Watch Me Grow!

Lounging on Pooh

The slippery floor and the late hour made for a difficult photo session - but we did our best!

It is hard to believe, but Harper turned 3 months old on September 19th.  It is amazing how she has grown over the last few months and how she has grown into her little personality. She gets more interactive every day!

A few highlights from recent weeks:

• She definitely smiles and laughs at us more these days. It is so neat to watch and listen to her laughs as we sing or talk to her.
• She is rolling over from her back to her tummy with relative ease now! No more laying her down on her playmat while we get things accomplished! (She can't quite get back to her back yet, so she can't really GO anywhere, but she gets frustrated after a few minutes on her tummy).
• She is showing the very early signs of scooting places - during those frustrating tummy minutes she somehow manages to move herself enough to get off her mat sometimes (which isn't popular - we will need to put another blanket down since she seems to think the carpet is too scratchy).
• We are breaking the swaddling habit. Now that she is rolling over we need to get her used to sleeping with her arms free... so far this hasn't been the smoothest transition for baby or mommy, but it is improving.
• We take a run everyday in the jogging stroller (with the car seat attachment). She generally sleeps during these trips but it is nice to get out and enjoy the outside for a while.
• We joined Stroller Strides, a mom's workout group. She is generally pretty quiet and good during class - since she stays in her stroller while we do different stations/jogging, etc.
• She is finishing up her three week stint in baby yoga - basically this was just learning baby massage, which she seems to like (although we rarely remember to do it at home). Her favorite part of the class seems to be watching the other baby.
• We just got off of the waitlist for a 0-6 month Baby and Me class at the local community center. I am really looking forward to taking her and meeting other moms with little ones her age.
• She had been sleeping really well (6.5-10.5 hours at a stretch) but hit a bump in the road right around the 3 month mark. Her desire to roll over, combined with her move to the crib and breaking our swaddling habit, made for some rough nights. (Knock on wood - the last several nights have been much improved - hoping we are over this hurdle for now).
• We still have not figured out naps. This girl does not like to go into her crib for a daytime snooze - the only daytime sleeping we accomplish seems to be in the car seat or jogger... hoping this will change soon. (I love that she allows me to get my run in every day, but a nap AT HOME would be nice).
• Harper and I will be taking our first solo flight next week - back to Oil City for her Baptism. Adam will meet us on Friday, but we wanted to go early for a little extra grandparent time. Hopefully her good flying behavior carries over from her flights earlier this summer.

Settled in Minnesota!

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this post written. Harper, Hesburgh and I have survived our first couple of weeks home alone (while Adam is at work). My mom visited last weekend and it was great to see her and show her around our new stomping grounds.

The house has come together well and we really like the neighborhood and location. We are doing our best to get to know the neighbors/neighborhood before the Minnesota winter sets in! Harper and I are also trying to get involved in some activities to find some other moms/babies we can hang out with. This week we started a 3 week baby yoga/infant massage class (at My Gym) and next week we are joining Stroller Strides (a group of moms that meet, with their little ones, for workout programs, etc.). Hopefully we will enjoy this and get to know some nice people.

Below are a few pictures of the house and specifically of Harper's nursery (the pictures don't really do it justice and we are still waiting for the glider to arrive, but at least it gives you an idea). Her nursery is in a little alcove right outside our bedroom on the second floor of our house (I couldn't bring myself to put her downstairs while we were up). So far it is working out nicely!She started sleeping in it on Monday night. She is doing pretty well so far - although the extra space has allowed her to practice her rolling and moving in the middle of the night and has caused her to wake up a bit more. (This going to cause me to break our swaddling habit, I am a little nervous about that).

The end of summer

Here are just a few pictures from the end of summer 2011. We are finally settled in Minneapolis and will post pictures of the house and Harper's nursery soon. These photos are in no particular order (and the little one is making it known that she won't be giving me the extra time to re-order them)

Corby and Hesburgh hanging out in PA

Grandma Reeves and Harper during the move

Playing during a diaper change

Grams Drelick saying good morning before work in PA

Meeting her cousins (and girlfriends) in South Bend

First trip to ND

More ND

Sunny Day at Notre Dame

Working on rolling over during one of the first nights in MN

Ready for her first ND game (she wasn't impressed)

Studying the Irish game (unfortunately the first fumble occurred right after this photo)

Sunday brunch with Daddy

Watch me grow!

