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)