Big Brother Peyton is Hilarious!

I took this video a couple of weeks ago.  Peyton was just being silly and Elliana thought it was hilarious.  I love her belly laugh!  I was afraid that by the time I got out the video camera, she would stop laughing.  But it turned out that as long as her big brother kept up his antics, she was highly amused!

5 Months!

Well, it's actually like 5.5 months because I forgot to take her picture at 5 months.  Oops. I should have known better than to commit myself to having to take a picture on a particular day for 12 months.  

And we've started trying out some solid foods.  Trying being the emphasized word here.  Elliana isn't really all that interested.  She usually just smiles and keeps her lips together when I bring the spoon close to her mouth.  (She's game to put anything else non-food related in her mouth though.) We've only tried rice cereal and sweet potatoes so far.  And usually she ends up wearing more than she ingests.  Her daycare lady, Tahira, offered to try giving her some solids during the day.  Sure, why not?  I sent over a half of a cube of sweet potatoes, figuring she would have about as much luck as I do.  However, when I pieked her up today, Tahira told me she ate all of it. 
Really?  How'd you get her to eat it? 
Well, you have to sing to her. 
Ohhhhh....is that it? 
Yes, she sings back and opens her mouth and that's when you put the food in. 
Got it. She clearly has way more experience at this than I do.  We'll give it a try.

 

Sweet baby Elliana with a face full of sweet potatoes

An Interview with Peyton

Peyton has recently moved to his new Pre-K classroom at school.  Unlike a lot of daycares, Peyton's daycare moves all of the kids up at one time according to their school age, rather than moving a kid up to a new room whenever he turns a certain age.   Last year, he had a bit of a rough time with the transition, but this year he seems to be doing pretty well.  He already knew his teachers and had started talking about moving to their classroom weeks ago. 

Many of his friends are in his new class, but there are a pretty good number of new faces too.  They have spent the first week or so getting to know each other.  When I would pick him up from school, they would often have a sign on the door listing a question they asked each kid and each of their responses, such as:

If your Dad were a superhero, who would he be? 
Peyton's response:  Captain America (we were like, really?  How does he even know who that is? Still not actually sure that he does.)

Where do you want to go on vacation?
There were a lot of Disney World and beach vacation ideas.  Peyton?  California.  I laughed -he first started talking about this with Aunt Rez when she visited a couple of months ago.  They read a book about California and the dream was born.  He thinks he's going to California to visit Cupcake (my cousin Maddie) and they are going to ride their bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge.  Maybe one day it will happen.  Thankfully, "tomorrow" is anytime in the future to Peyton, and he seems satisfied with going to CA sometime in the future. 

The questions at school, and Peyton's interesting answers, inspired me to sit down with him and ask him a bunch of questions and write down his answers.  He had a book with a list of questions, so I used those. Here's a peek at some of his responses:

Favorite meal: grilled cheese; bananas
Favorite movie: Monsters, Inc. (only because I think that's what he most recently watched.  Given any movie in the world to watch, I think he might pick Horton Hears a Who or Bug's Life.)
Best Book I've read:  Learning book (its a book we do a few pages in each night - kindergarten concepts like matching, letters, numbers, etc., but he apparently enjoys it.  I would actually say that he's really into Dr. Seuss books right now.)
Favorite thing to do:  waiting for the bus.  (the bus?  What bus?  At the zoo, of course.  That we rode once a few months ago)
Favorite color: Red
Favorite TV Show: Baseball (really?  Do we watch that much baseball on TV?  I don't think so.  But he sure does like Word World)
Best animal I've known.  Zebra (yeah, I don't know about that either)
Song I can't stop singing:  ABC's
Interesting place I've been: Hamburger Place (I'm guessing this is Char Grill, a retro burger joint with awesome milkshakes)
Favorite holiday: Trick or Treating
Funny thing I've done: Funny faces

It was fun to take a snapshot of what he was thinking on that particular day.  I"m pretty sure that if I asked him these same questions again, he would come up with a whole other list of answers :)

Cute baby girl

I had an epidural steroid injection in my back today. My right leg has still been bugging me so this was the next step. But look at who is keeping me company on the couch while I take it easy tonight! (Peyton is taking good care of me too but he's too busy watching Bug's Life to take a pic)

Sweet girl

I love dressing up little girls!

