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...