Finally... a facelift!

Thanks to my fabulous sister-in-law, Kacy, my blog header is now perfect!!! She is so talented... I have no idea how she even did it! I know I've been slacking on the posts lately. I'm still in Little Rock, and blogging just hasn't been a priority for me this week. However, I must note that Harper laughed for me last night. I know that most babies laugh a lot earlier, but she is usually too sad to be that happy! It was so cute!!! I've tried several times today, but she isn't having it. Whew... we might have quite the strong-willed child on our hands!!!

A Stubborn roly poly...

Since this is essentially Harper's baby book... this will be a short post to say that sweet Harper finally rolled over from tummy to back, on purpose yesterday! Of course, she waited until she was with her Kay-Kay to do it, but I am perfectly fine with it. I'm just thankful she finally hit that milestone. She is also so close to going from back to tummy.... she'll probably do that before I get back too. Silly girl!!!

Leah and I are still having a great time in NYC. We head back to LR tomorrow, so we're packing in a few last minute things before we leave. I have taken tons of pictures... many solo shots (which are always awkward), so hopefully I'll be able to post them soon. We'll be staying in LR a few more days, so I may not be able to do it until we head back to Big D. Who knows?!?!? I'll keep you guessing... and yes, I am pretending y'all really care!

Barely survived...

Okay, so I know I haven't blogged in forever! We were in Waco this weekend with some friends, and then Monday was crazy with getting ready for our trip. But, I'm here in NYC and Harper is having a blast with her Kay-Kay. I obviously took a lot of pictures yesterday, but I haven't uploaded them yet. You may be looking back at that title, wondering what I barely survived. Oh... that would be the shuttle ride from the airport. The driver told me to get in the front, so I had a great view of his scary driving. Anytime he wanted to change lanes, he just honked and then went. It was crazy! And I thought Dallas had some crazy drivers and traffic. Thankfully I made it safely and to Leah's building without any problems. We did some touristy things and saw Lady Liberty, Ground Zero, and St. Paul's Cathedral... a church right across the street from ground zero. It didn't get damaged at all...which is pretty amazing! Then Leah and I ate some good food and great dessert, and we just walked around. I will say the highlight might be that I went to sleep around 11 and just woke up....at 10:30!!!!! That's more sleep than I've gotten in a very long time. I slept with earplugs and didn't hear a thing all night! What a great way to start this vacation! Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures, if not, I'll do it when I get back!

And Lindsey... if you are reading this, we miss you SO much! We didn't do anything fun yesterday and won't be enjoying ourselves at all. :)

Quarantine gone bad

Okay, so I haven't said anything this week because we weren't sure what my sister really had, but it has now been confirmed. Lindsey and Chris went to Guatemala last week, and she came home with H1N1... fancy for Swine Flu. They have been quarantined since she got home on Sunday, and needless to say they are all going stir crazy. The reason this is so frustrating (besides simply having the flu) is that on Wednesday, Lindsey and I were supposed to travel to NYC to visit Leah. Even though she has been on the medicine since Monday and technically isn't contagious, the doctor said she needed to stay home. So I will now be going alone. I know this may sound superficial, but we were all so looking forward to being together, and I am just so angry that this happened to Lindsey. If you know much about her health, she has to deal with a lot, and it just seems so unfair. I'm sure there is a bigger picture, in fact, I know there is... I just wish I could see it. I know that Leah and I will have fun, but there will definitely be a void all week. If you think about it, please pray for Lindsey. She is handling everything as well as she can, but she is very upset. It just seems that Satan is really attacking us, and we are all ready for it to stop! Thanks for your prayers, we all appreciate it! 

What I'm clinging to...

 Isaiah 43:2-3

   

  ² When you pass through the waters, 

       I will be with you; 

       and when you pass through the rivers, 

       they will not sweep over you. 

       When you walk through the fire, 

       you will not be burned; 

       the flames will not set you ablaze.

