Welcome 2012!

It seems amazing to me that just a few weeks ago we were patiently waiting for Harper to join our family. Mitch and I have both said the last three weeks have flown by, but on the other hand it feels like an eternity. Clearly our hospital experience was not exactly what we had anticipated, and our stay was much longer. I'm convinced that made time go even quicker. We wake up in the morning, and before I know it's 7pm and we're winding down for the night. As we start to establish a routine, the days are starting to feel a little more "normal."

Harper is officially three weeks old today, and I swear her looks change everyday. Everyone keeps trying to figure out exactly who she looks like, Mitch or myself. I happen to think she is a nice combination of the two of us. We've already discovered she has my strange ears (don't stare next time you see me), Mitch's eyes, but when it comes to her nose and mouth it is a toss up. It's been so fun to watch her changing looks, and I imagine it will only be more dramatic as the weeks go on. 

I'm still having a hard time believing it's already 2012. We had a nice low-key NYE, but it was a blast. We ordered P.F. Chang's, played board games with Bob, Deb, Jenna, Noel, Nick and Tori, and enjoy champagne while watching the ball drop! It was a little different from years in the past, but I wouldn't change it for the world. We said "cheers" to a great 2011, and hope for an even better 2012!

Welcome 2012!!

Unfortunately, Mitch headed back to work this week. We got to spend Monday at home hanging out, but his alarm buzzed bright and early Tuesday morning... back to reality. As I mentioned before, he was an excellent support system during the last few weeks and there is no way I could have done this without him. We certainly miss him during the day, and patiently wait for him to return in the afternoon. Harper and I send him texts throughout the day, and I even make sure to send a picture or two. Since work is so close to home, he was even able to stop by for lunch one day to visit us which was a nice surprise. I can only imagine the remaining 5 weeks I have at home with her will flash by. I'm making sure to enjoy every second I have at home. Believe me, there are plenty of snuggle sessions... she is an excellent snuggler. 

Since Mitch headed back to work this week, I've been blessed to have additional help from my Mom and Deb. They've been so sweet to come over bringing me lunch, helping with housework, and spending some quality time with Harper while I shower and get a few things done. Let's just say it doesn't take much convincing for them to hold Harper. We've also had several visitors which is a fun time for us. Jenna Juris and Amanda came over yesterday and hung out along with Tate and Jeff (co-workers of Mitch's). Jennie stopped by this afternoon for a quick visit. We certainly enjoy the company!  We also spend a lot of our day watching terrible trash TV. I would say most people know I'm a sucker for awful television. I know, it's probably not the best habit to pass on to Harper... but I must say - I think she is enjoying it. We watch a little Food Network, Price Is Right and other daytime talk shows, but when all else fails we turn to Bravo. I took a break from TV and had a mini photo shoot with Harper earlier this week. She was semi-sleeping so we didn't get too many good shots. It was still fun to do, and I'm sure we'll have a few more in the future. 

We've noticed lately she is able to hold her head up for extended periods of time. You know what that means? Time to pull out the Bumbo! Mitch and I have been dying to pull out all the fun new toys and gadgets we received over the last 10 months - so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. When we placed her in the Bumbo chair, her eyes perked up. She loved being able to look around the room and see everything going that was going on. We're spending a few minutes everyday doing tummy time and hanging out in the Bumbo. We have plenty of other toys to try in the near future!

Our big girl, enjoying her Bumbo! 

Dad and Harper  

Tomorrow Harper will have her first shopping experience. I think my Mom has an agenda to show Harper the in's and out's of thrifty shopping. We're heading out to Ridgedale to wander around for a bit. It'll be nice to get out of house and get a little exercise. We'll see how much Harper enjoys her first shopping experience, my guess is she'll love it! :)

Until next time...

The Helleen's