Life's adventures

An almost 2-year-old and all the attitude that implies

2011-12-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

Well, we are 10 days away from being the proud parents of a 2-year-old, and we find ourselves asking, "How did this happen?" Harper is so full of spunk, assertiveness, and curiosity we are equal parts amazed and irritated. (It's actually more like 70/30 amazed/irritated).

She loves to be in the kitchen playing with her new kitchen or eating or watching one of us cook. She is very attentive when watching other children or adults do something new or interesting. Then she eager attempts the same thing. She prepares "pies" and washes dishes in her kitchen like a seasoned housewife (I have no idea where she gets that, I'm a terrible housewife). She has also started pushing herself around on her tricycle and building things with blocks, thanks to playing with all her new friends. She has started requesting "catoons" (cartoons) and successfully watching all of 3 minutes. But she does love the "let's go, go, go, go...on an adventure...the thing-a-ma-jig is up and away" refrain in the Cat and the Hat cartoon on PBS. She pumps her fist and sings along. It's so cute and Jersey Shore of her.

Harper also loves to arrange and rearrange her table and chairs and asks us to sit with her and play along. We are dying to know what is going through her quickly developing brain. She is very attentive to details and if dirt, marker, food, or anything else gets on her clothes or bed, we must change them immediately. I fear this is my fault but hope it is a phase.

She is still testing limits and stubbornly refusing to clean up her messes at times but is so very helpful at other times. She loves to help me tuck the sheets when I make my bed, empty the dishwasher (see pictures below), wipe the table, dust or take out the garbage/recycling. Is it wrong that I feel so proud when she shows interest in these things? ha!

Harper is still loving to model my shoes and jewelry. She's even started to pose for pictures and then immediately asking to see the picture on the camera screen. And she still loves to dance. She requests that we turn off the lights in the living room, turn on (and up) the music and she bounces away, laughing and spinning with delight. We will one day post videos of some of these times.

She is also talking up a storm. Patrick and I are the only people that can decipher what she is saying, but she is definitely talking. Shouw, shouw=shower, catoons=cartoons, sack=snack, booberry=blueberries, Iwanasee=I want to see, ball=ball, badeaux=blanket, sheez=cheese and so many others I can't seem to think of. When words escape her, she is very accomplished at using gestures to get her point across. She always wants to brush her teeth (communicated by moving her finger across her teeth) until we actually make her brush her teeth. She has also begun to say when she's ready for her nap, by placing her hand to her head and tilting it to the side (so very sweet).

Harper's favorite foods are dairy...yogurt, cheese, cereal with milk, cheese, did I mention cheese. Unfortunately for her and her cholesterol, she gets that from both of us. She also loves vegetables...for real. She'll eat peas or broccoli as an afternoon snack and loves to eat bites of our salad.

Because this blog also serves as a record for Harper as she grows, I feel I should mention that within the last month, she has become very interested in going to the bathroom. She actually peed in her training potty while on skype with Grammy and Aunt Andrea, and will sit on the "real" toilet for 20 minutes at a time talking and reading books. It's official, she's growing up way too fast!

Here are some pictures from the past 2 months:

(Cooking with mommy)

(We love checking on her and what sleeping position she has chosen for the night)

(California cousin time)

(Virginia cousin time)

(Patrick hiked Mt. Baldy with some clients while mommy and Harper were in Viginia with the Keane family)

(Camping trip to Crystal Lake)

(Nene and Papa visited and came to our Toddler Express class)

Harper with Nene's purse-she loves dress up)

(Ready for her first ballet class)

(Papa and H at the Aquarium)

(We had a chance to visit Nene's sister Helen in Brea, CA~H is definitely a Klocke...she looks just like daddy and Nene's family)

(I told you she likes to help empty the dishwasher)

(And helping to cook)

(And loves to clean)

(Bike ride with daddy, Nene, & Papa)

(Eating those veggies)

(Aunt Andrea came for a visit, too)

(Seriously, it was November...late November)

(Baby in mommy's tummy)

(Harper prefers to eat her apples the big girl way)

2.5 months of SoCal life...we think we'll stay!

2011-10-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

We arrived July 29, and have been exploring the sunshiny sights of Souther California ever since. For the first 2 months Patrick's company put us up in a corporate apartment in Seal Beach, CA (approximately 30 miles from downtown L.A.). It was a two-bedroom, two bath in a complex with a pool, playground, and only two blocks from the beach. Although it seemed sleepy at first we really grew to love Seal Beach. They call it Mayberry by the sea. We met lots of people and even got invited to our first SoCal children's birthday party. We promptly bought bikes and got in the habit of nightly bike rides around Seal Beach and surrounding areas. (See below for Harper's latest accessory.)

(Harper took to her new town by reading up on her new neighbors...a.k.a. US Weekly)

Our first hike in L.A. was to a relaxing waterfall-hot but relaxing.

(Harper and Daddy testing the water)

(Just an innocent rattlesnake resting in a tree along our hike route)

H enjoying our park on the beach. This has become a weekly hang-out for us before story-time at the library with the friends we've made in Seal Beach.

A friend of ours from high school, Scott Fitzgerald, and his family moved to Irvine (30 minutes from us) about the same time we moved. His wife, Laresa, and I became fast friends, exploring the area with our children. Laresa and her two children came over for burgers and swimming and this is a shot of an after dinner dance party. It seems H has my moves. Poor girl!

(One of Harper's favorite activities...playing in the water and pretending to clean the dishes. I love this little girl!)

August brought Nanno and Nanna (my dad and stepmom) for a visit. H loved showing them "her" park!

(Everyone swinging)

We finally enjoyed spreading the news that we are expecting another baby at the end of March. We confirmed the nauseous feeling I had was, in fact, a pregnancy while in San Francisco on our drive down to SoCal, so it was exciting to make it real by sharing the news. Harper doesn't know what's coming, but she seems happy right now.

Harper helped Nanno shave every morning and she thought it was fabulous that she got some of her own shaving cream, too.

We took Nanno and Nanna to Laguna Beach~beautiful!

(Lunch in Laguna)

(Petting zoo at the Brentwood Farmer's Market)

(The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific-Harper got so good at making a fishy face)

(Not so sure about the sharks)

(Just like when my sister and I would do my dad's hair when we were little, Harper put all her bows in Nanno's hair, saving one for herself.)

(Manhattan Beach with the morning June Gloom)

(Yummy lunch in Manhattan Beach)

Our neighbors in the corporate apartment had two grandchildren that came over often and they loved talking to Harper on the balcony. Harper equally enjoyed it!

(Harper and daddy reading together)

We took our bikes for a peaceful ride along the San Gabriel River. It was amazing and oh so relaxing. We took a break for lunch at this little waterfall.

