Friday, November 30, 2012

Thanksgiving in Gig Harbor

This year we spent the Thanksgiving holiday in our vacation home (aka my parents' new house) in Gig Harbor. It was so nice to spend time with my family who I rarely see since the move AND to have endless arms to hold and help with my girl! This mama needed a little break! Ron, Harlow, and I went up north on Wednesday and stayed through Sunday, which was just perfect!!

On thanksgiving, we had my Grammy and Paco, Aunt Kimbie, Uncle Scott, cousins Delaney, Logan, and Shannon and Shannon's hubby Max over. There was way too much food but somehow I couldn't get enough :) This was the first time a lot of the family met little Harlow. She was in love <3

Friday and Saturday my mom and I decided to brave the crazy crowds and do some Christmas shopping! We loaded the baby up and went out to a mall north of their house. I loved being able to shop with my mom because we used to do that all the time when they lived in Vancouver. I wish we could go more often but I guess we will just have to make frequent trips up to our vacation home :))

Here are some pictures from our stay!
















Tuesday, October 9, 2012

One Cuddly Baby Makes Two Smitten Parents :)

We are so lucky to have a baby that tolerates the constant cuddles Ron and I feel the need to give. From day one, this baby has basically been held the entire time (slightly exaggerated....slightly) and we wouldn't have it any other way! There is nothing I love more than waking up to my smiling (or crying, if she's acting extra sweet) baby at 4 am, scooping her up, and kissing those usoft, rosy cheeks....for way longer than necessary :) How did I get this lucky?! Ron and I know we are SO blessed by our real-life teddy bear snuggle bunny that most of you know as Harlow!

As Harlow gets older and more interactive, her daddy is falling more and more in love every day. But I think yesterday was when he realized he's fallen hook line and sinker for this little one. We got home from the beach in the evening and Harlow started to get fussy. I was busy cooking dinner so I asked my sweet hubby to go pick her up. He was changing his clothes and took a few minutes. Harlow got fussier and fussier until she was in an all out scream-fest. I went over to grab her right as Ron came in and told me he would hold her for me and try to calm her down. She immediately stopped crying and snuggled up in her daddy's neck. She just wanted her daddy. In that moment, she was just fine, perfectly content, happy as a clam.....and Ron, well let's just say he's in trouble :) I took this photo that night, too precious not to share :)

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Harlow Ava Jean has arrived!

This post is a little late.....I guess I can blame that on being a brand new mommy! Boy they were right when they said I would be busy! Let's just say, I've never really enjoyed cold dinners and 11am breakfasts like I do now!

So, my pumpkin is 7 (no way) weeks old and I'm already missing those first few moments we had with her. I feel like she is growing up a tad bit too quickly (they were right about that, too!) so I'm writing her birth story while it's still fresh in my mind.

Because my princess was breech (head up, feet down....aka not the way she was supposed to be!) we had a scheduled C-section. Her sweet doctor (Dr. Nancy Lin) let us choose her birthday, as long as it was after 39 weeks. Of course I chose the first day possible, which also happened to be my favorite number....7! August 7, 2012.....has a nice ring to it, huh?! :) the surgery was scheduled for "noonish" so we checked in for our big day at 10 am at Providence Milwaukie (conveniently located less than 5 minutes from our home)! My sweet mama followed us there and helped me get through all of the pokes and pre-procedure pain (the IV was the worst part of all!). Everything was so fast...they pumped me full of all kinds of fluids and medications, introduced me to so many people, and asked me close to a thousand questions. Before I knew it, it was time for me to go back to the delivery room. My mom and Grammy (who came about an hour after we arrived) sent me off with lots of prayers and hugs. I was pretty nervous, but overall I had a sense of peace. I knew Harlow and I were in good Hands. I got to the operating room where they gave me a spinal (a lot like an epidural) to numb me. Ron wasn't allowed in the room for that....God bless the nurse who allowed me to squeeze the life out of her! Before I even knew the spinal was started, my legs became realllly heavy and tingly. They called Ron into the room, Dr. Lin arrived, scrubbed in and we were good to go! Oh, except we were still missing the other doctor who was a little late due to his lunch at McDonalds.....don't talk about greasy deliciousness sir, I haven't eaten in almost 24 hours. Ok back to the c-section. I had NO idea they had sliced me open until they were a good 3 minutes in and my whole body was swaying back and forth from all the tugging! To not feel anything, that's some good medicine right there! The surgery seemed so fast! Before I knew it, the anesthesiologist was saying "OH! There's a foot! There's her back! Oh yep, definitely a girl! WOW she has a lot of hair! Dad, LOOK! Here she is!". Ron looked over the curtain (reluctantly, knowing I was cut wide open), turned pale as can be, and said, "Holy cow babe she has a ton of hair,". He may or may not have been teary-eyed ;)! I didn't know what to say or do, I was in shock... I was a MOM! After that, we heard that glorious first scream! Ahhh music to my ears! Ron rushed over to see his girl while I was being sewn up and snapped some pics (against the rules, shh!). Finalllllly after what seemed like an eternity, the nurse brought her to me. I was wonderstruck.....what a beautiful blessing and a perfect little 7 pound, 8 ounce, 19.5 inch long baby girl.

The next few days were pure bliss! Friends and family couldn't come quick enough when they heard the news of her arrival...I must say she already has quite a few peeps wrapped around that cute squishy finger of hers :)

Seven weeks later and Ron and I couldn't be more in love with this little sweetheart. We feel so lucky to be Harlow's parents and cannot WAIT to see our little munchkin grow and develop more every day. Mommy and Daddy love you so much Harlie Bean!! xoxo

Monday, July 30, 2012

oh where to begin?!

Can I just say I am really excited to start this blog? I have wanted to do this for so so long, but was far too busy with school and being a wife to even think about it! I am still a wife [love him] but am so happy to say that school is DONE and OVER (!!!) so let the blogging begin.



Oh and p.s.-
My baby is coming in EIGHT short days. Isn't she so cute? :)