our son harrison

What I did this summer

2009-10-01T08:52:00.005-04:00

There are always big events you want to share (birthdays, first steps, etc.) but sometimes its the little things that give you a better perspective. So, I decided that Harrison had to put together a presentation of his summer time activities. I am, of course, ignoring the fact that he bangs on the computer keys (thus wouldn't be able to type all this out). We didn't get everything on camera but I hope you will enjoy Harrison's pictorial of summer 2009.

Reading "boots" with mommy. He would spend hours doing this if you let him. I think Oma has something to do with that!

Sharing his sippy cup with Ben Carson at the State Fair. They are best buds.

We got new bikes!!! So we went riding a lot this summer.

The patio and in the dirt is where Harrison thrives. He always pulled the dirt out of the tomato plant pots and played with it forever. We spent most of the summer out on the patio playing with everything we could get our hands on.

Corn on the cob!

Next to his books, Harrison loves his cousins the most. They fuss over him and he loves all the attention they give him. He'll play basketball with Gavin (I believe Gavin taught Harrison to say 'basketball', actually) and play dolls with Kendall.

It is pure joy to see these kids play together so happily.

It was a great summer!!!!

Oh the silly things we do!

2009-08-29T10:07:00.004-04:00

At 14 mo. Harrison has developed so much personality. He definitely likes to entertain us; as Aunt Amanda says, he is the son of two theatre majors, so that's not surprising.

Now that it's mum season I get to be home with Harrison 3 days a week. It's great fun -- he helps clean up the house, we go on bike rides, and I get to see what he finds interesting.

Here's a video of him from Friday afternoon. I can't say it's the most intelligent thing he's ever done but it was certainly entertaining. Enjoy!

Camping and Columbus with Grandpa and Grandma

2009-07-08T15:18:00.006-04:00

Over the Fourth weekend we went camping at Deer Creek State Park. Harrison loves camping because he gets to be outside 24 hours a day. We, the parents, aren't too sure. It's a lot of work to keep an eye on our little adventurer and putting him to sleep in a tent isn't exactly easy either. Thankfully this time we had grandma and grandpa with us. We went fishing and this pesky fish kept messing with our bait. So we brought the pros in. Grandma promptly caught the fish for us and gave Harrison his first upclose with a fish.

We also went to the Columbus Zoo. It is fabulous, if you are ever nearby, we would highly recommend it. We didn't get through it all but we loved the manatees, the orangutans, and Harrison really loved the birds. It seems silly but that's what he loved the most.
Harrison got to ride the carousel with grandpa and grandma - I think they

all really liked it!

This one's for Opa --

Opa loves getting pictures of his kids and grandkids smelling the flowers.

Well this is a replica of the stinkiest flower in the world! The real

version wasn't blooming but Harrison liked the plastic version just the same!

Watching the geese -- probably Harrison's favorite part of the zoo

and something we could just as easily do at home, but whatever, he loved it!

This orangutan was AMAZING! It came down and sat right by the glass.

It would make faces and play peek-a-boo with Harrison. It was the

coolest thing I have ever experienced at zoo. Harrison just shrieked and laughed.

It was really incredible to see the two actually interacting with each other.

Harrison with the alligators.

Then it was time to go home. We certainly were tired after a long day at the zoo.

But we had to stop at an old familar place for some dinner.

It was Harrison's first time and he loved it as much as his mom, dad, Uncle Nick, and nuclear

family does.

It was a great trip to Ohio.

Happy 1st Birthday!

