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.