Harper's First Birthday!

Its been a couple weeks since our big girl turned 1 and had her very first birthday party! I finally got around to uploading all the pictures (there were many) and am so excited to share them with you! She had the best day despite getting her 1 year shots the day before, which are never fun. But she seemed to not be bothered much which I was very thankful for. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel like crap at her own party.

 I was so happy with how everything turned out! I have been thinking about this party for a while now and it was great to finally see my "vision" come to life. We went with a "classic birthday" theme with lots of balloons, confetti, and sprinkles. We had tons of desserts and glass bottle cokes which were such a hit, especially with Harper.

She LOVED having everyones attention and all eyes on her! She totally hammed it up and enjoyed every minute. She had her first taste of cake, ice cream, coke, and doughnut all of which she was obsessed with! I'm sure she wonders why we don't eat that for every meal now. She got so many great presents from everyone and she seriously loves them all! Overall it was a great party and the birthday girl had a blast, which is always my ultimate goal!

2013-Year In Review

Well its 2014! I can honestly say that 2013 has been one of the best years of my life thanks to Tyler and our sweet Harper. They make everything more fun! This year was a year of firsts for us. First smile, first tooth, first holidays, first vacations...and the list goes on. It's kind of sad that all her "firsts" are pretty much over, but I know that things will just get more and more fun as time goes on. Here are some of my favorite moments from 2013:

Right before Harper made her grand entrance. 

Tiny, brand new Harper Mitchell Haraway.

LOVE that little lip :)

About 3 months old staying in her first hotel. (In Atlanta to watch her granddaddy run in a race)

Naked baby booties are the best!

Back when she would actually nap in her crib...sigh. 

Balder than ever at her first Arts Alive!

What a ham!!!

Our favorite spot at the beach; drinking coffee on the deck every morning. 

Sitting up by herself for the first time on 4th of July! 

First time riding in the buggy like a big girl. 

6 months model shots. Getting chubby :)

Such a stinker! 

She started eating real food and couldn't be happier about it!

First time at the fair!

Strolling the streets of Chicago.

First flower girl experience in aunt Toni's wedding. 

UNA's homecoming parade which she loved!

Learning how to pull up :)

Chasing her fav balloon on Halloween. 

Loving on her "bah-bee"

Obsessed with watching Daddy play with the iPad. 

She saw Santa and didn't cry!!!

Christmas mornings will never be the same :)

We had a great year and I can't wait to see what 2014 brings! It has some pretty big shoes to fill. Happy New Year!

Harper's Christmas List

With less than two weeks until Christmas, its time to finish all my shopping, wrapping and stocking stuffing and start enjoying the last little bit of Christmas festivities. I still have some big things on my to-do list such as baking Christmas cookies, taking Harper to see Santa at the mall, and going to look at Christmas lights. This truly is my favorite time of year! I love, love, love giving gifts and so I'm especially excited that I get to play Santa this year!

 I know Harper will not remember this year but that doesn't mean I'm not starting her Christmas traditions anyway. I can't wait to watch her rip open her presents (which will probably be her favorite part) and see her face when she gets all her new toys and books. I don't think I've ever mentioned it, but Harper looooooves books. She will sit in my lap and let me read to her for an eternity. Plus she loves to play with them and just turn the pages and point to things over and over and over. She is getting a few new books for Christmas that I think will be a big hit.

Something that Tyler and I are starting this year is the "Christmas Eve" present, which contains new pj's, a new Christmas book, and maybe a movie that we can all watch together before bed that night. Also, we have decided that, aside from Santa Claus's gifts, Harper will always only get 4 gifts from us. They are "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read." She can make us a list each year of what she wants but ultimately will only get those 4 presents. Like I said, she will of course still get stuff from Santa and her grandparents and the rest of our families but from Mama and Daddy, it will only be the 4 things. I think it will teach her to be appreciative and thankful and she will really have to think about what she wants or needs when making her list each year. I also plan to always adopt a Christmas Angel with her to teach her about giving to others who are less fortunate than she is. After all, I think that is the true spirit of Christmas. Giving to others.

