Oh the memories.....

My husband asked, "Are you writing things down in our boys baby books?" Right then and there I realized it's been too long, again since I posted as I'm attempting to utilize this blog as a memory book for our family.  The answer to my husbands question is, "do we still have a baby book? And if so, where is it?"  :(
It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day tasks and responsibilities to put effort into memory keeping, and even at times for me, photos.  I still love taking photos for friends, family, and clients, but I've really slacked lately on photos of my own children, something I plan to change starting TODAY!

So, a little about the boys these days:

Jack-  We are starting to realize that Jack is truly turning into a little person.  He can reason, speak clearly, do things for himself, and run an iPad better than most adults.  He still loves playing sports, and spends a great deal of time hitting baseballs with Daddy in the backyard (where he usually aims at the house and onto the top porch).  Jack and Daddy also love going to the driving range to hit balls together as well.  He's become a great helper when he wants to be.  Recently, I've been trying to allow him more time in the kitchen to bake and cook with me, he enjoyed doing that with Grandma last time we were in Indiana.  He likes to have tasks and feel needed and involved, and in so many ways he very kind hearted.  He still melts our hearts by saying, "Mom, I love you" or "Dad, I love you", several times a day.  He loves to cuddle with us on the couch, or sneak into our bed at night or early in the morning.  He's even started to play more with Beau, which is a welcome change to this Mama!  One of the struggles we continue to have is with food.  There haven't been many changes in his eating habits in over a year.  He still LOVES chocolate milk and apple juice, and doesn't eat anything that looks flawed, mixed or unusual on his plate, definitely his mother's child.  He has a sweet tooth, and will try to talk his way out of dinner and into snacks later in the evening.  I'm hoping between the ages of 4-5 we can get a better handle on eating and not have such an argument at dinner time.
General stats:
-3 months short of 4 years old
-Nearly 40 pounds
-41 1/2 inches tall


As for our little, Beau, he has been such a fun addition to our family.  He is very different from Jack, but keeps us on our toes and laughing every single day.  He is so incredibly smart (I know, biased parents syndrome, but oh well) and understands pretty much any command I'll give him throughout the day.  He is 16 months old and surprises many with how much he is talking.  He tries to repeat a lot of what we say during the day, but has many words that he uses on a regular basis:
-Mom
-Dada
-Jack Jack
-Nana (for his Nana or for a Banana)
-Papa
-Ganpa (which is both Grandma and Grandpa)
-Appie (apple juice)
-All done
-More
-NumNumNumNum (which means he wants to eat whatever he sees someone else eating)
-Hot dog
-Water
-Brown Bear
-Nite Nite
-Dog dog
-Bun bun (for the bunny he likes to sleep with)
-Thank you
-Peas (for please)

.....as well as several different animal sounds, and his all time favorite, Choo Choo.  :)

He makes me laugh all the time, for example, he and I were in the car yesterday while Jack was at school and he kept repeating one of the lines from his favorite show, Mickey Mouse.  He said over and over again......hot dog, hot dog, hot dog, HOT DAWG!!!  It's much more entertaining to hear, rather than to read, but I had to call my mom to share because I couldn't stop laughing.

Beau likes to do everything his brother does, and I have a feeling there will be some serious sibling competition in the future.  At the same time, Beau is not nearly as interested in sports as Jack was at the same age.  Beau plays more with toys than Jack ever did, and really enjoys sitting down to read a book more than anything else.  He loves to listen to music and dance, and he loves to wrestle and play rough with his brother and Daddy.  He has an unusually high tolerance for pain, which tends to scare me a bit, but I have a feeling that may have to do a little with being the 2nd child, as Jack's been rough with him since birth. :)

All in all, life is so great, we feel truly blessed for these two beautiful children, and they continue to surprise us everyday with how fascinating the world is through their eyes.  I never knew how badly I wanted children until God gave us, Jack, and I never realized it was possible to love another as much, until Beau arrived.

Sad to say...

....that it's been far too long since my last post. So much has happened, and our sweet baby, Beau, will be a year old next week. This past year has been one of challenge, change, and extreme support and love. My husband and I had no idea what bringing another baby into our home would do to our life, but we wouldn't change it for anything. It has been an amazingly, awesome experience getting to know sweet Beau, and to watch him grow. He has brought so much joy, so many laughs, and so much love, that we didn't even know we had. He is Jack's little shadow, daddy's little buddy, and a mama's boy. He crawls like lightening, and walks a bit off balance. He pulls on my pant leg every time I'm in the kitchen, and wants to to play tackle with daddy and his big brother. He loves to read books, and point at everything he sees. He races to the door when daddy gets home awaiting his turn to hug and kiss him. He's eating all sorts of foods, but still LOVES his bottle. His favorites are pears, peaches, strawberries, chicken, and cheerios. He is our little tough guy, our little adventurer, and we LOVE HIM.

