Suprise Guest

Today was one of the most exciting days I have had in a long time. Tomorrow is Harper's birthday party so my family was coming to town. My mom and dad arrived. I was expecting my sister, Sara, to be with them, but she wasn't. I knew she was traveling with her soon-to-be two year old and her newborn so I was shocked that my mom didn't ride with her to help. Then her car pulled up to the house and so I walked outside to help. Out of the passenger stepped my dear friend Kelli Jo! I was so shocked and excited. She brought her daughter, Hayden, who is almost exactly 23 hours (it is off by about 3 minutes I think) older than Harper. I have so many found memories of Kelli Jo and I growing up together. I hope that our daughters will get to know each other and become friends as well.

Relaxing

Swim and Snack

They go hand and hand in our house!

Harper's Chair

This is HER chair. She is finding her voice to let others know that it is HER chair!

Book Worm

Prime example of why I call him my book worm. He managed to reach his arm out of his crib and pull all of these books in before he fell asleep. He was slightly crabby when he woke up. Perhaps it was because he only gave himself a 2x2 area to sleep!

Playing in New Mexico

While the boys fed ducks (an ENTIRE loaf of Wal-Mart bread)

and made a new friend,

Harper, Great Grandma and Grandma played Harper's favorite game. This game does not have a name. All rules are written by Harper. She tugs at someone as to say "hey look at me" then she gives her scrunchy face saying "I made you look." It isn't a game of peek-a-boo (she is less than impressed with peek-a-boo unless played with her brother). It is her own game and it makes me smile to see this side of her personality.

Tugging at Great Grandpa's Heartstrings

Harper found a way straight to her Great Grandpa's heart while we were in New Mexico. I believe this is a mutual love!

Harper's 1st Birthday

How is it possible that my baby girl, Harper, is one? Why is the first birthday so bittersweet? I am so proud of how far we have come, but clinging onto everything. Wondering if this is the last baby moment...knowing this is my last infant of my own to hold. I am tearing up as I write this so it is time to move on.
We were in New Mexico on Harper's first birthday for a very special 65th wedding anniversary celebration for Grandpa and Grandma Lauwereins (more of that to come). We started the day with a trip to the city pool to soak up sun and spend time together as a family. Then we discovered that mother nature followed us from Oregon to New Mexico. It was raining. However, it was hard to be upset (even though it ruined our plans) because the people in New Mexico were praying for the rain to battle devasting forest fires. So we went to Subway for lunch and met many locals, including firemen, thanks to our talkative two year old! He was telling everyone that it was "Harper's Birthday" (make sure to use your best southern accent when you read that). After lunch we returned to the hotel for a swim in the indoor pool.


I have enjoyed watching Harper's personality develop over the past year. She is very loving. She loves to hug and kiss and snuggle. I always prayed for a snuggle bug and God answered that prayer (he also reminded me to be careful of what I pray for because she wanted to be held 24/7 for her first 6 months of life!).
Harper is also a tease. She loves to make people work for a smile. I love watching people work/squirm in the grocery store as they try to make her smile. She holds on tightly (enough to leave bruises) to my arm, but eventually will flash a smile.
We are so thankful to have Harper. It was nearly a year ago that I was released from the hospital, but told my daughter had to stay. Nearly a year ago that every doctor and nurse kept saying "you are so lucky you came in, honey." Nearly a year ago that I learned to trust my gut and to respect my motherly instinct. We are blessed to have her and I won't be able to celebrate her birthday (or her Grandma's) without thinking these thoughts.
Happy Birthday Girls!

After the family swim, we had nap time and then it was time to PARTY! In honor of her birthday we hosted a Happy Hour (yep - a happy hour for a first birthday) complete with appetizers, beer and a drink called Pink Panty Droppers (Inappropriate - oh yes, but we could not come up with a new name after we read that one on the internet.) We invited the entire family (around 25 aunts, uncles and cousins) to celebrate with us. Harper enjoyed Uncle Rick and the view of the party from his arms.

It was a busy and LOUD room!

Harper met her cousin, Michael, for the first time.

Michael met Uncle Rick...aka "the fun uncle!" Or should we say "the trouble maker"...

We opened gifts in a flash thanks to a very helpful older brother! It is very hard to contain yourself at a birthday party when you are two years old, but it made it even more exciting for our 1 year old!

There were even a few gifts for Baron. Lucky boy!
We sang Happy Birthday to Harper.

She ate every single crumb from her Red Velvet cupcake.

After the party, we discovered Baron had convinced each of us 2 times to have a cupcake for a total of 4!
This picture makes me giggle. This is Harper's personality. Like I stated earlier, she won't smile unless she truly wants to.
I had to put in a picture of Harper with her baby doll. She loves this baby. She hugs it and kisses (licks) it. It is amazing to see her natural drive to nuture at such a young age.


