- The motherload of MONTH-BY-MONTHS... -

To the beautiful baby whose month-by-month posts I've neglected on the blog for WELL over a half a year now,

I mean...

Dear sweet, sweeeeet Harper Bear, 

As you're napping so peacefully this morning, I could think of nothing better to do than sit down and write in your baby book and start your first birthday party crafts [what what!?!?]... ...Which quickly led to brewing some coffee and popping open the MacBook and scribbling a little more of your ever-changing and always-exciting life onto da' world wide web.  Mommy and Daddy [and all your grandparents and relatives and everyone else, too!] love you deeply! truly! wholeheartedly! immensely! and soooooo so much! You are growing SO FAST; I literally am in shock to see my tiny little baby eating big girl food and crawling all over the house and pulling up to stand... <--- and doing all of those things like a BOSS!  You love pancakes and Pappy's pork and you just started feeding yourself with a fork.  Dinnertime is your favorite time, but you are also pretty thrilled when it's playtime and bathtime and every-other-time in between.  Waving is your new favorite trick, and you get lots of smiles and smirks from strangers you wave at [especially in church as you wave at people behind Mommy's shoulder AND at Schnucks as you ride in the top of the cart and wave at every shopper we pass].  You go to daycare two days a week and love your teachers and all your buddies at school; Daddy drops you off in the mornings and he says you're always rearing up to bust out of your carseat and you hit the ground running [you don't even look back to blow a kiss or wave bye-bye].  Two naps and two poops per day is how you roll!  You are suuuuuch a good girl, and I get a teeny tiny lump in my throat just thinking about how much I love you and how lucky we are that God made you just for us!  You have the BIGGEST heart for such a little person! 

Please stay sweet and small forever!...

...But also keep growing; 'cause kid, you're gonna move mountains!  

And with the sappiness behind us, here's my super sorry attempt to catch up..... 

*FIVE*

*SIX*

[This is the month you started noticing your bows and pulling them right off!]

And also this month?  Harper's the name...sitting up's the GAME! 

You loved to sit up [almost as much as you hated to wear socks].  Life improved 200% for you with life on a new plane.  I have to admit: I love a limp little newborn and some good ole' infant snuggles, but 6-ish months was terrific.  You started to become so interactive and responsive and FUN this month! 

*SEVEN*

Hey-o, tiniest fan of Cardinal Nation! We cheered rulllll hard for the STL Cardinals this year in the playoffs, but they didn't make it to the World Series. Boo. [Your Cards shirt was from Marty and Gena and the super cute bow from Austin, Emily, and Owen!]

Still no bows, please, Mom!

Your best buddy is your little cousin, Kate! We hang out about once a week and you two also go to daycare together; you guys are finally starting to notice/recognize each other when we're together [even though you're completely engrossed in your toys in this pic].  :)

*EIGHT*

Helping Mommy with the laundry is your favorite chore [and has been for a couple months by now]! You can unfold juuuust about as fast as I can fold; we're a great team! ;)  

You also love sitting up in shopping carts and highchairs now when we're out. Such a big girl! 

*NINE*

Sassy pants on the loooooooose. Your pediatrician said you were just perfect at your 9-month well baby visit! 75th percentile for  weight and height [18 pounds, 8 ounces.......and my mom brain forgot how long you were but I'm sure that's on a report sheet stuffed somewhere in your mess of a diaper bag!].

You have grown to love shopping [not your Momma's daughter one little bit!] and you delicately peruse any rack of clothes you can get your paws on...

*TEN*

Ten months: an arm-waving, belly-laughing good time! These month-by-month chalkboard pics are getting challening [even with my fast camera!]...you're a mover and a shaker fo' sho.  You are [almost] always happy and just beyond thrilled with your new-found mobility...  

...you also haven't learned to stifle your 7am-on-the-literal-dot internal alarm clock [even on this weekends, which is real depressing for Daddy!]... 

We celebrated Grandma Resa's and Great-Grandma Penny's birthdays this month!  Happy happy birthday x 2! 

*ELEVEN*

 .....And I thought last month's photoshoot was challenging.....

Two of my favorite things about you this month are your crazyyyyy post-nap hairs and your mischievous little smirk when you KNOW you're getting into things you're supposed to stay out of!  Life from here on out will be interesting for sure; we're finally to the point of no return ;) ...a mobile little minion with a bold personality has hit the ground running!

Momma and Daddy love you so, so much, pretty baby!!! *sigh*...Let's just do it, full speed ahead:  bring on ONE YEAR!!!