Not So Good About Blogging

Blogging take so much more thought and effort than I realized. 

Quick July update...

Pearse started solid foods and does well with them.  She loves peas, mangoes, bananas, and SQUASH!  When she is finished eating she blows on the spoon and food flies.  For example...

Green Beans - Dad fed me

Pearse has her 6 Month check up on July 25.  She weighed in at 19 pounds 4 ounces!  And 27 1/2 inches long!  She is in the 95% for height, weight, and head size.  The doctor refers to her as a "Big Person."  It's very commical because he uses it like it's a medical term. Pearse had 2 bad ear infections when we went in that day for her 6 month check-up.  So her shots were delayed.  Luckily we have cleared up the infections.

We borrowed our friends' (Brooke and Brian) camera to take Pearse's 6 month pictures.  I picked the location and outfits and Neil did the shootinng.  The pictures turned out so well - we didn't even edit them because we don't have photo editing software.  Here are a few of our favorties

Pearse is getting so strong, she is trying so hard to pull herself up into a standing position.  She learned to jump in her jumper and it's great family entertainment.  She is still scooting, not yet a full out crawl.  She will get on all 4's and rock back and forth and lunge forward.  So the full out crawl may happen soon.  Pearse has also taken to undoing her bumper in the mornings when she wakes up, but we keep putting them up because she plays so hard in her crib she often falls backwards and bumps her head.  She has also figured out how to turn on her mobile all by herself.  She will wake up from the night or a nap and turn the mobile on and entertain herself.


Here is Pearse at 0,3, and 6 months...

 

Her skin has gotten lighter, her eyes have gotten lighter, her hair is fuller and darker.  She is obviously chunkier - which adds to her cuteness.  She has always been a wiggle worm, she is very active. 

Spreadsheets And All Their Glory

I LOVE spreadsheets and I couldn't imagine life before Excel and Access.  Yes my work life would be impossible without them as I am a tax accountant, but I use them for everything!

I put everything into spreadsheets - our budget, our savings plans, basically all our financial information is in one workbook and it's beautifully linked.  I use it for grocery shopping; enter all the ingredients for weekly recipes and then combining the ingredients - the recipes are right there too for the week and for the future.  I keep track of things I can't remember like who has the lower price for common things we buy, for things I want to remember to look at later.  My list goes on and on.

At work, I am always the one that says when it comes to a spreadsheet, report, database or what ever it may be, "Oh NO there is a way, there is always a way, we just don't know it yet."  Excel and Access just seem limitless.  They possess so much power that really help the user become more effective and efficient. 

Even with all the love comes troubles.  But this morning Excel gave me so much trouble.  I wanted to throw my computer out the back door.  Don't you just hate computer issues in a time crunch.  My computer and excel were acting up and I had a 9 am deadline to upload my files our the company I work for would be penalized.  (That's another fun benefit of working in the tax world you are ALWAYS working with deadlines). 

Neil doesn't quite understand my love/obsession for Excel and Access, but I know I'm not the only one out there, I know all my other accountant friends have the same passion for these programs.  I love when he needs help with something in Excel (I'm not sure if he knows what Access is) and he calls me and he thinks I'm a genius. 

Our Trip to Saint Louis

Some of my close friends have blogs and I really enjoy reading them and keeping up with their lives through them, so I decided to start one as well. 

We just went back to STL for Neil's younger brother Matt's wedding.  Maria made a beautiful bride.  Her dress was adorable, her hair was perfect, makeup flawless, she looked perfect.  The wedding and reception were in New Town Saint Charles.  A really unique master planned community.  The reception was in a tent along the canal.  The weather was suprisingly perfect for the end of June.

The Harris's Maria, Matt, Carson, and Colton

Neil's family has had quite the additions in the last 5 years.  Joselyn 4, Carson 2, Brian 2, Natalie 8 months, Pearse 5 months, Colton 2 months.

The Harris Family - Neil, Me holding Pearse, Ken holding Colton, Matt, Maria, Carson
Geri, Patrick holding Natalie, Emily holding Brian, and Joselyn

 We had such a great time catching up with all our close friends too.  We stayed with my college roommate that is married to one of Neil's childhood friends (Kristen and Garrett).  They have a baby girl as well so it was fun to meet Luci and spend time with them.  We also met Landon Riggins (Brent and Jamie's youngest son) for the first time.  I was so impressed with both Riggins boys, such sweethearts and great kids. 



Neil and Garrett with their girls - Pearse and Luci



Pearse with Landon Riggins - so cute



Ryan and Neil went to the STL Cardinals Stadium for a game.  This was Ryan's first time to the Cardinals stadium, she has gone to games in Phoenix, but not in STL.  She was so excited and loved it.  They had seats in the Left field and were "so close to Matt Holliday" as Ryan kept telling me.  Holliday is her 2nd favorite Cardinal, right behind Pujols.

Also, while we were in STL, we celebrated Neil's Grandma Estelle's 95th Birthday.  She is quite impressive.  She's 95 and still lives by herself and gets out for church often.  You might have guess this is where Pearse got her middle name, Estelle.  Grandma Estelle told us several times she was "so honored and proud" to have Pearse named after her.



Great Grandma Estelle holding Pearse Estelle and Neil 



Neil's extended family came for the wedding and Estelle's brithday.  And the Heppermans have expanded greatly in the past five years as well, going from 2 great grandkids to 11!  10 of which were able to make it to the Birthday celebration.  The newest, Charlie, was only a few weeks old.  It was not easy getting all the kids to cooperate for the picture.



Ada (2), Jack (4), Carson (2), Brian (2), Great Grandma Estelle (95) holding Colton (2 mo)
Joselyn (4) holding Natalie (8 mo), Audrey (8), Claudia (13) holding Pearse (5 mo)



This trip was Pearse's third flight in 7 weeks.  The first two trips she slept both ways of the flights.  They were either early morning or late evening.  This time, however, we flew out both times in the middle of the day.  She woke up both times half way through the flight and we got nervous.  She did so well.



Neil and Pearse on the flight.