two years old!

Harper's second year--
a story in Instagrams

Yes indeed, our little girl is now a terrific two year-old!  In fact, she had her two year-old check up on her actual birthday, which really made it official. Yes, apparently I am the type of mother who schedules a doctor's appointment on their child's birthday--oops!  Fortunately, Harper's Mimi is a nurse at our pediatrician's office so we got give her a big hug during our visit; that made it worthwhile for Harper.  Harper is now 36.5 inches tall and 34 lbs. 12.8 oz; this puts her in the 93rd percentile for height and the 99th percentile for weight.  What a grown-up girl! 
   

Two years old!

It has been an extended birthday celebration, to say the least.  Harper's actual birthday was on a week day so Dallin had to work, but we decided that we would celebrate with a special birthday dinner.  So we asked Harper what she wanted, and she quickly proclaimed, "Shake Shack!"  I was thinking something more along the lines of mac and cheese, but what can I say, little H loves her french fries and milk shakes!  Fortunately, we ALL love Shake Shack so we headed over just as soon as Dallin got home.  If not nutritious, it was at least a totally delicious birthday dinner.  The birthday girl was definitely a happy camper!  In fact, so was her mom.

What the birthday girl wants,
the birthday girl gets:
french fries and a shake for dinner!

Sharing with Daddy

Then, that weekend, we met two of Harper's baby besties, Amelia and George, at Sky Zone for some celebratory birthday jumping.  Jumping remains one of Harper's favorite activities!  We are even thinking about getting her her very own little trampoline for Christmas.  So we couldn't think of a better field trip than a place devoted exclusively to jumping, especially because this Sky Zone location has a special toddler jumping area.  She had a blast!  It was hilarious to watch the kids bounce up and down, playing in tandem if not exactly together.  It was also great for the grown-ups to have the chance to chat while the littles jumped in safety--but that was just an added bonus, of course.  Hunter slept in his car seat throughout the whole jumping experience; maybe next year he can get in on the action.

Birthday hugs from George!

And if all that wasn't celebration enough... The following weekend, we celebrated Harper's birthday with a fabulous group of family and friends at Harper's official birthday "party."  Harper loves ice cream so we had an ice cream sundae bar instead of cake, which was delicious.  This cute girl received tons of amazing gifts, which she relished opening.  But clearly the best part of the day for her was having the chance to play with so many of her favorite people at the same time!  Thanks to everyone, both near and far, who made this such an incredible birthday for Harper.  We feel so blessed that she is surrounded by so much love.

With all the partying we have been doing this month, Harper has been super busy--quite the girl on the go.  Here are some of the other fun things that our sweet 2 year-old has been up to lately:

Playing at the park with Annie!

Enjoying a visit from our Seattle friend, Annie!  Harper was really excited for Annie to come to town; in fact, ALL the Wilsons were pretty excited.  The last time I saw Annie was when Dallin and I went to her wedding this spring, and Harper stayed home with Mimi so we, of course, have since welcomed another Wilson for her to meet.  We had a great weekend visit with her, filled with trips to the park, yummy donuts, lots of coloring and story time--and a little shopping time for Mommy and Annie too.  Harper felt pretty special because Annie got to sleep in her room; she insisted that she was having "a sleepover with Mommy's friend, Annie."  She did manage to share Annie with Hunter, perhaps a little reluctantly; obviously Hunter loved snuggling with Annie too.

Ready for her "sleepover"

Gymnastics class!  We signed up for gymnastics class earlier this fall as a way for Harper and I to have some quality time, while Mimi stayed with Hunter.  Considering how much Harper loves jumping, we just knew it was going to be a great fit.  Not surprisingly, Harper has had a blast!  Harper is in the "Tumble Bugs" class, which is for ages 22 months to 3 years.  A typical class involves three different circuits of activities, followed by free play.  Harper loves it all, especially the trampoline and the bars.  Last week was the last class of the session, and so parents were allowed to take pictures, and there was a special "graduation" at the end of class.  Harper received a certificate of completion, and she was so proud!  Since I'll be headed back to work soon, we didn't sign up for the next session, but we're hoping to get back to gymnastics in the future.  Harper will undoubtedly insist upon it!

