Posted on | June 14, 2013 | 18 Comments
Yesterday was Harper’s last day of preschool! Today she has indulged me big time by sleeping until 9:30 on the first day of summer. Keep it up lady! Yeah, never going to happen. But it was glorious! The sun isn’t out, which is really confusing her, as though since it’s the first day of summer vacation it should just be sunny and hot at once. Welcome to a PNW childhood sweetheart. Get used to the disappointment.
So yesterday! It was hard for me to accept it was time to once again bust out the camera and a blank piece of paper to make our now yearly first day/last day photos. When I posted this last year I had no idea how it would blow up, considering I found the idea to take the first day photo on Pinterest. Something about putting the two next to each other though- I’ve had people recognize Harper from the photos on Pinterest. There is a copy of it on a Tumblr with over 250 THOUSAND notes and reblogs. Yikes!
So yesterday we took the pictures and while she was at school I put the two together and once again, it blew my mind. You see your kids everyday so it’s hard to see how much they’ve grown over the course of 9 months. How long their stubby legs have gotten, how long their hair has grown and just how much more like a KID and further from a toddler they really look. Then you do this little project and bam – like a ton of bricks to your heartparts.
The legs kill me. She still wears those gray jeans from the first day, but they don’t need to be rolled twice let alone at all and they are snug on the legs like jeggings. The hair is crazy, too. Our old house had a cover over the front door so I’m not sure if it looks so much lighter now because it was bright outside or if it’s really lightening that much. All I do know is I want to continue to keep doing these as long as she’ll let me. And just to really compare, because so many of you have been here through it all, here is the one from last year:
SIGH.
The evening brought her schools “graduation” ceremony, where she wasn’t actually graduating because she’ll go on to Pre-K next year but many of her friends are off to kindergarten. They performed songs and dances and holy crap it was precious. I couldn’t help my pregnant hormonal tears from falling (who am I kidding I’d be crying not pregnant, it’s just what I do at these types of things). Watching kids do these type of things is just the best. Seeing their different personalities and quirks about being on stage in front of people and whatnot. My kid is on one end doing a grand curtsey and at the other end is a little girl near tears who refuses to participate (she was my favorite and so cute it hurt).
So bring on summer vacay! And hopefully the sun. But not too much sun, because pregnant and swollen. Just a nice 75 would be perfect. Now begins REALLY preparing for brother, swim lessons, soccer (Harper’s choice) and plenty of lounging in the kiddie pool should said sun show up. Pass me the virgin bloody mary.
Posted on | June 11, 2013 | 13 Comments
So the name of this blog is Harper’s Happenings (thank you for the update, Captain Obvious). Over the years it has become more than that, which I love. Soon it will be about even more, which I really love. But as she gets older I keep a lot more of her happenings to myself. Because I can’t figure out where that line is, no matter how hard I try to figure it out. I love sharing her stories, because she is an amazing person who I feel the world should know. But she’s four and half, and a real person, and so I sometimes wonder about how future Harper will feel. So I keep the really funny stuff, and private moments, and anything that might remotely annoy her for just us.
Harper is in full on summer/baby brother preparation mode these days. It’s the last week of school right now, so all we talk about is our plans for summer (swim lessons, the park, BABY BROTHER). It’s insane to me that another whole school year has passed and on Thursday night she’ll “graduate” to Pre-K. She is so smart. Her memory (very selective I must add) astounds me, her love of drawing and coloring is inspiring, and I could only hope to be as carefree and accepting of everyone as she is. Four has been hard. Really hard. I thought three was hard (and I was right) but four is just a different kind of hard. But 7 months in, we are getting better at it, all of us. What once felt like collectively banging our three heads against a wall every day now feels just a normal amount of “hard”. Things are good with the usual side of kid craziness. Just in time to add a baby to the mix!
Latest obsessions include The Magic School Bus, Littlest Petshop and Phineas and Ferb. In fact, Phineas and Ferb are her “invisible little brothers” and she is just like Candice. Many a activity has been held up because P & F are still sleeping, or have been left on the porch and we need to open the door to let them in. When we are in a hurry I tend to get annoyed, but stop to remind myself how FLIPPIN’ ADORABLE that really is and that it only takes 4 seconds to let these imaginary cartoon characters in. Is it also annoying to endure a tantrum because no skirts are clean and she has to wear a skirt just like Candice? Yes. But someday she’ll hate me, so let’s enjoy this while we can.
Then there is Bunny. We don’t call her Boobies anymore (sniff) and she is the ONLY thing on this planet that Harper cares about. I mean, she loves her people, and her dog and all that. But Bunny. Well Bunny is the end all, be all of life. She goes everywhere. She is always with her. I still can’t believe how she has clung to this random giant headed bunny (who is really a puppy but she will NEVER know that). I love that years from now, and forever, we will have all of these pictures and memories of this Bunny. No matter when she decides to stop loving Bunny, we will always have the Bunny Years, and I will have something to cry into later in life when she leaves me for things like college or marriage or another country. Bunny will become my comfort item, I’m willing to bet.
