a second anniversary celebration

I have a new belief that the family should take off work on all birthdays and anniversaries. Robin and I hadn't discussed this prior to my birthday and he had a day full of meetings scheduled. So, we counted Sunday's trip to the Arboretum and a nice sushi dinner yesterday as my birthday celebration. Next year, we'll treat ourselves to a mid-week day-long celebration for my Tuesday birthday.

Robin was able to take today off and it was great to spend our second anniversary together! We treated ourselves to brunch, poked around several stores, shared an afternoon milkshake at Highland Park Pharmacy, took Harper for her first visit to the Nasher Sculpture Center and enjoyed Italian take out for dinner. It was a full day, but we really enjoyed the extra time together and our new tradition of work-free birthdays and anniversaries.

My favorite picture from our anniversary trip to the Nasher
Sculpture: "My curves are not mad" Artist: Richard Serra


Sweet Harper had a full day and decided she was not in the mood for a photo session.
Sculpture: "Tending, Blue" Artist: James Turrell

Harper's first visit to the Dallas Arboretum

the photographer and his muse

the muse

Mommy kisses

Mommy love

Daddy love

Harper rolls over (phase 1)

Harper's first tummy to back rollover caught on video

the garage freezer

I'm a committed vegetarian and Robin is an omnivore, so we rarely eat the same dish for dinner. So we each get some variety during the week, I'll spend a Saturday cooking several meals and I freeze them individual portions. Knowing we would have an easier time transitioning into parenthood if we had a good stockpile of individual ready-to-heat meals and knowing that I was planning to pump and freeze breast milk and prepare and freeze Harper's baby food in advance, Robin and I decided a garage freezer was going to be a necessity.

This summer in an attempt at frugality, we bought a used one at a garage sale. As soon as we got it home, we realized the guy who sold it to us hadn't been completely honest about the condition. Instead of hassling with taking it back, we cleaned it up, plugged it in, crossed our fingers and started stocking it.

Grammylou and Summer are both excellent cooks and also helped us stock it with tasty, tasty dishes. In fact, they slaved over the stove while we were in labor and recovering at the hospital. It was great to come home to preservative-free, delicious meals that we just had to pop in the oven or microwave.

In March, I walked out to our second-hand freezer stocked full of food and breast milk to find that it had reached the end of its life and everything in it, including 70-ounces (that's a little more than half a gallon) of breast milk had defrosted. If you know our history with freezers and refrigerators, you can imagine the panic that ensued. (We've lost ALL of our perishable food twice in the past two years.) Since the food was still cold, we decided it was okay to refreeze, and we crammed it into the kitchen freezer. However, breast milk must be used within 24 hours of being defrosted and should not be refrozen, so our lactation consultant advised us to throw it all out. If you've pumped, you understand my pain.

We had really grown to depend on our second-hand garage freezer, so we took Harper on her first trip to Lowes to pick out a shiny, new garage freezer. We are slowly re-stocking it with nourishment for both us and for Harper. We joined the bulk-purchase masses with a Costco membership and Robin now has more steak than he can eat in a month. I am diligently attempting to rebuild Harper's milk reserve, though it it's a much slower process now that she is eating more during her feedings. Now if only Grammylou and Summer would come back to cook for us...

Harper and her new freezer

an outing, turned cullinary adventure

The weather has been a bit rainy and cold and Harper and I needed to get out, so we met our good friend Anne at NorthPark Center for a brisk walk, light shopping and a chat over a lemonade. Conversation with Anne always meanders nicely and somehow I learned that she hadn't yet discovered Jimmy's Food Store in east Dallas. I had just received an email announcing that they had just received a shipment of Burrata cheese and I wanted to try it, so the three of us headed across town for a little taste of Italy. You can read all about our adventures at Jimmy's from Anne's perspective on her blog.

Not only is Anne a fabulously colorful friend and great conversationalist, she's a talented wordsmith who is committed to introducing folks to her community through her Worldstory's blog. If you haven't already found her space on the Web through ours, you should -- you're certain to learn of a spot in Dallas that you'd like to experience, as well.

Harper snuggled with Anne at NorthPark Center

Harper's newborn portraits, continued...

Here are some of our favorite pictures from our session with Kate that were not included in the previous post...

Our sweet girl has perfected this face. We've decided that it's simply hard to be a baby!

