Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Pictures that make me smile
















These are a couple of pictures from the festivities that make me smile (or laugh). There were many more similar moments, but I just couldn't capture all of them with the camera!

Christmas 2009

First ride in the new mini
First time sitting on the new tractor

Harrison helping Amanda unwrap her gift...he was especially good at unwrapping


Harrison playing with his new eco-car
Harrison is inspecting the monkey I brought him from NY
Harrison and Papa opening gifts together. Harrison was insistent on sitting with him. When he sat on my lap, he opened a raincoat. I'm sure he thought, "forget, mom...I don't open fun gifts with her."

The t-ball gift was a good idea...until we decided to set it up inside. Check out my face...

Part of Harrison's tool set included headphones...apparently they were necessary for Christmas breakfast.

The night before...I think he was hoping his shirt would bring him good luck.

Harrison and daddy sitting on the stairs before going to see what Santa brought

We had a wonderful Christmas. We got to see a lot of both of our families (except for Uncle Tree), and Harrison thoroughly enjoyed Jesus' birthday. We weren't sure if Harrison was going to fully grasp the openings presents aspect of Christmas, but he certainly did. After an hour or so, we started to see a glazed over look in his eyes. He was so adorable. I am already excited about doing it again next year. And I received a new camera, so as you can imagine, the pictures are going to be bountiful and beautiful (maybe not the latter, but I'll try).

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Naked Cowboy


Adam took this picture. I may have trickled my pants laughing so hard.

Wild Man




Yesterday around 5:00 pm, Harrison flipped a switch and has turned into a wild man. I thought that maybe it was just last night, but more than 24 hours later, he is still crazy.

Natural Born Performer

All of the "angels" are on the right, and he is on the front left.
Harrison spots us and then just smiles at us instead of doing anything else.

I think we have a ways to go before Harrison will be starring on Broadway. Adam would say that is a good thing. Harrison had his Christmas program at school on Thursday, and, well, he didn't cry or run away. In fact, he didn't do anything. All of the kids in his class were supposed to wear white tops since they were angels. He did wear a white top, but we put a fleece on him since it was cold outside. Surely, I thought, the teachers would take it off. When he proceeded down the aisle with the other "angels," he still remained in his colorful fleece. Later I learned that he refused to take it off. His job was to jingle the bell that was around his neck or make the motions that everyone else is attempting to do. Instead, he just stares at Adam and me. Click on the YouTube link for a nugget of his big performance. I would say he has a little of stage fright. http://www.youtube.com/user/MMBrantley


Saturday, December 19, 2009

21 Months and Counting

Thursday night at Brookgreen Gardens
I think H's face was frozen. It was super-chilly, but the lights were beautiful.

I can't believe that my sweet little boy is three months shy of two. Harrison has stolen my heart. Motherhood is giving me a better picture of the Lord's love for me. I love Harrison in a way that I thought was impossible. To think that our Lord loves us more than that makes me pretty excited, though I can't understand it.
We have learned a lot over the past 21 months. Here are a couple of things that I can remember:
  1. Parenting is a little of trial and error...the great part is that Harrison doesn't have any other parents so he has no idea!

  2. "Comparison is the thief of joy" I heard this in college and while it applies to every area of life, it definitely applies to your little child. Kids do things in their own time; it is not worth it to compare your bundle of joy to another

  3. High Maintenance and Particular are different...I've already noticed that my son is quite particular. He doesn't have a prayer since both Adam and I are both on the particular side of the bus. I've claimed forever that I am not high maintenance, I just know what I want. So does Harrison...
  4. You never get used to messy diapers...I still gag. In fact, this morning, Adam described his morning diaper change with Harrison as a "sloppy joe present" and I kind of threw up in my mouth.
  5. Boys are boys from the beginning...Harrison has a lot of girl friends and they do so many different things already (namely, wear lots of pink, but that is a different story). Harrison wants to be outside all the time...no matter the weather. There are a lot of other aspects about being a boy, but I'll just let you imagine...
  6. Separation Anxiety...it happens to all kids at all different times. If you put a monkey in his/her crib at 4 months so they don't suffer from separation anxiety in the crib, at 21 months, he/she will suffer separation anxiety from a monkey...and it has a really stinky tail!
  7. Hugs, Kisses and "Mama" never get old.

