32 Weeks

32 Weeks Old

This week Mary Ella and I took a little Spring Break down to South Arkansas to see my family. We waited until Tuesday so I could go to Bunko Monday night. I am just loving my Bunko girls! Anyway, Tuesday morning we got up, and I started getting everything together so we could head out during her morning nap. Anyone that has ever traveled with a baby knows how much stuff it takes- it really is an ordeal, especially by yourself. By the time I got everything packed and loaded in the car and the girl in the carseat, I was probably sweating. So you can imagine how disappointed I was when the Land Rover wouldn't start. Great. I called Brad not too happy expecting that I would have to unload the car and wait for another day. But my sweetie came home for lunch and got it going. We had just gotten a new battery and the wires or something had come loose. So we got to leave during her afternoon nap which was all good. We got to Hope in time to have supper at Amigo Juan with my mom, Cole, and Jennifer. Wednesday was my grandparents 62nd wedding anniversary, so we took Mary Ella down to visit, and before church that night we all went out to eat fish to celebrate. Thursday ME and I drove to Texarkana to have lunch with my very best friend, Michelle. She hadn't seen Mary Ella since a few days after she was born, so she was quite suprised at our little chunk. We had a great visit, and we got to see Kayla, Gage, and MacKenna too. Friday was our last day, so we went back down to the farm to see Nanny and Pa. We ate blueberry pie, drank sweet tea, and took ME on her first gator ride around the farm. Pa took us around all the ponds and pastures, we looked at his turkey blind, the pine trees Cole planted, and all the new things in bloom for spring. When we got down to the cows, Pa's dog got them all stirred up and they started running around. Mary Ella really enjoyed watching them. She just took it all in! She was cracking me up showing out for everyone. Nanny and Pa were just eating it up, and of course Super Uncle Cole and Mia enjoyed playing with her. We came home Friday night, and boy had Daddy been missing us!

Happy Anniversary Nanny and Pa!

Married 62 years on St. Patrick's Day

Pa encourages Mary Ella to "rip that bow" off her head!

On the farm in front of one of Pa's yellow bushes. These line the dirt road leading to their house. I tried to grow these in Mississippi with little luck. But Pa can grow anything!

Pa has always called me "Grandaddy Long Legs" or "Daddy Long Legs" for short. Yes, that would be after those spiders with the long, skinny legs. But he said he couldn't call Mary Ella that! He called her "Pudgey." Poor Mary Ella. My family always comes up with the sweetest nicknames! Ha!

Home in time to watch basketball with Daddy

And back all snug in our beds- thank goodness we didn't mess up her schedule too much!

31 Weeks

31 Weeks Old

This week the weather was beautiful! I am so excited spring is here, hopefully! We went on walks with Lindsay and Gunnar. If I keep hanging out with that girl, she is going to get my booty back in shape! We walked all the way to Brodie Creek, which is uphill, to see the ducks one day! It was fun because I think Mary Ella really enjoys being outside. But one day toward the end of one of our walks she started fussing. She would cry and then stop, and then Gunnar who hadn't made a peep, would cry out. They went back and forth for a little while. Too funny! We also had lunch with one of my roomates in the Kappa house, Sammi. I had lots of roomies in the Kappa house because you switch every semester. My sophomore year first semester I lived with Sammi, then Lauren, Jessica, Leslie, and Sammi again. My junior year I lived with a different Lauren first semester and Jeanna second semester. I can't say that I've been great about keeping in touch with everyone, but it's always fun catching up with Sammi, and she loved seeing Mary Ella for the first time. Will ME be a Kappa one day? I hope so!

This week we played with my exercise ball a little bit. I rolled it back and forth and bounced it for her and bounced her on it.

Kissing the ball

Cheesy grin- Is there anything sweeter than a baby in footed pajamas? These are my favorite because they remind me of Strawberry Shortcake.

It does no good anymore to try to keep ME on a quilt with the way she rolls. So, we have been spending alot of time playing upstairs. We have a large bonus room that I have kind of divided into 3 sections. One is our family room/Razorback room where we watch T.V. and just hang out. Then there is an office area. Then we have an open space which will eventually be like a playroom. I envision it with kid furniture like a table and chairs, an art space, a play kitchen, bookshelves etc. But right now it is a big empty space, perfect for rolling. She just rolls and rolls until she runs into something. Then I pick her up and re-direct the rolling. I'm guessing this is also where we will camp out when she starts crawling so she can really get around. I love my hardwood downstairs, but it doesn't seem like that would feel too good?

And here come the tongue pictures...

She is crazy about that tongue!

We had to wear our Hog gear on Thursday because, well, I didn't have much faith they would make it to the next round of the SEC tournament. Sorry, Brad and Mike. I know you guys are forever optimists, but maybe next year!

More rolling...into the toy closet

And to the toy basket

And a new trick...Does doing gymnastics off the bar mean she is too big for the bouncy seat? And that it's too dangerous to sit her on the bathroom counter?

That has probably always been dangerous. Guess it's time to pack it away and lug the exersaucer into the bathroom while I'm getting ready.

On Saturday Super Uncle Cole, Jennifer, and Mia came for a little visit. We played with the girl and had Fresh Market burgers. Saturday night after they left, we put Mary Ella to bed early, and Brad and I watched a movie. She has turned into such a great sleeper! We have been taking turns putting her to bed at night (thanks for this idea Ashley)! And one night this week Brad said after her layed her down he couldn't see her face on the monitor, so he went back in to check on her. She was laying on her side wide awake, saw him, and flashed him the biggest smile. Is this our child? Before if she had spotted us she would have a fit for us to pick her up. He walked out, and I guess she went right to sleep. I love hearing her in the mornings singing and talking on the monitor when she wakes up. She has been sleeping until 7:30 or even 7:45! Wonderful!

