Rainy Days

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I'm appreciating the rain today and how it slows my life down and gives me pause to notice things around me. Whether that be reflecting on people in my life and how grateful I am for them, or taking a moment to sit and work on my "to-do" list. In my quiet time today, I was reminded that I have a blog (even though I often go through long spells of using it) and felt inspired to update it on just what's new with this little Harris family of ours.

So, Tampa is lovely and we are very content here. Even more so than I had anticipated or hoped for when we first decided to move from Jacksonville. We were so happy with our house, neighborhood, friends, church home and community that I couldn't imagine being any happier in another city. But we've been blessed and have made some great friends here already and are having a great time exploring and enjoying all that Tampa has to offer. We managed to rent our house in Jacksonville, which was a great relief given the cruddy real estate market that we tried in vain to sell it in when we first moved out.

We've had family and friends visit us here since the move and that's been very nice and we hope to see lots more of you all in the coming months. Yes, we have a guest room if you want to come and see us!

Steve is enjoying his new job with Tampa General Hospital and although it brings a new set of challenges and demands, I think I can speak for him when I say he is truly enjoying the career move and is happy with his decision to move from healthcare financial consulting to being part of a hospital's leadership team.

Vivienne and I having a blast together and there is so much for us to enjoy each day. She likes to recite all the activities we enjoy each week and talk about her day and all the fun we've had. Yes, she's a big talker - just like her mama! She's also beginning potty training and, after a small period of time where she didn't want to try to use the potty, she's making progress.

I've been participating in two exercise programs: Stroller Strides (I can bring Vivienne along in the stroller for this one) and a women's bootcamp that I go to alone. Ah, blessed alone time! I thought it would be hard to feel motivated to go to the bootcamp because I have to get up very early to go, but I am loving it so much that I hate missing it (like on rain days like today!).

This spring was the spring of babies! Steve and I had no less than 3 nieces arrive within a two-month span. Lucky Vivienne now has three more girl cousins to grow up with and we are all just thrilled! Erika was born to Deborah & Kenneth on April 6th, then the very next day, April 7th, Corah was born to Mark & Aja, then last - but not least - Mayim was born to Helene & Adam on May 18th.

We've planned a trip to Treasure Island, FL with Marylee, Deborah, Kenneth, Julia & Baby Erika this summer and we're all very excited about spending some time with family at the beach.

I'll be heading to Chapel Hill, NC in August to attend a baby naming ceremony for my youngest niece, Mayim. I'm looking forward to celebrating with my sister, Helene, and her family as we welcome yet another baby girl to the family.

Steve and I are planning to travel to Portland, OR next summer to visit with Mark, Aja and Corah. I think Vivienne will be old enough at that point to endure the long flight out there - crossing my fingers on that one anyway! But whatever happens on the plane, stays on the plane. At least, that's my theory at this point!

Well, that's enough for now. Time to go out to the garage and switch over another load of laundry! : )

Oh the joys of moving!

Sad, but true, we are moving from Jacksonville to Tampa next month. Steve has accepted a position with Tampa General Hospital and we are excited about this new opportunity and the better work/life balance and limited travel that comes with it. We are sad to be leaving behind such a great city and friends, neighbors, our church family, doctors and Viv's preschool and last, but not least, our beloved neighborhood restaurant, Biscotti's!

Of course, we have some dear friends awaiting us in Tampa and I'm sure we'll make new friends, meet neighbors and find a new church home, doctors, etc. It'll just take a little time : )

Well, that's all for now - gotta pack!

Happy Anniversary: 6 years of wedded bliss! : )

This Sunday marks six years of happily married life for Steve and I! Sometimes, it feels like it can't have been six years but when I start thinking about all the changes that have occurred in our lives, then six years sounds right. It's hard for me to believe I've lived in Jax for 6 years though! Or that I'm 36 years old for that matter (but that's a topic that could fill a whole other blog entry -haha)!

Our good friend, Dana, is coming over today for a marathon babysitting session - which is so very, very nice of her - and Steve and I are looking forward to some time to ourselves to enjoy one another's company and get out for a dinner alone. This will be the first time Steve and I have been out for a "date" since Viv was born, which may be a bit overdue but it's hard to find someone you trust to watch an infant (and who is not scared to do it either). Thank heavens for Dana!

