Baby Prez: 25 Weeks

Dear Baby Prez,

Weight:    According to my handy dandy (not so) trusty bathroom scale, you are about 18 and half pounds. What a growing boy!

Health:  Staying healthy so far!

Sleep:  Mommy and Daddy are trying to really get your nighttime routine completely consistent, but sometimes you decide to nod off early before we even start to get you ready for bed!  Silly boy!  You eat around 7:30pm (usually with Mommy), then you take a bath (that's usually Daddy's job), then we read a story.  Our favorite right now is Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain.  The norm right now is a dream feed about 11pm, which you usually sleep right through and then you sleep until about 5am, drink a bottle, and then go back to sleep until 7 or 8am.  When we are lucky, you sleep all the way through to 7 or 8am!

Social:  This week you spent part of the weekend with Mimi, Grandad and cousin C so that Mommy and Daddy could get some work done.  Mommy and Daddy missed you lots, but you had so much fun!  You tried some organic baby food for the first time, but Mimi reported that you were not a huge fan of it.  I guess you've been spoiled with homemade baby food!  

Diet:  You tried organic baby food and strawberries this week.  Organic baby food was not a hit, but you liked the strawberries.  What will next week bring with Thanksgiving?  We will have to puree you a Thanksgiving feast!

Likes:   Toes, jumping, your walker, your jumper at Mimi's house, eating, and a lampshade in Mommy and Daddy's bedroom.  Yes, a lampshade.  We haven't figured out why, but seem to love staring at it whether or not the light is on.

You love staring at this lamp.

Dislikes:  Being hungry, fighting sleep, and laying down.

What you've learned this week . . .

Reaching for people.  On Sunday evening, you reached for Mommy.  In fact, you nearly leapt out of Daddy's arms.  On Monday, you reached from Mommy to Daddy!  Mommy has been waiting and waiting for you to learn this!

  

Love,

Mommy

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Missed a week?  Watch my Little Prez grow!

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Mini Facelift at Harvey Ever After

I felt like my blog design was getting a little stale, so I decided to update the header, fonts, and layout.

What do you think?  Do you like the changes?

Blog friends, is it worth it to pay for a professionally designed, custom template?

Winter Favorites {Five of Friday}

One word.  Snow.  As much as I was hoping that the snow would stay away until at least December, it's neat to get to have another first with Baby Prez.  His very first snow.  It's amazing to think that he's never seen snow before.  Now, I know that there are plenty of people in the world that have never seen snow, but nonetheless, I'm excited!  I love seeing and experiencing all of Baby President's firsts, and I will love all of the firsts for each little one that joins the Harvey family!

So, I'm taking my cue from Joanna, another Nebraska blogger, over at Making Mine with my favorites for snow!  Thanks for the inspiration, Joanna!

1. Cream Pea Coat, Orange Pea Coat, Houndstooth Scarf // 2. Baby Coat //       3. Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses // 4. Eggnog, Keep Calm Pillow //  5. Black, Grey, & Brown Boots

#1. Pea Coats

I love pea coats.  If it wasn't a completely ridiculous proposition, I'd have one in every color, every length, and every style.  I know, crazy.  My favorites are my orange lighter coat and my heavier cream pea coat.  They are awesome.  And, of course, I can't leave the house without my black and white houndstooth scarf or my official Oklahoma State tartan scarf.

#2. Infant Winter Coats

My son has the most adorable grey fleece winter coat and matching hat.  Seriously, I love dressing him up in it.  He's handsome, adorable, and cute all at the same time.  He also has a Oklahoma State stocking cap with tassels and everything. Baby clothes are just so much fun!  I only wish they grew with him.

#3.  Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses

Have you tried these?  Candy cane flavored white chocolate with teeny tiny pieces of candy cane.  They might be my kryptonite.  I'm pretty sure I could eat an entire bag in a day if I didn't stop myself.  Every Christmas season, I have to stock up on these since they are only around for a couple of months!

#4  Eggnog

Another amazing seasonal item!  I don't stock up on eggnog, but I certainly drink my fair share throughout the season.  This is my first year to try "real" eggnog thanks to Mr. Harvey.  I know, I've been living under a rock.  This year, in addition to eggnog, my local grocery store is also carrying flavored milks like snickerdoodle milk.  Tempting, but I'm really not sure about them.  I may have to try some before the end of the holiday season.

#5 Boots

Here in Nebraska, winter boots are a must.  And I love boots!  Two of my favorite pairs started to fall apart last winter, so I'm in the market for a new pair (or two)! Doesn't every girl need at least one pair of boots in each color of brown, black, and grey?


What are your favorite winter accessories?

Baby Prez: 24 Weeks

Dear Baby Prez,

Good news this week!  Your hair is growing back.  You were born with quite a bit of hair, but then most it fell out and you were sporting a Jack Nicholson look for awhile.  Your hair is finally thickening up and looking more even.

Weight:    Probably about 17 pounds

Health:  You have managed not to get Daddy's cold!  Yay!

