Let's Play Catch-Up

My, my, my, how time flies when you're having fun!!

Harrison is now 6 1/2 months old and more fun than there are words in the dictionary!!  He is growing so fast and learning so many new things each day.

Since my last post, a lot has happened...let's begin:

Christmas came and went so super fast!!  My mom came down for Christmas, and that was such a special treat.  We attended Christmas eve service at our church which was really nice...the theme was Christmas through a child's eyes.  It was very sweet to see the little ones singing Happy Birthday to Jesus!!  It was also a great service!!

Jeff, Harrison, and I spent New Years with our good friends Brett & Kelly Jones.  They are expecting their first baby in March, so Harrison will have a friend very soon.  Miss Emily Claire Jones will be here before we know it!!

My sister, Stephanie, came from Boston for a visit from Jan 5-9.  Having Steph here was so awesome; I miss her so badly and wish that she and Thomas lived closer.  However, she and Thomas are up to some good things up in Boston.  They are opening The Friend Street Hostel in early April along with Thomas' good friend Matt.  It's going to be a great thing for them and for Boston!!

While Stephanie was in town, my mom also came back for a visit, and so did my dad and step-mom.  It's always great having family in town.  Time always seems to go by way too fast, though.

On January 11, my mom got married to her long-time beau Kevin.  I am so happy for the two of them.  They had been dating for close to 8 years, and it was time for them to take the plunge. 

The biggest news since my last recap is that Harrison is now 6 months old.  Harrison turned 6 months old on January 23rd.  He is growing up so fast; it's hard to believe that he's already 1/2 year old!!  So, now let me tell you about all that he's been doing:

• Harrison began eating solid food (oatmeal and oatmeal/banana cereal) since mid-December.
• Harrison began eating "real" solid foods in mid-January, just before his 6 month birthday.  We've given him carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, bananas, apples, pears, and peaches.  His least favorites are green beans and peaches.
• Harrison offically began rolling over about a week ago.  He had rolled over several sporadic times since he was about 4 months old, but it wasn't until last week that he really took off with his rolling skills.
• At his 6 month check-up, Harrison weighted 17.1 lbs and was 26.5 inches long.
• Harrison is wearing mostly 6-9 month size clothing, but he does wear 12 month size in some clothes.
• Harrison really enjoys his bath time
• Harrison can now sit up, but he is still a little wobbly if he leans too far to one side or the other.

At the end of January, I travel solo to Boston to visit Stephanie and Thomas.  I was so excited to go see them, but I was very sad to leave Jeff and Harrison.  Jeff had Harrison all weekend while I was away until my mom came to help out while I was at a conference in Rhode Island.  I had a blast around Boston with Stephanie and Thomas.  Steph and I had a nice dinner on my first night there...it was a tried and true Italian restaurant...to the point where I could hardly understand our waiter.  He was from Rome, Italy.  The second night, the three of us made homemade pizzas.  Steph and Thomas live in the North End of Boston and are literally walking distance away from everything.  We got fresh veggies from the Haymarket, freshly ground sausage from the local butcher (for our Sunday a.m. breakfast casserole), fresh pizza dough from the local bakery...it was really cool.  The weather wasn't horrible, but it was definitely cold!!

This past weekend, my friends Liz, Courtney, and Alyssa, hosted a baby shower for our super cute friend Kelly that's expecting baby Emily within the next 3-4 weeks.  Time really got away from us and we didn't even start planning this shower until about 3 or 4 weeks ago, but it worked out perfectly.  We had fun games, good food, and the guests showered Kelly, Brett, and baby Emily with super fabulous gifts!!  It was a very fun day.

Jeff and I had a very nice date for Valentines day.  We went out on Friday night and had dinner at 310 Lakeside at Lake Eola.  This was the location where Jeff and I had dinner the night that he proposed to me; although at the time, it was a different restaurant.  It was nice to get out and have a date, but we were both excited to pick Harrison up!!

Well, that brings us to current day.  I have pictures from the various events over the past two months, but I'll do a separate post for them.

Oh, one last thing.  I have started my weight loss journey...I'm down 3.6 lbs in the first week!!  Only 36.4 to go!

:-)

Thanksgiving 2010 - The Recap

I can't believe that Christmas is just three weeks away.  It feels like it was just New Year's 2010, and now we're knocking on 2011's door!

Anyway, before we can get to Christmas, we have to recap Thanksgiving.

