like an insect.

My friend, Josh Guier, sent Harper head-to-toe Cowboys gear for her first gameday. They won yesterday, so she now gets to wear this every Sunday for good luck.

And, I like to pretend she is an adult and pose her doing adult things.....like sleeping in on Saturday morning.

She seemed okay with it, so maybe it's a sign that she will start sleeping through the night soon?

Harper is 4 weeks old today. It's been an awesome 4 weeks.

Days & Nights

2009-08-30T10:09:00.003-05:00

Wow, to say it's hard having a newborn is an understatement. I know God doesn't give you anything you can't handle, but I'm starting to wonder about that these days. I know it's very early in the game - just under 2 weeks since she arrived - but I was wondering if any of you veteran mommies out there had any tips for helping get the days & nights straight. Harper is definitely mixed up. I've been keeping the nighttime feedings very boring & in the dark, but that hasn't seemed to make the slightest difference. I know it will take awhile - a good while - before we can straighten it out, but I just wanted to be doing all that I can right now to ensure that change later.

I think one thing that makes things so hard is that we are supposed to nap when she naps. Sleeping all day long is hard because it makes me feel depressed. I know it's only temporary, but it sure is hard right now. I promise to post more pictures soon - first tummy time, first bath, day to day. I just can't find time for anything right now.

Off to gobble down some food & nap for an hour before the next feeding.

Playing Catch Up

2009-08-25T13:19:00.004-05:00

I am so overwhelmed by all the sweet voicemails, emails, Facebook messages, blog comments, & texts I've gotten over the past week. I plan to respond to each & every one of them, it will just take me a little while. Until then, I want to thank everyone for caring so much, for your prayers & advice, & for just plain being nice. In just this one week of being a mom -really I feel like the 5 days in the hospital are gimmes since we had nurses to turn to for help, so these 3 days of being a mom, I've learned so much. Such as how brave I am (I totally underestimated myself), the importance of taking the advice seriously"sleep when the baby sleeps", how much help you really need after you bring the baby home, & how accomplished I feel if I just get to take a shower (I have to brag, I have taken one every day since coming home).

In addition to working on responses to the hundreds of messages & going through all my emails (work & personal), I'm working on a few blog posts to fill in the gaps & catch you up on what's going on in Harper's World - first pediatrician appointment, my reflection on labor & Ryan's amazing blog posts, why I LOVE my doctor, & a post on the grandparents & what we think their grandparent names will be. Also, we'll have a special guest post sometime soon (this week I hope). Until then, here is a picture from today (forgive the bad quality, it's from my blackberry):

Time to feed again. I love it. Every minute.

The Family Meet and Greet

2009-08-21T12:57:00.014-05:00

On, Monday morning, August 17th, Mary Marshall and I called our families to let them know that Harper was going to be making her grand entrance sometime that day. My family (Mom and Dad from Shreveport and Sister and Brother-in-law from Little Rock) and Mary Marshall's family (Mom and Dad from Houston and Brother from NYC) all stopped what they were doing (literally) and headed to Dallas. OK, so her brother is already in Dallas working for a while, but it still counts. They all made it to the hospital before she was born and were patiently waiting when I came out to greet them after Harper was born. It was very special to have them all there, and needless to say, they are huge fans of Harper.

After Mary Marshall and Harper were brought back to our Labor & Delivery room to recover, we had some extra time so everyone got to come back and hold her for their first introduction. Very cool to be able to share that with them. Here are a few pics:

Mary Marshall's Mom, Beth

Mary Marshall's Dad, Ted

Mary Marshall's Brother, Guy

Ryan's Mom, Bonnie

Ryan's Dad, Jimmy

Ryan's Sister, Dana (who is 18 weeks pregnant....I hope she didn't see anything that scared her)

Ryan's Brother-in-law, Luke

They also headed to the admission nursery where Harper was being booked into the hospital, weighed, measured, bathed, vaccinated, etc. Pretty cool stuff.

