Sunshine

I have been very stressed at work lately,
but this girl (and her brother who slept thru this little photo shoot today)
never fail to bring some sunshine to my bad day[s]!

6 Month Not-So-Comparison

On these "comparison" posts I always try to find pics of the kids doing similar things.
However, at 6 months old, Brax and Harper are just SOOOOO different!
So I will just share some pics of Brax at 6 months because it's fun to look back on (and since I don't think we have a shortage of Harper photo posts as of late!)

Like I said in my latest "STAT" post, Brax was very active.
At 6 months old, he was 2 inches longer than Miss Harper, and apparently much stronger!
He was sitting up, standing up, and getting up on all fours. Our sweet girl is still quite content just being a snuggle bug most of the time. He ate a TON (a couple jars of baby food a day, and was still waking to eat in the middle of the night once or twice!) and she prefers just her milk, in smaller quanities (and sleeps all nite without eating!). He was about 1/2 lb. heavier.

I actually asked the doctor if she was developing okay, since Brax is all I've known, and our pediatrician assured me that she was totally normal. I was worried (and feeling horrible mommy-guilt) that we were neglecting her or something, that she wasn't getting enough stimulation and attention like Brax did, being the first child. No matter how hard you try, you can't do everything exactly the same with every child. And no matter what you do, they are going to have different personalities and develop differently (especially boys and girls). So really, there is no "comparison."

Anyway, you can reminisce with me... Brax as a 6 month old.

To The Pool!

My dad and I took the kids to the new pool by our house.
It was so fun!

The Last Week

We have had a busy week! My dad and sister came in town last Saturday from California...
This is mostly a post of my muse, Harper (who can't run from my camera.)

I never tire of photographing her!

You can do it, girl! Roll!

My little sister (who is 17 and 6 feet tall... not so "little" anymore!) and Harper.
I can vividly remember when Lynsie was Harper's age... I can't imagine Harper at 17!

Are these not the cutest tights ever?

"Momma, I'm done playing dress up!"

Finally, I got Brax to hold still for a picture-
This was on his 3rd b-day and Harper's 6 month b-day!
He got 3 Sweet Tarts for doing this!

3 YEAR STATS

HEIGHT/WEIGHT:
39 inches
31 lbs.
Size 9 shoe, Size 3T clothes (but I am buying 4T for fall/winter)

NEW TRICKS:

• TOTALLY day-time potty trained!!!! WOO HOO! Consistently tells us before he has to poo! Stands up to pee. Still wears an overnight diaper, but I don't care about that!

FAVORITE FOODS:

• Turkey and cheese wraps. He takes the whole thing apart and eats it all separately.
• Still eats maple and brown sugar oatmeal and vanilla yogurt every morning for breakfast.
• Getting harder to please with dinner variety. I feel like he eats the same thing all the time, and it's mostly carbs!
  

FAVORITE BOOKS:

• "Little Critter" books

FAVORITE TOYS/ACTIVITIES:

• Cars, Cars, Cars
• Jigsaw puzzles-he is a puzzle MASTER!
• Watching "Word World" and Tom and Jerry
• Building anything
• The advertising inserts that come with collectible toys (like Disney Cars or Thomas Trains). He calls these little pamphlets his "magazines" and refuses to let them be thrown away! He also does this with the inserts in DVD cases.
  

DAILY ROUTINE:
Up around 7:30
8:30-12:30 Tues/Wed/Thurs to preschool
1:30-3:30-nap
7:30-bathtime/books
8:15-to bed
**Our recent tucking-in ritual includes face kisses (I kiss his forehead and say, "Goodnight forehead," then his eyes, nose, cheeks, chin and mouth, telling each part "Goodnight" before finally telling him goodnight), and singing our phone number and address songs we made up ("Do you know your phone number? Yes, I know... It's ***-***-***0" and "Do you know your address? Yes, yes, yes! It's ***** West ***th Terrace, in ******, Kansas!)

FAVORITE SONGS:

• The songs his musical birthday cards play! He was SO amused by this!
  

DISLIKES:

• A lot of the food I cook for dinner. Very annoying!
  

MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET/BRAXISMS:

• Brax and I going to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July.
• Taking him to see Toy Story 3 at the movie theater.
• After swim lessons, he got out of the pool, came to me and put his hands on my face and said, "I couldn't have done it without you!" (I think he got this line from Wonder Pets, but it was so sweet!)
• One day he was just sitting on the floor playing and singing, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy..."
• I went in to check on him before I went to bed as I always do, and found him asleep inside his pillow case. He buries himself under his 4 pillows when he goes to sleep.
• He thinks it's funny to pretend to be sleeping when we pull in the garage and I go to get him out of his carseat. He also does this when I go in to get him out of bed sometimes.
  