2009-07-01T14:03:00.006-04:00

Even though we've been terribly busy at work, we can't skip over the single most important day, thus far, of Harrison's life. His first birthday was a wonderful event! I've always loved birthdays; and you think back when you were a kid and nothing was better than your birthday. Well being a parent on your child's birthday IS better. The day Harrison was born was so monumental in my own life, I wanted to celebrate with everyone we knew. So we did.
We had a big party on Saturday celebrating with our family and friends. Jill Osmon, my best friend from college, came down for the weekend and met Harrison for the first time. Needless to say, we put Jill to work for the party - she was a fabulous help! She also taught Harrison to give kisses, which he does all the time now. Thanks Jill for both!!! Grandma and Grandpa came down from Akron and my family was almost all there. We were bummed Aunt La and Aunt Stephanie couldn't be there but we understood they wanted to be.
So here are a few highlights -- both Brian and I were too busy entertaining and soaking it all in we didn't get too many pictures but our friends did. Once we get more we will be sure to fill everyone in on the party's festivities and the who's who list of guests!

Harrison with his red wagon from Grandma and his dog from Kate

Cake!!!!

So... it's been a while.

2009-06-05T12:57:00.003-04:00

With Rebecca busy with spring at the greenhouse and the school year ending for me, it's been a while since we've updated the blog. Harrison, however, hasn't taken any time off. He's been walking for about three weeks now, but he's finally gotten the hang of it enough that he can't be bothered with crawling. Take a look.

Harrison's playing favorites

2009-02-25T11:37:00.006-05:00

Harrison LOVES spending time with his cousins. Cam is 5 years old, and the twins, Gavin and Kendall just turned two. One night at Oma's, Harrison was daring enough to try out the much coveted Year One Car that the kids love playing on. He sat perfectly still and let Kendall push him all around the house. Then, Gavin took his turn at entertaining him (see the video.)

Cam is the sweetest cousin and ready to teach Harrison all the stuff he knows. And if you know Cameron, that's a long list! He is always protecting him and fussing around him. He's going to make a great babysitter one day :)

There is nothing quite like seeing the joy on all of their faces as they play with each other.

Harrison and the people he loves

2009-02-13T09:30:00.006-05:00

Believe me, the lack of a computer is driving me more crazy than you can imagine. But I'll try to update you without overwhelming you with information! Here are some pictures the who and what of January and February! Enjoy! Harrison and Cole sharing Cheerios. I guess you can't see it as well as I thought. But now Harrison loves them and wants to eat them all the time. Thanks for sharing Cole!

Harrison at Cam's Colts Birthday party. He loves his Uncle Nick. Nick's teaching him how to fight and Harrison can't wait. Maybe he can get back at Nick for all the times I didn't want to wrestle!!

Holly's January wedding bananza allowed LOTS of time to spend with college friends. Harrison loved Ryan, especially because Ryan let him eat or drink as this picture shows, everything.

Aunt Wendi

We went to Bodies exhibit in Indianapolis. We all thought it was amazing to see the human body up close. Harrison mostly slept, but as always, loved spending time with Austin, Natalie, and of course, Oma.

Christmas

2009-01-09T13:23:00.003-05:00

After a grueling 9 and 1/2 hour drive in horrible weather conditions, we made it home safely from the Coons in Akron. Then it was off to the Gapinski's for Christmas with my side of the family.

Oma, always the practical one, gave Harrison some pajamas, a book, and a donation to his college fund. He also got the Charlie Brown Christmas movie, which both Brian and I grew up with and love.

But for Harrison the holidays are about people not gifts. Especially spending time and getting LOTS of attention from the twins. Kendall wanted to feed baby Harrison with her new kitchen set and Harrison didn't seem to mind that the spoon was empty.

Oma and Opa with all their grandchildren!

Then it was back home to celebrate our very first Christmas with Harrison! Brian decided we should surprise each other, since Harrison wouldn't know the difference, and buy our own gifts for Harrison. Brian was very practical with pacifiers and spoons (we never seem to have enough of either.) I preferred to buy toys - a pirate rubber ducky for the bath and rings for the house. It was a wonderful holiday and we look forward to many more to come!