Cutie pie!

Our budding music aficionado

Harper's newborn portraits

Robin and I both have a love affair with photography -- especially now that Harper is in our lives. We had talked about commissioning a series of family photos, but decided we would just try to capture the moments ourselves. That's until we discovered Kate Mefford.

A friend of a friend commented on one of our blog posts. Out of curiosity, I followed the link to her blog. She had just posted a link to portraits that Kate posted of their newborn photo shoot and I loved her style and begged her to fit her into her busy schedule.

Kate stopped by on March 17 full of personality, decked out in green and camera in hand, genuinely excited to meet our family and ready to get to work. It's refreshing to have somebody who doesn't know you come into your home and capture their perspective of your family. Kate saw angles that we no longer see in our home and lives -- details that we take for granted or overlook. For an hour, we loved on Harper while she captured the special moments -- the in-between moments that make life special and endearing.

A few of the photos from our session are below and more are posted to Kate's blog. She's editing the bunch and will give us a CD of our session in a couple of weeks. I'm sure we'll post more of our favorites then.

I love Harper's look in this photo -- she's a daydreamer.

Most of my time is spent just like this -- entertaining Harper with exaggerated expressions and funny faces

This mirror is one of my most prized possessions and one of the only things I have from my Grandma Holubec, who passed away when I was three. She loved to spend time at garage sales and made this mirror from costume jewelry she found during her many treasure hunts.

This picture of Harper in Robin's lap is so endearing to me. Her daddy would do just about anything for her.

Aside from the picture Robin took of Harper and me just a few hours after she was born, this is my new favorite. I cherish every second of our playtime.

I really like the effect the wide angle has on this chair.

Music appreciation by osmosis.

Harper's recent visitors

Our friend Matt stopped by for dinner while he was in town for work. His wife Liz is expecting a little girl in May and Harper looks forward to a great long distance friendship with her. Matt's little boy is almost four, so he reacquainted himself with fussy baby syndrome as he tried to comfort Harper. It's all good practice, Matt -- come back soon!

Amber came by to cuddle with Harper and brought yummy homemade low-fat blueberry muffins. She works very close to The Orange House, so we hope she can come for a visit someday during her lunch break or for a walk after work.

Leah snuggled with Harper and made fun and goofy faces that kept her entertained. We hope Leah will come back soon and bring her boyfriend so he can learn to change a diaper! (and so we can meet this guy who makes our Leah so very happy)

Our friend Eileen just accepted a great job in the Washington DC area, so she and her husband Michael came over to meet Harper over brunch before the big move. There's always a nice, relaxed flow to the conversation when we spend time with Eileen and Michael. They are so warm and open -- we'll definitely miss them in Dallas, but look forward to visiting their new digs in DC. Congratulations, Eileen!

Signs of spring

My gardens have been terribly neglected since I found out I was pregnant. There isn't much growing in them and spring fever has me eager to clean them out and plant my spring vegetables. Last week, I wandered out to the back garden and noticed my artichoke plant -- the only living thing other than weeds -- was enormous! I've never grown artichokes, but I bought a seed pack last year out of curiosity and planted five. Only one came up and though it was pretty, it never produced anything. Since I didn't tend to my gardens this winter, it continued to grow and it thrived on gross neglect. Much to my surprise, it now has six chokes growing on it! I just can't wait to harvest them in a couple of weeks... yum!

... hopefully my luck will double and my asparagus will start to pop up.

Just Say No

When it comes to a bottle or pacifier, Harper's motto is and has been "just say no." Since we weren't looking forward to fighting the weening battle when she's six months old, we're fine with her anti-pacifier stance. Plus, she's discovered that sucking on her fist and arm is mighty satisfying, though probably not as pacifying as a little silicone nuk or nipple might be.

After a couple of weeks, the experience of trying to get her to take a bottle became so excruciatingly painful that we decided she just wasn't ready and we gave up. We consulted experts on different tactics to take and tried almost every bottle and nipple we could find but sweet, pertinacious Harper has it in her mind that the breast is best.

Luckily, we've been able to take a bottle break. Due to a turn of events shortly after she was born, I am now fortunate enough to be able to stay home with her until at least June. However, since I'll eventually go back to work and since I'd like to be able to go on the occasional girls outing or date with Robin, our break is coming to an end. Wish us luck... we've now added a new bottle to our collection -- Adiri Natural Nurser. Let's hope it works!

