Her Sunday Best

Mick is still sick today so I have quarenteened him from us. The kiddos and I were stir crazy and after my last post I really just wanted to go to church and be around fellow believers. So we headed out in our Sunday best and SayJ wore pantyhose for the first time. I wanted pictures of both Micah and SayJ but to no avail. Sweet victory is what it was at church. We made it through Sunday School, church and lunch with her asleep and no tantrums from Micahbird. Thank you, Jesus. I know for a fact it was seriously a gift from Him. So thankful. Yet another reason I am a good momma...I just doctored up a Totino's pizza for dinner. I know you are all so impressed. Just a little snippit to help you all feel better about yourselves in comparison:)

So, what are you up to?

Last night, at one of our thanksgiving dinners someone asked me this question and I had no answer. I mean I seriously drew a blank. I answered in a dazed way, "I guess just having babies" Nice. We came home fed, bathed and got everybody to bed and then Mick headed out to play cards. I got really lonely feeling laying in bed and I started to think about that question. I know, I should have just gone to sleep, right? But I didn't and I spent sometime talking to the Lord. And being still before him. And I realized my identity as a mom has completely overwhelmed my whole life. Now, don't worry I know I just had a baby 8 weeks ago and all of that...but it is true. I will wake up in the night to feed a baby, I'll go sit and read a book with Micah, I'll change thirtysevenmillion diapers...but sit down and spend time with the Lord...notsomuch. Which would lead me to understand why my identity is so skewed. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a momma and I would not trade it for anything. BUT God reminded me last night that my relationship with Him is still first. And of course by putting that relationship first I will be a better momma, wife, friend, etc. I am struggling alot with sadness, aloneness and worry; not because things are neccesarily that bad...which is why I wondered why I couldn't answer such a simple question. So I need to figure out what I am up to...and I think God will help me do that. This isn't meant to be a downer post but I needed to type out my thoughts, what's new. I also don't want to belittle the role of being a wife or momma at all and I am the first to defend its importance, which is partly why its so easy to get consumed and sucked into thinking it is all that there is...but if you put ALL of your value in that anytime things go wrong you feel like such a failure; that definitely isn't what God intends for His children. So I am commited to spending time with the lover of my soul so that I can be who God wants me to be...not mother of the year, martha stewart, or a super model...which might be nice, but I want to be who God created me to be, and I have to spend time in His word to know who that is...sadly something I have seriously neglected.

Thanksgiving 2009

Trying to get a picture of the three of us. Sorry Mick!
Kisses for my sweet turkey!

We realized at 9:00 that we didn't have a picture of SayJay's first Thanksgiving. So right before bath I strapped on her bib and had Mick take our picture. Nice.

Too cute.

She didn't get any turkey but she isn't missing any meals:)

Micah down the slide.

Cute Haydee

The boys.

Micah putting something up his nose. Our boy, we are so proud.

Too cold to ski in the water, so why not use the wagon?

The boys in their jammies reading.

Thanksgiving we headed to the lake like usual. Except for a stop by the hospital to check on Grandmama. Her leg is doing well. She was in GREAT spirits and made me feel so much better. Thanksgiving wasn't the same without her, though. AND I missed her fried okra. We headed back to Dville in time for Wendy and Mickey's annual Chili dinner. We still have Hayden so we are learning what it is like to have three children. He is much easier than our two so it isn't a big strain. Just Micah's struggle to share his toys with him. We had quite a busy day and Mick isn't feeling up to par so we are just relaxing today. Maybe we'll get out and shop, but that will make for a crazy thing to get out with all three.

Family in Lights

Mick's sister Wendy had a bunch of friends over to the see the Harper family lights so we took part in the festivities a few days ago. Here are just a few pictures. Thought you might like to see the ever growing and plumping Sadie Jane.

Prayers for Grandmama

So my favorite Grandmama fell yesterday and broke her leg. She broke her femur bone and it is a compound fracture. She underwent surgery last night and has a big cast on it. She is the neatest and greatest lady ever and yesterday was no fun for her but showed just how incredible she is...she actually fell in her apartment by herself and had to drag herself by her own strength to the phone. So thankful she is such a fiesty lady. The break actually broke the skin so she is having some complications due to that. It definitely stinks that this happened over thanksgiving but I know God has a plan. Mick is actually home this week and we of course get Hayden because my mom will be at the hospital for a while now, and while three kids is not that much more than two I am thankful that he is off this week to help. My grandmama actually helps cook thanksgiving so I told her this was a heck of a way to get out of it. She is a good sport and always laughs when we tease her. I hope to get to check on her soon, but with all the flu stuff kiddos aren't allowed in the hospital and Sadie Jane still needs a part of me every three hours. All this to ask for your continued prayers for the next step. Grandmama is 86 or 87, neither of us can remember which...and she obviously will need some help for a while. She'll be in the hospital for a good while, then she'll be able to come home with my mom or I. She is not one of those ladies who wants to be told what to do and when to do it so it will be a challenge...but I am sad that she is hurting but glad that she'll be closer to us for a while. She kept begging to see Sadie Jane lately so I teased her this was quite the attention getter!

This Boy...

Just found this picture and needed something to go with the post. We aren't swimming in November, just couldn't put up a post with no picture. Isn't he cute?? I am that Momma...I just can't help it.

Micah has to be the funniest kid ever. I know, I know, everybody thinks their kid is the cutest ever, but now the funniest too. Don't worry I know he really isn't but to this Mommy he is pretty close. I just wanted to record some funny/sweet things he has done lately.

~ When I put him down for his nap he usually acts a fool for a good 20 to 30 minutes talking and saying funny things. Here are some of the top acts of his: just today he got up after being down 10 minutes- came out the door and to the stairs and shouts down to me ...verbatum "That was a great nap Mommy!" Like if he convinced me it was great I would believe he slept. Sneaky but funny. ~another time he brought his tiger out claiming he wasn't obeying and that I needed to put him in time out. I did and then he went to sleep. ~ he sometimes recites nursery rhymes, disciplines me and Mick, etc. ~If only we had a video monitor we would really get a kick out of what he is doing while he is saying these things.

~I was trying to get him to go to the bathroom and he wouldn't go. So I suggested we race. I said, Ready, Set...and then waited for him to signal go...but instead he repeats "Ready, Set,...NO!"

~I spend alot of time nursing, pumping, talking about nursing, pumping, storing breastmilk. Micah often says things that surprise me in this area. He is probably the only two year old that can locate, identify, deliver and talk about breast pads. He can tell when to push the pump button for let down and enjoys using pump parts as bullhorns. Some might find this creepy but it is our day to day so we make the most of it.

~ Along these lines I am always half clothed around our house. (those who have babies in the summer don't know the joys of having to layer your clothing the way you do in the winter to feed on demand) But I generally walk around covered but often in strange ways. Mick made the comment in front of Micah that Mommy should put her boobies up! Now mind you they weren't out of the tanktop I had on, my other shirt was just unbuttoned...and my cup runneth over...so anyways. Now, Micah likes to at lovely opportune times state "Mommy, put your boobies up!" Then crack up incessantly. Can't wait til he says this to someone else. It'll be a proud moment for us all.

~ Micah loves school so much. He also loves his teacher. Today when we went to go he went over to her to tell her he had to leave. You could tell he thought she would be sad that he was leaving early. So funny. Then he leans over and says "I'll miss you, Mrs. Mann." So sweet!

~Also today I missed his school party!!!! The time had gotten changed and I got confused so I came at the very end. I felt terrible and Micah didn't appear scarred. But he kept saying...even after we left. The party is over mommy, it is over! Great.

~ On the way home from the Halloween Party, the one I made it to on time, we are talking about the boy puking and I suggest we pray that God keep us from getting sick too. He says, Mommy let's pray for Wesley (the boy who got sick) that he gets better." Lesson in empathy for Mommy!

Well you can see I can only remember stories from today mostly and there are still many just from that. I will stop now but I want to be able to remember these to tell to his high school girlfriend.

Thomas and his Thriends

Micah's newest passion is Thomas the train. Not the show neccesarily, just the little, very expensive play engines. He loves them. Nana and Pops are funding his addiction and Micah loves it. I wasn't real keen on Tommy and his friends but after watching and reading their books they tell pretty good lessons. And the little engines are really very cute. Just wanted to share some pictures of Micah playing with them. Today has been exceptionally long and it is just 2. Sadie Jane slept through the night...good thing...but then once she got up this morning she wouldn't eat, but she would cry. Poor Micah did all he could to hear his hot dog song. After much angst we just got in the car and drove around for an hour. That did the trick and SayJay slept for 2 hours. Not exactly mom of the year material but there was napping and Micah and I got to play. I tell all this because it was prime time for Micah to go nutso since I was having to hold Sadie Jane nonstop...but he just entertained himself with his trains and some playdough. I was so thankful and proud of him. Who knows what tonight holds but it sure does feel like Micah is growing up...

Pilgrims and Indians

We made it back to supper club this month after missing last month. The theme was Thanksgiving and we took Sadie Jane along with us. Micah and I made our headdresses and then Mick thought of wearing Braves shirts since they are technically indians. Nice. We had a great time and SayJay behaved herself. I found myself talking incessantly and had to apologize for monopolizing conversation. I was just SO excited to be out amongst friends! We are tired today but so thankful for the opportunity to fellowship with likeminded friends. Thanks to Justin and April for a delicious dinner. We played Rate Your Mate as usual and Justin was offended by one of April's comments about wearing too many polo shirts so he went and changed into this lovely bball jersey. I had to take a picture. I don't have pictures of everyone because we had to scoot out before SJ turned into a pumpkin. Nana kept Micah who really worked it past his bedtime we heard!