Jeff, Harrison, Marlee, and I visited our family in Charlotte (Jeff's mom, Sister and her family) for Thanksgiving this year.  I was super nervous about the drive up because I was unsure how Harrison would fair.  Well, I don't know why I worried myself so much, because our little Harrison was a super star!  We left O-town around 4:30 pm on Wednesday (about 1.5 hours later than I wanted to, but oh well) and made it to Charlotte at 12:05 am.  Now, keep in mind that the trip normally takes us 8 hours, and this time we stopped twice, and we made it in 7.5 hours.  Do not ask me how it worked out like that; we didn't drive at excessive speeds...promise!

Since we arrived late on Wednesday night, we slept in a little on Thursday (as much as you can sleep in with a 4 month old), and had a late breakfast of bacon, egg, and cheese omlets and English muffins; it was good!!

Wendy and Randy, Jeff's sister and her husband, were our hosts for the big Thanksgiving day meal.  They prepared a delish turkey, with delish sides (sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, stuffing, etc.). 

Wendy and Randy have two of the most adorable boys, Griffin - 7 and Colton - 3.  Wendy had been telling me for weeks how excited the boys were to finally meet their cousin, Harrison.  Jeff and I were very excited to introduce Harrison to his cousins as well as his Aunt Wendy and Uncle Randy.  Of course, Harrison was a super star and the constant center of attention.  Griffin seemed to be a little excited to see Harrison, but Colton was beyond excited.  That little guy never played outside the entire time we were there; he was with Harrison the entire time, and it was simply adorable.  Colton was fascinated with Harrison's head; maybe because it's super soft!  It was so sweet, any time that Harrison would fuss, Colton would grab his "lovee" and try to wrap Harrison in it.  He grabbed several toys from his room for Harrison to play with, and constantly played with Harrison and talked to him...it was priceless!!

We were in Charlotte until late on Sunday afternoon when we had to make our way back home.  The visits always seem to go by so fast!!

Here are the pictures from Harrison's first Thanksgiving and his first trip to Charlotte.

4 Months, Already!

These days, time seems to be flying at the speed of light.  As of yesterday, Harrison was four months old.  I swear, it seems like it was just yesterday that we found out we were pregnant.  Anyway, Harrison is such a joy in our lives, and we feel blessed beyond measure; not just because we have a baby, but because we have the best baby in the entire universe.  I'm probably about to jinx it, but oh well.

Harrison is such a sweet spirit.  He is happy and content most all the time, except if he's hungry, has a dirty diaper, or is getting ready for sleep.  By nature, he is not a fussy baby.  He loves to play on his activity mat, and we've recently started him in his ExerSaucer, and he loves it.  He has already turned himself around a couple of times to play with the different characters.  He is fascinated by Baby Einstein and trys to "talk" to the TV when it's on.  We've also let him start watching Hermie; a Christian movie about a catapillar that questions God about himself until he becomes a beautiful butterfly...a very good story!!  On a daily basis, Jeff and I read various books to Harrison as well as count and say our A-B-Cs.  He seems to really enjoy it all!!

Harrison's 4-month check-up with Dr. Finer was last week, and as usual, he got a great report.  He did super with his shots...I gave him some Tylenol before leaving home that day, and he only cried for a short minute after the shots were administered.  He was a little fussy for a couple of days afterwards, but overall, he did really well.

Harrison's Stats:
Weight - 15.1 lbs
Length - 25"
Diapers - Size 2
Clothes - Size 3-6 months
Shoes - Size 1 (getting close to size 2)

Here are a few recent pictures of the handsome little fella:

"Talking" to the birds

Marlee got a little jealous and jumped in Jeff's lap

First time trying Rice Cereal...he wasn't a huge fan!

Mommy and Me

So handsome!

UCF vs. USF...we won!  Harrison is UCF's good luck charm...they've not lost a game (FB or BB) that he's been to!

Harrison's first trip to Reddington Beach...that was all his stuff

He loves the ExerSaucer

Can't believe he's already 4 months old!

We're off to Charlotte today for a wonderul Thanksgiving with family!  Harrison gets to meet his cousins, Griffin and Colton, and his Aunt Wendy and Uncle Randy.  AND, he gets to see Grandma; he hasn't seen her since he was 3 weeks old...she's not going to believe how big he is now!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Don't forget all that we have to be thankful for!

3 Months

I'm a little behind with this post, but, better late than never; right?

