Baby BFFs

Two mommies and two babies!

Our friends, Elizabeth and Jim, welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Amelia Elizabeth, on April 3.  This past weekend, Dallin, Harper, and I finally got to meet their precious bundle.  Little Amelia seemed so itty bitty in comparison to our growing girl, and it is incredible to reflect back on the last five months.  After all, just five months ago, Harper was Amelia's size.  I have known Elizabeth since the sixth grade so it has been fun to pass through different life experiences together over the years, remaining close all the while.  Now that she has a baby girl of her own, I can already imagine how much fun it will be to have our girls play and grow together; definitely baby BFFs in the making...watch out!

5 Months!

5 months old!

Last week, Harper turned five months old!  She continues to grow everyday, and she's now at an age where she is a lot more interactive, smiling and babbling and snuggling with her family and friends.  Here are some of the things that our sweet, fun little Harper is up to these days...

A little sass at tummy time!

Tummy time has gotten a LOT better.  For a long while, tummy time was probably on Harper's list of least favorite things.  Now, while I wouldn't necessarily put it on her top ten, she's doing so much better--and she has made so much progress too!  Harper does a great job of holding her head and shoulders up to peek around and check out her surroundings.  If we put a ball or toy near by, she wriggles around in an effort to get closer.  She's not quite "scooting," but she's definitely inching.

Harper with her inchworm rattle

And speaking of inching, Harper's current favorite toy is her little inchworm rattle that we're pretty sure is the Richard Scary character.  She doesn't "rattle" it so much as try to devour that poor inchworm whole.  It is pretty hilarious to watch.  She's really having fun with toys in general.  She's improving everyday with reaching and grabbing for things; she's not 100% yet, but almost.  Of course, all her toys--and pretty much anything she can get her hands on--will end up in her mouth, but I guess that's just her current version of playing.

Toys are fun!

So much to see and do!

Playtime also includes a bit of a baby workout.  Her activity gym is perhaps her new favorite thing.  It is like a baby playground with all the sights and sounds.  While it is designed to help her reach and grab, she loves to use her legs to kick the dangling toys as well.  Coincidentally or not, her vigorous kicks are extremely effective in activating the activity gym's sounds.  Fortunately, the little musical number that plays isn't nearly as annoying as it could be.

What a workout!

Those baby karate kicks are also helping Harper to roll from side to side when she is on her back.  She is just shy of really going for it--and rolling completely from back to belly, but we feel like it's going to be any day now.  She continues to show off her ability to roll from her tummy to her back; maybe that is further evidence that she still isn't the biggest fan of tummy time.

Harper in her Bumbo seat

Harper has also become really great at sitting up.  She can't do it unsupported yet, but she's really steady in her little Bumbo chair that our amazing friends from church gave her at my baby shower.  She also likes to sit with the support of her Boppy pillow, and she doesn't bob and wobble as much as she used to.  What a grown-up girl!


As Harper reaches these fun and exciting developmental milestones, that also means that there are new things for us to work on.  Harper's current challenge is sleeping.  She went from napping regularly in her bassinet when she was a tiny baby to napping erratically, to only napping in her swing or while being held.  While nothing warms my heart like holding my sweet, sleeping girl, that kind of nap just isn't sustainable or practical in the long run.  We realized that Harper wasn't getting enough of the quality sleep that a growing baby needs and deserves.  So...with heavy and somewhat hesitant hearts, we officially moved Harper out of her bassinet in our room and into the crib in her nursery this weekend. "Sleep training" has officially begun.  Wish us luck!  

Sleepy baby

Baby Style

Harper in her fishy onesie!

Harper is quite the fashionista-in-training.  Not only do I love fashion, but she has been on the receiving end of so many amazing gifts and hand-me-downs that getting her dressed every day couldn't be more fun.  


After Harper was born, my friend, Bekah, sent her a package from California with several incredible onesies that she had screen printed herself, as well as a handmade stuffed bunny that is as gorgeous as it is soft and cuddly.  The onesies came in different sizes, starting at 3-6 months so we were really excited when Harper was able to wear the first one.  Here she is in her fish onesie!

Our smiley girl wearing the bicycle onesie that was made for her big brother

Bekah had also generously gave us some beautiful onesies when I was pregnant with Harper's big brother, Rex, a couple of years ago.  Harper has been wearing some of them lately, which has been a really special reminder of the sweet little boy watching over her from Heaven.  I was miraculously able to capture one of her best smiles on camera while she was her bicycle onesie the other day.


Thanks to the incredible talent of Bekah, our girl is one styling bohemian chic baby.  As she gets bigger, we look forward to debuting some of Bekah's other creations that we currently have tucked away for safe-keeping.  Stay tuned!




*Check out Bekah's Etsy shop, Kitchen Ink, to score some of these amazing baby styles for your own little ones!