Harper receiving her certificate

Proud Mommy & my little gymnast

Now that Harper is two, it feels like she is officially a "big kid."  We are pretty excited for Christmas in another few weeks since she's going to be able to really enjoy the experience, especially compared to last year when she was still so little.  Stay tuned!

happy thanksgiving

This year, we have even more than ever to be thankful for, having grown our little family by one more, our joy is beyond measure.  We are thankful for our beautiful children, for our family and friends, for a loving Father in Heaven, and for all the blessings we enjoy each day.  

With the spirit of gratitude in mind, Harper and Hunter's Grandma Eccles made them a special Thanksgiving countdown calendar this year--like an Advent Calendar but with Thanksgiving as the main focus.  Harper looks forward to the end of each day, so excited to open that day's envelope.  Inside are daily gratitudes--a physical, emotional, or spiritual gift that we can be thankful for.  Grandma Eccles has also included various activities, challenges, or treats to accompany each day's message.

Our entire family has been enjoying this Thanksgiving countdown, as it is a wonderful reminder of all that we have--how fortunate and blessed we are.  It has also been a wonderful learning experience for us as parents, seeing all the tasks that Harper is capable of doing and the messages she is learning.  It has really inspired us, particularly with the upcoming Christmas season, to do more with her, to embrace lessons with a take-home message.  In the meantime, here are some of our daily gratitudes:

We are grateful for:
our teeth, our feet, our family (especially cousins),
books, good neighbors, and our kitchen...

We are grateful for:
daddy, our house, brothers and sisters,
our toys (and the opportunity to give to those with less),
mommy, and turkey...

We are grateful for:
the outdoors, movies, Grandma Eccles,
the seasons, friends,
and the opportunity to reflect on all we have...
Happy Thanksgiving!

two months old!

Two months old!

We have two little Hs that are 2--now that our sweet little man turned two months old!  I continue to be amazed at how quickly the time passes.  It feels like we have finally started to come out of the fog of having a newborn, and we are beginning to get into more of a routine as a functioning family of four.

At Hunter's two-month check up, he measured 24.5 inches tall and weighed 15 lbs; this puts him in the 95th percentile for height and the 93rd percentile for weight.  He is totally thriving, which is such a blessing. He is also continuing to develop his personality, which is very laid back, just like his Dad.

Tummy time champ!

Hunter's favorite things right now:
-milk
-sleeping
-cuddling
-riding in the Ergo carrier
-his sister
-tummy time

It is interesting for us to see the similarities and differences, comparing Hunter to Harper at his age.  One difference in day-to-day activities is tummy time; Harper really didn't like tummy time, and Hunter is so content on his tummy that sometimes he just goes to sleep.  Like Harper, Hunter is not a huge fan of the bath; this ultimately changed, and Harper loves the bath now so hopefully Hunter will come around.

Our little Hs

Perhaps my favorite thing in the world right now though is watching Harper and Hunter together.  He is on the verge of really smiling, but you can see the delight in his eyes when his big sister is nearby.  There is so much love there that my heart could burst.  With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I am feeling overwhelmed with gratitude.  Growing our little family has been a challenging process, having suffered such a profound loss when their older brother, our sweet Rex, died.  The two beautiful children that we get to spend each day with have allowed our hearts to heal.  Even though the days can get murky sometimes, with crying babies, unspeakable diapers, and general disorder in the house, we continue to feel blessed to have the opportunity to be parents to these sweet little spirits.  They are simply the loves of our lives.

happy halloween!

Happy Halloween!
Our army of vampire pumpkins

Fall is definitely our favorite season, as it is for most New Englanders.  The foliage is beautiful, the weather equally so, and fun holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving keep the festive spirit alive.  This year, we were especially excited for Halloween, now that Harper is at an age where she can really enjoy the celebration.  

