A Father and His Son

Last week, I celebrated my first Father's Day. Harmon is seven months old, and to this day, it feels strange to be called Dad. But, Harmon tells me about it every day with his constant chorus of "da-da-da-da-da," which melts my heart.

I really wanted him to say "Mama" first, because Aimee has done so much for him and is such a wonderful, loving, caring mother to him. He just beams when she walks into the room and loves to giggle at her. We know he just can't tell her about it yet. He does, however, like to tell her, me and the neighborhhod, for that matter, when we are taking too long to get his food ready.

I received some very nice things for my first go-around as a Daddy, including some new shirts and ties, a wet-vac for the garage and a photo frame with three pictures of me and Harmon from his first six months, including one of my favorite early ones. Isabel gave me a gift certificate for a new pair of sunglasses. Ask Aimee how long those will last!

But the greatest present was knowing we have a beautiful family with a gorgeous, healthy baby boy who loves to give us big smiles and a bunny rabbit, Isabel, who was our first "baby." Both Aimee and I remark every day how big Harmon is getting. It seems like just yesterday when we were at the U-M Hospital and Aimee tried to sleep while I tried to believe the nurses when they said Harmon eating a half-ounce of formula was a good thing for his first few days.

Thanks, 'Nator, for making me the happiest Daddy on Earth!

Quick hits

Today, we picked up Harmon's six-month pictures. We thought they were cute but it seems none of our family members liked them. So, I guess, between the two of us, we'll have plenty to put in the house, in our offices, in our wallets and on all the kiosks on campus.

The U.S. sucks in soccer – like we didn't know that already. Kevin likes soccer a lot and was excited for the World Cup. I really don't like soccer, mostly because there are 10,000 other sports that are more fun to watch and follow. Plus, I don't understand it thus my ONLY interest in the sports is David Beckham. And, I can't stand a sport where there is so much whining and faking. A guy is taken off on a stretcher after the smallest amount of contact I've ever seen on a ball field and then, about two seconds later, re-enters the game to score the winning goal. Nice.

This is hilarious! The Knicks and Isiah! I can't wait to see what he's going to do to this franchise. They're already horrible so it's hard to imagine them being any worse. However, I have total confidence in Isiah's ability to run the franchise further into the ground. He's the opposite of King Midas – you know, the "everything he touches turns to gold" dude. Everything he touches crashes and burns – and it's hilarious! Even though I was born and raised in Detroit, I never liked Isiah much. I liked those white Boston Celtics with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, DJ, Chief and, most importantly, Danny Ainge (I love my Danny). And, this team and the Isiah-led Detroit Pistons often clashed so …

OK, quick Harmon update:

1. He's working in some other sounds lately, some nice and welcomed additions to the constant da-da-da-da-da.

2. He's is almost done with all the Stage 1 fruits. He started pears today and last on the list is prunes (yuck). After that, we'll move to Stage 2 foods. He's such a good eater. Only green beans have made him gag – we'll wait a while before making him eat those again.

3. He's getting a lot better at sitting up although he's ALWAYS pissed about it. He would much rather a) lay down and play with his feet or b) stand constantly.

4. Kevin and I have played catch with him the last few nights with his plush U-M football and he loves it! Kevin will throw it and I'll help him catch it and throw it back. Of course, if he wants to play tight end at Michigan, we should be focusing on pass blocking instead. Maybe we should move on from football and get a baseball.

5. On Saturday, Harmon will attend his first wedding (maybe he'll do one of his loud screams so we can leave) and, more importantly, on Sunday, he'll attend his first baseball game. My very stunning Detroit Tigers will host Kevin's St. Louis Cardinals at Comerica Park. It should be a great game (I think we get Bonderman's turn in the rotation), although Albert Pujols won't play in the series. I'm hoping the Tigers can continue their winning ways and that the Houston Astros can beat the Chicago White Sox so there will be some distance between the two teams. The AL Central is crazy!

OK, Kevin spent a lot of time on this site last night. I kept hearing laughter coming from the den!

The fighting, sterile munchkins!

Benedict Arnold

Harmon is a traitor, a turncoat, a Benedict Arnold! The first time I noticed this behavior was when we dropped him off with PERFECT STRANGERS the first day of day care. He had no idea who those people were yet he gave them all big smiles – smiles that we had tried for months to get. These people could have been ax murderers, escapees from the W.J. Maxey Boys Training School, who knows! All in all, not fair. Well, this past Sunday, he continued this trend. Although he's been babbling a lot, when he woke up that morning, it was like someone flipped a switch and, all of a sudden, it was da-da-da-da-da! ALL DAY LONG!

I should have expected it but I figured all the work BOTH Kevin and I had been doing on ma-ma-ma-ma-ma might just reap some benefits! I know dada is easier to say and I know most kids say dada first (me and my sisters did) but it still hurts a little bit. My Mom asked me, “Did it break your heart?” And I replied, “Yeah, it did!” Now I know how she felt all those years! I mean, come on, was ma-ma too much to ask for, kid? I was miserable for nine months, followed by 27 hours of labor with four hours of pushing and then, to top it all off, a lovely c-section! Not to mention the three thankless months I was on maternity leave just hoping for some kind of acknowledgement to all the things I was doing each and every day (most of the time, without a shower)!

When it all comes down to it, though, I am happy about the talking and the chatter and the jabber and what not! It’s so cute to listen to him babble all the time! I guess I should just be happy the talking is coming along a lot quicker than the sitting up – ugh!

Harmon goes in front of the camera

Today, we took Harmon to Sears for his first formal portraits. He will be 7 months old tomorrow (June 12), and we really wanted to capture him at 6 months. Nothing like coming in just under the bar, eh? Early on, he gave the photographer the big lip, but otherwise he was good as gold and adorable, as always. Of course, one of the first things he wanted to do was grab his feet, and we indulged him with some photos of his favorite pose. Here is a link to a composite page with all of his photos from the shoot. Later today, he took a two-hour nap, because he was, well ... spent.

Harmon – On The Inside

NOTE: I meant to post this on Harmon's six-month birthday. I'm a few weeks late so back off! Anyway ...

Before you blessed us with your presence on Nov. 12, 2005, you spent nine months “cooking” inside my belly. And, although this probably won’t mean much to you for quite some time, your Daddy and I wanted to share with you what it was like for us when you were “on the inside.”

February 2005
During February 2005, our hopes and dreams of having a baby became a reality, even though we didn’t know right away. For some reason, Daddy knew I was pregnant even though I thought there was no way. He had some kind of sixth sense about it and he was right!

March 2005
During March, I started feeling sick to my stomach in the mornings. Daddy and I, however, were nervous to take a pregnancy test because of the miscarriage we suffered it December. We figured there was no way we would get pregnant again so quickly. On Thursday, March 10, on the way home from work, we stopped at the CVS Pharmacy in Brighton and bought a pregnancy test. When we were checking out, the clerk told us “good luck, whatever way you want it to go” and that kind of freaked us out. So, we took the test – which was a very strong positive – and then, just to be sure, we took another one the next morning, which, again, was positive. We were so happy, excited, nervous, scared, etc., but we also were cautious and hoping, this time, everything would work out right.

Although we typically spend Easter with Daddy’s family in Illinois, 2005 was different as many people in Daddy’s family were foregoing Easter in lieu of a family wedding in April. So, we spent Easter with my family, and Daddy and I chose this time to tell them about you – it was quite an Easter present for them!

April 2005
My memories of April were dominated by constant morning sickness of which the only cure seemed to be McDonald’s hash browns and orange juice! There were countless days when I would be sick in my office for hours, puking in my wastebasket. All in all, the first 12-14 weeks of my pregnancy were marred with some pretty bad morning sickness.

On April 4, Daddy and I took you to your first major league baseball game – Detroit Tigers Opening Day. My beloved Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals that day and, unlike most opening days in Detroit, it was hot that day! Daddy got us great seats and we had an awesome time.

