Three Months!

Dearest Harper,

You're three months old! Time is flying! It's simultaneously exciting and sad - we love watching you grow and do new things, but we're losing our little baby.

You usually sleep from about 9-10pm to 3-4am, a solid 6 hour stretch, which we hear is good for exclusively breastfed babies. You're using your hands in a purposeful way now, bringing things to your mouth. It's still fairly clumsy, but you're definitely getting there. You love to look at yourself in the mirror. When propped up, you sit up pretty well, falling forward or to the side after a while. You love to watch TV. When you're in your swing, you turn your head to see it. When you're on your play mat and turn your head to see it, sometimes we'll rotate the mat so you're no longer looking at it and guess what you do? Yep, you turn your head back toward the TV! Stinker! You're super good in the car; usually you fall asleep. We drove to visit your great grandparents in Oregon this month, and you slept the whole way there, with a stop for a feeding and diaper change more than half way there. You don't like the car at night though - you cry and cry and cry. I wonder if it's because you're rear facing and it's so dark back there. You are laughing a lot more. Your Auntie Cassie actually had a tickle fest with you! It was so cute! You are still absolutely beautiful, getting compliments everywhere we go.

I return to work in a week - February 2nd is my first day back. It's going to be hard leaving you for 12+ hours, but I have to remind myself that it's only 3 days a week. I get to be with you over half of the week, which is so much better than everyone else who has Monday through Friday jobs. Plus, thankfully, when it's slow at work, you and Daddy can visit.

On Monday we're going to try having you sleep in your own room. You're a noisy sleeper, and with me returning to work, I need to sleep well. It's going to be hard at first I think - SIDS scares the crap out of me. Every night, when I lay you down to sleep, I tell you, "You keep breathing and your heart keeps beating, tonight and every night of your long, healthy life." When you're in our room, if I get nervous, I can lay still and hear you breathe, but with you in your own room, I can't do that. We have a video monitor, but as morbid as it is, dead looks like sleeping. Until I start to feel more comfortable, I imagine I'll make a few trips to your room to check on you.

You're turning into an amazing little girl, my love. You bring so much joy into our lives. Thank you for choosing us to be your Mommy and Daddy.

I love you,

Mommy

Great Grandparents

Dearest Harper,

You're lucky to have Great Grandparents. Having 4 generations living is awesome. If you had come to us sooner, you would have had a Great Great Grandma, and that would have been 5 generations, but alas...

Your Grandma Patti's Parents

John (Grandad) and Mary (GG)

November 2014

Christmas 2017

UPDATE: 1/6/22 Your GG passed away today. She was 91.5 years old. We knew it was coming and were lucky enough to spend time with her the night before she passed. You know about death, because we talk about Grandma Fran and Grandma Patti, but you've never experienced it before. As we sat with GG, you said to me, "I've known about death since I was a baby, but I never understood it until now. And I don't like it." Your GG loved you so much. You read with her and played hide and seek with her. I am so thankful you're old enough to remember her.

Christmas Eve 2021

 

Your Grandma Fran's Parents

Josie and Joe are New Yorkers, just like Grandma Fran. Joe suffered a massive heart attack while visiting us in 1995 and died. He was a great man - happy, funny, and absolutely loved life. It was a terrible loss for us all.
Josie is still alive, but lives in New York, and I fear you'll never meet her because she's not well enough to travel, and Daddy and I have no reason to go all the way to New York anytime soon. She knows you though, through Facebook. She sent you the gold cross necklace you wore on your first Christmas Eve and the one you'll wear when we baptize you. The necklace used to be hers. I hope you hold onto it - not necessarily to wear, but at least to keep it safe because it was passed down with love.

UPDATE: 7/1219 Your Great Grandma Josie passed away today. She was 91 years old. Although you guys never met, I know she loved you very much, and I'm thankful you have things from her to remember her by.

Your Grandpa Dave's Parents

Ron and Norma live in Oregon. We drove there last week so they could meet you. Ron isn't healthy and is having surgery this coming week, and I wanted to make sure you guys met, just in case. Naturally, they both loved you. Norma got teary eyed when she held you for the first time. Ron just smiled and smiled.

UPDATE: 9/2/17 Your Great Grandpa Ron passed away today. He was 86 years old. He was a good man - a Korean War veteran and a Highway Patrolman. He may have been a bit of a grouchy man, but he sure did light up when he got to spend time with you.

UPDATE: 1/24/22 Your Great Grandma Norma remarried and moved to Tennessee with her new husband, something I found out via another family member. I have no way to get a hold of her...

