Twelve Months

Happy first birthday to my sweet daughter.  Your happiness is noticed by everyone and your smile brightens up every room.  Watching you grow this past year has brought me pure joy.  You are always excited by the world and I am honored to have you as a daughter.  What an amazing year!

Likes:
Dancing
French fries
Laughing
Making funny noises

Dislikes:
Being sleepy

Schedule:
Now that Harper sleeps through the night I feel like we finally have a schedule.  Of course, she'll be starting school in a few weeks if we can get her walking, so we will probably mess this all up.  Our days look like this: Harps wakes between 7:30-8:30 and quietly plays in her crib. We have breakfast (pancakes, cheerios, milk, fruit), play or run errands, snacks, nap from 11-1ish, eat lunch (cheese, deli meat, pouch), play some more, snacks, take another nap (4-6ish), eat dinner, play again, then off to bed with milk between 7:30-8:00 for a full night's sleep!

Features:
Her hair is still a medium brown color, a tad bit mullety, and keeps getting thicker.  She now has a total of 5 teeth and teething doesn't seem to bother her.  She is 21 lbs and 13 oz and I'm pretty sure she gets cuter every day.

Milestones:
SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!!
Claps
Points
Pulls up on occasion
Clicks tongue
Purses her lips when you say "kiss"

Firsts:
Cake
1st Birthday Party
Splash Park
4th of July

Challenges:
Not that I want to push her, but we need this girl to walk!

Thoughts:
I can't wait to watch you continue to grow and blossom into a fun loving, sweet lady.  I promise to keep you my baby as long as you'll let me and I will always be here to love you unconditionally even when you don't think you need me.  You are such a wonderful gift and I am so grateful you are mine.

Thank you to everyone who followed along with Harper's 1st year of life.  It's bittersweet to write this last post... such a fast and wonderful year.  Happy Birthday Harper!

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Eleven Months

It's hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that in just one month I will no longer have a baby, but a toddler.  This silly, loud, always on the move toddler.  I remember the fears I had while pregnant of adding to our family of three and now I can't believe I was ever unsure that you would fit in.  You are everything we needed and ours hearts are fuller than we could have ever imagined.  Watching you transition from baby to toddler makes me feel sad, but also incredibly proud and in complete awe of the little human you are becoming.  We just love you so much Harps!

Likes: 
All of the food, especially carbs
Baths
Dancing
Peek-a-boo
Shopping Carts
Attempting to eat dog food
Hitting things on the table or floor to make noise
And of course, Harrison

Dislikes:
Headbands 😭

Schedule:
Harps wakes between 7-8 am, eats solids and drinks milk, plays, takes a nap. Repeat until bedtime at 7:30.

Features:
She just keeps growing!  She is about to pop out of size 3 diapers (up to 28 lbs..liars) and is in size 9-12 month clothing.  Her hair continues to thicken and her thighs continue to be chunky.  Her top teeth are so close to popping through and I just absolutely love everything about her.

Milestones:
Full on crawler-- she finally uses her knees to get around and has no interest in sitting still
Plays "SO BIG" and throws her hands in the air
Sits on her knees
Understands "no" / has selective hearing

Firsts:
Father's Day
Trip to the Keys
Whole Milk (goodbye formula!)

Challenges:
She'll sleep through the night eventually right?  RIGHT?!

Thoughts:
As much as it hurts my heart to know that our time of having a baby in the house is coming to an end I am also so so excited to see her continue to grow and learn.  As we speak she is dancing in the playroom and her curiosity is getting the best of her.  I'm excited to see the similarities and differences between her and Harrison and I just feel so lucky to have them both.

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Ten Months Old

Oh baby girl, your personality is really starting to shine and you make us laugh + smile every single day.  You are always happy and your joy for life makes me so proud.  I hope you always enjoy the world with as much enthusiasm as you do now.

Likes:
Blowing raspberries
Screaming (for fun)
Big brother, as always
Didge, our dog
Food

Dislikes:
Formula- she doesn't finish her bottles these days and prefers real snacks (unless it's 2 am)
Being tired

Schedule:
Eats when she wants and sleeps when she wants, which is usually not all night.  She's adaptable to whatever we are doing, but we are pretty consistent with bed time and she goes to sleep without a fight. 

Features:
Brown hair, blue eyes, approximately 20ish pounds, +  TWO bottom teeth!

Milestones:
Army Crawling
Can go from crawling to sitting and sitting to crawling without hesitation
Mimics sounds
Can hold on to something and stand
Trying real foods

Firsts:
Teeth!
Memorial Day
French fry (her fave)

Challenges:
10 month photos.  Why sit still when you can MOVE?!

Thoughts:
Can they both just stay little?  It's so refreshing to watch their innocence and I dread the day when that is taken from them.  I am doing my best to raise good, kind souls and soaking up every second of them just being little. 

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Nine Months Old

Nine months has a lot of meaning to me.  It's the last month of single digits in babyhood and she has now officially been out longer than she was in.  It's a mystery to me how quickly time has gone.  I feel like I was just waddling around waiting to meet her last week, but it also feels like a lifetime has passed since she was a newborn.  I would give anything to hold that sweet, precious infant again, but my heart also explodes with happiness watching her grow.  Parenthood makes me feel all the feels.

Likes:

Puffs

Purees

Harrison

Her newfound ability to explore

Dislikes:

When Harrison takes a toy from her; we're still working on that whole sharing thing with big bro. 