So here are most of the things that will be under Harper's tree this year. This is stuff from both Santa, and the 4 things from us. Let me say, shopping for her first Christmas has been soooo fun! I could have easily kept on and kept on shopping, but I had to listen to my own lesson for Harper and show a little restraint, and be appreciative for all that we already have. She is truly one blessed little girl that doesn't ever really need anything and for that I am very thankful. So without further ado, Harper's list!

Farm puzzle, Keys, Whale spout cover, Dress, Cow knit doll, Ugg boots, Pride and Prejudice book, Grinch book, PJ's, Drum, Backpack

Things I'm Thankful For

With Thanksgiving coming up next week, I've been thinking a lot about all the things I'm thankful for. I truly am so blessed and I know I take it for granted on a daily basis. So I made a list and thought it would be nice to share it with you.

I'm thankful for...

1. My relationship with God. He blesses me beyond measure everyday and I am so thankful for Him. He has given me all the other things in this list and so much more! Nothing in my life would have meaning if it weren't for Him. He loves me even when I don't deserve it because I am His child. He feels the same way about you :)

2. Being a wife and mother. I cannot imagine my life without Tyler and Harper in it, nor do I want to. They make me who I am and they will never know how much I love them. I'm so beyond thankful for Tyler and all he does for our family. He works hard everyday so that I can stay home and raise our daughter and he will never understand how much that means to me. I look forward to so many years of memories with him. I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for our baby girl. For many years I was told I might not get pregnant and after months of trying, I decided to let it go and if God wanted to give us a baby He would. The very next month we found out I was pregnant! I was blessed with a healthy pregnancy and a complication free birth and, most importantly, a healthy baby. She has been the light of my life since the moment I saw her and she will be for the rest of her life. She made me a mama, which is the only thing I've ever dreamed of being. I know there will be hard days ahead (terrible twos, teenage years) but there is nothing she could ever do to make me stop loving her. 

3. My family. I know I take this one for granted in a major way. It usually isn't until I see or read about other families who don't get along or even intentionally hurt or turn their backs on each other, that I am reminded of what a rare blessing my family is. We are close-knit, supportive and genuinely enjoy being with each other. Not a week goes by that we don't ALL eat lunch together at my grandparents house. Some families only are able to gather like that for holidays and I get to do it every single Sunday. I wish I got to spend more time with my family who live out of town. But I'm very thankful for the times we do share together! I'm also thankful for my husbands family who have become my family too. They have always treated me like one of their own and I love them like they are mine :)

4. Things I have that I may sometimes wish were more. I know that sounds strange but what I mean is, for example, even though I sometimes dream of having a big house with a fireplace and a breakfast nook and a two-car garage, I'm still so thankful for my little one-bathroom, no dining room, no storage space house that I have. It was the first house Tyler and I bought together, it's where we brought our baby home from the hospital, it's where we've celebrated Christmas and made family dinners and watched our favorite shows together. It's our home, and it always will be, even when we one day don't live here anymore. There are times when I feel like this about a lot of things but I am still so thankful for all the things I do have and all the special meaning they hold. 

5. Opportunities I have in this life. Lastly, I'm thankful for all the things I get to see and do everyday. Many people are not as fortunate as I am. I get to travel with my family a lot and see and experience different places and try new things. I love going to new places, trying new foods, reading books, and learning new things. There is so much to experience in this life and I would love to do it all! And now that I have Harper, I love to see her experience new things too. Things we take for granted, she gets to do for the first time everyday and that is magical to see. I can't wait to take her to my favorite places and show her my favorite things and even more than that, I can't wait to see what will become her favorites. 

I'm sorry this was such a long post but I really wanted to tell you all about how truly thankful I am for all my blessings. I can't wait to celebrate Thanksgiving next week and watch Harper's face as she tastes turkey and dressing, a million different sides, and pumpkin pie for the first time! 

What are you most thankful for?

November style for Mama and Baby

Happy November! (a week late…) The weather is finally getting cool around here and its officially time for sweaters and boots. Sweaters are one of my absolute favorite things to wear since they look cute but feel like you're wearing a sweatshirt. I also love all the fun accessories that come with "sweater weather" like scarves, and fun, cozy socks!

