5 months - November 25th

Everyone always tells you how fast children grow up, but I didn't realize how fast it really does happen, until I had Harrison. Harrison turned 5 months on Thanksgiving day. He is turning into a little man in front of our eyes. I find myself every day in awe of how big he has gotten, yet I know he is still so little. I have said it before, but I truly wish time could stand still.

A Year Ago Today - November 1st

A year ago today, I found out I was pregnant!! I took the pregnancy test Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. I had spent the night at my Mom's house because Ryan was out of town. I took the test first thing in the morning and saw a very faint line. I couldn't believe my eyes. Since the line was so faint, I rushed to Walgreens to buy the digital test. This test (or should I say 2 tests) read a big "YES!"

The feeling of seeing a positive test after 8 months of trying is one I will never forget. Ryan was out of town when I found out, so I had to stay quiet about the news for 2 days. Trust me those were the two longest days of my life. To tell Ryan the news, I wrapped up an Alabame onesie and booties, and gave it to him as soon as he came home. Ryan was shocked and excited when I told him the news. I don't think either of us could belive we were going to finally be parents.

4 Months!!

I constantly tease Ryan about 90 %ing everything he does. He will change Harrison's diaper but leave the diaper laying on the changing pad, instead of in the trash. He will clean all the dishes, but leave all the bottles for me to clean. This has been a constant joke in our house for years now. Well, I have had to finally admit to myself, that I am the same way. I often start a project, get bored quickly, and never finish it. I am bound and determined not to let that happen to this blog. So while this post is a little late, (okay 2 months late), here is Harrison's 4 month update.

Weight: 13.12 lbs. (25 %)

Height: 23 1/2 inches (25 %)

Sleep: I have determined that this child does not like to sleep. It takes about "3 rounds" on average to get him to go down at night. Ryan and I have this worked out to a science. He will sleep about 4 hours at a time. Everyone tells me to let him cry it out, but I just can't listen to my little man cry!!

Food: We started eating food this month!! Harrison is just like his Mommy, he loves anything sweet - sweet potatoes, peaches, pears, etc. However, he is not a fan of peas!

Clothes: Size 2 diapers, 6 month clothes



Tidbits:

• Still loves to eat his hands
• Grabbing everything in sight
• Has a fake cough
• Starting to grab and eat his feet
• Favorite toy ='s the Jumperoo. We are starting to think he is going to be a basketball player.
• Has learned to scream for fun

Happy Fall Y'all!

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I love everything about it.... yellow leaves, pumpkins, cinnamon candles, cool weather, boots, sweaters - well, you get the idea. To kick off the Fall season, Mom and I took Harrison to the pumpkin patch. Even though he didn't enjoy it as much as we did, he was still the "Cutest Pumpkin in the Patch!"

I know it is wrong, but this is my favorite picture from the day.

Swinging

For the past few weeks Harrison has decided that he does not like to sleep. He has become incredibly fussy around nap time. And to make matters worse, when he does fall asleep he usually wakes up in about 15 - 30 minutes. Ryan and I have tried everything to soothe him to sleep when he is throwing one of his fits.

The other day, we put him in our neighbors tree swing for the first time and to our delight he fell asleep. It must have been the combination of the cool breeze and the rocking motion. I couldn't resist taking these pics of my sweet boy!

3 Months

We didn't have a 3 month check-up so we don't have official weight and height stats for this month.

Weight - 13 lbs. (according to Ryan and I)

Sleep - Not napping too well during the day. Sleeps 5 hours straight on a good night.

Eating - Still eating every 3 hrs during the day. He has also decided he doesn't like the bottle anymore, which means I can't be gone anywhere for more than 3 hours. We are desperately working on re-introducing the bottle.

Clothes - 3-6 months

Jumperoo Time

A few weeks Mom and I decided to break out the Jumperoo. We thought Harrison was probably a little too young for it, but we thought we would go ahead and give it a try. To our surprise, he LOVED it!!

Notice his little feet don't even touch the floor yet.

Living Room or Daycare

We haven't even entered the "toy stage" and my house already looks like a daycare. What happened to my beautiful living room?!?!

Notice Harrison chillin' in his bouncy seat in the corner.

If Time Could Stand Still

For as long as I can remember, it seems like I have been counting down the days to some event. Whether it be my wedding, graduation, or the arrival of Harrison, I feel like I am always hurring my life along. Well, for the first time I am not counting the days down.

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a Mom. At 5 I told my dad that I wasn't going to work when I grew up, but that I was going to be a Mommy. Well, my dream of being a Mommy has finally come true. I am enjoying every minute that I have off of work, and wish that just for once time could stand still!!

