Harper is 7 Months Old

Sweet baby girl is 7 months old (well, tomorrow the 29th). How is it possible that she is now closer to a year old than to being a newborn.....no way, I cannot even start talking about her being a year old. Stay little my love, please stay little. Well, I suppose it does not matter how much a plea or beg, she is going to get older, I must cherish the baby phase while it is here!!

What are you up to at 7 months old Harper Grace?

Weight: 16pounds

Size 2 diapers

Size 6 months clothes

Size 1 shoe

You sleep in your crib like a champ, you still wake up at least once to eat, but you eat, burp and are fast asleep in about 10 minutes... fantastic!

In bed between 7-7:30 and you sleep until 8am

You take about an hour long morning nap (either at home or in the car if we have to take the boys to school)

You take a 2 hour nap in the afternoon

You are eating solids and seem to enjoy them

You are still on the alimentum formula and I don't see that changing anytime soon. (If it ain't broke, don't fix it)

You are "talking" some. Sweet little coos and grunts

You are getting closer and closer to sitting by yourself (you can sit independently for a few seconds and then you tip over and roll to your belly)

You no longer scream in the car, in fact, you rarely even cry in the car any more!!

You are still completely in love with your big brother! Melt my heart

You are the sweetest baby girl, mild tempered, easy going and such a beautiful girl. So blessed God added you to our family sweet baby girl!! We love you to the moon...and back!

Beautiful baby girl (you would have never known we just left the doctors office being told she had RSV)

Look at those beautiful blue eyes! 

Ahh, finally, no screaming in the car! I use a light up, musical fish tank that is intended to be hung in a baby crib, which is now MacGyvered to hang from the head rest in the car. She enjoys having something to look at.

The best of friends

Oh sweet sleep. Finally. Poor baby had a rough week, not being able to breathe and super restless. Such a relief to see her peaceful and sleeping. Beautiful!

Movie Night

This week was a rough one. The boys were recovering from not feeling great, they started back to school, Harper has RSV and is receiving around the clock breathing treatments, thus she is not sleeping, not eating and just plain miserable.  My patience has been embarrassingly thin as I tend to my exceptionally cranky kiddos. I decided we needed a family fun night. We decided to pick up pizza, pop some pop corn (with added M&Ms of course) and watch a movie down in the basement! The boys were super excited and it was a wonderful, family fun evening that we all needed!!

Oh my goodness, let me just add her, that it is nearly impossible for me to capture a picture of the boys when they are wearing their shirts! These kids ALWAYS want their shirts off. I feel like I am raising a couple hillbillies!!! Ha.

Solids

Harper Grace has started eating solids and so far it has been a huge success (well, up until she caught that nasty upper respiratory virus....she hasn't eaten more than 6oz of milk per day since then). I am making all of her food and it has been easy peasy and she eats it up which makes it all the more fun to try new things and make her super healthy food. I have a freezer stocked full of pureed pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, plums, green beans, green peas, apple sauce and sliced alvocado. Her favorites right now are sweet potato, pears and avocado with single great oats. She is a great eater, not overly eager, but she eats her food like a champ! Great job Harper Grace....now, let's get you feeling better so you can eat some more of these yummy foods that are waiting for you in the freezer!

Pestering

With, what seems like, never ending sickness lurking around our house, tempers are high and irritability is rising. Breathing treatments in the boys lead to very agitated little one, plus you add the fact that they are cooped up in the house for days at a time and this can result in a lot of time outs and one frustrated (and exhausted) momma.

So, when two little boys refuse to stop pestering each other at the dinner table, this is what happens:

 They forfeit their right to sit at the table and they finish their meal in silence, with their backs turned to one another. (Breakfast was MUCH better the following morning).

And, when the same two brothers have an all out brawl in the bathtub (over a silly cup I might add), this is what occurs next:

They get to spend one minute standing back to back and then put up their bath toys and loose their privilege to play together in the bath.

Oh the joys of parenthood. I do feel bad for the boys and try to be as patient as I can because I am aware that they do not feel well, but sometimes enough is enough. 

Sickies

The family that plays together......do breathing treatments together:

Today

It is amazing how quickly kids change. Maddox is 5 years old (how is that possible?) writing his letters  and numbers, showing signs of learning to read, becoming more creative and independent.  Paxton is talking up a storm, potty trained, attends mother's day out and is becoming a very creative (and very strong willed) little boy. Harper is 6 months old, eating solid foods, sleeping in her bed, "talking", grabbing anything in sight and a little rolly polly...rolling all over the place.