In my last post I wrote about needing to make some new friendships and get out of the house, and so far I've met some great moms and have gotten out a couple of times with a gal that lives here in my neighborhood (and has put an offer on a house for sale on my block - how cool would that be?!) for some stroller walks and it's really been nice! I'm planning to meet up with a few other moms that I've just been chatting with online but I think this may be the beginning of a good change for me. Thanks to all for putting up with my vent session. :-)

Steve is keeping busy with work and is looking forward to the Gator football season beginning in September. He cracks me up - just this morning he told me, with great excitement mind you, that we now have several new channels available in our television line-up. He then went to say that they are all "NFL" and college football channels. I can tell already that I will be a football widow once again this fall and winter. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy football too - but just not to the extent that Steve does and I'm always happy when the college bowl games and the Super Bowl are over. We'll be making several trips to Gainesville for Gator games this fall (our annual pilgrimage, as I refer to it) so that's always a plus to football season that makes it all a bit more bearable.

I'm looking forward to October/November/December this year - I have a trip scheduled to see my sister, Helene, and her family in October (Vivi's first plane ride - wish me luck!!), then all of my immediate family will be together for Thanksgiving in Florida this year (doesn't happen very often), and it's my niece, Eliora's, first birthday that month too and Vivienne & Eliora's first Thanksgiving, and then December brings my birthday and Vivienne's first Christmas! Oh, and how could I forget to mention that October or November usually bring cooler temperatures and it's not unbearable to spend time outdoors in the middle of the day so I'll be able to get out and about with Vivi a little more. Yeah!

Hope you all have as good of a weekend as Steve and I plan to! I'll post pics of Vivi at 5 months next week - she's getting so big! Love to all!!

The dog days of summer are officially here

OK, folks, I'm going to vent (perhaps it's really whining) so if you're not interested in hearing me vent then just skip this post.


Well, it's July in Florida and only a few days away from August (which is the hottest and most uncomfortable month, in my opinion) and I've definitely got cabin fever. . . if I don't get out the door before 9:30 a.m. it's either (1) too hot to go out for an exercise walk with Vivi in the stroller, or (2) Vivi's already fallen asleep for Nap #1 of the day and I don't want to move her from her crib to the stroller. I'm managing to get out at least 2x a week for about 1.5 hrs of walking/exercising, and on the days when I don't get outside I try to do a floor routine indoors using an exercise tape for inspiration. But, I am starting to realize that I'm in desperate need of adult conversation on a regular basis. I love Vivi, but I sometimes feel bored being at home with her. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time on my hands to pick up any consulting work to do from home - she still requires a lot of time and attention, it takes a lot of effort to care for her and just manage to cook & clean some days. Hence, the lack of posts on the blog lately . . . Don't get me wrong, I love Viv and I love being at home with her, I just need a little connection to the outside world - other than a 5 min conversation with the guy that works the counter at the gym twice a week.

I'd go to Gainesville and visit but I'm feeling trapped by Viv's ability (read, lack thereof) to sleep well while away from home. . . and when the baby doesn't sleep well, I don't sleep well. . . and ultimately, I'd rather be bored and well rested at home than sleep deprived and entertained in Gainesville.

I know, Riv, I need a play group. Yes, folks you read that right, "I" need a play group. I'm sure it'll be great for Viv too, but I think it's more for me than for her at this point! So, I re-registered on Jacksonville Mommies and am going to get on the stick about participating in some functions. I initially registered before Vivi was born and didn't feel the need to participate in any chats or discussion groups, so my account was locked out for inactivity . . . hopefully, I'll find some other half-crazed moms that I can enjoy spending a little time with and make some new friends.

I'll keep you all posted on how it goes . . . wish me luck!

Watch me grow !

One Month Old


















Two Months Old


















Three Months Old


















Four Months Old


















Five Months Old


















Six Months Old

Vivienne is two months old tomorrow - time is flying!