(Family photo along the river)

(Daddy and Harper throwing rocks in the water)

We finally found a duplex in the Belmont Shores neighborhood (a 10 minute bike ride from Seal Beach) of Long Beach and moved in Oct. 1. Harper was excited to see all her toys and to sleep in her new "big girl" bed. She slept like a baby the first night...

...and the 2nd night. We now check nightly to make sure she is still IN bed. :)

Harper and I share a closet, so she has taken great joy in wearing my shoes and accessories to pretend she's going to work. It's one of my favorite moments each day.

Harper out in front of our new home before we head to the pumpkin patch.

She was so excited to try this ride...

...that is, until we loaded her in and stepped behind the gate to watch. They had to stop the ride to let her off. :(

She wasn't so sure about this one either...she actually tried to climb out, but they stopped it and we got her out before she threw herself off.

She loved the petting zoo, finally...

And the train ride WITH daddy...

And the fun fall themed cut-outs.

I hope it never wears off (but I'm smarter than that)...Harper Swifer-ing :)

(Our hike to the top of the Hollywood sign)

Harper threw a royal tantrum on the hike because we wanted to hold the apple for her as she bit into it, so as to salvage the apple for everyone. The "terrible twos" are definitely here. Yippy!

Harper wanted to take everyone on a picture tour of her new palace~this is the Queen's Room (still in need of some finishing touches)

The Queen's servants' quarters (a.k.a. our room)

Her washroom

The grand hallway

The entertainment hall/living room

The dining hall/kitchen

The Queen's viewing gallery/front porch

Come visit her majesty anytime!

2011-10-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

It seems our little girl is all "growed up". She's 21 months old, 3 feet tall, and weighs 34 pounds. She sleeps in a modified "big girl" bed and has the assertiveness and will of an 18 year old. She is saying more and more, although we're sure we are the only two people who can understand most of it. She "talks" all the time. Often jabbering to herself while laying in bed or while I'm making dinner. She seems fascinated with the "carmon man"-garbage man and the truck he drives. When she hears the tell-tale "beep, beep, beep" of any large vehicle, she screams, "carmon man, carmon, man!". She also loves to put on my heels, carry my purse and kiss us goodbye before heading to "work". She is a master imitator. She wants to use all the tools we use and do all the things we are doing. She knows what is growing in mommy's belly, "baby", and seems okay with it. :)

She currently hates bathing or showering, putting her shoes on, or following most directives we give her. We've found that she prefers to do the exact opposite of what we ask her to do, so in some situations (staying on the sidewalk, for example) we ask for the opposite (please walk in the street). It usually works, or we just take the opportunity away all together. It's super fun! :)

She loves to cuddle and climb into bed with us, saying "down" to instruct us to give her a boost, and then "down" when she's ready for us all to get up.

She also loves vegetables. I'm sure now that I've written this, she won't eat another one today, but it seems to be all she eats, veggies and fruits.

We have several recent pictures of our new SoCal home and I still need to finish our road trip entry from our drive down here, but I wanted to document some of our daily life with H while I had a chance (she's napping).

Road Trip!

2011-08-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

We decided we'd take advantage of our move to Southern California and drive/camp along the western coast of the United States. Here is our adventure:

(Leaving Seattle on the ferry)

(The Oylmpic Rainforest)

(Harper cozy in her small spot in the car)

(Harper instantly loved the ocean and beach)

(Next stop, the Oregon Coast)

(And the Goonie's house...one of my favorite childhood movies)

(Throwing rocks into the water provided hours of fun for little Miss H)

(Having a grand old time singing in the car)

(Perfect considering we were headed to Seal Beach, CA)

(The Redwood Forest~Amazing!)

(Elk near our campsite)

(Harper on top of the bear locker~was it wrong to leave her there while we went hiking? Just kidding)

(Hall of Ivy~or something like that)

(Throwing rocks again :) )

(Golden Gate)

(Super cool murals in The Mission, San Fran)

(Haight/Ashbury)

(Coolest, biggest playground ever~Golden Gate Park)

(Famous Victorians of San Fran...we followed our instincts here)

(Ready for our first trolley car ride)

(We shared one of our campsites with a large group from some religious sec that resembled mormons in dress. Harper loved the music they sang)

(Pebble Beach~Patrick was in heaven)

(Big Sur=Big gorgeousness)

(We're admiring some kind of walrus...can't remember what kind)

(Last stop before Seal Beach-Venture, CA)

Adventures in saying goodbye to a city we love...Seattle

2011-08-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

We got a chance to visit with Aunt Trudy and Uncle Jerry while they were in town for the Lion's Club International Convention. Harper instantly loved them!

One last fun day with Uncle Tom at the cool Capitol Hill park.

Fun times bbq-ing at the Cunniffe's! The kids had so much fun!

She couldn't resist one last opportunity to make a mess. :)

Although, Harper seemed to favor torturing poor Eva earlier in their friendship, they seemed the best of friends 2 days before we left for our new home. Such cute twinkies giving each other some love.

Harper moved out the last of our belongings. She grew up so much in this home. We will never forget Seattle and all the people and places we love there.

Summer in Seattle=maritime fun, hiking, park playing, the zoo, and more hiking

2011-07-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

Tugboat races

Rattlesnake Ledge

Fire tower hike (forgot the name)

(yes, she's cleaning the rocks...I say a bit sheepishly)

Grammy came to play, too bad the clouds covered-up beautiful Rainier.

There's Harper wrapped up as a frog

Dinner with the daddies...while the mommies had fun at book club

Gorilla at the zoo

And perfect timing...really?!

She loved reading the map and guiding the way...a.k.a. she was very determined to only go her way. I think We've hit the "terrible twos" a little early.

Hike to some peaceful lakes (our original hike plan, Noble Knob, was snowed-out)

Nene and Papa came to play, also

Harper love, loves looking at the book we had made of this blog documenting her first year of life. And we love that she loves it so much!

Starting to love dressing up...here, daddy's shirt and mommy's necklace

Reading her book again

Car camping...a first for Harper and Daddy.

Yup, snow in June, but we brought our snow shoes this time.

The ferry to Orcas Island.

Playing in the sound on Orcas Island at our campsite.

She's getting good at this camping business.

All she wanted to do was climb the stairs...no pictures for her.

Adventures of a 12-16 month old

2011-05-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Goodness gracious...I have been very delinquent. Harper is almost 17 month olds. We've had a few sunny days to enjoy Seattle, visits from 2 sets of grandparents, and loads of firsts.

This is Harper's first dinger. She tripped on her own feet and fell into the ottoman in her room. Of course, she fell on the wood legs, not the cushioned part. But she recovered well and had no problems getting the swing when she wanted it at the park that week.

Harper seems to be following in mommy's footsteps...she loves to "clean". Too bad she also likes to make a mess.

After work book reading by daddy.

Harper has become quite attached to her blanket (this one in particular from my dear friend Bonnee). She brings it with her all over the apartment and repetitively picks it up and spreads it out on the floor, laying on top of it.

"March Madness!!!"

