Friday, July 31, 2009

Where's my snack pack?

Who knew that "back to school" season would have any relevance in the life of a ten-month old? Harper begins Mother's Day Out in one month, and I feel like I'm getting ready for a school year. She needs a backpack, a lunch bag, her name written on every item she owns...the whole works. I'll pack her lunch in the morning, along with a change of clothes and a stash of diapers. We haven't left the house that prepared since Harper was ten weeks old. Heck, who am I kidding? It was more like two weeks. Maybe this MDO deal will help get me back on track. At the very least, it will ensure that we are all dressed, fed and out the door before 9 a.m. Progress!

Sometime over the next few weeks, we can expect to meet Harper's teacher. I'm curious about the other kiddos in her class. Her birthday is two weeks shy of the cut-off date for the next class, so she will undoubtedly be the oldest of her classmates. I just hope the other kids are at or near her age--there just isn't much HP is going to learn from a room full of wee babies. Ah well, she'll be giving noogies non-stop no matter the age difference!

Likewise, I'm also headed back to school in a couple weeks. I haven't earned the right to a fancy new backpack or a snazzy lunch sack, but my deal is even better. I'll be lucky enough to have the opportunity to write a five-gazillion page paper on... ... ... ... Yeah, I got nothing. Buckle your seat belts, because this is going to be a bumpy ride! For me, at least. The most Harper will have to worry about is whether or not Mom remembered to pack her snack pack.

And of course, I will have.

Loaner baby

Kristi, Alyssa, Breyer and I met at good ol' Southwest Texas State University in good ol' San Marky. It was the late '90s, and times were different. We were single, childless, and the beer fridge overfloweth. I still have a beer fridge, thanks to my dear husband, but most everything else has changed.

We're all married. Kristi and I have a child each, and Breyer has two. (Show off!) Alyssa had to use a loaner baby. In other words, whichever of Breyer's twins that was the poopiest. Not even one beer was consumed while we all hung out last Saturday. (The one you'll notice is the last pic belonged to that dear husband of mine. He was either littering or trying to make us look bad.)

The good news is that we can still pick up where we left off, and have a grand ol' time. Man, I love these girls! And their babes, too!

What a great smile from Kase...

...and another great smile from Kyle, even with a foot in his mouth!

Alyssa and Cy. She wanted any and every baby she could get her hands on. Don't they loan them out at the SMPL? ;)

Aunt Alyss tells the boys stories about their mommies in college. Lies, all lies!

Tickle fight!

Kristi is one hot mama!

I've got Harper and Cy balancing on my foot while Alyssa and Breyer man the twins. Babies, babies everywhere!


Kristi showin' off her sweet moves!


The other babies were off fending for themselves in the hot tub. Hey, we're Bobcats....ya gotta live a little! ;)

Driving Miss Daisy

Harper's friend, Lily, paid us a visit a couple weeks ago. Maybe she wasn't exactly "Driving Miss Daisy," but it was pretty close!






HP appears excited at the thought of having such a cool Austinite friend! LJ is probably excited at the thought of a free chauffeur service!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

A day in the life of Harper Elle...

Some days are fast and furious, while others are nothing more than humdrum. Today was none of those things. We attended a friend's mother's funeral this morning. It was a "first" for Harper, though not one we'd like to become habit. Harper acted wonderfully peaceful--maybe she sensed that today was a sad, yet special, day. Luckily that dove was firmly attached to its headstone or Harps might have lost points on behaviour. Whew!

Without really intending to do so, I created a visual documentation of Harper's day. It might be boring to some, but to Harper it was an entirely new day. I like to think she is constantly amazed, forever learning, always exploring, constantly napping.....ahahahaha! Yeah, that last one was a joke. If only!

THURSDAY, July 23rd, 2009. 8:44 a.m. - 8:47 p.m.
HP helping her dad get ready for work...or she may have been giving him tips on his fantasy village game. Build more mills, send out the troops, buy more formula! Or something like that...

Brush 'em, brush 'em, brush 'em!

Spending quality time with her Piggy. Pat-pat, little Pig!

Wrigley understands that HP can only sit still for so long. Like 38 seconds max.

Pat-pat, little Piggy. Again. And again. And probably another few times before the day is out.

Checking on the dogs. Possibly enlisting their help for an upcoming jailbreak. They can be very, very sneaky.

***
I wish I had gotten a shot of her after dinner. She was unbelievably gross, coated with fish sticks and bananas from head to toe. G-R-O-S-S. (See, added emphasis.) No time for a pic--no time for detours from the kitchen to the bathroom. By the grace of God, she didn't scream at the sight of the tub. I hope her "screaming bloody murder during tub time" antics were nothing more than a one-week stand. Actually, I'm not hoping, I'm begging.
***

She had plenty of time for cheeky shenanigans after her bath. She shimmied under the hood of her car...a mechanic in the making, perhaps?

The car passed inspection, and Harper's Garage closed for the night.

Mini Jeff was hot on the trail of my digi cam. Quite the techie baby.


How 'bout a nice warm glass of shut the... uhh, milk. I meant milk. Nice warm glass of milk. (Sometimes I want to say normal things, but I end up channeling Adam Sandler instead. It just happens.)