I can hardly believe Vivienne will be two months old tomorrow - where does the time go? Well, I guess I can just chalk it up to the old saying "time flies when you're having fun" because we've definitely been having a great time with our new little one. Of course, there are those challenging moments too - when you're up in the middle of the night pleading with your baby to go back to sleep already, and when you're stripping the baby down for a full-body wipe down due to a BM blowout that gets all over baby, her clothes, whatever she was sitting on when she did her business, and the changing table cover too! So, as you might guess, laundry has been one of the things keeping me busy during my days at home with baby Viv. : )

We've had lots of visits from family and friends and there is so much work to do (both for Steve at KPMG and for me at home) that the days and weeks slide by effortlessly.

Steve's family (Marylee (Mom), Deborah (Sister), Kenneth (BIL), Julia (Niece), and Alan (Brother)) came up earlier this month, and it was especially nice to see Marylee with her two granddaughters on her lap at once. Julia is such a sweet little girl and Deborah has been showing her our pictures since she was a little baby to make sure she knows who we are when she sees us (a couple of months can pass during certain times of the year (read, when the Gators aren't playing football and the holidays have passed) which is very nice. I plan to do the same with Vivienne so she knows the faces and names of our family members and can recognize them even if it's been a while since she's seen them last.

My parents, Rachel and Roger, came up for a visit on a Saturday and spent the night with us. Steve and Roger went to The Players Championship while my mom and I went to the Avonlea Antiques Mall (I got Vivienne a little Beatrix Potter book while we were there - I'm going to try to collect them all for her) and just hung out at home with baby Viv. We had a nice dinner at home that evening and opened one of the bottles of wine we'd received from my cousin, Meri, and her husband, Jim, when we got married (we're saving them for special occasions) to celebrate the birth of Vivienne and it was delicious!

My first Mother's Day was fantastic! Steve and Vivienne bought me a huge bouquet of pink and white lilies (they smell so good!) and a very nice silver locket that I'd been eyeing for some time, gave me a sweet card and took me out for brunch at my favorite restaurant, Biscotti's.

We are looking forward to Vivienne's baptism on June 28th, and I am especially excited that my sister, Helene, and her family are coming to stay that weekend with us. Helene and her daughter, Eliora (she's almost 6 mo. old now!) will stay on with Steve and I for a couple of days into the next week so we can have some time together, just the two (really 4!) of us. One of the nicest things about my experience as a SAHM thus far is that Helene is also a SAHM and we can talk to one another several times a week - yeah for sisters! I'm also looking forward to Vivienne's baptism because it'll be the first time that my other sister, Pam, will get to meet both Vivienne and Eliora. I am hoping Pam will bring her son, Skyler (he's 7.5 years old), along but am not sure how interested he'll be in getting up so early to go to church and attend a baptism . . . but who knows, maybe he'll be excited to meet his new cousins and see his aunts . . . we'll just have to wait and see.

One month old today & a quick visit from Nan & Pere yesterday

I managed to get out for a run yesterday - my first one since Vivi was born - and it was oh so nice to move freely and quickly and to be outdoors! While I was out enjoying myself, my mom and dad called to say that they'd like to stop by for a quick visit before attending a performance of Mozart's Requiem at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts here in Jacksonville. So, it was a doubly-nice day - I got to exercise and see my parents too! Just in case you're wondering, Vivi will call my mother (Rachel), Nan (which is a family name for Grandmother), and my dad (Roger), Pere (which is French for grandfather).

It's also been a nice weekend for Steve too - who also got a run in - because he hasn't had to work this weekend and isn't headed to the airport anytime this week either! Life is quite different now that Vivienne's here; it's a quieter, simpler life and we don't get out as much but we eat well (I really do love to cook!) and strangely enough, I honestly think we're taking better care of ourselves now that we're not cramming the weekend full of activities. For now, I think we're quite content to spend our free time at home and we have no plans to travel for some time yet. Luckily, we live close enough for most of our family to visit us with only a short drive required on their part and lots of our friends are understanding of what its like to have a newborn and are making plans to visit us at our home.

This weekend began the Parade of Homes and I am hopeful that we can make a trip to St. Johns County one afternoon this week to see some of the homes featured - who knows, maybe we'll find a home that we'd like well enough to purchase! Rusty & Shari - one of the couples we know that live in St. Johns County - are coming to visit us next Saturday afternoon and I think we may head over to the Riverside Arts Market (http://www.riversideartsmarket.com) and perhaps grab a bite to eat outdoors at The Brick or at European Street. I can't wait for their daughter, Skyler, to see Vivienne. Skyler is 4 and is a fun-loving, sweet, imaginative girl. I was still quite pregnant the last time we visited with them, and when we arrived at their house Skyler came running up asking "where is the baby?" - later that day she informed me that Vivienne would be black! I found this to be hilarious and tried to explain to her that babies generally look like their parents and since Steve and I are both caucasian, Vivienne would not be black. Skyler persisted in her belief though so I am curious as to (1) whether she'll remember what she thought and (2) if she'll be surprised at all to see that Vivi is not black after all!

