If Celebrities Were Like Us…..

As we shared with many of you, ever since Harper’s birth 17 months ago, we have become the proud recipients of US Weekly magazine.   We don’t know how or why we get it or who pays for it, but every Friday, it arrives in our mailbox.

Now, my guess is that most of you know what US Weekly is because you sneak peaks at the headlines in the checkout lines at the grocery store (admit it, you do).  But, if you grow all your own food and don’t shop at grocery stores, I will enlighten you:  US Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine.  It’s terrible.  I feel like I lose brain cells every time I look at it.  And, much like a vegetarian has a hard time resisting bacon, I cannot keep from looking though it every week.  Every week.  I’m addicted. 

One of the sections of the magazine that I find most hilarious is the section titled “Stars, They’re Just Like Us”.  It features photos taken by paparazzi of important celebrities doing “ordinary” things.  Apparently “ordinary” consists of things like, you know, buying fancy coffee for a friend (or 10 friends), bagging their own groceries (at gourmet specialty food shops), or reading a book on the beach (in Rio). 

One day a couple of months ago, I started thinking; if celebrities were REALLY like us, what would we see photos of them doing?  Here are a few of the things I thought of that I’d like to see in US Weekly.

·         If celebrities were like us, they would … acquire 90% of their kids’ clothes from hand-me-downs, garage sales, & thrift stores.  Celeb babies Suri Cruise and Harper Beckham would surely turn up their noses.  But, we feel so lucky to have benefactors a year or two ahead of Harper who hand down a lot of nicely used things.  And, what she doesn’t have we find at thrift stores most of the time.  Poor thing, she’ll probably grow up thinking she’s poor.  But, really, until she cares where her clothes come from (which will come all too soon we’re afraid), we think she can wear gently used clothing because she’ll just outgrow it in a month or two anyway. 

·         If celebrities were like us, they would … splurge on lavish date-nights watching tv shows in their sweat pants. We do go out occasionally and line up a babysitter.  But, the easiest and most common date night for Eric and I is when we put the to-do list on pause and watch a tv show in our sweat pants on the couch.  Seriously, it’s just easier.  We do typically have a glass of wine or some type of tasty dessert; does that make it any more Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie-like?   Maybe we should invest in some more glamorous sweat pants (see point # 3).

·         If celebrities were like us, they would … wear worn-out, stretched out, out-dated, and just generally unstylish clothes.  Almost daily, Eric or I make a comment about how long we’ve owned something, how shabby something is looking, or how poorly something fits now-a-days.  And yet, given the choices we have of all there is to do with our weekends, going shopping is very low on our priority list.   The super-rich Kardashian family (not sure why else they’re famous), would be appalled by our choices.  Maybe we could hire one of those celebrity stylists or a personal shoper to take care of that for us?  One can dream, right?

·         If celebrities were like us, they would … make exciting family outings out of the simplest things.  Unlike the Hollywood babes, it really doesn’t take a lot to entertain Harper at age 17 months.  A walk in the park is full of wonder.   A trip to the grocery store is full of new faces to smile and wave at.  A trip to Old Town to get a “treat” is met with squeals of delight.  We know the attractions in our community are great, and I’m sure we’ll frequent them more often as Harper gets older and more interested in them.  But for now, we love the simple wonder she expresses with the smallest of things. 

·         If celebrities were like us …  they would love and treasure the memories they make as a family, like:

o   Hiking (Sherpa-ing Harper) up to gorgeous alpine lakes and rivers so that she can throw rocks in the water

o   Camping in a Yurt we had to snowshoe to on winter Yurt trip with friends

o   Driving back and forth to Kansas a half-dozen times or more to visit family members for occasions both joyous and sorrowful

o   Biking around town with our baby bike trailer pulling not only Harper but diaper bags, jackets, blankets, shopping items, etc. 

o   Singing songs and reading books over and over and over and over… until we know them by heart

o   Visiting friends in exotic locations like upstate New York and enjoying the beauty and power of Niagara Falls (photo below)

o   Watching Harper be completely enamored with her grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncle. 

If celebrities were like us, they would feel very blessed; VERY BLESSED INDEED. 

Wishing you all a wonderful, joyous, and blessed new year.  Happy 2013.

