Run-on thoughts of the Harris family (3 Mr.'s and a Mrs.)

A picture show of cold hands!

2011-03-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

January 2011....one of the first real snow days we had this year. See if you can follow the pictures...

Out having some fun...

Decided to come up to the house...

Can't get in the house fast enough....

My hands are COLD...

Granny Harris

2011-03-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

My Granny Harris...
My Name Sake...
June 1930-February 2011
I miss her already

Methvin Family Christmas

2011-03-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

We completely missed Christmas with Richard's dad's side of the family since we were on vacation, but we did make it to Gayle's house for Christmas a little after the actual holiday. Family time is always fun!

Christmas Morning 2010

2011-03-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning we woke up around 7am and by that time Mom and Dad had made it to the house. Jackson was SO EXCITED on Christmas Eve night, he forgot to leave out some goodies for Santa. So, what did Santa do? He ended up getting in to the fridge himself and got a piece of pumpkin pie and left a note for Jackson/Ethan that he hoped they didn't mind, but he got hungry for some pumpkin pie!

The Everglades

2011-03-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

While in Fort Luderdale, we were able to take a date night (Leah, Wadie, and Laynie) kept the boys for us. We ended up going on an air boat ride out to the everglades. And yes, we DID see an alligator (even though it was pouring rain for awhile.)

First beach experience

2011-03-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

This little man just had his first beach experience in Fort Lauderdale in December 2010. I can't say he LOVED it, but he did sort of warm up to the whole thing after a little while. Maybe that will change with a little age under his belt. I hope so!

A mid winter break

2011-03-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

We usually take a winter break somwhere, except for last year. Ethan was a little man, so we decided to stay at home. Then, in 2010, we made our way to Fort Lauderdale with Leah, Wadie and Miss Laynie. We had an absolute blast and it was beautiful!

Two little outlaws

2011-03-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

While at Branson, I decided to let the boys play a little dress up. This was the outcome. Don't let their cuteness fool you!

The start of the Christmas season

2011-02-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

So, back around the first part of December, I decided to take the boys to Branson and do a little pre-christmas vacation. We did some shopping, went to Bass Pro and even made a trip to the Dixie Stampede to see their Christmas show. This was the first time we had ever been to the Dixie show, and we LOVED it. May even go back again next year.

It ended up being myself, the boys, and my sister and her husband. Maybe next year we can convince Richard to come along as well.

Yea for babies!

2011-02-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

This last weekend we had the pleasure of throwing a baby shower for Baby Emma, Angela and Hazem. It went great and she got a wonderul assortment of baby goodies!

YEA for babies!

Halloween 2010

2011-02-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, this last Halloween was something else. We had decided to dress the boys up as little boxers. I had this grand idea that I would put a little makeup on Ethan and make it look like he had a black eye. Well, all of that went out the window and just goes to show that I'm not REALLY in charge of my life.

It ended up where I had to work a few days before Halloween. I got home around 3pm on Halloween, took the boys to a hayride/halloween party. The Wednesday before, they got to do the trunk or treat thing at church, so that was their trick or treating for the year.

Of course, the black eye thing never worked out. Ethan ended up sick and this was about as good of a picture as I got.

Little Miss Emma

2011-02-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

We're throwing a baby shower this weekend for Ms. Emma today (and Angela and Hazem.) I can't wait to meet her!

San Fran Trip

2011-02-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

So, back in October, Richard and I were able to take a trip to San Francisco. Well, it was a work trip for me, and Richard tagged along. We didnt take the boys with us on this trip, so we had a lot of time to look around and see all of the sights that San Fran has to offer. Here are a few:

Here I am in a cell at Alcatrez...a very interesting place, by the way.

Richard and I at the Golden Gate Bridge. This thing really is BIG!

Alcatrez island in the background

Here we are again at the bridge

The I'm not so sure face

2010-10-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

We get this face a lot. It's the "I'm not sure if I should cry or laugh or what" face. He usually does it right before the fake cry. You parents know what I mean....

balloon time

2010-10-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Around 16-17 months old. Just playing around with a balloon. Amazing how much time a balloon can buy, huh?

Sleepyhead

2010-10-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Jackson has turned into quite the sleepyhead lately. He loves to stay up later than bedtime, but then never wants to get up in the mornings. At least he comes by it honestly!

kindergarten!

2010-10-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is another post that's rather late in coming, but I now have a kindergartner and he LOVES it! I couldn't get him to even look at the camera for me, then when he did....I got the pictures below. Why not just a normal picture??

This way!

2010-10-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

This picture is funny to me for some reason. He was just playing around the house and I just happened to snap the camera and caught him in this pose. It's like he's directing traffic or something!

Yearning for...

2010-10-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Just yearning for some of this....

SIGH....

Brush, Brush...

2010-10-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ethan now has somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 teeth, so we brush them every morning and every night. He's just come to expect that after he finishes up his bath, and we're getting on his PJ's, he gets his toothbrush. Well,he doesn't really brush his teeth. He just more or less sucks on the toothbrush, but then I get a turn at it.

I've noticed recently that he seems to be tied at the top of his mouth as well. Some of you know that E had surgery when he was about 8 months old to clip his tongue so he wouldn't be tongue tied. Well, it appears that we'll have to do the same for the top of his mouth as well. I've only noticed this since his teeth have started coming through. I guess I'll talk with his Dr about it coming up next month and see what to do from there. At least it's fixable but it sure makes brushing the font teeth hard!

16 months old

2010-09-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

So, this post is a bit late. But, better late than never. Isn't that how the saying goes? These pictures were taken when Ethan was somewhere around 16 months old. Give or take a little. I swear, time is going by SO MUCH faster with Ethan that it ever did with Jackson.

Genetics

2010-07-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

You can barely see it in this picture, but Ethan has the exact same birthmark in the exact same place as Jackson AND Benny does. See it? Right at the base of his hairline? The small, little red blotchy thing? It's strange (but neat) to me how things such as this can skip generations. Genetics....

Family of 4

2010-07-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

I like this picture....our family of Four.

Someone is having a birthday!

2010-07-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

And we wanted to wish a happy birthday to the BEST daddy (and husband) there is!

fun times??

2010-07-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

BLAH!

Again, last month...

So, one evening Richard asks me if I just took a bath. A Bath? I say?? Not tonight yet, why? He thought I had taken a shower and just got out wet and got the carpet in our closet all wet. Ummm...no!

Come to find out, we had a water leak....in the closet....behind the built in shelves where it was nice and hard to get to.

FINALLY...a month later and all is fixed and back to normal. Ended up like this: When our house was being built, a sheetrock nail got nailed into the pipe and it took about 2 years for it to finally rust through, resulting in said water leak.

Fun times? Ummm...NO!

Goodbye Preschool!

2010-07-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

As of right now, I don't have a preschooler. Jackson is now done with preschool and on to bigger and better things called regular school. Ethan is still too young to attend preschool, so I'm without right now.

Back in May, "Jukebox Jackson" (his western themed name for the ceremony) officially said goodbye to preschool and hello to Kindergarten.

Our boy is really growing up.

t-ball---end of the season

2010-07-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know what is up with my camera these days, but I just can't get these pictures to come out right. Anyway, Jackson's first year of t-ball has come and gone. It was a questionable year. At first he liked it, then he said he was "the most horribliest player", then towards the end he really liked it again. So, to say that we'll do it again next year....I'm not so sure, but we'll see how it all goes.

BIrthday Boy part 2

2010-07-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

Then, the w/end after his actual birthay, we had his party with family and friends. He had a good time. Lots of fun, some super green frosting that stained everyone's mouth! And an out of this world jumpy thing. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of the jump thing. Really? Why didn't I get a picture of his jump thing? Well, you'll just have to believe me when I say there was a sports themed jump house there too.

I think the kids had fun and Jackson was glad to have a big birthday party.

Birthday Boy part 1

2010-07-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

On May 13, Jackson turned 5 years old! I can't believe I have a 5 year old. Really...where does the time go? At his preschool, they get to celebrate their birthdays with ice cream and a birthday hat. Richard, myself and Ethan made it to help him celebrate.

My cute little 5 year old!

This boy is good!

2010-06-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

THIS BOY????

Is good! I know, I know. I'm very sorry that I left ya'll hanging on the post titled A Little Anxious from awhile back. I was a little anxious about Ethan's last appt. at Children's Hospital. Then, my sister said she had several people ask about how E's appt. went and that I really needed to update my readers. Yes, all three of you! HA Anyway, so it went like this. Bear with me here, this one will be long. So, this appt. was a big appt. for E. He was set to have a regular ultrasound to check the position of his ureterocele (the duplicate ureter he has inside his bladder) and to make sure that it wasn't anywhere close to his prostate like it had been before. Then, he was scheduled to have a VCUG test done. This is the big one... A VCUG test (I don't remember exactly what that stands for) but it's a test they can do to test for urine reflux. This is what E had when he was in the womb that eventually killed off the upper part of his left kidney. We were hoping and praying the test showed that he had NO reflux! That would be the best news ever! Now, to do this test, they have to insert a catheter and then make dye flow through until it fills up his bladder. While all of this is happening, they take about a million x-rays to see exactly where the dye goes and if it goes back up to the kidneys or just stays in the bladder like it's supposed to, or if he urinates it out. ok, still with me here? Well, the last time he had this test done, E was about 6 weeks old or so, and was still small enough that we could just kind of handle him and make him do whatever we needed him to do in order to get the x-rays we needed. This time? Not so much. Ethan had his own idea of how things should go, and our ideas and his didn't match up. Not in the least bit. So, first they strap him down to this board thing that can rotate in all directions. They strap him down so he won't be trying to pull on the catheter and won't be squirmy and all the other things he can't be doing during this test. So, they finally get him strapped down. Richard and I are in the room with him and he isn't liking it one bit (as you can imagine!) Then, they start with the catheter. First time....too big. Have to try again. Get it in and then being the x-ray process. First picture they see it's not all the way in the bladder. Have to start back over with a smaller size catheter. Finally, get it in AND all the way into the bladder as it should be. By this time, a good 30 minutes has passed and Ethan has cried so much and sweated so much, his face is as red as a sonic straw. I'm not kiddin'! Finally, done with the test. They unstrap him, he finally calms down (once we get out of the room and away from the Dr's) and we go get something to eat and try to calm down. We had a couple hours to kill before our clinic appt. with the Dr. During this time, E became super fussy. Just moaning around, crying a little, wasn't urinating like I thought he should, just...fussy. He was acting the same way he did, back when he had such trouble with that ureterocele when it covered his prostate and he wasn't able to pee! Oh no! Pleeeeease don't let it be the same situation again! PLEASE! So, we finally get to clinic. Dr.C asks us how things are going. I tell him about E not urinating since the procedure, how he's being fussy, etc. Dr assures us that he's just sore and swollen from the earlier procedure and that he's more than likely just holding his urine until he HAS to let it go because well, it hurts him. Dr says he should be back good to do within about 24 hours or so. So, our fears are relieved and sure enough, by the next day Ethan was doing ok and not fussing like he was the day before. Best part of the day? We got the news that Ethan had NO reflux! AND...he got to come off of the medicine he had been on since birth! Praise God! I'm sorry this post is so long in coming, but all is good with E and we don't have to go back to Little Rock until November. YEA!

A year ago....

2010-06-29T22:10:00.001-07:00

a year ago at this time, we were back at Children's Hospital, unsure of what Ethan's future might hold. Desparately trying to figure out what went wrong with his surgery. Praying to God that he would be ok. Thank you God, for answered prayers!

operation....make a mess!

2010-06-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

I do it! I do it! ravaoli anyone?

family shoot

2010-06-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

Back last month we had a family photoshoot done. This was the first time we've had any real pictures taken since Ethan's been born, so it was good to have. Boys could have cooperated more, but that IS our family right now. Two boys...who don't always cooperate. Here are a few from the day:

Jump Zone

2010-06-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

So, I know I've taken a big, huge blogging break. Not really meaning to, but man, it's been busy.

I'll start with this: Back about a month or so ago, Jackson and I trekked up to NW Arkansas and met up with Christel and Braden to go to Jump Zone. Now this is a pretty neat place with all kinds of blow up inflatable jumpy things, so the boys had a heck of a time. Then, we had lunch and said our goodbyes for another few months. It took us a long time to get together this time around, so I'm glad we finally made it happen and hope we can do it again sometime soon without waiting so long.

Feeling a little anxious

2010-05-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a little anxious. I always do around this time. It's about time for Ethan to go back to ACH and get more tests/checkups done.

The other day I started to count up the number of times he's been there for all his different medical stuff. You know, the countless renal ultrasounds, the voiding tests, the function tests, the 2 surgeries, the extended hospital stay. But, I lost track. Lets just say he's been there a lot and we LOVE that hospital. Not because we LIKE to go there, but we have to go there and they are great at what they do.

I was going back through Ethan's first box the other day and found his little masks that were used during his two surgeries. Although they were both minor surgeries (in comparison to some.) A surgery is a surgery and I'm so very glad they have gone well for him.

Aren't these masks just the smallest things? Especially that green one. Ethan used that one when he was just 2 months old.

This time around, the tests will be a bit more involved. This time he will not only have his regular clinical appt. but also another renal ultrasound and another VCUG test (to see whether or not he's still refluxing urine.) The last time he had most of these more involved tests he was only 6 weeks old and slept through most of it. This time with a 1 year old, it'll be way different. So....if you would just pray that he gets through it ok, and that we get through it ok and that everything comes back great! Thanks!

t-ball 2010

2010-05-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

This is the first year Jackson has played t-ball. He missed it last year by 13 days, so this year he was good to go. He's on the 3-4 year old team and how cute they are! I love watching them all play. How many 3-4 year olds can "tackle" a baseball? Answer: most all the team!

Check out these pictures....

Batter up!

Ball? where's the ball?

Oh, there's a player on MY base?

What's a little t-ball without taunting?

WHEW! hard work!

Our boys

2010-05-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

Our two wonderful, loving, ADORABLE boys. I love these first pictures of Jackson. Notice all the freckles?

I just noticed that I didn't get a single picture of the two of them together on Easter Sunday. And they even had on matching shirts (thanks BTW, Christel!)

Ethan LOVES to eat...

2010-05-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ethan is definitely out eater out of the two boys....even if it's a tag on a toy! No really, he did try to eat the tag, but the tag was promptly removed. He sure is growing!

Bear Survey 2010

2010-05-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

So, remember this post where I talked about what my office looks like? One snowy, COLD, day in early March, my office looked like what you see below.

Every year or so, we do a bear survey in conjunction with the Arkansas Game and Fish. This year, I got to attend. This is the first time in a few years I've been since I've always had other things going on. Anyway, it was a single female cub and SO CUTE!

She weighed around 2 pounds, but her claws were super, duper sharp. Take a look!

Ice Skating

2010-05-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

Back during spring break, I took Jackson to the Jones Center there in Springdale, for some ice skating action. Now, remember, this is the first time jackson has ever been ice skating and the first time in several years I had been. BUT...we DID make it 2 full times around the rink. We may or may not have been hanging on to the side the entire time. I can't rightly say.

We got NO pictures of Jackson actually out on the ice (although he really did go, I promise!) Something about me hanging on to him the entire time and I really didn't want to hit the ice myself and break my camera. So, these pictures will have to do.

After it was all over, I asked Jackson if he liked it and he said he did, but he didn't want to go back until he was much older...like 14 he said!

easter 2010--better late than never

2010-05-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Jackson is finally to the age where Easter egg hunts are FUN for him. He's so very competitive and wants to find them ALL!