We make all of Harper's meals for the week on Sunday. She likes to stand on the ledge of the freezer and picks out what she wants..."No...no...ya."

Cleaning again

Joe-sy Cool

Harper and I met Lauren, her mom Carolyn and sister Jordan for a play date at Gymboree. We met Carolyn and her husband Jamey through our friends Shannon and Dan. Then, Lauren and Harper were born 1 month apart.

She loves taking her books off the bookshelf, and reading them for 2.2 seconds before moving on to the next one. Daddy loves organizing the books, 4 times a day. (sarcasm)

Mommy's shoes make walking a bit more tricky.

Harper had fun playing with daddy near Pike's Place Market. We were so impressed with her control running down the hill and back up. Is it obvious this is our first child?

"I pitty the the fool who has hair!"

Working girl.

Nonno and Nanna came for a visit. They were so excited to read to Harper and see all her latest developments. Like bringing you a book, sitting on your lap, listening intently for 2 pages, then promptly crawling off to fetch a new book. It never stopped being cute.

Classic

A trip to the Children's Museum (across the street from our apartment) proved developmental. Harper learned how to climb the stairs, sit, and slide all on her own. It was the first time and we concluded that she was fast learner.

And a masterpiece artist.

She loves "talking" to the sea-beasts...I mean seagulls. They are as big as her, but she is fascinated by them.

Painting at home.

After Nonno and Nanna, Nene and Papa came for a visit. Patrick and I planned a trip for my spring break so we played with Nene and Papa for a few days before leaving them to keep up with their ever mobile granddaughter. They loved every minute, even the afternoon naps.

Every spring, Skagitt Valley, just north of Seattle has their tulip festival. It is one of the largest exporters of tulip and daffodil bulbs in the world. Last year we were a week too late to see the full bloom. This year we were a week early. The daffodils were gorgeous, but only a few tulips had bloomed. Harper didn't seem to notice and ran wild through the grass.

We also took Nene and Papa to one of Harper's Gymboree classes so she could show off.

Ah, the bottom layer of the soon to be book mound. At least she's interested in books.

Nene and Papa also took H to the children's museum. She drove a bus, toured a few other countries, and shopped at the Metropolitan Market.

Lots of park time, when the sun came out to say hi.

We thought it was weird that only her legs were cold, too.

An after work hike through our urban Discovery Park. H loves being outdoors.

A rare appearance from the sun prompted us to drive to Alki Beach (10 minute drive on the other side of the Puget Sound from our apartment). We played at their super cool park, had lunch, and walked along the beach. Harper better get used to the sand between her toes...minus the mountain back drop.

It was a perfect evening for a bbq on our roof.

H has her daddy's sleep habits...wack-a-doo sleep positions. This one had us laughing ourselves to sleep.

Hike with daddy.

Look closely, H is amongst the tulips below the space needle. Just a little jaunt around the Seattle Center.

She's learning to feed herself. Yay!...I guess.

A trip to the aquarium.

Followed by fun in the sculpture park.

And another hike. Yes there is still snow in the mountains and it's late May. There will be some pluses to our new home in L.A. But we'll miss our beloved Pacific Northwest!

A Southern Holiday with a celebration of 1 year of Harper

2011-01-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how late this post is...Harper turns 1 and mom stops documenting. What kind of a mom am I? This is our trip to Texas for the holidays. We celebrated Harper's first Christmas and first birthday. It was wonderful to see so much family and watch Harper discover the wonder of the holidays.

The fun began Christmas Eve at Grammy Vecchio's house with Aunt Andrea. Harper got gifts from Aunt Deirdre, Uncle Martin and Aunt Pat, Aunt Andrea, and Grammy. Here she is opening a fun bath toy from Aunt Pat and Uncle Martin. We then went to Aunt Therese's to celebrate with the Lindners, and Bartholomews. This has been a tradition in Grammy's family since we all moved to Flower Mound in the late 70's/early 80's. I cannot remember a Christmas where I didn't celebrate with my cousins and aunts and uncles at Aunt Therese and Uncle Dale's with the trains below the tree. It meant so much to me to introduce Harper to the same tradition.

Christmas morning, Harper got to experience the Wille tradition of stocking opening. Her stocking, thoughtfully made by Nene was bigger than her, but she loved discovering everything inside. We all enjoyed laughing and spending time together while we opened gifts and enjoyed a yummy holiday dinner.

The best gift of the day was this activity table from Aunt Heather, Uncle Curtis, cousins Connor and Hunter. She still loves this table...almost 2 months later.

We had fun playing with the box...typical.

We took Harper to the park around the corner from Nene & Papa's house. Of course she loved the swings and eating bark.

Dinner with grown-ups...Harper made the transition to whole cow's milk and ate everything we ate the entire trip.

Harper and her cousins Hunter (Longhorns) & Connor (Red Raiders).

Aunt Andrea, daddy, Harper and I took a quick trip down to Kingwood to see Nanna & Nanno. We got a chance to reconnect with our cousins Frank, Mark, and Valeta Vecchio and their families. Frank's birthday was Dec. 28, so he and Harper celebrated together. Harper was also infatuated with Mr. Freeze's dog bed (Valeta's dog). Mr. Freeze wasn't so fond of Harper.

Exploring Nanna & Nanno's porch.

After returning back to Flower Mound, we spent time with Aunt Andrea and Grammy at Grammy's house. New Year's Eve, we went to Sonoma Grill (Aunt Andrea's and my favorite restaurant in Flower Mound). We had a great time although none of us made it to midnight (11:30).

We got a chance to see Uncle Marcus and Mollie. They brought Harper a fabulous teddy bear bigger than her. She also took her first steps at this Starbucks (although she didn't truly take off walking on her own until we returned home).

We made sure to celebrate Harper's first birthday with family. Aunt Trudy and Uncle Jerry provided the appropriate attire (my first birthday onesie). We had Nene, Papa, Grammy, Aunt Andrea, Uncle Dale, Aunt Therese, Aunt Monica, and Uncle John, yummy food and H's first birthday cake. She wasn't so sure what to do at first, but she quickly embraced the sugar of the cupcakes. :)

Everyone was spectacularly generous and Harper really started to get the hang of opening gifts. Dare we say she started to enjoy it?! It was a fabulous first birthday for our first baby. And can we just, holy cannoli, it's been a year and we're all still alive and healthy.

Harper is so lucky and so are we to have such a loving and supportive family.

We had time for one last trip to a park before flying out. Harper loved the swings and slide again. But this orange thing-y was not her favorite. Thank Aunt Andrea for saving her!

The mountains came out to play

2010-12-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

East Coast State of Mind

2010-12-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

For the Thanksgiving holiday we decided to travel back east. I had not been back to NYC since we left 2 years ago and it would give us the chance to introduce Harper to Uncle Martin, Aunt Pat, and Aunt Deidre down in Richmond, VA.