We spent the weekend of April 8-10 in Omaha, Neb. for Daddy’s cousin Paul’s wedding. After checking into the hotel, we drove to Lincoln for the day to visit the campus of the University of Nebraska, which, much to our surprise, was very pretty. Upon arriving back in Omaha, we met up with Daddy’s family and told them you were on the way. Of course, they were elated!

On April 21, we had our first doctor’s appointment and heard your strong little heart beat for the first time. I was so excited and amazed to know you were doing so well in there!

May 2005
During May, we started to tell more people about the pregnancy now that we were out of the first trimester danger zone. We shared the news with many members of my family at our Memorial Day celebration. All our family members and friends were so excited about you! During May, we also took you to your first minor league baseball game as we drove down to Toledo to see the Mud Hens defeat the Columbus Clippers. Most importantly, on May 23, we visited what would become our new home. After a search that started in November and spanned over 30 house visits, we finally found a house we loved.

June 2005
On June 16, Daddy and I had our first and only ultrasound. We were so excited to see you and you did not disappoint! You were moving all around and were very cooperative for the technician. On this day, we got our first pictures of you! We did not, however, want to find out what you were. We wanted the big surprise, which we got, in the end!

On June 30, Daddy and I closed on our new house, which wasn’t as stressful as we thought it would be. Our hands were numb, however, as we signed a million documents that day.

July 2005
During the month of July, I finally grew out of all my regular clothes and had to make the transition into my maternity clothes, which was quite traumatic in the beginning. After a while, though, I just realized that being comfortable was the most important thing – for you and me!

On July 1, my friend Nayla and her husband, Mike, stopped in Ann Arbor on their way to Minneapolis from Tampa. Because of this rare visit, many of us (including Helen and Tina Johnson) got together for dinner at our favorite restaurant, Pizza House. This was the first time any of my close friends had seen me since you started growing and they all thought we looked great!

On July 7, Daddy got the keys to our new house. Over the next month, we slowly moved from our apartment in New Hudson into our new house in Ann Arbor. During this time, Daddy used a lot of vacation time to paint and get the house ready for us. Many members of my family, especially Grandma Laura and your great Uncle David, were at the house with Daddy every day getting it ready.

On July 12, after much stress and aggravation, Daddy and I managed to swing some standing-room-only tickets to the MLB All-Star Game, which was played at Comerica Park. It was the first time the All-Star game was held in Detroit since 1971 (before I was even born) and I really wanted to go so these tickets ended up being my birthday present. We had an awesome time but this night proved to be the start of an unpleasant trend – an awful lot of swelling, especially in my feet. Yikes!

July also offered up the Ann Arbor Art Fair, which I had gone to every year since I was a little girl. My Mom and sisters came in from Waterford on July 22 and we spent most of the day at the fair. As is the norm at art fair, it was extremely hot but you and I did OK. I think I must have consumed two gallons of water that day to keep you hydrated! On July 23, that last day of the fair, Daddy and I went back and got a couple of things – a new photo for our house and a cute necklace for me.

On July 26, we spent our first night in our new house and it was amazing! After living in a one bedroom apartment for four years, we finally had a place of our own AND a place for you! On July 29, we made one last visit to our old apartment to clean and Daddy turned in our keys on July 30.

August 2005
The weekend of Aug. 4-7 brought our first plane trip in years, as I was a bridesmaid in my best friend Betsie’s wedding in upstate New York. I was nervous about the flight, as I was getting bigger and more swollen by the moment. But, we were only in the air about an hour so and it was fine. Although I was nervous about being a pregnant bridesmaid at first, Betsie informed me that her sister, Sarah, also was pregnant and her baby boy was due the day after you. So, we both would be around the same size and would have each other for comfort and commiseration the entire weekend.

On Aug. 5, Daddy and I got up early and drove to Cooperstown to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Again, being such a big baseball fan, this was a dream destination for me. We had an awesome time visiting the hall as well as the town. We had some lunch, bought souvenirs and even watched a couple of innings of a youth game at Doubleday Field. And, the weekend prior to our visit was Hall of Fame Induction Weekend so we got to see exhibits on the latest baseball greats added to the hall.

The wedding took place on Aug. 6, which was a particularly bad day for me as far as the swelling. Thank God the ceremony was short as the cute sandals I bought in January barely housed my now gigantic feet. Betsie was beautiful and looked so happy and the wedding was gorgeous – everything took place on this awesome lake, which was right up Daddy’s alley! In addition to seeing Betsie and her family, we also got to visit with many old friends from college.

On Aug. 7, Daddy and I made a quick trip to the campus of Syracuse University before our flight back home. Although campus was very quiet, it was quite pretty. We walked around for a while (of course weaseling our way into the Carrier Dome), had lunch at Jimmy John’s, bought some Syracuse gear and then hit the road back to the airport. It was a fun weekend and our last weekend away before you arrived.

On Aug. 20, Daddy and I took a course called M-Fit Baby Care Basics. It was a class for rookie parents to learn the basics of taking care of a baby. We learned about feeding, diapering, etc. and, although the instructor was a breastfeeding Nazi, it was a good class. It was great to see that so many other people were as clueless about this whole parenting thing as we were!

On Aug. 29, Daddy and I attended our first Lamaze class. Everyone in the class had similar due dates so we all were experiencing many of the same things at this point in our pregnancies. Of course, Daddy and I rarely made it through one of these classes without doubling over in laughter. Everyone else was SO serious but we were always screwing around. It’s fitting that I never had to use any of the Lamaze techniques since you were born via c-section.

September 2005
Fully into the third trimester, we were in the home stretch. The hard thing would be to tackle those early season U-M football games, the ones that were long and hot, like an August day instead of a September day. The first game was Sept. 3 against Northern Illinois and it was indeed hot. Because you were on the way, we switched our tickets for one season to be on the end of the aisle near an exit just in case I needed to escape quickly. On this day, Daddy and I were happy to be in these seats as it was extremely uncomfortable – I think we ended up leaving at halftime!

On Labor Day, we went to your great Aunt Monica’s house to celebrate. This was the first time since Memorial Day that many members of my family had seen us and would be the last time they would see us before you made your arrival.

The following weekend (Sept. 9-11), the dreaded Notre Dame Fighting Irish came to town, along with our first visitors. We hosted my friend, Betsie, and her new husband, Paul, and Daddy’s friend, Chris. Everyone arrived late Friday night and stayed until Sunday. We had an awesome tailgate before the game and, because we had four tickets, Aunt Stacey sat with you and me and Daddy sat with his friend. The game was horrendous – of course we lost – but the weekend, as a whole, was fun! It was during this weekend that I really started to notice how tired I was getting.

Our long-awaited hospital tour came on Sept. 13. We were excited yet scared to see what the birthing rooms looked like. We had a great tour guide (who actually ended up being one of the nurses that took care of you in the hospital) and we felt a lot better after the tour.

On Sept. 17, we had ANOTHER home game against Eastern Michigan. Again, I was very uncomfortable and, again, I think we left at halftime.

The weekend of Sept. 23-25, we had another visitor in the form of our friend, Rob Toonkel. He was in town on business and wanted to get together to watch the U-M at Wisconsin football game. He was staying in Southfield so we made the trip on Saturday to pick him up. On the way, we stopped at the jeweler and got my ring cleaned. Because of the swelling, it had been getting tighter and Saturday, Sept. 24 would be the last day I would wear it until December. We got yummy take-out from Pizza House and promptly watched our football team choke yet again in a Big Ten road opener. What a crappy day! The next day, I was not feeling well at all so Daddy and Rob went to explore campus without me.

October 2005
All throughout the pregnancy, we thought for sure you would come early so we were excited for the month of October to arrive. On Oct. 2, Grandma Laura hosted a baby shower for us at her house and Grandpa and Grandma Bergquist came to town to attend it. We had great food and got so many nice things for you. Everyone was so thoughtful, generous and loving that, on the way home that night, I cried and cried. The whole experience, topped off by the thought that you were almost here, was so emotional for me!

On Oct. 8, we attended yet another crappy football game with U-M losing to Minnesota at the last second. It was awful!

Oct. 10 was our last Lamaze class – thank God!

Although we received a ton of stuff at our family shower, my co-workers decided to throw a shower for us at work on Oct. 11. Daddy took an extra long lunch hour and joined us for a pizza party topped off with cake from Cold Stone Creamery. Once again, we got so many nice things. It’s just amazing how excited people get for a new baby on the way!

On Oct. 15, U-M finally won a game and a thriller at that. We beat an otherwise undefeated Penn State team on an unbelievable last play. It was so exciting and the stadium was rocking and I was screaming and yelling and jumping up and down the whole time and I thought, for sure, you were going to make an early appearance at that game.

On Oct. 22, another thriller of a game happened with us beating Iowa on the road in overtime. Again, I thought all this nerve-wracking football excitement would lure you out but you were standing strong.

Halloween came … and went! We thought it would be so cool to have you on Halloween but you had other ideas. We even skipped your great Uncle Max’s legendary Halloween party because we were so nervous you might arrive when we were 50 miles from the hospital! It was, however, our first Halloween in our house and it was so fun! We bought so much candy and had the cutest kids trick or treat! I remember being so uncomfortable that night – one of the most uncomfortable nights of my pregnancy.

November 2005
Ahh, sweet November! Almost there! At this point, we were seeing the doctor weekly so I visited on Nov. 2 and Nov. 9 and, each time, there was no progress. Those last few weeks were so uncomfortable! You were out of room and I was just plain tired of being pregnant. It felt like it would never end. Daddy was great at keeping my spirits up and encouraging me and telling me that, yes, it would end soon and, in the end, we would have a beautiful baby. I just kept saying that I wanted you to be on the outside. I finally got that wish Nov. 12, two days past my due date!

Other random pregnancy memories:
Although I don’t remember the DAY when I first felt you kick, I remember everything else about that moment. We still were in our apartment and it was a gorgeous spring night. We already took our nightly walk and were settling in for the night. We had all the windows open and it was perfect. I had called my Mom, as I did most nights, and was lying across the bed chatting with her when I starting noticing little movements – kind of like butterfly flutters. It was the weirdest sensation but it was amazing to feel you moving around in there.

Shortly after we moved into the house, Daddy was outside mowing the front lawn and I was playing on the computer. I was sitting there all spread out as that was the ONLY way I felt comfortable. While I was sitting there, you completely shifted and got in the head down position. Although I knew what was happening, it was so odd to feel this. From that point on, you were in position but all for naught!

One of the most fun things for Daddy and I was your post-dinner gymnastics routine. From about August on, after every dinner, we would sit on the couch and watch you roll your butt back and forth across my belly. It was like clockwork and we had a great time watching the show every night. I guess the food got you all fired up in there! And, it wasn’t just dinner. Every day at work, after eating my lunch, you would kick and punch and roll like crazy. I rarely worried about you because you were so active! In addition to this movement, you must have had the hiccups 850,000 times when you were in my belly. And, when you came out, you continued that trend!

Harmon thinks Mommy is funny!

Harmon likes to play peek-a-boo; he thinks his Mommy is funny when she does it.

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!

Recovered

Well, we recovered from that nasty stomach flu in time to host Kevin’s parents for the weekend. They arrived late Thursday afternoon and left late Monday morning. Although they were warned about the all-powerful baby germs ever present in the house, they were brave enough to make the trip anyway. However, they were not spared! Both Kevin’s parents spent most of Saturday in bed fighting off the stomach flu. They were the latest in the outbreak my sister speaks of!

Before the sickness hit on Saturday, Kevin and I were able to make our first visit to a theater since January and we chose to see The Da Vinci Code. Although neither of us read the book (it is on my list of books to read and I’ll be getting it from my sister soon), we really enjoyed it. Unlike most other Catholics, we didn’t find a problem with it at all but maybe that’s because we’re pretty cynical Catholics in the first place. It was very entertaining, which is usually the reason we go to see movies anyway, so it all works out. During the previews (which I think is the part I miss most about going to the theater), we got a sneak peak at that soon to be box office smash (yeah, right) Miami Vice. Evidently, we weren’t the only ones who thought it looked stupid as the guy a few rows behind us yelled out, “Oh hell no.” Too funny!

Kevin took a few days off before starting his new job on Tuesday. So, I decided to join him on Monday and we spent the day on campus. We’ve been meaning to do this but it just hasn’t worked out. It was a bit chilly today but it was beautiful outside so we made a go of it. Plus, we were scouting out some possible locations for Harmon’s six-month pictures. We had a great time and it was nice for us to be together as a family after a long weekend. With Kevin’s new job, we’re not sure when we might get another weekday to do that kind of thing!

Six-month update

On Friday, May 12, Harmon had his six-month appointment. All is well and his is doing just fine but here are some highlights:

Measurements:
He's now 19 pounds, 11 ounces and measures 29 freakin' inches long, which is in the 99th percentile. I never like to get too caught up in those percentiles but, geez, it seems he's going to be a tall one!

Eating & Sleeping:
Since Harmon still likes to be swaddled (he still has that crazy arm reflex thing that wakes him up when he sleeps on his back), we had to discuss it with the doctor. We were concerned the swaddling might be impairing his movement, but also were concerned that he sleep at night. When he's with us during the day, he naps on his belly and that goes very well so we were happy our doctor said it now was OK to put him to sleep on his belly overnight. Evidently, the risk of SIDS decreases dramatically after six months so it's all good.

As for food, we got the green light to start him on solid foods (other than cereal) and to start him using a sippy cup (and even with some apple juice). So after his appointment, we stocked up on all kinds of good stuff for him to try.

Development:
The doctor felt that Harmon is doing awesome verbally and socially but would like us to work with him on sitting up and rolling from back to belly. He said the swaddling may have slowed the back-to-belly rolling but he wasn't concerned. As far as the sitting up, he's ALMOST there. We're working on it daily so we'll keep you posted!

On Friday night, we got Harmon all ready for his first solid food--squash. The doctor recommended we start with yellow vegetables and then move to green and THEN to fruits. Since Harmon loves most things that go in his mouth, squash was no exception. He ate it up!

A few hours after that delicious squash, I was on the phone with my Mom telling her all about it and it made a re-appearance. He threw up EVERYTHING! Of course, being such a rookie Mom, my first thought was that I did something wrong (was it too much, was it too hot, too cold, etc?). But, as time would unfortunately tell, it had nothing to do with me. Harmon had caught a stomach flu bug that has been going around here and, after his bout with it on Friday, he passed it on to Kevin on Saturday. And, of course, on my first Mother's Day, I got it too. Kevin called in sick on Monday and Tuesday and I called in sick Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We also kept Harmon out of day care on Tuesday so he didn't make all the other infants sick. Finally, we're all starting to feel a little bit better but the flu has spread even further--both my parents now have it. So sorry, Mom and Dad!

OK, back to Mother's Day for a second. In addition to the card and flower that Harmon made for me at day care, Kevin got me some very nice things, too. My first Mother's Day was wonderful as I got to be with my baby all day long--and it didn't matter a bit that we all were sick.

On Monday, as Kevin and I were taking turns in the bathroom and ingesting delicacies such as Jello, popsicles and ginger ale, we noticed Harmon's second tooth coming in. He now has both bottom, front teeth through the gums without much fuss at all. Hope we're as lucky with the rest of them.

If we're all feeling better, Grandpa and Grandma Bergquist will make the drive from Illinois this weekend for a long visit before they head to Minnesota for the summer. Hopefully, Harmon will be able to resume his squash eating for them!

An appearance

Yesterday, Harmon cut his first tooth (or yesterday was the first time we saw it)! I stopped home to grab some lunch after working a morning event and my Mom was all excited about it. She found it as she was rocking him before his morning nap. So, one lower, right tooth just two days shy of his six-month birthday! Although we prefer the gummy grin, I can't say we were surprised. He's been drooling like a St. Bernard for months and EVERYTHING goes in his mouth. His favorite teething apparatus has been his right foot – he just can't get enough! Harmon and his feet go together like peas and carrots. They're like two peas in a pod. They can't be separated. We've been walking in on him and his feet saying things like "so sorry to interrupt" or "don't want to break anything up." One night, Kevin said he was going to check hotwire.com to get a room for Harmon and his feet! All and all, it's great that he loves his feet. They keep him occupied for MINUTES at a time – minutes where we're actually able to get a few things done! Harmon has his six-month doctor's appointment tomorrow so check back over the weekend for an update. We'll be starting real solid foods (as opposed to just rice and/or oatmeal cereal) and the doctor says we can even start to try a sippy cup. So, things will get interesting!

In other news, my sister, Erin, went out and got a job already. So much for screwing around for a while after graduation – she didn't even wait two weeks! She interviewed Tuesday day and got offered the job Tuesday night so I guess she made a good impression. She'll start her new job as a copy writer at a company called Versacom (located in Dearborn) as soon as she gets a car!

Lastly, Kevin went to visit some of our old friends from U-M Athletic Media Relations yesterday. And much to our surprise (really), the biggest servers of the U-M cornbread are starting to doubt the recipe AND it's ingredients. Some members of the staff are looking to jump to the pro ranks because, at least with those teams, the "goal is to win." I guess winning isn't stressed too much anymore in the athletic department, which isn't good. You already can see the effects and that makes for a scary future if you're a Michigan fan – ugh!

Not to bring anyone down but I saw this report last night on ABC's Nightline and it was so sad!

On a lighter note, check out this video. Kevin loves it!

Out!

The Record stops playing

I have decided to leave my editor's position at The University Record to take a post with the Office of Medical Development and Alumni Relations. I have really enjoyed my time at the Record, but the medical position will be a great one for me and give me what I desire most--more variety and creativity in my job. It also will give me something I have wanted and needed in my career--experience in the medical arena. I am very excited to go there; my last day at the Record will be May 17. We all came in as a team at the Record in 2002, kicked its ass and turned it into a newspaper people wanted to read and have their stuff in. I had a great boss in Laurel Gnagey, who always stood up for us and did her best to keep the Record steaming along, despite everyone on campus thinking they knew what was best for us. There are still days when the politics and disrespect some people have for Record make it a tough gig, but we took full ownership of the paper four years ago and filled it with better stories, photos (thanks to the great folks at Photo Services) and overall content. I will miss production manager (yes, it IS manager) Todd McKinney the most. We shared a work area for the first three years, and it was then I realized he was one of the most professional, hardest-working people on campus. He has blown advertising at the Record through the roof and given others at the University plenty of play money. I hope people realize just how good and valuable he is and take care of him.

What's going on?

Last Friday, Kevin took a day off from work and the three of us went to the Domino's Petting Farm. We thought about going to the Detroit Zoo and visiting my friend, Helen, who is expecting a beautiful baby boy at any moment, but decided that $11 each was a little much especially since Harmon truly has no idea what animals are yet (with the exception of Isabel, of course). So, the petting farm was a great alternative. There were cows and horses and ducks and sheep and all kinds of other crazy things. Harmon had his picture taken with a two-day-old goat (or kid, for you Future Farmers of America out there) and it was so cute.

He also got to hear a lot of "real" animal noises which, I'm sure, are a vast improvement on my rendition of "Old MacDonald." One particular lamb was bitchy, though. I wanted to pet her (she was brown and white, so pretty) but she was having none of it. Kevin and I cornered her but she immediately started "baaing" and wouldn't stop. We left her alone but she continued to complain to the rest of the flock! We had fun and will go back again once Harmon is a little more aware.

After the petting farm, we visited Schneids at Ray Fisher Stadium.

He was preparing for the MSU@U-M baseball game so we stopped in for a bit. Harmon hadn't seen Schneids since he was about a month old so it was fun catching up. And, Harmon got his first taste of baseball, so Mommy was happy.

On Saturday, my sister, Erin, graduated from the University of Michigan. Although it was a long ceremony, there was a great speaker, Christiane Amanpour, from CNN. The first line of her speech referenced the currently-under-construction Big House and how she felt very comfortable there because she was used to being in bombed-out places. It went over well! Even though it was Erin's day, Harmon garnered his fair share of attention.

Maybe it was the hat!

At one point, my sister, Stacey, said, "Oh, I forgot the baby was graduating." Too funny! After the ceremony, everyone came back to our house for snacks and the NFL draft/Tigers' game and later we had a delicious dinner at the Gandy Dancer. All and all, good times! And, congrats to Erin! I can't believe that 15 years of my Mom and Dad hauling all three of us to Ann Arbor has come to an end!

On Monday night, something totally hilarious happened! The Detroit Red Wings lost AGAIN in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs! I'm not the world's biggest hockey fan and when I do actually watch hockey, I spend my time cheering against the Wings in the playoffs. The #1 seeded and seemingly indestructible Red Wings lost to the lowly, #8 seeded Edmonton Oilers – who would have imagined! It was during the Detroit Tigers' really bad, bad years (are we out of those yet?) that I woke up one day and realized that, with both teams having the same owner, the better the Red Wings were meant the worst the Tigers were. And, being a die hard Tigers' fan, I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm sure Kevin's hatred of the Red Wings helped these feelings along as well. At any rate, I derive great pleasure in seeing that team flop yet again when they were supposed to dominate. In reality, though, it's hockey and who really cares. It's what, the 10th most popular sport, behind NASCAR, figure skating, curling, etc. All I can say is too bad, Red Wings. Boo hoo!

One last thing, I hope you all saw these videos. Awesome!

Oops, and this. That's some crazy preaching!

OK, that's all for now folks but stay tuned as Kevin has some big news!

Glory days?

Back in the day, shortly after Kevin and I got married, we played on a semi-competitive softball team in the Ann Arbor recreation league. For those of you who know me, this was a disaster from the start. Although I played softball from third grade through my junior year of high school (my senior year, I got a clue and golfed instead), I pretty much suck. I was a decent player in the field but couldn't hit a lick. I think the only reason I played all those years was because I thought my Dad's awesome baseball talent would kick in at some point. Guess it skipped me and went to my sisters! My favorite story from those days is that the ONLY time my batting gloves got dirty was when I got brownies or melon juice on them. See, when I played softball in high school, our coaches and random parents would load our benches up with food (don't you play a sport to get INTO shape?). For those of us who never left the bench area (other than to occasionally warm up an outfielder who was important enough to make the line-up), there was nothing to do BUT eat and the staples of our dugout at good ole' Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (lame) were brownies and melon balls.

ANYWAY, back to the team Kevin and I were on. Before we "officially" joined the team, our "manager," who was a new friend of ours, wanted to know how many years of organized softball/baseball experience we had. What? We should have known from that question that this was going to be interesting. This team, which still plays today, was one of the oldest in city history and they always did well. Although this team wasn't in the ultra-competitive, this-is-my-last-stop-before-I'm-playing-with-Barry-Bonds league, they still took it pretty seriously. Our manager was great at making sure everyone got to play, even if you sucked so that's why Kevin and I saw the field every now and then. One time, Kevin hit this screamer down the third base line and we all thought for sure it would be at least a double. However, the chick playing third would have none of it. She made an awesome play deep at third, fired over to first with her cannon of an arm and threw Kevin out by more than a few steps. He got the last laugh, though, because, on that throw, she threw her arm out. Ha, ha! Another time, I actually got on base (I walked, IN SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL) and, since I sucked so badly, I batted last in the line-up. Of course, that meant I had to be on base when our lead-off hitter (and probably the best player on our team) smoked the ball deep to right center. The ball dropped in for a hit and he practically ran up my back on the base path. He probably would have scored if I wasn't holding things up - damn!