WHEW! Maybe if I take a little break...

Nope, no time for breaks...now, how many more do I need to find?

Ethan on the other hand could have cared less about the eggs. He was more interested in the grass and leaves. Wondering how he could get this in his mouth before someone notices...

oh, and look! A pretty yellow weed

See my weed STICK??

Oh, what's this? Eggs you say?

Oh well, off to find more weeds and sticks and grass

See ya! Hope you had a Happy Easter

Jackson's Tea Party

2010-04-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

So, every year at Calvary Baptist Preschool, the 4 year old class has what they call their Annual Tea Party....think 4 year old prom! They girls get all dressed up, as do the boys (just not usually as fancy.)

The kids draw names to see who their "date" will be for the day. The boys escort the girls, present them with a flower, sit by them as they eat their snacks, etc. It's really just a way to teach them about manners and how to act around each other in a "formal" setting.

Then, they hit the dance floor for some well rehearsed dances as well as some slow dancing. SO CUTE! I mean really....

Take a look at some of the pictures from the day. This is Jackson and his date, McKenzie.

Birthday boy...part 2

2010-04-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

So, after the crying fit, we put him in the bathtub cleaned him up (made sure to get all the icing out of his EYE) and he was much, much better. This is after most everyone had left and the spotlight was now off of him for the time being. Much better, huh?

Birthday Boy...part 1

2010-04-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Birthday boy!! So, as you know, Ethan turned 1 year old recently. We celebrated with a birthday party/cupcakes/ice cream at the house. It went ok, EXCEPT, and this is a BIG except...Ethan didn't get his nap out that day. I think he slept for about 1 hour total.

Here's how it all went down:

Are you ready? Are you sure your ready?

Yes, it ended in a full blown, all out, cry fest. Complete with icing in the eyes.

Happy Birthday anyway, little buddy!

My Office

2010-02-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

Want to know what my office looks like? Take a look below:

Yes, this is my office most days and YES, I know I'm lucky. It's not everyday you find a job you love and one where you get paid to do what you love. Seriously though, I've been asked time and time again about what a typical day is like in my work. True, this is my office of sorts, but fact is, I spend a lot of my time doing legal compliance work. BORING!

Maybe sometime in the future, I'll take the camera with me and take a photo of some of the neat things I see/do. Look for a post soon on just this topic.

Great Granny!

2010-02-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

My boys and their great-granny (and my namesake, by the way!) I'm SO, SO, SO glad they know her and she knows them. It's always interesting because every time we go to her house, Jackson just expects that she'll have a cookie waiting on him. I assume that's what he'll remember most about her. I hope Ethan will grow and know/remember her as well. Love you, Granny Harris!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T19:14:00.000-08:00

Photo Shoot

2010-02-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

While we were waiting the other day, I put the camera up to Ethan's face and just took picture after picture till my finger was tired. Here's what we came up with. Aren't his eyes BLUE?? WOW!

Be A Hero

2010-02-19T19:37:00.000-08:00

So, can you guess what I did recently?

If you guessed "gave blood", that would be correct. I've always been a consistent blood donor. You know, unless I'm pregnant or breastfeeding. Then, I have to lay off the blood donations cause I'm not eligible then. Anyway, since I'm now done with the pregnancies and breastfeeding, I'm back in the game and it feels good!

Do you donate blood? Here are a few facts about blood donations/needs that I got off of the American Red Cross website.

Facts about blood needs
1. Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood
2. More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day
3. One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood
4. Total blood transfusions in a given year: 14 million (2001)
5. The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints
6. The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O
7. The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs
8. Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98% of whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives
9. More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
10. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood. See more facts on blood needs for various medical treatments

Our local blood donation place is United Blood Services. You don't necessarily have to go to their office to donate. They do blood drives around a lot. Just look for them and or call and see when/where they will be.

If you're healthy and able to donate blood, I strongly urge you to. If you do already, then good for you and thanks for being a HERO!

A dinner theater

2010-02-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

So, Jackson and I went to the dinner theater at Foothill Little Theater for the 6th annual Hee Hawww Show. My dad was in it again this year and I'm excited I was able to take Jackson to it to see it live this time around. He LOVED it! He wasn't so big on the meal, but LOVED the show. My little valentine! I'm so glad he's getting to the age where we can take him places and he acts good. I know he won't be little forever. When I picked him up from school the other day, the follwing poem was in his backpack and it made me realize that I need to treasure EVERY SINGLE day/moment with my boys. They're only little once. Anyway, here is the poem:

Goodnight Kiss

By Chapmans

I count it as a privlege,
I count it cause for praise
to kiss my children goodnight
at the close of every day.

For I know too soon they're up and gone,
and walking out the door.
And I'll never have a child
to kiss goodnight anymore.

It's very strange how times have changed
from the present to the past.
When did they grow so quickly
the time has flown so fast.

For it seems that only yesterday,
I helped him with his shirt.
I patted my baby on the back
and kissed away the hurt.

Mommy bounce me on your knee,
Daddy hold me high.
Let's go outside for a ride
or make a kite to fly.

How true it is!

