Harper is 6 (+) months old!

Poor second baby...Mom and Dad are just a little behind in documenting your development.  Harper will actually be 7 months old on Friday, but better late than never on the chair photo, right?

We were late getting her to the doctor too, as our doc was on vacation when Harper turned 6 months old last month.  Harper is a BIG girl.  Harper weighs 19 lbs 2 oz -- the 90th percentile for weight!  I knew she was eating well, because we didn't stay in 6 mos clothes very long, but I was surprised she was so big!  I love her baby thighs though -- so chubby and cute!  Harper is 26" long, which is the 50th percentile.  I don't remember her head circumference (because the nurse didn't write it down for me), but her head is OFF THE CHARTS.  This is also what I should have seen coming as Harper's sun hat is a size 3T and snug, but my gosh!  It's so funny, we went from a string bean baby (Hayden) to a chunky monkey.  Love it!

At 6 months Harper has 2 teeth and is working on two more.  She eats 4 or 5 bottles a day and eats baby food 3 times a day.  We really haven't found anything she doesn't like to eat (clearly).  We've also recently started trying mummums, which she is unsure about.  She's eaten a whole one once.  Most of the time she nibbles and bangs it on the table.  She loves to make toot noises with her mouth and she yells loudly to get your attention.  Clark says she sounds like an old lady in a nursing home when she yells like this.  Harper can sit up unassisted, and she does a great job grabbing her toys.  She loves to laugh at her brother.  Nobody can make her laugh like Hayden can.  If Hayden is throwing his toys up in the air, Harper is mesmerized and belly laughing.  Her laugh is reason enough to allow Hayden to throw his toys around.  Good parenting, I know.  Hayden calls her "Harp Harp" and always makes sure she is loaded down with enough toys.  He helped Daddy put together her bouncer and kept saying, "Oh, Harp Harp is going to LOVE this!"  He even sang her a lullaby last night -- of his own devising.  I truly hope that this sibling love lasts, but I think it's going to be a game changer when Harper can move and takes his toys.

We're so excited as Clark is OFFICIALLY done with residency.  We've had lots of exciting happenings here at the Meador house.  Clark has been working at CareNow until he starts his new job at Baylor Family Medicine Southwest in September.  In the meantime, we bought a new house!  We rapidly outgrew our starter house.  We move in September.  We're excited to have more room so we can all have our space.  Pics to come soon on the house!

Hayden makes us laugh every day.  He is such a sweet, funny boy.  I love watching him play with other kids.  While he is not always the best at sharing, he goes out of his way to include his friends in what he is doing.  I love hearing, "Hey [insert kid's name here], come follow me to my room!  Let's play!"  He is hilarious.  He has a smart mouth, which will definitely get him trouble down the road.  We have to work on using respectful words.  For example, it drives me crazy when he says, "HEY!" when trying to get your attention.  He's asked his teacher at school if "she's lost her mind" and informed me a game at the mall was a "rip off."  Lightening McQueen is being replaced by Spiderman.  Hayden tells me constantly he's going to "shoot webs at villians" and then demonstrates the proper technique.

Things will be a little crazy around here as we prepare for the big move -- so I'll do my best at posting a somewhat timely 7 month post...but no promises!

Harper is 5 months old... and Happy Father's Day!

I know I start every post off like this...but seriously?  Is this baby really 5 months old?!  Where has the time gone?  Maternity leave literally feels like it was yesterday.  It wasn't, and Harper is growing right before our eyes.  She's almost growing into the gigantic bows I insist on clipping into her hair.  That onesie she is wearing is a snug size 6 months.  It's so funny to compare Hayden and Harper.  I couldn't wait for Hayden to get bigger and reach milestones.  I almost took it personally when people would say, "he's so tiny!"  With Harper, I'm wanting to slow everything down.  Is she rolling over? No (but almost), but who cares?  We're in no rush over here!  She's also sturdy.  Look at those rolls on her thighs!  I love them.