Despite OUR lack of talent, the team did well. We had an all-day tournament at the end of the season to determine the league champion. We made it to the championship game and we were all excited but we quickly went down 10-0 as our pitcher was having a very bad day. So, our "manager" took over the pitching duties and held them scoreless the rest of the way. We then battled back to make it 10-9 before losing on a game-ending play at the plate. Bummer! At least we got a free t-shirt, though!

The next year, we weren't invited back to play. Guess they needed some higher-caliber talent! We didn't miss the softball much, but we did miss the people. There were some characters, like our first baseman, who ALWAYS had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. One particularly cold and windy spring night, he was standing in the outfield with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other and said, "That wind is seriously going to impair my ability to reach the fences." We died 10 times!

Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days, glory days

Yeah, well ...

This is Aimee's favorite song.

Stuff

Saturday evening, after a delicious Mexican feast with Stacey and Brian at El Taco Loco, Kevin and I FINALLY bought a video camera. We decided to check out a local store, ABC Warehouse, and, after asking the salesman questions for an HOUR, we walked out with the Sony DCR-HC36. Kevin spent most of Saturday night playing with it and I think he almost has it figured out. I'll have him give me the Cliffs Notes version later. Most importantly, though, Kevin was able to get video of Harmon literally putting his foot in his month. Not too long ago (March 27), he found those cute little feet and it took him a few weeks to figure out he could put them in his mouth, along with everything else he gets his hands on!

A side note on the restaurant mentioned above, El Taco Loco. I'ts not ACTUALLY called El Taco Loco anymore. Several years ago, this restaurant was located in my hometown of Pontiac, Mich. It was a total hole-in-the-wall place, with only four tables for people to dine. But, it was immensely popular! People would come from all around to get the good Mexican food. For some reason, though, the owners closed this location and opened the current location in Farmington Hills. The new spot, however, was named Camelia's Authentic Mexican Cuisine. Being the old schoolers that we are, though, we continue to call it El Taco Loco, which is kind of funny.

My youngest sister, Erin, is graduating from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) this Saturday so I spent all weekend (well, when we weren't inside ABC Warehouse) looking for something to wear. Since Harmon was born, I haven't bought much clothing. Actually, I think the ONLY things I have bought were two pairs of sweatpants and a new Michigan sweatshirt. Since I can't wear those things to graduation (DAMN), I had to force myself to try on some clothes. I tried on some pants at the Gap and they actually fit, although I didn't end up buying them. I went to New York & Company and tried on several things and they all fit too. Who knew! I ended up buying some dressy cropped pants and a light sweater so, hopefully, I'll look OK. The surprise of the trip to NY & Co., however, was that I tried on some knit gaucho pants and actually liked them. This right after I told my sister, Stacey, that I HATED them. We were sitting outside Starbucks on Friday afternoon enjoying our delicious Light Mocha Frappuccinos and being hilarious and some girl walked out wearing those damn gaucho pants. I commented vehemently how stupid they look and how much I hated them. Guess I should have tried some on before I spouted off because, if I DO buy a pair, I'm sure my sister will remind me! Maybe if I buy them, I'll wear them to her MBA graduation from Oakland University on May 6!

By the way, Kevin really wants to see this. It takes him back to his U-M Sports Information gymnastics days. Ahhh, yes!

For good measure, here's a new Harmon photo!

You guys wanna see my videos?

Now, you don't have to be Dan Smith to see Harmon's big lip. Actually, Harmon is a very happy and pleasant baby, and loves it when Mommy makes him giggle and laugh. Thanks, Aunt Stacey.

Odds and ends

• First off, this is a real shocker! I guess not really, especially after this! When’s the last time we had a decent basketball recruit, 1991? Jesus! Can something be done about this travesty of a program? It’s so aggravating, embarrassing, maddening, etc. Why do I bleed maize and blue like I do!
  
  
• And, while we’re at it, glad these guys (above) are having so much fun while our football program goes down the crapper. Hey, laugh it up, enjoy your night!
  
  
• OK, as many of you know, my Mom watches Harmon on Wednesdays. When he naps, she gets bored. So, instead of camping out in front of HBO (like I do) or reading a book (I do that too, sometimes), she finds things to do in our house. For several weeks in a row, she folded and put away our laundry even though I TRIED TO HIDE IT FROM HER. This past Wednesday, I successfully hid the laundry (YES!) but she found other things to pass the time. She cleaned our stove, our sinks and plucked the weeds out of our ivy bed! This woman cannot be stopped, she was made to do this stuff and she can’t help herself. Of course, I am immensely grateful for all this but I wish she would just relax and enjoy her time with Harmon, even if it’s just watching him sleep!
  
  
• Since Harmon has grown out of the Pampers Swaddlers (sizes 1 & 2), we went in search of a new diaper for size 3. When we were on our Costco run for 10,000 cans of Enfamil, we decided to try Huggies. Let me just say that I HATE THEM! Every time we change him, he has all this crystallized goo all over him. The diaper matter in the front must break down or something and it takes FOREVER (and 30 wipes) to get it off him. Unfortunately, we bought a HUGE box of these damn things so I think I’ll send them to day care and we’ll try either the Pampers Baby Dry or Pampers Cruisers. Grrrrr.
  
  
• Bruce, what’s up with this? I heard you put another E Street Band project on hold to do The Seeger Sessions. And, even worse, you’re teasing me by stopping in Detroit on June 17. I want to go but I know that instead of hearing Rosalita, Born to Run or Land of Hope and Dreams, I’ll hear cover tunes. I’m so sad!
  
  
• OK, if ever I enter the inside of a movie theater again, I have to see this. Although I’m not a NASCAR fan (at all), I love Will Ferrell.

Easter and stuff

For the Easter holiday, we went to visit Kevin's family in Peoria, Ill. Kevin's parents haven't seen Harmon since his baptism in February so, needless to say, they were excited. We left Friday morning not really knowing what to expect making a six-hour drive with a five-month old. We stopped near Kalamazoo to feed little Harmon and when packing up to get back on the road, we discovered this sad, sad sight:

How could someone leave a Dunkin Donuts Munchkin behind? Especially a glazed chocolate cake one? What a tragedy!

After a few more hours in the car, we stopped just south of Joliet for another feeding. Although I wanted to see the town where Rudy was from (well, not really), Kevin was excited to get a glimpse of the Michigan Wolverines' 2006 (note, not 2007) bowl destination: El Paso.

OK, so it's not the "real" El Paso (as in Texas) where the prestigious (ha, ha) Sun Bowl is played but does it really matter when we suck so badly!

After getting into Peoria around dinner time, we joined Kevin's parents and sister at Donnelly's Shamrock Pub, which has THE BEST cheese soup ever! During dinner, Harmon started to get a little fussy but being trapped in a car seat for hours on end will do that to a little guy. We got him home and in bed but he didn't stay there for long. It was one hundred million degrees there and, being born in November, he had no clue what warm weather is. He also was all out of sorts sleeping in a new place, hearing new sounds, etc. so he woke up at 2 a.m., 3 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. – what a joy!

On Saturday, the little man wore shorts for the first time. Just look at those white legs!

Later in the day, we visited Kevin's best friend and his family and checked out their awesome new house. And, Kevin's uncle and godparents came over for dinner to visit with us to see Harmon.

Sunday was the big day as Kevin's family has a family reunion of sorts every Easter. The first time I met Kevin's extended family was at Easter 2000 and there were 60 people and it was crazy! We got engaged on Good Friday and then I was indoctrinated two days later! So, I was a little worried about Harmon and sensory overload and all that. We started the day at 9 a.m. Mass with Kevin's parents, then took thousands of pictures of Harmon in his Easter outfit and finally headed to his aunt's house for the big party. As soon as we walked up to the house, Kevin put Harmon's carrier down and all 15 of his cousins swooped in to get a look. The rest of the night, he was passed from one person to the next and, much to my surprise, he did a great job! He met many, many members of the family, most importantly his Aunt Kim (who had been dying to see him since he was born but it just hadn't worked out).