Sunday when I was getting Mary Ella dressed for church Brad walked in and asked, "Are you really going to make her wear that flower on her head?" Of course I was! And she never touched it. After church we ate at Olive Garden, an oldie but goodie, and ME was stopping traffic. Everyone stopped to comment on how sweet and cute she was. Brad thought it was just the enormous flower on her head, but I told him that happens everywhere we go! Also, after church Sunday night the people sitting behind us commented on how ME seems to love music. She has started rocking back and forth when she's sitting and standing, and you should see me trying to hold her when she gets to going while I'm holding her. So I guess she was rocking while we were singing. Friday night she was funny. Brad came home with a Black-Eyed Peas CD and after dinner we had a little dance session in the kitchen. She loves to watch us dance. Mary Ella was rocking back and forth in her high chair. We're going to have to explain to her that she needs to tone it down for church. Ha!

Laughing at Daddy and Ginger

This face is a new thing. She has started chomping on her lower lip and gums like an old man without his dentures!

Looking at her new bunny Mia brought her

And loving it..aww

100th Post

And a new face...

Mary Ella has been sticking her tongue out ALL the time! We call this look the "Uncle Ranjo."

I noticed last time was my 99th post, so this makes 100! I started this blog to document our pregnancy and show the family back home I guess how fat I was getting. Ha! That was when we lived in Mississippi, so I guess I was preparing a place for everyone to get to keep up with Mary Ella when she got here. Even though we're back in Arkansas now, I'm sure this is read by those same family members and close friends. And I don't know who else. I know some of our Mississippi friends read to keep up with us now and some high school and college friends, but I'm sure it's not very exciting to most people. I still do it for those loved ones who care enough to make it through my ramblings (or maybe they just look at the pictures), but it turns out the number one reason I keep blogging is for me! I feel so blessed right now, and I just want to remember every little thing about Mary Ella and what we were doing during this sweet time in our lives. I always thought I might start a journal when I had children to give them one day, so this is kind of like my diary right now. I feel like it has gotten more personal and detailed as I go along. And I'm sure most of you don't care about EVERY little thing Mary Ella is doing each week, but I DO! Doing this has kept me on top of my picture taking, and I even have dates and captions to go along with them! So it's kind of like a scrapbook too. Goodness knows I'm not getting that down outside of this! I have heard that you can have your blog turned into some kind of book to keep, so that might be neat one day. So to all of my faithful readers, whoever you are, thank you for keeping up with The Harriman Family!

P.S. To those of you who are leaving me comments in Chinese, I'm sorry, but I don't understand!

7 Months

I'm 7 months old!

Looking up at Daddy

Squealing

Mary Ella,

Happy 7 months! This has been a month of BIG changes! You are eating food, sleeping in your crib, trying to crawl, and just loving life. And we love every minute of you! Here's what you've been up to:

• You weigh 19 lbs. 2 oz. and are 26 1/2 inches long! You gained 2 pounds this month!
• You have moved up to a size 3 diaper and are busting out of 6 month clothes! You are chuuuuuubby!
• You drink four 7 oz. bottles a day at about 8, 12, 4, and 8. We have dropped a bottle but added 3 meals! In between your bottles you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For breakfast you eat rice cereal or oatmeal. For lunch a vegetable and for dinner a vegetable and more cereal or oatmeal. I try to give you some juice in a sippy cup, but you haven't quite figured out how to drink out of it.
• So far you have tried green beans, peas, carrots, and squash. The only one you didn't care for was green beans, but you still ate them! I was warned that once you started eating food you might get constipated. Well, we have had the opposite problem. You now poop 3-5 times a day. What is up with that?
• After 3 weeks of tears you are now happy sleeping in your crib and going to sleep on your own. You go to bed between 7:30 and 8:00 and get up between 7:00 and 7:30. Sometimes if you wake up earlier you get to snooze in the bed with us.
• We have also dropped a nap! You take 2 good naps instead of 3 little ones. You nap for 1-2 hours at 10:00 and between 2 and 3.
• Right after I posted your 6 month stats you started sitting up by yourself! You love to sit up and stand up- no more noodle legs!
• You are happy playing anywhere! The bathtub, carseat, bouncy seat, exersaucer, floor, everywhere! You just talk and sing to yourself and play with your toys.
• You love to look at yourself in the mirror and have started giving yourself kisses!
• You are starting to want to get down out of my lap if you see something you want to play with.
• And you are getting to be a squirmy worm in church. You like to stand up and flash your cheesy smile to the people behind us.
• You started going to Bible class by yourself, and you are still a doll at Bible study, even though it gets late sometimes.
• You love watching kids, especially your cousins. This weekend Trey said, "Mary Ella's eyes will not leave me." I think he meant you wouldn't stop looking at him!
• You still love your musical cow and really like to play with a water bottle.
• You get excited and smile and kick when we sit down to read a book. Love this!
• You can roll across a room! And this is with only rolling one way from your back. I don't know why you won't roll to your left, but I can only imagine what you'll be into when you figure it out!
• You are getting more and more blonde hair, and you still have blue eyes.
• You think your Mia is hilarious! The last time she was here you just laughed and laughed at her.
• You are getting better about not getting upset if I leave a room- most of the time.
• We don't lug your carseat around anymore- it is too heavy! We just take you out and carry you places.
• At restaurants you are sitting in highchairs, and you can face the front in your stroller now.
• You are happy and content wherever we go, and we are so proud of you. You are the sweetest little girl in the whole world, and we love you bunches!
  

Flashback

8.7.09

9.7.09

10.7.09

11.7.09

12.7.09

1.7.10

2.7.10

3.7.10