Our Halloween.

Let me just begin by saying that I have been looking forward to Harper's first Halloween since the day I found out I was pregnant. It's just something about being able to dress up a baby in numerous holiday outfits. And lets face it, Halloween is the perfect holiday to do it.

In order to get Harper in the festive mood, we decked her out in Halloween apparel for most of the week. She was just too cute not to share these...

Kevin and I debated for a few weeks on what Harper was going to be for Halloween. Right after she was born I saw an adorable Raggedy Ann costume on Pinterest for an infant and fell in love with it. From then to the beginning of October I had planned on Harper being Raggedy Ann. I had found the baby wig on Etsy and I was hunting for the costume. Unfortunately October arrived and the costume was no where to be found so we had to resort to another option. The problem was by that point all of the costumes had been picked over. I searched through hundreds of pins on Pinterest as well as searched  multiple shops on Etsy. I came across two costumes I liked on Etsy, one of which was a peacock and another was a witch. However, each of the costumes were just simple lace rompers and tutus. With the questionable weather here in NC, I was afraid to purchase one of these in fear that they wouldn't be warm enough. So just two weeks before Halloween, I came across a Halloween shop on Ebay that had the most adorable elephant costume! As soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it for Harper doodle. Afterall, elephants are my fave :P On top of that Kevin loved it and it was on sale for $20!

On Halloween Kevin and I decided to forego handing out candy to our neighborhood kids in order to take Harper to visit our families and show her off in her costume. Fortunately, his dad, my sister, & Kevin's aunt came by to see Harper before we made our rounds to different houses.

Our first stop was Memaw & Jimmy's (Kevin's grandparents). Kevin's mom met us there since his dad had already headed into work. Since Harper couldn't indulge in candy this year, they purchased her a Halloween book instead. Memaw read it to her and she was in fascinated by all of the Halloween themed characters with big googly eyes.

After a trip to Memaw & Jimmy's we headed to my parents' house where my parents, brother, sister and nephew were waiting for us. By the time we got there it was 8pm and Kevin and I were starving. We quickly snapped pictures of Harper with everyone (except my brother who wouldn't take a picture!) and then chowed down on some yummy Pizza Hut pizza. I was so glad my mom thought about us not having time to eat beforehand since we had so many places to go and she planned ahead. I have such a good mama!

All in all, it was a perfect Halloween night and I can't wait to see what Harper does next year when she can actually go trick or treating! It's going to be so much fun (:

An Extra-Long Weekend & An Extra-Long Post.

What a weekend ladies. I've been running non-stop and to be quite honest, I'm actually looking forward to heading back to work tomorrow just so I can get a break. Sad, I know but it's true. To have been a long weekend, I feel drained instead of well rested but at the same time, I'm pretty excited with all that I got accomplished.

Friday

Instead of leaving at 3:30 like I usually try to do on Fridays, I decided to work until 5 so that I could go home work-free and enjoy my extra long weekend. With that extra hour and a half, I was able to finish my lesson plans, grade and file a huge stack of papers, complete my weekly newsletter, make copies for the week, and clean and straighten up my classroom. I hadn't felt that accomplished at the end of the week in a long time... maybe even since before Harper was born? haha 

After work I headed to our church to pick up Harper doodle from daycare. We got home around 5:45. Since it was later than usual, I had to get our tails in gear since we were meeting up with the family for our usual Friday night dinner at 7. Before leaving, I fed Harper her bottle and changed her clothes. Then the scariest thing happened. As I was carrying Harper downstairs to put her in her car seat, I noticed she was turning colors and I could tell she was choking. I immediately dropped to the floor and was fixing to throw her over my knee when she started puking and I mean literally throwing up. She's never done that before and it scared the bejesus out of me. I have no idea what caused it but I hope it never happens again. But the craziest thing was that after she puked the whole contents of her stomach up, she was back to smiling and was her usual happy self. Any ideas mamas on what might have happened?!

