Weekend leftovers

I love Thanksgiving, mostly because it's OK to eat a ton and then be lazy. And, that's a lot of what we did over the long, holiday weekend.

Before the Thursday gorging began, we attempted to take Harmon to see Santa on Wednesday. I had this "great" idea to take him to the fancy Santa at Somerset but that turned out to be a bad idea. When we got there, there was a FIVE-HOUR WAIT to see Mr. Fancypants Santa. Totally ridiculous! So, I got mad and we left (in my huff, I totally forgot to check out the new North Face store – damn, maybe next time). Anyway, we thought we would try Twelve Oaks Mall since it was on our way home (and we didn't want to waste the whole day). But, since everyone apparently was thinking the same thing I was, there was a huge wait there too. So, no Santa for Harmon yet (we might try to go this Friday morning).

We did get some shopping done and, more importantly, got Harmon his first haircut. We went to Carnival Cuts inside Twelve Oaks and, as usual, he was such a good boy. There was this little boy just before him who was wailing and it scared me but Harmon was fine. We put him on the horse and the stylist did the quickest hair cut I've ever seen. When she was done, he looked so cute … and so grown up. She recommended we part his hair the other way (oops) and suggested we get some baby hair gel stuff to handle the flyaway parts. The stuff is made for kids and smelled like blueberries and he didn't seem to mind it so we bought it (it looks like a little glue stick).

He showed off his big boy haircut at Thanksgiving and was the hit of the party. Everyone wanted to hold him and play with him and he handled all the attention really well. He was very well behaved but didn't nap so Kevin and I thought we might have a long night ahead of us. He did have a bit of a meltdown when we got home – overstimulation, I think – but went right to bed. As an aside, my Uncle Max outdid himself with the Thanksgiving feast this year. Everything was SO good, especially the stuffing!

On Friday, we put up some Christmas decorations – especially our outside ones – and ran some errands. On Saturday, I got my hair cut (thank God) and Kevin went to my Uncle Max's to spec out a new computer. He was there for a few hours and it paid off as we finally ordered one. Now, we'll be able to do new, cutting-edge things like … burn DVDs!

Since it's been unseasonably warm around here (50s and even some 60s), we went for a long walk on Sunday. We took Harmon to the park to swing on the swings and he had a great time. It's been a while so he DID NOT want to leave!

This week is a pretty normal week. Kevin is off with me and Harmon on Friday, so that will be fun. Also, on Saturday, Kevin and I will hopefully find some way to celebrate our sixth anniversary. I can't believe we've been married for six freakin' years – wow!

Harmon gets some pub

Here's Harmon doing the no-pants dance in the Detroit Free Press. Thanks, Aunt Stacey!

One-year appointment

Yesterday morning, Harmon had his one-year appointment. We knew it might be a tough day for him when he cried GETTING WEIGHED. Actually, he always cries when he gets weighed, which I don't understand. Maybe he's cold – I don't know. Anyway, he only weighed a little over 28 pounds, which Kevin and I found shocking. He weighed 25 pounds at his nine-month appointment so only a three-pound gain was a surprise to us. I guess he tapered off a bit because of all the crawling and cruising – we’ve noticed his little belly is shrinking. But, he's still in the 97th percentile in weight so we're not worried. He also measured in at about 33 inches long, in the 99th percentile. All in all, still a big boy and getting a little harder to control.

We had all kinds of questions for the doctor, mostly about milk, food and developmental milestones. Our doctor always laughs at us (in a nice way) as we come in with a list of 20 questions! The doctor felt he was doing great and noted how impressed he was with Harmon's verbal skills. Thanks to my Mom, if you say the ABCs to him, he will copy you and, most of the time, will get the sounds right. He decided to play along and show off for the doctor yesterday, which was great. I said it offset him not crawling until he was 10 ½ months old!

After all the easy stuff, it was time for the immunizations. He was slated for four immunizations, ½ flu shot and a blood draw. The doctor cut him some slack and did two immunizations, the ½ flu shot and the blood draw. He'll get the other ½ flu shot and his last immunization next month. As usual, Kevin had to hold him for his shots as I just can't handle it. I feel pretty useless as a Mom when it comes to this kind of stuff. But, as I quickly learned, the immunizations are NOTHING compared to a blood draw. We had this done in the lab and they had me lay him down with his right sleeve rolled up, just like a real, little patient. At that point, I seriously felt light-headed so Kevin had to take over. I left the room thinking for sure I was going to pass out (I have a problem with needles, you see) but was able to keep it together. The blood draw went pretty quick and he forgot it in no time. I, on the other hand, felt terrible – I really need to deal with this fear since it's not going to go away.

