Playing, Celebrating, Sleeping, Catching up....

Okay....so I know I have been slacking!  I have been super busy these last couple of days and so beware...this is a long post!  But, on the positive side, it's full of pictures of adorable babies! ha:)

We have had to take Harper back to the hospital to lactation to be weighed several times since she was not back up to her birth weight by her 2 week appointment, and they were concerned that maybe she wasn't eating enough or something.  I will be honest...this aggravated me a little because she was a 9lb baby.  There are a lot of babies who don't weigh 9lbs. at two weeks.  But anyway, it ended up being a good appt and I learned a few things that I didn't know before.  So, after two more trips to be weighed, Miss H weighed 9lbs. and 6.2oz. yesterday!  Yippee!  I was excited....basically just to know that she is getting enough to eat and she is growing!  Other stuff that's been going on.....WELL she cried a lot this weekend.....A LOT!!!  Especially on Sunday!  We didn't even make it back to church on Sun. night because she was so upset, which in turn made me upset!  She literally screamed off and on for over 5 hours!  We figured she had a little belly ache and we racked our brains trying to figure out why.  We finally came to the conclusion that everytime she's been super fussy like that, that I've had ice cream!  So, I've switched to lactose free milk and I'm really watching my dairy intake and she is SOOOOOOO much better!  Thank goodness!  I can take it when she is fussy because she's hungry.  But when she's screaming because she is obviously in pain, it totally breaks my heart!

She looks totally healthy to me, don't you agree?  (And, I notice that I ask myself constantly, who on earth could ever hurt a baby?  They are so sweet and innocent!)So, as for the weekend....we had a very busy 4th.  On Friday, my mom and I took her back to the hospital and ran a lot of errands.  It felt so nice to get so much accomplished!  ha:)  Then, when we got back, we went to eat and visited with all of my dad's family at a cookout for a while.  Then, on Saturday, our community had a huge celebration.  So, Brandon had to get up early and go to work while Miss H and I stayed at home and got ready for the baby pageant and to make our grand arrival and meet everyone.I just love this picture from Saturday....I think her and Miss Annabella are going to be such good friends and I can't wait to see them play together!  Miss Harper didn't win her category, but we all know she was the prettiest baby there! :)ha! (Also the youngest!)  But, oh well.  Afterwards, we just sat around, ate, visited, ate some more, and then went home to rest before the walking horse show.  Overall, she was perfect all day!  She ate well, took good naps, and was just perfect!Here's Harper with her great-grandmother (my mom's mom)!  Doesn't she look fabulous to be over 70?  I hope I've inherited some of those good genes......lolThen, Sunday was the rough day.  We went to church and then to our cousin's birthday party and it was totally downhill after that!  So, we rested a lot of the day on Monday and she was back to her normal happy self on Tuesday.  So, we decided to get out and go visit our buddies and spend some time with them.  It was our first play date!  

Here was our wonderful view....It was so nice to just be outside and feeling the warm air!  Harper loved it too....We just sat around and talked with our feet in the kiddie pool and the kiddos ran around and played.  It was such a beautiful day and it was so, so nice to get out of the house and just visit and relax!I love this pic of Miss A!  They needed to cool down with several freezer pops! lol  And, it was killing them because none of the moms wanted one!  They were cracking me up!Miss H decided after a little while that she needed a tan and wanted to lay out in the sun too!  I can't wait to go to the beach next summer and see how she acts!  Isn't she beautiful?  :)After a fun-filled day, we went to the ballfield with Annabella and her mom and dad that night!  We had such a fun day....it's such a good feeling to have friends that you can just hang out with and be yourself and go as you are!  We are so fortunate to have such good friends and family....Harper is one blessed little girl to have all these wonderful people surrounding her!

Then, Wednesday, we just hung around the house and yesterday we went to Murfreesboro shopping with Ivie!  We had another great day yesterday (but I didn't take any pics) and Harper was so good.  She loves being out and riding in the stroller....it's when you take her out close to eating time that she gets upset....just ask all the people in Target! ha:)  

Now today we are sitting at home trying to get some things done, and then we are going out to eat at one of my favorite places tonight with some more great friends...I am so excited and can't wait....I just hope Harper is good and full and asleep while we are there! ha:)  We'll see how that goes....lol  

As far as other things are going, nursing is going better and better.  It is definitely an adjustment and sometimes it's inconvenient, but I know that it's what's best for her and that's why I'm sticking with it!  She seems happy and content and that's all I care about!  

As far as our bedtime schedule, it's also getting better.  She usually eats somewhere around 9-ish and then stays awake until 11:30-12.  (That's usually daddy time! lol)  Then I feed her again, and she goes asleep until anywhere between 3 and 4.  During that time, she is sleeping really, really well in her pack and play and I am so grateful!  Then, she eats again and goes back to sleep until around 6:30-7:30.  If I have something planned for earlier in the day, I stay up after this feeding.  If not, we crawl back in bed and stay until the next feeding....lol After the last feeding, this is usually how Harper ends up...I don't want her to sleep with us at all.  But, since it's just the two of us after this last feeding, we just lay there and snuggle for a while!  Hey....she's only going to be little and wanna snuggle with her momma this once....I'm going to milk it for all it's worth!  :)  And, isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?  She looks lost and oh so comfy in our big bed...

Also, at first, in order for me to get a bath and get ready, someone had to be in here to watch her.  Well, not anymore....I moved the swing into the bathroom, and she just lays there like a good girl and swings away!  Usually she's asleep when I put her in there, but as long as she's full, she's good to go!

Onto other things that we've been doing....I ordered a centerpiece for our kitchen table a few weeks before Harper was born and the owner was nice enough to deliver it to our house since she lives close by.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I just loved how it turned out and I am completely happy with it.  (FYI...we haven't had a centerpiece that I've loved since we got married 3 years ago....so this is a big deal for me! LOL)And, when she brought our arrangement, she also brought Harper a little something...Is that not the most precious thing you've ever seen?  I thought that was so sweet and I just love it!  I still can't get over how sweet everyone has been to us!  Our cup overflows....

Well, I'll wrap this up now....I believe I'm getting close to writing a novel! ha:)  I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and has a super weekend.  Today is my daddy's birthday, so we will be celebrating with them this weekend and hopefully not doing a lot of anything!  The countdown is on to the time I have to go back to work and I'll be honest.....I am NOT looking forward to it.....NOT AT ALL!!  So, if any of you have any suggestions for the going back to work blues, please, please pass them on to me....I think I'm going to need them! :(

Oh well....I'm not going to think about it until it gets closer to time.  Instead, I'm going to cherish every single second I have with my baby girl and just hold her and stare at her until I have to go back!   So, I'm going to go.....have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo, Kara C: