02*29*12

"It is finally time!"

That was the thought going through my mind this time last year...February 28th 2012. On this day last year I was sitting at the hospital for my pre-surgery appointment, getting checked in and meeting with my doctors. The C-Section had been scheduled and everything was in order for my beautiful baby boy's arrival! 

All I had to do now was go home, eat a big meal and get a good nights sleep! 
Yeah. Right. 
Eating at this point in my pregnancy was no problem but sleep...no way. 
I was so excited + scared + nervous + a million other emotions! 

The morning of February 29th 2012 still seems like a dream when I think back, I remember being mentally prepared for surgery [first surgery I had ever had in my life]. My only fear was there being a complication with Nash. Luckily for the both of us, everything went as planned and on Wednesday morning at 11:21 am on February 29th 2012 Vincent Nash Harris was born weighing in at 7 lbs 13 oz and 17 inches long. Our little leap year boy!

Every moment in my life since that day has been more meaningful, exciting, beautiful, unpredictable and amazing because I get to share it with Nash. In his short time on this earth he has already taught me so many things about myself that I didn't even know I needed to learn. I can only imagine the things we will learn together as we both continue to grow. He was the missing piece to our little family and now that he is here I could never picture our life without him. 

He is Daddy's little helper, Bubba's best friend and Mommy's baby boy.

Happy Birthday Nash!

1st Birthday Party!

So, we just got back from our amazing trip down to Florida to celebrate Nash's 1st birthday!!! There were a few hiccups of course but at the end of the day it was just so nice to get together and have a good time with family and friends!

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day, 82 degrees and sunny! Although the water was still a tad bit too cold for Nash...big brother Mason on the other hand, hit that water as soon as he got to the beach and we pretty much did not see him the rest of the day! The park really worked out better than we could have imagined, with the beach lagoon plus the playground within just a few steps...there was always something for the kids to do! We are actually kicking around the idea of having Mason's 5th birthday there.

I did though totally chicken out on baking the cake...once we got down there time seemed to fly by and I just didn't feel like I would have enough time to bake and decorate it the way I really wanted too and then of course my biggest fear....what if it came out horrible?!?! Didn't want to chance it. So, I ordered a cake from Publix along with a small smash cake!

I will say as much fun as we had it was also TOTALLY EXHAUSTING! I envy other parents who have the time, money and energy to put on a big shin-dig every year for their children [me. not so much]! So, we are going to do milestone birthdays [you know...first birthday, 5, 10, 16 and 18] instead of every year blow outs! I love the idea of a small cake, close family and friends and maybe going bowling or to the playground with just Mom, Dad and Bubba for all the birthdays in between!

Nash's birthday chair!

His "beachy" cake!

Where's Mason??? Yeah. He didn't leave the water or Uncle Dylan all day!

Nash's was not sure what to make of the cake...

didn't take long for him to figure it out!

Hogjaws.

Uncle Ryan and Nash

Nash playing with his great grandma [aka Momom #2]

We also got in some family time with Mason while we were down there [it is so nice to have a free babysitter for Nash]! He got to go deep sea fishing on Saturday morning, just him and daddy! Then Saturday afternoon the three of us went to a Marlin's spring training baseball game, courtesy of my Mom's awesome boss at The Palm Beach Post!

Mason's "pork" fish that he caught!

Third row behind home plate...A-Mazing seats!

Of course...Mommy and Daddy could not pass up a date night while we were down there and had family to watch the kids! So, we had a great night of Greek food and mixed drinks before the party craziness hit us the next day!

In other Harris news...

We are getting closer to March which means soccer games start back up for Mas, St. Patty's Day green beer, Eric Clapton date night and my husband's 31st birthday! The boys and I already have the best birthday present idea ready to go and we can't wait to see his face when he realizes what it is!

Fam[ily]

Is it the weekend yet?

I am so ready to get down to Florida and feel that sunshine on my face…it’s been in the 40’s and 50’s here the last few weeks and I am just about over it, [Florida blood runs thick] I will never get use to the cold!  I am officially in “crazy…got tons of shit to do” mode, we are leaving very early Friday morning so over the next two evenings I've got to get us all packed, party supplies organized, car loaded and Mas to soccer practice. At least time will fly with everything we've got to get done before we leave! I have also decided to make Nash’s birthday cakes myself once we get down there [yes. pray for me] this should be interesting…

In other umber exciting, wonderful news…Nash took his very first steps!!!  Of course he will not perform while I try to record this life changing event on video, but he has done it a few more times on his own! Mommy is so proud [and extremely sad at the same time] he is just growing way faster than I ever imagined he would! I feel like at this rate I will be kissing him goodbye as he drives off to college tomorrow [seriously. I've already dreamed about it].