Love, Haley, Eric and Harper

Enjoying the fountains dowtown with Dad on Father's Day!

Hello summer!  We hope that you all are finding ways to stay cool this year.  It’s been a doosey in Fort Collins – record heat and crazy wildfires.  It’s cramped our style quite a bit.  But, we’re making the most of what we can.  Harper is a great distraction, as the joy we experience with her every day can make us forget about the poor air quality or steamy temperatures.

We thought it would be fun to share with you a glimpse of our life through the ABCs of Harper Anneliese’s favorite things:

A – applesauce – It’s a staple and apparently it goes with EVERYTHING

B – bread – We’ve realized that if we eat bread she notices and wants it too.  There is no other option if it is on the table. 

C – cuddling with her stuffed animals.  She’s becoming very affectionate with them.

D – Donna’s daycare – We are so lucky to have found such wonderful care for Harper.

E – early mornings – We rise around 6:30 and are rip-roarin’ and ready to go every day!

F – fountains and splash parks – We are lucky that Fort Collins offers a couple of different options.  Harper loves watching all the kids and splashing in the water herself.  

G – Grandparents – Gramie, Gramps, Granny B and GrandBob are the best!

H – hugs – Harper has started giving big bear hugs when she pulls up to standing next to us.  We love them sooooooooo much!

I – itty bitty cousin Norah -  Harper’s newest cousin Norah joined us in May.  We think they’ll be great friends.

J – Jo the monkey – Jo is 32 years old and shedding fake fur everywhere.  But, he has plastic hands and a banana that Harper loves playing with.

K –Kisses on her toes – Harper has to put up with a lot of kisses.  Lately she’s wanted them on her toes, but they are good anywhere right now.

L – laps around City Park in her stroller – We go round and round the park every day seeing all the people walking, running, biking, playing Frisbee, slack-lining and more.

M – Mommy and Daddy – We’ll take being on her favorite list for as long as we can.

N – new adventures around town in her bike trailer – We were so excited to try out a bike trailer, and despite a rough initial ride, Harper has learned to love riding along behind us.  Most of the time she sings or talks on her “cell phone”.

O – ornery cousin Gavin -  Harper and Gavin share a special bond despite the distance.  It’s evident to all who see them interact that they really love each other.

P – playdates with friends – We have a great network of other young families, and it’s so great to get together and watch our babies grow into toddlers.

Q – quiet time nursing with Mom – Gone are the days of 30 minute feeding sessions every 2 or 3 hours.  Harper eats a lot of big girl food these days, although she still breastfeeds a couple times throughout the day.  It’s amazing bonding that will be difficult to give up. 

R – reading books – She will be entertained for a long time looking at her books and “reading” to herself.  It’s so fun to see her do that independently.

S – Skype dates with family -  What would we do without Skype?  It keeps us in contact and allows us all to have some face time – so important!

T – Tia (Aunt) Shayna and Tio (Uncle) Luke – Harper definitely feels the love and gets a little spoiled from her only aunt and uncle.

U – “up” – Harper is starting to communicate more and more now, and she definitely can tell us when she wants “up” so she can check out the world around her.

V – vrrooom, vrroooming around on her CareBear scooter – This is a new trick – scooting around the living room forward and backward.  She’s so proud!

W – Wednesdays at home with Mommy or Daddy -  I (Haley) am usually off on Wednesdays and at home with Harper, but Eric has had some ½ days with her this summer – so fun!

X – X-Kansas and X-Colorado road trips to visit family – Ok, they may not be her  favorite thing, but she enjoys the experience once she’s there.

Y – yellow rubber ducky and playing in the tub – I think bath time could last for hours if we let it.  She loves the water.

Z – ziplock plastic containers, wooden spoons, and other kitchen toys – Isn’t it funny how the simplest toys are so great!  Harper loves cooking on the kitchen floor while Mommy or Daddy is preparing a meal.

8 months old!

