SWAGGER WAGON

Check out our newest addition to the family: "The Big Bad Wolf" as I, Hannah Harman, intrigued by all story characters mean and bad, have appropriately titled our van. I feel its name fits accordingly to my new favorite Swagger Wagon Video. Minivans are not for the faint hearted. Trust me. Grant and I sweated for 30 minutes in the heat while Mommy and Daddy struggled to put our car seats in this baby before we embarked on the 45 minute drive home. I must say, it was the most stylish 45 minute ride I've had since entering this world. Tinted windows baby are cool. No more old lady sedan for this family. We've now entered the ever so cool minivan.

Our "New" Room (A Bit Overdue)

Well, we've been bunking together since the end of April. It's just taken Mommy that long to get a picture. But here it is. Well, most of it. The wall across from the bed holds our shelves. And that corner is our "reading corner" where our piggy and froggy sit. If you notice strangely colored spots on the wall, it's not your eyes. Mommy got the wrong type of paint to color over my pink spots. And, well, as you can see, 3 months later, still hasn't fixed it. The art work on the wall is done by none other than me and Grant of course. We're still waiting on Mommy to put our ceiling tile artwork over our beds. And, we obviously didn't change the green paint. Still not Mommy's favorite but it works and it saved time, money, and energy (which Mommy just doesn't have a lot of these days). All in all, we love our room. My favorite part is having Grant with me. Man, have we had some adventures already like eating pennies, throwing every article of clothing and every diaper out of the drawers, jumping off the beds, coloring on the walls (that's me), coloring on the dresser (that was me too), breaking the blinds (that's Grant) and crawling into bed togther (just to name a few).

Sweaty

This picture doesn't quite grasp my supernatural ability to sweat. But it begins to scratch the surface. Apparently, I inherited this unique trait from Mommy. Yes, I did say Mommy and NOT Daddy. I know, I know, it's more of a manly trait. Poor Mommy. I can only imagine what her hot flashes will be like when she reaches that age. You should see her after she runs. It ain't pretty. But anyways, enough about poor Mommy. This is about me. And my sweat. Put me outside for five minutes and I'll give you something to look at.

Runner

I dream of being a runner. Light as a feather on my toes. The wind blowing my hair. The earth catching my stride. Free to move. Free to let go.

Ballerina

I dream of being a ballerina. Tutus. I love you. I especially love you when I can wear you OUTSIDE. ON A GOLF COURSE. Where the world is my stage. It's magical.

Geese Chasin'

Have you ever seen geese? Well, they're birds. Not just any birds. They apparently like to play golf. ALOT. It seems everytime we go they're sitting on the greens. Poor guys, someone needs to tell them they need a ball and a club. And perhaps opposable thumbs to hold the club and ball. Anyways, we decided to break their boredom and hopeless waiting by chasing them as fast as we could. It was rivoting. Apparently they're swimmers too because those geese ran right into the water. Who knew geese were such veratile creatures? Golfers, swimmers, and might I add pretty good runners. We couldn't ever catch up to them. We'll get you next time geese. We'll get you next time.

Rest

Takin a much needed break and enjoying nature. Did I tell you how much I love nature?

The Lake: Part One

There's a lake in the back of our neighborhood. We love to go. Some evenings when we're bored (or Mommy has had just about all she can take) we head to the lake. There's lots of stuff to do and see. For example, you can take in the beautiful scenery. Grant is giving you a clear picture of what that looks like. He thinks he can spot fish from way up there. We hate to break it to him that whatever he's seeing aren't fish. He's young. Give him time. Or you can find BIG DEAD SNAKES floating in the water. Of course Daddy had to get a better look. Thankfully we are unable to transmit smell waves (or whatever you call them) through the computer. Take it from us...he STUNK. But that didn't ruin our fun. Also, you can look for rocks. Grant and I LOVE rocks. Or, you can find seaweed looking plants. And, not to mention, you can get bit by lots of mosquitoes. But we're willing to pay that price for a walk down by the lake.

Big Boy

What can I say? I'm a big boy. Milk has never tasted so good. And to think I was trying to spoon out my milk after the cereal was gone. This is much easier and oh so much cooler.

Flowers and Butterflies

Grant and I love to look at the flowers outside. We especially like to look at the butterflies and bees that land on these flowers. While we were in Birmingham this past week, Grandma caught Grant "petting" a bumble bee (the big fuzzy kind) on their sunflowers. Daddy says those aren't too harmful. That's good news for Grant. We've "petted" our share of bugs that have visited our friendly flowers. I'm guessing they're friendly. The bugs like them. In fact, they like them so much that it takes a lot to distract them. Hence, the free for all pet fest we have been able to have. Here I am observing a butterfly. I feel bad for this guy though. He's a bit lack luster. But I'll still call him my friend. And Mommy says that there is great beauty in the plain and simple. That's how God made this little butterfly. Plain and simple.

Mommy's Moment: While They're Away

So, it's Wednesday. Tomorrow I head to Birmingham to meet back up with these two goof balls. I am ready. Just looking at these pictures makes me ready to be with them. Some of you have asked what I've done. Well, nothing too exciting, but that's how I like it. I've managed to deep clean our bathroom and their bathroom. I won't even tell you when the last time I did that was. In fact, I don't remember! I dusted. I took naps. I slept in. I watched What Not to Wear and A Baby Story (a throw back to the old days). John and I watched a movie (and I'm trying to convince him that we need to eat at O'Charley's tonight. It used to be our go to place before having kids. Their rolls are awesome. But, he's trying to keep us on a tight budget so we'll see about that). I played the Wii. Yep, call me a kid at heart. I worked on my shooting skills and my memory skills. I love the matching game. I tackled some much needed laundry. Made and ate some late dinners. Scrapbooked (which hopefully I'll do more of today). Did some reading. All in all, it's been a restful and rejuvenating time. But I realize where my heart is during the day. With my kiddos. They're what keep me going at the house. And even though it can be a frustrating, tiring, and an overwhelming job, I really do love it. I was pleased to hear today that Hannah actually asked Mom about me. I was beginning to worry that they would be disappointed to head back home! I am thankful for Mom and Dad for entertaining them for these past few days. I know it's been a special time for Hannah and Grant! I'm sure I'll hear some stories! So, off I go to coupon (yuck) and then hopefully on to more interesting things!

Mommy's Moment: Pregnancy Update

Me at 25 weeks with baby
me at 26 weeks with Grant

So, since I've got some free time on my hands, why not blog again?! I'm 25 weeks pregnant. I took a glamorous picture for you today to capture my belly so to compare it to my 26 week pregnant picture with Grant. I figured, it's close enough. The blue shirt was when I was pregnant with Grant. I am glad to see my stomach seems much bigger at this point with Grant. Because now, even moreso, I'm hoping this baby isn't as big. My doctor's appointment today was very informative. I usually remind the doctor that my last baby was 9lbs. 12 oz. to see what precautions need to be made since Grant's delivery was miserable. I hadn't seen this doctor at all this pregnancy. I'm glad I did today. Apparently Grant's delivery was more risky than I realized. She asked if he got stuck. He did. To which she advises any mother who has had a baby get stuck and be that size enter into a c-section for subsequent deliveries if the baby is measuring large. My body dialted to 4 cm and was fully effaced for two weeks with Grant but he refused to drop down because he was too big to fit down there. Only because my water broke was labor kicked into high gear (sort of). Thus, he got stuck and the labor wasn't pretty. It was nightmarish to be honest. The doc said the outcome isn't always as good as it was with Grant, who, finally was sucked out of me. Poor guy. She said with a baby that size the risk is great for it to get stuck and only fit its head out. Complications are common. My eyes were probably big as saucers while she told me this because she said, I just want to make sure you understand. Oh I do. And can I say I am so thankful for the Lord's protection over Grant's delivery? Anyways, my other doctor, the one who sucked Grant out of me with the vacuum, told me I could be induced. Not so. Only if my body has begun labor, meaning I'm dialating and effacing (which thankfully I do pretty early), can I be induced at 38 weeks 3 days. If not, I can opt for a c-section or try my hand at delivering a possibly big baby. If it comes to that point, I think I'll have to opt for a c-section. Oh yeah, she asked what we are having. Of course, we don't know. She said it's helpful to know if it's going to be a boy or a girl in a situation like this because girls are easier to deliver than boys (I can vouch for that). SO, it may be that we have to find out. We'll see. If it means the safety of our baby then we definitely will. Oh the drama. But as I look at the pictures above I still lean towards girl because my stomach is smaller which hopefully means a baby that doesn't weigh more than 9 lbs. So that's my update. All looks good for the little squirt at this point. I got three more pictures of him/her. I think I'll have a scrapbook full just of ultrasound pictures by the time this one arrives. But it's fun to see him/her so often! Thanks for reading this far. I'll be back with more exciting pictures of Hannah and Grant. Now, I'm off to enjoy another kid free day!

