Dang it, Daddy!

Dear Baby Holler,

You and I have done a pretty good job of keeping active and going to the gym.  It's hard, and every week it gets harder. I am filled with dread, procrastination, and hatred.  The elliptical trainer is a torture device, and I feel pretty sorry for myself because I never see a SINGLE other pregnant person at the gym.  I also feel sorry for myself because I have still managed to gain weight all over, especially in my legs (I HATE THEM!) and I shudder to think of what I would look like if I listened to all of the pregnant advice I've been given that encourages me to "Just enjoy it!  You'll lose it later!"  I would apparently be 5'4 inches tall AND 5'4 inches wide!  My body just wants to be fat so bad - but the gym keeps you and I from being pregnantly obese:)

The other reason we have to stick to our regimen of 4 times a week at the gym is DADDY.  You see, you probably won't ever appreciate this, but Daddy is a pretty hot guy.  And he is very fit, and VERY active at the gym...I really would have appreciated it if he could have let himself go a little since I am pregnant and gaining weight - It really would have taken some of the pressure off me!  But noooooo.  Daddy continues to sweat, lift, and harden his 6-pack:




STOP IT ALREADY, DADDY!  CUT US SOME SLACK!!!

He doesn't even have a TINY bit of fat to pinch when he's sitting!  NOT FAIR!

Some may not care what Daddy does, but it's really hard to watch him walk around with his shirt off, his biceps bulging and his abs chiseled.  I don't want to be his fat wife, even if I am pregnant, so off to the gym you and I have to go.  We have to make sure that the only thing getting a lot bigger is YOU....And you totally are:


So even though we're supposed to be getting bigger, we're not supposed to be getting fat.  And I guess we should be glad that Daddy is so healthy, even if his perfect body puts pressure on us to hold it together as we waddle next to him.

(Sigh).  See you on the elliptical at around 5:30pm today, Harper....Dang it, Daddy!!!!!

Love,

Mommy

26 Weeks!

Dear Baby Holler,

We're officially past the 6.5 month mark!  This is our last week in the second trimester, or "mester" as Daddy calls it.  Next Friday, we'll be in the third tri- woohoo!

This morning we had our maternity shoot on the beach, and I'm pretty excited about seeing the proofs in a couple of weeks.  Daddy was not super thrilled about the early schedule, as the hair and makeup artist was at our house this morning at 5am...But I promised him we would go to The Pelican Grand for breakfast right after, which is the resort that we got married at.  Everything is always phenomenal there, and so that bribery worked and he was very cooperative this morning.  We took lots of photos, and then relaxed on the veranda at the Pelican and had the best breakfast that I can remember.  Good times!

A fed and content Daddy hanging out at The Pelican Grand...

We leave this Wednesday night for our Baby Moon in Charleston, SC.  That will be our last vacation without you!  We are spending the rest of the week there, and on top of relaxing and just enjoying the beauty of Charleston, we're also scouting out neighborhoods to see where we want to live...You have no idea, but Daddy and I are planning on moving there in the next year or so.  Many, many things have to happen before we leave Fort Lauderdale, but it's a definite that we'll be a family there by next Christmas.  On one of the first dates that Daddy and I ever had, he told me that after being stationed in Charleston with the Coast Guard for a few years, he felt like that was his home, and that he would raise his family there.  At the time, I had no idea that I would be that person he made a family with.  I was just the person he brought out on the town and drank top shelf margaritas with at Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar in New Orleans (where we met!).  So here we go...We're building our family, and about to set up our life in the place that Daddy's heart has always been:)

Speaking of Daddy, you should know that he passed his Chief Mate/Master's License test.  He now has the highest level of license that anyone in charge of a sea vessel can have.  As of Friday, he is officially a Chief Mate (second in command to the Captain), and after just another year of sea time, he'll be Captain and in charge of the entire oil rig.  That test was a gigantic accomplishment.  We are SO proud of him.  SO proud! 

And one other bit of important info to share...I had a doctor's appointment on Friday, and we actually were able to schedule your induction date, which is very exciting!  I will be induced on the evening of Sunday, December 2nd, due to Daddy's crazy work schedule.  So hopefully you'll make your appearance on December 3rd, and then you can spend some time with Daddy before he has to ship out:)  And of course, if you want to come a week or two before that, then that's FINE with us too!  We're ready for you!!!

