Reeves Family Updates

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Watch Me Grow!

Like the rest of these recent posts, this is a little late. The pictures were taken in a rush on my phone - but at least you can see that our little string bean continues to get longer! (She actually can support herself much better than is shown in the pictures - but when you toss her down quickly when she is tired this is what you get!) The pictures below were actually taken at closer to five and half months, but I didn't want to let the month pass all together.

It has been really fun to watch Harper grow and learn over the last few weeks. She seems to be developing something new everyday.

She is almost sitting up independently (she lasts for a minute or so and then needs a spotter to stop her from toppling).
She is really itching to scoot and crawl. She is just figuring out that her rolling abilities can be put to use to get where she wants to go - but she doesn't yet do this consistently.
She is still solely breastfed, but she is definitely showing interest in what we are eating.
She grabs anything that you place within her reach (include green bean casserole off my plate at pre-Thanksgiving).
She is constantly drooling and we think we are very close to a tooth or two. (Hopefully we will have more to report on this in our 6 month post in a few weeks).
We recently undertook the task of teaching Harper to fall asleep on her own at night (she has always been a pretty good sleeper but only after she feel completely asleep while eating and was quietly placed in her crib without waking her). I am proud to report that one week into the new routine and Harper went into her crib silently (but awake) after her daddy read her a book. (It actually only took a few days to get the new system down, but it still feels very new).
Harper thinks Hesburgh is by far the most fascinating and entertaining toy in the house. She loves to be held close to him and pet/grasp his fur. She particularly likes it (and laughs out loud) when he licks her hands. Unfortunately, Hesburgh is not 100% sure what to do with this newfound popularity. He seems to be trying to determine whether to avoid her or whether to embrace it! He continues to very gentle and loving when he does give in her to pleas for attention.
Harper continues to be a little girl. She seems to be long but is still a skinny minny. (I am not sure how this is possible because she seems to eat constantly).
Harper and I will head out for, yet another, trip on Thursday. This time we will head to Chicago for the annual Christmas shopping trip with Grandma Drelick. We are both very excited!

Thanksgivings

Sorry for the long hiatus from posting. We have had a busy few weeks! Harper had the pleasure to experience not one, but two First Thanksgivings! We traveled to Boston the weekend before the holiday for the annual Pre-Thanksgiving celebration with our Tuck friends. It was wonderful to see everyone and we had a wonderful time. Perhaps the highlight of the trip was watching the three babies (Luke Knup, Harper and Avary Knokey) interact. They are all within 2.5 months of each other and it was fun to see the babies together after spending so much of our pregnancies together.

Playing in Luke's play area

Mommies and babies

Luke headed out for a Starbucks run with mom

Little presents under the tree in the apartment lobby

Harper sleeping (finally) while waiting for assistance with our flat tire when we got back to the car in Minneapolis

The Reeves family returned to Minneapolis just long enough to do the laundry before heading back out to Knightstown for Thanksgiving and a 70th birthday celebration for Grandma and Granddad Reeves. It was great to see the family and introduce Harper to the family members she hadn't met yet. Needless to say she definitely received more than her share of attention as the first Reeves GIRL in so many years Most of the pictures from this weekend weren't taken on our phones/camera - so hopefully I will add more if I receive them.

Assuming daddy's regular position on the living room floor in Knightstown

Happy Thanksgiving!

Snoozing with daddy

Playing with Grandad Reeves

The true sign that mommy has gone soft.... Harper playing with blue bunny! (In her ND cheerleading suit... she didn't miss much when she went to bed before kickoff)

Saying bye to Grandma Reeves at the airport.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Random Photo Catchup

Rarely a day goes by when we don't take a picture of Harper! (What can we say, we think our little piglet is pretty cute). Since one of the purposes of this blog is to serve as a "baby book," I wanted to include as many of these pictures as possible. Here is a little random photo update.

Baby Swap! Hanging out with Avary and Jon Knokey

Playing with "my first purse" from Grandma Reeves

Hesburgh making sure he got his share of floor playtime

Playtime

Contorting herself out of her bumbo - she refuses to sit straight in it (even with the tray on)

Rolling around on the exam table at her 4 month checkup

Two patients - Daddy traveled the night of Harper's first shots and Mommy's first root canal - Hesburgh took care of us both

Trying on my winter hat

Lounging on the bed (resting my feet on Hesburgh)

Prepared for a run (there aren't many more outdoor run days left)

Check out my leg warmers!

"I've had enough".... this is what mommy found when she got out of the shower! Can't leave this little one alone too long!

Walking Hesburgh on his 4th birthday

Mommy calls this "I don't need no stinking naps".... Harper refuses to give in to a nap schedule (or any sort of significant crib nap) - so she crashes in random places

Look at these cool toes!

Hesburgh getting some loving from Grandma Reeves

Day one in my new Pooh bouncer! (After it took mommy and daddy forever to put it together!)

Fall Fun!