Boys and Football

If you know Ryan, you know that he is obsessed with Alabama football. I think the only thing that he finds more exciting than football, is finally getting to watch football with his son.

I think this picture says it all!

Smith Mountain Lake

We just got back from our first vacation with Harrison. We went to my Aunt Judith's lake house in Virginia for two weeks. Not only was this trip incredibly relaxing, but it was full of first for Harrison. Considering that I took over 300 photos in two weeks, I think I will let the photos do the talking.

Harrison's first bathing suits, complete with hats and flip flops.

First trip on a jet ski (okay, this was just for the photo-op, but how could we resist)

First ride on a pony, he was not to happy about it. Notice the Gucci shoes - so cute!

First time to meet Ronald. I must mention, that this Ronald sits on my Aunt's d0ck. The previous house owner owned McDonalds, and it has become a favorite attraction of boaters on the lake.

First time to meet his extended family, including his Great-Aunt Susan, Great-Aunt Judith, and Aunti Desi. There was always someone fighting to get their hands on our little munchkin. He actually became quite spoiled this week, can you blame him?!?!?

First family photos since he was a newborn. I am so glad we finally got some pics of the three of us!!

We were all incredibly sad to come home, but we will always treasure the memories of Harrison's first trip to Smith Mountain Lake. We are already counting the days until we go back next year!

Five on Friday - Sept. 5, 2010

I haven't posted a "Five on Friday" post in a while, but Harrison has changed so much in the last week that I had to bring it back.

1. This week Harrison began to really smile in response to us. It is much easier to wake up at 7 a.m., when I am waking up to this face.

2. Harrison's hands are always in fists, the only time he opens them up is in his sleep. We are beginning to think that we are going to have a little boxer on our hands. It is funny to look at his photos and see his little fists in every single one of them.

He also discovered his hands this week and spends most of his awake time with them in his mouth. At least it is a new form of entertainment that will keep him occupied for a little bit.

3. We have been at Smith Mt. Lake in Virginia this past week visiting family. During our visit Harrison's Aunt Desi gave him his first (and probably only) pair of Gucci shoes, they are to die for! Thanks Aunt Desi for helping to make us sooo stylish!!

4. Since day one, we have been amazed by the amount of hair Harrison has. So you can imagine the sadness I felt when I woke up to find his mattress covered in tiny baby hairs. Harrison has finally, rubbed his head so much that he is developing a bald spot.

5. I feel like it was just last week that Harrison out grew his newborn clothes. Well, now he has outgrown his 0-3 month clothes. I can't believe that he is only 2 months old, and is already in 3-6 month clothes. We have quite a little chunk on our hands!

Two Months - August 25, 2010

I can’t believe that Harrison is already two months old. He is becoming more alert and smiley by the day.

At his two month checkup he weighed 11.8 lbs and measured 22 ¾ in. This puts him in the 50th percentile for both weight and height. He also got two shots. It was so sad to have to watch my little man in pain. He even had a real tear in his eye. This is the first real tear I have seen. Luckily the pain didn’t last long!

STATS:
Weight – 11.8 lbs (50 %)
Height – 22 ¾ in (50 %)
Sleep – About 4 hrs at a time during the night
1 hr naps during the day
Eating – Every 3 hrs. during the day
Clothes – Starting to fit into 3-6 months

What's in a Name?

If you know me at all, you know that I am VERY indecisive. I have a hard time deciding what to eat for lunch, let alone choosing a name for my child. When we found out we were having a boy Ryan and I had two names picked out - Harrison Cole and Ethan Cole. I went back and forth for nearly four months on what the final name should be. I even went as far as having Ryan talk to the baby using both names so I could see which one I liked best. Well, as you know, we finally decided to go with Harrison Cole Edwards.

It wasn’t until after Harrison was born that my dad noticed something pretty neat. My grandmother, Mamie, has always called my dad HC, which stands for Honey Child. She even goes as far as addressing his cards with this name. One day it dawned on my father that Harrison’s initials are HC. So now we have a new little Honey Child in the family. I think this is a sign that Harrison Cole Edwards is the perfect name for our little man!

Five on Friday - August 6, 2010

1. Each day Harrison is becoming more and more alert. This week he is beginning to follow your face with his eyes.

2. Harrison is continuing to pack on the pounds. I just can’t get enough of his new rolls!

3. There is no doubt that Harrison is ALL boy! He loves to grunt! It is the cutest little noise I have ever heard. I have to video tape it before it is too late.

