Every Day Brings Something New ...

2011 Recap: December

2012-01-28T22:44:00.019-05:00

December is always a crazy, busy month and this year was no exception! We had a great holiday season made even better with Harper around!!!

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On the 3rd, Griffin took part in his first Christmas Program!!!! He did a great job singing, dancing, and saying his speaking part.

Harper was super smiley one morning before church!Oh, those cuties!!!!Someone came THIS close to crawling earlier in the month!The kiddos got to visit Santa ... Griffin asked for a Batman train and he said Harper wanted a toy cell phone.Harper showed off her new bib! Ha!We had a wonderful Christmas Eve!We had an amazing Christmas Day!

Harper turned SEVEN months old!!!!

We had some Angry Birds in our house one day!

Griffin got some awesome new bunk beds and he LOVES them!!!!

I took the cutest picture of my kiddos holding hands in the car!!!!

Griffin needed to go to the doctor's office and you'd would never guess he had pneumonia!

The last picture of 2011 went to ... Harper who decided to wake up at 11:30pm!

2011 Recap: November

2012-01-28T11:52:00.021-05:00

November was a super busy month for us! I went back to work after a 5 1/2 month maternity leave and the adjustment was a little difficult on me (and Harper's sleeping patterns), but we survived!!!

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Griffin developed a love of looking at Pokemon toys on ebay!

He also perfected writing his name!We had some family pictures taken ... they are so funny, but SO our kids!A fun picture at dinner with Papa Dean!Griffin did some chores - ha!What cute kids ... I love them both so much!Harper enjoyed lots of sink baths and Griffin become a great helper!Harper got some new boots.Griffin played A LOT with his Pokemon figures ... he knows all the names and what "type" they all are! It's crazy!We got an iPad and Griffin loves it ... Harper loves the measuring cups!We had a wonderful family Thanksgiving!!!The day after Thanksgiving, we put up our Christmas decorations including our elf! Harper just chewed on Santa!Harper started rolling EVERYWHERE!!!! She wouldn't stay away from the cable box!Harper turned 6 months old (even though I took her pictures a little later).

Harper had her 6 month check up and my favorite helper was there to distract her during the shots.

Testing, testing ...

2012-01-28T09:36:00.001-05:00

I'm trying out the Blogger App for my iPad. I just wanted to see if it was easy or not. Have a great Saturday!!

2011 Recap: October

2012-01-23T16:36:00.023-05:00

October was a great month! It was my last month as a stay-at-home mom and I savored every single minute!!!

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I love this cute, baby belly!Trips to Target were finished with a nice, warm pretzel!Griffin played many games of Hungry, Hungry Hippos.Griffin went to Daddy's hunting property and climbed up his tree stand!We spent some days playing at a local park (Chick-fil-A included).Harper wore her cute shades!!!We did some major damage while out shopping!Griffin fell asleep in some unusual places!The kids were looking so cute one morning before church!Griffin hung out with Emmi and Kallyn at Layne's championship game.Aylah came over to visit and the kids hung out in the pack and play.We went to the Browns game ... and they won!

Griffin rediscovered his old highchair and ate a few snacks in there!Someone got their ears pierced!Harper wore some Spongebob eyes!Harper turned 5 months old!!!We took a cute elephant and an awesome Batman out trick-or-treating!

2011 Recap: September

2012-01-15T15:54:00.023-05:00

September was a fun month ... busy, but fun! The weather was beautiful, so we spent a lot of time outside.
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Griffin helped Daddy put in a new garbage disposal.Harper fully rolled over on the 16th!Some of my favorite pictures from this month.Harper rocked her first pair of jeans and tennis shoes.Griffin and Harper shared a chair and watched some TV.I still couldn't resist taking pictures of these two!Griffin and Enzo had a joint birthday party.Harper showed off some princess attitude ;) We went to see our cousins play football: Layne (#32 doing his touchdown dance), Bret (#9 running off the field), and Nicky (#18 catching the ball).Griffin got to drive the track hoe with Daddy.Someone was just looking plain cute while hanging out with Mommy and Daddy one night!Harper was baptized on the 25th by my Dad.This precious doll turned 4 months old!!!Harper started solids and at first, she was not a fan! Ha!

Recap Break

2012-01-09T06:11:00.003-05:00

I have to take a little break on the recapping of 2011 :( I did all the other posts while I was on Christmas vacation and now that I am back at work, I have been too busy to get them finished. I'll make sure to get September-December done asap because it's been fun for me to look back over our year!

In the meantime, here are a few recent pictures of my cute kids! Enjoy!

2011 Recap: August

2012-01-08T08:35:00.002-05:00

August was a crazy month! We were so busy, but we got to spend a lot of time together and just enjoy the summer!
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Griffin enjoyed a sleepover with his deer.

It was a hot August, so shades were a requirement.Griffin began swimming all by himself!!!!!Harper kept getting cuter and cuter!Griffin spent a lot of time in our backyard riding his quad and playing in his clubhouse!Harper enjoyed getting baths like a big girl.Harper got her footprints added to Maw Maw and Paw Paw's collection!Cousin Layne spent some time reliving his childhood - ha!We found out the almost 4 year old do need naps!There was LOTS and LOTS of pool days ...... which made everyone really happy!Daddy did a lot of throwing Griffin into the air!

My boy had his 4 year pictures taken and he looked SO handsome!!!

We took a very belated Christmas 2010 present of all the grandkids for my parents!

On the 16th, Harper started rolling over from her back!

The 17th was Griffin's Meet-the-Teacher night at his school and we got to go to his classroom and look around and meet some of his new friends!On the 20th, Griffin had his 4th birthday party at our house. He wanted a Batman/Scooby Doo party, so that's what we did!Griffin started school on the 23rd! He loves going to school! I definitely teared up as he was walking down the hall with the big kids heading to breakfast :(!Harper tried on lots of bows! Ha!The 25th was Griffin's 4th birthday! Griffin wanted a cake for his birthday because he said he's never had one (not true), so Jimmy bought him one and HE DIDN'T WANT TO EAT ANY OF IT! The stinker!Harper turned 3 months old!Oh my goodness, they are too cute!I just love this boy who did some crazy poses for his 4 year post!

2011 Recap: July

2012-01-07T07:50:00.000-05:00

July was a great month! We really got into a groove of newborn and toddler life and things started to feel comfortable.
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We had a lot of fun at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's 4th of July party!Griffin played on his new slip and slide at my grandparent's house.I got a new camera and spent a lot of time playing around with the new settings.Both kids got a little tummy time.We spent a lot of time up at the pool and Griffin started going off the diving board all by himself!I snapped a picture of these 2 adorable kids!Someone started really smiling and it was glorious!Griffin and I had some fun at a photo booth.Harper turned TWO months old!The end of July brought a lot of fun for us! We spent a day at the pool with our cousins and then headed to a local balloon lift-off. It was a great day!

2011 Recap: June

2012-01-06T06:14:00.000-05:00

June was pretty crazy! Everything, at the time, seemed to be happening in slow motion, but then when you think back, it happened so fast!

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Harper had her newborn pictures taken.

These were some of my favorite pictures this month!!!!Harper figured out that her favorite place to sleep was on someone else!Everyone took a lot of naps!!!!!Griffin went fishing for the 1st time and caught 10 fish!Harper still slept a lot and Griffin would lay by her! So cute!!!We went back to the park to play mini golf!

Griffin danced the night away at a family wedding.We visited Papa Dean and Grandma Shirley.We celebrated Father's Day in full attire and took pictures as a family of 4!Griffin became an awesome helper!I took A LOT of pictures of my kiddos!

I celebrated my 33rd birthday with my family at our favorite park. Griffin also celebrated by feeding Emmi - ha!Harper turned ONE month old!

2011 Recap: May

2012-01-05T05:47:00.001-05:00

May was by far our busiest month! Harper coming into our lives was definitely the high point of this month and this while year!
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Harper kept growing and she did not slow down until the very end!When I went in for my 36 week checkup, the doctor said I was measuring 40 weeks (awesome news - not) and was concerned about all my swelling. She sent me over for an ultrasound to see my Harper girl who was measuring over 9 pounds already! I was told to take it easy - ha!

Griffin (and Jimmy) developed a love for Angry Birds!As the weather improved, Griffin got a new fishing rod and practiced a little bit in the backyard.We spent Mother's Day morning at my dad's church with my mom and sisters.

Then, we headed down to see Maw Maw and it was pretty nice, so Griffin went swimming.

The 13th was my last day of work due to my swelling (I lost 3 pounds in water weight after I was able to stay off of my feet) and that weekend, we took a 2 hour trip (and stayed in a hotel) to see Aylah get baptized!After a fun day (the 26th) spent together, at the movies (seeing Kung Fu Panda 2) and running a few errands, it was time to be dropped off at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's for a few days. This is my last picture of just me and my boy!Griffin took his new job of Big Brother very seriously!

At 2:19 pm, Harper Elizabeth was born!!! She definitely had a full set of lungs as she cried the ENTIRE time I was being "fixed up" after my c-section! It turns out, she was hungry! Go figure! Ha!