      ³ For I am the LORD, your God, 

       the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Even when I feel so overwhelmed with hurt and fear, I do what I know to do... cling to what I know is Truth. Thank you, Lord, for giving me these words when the pain is just too much to handle. You are my strength and my shield. In you I place all of my trust.   

     

I love a good deal!

If you are a Baby Lulu fan (and how could you not be?!?!), you need to check out this website! It is hautelook.com, and each day they post a different (deeply discounted) higher end clothing brand. I think the Baby Lulu sale is over in 10 hours, so get there now! I bought Harper a fall outfit that was 50% off... you can't beat that! Well, maybe you could, if you didn't spend anything at all, but let's be real here. I come from a family that loves a good deal, and we can rarely pass one up! Anyway, go and sign up now, and then each day they'll send you an email with that day's deal. 

Another one of my favorite baby websites right now is babysteals.com. My mother-in-law introduced me to it, and it is wonderful! Each day at 10am (central time), they post a different "steal". The items are at least 50% off and they are great! They have posted robeez, bumbos, diaper bags, sleep sacks, etc. I haven't purchased anything, but I always want to. Some of the items would make a great baby gift! So go and check out those 2 websites... you'll thank me later. 

Chunky Monkey

That picture really has nothing to do with this post... it is just one that I haven't posted yet, and I wanted you to see her precious swim suit! Thanks to the 104 degree heat, we try to go to the pool as often as we can! Oh how I wish I had one in my backyard!!! 

Harper had her 4 month check-up yesterday... and she certainly has grown a lot since her 2 month! Obviously I expected that, but her weight just caught me by surprise.

Height: 24 1/4 (50%)

Weight: 13lb 14 oz (55%)

Head: 40 (15%)

Sweet thing has such a tiny head. We have been reassured that her head size has nothing to do with her brain capacity- that's good news! We'll be waiting to do cereal and solids until she is 6 months. Our doctor recommends it, and since we have had so many feeding issues, we all agree that it's best to wait. So I am great with that! Other than that, she is right on track developmentally and is cuter than ever! 

We are just so thankful for our precious daughter. She is such a blessing to both of us, and I never want to take a single day for granted! 

(And no, this isn't how I am wanting my blog header to look... I still can't figure out how to make the picture bigger!)

A growing girl!

Today is Harper's 4 month birthday...I honestly can't believe it! She is growing so much and learning more every day. Her appointment isn't until Tuesday, so I don't know any of her stats yet, but I will definitely be posting them! At 4 months old, here are a few things about little Harp:

-still wearing size 1 diaper (about to move up though)

-mainly wearing 3-6 month clothes (I still squeeze her into a few 0-3 favorites!)

-sleeps on her side without the swaddle at night

-loves her swing, playmat, and bumbo

-was introduced to Baby Einstein this week since I needed to shower while she was awake... she only enjoyed it for a few minutes. I am great with that because I don't want to become dependent on tv to keep her entertained. It would be easy to do, and I have seen what that can do- not a fan! 

-hasn't rolled over yet but is so close to going from back to front

-has discovered how to put things besides her fingers in her mouth

-still hasn't laughed.... trust me, I've looked like an idiot trying to get a laugh! But she has discovered how to squeal when she's excited! It's precious!

-sleeps from about 8:30pm to 6:30am (sometimes earlier...but lately it's been a little later!)

-she naps 2-3 times a day, usually about 2 hours each

-loves her bath and is hilarious in it

-when laying on her back, she tries to sit up... and ultimately looks like she's trying to do some crunches; it is one of my favorite things she does

That's all that I can think of right now... so here are some pictures of her from the last few days. 

She NEVER falls asleep like this anymore... 

so she must have been VERY tired last night!

Chewing on her links and getting drool everywhere!

Touching her soft giraffe... she loves ANYTHING soft

Rolling from side to side

She discovered her knees and feet last week and she loves touching them!

