what momma writes

Dear Stella, We’re glad you’re here!  It seems like not very long ago we were just getting used to the fact that you were coming.  I want to tell you a little bit about some of my experiences the last 9 months.  It’s tough to be able to identify a place to begin with this so we’ll skip all of the parts that you don’t want to know about and fast forward to March 18 th .  It was a Friday morning and your mom mentioned to me that morning that she thought she might be pregnant.  Of course, I was a little surprised and not completely convinced, but you see, your mom is very in tune with her body.  She wanted to wait to get the test but I convinced her to let me run to the drug store that night.  We were pleasantly informed of your impending arrival about 30 minutes later when that Walgreen’s brand pregnancy test said “pregnant”.  Actually it flashed “pregnant”, or maybe it flashed “this is for real, get ready”.  We were absolutely beside ourselves with excitement.  This was the moment that

dear stella, how in the world has it been a week already? that scares me because that means one week closer to not being home with you. (i know, i shouldn't look at it like that). we are really making progress after some hoops. nothing major, but it's nice to see us working together  and finding out what works for us. right now you are resting on my shoulder as i type. not sure how long this will last, but you seem to want body contact  so i'm holding you close and writing to you. i love your little noises. i know you don't mean to make them, but i love them. i love when you smile, even though right now it's just a reflex. it still warms me. you are quite the heavy breather and ferocious eater. you are a quick eater these days as your latch is improving. i'm also getting the hang of things with your latch, your cues and your feeding times. it seems you prefer sleep to food. (you would make any bottle feeding moma proud haha!) but i don't see any other rou

it seemed like a long search, but that is because i couldn't commit to anything. a girl name came much easier tho. popa and i knew we wanted a family background within the name  and also the meaning was pretty important. we didn't feel right naming you something that translated to wicked or lucifer. we had a list of gal and guy names and it always seemed to end with Stella. my great aunt carried this name (pronounced S'stele in italian) and i loved the fact that her sister (my great grandma) went by Josie. so you and your cousin are the new age Josie and Stel! it is an added bonus that your name means star. what parent doesn't want their child to be a star, even if it's just in their own eyes. you certainly are in ours. your middle name was also a contender for a first name. Kendall is my maternal grandpa's name and we liked it for a boy or a girl. it's a pretty solid name, kid. Kendall was my great grandma Della's maiden name an

hello faithful (or unfaithful....) followers and readers. i'm not completely sure who you are, but i bump into folks who say they read my blog. so this means ATTENTION you! while it's wonderful having a daughter , it's also difficult finding the time to blog these first few weeks. i have so much to say and share and process, but i'm trying to take the advice from,  well... ...everyone... and sleep when she sleeps. i'm tired so mostly it works. with that my posts will be fewer until we get into the swing of things and i finish healing. i WILL say that i am SUPER excited to have some guest bloggers on the docket. so please stay tuned and thank you for your patience. i have an array of stories, lessons, and anything kiddie coming up on the blog. i'm so grateful for the fellow bloggers (and some non bloggers)  who agreed to help me out in this time of transition. i hope everyone had a nice thanksgiving! stay tuned for guesters and stellas story. careyharri, mi

i'm sure it's no surprise what i am most thankful for this  Thanksgiving. Stella Kendall Harrison 11.20.11 7 lbs 10 oz what a ride you took me & poppa on, but  we are so blessed to have you, our little turkey, with us this year. sometimes i look at you and want to burst. thank you for joining us.

this game was actually planned to be at our couple's shower. but people seemed pleased to be mingling and sipping wine so we didn't end up using it. below are some fun facts about john and i when younger. (in no particular order) **sorry parents and some relatives, but you probably should be excluded since you may remember some of these.** i'll post the answers in a few days! good luck! ... 1. After a fight with my sister I decided it would be nice to rip off the head of her favorite barbie doll. 2. Empty yogurt cups (cleaned out of course) were my favorite blocks. 3. Growing up our "night games" were kick the can and cops and robbers. 4. As a baby loved to play with all the pots and pans in the kitchen. 5. A favorite saying around age 7: "I am going try to not get married." 6. Voted best smile as my superlative in high school. 7. In middle school my morning routine before school involved my dad pretending it was cafet

no - we are not having twins  (although they run on john's side...) BUT i'll have you know i started this draft back in april,  but took me a minute to get it together gathering pics. and by a minute i mean i also forgot about it. and then i found it and other posts took precendence. i lose. BUT it was still fun to look back on all these shots and memories  so i am posting anyway. i know bloggie rules say don't post things late,  but i am breaking the rules. whatever. better with 2 means preggie friend who is less than 2 weeks apart EDD! duh, it's my photographer we've done a lot of fun, random, meaningful things together like: dressing up. sewing pj pants. doing service projects. mission trips. doing art projects. putting on pageants in art class. playing soccer. pumpkin carvers. birth junkie talk. and now weekly yoga. and now we are going to have littlans about the same age. mini mel and mini brenda's running around er, a mini turt

just going to chalk up another reason  why mister john is a winner. i ordered tickets to wicked as my birthday present for us. i've seen it a gazillion times, mister john = zero. so no need for a gift. i want my gift to be him seeing it since it's quite the staple show. mister john went ahead and got me a little something and it made me chuckle. share-worthy. 2 items. one large. one small. he saw this shirt and thought of me. all about females being strong peeps in the world  so of course i embraced it. he was thoughtful enough to get a smaller size for post pregs. nice work. maybe i'll push the baby out in this shirt -  who's stopping me?! a nice, constant reminder that i can do it.

i am certainly not to the point of "omg get this baby out of me" or  "this baby needs to come out now" or "im so done with being pregnant" or  "im so uncomfortable i cant be pregnant anymore" the reality is that holy cow- in a few short weeks (or less?) i will be a moma and mister john, a dad. i already consider us parents as the baby is quite viable, but  like a baby in our arms, opening eyes, hopefully 10 fingers and toes (although if you come out missing a pinky i won't love you any less) it's just so surreal to me. when did 9 months pass? or 8 rather, when we found out. but october just breezed by like there was no tomorrow  and november, although not breezing quite as much is STILL breezy enough. i've never felt so ready for something and yet, not ready at all. via what do you mean you will be all ours? forever? and will spend every night with you? and i will have to get to know your feeding cues? and cries and gurgles? i

i feel the need to post again. i know most people follow mel's blog already or at least do now,  but like mel, this is therapeutic for me too. ali's funeral was on wednesday. it was such a site to see the flood of pink. i think it was impossible to not feel her energy. and tho it was the saddest funeral i can remember attending  it was the most uplifting at the same token. it was a good thing there was a group of singers as i think we all took turns crying through songs. i almost delegated the Ave Maria, but was able to get through it by not looking at her family (or anyone for that matter)  as i knew i would lose it. it was, by far the hardest time singing it. check out mel's latest post and see the sea of pink. my mom and i were talking about how perfect the funeral was... ... that doesn't sound right, but it was such a perfect celebration of her life. and tho ali didn't plan it, it seemed to have ali written all over. everything perfectly planned and bright a

someone's got the lead and going to keep it. and her name isn't mister john. caren: 79-37 john: 78-38 NYJ v BUF John - BUF Caren - BUF SEA v DAL John - SEA Caren - DAL CLE v HOU John - HOU Caren - HOU ATL v IND John - ATL Caren - ATL MIA v KC John - MIA Caren - MIA TB v NO John - NO Caren - NO SF v WAS John - SF Caren - SF DEN v OAK John - OAK Caren - OAK CIN v TEN John - TEN Caren - CIN STL v ARI John - STL Caren - STL NYG v NE John - NE Caren - NE GB v SD John - GB Caren - GB BAL v PIT John - PIT Caren - PIT CHI v PHI John - PHI Caren - PHI