This is about 2 weeks late - but I didn't want to skip the watch me grow photo. Harper is 11 weeks in this picture! Hard to believe how much she has grown and changed over the summer (we can't believe it when we see newborns now - how did she get so big!). She will be 3 months old in a few weeks (September 19th)!

11 weeks

Warm puppy shoes for a cool Minnesota morning (probably the last time she will wear them with her big feet!)

Two Months!

It is hard to believe, but Harper turned 2 months old on Friday, August 19th! It is amazing how much she has changed over the last two months (and really the last few weeks). Her "watch me grow" photo will have to wait until we arrive in Minneapolis because Classic Pooh is packed in the moving truck (we are hopeful our belongings will be delivered August 31st).

She visited my old doctor for her 2 month check up this week. She is doing great and was very well behaved for her appointment (and even did pretty well with her shots). Her stats: 11lbs,2 oz (62nd percentile), 23.5 inches (86th percentile), 67th percentile for head circumference.

 A few highlights of her recent behavior:

• She has officially made the transition from "newborn" to "baby"... she has filled out and no longer looks brand new!
• She is holding her head up really well
• She has started smiling a lot and is interacting a lot more with coos and other noises
• She loves when we (especially her Gramps) makes noises at her while she is laying on her back
• She loves to be outside
• Her favorite spot is probably her pack n play changing table - she loves to lay on it and kick and play
• Loves watching any lights/fans/tv, etc. (She is a particular fan of sportscenter with dad).
• She still loves car rides and walks in her stroller and the baby bjorn
• She seems to carry on long conversations with herself through groans and other noises- especially in her bassinet at night!
• She is almost out of her bassinet (probably would be if we were already moved in in Minneapolis). She is almost too long for it!
• She is doing really well with sleeping at night- she regularly hits the 6 hour mark of straight sleep! (Her less positive nights still tend to include a 4 hour stretch and her longest, last night, was 7 straight hours!)
• She likes to be facing out most of the time- loves to see the world!
• She still doesn't have daytime naps down- she catnaps for a max of 10 minutes at a time (unless she is in the car).
• Nursing has gotten better as well - there are still times when she wants to eat constantly, but breaks in between do seem to be increasing in length (most of the time)

The months ahead are sure to be full of a lot of fun and many challenges! We have already scheduled her first ND football weekend experience and her Baptism in Oil City - we shall see what else the fall holds for us!

Family

Harper has had the opportunity to meet a lot of family members and friends during our month long journey toward Minneapolis (where we will hopefully move in within a week). Here are a few pictures to comemorate her visits.

Meeting her cousin Jackson in Knightstown

Meeting her cousin Will

Four generations of Drelicks

Hanging out with  her (Great) Aunt Kath during lunch at Babcia's

Meeting her Aunt Emily

Sitting with her daddy and cousin Gregory

Babcia with her great grandchildren

Four generations of Boyers

Catching up with the Biedrzycki's after too long - at Ashleigh's housewarming party

Traveling Girl!

The Reeves family has been on the move the last few weeks! We left Vermont/New Hampshire on July 22nd and drove to my parents' house in Oil City. After a week in the booming metropolis that is Venango County, we headed to Knightstown to show off the first Reeves girl. Then it was off to Minneapolis (with Adam's mom along for the trip) to find a place to live (we finally found a rental house - it wasn't easy), back to Knightstown and now back to Pennsylvania to relieve my parents of Hesburgh duty. We are staying in Oil City for about 10 days and then making our final long drive to Minnesota (with a night in South Bend and a night in Chicago along the way).

Talk about a whirlwind! Thankfully, Harper has been a traveling pro (as was Hesburgh during his legs of the trip). Here are a few pictures of the adventure.

Sandwiched between Harper and Hesburgh during the first leg of our trip

Meeting Gramps (Drelick) for the first time

In the car on the way to the airport

Playing with dad on her first flight

Napping with dad at the hotel - house hunting is hard work

Yay! Mom and Dad found us a house (and a yard for Hesburgh).

Showing off her new onesie - purchased because our luggage didn't show up until half way through our trip (Thank goodness for Target!)

Excited to be back with her buddy Hesburgh!