After quite a day, he totally crashed that night--we didn't have to worry about him waking up at all! On Monday around noon, we hit the road back to Michigan. Kevin's parents were SO sad to see us leave but they already are making plans to visit in May! Harmon did pretty well on the way home, as you can see:

Overall, we had a great weekend and I'm so glad everyone got to meet Harmon. You only get to be the new baby once! And, of course, he collected quite the loot during his visit. This kid will never want for anything!

Opening Day 2006 and other things!

Today was Opening Day for my beloved Detroit Tigers! There is much rejoicing in Motown as the Tigers started the season 5-0, the best start since 1985, before dropping the last two (including today's game--ugh). Being a Tigers' fan over the last decade or so has been rough. However, there are few things I love more than Tigers' baseball and evidence of that is not missing an Opening Day since 1998. In fact, thinking back, I've been to 9 of the past 11 Opening Days and, when not there in person, I've been planted in front of the TV for the big game since I was a freshman in college (1992). Of course, all this history made missing this year's Opening Day even harder. Kevin tried to get tickets via Ticketmaster and we've had luck every other year but this one. He also tried a few ticket brokers but, with a new baby and all, we don't have the same amount of disposable income to fork over this year. We also entered every contest imaginable but it just wasn't meant to be. And, I was SO disappointed in not being able to attend IN PERSON that I didn't even think ahead to take the day off anyway and watch with Kevin and Harmon. So, I was stuck at work. Of course, it was 60 degrees and sunny out - perfect baseball weather! I remember so many Opening Days past, like when Comerica Park opened in 2000, when I was in layer upon layer of clothing topped off by my HUGE winter coat. All in all, not fair.

In other news, we're actively on the hunt for a video camera. We've been casually looking since the fall but, now that Harmon is nearly five month's old, we figured we should get our act together before he's off to college. So, we've been at Circuit City a million times a week (we should just sleep in the back somewhere) trying to decide which one we want, what we should get with it, etc. We made another stop there yesterday when we were out for our walk and, I think, we've targeted one we like. While Kevin was asking the sales associate all kinds of questions, Harmon grew bored. I then engaged him in a lively game of peek-a-boo and I'm sure everyone in the store thought I was crazy. I didn't care, though, as our little game produced an extreme amount of giggles from the little man! It was so fun and he was so sweet and, damn it, I wish I would have caught it all on video. Maybe one day!

Last Wednesday, my Mom bought Harmon the Bumbo Baby Seat. Kevin and I have seen it before but weren't ready to pay $40 for it (we felt $40 in Enfamil was money better spent). But, my Mom decided he had to have it! Good thing too because, as you can see, he loves it. I think he likes to sit up like a big boy even though he's not quite ready to do so on his own just yet. Whatever makes him happy!

And, just before getting the Bumbo, he got his first pair of cool shades! My best friend, Betsie, has a sister (Sarah) who had a baby (Matthew) a week or so after Harmon was born. Betsie was visiting Sarah and Matthew in Colorado last month and sent along some pictures. Little Matthew was all dressed up for skiing and looked so cute, especially with his little sunglasses (called Baby Banz). So, I had to have them for Harmon! He doesn't hate them so much!

The Easter bunny will visit on Sunday and we'll be in Peoria visiting Kevin's family. Since Harmon's not old enough to figure all this stuff out yet, he got a few "early" Easter presents. We filled his little Easter basket with teething apparatuses and 7-18 month binkies. He also got some summer clothing and an awesome new toy for the car--the Baby Einstein Move and Go Music Mirror. And, just to make this clear, I did not buy it from evil Wal-Mart but instead from Babies R' Us. This was just the best picture I could find.

OK, that is all! Happy Easter everyone!

Fun with feet!

Monday, March 27, 2006--Harmon "officially" found his feet. Although he's been aware of them for a couple of weeks, he finally got a good grip on one on Monday night. After a diaper change and before a fresh set of clothes, he was playing on the bed and locked in his kung fu grip!

Tuesday, March 28, 2006--Harmon has been doing little giggles for about a month and, during the last week, he's be SO close to a real laugh. On Tuesday night, after taking a sick day from day care, we were on the couch and I was tickling him all over. When I got to his right side just underneath his arm, he began to giggle and laugh. It was so cute. He did it for a while but not long enough for Kevin to witness!

Another Harmon first

Harmon had rice cereal for the first time last night! At his four-month appointment on Friday, we anxiously were awaiting the go ahead from the doctor. He’s been inhaling seven-to-eight ounce bottles at almost every feeding and still seems hungry afterwards, so we were happy to move forward with the cereal—at least for his sake. For us, it was hard. Kevin keeps saying Harmon will be eating a steak next week! And, last night, in Babies R Us, there was a brand new baby boy who was so sweet and it seemed like just seconds ago, Harmon was that small. Small he isn’t, though. At his appointment, he weighed in at 16 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 27-3/8 inches long! All this stuff got me thinking about all his firsts. Granted there are lots more to come but I wanted to document some here, while I’m thinking about it!

Lifting the head:
Since Harmon was so big when he was born, he was lifting his head while we were still in the hospital. I remember being in the bed and looking at Kevin holding Harmon and seeing him using that big strong neck!

Rolling over:
This one is kind of odd! On Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005, Kevin and I were watching the Miami-Michigan basketball game and Harmon was sleeping on his belly on the couch with me. I got too distracted enjoying my delicious Starbucks lite mocha frappuccino and barely noticed Harmon rolling to his left and almost off the couch. Luckily, I reacted quickly and caught him! The next day, Harmon was lying on his belly in our bed, parallel to Kevin and awaiting his bottle. When I came in from the kitchen, he had rolled to the right and did some additional moving. He now was perpendicular to Kevin! Finally, the real “first” rollover came on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2006. Right after his bath, I was getting him dressed and he rolled to the right, from belly to back. Since then, he’s continued to roll belly to back and is working on back to belly!

Smiling:
The first “real” smile, not related to a bodily function, came Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005. In fact, it came AFTER a diaper change! Kevin and I were just playing with him on our bed and he began to smile. It was so wonderful—and a great payoff after those first five weeks—to finally see a real smile! We can’t get enough of it!

Sleeping through the night:
We are SO lucky with this first as it occurred at only seven weeks! Since I wanted to extend my leave past the paid eight weeks, Kevin and I stockpiled our vacation time. Kevin decided to use five weeks of his time between Nov. 12 and the end of the year. As his time off was coming to an end and the first day back at work (Jan. 3) was looming, we began to wonder how Harmon would do with the sleeping thing. Well, we put him to bed the night of Jan. 2 and he’s slept through the night ever since! I thought it was just to give Kevin a break, but he continues to be a great sleeper. Every once in a while, he’ll wake up around 5:30 a.m. but that’s it. He even adjusted to his crib quickly and, more importantly, putting him to bed has become one of the easier things to do!

OK, so that’s all the BIG firsts so far. Here are some other smaller milestones:

First bath (Thursday, Nov. 17, 2005): We used the infant tub that goes in the bathtub and it was a disaster. He cried FOREVER! After a few more attempts at this, my Mom bathed him in the sink when she was visiting one day (Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005) and he was a little angel! Turns out he likes this method much better so we continue to use it. Pretty soon, though, he’ll be too big for the kitchen sink!

