BP's Ladies

So the best thing about this picture is that it isn't actually posed. Cameras these days can spit out a good-looking snapshot to anyone with opposable thumbs, but a photographer can capture a spontateous moment and make it look like it was styled to a T.

This picture is a split-second in a series of a few thousand we spent on our friends Jason and Colleen (and Sasha!)'s couch in Atlanta this past weekend. So while it looks like it was composed just so, what really happened here is that these two lovely ladies were having a wonderful moment in time and we were lucky enough to have a person around who knows how to notice those and reach out and grab them.

That person, incidentally, does this kind of thing for a living. You got creative needs? Go meet him. If you don't, go meet him anyway; he's a friend of ours and he takes a mean bug photo.

Don't tell anyone...

But I totally run this place.

Harper Mae 

Happy Birthday, Mama!

We decided to skip sitting upright, controlling hand and leg movements and speaking to go right into the handwritten note for Mama's birthday. It's probably a little out of order of the skills that most babies learn, but Harper felt strongly about sending Mama a little something special on her birthday, especially since Mama came all the way from Greenville to be here for hers.

Have a great day! We love you.

 

And the Bloggy Goes To....

So this entry is not going to win any awards for best Photo in a Blog, Best Blog Description or Most Interesting Blog Topic (though I think Carm may have a shot at Best Supporting Canine). It's just something to keep the papparazzi at bay until next time.

So:





Waiting for sandwiches at the coffee shop (tuna melt and turkey pesto, fyi)






Sleeping at the dog park.












It was a lovely Sunday here. Hoping the same for you.

Until next time...

 

Stand up!

There is something y'all should know about Harper. She loves to stand. She'll stand on your legs, on the kitchen counter, on top of the washing machine, in her crib, on Carmine, in front of the TV, on the arms of the couch or on a table at a restaurant. She doesn't really care where she stands, just as long as she is doing it. Maybe one day she will stand up for her rights or the rights of others or against racial profiling, but for now she's content just to simply...stand. 

What a Life

So if you look back at the first entry of Harper's blog, there's a quote from a song by a guy named Thad Cockrell. There are a number of things to say about Thad, the most important of which is that he's a friend. The next most important thing is that a few years ago Thad went into a studio and made the best country record I've heard in years. Go buy it.

That song we quoted in our first blog entry isn't available yet, but it's beautiful and wound up meaning a lot to us as we brought Harper into the world . When it finally sees the light of day there's a great story I'd love to tell you about a dedication he made to Harper one night at a little club in Nashville not long after she was born (she wasn't there, by the way--we're not that progressive). It'll put a lump in your throat.

So anyway, Thad came over for dinner this week and spent time with me and Amanda and my mom (who has swooped in like a superhero to take care of Harper). Toward the end of the night, Harper, sensing there was something happening, got herself up, demanding that she be made part of the gathering. So Thad grabbed a guitar and played her that song. And she stared. And listened.

And it was one of those moments that she won't remember except maybe somewhere way deep down where you probably remember the best things anyway. But we'll tell her the story one day of how Thad played her this song on her porch when she was only four months old and she'll think it's pretty neat. For her folks it was downright moving. So thanks, Thad.

It's moments like that, as they say.

 

Tomato, Tomahto

No matter which way you slice it, Harper's experience at the East Nashville Tomato festival was a fantastic one. We saw some great tomato art and had some disgusting tomato basil popsicles. Harper smiled at lots of colorful folks and Buster and I just enjoyed hanging out with our own little cherry tomato, Harper. 

Hmmm, has anyone seen my Nana?

This one is going out to Nana for all of her wonderful help this week.
Nana, we cannot thank you enough for everything you did to make my first week back at work as smooth as possible. You really seem to have this running a household thing down pat. Almost like you've done it before....
Harper misses you. 

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho

I never doubted it. I've seen her strength and determination. I've seen her struggle with challenges before and she has always overcome them with poise. Like learning how to say pamphlet the right way and how to conduct herself in modern society with those mostly-opposable thumbs....she's a survivor.

So she's back and of course everyone at CMT is glad to have her. And when the day's over, so is Harper and so am I, like always. She hasn't said so, but I think it's probably kinda nice to be reminded that there are other people who are glad to have her in their lives. And, not to take anything away from Harper, it's probably a little refreshing that those people speak English and don't poop in their pants as often.

So, hooray for Amanda at work. Hooray for Amanda when she's home. Hooray for having two parallel lives where people value who she is and what she does. Which is a lot.

And hooray for me too, just cuz (but if you need a reason, how about because of that shrimp dish I made Sunday? It was pretty great.) All is well and the Phillipseses are coming through with flying colors.

And now, some pictures of Harper.

Composure

The ability to maintain composure during difficult times is something I hope to one day teach Harper. Today, however, will not be the day we begin that particular lesson.

Today is the last day of my truly marvelous maternity leave. So, after 9+ months of pregnancy and 14 weeks of constant love and devotion, we must give up our days of playtime and discovery for the real world. From where I sit today, this will be the hardest thing I have ever done. Please send me some strength, Buster some patience and Harper some extra love. 

Happy Saturday from Harper

Politics and Babies: Insert your own joke here

Today is voting day. We wanted to get Harper involved as early as possible in the democratic process so we sat her down and explained the realities of the political landscape in America. We told her that almost all of her options will be disappointing but that it was worth being hopeful. We told her the system was flawed but that it was the best one going. We told her that she could do anything she wanted and that she has the potential to do a better job than anyone that has ever held office. (We also winked and nudged and told her she could probably start today and still do a better job than some.)

She laughed at that and we said, "No, seriously."

Then we sat her upright on the floor and placed a stuffed elephant on her right, a stuffed donkey on her left and then stepped away and let her play with whichever one she wanted....

But then Carmine barreled through the living room, grabbed the elephant and tore it into a million pieces. So there you go.

We are Harper's Parents and we approved this message.

Playing Hard-to-Get with a Monkey

Pretend not to notice Monkey.







Kiss Monkey.








Attempt to consume Monkey.








Giggle hilariously.