Master Harper Meets Mr. Dryer

Harper now is scooting around,cruising as well and we think he will be walking soon! Also as you see here, he is keenly aware of his surroundings including the washer dryer!

Raising the Bar by Lowering It.

Good thing we put the mattress down farther in the crib today. The nearly 8 month old went from sitting to standing. After we put Harper down for the night or so we thought, we heard him crying more than normal. When we got into his room, there he was..standing up,holding onto the crib railing!

Grandpa Checks In

By John Hanrahan

I went to the 14th and T post office about 45 minutes ago, and thought Harper might not cooperate because he seemed to be getting sleepy and antsy as I was pushing him over in the stroller. I took him out of the stroller in the Post Office and held him as I went up to the window. As the woman behind the window began oohing and ahhing about Harper (look at those checks! look at those legs! hello, handsome), Harper began drumming on the window and on the counter and chattering away. And smiled a big smile. The woman said, "look, he's flirting with me. Hello, hello." And I swear, Harper said something like "hi" back to her. And she said hello twice more and Harper again said something like "hi" both times. And then he chattered a lot more and the woman kept talking to him. Meanwhile, there were a few people in line, but fortunately another clerk opened up a third window.

Harper also discovered on the way back that he can take off his hat and chew on it.

Big Boy Shoes

Since the fall weather is beginning to creep in, we thought it was time to start putting shoes on our little guy. So, this morning I took him to Stride Rite for his first shopping trip. Not surprisingly, Harper's feet are too big (he's a size four) and too wide (he's a double wide) for the prewalker shoes so we had to go up one level.

Harper's first pair of big boy shoes are brown leather and sport two super cool velcro straps on either shoe :o). The soles aren't as flexible as the prewalker shoes but I think he'll manage. As you can see, he's ready to go!

Heads Up

Harper on Tim and Sophie's fine living room floor. It was a great visit. Sad to see Timmy and Sophie for the last time likely until February of 10 when Harper will get some cousins!

Swinger!

The Hanrahan clan went up to New York to visit Aunt Sophie and Uncle Tim to celebrate the twins' 36th bday. Yes, that cake was a fire hazard with all those candles! Also in the fold were Nana and Grandpa as Harper experienced his first swing in Central Park.

Throw the Kitchen Sink at Him

Harper is now getting his clean on in the big boy bath area otherwise known as the kitchen sink! Look at that smile.

Bethany Beach Hello

On a whim the Hanrahan clan headed to the Beach as Harper got a chance to plant his feet in the sand for the very first time!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

You'd think my dad was a writer or something. He reports from 1505 Q.

Today, Harper rolled from his back to his stomach, then from his stomach to his back, and then to his stomach, and then to his back again. He did this several more times. This was all done in his crib, which is softer and flexible. He tried for a good 20 minutes on the floor to go from his stomach to his back, but was unsuccessful on the hard floor under the rug. (I think he realizes he would pin and hurt his arm on the hard floor so he is more cautious there.) He did not get frustrated on the floor, though. He would rest, and then try again.

For his 4 p.m. naptime today, he was more interested in practicing his new skill than in sleeping. He rolled from front to back, and back to front a lot. He seemed to find this so interesting that we thought he might just skip the nap altogether. Finally, he drifted off around 4:30. He is also doing a lot of "drumming" on various surfaces. (Left-handed Debby notes he does this mostly with his left hand.)

We also went over to Ross School. The principal is on vacation this week, but her assistant and the maintenance man (a former player on the Honduras national soccer team) were most enthusiastic. Without prompting, they said Harper was one of the cutest/handsomest babies they had seen. And he smiled repeatedly for them and they deemed Harper a very happy baby. The maintenance man also said Harper had the legs and feet of a soccer player. And they loved his sunglasses, and said he looked like Tom Cruise in one of his early movies (the pre-Scientology Tom Cruise, let's hope).

Too Cool for the Pool

Harper Hanrahan is a water baby! We ventured to Banneker Pool on Sunday and despite the water being very chilly, Harper casually without a flinch dipped into the icey water and hung out for awhile.

First Father's Day

Asa, Harper and Frank after a Father's day meal at the Diner in Adams Morgan.

Solid!

As we close in on 5 months since Harper's birthday it is about that time to start feeding the little man some solid foods. So far it's been a little confusing for him being used to the bottle and all, but soon enough Harper will be chowing down. The picture above is from Harper's first sit down meal!

Super Harper!

Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound even at just 4 months of age! It's Super Harper! OK, maybe a little overboard but he is starting to show signs that he is a possible mutant. He is now able to sit and keep his head up for a little while. Harper is also seeing and gauging object sizes before wrapping his hands around it. He held his first ball last week! He is also a little chatterbox. No offical words yet but Harper certaily is hemming and hawing!

Thanks to Harper's Aunt Sophie and Uncle Tim for the great super hero outfit. How cool is the cape?

Take Harper Out to the Ball Game!

First time is a charm for Harper as he brought the lowly Nationals luck as the home team did win, 8-5 over Frank's boyhood team the Orioles last Sunday. Even though we got the "uh oh its a baby" eye from other spectators around us, Harper was cool as a cucumber. He ate,he drank he napped and got several compliments from nearby fans on how cute he was.Harper's distant cousin Joel Hanrahan (we think) closed the game for his 5th save of the season.

Tummy Time!

Yoga, 14 lbs and Bunny Cakes

Its been a very fun week! Harper is officially chunky enough for baby yoga so, last Thursday, we dropped in on a Mommy & Me yoga class at Pure Prana in Alexandria. There were 14 moms with their babies in the class so Harper and I got to meet lots of new people. Its really nice chatting with people who are sleep deprived in the same way you are!

Yoga was a very good time. The class started with a few poses for the moms and then we got to work on stretching out our kids. Harper was great and seemed to be enjoying himself. He was definitely the biggest of the 2 month old kids in the class. We actually get a lot of "Wow, he's big" kind of reactions. Our doctor swears he's normal though and we don't need to worry about his weight. In fact...

Harper went in for his two month check up on Friday morning. He's weighing in at 14.6 pounds and measuring 23 3/4 inches long. He's a hefty fellow, all cheeks, tummy and thighs. In addition to the updates to his height and weight, he also received his first round of vaccines. He had one oral vaccine and then four shots (two in each thigh). I've never seen anyone get so red in my life. It was like his face was going to explode. He cried it out for about a minute and then everything was cool again. Luckily we don't have to do any more of that for another two months.

Saturday, we headed over to Debby and John's for the 1st Annual Bunny Cake Decorating Contest. This is a long-standing tradition in Sophie's family and we're very lucky she introduced it to us because it was a lot of fun. Long story short, everyone gets one layer of a cake to decorate like a bunny. You can use frosting, coconut, marshmallows, pipe cleaners, etc. After all the cakes are complete we judge each others work and vote for a winner. Despite our best efforts, Frank's "Moose Bunny" and my "Mardi Gras Bunny" did not win. Kristi and Sophie tied for first place with their cakes which not only looked good but actually looked like bunnies too.

Our fun week rounded out with a wonderful Easter lunch at Debby and John's, where we got to visit with Melissa, Jim and Sue (the impartial judges in the bunny cake contest).

Its back to work for me tomorrow and Harper begins his first full week of "daycare" at Grandma and Grandpa Gordon's house!

Harper, completely relaxed, just seconds after finishing Mommy & Me Yoga

Kristi's winning "Chicken Bunny" cake on the left and my bizarre "Mardi Gras Bunny" cake on the right.

Easter Family Photo

Harper is Anti-Nap

Harper has formed his first opinion. He is decidedly anti-nap. Harper is very vocal about his new views and will tell anyone who wants to listen (and anyone within earshot) what he thinks about napping. His new anti-nap stance is very bizarre to Frank and I. Frank, as most of us know, is a big fan of the "re-group" (ie. nap). I've never outwardly proclaimed my love for naps but, since I fell asleep at a stoplight the other day, maybe I'm a closet nap lover.

Getting Harper to nap during the day has been a challenge but otherwise he is doing really well. We go in for his two-month check-up on Friday. He'll get his first round of vaccines then so I'm already mentally preparing myself for the trauma. We'll also find our how much he weighs. Since I have to grunt every time I lift him, I think he's put on a decent amount of chunk. So I'm guessing he's around 13 lbs.

Harper is starting to coo and make noises other than crying. Its not a consistent babble yet but it does seem to happen occasionally in response to people talking to him or around him. We're heading into a fun time I think. Of course, I'll be heading back to work in another week so I'm going to start missing everything. Luckily, the grandparents will be taking care of Harper so we'll be getting accurate reports about his progress!

We took Harper to Meridian Park yesterday to listen to the drummers. We hoped that he'd be really stimulated by all the interesting people and music but he slept through the first half. Or at least he pretended to. We think Harper is like a possum when we go outside. He pretends to be asleep to be sure everything is ok, then he'll crack one of his eyes to check things out before committing to being fully awake. He woke up for a little of trip though but he was more interested in the sky than anything else. Pictures below!

Frank used the carrier for the first time during our visit to the park.

Harper "the anti-napper" playing possum in front of the drummers.

The Fun Does Not End

With grandparents willing and able to baby sit young Harper, Dyani and I went ice skating last weekend and as fun as it was I was completely relieved that we got out of there with no major injuries. I was terrified the first few times around but my wife effortlessly transitioned from sneaks to the blades and sauntered around on the ice like Katarina Witt. I was no Apollo Ohno as the dasher boards were my best friend. Hanging on to dear life at times. Of course, just when I started to get the hang, (well..sort of) the legs and ankles started to give out and we were ready to get out of there. I can't wait to do it again.

Infant Massage...Take Two

Harper and I attended our second massage lesson today and I'm happy to report that he was the STAR of the class. I was a little nervous because he started out just as fussy as he was last week but, luckily, there was another baby in attendance that outperformed the rest of the little ones. There were six babies including Harper. Lucas was back, and was the senior citizen of the group at 4 1/2 months. There was also the crying baby who we never got to meet because he (and his mom) were too stressed. There was Ewen (or something like that) who was 2 1/2 months and then there was Constantine Francis, also 2 1/2 months. Constantine (a boy in case you couldn't tell by the name) attended class with his mom Mary. Mary was a bit of a talker and by the end of the class I knew probably more about her and Constantine than I cared to know. For instance Constantine is in the 40th percentile for his age (he was premature), he has started sneezing adult-sized boogers, he has poop in every single diaper (which Mary called "presents for Mommy) and we also learned that Connie's mom will "always earn more money than her husband." Despite the fussy baby and Mary's running commentary, Harper managed to tune everybody out and enjoy the class (I think). After reviewing the leg and foot strokes that we learned last week (which Harper wasn't that fond of) we moved on to tummy and chest. This is where Harper catapulted to the front of the class by falling asleep (he was the only one at this point not crying or breast feeding). This session was the whole reason why I signed up for the class. We learned strokes that help sooth babies tummies when they are full of gas. Harper is definitely a gassy gus so I've been on the lookout for any tips that will help us get through those fussy times. The tummy and chest strokes were so relaxing to Harper that he stayed asleep while I was putting his onesie back on and strapping him into his car seat (two activities that usually always evoke some kind of protest). He stayed asleep the entire ride home and slept an hour past his normal feeding time. We practiced the strokes again after his next feeding. This time he stayed awake but he seemed to like the massage just as much!

Harper had his one month check up on Tuesday. He weighed in at 10 pounds, 5 ounces and he is 21 3/4 inches long!

Harper at One Month

Harper can now track the boats on his mobile with his eyes.

Harper's First Field Trip

Harper has been pretty busy since our last posting. He can now focus on people's faces, his toys and his crib mobile. He also likes to spend time looking in the mirror. His is now on a three-hour feeding schedule and he's spending more time awake during the day. The big news is that he is sleeping in his crib! Last week, I put him down for a few naps in the crib and he seemed to handle that well so we just kept going. He has slept in his crib for several nights in a row so hopefully we're safe to put the bassinet in storage until the next kid comes along.

Last Thursday, I took Harper to the first of three infant massage classes that are hosted by the Breastfeeding Center of Washington. When I called to register, they didn't tell me that there was an age requirement but when Harper and I showed up, we learned that we should really have waited until he was six weeks old. The massage therapist said it would be no problem to start a little early but warned me that Harper might not have the attention span to handle more than a few strokes. There was only one other baby in the class (Lucas) and he was 4 1/2 months old. That kid was a massive chunk and looked big enough to eat two Harpers. Lucas was there with his mom, Tatiana. Tatiana was suffering from back problems and tendinitis in both wrists because she said she "held her baby too much." I was hoping to make a new mommy friend from the class but Tatiana and Lucas didn't seem super friendly. The most interesting thing about them was that Tatiana and Lucas had the baby stroller that Jan, Michael from The Office's ex-girlfriend, owned and that Dwight tried to destroy because he didn't believe it cost $1200. Lucas seemed to like being massaged. Harper, on the other hand, didn't quite take to it as well as Lucas. We were working on legs and feet that day. Harper cried for most of the class...the longest hour of my life. I don't think he liked hanging out in just his diapers. Lucas stared and smiled at him the entire time, which I didn't like. Tatiana said she was still breast feeding him but, I kept thinking Lucas was scoping Harper out for his next meal. We made it through the class although it wasn't the peaceful time the therapist promised us. We're going back this week to learn tummy and chest strokes. Harper has become a master at passing gas over the last week so I can imagine that will be another eventful class.

We had a bit of a warm up in D.C. over the weekend so Frank and I decided to take Harper out for his first day in the park. We packed a picnic lunch and headed to Dumbarton Park in Georgetown. Despite all the action (that included a very frisky three-legged dog), Harper slept through the entire outing. He'd spent 45 minutes staring at his boat mobile that morning so perhaps that wore him out. He only cracked his eyes once while we were there.

Tomorrow, we're taking Harper in for his one month check up. Hard to believe we're already there!

Harper meets his cousin Jurnee

Smush Hangs with Harper

Harper was VERY excited to visit the park. Can't you tell?

Harper's First Tub Bath

Harper had his first tub bath today and we're very excited to report that there were no tears!

Harper at Two Weeks

Harper had his two-week check up today and he is "thriving." We were hoping he would be back to his original birth weight by today (8 lbs .09 oz...previously incorrectly reported as 8 lbs 9 oz). Harper blew us away when he weighed in at 9 lbs. My boobs could have told the doc that he'd gained weight but with all the tricks they've been forced to perform lately, the last thing they want to do is talk (ha ha). The doctor told us Harper had a "big belly" and our little guy promptly responded by peeing on him. We also learned that Harper has grown a half an inch since he was born.


In addition to gaining weight and growing taller, Harper has also been working on his sleeping routine. He lets me get at least 90 mins of rest in between feedings now and I've learned how to switch boobs before Harper falls into a narcoleptic state while lunching at the first one. So, we're kind of getting the hang of things.


Developmentally, Harper is lifting his head pretty high now and holding it for a few seconds. He is also focusing on our faces a bit more and sometimes he will respond to our voices with a smile. When we put him on his tummy, he tries to raise his head and use his legs and feet to push himself but his head is still too massive to support for too long so he gets tired very quickly. Also, although its not one of the skills they list in the baby books, Frank and I are convinced that Harper is able to strategically time his potty breaks. He is able to pee when he feels you are hovering too close and he's able to conjure up a fresh poop when we've just finished putting on a new diaper and snapping the onesie closed.


Lancaster and Smush are still pretty uninterested in Harper. They barely twitch an ear when he cries now. Lancaster will check him out in his bassinet every once in a while but I think he's more interested in the bassinet as a potential comfy place to nap (He's just waiting for Harper to not be there when he looks!).

Our Friends Larry and Reese Visited Harper Last Weekend

Harper's Chunky Tummy Has Outgrown His Newborn T-Shirts

This is the Life Fellas!

Time for Me to Weigh In

Harper was officially one week old yesterday. I can't decide whether time is flying or crawling by. I guess it depends on what time of day it is. Right now, with Harper sleeping peacefully in his bassinet, the day seems to be going fast. Talk to me at midnight tonight and I might be feeling a tad different.

