Weekend and more

On Saturday, we went to my parents' house for the day. Although our original intent was simply to leave Harmon with the grandparents while we saw The Break-Up (it was OK), we were summoned there early to help get a big surprise ready for my Dad. You see, my Dad has this old TV that he's had for YEARS! At this point in its TV life, the color had become a serious issue. When watching U-M athletics, NOTHING was maize and blue! People looked every color from orange to purple and it was just plain awful. He really wanted a new TV but my Mom said "no!" She cited there were many other things that were "needed" other than a new TV. Plus, there was another TV in the family room if the colors really started to cause seizures! Anyway, my Uncle Max recently upgraded his entire entertainment center (complete with a huge TV that Kevin won't shut up about) so he had a not-too-old TV available. Actually, his not-too-old TV is amazing – just like ours but a little bigger. So, my Mom figured this was a great solution all the way around AND just in time for Father's Day. And, since my Dad had to work on Saturday (which doesn't happen all that often), everything was perfect. We got there early, Kevin helped with the TV and my sister, Stacey, and I ate McDonald's fries and played with Harmon. Upon arriving home around 3 p.m., my Dad walked in the living room and was stunned! He was smiling ear-to-ear and was so genuinely excited – it was the sweetest thing! My Dad is a very easy man to please but to see him so excited about something was so fun. Needless to say, the rest of the night, he had a great time with his new TV. I wonder if he went to work this morning …

As for Harmon, he is starting to get mobile. On Saturday, I had him on his belly and he was shimmying backwards. It was so funny! He moved from the center of the blanket all the way to the edge – backwards, of course. And, he's been rolling like crazy! Whether it's on the floor, the bed or in his crib, he can't be contained! My favorite thing is seeing him on his belly all tucked in nicely at bedtime and then finding him on his back at the opposite end of the crib in the morning. I guess all this movement should really start us thinking about baby proofing!

And, there have been some changes in bathing. For the first six months, we bathed Harmon in the kitchen sink. He liked it, he was easy to handle and he didn't really make a mess. On Saturday, May 13, those peaceful baths came to an end. Although he was right in the middle of that icky stomach flu bug, he still had enough energy to drench me, Kevin and the kitchen floor during his bath. Almost a month later (slow learning curve), we finally decided to make the move to the big boy tub. So, last night, we gave him his first big boy bath. He seemed to like it so we'll see how it goes.

In case you're all wondering, the solid foods are going pretty well. So far, we've been through squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and green beans. We will start peas tomorrow and then will move on to applesauce, bananas, peaches, pears and prunes. He liked all the yellow vegetables and I'm sure he'll like all the fruits. However, he has a strong dislike for green beans. When feeding him on Saturday, he gagged twice and, although I know it wasn't funny, I had to laugh. He finished with them today so we'll wait a while before those go back in the rotation. I'm not sure peas will be much better but we'll find out tomorrow.

One last update on Harmon – he really is starting to get vocal. He jabbers all the time with all kinds of crazy noises. It really started happening the last week or so in May and Kevin and I swore we heard "mama" and "dada" come out of his mouth. He's also doing a lot more squealing and a lot more smiling and laughing. It's so fun to hear him finding his voice!