Harper 4 months old already?

I can not believe our precious Harper turned 4 months old on April 21st. She is growing up so fast, and I desperately want her to stay a baby, but I am having no such luck. She is so big, and starting to come into her own personality. Things are starting to get fun.

I just love to watch her sleep, she looks like a little doll.

She is starting to enjoy toys and use her hands. She loves this little giraffe.

She has thankfully become much happier this month, and loves to smile with her tongue sticking straight out.

She loves her brothers. This is us waiting in our Pediatricians office for Harper's 4 month visit.

Did I mention she was big? At 4 months 18 Ibs and 6 oz. and 26 and 3/4" long.

Eating her first food, bananas.


Dear Harper Kate,
Wow, I can not believe you are 4 months old. We are so blessed and joyful to have you in our lives. I would love for you to stay a baby, but sadly I know you have to grow up. And we hope you will have a wonderful future.
At 4 months:
You sleep 12 hours at night from 8-8, and take a 45 min nap in the morning and a 3 hour nap in the afternoon.
You look like your big brother Hagen to me.
Your eyes have turned a hazel color.
You wear a 9-12 months size in clothes, and a size 2 shoe.
You wear a size 3 diaper.
You get so excited when I come in to get you out of your bed in the morning and after nap, smiling so big and kicking your feet.
Your birthmark on your left cheek is a perfect heart.
You started eating baby food this week you have had bananas and peaches and love them. You cry if I do not get the spoon back in your mouth fast enough.
You can almost roll all the way over, if you would just shift your weight a little you would be there.
You love to suck your thumb.
You love it when your brothers talk to you.
You have nursed in a closet during a tornado.
You weigh 18 Ibs. and 6 oz., and are 26 and 3/4". Of course off the growth chart.
Your favorite toys are your giraffe and your snuggle blanket teddy bear.

Blog Giveaway

This is just a short post, to let everyone know about a giveaway my friend Leslie is hosting on her blog, There is Mud and a Big Bow on my monogrammed apron. It is to win a pair of monogrammed clogs up to $160 dollars in value from the pink monogram. This is a neat shop, if you are into monograms. I actually have a pair of these clogs I purchased several years ago, and love them. Do visit the shop she has many great things. For contest information and how to enter the giveaway, head over to Leslie's blog.

These are an example of the clogs, they come in a host of designs and colors, anything you can imagine.

Ok, this has to be my new favorite thing from this store. I really hope my husband is reading this blog and not just looking at the pictures. Because, how I would love love to have one of these, with each of my three childrens' monograms. Just FYI this is the order you would put them in honey, HTW, CTH, HTK. And I like the script as it is shown. Just in case anyone is wondering ;)

Another great item.

Easter Sunday

He Lives! I am so thankful I can say that about my Lord. There is not another religion on Earth that can claim that fact. What a testimant to our faith. Easter is the most precious day of the year, in my opinion for a believer. We all like to have egg hunts and pretty dresses, but I am so thankful that is not all there is to Easter Sunday! Sunday morning started early for me around 6 am, I was having Easter lunch at our house and had to start on the meal. Thankfully my mom, cousin Brenan, and grandfather's friend Bobby pitched in so I was only partly responsible. Around 7 am Hagen came running in the living room to see what the Easter bunny had left, Cooper was not far behind.

I just LOVE these Easter baskets. My cousin Brenan made them for the Easter bunny with her cricket, I think they are great! Yes that is a Rapunzel doll in Cooper's. Let me just say, not my idea. But Cooper,has won his daddy's heart and Erik instructed me to put that in his basket, because "it will make him so happy" and it did!

Hagen was so excited to find a power necklace in his basket. He has been asking for one of these for ever, and since t-ball season is about to start the Easter bunny figured he might need it. LOL

Cooper spotting his basket and Rapuzel.

Hard at work going through their baskets.

Harper with her basket.

I did not take Harper long to figure out what to do with Sophie the Giraffe she found in her Easter basket. She loves this toy.

Ok, here are our two attempts at family pictures. Not an easy task!

My three children. Yes I know this is not a great picture, but the best I could do.

My sweet Harper's first Easter outfit. Please excuse the wind blown look:) I just loved her dress, it was monogrammed in pink on the collar. I purchased it from Kelly's Kids, a few months ago. Her hairbow was made to match by Shannon at Cary Hairbows. Shannon does FABULOUS WORK, she even handmade the flower in the center. And every little girl needs a pair of patton leather white shoes for Easter. I thought she was so adorable.
After the photos, we headed to church and had a wonderful Sunday school lesson, on the events that took place early that Easter morning. Is God not great all the different things he meticuously put in place to show us that Jesus had risen, and not just taken from the tomb. The linens he was barried in laying perfectly in place where Jesus was laid, untouched or moved. Mary being shocked when she realized that it was not a gardener behind her but Jesus! And Jesus appearing behind the locked doors to the disciples. These stories give me chills just typing. God is great. We also had a wonderful sermon that morning.
After church we came home for Sunday dinner. Brisket, ham, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, pinto beans, devilled eggs, salad, rolls, fruit salad, banana pudding and strawberry cake. It was wonderful. After the meal the kids were all so excited to go hunt for the eggs that were hidden in the back yard.