This arm is mighty tasty

I don't care what the experts say, she IS talking to me.

Harper and I have been spending a few mornings playing together while her mommy gets ready for the day. One of our activities consists of me repeating the word "hello" and waving my hand. After several minutes of this I noticed she was mimicking my actions by raising her hand to me (as best as she can) and blurting out a two syllable coo that sounds frighteningly similar to my hello. She even seems to be honing in on a distinguishable H sound and, to my own surprise, an L sneaks in from time to time. I know eight weeks is a bit early to expect speech but I'm convinced that she is watching me very closely and is ready to chat when I am.

I just know it. :)

Two month check-up

Harper had a great two-month check-up with Dr. Porter today. She only cried twice and who could blame her? The first was when it was time to check her weight (I don't know many girls who like anybody to know how much they weigh) and the second was when Nurse Needle shot her in the thigh.

Harper measured 23 1/4 inches (76th percentile) and weighed 10 lbs and 12 oz (50th percentile) and received a glowing report. She was scheduled to have three vaccinations, but I'm not comfortable with her having so many foreign substances introduced into her tiny body at once. Thankfully, he allowed us to spread them out. She received one today and will get the next two over the next few weeks.

We really like Dr. Porter -- he has such a gentle touch with Harper and is patient to sit and answer all of our questions. We look forward to seeing him in May for our 4-month check-up.

Mommy watches as Dr. Porter makes sure Harper is healthy and on track with development

Dr. Porter helping Harper practice her one-handed push-up. What a strong baby!

Thank you Dr. Porter for taking such good care of Harper!

Green Apple Guacamole

Green Apple Guacamole is a favorite at The Orange House and almost every time we make it for guests, they ask for the recipe. I'm not sure where the it originated, but Grammylou got the recipe from our friend Kim Cole several years ago. It's the perfect quick dish to whip up for a party hit or tasty snack. Enjoy!

Green Apple Guacamole
1 Granny Smith apple
1/4 c chopped onion
1 minced jalapeno, seeds removed
1 large avocado, cubed
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice (I use key limes if I can find them)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Finely dice onion and apple. Toss with remaining ingredients, cover and refrigerate until serving. This is best made the day (or hour) you want to serve it. Serve with plain bagel chips.

Hint: the guacamole should be chunky, so don't over blend when stirring. The avocado, because it is soft, can get too mushy and lost in the dish.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A captured smile

Graduating from the swaddle

Until now, Harper has slept swaddled tightly every night of her life. In fact, we couldn't get her to sleep at night unless she was swaddled. The first six weeks, she slept wrapped tightly in a flannel swaddling blanket. When she started wiggling out of the blanket until she was bare-chested and otherwise trapped, we moved her to the Baby Bonkie. We love the Baby Bonkie because it is so very soft and quick and easy to use, but our daughter has superhero strength and she is now able to kick free of its hold.

Sweet Harper is growing up and seems to have graduated to the next level of sleep gear: the sleep sack.

Cozy and ready for bed in one of the sleep sacks that Grammylou made

Harper has a new blanket...

Harper just received this very special blanket from the Hopkins Family (Robin's Dad and sisters). She snuggled up with it during a nap this morning and she loves it -- it's super soft and cuddly. She especially likes soft things on her nose and cheeks, so it always ends up over her face despite our many attempts to pull it down.

Sunday morning nap time

There's not much better than a mid-morning nap

Rollin'

We enjoyed a nice, laid-back morning at The Orange House today. Robin hung out in bed with Harper, gave her tummy time on the Boppy pillow and read a book to her while I cooked breakfast.

I had just started cooking when Harper belted a frightful scream followed by inconsolable crying. It turns out our sweet sunshine rolled from her belly to her back and I missed it! Poor thing, it scared her half to death but Robin, being the sweet daddy he is, was there to witness her acrobatic feat and then love and console her. I'm not sure when it will happen again, but hopefully I'll be there to cheer her accomplishment.

Getting my photography out there.

MOMA - Christopher Robin Roberts

So I have submitted a few photographs to JPG Magazine in hopes of being published. Some of my pictures were submitted into categories that the public can vote on. Below is a link to one of them.

http://www.jpgmag.com/photos/1523203

Take a look and if you like it, vote for it. Maybe I'll be in the next publication. :)

Thanks

8 lbs

Harper Noelle
February 22, 2009
4 weeks, 6 days old
photo by daddy

Bum Genius!