After the biggest scare of my life since Harper was born, I couldn't bare to put her in her crib when we got home from dinner. I was terrified that she'd choke again so I put her in her rock and play for the night. Unfortunately, it was a long night. Harper woke up around 2am and refused to go back to bed until 4:30 and then she was back up at 6am! 

Saturday

Since we had an early morning due to Harper's lack of sleep, we spent the early hours of morning having a family cuddle session. Watching Harper laugh and giggle and seeing her interact with our precious furbaby made the frustration of our lack of sleep disappear.

After our cuddle session, we showered and got ready and headed off to breakfast with my parents. We met up at Farmer's Table, a local family owned restaurant. A couple from our church opened it years ago and members of our church work there part-time so it's nice to catch up with our church family while we eat breakfast out. Following breakfast, we headed off to the in-laws to drop off Harper doodle. She spent the afternoon with Papa Mike & Grandma while Mommy and Daddy headed off to Greensboro to do some Christmas shopping. 

Our first stop was Target where I scored an adorable tan sweater and some new winter placemats. Have I mentioned before that I'm addicted to Target's Threshold collection placemats? Because I am. Every season I purchase new placemats and they are always, always, always from the Target Threshold collection. But hey for just $3.99 a pop, plus an additional 15% off thanks to the Cartwheel app, you can't beat that! 

Following our trip to Target, we swung by Ross to get Harper a few fleece sleepers since they're calling for snow this week here in NC. I doubt it'll happen but we wanted to be prepared just in case. 

Next we headed to Hobby Lobby to pick up some more Christmas decorations. My plan is to go with an all neutral theme this year and Hobby Lobby had a whole aisle to choose from. I ended up purchasing these three trees to sit on our kitchen island with our new placemats and I'm in love! Is it too early to leave these sitting out?!

After Hobby Lobby, we swung by Garden Ridge. I left Kevin sitting in the car while I ran inside to see if they had a quatrafoil mirror. I've been on the hunt for one for a few weeks now to put above our dresser in our guest room. They had one that I fell in love with but it was $69 and I just couldn't make myself pay that considering it's going in our guest room and it's rarely used. However, all I've done is think about that mirror all weekend and I'm debating going back. Is it worth it ladies?

After Garden Ridge, I swung by David's Bridal and ordered my bridesmaid dress for my best friend's wedding. Then we headed to Toys R Us. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've been working on Harper's Christmas wish list for a while now. Back in July I started buying her things here and there at consignment sales. I wasn't planning on buying her many more items but after our trip to Toys R Us it appears Harper's going to get a few more items that I hadn't initially planned on. Here's her previous list....

- Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Fun with Friends Table (purchased at a consignment for less than $10)

- Playskool Poppin' Park Elefun Busy Ball Popper  (purchased at a consignment for less than $10)

- Plush Rainbow Stackers (purchased at a consignment for less than $10)

- Zany B. Wooden Activity Cube

- Fisher- Price Laugh & Learn Puppy 

- Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity Case

- Graco Headwise 70 Convertible Car Seat 

Added to it over the weekend...
- Little Tikes Discover Sounds Sports Center While in Toys R Us I picked this item up and joked with Kevin that if we ever had a boy he'd want him to have it. Of course, Kevin fell in love with it and decided he wanted Harper to have it even though it's meant for boys! But I guess it isn't that bad... hopefully she'll be a basketball player like her mama one day!
- Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Stride to Ride puppy  I've been looking at walkers for Harper and just couldn't find any that I like. After talking with a friend of ours who has a three year old and seven month old, she suggested purchasing a stride-to-ride toy that would get multiple uses. After her suggestion and seeing this adorable little lady, I knew it was perfect for Harper doodle. The only thing is I feel so bad that she's already getting two other Fisher-Price laugh & learn puppy items. Let's hope she likes them.

Following our shopping adventures, Kevin and I had a dinner date at Olive Garden. We had originally planned to go to a sports bar for dinner but changed our minds when we got to talking about Olive Garden's buy one get one special going on right now. In the end, I'm glad we changed our minds because their salad and bread sticks hit the spot. I barely had room for my five cheese ziti when it arrived.

