talk about time flying....

Mommy's belly three three days before you were born
Happy Birth-day! 10-31-07
Happy Birthday! Your first birthday party 11-1-08

21 months (well, almost :)

and I thought Luke's first month flew by? Today is Kate's 21 month mark. Wow! 21 months old. Before I know it she will be turning two...our little girl is growing up so fast. She's talking more and more and I'm loving every minute of listening to her. Some of her ramblings include:

water = watie cracker = crackie color = cully flower = flowie

Aunt Anna = Nannie Abby = Babby Fritz = Fitz Dixie = Dissy Max = Maa

please = peas cookie = coo-keee Elmo = Mo-Mo Luke = yuke outside = soutside ride = wide

bird = burd love you = wuv ooh good night = nighhhh night swing= sfing more = mo

milk = mulk red= wed yellow= yel-yo green= geen blue = bue black = back

white = vite pink =peek orange = juice ( cute huh?) all gone = gah-gahn sink = seek

she's good with: mommy, daddy, uh oh, nunu, baby, dog, ball, bow (she has to have a bow in her hair - go figure, a tom boy with bow insistance), hot, bug, yuck, sit, fall, juice, bye bye, Paul (go figure:), Paw (usually says Paw Paw instead of just Paw), no, poo poo (means she needs a diaper change), hey, and the list goes on:) She is learning her manners and will say please and thank you, sometimes on her own, other times needing prompting - but she says them:)

She likes to sit and help cook supper and wash dishes and will let you know when she wants to help as she will stand and the counter and say " I sit" pointing to whichever counter it is that she wants to sit on. She is a very big helper and loves to clean up - be it picking up her toys or wiping up something she has spilled. She loves to sweep but hates the vacuum cleaner.

She is also a big big fan of her baby brother and always wants to help mommy with 'bubba'. She is also very protective of him and lets me know when he is crying and doesn't let just anybody get close or mess with him :)


it has been a wonderful 21 months and I am looking forward to every minute from here on out. She is such a blessing and we are so lucky to have such a sweet and (mostly) well behaved little girl - we won't hold bedtime against her just yet.

Happy 21 months! We love you Katie Bug!!!!

sand, sun, and family fun!

ol' blue eyes...she's gonna be a heart breaker:)

Kate and Abby - the prettiest girls on the beach!!!

Kate and Abby taking a walk...aren't they too cute? the girls had a really great time together, I wish we lived closer, these two would be a team:)

On Thursday morning we took a dolphin cruise in Mobile Bay -money well spent!! We saw the most amazing dolphin show possible! Of course this is how Luke and Elmo spent the ride - they figured they had lots of years left to check out the dolphins:)

Abby and Kate on the dolphin cruise, although they don't seem too enthused here, the girls had a great time. It was so much fun to watch their reactions - they were clapping and cheering and of course, talking to the dolphins:)

Kate doing some dolphin watching - I'm telling you, this was so awesome...can't wait to go again

the Harper girls go dolphin cruising

how beautiful is this? it was absolutely amazing, it was like you could almost reach out and touch them

Katiebug never got overly excited about being on the boat but really seemed to enjoy the dolphins

ready for hollywood don't ya think?

we tried for a beachy photo shoot because we had such beautiful scenery...but,being a typical toddler Kate wasn't exactly into doing what I wanted but I did get some good photos

Kate had a blast playing with the tall grass blowing in the wind

my baby's tootsies in the sand...this is one of my favorites!

isn't our babygirl pretty?:) I love her eyes!

wandering toward the sea...she still doesn't care for the gulf waters

Luke, Nana, Kate, Mama, and you!:)

headed to the pool...it only took one time in to know that my baby was gonna be a fish

she was all smiles the entire time she was in the water and amazingly she didn't mind wearing her floaties.

here I come, Brittie! she wore us all out with her jumping...jump, out, jump, out - but she never got tired!

chillin' with mama, watching the activities

Luke chilling in his seat at the pool - he had his own little cabana made, he had it made in the shade :)


On Wednesday, July 22 the kiddos and I packed up and went down to Gulf Shores to meet the Yankees:) We looked like we were packed for a week, but I assure you, I tried to pack 'lightly' as I knew we would be gone but three days - but if you haven't tried going out of town with two small children lately you don't know what it entails - there is no 'lightly' with these two:) But we made it and it was an absolutely wonderful time. The only thing missing was Paul - but one of us has to work, right? Thanks to everyone for such a wonderful vacation and thanks for letting us crash and crowd in! Can't wait till our next adventure! Love y'all!

seems like yesterday

Well here we are - Luke's a month old! A whole month has passed since my sweet baby boy joined us. While I have enjoyed every minute of it, it is really hard for me to believe it has been one month.