Harrison turned 3 months old on October 23.  Our little guy is growing up right before our very eyes.  It's amazing to watch him discover new things each day.  He's such a joy in our lives, and we certainly cannot imagine life without him now.

Here are some photos of the last month:

This little guy is a stud!

"Hi Mom!"

Great Grandma Hull (Jeff's Maternal Grandmother)

Great Grandma Holmes (Jeff's Paternal Grandmother)

He's focused...

"Whatever, Mom...get that camera out of my face"

"Really?  You woke me up for this??"

"Ok, huntin' for pumpkins isn't so bad..."

Family trip to the Pumpkin Patch

"These fingers taste great!"

Mommy loves her some Harrison!!

Nana brought this hat back from her Boston trip to see Aunt Steph and Uncle Thomas

Harrison's dedication (11-7-10)

Harrison's Dedication Prayer (11-7-10)

I just couldn't resist...he's cute no matter what face he's making!!

In other news, I have begun my weight loss journey.  I gained 50 lbs. during my pregnancy; not something I'm proud of, but it is what it is.  The first 30 lbs. came off within the first three weeks of Harrison's life...and then reality hit.  I hit a brick wall and could not get going with weight loss.  About two weeks ago, I ran across this blog and was amazed at her weight loss journey.  I was totally inspired to get off my butt and get going with losing this weight.  

I officially started my weight loss journey on Harrison's 3 month birthday (10/23), and I'm giving myself until his 1 year birthday (7/23/11) to lose 40 lbs.  In two weeks, I'm already down 5.2 lbs.  I'm doing weight watchers because it is the easiest for me, and I had great success the last time I lost weight (17 lbs. back in 2004/2005).  So, you can do the math and realize that I'm trying to lose an extra 20 lbs. over what I gained during pregnancy.  I was about 15-20 lbs. heavier than I wanted to be when I got pregnant with Harrison, so what better time than the present to kick that extra weight!

I'm keeping a photo journal of my weight loss.  Maybe if I'm brave enough at the end, I'll post the pictures.  Until then (if that day comes), I'm using them as more motivation to kick this weight.  My next big challenge is to get back into the gym...I'll keep you posted on that one.  :-)

Holidays

The holidays are fast approaching, and I'm really excited.  We're planning to visit Jeff's family in Charlotte for Thanksgiving, and I can hardly wait!!!  I'm so excited for Harrison to meet his cousins Griffin and Colton and his Aunt Wendy and Uncle Randy.  And of course, I'm super excited for Harrison to see his Grandma Holmes again!!  About a week or so ago, I got a message from Jeff's sister, Wendy, saying how excited the boys are to meet Harrison.  She said that Colton (3 yrs. in Feb.) told her that he was ready to meet Harrison.  He told her that he was going to read him the Bible and let him play with all of his toys.  Is that not the cutest, most precious, thing EVER!!  My camera is charged and ready for this special family gathering!!

We've not really discussed our plans for Christmas yet...updates will be forthcoming.

Alright, I guess I better go.  I'll have another update next week after Harrison goes for his 4 month check up and shots :-(]

Catching Up

Life with a baby seems to be so much busier than it was before baby came along...imagine that, right?!?!?  I can't believe how fast most days seem to come and go.  It's not that taking care of Harrison is hard or anything, but by the end of the day when he's down for the night, I just don't feel like blogging, so that's the reason for my absence.

Anyway, since my last post, there's been a few events to note.

1. Harrison slept through the night for the first time on October 10th; one day after his 11 week "birthday."  He's slept through the night since then, and I'm praying he continues to do so.
2. Harrison moved into size 2 diapers on October 11th.  They're still a little big on him, but he was busting out of the size 1s, so it was time to move up.
3. Harrison met his great-grandmothers this past Saturday (10/16).  It was such a wonderful day for us as we were really excited to introduce him to Grandma Hull (Jeff's maternal grandma) and Grandma Holmes (Jeff's paternal grandma).  All of the rest of our grandparents are deceased, so this was a special day. 

Here are some pictures from Harrison's visit with the great-grandmothers:

Harrison with Grandma Hull and Daddy

Harrison and Grandma Holmes

Until next time...

Two Months Old

Harrison turns two months old today...so crazy how fast time has gone by.  I will probably say that with each passing month!!