 

And I caught her sleeping in the back seat of my car sucking away on her two middle fingers. While I'm glad she's figured out how to comfort herself, I'm a little nervous about whether this will become a permanent habit!

I'm a little behind when it comes to posting pictures.  I don't see that improving any time soon, but here are a couple of her monthly shots that I'm behind on. 

Three Months for Elliana! 05/12

Four Months for Elliana! 06/12

Look who's in the bumbo seat!

Two Months

It's already been a few weeks since Elliana turned two months, but I felt the need to post the picture here and document it anyway.  Pretty soon, I'll post her 3 month picture.  At her two month appointment, she weighed in at 12lbs 3oz, 23" long, and her head was 39.5cm.  She is in the 75th percentile for everything.  Yay!

I'd say she's doing pretty well, except for the fact that she only poops once every few days.  She seems to be pretty miserable by day 2 or 3, but there really seems like there isn't much I can do about it.  I've tried giving her prune juice and an abdominal massage but I haven't seen any improvement.  During the nights when she has pooped, she tends to sleep a little better.  But if it's been more than a day, we're up soothing her several times a night, not including her feedings.  I just keep telling myself that she will outgrow this and it will get better. Meanwhile, I'm tired.

Peyton's First Goal

Those of you who keep up with us Harrells know that Peyton is playing soccer this Spring.  This is his first time playing, and he still has a lot to learn about playing soccer.  He and his daddy have been practicing in our backyard but I think he gets intimidated on the field during a game with all of the other kids. He's not real aggressive in going after the ball.  Some of the other kids have
 obviously played before and are a lot more agile and score a lot more.  Peyton usually makes it halfway through the game before he starts losing interest, in part due to his lack of attention span, and the other due to his frustration when he hasn't scored a goal.  We just kept encouraging him to go after the ball and run fast.  So yesterday morning he was out on the field for a game.  One of the more dominant players was sitting out so I knew if he was going to have any chance of kicking the ball, much less scoring, this would be it.  The opportunity arose for him to kick it in the goal and sure enough he did!  Luckily, Patrick had the video camera rolling, so you can kind of see it here.  Use your imagination and jump up and down with the camera so you can get the full effect.  While you can clearly hear me cheering for Peyton, I think Patrick was a little excited too and had a little trouble keeping the camera still.

 

Easter Weekend Fun!

We had a great Easter weekend! Patrick's parents were visiting and we had lots of fun! There were multiple Easter Egg Hunts and a trip to the zoo before they left. The Easter Bunny made a stop at our house and filled the kids' baskets with gifts and candy! For more pictures, check out our Flickr Page.

The Big 4!

I can't believe Peyton was born 4 years ago! Life sure has been interesting with him, and I can't believe how quickly time has gone. Seems like just yesterday that I spent 3.5 hours trying to push him out and then spent the next 3 months trying to get him to stop screaming.

We celebrated his birthday this past weekend with a small party that was supposed to be at the playground where all of the kids could run around and wear themselves out. But for a few short hours on Saturday morning, Mother Nature decided it should rain down on our little patch of North Carolina right in the middle of party time. Did I mention the rest of the weekend was beautiful? So, we moved the party to our house and I was immediately grateful that we lived in a much bigger place that could accommodate the party animals. But the question was what to do with all of the kids. Then I saw a side of Patrick that I didn't know existed: Kids Party Extraordinaire!

He led the kids in the Hokey Pokey (you can see Elliana taking part as well):




And the chicken dance:



He also did a story time with them, which they loved. And a pinata, which was apparently made of steel.

We finished the festivities with food and cake, and I think all the kids had a great time!

For his actual birthday, I let him stay home from school for the day with me. We had a day of fun, with a trip to the library and the observation park at the airport. Then I took him to lunch at the General Aviation Terminal cafe, where we could sit and watch all of the private planes come and go. We even got to see the Hurricanes Hockey team plane as the players boarded it for a trip away. Of course Peyton expressed his desire to ride on one, but I explained to him that those were fancy planes and we needed to have a lot of money to ride on one. He asked if we had a lot of money and I told him no. Then came the question, "Why don't we have a lot of money?" Oh, it must be nice to be a kid and be so naive. We finished the afternoon off with a nap and soccer practice.

