B-I-B-L-E

Oh the sweetness!

21 Months

Mary Ella at one year ago at 9 months.
Now I'm 21 months!

Mary Ella,

It is hard to believe that in just 3 months we will be celebrating your 2nd birthday! I better get to planning! I can't help but think this will be the last big event you have all to yourself before you have a little brother or sister. We are eating you up at this age! You are so funny! You are communicating so much more, and we are so proud of all you can do and know. Here's what you've been up to:

• 
  
  You have become a picky eater. Ugh! You don't want to try anything new, but you get burnt out on eating the same things. You are all about "snacks" instead of real food. It's one area that I feel so out of control. You eat well at breakfast and lunch but dinner is "iffy." We rotate the same things during the day, but you usually turn up your nose at what I cook for dinner. Hmm...


• 
  
  You still sleep like a champ, but this month you have been waking up every now and then at night. You are cutting your eye teeth, so we think they may be hurting. If you wake up, you usually end up in bed with us. This is not ideal.


• 
  
  You love to sing and dance. You have been singing "B-I-B-I" for the "B-I-B-L-E" for a while, but now you add your own words for the rest of the tune. You can also sing some words for "Twinkle, Twinkle," and "This little light of mine."


• 
  
  You are so perceptive, and I am amazed how you pick up on the little things. We talk about Jesus and God alot. You won't say "I love Jesus" or "I love God," but anytime I talk about Them you say "Bible" and go get yours. You also associate the Bible and singing with church. You also try to participate in worship- use your hand to lead singing, sing words to the songs you pick up on, put your dollar in the collection plate, and throw out the occasional "Amen!" You also clap and say "yay, Dada!" when he leads singing.


• 
  
  You are on the go from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed! The only thing you sit still for is books or cartoons. You LOVE Mickey and would watch all day if I let you! But I am so proud that you equally love books! You are as happy sitting and reading a book as anything. You bring me book after book to read to you. And you are becoming an interactive reader. You can do my sound effects for Quiet, Loud, say no and yes on the right pages of No, No, Yes, Yes, and sometimes fill in the blank of a word that is coming up.


• 
  
  You are also getting into nursery rhymes. The other day you sit and let me read your whole Mary Engelbreit Mother Goose book- 100 nursery rhymes! I think you like the rhyme and rhythm of it. It may be time to try some Dr. Seuss!


• 
  
  You are all about tea parties! You love to give "hot tea" to anyone and everything.


• 
  
  You are obviously into pretending. And I love to hear you pretend to talk to Gigi on the phone...it's always Gigi. And your conversations go something like this: "Hi Gigi...Papa...no...oh...hot dog...bye, bye Gigi!" You even pause like you are listening and everything!


• 
  
  You are imitating so much of what we say and do. This can be good or bad, like when you try to spit when you watch me brush my teeth. You love to play in my make-up and know what goes on the eyes, cheeks, and lips. The cutest thing I have seen you do is put your leg up on the side of the tub like I do when I am putting on lotion.


• 
  
  You love all things princesses. You line up your princesses and have me name them and sing their songs. You recognize the ones you have seen in movies, but can't say their names yet. Instead, you call them all "Anna."


• 
  
  You love to be outside- at the playground, on a walk, at the pond, backyard, front yard, it doesn't matter!


• 
  
  You also love the water! You were afraid of the hot tub at first, but now you love the "bubbles." Everytime we go out on the back porch, you climb the steps and point and say "bubbles." We keep it cool enough that you and I can enjoy it. You get in your inner tube and just float and splash and kick!


• 
  
  You give fist bumps and add sound effects.


• 
  
  You are the most loving and sweet thing! I could eat you up! You give the sweetest hugs and juiciest kisses! You can give Eskimo, butterfly, and cheek to cheek French kisses.


• 
  
  New words: Papa Joe, Pooh, Elmo, Mi (Mickey), Pete and Toos (from Mickey), Emma, poop, poo poo, pee pee, yak (from an ABC book), purple, church, bunny (you usually say "hop hop" instead), zoo, yuck, star, high, moon, Be ri back (I'll be right back), kick, Cheerio, hat, honk, book, Emma, where are you, bow, eat, burp, cute, pretty, egg, pony, mole, balloon, read, tay (okay), pie, towel, yes (anyone that knows you well will be so proud of this one, sometimes you still say no when you mean yes just out of habit), and yes ma'am


• 
  
  Things you say alot: bubbles, duck, poop (and grab your diaper, usually it is only wet), hi Mama, bye Mama, I want _____ (when you want something), please Mama (over and over when you want something), ow ow boo boo, and you spit out a list of names you know


• 
  
  Things I get you to say because they are cute: I....Mama (I love Mama), I....Dada (I love Dada), I cute, I pretty (you have called me pretty too...awww)


• 
  
  Longest sentence: I want Mama eat (when you were pretending to feed me)


• 
  
  You are starting to get little freckles on your body. You have one right under your left eye.