Nightie night, sweet HP! I expect to see you at 7:30 AM tomorrow, and not a moment sooner! Fingers crossed...

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Doooooo iiiiiiiiiiit

Question: How do you convince someone that he or she (ok, Harper) needs to take a nap?
Answer: You don't.

Ugh, this kid is killing me today. Won't take a nap. Nope, no way, no how. I've attempted bribes and trickery, but apparently I am no match for a ten-month old.

If only she would listen to my advice and hit snooze for an hour or so! Doesn't she know there will come a time when she will desperately want a nap, but the man will say "no, get back to work...and try to look happy this time!" If only she knew what she is missing out on this afternoon!

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.......

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Feelin' hot hot hot...

In case you haven't noticed, it's H-O-T outside. (And in case you haven't noticed, I capitalize all the letters in a word separated by hyphens for added emphasis. L-O-V-E it or H-A-T-E it!) After nearly 15 years of living in Texas, I still can't quite handle the heat of a Texas summer. Like I tell Jeff, I was practically born in a Chicago blizzard! I can make a snow angel like it's nobody's business, but this heat? No thank you! Some people may even tell you that I become slightly irritable in the heat...it's kind of like an unconfirmed rumor. ;)

Harper and I have taken to running errands in the mornings and sticking around the house in the afternoons. I've gotten quite a bit of cleaning and organizing done around the house this week. In the meantime, HP and Miss Piggy have been left to their own devices. (Well, sometimes they ask for my help!) Here is a sample of the ways they've found to entertain themselves...


A friendly game of tug-o-war...


Fetch


Best buds!


Free wagon rides through the house...step right up!


Wrigley jumped ship.


Harper's new favorite spot: the fridge. She'd stand in there for an hour if we'd let her!
In closing, a line from a movie classic...
"It's too damn hot for a penguin to just be walking around here!"

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Smells like syrup, tastes like independence

Tomorrow, we'll be the proud parents of a ten-month old. I'm not entirely sure how we got here, because, really, I can't remember half of it. Regardless, we've made it this far, and I think we're gonna keep her. Unless she sprouts any new teeth--I'm not "wo-mom" enough to handle the idiosyncrasies of teething babies. Four teeth are plenty, thank you very much!

Harper is movin' and groovin' all over the place. While she isn't walking yet, I still end up chasing her around like a chicken with its head cut off. Picture me as the chicken. She's been cruising for awhile now, but I think a few sessions of strength and stability training are in her future before she can become a true, solo biped. She went to town climbing the stairs at Aunt Tiffany's house this past weekend. I was worn out from climbing up and down, up and down, upppppp and doooooown them myself while I acted as her safety net. Makes me glad we have a one-story!

Life is getting messier as she grows older, too. I know I need to let Harper self-feed more regularly, so that has become our objective of the week. Last week, we went cold turkey on the bottle. (Harper, not me!) I was nervous, but the switch to a sippy cup went off without a hitch! Unfortunately, the time I'm saving on cleaning bottles has been redirected to cleaning Harper after she feeds herself breakfast. Eggo mini pancakes were on the Peel morning menu today, and I must say, I am new fan! A dab of sugar-free syrup and a fresh raspberry on top....now you're talking! And you just can't beat the sweet, sweet smell of syrup breath on the kiddo!

The slow transition from baby to little girl has begun, I'm afraid. Excited, too. I thought I would be sad, but more than anything I'm excited. This little girl has become my best friend, and I am giddy with anticipation for all the adventures that lay ahead of us! How old do you have to be to skydive? ;)

What started out at this...

"Mikey likes it!"

...became this. Trust me, things got messier!

Leggo my Eggo!

Inhaling her fourth pancake...

Thanks for making breakfast, Dad!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Swim at your own risk

Harper L-O-V-E-S the pool (except when she hates it). Lord knows how I will entertain her once pool season is over. Lucky for me, pool season in Central Texas can carry on well into October! We're also lucky that Nana and Poppa Peel have a very nice pool they are willing to share with us and our friends! Just don't be alarmed if the 120-pound German Shepherd, Kilo, doggie paddles on by you! Like the sign says, swim at your own risk! ;)

Harper had a swim date last week with her friend, Cambell.

Cambell waves "hi!"

Just chillin'...

"Huh? Who said my name?"

Goldfish make for a nice post-swim treat.

Even better when they are shared with a friend...


...in the buff! Cute booties!

Brother, can you spare a dime?

We've got a water baby on our hands. We've also got a sleeping baby on our hands...in the pool. Sunday marked the third time that Harper fell asleep in the pool. It was also first time that Jeff crafted her a pallet out of a floatie and a towel. Sweet dreams, HP!

Sharing fish tacos with Mommy and Daddy. This was taken moments before she peed in the highchair. Damn swim diapers are only good for one thing...the #2 thing. 'Nuff said.


Too much fun in the sun!




Aww, my little homeless baby, curled up next to a park bench! We should have set an empty styrofoam (don't get me started) cup out to see how much loot we could collect! ;)