We arrived in NYC late Sat. night and went back to our old Upper Westside neighborhood for dinner at one of our favorites, Henry's. Harper was still on West Coast time, so she was a perfect angle at dinner. The next morning we met our friends Melissa and Sean for brunch and introduced their daughter Olivia and Harper. They were so cute destroying the restaurant together.

Then we walked all over Brooklyn. We went to our old hood...still hipster mixed with sketchy. We got coffee at Citizen and walked by our old apartment building.

Then we went to Brooklyn Heights and played at the park. Harper loved the NYC swings just as much as she loves Seattle swings.

The Brooklyn Bridge was under construction, but we had to get some pictures with it anyway.

Harper's first subway ride. She loved looking at all the people.

...and Time Square was serious sensory overload. She was so excited by all the lights and noise.

We met Aunt Pat and Uncle Martin at another favorite...Tony's in midtown. We over ate and watched Harper make yet another mess before falling fast asleep on daddy's chest (rare for her).

The next day I went back to Brooklyn to introduce Harper to my friend Jodi and Karen, and then the fabulous community of P.S. 8 (my old school). It was absolutely wonderful to see everyone there and hear how my old students had grown. Then Harper and I met Patrick, Erin, Michaela, and Kevin at a bar in mid-town. Yes...you heard correct...NYC doesn't seem to mind if you bring a baby in a bar. We ate good bar food and had some fabulous laughs with old friends. Irv met us later, so Patrick and Irv could pose for their "my two dads" picture.

The next day we went into the Quad offices and saw Patrick's old work friends. Kate Torpy, came out to lunch with us and gave Harper a super important lesson in credit cards.

Then we took Harper up 5th Ave. and into FAO Schwartz. Cue the sensory overload again.

We continued into Central Park.

After a nap we met our friends Erin, Irv, Mike, and Kara out at City Grill, yet another favorite. Harper was still on west coast time so she played and ate late into the night. She was the perfect baby on her first NYC experience.

Then we took the train to D.C. where we caught another train to Richmond. We had just enough time to eat a quick lunch with my friend Mollie at Union station. Harper had a wonderful time crawling around the open space in the station and we had so much fun catching up with Mollie.

(Already fascinated with jewelry. Daddy was super excited! ha!)

Our first day in Richmond started with Aunt Deirdre and I going for a walk while Patrick went running (a 8 mile run magically turned into a 12 mile run when he took a wrong turn in Aunt Deirdre's neighborhood). We played in the park in the middle of Aunt D. cul-de-sac. Harper loved the swinds, per usual.

We had lots of time to relax and nap and spend time together.

Aunt Andrea and Grammy flew up to spend the holiday with us also. Aunt Andrea and her niece showed their team spirit for UT.

Harper loved crawling around and watching out the back window. The birds and other wildlife running around provided hours of entertainment for her.

The last day we were there, we went to old Gettysburg and then Busche Gardens for their festival of lights. Andrea, Patrick and I got our kicks from riding a looping, crazy roller coaster. We were like kids again.

I was obsessed with getting Harper on her first merry-go-round. She was too small to sit on a horse even if I was holding her. Booo! But she did get to ride in a chair with us.

There were a lot of firsts. Patrick and I marveled at seeing NYC again through the innocent eyes of our daughter. It was truly magical. A perfect start to the holiday season!

1 month short of a year-11 month old Harper

2010-12-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

Harper already 11 months old...are you kidding!? No on feels more blind-sided by how time has flown than Patrick and me. We have truly enjoyed every moment. Even those middle of the night wake-up calls, and really stinky, poopy diapers. She's walking more with the support of anything stable. Plus she has started to test her balance by standing and letting go to see if she can stand. She is eating virtually anything we put in front of her. If we don't let her feed herself, she refuses to eat. It's super fun at times. She's babbling with much more intention now. I wish I had a translator. I bet her mind is thinking some fascinating things. I can't imagine what is to come.

Mooo...I'm 10 months old

2010-12-04T21:04:00.001-08:00

Harper started crawling and walking all at the same time. So out with the "uglasaucer" and in with the "lunch cart". She pushes it all over the apartment, smiling all the way. That's how we celebrated 10 months of Harper...with a new toy. Bad precedent, we know, but she "needed" it. :)

We also took Harper to her first pumpkin patch. She had a great time on the hay ride and her Klocke farm roots became clear to us as she was mesmerized while watching the tractor pulling us on the hay bales.

Oh, and then there was Halloween. Not her favorite holiday. I'm sure she'll learn to love it once she can chew candy, but for now, this costume business is for the birds. My dear friend Anna made Harper this beautiful cow costume. H didn't mind the bodysuit part, but from the looks of it, you would have thought we had nails in the hood part. She hated it! We had fun trying to get her to pose and seeing all our other friends dressed up.

A little late, but here's month 9 of Harper.

2010-12-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Cameras are not our friends. We are now on our 5th camera in 2 years. Hence the low number of pictures this month. Harper celebrated her 9 month birthday on September 29. She had a great check-up at the Dr.'s weighing in at 23lbs (95%) and measuring 27.2 in. long(90%). She was eating solids well and slowly weaning herself from nursing. Her Dr. recommended that we start giving her more foods cute into small pieces so she could feed herself. Preparing foods for her has become much easier. We just cut up whatever we're eating (although I still make things for her to take to daycare). On October 3, 2010, she started crawling and walking along the furniture. It all happened at once. We're still waiting for her to walk without support, but we don't mind. The time is already flying too fast.

8 months of Harper (almost 9)

2010-09-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

We marked Harper's 8 month birthday with a hike. Summer was almost over and we wanted to make sure we got Blanca Lake in. We hiked to the glacial lake and enjoyed a nice lunch. Our little solid food eater made sure to dirty every last diaper we had brought along. It was super great!

It was hard to get a shot where the sign was readable...it says, "I'm 8 months old today. Mommy just felt my 3rd tooth coming in on top. We are hiking today...again. I feel like I'm riding on an elephant. Love, Harper. 8/29/10"

A full bag of dirty, stinky diapers.

Harper also started her first NFL season during her 8th month in the world. She ate lentils while daddy had french onion dip and chips. And thanks to her Aunt Heather, Uncle Curtis, Cousin Connor and Cousin Hunter, she was sporting the rockin' Cowboys' Gear.

Harper recently learned how to sit up from the "laying-on-her-stomach" position (video to follow), so falling asleep at nap time is a bit more challenging. If she weren't so stinkin' cute and proud of herself...

A milestone and another hike

2010-08-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

Look! I can pull myself up. Not quite crawling, yet but standing and pulling myself up. -Harper

The pier by our apartment overlooking the Puget Sound.

For this weekend's hike, we drove a little further north to Twin Lakes and hiked Winchester Mt. That's the Canadian border behind Patrick.

That's Mt. Baker.

The water was frigid, but so refreshing for our hiked-out feet.

Our family...of feet.