So finally, here's our latest bump update!  26w2d...Our last one in the second trimester....Peace out, second tri!

Yeah, I know I'm wearing the same outfit as last week...But I had to wear something tight to show off the belly for the maternity shoot, and I was too lazy to change when we got home:)

That's it from the outside, Harper doodle!  We love you!!!!

Mommy

Nursery Sneak Peek

Dear Baby Holler,

Daddy delivered on his promise to get your decal tree up in your nursery over the weekend...I have to say, you need to give him tons of baby kisses and cuddles when you see it, because it is beautiful and he was super patient getting it on the wall just perfect.  We are really lucky to have such a sweet Daddy:)

We still have lots to do in the nursery to finish it, such as put up the curtains, and I'm still waiting on your rug to come in....But overall, I think we've made some progress and I'm pretty excited about it!

The only bummer is that your name decal is too dark of a pink, and it's hard to see on the walls, but the super awesome seller I purchased it from on Etsy, a shop called Modern Walls, is sending me another name decal in light pink!  So I'm excited that she was so accommodating and even though I picked out the dark pink, she is still sending a light pink replacement free of charge.  I'll definitely be using her again in the future!

Okay so here we go....Without further ado, YOUR TREE:

 

Next up, we have the changing table/dresser....I may do a collage of other prints around the one I currently have up there....

I LOVE the Cameron wall units from Pottery Barn Kids, and I really wanted to get you one, but they are pretty expensive!  Fortunately, I lucked out and found one on Craigslist for a REALLY good deal!  Daddy also hauled that upstairs and into your room- remember you owe him lots of baby kisses!!  I don't have all of the things I want to put in the wall unit, such as cute baskets with pink liners to organize your stuff, or books and frames for the shelves, but you can get a general idea...

Just giving a special shout out to Cousin Wyatt to thank him again for the super cute pink Humpty Dumpty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the name that came out too dark of a pink....To be replaced soon with the light pink!  And that's Daddy's Lazyboy recliner that he demanded be a part of the nursery.  We girlied it up with a cute pink pillow just to drive him nuts;)

This is the view of the whole nursery as you walk in....We REALLY need curtains and a rug!!!

And finally, I ordered you the most beautiful and soft blanket from Pottery Barn Kids...It's one of my favorite purchases for you so far!  The inside of the blanket is crazy soft sherpa, and even Daddy threatened to swipe it since you're not using it yet, and use it for himself. 

So that's what we have so far....Hopefully, we'll get everything finished before Daddy leaves, but since we are heading out on our Baby Moon next week to Charleston, SC, I'm not totally sure.  Either way, we have a good start!

That's it from the outside, Harper!

We love you, and we hope you love your nursery!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Daddy's Home & Bump Update!

Dear Baby Holler,

Daddy's home!  YAY! 

I just got through doing "Show and Tell" for all of the things that came in for you while he was gone...And tomorrow he's going to finish the wall stuff in the nursery!  I can't wait for it to be finished!

He's off to nap, and I'm off to cook (red beans and rice with sausage - YUM!), but I just wanted to post a quick bump photo because you're getting so big, even day to day!

25w1d:

Happy Saturday, Harper!

Love,

Mommy

Happy Friday Surprise!!! The Hurricane is Bringing Daddy Home Early!

Dear Baby Holler,

Daddy's on his way home!  He wasn't supposed to come home until late Monday night, and you and I have to be in Orlando on Tuesday for work, so we weren't going to see him until Tuesday night.  But today, he texted me and gave me the best Friday surprise ever when he told me that he'll fly home tomorrow to get ahead of the bad weather!  I am jumping for joy!  I've never been so grateful for a hurricane!

Typically, when Daddy is about to come home, I clean the house and buy tons of groceries, and just all around try to make everything perfect and tip-top for him.  This surprise return means that you and I have a lot to do between now and 3:30 tomorrow!  My nails are a mess, there's a TON of laundry we've been ignoring, and there are zero groceries in our fridge. 

So you and I need to get crackin' and get ourselves and the house in order!

Woohoo!  At this time tomorrow, we'll be a complete family again!

Sleep tight in there, Baby Girl....Tomorrow is a big day!!!