Excuse the pictures, it's almost impossible to get a GOOD picture of Jackson these days, as he's always wanting to pose. UGH

Worldess Wednesday

2010-02-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Snack leader

2010-02-16T22:08:00.000-08:00

Every few months, Jackson is snack leader at his preschool. They rotate out and his turn comes up every 3 months or so. So, what does being snack leader mean, you ask? Glad you asked!

All it means really is that he gets to be first in line wherever they go and he gets to help out with snacks and the fun things they do. I try to go help out when Jackson is snack leader when I'm able to. I did get to go one time this week, and it happened to be pink day. Just so you know, I don't always go around dressing my 4 year old son in pink. It just happened that it was pink day today and I got a picture.

Anyway, thought you'd like to see the snack leader in all his glory!

New design!

2010-02-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

So, you like? You like it? I DO!

The new blog design is courtesy of my friend and fellow blogger, Christel

Thanks much Christel!

Bible Blitz Idol

2010-02-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

We recently had our first annual BIBLE BLITZ IDOL. This is sort of like American Idol,except for just the kids in our bible blitz participate. It was fun really.

The preschool class that I help teach all did the Hokey Pokey for Jesus dance. And then Jackson did his own little routine. Can you guess what it was? Here are a couple hints: it had to do with sports and he needed his Razorback jersey and hog hat to complete the routine. Any guesses? He called the HOGS....AND....he won for his age group.

He was so happy! They had these cute little trophies or they could choose a blow up guitar. So, guess which Jackson chose? The guitar. So now we get to listen to him serenade us with his songs. Aren't we just lucky?

Milestones

2010-02-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

This little guy has hit quite a few milestones in the last month or so. On New Years eve night, he started sitting up by himself without any help at all for several minutes at a time.

Then, middle of January he started "giving 5" and giving kisses when prompted.

Then, January 19, I noticed his two bottom teeth just starting to pop through the skin. It's about time!

Then, January 21, he started to clap when prompted.

By the end of January, he was everywhere he could go in his walker. Not just backwards, but sideways and forwards too.

He still is showing absolutely no interest at all in puling up on things or crawling though. Not even military crawling. So, I don't know about that. I know Jackson didn't hardly crawl at all. Just went straight to walking, so maybe Ethan will do the same. He does stand up for long periods of time against the couch and chair. We shall see...

Another first

2010-02-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

We recently paid a visit to here:

We got tired of combing the tangles out of his hair. We got tired of seeing the "scare hair" every morning. We got tired of people thinking HE was a SHE. So, we did it. We took Ethan for his first haircut and he did SO good. He sat up in the chair like a big boy and just sit so perfectly. The same lady, Heather, who did Jackson's first haircut, also did Ethan's, so that was special.

Here he is before with the mop of hair:

Here he is during:

Here he is after! Is it just me, or does his hair look lighter and he look so much bigger, all of a sudden?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

Baby Jonah and EB

2010-02-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

So, have you ever heard of EB? Me either, until I stumbled upon this blog once upon a time. It was right before Ethan was born, and I was looking online, killing some time, surfing around the internet. I had NEVER heard of this disease before and it is really rare. Here is a small description of it.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare genetic disease characterized by the presence of extremely fragile skin and recurrent blister formation, resulting from minor mechanical friction or trauma. This condition is not contagious.

An estimated 1 out of every 50,000 live births are affected with some type of EB. The disorder occurs in every racial and ethnic group throughout the world and affects both sexes equally.

With all this said, little Jonah is about to turn 1 year old. In celebration of his birthday, they are having an auction here and all proceeds will go to DEBRA. A great cause! So, go and bid your heart out. I will be.

Another snow day

2010-02-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

So, we had another good snow the other day. I think we got just about 4-5 inches here at the house. It was nice because we went to bed with just sleet, and woke up to a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL snow!

The boys liked it. Well, Jackson especially. I don't think Ethan really cared one way or the other. We made more snow ice cream (except this time put some Eagle Brand milk in it too.) That made all the difference. YUM, YUM!

Then, Grandma and Poppy came over and brought the sled and disk. The sled didn't work so well. But the disk....oh my! How fun it was! We have a great sleeding hill right out front and after a few passes, we had the snow compacted enough where it was great. If you went just right, you could sled almost all the way down to the pond!

I think this last picture, I was catching Ethan mid-sneeze!

Cowboy in Training

2010-02-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

Look at the little cowboy in training? Jackson was playing with his black cowboy hat and gave it to Ethan, then decided to take it away. Well, of course, Ethan threw a fit, so Jackson had to go get his red one so Ethan could have one too.

This was the first time Ethan even remotely took an interest in any kind of hat. Kinda cute really...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

Tent City

2010-02-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

Come on..you remember when you used to make tents out of blankets and stuff in the house? Well, it was cold the other day. Too cold to go outside and play, and the boys were getting bored. So I thought, why not?

And, you know, no tent is complete without the following items:

--TWO cowboy hats
--flashlight
--stuffed horse
--bandana
--animal print snuggie
--sword
--pillows

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

2010-01-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

Things have gotten much easier on the bath front these days since the boys have started taking a bath together. Before, it was I had one kid, Richard had the other. OR...I started Jackson on a bath while I was giving Ethan his, then got Ethan out and ready for bed, and poor Jackson was content to play while I was doing all of this.