As he opened his birthday cards from family that night, a bunch of bills came pouring out of one. To him, the denomination didn't matter - it just mattered that there was a lot of them. He suddenly exclaimed, "Look, Mom! A lot of money! Now we can ride on the fancy airplane!" I tried to explain that it wasn't quite enough, but he wasn't buying it. According to him, there was a lot of money in that birthday card of his - enough to buy him a ticket on the fancy airplane. I hope he always dreams big.....

Peyton's First Soccer Game

It's no secret that Patrick and I aren't athletes. We're band nerds through and through. But we have this big energetic kid that somehow needs to get his energy out, so we signed him up for soccer this Spring. He had his first game this past weekend. Its hysterical to watch these kids play soccer. Some are clearly better than others. Peyton falls in this "others" category at the moment. Not to say that he won't be good one day, but he still has a lot to learn about the rules and purpose of the game. And while Patrick and I may not play sports, we do enjoy watching them.

But apparently we watch a little too much football - it looks as though Peyton thinks this soccer game involves tackling:



And maybe a little too much basketball. Here is Peyton on defense:

Family Update

I signed Peyton up for soccer this Spring and his first practice was two weeks ago. Unfortunately, the weather has been so bad recently that he hasn't been able to practice again and both of his games this weekend were cancelled. The field is a mess and I'm sure its going to take forever to dry up, if Mother Nature ever gives it a chance to do so. But here are a couple of pictures from his first practice. He had a great time! Afterwards, Patrick wanted to kick the ball around a little more with him but he said he was too tired. I think it wore him out!

And Elliana is starting to share some smiles. Holding her, holding the camera, and snapping it at the right time to get the perfect picture is proving to be a challenge.

But I managed to catch her sticking her tongue out:

The timing was a little off here too:

Here's a smile!

The House

Awhile back, I promised pictures of the new house. And then Elliana arrived and I never got around to posting them. So, here they are!

We live on a cul-de-sac with a nice big garage now. (I think I will forever need to live on a cul-de-sac in a house with a nice big garage now). Peyton LOVES to ride his bike in the cul-de-sac. There are two boys that live next door and he gets so excited when they come out and play. They've been very nice to tolerate him, since they're a little older, at 7 and 9 years old.

As you walk in the front door, to the right is our dining room.

You can walk from there into our huge kitchen! I will never be able to live without all of this counter and cabinet space! Oh, and a refrigerator/freezer with an ice maker, as well as an ice and water dispenser. I've never had those before and they're wonderful!

On the other side of the kitchen is an eat-in area, but we've made that into a play space for Peyton. It usually takes him no time to make a huge mess. Just like his mother :)

And that connects to the living room, which you can also get to from the front door by walking straight ahead. We even have a gas fireplace now, which means we can actually enjoy a fire without smoking up our whole house.

And we have a HUGE fenced in back yard, which has also been a big hit with Peyton and Nellie (again, I'm getting spoiled here!)

I don't think I ever posted pictures of Elliana's room once we finally finished it. I"m really happy with how it came out. I guess I kind of have a butterfly/garden theme going on.

I had drawn this picture in art class my freshman year in high school, so I had it re-matted and framed to match the colors in Elliana's room.

And this was a Pinterest inspired art project that I worked on for her room.

We have a nice big guest room too, which is great for visitors, so come visit soon!!!

One Month!

Elliana made One Month last Friday! At her well-baby visit last week, she weighed in at an even 10lbs., putting her in the 75th percentile. The doctor was pleased with her growth and overall well-being. She gave us a few suggestions about surviving the night with a baby that grunts and groans non-stop between 2am and 6am. Since then, we've been trying out the gas drops during night time feedings and trying to burp her really well. Sometimes it works, and sometimes we're just awake all night long (despite the fact that she sleeps through this nonsense.)

Hmmmm...

I'm not sure what to make of this. I asked Peyton to make a birthday card for his friend and he signed the back. But he wrote his name from right to left with all of the letters backwards. Just hope the kid realizes who the card is from.

The dentist

This week, Peyton visited the dentist for the first time. He was a champ! The hygienist was impressed with how well he behaved and was amazed he had never been before. Sometimes kids surprise you, don't they? We've always taken good care of Peyton's teeth so we were pleased that there weren't any cavities!

And Elliana is sporting her first pair of jeans. Too cute! I'm having fun dressing her in all kinds of cute outfits.