Getting in the spirit at school

Last Halloween, Harper was a ladybug; we received her adorable costume as a hand-me-down from our friends, and so we didn't even have to think about it! This year presented more of a challenge: did we pick, or did we ask Harper to choose?  I fell in love with the most ridiculously cute lion costume at Pottery Barn Kids, and despite the hefty price tag, was convinced it would go on sale so that Harper could be a lion.  I ever made sure we practiced saying "roar!" in the weeks leading up to Halloween.  

Unfortunately, when it started getting down to the wire, the amazing lion costume was one of the ONLY costumes that remained full price; what the heck?!  So we were looking at a magazine with pictures of costumes, and Dallin pointed to the butterfly costume; Harper agreed that she wanted to be a butterfly.  We even started looking for pieces for her butterfly costume at our local consignment shop and on Etsy--but then Harper saw a picture of a bee costume and changed her mind.  So we gave her the final choice: butterfly or bee.  She picked bee, and so it was official.  We started practicing saying "buzz!" right away. Of course, she needed no help whatsoever in zooming around the house like a bumble bee!

Ready for school!

Harper was lucky to be able to wear her costume twice--to school and out trick-or-treating.  We didn't trick-or-treat last year, but this year she was totally into it.  The town square near our house does the cutest thing, where all the shops open their doors and pass out candy to the kids.  We decided to go there, along with two neighborhood families who have kids around Harper's age.  There were tons of people out, despite the rainy evening.  

All the people in costume were a little overwhelming to Harper, and she almost had a meltdown when she laid eyes on a man in a bear costume, insisting that she be held until we had safely passed--but she looooved the candy.  We let her go to town with the candy on Halloween night, deciding it would have to disappear the next day.  Hunter wore his Halloween shirt and pumpkin hat, but he stayed cozy in the Ergo carrier while we trick-or-treated.  Next year maybe Harper can help pick out a proper costume for him!

Holding hands with Daddy

It was a fun night, and we were happy to be able to celebrate together as a family  We even made it home in time to pass out candy to some of the older kids who came trick-or-treating at our house.  Harper, the social butterfly (or shall we say bumble bee?) that she is, liked that part too.  Holidays are definitely more fun than ever this year, now that Harper is old enough to really enjoy them.  Next up: Thanksgiving!  But not before a very special birthday celebration...  

one month old!

One month old!

How has one month passed already?!  When Hunter left the hospital, his weight had dipped down to 7 lbs. 4 oz., but not surprisingly, he rebounded quickly.  A week later, he was back up to his birth weight, and his pediatrician was completely pleased.  

What does a babe need anyway,
aside from a diaper and hat?

During that doctor's visit, Hunter had not one but two projectile pee-pee situations, thereby exhausting the reserve of clean clothes in the diaper bag.  Poor Hunter, we had to put him in his carseat in his diaper and hat, and then wrap a blanket around him to keep him warm.  Fortunately, it was a really warm autumn day!  Parents of the year?  Probably not. Nonetheless, we made it home, and that cute guy has continued to grow and develop since.  Sometimes it feels like he's getting bigger everyday.

At his one-month check up, Hunter weighed 10 lbs. 15.5 oz. and measured 23 inches long.  These measurements put him in the 66th percentile for weight and 92nd percentile for height; long and lean, just like his daddy.  That's not the only similarity either; it seems that Hunter definitely has a lot more physical characteristics of the Wilson side of the family, as compared especially to Harper, who strongly resembles the Warner contingency.  It has been so interesting to see how different our sweet babes are!

Our serious little man.

One thing we are definitely looking forward to is when Hunter begins to smile.  It's so hard to know what he's thinking or how he's feeling with the stoic little expression that he wears!  I love his serious face though.

Hunter isn't exactly the best sleeper in the world, but we are working on it.  He is the most cuddly guy we could ever imagine though!  He loves to snuggle up and doze.  Since the weather has been pretty amazing lately, we have made countless trips to the park--at big sister Harper's request.  We pop Hunter into the Ergo carrier, and once he's snuggled in, he nods off almost immediately.

