Birthday Banter

This past weekend, I celebrated my freakin' 33rd birthday. I can't believe I'm 33, I have A KID and a house and I'm married and I have real life responsibilities. Sometimes, I feel like (or act like) I'm 12 years old but, unlike the last few years, I now can blame this behavior on Harmon. I need to act like a fool because he likes it!

So, I got some cool stuff for my birthday. My parents got me some great new clothes (a cool brown blouse and a brown sweater and this awesome Michigan jacket thingie); my sister, Stacey, got me some cool capris and the new Goo Goo Dolls CD; and my sister, Erin, bought me the coolest Moosejaw t-shirt (in cranberry). My sister-in-law, Angela, helped keep me smelling good by sending me the new CK One Summer perfume and my in-laws sent me a check, which I immediately applied towards the big gift Kevin got me. In addition to some framed Harmon pictures, Tommy Lee's autobiography and some awesome Post-Its (from Isabel), Kevin got me the Coach purse I've been lusting over for a couple of months now. After getting over the feelings of guilt (I don't buy myself much anymore – must be a Mom thing), I now am in love with this purse. Love, I tell you!

Anyway, all this birthday stuff got me thinking about past birthdays so I went back through my old journals and found some cool stuff. Apparently, big life events OR Detroit Tigers' games are integral parts of my birthdays, year after year!

2005
We just moved into our new house. Our first night sleeping there was July 26 and, on July 27, I remember be grossly pregnant sitting in Home Depot for HOURS. I had this weird belly button pain at this point in my pregnancy and, on this night, it was especially painful. After leaving Home Depot right at closing time, the rest of the night was spent watching Kevin, my Mom and my Uncle Dave install my birthday present – vertical blinds for our living room. Ahh, yes! I mustn't forget Kevin's awesome gift to me last year – tickets to the MLB All-Star Game at Comerica Park!

2004
In 2004, we actually took a vacation (our last real one). We spent a week in the DC area and it was awesome. On my actual birthday, we spent the first part of the day in Hershey, Penn. (a lot of the time at Hershey's Chocolate World – yummy) and the rest of the day in Gettysburg. It was an awesome birthday and the trip to Gettysburg, although a last-minute addition to the itinerary, was amazing!

2003
2003 brought a new job at U-M, where I had been trying to return since leaving as a student/employee in 1995. I must like it because I'm still there. Also, my parents got me my digital camera thus allowing me to take one hundred million pictures of Harmon!

2002
Ahh, 2002 – our unemployed summer! Kevin lost his job in September 2001 and I lost mine in January 2002. Although Kevin would return to work (at U-M) in August, the lack of money made for a rough summer. He and my family did, however, manage to get me a few small things and chipped in on my Tiffany necklace. I love that thing!

2001
This year brought a move from our tiny, newlywed apartment in Ann Arbor to a larger apartment in New Hudson. Although it was a HUGE bummer to leave Ann Arbor, our four years in New Hudson ending up being great! Sometimes, we really miss that place. It was huge, it was private and we had a fireplace that Isabel would sprawl in front of four hours! Also, my actual birthday was spent with my family at, surprise, Comerica Park watching the Tigers!

2000
This year's birthday was special – I was 27 on the 27th. And, Kevin made sure I always would remember it. I was working at Visteon in Dearborn at the time and he told me to be out in front of the building at 5 p.m. SHARP! So, there I was, standing out there like a goon when up pulls a long, black limo (the same limo we ended up booking for our wedding day). I was hesitant to approach but the driver got out and said he was there to pick me up. I didn’t know where I was going but ended up at the Gandy Dancer for dinner and it was perfect! The whole day was perfect, even though we had to drive back to Dearborn later that night and get my Jeep!

1999
In '99, Kevin still was living in St. Louis but he flew in for my birthday. Over the weekend, we went to the jeweler to look at engagement rings. I had seen a ring in a bridal magazine that I was in love with but I never thought, in a million years, that I would find it in person. But, right there, at Kramar Jewelers in Oak Park, I found it. It was big, it was gorgeous and I had to have it! Kevin had it held and would give it to me the following April.

1998
During 1998, I interned in the Detroit Tigers' marketing/events group and had one of the best summers of my entire life! I worked every game (81 freakin' home games – at night and on the weekends) after working my real job during the day and I was exhausted but it was fantastic. For my birthday, we spent the weekend in Cleveland watching the Tigers take on the Indians and I drank entirely too much, which was the case most of the summer. Also, something about 1998 I would like to forget. On my actual birthday, I accepted the worst job of my career – a project associate position working in major events at Ford Motor Company. I will say nothing more for fear that the memories will haunt me forever!