4. This week we had a cookout out with our close friends Amber & Joe, and Chris & Jen. This was the first time we have all been together since we have all had children. It was really fun to see all three babies together (Harrison 1-Month, Emily 3-Months, and Maddie 6-Months). It is amazing to see what a difference just a few months makes in a baby. Seeing how cute Emily and Maddie are makes it a little bit easier to think about Harrison growing up.

5. This week Harrison has started to fit into his 0-3 months clothes, even though they are still a little big. He even wore his first pair of jeans, too cute for words (even though I didn't roll them up so you can see his feet - oops)

Harrison is such a good sport when it comes to me taking photos. But this day he had finally had enough.

Five on Friday - July 30, 2010

1. Harrison is continuing to become more alert. His eyes are opening bigger and bigger. At the moment he has gorgeous blue eyes with the longest eye lashes. We are all hoping that his eyes stay blue.

2. Harrison’s favorite nap spot is in his bouncy. He will sleep here for a good two hours.

3. Harrison has officially outgrown his newborn diapers and clothes. It makes me sad to look at his tiny onesies and know that he no longer fits into them.

4. One of Harrison’s favorite times of day is bath time. He will sit in the tub, as happy as can be, until he is a wrinkled prune.

5. Luckily for us, Harrison rarely cries. Instead of a cry he will simply grunt and whimper if something is wrong. Unless of course he is hungry. We refer to this cry as, “GOING TERADACTYL.” This name came from his grandma when she lovingly said that he sounds like a Teradactyl. Whenever this loud, constant cry comes it is a surefire sign that he is hungry.

One Month - July 25, 2010

My little man is one month old today. I cannot believe how fast time is flying by!

Harrison had his one month visit today. He weighed 8.5 lbs and measured 21 in. He has gained 2 lbs and grown 2 in. in a month! He also got his first shot (complete with a camo band aid). Truth be told, Harrison took the shot better than I did. True to his nickname, “Little Hercules,” he only cried for a few seconds. I on the other hand I was a mess. I made Grandma hold him, while I covered my eyes and fought back the tears.

STATS:
Weight – 8.5 lbs
Height – 21 in
Sleep – 3 hour stretches at night.
Eating – Every 3 hours on the dot. He never misses eating, just like his Mommy.
Clothes – Newborn/0-3 months

Love at First Sight - July 20, 2010

Today Harrison met his girlfriend, Emily Chittick, for the first time. Emily’s mother, Amber, is one of my closest friends from college. We always talked about being pregnant together, and to our surprise we actually were. From the moment we found out she was having a girl, and I was having a boy, we knew they would be boyfriend/girlfriend. Truthfully, they really don’t have any say so in the matter - Amber and I are already planning the wedding.

You can see from the pictures that is was love at first sight!

Five on Friday - July 16, 2010

1. Mom and I took Harrison to Seize the Clay to get his feet prints put on a plate. Harrison was a champ while his feet where painted blue and shoved on a plate. I am in LOVE with how it turned out.

Picture of the plate (comming soon)

2. So far, Harrison is a clock work baby. He eats every three hours “on the dot.” Harrison will be sound asleep, and as soon as the three hour mark hits, like clockwork, he wakes up ready to eat. This boy definitely has a good appetite.

3. Harrison found his thumb today for the first time. Considering he is only 3 weeks old I am assuming it was an accident. Regardless, it was pretty darn cute!

4. With a little hesitation, we started giving Harrison a bottle this week. To my surprise he took it no problem. Assuming I find the time to pump, it is nice to now have help feeding Harrison. Not to mention, Daddy loves this new bonding time.

5. Harrison had his 2 week “weigh-in” at the doctors this week. He weighed in at a whopping 6.13 lbs. As my Dad says, “who knew I would make such a good cow.”

Harrison at 3 Weeks!

Five on Friday - July 9, 2010

For awhile now, I've been seeing "Five on Friday" posts from many bloggers. I like the concept, of having to sit down and reflect on things going on with us throughout the week. So, I am going to attempt to try weekly "Five on Friday" posts. Here it goes...

1. My favorite thing about feeding Harrison is watching his hands. He crosses his hand across his belly and holds onto the other hand while he eats – it is too cute.

2. We have nicknamed Harrison “Little Hercules” because he is very strong for being so little. He can already pick his head up and move it from side to side. He also loves to clinch his hands onto our fingers. And don’t even think about moving his arms to swaddle him up because he will fight you. He is one strong little man!

3. We had Harrison’s 1 week doctor visit this week. Harrison weighed 6.4 lbs. This let us know that Harrison is definitely eating well. When we left the hospital Harrison was down to 5.15 lbs, so he almost gained back all his weight in a week. Dr. Geiger said it usually takes two weeks. This is just one more way that Harrison is determined to show us that he is a strong little boy.