After dinner we headed back to the in-laws to pick up our precious baby and head back to the house. We had intentions of sitting down and watching the Hallmark movie that was on but Kevin ended up going to see Thor with his brother. I couldn't say no when he asked because I knew he was anxious to get out of the house. Poor thing has gone stir crazy laying around all week recuperating from his surgery.

Unfortunately, while he was at the movies, I was at home dealing with a fussy baby. With Harper's ear infection, she's become very clingy and I can't put her down for anything. She'll fall asleep in my arms and just as soon as I put her down for the night, she wakes up screaming bloody murder. Finally after the fifth time, she finally fell asleep close to 9pm only to wake up again at 11pm and then again at 2am. And when her 2am wake up time rolled around, she decided she'd had enough sleep. Can't you tell?!

But on the bright side, I was able to get our monogram painted & hung in the dining room while Harper was fighting her sleep! & yes, I had to paint it while holding Harper. It was very interesting to say the least lol

Sunday
Needless to say, we didn't make it to church Sunday morning since Harper decided to not go back to bed until close to 11am. I was just too exhausted to put forth the effort to get ready. On top of that, Harper was whiny from her own lack of sleep and I was worried about how she'd act in church. So I spent the morning straightening up the house while Kevin rested up.

At noon I headed to Mom and Dad's for our Sunday lunch. She made spaghetti but I couldn't tell you what it tasted like. I was so tired I couldn't enjoy it. As soon as the dishes were cleared I headed home in hopes of getting a nap. Thankfully Harper fell asleep on the way home so I just brought her into the house and left her in her car seat. About the time I got comfy in bed and was beginning to fall asleep, I heard her crying. Since Kevin can't lift her, I had to get up and get her.

Around 6 I started fixing dinner and my mother-in-law came over to eat with us. When we finished up I was so grateful that she offered to wash dishes and take Harper so I could get some sleep. At 8, my head hit the pillow and I don't remember anything else. The next thing I knew it was midnight and Harper was in her bed crying. I tried letting her lay there and cry it out but by 1, she was still going strong. I got her up and fixed her a bottle. Apparently that did the trick because after she finished her bottle, she was out and slept till 6 this morning!

Monday
One of the perks of being a teacher is that we're pretty much off every single holiday so that left me with a day off today. When Harper woke up this morning I decided to go on and take her to daycare. My intention was to go back home and go back to bed. But by the time I got Harper's things loaded up, swung by the bank to get money to pay for daycare, and got her unloaded and dropped off, I was wide awake. Since I was already out, I made a trip to the grocery store and Lowes.

Feeling good that I'd already tackled grocery shopping by 8am, I decided to tackle some other home projects. I cleaned out our refrigerator and freezer, organized our kitchen cabinets,  packed up some household items to send to Goodwill, and put away Harper's baby swing and bouncer (this part made me sad!) and replaced them with her exersaucer. By the time I finished Kevin was awake and ready for breakfast. I fixed a quick meal of eggs, bacon, toast, and grits. I was proud of myself considering I couldn't tell you the last time I fixed breakfast! ha

After I cleaned up the dishes, I got to work on tackling the clutter in the garage. Remember how I mentioned that I was going to do that a few weeks ago? Well it never happened and I was determined to get it done today. I went through box after box weeding out things we've had sitting around in our garage for three years. After multiple bags of trash and a whole truck load of things to be taken to Goodwill, it's finally looking better. I just wish I would have taken a picture of what it looked like before! Thanks to my Dad and nephew, we moved out the shelves that were in our garage and put them out in our storage building; along with organized all of the stuff  into appropriate containers and boxes. Our garage now looks like a garage and not a storage unit. I couldn't be happier. We still have a few things lying around but by tomorrow it should all be organized and put away thanks to my dad. He's going to install us some shelves in the garage closet so we can keep items in there that we use on a regular basis.

