Harrison's tricks

Didn't I just give birth? What happened.   Harrison has some new skills now to boast. He is growing quite perfectly. Next post I'll try not to talk all about him, but no promises. He's basically my life.

 I started teaching again today. Wahhhh. Leaving him is SO so sad. I am trying to have a good attitude, but honestly I'm not good at it yet.  I try to put on the brave face but all I want to do is go home and snuggle with my baby.  Especially because his life seems to be happening in light speed. How does one find the balance of working and taking care of your family? Hopefully I don't have to do this long.

Until I get some other alternative, I will try to enjoy every single stinking second of this precious little boy.  He is honestly a very good baby.  He rarely cries and if he does it's for good reason.  He is a charmer and a flirt. It's EASY to make to smile and laugh. It's music to my ears.

He hasn't yet mastered sitting on his own, but he is oh so close.

 He's eating solids, namely rice cereal and carrots.  He does NOT like squash.

 He has figured out how to roll over, but I still haven't caught him in the act.  Usually it's at 2 in the morning and he's crammed against the side of the crib on his tummy.  But hey, he's doing it sort of.

 Usually he's twisted like so.  He's very good at the twisting.

 Expert at smiling, seriously...gerber baby much?

 This is his 5 month picture below...ahh sigh. He makes my heart melt.

shadow box memories

In the hospital the nurses gave us prints of Harrison boy's feet, the tiny blood pressure thing for his arm, and a host of other things.  At the time I thought, what am I gonna do with the tiny blood pressure thing? Ah ha! Shadow box!---> with all his little hospital things I don't want to part with.  This project took me literally like 5 minutes total.  I just used doubled sided tape and pins to hold everything in place. Easy and I plan to make one of these for all our future kiddos so I can stare at it and try to remember how little they were when they are old and getting married.  It's on the wall right outside our bedroom and I love it.  It's just missing a picture of him in the hospital and then I'll be happy.

 the little card they put in his crib with all his info

 his sweet little beanie and shirt which is actually 6 month size

 the blood pressure cuff, so tiny!

 I love this scrapbook paper, 12x12 to fit perfect in my 12x12 frame

 his hospital bracelet, chinn baby =)

we have a son.

Wow we have a son? Like a kid??? Sometimes it hits me when I'm in public and other people stop to coo at him, and then I realize they're doing it to my own kid! Ya, love those moments.

Little H is getting so big.  My arms get tired trying to hold him.  He is a hungry hungry boy.  We're going to try rice cereal with him soon and I have a feeling he will LOVE it.  Everything that gets into his hands ends up in his mouth.  Especially his clothes.  He grabs his shirts and pulls them in his mouth.  His mouth is a musical instrument.  He makes lots of noises and babbles to himself. I love it.  He is such a happy baby.  When he's not eating or sleeping, he's smiling and giggling.  Such a flirt with anyone who talks to him.  Being his mom is so awesome.

 and yes he does fuss like any baby, and I love his "fuss face" too. Cracks me up.

I love how he looks when he's sleeping.  I go in and spy on him when he naps.

Last Saturday we heard his first real laughter.  He had the giggles. Luckily we caught some on camera!  Flying in the air is his all time favorite game.

Reading

I thought I would have more time in my life when I wrote my last post.  Now that baby boy doesn't sleep all day like when he was a newborn, I find myself busy most of the day with him of course.  However I have found time while he's napping to make him a book to look at.  I've wanted some good baby books for him, but I haven't got around to getting any.  At the BYU bookstore I found they have lots of blank books! So I bought one that's perfect baby size and has hard pages so they can be chewed on etc.  It was only 2.60! So I started drawing in it with a black sharpie.  I really had no plan in mind I just drew random things in it.  I drew a picture of him, some lollipops, a whale, a lion, a shirt with buttons, a mother deer and fawn, and then a page with them all together.  It makes no sense, but he loves to look at it!

projects

I can't really stand to sit around and do nothing.  I've always walked fast, even if I'm not in a hurry.  Just feel like I gotta get somewhere and do something!  However I slowed down while being pregnant, and now with my little guy it makes me a little slower too.  Now that I find myself at home full time until the fall (when I teach again)...I'm wondering what to do with myself.  I've decided to make the most use of my time that I need a bucket list of things to complete before summer's over and a basic routine every day.  I've already finished some projects I'm excited about, but so many others I'd love to get started!  I used to have a chronic problem of starting things and not finishing.  I've mostly gotten over that habit, but there's still a few things I've delayed: in particular a painting of the Manti temple for my mom.  Started a long time ago and meant it to be a Christmas present.  Boy I suck. I'm gonna finish it mom I promise!!!!

things to do:

go camping
go to a rodeo
SWIM
go to a drive in movie
go to the hogle zoo
blow bubbles
fly a kite
read harry potter (never read them)
lay in a hammock
go to a play
go to yellowstone
be outside A LOT

PROJECTS to do:

finish my mom's painting
painting for Sam
finish harrison's room
paintings/pictures for our bedroom
work in our garden
Harrison's baby book
change our front door wreath
make cool awesome things for my art classroom:

• fabric banner
• painting for bulletin board
• felt flowers
• collaged pots for supplies

I did manage to finish one project: a mobile for Harrison's room.  It's just a ball of twisted aluminum wire that I started wrapped around a basketball.  Then I just twisted and turned wire around inside.  I cut out little bird-plane things from stiff orange felt and then hot glued them around it random places.  It hangs from fishing wire.  I've got to make it super secure so it doesn't come crashing down in his crib and poke him in the eye or something, but I love the way it turned out. WOO project complete.

I want him to know...

Having a baby kinda makes you look at things.  I think about what it is I want him to learn, how I want him to learn it, what sort of mom I want him to remember me as when he's an adult.  I don't want to be the mom that yelled, but said his full name when he was in trouble, with that serious mom look. My mom used to get our names mixed up and call me every name in the family until saying, what's your name again? Still makes me laugh =)

I want him to know my feelings about my faith.  The things I want him to know end up centered around what I believe as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I want him to learn about Jesus Christ. I want him to have a relationship with his Heavenly Father.  I want him to have strength and faith to do things that are hard.  I want him to love nature, appreciate tiny little flowers and funny looking bugs.  I want him to treat women like his dad treats me: with LOTS of love, hugs, and kisses. I want him to pray all the time, not just when he needs something.  I want him study the scriptures.  I want him to live the scriptures.  I want him to listen to and follow the prophet.  I want him to listen to the Spirit and follow what he feels and not just what he thinks or what his friends say. And, I want him to be a missionary all his life.

This list is not exhaustive of course, but those are key golden nuggets.  Everything that makes me happy and makes our little family work is because of what we know.  I know people who think we're crazy for getting married "young," while still in college, and having a kid before David reaching graduation.  If we didn't believe what we believe, ya maybe we would be crazy.  But because of what we know, our life is happy and awesome.  We know what life is about and we let that guide us instead of what the world says.

I love my little family.  We're in for an awesome ride together.

And just cause, a picture of Mr. Harrison

for more on my beliefs, visit the pink box link on the side of my page that says: my faith

We are so in love.