1997
The day after my birthday, I accepted my first, real, full-time job at the law firm of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn! What an awesome first job this was! I was working in downtown Detroit, on the 22nd floor of a cool, vintage building and I had an OFFICE with a WINDOW! And, the actual work was great too. I gained some very good experience and, after working with 100 or so attorneys on a daily basis, I decided I DID NOT want to go to law school (I honestly was thinking about it)!

1996
This summer was devastating to me. After dating Kevin for a little over a year, his internship at U-M was up and he took a job at Washington University in St. Louis. He would live there until March of 2000, meaning we would do the long-distance relationship thing for almost four years – sad! The good news, however, was that I spent a lot of time in St. Louis – what an awesome town!

1995
Love those Tigers! Another birthday spent watching my beloved Tigers. Of course, back in the 90s, they still were playing at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. I miss that old place!

1994
I turned 21 and celebrated at Scorekeeper's in Ann Arbor. I don't remember much. I wonder why!

OK, enough about me, lets get to the important stuff – Harmon! The teeth are coming from everywhere! He cut his third tooth – next to the bottom left – on Wednesday, July 12. His fourth tooth – top left – busted through this past Friday, July 28. And, his fifth tooth – next to bottom right – made an appearance yesterday. Five freakin' teeth now! And, unless I'm mistaken, I swear I heard him grinding his teeth yesterday – nasty sound! Through it all, though, he's been SO good. He'll get a little fussy now and then but some Tylenol and a nap usually help quite nicely!

Happy B-day, Aimee!

Today's is Aimee's 29th birthday. She is nervous about No. 30 next year, so send her your comforting thoughts.

I'm so excited!

Since I've been back to work, the weeks have FLOWN by. Before I know it, it's Wednesday night and I am preparing for Thursday, which, technically, is my Friday.

The best part about Thursday, aside from the yummy Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino Light I get on my way into work, is leaving to get Harmon on Thursday afternoon. The minute the clock hits 5:30 p.m., I am out and nothing can stop me. I all but run to the car and, one day, I KNOW I'm going to get a speeding ticket going over the Broadway Bridge as I'm pretty sure the wheels don't touch the ground. I get so excited to go get him – like a kid on Christmas morning, like a kid the night before a trip to Disneyland. It's such an amazing feeling!

I feel much the same way on Tuesdays. Although Kevin does pick-up duty on Tuesdays, I get SO excited the second I know they are together on their way to get me. I can't focus from 5 p.m. (when Kevin leaves work) to 5:30 p.m. (when they arrive to get me) because of the excitement. I just can't wait to see his little face, to know how his day went, and, most importantly, to get him home and play with him.

I like my time at work as it makes me feel like an actual, productive human being. I also think the fact that I have a career will make me a better Mom in the long run. And, the big bonus is that the time I spend away from him (while I'm at work) makes me appreciate so much more the time I spend with him!

Just what is art?

That is the question Harmon tried to figure out while strolling his first Ann Arbor Art Fair ... well, the first one outside of Mommy's belly, anyway. It wasn't so hot this year, but Harmon still got thirsty at times (see right), and even cooled off in the Ingalls Mall fountain.

Packed away and laughing

Now that Harmon is eight months old, we decided it FINALLY was time to take down the pack –n– play. Although he moved to his crib at eight weeks, we kept the pack –n– play up and running just to use the changing table thingy. Since we didn't buy a changing table for his room, this thing came in quite handy and it had the added benefit of being set up right next to our bed. So, when we were done changing him, we could play with him on the bed for hours on end. Well, I think he finally exceeded the weight limit AND his feet were hanging WAY over the edge so we decided the time had come. Of course, I was sad. But, now a couple of days removed, I've noticed how nice it's been to have our bedroom back. It looks HUGE!

In case you didn't notice in the Cheerio video, Harmon is big into the hand clapping these days. He really started doing it this past weekend and loves to do it all the time now. Must be all the clapping we do whenever he does, well, anything. We've also noticed him pounding on his chest, a la Tarzan during the last few diaper changes. He's so funny!

Feeling guilty about all the "da-da-da-da-da" that is heard around the house 24/7, Kevin has been working like crazy with Harmon on "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma." Sometimes, it sounds like "ma-ma" but other times it sounds like "ba-ba," "wa-wa" or "ya-ya." Who knows! One day, I hope to hear a definitive "ma-ma." In the meantime, though, I'll have to settle for him reaching for me and the beginnings of kisses and hugs.