A quiet Easter Sunday

Since Vivienne is only 3.5 weeks old today, she's not been cleared by her pediatrician to attend church yet (we have to wait until she's 6 weeks old to take her out "in public"). So, our Easter Sunday has been a very quiet one this year. Steve and I both commented how much we missed attending the sunrise service on the St. Johns River that has been our tradition for the past few years, and we plan to be a part of it again next year - provided we still live in the same neighborhood.

That's right, we've been throwing the idea around of moving out of Duval County and into St. Johns County in order to (1) be in a better school district, and (2) have more room in our home for Vivienne and all the accoutrement which will most assuredly be growing at an exponential rate as she gets older. But, seeing as the housing market is struggling to come to life - this big move may or may not happen in 2009. We'll see. For now, we love our house and our neighborhood and Vivienne is not of school age, so there is no big rush and we're happy to wait until the "time is right" to put our house on the market.

Steve is seeing the end of a brief, but intensely busy-time at work. He had to cut his paternity leave short in order to return to work to get started on an annual report for one of his clients, and he's had to work late quite a bit and has gone out of town overnight twice in the past two weeks, so I am really looking forward to the completion of the report for this client. Luckily, Steve's mom, Marylee, has been staying with us during the week - I don't know what I would've done without her! - so I have had help caring for Vivienne during this time. Yeah for terrific mother-in-laws!! Marylee is the best! : )

Speaking of great moms, my mother, Rachel, came over for a brief visit yesterday to bring us the Christening gown that her mother handmade for her when she was a baby so we can use it for Vivienne's upcoming baptism. (No, we haven't set a date with the church yet, but I'll be sure to let everyone know as soon as we do!) My mom also took some photos of us and was kind enough to give me a wonderful (and oh so very much needed) backrub. It took three attempts to give me the backrub (baby interupptions) but my mom was patient and persistent enough to make it happen. Gotta love moms! I've got to come up with some extra special gifts for Mother's Day this year!

Vivienne's finally here!!!

Our darling girl has finally arrived and we couldn't be happier!  Our first week at home has consisted of lots of snuggling and kisses intermixed with feeding the baby, changing diapers, admiring just how cute Vivienne is in her various outfits (and taking photos), and trying to sleep when we can.  My mother, Rachel, was with us for the first few days at home and was a great help with cooking, cleaning and taking turns holding Vivienne - it was a blessing to have her with us and a time we'll always treasure.  Steve's mom, Marylee, arrives tomorrow and we anticipate a wonderful visit with her as well.  I'll be posting more pics soon but I've gotta run, its time to feed this lil angel : )

The waiting is the hardest part

So, Vivi's estimated due date has come and gone and we're just playing the waiting game now.  I can hear this voice in my head that sounds like Bob Barker from The Price Is Right saying "Vivienne Harris, come on down!!" but apparently she is not listening.  I've joked all along throughout my pregnancy though that since this child is mine, she'll be late!  We saw the doctor yesterday and they performed an ultrasound to ensure that Vivienne is still doing well and that my body is still providing a good environment for her and found that she's doing just fine and can hang out happily in "Hotel Mom" for a while longer without any trouble.  So, we're waiting - somewhat impatiently, but with no major complaints. We'll keep you all posted on any big news!

