1 month old

So much has happened in the last month...our little girl is growing before our eyes!...and totally changing our lives.  She has made me laugh and cry (thanks post-partum hormones) and smile more in these last few weeks than I ever have before.  And although the only thing I am sure of is that she is the most precious thing ever, everything else makes me question myself.  The big thing that no one can for sure tell me is "Am I doing this right?"  I guess we'll have to wait 20+ years and see what she tells her therapist...

Dec 1st - 1 month old

Since I'm using this blog as a memoir for her to try and remember all the little things, here are some updates from the last post:

• She now weighs 8 lbs 2 oz...the doctor was happy that she's finally getting "some meat on her bones"...that probably won't be a compliment in a few years, but we're excited now!
• Bath times have gotten a little better...she's still quite a wailer, but it's getting less torturous. 
• She travels really well.  As long as the car is moving, she is very content in her car seat...definitely made the 5 hr drive home for Thanksgiving not so bad, even though we had to stop twice for feedings.  At least we had quiet time while we were moving
• Speaking of Thanksgiving, she had her first one in Garden City where she got to meet her great-grandmother and her two great-aunt Carol/Carole's...and the rest of the crew...everyone of course loved her (when she wasn't screaming) :)
• She's a pretty good night time sleeper.  We still have to wake her up for feedings (so she can keep gaining weight), but she is doing fairly well at going back to sleep. 
• She started getting baby acne.  I thought we were going to be lucky and skip this phase since the doctor said it usually hits around 3 weeks, but this week we've had some breakouts pop up...hopefully it goes away and her clear skin reappears...but don't worry...she's still pretty :)

Here are some pics from this week...

Happy after bath time with ducky

How you doin?

This is what happens when Mommy takes a nap...NANA!?!?

2 weeks old

Yesterday was Mia's 2-week birthday.  It's safe to say life has changed a TON in the last couple weeks!  But all for the better, of course.  Miss Mia is doing much better with feeding, and she's really a pretty good sleeper.  And now that I've gotten out the baby sling, we are hands free during the day!  That has made a huge difference in our daytime routine!  I can actually do laundry or load the dishwasher or even take Chloe for a walk now that we're mobile. 

Daddy with Mia in the sling

A couple of fun tidbits for this week:

• At her 2 week appointment, Mia weighed 7 lbs 8 oz...because the dr. wants her to be back up to her birth weight, we are going to try to "fatten up" her milk by "fattening up" her momma (that's me).  The dr. told me to be eating more red meat, especially ribeyes and filets 2-3 times a week...I think we can handle that!  Postpartum diet...out the window!!
• She still hates baths...and to prove that, she peed on me after her bath today.  I was trying to calm her down after the hysterics she put on while in the water, and before I could get a diaper on her, she peed on my shirt.  It's a good thing she's so cute...I just can't be mad at her!
• She really likes the sling.  Anytime we need to calm her down, put her in that and walk around and BOOM - she is out.  Great invention!  Will recommend it (the Moby Wrap) to all my new mommy friends! 
• Her daddy misses her during the day...when he gets home, all he wants to do is hold her. I think I may relegate bath duty to him...getting screamed at and peed on a few times may help cure that!
  
  

  

  Tummy time on the boppy



Wide awake

More Mia Pics

We are so proud of our new baby girl.  Our dear friend, Lyndsey Shillings offered to take some pics of Mia.  As you can see Lyndsey is very good at what she does.  These are too adorable for us not to share w/ everyone.

Mia is HERE!!!

So after a very long day in labor and delivery (I'll spare you the fun details!) Mia Brooke Harlow finally made her entrance into this world at 10:30pm on November 1st.  She weighed in a 7 lbs 12oz and measured 20 1/4 inches long.  We made it home as a family on Wednesday and the last week has just flown by.  She is beautiful, precious, amazing, and we really can't believe she's ours!  So far everything is going really well...some things that we've learned about her (and us) this week:

• she really hates baths
• actually, she really hates any time she's completely naked...if she's being changed, you need earplugs!
• she loves being held...by pretty much anyone...other than in the middle of the night, she's only been put down a total of maybe 20 minutes
• she's very alert when she's awake.  Her Nana and Christina have already declared her GT...hope that's not too hard for her to live up to!
• she konks out when she's swaddled tight...nice feature for after night time feedings!
• she already has her daddy wrapped around her little finger
• she toots a lot...I call her "tooteriffic"
• we've never been so excited about poop before!!

We have really enjoyed this week of family and friends coming to help and visit.  I know this will slow down soon, and Brock will have to go back to work...so next week will be the true test.  Hope mommy-hood is good to me!  So far, I'm loving it!!

Here's a link to more pics if you just can't get enough!! :) 

http://picasaweb.google.com/btharlow/IntroducingMiaBrookeHarlow?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ_1iv355YqweQ&feat=directlink



In the hospital - the nurses bathed her and added this little bow and mohawk



Tummy time in the sun

Wide awake!

Today's the DAY!!

I am writing this blog sitting in my hospital bed, hooked up to an IV feeding me Petocin.  Baby girl did not want to come out on her own, so we are inducing.  It's still kind of surreal to think by the end of this day (hopefully!) we'll be holding our precious little bundle!  We're so ready!!

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers today as we get ready to meet our baby girl!

One last pic to show you just how big I got...YIKES!  Glad I'm not growing any more...

The Nursery is DONE!

And good timing, because I feel like I am too!  It seems like we started the nusery really early in the pregnancy, but of course we wait until the last minute to finish it up.  But we are very happy with it, and we hope she loves being in there as much as we do! 



37 weeks



Baby bedding & book shelves



From the moment we found out we were pregnant, we wanted to do an ocean theme for the nursery.  When we found out she was a girl, it got to be much more difficult...they don't make cute girly ocean bedding.  But that wasn't stopping us!  We found a cute kids quilt at target in turquoise and pink with some bright accents and went from there.  We decided to paint a wave on the wall in a really bright turquoise and a very light shade of the same color (the pics don't do it justice...it was hard to get the lighting just right).  And then from there, lots of splashes of pink and fish decor and the room came together! 





Lots of thanks goes out to several people who were key in pulling it all together: the bedding was made by our friend Laura, who did an incredibly amazing job making a bumper and bed skirt out of a twin quilt! 

Word wall & MIA letters above changing table

The shelves were made by my dad, (Papa), to match the furniture perfectly!  The word wall inspiration came from Deb, my mom's friend and my second mom growing up who had the quote framed at my Garden City shower.  The "MIA" letters were meant to be a joke from my college friends, but Christy went over and above and made them too cute to throw in the closet!  And then some of the decorations include gifts from Brady & Jenna (Uncle BB & Aunt Ninna) with the scuba piggy bank and maternity pics, the picture frames and lots of books from my mom (Nana) and others, and the adorable monogrammed blanket on the back of the chair from my friend Amy.  It all came together so perfectly, and we love the way it turned out!  Now we just hope she comes soon so she can enjoy it too! :)  



Comfy glider from Nana & Papa with personalized blanket from Amy



Wanting her to be here to enjoy it with me!



Quick update...

I had my 37 week doctor's appointment today, and I'm already dilated 2 cm.  The doctor says I could go a few days early!  YIKES!  Very exciting, but also makes me realize just how much stuff I wanted to have done before she got here that is still, of course, not done!  But we can't wait to meet her...so baby Mia, we'll be ready when you are!

Also, for those of you asking for more maternity pics, here is the link to the re-touched ones.  Jenna did an awesome job both in taking and in photo-shopping!  http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/12907444/1/Harlow?h=b0831b

Here is one of my favorites...I think it turned out so cool!

Sorry it's so short...gotta get back to my to-do list!  Promise we'll post nursery pics soon...

It's Raining, It's Pouring

Cute decoration at GC shower

Over the last 4 weekends, we have had 3 baby showers...and we are absolutely overwhelmed with everyone's generosity!  We had a really nice brunch shower in Garden City where the community came together in force to give us an amazing community gift plus I got to see and catch up with a lot of friends and family that I hadn't seen in a while; we had a super fun cocktail couples shower in Dallas where the hostesses out-did themselves with creativity on the under the sea theme (have you ever seen a diaper octopus??); and we had a very classy ladies shower in Longview complete with petit fours and silver goblets for punch and lots of little helpers to assist me with gift opening!  We want to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who hosted, attended and celebrated with us over the last few weeks.  We are so very blessed and Baby Mia is SET to make her grand entrance (read as: we're ready to meet her!) 
 



This totally beats any diaper cake!!



...AND with all of her new goodies, we have been able to almost completely finish the nursery.  I'll get Brock to take pics, but we absolutely love it and can't wait for her to get to enjoy it!







My little helpers



In other news, I had my last (and most likely final) sonogram today...she is weighing in about 6 lbs already, and things look like they're moving right along!  She is running out of room to move, so I am feeling more kicks in the ribs and shortness of breath, and I can't imagine my belly being able to stretch any more!  But if she waits until her due date, we still have 4 more weeks...we'll see if she holds off! 









Garden City hostesses

 




Dallas hostesses

 




Longview hostesses

 

Say cheesy!

I do not feel like I am very photogenic, but I think Jenna did a great job with what she had to work with!  I know maternity pics can get a little cheesy after the 43rd one, so I've picked my 3 favorites and put them here...If you really want to see more, ask me and I'll send you the link.  And just so you know, these are non-photoshopped, so there will be cool effects and less double chins after Jenna is done with them :)

Saw this in a magazine and wanted to copy it

This is my favorite...baby luv!

This one gives the best view of my growing belly

Also, we had our first shower in my hometown last weekend (or was it the weekend before...I think I haven't posted in a while!)...and it was great!  Everyone was so sweet and I had a ton of fun getting to catch up with people I hadn't seen in a while.  And baby girl got lots of great stuff (THANKS GC!)  We have another shower this weekend that our friends are hosting, and I am super excited!!  Should be another fun weekend...

On a more serious note, Brock's dad is have bypass surgery this Friday.  If you can, please say a little prayer for him...we'll keep you posted on it all...until next time...

Making Progress

Our attempt to be crafty - painted canvases over the crib

Just 2 months away from our due date...and things are moving right along!  We had a sonogram yesterday where we got confirmation that everything is still looking really good/healthy.  She is up to 3 1/2 lbs and it looks like she has Brock's lips.  Which is good...it will save us on collogen injections when she gets older :) The ultrasound pics aren't very good quality so they're not posted here... But I convinced Brock to let me show some shots of the nursery (even though it's not completed).  The "grand reveal" will come after we get the bedding in, put up the shelves and hang the last of the decorations on the walls. 

Seaside buddies from Nana and Papaw (in front of the wave)

This weekend is the first of our showers.  I am so excited to go home and get to see everyone!  Also my awesome sister-in-law Jenna has offered to take maternity pics for me.  She's got some great ideas, so I can't wait to see how they turn out...I promise to post some when she's finished working her magic to make my face look less puffy :)

3/4 Cooked

30 WEEKS

(by Tiff)

This week marks my 30th week of pregnancy and being three-fourths of the way done.  I don't think I've ever stuck with something that long!  :)  It's funny how this mini milestone starts a whole new list of worries and what ifs.  What if she comes early?  Will we be ready?  What if my water breaks at work?  Will I ever live down the embarrassment?  What if I'm one of those weird people who don't realize they're having a contraction and then a baby just appears out of their body?  I've got to stop watching that show "I didn't know I was pregnant..."

But all in all I'm still feeling good, and the weather has FINALLY cooled a little (down to 94 instead of 106).  I'm starting to feel huge (check out the GIANT belly!), but I know I still have 2 months to go, so it's just going to get bigger better from here! 

Really though, we have a lot to look forward to.  My first shower is next weekend in my hometown, then we start baby classes, then more showers, then before we know it, it's October and a stork will be landing on our front steps with our baby girl (that's how it works, right?  And people keep saying we need to take classes...please!)

On another note, Brock has his fantasy football draft this weekend in Waco.  Wish him luck that he doesn't end up with Michael Vick again.

Lots Going On

(by Tiff)
Sorry for not posting lately...we have just had quite a bit going on!  We got to spend some much needed vacation time in Colorado hanging out with my brother in Crested Butte.  Katie and Stan joined us on the rediculously long road trip, and my parents met us up there too.  The girls spent the days walking around town and doing some shopping while the boys got to mountain bike (Brock survived even though he rolled down the hill...what I wouldn't give to have that on camera!!), we all fished - though not very successfully - and we got to enjoy the amazingly cool temperatures and beautiful scenery of the mountains.  All in all a great trip with great friends and we're looking forward to bringing the babies back next summer for a fun family vacation!  Thanks for hosting Dustin!!

