6 MONTHS!

Age:  26 weeks 2 days

Weight: 17lbs 10oz (Little lady is officially too heavy to be carried in her car seat...ooomph!)

Length: 26"

Favorite toy:  Does it fit in her mouth? Than it's her new favorite toy.   

Favorite activity: Jumping in her jumparoo.  She will literally jump in that thing for hours. The other day she was crying (time to eat!) but stillllll jumping, Shaun and I both got a chuckle out of that ...I know I know mean parents ;)

Favorite book:  She's digging the touch and feel books and also her new bath time books

This month Harper discovered: that sitting up on her own is pretty cool.  We've also 
moved into the realm of solid food!! Bananas, pears, sweet potatoes and carrots have all been big hits.  Green beans...not so much (literally spit out every single bite)  She's mastered the sign for "milk" and is not shy about asking for it.  We've almost got "more" and we're working on "all done".  Sigh...warms this momma's heart to see those little chubby fingers signing <3

Races: None for her, too cold out!!  Sadly I've decided to defer my entry into the Mid Winter Classic until next year.  The flu ran rampant through our house and my mileage definitely suffered so I'm just not ready.   My "oh so busy" schedule just suddenly cleared up...looks like I might be racing this thing.  Still not ready so I won't be breaking any speed records, but what the hey.
Next race is the Irish Road Rover in March unless I find a shorter distance race to do in the meantime.  

Looking forward to:   Whatever Miss H has in store for us this month!! Also to warmer weather so I can take my running buddy out with me again :)

5 months

All dressed up for Christmas Eve mass! Aren't I pretty?

Age: 22 weeks (5 months)

Weight: 17 lbs...whoa nelly!

Length: not sure but she's busting out of her 6 mo clothes already!

Favorite toy: she's still loving the exersaucer  but she's madly in love with the laugh and learn puppy that Aunt Stacey and family bought her for Christmas 

Favorite activity: Good lord this child likes to talk.  I'm not sure why this surprises me exactly considering her genetics... When she's not exercising her vocal chords she loves a mean game of patty cake.   We're also working on perfecting our rolling skills.

Favorite book:  Her current favorite --> She cracks up every time I say "click clack MOO".  The only thing we asked for her for Christmas was books (our house is TOO SMALL for toys and she's too young to care!) so we have a stack about 30 deep to start working through!!! Future book nerd in the making!!

This month Harper discovered: Bananas!

I don't think she's quite sure what to think about all this food business yet, but she seems to be getting the hang of it. 

Races: (she is my daughter after all)   I had decided to not run with Harper at the Jingle Bell 5k (just so I could actually RUN, but quickly changed my mind when I saw how icy it was, I needed something to hold on to!

Here we are about to finish the race (and yes I barely beat the 8 year old)

Next race isn't until February and I will be running SOLO!

Looking forward to:  having a healthy baby!!! This is Harper's third bought with a cold/bronchiolitis in the past two months.  

LOVE daycare

HATE the germs

The big red dog and the man in red

What an exciting weekend! Harper got to meet two of my most favorite people! Clifford the big red dog and SANTA!!! 
Saturday morning my mother in law and sister and law and I headed to the mother of all book sales...the Scholastic warehouse sale.  If you're a book nerd like me it's like walking through the pearly gates of Heaven.  Books all 50% off? Yes please!! 

Harper wasn't too sure about the big red fuzzy creature but she obliged for a photo (read she didn't cry)

Sunday morning after mass and lunch with friends it was off to her first meeting with the jolly fellow himself.  Tuckered out from an exhausting morning she picked this opportune time to nap, which was fine with me...it resulted in this little gem.  

I'm sure next year we'll get the "WAHHHHH get me off this strange man's lap" photo so this one's a keeper!

(If you're thinking it's strange that Santa isn't smiling? I was too until I noticed that he was severely lacking in the tooth department.  Too many cookies and not enough dentists in the North Pole I guess)

Time flies when you're changing diapers

Where have the past 16 weeks gone?? Feels like we just brought Harper home and then BOOM we have a 4mo old.  
I've really missed doing my weekly updates and thought maybe you missed them too....but let's be honest, no one cares how much I weigh, what races I'm doing, and what my mood is, you want to see the little peanut and hear what she's up to.
I won't bore you with the week to week updates but figure every month will do.  

16 Weeks

Age:  17 weeks 1 day

Weight: 15lbs 1oz (as you can tell from her progression of pictures we aren't starving her!)

Length: 25"

Favorite toy: hmmm it's a toss up between her long time favorite Jacques the Peacock and her new found love the excersaucer.

Favorite activity: Talking...talking...talking.  I have a feeling she's going to be a social butterfly like her daddy

Favorite book:  She hasn't really shown a preference yet but mommy LOVES the llama llama books!

This month Harper discovered: HER HANDS!! You'd think they were dipped in chocolate the way she tries to shove them both in her mouth at the same time.

Races: (she is my daughter after all)   E-race the stigma 5k.  The stroller division was fierce, and we managed to come in 7th overall.  Next up is the Jingle Bell 5k we'll be running with Auntie Kim.

Looking forward to:  Baby's first Thanksgiving!!! 

My little pumpkin

                      Happy Halloween!!!

My little pumpkin on her first Halloween.  This was the extent of her "dressing up" (I know I know bad mommy)  She'll be subjected to a ridiculous costume next year, not to worry :)

It's been awhile...

....and life is crazier, busier and more wonderful than I could ever have imagined.  Once we get into the groove of this whole work/daycare thing I'm hoping to update the blog a little bit more regularly. Until then enjoy two of Harper's professional pictures taken by her amazingly talented Aunt Stacey (Damon Photography)

I am clearly biased but isn't she cute?

Good things come to those who wait

Allow me to introduce the newest member of the Breton family...

Harper Kathryn Breton

07/24/12

11:45 pm

6lbs 14.5oz

19 3/4 inches

Clearly this picture was PRE contractions

…and post contractions…that labor business is no joke!

What started as a standard trip to the Doctor on Monday afternoon (7/23) ended with me being admitted into the hospital to be induced.  Poor Shaun got a phone call that went something like this:

R- Hi hon, whatcha doing?

S- Oh you know, delivering the mail

R- Yeah, about that…how soon can you get off your route and get down to Portland

S- Oh shit!

Turns out I really didn't need to rush him.  My induction started early that evening at around 5pm and by 10pm the next day and MULTIPLE attempts to speed up my labor I was still only 7 cm and the little lady was making it clear that she was NOT liking this labor business (and just to be clear neither did I).  

At that point everyone was in agreement that a C-Section was the safest route to go.  Initially I had wanted to avoid a C-section like the plague but with contractions that were rolling one on top of another and an epidural that only took to the left side of my body, let's just say I had a bit more of an open mind about surgery.  So off to the ER we went.  

And minutes later...

Little Miss Harper just minutes old

Meeting mommy for the first time <3

She's screaming and I look like hell but hey, it was our first family picture

A little snuggle time with daddy….this has become their favorite position

and a little snuggle with mommy <3

and so begins our journey into Parenthood...