A month of vacations

Here are Harper and I in Chicago for our monthly photos. Harper is 2 1/2 (36 months old) and I am 32 weeks pregnant. We were on our way to the zoo. If you want to compare this belly with my 32 week belly with Harper click here. I'm pretty sure I'm about the same size but it's a tough comparison because of the wool sweater in the December photo carrying Harper. Maybe a little bigger this time around.
We decided July would be the perfect month to take all of our vacations. Will, Harper and I took a trip to an island near Portland with our friends from Lebanon. We had nice weather and everyone on the island travels by golf cart which may have been Harper's favorite part of all. No car seat and she didn't have to sit in the back, a 2-year-old's dream come true. On our way to Portland we made time to stop at the Adams' so Harper,Theo & Ana (and their parents) could have a little visit. It was much to short but better than no visit at all.
We were back from Maine for a day and my dad, Harper and I headed to Chicago for our yearly visit. This year we decided to drive overnight. It was a challenge for all of us but definitely the best choice for Harper. It's a 15+ hour drive and could have taken 3 days if we tried to do it while Harper was awake. So, once we got to Chicago it took a little while to catch up on sleep but we were up and running the first day. In Lockport Harper had a wonderful visit with Abi. They were super cute playmates this year and Abi was a sweet mother duck. Harper also enjoyed Aunt Sandy and "Grandpa Jim". They have great toys at Aunt Sandy's house and Grandpa Jim helped Harper search for the bunny family that seems to live in the yard. Then we went to Aunt Sharon's house and filled our days with trips to Navy Pier, the American Girl doll store, Lincoln Park Zoo, The Museum of Science and Industry, our annual family picnic and a trip to the beach in Michigan. Harper and Owen had a great time together and she also really enjoyed the "big" girls, Ailee, Alyssa, Sydney, Amber & Hailey, as well as her older cousin Cassidy. Harper took quickly to everyone despite not seeing them since last year. She had a wonderful time but missed her daddy very much.
In other news before our vacations my dad came over and painted Harper's room. Only a year after moving into our house Harper finally has a big girl bed and some exciting paint on the wall. She even helped which was great fun for her. Will finished the trim while we were in Chicago and now all we have to do is hang a few things and decide exactly where we want her furniture to go. Will did some other home improvement projects while we were gone. Lots of big steps to get us ready for the arrival of baby r #2.
For those of you who still haven't guessed Leah set up a baby pool for baby r's gender and arrival date etc. You can join the fun here: http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyRancourt2
Below are some of my favorite pictures from the month and you can see the rest of July's pictures here!


Harper paints her room!




The finished colors. Good work Harper.



Our little family of three in Maine.



Harper at Navy Pier



Feeling close to home with a little cow visit at the Museum of Science and Industry




Owen and Harper in October 2008 (10 & 8 months old) at Lincoln Park Zoo and again in 2010 (2 years)

Bring on the beach!

June arrived with a fury of warm weather. We started this beautiful month out with a trip to Cape Cod with the McClellands. We went with the pretense of being "babysitters" while the adults of the family went to a wedding but we ended up having a beautiful weekend away in a gorgeous house with lots of fabulous company. We'll be their "babysitters" anytime. Harper, Alex and Kyler enjoyed a trip to the beach and with some help from Pop-pop (A&K's grandpa) they worked on a sandcastle. We ended the month with a trip to Maine to visit Nancy & David in their new house. We had more lovely weather and got to take another visit to the ocean. Neither of these visits involved any laying in the sand for me (with a hole dug for my rapidly growing belly) but we are looking forward to a few more beach trips in July.
June also brought the celebrations of my birthday and father's day. Harper has developed a real love for birthdays and it's a love that goes even deeper than cake. For days she was saying "Happy Birthday Mommy" and now we regularly play a game where we sing happy birthday to any member of our family, two and four legged or to an object or body part of Harper's desire. Than we blow out the candles. She really enjoys it. She and Will also made me pancakes on my birthday which was very exciting. She loves to help and that was great fun for her. Father's day wasn't quite as exciting...although she did make her first greeting cards which was a fun project.
In super big news this month Harper is now potty trained. This was a task that I had been dreading and avoiding. I thought for sure it meant we wouldn't be able to leave the house for months. Perhaps due to my delay after Harper showed all the signs of being ready the potty training took about two days. Not to mention that she is already dry most mornings and more than willing to wipe and wash her hands every time. We are thrilled. Now the only trouble we run into is the occasionally filthy public restroom but since it's summer we're having a lot more bath's which helps me feel better about it. Now if I could just find underpants that don't need a safety pin to hold them up.
Today we took Harper to the doctor with us. She was a little restless but soooo excited to "see" the baby although we kept correcting her that we were going to "hear" the baby's heartbeat. She did enjoy the visit although I don't think hearing a heartbeat made much sense to her. So she kissed my belly and she and daddy went for a walk.
We are excited that our indoor activities have moved outdoors. Harper loves to "garden" (something she learned from Papa, not us) and loves watering plants and digging. We have a big event every weekend from now until the last weekend in August so we are keeping busy and enjoying every minute of the summer. Here are a few of our favorite photos from June.

Best friends at the beach

Harper at the Montshire Museum water park

Side by side comparison: 28 weeks with Harper and 28 weeks with Baby R #2
I can't believe I was wearing heels in the first photo. That's different for sure.

Just another beautiful day in May!

May was a busy and beautiful month. We had gorgeous weather which prompted us to set up the sand box, slide and baby pool in the yard. We also bought adirondack chairs for the yard and had a family project of painting them. It was quite fun. I would have tried for a picture but surely would have ended up with paint on my lens.

We have already enjoyed several bbq's to mark the start of the summer season.

Harper has had another word boom. She's got what feels like a ton more words and she's using them in sentences beautifully. It's become very rare that she has difficulty getting her point across. She's also becoming more comfortable sharing her words in public. Her 2's are creeping out a little more as she demands to do things herself and has a strong preference to strawberries with the top on or off...it varies by day.

Other than these minor speed bumps we are loving this age with Harper. She is so fun, energetic and interested in everything. My parents got me planters for our front steps for my birthday and Harper helped us put all the plants in. She is a terrific helper. Have I mentioned that Harper is the proud owner of a tricycle? She loves it, especially her helmet and the bell. When my dad watches her it's their main form of transportation as it came complete with a push bar for him. I'll try to get a picture for next month.

As for baby #2 he or she is coming right along. I am enjoying lots of little kicks and nudges throughout the day. Definitely my favorite part of being pregnant. Harper has even gotten to feel the baby move. She loves to kiss my belly and say hi to the baby. Luckily a few of our friends recently had babies so I think that makes it a little easier to understand.

Harper's friend Jackson recently welcomed a brand new baby sister, Emerson, to their exclusive little group. We worked hard this month to get a picture of them all together and looking happy. Enjoy that picture below as well as a few of our other favorites from this month:

Harper, Stella, Sara (Stella's Mom), Emerson & Jackson

Hot outfit while hanging with our dog friend Basco

Baby R #2 at 23 Weeks.

April showers and an awful lot of sunshine

As is often the case during these pre-summer months we found ourselves relishing in delicious 70 and even 80 degree weather. Breaking out the tanks and skirts only to be horrified by rain and cold the following day that necessitates turning on the heat. Needless to say April was filled with glorious indoor and outdoor excursions.
We have already launched back into daily walks to any of the three parks near our house. Bella has been especially appreciative of this as winter walks are not nearly as long or enjoyable for any of us. (Bella is a Mississippi dog by blood and doesn't like the cold.) Papa and I took Harper on a very exciting trip to the Boston Children's Museum to see the Curious George exhibit. She loved it...and the whole museum for that matter. It was a very fun and very long day.
On the days we could explore outside Harper has taken to picking dandelions (my personal game to encourage weeding) throwing pine cones, plowing dirt with her matchbox tractor plow and chasing Bella and Blue around the yard. On they days that were not as nice we busied ourselves with the usual inside activities and one day Harper got to make her very own piggy bank. She painted it all by herself and after a brief bake in the oven it was ready to receive loose change. Bringing home change (mostly found on the floor of my car) has been very exciting for Harper. Save your pennies folks!
Other than that we enjoyed another visit with the Adam's Family. Harper and Theo really enjoy each other's company and Harper is totally in love with Ana. She loves to look at her and try to hold her. We also had a couple visits with Alex and Kyler. If we go more than a couple weeks without seeing them Harper starts asking for them on an hourly basis. Other than that not much is new. We have a new photo of baby #2 to share. This week we are 20 weeks along and baby #2 is the length of a banana and weighs about 10 oz. Harper now says she loves the baby and gives it kisses. She has also gotten to feel a kick. I can't imagine what she makes of it all but she seems pretty excited.
Here are some of our favorite photos from the past month and a video.

Loving George

Chasing pigeons after the museum

Learning to garden with Papa

Feeding the piggy bank

Baby Rancourt 18 weeks

19 weeks

Our little lady

Look at that little girl all dressed up for Easter. Where did my tiny baby go? I was recently complaining that with a new baby on the way we had to get Harper to sleep in her own bed till morning rather than coming in with us at 5:30 or 6:30 and sleeping another hour or two. Will kindly reminded me that we should be enjoying that hour of snuggle time as it won't happen forever. And thanks to him I have been. It's not easy but so worth it to appreicate things as they come and enjoy them while they last.
March was a great month. We had a visit with Theo and met baby Ana for the first time. Harper loved her and was very nurturing. I helped her hold her twice but no one else was near to take a photo otherwise I would have shared one. When we got home she named one of her dolls baby Ana. Harper enjoyed several play dates with the McClellands (and by play date I mean Dana watched Harper and I paid her in bunny crackers and strawberries for snack time...she keeps saying she'll collect on babysitting from us but it hasn't happened yet.) Alex and Kyler are always Harper's first guess (hope) when I say "guess where we're going today." It's my goal to have some actual play dates with them this month. She has the best time.
We have been super lucky to have some unseasonably warm weather these last few days. We've been making trips to the park and playing in the yard.
We just celebrated Easter with a day that included a visit from the Easter bunny in the morning and then brunch at Ashley & Jarrod's and more Easter goodies for Harper. Then at Nonie & Papa's we had an easter egg hunt that was a big success. It was so nice out that Harper hunted for eggs in the nude. It was glorious. Here are a couple of my favorite Easter photos & the latest belly shot:

The Easter bunny was very good to Harper

On an egg hunt!

15 week photo of baby #2's growing bump

Oh boy....or girl????

Miss Harper is 25 months old and a perfectly fabulous 2 year old. We feel very lucky that she will often share with us a bite of snack or offer us to play with her favorite doll however she very often says "mines" even if the thing she is referring to is the necklace I'm wearing or the food on my plate. She also loves to help with everything. And we've learned that the more we let her help the happier she is and the less tantrums she has. So far so good with the 2's.
My dad was away in Thailand for 3 weeks and since he's returned he's noticed how she seems much more grown up and how many more words she has and how much better her sentences and speech are. It's funny how you don't notice changes as much when they are happening right before your eyes. Harper now counts to 16 and can count actual things which is pretty cool. She also has her colors down and knows what pretty much any animal you can think of says. She and Will often play the animal game where he says an animal or makes an animal sound and she gives the noise or animal depending. They even do turtle which is a funny turtle face. I'll try to get a picture of it for next time.
February (and now half of March) has been great. We are seeing the snow melt before our eyes and the sun is shining again. It definitely feels like spring which was just what the doctor ordered. We got the slide set back up in the yard and Bella has been getting a lot more walks. We've even been able to go to the playground which was surprisingly not terribly muddy. Yet.
In other big news this month, Will and I are very excited to announce that Harper is going to be a big sister. We are due with baby rancourt #2 around September 28th. We are now 12 weeks along. Below is a photo of me at 10 weeks and then Baby R #2's first official photo, taken today.

10 weeks and counting.

We are so excited about this new little person who will be joining our family!

Happy 2nd Birthday Harper!

January was a month filled with birthday celebrations. The birthday fun started with a trip to Maine to help Theo celebrate his 2nd birthday. He and Harper had a great visit. Theo took Harper to his music class and he let her help him open a few birthday presents.
Our next taste of birthday came when we realized that there are four kids (including Harper) in our playgroup that have January/February birthdays.
Birthday became a big topic of discussion for Harper. My dad told her so much about birthday and cake and blowing out candles that she had a little tantrum because birthday wasn't coming soon enough. We practiced blowing out candles with my parent's dining room table candles and when asked Harper will tell you she's "2" and hold up anywhere from one to four fingers. Hey, it's a start.
Lucky Harper had a wonderful family birthday party in Brattleboro and another mini party with her friends in Lebanon. For her party in Lebanon we asked for donations to David's House instead of gifts. Everyone was extremely generous and we raised over $100. We are very excited to drop off the donation.
Birthday week was so big that we think it gave Harper a great big cold that she's still working to get over. We also had Harper's 2-year well baby visit. She is still tiny but growing well and very healthy.
Harper's words are still multiplying. She surprised us the other day by saying "mommy bless you" when I sneezed. Our appreciation of the words was evident so she continued to go through her laundry list "bless you daddy, bless you bella, bless you bleu, bless you nonie, bless you papa, bless you mimi..."
She is putting together sentences now and has a memory like a hawk. Will and I keep asking eachother "did you teach her that" when she says or remembers something that surprises us.
One of her favorite things to do when we have to run an errand is go to the "fish store" which is a pet store that we visit often and try to buy our pet food from to make up for the visits. They have an amazing fish area in the basement, a bird section and one day a week they have puppies. I took Harper yesterday and she was a little confused that the puppies weren't in their usual location. Will has taken her to see the puppies a couple times before and the first time they were watching the puppies play when all of a sudden Harper walked away from the puppies to the corner of the store where there was a small step stool. She picked it up and carried it back over to the cages and climbed up so she could have a better look. Luckily the dog breeders who bring the puppies thought she was great because we were there the following week and she did the same thing again. It was hilarious.
In other big news Harper has gone poop on the potty a few times. She is really proud when she does it but is far from telling me she has to go and sitting down on her own. One of these days.
February has been a snowless month so far and it makes spring feel closer despite the cold temperatures. We're definitely looking forward to getting back outside although we didn't get as much use out of our snow shoes as we would have liked. Maybe next year.

Harper and Theo relaxing with some George

Birthday glorious birthday

Her actual birthday morning, a new doll and a bed for her & Lulu

More birthday!!!