Summertime

Hi all,
Just thought I would give this blogging thing a chance since it allows me to give updates so quickly and I love all my friends and families' blogs, so I thought what the heck!  So I have been off of work since April 5th and the countdown has begun on when I go back (Aug 17th)-boo!  It is really hitting me how quickly this has flown by and how much I am going to miss being with Harper 24/7.  He is my little man and I have been there every step of the way and now I will miss out on some of his next milestones.  However being a teacher still allows me a great advantage in not having super long hours and having breaks in the winter, spring and summer:)  This past week it was super nice weather here in Fresno/Clovis-in the upper 80s, which is unheard of, but I was not complaining since I was able to take advantage and walk every morning on the trail by our house.  I love that trail and taking Harper and Gracy out for a walk each morning is so relaxing.  It is also fun to be joined by some of my friends and family (Andrea, Aimee and Marlee, Julie and Baron, and of course my mom now that she is back from her month long hiatus out of town) once in awhile.  I was telling Brendan how much I wish the weather was always like this and he said then the pool wouldn't be warm enough, so I said I would take one day a week with weather in the 80s!  Speaking of the pool, it has been sooo nice to finally have a backyard this summer and a pool as well.  We love spending time out there and it is always fun to have our friends and family over.  We had a 4th of July party and it was a hit.  We are so close to the local high school that we could see their huge fireworks from our backyard.  We love having our nieces and nephews over for swim time and my nephew Logan comes over from time to time for the day and is such a great help with Harper and nice company for me:)  He loves to go swimming and also play fetch with Gracy by throwing the tennis balls in the pool for her.  Harper will def be a fish someday, he loves to go in the pool now, so swim lessons will be in store for him next summer!  I am finally somewhat getting into a routine with Harper, though we would like for him to go to bed earlier, I think that entails me waking him up earlier in the morning, but I like the extra sleep in the morning:)  He has been sleeping in his crib and pack and play at night, though some of his naps are still in his swing, which according to the dr is just fine:)  He wakes in the morning, eats, then he has some play time or a walk, then it is naptime for about 2 hrs or so, then feed again and some playtime and then another nap (1-2-sometimes 3 hrs).  After that he is usually up for quite awhile with feedings throughout (he is def hungrier in the early/late eve).  Brendan usually comes home after 4 so then I can go to a class at the gym or my swim class at the local middle school.  We have been trying to give him his last feeding about 8ish and a bath and then rock him to sleep (he is pretty cranky at the end of the day) and lay him down, but he usually gets up within an hour and we feed him again and so he doesn't actually go to bed until after 10.  He was sleeping through the night until about 6, but since he is not sleeping in his swing anymore, but his crib, he wakes up between 3-4 for a feeding then I put him back down in the pack and play in our bedroom and he sleeps until 8-9 am.  We were able to get him sleeping in the crib by swaddling him, but he seems to always get out of it, so now we just put him in slippered pjs.  It seems like his most peaceful sleep is between 4-9am, go figure since I want it to be between 8pm-1am, but that is he life of a baby, some are meant for schedules, others aren't.  I just want to get him used to be up around 6 am since that will be workdays for me. 
Harper's accomplishments:
-sleeping more than 5 hours at a time at night in his crib or pack and play
-sitting up with some help, he is great in his bumbo and piano chair
-standing on his legs on your lap
-holding his head straight as you pull him from laying down by his arms
-tracking voices and faces
-picking up toys and holding them up to his face/mouth (he especially loves his blanket with a monkey head)
-hearing his name and paying attention
-smiling at everyone, the early morning ones are the best
-letting out some squeals and giggles (not full on laughs yet)
-rolling over from back to stomach (found him in his crib on his tummy on the night of his 3 month bday, though he was not happy about it)
-turning himself around on his play mats
-kicking around his arms and legs like crazy when he is in his vibration seat or in your

Coming events:
-family trip to Cambria in Aug
-Regan's (our niece) pool party here
-Matt (Brendan's oldest brother from Virginia) and his family's visit in Aug
-family reunion for the Tweedys on Aug 13
-Brendan's anniversary gift-Tosh.o concert on Aug 19th