Our week at the hospital

2009-08-20T18:21:00.022-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Harper's first days. We've been having a blast with her, but are ready to go home from the hospital. Hopefully tomorrow. Mary Marshall and baby are doing tremendous.

Quick disclaimer: I will say that pictures do not do Harper justice. She is beautiful. And very petite with the most perfect tiny features. I urge you to see her in person.

Harper's first few minutes.....in the operating room:

Harper finally arrives in our room from the admission nursery:

And, the nursery nurses made her hair into a mohawk:

My favorite newborn burping technique:

Diaper skillz:

Wide awake:

Bonding with dad:

Tummy time with mom:

Three generations of "Harper" women...........Mary Marshall Harper Martinez, Lisabeth Blanton Harper, and Harper Elisabeth Martinez:

Dad and Harper:

Harper can't get close enough to her mom:

Harper's Surprise Birthday

2009-08-18T16:32:00.019-05:00

The Big Show.........8 days early.

Harper was born a little more than 24 hours ago. It's been a bit of a whirlwind. But, she's healthy, and came in at a nice 6 lbs, 6 ounces and 1 foot, 8 3/4 inches tall (20 3/4 inches). She is absolutely beautiful. Even the doctor said so, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't just say that to any new parent.

Let's just jump right in, shall we?

Disclaimer: (More details than I would normally share, but two things are different today. I'm a proud dad and husband, and Mary Marshall has been through battle and is recovering, so it's up to me to tell this tale. Please feel free to skip to the pictures if this is too much information.)

Mary Marshall began having contractions around 11pm on Sunday, August 16th. I began tracking them officially around 1am, and the doctor gave us the go-ahead to come into the hospital on Monday, August 17th around 5am. After a full night's pain for MM, she was only 1cm upon arriving in Labor & Delivery. Disappointing. After administering some temporary pain meds and iv fluids, they monitored Mary Marshall until around 8:30am, and by then the contractions had slowed considerably, but at this point, MM had endured 9 1/2 hours of painful contractions, and she just couldn't believe that there was any chance that this was not the real thing (not to mention.....the nurses were showing signs that they did not think we were going to stay). The doctor came in at 8:30am, and we were convinced that she was going to send us home. We braced ourselves for the false labor talk. She did her checks. Silence. Then, she popped off her gloves and said, "Alright, you're 3cm. Good progress since you arrived. How about we break your water and have this baby today?" We couldn't believe it. We were overwhelmed with relief. Me, just relief that all of MM's discomfort was not in vein, and for MM, relief that "real" labor wasn't still lurking in the shadows ready to doom her in. She WAS in real labor.