Now, MUCH easier. Ethan's still using the tub sitter, but it won't be long and he'll be in the tub all by himself (without the sitter I mean.)

Almost wordless Wednesday--a Gladiator Cowboy? I don't know...

2010-01-27T17:25:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-20T18:53:00.000-08:00

Liberty Bowl

2010-01-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

Richard and I made it to the Liberty Bowl this year to watch the Razorbacks play. This was the first time we had left Ethan for the night so we weren't so sure how it was all going to work out. Ethan stayed with one set of grandparents and Jackson stayed with another set. It was just for one night but that one night was fun and just what we needed. Thanks to the grandparents for taking the kiddos! We had a blast in Memphis and got to see a Razborback victory, too!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T21:02:00.000-08:00

Ethan's first snow!

2010-01-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

Ethan's first snow just happened to fall on his first Christmas! That will be an easy one to remember, right? He wasn't so sure what to think about all of it. The wind was blowing quite a bit when we went out and it sort of took his breath away so he wasn't too fond of it until he got to touch it. Then, he seemed to like it ok.

Snow day!

2010-01-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

This is what we woke up to on Christmas morning. I white christmas and it was beautiful! It wasn't much but it made it so great. We opened up presents, went to play in the snow and then made snow ice cream (of course!)

Christmas morning

2010-01-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

We woke up to SNOW on Christmas morning! We had planned for Poppy and Grandma Rue to come over to the house around 7am and watch the kids open their gifts and stockings. 7am was just a guess as to when things might get going and it couldn't have been timed any better. Woke up at 7am, grandparents got there around 7am, Jackson woke up about 7:15! Opened the gifts, stockings and had some yummy breakfast casserole and then went out to play in the snow. What a great day! Jackson got several things, but his biggest gift from Santa was this big castle that makes sounds/lights up. Ethan....well, he was more interested in the paper and tissue paper than anything else. That, and watching what his brother was doing. I'm sure next year will be way different though.

Busy December (up till Christmas)

2010-01-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

December was WAY, super busy. I mean, it literally came and went in a whirlwind. We started off with the annual town Chrismtmas parade.

Then, Ethan had surgery at Children's hospital for his tongue. Some of you may not know he was born tongue tied. So was jackson though and he had his fixed when he was only 2 months old. We decided to go ahead and get it taken care of for Ethan too. Now, he can blow raspberries, lick ice cream cones, stick his tongue out and do all the things he "should" be able to do. I'm glad we went ahead and got it taken care of. He did well through it all. No bad effects from the anesthesia, no stiches and minimal bleeding!

Then, we went and rode the train at Creekmore park in Fort Smith. This is something we usually do every year but this year we waited till the last minute and so did everyone else in Fort Smith it seemed. The line was HORRIBLE. I think we waited a little over 1 hour to ride a 10 minute train ride. Oh well, maybe we'll make it sooner next year.

Next..Christmas post!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T09:17:00.001-08:00

weaning

2009-12-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

I'm just about to that point....

I'm trying to wean Ethan from breastfeeding and I'm feeling pretty good about it this time around. When Jackson was little he really pretty much weaned himself starting at about 6-7 months old. Once he got the taste of real food, he didn't want much else except real food and bottles. I was crushed when he didn't need me anymore. I can remember standing in the kitchen telling Richard about how sad it made me and telling him that "He just don't understand." It really is a special bond between mom/baby and something that dad's just don't "get."

Now, Ethan is 7 months old and at his last well child check up, he wasn't even 15 pounds...a mere 2% in the growth percentage. Underweight. While Dr. J didn't come right out and say that I needed to stop with the breastfeeding, he did strongly suggest that he needed more than what I could give him.

So, with that info., Ethan is now on straight formula during the daytime and still breastfed at night. I can't completely give it up yet. I'm not ready to. He's only nursing 1-2 times a day now, so I know it won't be long.

I can remember when I stopped with Jackson my hormones were a MESS for awhile, and I'm so dreading that part of it all this time around. Also, with Jackson I never took the time to remember that last time, because frankly, I didn't know it was the last time with Jackson. But with Ethan, things will be different. I'm going to remember the last time with him. I need that, for myself.

Since Ethan has been on only formula, he's gained 1 pound in 1 week. He's now at 15 pounds, 10 ounces, and he seems happier now too. I needed to do what was best for him and for that, I'm happy!

Thanksgiving 2009 part 1

2009-11-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday we celebrated an early Thanksgiving holiday at Granny Vel's and papa Benny's house. It was fun as always, but quite a show with 5 kids aged 4 and under. Plus an older kid....all BOYS. Yes, ALL boys. I don't think we would know what to do with a GIRL....what's that?

Of course, we all had our fill of turkey and dressing and all the sides plus desserts. mmmm, desserts. Here are some pictures from the day.

2 little HOG fans

Papa Benny, Jase, Granny Vel, Jessica and Jonathon

John, Jenifer, Jaiden and Jordan

The Boys

Russell, Angie and Reid

A good checkup

2009-11-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

This little boy went back to his pediatric urologist in Little Rock on the 17th. He got a pretty good report. The good news? He doesn't have to go back until April for the same set of tests he had when he was 6 weeks old. They need to be able to compare and see what's the same and what's different.