What are we doing at 5 months?  Well, she loves to lay on her playmat and reach for her toys (and her toes).  She chews on EVERYTHING.  She takes her thumb and will frantically rub it on her bottom gums (teeth?  Maybe?).  She coos and laughs and makes all kinds of noises.  Apparently laughing at toot sounds isn't exclusive to little boys, because nothing makes Harper laugh harder than a good toot (her brother is happy to supply them).  Harper thinks napping is for chumps, so she refuses to do it.  She naps 3 or 4 times a day for maybe 20 minutes at a time.  She eats baby food for dinner and we are starting to add lunch into the mix tomorrow.  She far prefers veggies over fruit, which is just ridiculous to me.  She heads to bed around 7:30 and enjoys her nightly reading of Harry Potter.  We're currently half way through the Prisoner of Azkaban, and I can tell it's her favorite by far.  Harper has been swimming one time, and she fell asleep in her float, which is both dangerous and ridiculous.  She did look adorable in her red white and blue swimsuit though.  Did I take a pic?  Of course not.  Sorry, second baby!  I'll catch you next time! :)

Today is Father's Day, and as always I'm incredibly thankful for my dad and for Clark, who is the best daddy to our two sweet babies. My dad is always there to make me laugh and always knows the best way to make something seem not so serious -- which is important.  He's also a "good Pop" as Hayden calls him, to Hayden and Harper.  Hayden loves to swim in the pool with Pop and I know Harper will grow up to enjoy him as well.  Clark keeps everything under control in our house.  Harper sounds wheezy?  Daddy doesn't think so...and if he does think so, he knows exactly what to do to fix it.  Daddy knows exactly how to fix Hayden's skinned up knees (as I heard wails of "I waaaaaant Daaaaaaaaadddddddy" on Friday night).  He is also the best tent builder, and he always makes sure Hayden does his "chores" like watering the flowers together and kicking the ball outside.  He's diligent in being sure that Hayden knows how to "get in his 3 point stance"for football and to "put your bat back" during tee ball.  We are so lucky to have Pop and Daddy!   We love you both so much!

Hayden said, "This is the best picnic ever!"

Harper would have said, "This is the best way to take a 20 minute nap."  

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Love,
Hayden and Harper

Harper is 4 months!

I can't believe this little girl is 4 months old already!  While she readily gives smiles to anyone she sees, she seems to be somewhat intimidated by the camera.  I've yet to capture the full on grin she gives people she recognizes.  Hopefully soon.  Harper went to the doctor today, and I'm happy to report that she is growing like crazy.

Here are her stats:

Weight:  14lbs 15oz (76th percentile)
Height:   25" (76th percentile)
Head:     43.6cm (96th percentile !!!)

Dr. V was pleased with how well Harper is holding up her head and grasping things.  She encouraged us to try rice cereal.  With Hayden I was so eager start baby food.  For some reason, I've been hesitant to start with Harper.  I think I just don't want to admit she's growing up.  I did mix up some rice cereal for her.  She's been fussier than normal lately, so I figured it might be because she's hungry.  Harper did well with the first couple of spoonfuls, licking at the spoon.  She definitely swallowed more than she spit out, but after a few minutes, she got incredibly angry, crying at the top of her lungs.  We'll keep trying and maybe introduce some veggies.

After my last post, I feel like I need to take a second and brag on Hayden.  Last Wednesday, after having a poop accident at school, Hayden came up to me at dinner and announced he had to poop.  We went to the bathroom and HE. DID. IT.  I literally cried my eyes out sitting on the bathroom floor.  Hayden looked at me, completely confused and said, "Why crying Mommy?  This is happy!  Not sad!"  Very true.  So he continued and wanted to poop every 10 minutes (maybe a touch of an upset stomach?).  I really feel like he's turned a corner.  He pooped at school for the rest of the week.  After a few mishaps at home on Friday, Hayden was accident free all weekend.  I'm SO SO SO proud of him.