• 
  
  You say "hop hop" when you get hurt because you want your boo bunny out of the freezer.


• 
  
  I know there is so much more...you are something else!

Princess Anna

Mary Ella loves playing with her Disney princesses. She likes to take them out, line them up, and have me name them and sing their songs. I know she recognizes the ones she has seen in movies, but she doesn't say any of their names yet. Until recently, and they are all named ANNA. Ha! She puts them in a line calling, "Anna, Anna, Anna." It is so cute! This is just more proof to me that she already looks up to her big cousin and thinks she is really cool!

And here are some pics from our trip to the park today...

She was all about the slides and climbing on the equipment.

She went down this big slide all by herself! Big girl!

Mother's Day 2011

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to Gigi and Mia! You taught us what we know, and hopefully we are doing you proud in raising our sweet Mary Ella. It is hard to believe that this time next year we will have another little one calling us "Mama and Dada!" My Mother's Day started Friday afternoon when Brad came home with goodies from Fresh Market. Yay! I love to start any holiday early and make it last as long as possible! Let me tell you, we have been eating good at the Harriman house. Daddy has been cooking all weekend! Friday night he grilled burgers, and Saturday night he grilled chicken stuffed with pancetta and gouda.

Sunday morning he made blueberry pancakes for breakfast. And instead of going out for lunch and waiting forever, he grilled bacon-wrapped filets and I made twice baked potatoes. It was sooo good!

Me and my girl

Thank you, Daddy, for making this Mama feel appreciated! Happy Mother's Day!

Mary Ella's Room

Here are some pics of Mary Ella's room...

Play area on the right side of room

Buckets o' shoes ;)

The chandelier moved with us.

Finally got ME's "welcome home" canvas framed. Thanks, Kimberly!

I also had her birth announcement framed, with 6 month handprint hanging underneath.

First birthday invitation and 12 month handprint

Still love all our canvases by AEPH! This one is hanging on her closet door.

Love the shelving and storage in her closet

I used the wire shelves from my classroom for more storage in her closet. I bought canvas cubes at Target, nice for containing and hiding toys!

ME's bathroom- thank you Tarjay and HL!

I made the feather wreath for cheap-o...needed something in that space.

Newly framed one-year photo board

And the cutest trashcan ever! I found this on etsy for $8!

Hope you enjoyed the tour of ME's humble abode...yeah right she is so spoiled! It is one of my favorites in the house. Can't wait to start planning the next one!

Strawberry Trifle

Yesterday, Mary Ella and I hosted a lunch/play date at our house. I love to entertain, but didn't get to do it much in Little Rock. I'm hoping to be better about having friends over here, atleast until the baby comes. ;) I made a salad, chicken salad on croissants, and fruit salad. It was not the relaxing lunch with friends I had envisioned as most of our conversations were interrupted by chasing toddlers, but it was fun to have everyone over in the new house. Shelley and Emma, Rebecca and Cullen, and Rachel and Max were able to come. We missed Sara, Addison, and baby Emma, but maybe they will make it next time.

My favorite part of lunch, other than the company, yummy strawberry trifle. I fell in love with this dessert when Linda Argo brought it to a church potluck years ago. She is one of the best cooks I know, next to both of my grandmothers. Anything she makes is sure to be delish, and I don't think she would mind me sharing this recipe. I promise, it will make you happy! But first, I have to share a funny story about my pregnancies and this trifle. I was huge and pregnant the last time we moved from Madison, and before we left we had our Life Group over for dinner at our house. I can't remember what I made, but I do know I requested that Linda bring the strawberry trifle. I was thrilled when there was quite a bit left, and I was not shy in asking her to leave the leftovers with us! I was to the point in pregnancy that I couldn't eat too much at meals, so I remember that I didn't get to enjoy much of it that night. But that was okay, because I had the leftovers to enjoy the next day! Are you getting how much I love this thing? Well, when I got up the next morning I was horrified to see that Brad had eaten ALL of it! And he doesn't even LIKE strawberries! I was so upset that I cried! I was heartbroken that he would STEAL something made specifically for ME! Obviously, some pregnancy hormones were involved in my breakdown, but it's funny that I have recently been dying to have this trifle again. You should try it too!

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

By: Linda Argo

2 pkgs (8 oz) cream cheese

2 c confectioner's sugar

8 oz sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

8 oz cool whip

3 Tbsp sugar

1 angel food cake, cut into bite size pieces

2 qts fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioner's sugar until fluffy. Add sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract. Fold cool whip into cream cheese mixture. Gently stir in cake pieces. Set aside. Combine strawberries and sugar. Layer in a large glass bowl, starting and ending with strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and chill well.