Fast forward, and please see blog posts, "Sudden Change of Events", "Birth is Upon Us" and "She's Here!" and you are pretty much up to speed. But, I'll fill in the gap between our planned birth and what actually happened. Mary Marshall made it through 16 hours of contractions, unmedicated, and finally needed an epidural. No one deserves the type of pain I was witnessing. Heck, I needed an epidural at that point, so I was begging her to get one. It helped. At 4:44pm (there was a huge red, digital clock in the room, so these times are burned into my memory), MM began active labor like a champion, and she was well on her way. And doing well. Very intense, but seemed to me, at least, to be going OK. After what was about 20 minutes of intense pushing, the doctor calmly said that she was afraid that there was something causing the baby to not want to progress correctly. Harper was actually wanting to reverse her course, and go farther back where she came from, if you will. And, her heart rate was consistently dropping from 150 to the 60-80 range after each series of pushes during each contraction. It continued to get worse, and finally, the heart rate was not recovering at all. So, the nurse picked up the phone and said a few words. There were four of us in the room. MM, me, doctor, L&D nurse. In less than 15 seconds, there were 8 of us. Two anesthesiologists rushed in and started flipping MM around. There were nurses and doctors weaving tubes and wires around MM, and her bed was already moving out the door. People were yelling at each other. I was backed into a corner out of the way, and a nurse tossed me a package of scrubs and said, "We'll be back to get you in 10 minutes." And, just like that, the room was empty. Terrified doesn't even begin to describe what we were feeling. I looked at the clock and it was 5:05pm. I just stood there in what felt like the most empty room in the world. At 5:18pm, a nurse ran in and said, "Put on your mask and hat and come with me." We turned the corner, walked down a hall, and walked into a very busy operating room. There must have been 15 people in there scrambling around. A neonatal surgeon in scrubs met me at the door and told me, "Congratulations, you have a daughter." He said, "I'm sorry, we couldn't wait on you to get in here. We had to get her out immediately." He said some other things, but I can't remember because I literally heard nothing else he said. I just looked around and couldn't believe how many people were running around. He just kept talking and walked me past MM and over to the baby warmer where Harper was lying. I briefly saw MM out of the corner of my eye, but he whisked me past so I couldn't see what they were doing. I couldn't fully process what was going on, but Harper was alive and kicking, and Mary Marshall and I briefly made eye contact, and I could tell that she was OK. Scared as hell, but OK. People were crowded around her and there was a massive surgery underway. You can tell me all day long that c-sections are routine, but there was nothing at all routine about what happened. But as fast as they whisked MM into that OR, I was holding my healthy and beautiful daughter, Harper, and MM was safe and under repair. A wall of doctors walked me around the "other side of the blue sheet", and I finally got to see MM. The three of us got to hang out for quite some time while they finished the surgery, and we were just both in shock. And let's be real, I was just scared. But, I don't think I'll ever understand what MM endured during those 12 minutes. But, this story has an incredibly happy ending, and we are the proud parents of a beautiful little girl, with her mom's gorgeous eyes and a mane of hair that makes her dad jealous.

So, with that, here are some pictures of the happy ending. And she's a beauty:

Proud dad meets Harper for the first time:

Proud mom meets Harper for the first time:

Harper wonders why she was taken out so abruptly:

Harper knows dad is an accountant by trade, and mocks him for dressing like a doctor:

Harper eyes her mom......hey, what's all the fuss about?

Harper and mom get a ride out of the operating room....checking each other out:

Back in the room, the two stars of the show finally get to relax:

Harper couldn't be happier to be with her mom:

And they've been living in the hospital ever since. Probably until Friday.

Harper picture

2009-08-18T07:11:00.004-05:00

Here's a quick picture we snapped yesterday on my phone (I'm attempting to post this email style, so hopefully pic makes it). Once we get the computer up & running, I'm sure MM will want to post. Or at least I'll get some more pics up.

She's here!

2009-08-17T18:37:00.001-05:00

Harper Elisabeth Martinez
6 lbs 6 ozs, 20 3/4 inches
5:17pm

Emergency c-section, but mom and baby are doing great!!!!!!

Birth is upon us

2009-08-17T16:44:00.003-05:00

Mary Marshall is ready. Harper is ready. Dr is on her way. Show is about to start. Standby for confirmation..........

Sudden Change of Events

2009-08-17T10:58:00.002-05:00

Harper will be born today. Yes, you heard right. A chili relleno here and some spicy fajitas there, and here we are. In Labor & Delivery. For those keeping score, 3 cm and water is broken. More to come..........

Back to Plan A

2009-08-15T22:23:00.002-05:00

I'm thankful to say that my bloodwork came back clear & we are back to plan A of waiting for Harper arrive when she pleases. I think alot of my symptoms have been mostly driven by my lack of sleep. I didn't realize how tired I was until this past week. I took my doctor's advice & starting taking Unisom before bed. It's helped some - I think it's mostly helped me get into a deeper sleep when I am sleeping, so I feel like I get a little more rest. I've also decided that it would be worth using my vacation time now (as opposed to having more paid days during my unpaid maternity leave) as half-days off. I started working 9-1 on Thursday & have gotten a couple of great naps in (much better than trying to nap at my desk) & was even able to go swim laps yesterday afternoon. It was so nice. I plan to continue this schedule until I go into labor.