It seems like just yesterday I was making that 3 am call to the labor and delivery ward telling them we were on our way.

It seems like just yesterday that Luke decided that it was time to meet the world - and came out to do so practically on his own ( I swear I had nothing to do with it:)

It seems like just yesterday I was bundling him in the way too big yellow gown with the bluebird on it that his daddy and sister also wore, to bring him home from the hospital.

Of course, it also seems like just yesterday that Paul and I were sitting in the IHOP in Denham Springs on that chilly October morning eating breakfast without children only to eat breakfast the next morning with a beautiful baby girl lying next to me.

My how time flies but every minute has been a treasure.

To celebrate Luke's month anniversary we are heading to the beach!! - just wish daddy could come with us

Happy one month Luke!

fun times!

My sweet baby was so patient and good all through Wal-Mart, mommy thought she deserved a little kiddo fun:) So we went to the play room and went 'ridin' then went and had good ol' french fries and ice cream - nutritious I know, but hey we all deserve a treat now and then:)

Mo-Mo and my babygirl

So Miss Kate has taken a liking, no taken a loving to Elmo, er "M0-Mo". We start our mornings with Sesame Street and end our nights putting Mo-Mo to bed. She's getting to be such a big girl. She's not yet talking in complete sentences but she definitely knows how to get her point across. Last week we mastered our colors (well saying them not necessarily identifying them all) except orange, she says juice - isn't that so cute! We are also getting our ABC's out. E is still a problem and at G/H she gets uninterested:) counting? you say one, she says two and that's all there is to it right now:) It's been so wonderful being home with her and Luke and although I love my profession I could stay home with these two and never look back!

I must be crazy

Ok yeah so I learned real quick on Friday that the double stroller is essential with two small children. We had made two outings prior but only to lunch and the doctor's office each time so I let Kate walk. But after taking Kate and Luke to get their pictures taken in the rain while pushing Kate in the stroller, carrying an umbrella and diaper bag on one side and carrying Luke in his carrier on the other I realized that I would pay any amount of money necessary at this point to never have to endure that agony again. And while I was thankful for the rain, did it have to be the first good, all day rain we've had in six weeks while I was trying this endeavor? Why of course it did! and did Kate have to be her usual self and not want to sit still for portraits and want to run around the studio looking for something to do? Of course she did. Oh well we survived and have some decent pictures coming to show for it. But you can bet that I won't be trying it without Paul ever again :)

Oh, and one more thing - what ever happened to a little common courtesy. You are not going to believe this, oh well maybe you will, but as I was fighting my way out of the mall - picture in head of me and the stroller and diaper bag and baby in carrier - there are three adults sitting on a bench next to the door. They are all smiling at Kate, saying "oh what a cute little girl" but that is all they did other than sit on their lazy rumps. All three of those people sat there and watched me fight through two sets of doors without so much as an offer to help. What has happened to this world? Needless to say since I was in the company of my two children I just turned and glared rather than opening my mouth because I was afraid of what might have come out.

and then....we were off to Wal-Mart! (thank goodness for daddies at this point:)

my sweet little boy

"ok mom, I'm getting tired of this"

ok, so isn't he just adorable? I know I'm a little biased and in love but hey what can I say? I've got two cute kids and I'm loving every minute with them. I must say that life has changed dramatically since Luke's arrival and we are all trying to adjust and survive. At this point we are all just happy to wake up in one piece every morning:) It's a blessing and I feel so incredibly lucky to be going through this experience

and we're off...

Ok so I'm going to try this. I figure this would be an easy way for y'all to get updates on the kiddos and our life in general :) I am not promising daily or even weekly posts, but I am going to try my best to be faithful with this. Feel free to kick me in the tail to get me in gear if I fall behind, but do give me a little slack ( I mean I do have two kids to keep me occupied now). So, here we go! Hope you enjoy the ride!