It's crazy to think that this time last year our sweet Harper was only the size of a lemon, developing in my belly. Maddox had just turned 4, was attending preschool, could recognize his letters and numbers but couldn't write, he never played alone and was extremely dependent on me. Paxton had not turned two yet, he rarely spoke, we had just started speech therapy, he was afraid of EVERYTHING, still wore footed pjs and slept in a crib 

Looking back at where we were a year ago is a wonderful reminder of just how quickly time goes by when raising our children. I have to remember to slow down, make great memories and constantly repeat "this too shall pass". There are plenty of days with three kids so young and close in age that I am wishing for tomorrow, a better day, less fighting, more sleep, etc. Time already goes by too quickly. What am I doing to make today count in my kids life? What memory are they going to have together? Let's bake some cookies, go on a walk, simply live life together because sadly, tomorrow will get her too quickly and I will be wishing for today once again!

Paxton and Maddox holding 'baby Harper"

And now the TRIO today! Oh so blessed

While I am sad to see how quickly time goes by with kiddos, I am SO thankful that this time this year we have our precious daughter in the mix!! Now, you three stop growing up so quickly!!!

Sleep

Guess who looks to be getting the hang of night time sleeping??

Yippee. Now, I might have just jinxed myself, but she is doing SO much better at settling herself and she does not get as angry when she flips over to her tummy. She can manuver around to find a paci (or several...can you see the assortment of pacifiers she collected by her face in this picture) 

Fingers crossed she continues to sleep well (this momma certainly needs it)

She certainly has come a long way since her first time laying in her crib (9 days old)

Potty Mouth

Paxton James has done absolutely fantastic with potty training. He is 100% potty trained including through nap and night time! He does great at school and out in public. He has even started taking himself to the potty without telling me. He will go teetee then walk to me in the other room with his pants and his ankles. Ha. He can get the pants pulled down but can't pull them back up. 

The craziest part about Paxton potty training is now all of the sudden he is speaking like a big boy. He is speaking in full sentences ALL the time. It is almost as though potty training and his speech were related. My theory is now he feels like he is in control of something and now he has the freedom to speak when he desires. I am so thankful for this new found freedom for our little man and I'm so proud of the little boy he is becoming. 

Now, off to work on that bohemian temper and guiding him to use his words to speak his need rather than just getting angry! Here's to our new world with a potty trained and extremely verbal little man!

Siblings

Siblings. There is something very similar in all of our babies. You can immediately tell they are related. However, each of our kiddos are very different and bring new things to our family!! Maddox is our socialite and the rule follower. Toys are played with according to the directions and there is no grey in his world. It is all black and white. Paxton is very much NOT social, he is more timid but he is our fire cracker. He prefers to play alone and he uses his imagination to build and play without looking at the directions and do not try to tell him other wise!!

While it is hard to tell too much with Harper at this point, I would say she falls somewhere in the middle. She smiles at people and enjoys being around others. She does not like to be alone (just like Maddox), but she is content to play some by herself (just like Paxton). She does not sleep through the night (just like Maddox) but she does not always wake up angry (just like Paxton). 

I am blessed to watch these 3 grow and develop!! Such a crazy and beautiful journey!!

Here is sweet Paxton at about 7 months old

And here is baby sister Harper at 6 months old. 

Can you see the similarities?

