We're still here!

It's been that kind of summer and what can I say, updating the old blog has fallen by the wayside. But before we completely fall into the blog abyss (and off our friend's favorites lists forever) here's a sampling of what Harper's been up to for the last couple of months...

Pretty in Pink

There's just something about a new dress that makes a girl want to twirl...

The Mommas and the Poppas

What a wonderful Mother's Day weekend we had. We loaded up the family truckster, kissed Biscuit goodbye and headed to my favorite place. In honor of Harper's first beach vacation with both of us, Robbie even turned off his blackberry for the weekend and left it in a drawer. Never thought I'd see the day...

We had a fantastic few days sitting in the sand, playing in the pool and hanging out with Giagia and Papa. My dad even stayed in while Harper napped Saturday afternoon so Robbie, Mom and I could have some uninterrupted sun time and Dave and Robbie shared duty Sunday afternoon as an added Mother's Day treat...though perhaps the final round of the Player's Championship had a hand in that gesture of goodwill.

Sunday night brought an impromptu reunion with our Birmingham neighbors, who were also in town. Harper and Elliott bonded over a shared love of pink sunglasses and cheerios while we caught up with Nate and Jenn.


And our family tree grew a couple new leaves this week when my brother and sister-in-law (Richard and Brooke) had their twins (Dylan Elizabeth & Richard Connor) on Thursday morning in D.C. Welcome Dylan and Connor, Harper can't wait to play with her new cousins!!!

Swings and Things

A little montage from the week....

Harper enjoying dinner in the dining room.

Dinner with Papa Monday night.

How lucky we are that he keeps having board meetings around Atlanta. And how funny that he didn't have a single one here until I was pregnant....

Off to celebrate Brady and Bo's birthdays.

Dinner at Fickle Pickle with Megan, Brandon and baby-to-be Crim. Bonus points to Ansel (aka Robbie) for using the tailgate of the car to prop up the camera.

Tarzan testing out the swing.

You rock Daddy!! Thanks for putting up my swing!

The Bunny Trail

Harper's first Easter found us hopping down one LONG bunny trail. We'd planned a nice holiday in Atlanta with my parents coming in Saturday afternoon and planning to stay the week to help out with Harper while I filled in at school. But, just as we were going to bed Saturday night, we got a bit of a surprise when my sister called and said she was in labor!

Melissa's call wasn't totally unexpected - her due date was Sunday - but what are the odds of a baby actually arriving on their due date (other than Harper of course)? A few hours later we got the call that sweet Annabelle Irene had arrived in the world, in a hurry from the start, just like her cousin.

Needless to say, our Easter plans flew straight out the window (and up 75 North to Ohio). Sunday morning we put Harper in her Easter bonnet and traveling clothes, took a minute to check out what the Easter bunny had brought and then hopped in the car to meet Harper's best girlfriend.

I've grown up in a family where sister relationships are highly regarded, to say the least. As a result, whenever I meet someone's SISTER, I find myself practically fighting the urge to genuflect. And since we obviously don't have any idea if Harper will ever have a sister, I figure the daughter of my sister is as close as it gets.

We had a great visit in Ohio. Robbie was able to stay until Tuesday and Mom, Harper and I through the week. We had such a good time helping Melissa, visiting with Auntie Bow and Uncle Tim and of course getting to know sweet Annabelle. I even got to spend one night at Melissa and Chase's while Mom and Harper had their own little sleepover in a hotel - how fun to be the auntie and not the momma for a night (and seriously, how much easier)!

Welcome to the world little Annabelle Irene!!!! Can't wait to see you and Harper grow up together. Let the matching outfits begin!!! (and yes, they already have several)

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

You Give me Fever

Since last week was another busy one for Robbie work-wise and I was doing double duty again with training and subbing at school, my mom came in town to watch Harper and help out. Thank you Giagia!! Well, we all got a little more than we bargained for when Harper started running a fever Sunday afternoon...

Just to hit the highlights, the week involved 104 degree fevers, slumber parties on the couch, a visit to the urgent care AND an appt with the pediatrician. Oh yeah, throw in some serious tummy issues and insane diaper rash and you more or less have the picture.

But, thanks to Mom and Robbie (and only one hissy fit on my part), we were back to brighter days by the end of the week. These are photos of Harper playing in the laundry basket Thursday night. Apparently the camera is her new best friend - as soon as Robbie pointed it her way, sickie Sue cracked up for a good 10 minutes. What's a little fever when the paparazzi appear??

Working Girl

Since having Harper, Robbie and I have truly realized what a challenge it is to live state(s) away from our parents. We are so fortunate though to know they will come at the drop of a hat when we need them. And last week was definitely one of those times.

On Monday my old school called to see if I could come in for a few days because one of the counselors welcomed her sweet baby girl a few weeks early. I was happy to fill in, but felt a little scrambled because training for the part-time job I'm starting was also scheduled for last week. In a panic, I called Gail (Harper's Grammy) to see if she could possibly spend a night or two. Without hesitation, Gail completely dropped EVERYTHING she had planned and was at our house bright and early the next morning, ready to spend the entire week doing whatever we needed. It was unbelievably fantastic.

Since this was the first time I'd left Harper for more than a couple hours, I was a little nervous and of course called a million times the first day. But Gail so calmly took the reigns and knowing that Harper was in such loving hands, I had a great week getting out of the house and being around adults EVERY DAY. It really turned out to be a little "mommy vacay" for me and Robbie and I even got to sneak in a date night on Wednesday. I loved coming home to see Harper happy and well taken care of, and I know she loved playing with her Grammy all week!!

Thanks so much Gail for coming (and thank you Poppy for not minding!) We wouldn't have made it through last week without you!

Bring your green hat

It was a busy weekend at our house, full of old friends and new babies! On Saturday morning Harper and I met some of my college girlfriends for brunch. We had a great visit and were especially excited to celebrate Holli's twins -to-be!

Afterward, we were home just in time to greet Hunter, Erika and little Ben Ponder, who were visiting from Birmingham for the weekend. Harper and Ben have "played" a couple of times before, but this was the first time they really noticed there was another baby in the vicinity. It was pretty cute to watch.

Ben is just six weeks older than Harper so we've been comparing notes with Hunter and Erika since pregnancy (and before). I'm pretty convinced that sparks were flying beneath those pink and green hats...

Like...welcome to Spring

Spring has sprung in Atlanta!! A couple of pics from Tuesday afternoon at the park with the Bentleys.

A Weekend of Wilsons

Last week Harper got to meet some of her extended family on the Wilson side. Robbie's Aunt Carol and cousins Ashley and Brittney flew south for a few days and drove over to Atlanta with Mimi to spend the night and play. Always the ham, Harper loved showing off her "tricks" for a fresh audience. Thanks for coming, it was great to see ya'll!

New kids on the block

Harper's days of being the only baby on the Gilchrist side are quickly coming to a close. We're excited to welcome THREE little cousins this spring - the first of whom will be arriving around Easter. Giagia, Harper and I spent a great girl's weekend in Ohio last week to celebrate Baby Girl "Soon to Be" Lorenz!!!

Six Months

It's Robbie. After much scrutiny and lecture, I've climbed back onto the horse and jumped on the blog train once more. I found it a tad humorous that this whole thing was my idea almost a year ago but it took me a minute to remember the password log in.

The blog sensation was fun for a while...then it lost quite a bit of luster. Okay, all it's luster. Yet here I am, thanks to my lovely wife and a friend who will remain nameless (cough, Kriya, cough). Not only have I not read anyone's blog in quite some time, I haven't even read this one. I know what we do and what Harper's up to...why should I have to read about it on the internet? And frankly, I'm a Facebook junkie (and would benefit from an intervention, but that's neither here nor there) so I do my keeping up with folks (read: stalk) via the social networking giant. Anyway...

Today we celebrated Harper's first half birthday. She'll officially be six months old tomorrow, but since Elizabeth and Harper are going to Ohio tomorrow to host a baby shower for Melissa, we decided to throw Harper a party. Overbearing? Without question. But...the manual instructs one to be overbearing with a first child. And I assure you, we've got overbearing down pat. But we had fun and I'd say that's all that really matters.

We've had an absolute blast these last six months and wouldn't trade a second of it. I'd love to give a run down of highlights that have taken place over the last six months from a new dad's perspective, but, some things are better kept to ourselves, and two, I don't feel like typing that much.

On that note, here are some pictures of today's "celebration."

A visit from Grammy and Poppy

Last weekend Harper had a visit from her Grammy and Poppy. We had a great time showing them her new tricks and spending the day in Marietta Square. Even better, with willing babysitters in town Robbie and I were able to go on a long overdue date night. Dinner and a movie and still home by 7:30...who says parenthood isn't wild and crazy. Thanks for coming Ed and Gail, it was wonderful to see you!!

Under Pressure...

I consider myself a moderately creative person. Martha Stewart I am not, but I have my moments of inspiration. I thought I was pretty crafty when I painted letters for Harper's nursery and I have diligently updated her baby book each month with stories, stats and photos. Do I take a little editor's license with the baby book? Perhaps....but the important thing is, those blank pages are chock full of IMPORTANT moments to remember.

However, I seem to have missed the memo explaining that having a baby significantly raises the old creativity bar of motherhood. Letters and baby books are not enough. Too late this Christmas, I realized that to avoid failing miserably as a new mother, I must craft something display-worthy containing either hand-or-footprints (bonus points for both).

Yes, this was ridiculous, self-imposed pressure, but I couldn't shake the vision of an elementary-aged Harper, crying because all her friends took their crafty hand/footprint memorabilia to show and tell and all she had was an old babybook and some letters.

Well, on Valentine's Day this year, I rectified the situation.....

Robbie painted the turtle. So there.

Laid back...

It's been a low-key week or two at our house. Mainly we've just been spending time as a family and with friends. Harper's two front teeth are almost all the way in and she's chewing on everything in sight. It's a little like living with a bunny rabbit. She's also starting to sit up while playing. Instead of fussing when she's tired of sitting up, she just suddenly drops to the side - "TIM-BEERRRR" It completely cracks us all up. And we had a fun last-minute visit with Papa (my dad) when he was in Atlanta for a meeting. Thanks for dinner and the flowers Dave-o!

Sitting on the dock of the bay

Harper had her second taste of the good life last week. It was a little chilly so we only spent one afternoon on the beach, but lots of time enjoying the sunshine and looking at the water. So far, Harper's not a child who's bothered by a little sand - every time her bare toes touched it she got this huge grin on her face. I however was a little alarmed when she tried to put those sandy toes in her mouth. Wonder where sand fits on the Gerber stages timetable....

Barefoot children in the rain

Well, not rain so much, but I digress. Harper has developed a serious affinity for her bare feet. She hasn't quite gotten them to her mouth yet, but is oh-so-close. They are definitely the preferred playmates of the moment, making diaper changes a bit of a challenge and footie pjs and socks a short-lived reality for the time being. Perhaps toes are nature's teething ring?

On the road again...

Harper can now add the Great White North to the lengthening list of places she's been...or the great white midwest, to be more precise. Last week, we loaded up the Jetta and set off for Ohio. It was a long drive for a little girl, but we met my mom in Nashville and took it slowly from there.

About 30 minutes outside of Cincinnati, Harper decided she'd had enough (and I'd exhausted the emergency bottle supply), so we did have a few tense moments. But, as soon as she stretched out in front of the fire at AB and UT's, good humor was restored (Mom and I found our good humor with a little help from our friend Kendall Jackson)

We had a great night in Cincy, Harper had so much fun she couldn't stay asleep - she was up and laughing with everybody until almost midnight and thankfully slept in the next morning. No harm done in staying up late once in awhile.

While in Cincinnati, we were able to visit with my Giagia and introduce her to Harper. Sadly, Gia's Alzheimer's has progressed way beyond foggy to say the least, but she was happy to see us and to meet Harper. And a fellow resident told me what a "beautiful babydoll" I had...unfortunately, she actually meant babyDOLL. Needless to say, it was a tough afternoon.

On to happier things...we also spent a couple of days in Dayton at my sister's. We had the best time visiting Melissa's favorite haunts, having lots of girl time and planning for the new baby. Uncle Chase gets MAJOR points for putting up with his mother-in-law, sister-in-law and a baby...not to mention letting us rearrange much of their loft. Can't wait to go back and visit when their baby girl arrives in April!

Rollin on the River

We have movement!!! Harper FINALLY rolled over tonight! I've been working on this daily for quite some time, but Harper didn't seem to have a bit of interest in rolling over. She loves tummy time, but when she tires of it she either cries or just puts her thumb in her mouth and lays her head down. Though the doctor has assured me it's fine not to be rolling over yet, I've been new-mommy worried since several of our friends with younger babies have been rolling over for awhile. All in good time I suppose. But after tonight, it appears we're back in the game!

Everybody's working for the weekend

It was a busy weekend at our house. On Friday night, we had dinner with Wentz cousins Heidi and Trei and their sweet little boys, Brady (3) and Bo (1). Though we've gotten to see Heidi and Trei several times since having Harper, this was the first time Brady and Bo really got to "play" with their new cousin. Brady especially loved being around a baby, though his feelings were hurt at first when Harper wouldn't talk to him. He was a little skeptical when we explained that babies don't actually speak when they're that little, but he gave her another chance and they were good buddies by the end of dinner. Bo, however, was way more interested in his trains.