The rest of the day, Harmon was really sleepy so I decided to go into work (I had thought about staying home with him as I have after every other appointment). He was with Kevin, though, so all was fine. I think I was just feeling guilty. He slept most of the day and, when I got home from work, we took him to Toys R Us and got him these cool LEGO blocks for being such a good boy.

Kevin and I are taking tomorrow off and we're planning to take Harmon to see Santa at the fancy mall, the Somerset Collection. We're also hoping to keep chipping away at our Christmas shopping. On Thursday, we'll be at my Uncle Max's house for Thanksgiving and, on Friday, we're hoping to put up a lot of our Christmas decorations. On Saturday, thank God, I am finally getting a hair cut. All in all, a nice, long, relaxing holiday weekend that we can’t wait to get started.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Same Old Song

I’ve read that book, I’ve heard it all before and I’m GD sick of it. Michigan ONCE AGAIN failed to show up for a big game and, once again, pulled a Michigan and failed to finish. I don’t want to hear ANY excuses – nothing about Bo’s death (we sucked when he was alive), nothing about losing Willis Barringer in the first half (our secondary has been suspect all year – Ball State proved that), nothing about the field being crappy (it sure as hell didn’t seem to bother Troy Smith as he picked us apart AGAIN).

I am so sick of excuses. I am so sick of the devastating losses (especially to OSU). I am so sick of getting the talent and continuously wasting it every damn year. I am so sick of our conservativeness and our unwillingness to ever change or try something new or different. I am so sick of never having that killer instinct, never kicking a team when its down, never going for the throat, never attacking a team’s weaknesses.

Today’s game was typical Michigan – everything on the line and we choke. I’m not going to sit here like a lot of other people and pretend like I’m so proud of this season and I’m happy with the consolation prize of the Rose Bowl (which we’ll probably lose anyway) because I AM NOT. I want to WIN. I want to be THE BEST – I thought that was what Michigan was all about. When I see what we’ve become, I honestly wonder if we would have won our mythical national championship if the system were the same then as it is now. The more I think about it, Charles Woodson was the ONLY reason we won in ’97 (that, and it was the only season since 1902 that we threw to the tight ends).

As I sit here, through yet another thrashing at the hands of the great (and I’m NOT using that word sarcastically) Ohio State, I can’t say I’m all that surprised. I’ve actually grown all too used to it. I do, however, feel bad for Kevin, though, as he’s going through what I went through a few years ago. He’s pissed, he’s swearing, he can’t believe what’s happening AGAIN. He will learn, though, the hard way, that being a fan of Michigan football will rip your heart out.

As for today’s game, I would have rather lost to them 45-0 than to have it APPEAR to be somewhat close. Hell, Ohio State wanted so badly to JUST GIVE US THE GAME but we couldn’t man up and take it. As an aside, after a big turnover, why can’t we be like most elite programs and go for the throat? Instead, we just piss away all our chances. ANYWAY, a close game might mean there could be a re-match in January and I’m sure I’m not the only Wolverine who would hate to lose to the Buckeyes twice in one season.

Well, I could be wrong but I can’t see us winning the bowl game. God knows we don’t perform well in those things, even when they don’t matter like last year’s useless Alamo Bowl against Nebraska. So, it looks like yet another disappointing season for U-M football and yet another season when we get our asses owned by Tressel and Ohio State!

Bo

On Friday, Bo Schembechler died. It’s a terribly sad time for all those in the Michigan family. It’s also way too ironic that he would die one day before arguably the biggest Michigan-Ohio State game ever. He won’t be here to witness what looks to be another great game in this rivalry, a rivalry that he had a huge part in building. I’m not sure how the team and the coaches will fare on the field tomorrow. I suspect either they will play with great emotion and win one for Bo or they will be totally flat due to the weight of this tremendous loss.

When I first started watching Michigan football way back when, it was Bo who defined it. It was his fire and passion that brought Michigan back onto the center state of college football after some rough years in the 60s. When my dream to attend U-M came true in 1991, Gary Moeller was in his second year as head coach but Bo was still around. Shortly after I began working at the athletic department in 1992, I was lucky enough to meet Bo in the mailroom of Schembechler Hall. I was very nervous to speak with him as he always appeared so gruff and so grouchy but, when I introduced myself, told him where I worked and how long I’ve admired him, that rough exterior disappeared. He was sweet and engaging and I went back to work feeling lucky I had the chance to meet him.