Me holding my girl for the first time!Our family of four!!!While I was in the hospital (4 days), I got to spend lots and lots of quality time with the new princess!On Monday, the 30th, we got to come home and Griffin opened his new presents from his sister!He loved her from the 3rd time he saw her ... ha! The first few times, he wasn't sure of her, but once she came home, he has loved on her ever since!On the 31st, we took a trip to the pool (our 1st car ride with 2 kids :).

2011 Recap: April

2012-01-04T06:10:00.001-05:00

April was sort of the calm-before-the-storm month. We didn't have a lot of plans, so we continued to relax and hang out together!
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Harper had a crazy growth spurt and starting causing me to hold a lot of water and swell! (the 36 weeks picture is technically May ... fyi)Griffin finally got to open his Christmas gift from Maw Maw and Paw Paw and loved his quad AND he loved the box!

Harper got a few important gifts too!Cooper and Nadia celebrated their 4th birthdays at Chuck-E-Cheese and then we went and colored lots and lots of Easter eggs!We had a fun Easter! Griffin (and Harper) got a basket after a scavenger hunt and then it was time to get some family pictures. Ignore the super swollen lady and focus on the cute, little boy!

2011 Recap: March

2012-01-03T06:05:00.000-05:00

March was a busy month for us! I finally got my butt in gear to get some stuff done for Harper's arrival and we just enjoyed the time with our little family of 3!

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Harper felt like she was reaching capacity, but she was still kicking/punching/rolling EVERYWHERE!

I did a little (cough: a lot) of shopping for Harper and then had to do A LOT of laundry!I cuddled my boy as much as I could knowing his time as an only child was coming to an end!

Griffin spent some quality time on his work computer! He was mimicking how we sit at our computer with our feet on the couch! Ha!

We celebrated Papa Dean's birthday and took some silly pictures!

We celebrated St. Patty's Day in our green and Griffin even gave his sister an Irish kiss!

Since we live in Ohio, the weather went from this ...

... to this in the matter of a week!

During Mommy's Spring Break, we had breakfast at Panera a "couple" of times (ha!) and went to the IX Center for some indoor fun with cousins.

2011 Recap: February

2012-01-02T08:31:00.000-05:00

February 2011 was a cold month!!!! We had some snow days and spent a lot of time inside in the heat. Sorry, most of the pictures this month were taken on my cell phone and I'm not sure why.

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Harper continued to bounce around inside and she grew and grew and grew!

We got to see Harper again and she grew a lot since the last time we saw her three weeks earlier.

Griffin got some Valentine's Day treats from Maw Maw!We went to Layne's basketball game and Griffin got to meet Aylah for the first time!We went out to breakfast at our favorite local restaurant.

We had to get a new (larger) TV after our old one died. It provided a nice picture for Mommy to watch her Kentucky Wildcats play basketball!We spent a lot of time inside like this ... ... because of weather like this ...However, we were able to look cool, while staying warm!

During a snow day, we ventured out to Chick-fil-A for some lunch and then to Joann's to get a fun craft project.

2011 Recap: January

2012-01-01T12:15:00.000-05:00

2011 was an awesome year for us! I cannot believe that we are starting a new year, when it seems like it was just January 2011 and I was pregnant! Instead of trying to cram a ton of pictures into one post, I am going to go month by month. Here are some of our favorite pictures and most memorable events from January.

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We rang in the New Years and my favorite little boy and I hammed it up for the camera.

I made it to the half-way point of my pregnancy!

On Wednesday, the 19th, we found out that "Super Baby" was a GIRL and went out to lunch at Chili's to celebrate after the ultrasound! Griffin always said before the ultrasound that he was having a sister, but after we told him the baby was a girl, he of course, then said he wanted a brother! Ha!

Griffin and I visited a pre school (the one that he would attend a few months later). You can tell he took it very seriously! Ha!

Friday, the 21st, our niece, Aylah, came into the world!

We went out to dinner for Grandma's 88th birthday (the whole family picture was a little difficult to capture).

As you can see, Griffin LOVED Grandma's cake! Ha!

Stay tuned, tomorrow, we'll move on to February!

A Year in Review: 2011

2011-12-31T20:09:00.001-05:00

This year FLEW by and I seriously have no idea how it happened? I'm sure adding a new baby (a losing a lot of sleep) had something to do with it, but I'm pretty sure we skipped a few months somewhere! Ha! I made a little collage of pictures from this past year going month by month! I'm going to do a month by month summary starting tomorrow!Row #1:

January: We found out that our baby was a GIRL and went to lunch to celebrate, even though at this time, Griffin wanted a brother ... to be named Chuckie!
February: We had a few snow days this month and Griffin and I spent one at Chik-fil-A to get out of the house.
March: We went out to dinner for Grandpa Dean's birthday!
April: We were spending lots of time enjoying our first-born!
May: Harper was here and Griffin became a very proud big brother!
June: We had a newborn photo shoot here in our house and Griffin couldn't wait to get in on the action!
July: We spent a lot of time at home and Mommy took A LOT of pictures!
August: Griffin started pre-school and we went to Meet the Teacher night together!
September: Griffin and Harper spent lots of time together and sometimes they were even both in the pack-and-play! Ha!
October: The cute kiddos one Sunday before church!
November: Getting our family pictures taken for our Christmas card!
December: Hanging out on Christmas Day in our holiday outfits!

I'm sure 2012 will be filled with many more memories and I am ready to get them started! Happy New Year everyone!!!!

The Most Memorable Part ...

2011-12-31T09:23:00.003-05:00

The most memorable part of 2011 was going from this ...... to this ...Happy New Year everyone! I hope your 2012 is filled with laughter, love, and health!!!!

Harper: 7 months old!

2011-12-27T12:19:00.016-05:00

This was by far the HARDEST set of pictures to take! Little girl was everywhere!!!

Harper Elizabeth, you are now SEVEN months old!!! You are getting so big too quickly! This month has definitely gone by the fastest as it started right after Thanksgiving and ended today!

You weigh about 22 pounds and I'm guessing you are close to 29 inches tall (I know the weight is right due to a trip to Stat Care).
You wear mostly 12 month tops and leggings, but you can still wear your 9 month sleepers.

You wear a size 4 shoe. Your little feet are so chubby!
You wear size 3 diapers.
You eat about every 5-6 hours during the day. You start to get really fussy when you are hungry, so we know it's time. Also, you can now hold your own bottle, which is pretty helpful!
You do really well with food. As far as babyfood, you pretty much eat everything. When we are eating, you REALLY notice and you do whatever you can to make us share with you. You still love the puffed cereal bites and yogurt melts! We've also given you some people food, applesauce, banana, whipped cream, etc, and you LOVE IT ALL!
You like to roll all over the floor and try to knock things over, be held and talked to, and sit and play with your toys. You also like to watch your brother; he still, sometimes, shares his toys with you!
You LOVE pattycake!!! You have been known to do this in the middle of the night, which is both cute and a little annoying. Ha!
You are a good daytime sleeper. You take a nap (@2 hours) about a little after you wake up, and then you take another 1.5-2 hour nap after lunch.
Your are still not sleeping through the night :(. You usually go to bed around 7:30 and I put you in your crib. Then, you wake up around 1am and I bring you in Mommy and Daddy's room to sleep in the pack and play. A few nights this month, we slept in the rocker because you were so stuffed up and needed to sleep upright!
You have a self-soothing ritual of hitting yourself in the head with one hand and playing with your ear with the other. Also, right before you go to sleep, you turn your head from side to side 5 times!
You are the sweetest (spoiled) little girl who LOVES to be held! Your favorite spot to sleep is in someone's arms. You were LOVING all the attention you got on Christmas; so many people wanted to hold you!
Your big brother ADORES you!!! He is always happy to help when you are upset! You have been playing pretty rough with him; you like to grab onto his hair or face and pull really hard. He just says, "Harper, that hurts!," but he never gets made at you. He truly is the best big brother!!!
You really are such a happy baby! Even on little sleep, you still flash your big smile to everyone! You love to be around people and the only time you cry is when people leave you alone in a room, you are hungry, or you poop!
You love reaching for whatever is in front of you ... the computer keyboard, my food, my drinks ... the list goes on and on! You are SO curious/nosy and you love to know what is going on around you.
You sit all by yourself and you love to sit there and play with some of your toys. When you are done sitting, you can roll onto your belly, and then push yourself back onto your butt!
You have rolling mastered and we find you in very different places from where we left you.
You are SOOOOO ready to crawl. If something (or someone) is in front of you, you grab it to pull yourself forward. You can get on "all fours," rock forward, and take one step. You are pretty good at crawling backwards!!!
You are a blondie! We have a tough time keeping up your faux-hawk because your hair is growing in more and doesn't want to stand up on top!
Your eyes are so pretty and I think they will stay the mostly blue, but with a little green/grey tint!
You get baths in the kitchen sink because you like sitting up and seeing the water and grabbing everything around you. You make a huge mess splashing, but you have so much fun!
You are now in the big rear-facing car seat. I couldn't carry that infant seat and you enjoy sitting up a little higher and closer to your brother!
You are a smiler and "talker" (aka a yeller). It is so funny to just talk to you and get that response! You have the cutest gummy smile! When we are out, people just gravitate towards you and you smile at them!
You are a LOUD BABY!!!! When you are left alone in a room, you want people to come back, so you get loud!!!
You like to blow bubbles/raspberries with your lips and spit usually flies everywhere!
You love petting and then grabbing onto Brutus and he tolerates that pretty well. He always sits right by you like he's protecting you.
You are doing really well going to the babysitter's house during the week. However, you light up when I come to get you and want me to hold you immediately! It makes me so happy to know you missed me!