If I ever go into labor.

I'm starting to lose faith that this will happen on its own. But for now, our plan is to wait for it to happen. Patiently wait. If we get to my due date (8/25 - a week from Tuesday!), we'll talk induction. I would really like to avoid being induced if possible, so I'm really hoping this happens on it's own. I've eaten more spicy stuff today than I care to & plan to guzzle some spicy Mexican food tomorrow night. Surely that will help...? If anyone has any tips for what has worked for them, I am all ears. I'm almost desperate.

Almost.

Harper's Nursery

2009-08-12T18:00:00.000-05:00

I've FINALLY gotten around to straightening everything up & taking pictures of the nursery. We've worked so hard on this little room & it is definitely the nicest room in our house. Now, we just need our sweet baby to put in it!

Harper's crib.

The crib skirt, bumper, & window valances were made by a friend of a friend's mother who is amazingly talented. She's done several friends' crib bedding.

Harper's name.

Ryan & I painstakingly hung every letter over her bed. That was quite an arduous task & very trying on our patience. At one point, I thought we were just going to have to stick with it just saying "harp". That "e" was not an easy one to hang. Who on earth (ahem, Pottery Barn) would think that putting 2 holes in random places on the backside of a letter is an easy way to hang things. Forget trying to get them perfectly lined up. Unless you're Reid Wakefield, do you even get close to getting it right (yall should see his son's name over his crib - PERFECTION). We decided the artsy look would have to do (ok, so I know it looks pretty darn good, but for 2 uber-perfectionists, this is artsy. Oh & I took this before I put the sheets on the bed. There are really pink polka-dot sheets. SO CUTE!).

Changing table.

How cute is that little owl?! I love owls.

Rocker/Glider.

Our soon-to-be best friend.

Overall pics.

38 Week Dr. Appt. - Holding Pattern

2009-08-12T12:07:00.010-05:00

Clear prop.

Ready for take-off.

My dad used to say that every time we got in the car to go somewhere when we were kids. He'd even act like he was adjusting controls on the dash like pilots do in the cockpit. Well, my prop is cleared & I am ready for take-off, but it doesn't seem that Baby Harper is yet.

We had our 38 week doctor appointment yesterday afternoon. After what seemed like a forever-and-a-day wait, we finally got to see the doctor. A combination of sleep deprivation & just plain emotions got the best of me & I spent most of the doctor appointment teary. Just about everything. But, in a nutshell, teary for just being so done with this pregnancy. The swelling continues. I know it's just water weight & I can see that it's just water weight, but it still doesn't make me feel more comfortable. I know it'll "come right off" as soon as I deliver, but that doesn't make my clothes fit better now. And, I'm only 1/2 cm & 60% effaced despite all the painful contractions & cramps I've been feeling. My blood pressure was higher than it usually is as well and combined with the other symptoms I've been experiencing over this past week - occasionally seeing "stars" (flashing lights), occasional lightheadedness/dizziness, occasional headaches, all-over swelling - Dr. S ordered some blood work to check me out. Now, we're in a holding pattern awaiting those results (should hear something by this afternoon or tomorrow morning). It could mean inducement this week or inducement next week. It could really mean anything at this point. We have no idea. What I do know is that I want to have a healthy, uneventful labor & a healthy baby. If that means getting this show on the road this week or waiting it out another week, I'm willing to fly that path. As uncomfortable & emotionally turbulent as it might be.

The good news is that Harper is still head down & moving alot (with knees & elbows that she likes to drag across). Her heartrate is hovering around 142 & Dr. S. still guesses she's a little less than 7 lbs. I'm measuring right on track for 38 weeks.

Now if I could just get Harper willingly to jump out of this plane, I'd be a happy pilot.