  8. Never say, at any point, "when I'm a mom (or parent), I'll never do that. Or, I can't believe they let their kids do that." It is a sure-fire way to have a kid that will make you do it. You may have strong opinions about it, but you never know until you've walked a mile in their shoes.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Great Anticipation

So cute...out Christmas shopping with Grandma Puff
New Boots & Raincoat

Thrilled to take pictures in new garb


Okay folks, so I have to admit, I'm a bit of a surprise-hater. If I know there is a surprise on the horizon, I can hardly stand to wait. All I can do is think about it until I figure out what it is. I can't say that I hate surprises, but I don't exactly like to be stuck in the middle between knowing that a surpise is coming and the actual event. In the past, this has caused me great stress around Christmastime when people (namely, my husband) give me hints about gifts, but don't actually tell me what is going to happen. Nine times out of ten, I can figure out what my gift is, what the surprise date may be, etc (or I strong-arm the other person into telling me). Anyway, so this year, I'm on the other end of it. I'm on the giving end for Harrison. Well, it turns out, the great anticipation of giving the gifts to Harrison is killing me. If I had my way, we would've unwrapped all of his gifts already. The crazy part is that I know what is in them. The other day, while at Grandma Puff's house, I noticed two presents wrapped up for Harrison. I asked my mom what is in them (which, surprisingly, people won't tell me what they are getting Harrison usually). Well, she didn't tell me, but she did let us open them, without much convincing. I was elated and so was Harrison. He got a matching raincoat, rain boots, and watch from Grandma Puff. And he loves them. He wanted to sleep in his boots and then he wore them to school the next day (thankfully, there was at least a slim chance of rain). But it reminded me of how fun it was to open gifts when I was a child. And then the first day back from Christmas break at school, trying to wear/display as many gifts as possible...glorious. The way everyone (especially me)likes to shower him with gifts, I know that we are going to have to work on the real meaning of Christmas with our little man. I've already thought about telling him that the feeling he is going to get (or that I have/had) of anticipation for Christmas morning is what the world was feeling when they were anticipating the birth of our Savior...only infinitely more. And now, we don't have to deal with those anxious feelings, because we know our Savior...Hallelujah.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Breckenridge

Eating Lunch with Adam on the mountain
Notice the hands in pockets

Clearly I wasn't there for snowboarding


My crazy little boy. He actually started to say "loco" by the end of the weekend.



Last week, I was working in Colorado, so we seized the opportunity to head up to Breckenridge for the weekend. I couldn't go snowboarding, but Harrison and I had a blast running around town all day. I taught Harrison to put his hands in his pockets when he got cold (even though he had two pairs of gloves, he refused to wear them), and it was sooo doggone cute. He never wanted to take his hands out. He loved being out there in the mountains. He sort of acted like a crazy man. I'm thinking the altitude must have made him a little loony!

Keeping it in the Family



Do you think Harrison is ready for a future in Chick-fil-A?

Recent Happenings

Uncle Billy on the riding lawnmower with little man


Every one's Favorite: a Harrison Sandwich

This was my favorite of our family shots, only there is a random house in the background.


My cute boys

Since I have been working so much, I feel like I have been a bad "class mom." I thought for Thanksgiving that I'd make all the kiddos in his class a Thanksgiving treat. I made these and then tied a Free Chick-fil-A Kid's Meal to the handle. I was proud of my first attempt of something "mommy-like."

Harrison still loving his bookbag for school. He looks like he is ready for kindergarden.

Harrison thinks it is hilarious to wear my shoes around.


Since Thanksgiving, our life has been a little crazy. Actually, since last November, our life has been a little crazy. But who's counting? The house that I mentioned that we were going to move into in December actually fell through. We found out the day after Thanksgiving... coincidentally, we found out hours after Adam and I got up early to get a new washer & dryer & TV for our new home in the Black Friday hoopla. It was a first time experience for us, Black Friday that is, and we will never forget it. Anyway, so we return to the great house hunt. While in Charleston for Thanksgiving, Uncle Billy tried to snap some pictures of our little family of three. He only took like 200 pictures. Either Harrison wouldn't look at the camera, or I looked like a side-show act at the circus trying to get H to smile.