6 Weeks Old!

Harrison is 6 weeks old which means I can't use the excuse anymore that "I just had a baby." I just wanted to post some photos of Harrison's cute facial expressions that he shows us on a daily basis. I know that I have already said this, but Harrison looks just like Adam did at 6 weeks (sans the crooked smile). The photos that Grandma Joan sent me of Adam at 6 weeks, looks just like Harrison, especially in the photo of me holding him. Can everyone guess which one is the "Tree Martschink Scowl?"

Daddy Time

I tried to capture some of the sweet moments shared between Harrison and Adam last night. Harrison definitely knows him and just beams at the sound of his voice. Hopefully everyone can see how awesome of a dad Adam is by this video.

On another note, it was time to trim Harrison's nails again. His daggers had gotten so long that he left battle wounds on Puff, himself, and me. When my mom was here, she said she could never do it and that my dad used to trim my nails. I thought she was a wimp as I made my way up the stairs to trim his nails for the second time (hubris would be my downfall). I successfully cut his nails when he was about two weeks, but now he squirms a little more. I cut one nail, and drew blood! Harrison was a man about it, but I was devastated. So last night we fed Harrison and got him in a food-coma so Adam could cut his nails.

Sugar Lump says bye to Puff

If you are ever wondering where those crazy names for Grandmothers come from, I think I finally have an answer. I have only had one grandma in my life, so I have always called her grandma. I always thought my friends who called their grandmas by other names were a little off their rocker. However, once I got pregnant, I realized that my son would have three grandmas. He couldn't call all of them grandma; that would be too confusing for him (and me). After investigation, I realized that these obscure names usually come from whatever the child wants to call that particular grandma.

Well, since my mother has been out here, I have found that there is another way to "name a grandma." My mom started calling Harrison her "Sugar Lump." Yes, it is an interesting pet name, but I would imagine that her thought process (assuming she had one) in that name was that

1. he is so sweet (like sugar)

2. he is a newborn and often they just sit around in a ball or lump, if you will

So, she started calling him that as soon as she got out here. Well, I started calling her puffalump (a nod to the Fisher-Price stuffed animals introduced in '86 that I collected) probably due to the way her hair looked. And from there, it shortened to just "Puff." Sort of like Puff Daddy, but Puff Granny (only no Granny, because that sounds too old).

Now, when Harrison is 15 and he wants to know why he calls her "Puff," I will have to explain this all over again. I am sure puffalumps and Puff Daddy will not make any sense to him. But maybe others who had the same confusion as I did as to where these crazy names came from, now have a better understanding.

Puff left this morning and we are going to miss her greatly. It was a really fun two weeks. We love you Puff! And we can't wait to see in a couple of weeks in Charleston (along with all of the other yet-to-be-named grandparents).

Harrison Smiles

So Harrison has been smiling a little bit recently and it really makes my heart melt. I was trying to capture it on video yesterday for Adam to see, but everytime I would turn the video off, he would smile. So here are two short videos. The first one is when I was originally trying to get him to smile and the second one starts at the end of one of his smiles. Most of you won't find this interesting at all, but this is mainly for all of the proud grandparents (and other relatives) that Harrison has, but cannot see until the end of May. His smiles are like little blessings in my day.

Adam's Birthday

Today is Adam's birthday, so Harrison, Grandma, Adam and I decided to go to the Colorado Rockies baseball game. It was Harrison's first baseball game. I am sure that he looks forward to going to many more games with his dad. While we didn't get to see the whole game, we did stay til the end (we didn't get there until real late). Thankfully, the Rockies beat the Cubs. I think Harrison's favorite player is going to be Tulo (if he gets out of his batting slump in the near future). And thanks to Uncle Tree, Harrison already has Colorado Rockies gear to wear to the games.

Why I Love My Grandma Sherry

Harrison is so fond of his Grandma Sherry. Yesterday, he smiled at both Grandma and me. It was a really sweet moment when he smiled for the first time (and it wasn't the Happy Gas smile). Grandma Sherry talks to him all of the time. She sings and plays and does all sorts of things that make Harrison respond to her. Every night she says his prayers for him (and she comes out of his room with tears in her eyes). I can only imagine the stuff she did with me when I was his age.