Harper's Tricks - 1st Quarter of 2012 Updating a blog daily or weekly is impossible; monthly is lofty; and quarterly more realistic for me. I thought I'd send a quick update of what we're up to these days (or rather, what Harper is up to; we're really just along for ride) At the ripe old age of 8 months, Harper is changing every single day. Some days when I pick her up from daycare she just looks different. Is it possible to grow so much in one day? Apparently it is, and we continually discover together new tricks and have new experiences. Some of her recent adventures in the last three months include:

• Sitting (old news - she mastered that back in January)
• Eating solids. We started with butternut squash and have progressed to almost every vegetable imaginable in a mashed, pureed form. Everything we've tried has been promptly gobbled up. She especially loves applesauce and avocado. Meal times are much less quiet now, as Harper likes to entertain us during dinner by dropping things on the floor, squishing her food in her fingers, and using her cup. We love watching her try to eat finger foods. So far this is only mildly successful. Disolvable puffs are really the only thing she's been able to get from finger to mouth and keep in there.
• Swimming lessons. In February we signed up for the "Guppy" swim class. Harper wore a very fashionable navy blue two piece because her torso is so long. She entertained us by splashing and shrieking the entire class. Her report card said "she brought a lot of energy to class". To say the least...
• Actually playing with toys. She likes banging, shaking, crinkling toys, cuddling with softies, and of course, tasting everything.
• Dance parties with Mom and Dad. One of our favorite evening games is having a dance party to bad 90s music. Harper particularly enjoys hip-hop songs by MC Hammer, Salt-n-Peppa, and others. Maybe she likes them because Eric and I have so much fun revisiting our middle and high school dance years. Some call me "MC Haley"....
• Our first snowshoe hike and Yurt trip. Thanks to the encouragement of some very gracious and patient friends, we decided to take Harper on a Yurt trip a few weeks ago. The snow was terrible, but it was warm and sunny. We had grand adventures pulling sleds with all of our gear to the yurt, which was 1/2 mile off the road. We spent two days and nights snowshoeing, playing games, and entertaining Miss Harper in the 1-room yurt. It was a lot of fun, and we were proud of doing it with Harper.
• Clapping, sometimes waving, peek-a-boo, and other fun games. It's so funny to see what you will do as a parent to encourage your child to clap, wave, or laugh.
• Harper's voice. she's full of "ga-gas" "he, he, he" grunts, and other fun sounds. It's so interesting to hear her voice develop and to hear her tell us stories about her day.

We are so truly blessed, and we hope you feel you are blessed too.
Love,
Haley, Eric and Harper

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

2011 in review

Big Events & Milestones:
• Expectant status – Upon our announcement in early January that we were expecting our first child in July, we quickly found ourselves wrapped up in the “expecting game”. The out-pouring of support and encouragement from family and friends was reassuring to both Eric and I, as we wondered how a new human was going to fit into our lives. Throughout the course of our pregnancy, we inherited loads of advice (most of it solicited and helpful) and boxes full of baby gear (thanks to generous friends who already embarked on parenthood – it definitely paid for us to wait). The tasks felt overwhelming, but we paced ourselves, took things as they came, and found ourselves “ready” for Speedbump by the due date. And then we got to wait, and wait, and wait….
• Eric brings home the bacon again - 2012 marked Eric’s completion of his master’s degree in structural engineering. He finished in February with a scintillating presentation about buildings connected by sky-bridges and how wind impacts their movement (see, I did pay attention Eric!). He resumed work at KL& A in March, the engineering firm he worked for prior to graduate school. He enjoys his job and appreciates the company.
• New family member – Oh, have you heard about that one yet? Harper Anneliese Richards joined us at 7:11am on Tuesday, July 19. To say she’s been the highlight of our year is an understatement.
• Let the juggling act begin as modern working parents – After Harper’s birth, Eric returned to work the next week. I was fortunate to be able to take 3 months of maternity leave, and then I returned to my work on a partial appointment (75%). When I returned to work in October, we found ourselves having to juggle a bit more than we were used to. Not only do we now work, walk the dog, make dinner, and clean up in the evenings, we also get to care for Harper’s needs AND try to go to bed early (since sleep is more precious than ever). The transition to work went more smoothly than expected, and while we definitely feel busier than we were “P-H” (pre-Harper), we are managing quite well. Our daycare provider is fantastic, which makes leaving Harper much easier. We leave each morning (in our cars – booo!) armed with diapers, bottles, lunches, my beloved breast pump, and enough snacks to feed a school bus full of hungry children.

Travel & Stay-cations:
• San Diego – BabyMoon – To celebrate Eric’s completion of his master’s degree and prior to him starting work and not having any time off, Eric and I flew to San Diego in February for a week of chill-axing. We got to stay in my cousin Chase’s hotel, which was way fancier than our typical travel fare. Getting away to a new place with warm sunshine and lots of fun things to explore was a great way to celebrate Eric’s accomplishment and make some special memories before adding to our family.
• Haley’s trip to New York – For spring break, I flew to upstate New York to visit friends. In addition to quality friend time, I also learned a ton about the Amish, which was fascinating.
• Kansas – Of course we made a few trips to Kansas to see our families. In May, we attended McPherson’s All School’s Day Parade (in cold weather) and played as much as we could with our nephew, Gavin. Eric’s family also threw us a baby shower in Wakeeney. After Harper was born, we ventured back to Kansas in September, where we had a series of “meet Harper” parties. I got to stay a full week, and it was so nice to have more time to visit friends. We rounded out our year by traveling to Kansas for “Harper’s Holiday Tour”. It was so much fun to see Harper and Gavin interact. They are going to have so much fun as super-special cousins!
• Summer in Fort Collins – Typically, we travel a lot in the summer. Whether we have scheduled trips out of state / country or planned camping / hiking trips in the mountains, our summers are usually pretty full. At 30+ weeks pregnant and with a teeny-weeney baby this summer, our summer consisted of “stay-cationing” in Fort Collins. Instead of traveling, we hung out in Old Town, attended festivals, checked out the farmer’s markets, and did some light hiking in the foothills. It was nice, although we are already antsy to take Harper camping in 2012.
• Family visits – For some reason, we found ourselves with a lot of company this year. Both sets of parents and my sister and her family were able to visit in the week after Harper’s birth. We have hosted both of our parents multiple times throughout the year as well as my group of high school friends.

Daily Life:
• Tanner’s adjustment – It hasn’t been all puppies and flowers for our dog, Tanner this year. He has been demoted to “dog” status. He still gets to go on a walk every day, and he still gets cuddle time in the evening before bed. But, he does not quite receive as much of our attention as he did prior to Harper’s arrival. For this, he is quite depressed. For now, things are going well. Tanner ignores Harper and spends his days/evenings on “his” couch in “his” room.
• Help, help, help – I’m not sure how we are so blessed to have so many amazing, generous people in our lives. We seriously could not have survived without you! For the first half of the year, we received so much support, loving advice, and baby supplies. For the second half of the year, we received tons of baby stuff, cards, and meals. Generous friends and co-workers provided us with delicious, home-cooked meals 3 nights a week for 3 months. From friends and family afar, we received so much love and encouragement. The out-pouring of all of your generosity was truly humbling.
• Reprioritizing – One of the many lessons we’ve learned this year is that everything takes longer with an infant in the house. Accomplishing everyday tasks (let alone ones on our “to-do” list) require a great amount of planning and strategy. Sometimes we find ourselves playing “pass the baby” to make sure we are feeding ourselves and keeping our house as clean as minimally possible. Yet, having Harper around has prompted us to be spontaneous. I remember one Sunday in September when we spent an hour just laying on a blanket in the shade of our backyard. We never would have done that “P-H”. What a lovely gift! Our priorities have changed, and we’ve found that while we do still have to get stuff done, we do also make time to just “play” in very simple ways.
• The world’s most boring people – Ask us if we’ve seen any good movies lately or been to any good concerts. Nope - not since July. Any epic outdoor adventures this year? Well, we did do a couple of Yurt Trips in March, but other than that – not really. The question “what’s new in your life?” is guaranteed to prompt a response involving Harper and her latest trick. Eric and I joke that we have become the world’s most boring people, and that’s ok for now. We feel truly blessed by the opportunity to create a life and humbled by the responsibility of raising another human on the planet. I know most of you would agree that becoming a parent is not “boring” at all – it’s just a very different world from the one we lived in one year ago.

If you made it to the end of this – congratulations! We’ve had an amazingly blessed 2011, and we hope you had a terrific year as well. Sending our most sincere wishes of love as we start 2012.
Love,
Haley, Eric, and Harper Richards