Peek-a-Boo

2010-08-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Hysterical Uncle Marcus

2010-08-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Summer in the Pacific Northwest-We heart every second.

2010-08-06T10:39:00.001-07:00

The best months of the year in Seattle are July, August, and September. We have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather and gorgeous scenery by going on as many hikes as possible. These shots are from Little Bandera mountain. This hike was a little more difficult then we thought, but we made it and our calves were pleasantly sore for most of the following week.

(Mt. Rainier in the background)

Harper was tuckered out after our hike...so cute.

Harper turned 7 months old on July 29. She's been on 7 plane rides, 4 hikes, and swimming countless times. She's our little adventurer. We marvel at her brilliance everyday and thank our lucky stars that she is who she is...Harper Grace Wille.

These pictures are from our hike to the alpine lake Serene. It was a bit foggy but still a beautiful hike.

This tree had fallen and was stuck on the other tree. Thank goodness it didn't give way while we were hiking!

Harper was fascinated with the rocks we found near the lake. Of course they went right in the mouth. Hooray for dirt boosting the immune system. :)

I took my turn carrying Harper in the backpack. It was heavy but doable for the last mile. Patrick can resume his backpack duties, now.

Birthday twins...We had Graham and his parents, Jeannette and Eric, over for dinner. Graham was born the same day, in the same hospital, and by the same doctor as Harper. Patrick and I love hanging out with his parents and watching the babes grow. (Like every other baby born in the past 9 months, Graham has more hair than Harper. Bald is the new black, right?)

Harper's new favorite seat...at our kitchen bar. She loves to drop her toys on the floor below and watch our reaction. And she loves watching us in the kitchen. Sometimes we drop down below the counter and play a hysterical game of peek-a-boo. She squeals and giggles with joy.

Bath time=a new favorite game for daddy...stick the foam letters on Harper's head. A-dor-able!!!

Swiped pictures from Bonnee's blog...Dallas visit July 2010

2010-07-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Summer Vacation-Chapter 3-Flower Mound, TX

2010-07-26T15:40:00.001-07:00

After 3 short days in Kingwood with Nanna and Nonnu, Patrick flew back to Seattle to work and I flew to Dallas. My stepbrother, Marcus took a day off work to spend with Harper and me. We met Andrea for lunch at Pappasito's (my favorite) and laughed as we took lots of pictures and videos (videos to come).

I also took an afternoon to see my dear friends Bonnee and Charlotte (more pictures of that visit to follow as I'm swiping them from Bonnee's blog. :) )

My oldest friend, Tricia (I've known her since I was 3) came by for a visit with her mom Carm. It was such a pleasure to watch both of them play with Harper.

Patrick returned for the weekend and there was a little bit of time left to pop over to our friends, Amanda and Cody's before we went to Harper's baptism. They cooked us a great fajita lunch and Harper loved playing with their son Luke and his toys. :)

Since we were going to be in Texas and all of our immediate family lives there, we decided to have Harper baptized in the church where Patrick and I were confirmed. Harper joined the long list of babies that have worn a baptism gown made by my mother 41 years ago for her god-son, my cousin Michael. Aunt Heather and Aunt Andrea committed to being her godmothers. Nene and Papa (Patrick's parents) threw a fabulous reception in her honor with delicious bar-b-q and lots of laughs. Harper was a perfect angel the entire day. Of course during the most silent part of mass, Harper blew the loudest raspberry, eliciting laughter from all.

Daddy and Harper saying hello to home...Seattle.

Summer Vacation-Chapter 2-Kingwood, TX

2010-07-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

After a week of lake relaxation, we were airborne again, headed to Kingwood, TX to visit my dad and stepmom. And, again, I have no idea who took pictures because I sure didn't. We ate well, went for walks on the beautiful greenbelts of Kingwood, and went swimming. Harper loved every minute with her Nanna and Nonnu.

My dad found a raft with a cover and "working aquarium" for Harper to float in while in the pool. By "working aquarium" they meant a part of the raft that you fill with water instead of air which makes the plastic sea creatures float. The entire contraption looked like a fish and we couldn't wait to get Harper in it. She grew to love her time in the water and we all loved cooling off in the water and watching her. Darn I wish I had a picture of it.

We also went on a driving tour of all the old houses I lived in. This is the very first house I ever lived in. My mom had painted Winnie the Pooh on the wall of my room. I don't remember much but have seen lots of pictures.

Summer Vacation-Chapter 1-Hot Springs Village, AR

2010-07-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Some of my best memories as a child were of family parties or trips with my cousins and aunts and uncles. Family has always been a tremendous part of our lives so we were thrilled to take Harper down south first to Arkansas and then to Texas to meet and play with her cousins, aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles, and grandparents. As I'm uploading images for this entry, I'm realizing that I took far less pictures of our entire trip than I realized, so I'm sure I'll be adding and swiping pictures as I go.

Every year for the fourth of July, Patrick's mother, father, sister and her family rent a house on one of the lakes in Hot Springs Village, AR. We missed out the past 2 years with our travels, but were so excited to spend some quality time with everyone and have Harper get to know her aunt, uncle and cousins. She loved showing off all her new trick...eating solids, rolling over, biting with her very strong bottom teeth, sitting up, scooting, and "talking".

(Cousin Hunter, Daddy, Aunt Heather, and Harper-eating)

Aunt Heather encouraged Harper to stand and got her to do it on her own while resting on a box. Thanks Aunt Heather now she only wants to stand. :) Heather also spoiled her rotten with lots of noisy toys, fulfilling her role as the super fun aunt.

(Nene and Harper cuddling on the dock)

Nene brought a small blow-up pool for Harper. She loved splashing around with me and Lindsay (Connor and Hunter's close family friend). Lindsay and her sister Melody have joined in the festivities for the past two years. All the kids loved playing with Harper in between their adventures out on the lake.

(One of maybe 2 times Harper left the sunglasses on for more than 2.2 seconds. Thank goodness she tolerated hats or I would have never let her out in the sun.)

The 2 H's-Hunter loved posing with his cousin, Harper.

We got a chair that screws on to most table tops in leu of a high chair. Harper loved sitting at the table with everyone and we thoroughly enjoyed her every squeal and bang.

We are "those" bad parents.

The cousins, Connor, Harper, and Hunter. (I heart this one!)

The raft was so much fun. The kids, Curtis, and Patrick also knee-boarded and wake-boarded.

Harper's first time in the lake lasted just long enough for a few fish to nibble at me and Nene.

Chillin' with Papa.

6 months old-holy canolli, time flies

2010-07-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Harper's 6 month birthday this week. The sun came out just so we could take pictures. Wasn't that nice of the sun?! We went to the Seattle center to take pictures with the Space Needle and cool fountain (although in retrospect, the fountain isn't very visible behind our sweet Harper). We are happy to report that Harper survived her 6 month vaccines although these were clearly more painful than the others. She is still in the 95th percentile for height and weight, but her growth seems to be slowing (which we're told is normal).