Over the River and Through the Woods

2008-12-22T17:07:00.004-05:00

The holidays have officially arrived with our trip out to Akron to Grandma and Grandpa Coon's house. We opened presents and got to visit with friends at the annual Coon Open House. Harrison was an absolute angel at the party. He tried to make friends, but his style if too aggressive sometimes. He just has a lot of love to give I guess. It was a great start to the holidays. Here's some of our favorite photos!

The 'Flight of Fancy' mobile really kept his attention!

Do not adjust the volume on your set

2008-12-17T11:17:00.003-05:00

Harrison did this awhile back. Again, do not adjust the volume. For three days all he would do was "talk" except without any sound. We were thinking of holding a Colbert-esque challenge to see what people could come up with; putting words to the motions. Everyone comments on his little shrieks. He has a very soft voice; not sure where that came from. Clearly not from his parents.

Oh the places we will go

2008-12-17T10:56:00.003-05:00

Apologies - we have no internet access at home. We haven't had any since Nov. 15th and it won't be back up until the New Year. We certainly know how the Lincolns felt reading by candle light and carving wood for fun. Having just celebrated his 6th month on this earth, Harrison is moving ahead, literally. He is scooting and up on all fours trying to will himself to crawl. We are quickly discovering the joys of baby-proofing. He loves to roll and scoot all around our living room. He sits up on his own too which makes him look too grown up for our liking.

Our little monkey

2008-11-21T08:14:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since we've posted - we apologize! We've been very busy and have acquired a new computer...so here we are ready to update you on the life of Master Harrison. Halloween gave us an opportunity to dress Harrison up as a MONKEY! His nickname is "Little Monkey." We had fun taking pictures; but he did not enjoy the hot costume so we ended up letting him play in just the pants! Oh well.

When we went to the Children's Museum, we ran into our dear friend Janna Smith, a full time actress there. Love her!

The Sorting Hat Has Spoken.

2008-10-10T21:51:00.003-04:00

Yes, this is the second HP reference in a blog title this month. Harrison got a scarf this weekend from our friend, Kate (see the post below for more of Kate's handiwork) and we had to immediately welcome him to House Griffindor. After all, he looks just like his father, except for his eyes--he has his mother's eyes.

No unforgivable curses allowed in the Gapoon household!

A Bouquet of Freshly Sharpened Pencils

2008-10-09T20:04:00.004-04:00

I just love Fall - it makes me want to go out and buy school supplies. And...take pictures of my son. It was a beautiful fall day and we went out with Grandma and Grandpa. Harrison is wearing a handmade sweater from our dear friend Kate and he looks ridiculously cute. He was a good sport overall despite the itchy leaves!

The Shrieking Shack has a new resident

2008-10-04T17:41:00.004-04:00

We have begun to enjoy Harrison's cute little smiles and his soft cooing. Recently though, he stepped up his game. One night, for reasons unknown to us, Harrison found Brian hilarious and got in a shrieking and laughing spell. It was the first time we've heard such noises of glee from him. Hope you enjoy!

Look who can roll over!

2008-09-24T16:50:00.003-04:00

The best thing about this video is that Rebecca captured it in one take.

Pictures

2008-09-15T17:11:00.004-04:00

Meeting Shelby for the first time - I think she loved him at first sight!

Here we go Brownies!

Harrison asleep at the zoo. I call him my little monkey, and since we couldn't get a good shot of the REAL monkeys we thought this would do.

Sitting in his "Throne"

Meeting Evan Hausch, Matthew Hollingsworth, and Matthew Kurtz in Ohio.

Harrison's Big Adventures

2008-09-15T16:25:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since we've updated you on Harrison's goings on. Despite his young age of 14 weeks, he has quite the active social life. He went to Ohio again and had a party introducing him to all the friends there (and got some really cool stuff.) He took a dip in Oma's pool for the first time (see video for a taste of the cry-filled moments.) We went to the zoo with Philip and Cole. And of course, football season has started and it's time to cheer on the Browns. Even though Harrison is a Hoosier, he will root for his dad's home team, at least for now!!
He is rolling over now, although we haven't caught it on film yet. Usually it's his anger that helps propel him from tummy to back! Once he starts doing it for fun, we'll make sure to capture the moment. For now, enjoy some video and photos of all the things Harrison has been doing.