They have their baskets and are ready to go.

Look at all my eggs mom!

Cooper cracked me up how he was carrying his basket.

Payton finding eggs also.

What a great Easter Sunday

Football, Egg Hunts and Trot lines

Saturday, I woke up feeling alot better and was so thankful because we had a busy day ahead of us. First Erik took the boys that morning to get last minute hair cuts, and thankfully there was no wait at the barber shop. As soon as they got home, we headed to the football field because Hagen was having his last football game before the end of the season tournament next weekend. However, the other team did not show up, so our coach just held a short practice on the field. After the football practice we were on our way to Presley and Quaid's Easter Egg Hunt. Cooper was so excited! He LOVES Presley.

The kids enjoying their hot dogs.

Keeley's cute Easter cupcake display.

Hagen and Drew enjoying the party.

Off to find eggs.

Hagen.

Cooper.

Harper spent the Easter egg hunt napping, atleast she looked cute in her Matilda Jane dress.

Checking out their treats.

We had such a great time at the party and I am so thankful to Keeley for putting it on.

After the party we headed to my parent's house, the boys had some fishin' to do! Harper and I stayed at the house and visited with my mom and sister Blaire while Erik took the boys to the lake where my other sister Meghan was fishing.

The boys waiting on the shore for Mae-Mae to come back in the boat.

Mae Mae setting the trot line.

The boys picking wild berries.

Tasting the berries.

Fishing.

The first check of the trot line for the day.

The boys helping Aunt Mae Mae get ready for supper.

Can anyone tell me what my sister is cleaning? Yes that is right we had mountain oyesters right out of my dad's lot along with our fish that night.

And this is what they caught when they checked the trot line the second time. Seventeen catfish!

After dinner that night, the boys were so excited to color Easter eggs.
However, Hagen lost interest before I could grab the camera.

What a geat Saturday, and wonderful fun with friends and family.

Thursday and Friday Easter Parties

So Thursday was the begining of the Easter Egg hunts and glorious but very busy Easter weekend. That being said, I woke up around 1 am Thursday morning and just did not feel well, I took a shower and some tylenol and went back to bed. Well, by the time I woke up around 7 to take the boys to school I had a 102 temp and could barely get out of bed. I got the boys off to school and Harper and I headed to Erik's clinic to see what was wrong, I decided to nurse her there and I discovered the problem, Mastitis! So I dosed myself on tylenol and motrin and got my antibiotic and headed home. Let me say I am so thankful for Erik. He made room in his schedule to go pick up Cooper from preschool that morning around 11:15 and then took him back to the clinic to feed him lunch and later brought him home that afternoon, with my antibiotics and lunch. Cooper was so excited that his daddy picked him up from school and that he got to go have lunch with him. Cooper also had a whole bag full of candy filled eggs from their egg exchange at school. I allowed him to sit in the floor while laid on the couch and eat every piece, as long as he did not bother me, I felt so horrible. I am mom of the year or what?

So later that evening I remembered that Hagen's party was tomorrow and I had signed up to bring cookies, so I pulled myself off the couch and went to work, taking intermitent brakes of course. I made cookies.

I think they turned out pretty cute for my condition. I used sugar cookies and placed a peep in the middle with icing, then filled in the grass using green icing and a star tip. Finally adding jelly beans as eggs. A very fast easy treat. The kids loved them.

Friday morning, I was still not feeling well however I had promised Hagen I would be at his pre-school party, so Cooper and I headed to the school to attend. Thankfully Erik's mom was off to keep Harper. The kids had lots of great treats tons of eggs and a great party.

Hagen's preschool class singin the hymn "He Lives". They knew all the words! I was so proud of them. As you can see the girls like to dance.

Hagen and Ryland going after the eggs.

Hagen helping Kaylan with the eggs. All the kids had decorated their baskets (paint buckets) in class earlier that week.

Cooper and Beau finding eggs also.

The kids enjoying their snacks, eating on the table covered with decorated paper for Easter.

Kaylan, Cooper and Beau all attended their big brothers' Easter party. Ms. Bonnie was so nice to set them up a little table of their own and let them join in on the fun.

After the party Hagen came home with us, I was still feelin awful so I called my sister who was out of school for Good Friday and Hagen went fishing with her. So thankful for my family that helps me. Cooper and I spent the rest of the afternoon resting while Harper napped.