ONE YEAR OLD!

Of course I'm behind again but want to get this off my chest before too much more time passes, because I've been thinking about this post since Harper's birthday!  

Our girl is ONE! I can't believe how fast a year can pass.  It's scary and wonderful all at the same time.  Scary because this means that all the years will pass this fast and wonderful that we have a bright, beautiful shining light in our family that is growing and changing every day.  

Below are her one year pics that we did with our awesome photographer!

Dear Harper, 

I will never forget the day you were born.  You stole my heart (and Daddy's too) from the first moment we saw you.  I've never wanted to hold, hug, kiss and just never let go of something so badly in my life.  You were so tiny and I remember thinking "I can't imagine her being bigger than this sweet little nugget" but look at you now! Such a big girl, and a big ONE year old.  I am so proud and lucky to be your Momma.  It makes me teary when I think about my love for you. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to God for bringing you into our lives.  

The past month has been a big one! You've gotten more teeth, taken your first few steps and are turning more into a toddler every day! (Although you'll ALWAYS be my baby!!)  The two weeks before your birthday we started introducing whole milk to you and you weren't so sure about it.  You're starting to like it a little more now but it's not your favorite.  You're completely off bottles which is a good thing and you are a champ at drinking out of your sippy cup.  

You LOVE bananas and say "Nanana" when you want one.  You're getting very good about understanding what we are asking and shake your head yes or no when we ask you a question!  

You got a riding car from Grandma and Grandpa and we let you open it before your birthday. You LOVE the car and ride in it every day! You love to go on walks or even be pushed around the house. If we stop for a second you rock back and forth to remind us to keep going! :-)  You've also started this funny fake laugh when you hear or see Mimi.  You laugh extra loud and funny when you hear her voice. It's hysterical.  

You also got a rocking lamb from Coco and Popo.  They let you ride on it at their house a little before your birthday and you love it.  You love to ride it, and pet it, because it's super soft! You're still learning how to ride it by yourself but you have so much fun going "rocky, rocky rocky" :-) Nana and Papa sent you a Baby Stella doll and it's your first baby! You love to give her kisses and carry her around!

You also love to blow kisses, say and wave "bye bye" and clap your hands! Peek a boo makes you laugh so hard.  Some of your favorite books are "Giraffes Can't Dance", "I Love you So",  "Ten Little Ladybugs", and the "Little Pookie" books.  You really love reading with anyone who will read to you, and we do it often!

You are sleeping through the night and have been consistently for a month now. (Thank Goodness!)  You go to bed at about 9pm and sleep until 7:30 or 8:00.  You love your bath time and are taking baths in the big girl tub now! You have to stay in until the last drop of water is in there. You love water and playing with your bath toys!

We went to the doctor for your one year check and you had to get 3 shots. (No fun!) But you were a trooper.  We also got your latest "stats":
Height - 28.5 Inches (27%)
Weight - 20 lbs 2.5 ounces (32%)
Head - 18.75 inches (97%) *Smart girl! :-)

Harper, I love you more than you will ever know. I am so blessed to be your Momma and I can't wait to see what each new day brings.  Thank you for being such a fun, easy-going, loving and adorable baby girl.

Love you my angel, 
Momma

For those that are still reading - I'll post about her birthday party very soon! :-) That deserves it's own post for sure! ;-) (More on presents, party decor and more!!)

11 Months & 13 YEARS!

The beginning of the year has just been a whirlwind for me. I've been working on a huge project at work so I've had absolutely no spare time. I've been working late nights and early mornings and haven't had any days off.  Couple that with a sick baby for the first few weeks of the year and I am VERY  behind on my blogging, so please forgive me!

We also have been been very busy with a TEENAGER in the house! Kylie turned 13 on Valentine's Day and we had a super fun party for her!  We did a scavenger hunt at the mall followed by pizza at California Pizza Kitchen and then a slumber party at our house!  Kylie was so excited and had a blast - and the best part of it was her BIG surprise of Justin Bieber tickets!! Kylie and I will be going on July 3rd - BIEBER FEVER!!

I want to get right to it so I'm not a MONTH late on her 11 month post like I was on her 10 month post.  I can't have that because then she will be ONE YEAR old! Saying that just makes me sad, happy and in shock all at the same time.  It's absolutely crazy how fast the last year has gone.  

Here are pics from the last month...

Our big 11 month old girl!

Harper went on her first Carousel ride with Daddy!

Our sweet little Valentine!

Fun at Pottery Barn Kids during Kylie's party!

Harper's first Valentine's Day and Kylie's 13th Birthday! 

Harper gave out Valentines that said "When it comes to friends...we make the perfect "pear"!

 (and we handed out diced pear fruit cups!

We had a fun play date with Kate!

And fun bath time with Myka! :-)

Sweet girl in her fancy clothes :-)

Now for my 11 month letter...

My Sweet Harper,

You are such a big girl! I can't believe that you are so very close to turning one year old!  You've grown so much in the last month.  You are now standing on your own without holding anything for a minute or two! We are ready for you to take your first steps any day now!  