We also got our fam[ily] photos done! Yeah. So, I may be bias but my little family is the cutest family I've ever seen.  It was not the most ideal day for outdoor photos, a brisk 40 degrees with a 10 mph wind chill to top it off…so um yeah…we were freezing! There was one point where Mason’s lips looked a little blue! In between each photo we would wrap the kids up in a blanket to keep them warm. I think Nash would have smiled a little more if he wasn't busy trying to snuggle as close as he could to me to keep warm!  But even with our teeth chattering our photos turned out beautifully, beyond my best expectations! It helps when you have the best photographer ever behind the camera, if you live in the metro to south Atlanta area I would highly recommend Taken by Tate, she is extremely professional, patient and very talented at her craft!

Here are a few of my many favorites!

Love Love Love

Happy Valentine's Day!
aka Hallmark Holiday

I am not one of those women who expect they're spouse to take this one day out of the year to move heaven and earth, to shower me in lavish gifts or express every deep dark desire written completely in poetry form...No. I get my love you's, my snuggles and my hugs throughout the year from each of my boys. I just take a little extra on Valentine's Day. So just as it has been every year since we met, it was a low key kind of night at the Harris house for Valentine's. My baby boys picked out some very pretty flowers for me [Mommy flowers...there is nothing as sweet, especially when it takes them ten minutes to pick them out]. Vince said Mas was so picky about the flowers, going around smelling each one then deciding based on the fact that he knows white is my favorite color -> heart melts every time. Plus, the hubs picked up some chocolate brownies and a jumbo size bottle of pink Moscato wine in addition to my flowers. Best part was his reason behind my brownies and wine...he said "I thought you'd like to enjoy your bath reading your kindle with some chocolate and wine too" [if that is not better than a diamond necklace then I don't know what is]!

Now, it's onto the next holiday...Nash's 1st Birthday! Hey. As far as I am concerned it is now an official holiday...well at least every four years it should be. Our little leap year baby is technically speaking not going to be one until 2016 so it looks like the 28th with be his special day in between! 

Around Here Lately...

Stop.Breath.Think.Breath. Okay, wait. What was I doing again?!?!

That about sums up what it has felt like around our house here lately…we just have so much going on! I have never been one to sit still or not have something “in the works” so I don’t mind being busy but I am definitely in countdown mode for my April girl’s weekend away [if I just get the opportunity to sleep in pass 8 o’clock the entire trip would be worth the cost]! But while I have been busy planning that getaway I have also been in full birthday party planning mode for Nash as well! Thanks to my hubs all decorations are ordered and on their way now, I just have to get the cake finalized and then hope that we have enough of everything for everyone!

On top of those two upcoming trips, I have also been doing research on our big 2014 Ireland trip! I am beyond excited for this trip and am really looking forward to experiencing it with my hubby. We also decided that we may try to see another country while we are across the pond so I have been busy looking into different countries and what would make the most sense time wise for us to visit and give us the most bang for our buck! As you can imagine my mind has been going wild with all the places we could possibility go! It’s kind of nice because this trip will give us a taste of what we want our retirement to be like…after the kids are grown and have families and careers of their own, we just want to getaway and travel to all of the places we've always wanted to go!

Just the two of us. On our own schedule. Doing what we want to do. Yes. 

[Sorry was daydreaming there for a minute…back to the blog…]

We are also getting back into soccer season for Mas which is overlapping just a bit with his basketball season [two practices a week plus games on Saturdays, the boy loves his sports]. Plus, he has been asking about baseball as well which we may try to get him into sometime in the fall. It will be even more fun when Nash starts getting into sports or hobbies or whatever his little personality steers him too [those must be the years all parents talk about when you don’t see your spouse but maybe a few minutes at the end of the day before you pass out for the night].

I am also thinking about our upcoming family portraits that we are having done by a very talented photographer friend of ours [I will admit I am not looking forward to the part where there are pictures of ME being taken since I am not where I want to be weight wise yet] but if I waited until I was ready we wouldn't have any new family photos until the third possible fourth child was here and that would mean years would pass. So, for the sake of the boys having pictures to look back on of when they we’re young [and all of us in the picture] we are having them done. Now, just need to figure out what we are all wearing…

Speaking of third child and for those who ask me…no bun in the oven yet but not for lack of trying [hehehe] we shall see what the beginning of next month brings, if we are pregnant we would be due in October which is my birth month [I would totally share my birthday]. So, keeping the fingers crossed for a baby in 2013.