All these years later, Bo still was around and you got the feeling he would ALWAYS be around – he seemed indestructible. Even after a brief health scare in October, you still got the feeling that he would beat all the odds and be around forever. But, no one lives forever and he is gone. I joke around a lot with Kevin about how Bo NEVER wanted to throw the ball or about how he fired Ernie Harwell when he was president of the Detroit Tigers but it was always in good fun. I know in my heart that Michigan football, and probably college football, would not be what it is today without Bo.

Rest in peace, Bo! You will be missed! Go Blue!

Birthday Re-Cap

Over the weekend, we had Harmon’s first birthday party. We had our immediate family over and it was a good time. Kevin’s parents, sister and niece made the trip from Peoria and my parents and sisters (along with their boyfriends) drove to Ann Arbor for the big affair. All in all, 13 people in our house. It was a tight fit but I think it all worked out. We had lots of great food and cake (from the same bakery that made our wedding cake) and Harmon, surprise, got way too much stuff. Talk about spoiled. But, I can’t say I was surprised. He’s the first grandchild on my side and he’s the first boy and the first grandchild in 12 years on Kevin’s side. Here is an almost-complete breakdown (in alpha order) of his loot:

Argyle sweater vest

Bird's-eye sweater

Button mock neck sweater (in brown)

Doodle Hook and Loop Stage 3 shoes (in dark brown)

Hooded sherpa-lined toggle coat

Lamaze Bongo Beats Pounding Toy

Learning Town Happy Home

Little People Musical Birthday Party

Michigan football jersey

Playskool Wheel Pals Cabby & Roadie vehicles

Robeez Classic shoes (in brown)

Roll-a-Rounds: Drop & Roar Dinosaur

Sherpa-lined zip sweatshirt (in off white)

Side stripe pants (in off white)

Superyard XT

There still were many other things I didn't list above and, believe it or not, there still were things leftover from his wish list that he could get as Christmas gifts. And, in addition to all this, Kevin and I bought him a set of 11 beginner Dr. Seuss books and several other things. He has more than any one-year-old needs!

As for the cake, we tried on Saturday and then again on Sunday (we had a smaller cake made especially for him for his ACTUAL big day) but Harmon had NO INTEREST in it whatsoever. We put it in front of him and even tried to give him bites of it but he wanted nothing to do with it. In the long run, I was glad as I'm not one for letting one-year-olds make a big mess of their birthday cakes. If that makes me a bad Mom, so be it.

In the end, though, it was a great weekend and Harmon seemed to have a great time. He was very tired Sunday and Monday and finally seems to be getting back to normal after all the excitement (and all the people). We'll have his one-year appointment on Monday and will get an update on everything. Until then, he's working on a molar or two and getting used to drinking big-boy milk (we switched him to whole milk on Monday). Thanks so much to everyone who helped make his first birthday so wonderful!

Coming around again

As I said in his birthday post, I can’t believe Harmon is one. I knew the whole “turning one” thing would be tough for me when the following happened:

At the beginning of November, I put our camel-colored flannel sheets on the bed (I have an Excel document clearly outlining during which months which sheets are used – ANAL) and began to cry. These were the same sheets that were on the bed LAST November when we brought Harmon home from the hospital. All those cute pictures of him snuggling on our bed were taken with those damn sheets serving as the background!

Also at the beginning of November (and quite ridiculous, if I might say so), WNIC starts playing its all day, every day Christmas music. I remember turning on this Christmas music for Harmon last winter when he would nap. Of course, I’ve cried a few times about this too.

And, today, I had to work an event at the hospital complex and, afterwards, was waiting outside for my ride. Our drop-off/pick-up location was right outside of the U-M Women's Hospital and in clear view of my cool, fourth floor, corner room that was Harmon's first home. I started thinking about it and realized we brought him home one year ago today. My, how time flies.

You’re One

Harmon, today you turned one. I can’t believe it. I was looking at pictures of you recently trying to decide at what point you transformed from a baby to a little boy. Even though it’s been a year, it all seems like just yesterday. From the very uncomfortable end of my pregnancy, to your surprise c-section arrival, to those three magical months of maternity leave and to all your milestones over the last few months.