38 week belly pic & yes, that is a maternity shirt

Blood Pressure

2009-08-06T16:06:00.005-05:00

For those of you worried about my blood pressure (Mom), worry no more! I had a dentist appointment today (which went much better than my last, thankyouverymuch, in the fact that I had NO cavities as opposed to THREE) & they took my blood pressure. It was 120/70 which is very good & right in line with where I've been hovering at my OB appointments. Hallelujah! I'm so relieved (ok, I'll admit, I was worried the swelling was indicative of a problem) & can rest a little easier now. I will say that my feet are starting to look a little better today. I can actually see ankle bones which is nice. I've been doing everything I can to stay off of them despite continuing to work full-time. I start out with a cooler shower in the morning (not sure if that actually helps, but it seems like it should), quickly get dressed, then eat breakfast & do my make-up sitting down with my feet up (if possible). Then, as soon as I get to work I prop my feet up beside my desk & pull my keyboard into my lap/onto my tummy. It isn't exactly the ideal situation, but it seems to help keep the swelling from getting worse & seems to have helped it go down some. The only time I really get up is to get things off the printer or to use the bathroom. When I get home in the evenings, I pretty much keep them propped up all night - thanks to my fabulously wonderful (& hilarious if you haven't noticed) husband who has taken on all the chores & making dinner & then some.

Maybe there is a bright side to swollen feet...

One of These is Not Like the Other

2009-08-05T19:39:00.003-05:00

The latest development...

Harper's 1st First Cousin.....but First,

2009-08-05T11:48:00.004-05:00

Let me get the legal disclaimers out of the way. Blogging has become so litigious. Ugh. This post has been flagged by Blogspot as:
SPA (Serious Post Alert)
NHZ (No Humor Zone)
PP&GA (Possible Pregnancy & Gender Announcement)
DNHZ, OFAAH (Despite No Humor Zone, One Final Attempt at Humor)

Breaking news. NOT the fact that claims are arising that Ed cheated on Jillian before AND after the final rose ceremony. No, even better. For those that do not know......my older sister (how old? I am on this side of 30 and she on the other), Dana, is almost 16 weeks pregnant. She and my brother-in-law, Luke, are expecting their first child in January. And, finally, the latest breaking news.......thanks to their connections in sonogram departments across the nation.......they already found out that they are having a BOY. Fantastic! So, my parents are going from zero to double-grandparents in less than six months from now. A big life change for them. Are they freaked out? I don't know. But let's review their recent behavior on the heels of this news. My mom decided that she is going to buy a mythical convertible that hasn't even been created yet, and my dad is drawing up blueprints to build a compound of playhouses and forts under the old oak tree. Hmmm, I'd say they are completely unaffected by this news.

Pretty cool how things work out, though. Congratulations, Dana and Luke. You will be great parents. After a quick crash course with Harper including seven diaper changes, three burpings and four to five successful swaddles.

Are You There God? It's me, Margaret.

2009-07-31T15:36:00.010-05:00

Actually, it's Ryan. But, I guess I better read that book so I'll be able to teach Harper a satirical lesson about becoming a tween one day. My older sister never had this book, but she did have, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, and I read that one summer in elementary school while I was taking a break from playing Nintendo's Mortal Kombat and blaring Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA. I had probably also dominated neighborhood football earlier that day and then peeled out in my go-cart on the way home. But, I digress........

Well, it's been a while, BA (BlogAmerica). I'll catch you up on WBGOBTS (what's been going on behind the scenes). I use a lot of blog-speak, so try to KUWMH (keep up with me here). All of the blood work is back, and Mary Marshall and baby are very healthy. M3 has been passing these screening tests with ease throughout the pregnancy. And, more importantly, the results are in, and I am the confirmed father. Exciting! Yep, everything is lining up perfectly for an NTAB (North Texas August birth).

