Productivity Level: Zero

This morning I was cuddling with my Harper thinking of everything that I need to do: thank-you cards, announcements, laundry, vacuuming, exercise, dishes, dinner, etc, etc, etc.

But then I remembered that I was already doing exactly what I was meant to be doing at that moment: cuddling with my Harper.

There is no better feeling in the world. So....the thank-you notes will be late, some announcements may not go out for awhile, the laundry will remain in a pile, the carpets will remain un-vacuumed, I will push-off my exercising, there will be dishes in the sink, and we may eat simple meals everyday, etc. etc. etc.

My productivity level will remain at zero but my love is growing every minute of every day.

Harper's First Professional Photoshoot

One of my best friends is building her photography portfolio and when she asked if she could take newborn pictures of Harper we, of course, said yes and were super excited!

She came over when Harper was 5 days old, set-up a lovely area for the shoot, and made some magic happen.

Just see for yourself:

Sleepy, snoozie Harper

Our little Harper loves to sleep! Just check-out a couple recent pictures:

Yawn......

Sleepy, milk-coma with mommy....

Yawn....with Pancake....

Yawn....

And AWAKE! Just checkin' things out!

Busy. busy, busy!

We sure have been busy around here! Here's a quick look at what has been occupying our time:

Yardwork...

Dance parties with our cousins....

Making silly faces....

And pretty ones...

Getting scrapes on our pretty face. No, it was not Rob's fault, no matter what she tries to tell you. It was a result of her "helping" with the landscaping while Mommy took a much-needed nap.

Looking around at our environment...

Begin silly and "cool like daddy..."

And resting peacefully...

Reading books...

Today has been a rough day but it has reminded me of my friend's dad's saying: "A bad day on the slopes is better than a good day in the office."

For those of you who don't know I was able to extend my maternity leave to include the second quarter of school which means I will return to work on January 3rd instead of October 17th. This will make Harper over 5 months before starting daycare which makes me feel relived and blessed and supported.

Happy 1 Month Birthday, Harper!

Today we celebrated Harper's 1 month birthday with a photo shoot, of course!

So, we pulled out the stickers again!

And this time she was awake for her shoot!

One month sure looks great on this baby!

We even did some tummy-time with her looking at a giant number one! (Remember the adorable tutu and headband, these numbers were also sent from the other Harper, so look for a shot like this each month.)

She looks like she's trying to eat the number one. Either she is learning from Cookie Monster who seems to EAT every letter-of-the-day on Sesame Street, or that is just a natural response to lifting her head.

Harper is 4 Weeks Old

Four weeks ago this little, beautiful angel came into our lives and we couldn't be more in love with her.

Harper is an amazing baby! She is mellow and sweet. She is eating well and sleeping well and seems to be thriving. She looks around inquisitively; often times at her big sister Shyla.

Although babies only really needs baths about once a week at this age, we are bathing her every other night. This is because she seems to like the feeling of the warm water covering her body and because that black head of hair gets really greasy.

Enjoy the following pictures taken on her 4 week birthday. The tutu and headband were part of a beautiful gift sent from a friend who has a beautiful baby girl named Harper as well!

Shyla Running!

This morning we went for a family walk at Udall; me pushing the double-stroller and Stevie walking beside. I have been walking 1.6 miles each day until my doctor gives me the okay to run. After the first lap (which is 0.8 miles) Stevie went to do some pull-ups which resulted in Shyla wanting to get out of the stroller...and by "wanting" I mean screaming and crying and trying to physically remove herself from the stroller.

So, we let her.

And she ran.

And she ran.

And she ran some more.

She ran more than 1 lap (read: more than 0.8 miles), only stopping when she fell.

Pretty soon she will be just one more person finishing before me in my races, but that's okay because we are working to instill in her the importance of exercise.

BTW - she never cried when she fell....she only cried when we made her get in the car to go home.

That's my girl.

Some updated Harper Pictures

These days are being spent eating, sleeping, pooping, and playing. Take a look:

Harper's 2-week Well Baby Check

Today I took Harper to her 2-week well baby check with Dr. Terry. She did awesome and he is so impressed with her growth!

She now weighs 8 pounds/11.5 ounces and is 21 inches long.

This means she gained 11.5 ounces in just 10 days!

This means the breastfeeding is doing exactly what it is supposed to do, and it means the pain and the up-all-night feedings is totally worth it.

In other news, she lost her umbilical cord yesterday and still has a perfect disposition!

I continue to feel overly blessed and lucky!