Love,
Mommy

6 Months Pregnant! T-Minus 15 Weeks Until We Meet You!!!

Dear Baby Holler,

Sorry I have been such a slacker with blogging.  You and I have been very busy lately...Daddy was home for a little while, and then after he left it has been like my brain has exploded trying to get ready for all of the things that need to be done before you get here.  It is so crazy to say it, but we are 6 months along!  Holy crap!  Exactly 15 weeks from today is when we are expecting my doctor to induce me.  15 weeks!!!!

The amount of things that are required to support a baby has made my head spin.  I have been diligently researching what I'll need for you, and in the typical fashion of a high-maintenance first-time mom, I'm doing everything I can to make sure you have the best of everything:)  I have a hard time denying you of anything, and lucky for us both, Daddy has a hard time denying either one of us anything, so needless to say- I think you'll be pleased with the setup we have for you when you get here:)

When Daddy gets home, he is going to put the tree decal up in your nursery for you.  I was so excited to get it hung, but I tried to just stage it on the wall with tape to see where I wanted it all to go exactly, and I couldn't even do that.  It was all crooked and a total hot mess.  Daddy is Mr. Projects and Tools, and if he hangs it, it will be perfect because he'll use all this stuff that makes red lines on the wall or something.  He won't just stand on a ladder with some scotch tape and "guess-timate" like Mommy does:)

My latest obsession is your nursery, and I have some good ideas.  I don't want to spoil the completed unveiling, so I'm going to just show you this teaser of a super cute print I bought to frame and put on the wall above your changing table...As soon as I saw it, I had to have it!  It pretty much sums up how Daddy and I feel about how lucky we are:)

This great print and more can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/enduringarts?ref=seller_info&atr_uid=0

So I'll be hard at work finishing your nursery over these next few weeks!  Daddy comes home a week from today.  He is going to freak out when he sees how huge you are! You are about 13.5 inches long from head to toe, and you weigh 1.5 pounds!  It shows too!

 I took a 6 month photo but I'm not posting it because I was wearing the same skirt that I had on in my last photo, and Daddy made fun of me for wearing my "candy cane skirt" again!  So I'll post a 25 week photo in a few days, and I'll try to wear something else!

Oh whoops!  I do have a non-candy cane skirt photo from 6 months...But we are in our pajamas - haha!

See the fan behind me?  Yeah, I can't breathe at night because of my pregnant sinuses from a certain baby girl,  so I need hurricane force wind on me while I sleep!  Small price to pay though:)

 

 

See how huge you're getting?  I haven't wanted to know how much weight I'm gaining, because I didn't want to let it totally stress me.  But I think I'm going to ask the next time I go for an appointment, just out of curiosity.  I hope it's not a number that makes me cry my face off:) 

That's it from the outside, Big Girl!  We love you:)

Mommy

I Heart Harper Dance Parties!

Dear Baby Holler,

Ever since I started feeling you move, I have joked to Daddy that you have Dance Parties in my belly. I won't feel anything for hours and hours, and then you go nuts doing all your moves at once. You really seem to be having SUCH a good time in there!

I've been dying to be able to feel you from the outside, mainly so that I can get Daddy to feel you. Last night, right when he fell asleep, a particularly violent Dance Party ensued. I placed my hand on my belly, and within a few seconds BAM! BAM! BAM! You connected with my hand! I got so excited, I even woke Daddy up (he went to bed early because he has to wake up early and take the next part of his big work test...Whoops!)...So Daddy put his huge warm hand on my belly, and that must have startled you, because then you played Freeze and wouldn't move. Granted, Daddy didn't give it very long in his half-awake state, and within seconds of him removing his hand, you were at it again, nailing me! He missed out!

The coolest thing about it is that it means that you are getting bigger and stronger, and that's why I can feel now from the outside...Obviously, that makes Daddy and me very happy! You're getting to be a Big Girl!

So please do me a favor... Please kick Daddy. He complains that I am "hogging" you, and that I get all the fun with you. It's sort of true. I'm going to keep inviting him to Harper Dance Party Times and I hope that you'll get used to his big hands and you won't be shy anymore about whopping him a few good times...It would mean everything to him:)

So we'll try again tonight, okay? Just remember: Kick the BIG hand!!! That's Daddy!

We love you, Baby Girl!

Mommy & Daddy