His mother's name is Pat. Because of some stuff between them when he was growing up and other stuff that happened in adulthood, we don't have a relationship with her. You'll realize that life is way too short to surround yourself with unhappy, negative, toxic people. As sad as it is, we've cut her from our lives, but we are all much happier because of it. She does know you exist though, and sent me a message on Facebook when you were about a month old, saying she was happy for us. I sent her a photo and told her what an amazing baby you were. I've never heard back, but I'm sure other family members fill her in now and then.
UPDATE 5/11/15: Pat and I are now Facebook friends, and she comments on and shares so many of the pictures we post of you. She says she hopes to meet you some day, but as your Mommy, I feel the need to protect you from the emotional roller coaster that's involved with having her in your life.
UPDATE 6/5/18: I took a leap of faith shortly after that last update and let your Great Grandma Pat meet you. As she's gotten older I believe she's realized the error of her ways and is trying to make amends. I figure it's important to be the better person and not hold grudges, so we met with and have formed a good relationship with her. She loves you very much.

 

Your GaGa's Parents

Alice and Henry

Thanksgiving 2014

 Christmas 2017

UPDATE: 1/23/22 Your Great Grandpa passed away today at the age of 102 years old. He was such a loving, kind, fun man. He made everyone jewelry with beads, and you have a few of his creations. He also made decorations out of cement, and we have a few of those in the garage. I see a lot of him in Daddy - his sense of humor, the fact that he's usually happy and smiling. Great Grandpa loved his family so very much. I hope you have fond memories of him.

 January 2, 2022

Your Agi's Parents

Luis and Mercedes live in a city called Tepatitlan in the state of Jalisco in Mexico. I fear you will never meet them, as they don't travel, and at this point in time, traveling to Mexico isn't the safest. They know you though, through photos on Facebook and talking to your Abuelito on the phone. We sent them a framed photo of you this past Christmas, and they said you were beautiful.
UPDATE 6/29/15: Luis passed away this past Thursday, June 25th. He was born January 21, 1927, so he was 88 years old. I never met him, despite the fact that Daddy and I have been together for 19 years, married for 12.5. I never traveled to Mexico, and he never traveled to the US. In hindsight, which is always 20/20, I really should have gone there to meet him. I regret that now. He was a good man though, raised a good family, taught your Abuelito how to be a good father, who in turn taught Daddy how to be a good father, so his legacy lives on and blesses you every day your Daddy loves you.
UPDATE 5/27/17: Mercedes passed away this evening. I met her once or twice, a long while ago. There was a language barrier - my Spanish isn't that great, and neither is her English, but I do remember her being a quiet but kind woman.

You are loved by all of these people, whether they've met you or not. You're such a lucky girl.

I love you,

Mommy

Your Birthday Buddy

Dearest Harper,

Daddy met his friend Gabe in pre-school when they were 4 years old. They went to school together until junior high and played soccer together until 11th grade. They play poker together every 2 weeks, and we go to Reno to celebrate Gabe's birthday every January. He's a great guy, a great friend, and has a great family.

Given Daddy and Gabe's history, it's only fitting that they both have daughters born on the same day! Emma was born October 24th, 2006 - she's exactly 9 years older than you. When we chose the date for you to arrive and realized the connection, it made us smile.

In July of 2014, Emma was diagnosed with leukemia. It's been hard on her and her family, but every day I am amazed at how strong she is; how brave she is; what a fighter she is. I say there's no better person for you to share your birthday with!

 

This is you and Emma mid-December 2014.

I hope and pray every single day that you lead a long, healthy life, my love, but if for some reason you don't, I also hope and pray you are as strong and brave as Emma is. 

I love you,

Mommy

Happy First New Year!

Dearest Harper,

In our group of friends, Mommy and Daddy throw the New Year's Eve party each year. People come over, we drink, snack, play games, laugh, and have lots of fun. This year there were lots of babies born at the end of the year, like you, so our usual group of friends didn't come. Instead, people from Mommy's work came to the party. We still had lots of fun, even if it was a different group of people. It's good to do things with different people - it widens your group of friends.

You were a good girl while we partied - slept through all the laughing and increase in volume that generally accompanies drinking alcohol. Everyone marvelled at what a good girl you were at putting yourself to sleep - no crying or fussing after we laid you down, just moving around and keeping yourself entertained until you fell asleep. See, I told you that you were a good baby!

Here you are in your outfit on New Year's Day. I think you're excited for all the new things you're going to do this year.

And here's our traditional smooching family selfie. I wonder how you'll feel about doing this when you're a teenager...

On New Year's Day 2014 Daddy and I started a Good Things Jar, where, throughout the year, we wrote down the good things that happened. This morning, we went back and read each note, remembering and reliving all the awesome things that happened in 2014. Little did we know, when we started it, what that year would have in store - you! It was fun to relive all of the notes leading up to your birth. You truly made 2014 the best year of our lives.

This year is going to be amazing too, my sweet girl. I can't wait to experience it all with you.

I love you,

Mommy