Harper Kate - 10 Months

And look what she can do (even at 6:30 a.m. in a dirty airport terminal.)



In other (very important) news, Harper will not need baby dentures after all. Her two bottom teeth just broke through.

Favorite Things:

Elliot
Any toy that is not a baby toy
Pot Roast (even without the teeth, she downed it)
Going outside
Ritz Crackers
Eating her headbands

Least Favorite Things:

Getting out of the bath
Getting her pajamas on
Bottles

Most common expression seen on Harper's face:

(Meeting her Aunt Tamarra for the first time. Don't be offended, Tamarra. That is how she looks at everyone. Everyone except for Elliot, that is.)

She's Back!

And we're so glad. Here's 8 of the 9 of us on my roof. Alia, we missed you!



PS - She's still wearing her tag because she hadn't been released yet. Not because she's weird. Though she is a little weird. :)

PPS - My mom says she can tell we are getting older because it was incredibly easy to take a picture of us all with all of us looking at the camera.

Bubble Beards

Because a bubble goatee is just funny:


Not pictured, but even more funny: Harper losing her temper when I removed her from the bubbles. I'm not sure why I find angry Harper so amusing. Maybe it's because she's so placid 99% of the time that I just can't seem to take her balled up fists, scrunched up eyes, and barking yell all that seriously. Elliot and I just look at her and giggle. Look - Harper's mad! Hahaha!

(Elliot's likely internal dialogue during all of this: "Girl, that's all you got? I could do better than that with one hand tied behind my back and my free thumb in my mouth. You've got some big shoes to fill, little sister. Big. Shoes.)

Scooters

Are a big deal around here. Can you tell?



Might as well start young.



Side note: As I watch Elliot scooter across Broadway without holding an adult's hand (but with me close by, of course), I often think that this would give most of my friends in the 'burbs a heart attack. (Steve? Are you still with us?) Around here, however, it is quite a common sight for kids his age. Elliot in a parking lot of a Costco, however, freaks the heck out of me. Funny what you get used to...

City Kid

When you turn off Broadway to walk down a tree-lined side street and your four-year-old says, "Mom, is this the woods?" you know you've raised a city kid.

Harper Kate - 9 Months

While still in the 99th percentile for happiness, it turns out Harper has a bit of a feisty streak. This generally manifests itself when I'm eating something and won't share. Boy, does that make her mad (and, me, amused). In fact, I was very nearly clobbered over a pretzel the other day. Poor girl needs some teeth!

In the meantime, however, she is working on other skills. She is a world-class clapper and likes to show off. I've been trying to get her to wave, but she'll only watch me for a moment and then start clapping. It's as though she's saying, "That's nice, Mom. But, come on. How cool is this?!"

She'll eat pretty much anything, smile at pretty much anything, and sit happily in her stroller for pretty much any length of time. We pretty much love her.

Picnic

We had a picnic in Riverside Park this afternoon. The kids may have gotten a little dirty.