Our one-month boy has such a sweet, laid back temperament--until he gets hungry.  Then he goes from 0 to 60 with no warning whatsoever, as if he hasn't eaten for days (which I assure you couldn't be further from the truth).  His cool, calm, and collected disposition is definitely a trait he inherited from his California cool Daddy; his temper, a gift from his passionate mama.  

During the last month, Hunter has also been lucky enough to enjoy visits from our amazing family and friends.  Perhaps his biggest fan is his big sister though.  Harper is always very concerned about Hunter's whereabouts and how he's doing.  Dallin referred to Hunter as "buddy" the other day, and Harper picked up on that immediately; now she consistently calls him "Bud"--to the point that we are wondering if that's going to become a nickname for him!  Harper is a great little helper, and Dallin and I are both looking forward to watching a friendship grow and develop between our two sweet little Hs.

23 months & a baby brother!

23 months old

Our sweet Harper is a 23 months old AND now a big sister!  A few weeks ago, Harper met her baby brother, Hunter, for the first time... 

Meeting little brother

From the moment she met Hunter, Harper has been nothing but loving and helpful.  She wants to hold Hunter's hand, give him kisses, help feed him, and soothe him when he cries.  We weren't sure exactly what the transition would be like for Harper, going from life as an only child, but there has never been a sweeter sister.  

Perhaps the biggest growing pain we have experienced so far was that, upon Hunter's arrival at home, Harper's sleeping schedule got totally thrown off.  We attributed this to the fact that Hunter sleeps in a bassinet in our room, and so Harper could have felt a little bit left out--but whatever the reason, that first night was...bad.  A lot of crying from both kids and hardly any sleep at all.  Nap time for Harper was also a challenge; our solid little sleeper started crying and resisting all attempts to go down for days and days on end.  The whole experience was heart breaking to say the least, not to mention exhausting.  That being said, she rebounded quickly, and our sweet little sleeper has returned.  Whew!  Now if only we could convince Hunter to love sleeping at night too...

Helping Dad give Hunter his bottle

While we were in the hospital for a couple of days following Hunter's birth, Harper spent the weekend with Mimi.  It was the longest we have ever been apart from her, and during that time she seemed to grow up so much.  When she trotted into our hospital room to meet Hunter, it was amazing to realize that she was no longer a baby and was a lovely little girl.  Of course, she'll always be our baby...

Cute big sister at the hospital

Snuggled up with baby
during her weekend with Mimi

During her weekend with Mimi, Harper had a blast--and received a pretty outstanding education too.  Mimi had reported via text that Harper was learning her ABCs.  We thought this meant singing "A, B, C" and maybe a "D" too.  It wasn't until we got home that we realized she knew the WHOLE song.  I overheard her singing "Q, R, S, T, U, V" and was blown away--and realized that my mom had actually meant what she said.  She has a book about the A, B, Cs that she regularly consults.  Perhaps we have another English major in the making?  A mom can dream.

Reading about the ABCs

Here is a summary in pictures of what else this cute big sister Harper has been up to lately:

Dates at the park: Harper continues to be addicted to park play. As soon as she is out of bed in the morning, she will ask to go to the park, rain or shine.  Then, no sooner do we leave the park, Harper is asking to go back.  Fortunately, this fall has brought with it some stunningly gorgeous days that are perfect for trips to the park--and fun friends to play there with us.  Grandma Eccles spent a few days visiting, and Harper probably talked her into 100 trips to the park.

Our sweet Harper has such a creative little spirit and apparently a penchant for fashion as well.  She has lately been enjoying dressing up.  Our neighbors gave her a fabulous new pair of sunglasses to celebrate her big sister status, and she has been wearing them nonstop, accessorized effortlessly of course.  She's also been finding alternative uses for her bathing suit now that swimming season is over.  I've been wearing yoga clothes consistently for weeks now; little H is putting me to shame!

Incognito

Who says bathing suit season is over?

