Much overdue pictures from my sister's bridal shower

Margaret and Catherine (and cake I made)

two of my three sisters (plus one of my Mom's friend's granddaughters:) (wish you could have been there Lisa Marie!!)

my cousin's sweet girlfriend, Sarah, held and entertained John Harrison so I could play hostess

group shot

Labor Day Photos

Exhausted after a long day

Enjoying Great Grammy's visit

John Harrison with Grandad (this is one of my favorite pictures!!)

(this pic was taken a week or so before Labor Day--first time in Grandpa and Grammy's pool)

Dad swinging John Harrison---a sure fire way to get a smile (except when John Harrison is very very tired and then it's a sure fire way to induce crying)

"I keep Aunt Lisa very busy when I visit her; she doesn't seem to mind, though."

Hanging out on Dad's shoulders----John Harrison loves being "taller" than everyone else

High Tech Baby!

John Harrison is creeping/crawling. He mainly crawls when he has strong motivation to do so....such as when a laptop is on the floor. I think he is intrigued by computers because he sees David and me on our laptops so much working on our businesses. There must be something special about those dark electronic contraptions. John Harrison will crawl over to the computer and start "typing" on the keyboard (he has figured out that hitting the keys makes noise). He gets very upset when I move the computer or take it away from him. Proof that we are born with a heart and mind set on "me me me--all that matters is what I want" (i.e. a sinful nature deeply imbedded in our core). On a happier note, John Harrison continues to sleep well at night....if he misses a nap during the day, has a long day, or goes to bed late, he often sleeps 11-12 hours straight. Most nights, he gets up once between 2 and 5 am to eat and then sleeps till 7:15 or 7:45 am. I have found that I can deal with a lot (frequent fussiness) during the day when John Harrison is sleeping well at night:).

Six Months Old

Two teeth!

Going for a ride around the neighborhood

Hanging out in the swing

John Harrison has had a busy three day weekend! I don't know who is more exhauted---John Harrison or me :). John Harrison's Great Grammy came into town to visit this weekend so there was no lack of attention :). Tonight, we (David, myself, John Harrison, David's parents, brother, and Grammy, my parents, my Granamama, and my brother and his wife) had a big meal at David's parents' house.

John Harrison had his six month old birthday yesterday. I took these pictures over the past few weeks (lots of more pictures to come soon!!). John Harrison is sleeping really well at night and either sleeping 11-12 hours straight through the night or only waking up once to eat. I feel like I am slowly regaining my mind and not feeling chronically exhausted. Before I had a baby (especially one with sleep challenges!), I kind of blew it off when people would talk about how your memory totally fades once you have a child. Now, I understand....lack of sleep equates to my brain not getting restorative sleep, which leads to poor memory and diminished mental processes all together! I have had all too many times when I will just completely blank out and forget simple tasks or things that would be otherwise easy to remember---for instance, just a few weeks ago, I made my favorite blueberry muffin recipe. I put the muffins into the oven and then it hit me---I forgot to add the baking powder. By that point, it was too late and the muffins turned out as dense, gummy blobs. I was so disappointed....I had made that exact recipe SO many times. Although it may sounds like an easy mistake to make, or one that is coincidental and could happen to anyone, know that that example is just one of many times over the past six months that I felt like I am losing my mind. Another example---David really made an impression on me when we were dating about the importance of remembering people's names and things about other people. I really try hard to remember people's names---since having a baby and experiencing chronic sleep deprivation, when I meet people, I had better write down their name in order to remember and learn it. I have had several times over tha past few months that I will meet someone and pay close attention to their name and even say their name when I introduce myself to reinforce their name in my mind, "Hi, Jane...I'm Catherine" ---- only to find seconds later that I am unable to recall the name. So far, I haven't forgotten my husband's, son's, or dog's name :). Well, I'd better go get some sleep so that doesn't happen. Happy Labor Day!