Saturday morning, Robbie left for an impromptu boys' weekend in Charlotte, so Harper and I found ourselves on our own for the first time. I was a little nervous to be by myself for the weekend, but also curious to see if I could go it alone without going crazy.

I'm happy to say, we did GREAT!!! We missed Robbie of course and were so glad to see him when he came home, but had fun being just the girls. On Saturday we met Megan and Becky for a fun brunch followed by some good mommy and me time at the mall.

Sunday afternoon, Harper crashed my Jr. League committee meeting. Not sure bringing the baby was the best way to end my four-month Jr. League hiatus, but oh well, at least I finally made a meeting.

I'm also working on getting Harper on more of a sleep schedule (according to the book I'm reading babies are supposed to go to bed before 8pm, rather than the 11pm-ish schedule we've been on). So, Harper and I spent some time this weekend regulating naps and bedtimes. Though I'm not exactly delighted with my new role as sleep police (isn't being in charge of her tummy enough!), we have made some serious progress and for the last few nights Harper's seen the backs of her eyelids before 9pm...and stayed that way for a good 11 hours or so! Unbelievable!!!!!

Rice Rice Baby

While Harper napped this afternoon, I decided it was high time to put the highchair together. And once it was together, I figured we might as well try it out. So, following a quick run to the Target baby aisle for rice cereal flakes and heat-sensing baby spoons, I was ready and waiting when Robbie got home from work.

All in all, Harper seemed to enjoy her first taste of actual food (well, if dehydrated rice flakes count as actual food). She was definitely intrigued by the spoon and liked sitting in the highchair like a big girl. Not so sure how much of the snack actually made it into her mouth, but for a first try it went pretty well.

Plus, we got to break in the sweet porridge bowl...and yes, we do have a monogrammed silver spoon to match (much to Robbie's chagrin), but I thought the plastic Target spoon added that certain something to her first meal...plus, I'd run out of silver polish......

These times they are a changing

Robbie and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary Saturday. We had wonderful day together...with our sweet Harper of course. However, it did vary a bit from what we envisioned when we married.

Over dinner we both shared a vivid memory of the 25-year-old version of us, lazing away on the beaches of St. Lucia (tan and S-K-I-N-N-Y thankyouverymuch), picturing our fifth anniversary, so far in the future. We made a deal that we'd be back in that particular paradise for such a monumental anniversary, both secretly certain that we'd never wait FIVE WHOLE YEARS before returning to such a romantic place. Unencumbered by babies, pets or general reality, we figured that marriage was pretty much an extended honeymoon, and surely in five years our wrinkled old selves would be hopping to get back to the Caribbean before we were too old to go out in bathing suits ever again.

Well, reality has once again knocked on our hiding door, and though we've taken several vacations of both the tropical and non-tropical variety, we've yet to catch another glimpse of that sacred St. Lucia sand.

As a four month old doesn't exactly equal "week in the tropics," we went to Plan B and made reservations for a romantic evening out. However, apparently holiday travel with a four month old does equal "raging cold," or the snots, as our pediatrician so delicately put it. So, at the last minute we canceled our grown-ups only dinner and instead introduced our teeny girl to late night sushi in Vinings, where she of course quickly became the center of attention and charmed the staff. St. Lucia it may not be, but this is our world at the moment and neither of us could imagine much better.

In lieu of vacation photos, please enjoy this shot of Robbie and Harper waiting for our table at the restaurant.
And another highlight from the evening...while I was dressing for dinner, Harper decided she'd had ENOUGH with entertaining herself and would settle for nothing less than being in the middle of things. At a mothering loss, I padded the sink with towels and plopped her in - she proceeded to sit in the sink for the next 20 minutes, happy as a clam. Desperation is truly the mother of invention....though to be fair, my mom did patent this move the last time we were in Memphis. Regardless, we'll take it. But the minute Harper gets into my Bobbi Brown, it's over.....

Blue jean baby queen

There's nothing like a sweet pair of jeans to make a girl feel good. Thanks to Great Grams, Harper is super stylish today in her very first jeans - the baby girl version with pink rosebuds and ruffled bottoms...we'll save the skinny jeans for when she's worked off those cute baby thighs. (And no, we didn't teach Harper the "gangsta lean" she's exhibiting so nicely in these pictures...she did that all on her own)