Siblings

Here are pictures of both kiddos on their first outing to the pediatrician at just a few days old. Elliana is on the left and Peyton is on the right. What's with the grouch faces?

Big Brother Peyton

Peyton has done well adjusting to the new addition so far. This morning I had her laying in bed with me and he was watching cartoons in our room. He peeked over me to look at her and he said, "Look at how cute!" He's very sweet with her, but we do have to remind him to be gentle. Having my mom here has been a big help because there are 3 adults and 2 kids, so at any one point, someone can be giving him undivided attention, playing outside, or playing games with him. And sweet Mrs. Lauren (many of you remember she took care of Peyton for 2 years) brought him a big basket of big brother stuff to help him feel important. Lots of activities and things to keep him busy, which is helpful too. My mom is leaving Thursday, so that will be the big test. Once its quiet and just us around here, I expect he may not find this too fun anymore, but who knows, I may be pleasantly surprised.

Good Times

My friends Laura and Michelle stopped by today for a visit. Laura had stopped at World Market and picked up some Abita Beer, Zapps potato chips, pralines, and king cake mix. Ahhh...a little taste of home. With all the Mardi Gras talk on Facebook, I really needed that. She also brought Peyton a silly straw which he used at dinner tonight, of course. While wearing his Mark Vader costume. Yes, he calls him Mark Vader.

Miss Elliana is up to business as usual. Eating a lot, some for nutritional value, but I'm starting to suspect some is purely for comfort. And she definitely knows who the food source around here is. I keep assuring myself that she won't be nursing by the time she goes to college, and she'll be fully potty trained. I won't always be changing poopy diapers. In the meantime, I do enjoy how relaxed and happy she is after getting a belly full.

Today in the Life of the Harrells...

The boys are hard at work building stuff

And Elliana is learning how to accessorize.

Pictures

I'm trying something new here.....uploading pictures to Flickr directly from iPhoto. I've played around with privacy settings, etc. But I think you should be able to click on this link and see a bunch of pictures from this last week.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76699604@N04/sets/72157629329398585/

Daily Dose of Harrells

Peyton likes to read his "Seuss-y" book

And Elliana is only happy if she's eating.

She has Arrived!

Elliana Jane Harrell arrived at 11:36 am on February 9, 2012 weighing 8lbs 14oz. She's happy and healthy! Mom and Dad are doing well too.

Big Brother Peyton

Peyton is very excited to be a big brother. We're trying to encourage touching and kissing her feet rather than her hands and face since he always seems to be harboring germs. He seems to be doing pretty well and adjusting to the new addition. He likes keeping an eye on her and knowing where she is. He just asked if Elliana could go outside and ride bikes with him. Hmmm...may be a little while before she can do that!

Heading to Hospital

Contractions are picking up finally. Headed to hospital. Hoping they don't send us home!
Peyton is beside himself with excitement. My mom arrived yesterday so she's taking him to school.

Still Here

Not much has changed. Contractions are probably a little more intense but farther apart. Definitely not close enough to get excited about. Patrick and I had a good day together though. Went for a walk around and around and around the neighborhood to try to speed things up. No luck. Went to babies r us and target to pick up a few things, hoping other preggo mothers would give off some good pheromones to stimulate labor. No luck. So... Now we're just waiting. Maybe the excitement from the UNC - Dook game tonight will help get things going.

Is it time?

Contractions have been about 10 mins apart since about midday yesterday. For awhile they weren't very painful or intense but I think that's picking up this morning.
Who knows....this could go on for days. But I certainly hope not!

Another comparison

Am I as big with Baby Girl as I was with Peyton? I don't know why I'm obsessing over this so much. Maybe its because I'm starting to have flashbacks of labor with a 9lb 13oz baby. Flashbacks that include an epidural, at least. But maybe I'm freaking out because the pediatrician told me that the first baby is usually the smallest. Or it could be because the goal is to have this one without the epidural (too many back problems and potential complications with the epidural). On the bright side, I hear the second labor is usually easier and quicker. I'm definitely carrying this baby differently, and I'm not as wide as I was with Peyton, so who knows! I don't think this baby will be as big, but I really don't have anything to base that on, other than my own intuition. But here's a comparison anyway. I happen to be wearing the same maternity dress. On the left, I had about 4 weeks left with Peyton. On the right, I have about 3 weeks left with Baby Girl.