This past weekend was a fun weekend of re-connecting with Brock's half-sisters.  I had never met them, and Brock hadn't seen them in probably 15+ years, but his sisters Kristin and Kim, and Kristin's little boy Joshua joined us for dinner and catching up Saturday evening.  We had a really great time and realized that 15 years is too long for them to go without seeing each other...we're already in the process of trying to figure out a family reunion of sorts in the next year or so.  Baby girl is lucky to have even more family to love on her! 

As far as the pregnancy is going, I'm still feeling really good and trying not to focus on the fact that I can't see my toes.  My doctor's appointment yesterday went great...she's still growing strong and moving tons.  My whole belly does this alien moving thing when she gets active...it's pretty funny!  We are getting closer to getting her room finished...the walls are painted, the curtains are up, and we're working on getting some of the wall decorations finished and put up.  We'll post pictures when it's more complete, but so far it is looking very cute...I hope she loves it as much as we do! 

One last note: Brock's dad is in the hospital with an episode he had this weekend (not quite a full heart attack, but something similar) so we'd appreciate any prayers for him to make a full recovery. 


I promise to be better about posting...with it getting closer, things are changing rapidly!  Lots and lots to do before she comes!!  Still, I can't wait! :)

Is it this hot for everyone else?

(by Tiff)  It's HOT.  Or is it just my bump and the extra XX lbs (like I'm going to tell you!!) that I'm carrying around?  I'm starting to feel very large and in charge.  And I still have more than 3 months to go...yikes! 

25 weeks

A few updates on the baby to-do list:

• We've registered - with minimal disagreements I might add - go us!!
• We've started taping off the nursery to begin the painting process
• We've gone on two hospital tours and decided which hospital we'll be delivering at
• We've signed up for childbirth and several other classes that the hospital offers
• And we've received some amazing hand-me-down baby gear from our good friends the Hanna's (THANKS A TON!!) that has allowed us to start a pretty decent size stockpile of all things baby! 

It would seem like with so many things crossed off my list that I'd feel totally under control.  But my baby - who takes after her father in this way - needs attention...and sometimes she likes to stress me out every once in a while...I'm sure all normal stuff, but being a first timer, I can't help but be nervous.  I hope this doesn't mean I'm going to be the over-worrier parent...or is that an oxymoron?  Aren't all parents over-worriers?  Something to ponder as I go for another bowl of rocky road...man, it's hot.

Baby Luv

(by Tiff) I'm so in love with my baby and I haven't even met her yet!  But we did get an adorable sonogram picture yesterday where she waved her little fingers and then started sucking her thumb.  How can you not love this??

On the friend front, we have had lots of baby action this past week or so.  Two baby Mallory's were born a week apart...our friends Mark and Wendi in San Antonio welcomed their baby Mallory on July 4th and Tiff and Pace here in Dallas had theirs on 7-11.  Both are beautiful and healthy and it just makes us so excited to get to meet our little bundle of joy!!


This week's to-do: registering.  How can picking out cute baby stuff be so overwhelming??  When the store is a 35,000 square foot warehouse, there are just a lot of choices...wish us luck that we make it through it without any major meltdowns. 

Garage for Sale

Katie and Stan sold some of their junk too!

(by Tiff) Sometimes I think it would have been easier to sell our entire house - all contents included - than to prepare for the garage sale.  As much work as we put into cleaning out closets, drawers, cabinets, nooks, crannies and the attic, we should have made tens of thousands of dollars...instead we made $400.  The good news is that it got us to clean out our lives, get rid of junk we've been storing for "someday" - that we actually never used in the 5 years we've lived in our house - and make room for baby.  And honestly, it's $400 we didn't have last week, so hey, that's a win!  But I am so happy to have it over and done with...my stress level has come down about 4000% since last week, and for that I am grateful (as I'm sure Brock is too so I can stop with the garage-sale-nagging and mini-melt-downs).

22 WEEKS

In fun news for the week, baby girl is moving up a storm!  She really likes to eat and gets active after almost every meal...but the big milestone was that Brock actually got to feel her move last night too.  So a super fun time now that she reminds me that she's always with me :)  I've got another sonogram next Friday, so I'll post baby pics then, but for now, it's just me and my belly! (with the beautiful flowers Brock got me...thanks hun!)

Hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th!  We're hanging around town hoping it doesn't rain all weekend so we can spend some time at the lake/pool.  Happy Independence Day America!!