5 Month Update

Stats: Weight 16.0 lbs and Height 26 1/2 inches. (these are really her 4 month stats that I forgot to post)

New Places:  Jackson County Fair, Relay for Life, South Haven.

First Illness: Momma is very sad to report that you had Hand-Foot-and Mouth Virus :( Thank God you had a very mild case only a few small sores in your mouth. You never got the high fever and rash that is typically seen with this virus and you recovered very quickly!!!!

Food: Still breastfeeding and getting bottles every 2- 2 1/2 hours. We have started solids!!! So far Harper has tried: rice cereal, carrots, and green beans.

Sleep: Napping every 2-3 hours for 30-45 minutes at a time. You wake up every morning around 7am like clockwork (no need for an alarm clock!) and go to bed at 9pm. Unfortunately for momma and daddy you aren't sleeping through the night anymore. You will typically wake up around 2-3am for a quick snuggle and then  its back to sleepy town for our little one.

Milestones:
       - Sitting Up: You are soooo close to being able to sit up on your own. I think by the end of this month you will have this mastered.
       - Rolling Over: we may have a future tumbler on our hands!
       - "Inchworm": not exactly crawling, but every time your on your belly you scootch your little but underneath you then will pull yourself forward with your arms. You haven't quite figured out how to get your legs and arms working together yet!
       - You started blowing raspberries all the time!

Harper,

I am amazed everyday how much better you have made our lives! I can't believe all the changes we have seen in you in just 5 short wonderful months. You light up my day with your beautiful smile and my heart with your laughter. We love you more than anything Honey Bee!!!

Love,
Mom & Dad

Weekend of Fun

Last weekend was a weekend full of first for Harper. We started off the with Harper making her first appearance at Relay of Life! This was a very exciting day for our family. With Evan being a cancer survivor himself, him being able to walk this years Survivor Lap with his daughter in his arms was something we have been dreaming of for a very long time. We didn't stay long as we normally do. Mainly because of the extreme heat, but it was still fun to finally participate in Relay with our little family. We even got our very first family picture at Relay with Harper smiling!!!

On Sunday we ventured out once again to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the Jackson County Fair. For those of you who don't know, it is a best kept secret to go to the fair on opening day Sunday. All the animals are already in the barns, the Midway rides and games aren't running yet, and most vendors have discounts on food!! Harper was less than amused with the fair. We kept trying to get her to be interested in the cows and horses, but she was more interested in staring at the dirt floor and watching the 4-H banners sway in the breeze! My favorite part was the birthing barn where we saw baby sheep only 1 1/2 hours old and I'm pretty sure Ev's favorite part was his bacon covered corn dog!

Harper did amazing with her first real outing, which was a huge confidence booster for me. I know alot of my hesitation to take her out and about is due to my own nerves. I just don't want to be that "that parent" with the screaming baby. However, Harper always rises to the occasion and never has a meltdown. So be sure to watch out for us about town as we slowly start leaving our bubble more and more and start exploring again!