Harrison is such a good baby; I feel so blessed!  He is not yet sleeping through the night, but he typically only wakes up once.  He loves his bath time.  We have established a nighttime routine that starts with bath time; we then give him a bottle, and once that's finished, we swaddle him and lay him down, and he goes off to sleepy land.  Sometimes he still has some energy and doesn't want to go right to bed, though.  He is absolutely adorable when he's wide awake at night; it's as if he knows he is supposed to be asleep, but he thinks it's so funny that he's awake; precious!!

Harrison is currently taking 5 ounce bottles and typically goes between 4 and 5 hours between feedings.  Several times in the last week or so, he's gone 6 hours between his feedings (this is at night when he goes to sleep after his nighttime bottle and bath...something about a warm bath that seems to make him sleep longer).

In the past month, Harrison has really taken off with his sounds.  He coos and ahhhs a lot, and his little toothless grins are simply adorable.  While he doesn't have complete control of his little head, he has really good control of it, and I think it will only be another few weeks before he's 100% in control of his head.

A new development that has really "taken off' in the last week or so is Harrison's drooling.  He will completely soak his little outfits.  Earlier this week, he soaked an outfit even with a bib on...I think he may be getting teeth earlier than "normal" based on this fact.  Jeff says he was a heavy drooler, so maybe Harrison just gets that from him...is drooling hereditary??

Here's a few documentary pictures to round out this update:

Celebrating 2 Wonderful Years Together

Today, Jeff and I celebrate two wonderful years of marriage.  Time has flown by...it seems like just yesterday, Jeff took me to dinner at Lake Eola and "popped the question" with Marlee by his side.  That was August 4, 2007, and the following 11 months and two weeks flew by.  I had always said that I didn't want to have a year long engagement, but man did I need it!  July 19, 2008 was upon us in no time!

I am so blessed to have Jeff in my life...he is God's perfect match for me, an answer to my prayers, and everything I always said I wanted in a husband!

Here are a few pictures of us over the past two years...

Wedding Rehearsal, July 18, 2008

Wedding Day, July 19, 2008

Wedding Reception, July 19, 2008

Last dance of the night, July 19, 2008

Honeymoon in Lake Tahoe, CA (July 22-25, 2008)

Hiking in Lake Tahoe

More hiking in Lake Tahoe

Our first Christmas as husband and wife

Halloween 2008

One Year Anniversary trip to Chicago

One Year Anniversary dinner in Chicago

Easter 2010

Momma's 50th birthday, May, 2010

Date night painting Harrison's piggy bank, July 9, 2010

Self portrait before 2nd Anniversary dinner, July 18, 2010

Happy Anniversary Jeff.  I love you sooooo much and can't wait to celebrate 100 more anniversaries with you!

Date Night

Jeff and I had a fun date night last night...we went to All Fired Up in Winter Park and painted a piggy bank for Harrison.  It was an idea that popped into my head last week, and Jeff was totally up for it (surprised me because I thought he might be opposed to painting pottery; you know, it's not a very manly thing to do).

Anyway, we arrived at the pottery shop around 8:30 pm and picked out our project...a rather large piggy bank.  We were anxious to get the pottery painting party started...

We decided to paint the little guy blue, even though pigs are really supposed to be pink.  We set off on a sponging misson to cover that little pig with our carefully selected blue paint.  It took about four or five coats to be sure we had the whole thing covered.  Here we are just getting started with our first coat...

Much to my surprise, Jeff really got into painting this pig and was very serious about making sure the colors didn't overlap and every inch of this pig was covered.  It was adorable to see him taking so much time and effort to make this be perfect...he was focused!

We decided that the pigs inner ears needed to be a lighter shade of blue, so I set off on a misson to paint the inside of his ears...not easy!!  I am anxious to see how "jacked" up his little ears are going to be because I just don't think my hand was steady enough for that job.

By about 11:45 pm, we were finally finshed with all the painting and just had one final touch to add...Harrison's initials.  I wish were able to find a bigger stencil to use because I feel like his initials are a little small for the size of the pig, but oh well, it still looked ok.

We get to pick up the finished product next Friday, and I can hardly wait.  It will be much darker after it goes through the firing process, and we feel like it's going to look great.  I always get nervous, though, because I have an idea in my head of what I want it to look like, and 99% of the time, it doesn't look as good as I want it to.  However, no matter what, this is going to be an adorable little gift of love to our soon to be here precious baby boy!!

I'll post pictures of the end result once I get it next week.