Harris Headquarters: January 2013

Finding Nemo

I love coming up with nicknames for my babies. I let them come organically, so sometimes they might seem a little weird to an outsider. Evan was the Squeeky Burrito, Gremlin, and Bug. Madeline was Madster.com and Stinker Pants. Charlie was Mr. Charlie Pants and Charlie Brown. So far, Jack has been called Baby Bono, Little Man, Buddy, Poopie, Booger Buns, to name a few. We will see which ones stick.

My brother came up with the cutest nickname for Jack. He pointed out that Josh and I had a bunch of embryos to start with.

But ended up with just one little guy left. And the doctor wasn't even very hopeful that it would work.

But somehow it DID work, and we got our little Nemo baby.

Adios Uterus!

I hate my uterus. It is such an underachiever. It (sort of) worked four times, but otherwise it has been the bane of my existence since I was fourteen. (Yes, fourteen. I was a late bloomer.) So I took advantage of my baby still being tiny enough to lift, and cute enough to have people offer to help with him, and I got my hysterectomy and other plumbing repaired. Just so all the ladies out there know, I am available for consultation if you are considering the surgery. It wasn't as bad as it was back when our mothers did it (the surgery is a scope procedure now), it took about a week for the pain to subside (enough to make it through the day without medication), and on day ten I felt "normal" again (although I still need to take it easy).

Here is Jack trying to survive, I mean....enjoying his time with his big cousin. Aunt Jamie took some overnight shifts and fell in love with Jack and threatened to take him home with her to Virginia.

There's nothing sweeter than getting a picture of bedtime story while recovering in the hospital.

Jack thought his overnight sleepover with Grandma Linda was awesome.

Maddie got to skip a day of school and fly alone up to Utah for some cousin time. She asked me when my next surgery was going to be because she thinks it is so fun. Ha!

I'm glad I did it while Jack is still little enough to lay on my bed with me and think it is so fun. He is a great little man nurse.

I fought like a crazy lady to get Jack to nurse for his first month and a half. Then we started to get into a flow. Then Jack started to hate it and I had to force him to do it. The 48 hours that I was in the hospital, I kept pumping every three hours even though I was very sleepy and high as a kite. Yup, I'm the hard core nursing lady that does that sort of thing. But when I got back, Jack told me very nicely that he was no longer interested in breastfeeding, thank you very much. So now we are on bottles. I hate bottles because formula smells, his poop suddenly got incredibly stinky and thick, traveling and leaving the house and worrying about bottles puts me into panic attacks, I hate having to wash bottles every day, the studies that tie lower IQs and obesity to formula haunt my dreams, and bottle feeding doesn't provide as much cuddle time. But Jack definitely made up his mind. So I'm trying to look on the bright side, and so far I've already lost five pounds in one week and Jack only wakes up once in the night for a feeding. Hmmm......seems like an even trade.

Some randoms

A killer Killers concert.

Captain Jack's first boat ride.

The sweetest picture of the sweetest moment between the sweetest daughter and the sweetest father. They are both beach people, and when I think of them spending time together it looks just like this in my mind.

Maddie wants a pair of roller skates just like her grandma's retro ones.

I love forcing Jack to hang out in this thing.

One of these days I will be able to do a front flip on this thing.

I love having a video baby monitor. He is the cutest sleeper guy.

Teaching Jack the Las Vegas locals myth that Macayos is the best Mexican restaurant.

I also love to force Josh and Jack to wear matching clothes.

The Plague

We went to Utah for Christmas break to spend time with my family. We were going to stay up all night playing games, go skiing, have a girls' shopping day, etc., etc. Until we got hit by the plague. And when I say plague, I mean the "24 hour virus that knocks you to your knees and makes you barf all night and hits every single family member" plague. Needless to say, we didn't do very many fun things and I cleaned up my fair share of throw up.

We did get a few pictures before the plague hit us though.

Best buds.

Snow and cold = the devil

Stucki girls

I recommended a picture of the couples kissing, and in my head we all looked like the two younger couples in our group. Sweet, romantic, sweet. Apparently, the three older couples have been married too long to pull that off. Maybe next year.

At least the majority of the grandkids cooperated for a nice picture.

Jack was very disappointed with Grandpa Dale's baby toy selection.

I showed Maddie and Jack where I used to go to college, live, study, work, etc. in Provo. They couldn't care less.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Jack's first Christmas.

The horribly abusive (but kind of funny) Harris tradition of making the kids wait on the stairs until the grandparents arrive.

This is what happens when I ask Josh to hold Jack on Christmas morning.

This is what happens when the in-laws ask me to make and bring the double layer red and green Jello. (Brown Jello soup.)

Little Jack hanging out with Great-Grandpa Jack.

Maddie making Jack play with her new favorite Christmas present from Santa. (Just to clarify so Josh doesn't get mad, Jack is not holding a Barbie DOLL, he is holding the bear FIGURINE from Brave.)

12 years ago, Josh and I spent our first married Christmas together. We got two Christmas cards in the mail. I remember hoping that someday we would have so many friends and special people in our lives that we could fill a whole wall with Christmas cards. Well....this year we filled two! We are so grateful to have so many loved people in our lives!

Christmas Boat Parade

Josh and I have been going to Newport Beach together for 12 years and have always heard about the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. We never got to do it.....until this year. I just MADE it happen. And I'm so glad I did. It will definitely be an annual Christmas tradition for my family.

Be sure to wear a flower in your hair

Jack was almost three months old and hadn't been on an airplane or on a REAL trip yet. I felt like I was failing as a mother. So we put on his Giants onsie and headed to our favorite West Coast city. I am pleased to announce that he has the traveling gene and will therefore fit into our family nicely.

Married to a Rockstar

Every year for the National Finals Rodeo, Josh grows out his facial hair like this just for me. I find it very sexy. No, really. I do.

Did I mention that Josh is the drummer for a U2 Tribute band in Las Vegas? They recruited him because he is awesome, and because he is also obsessed with U2. Coming from a woman who likes U2 enough to name Jack after Bono, I must say that the tribute band is really good. The "Bono" rocks it and the musicians are right on. Especially the new drummer.

He had a gig on New Years Eve, and I was so annoyed because I planned to stay up all night and rock out with my family! Josh knows me too well. He rightfully said there was no way that I could stay up until midnight.

It's totally Jack's fault. But we did put on this special onesie to celebrate Josh's New Year's Eve gig.

Oh, hello Blog!

Oh, hello Blog! You are still here? I've been spending so much time with Instagram that I sort of forgot about you. Sorry about that. Here are some recent pictures of my little Jack man, and his possible thoughts.

"The ladies love me."

"My big sister is amazing for reading bedtime stories to me everynight. But I gotta get her to read something other than 'The Smart Girls' Guide' books."