Mommy's Moment: My First Ever Break as a Mommy

I'm sitting here in a completely quiet house. Hannah and Grant just drove off with my parents. It's the weirdest feeling I've had as a mother. A good feeling. Since September 25, 2006 I have NEVER had a day to myself without kids...let alone two and a half days! To be honest, it's an invigorating feeling. I love my kids, for sure. And I will miss them immensely. I am sure come Thursday as I drive to Birmingham to get them I will be the happiest mommy in the world. BUT, the freedom at this very moment that pulsates through me is overwhelming! My schedule for two and a half days IS MY OWN. I can take a nap at any moment of the day. We can eat a late dinner. I can sit on the couch and eat my lunch and watch t.v. No little hands will be eating half of my meal. I can mosey through my chores without checking the clock to see how much longer I have until the naps are over. I can sleep without the nightly visits from Hannah and Grant. I can stay up LATE with no fear of having to wake up early in the morning. It's the weirdest feeling. It's as if I've stepped back four years to life B.C. (before children) which was a short period for us anyways. I thought I'd be more emotional seeing my two little squirts drive off without me. But I'm okay. Probably because I know they are okay. Hannah couldn't wait to go and thankfully Grant got in without any qualms. I reminded them several times I'd be there to see them on Thursday. Apparently this stuck with Grant. I asked, "When will I be there?" To which he immediately replied "tursday." So, I'm off to enjoy some freedom. My kids are off to enjoy some special time with Grandma and Papa. And my parents, well, they're off on an adventure..

Thanks Mom and Dad! Love you!

Pennies, Pennies, Pennies, Pennies...PENN-IES!

So, I'm sure most of you heard, I LOVE pennies! So much so that I've devoured at least two. I feel this photo captures my passion for them. I enjoy carrying them around and then putting them back into my ducky bank. I even gave some to Jesus at church a few weeks ago in the offering. However, after finding some more pennies (I DO have an eye for spotting any penny in the near vacinity on the ground) I said, "Jesus has enough pennies." I put it in my ducky bank. For those of you concerned about my penny fetish, please be aware that anytime I find a penny I give it to Mommy and advise her to "put it in my ducky bank." This picture was taken under adult supervision.

P.S. Did you see our new poll to vote on our new baby? Tell us what you think by voting. We've had a poor turn out and need a little love.

"Bankey Boy"

You know what's a travesty? Bath time. Not for me, but for Bankey Boy. If only you could see the distraught look on my face as I watch Bankey Boy tumble to and fro in the washer. Mommy said he needed a bath. I quickly learned his bath takes a lot longer than my baths. And then, don't get me started on the drying phase. I was an absolute mess. For two hours I cried off and on as I called his name, "Bankey Boy!" As any good parent would, I checked on him frequently. But it brought me no comfort. Only when he was returned to me, clean and a bit warm as well as emitting a nice fragrance I might add, did I finally relinquish my anguish and return to my normal state. Separating me and Bankey Boy is like separating peanut butter from jelly. It's sheer devastation.