All the Kids

Harlow, Kelsey, Brianna, Amelia, Jessi and Me

Pete, Me, Harlow, Kelsey, Amelia, Jessi, Dan, Nick and Brianna

Pete, Nick and Dan

Harlow and Amelia
(Hey! Do you know how hard it is to get a good pictures of babies and toddlers? Almost impossible!)

For Christmas, Nick and Brianna gave Rick and Lori a picture of all of the kids. This is a big deal, it takes a lot of effort to get everyone together BEFORE Christmas. There are a couple of us who don't live in town anymore. So a few days before Christmas, we met up and Brianna brought her tripod (and iPad, to play Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for Harlow and Amelia as a way of getting them to look towards the camera. Set up on a chair right next to the tripod.) There was a lot of running to and from the camera, a lot of prodding to smile, a lot of singing the ABC's and a lot of great smiles. They turned out so well!

9 Months Old

Warning: These pictures did not turn out the way I had pictured them in my head. Now that she can crawl, she has no interest in sitting still. Didn't even crack a smile once either. Feisty little girl!

Check out her first tooth on the bottom. Her second bottom tooth is currently working its way through.

9. Months. Old! (my inner voice screams this with anxiety when I think about it.)

It makes me feel like time is passing too quickly and I am having intense fears that I am not making the most of it. I want Harlow to grow up having many special family memories. And I am constantly asking myself if I am doing a good job at helping create that. I want her to know that her greatest friends are her family. And that "We Love You No Matter What". I want her to know and believe that motto especially. I think that it is important for her to grow up confident in our love for her. She is a pretty lucky little girl. I have no doubt that she is spoiled with love and has many people who love her unconditionally. I hope she grows up knowing that too. I have been reading "The Five Love Languages of Children" whenever I can grab a couple of minutes a night to myself. It speaks a lot of truth, and it's not something like rocket science. Its kind of common sense information but it is things we don't stop and really think of often. It's likes a really good reminder and eye opener. Read it!

Anyway, on to more upbeat information...

9 Months has brought us many changes.

STATS:

She is 15 lbs and 6 oz. - 5th percentile

(which is incredibly small, but the Dr. doesn't seem too worried about it because she has always been small and is still growing at a steady pace.)

And she is 26-3/4 inches tall - 25th percentile

Harlow can wave "bye bye". (she has been able to for awhile but she has gotten much better at it.)

When prompted, she can say Kitty Kitty. Or make a sound similar to it :) Which is weird because we don't have a cat anymore... but I think to her, all animals are Kitty Kitty. Our dogs get called Kitty Kitty a lot.

For awhile we have been asking her to give kisses. And I am proud to say that she now will lean her head into your face when you ask her to give kisses.

When she hears a song she likes, she will either rock back and forth (if she is on her knees) or bounce up and down (if she is sitting). If you tell her to "shake her booty" she will also do the same. Or "Dance, baby, Dance".

She has started pulling herself up to her feet when she is holding onto something.

She got a toy for Christmas that she can push and walk with. We have been practicing walking a lot lately. She is getting really good. (with a little help of course)

She can pick up her cinnamon puffs and yogurt bites one by one and feed them to herself.

She has turned into a real mamma's girl in the past couple of weeks. Which I am loving of course. Not to say that she doesn't love her Daddy, because she really does! She has just been more cuddly and clingy to me lately.

Her fine motor skills are getting a lot more refined. She can pick things up with her fingers.

She crawls so much faster now. She keeps us on our toes all day long.

She still only has one tooth but I am almost certain that another is coming in.

If you ask her to give you a high 5, she will reach out and put her hand on yours.

When we repeat the word, Dog, over and over again, she makes a sound similar to it. Or at least emphasizes the 'G' sound at the end.

Harlow Emi, we love you!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
With Love,
The Hafens

Pete - Sharmela - Harlow

Today we went a little crazy and cleaned and organized the house (or at least I did). I put all of the Christmas decorations away and stored them until next year. I opened all of Harlow's new toys and organized them in her room, did all of the laundry and dishes, organized the guest bedroom, and cleaned up the house. It left me tired but made me feel good to know that we were starting the new year with a clean house!

2010 has by far been the best year yet. So much has happened in the past year. Trials and triumphs and all with a happy ending. Looking back at what the year brought makes me a little emotional. (Ok, a lot emotional.) Whenever I stop to think about how much I've received in the last year, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I couldn't have asked for more, or anything better. I have a lot to be thankful for.

First, that I have a great husband who works so hard to provide for us. He strives to make sure that we have the best, and more than enough. There aren't many people who work as hard as he does. And I feel so blessed that he does it for me. Pete has always been a supportive and loyal husband, and when we got married, I couldn't have asked for more. But more is what I got! I not only have a great guy, but he is an even better Dad! Harlow is the luckiest girl around to have Pete as her Dad.

And second, is Harlow. I could not ask for more. If God decided that I should only be blessed with one child, I would be ok. (Though I would love more... someday.) She has brought me so much joy. If you had told me that my whole world would center around a baby I never would have believed it. You really don't know this kind of love until you have your own child. Even when I stop and think about her, it makes me a little teary eyed, my throat gets a little tight, and I want to snatch her up out of her crib and squeeze her tight. She is the best part of me. She is the best part of me and the best part of Pete. She is absolutely amazing. She is so small but gives so much. I can't wait for the years to come (though I wish them to come slowly) and see her grow. She has no idea how much she has changed our life. I may not go out with my friends as much, I may not shower, or get dressed in a timely manner anymore, I may not sleep, but I would do it over and over again for her. The past 9 months of 2010 have been so fulfilling. I didn't ever imagine that I would be that mom, who found motherhood to be so fitting. Who could have thought, right? Not me, that's for sure. But sometimes I can't even remember what it was like without her.

2010 was a success, and 2011 has much more in store for us I'm sure. If it brings trials and triumphs I know it will be with a happy ending again. To all my friends and family, we wish you the best in this upcoming year! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Time to Lower the Crib Mattress

Surprise!

At least it was a surprise to me! I turned around for a second and looked back at her in her crib and this is what I saw. Stopped me dead in my tracks. Scared me a little too.
But she looked so proud of herself. I had to run and get the camera.
She is getting so big and strong and it is all happening so fast!
I know I say this all the time, but I really wish I could freeze time and make it stay just like this forever.

Peek-a-Boo!
Sadly after this episode, we immediately lowered her crib mattress.
Now when I lean over to put her down in her crib, my feet come off the floor.
I need a step stool.

Christmas Eve

Christmas eve was spent at our house with my brother, his fiance Aiko and my mom and dad.
My brother and Aiko needed to be in San Jose on Christmas day so we did our Christmas on Christmas Eve. We had lunch at our house and opened gifts together and hung out by the tree with one cute little baby girl.
Later we went to my parents house for dinner.

Now that she can crawl, she never sits still. And I feel like all the pictures I get from her these days are of her back side, on her way out.

Opening gifts together.

After dinner at my mom and dad's house, we met up with Pete's mom, Rick, Nick, Brianna, Amelia, Jessi, Kelsey, and Dan to do their annual Christmas Stocking that they give to a family.

Harlow's First Christmas

Someone almost beat us to it on Christmas morning...
Buddha could sniff out which present was his from about a mile away.

We had to get up pretty early on Christmas morning, there is no opening presents in our PJ's around here. At least not yet, maybe in the years to come I may put my foot down.
We got up early, showered and got dressed for the day before we even touched a present.
We let Harlow sleep in until she was ready to get up. She was the only one in her PJ's.
We had Christmas morning with our little Hafen family.
We opened all of our presents, and helped Harlow open hers.
And helped Buddha and Gus Gus too.

Harlow's Christmas breakfast with Daddy.

Anxiously waiting for the picture taking to end.

With some help, and some unwanted help from the dogs, Harlow got down to business and opened her gifts.

Her first teddy bear from mom and dad. These Jellycats are the cutest. We actually brought it home from Hawaii for her.

Too early for mom.

Her first dolly. Handmade find from Etsy.

And the #1 toy...
Her rocking dinosaur.

I realized we were running out of time, so the pictures stopped and we got down to work opening gifts before heading over to Grandma Lori's and Papa Rick's for more presents and breakfast.
After that we headed over to Aunt Salena and Uncle Roberts house for some lunch and to see everyone.

Christmas in Utah

On Christmas night, after all of the festivities at home and at our parents houses, we drove to Utah. Driving through the night is the best with a baby. There are no stops to eat, no diaper change breaks, and no entertaining a bored baby because she is SLEEPING! She slept the entire 7 and a half hours.

In the morning, we all got up and had Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Hafen. They sure did spoil us. Especially Harlow.

Grandpa helping Harlow open her favorite present.

She decided she could pull herself up and stand on her own.

Bath time at grandma and grandpa's house.

On our last night in St. George, it got SO COLD! Like ridiculously cold. And when we woke up in the morning, all of the surrounding mountains were covered in snow. So pretty.

It even snowed a little bit in town. On our way out of town to head home, we stopped to get gas and grab some coffee. I looked up and realized that it was snowing. That is always exciting for some reason. I don't even like the snow. I am not made for cold weather. I like short visits to the snow.