Harper-girl, we love you SO, SO, SO much! Every single day, you make us smile and laugh and I know that will continue because you are such a sweet, little girl!

Christmas 2011 Recap

2011-12-26T17:36:00.003-05:00

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas! It was busy, but so much fun! The kids were SUPER spoiled and I'm sure we will be opening new toys until birthdays! I decided to do collages to get all my pictures in without going overboard! Ha!

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CHRISTMAS EVE:

Starting in the top, left corner and going clockwise:

My reindeer helping me make cookies
Our super, sugary cookies (who do you think put all that sugar on?)
Christmas tree
Stockings
My lovebugs
My Dad and Harper
Griffin and his pajamas (and new Pokemon underwear). We open new pajamas on Christmas Eve.
Harper chilling in all the wrapping paper
Griffin's new Pokemon playset (which he played with most of today)
Our sweet niece, Aylah
Harper eating mashed potatoes
Uncle Nate and Harper
Center: Griffin and Harper opening pajamas together

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CHRISTMAS DAY:

Santa ate our milk and cookies and left us a note
Griffin got his Batman train! (When Griffin came downstairs on Christmas morning, I asked him if Santa came and he looked at the tree and said, "No," with a really sad look on his face. Then, we told him to look on the table and the train was there all set up! He was so happy!
My beautiful girl
Harper opening her first present
Griffin and his Pokemon tin
Opening stockings: he got candy, she got babyfood!
Cuties before going to Grandma's
Grandma and the kids
Maw Maw and the kids
Two smiling kiddos
Christmas jammies
I love Griffin's smile; he had the best day! He kept saying things like, "this is awesome," and "this is what I always wanted!" It was precious!
Center: Me and my babies; the only Christmas presents I'll ever need!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-24T09:38:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! I'm so excited to spend the next few days with our families! We have a pretty busy Christmas weekend lined up, but it should be fun and I know the kids, Griffin especially, will really enjoy the next few days! There is nothing like seeing Christmas through the eyes of your kids!!!! Enjoy your holidays!!!!!

Harper: 6 months old

2011-12-17T15:28:00.001-05:00

*Post written on 11/28/11, pictures taken on 12/17/11*

Harper Elizabeth, you are now SIX months old!!! I cannot believe that you are so close to being one year old ! I feel like you just got here sometimes and other times it feels like you've been with us forever (in a good way, of course ;)!

You weigh 20.13 pounds and are 28 1/4 inches tall (Griffin was 21.12 lbs and 28 5/8" tall).
You wear mostly 9-12 month tops and 9-12 month leggings. You also wear 9 month sleepers.

You wear a size 3-4 shoe. Your little feet are so chubby!
You wear size 3 diapers.
You eat about every 3-4 hours during the day. You rarely make that little fake cry/cough to let us know that you are hungry, but sometimes you do it and I still love it!
You are doing pretty well with baby food. You have your times when you really don't want it and other times, you devour it. You REALLY notice when we are eating/drinking and you do whatever you can to make us share with you. We started giving you the puffed cereal bites and you LOVE them!
You like to roll all over the floor, play in your activity bouncer, be held and talked to, and sit and play with your toys. You also like to watch your brother; he will (sometimes) share his toys with you!
You are a decent daytime sleeper. You take 1 longer nap (@2 hours) about 2 hours after you wake up, then you take a 2 other cat-naps throughout the day.
Your nighttime sleep took a bit of a hit this month. You only slept through the night 3 times ... this did not make Mommy happy! You usually go to bed around 8 and wake up about 12 and again about 4. You have been sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's room in the pack and play this month as you were too big for the co-sleeper and needed more room.
You have a self-soothing ritual of pulling your hair with one hand and playing with your ear with the other ... it's a little strange, but you seem to like it.
You are the sweetest (spoiled) little girl who LOVES to be held! Your favorite spot to sleep is in Mommy or Daddy's arms. You've been better about not waking up if we put you down, but you are definitely a light napper.
Your big brother ADORES you!!! He is always happy to help when you are upset! He talks to you and tries to soothe you; it makes me smile to hear him talk to you! He likes to tell you, "it's okay, I'm here now!" He truly is the best big brother!!!
You love reaching for whatever is in front of you ... the computer keyboard, my food, my drinks ... the list goes on and on! You are SO curious and you love to know what is going on around you.
You sit all by yourself and you love to sit there and play with some of your toys. Wen you are done sitting, you "gracefully" fall over (usually towards your face) and lay on your belly.
You have rolling mastered and we find you in very different places from where we left you.
You seem like you are ready to crawl. If something (or someone) is in front of you, you grab it to pull yourself forward. Also, you've been getting close to being on "all fours" like you are just going to take off.
Your hair is now almost all blonde. There are a few darker pieces towards the back, but you're going to be a blondie! We try to do the faux-hawk, but your hair is growing in more and doesn't want to stand up on top!
Your eyes are so pretty and I think they will stay the mostly blue, but with a little green/grey tint!
You are now getting baths in the kitchen sink! You really like sitting up and seeing the water and grabbing everything around you. You love getting a bath; it calms you down when you are crabby!
You are now in the big rear-facing car seat. I couldn't carry that infant seat and you enjoy sitting up a little higher and closer to your brother!
You are a smiler and "talker" (aka a yeller). It is so funny to just talk to you and get that response! You have the cutest gummy smile! When we are out, people just gravitate towards you and you smile at them!
You are a LOUD BABY!!!! When you are left alone in a room, you want people to come back, so you get loud!!!
You like to blow bubbles/raspberries with your lips and spit usually flies everywhere!
You love petting and then grabbing onto Brutus and he tolerates that pretty well. He always sits right by you like he's protecting you.
You adjusted much better than Mommy did to your new schedule at the sitter's. She tells me everyday that you do well and that makes me so happy! Mommy misses you like crazy, but I know that you are well taken care of and your brother is there to help out too.

Harper-girl, we love you SO, SO, SO much! Every single day, you make us smile and laugh and I know that will continue because you are such a sweet, little girl!

Santa Visit 2011

2011-12-17T14:13:00.005-05:00

We saw Santa!!!! Griffin really wanted to go see Santa this year, so I braved the mall on a Saturday morning to take both kids to sit on his lap! Our last trip to sit on the lap of a holiday figure was the Easter Bunny from 2009 and it.was.terrible! Griffin saw Santa earlier this week at his school Christmas and he was so excited and he told us that Santa's lap was really comfy!!!!

Griffin has been VERY consistent with the gift he wants Santa to bring him ... a Batman train. When we met Santa (at the mall), he walked right up to him and told him he wanted the train! Ha! I have a feeling that Santa has heard this request and will try to get that item for our nice, little boy!

Harper wasn't sure what to think of Santa at first, she just kept looking at Griffin, then at Santa. She finally looked forward and smiled, so I know she loved Santa too! I'm just happy she didn;t cry!!!

I'm Still Alive ...

2011-12-15T17:34:00.015-05:00

Hello blogging world! I am still here, but I've been pretty busy. I was off of work for 5 months for an extended maternity leave and when I went back to work, I got REALLY behind!

I have a lot to catch up on, but for now, I'll leave you with some pictures from our family session from the beginning of November.

Our favorite local photographer took these pictures and they were just so ... real. There isn't a "picture-perfect" one, but they all show the kids' personalities and that makes them perfect pictures to us!

Happy 1/2 Birthday!

2011-11-27T14:48:00.003-05:00

Harper is 6 months old today!!!! How did that happen?! I'm currently typing this one-handed because she keeps trying to hit the keyboard ... this girl is already a handful! Ha! I'll do an official 6 month post tomorrow after her doctor's appointment, but until then, I'll leave you with a cute picture of my sweetie!

I Am Thankful ...

2011-11-23T13:13:00.005-05:00

I have SO much to be thankful for this year! I am most thankful for my two happy, healthy kids and my wonderful, supportive husband! Also, I am beyond blessed with amazing family, friends, and co-workers. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with those that you are thankful for!!!

Wordless Wednesday: a good one, plus the outtakes

2011-11-16T05:40:00.003-05:00

The good picture!

The outtakes!

Griffin versus Harper: 5 months old!

2011-11-13T19:12:00.002-05:00

Batman and Robin ... I mean, Elephant!

2011-11-06T17:35:00.001-05:00

She's Pierced!

2011-10-28T11:16:00.008-04:00

Harper got her ears pierced! If you would've asked me 2 weeks ago when this would happen, I would've told you that I hadn't given it any thought. However, I went to the mall this week, which is a totally rare occasion, and saw the piercing place and starting thinking about if it was time. I posted the question on Facebook about whether she is too young or should I wait and talked to Jimmy and he said we should take her. So, back to the mall we went ...
=======================
Once last look at our earring-less girl! She looks really tired because we went before nap time!