As you might be able to see, Harper has her daddy's blue eyes and god help her, my ears. She is sitting, and rolling, and reaching, and almost crawling...but not quite (thank goodness). She is fascinated with anything we do, especially when we eat. You can tell she just wants to grab whatever we have and gobble it up. She is very skilled at eating her own food and has even used the spoon on her own a few times. She still loves the outdoors but is becoming more sensitive to loud noises (another trait from her daddy). She has taken a liking to dancing with mommy, especially when I bounce up and down, consistently. :) She is communicating (babbling and giggling) more and more...stealing our hearts with each utterance. She has 2 teeth (yay for breast feeding) and has been sleeping through the night (7:30 p.m.-5:30 a.m.) for 2 months, now. Back to eating, Harper really likes bananas and mangos. Avocado, not so much and the jury is still out on sweet potatoes (she's only had them once). Her favorite toys are paper, a wooden spoon, a metal bowl, plastic rings, a wooden triangle, these plastic texture balls, and of course, mommy or daddy's keys. She is not the best napper, but I hope to work on that this summer. She is perfectly content playing by herself for 30 minutes at a time while we buzz around cooking or cleaning talking to her.

We are preparing to take Harper to Arkansas for a week with Patrick's parents and his sister's family. Then we will head to Houston to see my dad and stepmom (Nanno and Nanna). Then to Dallas to see all our friends and family there. We are so excited for Harper to meet and play with her cousins in Arkansas and then meet everyone in Texas. We'll see how much this Pacific Northwestern likes the southern heat.? I'm sure we will have a barrage of pictures and funny stories to share upon our return. Stay tuned.

Harper 5 months plus

2010-06-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

Almost 6 months old...just a few cute pictures

2010-06-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you Aunt Andrea for the organic/eco-friendly toys. They taste good!

Harper had her 6 month check a week early. He declared her ready to start solid foods. So we've mixed avocado with rice cereal and also tried sweet potato. She's a pretty good eater although she seems to have the attention span of gnat these days, so keeping her focus takes silly daddy tricks most days. Today we tried banana and it was by far her favorite.

Baby in daddy's sunglasses...it never gets old.

More 6 month updates to follow after her actual 6 month birthday on June 29.

Kitchen fun, the ugliest toy on earth, more hiking, and the magic of Harper

2010-06-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

Harper helping daddy empty the dishwasher.

After several promotions from other moms, I caved and bought an exesaucer...oh when will they invent one made of eco-friendly materials and far fewer bright colors.

Daddy captured these mommy and me moments.

Rice cereal is good...if only more made it into my mouth.

Harper loved her second hike, Mt. Washington, and life atop daddy's shoulders.

Don't worry, it was clean.

5 months old, already?!

2010-05-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

We celebrated 5 months of Harper this weekend. It's hard to believe that 5 months ago I was as big as a whale and we had been going about our lives without ever knowing the kind of love Harper has brought into our world. Harper was far less still and cooperative for this photo shoot, which created some of the cutest pictures to date.

Her every expression breaks our hearts wide open.

Thank heavens for little (sleeping through the night) girls.

Seattle bustles with festivals all summer long...the first of wich is the Folklife festival. We took in some great music and fabulous people watching. Harper just loved being outside...despite the rain.

Harper loves life atop daddy's shoulders.

We also took Harper on her first hike this weekend. Snow Lake trail was definitely that...snowy. But she loved looking around and riding on daddy's back. We loved hiking again. It was a great warm-up for the season.

5 months of random Harper

2010-05-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day and Nanna and Nanno come for a visit

2010-05-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

Words cannot describe the joy I feel being a mom. I can't imagine my life without this sweet little face and the amazing little girl that has yet to emerge. Happy Mother's Day to me...I am so lucky.

We made sure to take advantage of the beautiful weather and take lots of walks. Harper loves the outdoors. If she is fussing at all, we can take her out on the balcony or on the roof or for a walk and she is instantly calm and happy.

The next weekend, my dad and Pat (Nanno and Nanna) came for a visit. They were so excited to see how much Harper had grown and developed. They were amazed by her every move. They also got some great shots of her happy demeanor.

That same weekend, our friend, Linda, her son and sister were also in Seattle. We met Linda on our adventure in New Zealand, so we were so excited to see her again and have her meet Harper.

At one of our many meals, Harper ate her first solid food...some avocado. She wasn't so sure at first but was eager for more after only one bite.

Nanna and Nanno couldn't love on Harper enough.

She is getting more grown-up everyday...sitting more independently, rolling over both ways, standing, "talking", and taking an interest in "real" food. We are loving every second of her discovery and growth.

Daddy can always be counted on to make Harper smile and giggle.

Our 4 month old contortionist

2010-05-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

Our little Harper has survived 4 months of life with us as parents. And she is a very healthy 4 month old. We celebrated with a doctor's check-up and some vaccines. She weighed in at 18 lbs, 6.7 oz and measured 27" long...100% for both. The other piece of good news was that at her size, the Dr. said she should be able to sleep though the night without eating. So we're in the process of weaning her. May the force be with us.

Some milestones she's reached so far...rolling over from back to stomach (one time from stomach to back), grasping and pulling on objects, squealing, babbling, and our personal favorite...giggling.

We tried to visit the annual Tulip Festival in Skagit County, but we were one week too late. So we took full advantage of the one patch of tulips left. "Perfect posing Harpster."

We also took the plunge and purchased a running stroller...our blanket maned baby loves her new ride.

Also exciting...Harper's feet finally made it to her mouth. She's been grabbing and pulling on them for weeks, but tonight after bath time, she finally contorted herself enough to find a new chew toy. Definitely her mama's daughter.

Almost 4 months old...just a few choice pics

2010-04-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Going to my first birthday party...Chloe Cunniffe's 2nd birthday!

Loving the action outside our apartment.

Uncle Tom hearts Harper.

Bath time

An evening walk with mom and dad.

"I love weekend naps...I get to take them in mom and dad's bed sometimes."-Harper Grace

Bye bye Nene and Papa, Easter, and our first day of daycare

2010-04-11T21:39:00.001-07:00

Before Nene and Papa ended their time with us, we had to take just a few more pictures. :)

Harper is a kicking maniac. She loves lying in her crib while talking, kicking, and batting at her "mobile". We love watching her!

Nene and Papa got Harper her first Easter basket filler with goodies. (Posing here in a dress Nene and Papa bought her.) Thank you Nene and Papa. We all loved it.

On Easter Sunday, we had dinner at Jane and Dave's (family friends) house in Bellevue. Much to her daddy's dismay, Harper wore a perfectly girly and perfectly pretty pink dress for the occasion. Thanks Grammy and Aunt Andrea for that one. (Our growing girl, 17+ lbs now, couldn't wear the matching bonnet. It was too small.)