Fall is my favorite season and we are definitely making the most of it this year. So far we have traveled to Oil City for the Baptism, traveled to ND for a game, celebrated Harper's first Halloween and had a visit from Grandma Reeves!

We had a great time during our trip to ND. Harper and mommy met the Drelick grandparents in South Bend on Wednesday night and then Daddy met them there on Friday night after work. It was great to see them and enjoy a nice Notre Dame weekend. Harper even attended her first game (like her mom, she is getting started early with the ND love!). Below are a few pictures from the trip and game.

"Easing into our morning" at the hotel

Strolling around campus

Playing with gramps in LaFortune (student center)

Meeting the Leprechaun in the Monogram Room pre-game

Yay! Touchdown Irish!

This football game stuff is tiring! Sleeping at Halftime!

Family shot (even though you can't tell we are at the game!)

The Monday after we returned to the Twin Cities was Halloween! Although Harper couldn't enjoy the candy (and miraculously mom and dad were able to stay away from it) she did get in the spirit. She dressed in her costume for playgroup and then visited the neighbors house before coming home to give out candy. She was a pink bunny (to match her favorite buddy, her pink bunny).

On our way to stroller strides in our pumpkin suit

Halloween Playgroup is exhausting!

Harper the Pink Bunny with two of her favorites - Daddy and her own pink bunny

Happy Halloween!

All smiles (even though we later discovered her hat was on backwards)

Ok, get me out of this thing! Getting ready for bed with Hesburgh and Daddy!

Things don't slow down for us at all now that it is November. Over the next two months we are only home for 2-3 weekends. We will soon visit Boston for the annual Tuck friends Pre-Thanksgiving, visit Knightstown for Thanksgiving and the 70th Birthday celebration, visit Chicago for the Drelick girls holiday shopping/visiting weekend, visit Oil City (and maybe Knightstown) for Christmas and make Harper's first trip to Disney World for marathon weekend! Needless to say, it will be a busy time but we are looking forward to experiencing everything with Harper!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Watch Me Grow!

4 Months Old!

Lounging on Pooh

She was off center and about to topple, but I loved the smile she was giving her mommy

Checking out her toes with Pooh

Even as I type this post, I can't believe what I am writing. Harper is 4 months old! Our last spring at Tuck, graduation, Adam's interviews all seem so long ago and so recent all at the same time. It is already hard to remember how we filled our time before our Harper arrived. (Although I seem to remember creating my own schedule, eating a leisurely meal without wolfing it down to hold or nurse a baby and even sleeping for many uninterrupted hours.)

All kidding aside, we couldn't have imagined the happiness that Harper brought into our lives. She keeps us on our toes (in a good way) and always manages to make our day with that adorable little smile (which she already seems to know how to use to her advantage - like when she is supposed to be sleeping!).

We just had her 4 month check up and shots. I really liked her new doctor (recommended by a neighbor). Everything checked out well and she only cried for a short bit after her shots. Her head circumference is in the 56th percentile, her length (24,3/4 inches) is in the 66th percentile and her weight (13 lbs) is in the 32nd percentile. Our little string bean!

Here are a few of her recent milestones/activities:

Rolls to her stomach almost immediately when placed on her back - lifts her head and part of her chest off the ground and is pretty content to "play" that way for a while.
Rolls from her tummy to her back occasionally (she does this with such force that sometimes her head bonks off the floor or mat and she immediately regrets the roll).
She jabbers a lot - especially to her toys on her playmat
She likes to play on the floor more now - especially with toys that make noise
She is really interested in the toys hanging from her car seat handle now - sometimes she just seems amazed that they are there.
She is sleeping pretty well during the nights (anywhere from 5-10 hours straight without needing to be fed)
Naps continue to be a challenge for her. The process of "learning" to nap had gotten stressful enough for both of us that I decided we would take a few week break and try again later (although I do put her in her crib if she doses while eating in the middle of the day, etc.)
She loves to watch the other babies in our Mommy and Me class.
She is constantly drooling and sucking/gumming her bunny/pacifier/blanket/fist/etc. so teeth are probably in the not too distant future

She is definitely a handful (and I am still learning how to manage when Adam travels - day one usually seems like a breeze, but after a few days those extra hands are definitely missed). She seems to grow up a little each day and I love to just sit and watch her smile when we talk to her or play with her. I can't believe how fast we have arrived at 4 months and am excited to continue to watch her grow and learn about everything around her.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Baptism

I am pleased to report that Harper was, once again, an all-star traveler. She decided not to sleep on the flights (despite being incredibly over tired) but she barely made a peep and everyone thought she was adorable. (She did, however, decide to make her presence known during the entire drive from the Pittsburgh airport to Oil City).

We had beautiful weather in Pennsylvania and her Baptism was very nice. It was great to visit with our families and friends (and now God-parents) and welcome Harper into the Catholic church.
Below are a few pictures of the weekend. Thanks again to everyone involved (and to the Irish for making watching the game on tape delay enjoyable).