1 Month Check-Up

Here is a picture Grandma took of Harrison after his morning spooning session with me. It is one of my favorite parts of the day with him. Adam gets up to feed him, and then he brings him in the room with us to spoon. He is normally so alert, sweet, and cuddly. However, this morning he got a bath, so he was zonked by spooning time. Still, he is too cute! Harrison had is one month check-up today. So here are his stats from the check-up:

weight: 10 lbs, 15 ounces; 95th percentile...he is a chunker!

length: 22 1/2 inches; 75th percentile

Breckenridge

The Brantley Family and Grandma Sherry made a trip to Breckenridge for the weekend. We decided to take advantage of Grandma being here to take care of Harrison while Adam and I went snowboarding. It was the last weekend that Breck was open, so we couldn't pass that up (especially since I didn't go all season). It was also Harrison's first vacation! The weather was amazing for his first vacation.
Adam and I had a great time on the slopes, and I am sure that Harrison had an eventful time with Grandma. Everything went well until we had to go to the ER on Saturday night. Fortunately, our visit had nothing to do with Harrison. One month to the day after giving birth to Harrison, I found myself back in the hospital. Turns out that I sunburned my corneas. This same thing happened to Laura Cutter last year and while I felt bad for her, I did not give her due sympathy. If anyone ever tells you that they have this condition, then it would be appropriate for you to feel REALLY bad for them. It is a horrible feeling that makes you want to pull your eyeballs out. Actually, it feels like you have a sand storm occurring on the surface of your eyeballs and you can't do anything about it. It is pretty terrible. Anyway, Adam took me to the ER and they numbed my eyes and gave me a good deal of pain medication. They still hurt like the dickens, but hopefully they will be a little better tomorrow. Oh, and my learning from this: always protect your eyes while snowboarding/skiing. Even though it is beautiful and is 55 degrees, you still need to wear your goggles (mine were on my head). Thankfully this happened when Harrison is too young to realize that his mommy made a really bad decision.
All in all, we had a great time. Harrison got to get his first taste of the mountains, and Grandma Sherry was in heaven getting to take care of him (at least I assume that she was).

P.S. This video is just of my mom trying to picture of our little family. I thought it was pretty funny as this seems to characterize the difficult process of my mom taking our picture.

Look What Grandma Sherry Taught Me

I realize that this may be an accident, but Harrison has made it a lot easier to feed him. I came in from packing the car this afternoon (all 4 of us are headed to Breckenridge), and I stumbled upon my mom feeding Harrison. Only she wasn't holding the bottle; Harrison was! I keep on telling my mom that he is the smartest baby around. I think she finally believes me.

Adam is back home from Atlanta and we are off to Breckenridge. I didn't get any snowboard days this year because I was pregnant. It is the last weekend that Breck is open, so Adam and I are going to take advantage of Grandma being here so we can go snowboarding. Hopefully Harrison will make it through an entire day with Grandma. At this rate, when we return from the slopes, Harrison may be riding a bike.

Four Weeks Today!

Just like I have been saying the past couple of times, I cannot believe that my son is already four weeks old. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was in pain in the hospital! Maybe that is because the memory of it is so vivid.

I feel like Harrison is changing a lot everyday. In one of the photos above, you can see that he got his mom's crooked lip (or smile). I also think he is starting to look a lot like his dad. I know that he will continue to change a lot, but based on Adam's baby photos, the resemblance is striking! He sure has big shoes to fill...his dad is pretty darn handsome! He also seems to be waving at the camera. Harrison certainly isn't camera shy. I actually thinking he is waving at his dad who is in Atlanta right now. He really misses his dad and the sweet times they get to share together.

Harrison Goes English

Harrison got to meet another loco person today. While visiting Adam's Chick-fil-A, Harrison got to meet Bill English (Adam's business consultant). Bill was definitely making eyes at my son. I am sure Harrison will find Bill as entertaining as Adam and I do. I am sure that Harrison will be in a pair of converse and a Hawaiian shirt before too long!