I'm so happy to have tackled that project today. As exhausted as I am and as sore as my back is, I couldn't be happier. I feel like a burden has been lifted off of my shoulders. When I pulled into the garage after picking up Harper from daycare this afternoon, I couldn't help but get giddy after seeing only garage walls and not a mound of chaos on shelves lining it! Woot woot!

Anyways, I've taken up enough of your time ladies. Thanks for sticking with me and listening to me ramble. I hope you ladies had an amazing weekend and pray that you have an equally amazing week ahead of you! Until next time...

{Monthly Recap}: Six Months

Weight
You didn't gain any weight this month. You weighed in at 15 pounds and 2 ounces again. I know this is odd but I blame it on the fact that you've been sick for most of this month!

Health
This month has been filled with quite a few doctor's visits. They started with the fact that you were running fevers each day. Your fevers started out as pretty low grade so we chalked it up to teething. However, when they finally reached 101 we knew we should take you to the doctor. It was a good thing that we did because you were diagnosed with bronchitis. I didn't know babies could have that at such a young age and it came as a shock to us too as we are always cautious to cover you up if it's windy or cold. So the doctor put you on an antibiotic and said you'd be good to go in ten days. Unfortunately, you weren't a fan of the medicine he gave you. You threw it up every.single.time it was given to you. So when you started running fevers again, we figured it was still bronchitis since you hadn't taken much of your medicine. But wouldn't you know, it wasn't. You had your first ear infection so we had to start you on a different round of antibiotics. Again, you were not a fan and we had to start putting it in your bottle to get you to drink it.

Sleep
With you being sick for most of this month, your sleeping patterns have been very different. Some days you go to sleep around 6 and others you are still up at midnight. When you had your ear infection you absolutely refused to sleep in your bed so we had to start putting you in your rock-n-play again. We think it was because when you laid flat the fluid in your ears would begin to bother you. Now that your ear infection has disappeared you're back in your bed but you still aren't sleeping through the night. You wake up around 1 or 3 and refuse to go back to sleep. It's made for some very long nights for Mommy & Daddy.

Routine
Your weekly routine is the same with the exception of our evenings thanks to your antibiotics and you not feeling well. If you aren't already awake in the morning we get you up at 6am, change your diaper and clothes, then feed you a bottle. You either hang out in your rock-n-play or chill on Mommy & Daddy's bed while I get dressed. You're dropped off at daycare around 6:45 and hang out there until around 5. When we get home you drink another bottle, play a little, and then get a bath for bedtime. Then bedtime comes anywhere from 7-12 each night depending on how you feel!

Clothes
Every now and then we'll put an outfit that's 3-6 months on you but for the most part, you're caught wearing 6 months. Six months shirts fit you great because of the length of your torso but the bottoms without a doubt swallow you whole. We usually have to roll the pants 2-3 times to get them to fit you. What can I say baby girl? You're going to have a tiny butt and short legs (; haha

Diapers
You're on your last pack of size one diapers baby girl. Earlier this month we went out and bought you some more size one's since you weren't quite ready for two's yet but I think we're going to make the switch as soon as you run out this month. Size one's still fit you well but over the last few days your diapers have been leaking so we're thinking if we go on and move you up, it'll fix that problem.

Diet
Each morning you get a four ounce bottle and then you have six ounce bottles the rest of the day. You're eating a bottle anywhere from 3-4 hours. In the evening, we give you baby food. For a while I was worried that you weren't going to like any vegetable other than sweet potatoes but we discovered that you love carrots and squash too. So apparently, if it's orange, you'll eat it. haha I have to admit, I've been somewhat afraid that you'd turn orange since all of the baby food you eat is orange but so far so good!

Crying
You have been once fussy baby this month but I know that it's because you've been sick. At night when you were sick you would wake up screaming your head off like someone was hurting you. It would scare me to death. Once I'd pick you up you'd still cry but not as loud. During the day, your cry would be different. It was just a whimper but was accompanied by crocodile tears that broke my heart. Thankfully now that you're feeling better we're starting to see more smiles and less tears!