This weekend we head to Sherman for a wedding...and Harper's first trip to Nan's house.  Harper is looking forward to meeting all the Sherman peeps and relaxing by the pool.  More pics soon, I promise!

It's Time to Get Real

As I have mentioned more than once on this blog,we are in the throes of potty training in our house.  This is, by far, the most difficult thing I have ever experienced as a parent.  Truly.  I know there were times when during the first 2 weeks of Hayden's life that I literally thought I would never sleep again.  I also know that at about week 7 of Harper's life, I was pretty convinced she would never stop screaming. 

All of those things were hard.  This is harder.  It's harder because when Hayden had his days and nights confused, I knew it was because he was a baby, and babies are don't always sleep at night.  When Harper was screaming her guts out for two straight hours, I knew it was because that's what babies do sometimes.  I knew it wasn't because of anything I was doing (or wasn't doing).  This, however, is different. 

We first tried our hand at potty training last June.  We went cold turkey.  I put him in underwear one weekend and gritted my teeth as he continued to pee in them all weekend long.  Sure we had some successes in the potty, but all in all, he was constantly peeing in his pants.  We tried for a solid month, and he wasn't making much progress.  So, I put him back in pull ups.  He clearly wasn't ready, because he didn't say one word about being in a pull up.  He didn't mention he wasn't wearing his underwear anymore.  Okay.  So he wasn't ready.  No big deal.  By that point, I was newly pregnant and on the verge of vomiting every day, so I really didn't care.  

Around Christmas (2 months before he turned 3), Hayden started asking about underwear again.  Now I was almost 9 months pregnant.  Just. No.  So we put him off.  We couldn't put him off anymore by February and we dived back in (with a newborn -- good call!).  School helped a lot.  But.  BUT.  Hayden is incredibly stubborn.  If Hayden is doing something fun, like reading a book (take a moment here to say YAY that reading is fun for him) he is not going to stop what he's doing to potty.  This is the battle we fought at the beginning.  I learned you couldn't ask Hayden, "Do you need to go potty?" Frankly, the pee could be dripping down his leg and he would tell you no way, uh uh, not me.  So we had to tell him it's time to potty.  His school follows a regimen of going every hour.  So, that's what we do.  Then we fought the "no no no! I don't want to potty battle!"  Just now almost 3 months into this Hayden is starting to tell us, "I need to potty."  Otherwise we go every hour or hour and fifteen minutes.  Do we still have accidents?   Yes.  I'm not going to lie about that.  What's the point?  I said I was going to be real about this, and I am.  I would say we have 1 or 2 pee accidents every 2 weeks or so.  That's just how we roll.  Usually it's because Harper's freaking and we're running zone defense and Hayden doesn't get taken to the potty in time.  Oh well.  He's getting better.  Generally speaking though, he is pee accident free at school.  He naps in underwear.  No accidents.  

Now -- here's our problem.  And it's gross.  And it's the leading cause of all my tears and all my frustrations.  It's also why I'm even bothering to write this.  I feel like I'm the only one who has gone through this and I know this can't be true.  I also, for some reason, feel like this is a reflection of me as a parent.  That I'm screwing up somehow.  However, I feel like EVERY post I read on Facebook or on blogs is how their child is ta da! potty trained in like 3 days.  Well congrats to you.  Am I bitter?  Probably.  Congratulations if your child potty trained in 5 seconds.  However, my cynical, black little heart doesn't believe those same people post, "My sweet angel crapped his/her pants for the third time today!  We'll try again tomorrow!  After all, tomorrow is another day!"  