We're in the single digits now

Well, as of last Sunday, we're 9 weeks out from Vivienne's due date and I can hardly believe she'll be arriving so soon. Steve and I managed to get the nursery furniture assembled and in place during the holidays and its starting to come together now. I'll post photos once the bedding arrives and its all "prettied up." Steve and I went on a babymoon just before Christmas (google it if you've not heard of the term before) to Charleston, S.C. and had a wonderful time just being together, exploring the city and eating some fantastic low-country cuisine. We spent Christmas Day in Gainesville with Steve's family and it was great fun to watch our niece, Julia, open her presents. She's not quite old enough to grasp the whole concept of Christmas just yet (she's only turned one at the end of November) but she did like opening her presents. Eliora, my sister Helene's daughter, experienced her first Hannukah and you can see a photo on their family blog at: http://teamsinger.blogspot.com/ - no posts just yet, but I am sure they are forthcoming soon. Vivienne's other cousin, Skyler, (my older sister Pam's son) was up for a visit just before Steve and I left for S.C. and Pam, Skyler and I spent a fantastic day together at the Jacksonville Zoo. Skyler is 7 years old now and he is quite the accomplished motorcross rider! He rode his bike at the Ocala motorcross track and even "caught some air" - as much as I know he's enjoying himself, it does make me glad to be having a girl because I am sure my hair would all turn gray from worry if I had a little boy who was as adventurous as Skyler is!

I wrote a while back that the consulting work I had been doing had "dried up" but its back on again and I am working part-time through the end of January so I am feeling stretched thin for time again these days, but am managing thus far and keep reminding myself that (as long as Vivienne doesn't arrive early like her cousin, Eliora, did) I'll have all of February and a week into March to wrap up any loose ends of household projects I want to accomplish pre-baby. Wish me luck!

Hope you all have a wonderful 2009 and I'll keep you posted on our family as things happen!

Happy Thanksgiving and hello to our (new) niece, Eliora Ruth Singer

Our niece, Eliora, is just adorable and I've really enjoyed my visit with Helene and Adam this past week.  I have learned a tremendous amount about caring for a newborn and breast feeding just by watching and being present during this first week of Eliora's life.  I'm hoping it'll make my first week with Vivienne a little easier, knowing what I can expect and what the challenges may be.

My mom made a 19-pound turkey yesterday, with Kashi & apple stuffing, and a sugar-free apple pie for a belated - but nonetheless special - Thanksgiving dinner.  Helene and Adam will have lots of turkey to eat during the next week (as well as some other dishes my mom made extra of, so they'll have leftovers).  Steve went to my parents house for Thanksgiving and had a good time spending the day with everyone there and eating all the good food they had (especially the sweet potato side dish my mom had made ahead of time).  He also took a road trip with his long-time friend, Alan Bishop, to Tallahassee to watch the Florida-FSU game (so glad the Gators won!) and I am glad he's had some down-time and had fun since he's been working so much leading up to this long holiday weekend.

My mom and I are headed back to Florida tomorrow and while it will be nice to be back home and I have tons of errands and work (CPE coursework) to do when I get back, I'll miss being able spend so much time with family.  I look forward to seeing Helene, Adam and Eliora again in the spring when they come to visit for Vivienne's baptism!  I don't have a date for that yet, but will post it as soon as I can coordinate it with our church.  Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend! : )

Oh Baby!

I'm off to Chapel Hill, N.C. to see my sister and her husband who have just had a baby girl and I can't wait to meet this new little girl and find out her name! They've kept it a secret and I'm glad the big reveal day is finally here!!  My mom and I are driving up from Florida so we should get there sometime this evening and will be spending Thanksgiving up in N.C. which will be bittersweet because I'll be glad to spend time with my mom and sister, but I'll be away from Steve and the rest of our family for the holiday.

I'm glad that I had the opportunity to visit with Steve's family last weekend and celebrate little Julia's first birthday in Gainesville, FL at Coffrin Nature Park.  Steve and I got to spend some time by ourselves yesterday when we attended the Jaguars / Vikings game  - the Jags lost but the day was so beautiful (classic Florida winter weather) and the company so nice (yes, I adore my husband to the point of ridiculousness!) that it was a perfect day nonetheless.  We went out for a turkey dinner last night at Ted's Montana Grille since we wouldn't be sharing the Thanksgiving holiday together and that topped off the day nicely.  I can't recall the last time that I was away from Steve for as many days as I will be on this trip to N.C. so it feels a little funny to be heading off for 6 days, but - hey, I'll survive, right?? ; )

I'll write again and post pics of my new niece when I get them - maybe next week!

Whoa, life is crazy and the baby is not even here yet!

