the adventures of tyler & katie: One Month!

Soooooooooooooooo... sorry I haven't posted in awhile, but having a baby kind of takes up all your free time... Everyone always asks, "what do you do all day now that you're home?" And honestly I don't know... the day just kind of flies in-between laundry, washing bottles, feeding Harper, changing diapers, and schoolwork. Next thing you know the day is over and you really have nothing to show for the day... I really have a new found respect for stay-at-home moms, it's definitely something I don't think I could handle full time. Part of me is counting down the days that I can go to work and get some normalcy back, but the other half of me will be sad that I won't get the fun parts of being a stay-at-home mom like watching Harper grow up and change...

It's so hard to believe that little Miss Harper is already a month old! Everyone always says they grow up so fast, and I'm starting to understand what everyone means by that!

Harper,
You entered this world very dramatically and on your own terms! Your are definitely a DeMaris--you have about as much patience as your mom and dad, which is 0! That's okay because in the process you are definitely teaching us how to have more patience. I think your number one goal in life so far (even if you are only a month old) is to see how fast you can turn your dad's hair from golden brown to GREY! He is already concerned with how dramatic you can be at times... from entering the world, to eating your bottle, and all your jaundice, belly button, and nervous system "bouts". ( I should take a picture every month of his hair and we can watch is slowly change, just like with your monthly pictures!) :)

For the first month of your life you mostly slept and stretched. Every chance you get you will stretch, and you did not like to be swaddle, because that interfered with you being able to stretch! Everyone comments on how strong you are and how you like to lift your head and look around. You constantly have the hiccups, which does not surprise me as you routinely had them in my tummy as well. You are also very vocal and make a lot of noises, mostly grunting noises to yourself when you sleep, but when someone holds to close to them you make these noises that we call "kitten noises". You sound like a baby kitten squeaking or cooing and you have done that since the first time we held you.

Here are some of your "stats"
1. Still in newborn diapers, but once these are gone you're moving up to 1's.
2. You eat somewhere between 2-4 oz every 2 1/2-3 hours (even at night......)
3. You like looking out the window and at ceiling fans (if your awake, which is about 1-2 hours a day)
4. You are still in newborn clothes, but a lot of 0-3 month pants fit you (which your dad is ECSTATIC about, because he's hoping that means you'll be tall)
5. On the home scale you weighed 10.2 lbs and at your two week visit you were in the 40th percentile (which the doctors were very surprised you even made it on the scale for being a preemie!)
6. You have already been to one wedding and while we were in Sioux City we drove through Nebraska and South Dakota--to see the flooding and to say that you've been to 4 states in the first month you were born. What a world traveler!
7. Your dad has yet to come up with a nickname for you... (which is surprising because he has a nickname for everyone and everything!--I think he's really taking his time to think of something good!)
8. You HATE to have your diaper changed and because of that I think you enjoy making diaper changing as difficult as you can... You have had many projectile instances where you have caught your NICU nurses, your mom & dad, and even Grandma Joni off-guard and unprepared. :)

We love you more than you will ever know and can't believe how perfect you are! You are so content and happy and we can't wait to see you change and grow right before our eyes!