It was easy when he was 6 weeks old. His kidney funciton test along lasted 60 minutes and he slept through most of that. When he goes back in April, he'll be 1 year old and I have a feeling things will be different....much different.

Dr. R is retiring at the end of the year, so a new ped. urologist will be taking over Ethan's case. Want more good news? This new Dr. does laproscopic surgeries where as Dr R did open surgeries. So, that IS good news! IF Ethan will need to have another surgery in the future.

But for now, he's just keeping on....being a 7 month old baby and doing a good job at it!

a celebration

2009-11-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

This last weekend was spent celebrating the marriage of this couple:

My sister, kammy and my new brother-in-law, Jay. They were actually married back in September and just had the celebration this last weekend.

We were all stalking the weather this last week just hoping it wouldn't rain it out, since it was bring held outside. The weather was perfect! The rain held off long enough for people to eat some good BBQ, visit a little, and have some fun.

It was a fall themed celebration (being fall and all, it just fit.) Marsha from Brookhaven Nursery did the arrangements and she really out did herself. Everything was PERFECT!

Jay's mom, Kelly made the wedding cake. I think she did a WONDERFUL job! A perfect cake for the occassion.

Congrats again Kammy and Jay. I'm very happy for you and wish you guys nothing but the best.

Ethan's first Razorback game

2009-11-16T18:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have to admit, I'm not a HUGE fan of Razorback football. Basketball....yes, and even baseball. But football isn't my thing. It's not that I hate it, I just don't enjoy it so much. That said, we had a chance to take Ethan to his very first football game the other day when Razorbacks played South Carolina.

The weather was perfect and we couldn't have asked for a better day. We got to the stadium a bit late. Something about getting a 4-year old and a 6 month old there too. Anyway, as we were on our way, the jets did a fly by and Ethan started crying. It scared him a little...bless his heart. So, out of the crowd we came and I calmed him down and he was good again.

During the game, he just sit there and watched everything in awe. Sensory overload for sure! Then, about 1/2 time, we took the boys down to papa's and Granny Vel's and Ethan fell asleep there. Then, 3rd quarter we went back and picked them back up.

It was a good day and we can now say Ethan has been to his 1st football game AND that it was a success!

Here is is with me. This is only the 2nd picture I have of us two together, so it's extra special.

Ethan and daddy

Watching the game

Cheering on the Razorbacks

vs. South Carolina

Boxcar Jackson

2009-11-13T22:08:00.000-08:00

On the traintracks here in town, there is this train that has been set up here FOREVER! Anyway, I thought it would be a neat place to get some pictures and I kinda like the way they turned out. Jackson especially liked that he was on a train and got to climb up and down the little ladder on the side of the car.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Last Flag football game

2009-11-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

So, Jackson had his last flag football game last week. Who knows who really won. They don't really keep score. It's more of a play for 1 hour kind of thing. But it was good, and I think he had fun this year. It'll be interesting to see if he wants to do it next year as well and if he does, to see if he "gets" it anymore than he did this year.

This is their lineup. WHAT? you can't tell they are lined up? Come on now....this is as good as it gets with 4 year old.

And of course, Ethan had to go watch the last game. Although he did sleep through most of it. It's the thought that counts though, right?

And it was trophy night. Well, medal night. Man, was he proud or what?

superheros to the rescue...

2009-11-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

Halloween around the Harris household actually took place on the Wednesday before at a church event. I guess at this age, treak or treating is just that...and it doesn't matter the "day."

This year, we had a couple superheros on our hands. Jackson was, of course, Batman. And every good superhero needs a good sidekick. So, in true fashion, Ethan was Robin. Although I don't know how much of a sidekick he was. He didn't like to keep on his disguise (aka-the mask) at all but was ok with it on top of his head.

The town is a little better today because of these two!

Hope you all had a great halloween also.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ethan is 6 months old!

2009-10-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? He's 6 months old already. I was just telling R the other day, that Ethan's time has FLOWN by. I mean really, really just flown by. So much more than it did with Jackson. Maybe because we have another one to look after now too. But man, it can slow down now..really it can.

My little pumpkins

2009-10-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

So, a couple weekends ago (when it FINALLY quit raining) I took Ethan and Jackson to the pumpkin patch at Wild Things Farm. We met up with Leah and Laynie and had a good ole time.

First rattle out of the box, I jumped out of the car to unbuckle the kiddos and a goat jumped into the car. Not once but TWICE. Really!

So, after finally getting the kids out the car and getting tickets, we finally got on the hayride. Got to see the horses, sheep, etc. The corn maze would have been fun if we hadn't gotten 5 inches of rain the couple days before. So, we didn't do the corn maze but did get a pumpkin or two.

It was fun and of course we'll do it again next year. Except next year I'll have two running around.

wordless wednesday

2009-10-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

you'd think they were brothers or something...

2009-10-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

RIGHT?? Can you tell them apart?? To me, they certainly look like siblings but they defintely have their own look too.

October 15

2009-10-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know October is pregnancy and infant loss remembrance month? And specifically, October 15th is pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day?

Although I've never experienced (and hope I never do) such a loss, my heart aches for those that have. It just seems unnatural for a mom and dad to have to bury their baby.

There are so many out there hurting....like Ayden's family or Reese's family or Evan's family

Please say a special prayer for all the little angels out there and for their families left here on Earth.