You had a rough couple of weeks in the teething department and finally had one tooth break through the gums - one of your top front teeth! Miss Shannon thinks you have 2-3 more coming close behind!

You had so much fun celebrating Sister's 13th birthday and you were such a trooper at the mall all day! You are pretty much a trooper in any situation, which is one of the qualities we LOVE about you! You are so easy going and adaptable.  

You still aren't taking a bottle from anyone and only prefer Momma in the milk department.  

You love to bounce up and down to the music and you love watching "Classical Baby Compilation". It's so cute to watch you so curious about the sounds and pictures on the TV.  Adorable.  You also LOVE your dog Marley and you think everything she does is funny! You crack up when she runs by and you love to try to get her to kiss you any time you can! You get a little allergic when she does so we try to keep you two from kissing as much as we can.  

You've been better about sleeping through the night although we're not at 100% yet. I'm hoping we'll get that ironed out before your birthday - for both of our sakes!

We celebrated your first Valentines and brought treats to all of your friends at school. You had a fun Valentine party at school and enjoyed celebrating with your friends.

I can't say enough how much I love and cherish you - my precious angel.  Your Daddy and I are overwhelmed with love and adoration for you each day.  You made our family brighter and more complete. We love you and can't wait to celebrate your first birthday in a few short weeks. Stop growing so fast, ok?!?  We want you to stay our sweet little baby as long as you can!

Love you to the moon and back.

Momma

10 Months! (Over a month late!)

CLEARLY I FAILED - THIS IS MY 10 MONTH POST!! But, I want to save it so I'm still posting!

I was behind on posting Harper's 9 month post so I'm hoping to do better this month.

Before I proceed, let me give you Harper's stats when we went to her 9 (actually 9 1/2 month) appointment!

Her head is now in the 94% -- we have a smart girl on our hands! ;-)
Her height is in the 44% -- so she'll probably be a shorty like her Mama.
Her weight is in the 32% -- weighing in at 18lbs 5.5 ounces.

Her weight percentage dropped quite a bit but the doctor wasn't concerned at all because she's still growing in length.  She's thinning out a bit because of her growth and all of her crawling! She's such a busy body these days and it's precious!

Now for pics from the last month...

Our good eater! You love lots of different foods!

So cozy in your poncho! :)

I just love this picture that Sister Kylie took of you!

I came in one day and found Harper reading in her crib!

Now for my 10 month letter:

Dear Harper,

You are 10 months old. It's amazing that we are in double digits now! Time flies when you're having the time of your life!  This past month has been great but it's also brought it's challenges for sure.

Right before Christmas you were diagnosed with RSV, a bad respiratory virus that causes cough, congestion, runny nose and overall yuckiness.  That was a bummer but you didn't let that get in the way of enjoying your first Christmas!  You finished up your "sick run" with an ear infection and had to take antibiotics for 10 whole days, and that was NOT fun for any of us...but we made it through!

You are hilarious. You are always cracking us up these days.  You love to turn your head to the side, clap anytime anyone says "yay" or pretty much any time that you do a good job at anything, you love to laugh and we've gotten into some giggle fests lately that have been so fun!  You love to crawl, pretty fast I might add, all over the house. We have to keep a close eye on you because you are quick!  You are also pulling up on everything and have started "cruising" along the couches and other furniture to get around.

You are eating like a champ.  At school, Miss Shannon started doing community meals and you love eating with your friends every day.  Your favorite is pumpkin bread but you've tried so many yummy things like pancakes, ravioli, pasta, oranges, cheese, chicken, bananas, lots of veggies, etc.  We are so grateful that you love to eat!

We are so glad you are finally starting to feel better. You are such a joy and a love.  You are amazing, sweet, fun and funny. We are so blessed to have you in our lives.  Happy 10 months baby girl!

Much love,
Momma :-)

9 Months (LATE!) & Holiday Happenings

I'm SO behind on my blogging. I hate that. But, I'm going to still do Harper's 9 month post any way. I thought I'd have tons of time over the holidays to get stuff like this done but that just wasn't the case.  Harper got sick with a nasty virus called RSV at the start of the break and it all got worse from there. She ended up having to do breathing treatments every four hours, paired with snot suction (aka torture in her mind), benadryl and lots of TLC...it was quite a routine.  Jeff also got sick and was sick the whole time too, I had a horrible crick in my neck that lasted for days and we were pretty much home bound with the exception of a few minor excursions to see family on Christmas Eve and then a few days later to celebrate again.  Kylie got a little cough but nothing serious. Needless to say, we were quite a sight for a few days there!  But, despite it all, it was a beautiful holiday season in the Johnson house!

Sweet sick girl sleeping with her head in my lap. :-(

A glimpse into our world with a sick baby for a week and a half!