Jimmy had to hold her because I was too scared!
Yes, she is crying, but this was BEFORE the actual piercing while the girl was marking up her ears!

She cried for a minute after the piercing, but then she calmed down and fell asleep! She looks so cute!

Harper: 5 months old!!!

2011-10-27T14:34:00.012-04:00

Harper Elizabeth, you are now FIVE months old!!! How did this happen? Weren't you just a newborn 5 days ago?! It is seriously going too quickly!

You weigh probably about *20 pounds and are 27-28 inches tall (*I'm not positive since you don't have a doctor's appointment this month).
You wear mostly 9-12 month tops and 6-9 month pants. You also wear a few longer 6 months sleepers, but mostly 9 month sleepers.
You wear a size 2-3 shoe, but your feet are so chubby that even the 3s seem tight on the top of your foot.
You wear size 3 diapers. I actually had to go buy diapers for the first time as our supply from my co-workers finally ran out.
You eat about every 3-4 hours during the day. You still make that little fake cry/cough to let us know that you are hungry.
You started "real" food this month. You weren't a fan of the Gerber foods (it was too runny, so you spit it back out), but you like Ella's Organics baby food which is a little thicker.
You are awake most of daytime. When you are awake, you like to roll onto your belly on the floor, play in your activity bouncer, and be held and talked to. You also like to dance with daddy (he twists you around like you are dancing) and watch your brother!
You are a decent daytime sleeper. We had a few weeks this month where you averaged 1 hour nap a day ... 15 minutes here and there ... that was it! Those were long days! This week, you've been sleeping pretty well though. You take 1 longer nap (@2 hours) about 2 hours after you wake up, then you take a 3-4 short 1 hour cat-naps throughout the day.
You sleep through the night about 90% of the time. You lose 5% this month because you got up quite a bit in the night. I'm not sure if it was teeth, but you were stuffy and just got up like a newborn. Bedtime is usually around 10 and sometimes you wake up around 6-6:30, eat, and go back to bed until 8ish.
You have a self-soothing ritual of pulling your hair with one hand while sucking on your fingers with the other ... it's a little strange, but you seem to like it.
You are the sweetest (spoiled) little girl who LOVES to be held! Your favorite spot to sleep is in Mommy or Daddy's arms and the minute we put you down, you wake right up!
Your big brother ADORES you!!! When you are crying, he always comes and makes you happy again. You totally light up when he comes into the room and always smile when you see him. He loves to lay by you, touch you, talk/sing to you, and tell you it's alright! He always wants to know how and what you are doing ... he's so good with you! He is my helper and is always watching what you do. You also watch what he is doing; I know you want to play with him so badly!
You love reaching for people's faces and hair ... you are a strong little girl because it hurts! I have had to forcibly pry your fingers open after you grab onto my hair.
You think you are a big girl! You are trying so hard to sit up by yourself, but you end of falling forward! Also, you love to stand up (with little assistance).
You have rolling from back to belly mastered and you are starting to lean back over like you might roll back and today you rolled from belly to back for the 1st time. When you are on your belly, you will push off our hands to move forward; it looks like you crawl sometimes.
You still have your "Papa Dean" hair style. Basically, your hair on top is lighter and you have dark hair all around the bottom! We still style you a faux-hawk because it's so darn cute!
Your eyes are so pretty and I think they will stay the mostly blue, but with a little green/grey tint!
You love getting a bath; it calms you down when you are crabby! We had to move you out of the baby tub and put the elevated mat into the big tub!
You like being carried around in the Baby Bjorn. This happens quite a bit because I cannot carry that infant carrier very far if you are in it! Ha! The minute you can sit unassisted, I will move you to a bigger car seat.
You are a smiler (especially first thing in the morning) and "talker" (aka a yeller). It is so funny to just talk to you and get that response! You are a LOUD BABY!!!! When you are left alone in a room, you want people to come back, so you get loud!!!
You like to blow bubbles/raspberries with your lips and spit usually flies everywhere. If we blow a raspberry, then tell you to do it, you will and it's so cute!!!
You got your ears pierced on October 26th and you did really well. Daddy had to go because Mommy was scared, but you only cried for a minute and then chilled until you fell asleep!
I have a feeling that you are going to be a sassy little girl! You such a sweetie, but there are times when your sassy attitude come out in full force! We had a few rough days this month with crabbiness, but you have been a good girl the past few days (woohoo)!

Harper, we cherish EVERY SINGLE DAY with you! You are so, so, so very special and our sweet/sassy, little girl!

Sunday's Best

2011-10-25T10:06:00.003-04:00

I took these 2 pictures last week before we went to church ... I just love, love, love, love those 2 little ones!

Pinterest Monday: funny texts

2011-10-24T09:43:00.002-04:00

I've fallen victim to auto correct on my text messages, so I thought these were funny!

Source: Uploaded by user via Kim on Pinterest

Source: None via Pascale on Pinterest

Source: iamyourcanadianboyfriend.com via Row on Pinterest

Source: feeworldorder.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Source: None via Coley73 on Pinterest

Source: None via Ashley on Pinterest

Griffin versus Harper: 4 months

2011-10-20T12:35:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday: when you're tired, you're tired ...

2011-10-17T13:32:00.004-04:00

Pinterest Monday: kids Halloween costumes

2011-10-17T11:43:00.003-04:00

Source: momsshoppingengine.com via Silviya on Pinterest

Source: howsweeteritis.blogspot.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Chantal on Pinterest

Source: rookno17.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: None via Angela on Pinterest

... and my favorite ...

Source: pinksuedeshoe.com via Erin on Pinterest

Infant Loss and Remembrance Day

2011-10-14T11:58:00.003-04:00

Source: october15th.com via Robyn on Pinterest

Tomorrow is National Infant Loss and Remembrance Day. I had a miscarriage in July 2010 and there are days where I still sit and remember everything like it just happened. Take some time to say a small prayer for the lost babies/children and for those who experienced the loss.

facebook updates!!!

2011-10-12T12:37:00.004-04:00

I haven't updated my facebook posts in a while (March was the last time ... yikes). So, here are my posts from August to now ...

I'm not sure if it's the age (4 years old) or what, but Griffin has been getting emotional lately! Agh!
The Totally Toddler stain remover brush saves the day once again!!!! I love that stuff!!!
Getting coffee at 2:25 pm ... yes, it's been a rough few days!
Griffin just told me to stop singing because my voice was hurting his head! Ha!
Harper thinks sleep is overrated ... I, kindly, disagree. This mommy is not looking forward to another sleepless night! :(
Sorry to anyone who follows me on Pinterest! I went a little crazy during Harper's nap time!!!
I survived an hour shopping trip w/ a super, quiet little girl ... no crying at all ... it's a special thing!!!
Busy day ahead of me to get ready for Harper's Baptism tomorrow ... I have done very little, which is completely unlike organized Erin!!! I did, however, get her a super, cute pair of pink, sparkly shoes!
My little girl is 3 1/2 months old and SASSY!!! That girl is going to be a handful as she grows up ... Lord, help me now! ;)
Griffin has conferences tonight!!! I've been doing parent conferences for 10 years as the teacher, but now I'm on the other side of the table!
(Sept. 16th) Someone rolled all the way over today!!!
The people on Bachelor Pad makes me feel normal!
I just heard "Can't Touch This" and started doing the dance in my car! Ha!
As much as I love a warm, summer day, today's fall-like weather felt awesome!
I could watch NCIS reruns all day long!
IMPORTANT QUESTION: Does anyone know when the Pumpkin Spice Latte come back to Starbucks? See, I told you it was important?
Some days I feel like Superwoman; I clean, do laundry, do dishes, play with both kids, and cook. Other days, I barely can accomplish brushing my hair.
I love the smell of Johnson's bedtime lotion!!!
I thought baby brain was supposed to end when you had the baby ... I lost my checkbook (I cancelled the checks, but still!) :(
I bought oreos at the grocery store yesterday ... that was a bad move! Ha!
Pinterest is SO addicting!!!!
Today my baby boy is 4; I cannot believe it! Griffin is such an amazing boy and I am SO blessed to be his Mommy!!!
Griffin gets to go to school, eat pancakes for dinner, and open presents from Mommy and Daddy, so I'm pretty sure he'll be loving his birthday!
I'm happy to report that Griffin had a good 1st day of preschool! He told me about what he ate, of course, and that he was a good boy, which his teacher confirmed! She said Griffin was very polite and a good listener. :) He told me he liked playing outside the most!
Griffin starts preschool today ... wish me, I mean him, luck ;)
Coffee ... must have coffee!!!
It's almost time for Griffin's birthday party ... he is beyond excited for his Batman/Scooby Doo party!!!
So, I've been up since 2:20am and I am not tired ... I will be requiring A LOT of coffee to get through today!
It seems like Harper is trying to do every milestone faster than Griffin did! Crazy!
Tonight is Griffin's preschool "meet the teacher" ... He's super excited; I'm petrified! Ha!
The day that I can take a long, relaxing shower (or bath) without interruptions will be a very good day indeed!!!
Griffin has a double ear infection which is the one symptom he never complained about!
Remember the days when Griffin took naps? Those days were awesome! Ha!