Here is Harper on her first day of school with one of her teachers, Nadia. She seems very happy there and is not phased by our tears one bit. :)

Mahalo for grandparents...

2010-04-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

With Patrick's parents in town to play nanny for Harper, and my spring break upon us, we took advantage and planned our first trip to Hawaii and our first time away from Harper. I cried off and on for the entire 6 hour journey to Maui and looked at my photo album 3 times daily, but it was worth it. Patrick and I fell in love with Hana and the rest of Maui...not to mention with each other all over again. Oh, and Harper, she was happy to stay home and be spoiled by Nene and Papa (We still can't seem to warm her occasional bottles to the right temperature. i.e Nene and Papa temperature.). Here are just a few of the 300+ shots from the trip.

The beach near our bungalow in Hana...Hamoa Beach.

The black sand beach

And the red sand beach

Our jeep on the grounds of the bungalow (we highly recommend where we stayed in Hana!).

One of the hundreds of waterfalls we saw.

The bamboo forest on the way to another amazing waterfall (see below)

The infinity pools near Oheo Gultch

Oheo Gultch

Hamoa Beach with a seal taking a rest.

The Venus Pool

The road around the south of Maui on the way to West Maui

Maui's volcanic crater

Paying homage to our Nene

Patrick took this so one day Harper would know what I did to be able to continue to breast feed her. (There's nothing like Catholic guilt.)

Big Beach in west Maui (one of our favorites before the trade winds came in)

Our last night, we stayed near Lahaina. We listened to a fabulous Hawaiian singer while enjoying dinner and several drinks.

Our last day we spent exploring Kapalua and surrounding areas.

We were so happy to come home 5 days later to our sweet little girl and a beautiful sign "she" made for us. Thank you again Nene and Papa.

3 months old + mommy back to work=very overdue blog entries

2010-04-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

March 8th, I had to return to work, much to my dismay. But Harper was left in good hands...Grammy (my mom). They laughed and played most of the day. Grammy loved getting to know Harper's cues and watching her develop. She was kicking more and lifting her head higher during tummy time. She also babbled the day away telling Grammy stories. We were ever so grateful to have Grammy here giving Harper the love and attention she was used to.

When Grammy went back to Texas, Nene and Papa (Patrick's parents) came to take over nanny duties. They loved feeding her, taking her picture and out to our favorite breakfast place...The 5 Spot.

Nene especially loved taking Harper on walks down by the water (Puget Sound) and around our neighborhood.

Harper enjoyed her first March Madness while Nene and Papa were here. Daddy's Baylor Bears made it to the Elite Eight round of the tournament, so we started Harper early with her loyal fan-fare

We also took Harper on her first Ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. It was a beautiful day and Harper look especially cute in her spring outfit. (See we do put cloths on her sometimes)

(Papa and Daddy stuffing diapers)

Harper also celebrated her 3 month birthday on March 29th with Nene and Papa.

(Harper modeling one of her many spring fashions from Aunt Heather, Uncle Curtis, Cousin Connor and Hunter. It's probably the only thing she owns that she still has room to grow in. :))

2 months old

2010-03-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

A visit from Amanda...

2010-02-23T14:19:00.001-08:00

Our good friend from Texas, Amanda came for a visit to meet Harper and enjoy a little more Seattle. We lucked out with amazing weather, so we took advantage and spent lots of time outdoors taking walks. We also ate amazingly thanks to Amanda's culinary expertise: Tilapia with homemade tomatillo sauce and shrimp ceviche. It was a fabulous visit with lots of laughs and Olympics' watching.

Amanda posing with Harper in front of Lake Washington and Mt. Rainier.

A walk around Rattlesnake Lake. We're still amazed by the natural beauty all around out here.

Amanda in front of Snoqualmie Falls.

Lots of opportunity to take pictures with the Seattle skyline and Mt. Rainier.

Valentine's Day and a 7 week birthday with Nonno and Nonna

2010-02-21T21:35:00.000-08:00

Harper took her first airplane ride to Houston, TX to visit her Nonno and Nonna (Claudia's dad and stepmom). She was an angel on the flight and mom made it to IAH without incidence. Nonno had just recently had quadruple bypass surgery, but that didn't stop him from playing with Harper and giving her lots of nicknames. Whether it was Harper G. and the Harpettes or Carmalita Capadutz (sicilian for hat), they shared lots of laughs. While in Houston, Harper celebrated her first Valentine's Day and her 7 week birthday...thank goodness we have the pictures to remember these oh so important events in her life. :)

Nonna enjoyed holding and loving on Harper as she gained better control of her movements and discovered her feet whilst tenderly stomping against Nonna's chest. (That's advanced, right?)

6 weeks old and getting ready for our first airplane ride...

2010-02-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Harper is 6 weeks old and growing rapidly. She weighs in at 12 lbs, 7 oz and is set to receive her first round of vaccines on Friday in preparation for her first ride on an airplane to Houston, TX. We are going to visit my dad and stepmom for a few days. Here are some other pictures taken throughout the past week including Harper's first Superbowl and a walk on a rare spring-like day here in Seattle.

Celebrating our 5 week birthday with Aunt Andrea

2010-02-03T11:27:00.000-08:00

Harper's Aunt Andrea (my sister) came in town for a quick visit before jetting off to Vegas on business. She learned to hook'em and enjoyed being spoiled yet again. And she only peed and spit up once on Aunt Andrea. :) We so enjoyed her visit and can't wait for the next time.

Harper sharing (and loving it) a big girl bed with her Aunt Andrea. We couldn't get enough of this picture...so cute!

Already sitting up and posing. Thanks Aunt Andrea and Grammy for the cute froggy outfit. Now all we need is a little more hair.

We took Harper and Andrea for their first visit to Pike's Place and the original Starbuck's (we also stopped by Fran's Chocolates. Of course.). Harper slept the whole time (probably because she can't have coffee yet).

The celebration continued after Aunt Andrea sadly departed...Happy 5 week birthday to me...kickin' it Brooklyn style.

And thanks for hanging out with us Cody (our friend from Texas)...Harper has her first crush on someone other than daddy!

One month old today...

2010-01-29T13:23:00.001-08:00

Harper shared her 1 month birthday with her Aunt Andrea (who she can't wait to meet tomorrow) and posed wrapped in a prayer shawl from her Great-Aunt Therese (my god-mother).

She also marked her 1 month birthday by holding on to her frog/ladybug rattle and moving it around without letting it go. That's really good and advanced, right? :)

Nene and Papa's visit

2010-01-29T10:56:00.001-08:00

Patrick's parents, dubbed Nene and Papa, came for a visit this past week. They loved every last minute of their time with Harper, as did we. We got a little extra sleep and a date night (we saw Avatar and I finally got some sushi). Harper was very good at imitating Papa and Nene was a natural at dressing her and getting her to sleep. Here are just a few pictures of their visit.