After the Happy Hour 1st Birthday we went out to dinner. It was a late night, but our 1 and 2 year olds were rock stars. Bed time was a little rough with both kids and us in one hotel room. Harper was having a particularly hard time until Baron started singing "Happy Birthday to Harper, Happy Birthday to Harper, Happy Birthday my Harper, Happy Birthday to Harper." She quieted down, I teared up and we all went to bed.
Happy Birthday Harper! We love you soooooooo much!

Typical Summer Evening

This is our summer routine lately.

Wake up from afternoon naps and jump in the pool!

Dad comes home. We check the garden.

We eat a delicious dinner on the deck. Then relax (she was actually copying her daddy).

Simple Summer Moment

A lunch on the deck right after a swim for one and a nap for the other.

Happy 4th of July

We have become good friends with our next door neighbors this summer. Rob and Monica moved in almost 2 years ago and we've always talked to them from our back deck while they BBQ on their back deck (houses are built entirely too close these days!). The friendship has evolved into backyard BBQs, game nights and even more talking over the fence. In the meantime Baron has formed a crush. He talks about Monica ALL THE TIME. She is a teacher - a natural born teacher - and has so much patience with Baron. They picked out fire works this year and told Baron they needed his help. It just happens that Rob is a fire fighter so I felt pretty safe! Baron had a great time, but turns out he doesn't like any of the loud/screachy fire works. That is fine with me (and all of the dogs in the neighborhood!).

Summer Schedule

I've been so thankful for dry weather and the chance to get outside and play. We've been go-go-going non-stop. To the park, to a playdate, to Stroller Strides, to the park, to a playdate, to Stroller Strides....
Today I looked at the kids and realized we needed a stay at home day. An eat-oatmeal-in-our-diapers-and-underwear-on-the-couch day. We just needed to let go of the summer schedule and RELAX!

Our Anniversary

Our kids like to look at my wedding ring on a regular basis. I always say "this means that I am going to love your daddy forever and ever and ever and ever..." It is hard to believe that I made that promise 7 years ago. Even more difficult to believe that we have been together for over a decade! To celebrate we packed the kids up and headed to Cannon Beach for the day. The weather was perfect! The kids were in heaven. Baron was almost like a little puppy. He ran and ran and ran (any dog owners know this is exactly what a dog does at the beach). Here are a few of my favorite pictures.
This is what I feel like on a daily basis...trying to hold onto two kids, both running at different speeds and headed different directions. No wonder I am exhausted at the end of the day!

Like I mentioned earlier, Baron ran the entire time. His feet were in the air in the majority of the photos.

Harper loved the sand on her feet, but did not appreciate the wave that snuck up on her and Nate after I took this picture.
These next two pictures were snapped as in a split second. I was actually trying to capture a few of Harper touching the sand. Then in a flash her brother ran past and tripped. He lost his grip on the shovel as he tripped. Crash landing, but he didn't even notice.

Nate and Baron ran and ran and ran...

so we stopped for ice cream (a beach tradition) which is probably why they didn't nap on the way home.

Monkey See Monkey Do

For the record - the little one is not the copycat.

Trucks and Tutus

I have come to the conclusion that Harper only crawls so that she can get to an object (couch, truck, wall, etc.) and pull herself to a stand.
It really doesn't get much cuter than this (in my humble mom opinion)! She is working hard and putting many more miles on this truck.

DAD Pictures: Take 2 and Exciting News!

It took me awhile to gain the cofidence to take the "DAD" pictures for Nate's Father's Day frame after the head incident in May. It doesn't help that the weather has been too rainy to get them outside for the pictures like I wanted. Today we ventured out to the soggy backyard and took a few. It was a much better experience this time although getting both kids to look at the camera at the same time is nearly impossible.

Harper was cautious everytime I handed her the letters to hold. I think she linked it with the traumatic experience!
BIG NEWS!!! Tonight while I was out to dinner with a friend (which I RARELY do) I received a video text from Nathan. My baby girl decided to start crawling! I couldn't believe she did it for the first time when I was not home. I even started to tear up at dinner. Thankfully Heather is the type of friend who got just as excited as I did and didn't mind that I watched the video 5 times during our dinner date. I have to admit that I was starting to worry. In seven days she will be 11 months. Thank goodness she is my second child because if she were my first I probably would have been taking her to the docotor and specialists, etc. Instead I was able to tell myself that every baby is different and has their own schedule. I just wasn't sure how much longer I could tell myself that...YEAH HARPER!!