Change is in the air...

Well maybe the economy is starting to turn. That is what I am telling myself anyhow. If the news continues to report that the recession may be over then it will come true. Cuz really life is just about perception, isn't it? Things seem to be changing, some new events are appearing on my calender that I was not anticipating. I think maybe the silver lining is peaking through now....

I am hoping to find (and yes I said HOPE which is a word I swore off a couple months ago) another part time job at Fairview so we can get some more cash coming in. Wish me luck!

Harrison is crawling and I can see him working on walking now. Golly it happens fast! He turned eight months and I took his birthday pics.
But I like the one I took the day before his birthday better
so I think I may cheat and put this one in his scrapbook instead.( Shh don't tell anyone I am such a bad mom)

I have made some progress on my paper that I put on hold with all the new mommy and house stuff we went through. Bu I am plugging away at it again. Whew! I might just complete my master's after all!

We are going to a wedding in two weeks up north and I am SOOO excited. I love weddings! and it will be great to get away for the weekend. We are going to stay to Derek's grandparents and Harrison will get to meet his Great-Grandpa Mertes and see Great-Grandma Mertes again! Plus we will get to spend the weekend with NaNa. Oh it will be a good time.

My friend's husband was involved with the Redbulls that recently died in Iraq. They were the soldiers from MN that were buried at Fort Snelling recently. Those were his men and it happened five feet from him. I am telling you this because Lillie still has her dad which is very good news to share. I hope (there is that word again) he comes home safely to his family. I know they want another one as soon as he comes home!!

Auriana came over to play with Harrison. They were so cute!! They crawled around and played with each other. They even sat and laughed at each other for a while. SO FREAKIN CUTE!!
We have a busy fall coming up! September is Derek's 30th birthday and Jeremy and Beth's wedding. October is our four year anniversary and Harrison's 1st Halloween. November is our 10 year dating anniversary and Harrison's 1st birthday! PARTY PARTY!!

Okay! Thanks for checking in everyone! Hope your lives are going well! and maybe, just maybe, those of us that have been struggling will see a turn around soon!

(p.s. I still feel like I have little holes in my brain that information falls through. Eight months after having Harrison my mind still hasn't recovered even though my body is in tip top shape!! )

Love,

Mama Panda

Those little moments...

There are those little moments in life you try to capture as they happen because you know you want to remember them forever. You may not have a camera ready for that perfect picture but you may find yourself staring intently trying to ingrain the moment into your mind forever. Most of the time this is not possible, or course, as most of the time I try to ingrain something into my brain (get butter at the grocery store, get the butter at the grocery store, get butter at the grocery store!!) I end up falling short. (Damn It!! I forgot the butter!)

So here are a few moments of motherhood I hope I remember into my ripe old age.

1. most importantly I hope my mind never goes so far that I forget the look on Harrison's face right after he was born. I always want to remember those black eyes staring at me so confused when they laid him on my stomach. His furrowed little brow and that look that said, "what the heck just happened?"

2. The rubbery feel of his skin after he was born.

3. looking at Derek holding him for the first time. (don't tell him I told you this but I saw him wipe a tear away from his eye)

4. I hope to remember the joy Harrison has when we lay him down in his crib for bedtime. When he sees the blanket being laid on him he reaches up and grabs it, pulls in up to his chin, and turns onto his side to get all snuggled in. It is so comforting. To me home is where you go to relax and feel safe. When I see him snuggle into his blanket I know that Derek and I provide a safe and loving home. It doesn't get any better as a parent than that.

5. I'll share one more. Harrison is quite the crawler now. He likes to play with the vents. He cut his finger one day so we keep him away from them now. Well, we try to keep him away. Today he was crawling towards the vent and I called out "Harrison!" he stopped, turned, and looked at me. I started to get up to grab him and he saw me coming. He took off crawling the fastest I have ever seen him go! He was trying to get to the vent before I could get to him! I grabbed him just before he could get there. What a stinker! Damn!

He is just like his father.

And his mother.

Shoot.

we. are. so. screwed.

And of course we'd like to remember all the good stuff and none of the bad so here are some of my favorite laughing pics of Harrison...





Hope you enjoy.

Anyone that wants to leave a comment about the moments in life they hope to remember forever, please do. I would greatly enjoy reading them.

Love,

Mama Panda