Papa thought these glasses were the perfect accessory while Harper enjoyed her first trip to the mall.

I finally caved and bought a bow to girl-up Harper's bald head and androgynous outfit.

Harper got all dressed up for her first family dinner at Uncle Jim and Aunt Louann's house.

When you see a group of Klocke's (Marlene's maiden name is Klocke) you can see the resemblance.

Daddy does bath duty.

One last smile for Nene!

3 weeks old

2010-01-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe, Harper was born 3 weeks ago. Her spontaneous smiling has become more frequent and she's weighing in at 10.5-ish lbs. (I stole this sign idea from my cousin Shannon. Thanks for being so clever Shannon.)

Eat, sleep, poop and Grammy's visit-Harper's first 2 weeks

2010-01-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

Harper has been a pretty normal newborn...she eats, sleeps and poops like a champ. She also had some other adventures during her first 2 weeks in the world.

Harper's first ride in the Moby.

Grammy comes for a visit. She stayed for a week and was a wonderful help. We were so sad to drop her off at the airport. Good thing she'll be back in March and we have Nene and Papa coming next week.

Harper had her first pediatrician's appointment. She gained 6 oz in 3 days and then another 9 oz a week later. We thought she looked like a little Russian with her hat on the Dr. exam table.

Our friends, Tom and Jill, sent Harper a set of embroidered bibs and burp cloths. Adorable!

Dad and Harper got lots of bonding time since Patrick's work schedule was somewhat flexible her first week home.

We took Grammy and Harper for their first visit to Snoqualmie Falls. It was very windy, but lucky Harper was snug wrapped close to Daddy in her Moby.

Momma gets a nap with her precious baby girl.

Harper loves her swing.

And she loves when Grammy sings to her (Grammy has a way more amazing voice than either momma or daddy).

Harper's coming home...

2010-01-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

Just one day shy of Harper's 1 week birthday, we were discharged from the hospital. We were so relieved that she was healthy, we forgot to be nervous.

Patrick had gotten us flowers and made us a welcome home sign. (So sweet and thoughtful...par for the course for this adventure.)

Patrick's first try at the 5 s's. Worked like a charm.

Harper's first sleep in her co-sleeper and than on my lap after a feeding. So breathtakingly precious.

Harper Grace has arrived

2010-01-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

7 days after my due date on Dec. 27th, 2009 Patrick and I decided to pass the time (as we not so patiently waited for the baby to make an appearance) by organizing all our pictures. Just as we were making real progress, I stood up from my sitting position on the ground and oops, my water broke. Holy cannolli! We both showered and I called the Dr. She suggested I come in because if my water had, in fact broken, we were on a time crunch to prevent any infection. So we packed a few final items and headed to the hospital. Once we got there, I was put on a fetal monitor and asked to walk around to get my water to fully break...and it did! But I was only 1-ish cm dilated. So they had to start the labor process for me with 2 drugs...miso-something and Pitocin. The Pitocin forced my body to have contractions every 2-3 minutes.

After 12 hours of this with no epideral, I was still only 1-2 cm dilated. "Are you kidding me!?" I caved and took an epideral. 12 more hours and I was finally 5 cm dilated. 4 more hours and I was 8 cm. Finally, at around 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 29th I was ready to push, despite the fact that I couldn't feel a thing from my chest down. After a few pushes, drama struck...we lost the heart beat and the nurse hurridley called in support. Once they found the heart rate again it had drastically dropped and the team rushed me into a surgical suite to perform a crash c-section. Once in the surgical suite, the baby's heart rate stabilized and Patrick was brought into the room. The Dr. explained that they didn't know why the heart rate had dropped so we could try to keep pushing and it might happen again or he could perform a c-section. We chose the c-section. At 6:34 a.m. the team pulled a 9lb 1.5 oz baby girl from my belly. We were so shocked she was a she that we forgot the girl names we had considered. We decided on Harper because it was just unique enough and went well with Grace. The team worked to get Harper breathing. She was breathing but not well so they brought her to the NICU and Patrick followed while they stitched me up. Patrick soon returned and said they had stabilized her and I could go see her just as soon as they were ready to move me to our post partum room.

When we went to visit Harper in the NICU, we were told that she had a small hole in her lung and she needed to be placed in an oxygen hood to help correct it. She was in the hood most of the day but was breathing on her own by that evening.

Momma's first time holding Harper.

Daddy helping with Harper's first bath.

Because Harper's arrival into the world was a bit traumatic, she had a hard time maintaining her temperature and glucose levels after her lung had recovered. So she remained in the NICU for 3 more days while I recovered in post-partum, and then 2 days in the infant care unit sleep-in room (I got to sleep in the room with her). Patrick was an unbelievable support person for...bringing me my favorite foods from home and calming when I felt frustrated or nervous. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect partner. Harper made wonderful progress and we had wonderful friends visit us the whole time. Thanks, Uncle Tom and Shannon & Dan.

Our latest (and most likely last) road trip

2009-11-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we headed down to Portland, OR to shop for Baby Wille, tax-free, and to spend some quality time away before we lose that privilege for a while. We really liked the feel of Portland. Much like our old stomping ground of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

When we got home we organized and put some finishing touches on the the baby's corner of the den. We're ready...sorta!

One shot from my Texas baby shower...

2009-10-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful to see everyone and thanks to my sister and dear friends (Trish, Amanda, and Jess) for throwing me the shower. I can hardly believe we only have 9 weeks left. (how much bigger can I possible get?)

Slightly over budget this weekend...

2009-09-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

We traded in my precious, 12 year-old honda civic for the more family size 2010 Honda CRV. Rainier was out tonight so we had a reason to go for a drive.

Dave Matthews at Columbia Gorge-Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

There was a brief rain shower just as we got our tents up, so we could retreat to the car and watch it pass along with others peoples' tents and belongings.

The show was amazing from our 38th row seats. And baby Wille kicked throughout to show his/her enthusiasm.

Recent Seattle Skyline and Claudia's first day of school...big belly and all

2009-09-05T12:30:00.001-07:00

Baby Wille update

2009-08-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

We had our 20 week sonogram and all looked good. The baby was very active (my mom always said I'd have a child just like me...hyper).

Just another Seattle Day-A hike in the foothills of Mt. Baker and a beautiful sunset from our roof deck

2009-08-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

(20 weeks pregnant...a bit slower but still movin')

A visit from our New York City friends, Irv and Erin

2009-07-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

As a nice cap-off to their Hawaiian vacation, our old friends from NY stopped in Seattle for a long weekend. We saw the usual sights, Pike's Market and the Underground. Plus we went kayaking in on Lake Washington, hiking near Mt. Rainier, and drinking at a Mariner's game. Of course we only have pictures of the hike, but maybe more to come if Erin forwards me some of the others. The view of Rainier was spectacular, as was the size of my stomach (I don't think I'm supposed to look like this. :))