Big night + Thanksgiving

Last night was a big night for little Miss Harper.  It was the first night that she slept in her crib!  I don't know what took us so long to put her in her room.  She's been ready, I just don't think I was ready.  As expected, she did wonderful last night!  We put her down at 8:30 and I didn't have to get up to feed her until 5:15 this morning.  After she ate, I put her back down in her crib and she slept until 8:45!  She was all smiles when I went in to get her.  She didn't want to smile for the camera though.

 I have no idea how she ended up in the bottom left corner of her bed

have I mentioned how much I love to watch her stretch when she's unswaddled?

I have to say, the "swaddle me" wraps are the best.invention.ever!  We didn't start out using them (don't know why) and when we first started using them Harper would get mad, turn red, and try to fight her way out of it.  Now, however, she is very happy when we put her in one- she'll even stop fussing and start smiling.  She really does know that it means bedtime!  We've also started swaddling her for her naps, too, and I have to say that naps are getting much, much better.  While we were in Longview for Thanksgiving, we put Harper down for several naps, sleepy but awake, and she would go to sleep!  Only a couple times did she fuss a little before falling asleep.  Some naps were short, but others were almost 3 hours long!  We hope it wasn't just because we were in Longview (is it just Jason and me, or does being in East Texas make you so much sleepier?  We can't figure out what it is, but it happens every time!).

So Thanksgiving...

We drove to Longview on Wednesday and, get this, Harper slept the whole way!  This was Houston to Longview... a three and a half hour trip!  I could not believe it!!  No crying and no having to stop to breastfeed Harper in the car!

So we get to Longview thinking that Harper would be ready to eat and play after that long nap, right?  Wrong!  She was in a BAD mood.  Poor Bryan and Tori.  The only time they got to see her and she wouldn't stop screaming.  Turns out, Harper needed another nap.  As soon as I swaddled her, she started closing her eyes and took a long nap.  After that, she was in a great mood the rest of the time in Longview, smiling and "talking" up a storm for everyone.

We stayed with Jason's parents on Wednesday and Thursday.  We mainly hung around the house, relaxed, watched football and ate good food (Bodacious, Pizza King, Thanksgiving meal, homemade donuts...).  We also got to meet up with our friends Brandon and Libby that we rarely get to see.

Harper with her Nani and Pa

Then on Friday we went over to my parent's house to stay the next couple of nights.  That evening, my parents grilled burgers from the Butcher Shop and Clay fried up some homemade French fries (YUM!) for all 23 of us.  Yes, 23 (not including Harper).  Harper got to meet the rest of her first cousins, plus second cousins, a great aunt and uncle, her great grandmother, and more.  It was a houseful!  We still put her down at 8:30 that night and she slept through all the LOUD noise (of the 23 people, I think 11 were under 18 years old.  just saying).

Harper met even more of her second cousins and another great-grandmother and her great-grandfather on Saturday.  Everyone wanted to hold her and they really wore her out!  We put her down around 8:30 on Saturday night and she slept until 6:45... and then we actually had to wake her up at 9:15!  She slept in the car all the way from Longview to Livingston, fussed a bit, and then slept all the way home!  She did not want us to hold her yesterday afternoon/evening at all.  She was much happier playing on the floor.  Who could blame her after being held so much.

with her cousins, Big Cayman, Campbell and Little Cayman

with her Great Aunt Debbie and her Great Grandmother, Nannie

with her PaPaw

with her Great Grandmother, Grandmama

with her Uncle Kevin and Aunt Ashley

Kade, Grammy, Harper, Campbell, Cayman and Madilyn

Harper and her Grammy

Okay, enough for today.