Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Summer Fun!

So Harry, Josh and I have been having an awesome summer so far! I always get a little sad as August approaches because it means school is just around the corner.  But trying to think of the glass as half full, I am reminding myself that I still have HALF of my summer LEFT! I know it'll go by fast, but I'm continuing (to try at least) to savor every moment.  


I love watching my boys hang out. As soon as Josh gets home from work, and Harrison hears his voice I'm as good as chopped liver. In the evenings he only has eyes for his Daddy. Well he will smile for my camera every now and then (but Josh doesn't enjoy being photographed...if I get him to "pose" it's always blue steel (if you haven't watched the movie Zoolander, go watch it and you'll understand Josh's photo "pose).


Whenever Harry is focused on something, or just chilling out, his bottom lip is out. Maybe he's following Josh's lead when it comes to "smiling" for the camera. Sometimes people think he's about to cry, but generally this is just his laid back look.


The last really sunny day we got out the kiddie pool! So fun. I'm just dying for another hot day so we can take advantage. Harrison loves it and it gets me out in the sun too. 



We love evening walks (don't worry I put his stroller canopy thing down to keep the sun out of his eyes, after the photo)!


Sitting AND reading! 


 

It is hilarious when he's sitting in a chair or on the couch and sporadically tips over. I can't help but catch it on camera. The top photo is from his 6 month photo shoot and the bottom one is because that adorable Christmas sweater (size 12 months) certainly won't fit come December. Who am I kidding, it barely fit a couple weeks ago when I took this photo. Our boy is practically growing out of his 18 month clothing!


Another one of my favorite poses. The slouch! This is when I know I've taken a few too many pictures because he's ready to do something else and kind of pushes himself down to the edge of the couch.

Here's to a WHOLE MONTH left of summer vacation. Plus Fall is one of my favorite times of year, and introducing Harry to all of the fun and traditions that come along with the Holiday Season will be amazing! So even when summer is over, life will still be good. It'll be great even! I'm just not ready for it yet.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Letter: Month Six


Dear Harrison,
Pure joy!
These two words completely summarize how I feel about you, and all the time we’ve spent together this summer. Being a mama is tiring, and harder than it looks (especially since you’ve been getting up more in the night the past week or so), but the joy that comes as a result makes it completely worth it.
This month you are officially halfway to your first birthday. How is that possible? It doesn’t seem like six months ago that your Daddy and I were at the hospital meeting you face-to-face for the first time.
 
[Here you are laying on the boppy your first week home, and again just last week!]
You have changed SO much since that day. Just this past month you have become so grown up. You can now sit up on your own (with only the occasional tip-over) and you’re enjoying the solid foods we’ve introduced (so far you’ve eaten brown rice cereal, sweet potatoes, and peas…but avocados are next, I just pureed some for you this afternoon). At restaurants you can sit in a high chair and you’ve been in a shopping cart a few times (although it’s easier to just strap you in the ergo and wear you while I shop).
It’s been fun to watch you develop preferences for things. You have this little bunny stuffed animal that you really love. Its ears must be just the right size and texture because you love to chew on them (I’ve already had to wash the poor bunny on multiple occasions). You fight taking naps, but usually only for a minute or two; a few pushes in the stroller, rocks in our arms, or a minute in the swing usually does the trick. You like your binky more now than ever, but only if you’re tired or upset. You still LOVE the bath and enjoy getting your diaper and/or clothes changed.
Two of my favorite things lately are:
  1. That you go crazy in the car whenever we drive through a wooded area. You seem to really enjoy the leaves on the trees. I’m excited for you to experience the changes that come with Fall. There are so many trees near our house that I think you’ll really love taking walks in October.
  2. You have developed a fake “cough” and you love to do it over and over again. You get especially excited if we mimic you; for some reason you think it’s fun to go back and forth coughing at each other.

 
What else can I say about our six-month-old boy? Well you are still the biggest baby we’ve met. While you’re a sitting star, you still can’t roll over yet. We thought maybe by today you’d get the hang of it, but no such luck. The thing is we barely help you and you’re over, but you just don’t seem to want to do it on your own. When you’re on your belly though you push off on your feet and can get your bum in the air. You can also kind of scoot backwards/around in a circle (neither of which gets you any closer to the toys you’re eyeing…but it means you’re getting stronger and stronger).
The big highlight of July was our trip to Florida, which was quite the experience. In one week’s time you rode on four planes, swam in the Atlantic Ocean, took a dip in the pool, went to SeaWorld and Universal Studios (Harry Potter World was the BEST), and you attended a bridal shower, bachelorette party, and a wedding! Oh and you helped us celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. When we got home I needed a vacation from our vacation, but it was a total blast. Even though you won’t remember any of it, we took a million (okay maybe just a couple hundred) pictures so we can show you someday.
 
Well Little Mister, we’ve still got one month left of summer. I am SO THANKFUL that I get to spend so much time with you during one of the best seasons of the year. And this season in your little life is proving to be one of the best so far. You are such a happy boy, and always making us laugh. The past six months have been the absolute best because of you. I am so thankful that God has blessed us with you. I know it’s probably getting old hearing that but I can’t say it enough!
I love you more today than ever! Happy Half-Birthday little guy…six months from today we’ll be celebrating the first of many birthdays to come. WAHOO!!!
Love Always,
Mama

(not so) Sweet Dreams

Last night I told Josh that I was excited to watch the divers in the Olympics this year. That plus the book I've been reading about WWII (Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand) made for a crazy dream. I'd probably have forgotten it of Harry hadn't woken me up just now for a 2:30 am snack (trying to find a silver lining in the whole sleep deprivation thing).

Anyway, back to my dream. I was a dive bomber in the air force and my mission was to do a perfect dive from an airplane and land in a submarine in the pacific ocean...without getting hit by enemy fire. Talk about scary, and a lot of pressure!?!

Thankfully I'm awake and cozy in my son's room, rocking and feeding him. But man I was sweating bullets a few minutes ago. It felt so real!

On a completely different note. Exactly six months ago, we were just checking into the hospital. My water broke around 1:00 am so I think by about 2:45 we were getting set up in our room with the sweetest nurse, Brooke. I cannot believe it has already been six months.

[The first photo I took of Harrison]

Tomorrow I'll be posting my six month letter to Harry at exactly 6:19 pm (the actual time he was born). If you missed his birth story, check it out here.

Hope you're having sweeter dreams than I've had tonight!

Friday, July 27, 2012

A Fresh Start

Well, here I am starting my second okay probably more like my fourth blog (though I'm best known for blogging at wrappedindelight.wordpress.com).

I really am more of a "wordpress" blogger, but since it costs quite a bit of money each year to increase the amount of space I have on that blog to upload photos...I've decided to transfer my blogging to this space.

So here goes. I'm officially blogging on a blogspot blog.

Harrison will be SIX MONTHS OLD tomorrow! I seriously cannot believe he is halfway to his first birthday. This whole experience is flying by way too fast.

Stay tuned - tomorrow I'll be posting the sixth letter in my installment of "Dear Harrison" letters. For now here is my favorite picture of Harrison from our trip. You can't really see him, but the rest of the faces in the photo never fail to make me laugh. I just happened to have the camera ready right when Harry chomped down on our cousin David's finger.

Enjoy!