Well, the consulting gig I was doing has dried up and I don't know that I'll get any more work because I had planned on stopping in mid-December anyway and its hard to sell my services to a client if I'll only be available for a month.  But, if the work comes my way, I'll definitely take it - I'm just in a wait and see mode now.  I'm not too worried about it though, because my life is crazy busy these days even without working!  In fact, it gets a little overwhelming when I start writing it all down, but there is no sense sticking my head in the sand and avoiding the sight of my "to-do" list in all its glory. : )

Steve is continuing to put in a lot of hours at work and tells me he will remain very busy for some time. He's doing well despite the long hours and is thinking ahead to March and is planning with senior management to ensure that when he takes time off from work when Vivienne arrives that it will go smoothly.  I love that he's a planner!!  It's funny the things that make you all warm and fuzzy. Yes, I know, that sounds so unromantic, but I'm a practical kind of gal (but, no that does not mean I'd appreciate a household appliance as a birthday or holiday gift).

We were at the doctor earlier today and saw more ultrasound images of Vivienne - she's doing great by the way.  This was our last visit to the "hisk risk" doctors group (only reason we've had to go is because I'm 35 - which is considered "advanced maternal age") and although I've enjoyed that we've had more ultrasounds by having seen this group, I'm glad we don't have a reason to continue to go.  We're just shy of 23 weeks along and Vivienne weighs 1 lb, 3 oz and is 8 inches long.  It just doesn't seem like my belly is big enough for her to be that size, but I am definitely not complaining about that!

Well, dinner doesn't cook itself so I'm off to the kitchen to see what I can whip up for some vittles!

Gotta love them Gators!

Steve and I had a fantastic time at the UF v. LSU game last weekend - I swear it was like watching a completely different team than we'd seen the previous weekend in Fayetteville, AR.  I was surprised that I had enough energy to stay for the whole game but the temperatures have improved greatly since the last home game I went to (against Miami) and the game was so exciting that the thought to go home before it was all done didn't cross my mind.  We also got to visit with Steve's mom, Marylee, and my parents, Rachel & Roger, which rounded out the weekend nicely.

I've got a new job starting tomorrow - I know, I can hardly believe it either.  I certainly wasn't looking for work (its only been two weeks since I left my former job and I was enjoying the time off!) but here I am.  I'm working for a consulting firm on a part-time basis and my first assignment is to work with a local, publicly-held company and assist them with their SEC reporting needs, amongst other things.  Crossing my fingers that I won't regret this move and end up feeling over-extended.  If it does end up being a good fit, it'll be a nice way to earn some more $ before Vivienne arrives - either way, I'll get some experience with consulting and it should give me an idea of whether or not I'll want to pursue consulting opportunities at some point in the future. Wish me luck!

Steve's busy, busy time slows down this week (yeah!) and I know he's feeling a mix of worry now that his project deadline is approaching and relief that he won't have to work quite as many hours for a little while.  This weekend should be good for him and he's off to visit friends in St. Augustine while I entertain my best friend, Kelly, and we plan the baby shower she'll be hosting for me sometime in January or February of next year (not exactly fun stuff for guys, so he'll be heading for the hills).

A little girl is on her way!

We just found out last week that we've got a little girl coming our way.  I had suspected as much, but didn't put too much faith in my opinion, since I know lots of women who swore they were having a baby boy, only to find out it was a girl or vice versa.  We held off on spending too much time trying to pick names prior to finding out the gender of our baby - just to cut down on the amount of work involved in selecting two names instead of just one and I thought it'd take us a really long time to come up with a name, but surprisingly it didn't!  We have chosen Vivienne Elise - Viv, or Vivi for short.  Steve balked a little when he realized the names were French (I don't understand this lingering resentment against the French!) but when I explained that my name is Greek and his is German and neither one of us is a descendant of Greece or Germany, he gave up the argument against French names (whew! we'd have been back at the drawing board and I wasn't too excited about that idea).

So far all is going extremely well, both with the baby and my pregnancy.  I am hoping that I'll continue the trend of being one of the "lucky ones" and cruise through the rest of the pregnancy as I have to date.  We're at week 18 now - almost halfway!

Steve is quite busy with work and is putting in a lot of late nights this week, but I'm trying to do all I can to support him and giving him lots of encouragement.  Hopefully, this busy time will pass and we'll be back to a more "normal" schedule again soon.