Clothes. Clothes are a very big deal around here. She is super picky, likes to dress herself and pretty much hates any suggestions from me. All of that is fine and dandy but it’s the clothes EVERYWHERE that gives me a bit of an aneurism. I will walk in after nap time (which let’s be honest isn’t napping at all but hey she’s in her room being fairly quiet for a small amount of time each day, so) to a tornado of hangers and clothes and she is in a completely different outfit than I left her in. I have decided to wave my white flag on this because for a few weeks there I was literally beside myself and nothing was working. I was about to put all her clothes in another room OR get rid of them all and make her wear the same dress for the rest of eternity so there would be no choices. Then I realized a) my blood pressure didn’t need this nonsense and 2) I don’t want to be the person stifling the next Gwen Stefani or something. Carry on lady. I’ll just stock up on the wine for when I can drink it again so I’m calm while I fold laundry that was probably not even dirty. Again.
I could write a whole post about how I feel about her brother coming along. So I will, and save it for another day. I’m not sure I have the words yet. All I know right now is that it’s an exciting time for us and that I’m cherishing moments I normally wouldn’t because I know life is changing soon and will never be the same. It will be awesome, but never the same. I’m letting things go and giving her my all no matter what because soon it won’t just be us. And I’ll stop there so I don’t cry or take this off the rails. Another day.
Harper is a gem. She’s just a crazy little perfectly nutty gem, who makes my world go around. Thanks for letting me share her with you.
(her dress is from Cauliflower Kids. It’s probably the one I would have chosen to be the only dress she ever wears because, look at it).
Posted on | June 5, 2013 | 60 Comments
There is something very different about being pregnant the second time. It’s not as scary, you know mostly what to expect and as I’m sure moms of 3 or 4 or more kids can tell you, you don’t really dwell on your pregnancy like you did the first one.
It’s a tiny bit guilt inducing, because there just isn’t time to sit around rubbing your belly making your birth plan while you sip some tea that is going to make your uterus all fabulous or whatever. It’s not that you aren’t AS excited about the baby, it’s just the actual growing of it gets less attention because of life. I remember when I was pregnant with Harper I’d come home from work, nap on the couch, I would take a belly photo every week on the day, Scot would rub cocoa butter on my stomach every night before bed. Birth classes, reading forums (SCARY STAY AWAY), registering for all the things. ALL THE THINGS. What is this? I dunno but we need it.
This time I’m like, order me a case of Dermaplast. The end.
I’m 30 weeks along now (I KNOW) and I’ve noticed the following differences thus far:
First pregnancy: No fish! No coffee! No soft cheeses!
Second pregnancy: Yeah, give me a bite of that.
First pregnancy: Registry! All the playthings, bathtubs, various feeding apparatuses, enough burp cloths and receiving blankets to choke a horse, tons of elaborate omgcute outfits, wipe warmer.
Second pregnancy: ::motions to flat surface:: this ought to do.
First pregnancy: KEGELS!
Second pregnancy: I just peed myself.
First pregnancy: Notice me! I am going to be a mother and I have a belly (pushes stomach out at 12 weeks and wanders around maternity section of Target), ask me about my BABY GROWING SKILLZ!
Second pregnancy: Seriously, don’t look at me. Why are you looking at me? HAVEN’T YOU EVER SEEN A PREGNANT WOMAN BEFORE?
First pregnancy: Birthing classes, birth plan with playlist, instructions on how to treat my precious baby after it exits my nether regions in the exact way this birth plan states.
Second pregnancy: Midwife asks about birth plan and I laugh maniacally. Just like, show up and help me get it out one of the two ways it can? Go team.
First pregnancy: BELLY PICS! I am 16 weeks 4 days. 4 days! That is almost 17 weeks, so I must say the days.
Second pregnancy: I swear I’m with child, though photographic evidence is to the contrary. I think I’m due in July. August. The summertime for sure!
First pregnancy: I’m 36 weeks, and I want this baby to come now! Get out little one! We want to meet you!
Second pregnancy: This shit hurts but stay put. Once you come out I will never sleep again.
First pregnancy: After watching hundreds of episodes of A Baby Story, I can’t wait to sit around and bask in the glow after my labor and delivery. So much MAGIC!
Second pregnancy: ::starts assembling icicle diapers::*
* icicle diapers: hospital size maxi pad topped with an ice pack covered in Tucks pads finished off with a generous helping of Dermaplast all contained in a sweet pair of mesh undies. FANCIEST!
First pregnancy: I am so scared of pooping during delivery, it will be so embarrassing and my husband will be horrified.
Second pregnancy: Hey, it obviously didn’t bother him too much, since we’re here at this show again, amirite?
First pregnancy: nod and smile politely while complete strangers tell you their horrific birth story in line at the grocery store.
Second pregnancy: nod and smile politely while complete strangers tell you their horrific birth story in line at the grocery store while killing them with mind bullets and peeing yourself.
I feel like last time I was much more into the process and this time I’m more into the actual baby. Not to say I wasn’t into the baby when I was pregnant last time OR that I’m not into the process at all this time. It’s just that I sort of know what to expect and now that I know how great the actual baby is, I’d like that to be here now. I mean, not now but you know. When he’s ready. And when I’ve bought some burp cloths. Let’s all be honest with ourselves I’m not buying any burp cloths.
10 weeks! Also to note, subsequent pregnancies FLY BY.
Posted on | June 3, 2013 | 14 Comments
Ah, this weekend was great. My birthday was on Friday (32! Where did you come from?) and I’m lucky to have a husband and family that let me extend the day should it fall on a weekend like that. Friday was awesome, I spent the morning with my favorite little lady and right as we were getting ready to go on some adventures, Scot surprised me by coming home early. So the three of us spent the afternoon together and that evening my mama joined us for delicious Chinese food (after all it was her birth day, too).
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