At first, I was a bit apprehensive about using cloth diapers. I mean - ick! But, they've really turned out to be a blessing to Harper's sensitive little bum. It turns out Harper has sensitive skin just like her mommy and hypersensitivity to chlorine may just be in her genes. Whenever we use disposable diapers (most brands have chlorine and other harsh chemicals in them) -- it doesn't matter if it is one, two or ten in a row, our poor daughter gets the worst diaper rash. However, when we use the bum genius, the rash quickly heals and her sweet bum stays nice and healthy.

We currently have 16 of the Bum Genius, so I'm doing laundry once a day, but we'll continue to build our supply so we don't have to substitute disposable diapers when all of the cloth are dirty or in the wash. For now, we've completely made the switch to chlorine-free disposables and hope that they will keep the rash at bay when we do have to use the occasional 'sposie.

Harper's diapers - washed, folded, ready and waiting

Harper's first trip to San Angelo

Harper made her first trip to San Angelo this weekend to make her debut at a "sip and see" shower hosted by some of Grammylou's closest friends. It was very special to have the opportunity for so many of our family friends to meet Harper as a newborn. We feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such a loving and supportive group of friends -- we were overwhelmed by everybody's generosity!

It is certainly a weekend of fond memories that we will cherish always.

Grammylou and Pops after a yummy Saturday morning breakfast at Mr. T's.

Robin during a downtown photo hunt. A few of the pictures are posted to his Flickr site.

{Pictures from the sip and see are on Grammylou's computer. She is currently a chaperon on a church ski trip, so I'm not able to post them until she gets back in town and sends them my way. Grammy Lou - hint, hint!}

All of the weekend activities wore sweet Harper out so Grammylou wrapped her in Aunt Summer's baby blanket and rocked her to sleep.

Walking with friends

I really look forward to warm days because it means that Harper and I can get out to go for a walk. And though our walks are nice, they are even more fun with friends!

(Harper has recently decided that walks are a time for crying, so I've ended up getting more exercise than I had originally planned. The last several walks, I've ended up carrying or wearing Harper while pushing the stroller. On our last walk, I couldn't get her to calm down, so I ended up nursing her in a park -- good thing I had my trusty nursing cover! Hopefully she'll grow out of this phase soon so we can save my arms and back and resume our long enjoyable strolls.)

Jessica and Harper after a recent walk to Cottonwood Park

Harper and Conner after a nice long walk on the trails in Conner's neighborhood. Conner is my friend Gerlanda's son and he's exactly one week older than Harper.

Maggie and Harper after a walk on the Katy Trail. Maggie is my friend Jennifer's daughter and is five and a half weeks older than Harper.

Six-week postpartum appointment

I had my six-week check-up today and took Harper so she could meet Dr. Nokleberg and thank her for taking such good care of us throughout my pregnancy and during the delivery. Dr. Nokleberg was out on a delivery when we arrived, so Harper kept the waiting room entertained with her bright eyes, full head of hair and need for constant motion.

Dr. Nokleberg said that I am healing beautifully, which means I can now lift more than ten pounds. The dogs will be excited to know this, as it means they get to go on a walk soon! (Since they collectively weigh 160 pounds, I haven't walked them since I was in my second trimester. Hopefully we can get into a good exercise routine soon.)

Harper and Dr. Nokleberg
March 6, 2009

A severe case of mommy brain

Yesterday, I came down with a severe and concerning case of mommy brain that I hope clears up rather quickly.

Robin and I left the house midday to visit some friends and were gone about six hours. We have a one car garage and narrow driveway, so we often have to swap the order of our cars. We decided to take my car because we needed the GPS. It was first in the driveway, so Robin moved his car to the street. While he was moving the car, I put Harper in the car, and pulled back to pick Robin up and we were on our way.

When we returned home, we were both jolted by adrenaline when we looked at the house and noticed that the front door was open and all of the lights were turned on. Harper and I stayed in the car while Robin investigated the situation.

It turns out that my mommy brain interfered when we were leaving and I completely forgot to turn out lights, close the front door and lock it! Luckily, everything was just as we left it.

Hopefully this case of mommy brain clears up soon... who knows what could happen next?!