Although Harmon has favorite toys (as has been well documented with the damn hammer - he thinks it's the cat's pajamas), he gets interested in new things everyday. We were in his room playing Sunday night and he noticed some different toys and it was so cute to see him interact with them. He has taken quite a liking to these two things (pictured) recently.

He loves to bang those balls together like there is no tomorrow and he loves the textures and characters on the blocks.

Since it's been SO FREAKIN' HOT here this last week, we haven't been able to take our nightly walk and I think we're feeling the effects. Usually, Harmon is a fantastic sleeper, going to bed around 9:30 p.m. and sleeping until 6:30 a.m. or so. However, the last few days, he's been walking up around 4:30 a.m. It's not a violent wake up, he's usually playing and talking, but he's awake nonetheless. So, we've had to get up and get him back to sleep. It might also be hotter than usual in the house (why does it feel like the air doesn't even work at all when it's SO hot outside) or I have a feeling that he moves all over the place and then wakes up all freaked out like he doesn't know where he is. Anyway, once we flip him back on his belly, get him tucked back in and rub his back for a few minutes, he's usually back to sleep again. I realize it could be worse but …

Last bit of Harmon news, on Saturday, we stopped by Marshall Field's (soon to be Macy's – sad) to check out a few things. Harmon was in a great mood and, while in the elevator, Kevin and I were laughing about something and he started laughing. Sensing big belly laughs on the way, we continued and he was dying! I think everyone in the depleted upstairs area could hear him! I wish I had that video camera on me at all times so I could record every moment.

If you haven’t seen these commercials yet, check them out. They’re awesome but maybe that’s because I’m a car geek. Oooooooo, the Germans!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Harmon barrel rolls across the floor in pursuit of his precious hammer. Can't keep that boy away from his favorite toy!

Harmon sinks a Cheerio

Obviously pleased with himself for what he is about to do, Harmon claps in advance of eating a Cheerio. If this video is any indication, he and Daddy will be slopping milk all over in no time.

Eight months old!

Harmon is eight months old today and I can't believe it. I know everyone says this but it seems like just yesterday we brought him home. When we came home, we were clueless, new parents and now, it's amazing, we kind of know what we're doing!

I was rocking him last night and thinking about the last eight months and how they've changed our lives forever. In particular, I was thinking about how I've changed. When I was pregnant the first time, I remember being flat-out scared. It was a surprise I wasn't ready for and when I had the miscarriage just a few days later I felt so guilty. I thought maybe I was being punished for not feeling happy and excited. The second time around, I couldn't wait to see that positive pregnancy test because that loss made me want a child so much more.

Throughout my entire pregnancy, I worried about the kind of mother I would be. I am the oldest child and there is seven years between me and my middle sister so I've always been a little spoiled and Kevin has continued that as he treats me like a princess. I worried that I wouldn't be able to compromise or, in some case, give up the things I loved in lieu of this little baby on the way. I worried that I wouldn’t love him enough or that I wouldn't protect him enough. I worried that I couldn't do enough to make him smart and successful and, most of all, I worried that I would taint him in some way. But now, eight months later, I am so pleasantly surprised at the mother I've become. I know part of it is instinct but there is so much more to it than that.

Harmon is a dream of a baby. He's so happy, easy going and laid back. He slept through the night right away and is a fantastic eater. He rarely has any tantrums (outside of screaming contests with Mom and Dad) and he smiles at everyone. He adjusts to new things wonderfully, usually with a smile. After all the horror stories I've heard from other people, I feel so lucky to have such a good baby (I think I'm finally believing what everyone tells me).

The most rewarding part, though, is that when I walk into a room, his entire face just lights up. He will smile ear to ear and even giggle with glee at the sight of me. I also love when he reaches for me or, when in the right mood, even will give me hugs. It is so awesome to experience this, to know that he loves me that much.

Not too long ago, he was this totally needy little creature. Now, he has his own personality. He hates to be kissed and he hates when you take his favorite toys away from him. He snuggles when he wants to and he lets you know when he's had enough. He has all these expressions and all these sounds flow from his mouth. It's so sweet to see him blossoming into his own person.

But, not a day goes by when I don't miss him at two months or four months or even six months. I want him to need me forever in the way he needs me now. I forever want to rock him to sleep and listen to him coo and feel his little breathe on my neck. I know I can't stop him from getting older and I know I should live in the present and enjoy every moment (I try to) because, before I know it, he'll be eight YEARS old instead of eight MONTHS old.

I remember all my "mom" friends telling me that being a mother is the best thing in the whole world but I never really thought about it until I became one myself. And now, after eight months which appear to be on fast forward, I totally agree. Being Harmon's mom is the best thing in the whole world!

To see Harmon in action, check out all the hard work Kevin did last night getting videos uploaded.

Harmon TV is on the air!

We finally have figured out how to put Harmon TV on this site, so look for more videos soon. In his video debut here, Harmon says his favorite word over and over. And just in case you forget it, he says it with some feeling at the end! In this clip from a few months ago, Harmon gets Mommy and Daddy all wet in the tub. Some others: Harmon loves to have his tummy tickled, but in this clip he has enough of it. Or does he? Also, he takes after his Mommy from her youth in that it is more fun to stop the swing than to rock in it.

Stop ... hammer time!

We are just one day into yet another glorious summer weekend, and already Harmon has found yet more ways to make us laugh. Today we took him to the grotto at Orchard Lake St. Mary's and tried to take some photos of him with all of the pretty flowers.

Well, he is sort of like Stoney (for all of you WDFN fans) in that he rarely looks at you for very long if you are trying to take his picture. Well, today when he was posing for a photo, he fell over into the luscious, green grass. We thought he might like this, having spent very little, if any, time on grass. Well, he wasn't too happy about it (also, see right).

We did manage to get him to smile for a few photos with Mommy and Daddy, and soon were on our way to one of our favorite lunch places, Camelia's (or El Taco Loco, for all of you old school Mexican food grubbers). Shortly after we sat down, we had this feeling we had eaten there one too many times after the waitress asked Aimee if she would like her regular burrito dinner. She didn't even have to open her mouth. Too funny.

So, Harmon was a good boy all day, even when we took him in and out of the car and his stroller 20 times. What probably calmed him the most was that he had his trusty hammer (left) in his hand. It would be easier to get your leg out of a bear trap than to pry that hammer from his hands. He simply loves it. It makes noises and lights up, and Harmon loves to pound on things with it. Dadddy had a little red hammer when he was growing up, so Harmon is well on his way.

We'll just call him Thor ... god of thunder!

Harmon's happy home

I was rocking Harmon in the nursery the other night and realized I never took pictures of the end result of MONTHS of planning. Several people have asked to see the nursery so I thought I would share the photos, as well as a little bit of the process.

As you all know, we didn't find out the sex of the baby so our nursery options were limited. Because Isabel is such a big part of our life, we thought about doing a Peter Rabbit theme. The downside of that, however, was how we would feel one day when – GASP – Isabel no longer was with us. So, we continued to search for a different theme. After not a lot of luck, I called Kevin one day and said, to hell with it, I wanted to do a Peter Rabbit theme. We could think of it as a TRIBUTE to Isabel! And, off we went.

Peter Rabbit himself has shades of blues and tans, which are some of my favorite colors (our whole house is in shades of blues and tans). And, those colors also happened to perfectly match the Graco Travel System, Pack 'n Play, high chair and swing we had selected for our registry.

One of our first orders of duty when we got possession of the house was to paint the nursery and I chose to alternate walls between blue (or "Enchantment" by Glidden) and tan (or "Bermuda Sand" by Olympic Paints). Kevin did a great job painting (I couldn’t help being six months' pregnant and all) and my Mom helped him hang the border. He also did a FANTASTIC job choosing the curtain rods and hanging the valances. Once all that was done, our crib and dresser FINALLY arrived (the crib story is a whole other entry all together) and, much to our surprise, both matched our hardwood floors quite nicely.

The rest of the nursery came together piece by piece and at a SLOW pace. I remember countless trips to Bed, Bath and Beyond and Linens 'n Things looking for a rug to go in the room. We got lucky and found a matching bookshelf at Lowe's and my Mom found our awesome rocking chair at an estate sale. The last piece was the cutest corner table (which my Mom also found at Lowe's) that holds Harmon's bunny night light. We've since hanged and placed lots of little things in the room – some Peter Rabbit related, some not – and I really like how it looks now. I love the alternating wall colors and I think the room works for a boy or a girl – despite what some people think (how could you put a GIRL in a BLUE room?)! I hope Harmon likes it as he starts to explore it more and I hope he doesn't end up hating rabbits since he's surrounded by them. It's funny, Isabel seems to spend a lot of time in his room – maybe she thinks it's hers!

Fireworks

Tonight is the night for the Target Fireworks, the biggest event of the International Freedom Festival (it's international because it's a joint venture between Detroit and Windsor - Oooooooooooooo). Although we're not going tonight, I couldn't help but think back to all those times my parents took me and my sisters when we were kids. My Mom loves fireworks so she would look forward to this event as soon as a hint of summer was in the air. And, we loved it too. We usually would pack up the car with good food and drink, lawn chairs, blankets, etc. and head down to Detroit early so as to get a good spot. On occasion, we would take in the fireworks from the Windsor side of the river and it was a trip to Windsor, in particular, that we always laugh about.

We were sitting in traffic nearing the Ambassador Bridge (back when getting over the bridge took only seconds) and there were many traffic cops out and about trying to get everyone to their final destinations. One African American cop, who was a rather outgoing type, was the closest to the traffic flow and, because he was talking to and joking with everyone who inched by, people were handing him all kinds of food, candy, etc. He was getting a full meal while he was directing traffic, which was a great deal for him! But, there was something missing and only my Dad could sense what it was. As we inched by, my Dad handed him an ice cold poppy and this made his day. The cop yelled out, "I'm in the house now," and my sisters and I all died in the back seat.

Just a little tale!

Anyway, maybe next year, we'll re-start the family tradition of attending the fireworks. At this point, I think they would freak Harmon out but next year he should be fine!

Weekend update

Friday was my usual day off with Harmon and we spent a lot of it in Target getting things he needed, especially Stage 2 foods. I got him nine different fruits and nine different vegetables to try and I am so excited to see his face when he tries things like Banana & Orange Medley (even though I hate the word “medley”). So, that was the excitement that was my Friday! My parents had a much better Friday as they went to see the Tigers beat the Cardinals, 10-6. I got my Dad tickets for Father’s Day and he was SO excited to go. My Mom said there really was no point in her being there as he talked baseball with a group of guys from St. Louis almost the entire game. They had a great time and I’m so glad they won when my Dad was in the park. He’s suffered through way too many bad Tigers teams over the last 10 years!

On Saturday, I got a great new haircut and then Harmon attended his first wedding. My cousin got married and we traveled 85 miles EACH WAY (the last 5-10 miles being DIRT ROAD) to attend. All I can say is that I wish I had my Saturday back as it was absolutely gorgeous outside – DAMN!

Today, we took Harmon to his first baseball game. Kevin’s St. Louis Cardinals were in town to face my Detroit Tigers so we thought it would be a great first game for him. He could be exposed to both teams and then decide which one he likes later. Of course, my parents cheated a bit by getting him his first Tigers’ hat when they were at Friday night’s game. We got there early; although because of ALLEGED construction on I-94 at Haggerty it wasn’t early enough to get a Placido Polanco bobble head!

We had great seats as we splurged a bit after missing Opening Day this year. Harmon seemed to have fun as he was smiling at everyone in the stadium but I think it was a bit loud for him at times. The Tigers have been so bad for 10 years that we all have to adjust to the noise levels in Comerica Park! We chose a great day to go as it was blue skies all over and the temperature was in the high 70s. We were in the shade, too, which was perfect. The game was great – a pitcher’s duel of 1-1 until the eighth inning. In the bottom of the eighth, the Tigers broke open the game for three runs and ended up winning 4-1 (no, Todd Jones didn’t blow the save). Today’s game completed a three-game sweep of the Cardinals and the Tigers now sit at 51-25, the best record in baseball. But, at this exact moment, only a half game ahead of those damn Chicago White Sox (do they EVER lose?). This whole development is stunning to me considering just three years ago they had to win on the last day of the season to avoid the worst record in the history of baseball.

Anyway, after the game, Harmon was in a much better mood and we were able to get some good photos – even one of the three of us which never happens. Overall, I think he had a good time. And, for future reference, the Tigers do a lot of kids activities on Sundays so, as he gets a little older, it looks like that will be the day to be at the ballpark.

In other news, Kevin and I are taking some vacation time this weekend to extend the Fourth of July holiday. Because of Kevin’s good planning, we’ll both be out of the office for five days. Not sure what we’re going to do yet (money, of course, is always the factor) but there are a ton of house projects on the list. We might even try to check out the new IKEA store in Canton. It opened about three weeks ago so maybe the crowds will have diminished some. Even if we don’t do anything, it will be fun just to hang out together. We haven’t done that for more than a few days since Harmon was just a few weeks old. Ah, the good old days!

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!