Well, here's the news.  My sweet angel craps his pants.  Every. Single. Day.  My child, who I think is incredibly bright (because he's my kid and I'm entitled) has pooped in the potty two times in 3 months. Twice.  That's it.  Do you know how many dirty pairs of underwear (that have sat in his daycare back pack ALL day, mind you) I've cleaned?  I'm throwing up in my mouth just thinking about it.  And please don't tell my child isn't ready to potty train.  Um, no kid who pees with no problem in the potty isn't ready.  I can't bribe him.  He scoffs at M&Ms, jelly beans, marshmallows, cookies, etc.  I have promised him a bike.  A bike we have picked out and sat on at Academy.  No go.  I've promised him a Lightening McQueen tent.  No go.  He'll even tell me, "I'm so close, Mommy, I'm almost there," as he cheerfully skips off to his corner to crap his pants.  Every day his teacher brings him inside at 3 and he sits on the potty for 20 freaking minutes trying to go.  His face turns red.  He grunts.  He then announces it is "stuck inside."  Outside he goes.  Craps his pants (clearly not constipated).  It is unreal.  I'm at my wits end.  SURELY someone else out there has experienced this.  If they have, I doubt they're lining up on their blog or their facebook to shout it from the rooftop.  

Of course, this is exactly what is difficult about parenting in this social media world we live in.  While I too love posting pictures of my sweet kids on facebook, I also fall victim to looking at other children and constantly comparing what they're doing to what my children are doing (or not doing).  When Hayden was an infant it was sleeping (no way Baby X is sleeping for 6 hour stretches!  Hayden sleeps for 6 minute stretches, what's WRONG with him??).  As Hayden got older and I got more used to this parenting thing, I thought I had gotten past this.  Then the potty training thing has brought me back to my knees.  Child So and So potty trained already?!  He's only 2!  How can Child Y be potty trained and it only took 2 days?!  Boys must be harder, right?  I've shed many tears, heard my child say, "Don't be sad, Mommy," and "Mommy's tired of cleaning up my cwap" (a parenting low, I will admit).  So, I decided to write all this down to say, potty training blows.  In a world full of attaboys and my child is so awesome, I'm saying Hayden isn't so awesome at pooping in the potty.  In fact, he's down right terrible at it.  I can only hope this is a control thing (as I've been reading about) and he'll do it when he's ready.  So from now on I will LET. THIS. GO.  Because no kid goes to Kindergarten in diapers....RIGHT?  Also, I promise not to post a status update when he does master this acting as if this was the easiest thing I've ever done.  Just know that when it does happen, I can honestly say it's taken at least 1 year off my life in the process.  Oh, and Harper?  You owe me.  You better be very "girly" about this and potty train in 2 days because frankly, doing this twice might kill me.  

And simply because I've basically complained about him for an entire blog -- look at this face.  How mad can I be at him?  And when Hayden is 15 I'm sure he'll be thrilled his mother blogged about him not pooping in the potty.  I love you, dear, but these are the cold, hard facts.  And truly, if your child did potty train effortlessly, kudos to you.  Honestly.   

3 months (and Easter)

Harper turned 3 months old this past week, but we are late posting anything because our family has been on lock down with illness! I received the scary phone call from daycare on Tuesday that Harper was "having trouble breathing." Poor baby girl had a bad upper respiratory infection with resulted in a "reactive airway." All of this is doctor talk for Harper breathing too fast and getting very frustrated. Off we went to the doctor. Harper weighed in at 12 lbs and 12 oz. We left with breathing treatments and steroids. We are finishing up our steroid dosage today and she's doing much better (if still a little wheezy).

Right when we thought we were out of the woods illness wise, I started feeling terrible on Friday. I left work and by the time I got home my temp was 102. Diagnosis? Strep throat. So, I've been doing my best to stay out of Hayden and Harper's sweet faces so they don't catch it to.

Since I'm behind, Easter was a huge success. Hayden had a blast hunting Easter eggs.

Harper could barely stand the excitement

Before Easter we had our pics taken in the bluebonnets in Frisco. I planned poorly, and the session fell during a time when Harper was hungry. I still love the pictures though. Especially the ones of Clark and Hayden.

Blogger is being difficult and won't let me upload the rest of the pics. I will try again tonight!

