MIA No More

The Pardues are back! Our life has been in major transition over the last 8 months, which I realize barely accounts for our unexplained absence here at Chez Pardue. We are so sorry for all the times you've checked in us, hoping for an update on little Harper, big Norm, or perhaps one of us. We're so sorry to have disappointed you, but fully intend to keep things more up-to-date around here. No promises for daily updates or anything, but maybe just a few times a month. Better, huh?

Here are just a few of the things that have kept us busy in 2010:

• We packed up our condo in DC, which had been our home-sweet-home since we got married in 2002


• We moved to Texas, where Joel got a new job in Gov. Perry's office


• We lived temporarily with Melissa's parents in San Antonio for 3 months while we house-hunted in Austin (Joel stayed in Austin during the week and returned to SA on the weekends)


• We found a great house in a great neighborhood and moved in late April


• We've been keeping busy with our new house, getting plugged in here in Austin, and watching our sweet baby turn into a toddler right before our very eyes


• We've found a great church, some great activities to be involved in, and are enjoying meeting new friends

God has been so faithful in providing for us during many months of job-searching and ultimately leading us to Austin. While it was SO bittersweet for us to leave DC, we are excited to be close to our families and are enjoying a slower pace of life here in Texas.

We will be gradually catching you up on some of the major milestones that you've missed during our blog sabbatical including: our move to Austin; Harper's first birthday; holidays; and lots of fun visits with family and friends. Stay tuned for some of those posts to trickle in. (See the post below for an update on all things Harper these days).

Meanwhile, here is where we call home in Austin:


We've missed the chance to keep you all posted on our life and are looking forward to sharing our new adventures down here in Texas. It's good to be back! :)

Harper at 18 months

We can hardly believe that Harper is halfway to 2! Where did our little baby go? It's been so long since I've posted an update that Harper is practically a different child! So by way of a catch-up, here is what Harper has been up since I last posted forever ago:



Walking
She started walking at 13 and 1/2 months and now she is an old pro. She pulled up and cruised on furniture starting at around 11 months and it took her awhile to work up the nerve to just let go. She teased us with steps a few times and then finally decided to do it for real THE VERY DAY we moved into our new house. Guess all that empty room inspired her. She was literally taking her first steps while the movers were walking around her trying to move in our furniture. Can we say a little inconvenient timing? She runs everywhere now, and we still get the biggest kick out of watching her little legs move so fast.


Sleeping
In August we began our transition to one nap. So far so good. Her awesome sleeping continues into toddlerhood and we are VERY blessed! She goes to bed around 8pm and wakes up at 8 or 8:30am, and her one nap is usually around 1 or 1:30 until 3:30 or 4. She is obsessed with her woobies, Elmo and her Dora doll (which she calls "DoDo"). We still use a binky, but its only allowed at night and nap time. She slept in a sleep sack forever-- we stopped using it in August (and I think she still kinda misses it)!


Eating
Harper is still an excellent eater. She started trying to feed herself around 10+ months and we were done with baby purees a few weeks before her birthday. She eats a wide variety of fruits, veggies, and meat and surprises us by the random things she's willing to try (and likes).

Current favorites= spinach, brussel sprouts (seriously!), blueberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges, fish (tilapia or cod are her favs).

She eats way more gourmet than we do!


Teeth
Harper finally has teeth! A toothless wonder no more. Her first 2 teeth arrived at the same time at 10 months (followed immediately by a 48-hour nursing strike) and a few more teeth showed up at 12 months. She just cut another one last week, for a whopping total of 5 teeth at 18 months. When she lets us, we can feel another one or two trying to break through.


Talking
She is a total Chatty Cathy. Her first real words (besides just Mama and Dadda) arrived around 10 and 1/2 months, and she has been non-stop since. It's hard for us to keep up with the new words she seems to learn everyday, but our current best guess at her vocabulary is 50+ words. She isn't shy and when we're out and about shopping or running errands, she loves to say "Hi" and "Byeeeee" to everyone she comes across in the store.

Funniest word lately= toot (telling me when she toots)

Sweetest word lately= nuggle (when she wants to be hugged or kissed)

Most annoying word lately= milk or Elmo (because she says them constantly)

Word we are working most on= share (for obvious reasons) :)



Other fun facts about Harper at 18 months:

• She wears size 18-month clothes, size 4 shoes, and size 4 diapers.


• She is a TOTAL Daddy's girl. She asks about him all day long, and once he gets home from work, she doesn't let him out of her sight! She snuggles with him all the time. Mommy is apparently chopped liver.


• She is a major hoarder. She riffles around in cabinets and the pantry and carries armfuls of random things around the house. Her favorite place to deposit her stash of stuff is our closet-- we have found all manner of food items, cups, Tupperware, napkins, you name it in our closet.


• Current favorite toys: anything with Elmo or Dora on it, puzzles, crayons and paper, her wooden slide, her playhouse outside, her swing outside, and her sand bucket.


• Favorite books: Goodnight Moon, Hippos Go Berserk, Goodnight Gorilla, and Lily's Potty


• LOVES Norman (or "Nah-Nah" as she calls him). She climbs all over him and makes a kissing noise when she sees him. So sweet!

Meeting Santa

Harper was an angel at her first visit with Santa. I wonder if she'll be just as accommodating when I take her to get her picture with Santa for the next 17 years or so!


We waited in a loooong line at Tysons Corner. Well, I suppose I should clarify that Daddy waited in line for us while Harper and I shopped. :)


At first she was a little uncertain about Santa....


...but she took a moment to check him out. The beard fascinated her (which was real, by the way. He was an awesome Santa!)


And then she was all smiles!

Thankful!

We spent a wonderful week in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday. And not just because I have a Thankgiving-ish birthday (although I'm sure that's part of it). I love how it's really all just about family and food... what could be better than those things combined into one day?! But mainly, it's an opportunity to reflect on God's many blessings. Joel and I have SO much to be thankful for this year: our precious baby girl who we love more than we could have ever imagined, our wonderful families who are such a blessing to us, and most importantly, the truly incredible way that the Lord has provided for us over the past year and met our every need.

One of the highlights of our time in OKC was getting to introduce Harper to her Great-Grandma. Joel's Grandma is such a neat godly woman and we were so grateful that she was able to travel down from Wisconsin to be with us. What an amazing thing to have 4 generations of Petersons together!





Here are some of our highlights from our week with Joel's family:

One thing we love about going back to OKC is hanging out with our friends there. It was so fun to see everybody and spend time with their darling kiddos!


With Sarah and baby Katherine Ringwald. The babies finally got to meet-- they are only about 2 weeks apart and their Grandmas are best buddies! :)


One of my very oldest friends, Jenny Ferguson, and her DARLING little guy Gray. Could he be any more precious?! Harper sure seems to agree. Maybe when they're at OU together someday, she can take him to a date party (a Theta one, of course). :)


A partial Diggity reunion (minus Libby and Whit). Harper was lovin' on little Elle Boatman and wouldn't keep her hands off her head!



Hangin' with Cash Porter... Mr. Cool.

Harper's First Halloween

Harper had a great first Halloween. Since she is our real life Sweet Pea, we thought it was only fitting to her to dress up as Sweet Pea! Even big brother Norman had a costume (and yes it was the same costume he wore last year... poor Norman will probably be a sheriff for the next 10 years). Although it was a little rainy and drizzly here, we managed to hang out with some of her favorite baby friends and do some trick-or-treating. Harper scored some good candy for her Daddy!

Our happy little pea pod.

Aren't they precious?!

Hanging out at our friends' Doug and Rachel's house getting ready to trick-or-treat.

Harper with two of her best baby buddies Katherine Kelly (ladybug) and Sutton Brooks (Raggedy Ann).

... and two of my best buddies, their mommies!

A drizzly trick-or-treat. Mammy gave Harper a little glow wand that she was obsessed with all night.

We met up with the Cates and trick-or-treated with David (pumpkin) and little Elizabeth Grace (Tinkerbell). After about a dozen houses, we were ready to go back inside... and Harper was ready to go to bed!

Fun Fall visit by Mammy and Pops

We got to spend a fun few days with Mammy and Pops in late October while my dad was in town for a business trip and brought my mom along with him. Harper just loves spending time with them playing, laughing, and showing them what a big girl she has become. Who knows what new things she'll be doing by the time we see them again at Christmas. Thanks for coming to visit Mammy and Pops... it was way too short! :(

.... and Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a much-needed date night while Mammy babysat. Oh, how we wish this was a frequent occurrence! :)

Remember Me?

Have y'all forgotten about me? Has it really been August since Mommy and I last posted? WOW! We've been busy playing, traveling, and GROWING around here. Sorry its been so long since we've blogged. I'm blaming it on my Mommy.... after all, I can't type yet.

Scroll down to see what we've been up to lately and how big I've gotten!

Hey, remember me, too?