Milestones
- You said "hey"! Your dad and I both couldn't believe it. We thought it was a fluke until we started hearing you say it more often.
- You were diagnosed with your ear infection right after your dad had surgery. Because I had taken off work to be with your dad, I couldn't take work off to stay home with you. So both of your grandpas looked after you at our house while daddy told them what to do. Needless to say, Mommy worried all day about you. I felt like I'd left you with 2 and a half men. But you survived just fine!
- You celebrated your first Halloween!
- You sat up on your own for the first time! I was holding you and all at once you were just sitting up playing in my lap... no back support or anything!

Likes
-  Exersaucer: You are loving your exersaucer even more this month! You've finally figured out how to play with the toys and turn yourself around in it. We can put you in it and you're perfectly content to hang out in it for an hour!
- Sweet Tea: Mommy and Daddy have been sneaking you sweet tea whenever we go out for dinner and you love it! You smack your lips after every taste.
- Rimy: This month you've began to really take note of Rimy. No matter what he does, you smile. If he's barking at someone walking down the road, you think it's hilarious. If he is running around like crazy, you think thats hysterical. You love being able to rub him or lay next to him. And the funny thing is, he doesn't seem to mind. You'll grab his tail or yank him by his collar and he's just as patient as can be. I think you guys are going to be very good friends!

Dislikes
- Medicine: You are not a fan of antibiotics! You gag or throw them up every time you have to take them!

Answered Prayers.

I'd like to thank each and every one of you for your prayers for Kevin and our family. As most of you know yesterday Kevin had to undergo surgery. Back in September he was diagnosed with a pilonidal cyst. He's had it for years but it had never given him any problem until this summer when it ruptured. Due to the nature of the cyst, it requires surgery for it's removal. So yesterday was d-day.

We woke up bright and early yesterday morning and my parents met us at our house. They took Harper to daycare while I took Kevin to the hospital. We checked in at 6:15 and just a short time later Kevin was taken back for his prep work. Around 6:45 I got to join him in his pre-op room. He was a bit nervous so they gave him a drug to help him relax. It resulted with my thirty year old husband acting like he was three. As soon as the medicine began to take effect, he started singing and dancing around in his bed. When the nurse came into the room and would talk to me, he'd be making faces at her behind his back. Yes, I had to scold him like he was a child. And yes, the whole time I was laughing.

At 7:51 they began Kevin's surgery. Around 9am we (me & my parents) were called to the conference room to meet with the surgeon. He told us that Kevin's cyst was much more extensive than he had originally thought but overall Kevin did amazing. Around 10am we were finally allowed to head back to see him. When I walked into the recovery room I wasn't quite prepared for what I saw. Kevin was white as a sheet and he was about to pass out. The nurses had to move him from a wheelchair to a recliner so that he could somewhat lay down. Come to find out, Kevin had some complications from his anesthesia. He was struggling to breath and he was very nauseous. But after being hooked up to some monitors for a while and a quick talk with the anesthesiologist, they got him going good as new.

We arrived home sometime around noon. Kevin slept for a few hours then he was back to his usual self. I was surprised that he was able to move about as he was. He had no trouble going up and downstairs; no trouble sitting on his actual wound; and no trouble laying down. By early afternoon, he was eating with his usual appetite. Mom and Dad spent the day with us and Mom fixed us some homemade potato soup. Kevin indulged in two bowls, a grilled cheese, and a pumpkin cheesecake donut. I'd definitely say he was feeling better (:

Overall Kevin did much better than was expected. As of this morning, he was feeling pretty well. He was a bit sore as most of his anesthesia from the day before is wearing off; however, he is taking prescription pills to help. Hopefully his recovery is going to be much better than expected or at least that's what I'm praying for.

Hope you ladies are having a great Tuesday!

Sweet November.

Well ladies, another month has come and gone. It's hard to believe we are just weeks away from Thanksgiving and then we'll be just weeks from Christmas. Where did the year go? It's true what our parents say. The older you get, the faster time flies. Now don't get me wrong, I'm excited about these holidays but I'd be okay with time slowing down too... I'm sure you ladies with babies understand!