Wordless Wednesday: Chubby Legs

2011-10-12T09:17:00.001-04:00

Pinterest Monday: Pumpkins

2011-10-10T09:02:00.000-04:00

Source: tablespoon.com via Elissa Pickle on Pinterest

Source: iheartnaptime.net via ang on Pinterest

Source: foodbozo.com via Shasta on Pinterest

Source: everycreativeendeavor.com via Teresa on Pinterest

Source: memoriesforkeepsake.com via Erin on Pinterest

... and my personal favorite "Pumpkin" ...

Source: prairiecottagerose.blogspot.com via Pam on Pinterest

Bye, Bye Baby

2011-10-06T10:47:00.002-04:00

Well, my baby isn't much of a baby anymore :( Not only is she rolling from her back to her belly, but she also was able to turn herself sideways in her swing (don't worry, she was strapped in). So, the swing, the tummy time mat, and the Bumbo seat are getting put away (the Bumbo because her legs don't fit in the slots - ha) and the new toys are out!!!!

First up is the Johnny Jump Up! Griffin got this for Christmas in 2007 and he enjoyed it and so does Harper!!!!

Next, is the Baby Einstein Activity jumper, again, this was Griffin's and Harper has picked up right where he left off! She loves this jumper (even though she doesn't jump yet). She loves that little frog with the mirror below it! I also attached some of her toys to the bars for her to pull on.

Finally, Harper has started eating rice cereal in her highchair! Griffin and I cleaned his old high chair off and she seems to like sitting in it! Well, she likes eating, so I think she knows food is coming when she is in it! Ha! The last picture is the funniest ... she wasn't too sure about it the first bite!!!

Wordless Wednesday: sibling loving

2011-10-05T10:38:00.005-04:00

Pinterest Monday: Fall

2011-10-03T10:51:00.001-04:00

I LOVE Pinterest!!!! I mean, I could spend hours on this awesome site. For those of you not on Pinterest, it is basically, a website full of pictures of ideas that you can "pin" onto idea boards for your personal reference. Fair warning, Pinterest is addicting!!!

Here are a few of my favorite Fall pins!

Source: thehighheeledhostess.com via Trisha on Pinterest

Source: lisastorms.typepad.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: fahrenheit350.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source:

overthebigmoon.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

Harper: 4 months old!

2011-09-29T12:40:00.000-04:00

Harper Elizabeth, you are now FOUR months old, but it feels like you've been with us for so much longer because you fit right in!

You weigh 18 pounds, 12 ounces and are 27 inches in length ... both in in the 99 percentile. (For comparison, at 4 months, Griffin weighed 19.3 pounds (96%) and was 26.5" long (89%).)
You can still wear a few 3-6 month dresses as tops, but most of your clothes are 6-9 or 9-12 months. You wear 6 months sleepers, but not for much longer!!!! You also wear a size 2 shoe ... you have a cute pair of tennis shoes and some sparkly, pink shoes!
You recently moved up to size 3 diapers after we ran out of size 2s.
You eat about every 4 hours during the day. You make the cutest little fake cry/cough that lets us know that you are hungry.
You are awake a good chunk of time now for a few hours at a time. When you are awake, you like to play on your activity mat and "yell" at the toys attached to it.
You are a decent daytime sleeper. You usually take 1 longer naps (@2-3 hours) about 2 hours after you wake up, then you take a 3-4 short 1 hour cat-naps throughout the day.
You sleep through the night about 95% of the time. Bedtime is usually around 9 and you wake up around 6-6:30, eat, and go back to bed. There have been a few times recently that you have woken up 2 times in the night to eat, but you always fall right back to sleep.
You have a self-soothing ritual of pulling your hair with one hand while sucking on your fingers with the other ... it's a little strange, but you seem to like it.
You are the sweetest (spoiled) little girl who LOVES to be held! Your favorite spot to sleep is in Mommy or Daddy's arms and the minute we put you down, you wake right up!
You don't take your pacifier other than to chew on it!
Your big brother ADORES you!!! When you are crying, he always comes and makes you happy again. You totally light up when he comes into the room and always smile when you see him. He loves to lay by you, touch you, talk/sing to you, and tell you it's alright! He always wants to know how and what you are doing ... he's so good with you! He is my helper and is always watching what you do. You also watch what he is doing; I know you want to play with him so badly!
You think you are a big girl! You are trying so hard to sit up by yourself! Also, you love to stand up (with little assistance). You rolled completely over once (from back to belly) on September 16th, and have done it a few times since then, but not consistently. When you are on your belly, you will push off our hands to move forward.
Your hair is now in what we call a "Papa Dean" style. Basically, your hair on top is lighter and you have dark hair all around the bottom! We still style you a faux-hawk because it's so darn cute!
Your eyes are getting to be a brighter blue! They are so pretty and I think you will have your brother's eyes!
You love getting a bath; it calms you down when you are crabby! We had to move you out of the baby tub and put the elevated mat into the big tub!
You like being carried around in the Baby Bjorn. This happens quite a bit because I cannot carry that infant carrier very far if you are in it! Ha! The minute you can sit unassisted, I will move you to a bigger car seat.
You are a smiler (especially first thing in the morning) and "talker" (aka a yeller). It is so funny to just talk to you and get that response! You are a LOUD BABY!!!! When you lay on your mat, you want people to know you are there, so you get loud!!!
You like to blow bubbles/raspberries with your lips and spit usually flies everywhere. If we blow a raspberry, then tell you to do it, you will and it's so cute!!!
I have a feeling that you are going to be a sassy little girl! You such a sweetie, but there are times when your sassy attitude come out in full force! Even your doctor mentioned that she can see your personality already!

I cherish EVERY SINGLE DAY with you, Harper! You are so, so, so very special!!!!

Harper: collage months 1-4

2011-09-27T16:51:00.000-04:00

Happy 4 months, Harper!

2011-09-26T18:32:00.010-04:00

Today, Miss Harper Elizabeth is 4 months old!!!! I'll have her 4 month post up on Thursday after her doctor's appointment.
In the meantime, I thought I'd post a few pictures of Harper's baptism this past weekend!

Wordless Wednesday: TV for 2

2011-09-22T13:21:00.001-04:00

Griffin versus Harper: 3 months old!

2011-09-17T20:00:00.004-04:00

I realized, after the fact, that my original 3 month comparison post had a picture of Harper from when she was still 2 months old! So here we go again! I made a little collage in Picnik to show off the comparison/contrast.

Collage Fun

2011-09-16T15:20:00.003-04:00

Here is Griffin in September over the past few years ... it's crazy how much he has changed, but also how much his looks have stayed the same! I have been playing around on Picnik and I really like the collage option for these "a year difference" pictures!

No Words Needed ...

2011-09-15T20:25:00.002-04:00

Waking Up Awesome!!!

2011-09-14T10:39:00.002-04:00

A friend shared this link on Facebook today it the blog post really struck me, so I wanted to share it with all of you! It's a lot to think about, especially for those of us raising little girls! Read it and pass it on to someone else!

Waking Up Full of Awesome

Interview with Griffin

2011-09-09T17:43:00.001-04:00

I did a Mommy and Me interview with Griffin a few weeks ago. I saw the idea on Pinterst and thought it would be fun to do every year and see how much he changes. He did great at the beginning, but he soon got bored and started climbing!

Fall

2011-09-08T11:14:00.008-04:00

Remember last week, when we were chilling at the pool to beat the heat? Well, this week brings a different kind of weather ... FALL!!! Here in Ohio, it went from being in the 90s on Saturday to the 60s on Sunday!
======================
Baby girl isn't quite sure what to think of this cweather hange!

However, she does get to rock some jeans!!!!... and some new tennis shoes to keep her little feet warm!This cooler weather has allowed me to indulge in one of my favorite things about fall ... the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks!!!! The smell of it is amazing and I just can't get enough of them!Well, enjoy the cooler temps! I love fall, so this time of year is perfect for me.

If you're looking for us today ...

2011-09-02T10:58:00.000-04:00

... we'll be here ...
... doing this ...
... and this ...

... and loving every minute of the end of summer (it's supposed to be in the 90s today)!

Accent Vlog

2011-09-01T11:54:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! I decided to join in on the Accent Vlog because I loved watching everyone's and wanted to see how I sounded. Normally, I hate the way I sound on video, but this turned out okay. Harper decided to join me and she was great until she started her hungry cry ... ha! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the vlog and link up your own vlog with Jenna's Journey. The instructions are down below the vlog! Happy Thursday!

The instructions are to say these words:
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And answer these questions:

•What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

•What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

•What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

•What do you call gym shoes?

•What do you say to address a group of people?

•What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

•What do you call your grandparents?

•What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

•What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

•What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Wordless Wednesday: sibling love

2011-08-30T19:00:00.006-04:00

(Make sure you check out Griffin's 4 year post and Harper's 3 month post below!)

Griffin: 4 years old!!!

