Happy Birthday Nana! November 14, 2009

To think...a year ago this weekend is when I "knew" I was pregnant. Bob and I went to Kentucky to celebrate my mom's ( now referred to as Nana) 60th birthday and I was quite nauseous. A couple pregnancy tests later, 9 months of fun, and a whole lot of desserts...this is what I produced. Sign me up for another! Just kidding, don't any of you start getting any ideas, I need to practice on this one a little longer.

Nana and Poppie came in for the weekend and mom and I took Harper to Christmas Village. www.christmasvillage.org Ughhhh...what an experience. Long story short, I do not recommend it and will not be returning. It was like going to a festival, with way too many people, inside not out, and they were mostly women barelling each other over to get to the next monogrammed purse, keychain, or trinket of some sort! No thanks! Don't get me wrong, I like monogrammed items but not like these fools in bright every color you can imagine

Of course we had fun with Harper and making tons of pics. Nana loves putting headbands on her every chance she gets! I do to but I think she likes it a little more than me seeing that Harper got 4 new ones this weekend. She was a little sick for the first time, runny nose, congestion and cough but she is back up to speed now.

Saturday night we went to Dinner to celebrate Nana's bday and we had a lot of fun. One of the characters from Desperate Housewives of Nashville was sitting next to us. She was all of 28~ 29 with a huge rock on her hand, I meant to say hands, and her 60 year old love muffin on her hip at Dinner. They were sitting with her parents and it made for great "live" reality TV....so my mom and Bob thought. My dad and I just thought it was plain creepy. By the way, there isn't a DHW of Nashville but she soo wants to be, you know what I mean?

My mom is getting a big fancy camera for her birthday, so now we will have even more fun snapping off hundreds of pics. Tune in for a slew of photo opps around Thanksgiving.

Harper's first week at school/ November 9, 2009

Making American flags for Veterans Day!

Is this hysterical or what? I love it......this is the first time I put her in a seat and she loved it!

I told her it was not polite to stare but I guess she was glad to see someone else besides her silly mom and dad making crazy faces at her all the time.

Hello school, goodbye maternity leave.

One week down and only a lifetime to go.

We had an interesting first week at school. We started out with inconsolable crying and refusing to eat, to tear free days, excellent appetites, and bonding moments with new classmates! Harper did really well at the end of the week, she actually started smiling and laughing with her teacher, Ms. Amy. It made us feel so good to pick her up and receive such good news!

Yesterday was my last day of maternity leave and it will be a day I will never forget. We woke up in the morning and went out for breakfast, the three of us. Then Bob went off to work and Harper and I strolled around downtown Franklin for the morning and afternoon. It was the perfect day, the sun was shining, she was so happy, we stopped for coffee and a bottle and grandpa's made over her for an hour.... Ahhh, I only wish I could capture that day in little box and open it up when I need a refresher over the next few hectic weeks!

I could've never imagined this experience the way it has turned out. These last 12 weeks have been exhausting, breathtaking, miraculous, and humbling. It's like having that "first day of school feeling," everyday. I can't believe I get to wake up every morning and take care of such an amazing creature. I know it can only get better but at this point you just can't imagine it. That is what I am enjoying most about mommyhood, you are green to everything...you get to learn something new everyday. Pretty cool!

Harper Elle's first day

So she survived...as for me...that is another story. Harper Elle and Ms. Amy met on Monday and had an interesting afternoon together. Let' s put it this way, when I went to pick her up she had large bright red circles around her sweet tired eyes. She had a bit of a rough time which had me overwhelmed with guilt.

Today, we tried a full day. Bob and I dropped her off and I'm sure reeked of new parent eagerness of wanting their kid to do okay and fit in with all the other "perfectly happy" babies. We took her in and the minute Ms. Amy said hello, the bottom lip turned down and out came her greeting. I took her out of her car seat and sat her in front of her new friends Kara, Anna, and McKayla. She loves looking at the other kids and for a second I was actually having a good time and the giant blanket of guilt was folded up in the corner. We snuggled her in a swing and she began to drift sucking her thumb and holding her blanket. When we arrived this afternoon, she was happy in her bouncy seat and chillin with all the "perfectly happy" babies. As I read her report card, I quickly learned she had a major meltdown after we left and refused a feeding. Just so you know, she has never refused a feeding if you couldn't tell by my last post's picture. Upon leaving, I unfolded the guilt blanket and wrapped myself as if I were preparing for a snowstorm...I guess in a way I am.....