First time out sans Harmon (Saturday, Nov. 19, 2005): Harmon was a week old and Kevin and I just had to go see Michigan lose to Ohio State AGAIN in football! Although he was in great hands (my Mom, Dad and sister, Stacey, were fawning over him at our house), I still wondered why I left him. The game wasn’t worth it and I was still way sore from the c-section. Maybe a win would have made me feel a little different! Our next time without Harmon was a yummy dinner at P.F. Chang’s for our annivesary (Dec. 2). Not only did Kevin’s parents watch Harmon (they were in town for their first visit with the little guy), they treated us for dinner, too!

First day out (Monday, Nov. 21, 2005): On Harmon’s first, non-doctor-related trip out of the house, we went Christmas shopping at Briarwood Mall. We got a few things done but kept looking at him like he was a ticking time bomb! We fed him and changed him while we were out (the first time for that, too) and even ventured to Qdoba for some quesadillas!

First “real” restaurant meal (Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005): Harmon and I went to visit Kevin at work and, after seeing Kevin’s co-workers, we had a great lunch at the Cottage Inn. Although we made it a quick lunch (God forbid Harmon should wake up), we thought it was great to have our first, real sit-down meal with him at the same restaurant we had our rehearsal dinner! After that lunch, we got more used to taking him to restaurants and had visits to Border Cantina on Dec. 14, Pizza House on Dec. 23 and 31 and El Taco Loco on Dec. 30.

First night in the crib (Saturday, Jan. 7, 2006): Although I thought this would happen our first night home, it turns out I’m a sucker for Harmon! At eight weeks, we put him to bed in his crib and he slept like a little lamb. Guess that Sealy mattress is more comfortable than the Pack ‘n Play!

And, for good measure, here are his monthly stats:

Friday, March 17, 2006 (four-month appointment)
16 pounds, 11 ounces and 27-3/8 inches

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006 (two-month appointment)
13 pounds, 13 ounces and 24 ¼ inches

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005 (one-month appointment)
11 pounds, 9 ounces and 23 inches

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2005 (birth weight)
9 pounds, 4 ounces and 21 inches

Valentine's Day

The first time Kevin ever got me flowers was for Valentine’s Day in 1995. Although we met in September 1994, we were both so slow in sharing our true feelings for each other. I knew how he felt after he sent me flowers when I wasn’t expecting them. I thought for sure they were for one of my college roommates, who had been dating her boyfriend for what seemed like years but, no, they were for me! And, 12 years later, he continues to do things that are unexpected.

Being that we now have our lovely Harmon, I asked that he please not do anything for Valentine’s Day. And, I was serious in this request. I mean, it’s not like we have a money tree growing in the back yard! And, if we did, I wouldn’t still be paying on loans from my MBA program! I simply thought we could go to dinner (with Harmon, of course) or get some take-out from one of our favorite restaurants. Of course, Kevin had other things in mind.

On Saturday at noon, FedEx pulls up in front of our house and Kevin tells me to answer the door because it’s my early Valentine’s Day present. Much to my surprise, it was a CRAZY DELICIOUS Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake straight from the Cheesecake Factory (and, by the way, metro Detroit, get your act together and get a Cheesecake Factory around here)! We first had this glorious dessert a couple of years ago when were on vacation in DC. We were there one week and either dined in or got take-out that involved Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake FOUR TIMES! If you haven’t had it before, you MUST try it. I’m not a huge fan of cheesecake in general but this stuff is truly sinful!

As if that wasn’t enough, yesterday I got a call from the front desk at work saying that flowers had just been delivered. When I went down to get them, the card read “From your boys! Love, Kevin and Harmon.” There were six beautiful read roses that adorn my desk and make it a little easier to be there this week!

And, to top it off, Kevin left work early, swooped Harmon up from day care and brought home delicious take-out from our new favorite Chinese restaurant (it’s been a long, hard search), Middle Kingdom.

So, overall, a pretty good Valentine’s Day! The best thing, though, for the both of us, was the Valentine that little Harmon made for us at day care! (above) It was waiting for Kevin when he picked him up and then Kevin re-planted it just under his Bundle Me so it was front and center when I peeled it back to give Harmon the one million hugs and kisses he gets when I get home. It was the sweetest, cutest thing I had ever seen and, although he really had no idea what he was doing, it was the nicest Valentine I had ever gotten. Just looking at those little handprints melted my heart! I am such a sucker for this kid.

Tough week

This past Monday, I went back to work. After being off with Harmon for three magical months, I finally had to crawl out of bed with him, take a shower and join the working world again (albeit 80 percent time instead of full time). Although there were some long days early on, those three months went by WAY TOO FAST! And, as Monday, Feb. 6 (ironically, my Mom’s birthday) approached, I was miserable – crying at no particular time for no particular reason. Although Kevin and I have worked out a pretty good schedule, day care still is involved. Here is how our week worked (and will work) for the foreseeable future:

Monday
Kevin worked from 7 a.m. until noon and I worked from 12:30-5:30 p.m. So, Harmon was with at least one of us the whole day. On Monday, Kevin spent six hours with Harmon – the most time he’s ever spent with him alone. As I left for work that day, Kevin said dinner would be ready when I came home. I laughed! Little did he know! Of course, when I got home, there was no dinner. Not that I cared, it just was funny!

Tuesday
We both worked 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. so it was off to dreaded day care for Harmon. We decided to both go to drop him off the first day and I managed to hold it together – for a while. The teacher was alternating between giving me hugs and Kleenex all the while promising that she would take care of Harmon as if he were her own. Everyone was very nice and they encouraged me to call later and get updates (which I did). And, of course, Harmon was all smiles. He has no idea about strangers yet! So, we got up the courage to leave and I didn’t even make it out of the center before losing it. I cried for a good, long while and as I got to work, I was happy about my new, earlier start time as no one would see how good I didn’t look. Although I felt incredibly guilty AND like I was the worst mother in the world, the day wasn’t as bad as I expected – until my phone rang at 5 p.m. It was the day care center telling me that Harmon had just awoken from his nap and he wasn’t happy. Furthermore, he was out of bottles (I had packed him three six-ounce bottles). OK, he’s three months’ old and a very good eater and, at home, he can eat five ounces and go three hours between feedings or six ounces and go four hours. As long as he is having his last bottle around 10 p.m., we’re happy! So, we fed him five ounces at 6:30 a.m. thinking he would eat again at 9:30 a.m. After that feeding, he would eat around 1:30 p.m. and then again at 5:30 p.m. – just before I came to get him. I guess that’s not the schedule day care had in mind! They started off well with him eating at 9:15 a.m. but then he proceeded to gorge himself on Enfamil lattes (must give credit to my Mom for this one) at 12:15 p.m. and 2 p.m. MY GOD! Let’s do the math, people – that’s 23 ounces of formula in eight hours – roughly three ounces an hour! JESUS! You would think that would be enough but, no, when I left work immediately to go get him, he was ready for more. By the time we got home, he was in a full-blown fit, that is, until another six-ounce bottle appeared! So, minus, the gorging, the first day of day care went OK.

Wednesday
We both work 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. but, but, Harmon is with my Mom. She came over today to watch him, which is enough in itself, but she brought banana bread for breakfast, chicken soup for lunch and lasagna for dinner! And, even though I told her no cleaning was allowed, I’m not sure she can control herself! Having Harmon with my Mom is the best thing in the world! After all, she did a decent job with me, right?

Thursdays
Kevin will work 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (his usual late Thursday) and I will work 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Harmon again will be at day care so hopefully we can get this bottle thing under control!

Fridays
Kevin has a regular 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. day and I AM OFF WITH MR. MAN! I cannot wait for Friday so I can snuggle and play with my boy! If he thought he was tired after day care, wait until Friday night!

Overall, I think this deal can work. I know it will get easier (can someone tell me when?) and it will be good for all of us to get on some type of schedule. And, one day, when Harmon is in school and it’s not cool to hang out with Mommy anymore, I’ll need to be my own person again, blah, blah, blah. Plus, when it comes right down to it, we can’t afford for me not to work so we’ll all just have to suck it up. Whatever the little man requires is what we’ll do!