  

Bike riding: We have a little road warrior on our hands.  The little girl who lives down the street from us is about 6 months older than Harper, and she has a tricycle that Harper has been coveting for some time.  Finally, we spotted a similar model at our local consignment shop and scooped it right up.  Harper loves the helmet almost as much as she loves her bicycle itself; safety first!  With a new baby in tow, the bike has proved invaluable from a parental perspective as well, as she can bike down to the park while I keep Hunter in the Ergo carrier--everyone wins!  Now if only this weather could last.

Coming through!

  

Snuggling with Hunter: Harper has been taking her role as a big sister very seriously.  Before Hunter was born, we got her a couple of new books about being a big sister and having a baby in the house--and she has been reading them over and over again.  Her sweet disposition makes her the best big sister Hunter could have ever asked for.  My favorite time of day is when Harper crawls up into bed to lie next to him early in the morning.  She gently snuggles him, and it makes my heart practically burst to witness such sweetness.

Sleepy siblings

The fall is our favorite season, particularly in New England--it doesn't get more beautiful.  It is especially picturesque at Mimi's house in Western MA, and the drive is dotted with New England farmhouses, rolling hills, and forests with brightly colored autumn leaves.  We took Hunter along with us for the first time a couple of weeks ago, though Harper was the one who really got to enjoy the benefit of the great outdoors with her family and friends.

Road tripping!
Sweet brother and sister holding hands

Playing outside with Gil,
one of Harper's very favorite friends.

In Mimi's garden--
looking at seeds for next year.

Harvesting a Halloween pumpkin!

During this visit, we also had the chance to enjoy our sweet Rex's tree, which is planted out in the field.  Harper and Hunter's big brother would have been three years old on October 18, during the weekend of our visit.  We continue to keep him in our hearts and to feel connected as his little tree grows bigger with each passing season.  During this visit, we planted beneath the tree the letters R, E, and X, made of galvanized metal.  These letters were originally to hang on his nursery wall, but their copper color blended beautifully with the earth, another special reminder of our first baby boy and of the two beautiful children that we have since welcomed into our family and are blessed to spend each day with.

We have also taken some other fun fall field trips.  In preparation for Halloween, we took a spooky hayride with our dear friend, T, at a local farm.  Harper was super excited until the tractor arrived--and then she wasn't so sure.  T helped motivate her though, and we had a blast rolling through the fields.  In reality, the whole hayride was probably five minutes long, but Harper found it completely exhilarating.   Harper's favorite part might have been the apple she got to take at the end though.  That crazy girl ate her apple in its entirety, core and all.  What a little farm girl!

Waiting for our turn on the spooky hayride!

Enjoying a yummy apple from the farm!

As the weather gets cooler and the days grow shorter, we have also been enjoying more time indoors.  At times, this can be a bit challenging for an energetic toddler like Harper, but she never grows tired of channeling her creativity--so we have been doing lots of art projects.  One favorite was making pumpkins in preparation for Halloween.  We prepped the pumpkins with chalkboard paint, and then Harper got to draw with chalk, much safer than carving a pumpkin and just as fun for our sweet little artist.  Another fun project was finger-painting, or what was supposed to be finger painting...  Harper got just a little bit of paint on her fingers before she requested a paintbrush.  She might be creative, but she is certainly NOT a messy artist!  Yet.

Finger painting--with a paintbrush

Chalkboard pumpkin

Some other fun moments:

Making faces with Mom

A little light reading

Getting ready for church with Dad

A dinner date with a neighborhood friend

A special trip to the Discovery Museum with Dad--
and getting to touch a live snake!  

This month has brought with it many, many milestones--the most significant of which was obviously the arrival of our amazing little Hunter.  Our little family is growing and changing.  Our days now involve more juggling than ever before, but each day also brings with it a new kind of joy.  We are thrilled that Harper gets to enjoy having a sibling at home, and we hope that Harper and Hunter will grow up to have the special relationship that Dallin and I both have shared with our siblings. 

The next big event we are looking forward to is Harper's SECOND BIRTHDAY!  We can't believe it, but our sweet girl will soon be entering the terrific twos.  And she's already practicing her birthday dance...