Monday, April 15, 2013

Bennett Clark [two/three months]


Sweet Baby Boy,

I will probably say this every month but I can't believe you're 3 months already! You have grown so much and I am beyond in love with you.

I didn't make a two month post, because I got pretty emotional after seeing your pediatrician. You were so little he didn't want to give you your shots, and we had to start supplementing with formula. I didn't realize how attached to breastfeeding I would be until I was told I couldn't. I started pumping and making your bottles half formula and half breast milk for a week, and you gained 6 oz. It was so hard for me to admit we had a problem, but through prayer and some sweet encouragement from friends (thank you girls if you're reading) we got back to our norm, and you gained 2 pounds this month! You are also completely off of the nipple shield which means we don't have to supplement with formula anymore :)
Your grandpa making you laugh. This will happen the rest of your life -- he's a funny guy! (just ask him hehe)

Your cousin Madison. She was so confident and comfortable holding you! Even when you got fussy.
Your sweet cousin Scotty :)

When you were six weeks old, we flew to Seattle and stayed with your Mima and Papa Gi. You were so good on the plane that when we stood up to get off, the man in front of us was surprised to see a baby! You got to meet all my family and friends, and of course they all loved you. You also got spoiled with presents! Every morning my dad would hold you and talk to you until you smiled, he said it made is whole day better. See the kind of affect you already have on people? I pray you will always use kindness and joy first.

This is the closest cousin Will would come to you ;) I bet when we see him at Thanksgiving you two will play!
Cousin Logan giving you kisses.
You and Buddy. He sure does love you.
Nana and you at the park. You are lucky to have a Nana like her!

We flew home and two days later flew to Atlanta with your daddy and stayed with Buddy & Nana. Your Aunt Melissa got to meet you and you immediately were smiling and talking to her! You also met your cousins Logan & Will, who weren't overly interested in you. I can't wait until you're bigger and you three get to play together! Cousins are very special friends, and even though you were tiny I still cherished the time with them.



Over the last two months you have really grown. You smile all the time! And you are soooo close to laughing. I think you're just waiting until your buddy & nana come this week so they can hear it too! You are quite the talker. You talk talk talk talk until you're so tired all you can do is cry for us to put you to sleep. You also are so strong! You prefer standing up, and can completely support yourself except you're so wiggly :) if we sit you down against something, you try so hard to sit-up on your own, I think you will be before we know it.


You and your Mima in La Jolla
Playing airplane with Papa Gi!

One of your favorite things right now (besides your mama) is your activity mat. You kick your legs like crazy when we put you on it. You don't reach for the toys yet, but you love to stare at the mirror. You used to hate tummy time and scream every time we tried, now you don't mind as much. Sometimes you just lay flat and stare around the room, and other times you try to roll over. You have rolled over once this week! You can't seem to do it again yet, but you will!

Playing with your Daddy.





You love binkies and baths! You recently figured out you could play in the bath. You kick kick kick and smile when you're in there. It's the cutest thing!

This week you started sleeping in your own room. You had decided you wanted to eat every hour through the night, so we decided to try your room and see if that helped.. It has! You now wait 2-3 hours between feedings which helps mama out a lot. It was hard for me at first, I missed you sleeping next to our bed, but I know it's the right thing for all of us!


Such a big boy wearing a North Face jacket and Chuck Taylor shoes!


I love how you love me. When you see me, your eyes light up and you scrunch your body up as if saying "I love you so much it takes my whole self to tell you!" We have a lot of fun together and I cherish each day I have with you, getting to love you and watch you grow. Although we have some hard days, when you look at me and smile - just for that moment - everything in the world is right.

I love you so much, Bennett.

xoxo, Mama

"Who needs a binky when I have my hand?"

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

No More Excuses

Mommy hood is hard. Exhausting, really. Completely worth it and fulfilling, but hard. I have been very dissatisfied with my post-baby body but I just haven't done anything about it. I did a Jillian Michael video one time, went on about two walks but that's it in the month since I've been cleared to exercise.

My dad always told me not to complain about something if I wasn't going to do anything about it. I keep hearing his voice in my head as I complain about my clothes not fitting and my round stomach.

I've heard of the Couch to 5k program before but always felt I was "above" that level. (I wasn't, FYI) For a month now I've been talking about starting it but wanted someone to do it with me - excuse #1. Then I would think about starting but come up with more reasons I couldn't that day.. I didn't sleep well the night before, Bennett wanted to be held, I already showered that morning, we live on a busy road, he doesn't fit in the jogging stroller yet, it's too hot, too cold, etc etc etc.

So when I hung out with Meg (henning love) on Saturday I asked her to hold me accountable to starting this week! When she texted me this morning I knew I didn't want to give her an excuse. Yes I barely got sleep last night but oh well, that's life right now. So Bennett and I got ready and we headed outdoors. He loves going for walks and it puts him right to sleep! I downloaded an app with a woman's voice who tells you when to walk/jog. I named her Meg :) and, it was actually WAY harder than it should have been but I'm proud to say I didn't cheat! Yes my legs felt like 1000 lb weights and my lungs were burning but that just shows me why I really need to get my booty off the couch. I've never been this out of shape! So far I'm off to a solid start and I'm excited to keep going with this program. I think the best part is that it's do-able even for someone who is out of shape and has never been a runner.

Ill keep you updated on my journey :) I'm down 20 total lbs since pregnancy or 6 since delivery. I have a goal in mind that is 5 lbs less than my pre-pregnancy weight but 5 lbs more than wedding weight. So a little further than my comfort weight but not the pressure of a wedding haha! I have about 38 lbs to go. Sorry that paragraph sounds like a story problem in 11th grade math :)

Ps. B turns 3 months old on Saturday!! Where is time going?!



Monday, April 1, 2013

Happy Easter!


Happy Easter from the Harris family! 




We had a wonderful day going to a church we love being a part of, and enjoying a meal with friends on the mountain.

So thankful that Jesus rose for us this day so many years ago! He is Risen!