Rub a dub dub

Our little girl loves to play in the tub!

Pitter Patter Pitter Patter

One thing about motherhood that has amazed me is my heightened senses. For example, I can tell exactly what Baron is doing upstairs while I am downstairs from the sound of his feet. There is a particular little run that gets my attention quickly. It is more like a scurry from one room to the next. So today when I could hear the scurry from the laundry room to his room I did a quick sprint up the stairs. To my surprise he was helping (I guess at this point I should mention that I had heard him use the potty first and pants are easier to take off than put back on)...

I first saw this:

The he ran past me (so fast I don't think he saw me) and I saw this:

Good thing he had just started so I had time to grab a camera. Oh and the hat - what can I say? He is just a 2 year old with a wild imagination (and it is so much fun!).

Working

One thing I love about Nathan's current job is that about once a week he sits at our dining room table and works from home. Although he is not with us mentally (somehow he is able to tune us out), he is there physically. He does have two little helpers who have a hard time ignoring the fact that he is there.

Music

Harper loves loud noises. Could it be a result of the house she lives in? We are a loud family. As a result she loves to bang on musical instruments all day. We sing alot - maybe this is her way of telling Baron and I that we don't sing well? From the picture you can see that we had more company. Uncle Tyler and Aunt Carly were here for a few days so Harper was able to share her musical talent with them.

Getting to know you

Harper treats all company (or maybe I should say anyone other than her mom) the same way. Look 'em over really closely...
and hopefully she likes what she sees!

So Proud!

We talk about feelings alot in this house. Many times we are trying to make sense of Baron's very strong feelings. Other times we are trying to help understand/recognize each other's feelings. I read a very interesting article about children who always need praise and approval. One contributing factor is the constant "good job" we all love to tell our children when they learn something new or help us or make the right choice, etc. I want both of my children to have self satisfaction when they accomplish something and not need the approval of others so I point out when I think they are feeling proud. Today I noticed how proud my little girl was when she sat in the big chair with her brother.

iPhone

I love my iPhone for many reasons except one. Somedays (ok - most days) when I see something that I want to capture I grabbed the nearest camera which is most likely my phone. Here are a few of the latest moments in our lives.
My adorable baby girl sitting on her changing pad while her mother ignores all safety warnings and steps back to take a picture.
My kids sharing the Costco shopping cart for the first time. It was fun until Harper wanted some of Baron's lemonade.
Harper in a hat that her neck is finally strong enough to hold...not really, but that was one heck of a bow on top!

Harper and Gus. They are beginning to bond now that she spends more time in the high chair.

Magnets

It is always a challenge to occupy children in the moments before a meal is ready. Magnets on the fridge have started to work again now that Harper is interested in them. Notice the Boppy behind Harper? Unfortunately we have learned from experience that this needs to be here when them play together on the hard floor. Sometimes when you are 2 years old you get so involved in your play that you forget someone is playing under/near you.

Harper has grown so much, but then I put her next to a huge refrigerator and realize how tiny she still is.

Teacher Baron

"Open like this"

"Very good!"

This was his test and he passed. He is officially qualified to potty train her as well!

Friends

Good friends are hard to come by. At least friends as great as Shanon and Fish. They came to see us this weekend and it was nice to catch up with the newlyweds. I didn't capture any great pictures, but I will say that these two are naturals with children which explains why both of them are teachers. Now if only we lived closer....maybe someday...maybe.

Family Vacation

We went a little family to Bend, Oregon for the last week of February. It was the perfect winter vacation that we were hoping for with lots of snow, time together as a family and nothing else to think about! Grandma and Grandpa Weber were staying in a condo at the same place and they were so much help. They allowed us to do more than we would have been able to do on our own. We were able to spend one on one time with the kids and play card games and drink wine with other adults when the kids went to bed! The pictures are in no particuar order, but they are a good reflection of our trip.
Family swin time. This was Harper's only trip to the pool. It was a little cold and we discovered it was a great one on one activity with Baron while Harper was napping. Baron was a fish! He became more brave in the water with each visit.

Harper must have had a growth spurt because she got stuck in her bumbo after dinner one night. It must have been a really good dinner!

Grandma (aka Nana, Nanny, Grammy) reading books to Baron before bed.

It was COLD! We bundled Harper up so we could all go for a walk and explore. She must have been cozy because she was asleep before we were even out the door.

Harper was sitting in a chair one morning playing and Baron climbed up to read to her. He was telling her all about the pictures in Kiplingers. It was pretty funny to hear what he thought the articles were about, but he kept saying "money" so he wasn't too far off.

One of the many moments I had to enjoy both of my babies.

Gosh I love to see this smile! Harper is enjoying "showing off" and standing on a lap is one of her favorite new tricks.

Cuddling with Grandma.

The other highlight of the trip was the snow. Baron enjoyed playing in it, sledding down small hills, making snow angles and just sitting in it. He also enjoyed the one on one time with his dad!

Baron making a snow angel.

He even wrestled with his dad in the snow! I was actually sitting inside taking this picture. It was too cold for Harper and I.

This trip made me so thankful for many things in my life. Thankful for my husband who works hard so we can enjoy a vacation. Also thankful that he plans the vacations! Thankful for time with my kids and husband. Thankful for time with my parents and watching their relationship with my children grow.

Messy Kids!

And tired...perhaps we had too many candy hearts yesterday! Harper has sure grown since we brought her home from the hospital and laid her in Baron's lap. It is amazing how quickly time flies.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We were feeling the love in our house this Valentine's day! A little decoration, a lot of hugs, kisses and smiles and of course - candy hearts (which Baron managed to eat before 10am)! Happy Valentine's Day! Oh and Sophie - the new love of Harper's life!

Someone new is at our house...

Her name is Sophie and she is a giraffe. She seems to be making her way into the homes of families around the world. She is one popular giraffe. We have made many jokes about Sophie in the past. Our favorite is that she is an over priced dog toy! She is plastic and she squeaks. I was beyond skeptical which is why we didn't have one until it was gifted to us. Harper was skeptical too...
But Sophie has proved her worth many times over! She is an amazing teething toy and Harper loves her!

It is all fun and games...

until your little sister goes for your toast!

Reading the Sunday Paper

We love the Sunday paper in this house. Mainly for the coupons. Harper tried reading the newspaper for the first time this morning. Her face (mainly her mouth) was so black, but it was hard to catch the right lighting that showed it. I forgot how entertaining a newspaper can be for a baby!

Expanding

As Baron's imagination expands, so does the space in which he plays.

Bonding

Harper and Baron are definitely bonding. They look into each others eyes and have conversations that I feel less and less a part of as time progresses.

Broken

Baron had a small run in with a beam in our house. The final score: Beam 1, Baron 0
It might be broken, but we won't know until the swelling goes down. And how did this happen...well the music was loud and the dancing was wild...a little too wild.

She means business!

Give the girl her rice cereal with apple sauce and we will all be happy!