To top off this already busy month and of course the icing on the cake…we have all been infected with a mixture I like to call the sinus pressure/mucus/hacking coughs/pink eyes/sore ears/bacterial yuck/kick your ass cold. Yeah. Wiped our household out for a good solid two days. No joke. But we are all on some sort of multiple medicine concoction that will hopefully, once and for all, finally get sick out of our house.  

I mean seriously. I can’t be sick. I have WAY too much shit going on.

Do they look sick? Yeah. Don't let them fool ya, they are germ breeding infected monsters! But still love them.

Daddy's Response...

Below is my husband's response to my latest blog...just proves Mommy's are the best!

You answered this for Nash....I will list the real answers beside it:

1.) My name is: Nash. (Legal name is Vincent)
2.) I am 1 years old. (11 months)
3.) My favorite food is: vanilla yogurt with banana oatmeal. (Anything on the floor that fits in my mouth)
4.) My favorite book is: Goodnight Moon. (Any college book Daddy is trying to study with that I can pull off the couch or wet the pages of)
5.) My favorite toy is: my ABC ride along train. (See question #4)
6.) My favorite color is: blue. (the color daddy turns when I will not leave him alone while studying)
7.) I smile most when: my Mommy sings "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to me. (I bother Daddy when he is trying to quietly study, see also questions #4,5,6)
8.) I start to dance when: Daddy plays "Gangnam Style" on the laptop. (Or when I see food coming and I am sitting in my high chair)
9.) My favorite word to say is: bubba. (More of a siren noise until my Mommy gets home from work)
10.) My favorite time of the day is: in the morning. (When Daddy is studying his college homework)
11.) My favorite cartoon to watch is: Sponge Bob Square Pants because my bubba will watch it with me. (Jeopardy)
12.) My favorite thing to do: play on the floor in the living room with my bubba. (See how many time I can push Daddy's buttons during the day because I thrive off the reactions and my mother has made me a momma's boy)

Now you have the real answers.

Is it just me or does someone sound like they're whining....hmmm???
Guess I better run by the store to pick up some cheese on my way home from work....  

Daddy and his boys.

Happy February!

Okay... I will admit that I was never that excited in the past for the month of February [if there is no holiday that provides me with a paid day off then it is hard to get too excited] but now that it is Nash's birthday month it is all of a sudden my favorite out of the year! I am still in complete shock at just how quickly this year has passed by and what awesome things I have gotten to experience as his mommy! 

I don't think you ever really know just how much love you're heart can hold until you have a child. It amazes me everyday how much more I fall in love with him. Just when I think I am at my max and cannot not possibly love him anymore then I already do, he goes and does something so adorable...like kissing me five times in a row or giggling at me and clapping his hands when I sing to him [I assume he giggles because he's happy and not because mommy's singing voice is a little questionable] and then my heart just explodes with more love! 

I have such high hopes, dreams, plans and ambitions for him! It is a strange feeling to be so curious to find out what he will be like as an adult but then also the feeling of being selfish in that you never really want him to grow up! I always joke that he can live with us forever and if he wanted to do that I actually would not have a problem with it at all...but with the combination of his father's ambition and his mama's need for independence I am sure that will not be the case [but I will continue to secretly hope that he stays with me forever]. But since I know the odds are working against me, I decided to do one of those cute kid lists of likes that you see all over Pinterest, it will actually be great for both boys to do each year! Since Nash is still too little to write...or for that matter answer the questions directly...I will help him out by doing the first list for him, so here we go!

1.) My Name is:   Nash  .
2.) I am   1 years old  .
3.) My favorite food is:  vanilla yogurt mixed with banana oatmeal  .
4.) My favorite book is:  Goodnight Moon  .
5.) My favorite toy is:  my ABC ride along train  .
6.) My favorite color is:  blue  .
7) I smile most when:  my Mommy sings "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to me  .
8.) I start to dance when:  Daddy plays "Gangnam Style" on the laptop  .
9.) My favorite word to say is:  bubba  .
10.) My favorite time of the day is:  in the morning  .
11.) My favorite cartoon to watch is:  Sponge Bob Square Pants because bubba will watch it with me .
12.) My favorite thing to do:  is play on the floor in the living room with my bubba  .

Totally not kidding either on the number 8...they share the "weird" gene...

28 Weeks Pregnant

Born 2/29/12 11:21 am

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