A Weekend With Grandma

Harper having fun with Grandma!

This past weekend, Harper's Grandma Annette came to visit--and to run the Boston Marathon on Monday.  The last time Harper saw her Grandma was in February for her baby blessing, and she has grown a lot in just the past two months.  At this stage, she is able to engage a lot more--smiling, "talking" up a storm, and wriggling around--so it was fun to watch her share these accomplishments with her Grandma.  


Grandma arrived on Thursday so the next day, while Dallin and I went to work, Harper got to spend some quality time with her.  It was a beautiful day so they got to take a long walk outside, and then enjoy some snuggles and nap time too.  Grandma loves to sing and play games so Harper had a great day with her.

Grandma in front of the marathon map

Then, over the weekend, we all went downtown to the John Hancock Convention Center to get Grandma checked in for the marathon at the Boston Sports Expo.  This was definitely the most people Harper had ever seen in one place!  We had her in the stroller, and usually she will--eventually--fall asleep, but not this time!  All the sounds and sights had Harper absolutely mesmerized.  

What an excited girl--
there was so much to see and hear at the expo!

Taking a walk at Mount Auburn Cemetery:
Dad leads the way,
and Grandma pushes Harper in the stroller.

The weather over the weekend was gorgeous so, on Sunday afternoon, we all went for a walk at the Mount Auburn Cemetery.  As a child, I went there a lot with my family so it was a special experience to be there with my own child.  There is a tower there that my father would take my siblings and me to climb so that we could see the view of the Boston skyline from the top; he told us that it was Rapunzel's tower, and you can only imagine the VIP status Rapunzel has for a little girl.  We passed the tower on our walk, but it's not exactly stroller-friendly so we look forward to climbing it when Harper is a little bit bigger.  It will be nice to share that experience with her some day, to help her feel connected to the grandfather that would have just loved her to pieces.  Mount Auburn was gorgeous that day, with the Dogwood, Magnolia, and Cherry trees all in full bloom.


Monday was "Marathon Monday" in Boston, a big day for Harper's Grandma.  The weather couldn't have been hotter, not great news for all the runners.  In fact, the marathon medical team encouraged all the charity runners and anyone who hadn't trained in warm conditions not to run.  Having lived in Arizona for several years and also having run marathons in the heat before, Harper's Grandma was definitely more prepared than many.  Still, the temperature reached nearly 90 degrees during the day, and a lot of runners didn't make it.  Harper--and the rest of us--were super proud of Grandma for crossing the finish line and completing the legendary Boston Marathon, especially under such extreme conditions.  She is definitely a great example to Harper!

Grandma and Harper, playing with Harper's bumble bee toy!

Yesterday was unfortunately our last day with Grandma, and we had a quiet day together while she recuperated from her race.  Though it wasn't quite as hot out as Monday, it was still an unseasonably warm day at nearly 80 degrees, so while Daddy was at work, Harper, Grandma, and I treated ourselves to frappes at the new ice cream place up the street from our house (well, Grandma and I had frappes...and Harper slept).  We also did a little shopping at my favorite kid's consignment store in town, stumbling upon some great summer fashion for our growing girl.  That afternoon, we also set up Harper's new activity gym, and she showed off her skills at grabbing and kicking for Grandma and me.  With the strong little legs that Harper has, I won't be surprised if she's running marathons some day like her Grandma!  In the meantime, we will have to focus on crawling and walking first...

Harper, showing Mom and Grandma her skills in her new activity gym!

It was such an exciting visit with Grandma that Harper totally crashed last night and could barely open her eyes to say goodnight and goodbye to her Grandma, who left on a flight early this morning.  We all miss her already though so hopefully she will come back to visit again soon!

Baby's First Easter

Our Easter baby--
with her striped bunny from our friend, Ash.

Sunday was Harper's first Easter, and it was a very busy day for her!  Harper has become quite the little chatterbox lately so it was her adorable little burbling voice that woke me up first thing in the morning; I am pretty sure she was trying to remind me that we needed to make cinnamon rolls for her Daddy's Easter breakfast. She was a great mother's helper in the kitchen, sitting in her chair and babbling away while I got breakfast ready.  We must have done a good job too since we were able to rouse her Daddy from his slumber.

Wide-eyed for her first Easter basket!

Then it was time for Easter baskets!  While she was sleeping, the Easter bunny brought baby's very first Easter basket.  In it, Harper received a box of alphabet flashcards, each letter featuring a picture of one of "baby's favorite things."  She also got a bath scrubber that looks like a little fox, the perfect accessory for our bathing beauty.  And last but not least...the Easter bunny somehow knew about my lolly.brand clothing line because Harper scored her very own cupcake onesie!  Looks like there might be a new face of lolly.brand baby.  Opening such a fabulous Easter basket proved to be exhausting because then Harper took a nice long nap so that she could be refreshed in time for church.

