The Hardin's

Father's Day Photo Shoot

I tried to take a picture of the kids together for Kenn for Father's Day, but as you can see it wasn't exactly a successful photo shoot. Sage kept falling over and Koen couldn't time his smiles with her looking at the camera. Oh well, it may not be perfect but it's a realistic portrait of life in the Hardin home :)

Koen's first professional haircut

Kenn's been cutting Koen's hair at home and I've been taking snips at it when I see stragglers and between the two of us his hair was getting a little shaggy. Well, to be honest - Kenn's haircuts always start out good but then I destroy them by hacking away at pieces I deem to be unruly. So, I decided that if I had actually paid for a haircut I'd be less likely to mess it up by sniping bits and pieces off later. Koen looks a bit nervous in the pictures but he had a great time and did great! He was very motivated by the promise of a sucker if he sat still :)

Koen's first swimming lessons

Koen just finished his first swimming lessons and he did great! He loved being in the inflatable pirate boats, playing with the noodles, going down the slide and playing with the watertoys. He did NOT like floating on his back and having to stop playing with toys to participate in structured activities. Oh well...you win some, you lose some :)

April 2011

I returned to work part time the last two weeks of April and it was both easier and harder then I had thought. I enjoyed getting back to being "me" as an adult/SLP, not just a mom -- getting dressed up and putting on makeup everyday, having adult conversations, solving problems and helping kids... However, I didn't enjoy saying good-bye to Koen and Sage every morning and missing them during the day. Luckily, my in-laws watch my kids so I know they are surrounded by love and lots of attention all day. I don't worry about them being in a big daycare and they are lucky to have a bond with their grandparents that most kids don't. Having in-laws as care providers has been even more important these first few days away from Sage because she wouldn't take a bottle and it was stressful for all involved. Thankfully, she's starting to get the hang of it now and hopefully it'll make days more enjoyable for everyone!

Sage is 3 months now and is sleeping 5-6 hours, smiling and cooing more and starting to interact with her toys. She loves being in her bouncer watching the animals and waterfall move and is beginning to tolerate tummy time for longer periods. She hasn't lost any of her hair and it's beginning to show a copper/auburn tint. I'd love to have a little redhead as long as she doesn't have the temper that typically accompanies it :)

Koen's favorite things right now are construction vehicles and Sage. He is a wonderful big brother and likes to tell everyone, "I a good helper for mommy and grandma". We've been going to music and movement at the library while I was on maternity leave and will continue that in the summer because he really enjoys it. We're also going to start swimming lessons soon so we can be ready when Papa (my dad) opens his pool in June.

March 2011

March has been a fun but exhausting month and I'm really enjoying being able to stay home on maternity leave. Learning how to be a mother to a newborn again has been surprisingly painless and Koen has been a great help. He hasn't shown any signs of jealously yet and I'm loving being able to spend more time with him. He's such a sweet, funny boy and is growing up way to quickly!

Sage is proving to be a bit more spirited than Koen was at this age. She has very particular preferences for how she likes to be held and is quick to let you know if you're doing it wrong! She was sleeping well at night (3-5 hours) until just recently when she got her first ear infection. She's pretty grumpy right now but we started antibiotics two days ago so hopefully she'll be better soon! Sage is cooing and smiling regularly now and especially enjoys being sang to ("You are my sunshine" is her favorite) and watching Koen act goofy for her benefit.

Koen enjoying his big brother presents (cars)

Nap time

Sage at seven weeks

Sage has arrived!

She's finally here! Monday, Feb 7th at 12:33 Sage Marie Hardin was rudely yanked from her warm, cozy home via c-section and welcomed to her new home with us :) She's tiny at 6 lbs, 11.5 ounces and 18 1/2 inches and has a full head of light brown hair. She's healthy and has all her little bits and pieces in all the right places :) Koen is enjoying all the attention (and candy/presents) that have come to him as the "big brother" and likes to take his turn "holding" and kissing Sage. We're enjoying settling into our new family of four and look forward to watching her grow!