Schedule:

Harper gets three to four 6oz bottles a day, with the occasional midnight snack, and solids in between.  She takes a good three hour nap in the late morning and if the stars are aligned will take another hour nap around 5pm.  She goes to bed around 7:30, has a bottle more often than not in the middle of the night, and then wakes up between 7-8am. 

Features:

Her brown hair is starting to lighten, but is becoming thicker.  She is in size 3 diapers and wears 6-9/6-12 month clothes.  We are starting to question if she will ever get teeth, but her gummy smiles are pretty darn cute so we aren't in a huge rush to begin the nightmare that is teething. 

Milestones:

Crawling?  Harper is sort of crawling.  It's more like she is half crawling.  She can pull her body in whatever direction she wants to go, but is not moving on all fours yet.  

Clapping, sorta

Can hold onto something and stand briefly 

Goes from belly to sitting (ok, once, but it counts)

Firsts:

Says MAMA!

Wedding

Challenges:

That work/life balance thing I mentioned last month is still a struggle.  I desperately want to be the best mom and the best at my job, so I'm working really hard to dedicate specific time to both.  I'm learning that multi-tasking is not beneficial in those roles and it's ok to take time for just family and for just work.  Advice welcome. 

Thoughts:

Her personality is starting to show and it's so incredibly amazing and interesting to see the differences between Harper and Harrison.  Harper is always content, takes her time to do things, and is cautiously curious.  I can't wait to see her soul shine through more as she gets older (😭 + 😊) and look forward to many moments of laughter with her.  

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Eight Months Old

Harper Ellen has become my little sidekick -- coming to the office and appointments with me-- and I feel so lucky to be able to spend this time with her.  Of course she doesn't make work easy (girlfriend is distracting because she's so dang cute), but I treasure the extra time I get to spend with her.  The whole reason I started this crazy adventure a couple years ago was for my family and I feel so grateful for these extra moments I get with my daughter.  Being a working mother has its' challenges, the hardest for me being work/life balance, but I honestly believe I have the best of both worlds.  Harps gets cuter + sweeter each day.  Her smile can light up any room and she is such a joy to be around.  She is a very happy baby and only complains at night if she wakes up hungry, which is understandable.  Oh baby girl, you have our whole hearts.

Likes:
-Smiling
-Harrison, Mommy, Daddy, + Didge
-Sitting up
-Food
-The camera
-Attention

Dislikes:
-When we walk out of sight

Schedule:
Harps eats a few bottles a day and is loving the solid food life -- she has mastered the pouch and loves any and all purees, puffs, + yogurt melts.  She's tried some actual people food and is a fan -- bread, turkey, eggs, potatoes, and cheese!

Features:
Her hair is getting thicker and lighter and her eyes are the most beautiful shade of blue.  Her chubby cheeks and double chins are my favorites and every time I look at her I wonder how we got so lucky (twice).  Oh, and she' still all gums.

Milestones:
-Rocking bath and forth on her knees
-Scoots backwards + sideways
-Adult foods
-Says baba, yaya, lala, and of course....dada.

Firsts:
-Commercial (Drools Teething Tools - coming soon to Kickstarter)
-Real people food
-St Patricks Day
-Easter Egg Hunt

Challenges:
Sleeping through the night -- she'll sleep through the night three nights in a row and is ready to party the next four.  We have seen progress, so I can't complain too much, but she has a serious case of FOMO between 11:00 pm- 1:00 am.

Thoughts:
Can I bottle her up and keep her this way forever?  She is so happy + curious and I never want that to change.  This whole parenting thing is challenging, exhausting, emotionally draining, and absolutely the best.

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Seven Months Old

I love this age!  Harper is so much fun these days.  She loves to bounce, laugh at her brother, and ham it up for anyone that looks her way.  She is possibly the loudest child in the entire world and I love each crazy sound she makes.  She is learning every day and it's amazing to watch her take in the world.

Likes:
-Waking up at all hours of the night
-Food
-Baths
-Big brother
-Toys
-Our dog
-Mommy + Daddy

Dislikes:
-Sleeping through the night

Schedule:
On a good day she has four bottles, two snacks, and two long naps.  Days where we are on the go are a little less scheduled, but we manage.  She goes to bed without an issue around 7:15 and sleeps for a few solid hours before she decides it's snack and snuggle time.

Features:
She's lucky she's cute because man are we tired!  She has the best smile in the world and an infectious laugh.  At her 6 month check up, she was 15 lbs, 12 oz and 25 in long...so if I had to guess she is probably almost 17 lbs and a little bit longer now.  She is rocking size 3 diapers and is moving up to her 6-9 month wardrobe.  Have I mentioned how cute girl clothes are?  I can't stop shopping 🙊

Milestones:
-Waving
-Working on consonant sounds -- she's got "B" down!
-Holds her own bottle
-Sits with no problem

Firsts:
Alligator Farm
Valentine's Day
Bath in the tub
Teething Wafers
Walker

Challenges:
The lack of sleep is starting to catch up to us.  I keep telling myself that she'll sleep one day.. right?  RIGHT?!

Thoughts:
Harrison is finally starting to pay attention to her and the giggles between the two of them make me happier than I could have ever imagined.  As an only child, it is really special to me to see the bond forming between them and I look forward to watching it strengthen.  I know we'll have plenty of arguments between those two in our future, but we will also have a whole lot of love.  💚

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