H is for horse...and Harper, of course!

Harper's pretty Easter dress from Grammy

That afternoon, Harper got to wear the beautiful new dress that her Grammy Sue got her especially for Easter Sunday, a white cotton dress with a pink floral print.  Even though it is a 6-9 month size, our long legged girl fit it just fine!  Unfortunately it was a pretty chilly day so Harper had to wear a long-sleeved onesie underneath, but that didn't stop her from looking pretty darn cute.


After church, lots of family came over to join us for Easter dinner: Grammy Sue, Aunt Annie, Gil, cousin Addie, cousin Em, Great Uncle Chris, and Great Aunt Cecily.  Harper slept through most of the festivities; after all, there had already been a LOT of excitement!  But she woke up at the end of dinner, just in time for Aunt Annie to change her diaper and Gil to feed her a bottle.  She also got to snuggle with Grammy and Uncle Chris before it was time to say goodnight.


Last year, Dallin and I announced to our family that I was expecting so it was really special for us to have the chance to celebrate with Harper in person this year!  It was definitely a fun first Easter for our beloved babe.

A Visit With Great Gramzy

Great Gramzy cradling Harper while she naps

On a field trip to Great Gramzy's house!

I had to return to work three weeks ago (sigh) after my maternity leave.  Since then, one silver lining is that my mom now spends Monday, her day off, with Harper.  Harper is one lucky girl--or "Grammy's girl," as my mom calls her--to have this regular quality time with her Grammy Sue.  She spends the day snuggling in her Grammy's arm, reading stories, listening to music, and playing.  Sometimes her Grammy Sue even takes Harper to visit her Great Gramzy!  Last week, Great Gramzy read A. A. Milne to Harper to put her to sleep and fed Harper her bottle for the first time too!  While it has been hard for me to leave Harper and return to work, it makes me feel good that my sweet baby gets to enjoy fun field trips with some very special ladies.

Baby Carrier

Baby & Mama in the kitchen making dinner!

Happy baby!

Since Harper was born, we haven't had the chance to use our Baby Bjorn very much.  I have put it on a few times, but Harper seemed to grow tired of it pretty quickly so it's been sitting on a hook in our coat closet for a while now.  However, this past Sunday, I had a bunch of things to get done around the house, and Harper simply wasn't content to hang out in her rocker or swing while I checked items off my to-do list.  So I decided that this was a job for the baby carrier!  I strapped our sweet girl in, and she was happy as could be--especially when she realized that she had free reign to lick the inside of the baby carrier (one of her new favorite things).  Happy baby, productive mama...  Life is good.

Oxy Babies

Yet another fun thing we got to do last weekend while Annie was visiting from Seattle was to meet another sweet little baby!  Our friends, Kate and Andrew, welcomed their son, Luke Felix, last week so the timing of Annie's trip couldn't have been more perfect.  Kate attended Occidental College in LA with Dallin, Annie, and me so it was fun to have a bunch of Oxy grads together again...with our adorable little Oxy babies!  Luke weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. when he was born, exactly the same as Harper, so it was funny to observe how small he seemed in comparison to her now.  Looks like our tiny baby girl really has grown up a lot in 4 months! Here is a sweet photo of Harper and Luke snoozing side by side.  

Luke and Harper, our sleepy Oxy babies!

Baby Tea

Harper, Robin, and India

While our friend, Annie, was in town this weekend, my amazing girlfriends hosted a tea party to celebrate Harper.  On Saturday afternoon, Annie, Harper, and I got all dressed up and headed downtown to the tea room at the Taj Hotel to meet India, Robin, Elizabeth, and Talyn.

A sweet welcome for Harper!

The tea room was absolutely beautiful, and the tea service and treats were as pretty as they were delicious.  This special baby tea made us feel so loved.  Harper cuddled with her aunties and was spoiled with lovely clothes, books, toys, and even a gift certificate for mommy/baby yoga class!  Baby girl was on her best behavior for her fancy tea party, and by the time Annie, Harper, and I returned home, that sweet girl was exhausted.  What a fun party!

Tea parties are tiring!

A Weekend With Annie!

Annie and Harper

Harper showing off her skills for Annie!

This past weekend, our friend, Annie, came to visit from Seattle--and to meet Harper for the first time.  I started a new job a couple of weeks ago so unfortunately I wasn't able to take Friday off, but that meant that Harper got to enjoy some quality time with Annie.  Annie and Harper spent Friday together while Dallin and I were at work; what a lucky baby!  


Since it was a sunny day, Annie and Harper got to take a nice, long walk outside.  Harper also showed off her newfound skills, kicking her legs and also playing with her ball.  I was sad that I wasn't able to join them, but Annie kept me updated with photos and texts throughout the day.  Harper had so much fun with Annie that it was hard to say goodbye to her at the end of the weekend!  We're missing her a lot already...and looking forward to her next visit.