Now, for my vitals.........I'm ready for this pregnancy to be over. Yep, I said it. Now, before you TFO (totally freak out), I'll explain why. I have rolled my 401k into the nursery, and the nicest room in my house is completely done and awesome. The car seat is installed. Stroller, pack n play and baby swing are ready for action. Hospital bags are even packed. And, as of last night's final Lamaze class, I have an EFPHD (expectant father doctorate). You don't believe me? Well, I am a fan of facts. So, here are a few. I've been to every single doctors appointment, screening, ultrasound, consultation, baby store outing (including all registering, purchasing, and returning/exchanging), Lamaze class (4 Wed nights from 6-9pm), CPR and choking for babies AND Baby Basics class (a full Saturday 9am-5pm), etc. And, it was all very much worth it. But, I've been called up to the big leagues, and I'm standing in the dugout with my glove on, ready to throw some serious parenting heat at this baby. I've successfully assembled, installed, painted and hung everything. I've given CPR to a doll. I've dislodged a Lego from a doll's windpipe. I have massaged my wife's back with a paint roller. I've seen birthing videos.....two of them with 4 labors total. I've even swaddled our dachschund. Believe me, BR's (blog readers), I'm ready.

But, while I wait patiently at 37 weeks and counting, I'll continue to enjoy this time that I get to spend uninterrupted with my beautiful wife, Mary Marshall. She has been a true joy the entire time, and I've enjoyed the experience that we've shared as we prepare for parenthood. I really think she was made for pregnancy......she is really good at it. And, in these last few weekends, I'm going to insist that we go on some last minute dates, to the movies, out to dinner, driving me to bars while I drink (kidding....). But, when she does look at me in the coming weeks, grabbing her belly, and saying, "Ooooooh, This is it!" I'll say, "Doowap. Please let me know. If this ain't love, baby, Just Say So!" And then she'll ask me why I'm singing Huey Lewis and the News at a time like this, and I'll say that we don't have time to figure that out, and we'll rush out the door to the hospital. FT (fun times). Later, BR's.

View from the Top - 37 Weeks & Holding

2009-07-31T14:04:00.008-05:00

A peek at my view from the top. What feet?

Today we had our 37 week doctor appointment. The good news is that I'm not in labor yet. The bad news is that I'm not in labor yet. Why do I feel so torn? While I've hit the I-don't-care-how-she-gets-out-of-me-just-get-her-out-soon stage, I'm still a little anxious & scared about going into labor. I think it's the fact that I don't know when or where it's going to happen (oh please just don't let my water break while I'm at work). I've had some signs that I'm getting closer - lots of low pressure, low pains/slight contractions, feeling like she's a little bit lower, but nothing really drastic to indicate labor is very close by. We used this doctor's appointment as our first test run of taking the carseat & THE BAG (packing the bag is a whole 'nother blog post). We'll continue to do that for every appointment now just in case the doc says I need to stay. I'm thinking that could possibly be the next appointment (ok, so I'm just hoping), but we'll see. We have a week off due to Dr. S's vacation, so we won't see her again until August 11.

Overall, the doctor's appointment went really well. I'm the same as last appointment as far as progress goes (this is the disappointing factor just because after all the discomfort I've felt this week, nothing happened!) and my blood pressure & stats are all great. I'm still measuring about 5 days ahead of schedule. Harper remains head down (hallelujah! now is not the time to be flipping over in there, missy) & her heartrate hovered around 142-145 this time. We asked the Dr. S to take a guess at how much she thinks Harper weighs right now & she guesses a little less than 7 lbs. I can't believe it! She reassured me that at most a baby gains half a pound a week here on out. I'm thinking Harper will be in the 7 lb range, possibly a little more than 8 lbs. It'll all depend on when she makes her appearance. At the rate my tummy is growing, I'm thinking I better add some 0-3 mth sized clothes to THE BAG in case those newborn sizes don't fit her.

I think I'm going to need a bigger bag.

Uncle of the Year?