Just when you thought he couldn't get any cuter...

2008-08-27T23:15:00.005-04:00

After he stained three separate outfits yesterday, Rebecca decided that Harrison preferred to spend the evening wearing only his Pampers. What resulted are, quite possibly, the most adorable pictures ever taken.

Harrison has been spending much more time lately smirking, smiling, and conversing with Mom and Dad. We're glad we finally had the camera ready, and we hope you enjoy the new pictures as much as we do.

A Fair to Remember

2008-08-16T16:39:00.006-04:00

Harrison had a big weekend, he attended his first ever Indiana State Fair. We did all Fair appropriate things - saw farm animals, ate assorted fried foods, and rode carnival rides. We went with my sisters, Kendra and Natalie. (Harrison has a special bond with Kendra) As you can see, Harrison bonded with the pigs and baby llamas.

Brian loved the horses and riding with the girls on the carnival rides. I loved, of course, the horticultural exhibit. So we tried to get family photos the best we could at our favorite spots. Unfortunately, the horses didn't cooperate. Harrison was VERY tired at the end of it and slept like an angel when we got home. He's 10 weeks old and is a great baby - we can't wait for the adventures to come!

Isn't Brian dressed just right for the Fair?!

Bathtime

2008-08-06T11:24:00.003-04:00

Harrison is a really cute baby, so when I say he's the cutest when he's getting a bath, that's saying quite a lot. Rebecca and I filmed his bath the other day, and while I'm not posting the video on the blog, here's a link to the videos of Harrison's bath. Hope you don't mind hearing him scream a bit; he's not too fond of bathing.

There are two videos, so click the right arrow after the first is finished to move on to the second.

Harrison's Ohio Adventure

2008-07-28T18:10:00.003-04:00

This was Harrison's first trip to Akron. We attended Stephanie's wedding and got to show Harrison off to all of Brian's friends from back home. A trip that normally takes us 5 hours became a 7 hour journey with a newborn. Harrison wasn't too happy towards the end. But, to those that truly mattered, he put on a great show. He was sweet and adorable. Only dad and mom got to see him mad and up all night!
Overall, we had a good time and we will just get better and better at making the trip to grandma and grandpa's house!

Six Weeks

2008-07-26T15:56:00.003-04:00

Harrison turned six weeks old yesterday, and here's a clip to show how he spent the morning. He's talking to himself and to us much more often, he occasionally flashes his handsome smile, and he even slept through the night for the first time ever last night. Hooray!

Check out Harrison's Family Photo Album; we'll be adding more pictures soon.

Pictures!

2008-07-03T11:57:00.000-04:00

We've been working on putting together some online photo albums of our little boy. New albums will be posted under the "Links to Online Photo Albums" heading in the right column. Recent updates include: Harrison's Family Photo Album; Our Favorite Photos; Harrison and Friends; and my personal favorite, Sleeping Baby (since that's when he's cutest, and it represents how he spends the majority of his time.) Once the album opens, click "Slide Show" for the best view. Some albums are pretty scarce, but we'll be adding more pictures from time to time.

A Quick Update: At 19 days old, Harrison is doing just fine. He had his first doctor's appointment a few days ago and got a perfect report. He's sleeping better through the nights now (4-5 hours at a time) and he's getting bigger and cuter by the day. We've been taking him for short trips out lately, and it's great to see him awake and responsive. He's a great little baby!

It's official.

2008-06-26T13:58:00.001-04:00

Not that I've doubted it for a moment, but nothing has made this parenting experience seem more real than seeing my son's name in print. Not the crying, the diapers, the late night feedings; it was his Social Security card that made me realize, "This is really happening."

-B