It seems everyone had their own piece of advice to share while I was pregnant but there were two things I remember, in particular, that now are tried and true – you’re life will never be the same and being a Mom is the best thing in the world. Harmon, my life indeed will never be the same – and I mean that in the best possible way. Sometimes, I come home on Wednesdays and you’re out shopping with Grandma and I don’t know what to do with myself. You’ve become such a huge part of my life that I feel empty when you’re not with me. I feel like my sole purpose is to be your Mom. And, being your Mom IS the best job in the world. You are such a good baby and your Daddy and I feel so very blessed. We’ve heard so many baby horror stories from our friends and family members and are so glad NOT to have any of our own to share. You are such a happy baby (with the best belly laugh) and you have the most beautiful smile, especially with those big brown eyes. You light us up when we see you! You’ve adjusted to so many new things and so many new people and you always do it with a smile.

Every night, before I go to bed, I come in to see you and say goodnight. You’re usually dead asleep and it’s so fun to watch you sleep so peacefully. Before I leave, though, I always pray that you live a long, happy and healthy life and that I am with you as long as possible to see all that you’ll do and all that you’ll become. I pray that you achieve every goal and that your every dream will come true. I vow to help you and protect you and, lastly, I pray that I can be a good Mom to you. I know I’m not perfect and I don’t have it all figured out (and probably never will). I know I should be more patient and I should enjoy each day with you instead of always anticipating what is next. Daddy always says how much you love me, how your face lights up when you see me. Even though your favorite word is “dada,” you usually give me all the hugs and kisses. I love you so much, Harmon, more than anything else in this world and I am so happy – more than words can say – that you are my son. Happy first birthday, little buddy!

New family photos

A weekend out and about

Unlike most weekends post-baby, we actually got out and did things all three days. On Friday night, we made it back out to our new IKEA store. It opened back in the summer and was nearly impossible to get into for a while. Now, it’s very manageable so we spent some time wandering around, not really looking for anything in particular. We did stumble upon this cool tunnel thingy, though, and we HAD to get it for Harmon. We’ll call it one of his early birthday presents. When we got home and set it up for him, he loved it. Awesome! Speaking of early birthday presents, Kevin wanted to get this walker thingy for him too so we did and he loved that too. So far, we’re doing well on the gifts.

On Saturday, my Mom and Dad came to Ann Arbor to watch Harmon while Kevin and I went to the Michigan-Ball State football game. It looked like a snoozer so we left at the half. Turns out, it wasn’t such a snoozer after all and Michigan almost threw away their perfect season. Anyway, in lieu of watching Michigan pull a typical Michigan, Kevin and I decided to go to a matinee of Borat. What a great decision and what a great movie! We laughed the whole time! We watched Da Ali G Show on HBO and have seen Borat many, many times so we knew what we were getting into and were more than happy to dive in. Of course, now we can’t wait until the DVD is released so we can watch it over and over again. Movies like that tend to get funnier with each viewing. Late Saturday night, after Harmon went to bed, we finally watched the movie we originally rented to watch on Halloween – Wolf Creek. Although we’re not really into horror flicks, we thought we would give this one a try and it was pretty good. Evidently, it’s based on a true story, which always makes things a little scarier. Check it out.

On Sunday, we switched around Harmon’s car seat and he’s now facing forward. He was more than a little confused when we were out running errands but was more used to it today. One of the many errands we had to run yesterday was to get stuff for Harmon’s first birthday party. The big event will be Saturday, Nov. 11. We wanted to do it on Saturday instead of his actual birthday as Kevin’s family will need to travel back to Illinois on Sunday. We’ll be preparing all week so, hopefully, it will go well.

OK, some interesting links:

Stop whining! And, only he would comment about someone eating cheeseburgers. Also, could he be any more full of himself. Hey, ND, get over it. You’re NOT going to play in the title game playing the crap schedule you play. Enough of all the bragging about your tough schedule – ooooooh, the service academies.

Check out this link to our FAVORITE radio show. The Jim Rome Show deserves an entry all it’s own and we hope to put that together soon.

OK, more later. Out!

Halloween highlights

George Lucas shot less film for the Star Wars movies than we downloaded here. Most of it centers on Halloween, when Harmon got dressed up as an octopus, found out he could play patty cake with his new arms and had fun going door-to-door in our neighborhood. After we were done, Harmon got a good look at our .... I mean, his, candy. Just before Halloween, we visited the pumpkin patch in South Lyon (apologies for the pixelation). Now that he is crawling everywhere, Harmon is indeed everywhere, including inside the kitchen furniture. Finally, an old-school clip shows Mommy making Harmon laugh by telling him 'no.'