Here are some of my favorite pieces for this month:

Puffer Vest, Fisherman Sweater, Plaid Scarf, Chunky Cardigan, Boots, Fair Isle Socks, Essie Polish, Plaid Dress, Knit Tights, Puffer Vest, Knit One Piece, Moccasin Boots, Thanksgiving Bib

I love prints like plaid and fair isle! They're just so cozy and warm looking. Any of these things would be great for a Thanksgiving outfit too. I think that cream, knit one-piece would work for a boy or a girl and would be so cute for Christmas too! But Im getting ahead of myself. Theres still plenty of time for all things Christmas! Let's save that for another (or 12) post! 

October Love List

I can't believe that October is almost over! It seriously seems like it just started. Not to mention, Harper turned 9 months old last week! Wasn't she just born, like, yesterday? Anyway, here is a list of things I'm loving this month:

1. Halloween clothes for Harper: Everyone knows by now that I love holidays, and dressing Harper accordingly. It is just so fun being festive! Ive been planning her October wardrobe for a while and Im so excited she finally gets to show it all off! Here's a few of the things she will be rocking all month.

Cat mask pjs, Boo onesie, Orange pants, Cat hat, Boo dress, Carter's outfit

2. Pumpkin Spice: Yes, I'm one of those people. I'm totally obsessed with anything and everything pumpkin spiced! Lattes, M&Ms, coffee creamer, cookies...the list goes on. Since it only comes around once a year, I definitely take advantage and go a little pumpkin crazy in October. 

3. Mom Mail Exchange: Ok, so this isn't exactly exclusive to October, but it was my first month to participate and it was so much fun! It started on Instagram as a way for mom's to meet other mom's (follow @mommailexchange for more info). You get paired with a different mom each month and get to know each other through IG and email and then exchange themed boxes of goodies worth around $30. Here's what my awesome new mom friend sent me this month!

4. The Pumpkin Patch: Harper and I tagged along with my mom's pre-k class on their field trip last week to our local pumpkin patch and had a great time! Harper loves pumpkins so I knew it would be a hit with her from the start. We rode a hayride out to the patch, picked our own pumpkin and then painted it. We also bought some mums and had a delicious chicken and dumpling lunch along with a piece of pumpkin pie! (Made with their own pumpkins of course). I can't wait to take Harper back year after year as she gets older.

5. Baby Halloween Costumes: There are so many cute costume options for babies! I have been looking on Pinterest for weeks trying to decide and finally went with the good old fashioned pumpkin. :) Its such a traditional "my first Halloween" costume in my opinion. I snapped a few pics of her in it already to use for Halloween cards to send to friends and family and I must say, she looks pretty adorable!

I cant wait to take this little one trick-or-treating next week! Even though she cant enjoy all the candy yet, Mama and Daddy still can ;) 

Goodbye September

Happy October! I'm so excited for this month full of football, pumpkin patches, chilly air, pumpkin spice lattes and of course, Harper's first Halloween! But first lets say goodbye to September and all the wonderful memories it brought :)

We took Harper to her first fair! We ate philly cheese steaks, homemade fries, funnel cakes and caramel apples. She loved seeing all the lights and hearing all the music! I can't wait to take her back next year and take her on the Ferris wheel! 

My baby turned eight months old! I seriously can't believe she's so old. Seems like she was just born and now she's only 4 months away from her first birthday! So crazy. 

We took a family trip to Chicago, which was so much fun! Tyler had to work and didn't get to go but we FaceTimed him every night :) Harper was so good throughout the whole trip! She went on her first airplane and train and did great on both. Here are a few pics from the trip

September was my birthday month! I had  to get a cupcake from Magnolia bakery while we were in Chicago. 

It was my first birthday as a mom and I couldn't have been happier to have my little Harper by my side as I blew out my candles :) 

Lastly, my sister-in-law got married this past weekend and Harper was the flower girl! I pulled her down the aisle in a wagon and she was so adorable. She danced and smiled and waved and loved all the attention! I think she's going to be a serious ham, that kid. We had so much fun at the wedding and reception and are so happy for Toni and Mitchem! 

September was a great month! I know October will be full of fun memories too. I especially can't wait to see a certain little baby in a tiny pumpkin costume :)