Harmon's fun toys

On Jan. 25, Mommy, Daddy and Harmon went to a baby shower at the U-M News Service. Daddy's co-workers gave Harmon an "exersaucer." He can't wait to play with it. Harmon is excited, too.

You guys wanna see my video?

"How much you wanna make a bet I could throw a football over them mountains?" Or be the cutest baby on the planet. To see, click here.

Healthy Harmon

Harmon gave us a little glimpse of this face (left) today during his two-month appointment. He received three immunizations and was a very good boy through it all, save for a little bit of crying. He continues to be our strong and healthy boy. Today, he checked in at 13 pounds, 13 ounces and 24-1/4 inches long. At birth he was 9 pounds, 4 ounces and 21 inches, and at one month, 11 pounds, 9 ounces and 23 inches.

Carr Wash and a sleepy baby

Tonight we were looking at past photos of the Carr Wash for Kids. I told Aimee we should take her Jeep Wrangler, with license plate UM4ME, through the wash next year. She said she would, but she is afraid the players wouldn't finish washing it ... Harmon has turned into our good sleeper. He has slept through the night 4 of the past 5 nights, including 8 hours last night ... Check out his cool kicks.

Goodbye 2005 ... We'll miss you!

I'm always a little melancholy to see yet another year come to an end and 2005 was no exception. 2005 was a great year for us. Kevin got a great promotion, we bought our first house, Isabel had a healthy year and, most importantly, we were blessed with the arrival of our perfect little Harmon! Hope all our family and friends have a happy and healthy new year and hope to see you all soon!

AND, hope 2006 is good to Michigan football. As you all know, 2005 was not!

Did you know?

A little info about Chuck Norris to ring in the new year. Here is a little teaser:

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

It's all my fault

Back in April, we went to my cousin Paul's wedding in Omaha, Neb. It was only 60 miles or so from Lincoln and the University of Nebraska. So we drove there, toured the campus and looked around the bookstore. Just for grins, I tried on this Cornhuskers' hat. Who would have known it was a foreshadowing of the Dec. 28 clash of the 7-4 titans. So, it is all my fault that Michigan lost to Nebraska. Or Jim Hermann. Or the officials. BTW, it is embarassing to lose to a school that allowed this to happen. Or just learned the forward pass.

Harmon's birth story

Harmon turned six weeks old on Christmas Eve. Because of time spent on diaper changes, mixing bottles, and getting ready for and celebrating the holidays, we have had scarce time to finish his birth story. If you are interested, the following is his mommy's account of how Harmon came into the world.

Harmon’s Birth Story

Throughout my entire pregnancy, Kevin and I would have bet money that our baby would arrive early. As October turned to November, however, and my due date of Nov. 10 loomed, there was little to no progress. At my last appointment before the due date, Dr. Jane Nicholson suggested we schedule some tests for Nov. 15. The results of those tests would help us decide when to induce labor.

On the morning of Nov. 10 I noticed some fluid leakage but, being that it wasn’t a lot, I thought nothing of it. The next morning, I again noticed some leakage but this time it was a bit more. Since I still was working full time at the Kellogg Eye Center, I headed into the office but was very tentative. Throughout the morning, I spoke with a couple of my girlfriends and by 2 p.m. they both convinced me to call the hospital. I called and spoke with the nurse and she suggested I come in for a check-up “just to be safe.” I then called Kevin and told him I would pick him up at The Record and then we could go to the hospital together.

After we checked in at 2:30 p.m., a nurse said she thought it might not be fluid. But a midwife did another exam and determined that the leakage was amniotic fluid—my water indeed had broken. I was hooked up to a heartbeat monitor and the nurse commented, matter-of-factly, that I had just had a contraction. I felt nothing, but I sure felt them later. At this point, I was admitted.

After five attempts (up and down both my arms) from two different nurses, my IV finally was in place so the fluids and Pitocin started to flow. My family arrived and I was able to spend some time with them and Kevin was able to call his family before the contractions began to intensify.

Around 10 p.m., after everyone was gone, I asked the nurse for some morphine to help with the contractions and it didn’t help at all! I dealt with the contractions during the next few hours and, at around 3 a.m., I couldn’t take it anymore and asked for an epidural. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what I expected and that was mostly because IT DIDN’T TAKE! After about two hours of some of the most intense pain I’ve ever experienced, the anesthesiologist determined that I would have to have a second epidural. After epidural number two, which I received at 5:30 a.m., things were much better.

At 10 a.m., the doctors came in to check my progress and, much to my surprise, I was fully dilated to 10 centimeters! I was told to try to take in some fluids and build my strength before I started pushing. Ironically, the pushing began just before kick-off of the Indiana at Michigan game, which was the first home football game I had missed in 15 seasons! With the game on TV in the background, I pushed for the next FOUR HOURS in every imaginable labor position but the baby did not want to budge.

Dr. Anna Griffith, who was the on-call partner in Dr. Nicholson’s practice, suggested five more big pushes and if there was no progress I would have to undergo an emergency c-section. After these five pushes and no movement, it was off to the operating room! Once my anesthesia was in full effect, Kevin was allowed to join me in the operating room and the procedure began.

Although I felt a lot of pressure, pulling, tugging, etc., it seemed only moments before Harmon Spencer Bergquist made his entrance into the world! At the sound of his loud and healthy cry at 5:16 p.m., I began to cry. Nine months of careful preparation (and careful consumption of Diet Coke) and he finally was here! Although Kevin did not want to leave me, he observed the weigh-in—9 pounds, 4 ounces and 21 inches long. Kevin brought Harmon over to me and fed him his first bottle and then we had our first family photo taken, complete with me spread out on the operating table. Then the three of us were moved to the recovery room.

For me, the rest of the night was spent in bed, coming down from my wonderful epidural and holding Harmon when the pain would subside. In the wee hours of the morning one of the many wonderful U-M nurses gave Harmon his first sponge bath and his first immunization shot. Also in the wee hours or the morning, the nurses forced me to get up and walk around. Although the incision hurt, what hurt more was the incredible shoulder pain, which I was told was a side effect of the c-section—who would have thought? The rest of the night I finally was able to sleep, although I can’t say the same for Harmon and Kevin.

Early Monday morning, the doctors on call stopped by to check on me and, being that I was doing so well, they began my discharge paperwork. Harmon had to have a hearing test and get some blood work done to check for jaundice and, with both being perfect, we all were given the OK to leave. Kevin and I dressed Harmon in his orange kangaroo going-home outfit and then I had a fun wheelchair ride out to the car.

For the first few nights at home, Kevin and Harmon slept in the living room and let me sleep in the bedroom to recover. Harmon woke up around 2:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. for the first two weeks and has moments when he sleeps almost through the night. We are so blessed, and Harmon is a dream come true.

Harmon's first Christmas

This morning, Harmon woke up to his first Christmas. Santa was good to him this year, as he received an activity gym, Octotunes, exersaucer (which he will use when he gets a little older) and radio for his nursery. Both boys in the house (daddy, too) have been sick the last few days, and Harmon was a little fussy while opening his presents. He has a cough and has been congested. Mommy got a sneak preview of the 2006 Michigan football t-shirt. Mommy and Daddy got the best present this year with our beautiful baby boy. For all of our X-mas photos, click here. Merry Christmas!

Harmon's official photographer

We have tried to put up as many photos of Harmon as we have, and his Aunt Stacey also has some fantastic photos on her site. To see her Harmon collection, click here.

Harmon's perfect record is Oh-for-OSU

Back before we knew what the gender of the baby was, we used to alternate between boy and girl every other day. Harmon was undefeated during the 2005 Michigan football season, both home and away, while he was still in the womb. Today was his first game as a Wolverine fan on the outside; the result? Harmon may just have to go back inside for the bowl game. Oh, heck, it doesn't matter. But he is 0-1 against Ohio State, which is pretty close to the ledger of one Lloyd Carr (1-4) during the past five years.