Photo Card

Family Snowfall Holiday

Create custom new year's invitations at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

One year ago at this moment Amy had just admitted me to Labor & Delivery. Baby #4 was on the way. What a busy, wild and amazing ride the past year has been. Wouldn't have it any other way!

11 Months

My darling Harrison, I understand that you insist on speed crawling with your head down to improve your aerodynamics; however, it may be in your best interest to lose a bit of speed and look up every once in a while so as to avoid repeatedly running into small things such as WALLS. Just a thought, as always it is your decision to make. Your loving childcare provider, Mommy.

Living In the Projects

No people, we haven't moved out of cow country and into the 'hood. We always have projects going and this weekend we came closer to completing two of them!

We have been looking for just the right set of bunk beds for Katie and Lainey at a good price for months and I found this set of eBay. They are new and we even got free shipping. The girls are ecstatic! I thought there would be a continual struggle for the rights to the top bunk, but apparently I was wrong. Lainey likes to play on the top bed but declared it to be scare-wy in the dark so the top is Katie's. The beds bring us a step closer to having the girls' big kid room complete.
I am quite the picture junkie when it comes to the kids and over the past 7 1/2 years we have acquired quite a collection. My habit has been to display the current 10x13 until the next set is taken and then put it away. I decided I spend a lot of time and effort in preparing for the pictures and I don't want to store all of them out of site. After buying out several local stores inventory of black 10 x 13 frames, I came up with a template traced onto butcher paper (see another use for that 1000 foot roll of paper I bought for Brandon's art party last year!) and Brian hung them up. I still am not finished as I am waiting on the stores to replenish their frame supplies but we are all loving the effect the hung ones have on the upper hall.

Houston, we have a crawler!

Better late than never, right? At just 10 months and 1 week old Mr. Harrison is our last to crawl, but he won't be our last to stand. That award stays with Miss Katie who held out until exactly 11 months old. Harrison stood less than a week after going mobile. He is oh so proud of himself that he is able to follow along after his brother and sisters. We are all oh so much happier now that he is happier! Such a little cutie - he can say Mama, Dada and hi. He said hi to everyone in the pediatrician's waiting room this morning. You never would have guessed he was in the middle of a nasty stomach virus and a double ear infection. He was just as charming and happy as can be.

Still a big boy too. He is 32 inches tall and 24 lbs which is off of the growth chart for height (but not as far off as a few months ago ~ maybe he is slowing down) and the 75th percentile for weight. We are already well into what big brother was wearing on his first birthday. Blue eyes turned green, green eyes develpoed a hazel hue so he is unique in his eye color. Brandon remains our only blue eyed baby, while both girls have brown.

I gave Harrison his first haircut this week and there were teeny tiny curls! Finally some curls like mommy! Can't believe he is so close to his first birthday. The time goes too fast.

Seven Months

A year ago we were anxiously counting the days until my ultrasound on October 16th, when our precious little one would hopefully cooperate and share his or her gender. He certainly cooperated that day - even Brian and I could see that we were expecting Harrison rather than Isabelle! Now 12 months later our buddy is 7 months old. He cut his first two teeth in the past week. It amazes me how sharp those new little teeth are! You would think they could cut right through his little gums with ease rather than providing weeks of misery. At his 6 month pediatrician appointment, Harrison weighed in at 19 lbs 6 oz and was 29 3/4 inches long. He is 4 oz heavier and 2 inches longer than Brandon was at the same age. He is wearing 12 -18 month clothing and a size 4 shoe.

We started on baby food and he tolerates it. He certainly doesn't eat with the same gusto his older siblings had with pureed food, perhaps because he is cutting teeth more than a month earlier than any of the other kiddos. I don't know how Harrison can be our biggest baby - he eats the least amount the least often. Go figure! He is such a happy little guy though, happiest when people watching. Mass is one of his favorite places to go - it has music and people to watch. He tolerates the girls' dance classes, Brandon's soccer games, preschool parties and anything else his sibs are up to.

Just when I think time couldn't possibly pass any faster, it does! Katie and Lainey have started ballet and tap lessons on Thursdays while Brandon is at soccer practice. It makes for a busy evening, but I would rather have that one evening than have to be somewhere every night of the week. As it is Brandon starts his much anitcipated piano lessons tomorrow. He has been asking to take piano for almost two years and my friend who does lessons has an opening so here we go.

I am now one of two vice presidents of ways and means for my twins club which puts me in charge of our semi annual tag sale. I love it! It's right up my alley to organize such an event. I love to organize and I love a good garage sale ~ what's not to love about a sale that involves 65+ sellers that are all moms of multiples?! Our very successful sale was this past weekend and once again we surpassed the previous fall sale in sales! I am happy to say that I personally took a van load and two carloads of items to sell and returned with two laundry baskets of unsold items. Of course I still managed to fill the van with what I purchased at the members only presale...