Growing up

Days of late have been overwhelming. The demands of life are both exhausting and rewarding. When I look at Harper, I realize that he is growing faster than I imagined he would. I look at his happy face and see a big boy... I wonder where my little teeny baby went. Though I want to freeze this time forever, I can hardly wait for each milestone. Being part of his life, doing more than just watching him grow up, is more than I could ever ask for. In the blink of an eye, he's going to be a teenager, then an adult.

The introduction of solid foods has been a blast. It's fun watching him explore different textures and tastes. We've been making him wholesome, organic, homemade food. It is so much work, but definitely worth it. It seems that his favorites so far have been sweet potatoes and butternut squash. He doesn't make too much of a mess just yet, but I'm sure that will change once we start letting him feed himself.

Now that I've been back to work for a couple of months, things are staring to get busier at the office. Also, I'm starting my fifth week of a nine-week class at school. I wish I could say that I've learned something new, but I haven't yet. It's been mostly busy-work so far, which is a shame since I enrolled with the obvious intent of achieving an education. I have probably blogged about this before, but I am ever-acutely aware that the things that take me away from time with my family need to be immensely meaningful. I wish I could say that was the case right now, but it unfortunately is not. I am sure that it will be someday. For now, we're grateful for what we have - which is so much.


S

jladsfjkasdfjasdfjklsadfjklas

The above was written by Harper, with no parental input or assistance. We're expecting a call from the NYTimes any day now...Harper now has an attraction to all things shiny, noisy and, well, everything! If it's within his grasp, or even when it's not, he's pulling a leaping' leaner in the direction of the object he so desires and won't quit until he gets his hands on said item, which inevitably ends up in his mouth. Luckily for Shauna, her laptop is a little too big for him to put in his mouth, so instead he happily bangs away on the keys, getting a kick out of the tactile feedback and noise it creates. Only pausing to turn and smile at us, and then he's back at it. We always knew he'd be a geek (hey, with parents like us, it was inevitable), we just didn't realize how quickly he'd head down that geeky path. Well, it is said that the 'Geek shall inherit the earth,' so the geekier the better, right? And of course it doesn't hurt that he's a dang cute lil' geek.

Oh, and don't worry about the fact that he's using a PC. Once he's old enough to be really dangerous with a computer, he'll be on a Mac :)

J

Excitement! Rapture! Thrills and surprises around every corner!

Life can sure take some unexpected turns, can't it? We are truly thankful for all that we have. Who wouldn't be endlessly grateful for this adorable little guy? Just having him in our lives is all we could ever need in life. He is so much fun! His goofy personality shines through more and more each day. He's definitely taking after his daddy!

Though I am so appreciative of everything we have, and know things could be so much worse... times are quite stressful for our little family of six (yes that includes "the three mangies"). However, I will choose not to dwell on these things today, since I've been feeling a bit down about it all. It's more important than ever to remain positive.

Harper recently had his 6-month well-baby appointment. His shots weren't as traumatic as the others, and his new eye medicine is finally helping that blocked tear duct. We've decided that we're quite pleased with our new pediatrician. The doctor is great, she's five minutes from home, the clinic is open 24/7, and it is part of a hospital campus.

He's been a little piggy-piggy-oink-oink with the sweet potatoes. He loves the solids, but pretty much always wants milk afterward. I'm not sure if it is a comfort thing, or if he is still hungry (because he gets quite a bit of the solids). I think we're going to try bananas next. Maybe it will be fun to let him feed himself, but I'm not totally sure he's ready for that kind of exploration. He does greedily reach for the spoon when I feed him though. I know - - isn't this the most thrilling blog post ever? I'm sure you're all sooooo interested in reading about Harper's food. Next up - the effects of sweet potato on baby poop. Ok, I won't go that far (but I'm sure you can imagine).

Wife, Mom, and.... Student

From the moment I made those few mouse clicks that initiated my return to school from my maternity LOA, I felt regret. I start school again on Monday, and I'm not fully confident that I can handle this additional item on my proverbial plate. Why am I putting myself through this if I'm unsure? To be honest, I am exhausted with school. But - I have been working on my "2-year degree" for over 3 years now. I'm only 15 credits away from completing it. Though many people say that it is easiest to go back to school while children are little babies, I'm taking it slow. Hopefully, Management of Information Systems won't prove to be too difficult while juggling the many other things I have going on.

Oh - other exciting news... Our Seattle house is finally listed. Though we're doing a short sale, I hope the process doesn't take as long as so many people have said. The house cleaned up really well - check it out for yourself: www.johnlscott.com/20356. I REALLY miss Seattle, but know that this path is the right one for us. Just as I hope the house sells quickly, I hope that the person that buys it will love it and give it the TLC that we were unable to.

S