Case of the Sniffles

Being sick is no fun. Having your baby be sick, REALLY isn't any fun! We made it nearly 11 months without Harper getting an ear infection, cold or any other ailment. I thought we were on a roll, and saw the light to the 1-year mark in our future without any extra special visits to the pediatrician. Well, that all changed Monday.

I noticed Monday morning she seemed a little stuffy when I was feeding her before I left for work. I didn't think too much of it and carried on with the rest of my morning. She didn't have a high temperature, so I left for work as usual. It was a typical Monday, and time was flying by at work. Around 1 o'clock my Mom called saying Harper was not her typical spunky self and that it might be a good idea to bring her in to get checked out. Apparently she'd been tugging at her ear all morning, had a super running nose and a fever to top it all off. 

After hearing her symptoms, I left work and headed to pick up my poor sick baby. When I arrived to my parents, you could tell something was off. Her face was blotchy, her eyes watery and she wasn't her usual wiggle worm self. We hopped in the car and made our way to South Lake Pediatrics to get checked out. After the pediatrician examined Harper, the diagnosis was the common cold. Her ears looked fine, so we were able to rule out an ear infection which was good. He told us she could have the sniffles for a few weeks, but everything else seemed fine. She hasn't had a fever for days, but we're still battling the boogies. She's been a trooper this week, that's for sure.

This past weekend, we enjoyed some fun family time. Friday night I headed to the Osseo vs. Eden Prairie section football game with my Mom. We did our best to cheer the Orioles to victory, but came up short. Their season came to an end on Friday, but they had a great year! 

Saturday we were lazy most of the morning. Harper enjoyed her new favorite for lunch, spaghetti! I felt obligated to take the cliche "messy face" photo to add to my always growing picture collection. She is also showing off her newest trick... "How big is baby Harper? SO BIG!" 

We ran a few errands in the afternoon and made it to church on time at 5:30. It was Harper's second time trying out the nursery. Let's just say the first time was more successful than our last experience. After we check her in, and drop her off to play with the other kiddos they hand us a little pager so they're able to buzz us if there are issues. The first time, she lasted nearly the entire service. This past Saturday, we dropped her off and made our way to our seats. Within 10 minutes, I felt the vibration of our buzzer calling us to the nursery. We'll keep trying, and I'm confident we'll eventually last the entire hour!

Sunday we had a special visitor, Jenny was in town from California! It was just a quick weekend trip but she made time to stop by Sunday morning to hang with the Helleen clan. We had our "adult time" catching up on reality TV and discussing our new obsession, Suri's Burn Book. Seriously, if you're entertained by celebrity gossip - YOU WILL LOVE THIS SITE. Harper showcased her growling skills, and I think Jen was impressed. It's always a special treat when she's in town! We're excited for both her and Matt to come home in a month to celebrate Christmas and Harper's 1st birthday! Let the countdown begin!

Harper continues to obsess over baths. If she's crabby, we fire up the tub and her mood instantly changes. After a rough Sunday evening, we felt the best way to end the night was with bath time. She was ultra clumsy Sunday night and got a few bumps and bruises on her head. Let's just say the bookcase is not Harper's friend. Once she gets in that water, it's non-stop smiles! She also kept showing us her "so big" trick. She can be such a goofball. 

Another current obsession is reading! She can't get enough of all her books. She certainly has her favorites and I think Mitch and I can recite them by heart. We read "10 Little Ladybugs" at least 10 times per night. She's getting more independent and wants to turn the pages all by herself. Such a big girl!

It's amazing to me that Thanksgiving is just 2 weeks away. I love this time of year. It's filled with family fun and amazing food! How can you not love it? Saturday I'm hosting a Thirty One Gifts party for a girls night out. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my girlies. We're also started our newest home project... the playroom! The paint has been purchased, along with a few other accessories. Our goal is to have it completed by Harper's birthday. That gives us a little over a month, which means we need to get to work! 

Until next time...

The Helleen's