2011-08-30T18:59:00.000-04:00

Griffin James, you are FOUR years old and I am amazed every single day at how quickly the past four years have flown by! (see Harper's 3 month post below)

You weigh 39 lbs. (73%) and are 41.6" in length (77%) - you gained 4 pounds and grew about 4 inches in the past year.
You passed your well visit with flying colors, including the vision test, which was a relief to Mommy due to her poor eye sight!
You are pretty good at dressing yourself, except sometimes your underwear end up inside out and/or backwards
You are a pretty good eater. You have your favorite foods (macaroni/cheese, pancakes, peanut butter/jelly, corn dogs, french toast), and the only vegetable you like is corn.
Patience is not your strong suit!!
You are a good sleeper. However, you stopped taking a nap a few months ago (bummer). When you don't nap, you are ready for bed around 6:30 or 7 and you sleep about 12 hours!
You are a sweet boy most of the time, but you have your moments where you can be ornery an stubborn! You tell me many times a day that you love me "the mostest" and it melts my heart every single time!
You have so many friends and you are not shy about going up to other kids and playing with them.
You LOVE Batman!!! He is definitely your superhero of choice. You wanted a Batman birthday cake and birthday party, and you want a Batman costume for Halloween.
You have a sensitive side and you get upset when you think Mommy or Daddy are mad at you.
You love to play outside and have spent a lot of time in the backyard in your clubhouse or swing set. Also, you like to help Daddy do work outside like water the plants.
You still like to climb on furniture and you have no fear!
You have been in preschool for 2 weeks now and you are excited to go in the morning. You don't say a lot about your day, other than you had fun playing and eating! For months now, you have been telling us that you learn all new things, "at my school," even though you didn't go to school yet!
You are such a great big brother and you take your job very seriously! You are the best helper and you are able to make Harper smile when she is upset. You tell me 100 times a day that you love her and you like to remind us that, "we are keeping her."

Griffin, you are such a special boy and you have so many people who love you! I feel so blessed every day to be your Mommy!

Harper: 3 months old!

2011-08-29T22:28:00.013-04:00

Harper Elizabeth, you are THREE months old and I try to soak you in every day because time is FLYING!

You weigh 16 lbs. and are 25" in length (this is just a guess since you did not see the doctor this month).
You wear 3-6 month outfits and some 6-9 month tops. You also wear 6 months sleepers. Anything that is tight around your legs has been put away because you have crazy chubby legs!!!
You wear size 2 diapers.
You still eat every 3-4 hours during the day. You still feel like if you are awake, you HAVE TO EAT! Immediately after waking up from an extended nap, you are FAMISHED and you let me know that it's time to eat with no delays. Patience is not your strong suit!!
You are awake a good chunk of time now for a few hours at a time and there have been a few days that you were awake for close to 6 hours in a row.
You are a pretty good sleeper. You usually take 2 longer naps (@3 hours) during the day and a few short cat-naps.
You sleep through the night about 95% of the time. Bedtime is usually around 9 and you wake up around 6-6:30, eat, and go back to bed. There have been a few days when you wake up around 3:30 or 4, but after eating, you go back to sleep.
You have started a self-soothing ritual of pulling your hair with one hand while sucking on your fingers with the other ... it's a little strange, but you seem to like it.
You are the sweetest little girl who loves to be held! Your favorite spot to sleep is in Mommy or Daddy's arms and the minute we put you down, you are wide awake!
You NO LONGER take a pacifier; you want Mommy to be your pacifier ... :(
Your big brother ADORES you!!! When you are crying, he always comes and makes you happy again. You always smile when he talks to you. He loves to lay by you, touch you, talk/sing to you, and even wake you up when you are sleeping ;) He always wants to know how and what you are doing ... he's so good with you! He is my helper and is always watching what you do. You also watch what he is doing; I know you want to play with him so badly! He wanted you to come to his pre-school open house and his first day of school, so instead of going to the babysitter's, you came with us!
You think you are a big girl! You hold your head up like it's nothing and you now sit in your Bumbo sit for a few minutes at a time. Also, you love to stand up. Your chubby legs are SO strong and you would rather stand than sleep.
Your hair is now in what we call a "Papa Dean" style. Basically, your hair on top is lighter and you have dark hair all around the bottom! We still style you a faux-hawk because it's so darn cute!
Your eyes are getting to be a brighter blue! They are so pretty (see above)!
You are a smiler (especially first thing in the morning) and talker. It is so funny to just talk to you and get that response! You like to say, "agoo" and "oh." It even sounds like you say, "hi." You blow bubbles/raspberries with your lips.

I cherish EVERY SINGLE DAY with you, Harper! You are such a special girl!

Busy Bees ...

2011-08-27T09:39:00.003-04:00

I'm working on Griffin's 4 year post and Harper's 3 month post ... they'll be up soon! We've had a pretty busy week and this weekend is more of the same.

Griffin versus Harper: 2 months old

2011-08-26T20:43:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Griffin!!!!

2011-08-25T08:30:00.021-04:00

Griffin is 4 years old today!!! The past 4 years have FLOWN by and I have been blessed every single day by this boy! Here's some of my favorite pictures of Griffin from the past 4 years!!!!

Wordless Wednesday: someone, hold me!

2011-08-23T10:04:00.005-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T20:39:00.004-04:00

Oh, How They Grow ...

2011-08-11T07:36:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday: deer, what deer?!

2011-08-10T06:21:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:38:00.004-04:00

Harper: 2 Months Old!

2011-07-29T17:38:00.001-04:00

Harper Elizabeth, you are two months old and I cannot believe it! The past month flew by and now you seem so big!!!

You weigh 15.05 lbs. (99%) and are 24.25" in length (95%). Just for reference, at two months, Griffin weighed 15.3 pounds and was 25" tall.
You wear 3-6 month outfits, but pretty soon we'll have to go to 6 months in sleepers. Some of the smaller 3-6 month outfits have had to be put away as they were too small for you!
You wear size 2 diapers (this is a recent move up).
You eat every 3-4 hours during the day. You still feel like if you are awake, you HAVE TO EAT! Immediately after waking up from an extended nap, you are FAMISHED and you let me know that it's time to eat with no delays.
You are awake a good chunk of time now for a few hours at a time.
You are a pretty good sleeper. You usually take 2 longer naps (@3 hours) during the day and a few short cat-naps.
You slept uninterrupted for 8 and 9 hours earlier this week and it was glorious! Normally, you wake up 1 time during the night, but it's getting to be later and later.
You are the sweetest little girl who loves to cuddle and be held! Your favorite spot to sleep is in Mommy or Daddy's arms and the minute we put you down, you are wide awake!
You take a pacifier, but only when you are tired.
Your big brother ADORES you!!! You like him too as you rarely cry when he holds you and smile when he talks to you. He loves to lay by you, touch you, talk/sing to you, and even wake you up when you are sleeping ;) He always wants to know how and what you are doing ... he's so good with you!
You think you are a big girl! You hold your head up like it's nothing (for a few seconds at a time any way)!
Your hair is still dark and still in a faux-hawk, but I can see that it is lightening on the top.
Your eyes are getting to be a brighter blue! They are so pretty!
You have really been smiling, cooing, and "talking." It is so funny to just talk to you and get that response!

I cherish EVERY SINGLE DAY with you, Harper! You are such a special girl!

Wordless Wednesday: Happy 2 months Harper!

2011-07-26T18:13:00.002-04:00

P.S. - Harper's 2 month post will be up on Friday after her doctor's appointment.

Wanted

2011-07-22T07:18:00.000-04:00

Griffin and I had some fun playing in the photo booth at a local mall. I love photo booth pictures and this was the first time he was willing to participate (it was actually his idea).

Wordless Wednesday: for Grandpa Dean

2011-07-20T06:54:00.000-04:00

A Good One!!!

2011-07-18T06:28:00.000-04:00

I got this cute picture of BOTH kids last week! Yeah me! I'm pretty proud of myself - ha! To me, they look so alike here (and both are totally adroable)!

Daredevil

2011-07-17T10:34:00.003-04:00

Griffin has been improving by leaps and bounds in the pool over the past few weeks! He went from wearing a tubie to wearing water wings. He used to be petrified of the sliding board and diving board and now he goes off of both over and over and over again! He started doing a spin move which he calls the NINJA and I took this cute video of him doing it yesterday!

Color Accent

2011-07-15T07:24:00.007-04:00

I've been playing around with the settings on my new camera. One of the features on some Canon cameras is called Color Accent and it's pretty fun to use. I have enjoyed using this feature which allows you to choose a color that will be featured while everything else shows up in black and white. Here are some of the pictures that I've taken recently.

P.S. - I'm just learning how to use this feature, so there are some pictures where things other than what I wanted are accented.

Wordless Wednesday: "I not tired, Mommy"

2011-07-13T06:39:00.000-04:00

Sunny Days

2011-07-12T12:12:00.006-04:00

It's been warm and sunny here and we've all had to put on our shades when we go outside!