Harper 12 weeks and starting Daycare tomorrow:(

Today Harper turned 12 weeks old and I can't believe my maternity leave is one week shy of coming to an end. It has been such an amazing experience and my little bambino and I have truly bonded. I am taking her to her Daycare this week for a couple of days to begin the adjustment. I have no idea how I feel about this so I will just have to blog about the experience as it comes.

As for her, she is FABULOUS. Can't you tell? She is weighing in at 13# 8oz today! She is sleeping through the night, 8-9 hours, if we would let her. She is sleeping upstairs in her crib and Bob and I are trying to get sleep ourselves. Each sound and movement stirs up the insecurities and away we go upstairs. Nine out of ten times, she is sleeping or sucking her thumb. As far as development, she surprises us each day. She is following us across the room by hearing our voice, tracks a ceiling fan from a mile away, LOVES the swing (and so do we:), cooing and laughing often and loud, stands up constantly and does NOT want to be held in the old fashioned baby hold, and holds on to Mom and Daddy as if she is saying "I love you to." Ahhh....mazing is what it is!

http://gallery.me.com/jrcietek#100105

General Tso's Friday Night

Bob and I were craving something good with a fridge full of groceries and all out of ideas for Dinner. I said to Bob, "why don't I make the general tso's dish I made a couple of months ago." I started digging through my monthly subscription of Everyday Food by Martha Stewart. I love this little magazine because it always has great and simple recipes. I was struggling to find the recipe and thought that mommy brain had gotten the best of me. What would I do now? We were both craving it and didn't want to start the what do you want for dinner conversation all over again. I jumped on Martha's website and found the recipe, in the Everyday Food recipe collection. The only problem....I didn't go back far enough. The recipe was from October 2008!!! I couldn't believe it had been that long, my how time flies when you are having fun!

http://www.marthastewart.com:80/recipe/lighter-general-tsos-chicken

Harper puts Mommy to bed

For those of you that gasp at the sound of babies sleeping along side actual human beings...you may want to stop reading now.

For those of you still with me, I have to tell you this story. Last night Harper put Mommy to bed. Bob had to travel to Boston yesterday and it was just the girls at home, Moss, Harper and I. About 9:30, after her last feeding, I spread out her blankie on three quarters of the bed and snuggled in for our so far traditional slumber party while Daddy is away. Harper didn't seem toooo sleepy but Mommy definitely was. Lately, I can lay her down and she soothes herself to sleep with Mr. Ceiling Fan and of course her bestie...The Thumb! I turned out the lights and left the TV on. I began to dose but Harper kept all eyes on Mommy. As the lights would dim during a TV show or parts of a commercial, her eyes would grow to the size of golf balls...showing the whites around her entire pupil. If you have been paying attention, her eyes are gigantic and it's sometimes rare to see the whites! So it started to freak me out and make me laugh so hard at the same time. With her hand barely in her mouth, she would giggle as I would laugh and shake the bed.

This will be filed away as one of my favorites so far.

Happy Birthday Bob!

Bob turned 35 yesterday! Happy Birthday Babe!

Don't you love how his hands engulf Harper! I captured Bob and Harper playing in her nursery. Bob says he doesn't really see it yet, but this picture should be like he is looking into the fountain of youth! Bob junior all the way....

What a neat birthday gift hugh?

Happy Halloween

Harper had a blast for Halloween! She sat up and let Nana and I take roughly 200 pictures:)

This Halloween will be memorable and not only for the obvious, Harper's first. I started cooking Shrimp Scampi and the doorbell rings! The first trick or treater popped over at 5:30 and I was nowhere near ready. Nana and I hurried to get Harper dressed, finish peeling shrimp, and slamming loads of oversized Sam's candy into a bowl. As Bob and my Dad walk in from playing golf, we gave them immediate assignments. Wine is being corked, photo flashes are going off, and I managed to miss all the little creatures malling our candy.