Anyways, let me share a few things that are on my mind this rainy and dreary Friday morning.

One.
October is my absolute favorite month. I love the crisp cool air that signals chunky sweaters, leggings, boots, & scarves. I love seeing the leaves change from their bright green color to their secret shades of red, orange, and yellow. I love how October marks the beginning of fall and with it comes this feeling in the air. That feeling can't be described but those of you in the south understand. It's something that just happens. I love that October brings bonfires and hayrides along with pies and hot chocolate. But like all months, it has to come to an end. But with it comes November. And now days, you might as well say November marks the beginning of Christmas. And for me, November marks the beginning of the Hallmark Christmas movie debut. Yes ladies, I'm a Hallmark Christmas movie addict. Don't believe me? I'm so much so that I recently made my husband switch television providers for the simple fact that we no longer had the Hallmark channel. Yes, I did that and yes, I didn't give him a choice. But it worked and thankfully he loves them as much as me. Beginning this weekend, each of our Saturday nights will consist of a night in complete with a Hallmark movie, popcorn or homemade chocolate chip cookies, and a cuddle session under a warm blanket. If only we had a gas fireplace, it would be perfect <3 p="">
Two.
As I've mentioned quite a bit over the past few months, we've been working on updating our home. A few weeks back I shared our dining room update with you ladies. Since then, we've added a mirror and I've recently ordered a wooden monogram that I hope to add to the room. It should arrive in a few weeks and once it's up, I'll be sharing it with you ladies to get your thoughts. And speaking of ordering things, I also ordered the adorable frame below for our kitchen. My best friend has it hanging in her home and I fell in love with it. It represents our roots perfectly and I just couldn't go without having one of my own.

Three.
Last week I mentioned that I started working on Harper's Christmas list. But I failed to mention that I've also started working on my gift list for our family and friends as well. And can I just say... I can't be more excited?! I've always been a giver more than a receiver and I'm not just saying that. I love the feeling it brings when you give something to someone that you know they truly appreciate. With that being the case, I like to put a lot of thought into the gifts we give our family members so come every October, I start working on our family's gift list. And this year ladies and gentleman, it's rockin! I don't think I've ever been more excited about the gifts our family's will be receiving. Each of the gifts have meaning and each of them incorporate Harper into them somehow. And with that combo... they're destined to be great (:

Four.
The hubs will be having his surgery this coming Monday. He had his pre-op appointment this week and in reading all the paperwork that was sent home, this surgery is no joke. In preparation for his surgery, our house has to be spotless.. meaning free of all dirt, dust, and dog hair. On Saturday and Sunday, fresh sheets have to be placed on the bed each night in order to make sure no dirt or hair gets near Kevin's cyst. With that being the case, the doctor was very adamant that Rimy would have to stay with a family member over the weekend. Following the surgery, Kevin is going to face many challenges. As I've mentioned before Kevin will be out of work for at least two weeks and a full recovery will take about eight weeks. In the first week, Kevin will be practically helpless. He's to spend the first three to four days doing nothing but laying down on either his side or back; no sitting at all! For the first week, he'll have to sleep downstairs on our couch as he is not allowed to walk up flights of stairs. He'll need round the clock care for the first few days and then assistance for a few days after that. And to top it all off, he's not allowed to pick up Harper for two to four weeks... though he can hold her if I give her to him.. but only after about a week of recovery time. Who'd have thought a cyst would take all that much work? I sure didn't... I birthed a baby, tore in two places and came home to clean my house... ha. I'd have thought that was more serious but apparently not.

Five.
I am way behind on my blogging but as I sit in the waiting room on Monday as Kevin has surgery, I'll be blogging away in order to keep my mind off of what is going on just a few doors down. So check back next week for a recap on Harper's first Halloween, an extremely late 5 month check in for Harper, & what happens when my best friend comes to visit.

Happy Friday ladies!

Oh & P.S., please keep our family in our prayers come Monday!