Maddox is 5

Oh my sweet Maddox, you turned 5 years old today!! Oh my mercy. How is it possible that you are already reaching such a major milestone as a big 5 year old. If I allow myself to sit and think about it too long, I start to get sad as I realize just how fast you are growing up. The years with you as my baby are no more as you are now a big boy! I cannot sit and wallow in the fact that you are no longer a baby, but rejoice with you as you grow into a wonderful young boy!!
We are so very proud of you and I am thrilled that God picked me to be your mommy! You are so full of life. You are curious, thoughtful, caring, and so very smart. You pick up on new tasks so quickly. You learned to ride a bike in one try up the drive way. You potty trained with the simple words "keep your underwear dry"and you memorize books very easily. You are such a wonderful social little guy. You carry on conversations like an adult and you really enjoy talking.
You have a tender heart and can easily get your feelings hurt and yet you can be so brave a tough when you need to be. You are so kind, carrying and thoughtful with your baby sister. You truly are her very best friend! You and Paxton have some fun times together (when you aren't fighting over toys) and your best times together are at night before you fall asleep. The giggles that can be heard from your room bring joy to my soul!
I am so excited to see what this year brings for you! I pray you continue to have confidence in yourself and you try new things. I pray that you continue to use your imagination and enjoy pretending to be super heros and army heros! I pray when you start kindergarden that you surround yourself with good, kind, respectful friends. I pray you look out for others who don't make friends as easily as you do. I pray that you have an amazing teacher with a heart to teach you and watch you learn. I pray you are thankful for all the blessings in your life. I pray you realize how special you are to your daddy and me!
Maddox Bradley, we love you to the moon and back!!

Busy

We had the amazing opportunity to celebrate Christmas 4 times this year!! We started the festivities with breakfast, amazing presents and great company at my dads!!! The following day we had a wonderful lunch, we spoiled with more gifts and amazing company at my moms. Then we loaded up and travelled to Oklahoma City to visit Brad's family. Unfortunately we had to pack up and leave a couple days early because there was a nasty snow storm heading that way. While we were sad to leave early, it was nice to travel on dry roads rather than on ice and snow! We then celebrated on Christmas day with our little family of 5 and later that evening with Aunt Kim and Uncle Austin!! It was such an amazing Christmas with our families!!

boys playing with new dress up clothes from pop-pop and nanny

sweet silly girl celebrating her first Christmas

Harp and Madd playing with the new Hulk hands. Harper is learning to embrace the boy world she is surrounded by

With the added days in Lubbock with Brad home, I decide to tackle the task of potty training Paxton. I was super worried with how stubborn he is that he would be super difficult to train; however, he has blown us all away and is doing fantastic. He had two small accidents on the first day and one random accident at my mom's house (he was busy playing on the Ipad and didn't bother to tell anyone he needed to go...ha). Since that accident on day 4, he hasn't had another accident! SO proud of my little man!!

Even Hulk has to learn to go potty like a big boy

I also had to stop swaddling Harper and transitioned her to full time crib sleeping. She kept rolling in her sleep while she was swaddled and it was just too dangerous. This transition has not been an easy one. She continues to roll over to her tummy and she gets SO mad; however, she is making wonderful progress and I would say by this time next week she should be a pro. (I'm really hoping it only takes a couple more nights...I am exhausted..ha).

cute tummy time! Not so cute all night long

We also started Harper on solids. So far she is not a huge fan but she is making progress every time we try. I am making all of her food and I love that I am able to do that for her! I have a handy steamer that is making everything super easy. I can cook a weeks worth of carrots in 13 minutes and a full sweet potato in 10 minutes! Fantastic.

at first she like the carrots, but the next day she cried when I tried to feed her. 

We are also preparing to celebrate Maddox's 5th birthday.....how is that even possible that he is about to turn 5 years old. Eeek, this big milestone makes my heart sink, but I am so thankful for a healthy, happy, spunky, soon to be 5 year old boy!

Busy busy busy to say the least. Lots of transitions, traveling, and trying new things. I am tired, but thankful for these three blessings to love on everyday.

Lime

This time last year, our growing baby girl was the size of a lime!!!

Look at her now! We just celebrated her 6 month birthday on the 29th.

What are you up to at 6 months old Harper Grace?

-weighing around 15.5 pounds or so
-size 2 diapers
-wearing 3-6 months clothes
-sleeping in your crib...not swaddled.
-eating 6oz every 3 hours during the day and going about 8 hours at night and taking two naps during the day
-started solids this week. Not a huge fan yet
-you're happiest when you see Maddox
-you have stopped crying in the car. YIPPEE
-you roll from back to tummy all the time and you occassionally roll from your tummy to back. This is creating difficulty with your sleep. You roll to your tummy and get so mad and won't roll yourself back.
-you had your first road trip to Oklahoma City and you did much better in the car than we had anticipated. I think the forced 6 hours in the car finally broke you and you no longer scream the entire ride!! good girl!

Oh Harper Grace, you are such a sweet sweet baby with the cutest little grin. You can be pretty serious at times, but when you smile the entire room lights up. We love you to the moon sweet baby girl!