Despite not feeling great, Harper had a wonderful first Christmas.  She was such a trooper. Even with her croupy cough, runny nose and watery eyes, she was such a joy to watch and be around.  Seeing the wonder and excitement in a child's eyes at Christmas is something that I wish could be bottled and sold. Then again, pretty much every day in a baby's life there's something that amazes them - so you get glimpses of that greatness all year long. Christmas is just special because it's so much at one time!

Here are a few pictures from Christmas since I probably won't have time to do a separate post...

Harper loved meeting Santa and wasn't scared one bit!

Christmas Eve pics - 

Mimi got you a cute pink convertible walker/bouncer. You loved it! 

Riding in style! :-)

Sweet sick girl. :-(

Opening presents with Dada!

So many presents to open!

Santa filled our stockings!

Presents from Santa and the cookies and milk he ate!

Fun on Christmas Morning...

Did I mention we got a WHITE CHRISTMAS?!?

But we only got out in the snow one day to go to the doctor since you weren't feeling well :-(

Coco and Popo were in Costa Rica for Christmas so we went and celebrated with them on Dec. 30th. Trey and Suzanne were there too! It was a blast! They opened a college fund for you for Christmas - a gift that will keep on giving for sure! Thanks guys!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Finally feeling better! 

A few 9 month pics...

You weren't too thrilled about the 9 month sticker this time - so we had to improvise. You recover quickly and that's a great quality to have! :-) That lamb keeps getting smaller and smaller next to you big girl!

Pics from the last month! Please forgive me - I don't have the Tucson pics on my phone so I can't upload many of them - I promise to do a post about the trip ASAP!


Cruisin' through DFW - about to get on your first airplane! 

On your first plane ride!

Arizona gear! 

Fun at Grandma and Grandpa's! 

Got to see more family after Thanksgiving! :-)

You got your first tooth on Nov. 30th and your second one on Dec.3! Big girl!

Waiting in line to see Santa on December 14th!

Silly girl. You're always making the cutest faces.  We call this "Baby Alcatraz!"

Now for my 9 month letter...

Dear Harper,

Wow. Now you've officially been on this earth as long as Momma was pregnant! That's so crazy! The past month has been a very fun and eventful one! The most exciting part of the past month was our trip to see Grandma and Grandpa.  You got to go on your first airplane and fly all the way to Tucson, Arizona to see some of our very favorite people! You did so good in the airport, going through security like a champ and boarding the plane like an old pro! (Thank goodness for the Baby Bjorn!)  Once we got on the plane, you did great too and ate, napped a bit and then played with Momma and Daddy for the rest of the flight.  We are so blessed that you are such an easy-going, laid back baby.    It was a very exciting trip because Sister Kylie got to come with us at the last minute so we got to surprise Grandma and Grandpa with her being there.  

We spent a whole week in Tuscon for Thanksgiving so Grandma and Grandpa got to love on you lots, see how much you've grown and changed and we all worked with you on your crawling skills.  You would get up on your knees and rock back and forth but we didn't see any crawling while we were there. You saved that for when we got back to Dallas!  We ate lots of good food, saw some fun movies, played games and just hung out. You even got to go on your first hike on Mt. Lemmon while we were there - and that was really special for Daddy.  He used to camp up there with Grandma and Grandpa all the time when he was a little boy so bringing you and Kylie back to the place where he remembers from when he grew up was special. Trust me, you'll become very fond of Mt. Lemmon and we'll go there each time we visit Gma and Gpa! Grandma, Grandpa and Sister watched you while Daddy and I went to the Arizona game.  You got your very first Arizona cheerleader outfit  - you looked adorable!

Thanksgiving was a special one because it was our first with YOU. I am so very thankful for you my precious daughter and I feel like every day is Thanksgiving to me because I just want to thank God over and over for you.  I couldn't have imagined a love like this.  

Not long after we got back to Dallas, you ended up getting sick. This was your first time to be sick.  There was a stomach virus going around your school so we thought you had that but it turned out you had strep! It was so sad to see you sick and not be able to know what was bothering you.  We stayed home from school/work together and I nursed you back to health.  You are such a resilient little girl.  

In the last month, you've learned to crawl and now you're getting fast! You've also started pulling up on everything! We had to install a gate at the top of the stairs to keep you safe.  You are on the move! You are fearless and want to explore any and every thing!  You got your first two bottom teeth and love showing them off with a big grin. You love to wave hello and goodbye, clap, bounce to the music and laugh all the time.  You also make some funny faces. You purse your lips like you're giving a kiss or blow bubbles. You also grin so wide and squeal if we look at you with a funny face. You're so happy.

You love almost all food - and we are getting more into solids every day! Your favorite treat is pumpkin bread from Starbucks. You love getting little nibbles of that from me at the mall. :-)  Your face is priceless when you taste it for the first time- you get so excited!

We just went and met Santa and had your picture made with him and you loved him! You weren't scared a bit and sat in his lap like a champ! He said he was going to take you to the North Pole to be one of his elves but we said "No way!" :-)

We can't wait to experience each new day with you sweet girl and hope this next month doesn't go by too fast! 

You are the light of our lives. We love you beyond measure.

Love, 
Momma