Sleep:  Still working on sleeping through the night.  On good nights, you sleep from about 8:30pm (with a dream feed around 11pm) to about 6:30 or 7am.  On bad nights, you wake up around 3 or 4am and still wake up for good around 7am.  

Social:  As usual, you went to Happy Hour with Mommy, Daddy, and Mommy's work friends. You were a hit with everyone there.  You're drooling like crazy, so we think you are teething.  One of Mommy's work friends said that she gave her kids whole carrots to gum on.  We tried it...and you loved it!

Diet:  We added pumpkin to your diet this week.  Mommy cooked a little pumpkin and made some pumpkin puree for you.  You're usually eating some fruit and oatmeal in the morning and veggies in the evening.  

Likes:   Toes, people. smiling, jumping, puppies, trying to crawl!

Dislikes:  Nothing new here.  You hate being hungry and laying down.  You'd much rather be sitting up, standing, or jumping.  

Nicknames: Bucket, Linky Blinky, Charlie Bucket, Bucket Man, Hot Dog Man, Lincoln Log

Love,

Mommy

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Missed a week?  Watch my Little Prez grow!

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7 

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week 18
Week 19
Week 20
Week 21
Week 22
Week 23

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10 Weekly Goals {11/18-11/25}

Last Week’s 10 Goals
1.	Catch up on HarveyEverAfter baby updates - still a couple weeks behind
2.	Put together blogging schedule/plan
3.	Menu plan & grocery shop for the next week
4.	Plan Christmas gifts - started
5.	Finish Baby President’s new room - 2nd coat of paint on (thanks to Mr. Harvey)
6.	Combat dog shedding by vacuuming at least every other day
7.	Try out speed cleaning for the next month
8.	Finish survey for 2nd year paper - in progress
9	Write a conference paper by November 18th December 7th - in progress (deadline extended)
10.	Grade exams

This Week’s 10 Goals
1.	Catch up on HarveyEverAfter baby updates
2.	Put together blogging schedule/plan
3.	Menu plan & grocery shop for the next week
4.	Plan Christmas gifts
5.	Finish Baby President’s new room
6.	Combat dog shedding by vacuuming at least every other day
7.	Try out speed cleaning for the next month
8.	Finish survey for 2nd year paper
9	Write a conference paper by December 7th
10.	Decorate for Christmas!!!! (I'm so excited for this!) Not many changes this week; I'm still working on many of my goals and some of them are continuous.  I'm hopeful and determined to make more progress this week!

Baby Prez: 23 Weeks

Dear Baby Prez,

Weight:   You're probably near 17 pounds.  Growing all the time!

Health:  Happy and healthy!  Your Daddy got a cold this week, so we are trying to quarantine him to keep you healthy, but chances are that you've already been exposed.  Mommy is not looking forward to your first cold.

Sleep:  Sleeping from about 8pm to 7am with an 11pm dream feed and a feeding around 5am.  One morning you slept until 8:45am!  Mommy was so excited!

Social:  This week we took you to Happy Hour as usual.  You cuddled right up to Mommy's advisor's wife, Ruth, and fell asleep.  Then we ran home, packed, and went Mimi and Grandad's for the weekend.  You played with Mimi, Grandad, and your cousin all weekend!  You love playing with you cousin, who is turning out to be quite the babysitter.  And Mimi took you on a walk since the weather was still nice, and you were in awe of all the things to see.

Diet:  You're a big eater.  You drink bottles during the day as well brunch and dinner.  Brunch is still usually fruit and cereal and dinner is usually veggies.  This weekend you tried oranges for the first time.  Yum!  

Likes:   Toes, jumping, smiling, rolling around, people, walks, toys that you can shake

Dislikes:  Laying down for too long and being hungry.

This week you learned . . . 

to shake toys.  Before this, every toy would go straight to your mouth.  But now, you've discovered that shaking the toys usually means that it makes noise!

to make a zerbertz noise.  You've also learned a new sound!  This week you figured out how to vibrate your lips together and make a zerbertz noise.  It's almost like a raspberry, but you're not sticking your tongue out.  Regardless of what to call the noise, it's quite adorable when you make the noise.  What makes it rather funny is that you make the noise both when you are happy and when you are upset.  It is particularly awesome when you make the noise while eating and spray food everywhere (not!).  We will see how long this is your preferred noise.  It seems like whenever you learn a new noise, you make it nearly constantly until the next sound is learned.

Current Nicknames:  Linky Blinky, Fuss Bucket, Bucket, Bucket Man, Boyfriend (Mimi & Cousin)

Love,

Mommy

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Missed a week?  Watch my Little Prez grow!

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7 

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week 18
Week 19
Week 20
Week 21
Week 22

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Reading List: Just As I Am

Just As I Am by Kim Vogel Sawyer is the next segment in the saga of Levi and Christina Johnson, and it will be released in just one week!  Preorder your copy today!

This newest story comes after What Once Was Lost, a full length fiction that I reviewed in September in this post, and sets the stage for the next full length fiction by Sawyer, Echoes of Mercy.  

