4 Month Comparison

This month, I thought it would be fun to compare Harper to Harrison and myself as a baby. 

Harrison and Harper both at four months with Peter Rabbit.

What do you think?

Harper is 4 months

Harper turned four months on Friday.  My little girl is no longer a new born.  She is now just an adorable,  happy, chunky baby.  She has the best temperament and smiles constantly.  She honestly gets easier by the day, and I am so thankful for her easy going personality.  She has precious girly features, and giggles and squeaks that are all girl as well.  She is incredibly ticklish and loves bath time.  She loves being snuggled, but doesn't mind hanging out on the floor with her play mat.  She thinks her brother is goofy, loves talking to daddy and cracks up at mommy's singing.  She has not tried cereal yet, but if you check out her arms you can tell the child is deprived of nothing!  She sucks her thumb, loves mommy's hair and her rabbit.  She grunts when frustrated and can let out a mean scream when she is angry.   Behind all of the chunk there is some amazing muscle because this little lady is strong and she is already enjoying her exersaucer. 

If you couldn't tell, I think she is perfect.  Everyday, I thank the good Lord that she is all mine!!

One year ago today.....

On September 21st, 2010, I was student teaching in the first grade.  I will never forget the moment, when I was reading Hazel's Amazing Mother to a carpet full of precious, toothless 7 year olds and a wave of nausea hit me.  It lasted about an hour and was gone.  I thought to myself, "That was odd.  Almost felt like morning sickness....."  My heart skipped a beat.  No way.  Could I be pregnant again?!?   The rest of that day I spent daydreaming of what life would be like with two babies.  As quickly as I allowed myself to get lost in a daydream, I would just as quickly push the silly thought away.  I mean, we weren't even trying for baby number two even though I was getting a fairly severe case of baby fever for the second time.  That was one of the longest afternoons of my life.  I could not wait to race home and take a pregnancy test.  Technically, it was a little early for a pregnancy test, but to heck with it.  When you have that "what if" running through your brain, what is a $5 test? 

It was four days before Harrison's first birthday party, and Matt and I decided it would be so much fun to wait until the party to tell our families together.  That is the longest I have ever kept a secret that big.  When I found out I was pregnant with Harrison, I waited a whole 37 minutes (enough time to run to Walmart to buy a second test, drink more water and pee again) to tell my family.  This time, there was no need for a second test.  I had bought a digital test that flat out read PREGNANT.

   This is what motherhood looked like for me one year ago.  What is so awesome about this picture is that I was pregnant and didn't even know it yet.  I knew I wanted another baby, but that was up to God.  Harrison was a year old and I wanted so badly for my children to be close in age.  I wanted Harrison to experience siblings the way that I did growing up.  I loved having sisters so close in age. 

Here Matt and I are three days before we found out about blessing #2.  We were happy and in love.  Life was good, but it was about to get a whole lot better!

And this is what I have to look at one year later.  God is so good.  She is perfect, and everything I could have ever hoped for.  She is happy, easy, cuddly, and happy!  Everyday I fall more and more in love with this little girl.  With sweet grins and contagious giggles, it is hard not to be head over heels in love with her.  I know from my experience with Harrison that this love continues to grow and deepen in ways that are unfathomable.  I am looking forward to each new experience with my baby girl.  I know how blessed I am to have a healthy son and daughter and I thank God everyday for trusting me with these sweet souls. 

Harrison's 2nd Birthday Party

It's a Jeep thang....

As I have stated before, my boy has a little thang for Jeeps.  So there really was no other option for his 2nd birthday party.  It was a small party, just family.  But our family got in on the Jeep action to celebrate with Harrison!

Cupcakes I made for Harrison. 

I was most excited about the Jeep cookies :)

Can we say SPOILED!!!

Thanks to the local Jeep dealership, we even had Jeep balloons :)

My sweet girl

He is all smiles with Pop's Jeep!

An attempt at a family photo.  Harrison was obviously not feeling it.

Mommy daughter time!

Can't have a 2 year old party with out a little Jello Jiggler action!

This was the first time Harrison showed interest in opening presents.  With each present he tore into, he was all smiles!  That child was loving it.  Ohhh and squeals of delight were paired with the sound of wrapping paper being ripped apart.  It. Was. Priceless. 

Harrison blew out the candles all by himself for the very first time.

He was one very happy two year old!