(She fixes the strawberries first and divides them equally into 4 cereal bowls. After she gets the cake/cheese mix ready, she separates the mix within the bowl into 3 sections. If you do this you will have a trifle with all equal layers- 4 layers of strawberries and 3 of cake/cheese mix. I did this, but I don't think my layers were exactly even...maybe I will get better. But who cares if it tastes this good?)

Enjoy!

First Trimester

~6 weeks

8 weeks

12 weeks

Okay, so here's more info about the pregnancy so far. I'll try not to share too much, and I'll post pictures unless I get too fat and scary. In that case, I'll spare you and my pride. So... I knew I wanted to have babies about 2 years apart. My brother and I are 4 1/2 years, and we have always gotten along great and are close friends. But I have always loved the dynamic in Brad's family. He has a sister, Julie, 2 years older, then there's him (he has absolutely no middle child tendencies HA!), and then he has a brother, Randy, that's 2 years younger. I'm sure it was hard at times on Rita raising three children so close in age, but it sure it fun when they grow up together! We have a blast hanging out with Julie and Mike and Randy and Lindsay. They were our best friends when we lived in Springdale. We did stuff together all the time. We all got married fairly close together, and we now we are all having babies together. Well, Julie was ahead of us on the marriage and baby thing. And even Randy and Lindsay had kids before us. But this baby will be number 6 of the bunch, and the oldest is almost 7. So they are all close in age! Plus, I have watched Anna and Trey (18 months apart) be the best of friends and play so well together. So, I was pretty set on the 2 year thing. Now, I did not in any way have baby fever or get bored with Mary Ella or even think I needed something more. It's still a little sad to think about taking any time away from her at this point. But I know she will enjoy having a sibling so close in age, and I knew we definetely wanted more than one child, so I just felt like it was time to get the ball rolling. But then the whole moving thing came up again. Ugh! Not a good time. So we waited until we had our housing situation all lined up and went for it. And thank you Lord for blessing us again! I knew I was pregnant before I even took the test because when I would roll over in bed I would get pains from that big muscle thingy that stretches. Scary, but true. I took the test one afternoon when Brad was out of town. He was coming home that night, so I waited until the last minute to find out for sure. When he got home I had Mary Ella bring him the stick. He was excited, but pretty much had the "deer in the headlights" look I remember from the first time. Ha! This was in between Orlando and Nashville, so I made my first doctors appointment for the week we got back. Our friends from Kentucky were in town the week of my appointment, so I went ahead and told Kimberly (along with a few other friends to pray for me). And she told me she was pregnant too! Would you believe we are due on the exact same day? Crazy! Anyway, Brad and ME went to my 8 week appointment, and we got to see and hear the baby's heartbeat. What a relief and a blessing! I have been more worried this time than I was before, just because I have had so many friends with complications. So, I guess I'm more aware of what can go wrong. And I had the smoothest, easiest possible pregnancy with ME, so it's hard for me to believe this one could be as good to me. But everything looked great at my 12 week appointment Monday. It is such a relief to get through that first trimester! How have I been feeling? Pretty much the usual, tired and a little yucky. I never got truly sick with ME, but I did have some nausea and the "nothing sounds good" appetite. But this time, I want to eat everything in the house! I have been SO hungry. Thankfully that has slacked up because that was heading nowhere good, and I'm feeling really great at 12 weeks. I definitely feel pregnant by the end of the day! When I look at the pictures above all I can think is, "Wow, I really need a tan!" and "I really wish I had gotten in better shape before I got pregnant again." I am starting out 5 pounds heavier than I did with her, and I can't even blame that on baby weight. I lost that in 2 weeks and was back in my Seven jeans at 3 weeks. I'm not bragging, it just happened thanks to nursing. And then when I had to quit nursing, I just kept eating like I was and never got back in the gym. I had good intentions, really. It just didn't happen with a baby. I got back into a good routine after we moved back here, but my doctor has put a hault to body pump and everything that gets my heartrate over 120, which is basically anything. So, I'm thinking I might join the old folks at water aerobics. Might be fun! ANYWAY, I would go through anything and gain 100 pounds if it meant the end result would be a healthy baby. I am actually thankful for such a conservative doctor that takes good care of me and my baby. I love Dr. Cole! I missed her so much when we moved...now we get to be bff's again! I go back in 4 weeks for a regular check-up and again 2 weeks later for an ultrasound. Looks like we will find out if this baby Harriman is a "he" or a "she" in just 6 short weeks. Again, thank you God for every good and perfect gift! We are beyond blessed and are so excited about our growing family!