4 Months!

Harlie had her 4 month appointment today. Here are her stats:

Height - 25 inches (79%)

Weight - 14lb 1oz (65%)

We knew she was getting tall!

She also got to start cereal today, and she took it pretty well. I think only a quarter of what I gave her ended up on the bib, which is better than I expected. Here's one more cute photo for your enjoyment!

"Wow, she looks like a Rager!"

I have heard this phrase so many times, but I must say that I was the very first one to think it. Here is a photo of Harlie that I posted before, and then a shot of Mikey when he was a baby. I think you'll see the resemblance!

Also, she might not look much like me, but she sure looks cute in my old Christmas dress!

Our Hearts Belong to Harlie

This year was our 7th Valentine's Day together and our first with our new love. Harlie's Daddy bought me a new teddy bear, as usual, and he started her collection of bears as well. She also got a new book! I think her Daddy loves her just a little. Anyway, the two of them got new outfits from me, and they are sporting them in some photos below. Harlie's says "Daddy's Little Girl" and Mikey's says "Big Daddy."

3 Month Photo Shoot

So we did it! Jen came over and really helped me out. We got some awesome shots of my cutie. Now the hard part is choosing which ones to plaster our walls with! I can't bear to take down the other photos of her, so I'm going to start moving them to the staircase and putting the new ones in their prime spots. When the staircase frames fill up, we'll have to add on to the house! Anyway, enjoy them.




I am really loving this digital scrapbooking thing. It's so easy for someone who is used to working in a photo-editing program all day!





I know I'm not normally one for photos of myself, but I do find this one extremely sweet. She was so exhausted from our shoot.






Jen gave me some tips for tummy time that seem to work well for us.





Laughing like crazy. She's such a doll!

8 Things

Okay, Trishy tagged me and asked me to share 8 things I love about Harlie - Here goes:

1. Her smile - I know every mom says this, but it really is the best thing! I love the way she raises her eyebrows and her eyes get so big when she's smiling. It really melts my heart.

2. I love that she loves to be left alone sometimes. This is just one of the many things that remind her of me. She loves attention, and she loves being around people, but she also loves to lay by herself and just kick and squirm, especially when she's naked (okay you funny guys and gals - the naked part does not apply to her mommy)!

3. When she talks - She started cooing at us at a very early age, probably when she was only a month old. She loves to talk and ooh and ahh. Everyone that got to see her as Baby Jesus this Christmas Eve loved how she just talked and talked. Another thing they say she does like her mom. A total blabber!

4. Her attentiveness - Harlie has been a very alert baby right from the moment she was born. I remember them tossing her on me in the hospital as soon as she was born and I saw these two wide eyes staring back at me. The first stranger I ever loved!

5. Speaking of when she was first born... I can still picture her all swaddled up when the nurses would bring her to me. She was always so awake, and so peaceful. I love the memory of her first days.

6. Her predictability - I know this may sound so boring and silly, but I love that she is such a scheduled girl already. It may mess us up sometimes, and she may change schedule at times and create total chaos, but for the most part I know what she'll want and when she'll want it and it makes it so much easier to make her happy. She eats at the same times every day, naps for the same 3 hours every afternoon, and sleeps for the same 10 hours every night. She may sway a little here and there, but she's so predictable, and so great!

7. Her chubby thighs... and cheeks, and feet, and arms, and hands! I love those little rolls that appear, and I love kissing those cheeks and feet. She was cute when she was born, and she was so skinny, but we really love her with that extra weight on there. It makes her even more squeezable!

8. I love that she loves me no matter what. New moms make mistakes; all moms make mistakes. And I know I've made my share already, and I still will make some more. But even after I've forced her to have Tummy Time, or a bath, or I've squished that mean hat on her head one more time, she still loves me. I can tell it by the way she looks at me, and the way she rests in my arms. They were right when they said having a baby changes your life. I just didn't realize how right, and how good it would be.

Can't Get Enough of My Everyday Life!

We haven't done much of anything lately, but that's just fine with me. I admit it. I LOVE being at home just hanging out. But it does create a bit of a photo shortage. My dear sweet friend Jen has offered to help me get some 3 Month photos of Harlie, though, so once we take care of that I'll be sure to post a few. For now though, some of our everyday life:

A man and his dog have such a special bond...

...and so do a little girl and hers!

Harlie is not so good at "Tummy Time." She would rather suck on her hand when she's down there than attempt to roll over. She's a little late in that area I'm afraid.

The kitties are still here - and usually sleeping as most cats do.

Harlie sure does like playing "Patty Cake" with Grandma and Uncle Scott (or "Cute Uncle" as I'd like her to call him)

More to come when we get those photos taken!

Time Flies

I can't believe Harlie is almost 3 months old already! I know I need to take some more professional shots of her, and I swear I'm going to do it soon. I've been really sick the past week or so, so it has slowed me down, and one thing after another keeps coming up to keep me from what I want and need to be doing. Mike is back into his busy swing of things, and I have been having a lot of wedding consultations - yay! We are getting into a good groove, though, and I actually have at least 3 hours to myself in the afternoon while the baby sleeps, so I should be able to catch up on everything. At least the house is getting cleaned now. Anyway, I don't have many new photos, but I'll post what I do have below:




Another pretty winter sky. I saw this one early one morning before everyone else was up, and I snuck downstairs to get a shot before the sun came up the whole way. I had to throw a coat on over my nightshirt and run out in the snow in my barefeet, praying the neighbors wouldn't see the crazy barefooted woman in her underwear. But I got the shot and it was worth it!



Harlie and her Aunt Jen - they look so much alike!



They look so innocent when they're still!



She has mastered the art of batting at toys!