• I told him he could pee outside, he said, "Like dogs?"
• In the Nordstrom men's shoe department when he announces the salesman is fat. We had the "if-you-don't-have-anything-nice-to-say...." conversation on the way home. A few days later, we were at Wal-Mart and a large woman walked by. After she passed us, he said to me, "I didn't say she was fat, Mommy." At least he got my point, I suppose.
• I don't remember what I said to him, but he said, "I know what you mean."
• Driving home in the pouring rain and he asked, "Are we safe?"
• I walked in from work one day and he exclaimed, "I like Harper!!!!!"
• "I want you to put these potatoes in the garbage disposal."
• "I'm a big boy. I'm respectable." (He means respectful... Miss Noelle has been teaching him that big boys are respectful, but he insists on saying "respectable.")
• I usually sit on a little step stool next to the potty while he poops. One time he asked me, "Can I rest on you while I poop?" Anything for you, son.
• "I love you SO MUCH, Mommy!" (The best thing EVER."
• Talking about his remote control car when the signal wouldn't reach-"It cut out!"
• After he vurped--"That was a throw-up burp."
• "I'm going to get started." (on a project)
• After trying to get to something that was too high for him--"I'm a little too medium to reach that."
  

6 MONTH STATS

6 MONTHS


5 1/2 MONTHS


HEIGHT/WEIGHT/TOOTH COUNT:
26 inches (50%)
16 lbs. (50%)
No signs of teething. (Brax was 14 months before he got a tooth!)
Size 3 diapers/6-9 month clothes

NEW THINGS:

• 21 weeks-1st time to have formula. At first we eased in to the formula, alternating it with breastmilk, but within a couple of weeks she was taking it exclusively. It made her pretty constipated the first week or so, but I started giving her apple-prune juice and it loosened it up. That was one of the few times she has ever screamed... her poor little booty was hurting!
  
• She is starting to grow in new hair, and it is pretty light! I think we may end up having two blondies!
• When she's on her tummy, she lifts up her arms and legs like she's swimming. At 24 weeks, she can now scoot a little and get herself turned around on her blanket. She has zero interest in sitting up. She still loves tummy time and standing in her exersaucer. She does this cute thing when she's laying on her back, the doctor called it "giving belly." She digs her heels in and arches her back up, sticking her belly up in the air. I love it!
  
• Harper consistently sleeps ALL night. She is asleep by 7pm and doesn't wake before 5 to eat. Most of the time she'll sleep until 6.
• She has rolled both ways (tummy to back and back to tummy) a few times, but not on a daily basis.
• At 23 1/2 weeks we started giving her baby food-first squash, then prunes. She likes "real food" MUCH better than the cereal mixed with milk. She'll eat half a small jar at a time.
  

FAVORITE FOODS:

• Still really loves her milk, but has enjoyed the squash and prunes. Not crazy about the peas.
  

FAVORITE BOOKS:

• She LOVES to look at books. We are currently reading Fancy Nancy (a new one for me!), Rainbow Rob (one of Brax's favorites that I have memorized), 1 Fish 2 Fish, 10 Little Babies, and Baby Cakes (another of Brax's favorites).
  

FAVORITE TOYS/ACTIVITIES:

• Spinning her toys on the exersaucer.
• Chewing on anything.
• Looking at books.
• Swimming in the pool!
  
• Tummy time.
• Being held.
  

DAILY ROUTINE:
A typical day--
6am-early morning bottle (6oz), then immediately back to sleep
7:30-up for the day
8:45-4 oz bottle
9:00-11:30 nap
11:30 4 oz bottle
1:00 4 oz bottle
1:15-3:30ish nap
5:30 1/2 to 1 jar baby food
6:00-bathtime/books
6:30-6 oz bottle w/ 2T cereal in it
6:45-out for the night

FAVORITE SONGS:

• I sing her the same songs when I rock her at night... "Where Are You Going, Little One?", "Que Sera, Sera," "Baby Mine," and "To Make You Feel My Love." Sometimes we throw in Barney's closing song...
  

DISLIKES:

• She's started having a little stranger anxiety this month. It doesn't take her long before she warms up, but new people have to give her just a minute to realize everything's ok!
• Loud noises. Brax always got a thrill out of loud toys, etc., but Harper prefers peace and quiet!
  

MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET:

• Sometimes when she gets up in the morning I take her and we sit outside on the front porch and rock for a bit. I like for her to feel the breeze (before it's too hot!) and hear the birds and trains and cars...
• She is starting to try and really laugh a little more now. I was kind of worried because at this age, Brax was SO EASY to amuse--he would belly laugh at anything. She is a tougher crowd! Now she will give me a tiny chuckle when I blow rasberries on her tummy.
• How happy Harper was at Brax's 3rd birthday party. It was outside and very hot and during her nap time, so I was afraid she would be annoyed, but she was smiling the entire time! I also thought she might get overstimulated and tired of being held, but she LOVED being held by Nana Star thru the whole party!
  