(yes, Harper is wearing little sandals ... I blame my sister, Megan, for this as she bought this pair and then I went and bought another pair)

Harper's Newborn Photos

2011-07-11T16:00:00.000-04:00

Back when she was a tiny baby (well, tiny for her :) of 13 days old, Harper had her newborn pictures taken by an amazing local photographer and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you!!!!

Slip and Slide

2011-07-10T09:30:00.011-04:00

Last week, it was in the upper 80s in Ohio! Summer finally arrived! My grandparents were going to watch Griffin for a few hours and I decided to go buy a Slip and Slide, so he could play (and stay cool) in their backyard. (Side note: I totally remember playing with the Slip and Slide in their backyard when I was younger). I think he had fun :)

Favorites ... so far

2011-07-08T09:23:00.011-04:00

Harper is 6 weeks old now ... what?! We have used a ton of stuff over the past 6 weeks and I thought I'd share some of her favorites.

=======================

HARPER'S TOP 3:

1. Harper loves her Boppy! Whether is is time to eat or time to sleep (or just lay there looking cute), we really use the Boppy. I got the Boppy before Griffin was born and we rarely used it. So, for Harper, I got a soft cover and now we use it several times a day.

2. Harper loves her Soothie pacifier and BooginHead PaciGrip! Harper got a binky in the hospital. I know everyone talks about nipple confusion, but my girl confuses nothing! She only likes the Soothie. We have 3 binkies (one in her car seat, one in her bed, and one that is generally attached to her). I ended up getting a few paci grips after this to avoid losing the binky and they are awesome. Harper does not take a binky very often; she mainly takes it when she is tired. 3. Harper loves her Zebra Jittery toy! This was actually Griffin's car seat toy and I still remember the day that he pulled the zebra down on his own and I heard it vibrate! I see her just stare at the zebra (the black and white color helps). The toy is cute because you pull it down and it vibrates back up. Usually, Griffin is the one pulling it in the back seat I can't wait to hear the zebra vibrate after Harper pulls it for the first time!!

Wordless Wednesday: yes, my child does have eyeballs!

2011-07-06T06:01:00.000-04:00

4th of July ... photo fail

2011-07-05T11:32:00.006-04:00

This is the only picture I got of my kiddos in their super cute 4th of July gear ... umm, slight fail. The picture is cute, but I did not take a single picture after we left our house to go to 4th parties. Oh well, I was too busy enjoying the company and making sure the kids survived that pictures were the last thing on my mind. I hope you had a wonderful weekend!!!!
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Griffin's shirt was purchased here.
Harper's romper was purchased here.

Trying, take #2 ...

2011-07-01T06:30:00.001-04:00

I tried again to get a cute picture (on my cell phone) of both kids ... I didn't have the best luck this time ... ha! This picture cracks me up ... Griffin and those crazy eyes!This is the closest I got to a "good one" ... Harper has some spit bubbles going on though :)
"I'm done Mommy. You can take her now!" Ha!

Wordless Wednesday: "look at her little muscles"

2011-06-29T16:49:00.001-04:00

Griffin versus Harper: one month

2011-06-28T06:32:00.002-04:00

Okay, onto the kiddos at one mointh: I see so many similarities in both kids, so I want to see if that continues.
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The first picture is Griffin with Jimmy and exactly one month.
This is Harper with Jimmy; she is only one week old (which is why she looks smaller), but I love that these pictures are so similar!
Griffin (and cheeks) at 4 weeks old.
Harper (and cheeks) and 4 weeks old.

Griffin versus Harper: birth

2011-06-27T17:19:00.000-04:00

Since I didn't have a blog when Griffin was born, I decided to look back through his pictures and post his baby pics monthly after I do Harper's.

When Harper was born, we immediately thought she looked like Griffin when he was born. It was actually really crazy! So, here are some pictures showing each of them.
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Griffin (and me):
Harper (and me):
Griffin:
Harper:

Harper: 1 month old

2011-06-27T14:19:00.000-04:00

Harper Elizabeth, you are a month old today and I cannot believe it! Where did the last month go?
=================

The "sitting up" didn't happen ... she was leaning, so I helped her - ha!

My guess is you weigh 12 lbs. and are 23" in length. You were 11.9 lbs. (98%) at your 3 week check-up (up 2 pounds from your hospital dismissal weight). Also, you were 22 3/4" (96%) at that same appointment (up 2 3/4" from your birth length). You are growing like a weed. Just for reference, at one month, Griffin weighed 11.13 lbs. and was 23 1/4" tall.

You can still wear some 0-3 month outfits and even some 3-6 month outfits (especially sleepers).

You wear size 1 diapers.

You eat anywhere from every 2-4 hours. You feel like if you are awake, you HAVE TO EAT! You have been having more and more awake time every day and it's been nice to see your eyes open!

You are a good sleeper; you usually sleep between 2-3 hours at a time. There were days in the beginning where you'd sleep 4 hours at a time. Those were daytime hours, but they were still nice. We did have one night where you slept for 4 hours straight; that was pretty awesome!

You are the sweetest little girl who loves to cuddle! Your favorite spot to sleep is laying chest to chest on either Mommy or Daddy.

You take the pacifier which is good for Mommy :) You only like the Soothie binkies from the hospital.

Your big brother ADORES you!!! You seem to like him too as you rarely cry when he holds you. He loves to lay by you, touch you, talk/sing to you, and even wake you up when you are sleeping ;) He also likes to tell people that we are keeping you - it's too funny!

See, he even wanted to be in your pictures!

You have pretty good head control for being one month old and you try to move that big head all over the place!

Your hair is still dark and after sitting in your car seat, it stands straight out! So cute! We gave you a faux-hawk after your first few baths and now your hair always seems to stand up on top.

Your eyes are still a darker blue, but they seem to be lightening a little. I hope you get your brother's beautiful, bright blue eyes!

You love to be held! Thank goodness we have a lot of family who enjoy holding you because it is your favorite place to be!

You have started smiling and cooing. You coo the most after getting a bath, which you enjoy. I think you'll be a water baby like your brother.

I just try to soak you up every day because I know pretty soon you'll be a big girl! We love you Harper and we feel very blessed to have you in our family!!!

Just Because ...

2011-06-24T06:24:00.002-04:00

Just because my kiddos are so cute ...

Wordless Wednesday - my family of 4

2011-06-22T06:03:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday ... the current story of my life

2011-06-15T06:38:00.000-04:00

The Best Catch

2011-06-13T20:59:00.009-04:00

Jimmy took Griffin fishing over the weekend and Griffin did really well! He definitely did not get his fishing skills from me because I am TERRIFIED of live fish ... no joke, they scare the crap out of me!
Griffin caught 10 fish!!!!

Griff looks a little unsure of the fish here (Jimmy is holding the fish).
Griffin took this picture of Jimmy ... so funny!

I'm glad they had fun, I just hope they don't expect me to go next time ... ha!

Trying ...

2011-06-06T13:02:00.009-04:00

Trying to get a good picture of 2 kiddos is hard! Here is the breakdown of THE.CUTEST.PICTURE.EVER!!! Ha!
=================
It starts out with super cute little sister hanging out on her Boppy ...
Big brother decides he wants to give her a kiss ...

Hmm ... let's try again ...

The 4th time is the charm ... I absolutely adore this picture!!!!

We're in love ...

2011-06-03T13:04:00.006-04:00

Sorry, I've been M.I.A., but she's so yummy!!!! We're just spending time in baby heaven!

Introducing ...

2011-06-01T16:40:00.005-04:00

Harper Elizabeth

and SUPER proud big brother

born May 27, 2011 at 2:19 pm

10 pounds, 7 ounces, 20" long

... perfect in every way ...

39 week survey a.k.a. the final one!!!!

2011-05-27T06:38:00.002-04:00

How Far Along: I am 39 weeks and today will be Miss Harper's birthday!!!!

Size of baby: She continues to build a layer of fat to help control body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds (according to Babycenter). Well, I think she'll be bigger than this, but you never know!

Maternity clothes: Yes ... I can wear regular comfy pants, but all my shirts are maternity.

Gender: I'm hoping the 3 ultrasound techs were right and she will be a SHE ... ha! I have too many girly clothes already!

Movement: YES - you'd think she wouldn't have any room, but she can still contort my entire belly!!!

Sleep: I haven't been sleeping great, but I think a lot of that is nerves!

What I miss: Right now, I only miss the ease of moving around without a super large belly!

Cravings: Water and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Symptoms: I am pretty tired and I go to the bathroom a lot! My main symptom is sciatic nerve pain and some pressure in my groin/thigh area. I've been feeling pretty good the past 2 weeks and it's because I'm not crazy swollen and working. I actually lost 3 pounds due to my swelling going down!

What I'm looking forward to: Do I even need to say it? Ha! I can't wait to see Harper and hold her!!!!

Best moment this week: Spending time with my little man, relaxing, and waiting ...

On the night before you were born ...

2011-05-26T21:41:00.003-04:00

Well, tomorrow is the day ... Harper's birthday! Today has been an emotional and bittersweet day for me. I spent some quality time with Griffin before the big "drop off." We went and ran some errands and then went to see Kung Fu Panda 2. During the movie, I just found myself watching Griffin and tearing up ... my baby isn't really a baby anymore and tomorrow he'll be a big brother! There was one point during the movie when he came and curled up on my lap and I felt like my baby was still in there ... it did only last for a minute until he asked for more candy, but it was a minute that I will never forget!