2 months (a few days late, of course)

Harper looks thrilled to be 2 months old, right? Today was her 2 month check up ... and her stats are:

Weight: 11 lbs 3 oz (50%)

Height: 22.6" (50%)

Head: 40 cm (50%)

I know everyone is on the edge of their seats waiting to see how much Harper weighs, but part of this blog is for my own memory, so deal with it. In comparison, sweet, weight challenged Hayden only weighed 9lb 14 oz at his 2 month check up. I'm sure Harper will be thrilled that she outweighed her brother.

Harper is a champion sleeper. She has been sleeping through the night since she was 6 weeks old. I remember when Hayden was little I actually wanted to punch people in face for saying things like that. I even convinced myself they were just lying about their baby's sleep habits. So, I will not rub it in and leave it at the fact that Harper sleeps.

Harper also screams...a lot. As much as I don't want to admit to myself or to anyone else, Harper has a touch of colic. She usually fusses (see, who am I kidding? She SCREAMS) for at least an hour once a night -- usually between 6-8 or 8-10. Riding in the car doesn't even help. If you put her in the car during one of these episodes, she will scream just to show you who is running this operation. We get it, Harper, you're in charge. Hayden obviously has some opinions about this, "Harper cries a lot." Or this little gem: "Ugh, stop it." Trust us, Hayden, we don't like it either. We've moved to a gentle formula for fussiness and gas and that seems to help (cuts the crying down to an hour instead of 2 hours). It has gotten better as she's gotten bigger. I think the peak of these shenanigans was 7 weeks. Hopefully we're on the downhill slide.

Harper wore her first bit of Baylor gear this week during March Madness:

As you can tell, Harper's expression doesn't change all that much. While she is smiling, I have yet to catch one of those elusive smiles on camera.

It is very important to Hayden that Harper have toys to play with. We've pulled out a few toys, but as we're completely overrun with toys in this house, I'm trying to limit the amount of baby toys until Harper is actually into them. Hayden has other ideas. On Friday, he found Harper's toys in her closet and then began piling them in the swing with her. He kept saying, "Here you go Harper, here's a blue star." After loading her up completely, Hayden said, "Okay, that's enough Harper, share with me now." Ha! He's in for a world of hurt when Harper actually wants to play back.

Also new? Sitting in the bumbo. Jury is still out on how much Harper actually enjoys the bumbo, but I use it as an alternative to tummy time. Must be working, b/c the pedi was impressed with Harper's neck control!

Of course, Hayden took this opportunity to load Harper down with some toys.

In Hayden related news, we've been potty training for about a month. He's doing really well with #1. In fact, I would go so far as to say he's almost completely trained in that regard. He rarely has a pee accident and goes to the potty when asked (which is a huge improvement as he used to scream bloody murder anytime we asked him to go to the bathroom). He does REALLY well at school, even staying dry at nap time (we have not duplicated that at home though). Now, #2 is a different issue entirely. We've had a few successes in that area, but generally when he has an accident, it's #2. It's foul and I hate it. I especially hate it when it happens in public. Hayden's teacher at school has been super supportive and is always encouraging me, which I am very grateful for. I think Hayden truly is getting the hang of this and will be fully potty trained soon. Then we can buy him the Lightening McQueen bike we promised him!

Hayden didn't want to be left out of the chair pic!

On a sad note, I go back to work this Friday (random, I know). I enjoy my work very much and I've actually missed working, but I'm finding it very hard to leave Harper. When I went back to work with Hayden it wasn't nearly so bad b/c I was leaving him with Clark. Well, Harper starts school on Friday. I love our school, but I still feel sad taking her when she's 9 weeks old. I know, for starters, that's she's going to get sick and that breaks my heart. What if she cries all day? I know she'll do great and her teacher is the same teacher that took care of Hayden so I know she'll be in good hands. I would appreciate any prayers and good thoughts on Friday. If you see me crying in the daycare parking lot....move along, nothing to see here!

For now, I'll take care of this nugget who is sleeping soundly after her first round of shots...