Proverbs 22:6

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." 

September 11, 2011 was the day that Matt and I stepped forward at our church to dedicate Harper to the Lord.  This simply means that we are making a commitment to raise our child in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.  We will provide a loving home for her where she can learn about Jesus and what it means to be a Christian. 

We were asked to share a characteristic that we hope she will someday possess as well as share a scripture verse that we picked specifically for our little girl.  The first characteristic that popped into my mind was loving.  This is perfectly fitting for Harper, especially with the nickname Harper Love.  Harper's middle name is Lovejoy (my maiden name), but when shortened it comes out affectionately Harper Love.  It suits her.  She is a happy little girl that loves to be cuddled.  Immediately a verse came to mind.  

I Corinthians 13:4-7, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.   Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.   It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres".

If Harper grows up to be a loving person, she will be all of the things listed about.  We do not want Harper to be loving because it is good and nice, but because it is what Jesus commanded of us.  We believe in loving God and loving people.  And hopefully through our love for others, they will notice our love for God and maybe even want to share in that same love.

In order for a child to be loving, she must first be raised in a way that she can experience love and learn by example.  This is where our dedication comes in.  We committed ourselves (in front of a houndred family and friends) to provide Harper with a lifetime full of love and to raise her in a biblical manner so that she may come to know Christ and learn how to share the love of Christ with others.    

Your prayers and encouragement are greatly appreciated.  Raising a child is the most important job I will ever have! 

My Happy Wall

For the last five years, this was the wall behind my kitchen table.

There was nothing wrong with this wall, but I thought it was a little boring.  Because most of my waking hours are spent in my kitchen I decided it was time to make a "Happy Wall".  It was the perfect space to fill with things that make me happy.  I love to entertain and so I thought this wall might also make for fun dinner conversations.  Thus began the search for items for my wall.

I found 15 frames at a local thrift store.  I had to use my imagination, but for prices ranging from $0.50 to $1.00 per frame, it was worth a little creativity.

Each frame got a fresh coat of white paint. 

I even broke out some burlap and my hot glue gun.  Sometimes it pays to keep scraps from old projects :)

I laid out the finished frames on my floor to make sure I had the right look.  The next step was hanging.

Here is the finished product.  I could not be more please with my Happy Wall.  I find myself looking at it as I cook, fold laundry, wash dishes, and just enjoy my coffee.  It was worth all $24.  That is right!  The entire wall cost me less than $25 dollars.  Like I said, I found the frames at a thrift store, printed pictures from my computer or used photos I already had, and made my "Scrabble" frame from already purchased burlap and our game.  The chalk board paint was half the cost of the entire project but was well worth it.  I have since painted the frame that was on the Happy Wall (before it was so happy) and now Harrison has a chalk board in his room.  

So what is on my Happy Wall?  Well, if it made me smile, it was in the running.  Here is a break down of what made the final cut: 

To the left is Harrison's very first finger painting.  Quite the masterpiece! And the frame on the right is a daily reminder of what is really important. 

The "Scrabble" frame is one of my favorites.  I got this idea from Pinterest.  Here is the original.  I decided to customize it to make it a little more personal. The frame on the right is more for me than anyone else in my house, but I love it because I am a walking zombie until I have my first  third cup of coffee :)  

Some pictures that have a special place in my heart. 

The photo booth picture is of Matt and I from my best friend Taylor's wedding.  The chalk board frame is another favorite of mine.  This is my place to leave my honey and babies special messages :)

Life really is better with friends, and I loved the background color.  And just a side note, the better with friends frame was very western....in fact it had a huge cow skull and horns attached to the top.  I popped that sucker off with a screwdriver and painted over it.  It is one of my favorite frames now :)  And the frame to the right contains the poem Babies Don't Keep given to me by my beautiful friend and amazing momma, Brianna.  I love it because it is so true!

The Pear frame makes me laugh and warms my heart because it makes me think of my wonderful hubby. We really are a perfect pair.  And I could not have a Happy Wall and not include something by my favorite artist, Van Gogh. 

I thought this last frame was fun because I used a piece of scrap material I had from making new curtains for my kitchen.   The colors in the fabric are so bright and cheery, it is perfect for my kitchen :)  Sorry the picture is a little dark, my camera died so I used my phone.

I hope you enjoyed my Happy Wall.  I highly recommend having one of your own.  It never hurts to have something that makes you smile!