Little Helper

In the last month or so, Lance has decided that it's fun and cool to do what mommy and daddy (mostly daddy to be honest) do...
So, in his free time in the yard, he does yard work. Basically, he roams around picking up fallen ti leaves and heads straight for the green waste bin where he diligently places them. There is no getting this guy inside until all the leaves are up!
He also loves to sweep. He's been trying to manage with the adult sized broom but we finally found him a mini-version which he tried out this morning. Nice form, Lance!
What should we put him up to next? Maybe sorting laundry!

24 Weeks

It's pretty challenging to explain "baby brother" to a seventeen month old with little to no concept of what a brother is... anyway, we are trying! I'm pretty sure Lance thinks I have a doll in my belly but, on the bright side, has taken to his pink outfitted doll we've named "Baby Brother" and even read him a story this morning.

baby what?

Growing...

Minus Stef, all of the Harmelings are growing at a rapid rate these days...
Lance's growth seems to be mostly in his development (while mine and #2's is a bit more physical) and it is hard to keep up. Stef and I both wish we could slow down time to soak it all up. His memory, comprehension, communication and motor skills are skyrocketing.
and he is talking... a LOT!!! He can sound out all of the animal sounds, name his body parts, answer yes and no questions, say please and sign thank you, exclaim "good!" and "wow!" when he sees or does something he likes, call Moses and Koko by name, name or repeat most one syllable objects names, and generally get his point across most of the time. Being able to communicate has taken the fun and enjoyment of being together to a whole new level. Here's a quick video of dinner time last week...

Little number two is busy kicking, punching, and doing yoga in my belly. We are over the half way marker at 22 weeks and the big question remains... "What will his hair look like?!"

Here are some shots of the growing Harmelings over the last couple of weeks.

Holiday Fun

I realize it's almost a month after the fact, but I'm finally getting around to posting pics from our wonderful Christmas. We were lucky enough to have Nini here for a whole week and spent the time relaxing and celebrating the holidays in Hilo.
Stef and I definitely felt like first time parents (went a little overboard) but couldn't help ourselves. Despite being slightly overwhelmed, Lance loved it and naturally was more excited about Moses and Kohala's gifts than he was his own...

a moment of intense anticipation from all as Daddy unwraps the beef hide bones...

I think we spent so much time relaxing that I forgot to get the camera out for some quality shots of Lance and Nini. Needless to say, Lance had a wonderful time with her and was proudly able to pronounce her name perfectly by the time she left.
I did manage one cute pic from the car ride over to Kona...
It was a perfect end to a fabulous year. Happy 2011 everyone!