Fun times at Campus View today...

Cute pictures of North playing with Elizabeth. So fun.

C O O K I E S ! !

Annual Harsh family Christmas cookie extravaganza! Such a lovely day. North's first year 'participating' (sort of)!

Tower of baked goods!

North supervising!

This year we added home-made doggie biscuits to the line-up!

An assortment from the day!

1. Monster Cookies
2. Hello Dollies
3. Oreo bon-bons
4. M&M Pretzels
5. Fannie May Fudge
6. Mint thins
7. Chocolate covered raisins and peanuts
8. Toffee

North of course can't eat any of these yet. Maybe next year.

This weekend he did try carrots for the first time. He wasn't a fan. at all. We'll try again tomorrow.

Participation in science...

Today North, son of a psychologist, participated in his first psychological study! We got to visit the developmental cognitive neuroscience lab at IU where North watched some videos while his eye movements were tracked. He seemed to have really enjoyed his time in the lab. Afterwards he was given a "certificate of achievement" (so cute!) and a toy (which both he and the dog are big fans of).
After the study he also got to see the rest of the Psychological and Brain Sciences building, which was a home away from home for me for a few years, and got to meet my graduate advisor Ed Hirt.

New toy!

Dog strategy for extracting toy from baby--wait until he falls over then lick him like crazy until Alan and I shoo her away.

Still no sleep....

For those who have asked...nope North still isn't sleeping. He's eating like a champ (this week we tried potatoes in addition to rice cereal which he really seems to love--all smiles and gobbles them up so sweetly) but still no sleeping more than 2 hours in 1 stretch (with the norm being more like 1). Any suggestions? We've tried all we've heard--in his own room, in our room, in a crib next to our bed, co-sleeping, letting him cry, in a dark room, in a light room, with every possible sound effect imaginable going (white noise, mother heartbeat machine, music, etc), swaddled, not swaddled, in a warmer than usual room, in a cooler than usual room, with a fan on, without a fan on, with a humidifier (both warm and cool mist have been given a go), without a humidifier....eesh. Nothing has worked so far. Any other ideas?

Fairly certain he knows exactly how the video monitor works--this is a picture of the display in our room with him staring right into the camera in his crib--he does this often. It's like he's trying to watch us back or at least let us know that he knows he's being watched.

Early Christmas!

The other day Alan and I were strolling around Sam's club searching for a new alarm clock (which is a whole story all by itself) when we happened upon some giant stuffed animals as big (and sturdy thanks to their interior metal supports) as Ender (they hold up to 150 lbs!). They were so fun that we had to pick one up, telling ourselves we would save it as a Christmas gift for North. This of course lasted until we got home and promptly gave it to him.

Both he and Ender are madly in love with their new furry friend.

Ender bonded true doggy style with lots and lots of triceratops butt sniffing.

And yes, our family does seem to have a thing for triceratopses.

Happy 5 months!

Loving his bear from Grandma

Happy 5 months sweet (sleepy in these photos) North.

Saturday at Nana and Grandads

On the Saturday after Halloween we got to spend the day with the Milners. Such a nice day--it was so beautiful out. And North just loves Nana, Grandad, Aunt Angie, Uncle Adam, and cousins Connor and Madi.

Nana wanted to take her annual Christmas photo--she requested everyone wear red and so North got to wear a Christmas outfit that she purchased for him last year.

Also, North started sitting up fully unsupported the Monday before Halloween (he'd been propping himself up on his hands before that for a while). Here he is sitting with Coco.

Grandad arranged for a special ride for Connor (and Adam).

Sweet Madi, gave North a ride on "the gator".

And North tried to give her one too (Alan helped a bit).

Bonding with Uncle Adam

Carving pumpkins (with power tools no less!)

Fun fun!

Trick or Treat

Halloween evening we got lots and lots of trick-or-treaters. So many great costumes!

Amongst our trick-or-treaters were Grandma and Grandpa who stopped by to check out our broken washing machine (which they replaced for us with another hand me down washer!) and Jeremy who hung out with us for the evening.

Alan admiring Jeremy's motorcycle

Carving a pumpkin with grandma--North's first encounter with pumpkin guts!

Haunted Deming

Shortly before Halloween, we visited Deming Park near our house (one of Ender's favorite places) to walk around the decorated park. Such fun!

Bundled up for our stroll!

Checking out one of the skeletons!

Ender making friends--she barked rather vigorously in her efforts to get Ricky D. Bones back in his grave.

Hooray!

Even Indiana went blue!

Halloween at Daycare!

Some photos from North's daycare caregivers on Halloween! So cute!

Playing with sweet baby Gabe (such a cute pumpkin)!