Hello baby.

Harp has been my model for my course lately. I've been trying to get a good shot of her to use as my portrait assignment, without much luck.

Here are some pics of her anyway, little ratbag she is.

eta I did originally upload more, but am using a shitty monitor atm and the colour correction was shocking!

Harper. 9 months old.

Happy 9 months baby.

You're so much fun these days. We're always smiling - except for bedtime!

You were such a beautiful girl yesterday, you slept all night for Mummy without making a peep from the moment I put you in there, but you woke up when Daddy got up for work this morning. I only wish you knew how much I appreciate it!

You're absolutely adoring bath time now, you used to hate it. It's so funny to watch you bum shuffle from one end of the bath to the other.

Two little toothy-pegs have almost come through, they're sitting just under your gums. You're chewing on EVERYTHING in sight.

Still eating like a maniac, your poor big sister has to sit across the room from you to eat otherwise you pull at her arms/hair/clothes etc until you get her food, all the while squarking at her like a seagull.

You love to play peek-a-boo, you used to hide behind your wraps, but now you just lift your hands over your head and pretend to hide. You're super cute.

Harper. 8 months old.

Terribly slack.

Poor little Harper.

You are now 8 (and a bit) months old, my littlest friend.

I can't remember how life was before you arrived. You fit in perfectly.

Such a happy girl, so utterly deliciously cute.

You say Mumma now. And Bubba. And Dadda. And Isla. You clever chook.

You love to be outside, eating the grass, no less. You love your vegies, actually, you love anything that can be eaten.

You finally have your own room. What a joy. I miss having you at the foot of my bed, but it seems you're too cool to fret about poor old Mum. We lost your cot bolts when we moved, your mattress is on the floor, we tried you in the portacot, but your mattress didn't fit. We were worried about you wriggling and getting stuck.

I found you this morning on the floor. And you laughed.

You can almost crawl, my sweet little love.

Love you more than the stars in the sky, Harry High Pants. xx

Harper. 7 months old.

Hello Baby.

You are still oh so sweet. Every day you smile more, and my heart snuggles you in that little bit closer.

Today we went for 6 month needles (I know, a month late) and I say we, because the Dr insisted I have a Whooping Cough booster too.

All went well, she barely cried.

Weighed and measured, 7.9kgs and 69cms long. Only 700gram gain in 2 months.

Still super cute though.

Babbles a LOT now, says Iyah (for Isla) and Dada - damn it, not mumma. Also says "Ha-ba" which we think is her effort for Harper.

Loves her vegies. Was still on the anti-reflux formula until the Dr today suggested I take her off it and see how she goes.

Harry High Pants

You are just too cute, my littlest princess.

I've just gone back to work, and Harp is just learning to get on without me. It's been very hard for her, but now the tears are less frequent. Joy.

She's settling for her Nana, and for her Daddy when I'm not here.

Last night, for Mum's birthday we went to her favourite little Vietnamese restaurant. The owner asked if he could hold Harp, and we said, "Sure, but she'll scream". He took her and sat across the restaurant with her, and she smiled and laughed. He passed her to a waitress. Harp was a dream! She went through about 5 sets of hands before coming back to us, where they told us, "HE's a beautiful little boy". huh?

We said she was a girl and one waitress turned to the other staff and said, "See, I told you she was too pretty to be a boy!".

So, my little friend, you're getting better with people. Now to get you liking the car...

Harper. 6 months old.

Happy Half Birthday Harper-potamus.

Still super-cute. Still sleeping all night long. Still love your cuddles.

Lots of new things now, I swear Harp says "Isla" - it comes out more like, "I-yah" which is exactly how Isla used to say it. So cute, will give it a little longer before we claim it as her first word. Coincidentally, Isla's first word was also Isla.

Harp has just learnt to sit on her own these past two weeks. So clever. Utterly bizarre to see her sitting up on her own, little Isla still can't sit that way. In lots of ways (more physically than anything) it's like Harp is my first child. All the developmental milestones that she's reached that Isla never did, or did much later.

Almost outgrown her bassinette. I say this all the time. I have absolutely no idea where the bolts are for Isla's old cot. Isla hasn't been in her cot since 2006 - I have no idea where to start looking. Maybe I should just buy a new one? Either way, she's trying to roll over in there and it's not happening, I'm a tad concerned that she's going to topple the whole thing over. Yikes.

Little Harper, love you lots.