Under Construction

So I decided to change things up.... but that hasn't been as easy as I thought it would be. This is not the finished product. I just don't have time to figure out how to make the header picture bigger right now. Any ideas???? 

Will Work Dress Up for (Free) Food

We had such a fun day today! Thanks to "Cow Appreciation Day", we dressed up like cows and received a free meal from Chick-Fil-A. Even though Harper wouldn't be eating, I made sure she joined in on the dressing up... trust me, this won't be the last time we do this. It was a blast! Here are some pictures... Thanks Mare, Luke, and Emme for joining us. I certainly would've looked silly going by myself with Harper (but I probably would've done it). 

She wasn't too sure about this

Emme loved it for about a minute and then wanted that shirt off!

One of the few pictures we have together...nice

Emme, Mare, and Luke having a great time!

Harper didn't mind the huge cow

Neither did Luke... Emme, on the other hand, wasn't a fan!

Emme with Luke's cow mask on

I hope that you have a great weekend! I'm looking forward to relaxing with Corby and Harper and hopefully catching up on some sleep! 

She's 2!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Eliana!!! I can't believe that you are already 2 years old. This year has FLOWN by! We wish that we could be there to celebrate with you today! Harper can't wait to see you in just a few short weeks. She thinks y'all are going to have a blast playing together! Eliana, we love you and are so thankful that you are a part of our family. You are such a blessing, especially to your mommy and daddy! 

Loving on Daisy

If you can't laugh at this picture, I worry about your sense of humor

I love her sweet spirit (even though it can be a little mischievous!)

Sweet Gerbera Daisy

I figured nothing says "Happy 4th of July" like a flower half the size of her head....so that's what we went for on Saturday. I made this to clip onto her headbands, but since it is homemade it has to be clipped on just right or else it looks ridiculous. Therefore, this was the first time for her to wear it. She wore it for a while, but the headband leaves a print on her head, so I just think it can't be comfortable. There will be a day when she'll have to suffer pain for beauty (trust me, she has her dad's eyebrows!), and 4 months old isn't quite it. I hope you enjoy these pictures. We sure had a fun time taking them! 

You're making me wear what?!?!

Okay... I agree. I do look beautiful.

Snuggling up with her lamb

Side note: If I think about how big she looks in that chair,

 I might cry. 

Happy Birthday, America. Sorry your party's so lame.

To celebrate America's birthday and Corby having the day off, we did absolutely nothing! Well, unless you count our 20 minute trip to Target, but I really don't. Target is basically still home for me. We have enjoyed the relaxing day, and I've especially enjoyed my extra naps (Thanks, Corbs!)!  I think he has had a fun day, getting to spend extra time with his "Little H". We do have plans to hang out at the lake tomorrow, so we are looking forward to that! Here are some pictures from yesterday. I realized that I haven't been taking very many pictures of her.... and I know that's all the grandparents care to see here on this blog! :) My apologies...I will do better! 

Snuggling in her daddy's arms

Putting her dress in her mouth is her new obsession

Another favorite: fingers in the mouth which equals drool every where! 

In honor of her favorite sorority, the Arkansas chapter of Pi Beta Phi, winning the Balfour cup for the 3rd year in a row.... she is wearing her angel wing shoes! For those of you who don't know, the Balfour cup is given to the #1 Pi Phi chapter each year, and when you win it 3 years in a row (which is almost unheard of!), it is retired at your house. I am so proud of those girls for working so hard to win and make all of us Arkansas Alphas proud! My little sister was a part of this exec team, so I am especially excited, knowing that Leah played a part in making them the best! And yes, I know I've been out of college for several years now, and I shouldn't even care about this kind of stuff.... well, obviously that's not the case. Pi Phi for life. 

Thanks Mrs Garton for the awesome shoes! 

Such sweet little feet!

Happy 4th of July!!! I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend!