Long time no see AND Merry Christmas!

I'm just going to bypass the "catch-up" thing...

We went to see Santa this week.  It was quite comical.  Rivers, Harper and I met Charles at the mall for lunch and then we went to talk to Santa.  Rivers was thrilled.  Harper, not so much...

I tried to get a shot by the tree since I figured this would happen.  Here it is..

  Rivers has decided he wants a basketball and a basketball goal.  He has also asked for a "fighting truck"...thank you, Julie.  She was looking through a Target magazine and this is where Rivers discovered his beloved WWF wrestling 18-wheeler truck with an attached ring and men.  Awesome.  Harper really wants a doll and a pink pony.  We shall see if Santa pulls through.

Enough for now.  I certainly don't have much to live up to.  Peace.

Bunny cake & Easter

Working hard on our bunny cake...

The finished product!

Hunting for eggs in the backyard.

Easter morning... sporting the new green crocs and two poppers.  Rivers wouldn't wear any other shoes so they were also worn to church along with his golf hat!  We are some fancy folks.  

Hunting for eggs at Mama Ann's :)

More hunting

Rivers like the dog toys even better than his eggs :)

Yes, Harper does exist.  She had a very busy Easter.  Being passed from person to person is hard work!

Go Rory!

Rory Mcelroy is my hero.... if he wins the masters.  I joined a Masters pool along with 15 others.  I had to pick 1 of each of the following: an American, an international (someone not from the US or Europe), a European, a wild card and an amateur.  I chose my first three: Phil, KJ Choi and Rory...  The other two Charles helped me out with: Dustin Johnson and Peter Euline (mind the spelling). 
I thought I was doing really well and I guess I still am but I am definitely feeling a little pressure with Tiger in the top three. Dang!  Mom, you may have made the right choice.  I guess I still have a decent chance of coming out okay since two of my players are in the top three... we'll see.
It is very unlike me to join a pool (am I even spelling that correctly?) and even more unlike me to have an app for my phone for The Masters, and to follow this tournament so closely and eagerly!  It's fun, though.  especially since I have a husband that loves golf and loves watching and playing it.  It has kinda been something for us to do together and he can actually leave it on tv without me complaining. :) 
Anyway, my point is for everyone to pull for all of my peeps.  If I win, we're getting a new stroller and I get to prove to Charles that I know more than he does :) 
...and so far, I'm winning!  Holla!

The real new baby...

While Rivers was busy playing with all of the "new baby's" toys...

 Harper was blowing bubbles.  I didn't pay much attention to the fact that she often has bubbles on her lips but when Rivers found her in her seat the other day without any for him to pop, he said, "wheres Harper's bubbles?"  and proceeded to try to find them.  When she spits up, he says "Haper spilled" and usually finds something close by to wipe her off.  What a cutie :)

Harper actually seems to enjoy being held by her big brother.  She watches him more and more each day and even smiles at him while he is saying "hey girlfriend!"  We would be in trouble if she didn't have fun with him since he is constantly saying "It's mine! I wanna hold 'er!"

 

Loves her naps during the day... if only she loved to sleep this much at night :).  She is getting better, though.

Harper had her first playdate with Mallie Murray.  They really enjoyed laying next to each other and kicking. 

They even tried to hold hands...and check out those thighs!!

Rivers tickeling Harper.   He says, "Harper try to get me" when her arms flail around.  He thinks she is trying to get him back... one day soon, she will.  He also thinks she is trying to give him high fives.  I find him grabbing her arm and holding her had out so he can get one.  It's pretty cute:)

New baby?

Yes, I did have a baby 8 weeks ago but I have ANOTHER new baby too.  His name is Rivers and he loves all of HIS new toys!



The cottage

The cottage belongs to Gran and Papa.  They built it when my mom was tiny and we have been going there my entire life.  It seemed like we spent entire summers there and it's so much fun to watch our children enjoy the same things we loved as we were growing up.  It is such a blessing to be able to share such a special place with my babies!

Mom was kind enough to take on the task of driving my 2 year old and 5 week old down to the cottage for our "spring break"(can a 2yr old really have a spring break?).  I wonder if she realized what she was getting into?! I would never dare go that far by myself! 

The first night there we got to spend some time with a lot of the fam: Gran and Papa, Ellen, Molly, James, Julie, Ryan, Jackson, Tate, Katie, Mom, Rivers, Harper and myself.  If only we could do it more often.

I must say that this trip was an adventure and I have a few pictures to prove it...

Rivers taking care of business.

So, we did make a trip to the after hours clininc in Gulf Shores.  Rivers decided to stick a pea up his nose at dinner.  We tried everything to get it out... even shook some pepper under his nose to try and make him sneeze it out.  After waiting for an hour and a half in the waiting room (mom and I traded off kids depending on when Harper needed to eat) we finally got to go back to see the doctor BUT it was all for not... while the nurse was asking me questions about Riv's health history, he innocently sneezed it out onto his shorts.  Nice!  The nurse burst out laughing and stole the pea from me to go and show all of her fellow nurses while repeatedly shouting "no charge, no charge!"

Rivers decided that he was not the only one that needed to feed a baby. 

James and Rivers visiting the puppies down the street on our walk down Council Lane.

Haper doing her thing. 

Uncle Ryan & Harper

Papa & Harper.  This was Harpers first time to meet Gran, Papa, Molly, James and Ellen.

Molly, Rivers and the singing fish.  Rivers loved the fish but refused to get close.  Can you tell?

Tate & Rivers.  Rivers woke up each morning at the cottage and asked for his tennish shoes and either Jackson, Tate, Molly or James.   He loved it!

Growing too fast!

When I was pregnant with Rivers, people always told me how fast he was going to grow up.  I knew it was true but didn't know how true.  I feel like he was just born.  I really cannot believe I have a 2 year old!  I guess time flies when you're having fun!! :)

Rivers with his new wiggle rider.  He refuses to ride it... maybe one day. 

The baseball tee from the Hallas.  Big hit!  So were the three sets of balls and bats from the rest of the family.  I guess everyone knew what Rivers wanted!

Opening the tee with a little help from Jackson and Tate.

Cousins!

Blowing out the candles!

Notice the chocolate arm...



Harper Jean Perlis

Harper is here! 

 7 pounds, 3 ounces, 20 1/2 inches

She has actually been here for a few weeks...

Harper-just a few minutes old. 

Rivers meeting his baby sister for the first time.  He was just a little hesitant.  He would not come sit with me but he did give me a kiss on his way out to the gift shop for a popper and a new football

baby girl!

 Harper under the lights... a little jaundice.  Thankfully she only had to stay under them for 1 night.

 4 days old.



Another year, already?!!!

Rivers turns 2 in about 2 weeks!!!!!! I really can't believe it.  He has changed so much in just a year and now he is about to be a big brother-and he is still a baby!!...well, to me he is still a baby.  I have been trying to make a photo book of his first two years (since Harper will be here any second) and came across some pictures from his first birthday.  It was small-just family and a few close friends and.was just right for a 1st Birthday!  It's looking like this year's birthday party won't be too different.

   

Rivers eating his first cupcake.  He loved it.  Charles kept trying to take it away from him because he was making such a big mess.  Isn't that the point?! :)

Helping mommy get ready for the party.  The messes these days are MUCH bigger! And he has a whole lot more hair!!

Finally, he got to wear his birthday suit.  He still loves wearing his birthday suit- every time he is in it, he runs laps around the house.

2 days.

There were 2 days of nice weather that is.  It is now back to the freezing, nasty rain.  Yuck!  During the 2 days of bliss, we had a massive plumbing disaster.  Charles called me around 9:30 and informed me that there was muddy (is that a word?) water coming up through the drains of  the shower, both bathtubs, both toilets and the washing machine (filled with baby things as well)... not so blissful.  We have a home warranty (I don't think we'll ever get one again) and of course, this was not covered.  We still got to pay the guy $60 for coming to tell us so.  He proceeded to tell us that in order to fix the problem, we needed to cut down a tree and get a new sewere line which should only cost around $5,000.  We called our regular plumber and he was able to get everything fixed for MUCH less.

Aunt Katie picked Rivers up from school that day and brought him home to play in the backyard while Charles and I dealt with the "plumbing issue".  Here are a few pics Katie took with her phone :)

first haircut

I thought his ducktail looked cute but Charles (along with everyone else, I now know) thought it was too long.  I had an afternoon planned with Julie, Katie and mom.  Charles was going to take Rivers to lunch and they were going to spend a few hours together.  Little did I know, that would invlolve a trip to Homewood Barber Shop!  I found out via the picture text Charles sent to me!   

I will say that his big boy haircut is pretty cute.  Charles is lucky that Butch, the barber, has given many first haircuts and saved some of Rivers' hair, gave him a certificate and took a couple of pictures.

Butch, Rivers and Charles.  Rivers kept the same straight face the entire time...even with the screaming boy next to him :) So proud!

Straight face.  He says "no haircut" when I ask him if he wants to do it again but he would like another "popper"- he was rewarded with a sucker when he was all done.

he has NOT "graduated from babyhood"!  I don't care what Butch says.

Showing off his haircut.  So long, ducktail.