2009-07-30T14:53:00.012-05:00

This is my little brother, Guy. Growing up, we (the family) would a lot of times call him Gee (which is the French version of his name; like the Wii but with a hard "G" sound). I have a feeling that Harper will be able to say Gee before she can say MaMa since babies seem to pick up on the "ga" sounds pretty early (I think...I'm going off memory here - don't hate on me Speech Pathy friends). Gee is moving to town on Monday (temporarily for work) just in the nick of time to be the hands-on, diaper-changing, spit-up wearing uncle he always dreamed of being.

We all have hopes & dreams and I won't stop Guy from living up to his.

Awhile back during the midst of heavy baby registering & furniture buying, Guy emailed Ryan & me & said he thought we needed a baby pool. My & Ryan's immediate reaction was "but of course, she will come out walking & talking & most definitely swimming, why wouldn't we need a baby pool?"

I'm pretty sure Guy thinks we are looney tunes.

So as his first order of uncle duty, Guy decided to organize a baby pool. He emailed some of our close friends & our families to garner up some interest & sold each square for $2 each. Every square sold with the exception of one, which Uncle Gee promptly purchased just for Harper. Basically, for those of you not familiar with a betting pool, there are a set number of squares & you pick which square you want & write your name in it. Then, after all the squares are all filled in, the commissioner (is that what he's called?) draws dates randomly out of a hat & assigns them to each square. The dates for our baby pool range from August 1 to September 5. Ryan & I got some pretty good dates, so I'm hoping we win the pot.

My mom still has the baby pool sheet from when she was pregnant with me (although I came early before the pool actually started & therefore no one won), so I think it's so neat that we are having one for Harper. Thanks, Gee, for organizing & may the best man/woman/baby win*!

*Please say prayers that she does not come too far past her due date. I am extremely uncomfortable & can't imagine another 3 weeks like this!

Work Baby Shower

2009-07-28T22:36:00.006-05:00

Ryan & I are lucky enough to work for the same wonderful company. In the same wonderful department. For the same wonderful VP. (For the record, I got him the job). Because we work in such an awesome, large department, the baby shower they threw for us was incredible. Everyone was super generous & really showered us with LUV & gifts. Here are a couple of pictures from the shower:

The setup

One of the best cakes I've ever tasted - Central Market's Chocolate Mousse Cake

And be sure to click through to the blog & check out the bump pictures (upper right of page). I updated the slideshow with a 36 week shot.

The Proof is in the Pudding

2009-07-28T17:10:00.000-05:00

One of my best friends, Kelli, came by a couple of Sundays ago for a visit & to bring dinner with her new little one, Everleigh. Everleigh is 8 weeks old (at the time) & just adorable! This was our first test run with a visitor & Gumbeaux's new bark collar (it's a sonic sound one, not an electric-shock one). I have to say, it went much better than we expected. I was more nervous about how Gumbeaux would take to me & Ryan holding a baby than anything else (once he calms down after a visitor arrives, he just wants to be in their lap - Gumbeaux, not Ryan). He was so interested in every coo & gurgle she made & was very concerned if she cried. Numerous times he tried to lick her foot with his long lizard tongue. Kelli has a chihuahua & a doberman, so she knows dogs & the trials & tribulations of introducing them to a baby. It was such a nice visit! It will take baby steps (no pun intended) to acclimate Gumbeaux once Harper arrives, but I feel like there is at least a little hope that he can eventually be a good dog with kids. Thanks, Kelli, for the visit & of course for the delicious dinner, salad, & cookies you brought us.

On another note...Ryan & I thought it would be fun to see if we could really balance things on my belly like a table top. Here is proof that it can be done. And yes, I know I look tired because I am. I only sleep 45 minutes to 2 hours in a stretch every night (so much for having wild & crazy pregnancy dreams; I never get into that deep of sleep). If anyone ever says that the last few months of pregnancy are not designed by God to get you ready for the sleepless nights after baby's arrival, then they are crazy lunatics. I'm so ready for this baby!