SIDE NOTE:
I am really seeing more and more difference in their temperaments and personality. Like I said before, I was worried because they are SO different, but I am hearing that is normal! Brax has ALWAYS been extremely outgoing, confident, VOCAL, expressive, animated, dramatic, etc., and has never been quiet. He is either really happy or really hacked off--always one extreme to the other. He used to always be in a bad mood when he woke up (this has improved a little, but I certainly wouldn't call him a morning person.) He has always been fidgety, busy, and active.

Harper, on the other hand, is very even-keeled. She really NEVER cries (the only time she has truly cried and couldn't be consoled within seconds was when she got her shots and when she is constipated.) She always wakes up so happy. She is super smiley at everyone (Mike calls her "Smiley Cyrus!") but doesn't "talk" or laugh out loud like Brax did. She is very snuggly and content to sit still, whether it's on her own or while being held. She is the most un-fussy baby ever!

If you know Mike and I, it is clear that although Brax is a spitting image of Mike, his personality is like mine, whereas Harper is acting just like Daddy! (People are saying she looks like me, tho, which I love!)

Happy Birthday to Me!

I have been SO EXCITED to get this!
My mom and Aunt Laura ordered this for me for my big 3-0 last month
and I got it this weekend! It is so special!
It is a personalized bracelet made by a lady on Etsy.
(Her website is HERE!!)

The bangles say:

Team Hill
Est. 1.24.04

Brax
7.22.07

Harper
2.4.10

I love it I love it I love it!
Thank you Mom and Aunt Laura! I will cherish this!

Ka-Chow!

I sort of have an affinity for cardboard.
For Brax's first birthday, I made him this house...
This year, I made him Lightning!
I used good ol' packing tape when I made the house,
but this project was built to last by using these little gadgets...

I can't sew and I don't like to cook,
but give me a cardboard box and I'll give you a masterpiece!

He wanted to gather all his little cars inside Big Lightning.

He has loved looking at and listening to his musical birthday cards!
They got to go in the car, too.

Brax's ABC Blurb Book

Ok, ya'll know how much I love using Blurb to make my photo albums (I do one every six months... they are typically 400+ pages each and contain almost 1000 pics!!!).

I borrowed this idea from another Blurber/Blogger (click HERE to see her book--it's way better than mine!). It's an ABC book with photos of everyday, familiar things that correlate with each letter of the alphabet to help him identify letters. Also, it's just a cute way to remember the little things he loves! It is going to be a birthday present (I cannot believe he is going to be THREE next week!)

Click on the little square in the upper right corner (where it says "full screen") and you can view it much larger.

ABC Book | Make Your Own Book

Harper Antiqued

I liked this "antique" effect on these pics of Harper laying on a vintage-y duck print blanket.
So precious.

Hands

My babies' hands in mine at 5 months...
Brax's has already outgrown my palm!

Brax

Harper

Sharing

Brax is STILL the best big brother!
I keep waiting for him to become hostile towards Harper, but shows no signs of disdain!
In fact, the first thing he said when I walked in the door from work today was, "I like Harper!"

Here they are "playing" cars together!

He was so excited to show her how to play with them!

Then he wanted to love on her little feet :-)

PS. Scroll down for lots of new posts!

Cereal and TS3

3rd time is a charm, for both Harper and Pixar.
After 3 attempts over the past few weeks, Harper finally agreed to eat her rice cereal!
It's a messy production... but we got a couple of tablespoons down her!

On Monday, Aunt Laura stayed with Harper so
Daddy and I could take Brax to see Toy Story 3. We ALL loved it!
(And yes, I cried.)

We had to wear the shirt and take our buddies!

Brax ate a TON of popcorn (at 10am!)

And we all shared a giant white cherry Icee, my fave!

He wore his 3D glasses the whole time!
He is the best movie-goer!

Brax and I Celebrate Independence Day!

On Sunday, the 4th, it was rainy most of the day so we started off with a family trip to the mall. Brax took a late nap and didn't get up till 5pm! We ate dinner, then he and I headed to a church that was having a big Independence Day celebration... rides, food, music, fireworks...
(Harper was in bed for the nite before 7... Daddy stayed home with her!)

We got there in time to do a couple of activities and have some ice cream.
The band started, but only got to play a few songs before the rain set in. They went ahead with the fireworks, so Brax and I hunkered down in our lawn chair under our umbrella and snuggled while he watched his first fireworks show! It was wonderful!

On the bouncy...

Waiting in line for the spinny ride!

This ride was SO fun! We were cracking up!

Phil Stacy from American Idol was there to perform!

Me and my little buddy.