Harrison Meets His Crazy Grandma

Today Harrison got to meet his Grandma Sherry. Here are pics from their meeting at the airport today. He is in store for some crazy times with his Grandma Sherry over the next couple of weeks. Actually, he is in store for some crazy times with her for the rest of his life. We are very excited to have her around to help...I can already tell that she is going to be really good at keeping him awake during his playtime as she always has fun songs to sing to him (no Hard Hearted Hannah yet). Stay tuned to the blog for fun Sherry stories!

Harrison Attends First Chick-fil-A Event

On Saturday, Adam's Chick-fil-A along with the Federal Heights fire department had a fundraiser for one of their fellow EMT/firemen with cancer. I think $10,000 was raised for the cause! In addition to it being his first Chick-fil-A event (and I am sure he will have many more), he also got to see his first firetruck. And of course, Adam paraded him around for all of the customers. They were pretty darn cute and Harrison was such a good baby the entire time!

3 Weeks Old

Today, Harrison is 3 weeks old and we truly cannot believe it. Everyday gets more fun as you can tell from these photos. Adam thought it would be fun to have him ride on Marley's back. Marley didn't seem to care so much; she was way more focused on the tennis ball that was on the floor.

Proud Mama

I have to let you know that I am a very proud mom. What is even cuter is that Adam is a VERY proud dad. Every time Harrison makes an appearance at Chick-fil-A (which has been frequently), Adam takes him through the dining room to introduce him to all of his guests. We love being parents. While there are times that seem hard, it is totally worth it as we watch him change and grow up before our eyes. He already seems like he is getting so big. Well, actually he is getting bigger. He has quite the healthy appetite. When I told his pediatrician's nurse how much he is eating, she was shocked. They say you can't over feed a baby, but I am beginning to wonder. His cheeks definitely rest on his shoulders...

To all of you folks in Charleston, I can't wait for you to meet our little man. It won't be too long as we should see a lot of you on Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully by that time, Harrison will have grown into his cheeks a little bit...

First Hike!

Harrison & Co. ventured into the wild unknown of Boulder! Harrison goes on his first hike...developing the little lungs for the 14,000 foot hiking season! For all the fellas, I said I would never wear one of those "front pack" things, but as you can see, I gave in. Actually...I rocked that thang! Being pregnant wouldn't be that bad! I'm not serious ladies. And then, Harrison's all tuckered out! Over and out~AB

Big Boy Pants

Harrison is 15 days old and his mommy and daddy cannot believe it. Today, I thought it would be fun to put an outfit on him that his Grandma Joan gave him. This is his first day in real pants...not a sleeper or gown. I think he feels more like a man today. He certainly looks like one. I also think he is starting to focus his eyes more. Today when I was singing to him (and we all know how fabulous of a voice I have), he turned towards me and scowled at me. Obviously, he is starting to recognize voices. Unfortunately, I think he is already realizing that his mom doesn't sing the best. But I will keep on doing it until he tells me to stop. Maybe I will get him talking early?

On another note, he does have the Tree Martschink scowl. For those of you who know my brother, you know about that look he can give you...the one that makes you feel real smart...

My Boys

Adam came home a little early to take care of Harrison so I could rest. It looks like the boys got more rest than I did. After a lot of playing, both of them fell fast asleep. And I didn't get any rest because I could not stop looking at them. Of course these two men are making me fall more in love with them each day. How could I not? Look how cute they are!

Colorado Weather

Unfortunately for Harrison, I got a great kick out of this hat. It was cold outside, so I wanted to make sure that he was warm. However, I could not quit laughing. So, I put it on him two days in a row as I toted him around town with me. I can assure you that there was not a shortage of comments on the size of his hat. On another note, Harrison had his 2nd newborn screening today (where they prick his heel for blood). He handled the stick like a champ; I was the one on the verge of tears...I know, it is pretty pathetic!

The Wehns Come To Visit

We are constantly blown away by our sweet friends in Colorado who come by to visit and bring dinner for us. We are so thankful for that! Thanks to the Wehn family who brought dinner for two nights! I think Harrison and Ryan are going to be fast friends.