Echoes of Mercy will be released January 14, 2014.  

"In this romantic 19th century-set short fiction follow-up to What Once Was Lost, while setting the stage for Sawyer's next novel, Echoes of Mercy, a young woman must let go of past rejections to find hope in the meaningful future God wants for her.

Daisy Forrester has been raised in Brambleville, Kansas at Dunnigan's Orphan Asylum by Levi and Christina Jonnson. As she has watched younger, more appealing orphans come and go on to new families, Daisy has spent years becoming a valued helper for Ma and Pa Jonnson, as the orphans call them. However, she is coming up on her sixteenth birthday, and it will soon be time for her to make her own way in the world.  Nervous about leaving the farm, she turns to the one connection she has out in the world--Robby, a friend who left the asylum before her and is now employed in Sinclair, Kansas at Dinsmore's World Famous Chocolate Factory.

Daisy heads for the safe harbor that is his friendship, but the outside world doesn't offer the friendly welcome  that Daisy dreams of and Robby faces unique challenges of his own in the form of an eager co-worker bent on sending Daisy back to Brambleville.  Can Daisy look beyond her own insecurities to embrace a young man with great affection for her, and a God who calls her 'beloved'--just as she is?" -- Amazon.

This is definitely on my reading list for this month, and at under a dollar, how could I not buy it?!?

Available for Preorder at Amazon: Just As I Am 

Available for Purchase at Amazon: What Once Was Lost

Available for Preorder at Amazon: Echoes of Mercy

*This post may contain affiliate links.*

{10 weekly goals} 11/11-11/18

 

This Week’s 10 Goals
1.	Catch up on HarveyEverAfter baby updates
2.	Put together blogging schedule/plan
3.	Menu plan & grocery shop for the next week
4.	Plan Christmas gifts
5.	Finish Baby President’s new room
6.	Combat dog shedding by vacuuming at least every other day
7.	Try out speed cleaning for the next month
8.	Finish survey for 2nd year paper
9	Write a conference paper by November 18th
10.	Grade exams

{Wish List} Santa Hat & Cape for Baby

This is just too adorable not too share!  If I thought that my 5-month old would lay still enough to take photos with the cape, I would totally be buying this set immediately!

Even though I'm not buying it, you could buy it for your little one this Christmas!  You can get it at: 

Newborn Baby Girl Boy Christmas Crochet Santa Claus Beanie Hat and Cape Costume Photography Props+Free Gift,Lace Doilies,Random Colors

*This post may contain affiliate links.*

Baby Prez: 22 Weeks

Dear Baby Prez,

This week was your very first Halloween, and you were SO cute!  

Weight:    About 17 pounds.  Size 2 diapers, but you've almost grown out of them.  You might be in Size 3 diapers by next week!

Health:  Very healthy!  

Sleep:  You are basically sleeping through the night...most nights.  You go to sleep between 8 and 8:30PM, and then Mommy pulls you out of bed for a dream feed around 11PM, right before I go to sleep.  You usually don't even wake during the feeding, and if you do, you fall right back asleep as soon as your little head hits your pillow.  (You don't actually have a pillow yet, but you get the idea.)  Then, you sleep until about 5 or 6AM.  That's six or seven hours of sleep for you and Mommy and Daddy!  

Social:  You got to see lots of people at our outing to Boo at the Zoo, and as usual you grinned at everyone!

Diet:  You drink about 6 ounces of breastmilk every 3 or so hours, plus cereal and fruit for breakfast and veggies and barley for dinner.  

Likes:   Jumping, grabbing your toes, smiling, sucking and chewing on your fingers, toys

Dislikes:  Being hungry and laying down.

Milestones:  

First Halloween


Mommy and Daddy were so excited for your first Halloween.  The very first outfit Mommy bought you was a Halloween outfit!  After thinking about lots of costume ideas, we decided to do family costumes with a Doctor Who theme, which was one of my favorite costume ideas.  You'll know all about Doctor Who when you get older.  Daddy was the 10th Doctor Who, Mommy was his companion, Amy Pond, and you were their time and space machine, the Tardis.  And you were the cutest little Tardis ever.

Since you were too young to go Trick-or-Treating, we took you to Boo at the Zoo.  We didn't know what to expect, but we took you all around the zoo and all kinds of characters were handing out candy.  Everyone commented on how cute you were and lots of people recognized who you and Daddy were dressed up as.  Not as many people knew who Mommy was dressed up as, though.  A police officer thought you were dressed as a little police officer, but one of his friends corrected him!

On Halloween night, Mommy did a photo shoot with you in your back-up costumes!  Then we scooped out pumpkins for carving.  You weren't sure what to think of the pumpkin guts, but you seemed to like playing with them.  Mommy and Daddy each carved a pumpkin, and also carved a little Baby Prez pumpkin using our initials as the eyes and mouth.  You weren't too excited about handing out candy, but we had a fun night!

Love,

Mommy

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Missed a week?  Watch my Little Prez grow!

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7 

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week 18
Week 19
Week 20
Week 21

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