All is going well though. When I think back on the birth of our little guy I'm pretty amazed at what the human body is capable of. I thought I'd prepared myself by watching endless hours of those labor shows on the Discovery Health Channel but deep inside, I was a little scared about how it was all going to go down. Actually, watching those shows probably backfired on me because I knew a little too much about what was happening. Like, "oh there is the crochet hook thingy they use to break a women's water but when they did that on TV, the woman screamed." I managed to keep my screaming to a minimum (at least I think I did) with the help of good drugs and a good husband. I asked for the epidural around 5 centimeters and although I planned to go natural, I'm glad I changed my mind because I think I enjoyed the process a lot more. Frank was amazing the whole time I was in labor. Considering we never practiced the breathing techniques we learned in birthing class and he never finished reading the baby book, he truly is a "game time player" and was the best comfort I could have asked for that day.

Now that we've been home almost a week, I can see why people kept telling us to get our sleep. Frank and I always wondered why they couldn't think of any other advice to give but now we get it. Nights have been tough as little Harper loves to sleep for hours during the day but wakes like clock work every 1 1/2 to 2 hours at night. He doesn't like his nursery or crib right now so he snoozes in a bassinet next to our bed. Our other big challenge has been breast feeding. Harper tends to fall asleep at the boob. Last night, during one of our feeding sessions, I tried singing "You're a Grand Old Flag" to wake him up after we googled "Keeping your baby awake during nursing" and they suggested singing something upbeat and catchy. Needless to say, it didn't work. We get better at it every try though, and we have had LOTS of chance to practice!

Well, Frank is back at work today and Harper and I are missing his company. We're trying to fill the hours until his return. Harper is taking the nap approach and I think I might do the same right now!

Falling Asleep at the Boob

Fighting It

Harper Meets his Aunt and Uncle

Aunt Sophie and Uncle Tim came down from New York City to meet their nephew Harper this past weekend. Harper was happy to get some new hands on him besides the usual suspects, Mom and Dad.

No D.N.A. Testing Needed Here!

Hardcore Son!

Harper got his first bath today and is now napping in his crib which is good to see early. The first few days were tough, anytime he left our arms let the wailing begin. But all in all, so far so great! We have our first visit to the pediatrician's this afternoon. Harper is also looking forward to meeting his Uncle Tim and Aunt Sophie tomorrow.

Grandparents Meet Harper!

Grandma Gordon, Nana Hanrahan and Grandpa Hanrahan are pictured below with our son Harper. Grandpa Gordon had a little touch of the cold so he opted to wait to hold him.

Watch Out World, Here I Come

Harper has spent several hours on this earth now, mostly with his eyes closed. He has slept a ton and has been nursing as well. But we got a good shot of his baby blueish/grayish eyes here. The adventure begins.

We Are Family

Say hello to Harper A.J. Hanrahan, born February 10, 2009 at 6:09 p.m. at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland. Harper weighed in at 8 pounds 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. Mom, Dad and Harper are doing great. Don't worry plenty more posts to come just wanted to get the news out to the world.

Last Week as a Double

Talking with other couples with children, they emphasized getting out and going on several last dates because with a little one soon in tow they said it will never be the same. So we took their advice and went out several times over the last few weeks. We saw James Morrison in concert at the 9:30 Club this past Thursday. Then on Friday we went to dinner and saw the movie, "He's Just Not That Into You," and I was just not that into it! Dyani didn't think it was too bad though. The picture above is from our venture to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse a few weeks ago. Yes, we are living it up with just a few days to go.

More of Lil H's Abode

The Nursery Is Ready for Baby H!

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We have finally completed the nursery for Baby H. Lannie and Smush still think the room was created for them so we're a little nervous about the fallout when the kid comes home. I used the 1% of my brain that thinks it can decorate and managed to put together a beach/boating theme for the room. Frank and I think it turned out pretty cute but the whole experience was a tad exhausting. I think we've agreed that we don't want to paint or assemble anything until baby H is old enough to do it for us. Hey! We have free labor on the way! Nice.

Last Pregnancy Shot! Dyani at 38 Weeks

The time is drawing near when I will be able to see my feet again. Maybe I'll even be able to touch them.