Jack, is the child that no matter what, captures my heart. I'd be lying if I said 3, wasn't a hard age, it is more challenging than any other, but it's also so heartwarming. Listening isn't his best quality, but he truly is a polite, kind-hearted, and caring little boy. I've been sick this week and he comes over, pats my arm and kisses my head, and say's, "feel better soon, mommy." He used his manners last night to the point that I would have done anything he asked just to hear him say, "Please may I have", one more time. :) Jack, loves his daddy and sometimes has a hard time saying goodbye in the mornings, which makes work difficult at times for Dad. He loves the days that Daddy takes him to work with him, he enjoys going to school, he likes to watch Fireman Sam and Special Agent Oso. He sings the songs on the radio, and is now teaching them to his brother (or so he says). He talks about, and knows about God, and I cherish the times we have each week at church as a family. He makes me so proud, and I cherish everyday that I have with him, and thank God for entrusting me with such a special little boy.

Beau at 4 months

I'm WAY OVERDUE on my blog posting. I've totally put it on the back burner and really need to get back into it as a way of documenting our lives. It's such a great way to look back on memories as a family

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Beau at 2 Months

Height: 24 inches (85th percentile)

Weight: 12 lbs (52nd percentile)

Head size: 16 inches (60th percentile)

What is Beau doing at 2 months?

Sleeping? He is still sleeping in our room in his bassinet, or with me when I let him. We had our best night yet just last night (Jan 20) and he only woke up twice. He only ended up eating once, but was upset because he can't breathe well at night. The doctor has assured us that he doesn't have a breathing problem, but did advise us to prop his bed up when he sleeps to allow for better drainage.

Eating? Beau is now eating about half formula and half breast milk. We've almost completely stopped nursing at the breast, because he was having problems.

Activity? Every morning he wakes up and smiles at me the moment I start talking to him, the smiles make all the hard times throughout the day not seem so hard. He loves to play in his overhead gym, and bats at the hanging toys. He doesn't enjoy tummy time and doesn't lift his head up all that much (lazy) when he's on his tummy. When you hold him up on your shoulder, he's SO STRONG and throws himself back at times (scary).

Siblings? Jack is so sweet with Beau, and very protective. At Gymboree he gets upset if other kids try to touch him, and say's "that's my baby Beau". Throughout the day it's not unusual for Jack to try and pick him up (which he gets in trouble for) or for Jack to say, "it's ok Baby Beau", "stop crying baby Beau", and "he's sooooo cute". He also enjoys tickling Beau on his belly when we are getting him dressed. I can't wait to see how these two get along as they grow up together.

Beau 1 Month

Weight? 9 lbs 9 ounces- 50th percentile

Height? 22 1/8 inches- 75th percentile

Head size? 15 inches- 50th percentile

What is Beau doing at 1 month?

Sleeping? He is still waking up several times throughout the night, and makes all sorts of snorting sounds. He is sleeping in the bassinet in our room.

Eating? He is breastfed at this point, and has only had bottles of formula on occasion. He is a hungry boy and wants to east every 2 hours or so.

Activity? He has started smiling, and likes for us to get close to his face so he can see us when we talk to him. He likes to be held all of the time, and doesn't stay content for very long when we put him down. He doesn't enjoy the swing, but does like to lay in the changing table portion of the pack-n-play.

Siblings? Beau doesn't seem to notice Jack much, and doesn't pay much attention to his activity during they day, unless he is trying to sleep, at which point every little noise Jack makes wakes Beau up.

Jack is starting to help me, and likes to find the babies paci's around the house. He also walks up to the baby and acts as though he is going to pick him up when he cries, which scares me to death. Jack is definitely missing all the attention he had before, but has never tried to harm the baby whatsoever, which I'm so very thankful for.

One Week Old

Welcome Beau Bradley Harrison!!

Beau Bradley Harrison

Born: November 19, 2010

Time: 11:21 p.m.

Weight: 6 pounds 15.5 ounces

Length: 19 inches

First signs of labor: My water started trickling at around 5:45 at which point I called Daddy (who was out buying a Christmas tree with Papa). He raced home as I called the doctors office. Contractions: Contractions started shortly after my water had started trickling, but were not very consistent for a couple of hours later.

Memorable moments: Although my water had started breaking at home I could contain it with a pad. Upon stepping out of the vehicle at the hospital my water COMPLETELY BROKE. We're talking the kind of water breakage you would see in a movie. I could not hold it in, nor could I stop laughing (which didn't help the situation). My husband said that I left a trail of puddles all down the hallway. I would probably chalk this up as one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, but all worth it in the end. :)