May they dance among the stars!

A weekend in Dallas

2009-10-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

So, we went to Dallas this past weekend for the Arkansas vs. Texas A&M game. Actually, here's how it really went:

A whole lot of this by our oldest:

Then, we finally get here and find the hotel (nice place to stay by the way):

And see this right across the street and wish our boys were old enough to partake. BUT....have to save that for another trip down the road.

Went here on Saturday. Nice place but hard to get around in, in my opinion.

Then, Richard, Jackson and R's friend Corey took off for here:

To see this:

VS

while myself, Ethan, Corey's wife and little girl took off to do some shopping (and see the merry go round and ice skating rink inside the mall.)

A good trip all in all but NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

first time bowler here

2009-10-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

In an effort to keep Jackson motivated with his speech lessons, the deal is that we will do something fun after the lesson IF AND ONLY IF he does well during the lesson. So, a couple months ago he did GREAT at his lesson and to make good on my promise, he wanted to go bowling and I obliged.

Now, you have to remember this was the first time he's ever been and he didn't have a clue as to what to expect, but all in all he did a pretty bang up job (thanks gutter guards!)

SHOES?? Check.

BALL?? Check.

ALLEY?? Check.

HMMMM...That was too easy

what goes up must come down

2009-10-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

I found one of those little tikes swings at a yard sale the other day for a sweet $5.
So, I brought it home and put it on the swingset and let little Ethan have his first taste of swinging. Here's how it went.

Uhhh, I don't know about this thing Mom:

ok, this is alright so far:

I kinda like this swinging thing:

I REALLY like this swinging thing!

a hint of??

2009-10-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

Forget the kids in the pictures but what does this

and this have to do with one another?

Stay tuned to find out...

wordless wednesday

2009-09-30T05:40:00.000-07:00

tulsa aquarium

2009-09-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

We made a quick weekend trip to the Tulsa aquarium a couple months ago. It had been awhile since we've been there and we were looking to get out of the house AND Jackson had been asking about the sharks so we thought "why not."

Here are a few pictures of our trip. Ethan could have cared less and he actually fell asleep for part of it.

Jackson, on the other hand, was all about it but scared of the shark tunnel until he saw there was no way they could get out.

Out in front of the aquarium is this alligator and jackson wanted nothing to do with his head. Afraid of a bite I guess?

Scare hair!

2009-09-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Ethan has the (un)?? fortunate thrill of having a double crown. Yes, it's cute now when he's really little to have a mohawk like hairdo. But I don't think it'll be so cute when he gets older. We're gonna have to do a lot of trial and error to find a hairstyle that'll work for him. Either long or very short....my guess is very short but we'll see.

I have several pictures of him and his hair but this one was taken right after a bath, so it was fresh and clean and defintely SCARE HAIR!

trying so hard!

2009-09-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

It's tummy time and although Ethan can get from his back to his stomach fairly easily (even in his sleep which is scary,) he still hasn't mastered getting BACK to his back from his stomach. It'll come soon though....he's almost there!

wordless wednesday

2009-09-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

my little......rabbit??

2009-09-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

So, we've just recently started Ethan on some veggies (in additon to his cereal.) So far, he's had most of the yellow vegetables but carrots are by FAR his favorite. He will literally leave his mouth open almost the entire time he's feeding with the exception of the split second that he closes it to swallow.

He looks like a little bird ready to be fed always.

Here he is in all his glory....carrots up the nose and all.

The Harris boys

2009-09-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

My boys are growing up right before my eyes! I really can't believe Ethan is 5 months old already. I can't believe that I'll blink my eyes again and I'll be planning his 1 year birthday. Unbelievable really.

So, here they are. Jackson is 4 and Ethan is 5 months.

My sweet, sweet little guys.

5 months old

2009-09-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

This little fella is officially 5 months old. We went the other day for his 4 month old check-up and shots. We're lagging a month behind due to all the medical stuff and hospital stays back in June/July.

But...

The important thing is that he is doing well. He's now 26 inches long and weighs 13 pounds, 4.5 ounces.

Here is what your doing at 5 months old:

--you have found your hands and are fascinated with them

--you can grasp a toy well but can't transfer it from one hand to the other yet

--you certainly have found your voice and you're now into shrieking

--you LOVE carrots

--we're still trying to get your digestive issues straightened out with the 1/2 bottle of formula supplement you get at daycare. Dr. seems to think you may have a milk allergy.

--you give the biggest grins and giggles

--you love to roll from back to stomach, then get mad when you can't get back onto your back

--you still wake up at least twice a night to feed. maybe one of these days you'll decide to sleep through

--you move your hands/feet a thousand miles a hour yet they get you nowhere...poor thing.

We love ya little guy!

It's a nice day for a ....

2009-09-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

WEDDING!

Let me tell ya a little story....

Once upon a time there was a boy and a girl. They didn't know each other but they knew the same people. Then, those mutal friends introduced them to each other and the rest is history.

One year later and they're married. Just like that!

So, my little sister up and got married this past weekend. I'm so very happy for them. They had started planning a bigger wedding but it got out of control and too big for their taste, so they ran away and got married in a little bungalow in Eureka Springs.

I say, Good for them!

Congrats kammy and jay. May your lives be blessed and may you have many happy memories througout the years to come.