My biggest worry isn't if I'll be able to love Harper as much as I love Griffin. My biggest worry is that Griffin will feel like he's not as loved because new babies require so much attention. He's been our one and only (and totally spoiled) boy for over 3 1/2 years and now it's time to share Mommy and Daddy. I'm going to work so hard to make sure Griffin knows he's still a priority ...

I am SO excited to meet Miss Harper Elizabeth tomorrow!!!! I've thought a lot about what she'll look like and what her temperament will be (I think dark hair, blue eyes, and feisty). I hope that tomorrow goes smoothly and the wait time is quick. I am not sure I can WAIT much longer! I have basically been "waiting" for 2 weeks since I've been off of work and I am READY!

I can't wait to share our little girl with all of you ... until then, say a little prayer for us!

T-minus 4 1/2 days and counting ...

2011-05-23T16:36:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm all scheduled and ready to go for Friday! I can't believe I will have a new baby THIS WEEK! I'm super excited, but also anxious and nervous. It's been over 3 1/2 years since I had a "new" baby and I know it'll all come back to me, but I still have those, "what if I forget how to ..." thoughts.

I've had a couple contractions here and there, but nothing even close to consistent. I never really had any early contractions with Griffin; my water just broke one night and I went to the hospital. I've been feeling really good ... it's crazy! Ever since I stopped working, my swelling is non-existent. I actually lost 3 pounds from my appointment last week to my appointment this week and I'm sure it was the swelling!

So now, I need to just try to be patient (ha!) and wait until Friday! Woohoo ... she's almost here!

We've come a long way ...

2011-05-21T11:35:00.005-04:00

Picture #1: 13 weeks pregnant - November 2010
Picture #2: 38 weeks pregnant - May 2011

It's hard to believe how much my body has changed in 25 weeks ... just a few more days until we get to meet our sweet baby Harper!!!!

38 week survey

2011-05-20T06:37:00.003-04:00

How far along: 38 weeks ... I have a c-section scheduled for NEXT FRIDAY ... t-minus 7 days!

Size of baby: Your baby has really plumped up (insert - ha) as she weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (again - ha) (according to Babycenter). So, our little miss Harper is weighing in around 9-9.5 pounds according to out latest ultrasound.

Maternity clothes: Since last Friday was my last day of work, I am now lounging in comfy clothes ... I love it!

Gender: It's a GIRL and she's still going to be named Harper Elizabeth.

Movement: Yes ... I feel a lot of movement and she is able to contort my entire belly!

Sleep: I still sleep pretty well, except I get up to pee about every hour during the night. Also, I've been needing more and more naps!

What I miss: This week I really miss not being so tired. I wish my nesting symptom would return, so I would feel like cleaning, but it's just not there! Ha!

Cravings: Water ... it's been the only consistent craving this whole pregnancy! I still am craving grilled cheese sandwiches and Hi-C fruit punch.

Symptoms: My main symptoms this week is pressure/pain in my groin area. Since I am not working, my swelling has gone down dramatically. I can actually SEE my ankles!

What I'm looking forward to: EVERYTHING ... seriously, I can't wait for her to get here!!!

Best moment this week: Spending a lot of one-on-one time with Griffin and just enjoying everything that he does!

Today's Update

2011-05-17T12:57:00.003-04:00

Today brought another doctor's appointment ... baby girl is doing well and looks healthy (and big :). Other than that, I don't have preeclampsia which is good news. Now, I just wait ... which if you know me, you know that I stink at waiting. Ha! I am not patient. Oh well, we'll see what happens!!!

Update from last week

2011-05-16T15:40:00.004-04:00

So, because Blogger deleted my updated 37 week baby survey (boo), I didn't get a chance to let you know what happened at my doctor's appointment last week.

First of all, when the doctor measured me, I was measuring at 40 weeks ... umm, yeah, I was 36 1/2 weeks then. So, they sent me over for an ultrasound to see how big the baby was measuring. Harper was coming in at 9 pounds, 7 ounces (ultrasounds can be either 1 pound up or down) ... ha! I had been asking for months if she'd be big because she felt big and they always said, "No, she's normal size." Anyways, here's her cute face ...
I also had to have some blood drawn because of my swelling and higher blood pressure as they were looking for signs of preeclampsia. I have to go back to the doctor's tomorrow for another blood test, ultrasound, and stress test, so I'll know more then. I hope she holds out until a little later this week ... she'll be close to 38 weeks then. I'm getting excited (plus, anxious and nervous) for her to get here!!!!

37 weeks pregnant

2011-05-09T16:41:00.005-04:00

How far along: I am now 37 weeks pregnant ... 21-7=14 days to go ... did I really just type that?! Wow!

Size of baby: Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is weeks away. If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (according to Babycenter). I've been wondering when the "time" will be. Will my water break like it did with Griffin? Will I have a scheduled c-section at 39 weeks? I'm getting anxious (but very excited).

Maternity clothes: Yes and yes ... I had to buy a few longer shirts to get me through the final stretch.

Gender: It's a GIRL and she'll be named Harper Elizabeth!

Movement: Her movement is slowing down a bit, but she is still as strong as ever. She contorts my entire belly when she moves!

Sleep: I have been needing to take some extra naps to keep up. I have been pretty tired lately.

What I miss: Being able to bend over, walk without getting winded, walk without a waddle, and walk without pain ... oh, and skinny ankles!!!!

Cravings: This week I had a craving for ... water ... surprise! Also, I had the same cravings as last week: Hi-C Fruit Punch and grilled cheese sandwiches! I've eaten a good amount of fresh fruit this week too!

Symptoms: This post may not be long enough ... ha! Let's see: round ligament pain in my thigh/groin area, sciatic nerve pain, difficulty breathing, little baby feet sticking up into my ribs, swelling of my ankles, feet, and legs, exhaustion, lower back pain, and just all around uncomfortableness.

What I'm looking forward to: My niece is being baptized this weekend. My sister lives 2 hours away, so we're going to spend the night in a hotel. It'll be our last hurrah as a family of 3!

Best moment this week: Spending Mother's Day with my little boy, my husband, my mom, and my mother-in-law!

36 week survey: 9 months pregnant!!!!

2011-05-06T06:06:00.000-04:00

How far along: I am now 36 weeks pregnant ... 28-7=21 days to go!!!!!

Size of baby: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. (according to Babycenter). I feel HUGE!!!! I know that I am mostly baby, but I seriously feel like I might fall over!

Maternity clothes: Yes and yes ... I had to buy a few longer shirts to get me through the final stretch.

Gender: It's a GIRL named Harper Elizabeth!

Movement: Her movement is slowing down a bit, but she is still as strong as ever. She contorts my entire belly when she moves!

Sleep: I slept pretty well this week except for some uncomfortableness from my back being sore.

What I miss: Being able to bend over, walk without getting winded, walk without a waddle, and walk without pain.

Cravings: This week I had a craving for ... water ... surprise! Also, I have been craving Hi-C Fruit Punch, orange juice, and grilled cheese sandwiches!

Symptoms: This post may not be long enough ... ha! Let's see: round ligament pain in my thigh/groin area, sciatic nerve pain, difficulty breathing, little baby feet sticking up into my ribs, swelling of my ankles, exhaustion, lower back pain, and just all around uncomfortableness.

What I'm looking forward to: I just want to see her ... not yet, but I am getting excited!!!!

Best moment this week: I got some more "stuff" crossed of my "To Do List." Yeah!

35 week survey

2011-04-29T05:49:00.000-04:00

How far along: I am now 35 weeks pregnant ... 35-7=28 days to go!!!!!

Size of baby: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver (ha - tell me something I didn't know) now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scale at 5 1/4 pounds. She'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight (according to Babycenter). I sure hope she doesn't put on too much more weight; my belly already feels like I might tip over!

Maternity clothes: Yes and yes ... most of my shirts are too short in the front.

Gender: It's a GIRL named Harper Elizabeth!

Movement: She definitely is a feisty little thing. She moves a lot during the day and even more in the early evening. She looks like she's trying to kick her way out of my right side!

Sleep: I slept pretty well this week except for some uncomfortableness from it being muggy.

What I miss: Being able to bend over, walk without getting winded, walk without a waddle, and walk without pain.

Cravings: This week I had a craving for ... water ... surprise! Also, I am coming back around to Hi-C Fruit Punch. I stole some of Griffin's juice boxes this week to satisfy my craving!

Symptoms: This post may not be long enough ... ha! Let's see: round ligament pain in my thigh/groin area, sciatic nerve pain, difficulty breathing, little baby feet sticking up into my ribs, swelling of my ankles, exhaustion, lower back pain, and just all around uncomfortableness.

What I'm looking forward to: Being skinny again ... ha! I'm getting my 2nd prenatal massage tomorrow. Also, I'm looking forward to only working for 15 more days!

Best moment this week: The best thing I saw this week was Griffin LOVING on his cousin Aylah! He loved her and it was beyond cute! I know he'll be a great big brother!