Love, love, love this sweet baby.

The end.
PS Stolen photo as usual. Thanks Aim for the great camera and Suzie for being the best photographer ever.

Tuesdays with Jenny

Thought I would just write a quick post about one of our favorite days of the week since SayJay's been born...Tuesdays! Micah goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and it is quite the task to get him up and out the door along with nursing a baby too. So, Jenny started taking Tuesday's off and coming to our house at about 815 to help get us moving. Micah loves it and she takes him to school so I can get things done. For the first six weeks I wasn't supposed to be lifting much so Jenny was helping with that... 4 weeks later she now has back problems:) Sorry, Jenny. I am often pretty hard on Jenny, she is just an easy target and a bit of a pushover at times. This is part of the reason she is spending her Tuesday's here and letting me boss her around. But I am SO thankful for her help and love through this time. I gained respect for her after giving birth to one child, but now with two it doubles! On Tuesdays, I have gone to the grocery store, Target, washed my hair, laid down, gotten Chick-fil-A and done some other exciting things. I don't know how long Jenny will be able to put up (spend her day) with us, but I'll take it whenever I get it Jenny! Love you!

Happy Six Weeks Old SayJay!

Crazy eyes...but my crazy eyes!
Sweet girl.

Daddy washed her face with soap so we are having a breakout but I had to get some close up!

Mid sneeze. So funny to me.

What??

So Sadie Jane was so happy just now that I had to take some more pictures to let you see:) Just teasing it is really only Jenny who WANTS to see...but here she is. All smiles. Love her so much. She has also been able to wear something monogrammed everyday for the last week. Love that too.

What's Going On?

Our finally, happy girl again!
She loves to sleep next to us...

too bad...I can NOT go to sleep when she is close!

My Aunt Dot came to visit this week and we had such fun!

Even a little time for Arts and crafts...getting ready to be thankful! Notice Lamby joined in the fun!

So there is alot going on in our house...no surprise with a 6 week old and a two and a half year old. I have been sporatic with my blogging and found it confusing to do lately because I have become addicted to facebook as well. It is quick and easy to update, to check and to stalk other people. It is also a way to talk to people you might not get to talk to in your everyday life. It is especially fun for momma's I think because it is a way to stay connected when you are having to disconnect to be with your little ones, etc. Facebook was one of those things that I thought was for the "younger generation" and that I simply missed the boat. I still don't know how to work alot of it, but i do enjoy interacting with others on it. But it has put a cramp in my blogging so I am hoping to figure out a good balance and also not waste away time on either:) Not that there is a whole lot to waste.

With that being said Facebook has been such a blessing for me with little Sadie Jane, I have gotten much needed encouragement and advice from wise momma's who have already been down similar roads with their babies. I have feared typing this because I don't want to be wrong but I think the Prevacid along with a million little momma ideas has helped Sadie Jane beat the reflux battle. Thank you Jesus. For those that might be nearing a similar situation or who need some advice I am documenting what has helped us here...(as well as were there to be another little Harper (I know, I know, probably not, but just in case I want to remember what helped)

~ Zantac does NOT work for us...it made things way worse.

~Prevacid once a day has helped tremendously.

~Having SaJa sleep sitting up.

~Only burping her over our shoulder or completely standing up...no more sitting in our laps- that smushed her little belly and made her mad.

~Keeping her upright at least 30 minutes after eating.

~Pumping off an ounce before feeding her because I am Stephy the Milk Cow and I produce enough milk to feed a small country...from 3 feet away mind you.

~Gas drops helped to get the burps out sometimes but they weren't always helpful.

~The "Mickhold" - you'll have to ask him, but he has a way of holding her that makes SJ happy.

~A pacifier helped us, I don't know if it really helped her...but SJ cried less after we got her to use it. She still isn't a huge fan.

I will add as I see what happens.

I also went today for my 6 week check up and all looks good. I got the go ahead to start trying to get in shape and the key is starting slow. We'll see if I can get started at all, but I sure do hope so. I also got permission to pick Micahbird up. Not alot, but she said I could. So I came home and picked up my baby first thing. Man has he gained weight? Or I am way weak now!! I used to could pick him up easy, now I need a forklift. But seriously you don't know how you'll miss something like that til you can't...and I almost cried getting to hold him again. Micah has been counting down the days and we were both so excited! It is the little things right? Stay tuned for a picture of me holding my first baby! I think this has gotten too long and somebody is crying...so long for now...