Harrison at 4 days old!



4. At only 8 days old Harrison had his first professional photo shoot. Harrison slept the whole time while we posed and dressed him up in different outfits. He is already a natural model – just look at the photos yourself.

(Pictures Coming Soon)

5. Ryan, Harrison, and I want to say a BIG "Thank You" to my Mother. I have no idea how we would have survived so far without her help. She has done everything from cleaning, to cooking, to laundry, and so on. She has also stepped in as our night nurse, which is helping give Ryan and me some much needed rest. Mom, we can never thank you enough for all that you have done!! WE LOVE YOU!

Harrison and Grandma

My Son Can Wear Dresses

Ever since we found out we were having a boy, Ryan has been anti - gowns and smocked outfits. Well it only took two days, for these famous words to come out of Ryan’s mouth, “I have decided my son can wear dresses (gowns) they are much easier.” However, Ryan did add that when Harrison is in a gown he has to be wearing his camo blanket. As usual, it didn’t take long for Ryan to see things my way – ha!

Here is Harrison in his gown and camo blanket.

A Special Gift for Daddy

Right from the start Ryan was a hands-on Dad. Since I could barely move, due to my C-section, Ryan was left to handle diaper duty from day one. Obviously Harrison thought he would help Daddy jump right on in.

Ryan got up to change Harrison as usual when he yelled, “Oh my God Courtney, I wasn’t expecting this!” I quickly glanced over and saw what I thought looked like blood. So I jumped out of bed, not easy to do when healing from a C-section, only to see that it was poop – a lot of poop! I then started dying laughing, also not easy to do with a C-section. Once Ryan finally had Harrison cleaned up, Harrison decided he wasn’t done having fun yet and pee’d on Ryan. By the time it was said and done, there were dirty wipes all over the ground, and Ryan was picking them up with gloves on. Needless to say, Harrison and I both had fun watching Ryan change his first poopy diaper!

Special Delivery - June 25, 2010

Ryan and I checked into the hospital at 8:00p.m. June 24th, where I received medicine to help soften my cervix and was told to relax and get a good nights sleep – yeah right! The next morning the doctors gave me Pitocin to help induce my labor. It wasn’t long before I was begging for an Epidural – thank God for Epidurals!! After 10 long hours of labor I was only dilated 5cm. Since I wasn’t making much progress they decided to go ahead and do a C-section. Although the thought of being cut open did scare me, I was actually relieved to be having a C-section. Within 10 minutes of wheeling me to the operating room baby Harrison arrived.

Harrison Cole Edwards was born June 25, 2010 at 5:17p.m. He weighed 6lb 6oz. and measured 19 inches long. I am not one to cry when I am happy, but when I heard his cry for the first time I couldn’t help but sob tears of joy!

Not Your Ordinary Doctor's Visit - June 24, 2010

On June 24th, I went to the doctor for my 38 week check up. I thought it would be the usual… pee in a cup, check my weight, ask me how I feel… sort of visit – boy was I wrong!

During the visit Dr. Bishop noticed that I was only measuring 36 weeks, when I was actually 38 weeks. In order to be safe she wanted to do an ultrasound. While I was excited to get to see baby Harrison again, I hadn’t seen him since 19 weeks, I was worried that something might be wrong. The ultrasound confirmed that Harrison wasn't measuring like he should, so the doctors decided it was best to go ahead and induce me. While I was thrilled that I was going to finally get to meet my baby boy in person, I was worried about his health since he would be two weeks early.

After the news, Ryan and I went home and tried to take care of all the last minute things that needed to be done before Harrison’s arrival (clean, play with the dog, pack hospital bag, etc.) We then headed to the hospital at 8:00p.m. and settled in for the big day ahead.

Where’s Grandma?? – While all of this was going on Grandma was on her way to Chattanooga, TN for a tennis tournament. I had previously told her she was crazy for leaving. Her reply was, “you still have two weeks to go.” She had also joked that she could make it back in time, as long as she wasn’t winning. Well, I immediately called her when I found out I was getting induced. She had to drop Mrs. Somers off on the side of the road and turn around (two hours outside of Chattanooga) so that she could be here for Harrison’s arrival. I guess it was a good thing she wasn’t winning the tournament!

This is a picture of me before going to the hospital.

Our Lives As We Know It

Since the minute our little bundle of joy arrived, our lives have changed forever. Considering all the excitement, tears, laughs, and smiles that we have already had, I decided to start a blog to insure we don't forget any of these memories. I plan on having the blog printed and bound in a book to serve as a journal of our new life as a "Family of Three" (four including Bradie).