Harvey the Rabbit

2 Months Old

Everyday there are a host of new firsts. Yesterday a few cropped up unexpectedly:
- First Snow
- First Sniffles (we had to seek out an infant bulb at the Food Lion just seconds before the check out ladies left for turkey). The sneezing and wheezing were especially difficult for mom, who would just as soon endure the flu herself if she knew that her little bear could be spared.
Happy Birthday Harvey!

Caitlin, Danny (joined by Oriana), and Erin here, speaking on behalf of the cousins. It's been a wonderful Thanksgiving so far, especially since our numbers have recently increased, but we've all been missing Mombo. Tonight we watched the movie "Harvey," which we liked even more than we thought we would, though the visible Harvey seemed a little uninterested. Harvey, Joe and Laura are heading back to Philly in the morning (or more likely sometime after noon) but we all hope to see each other again soon, maybe in TX!

Mombo's Grandchildren

Harvey spent Thankgiving 2005 in Berryville, VA where met all his Kerr cousins (Stainkens and Kerr-Hoberts) for the first time. He especially enjoyed meeting 6 month old Michael Kerr-Hobert (center) who gave him a matching outfit and showed him the ropes.

ZZZZ's are Us

Hooray! Harvey slept from 1:30 AM - 9:30 AM. That is an all time record. Unfortunately, we are now dealing with diaper rash and Desitin (diaper rash ointment). Ahh, the neverending joys of parenthood.

Saint Harvey

Among the Bretons (those Celts who occupy Brittany in northwest France) the two most popular names for boys are Yves (after St. Yves, the brilliant 14th-century lawyer) and Hervaeus, Herve or Harvey (after a sixth-century Breton monk). Especially after St. Harvey's relics were distributed throughout Brittany in 1002, this monk-saint became intensely popular. Indeed, up to 1610 when the local court ordered that all official oaths be taken on the bible only, the Bretons took solemn oaths on the relics of St. Herve. His feast was also for some time listed as one of the holydays of obligation in the Breton diocese of Leon.
Abbot Harvey is often mentioned in the tales and songs of Brittany. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to discern what is told of him as fact or folklore. The traditional legend of Herve is nevertheless charming enough to be related here.
Around the year 520, we are told, a Celtic bard (folk singer/historian) driven out of Britain by the Anglo-Saxon invaders, came to the court of Childebert I, the Frankish king of Paris. The bard's name was Hyvarnion. Although Hyvarnion delighted the royal court with his songs, he was too earnest a man to desire to be a mere court musician. A couple of years later, therefore, he moved to Brittany to be in the company of his exiled fellow countrymen.
He married a girl named Rivanon, who bore him a son baptized Hervaeus. Unfortunately, the child was born functionally blind.
His father died soon after his birth. Rivanon raised her child until he was seven. Then she entrusted him to the care of Arthian, a holy man. Later Herve joined his uncle, a monk who had launched a little school in his monastery in Plouvien. Despite his poor sight, young Harvey was able to help the uncle with the children and the farm tasks of the monastery. Eventually he became a monk of the Plouvien community.
One day, we are told, while he was plowing in the fields, a wolf attacked the donkey that was drawing his plow. Guiharan, a small child who was assisting the monk, cried out in panic. But Harvey, already a devout young man, simply prayed for divine help. The response, says the legend, was miraculous. The wolf, repenting, shouldered the dead donkey's harness and meekly pulled the plow himself until the task was finished!
Harvey's mother had meanwhile been living far away in the depths of a forest, with only a niece to keep her company and do her service in her declining years. Learning of her grave illness, the future saint traveled back to see her. She gave him her last blessing, and he closed her eyes in death.
Not long after Herve returned to Plouvien, his uncle put him in charge of the little monastery. Three years later, he decided to move the whole establishment elsewhere. Accompanied by all his monks and students, he set out for western Brittany. At Leon, the bishop cordially greeted the travelers. He offered to ordain their superior a priest; but Herve, out of humility, would accept only the minor order of exorcist. Eventually his community reached the present Lanhouarneau. There he established a new monastery that was to become famous throughout Brittany.
Abbot Hervaeus spent the rest of his life at Lanhouarneau, although from time to time he was called forth to preach to the people of the area and to exercise his office of exorcist. It was in the latter capacities that he performed many of the miracles attributed to him. (Once, it is said, noisy frogs that interfered with his sermon stopped their croaking at his command.) The older he grew, the more revered he became for his holiness.
Fr. Harvey lived a long life. When he was breathing his last, says the legend, the monks at his bedside heard angel choirs singing him a song of welcome.
St. Hervaeus is identified in pictures and statues by a wolf, with or without his child-guide. Sometimes he is also shown as a preacher quieting frogs. The Bretons invoke his aid against diseases of the eye, and cite his wolf as a warning to disobedient children.

Heads Up

Head Circumference at Birth: 13 7/8 in.
Head Circumference at 6 wks: 15 1/8 in.

Holy Roller

Tonight was a first. Harvey rolled over from his stomach to his back. Jan, his new friend and companion was with him to witness this feat of baby prowess. Not bad for 7 weeks and 5 days. This certainly has been a week of many firsts. On Saturday night he slept through the night for the first time - Hooray!! We didn't hear a single peep from 11:30 PM until 6:30 AM. Last Wednesday, Mommy went to work out for the first time in 8 months and left this little bundle of joy with the babysitters at the gym. She only lasted 30 minutes on the treadmill but it was a start. OnThursday Jan came to take care of Harvey while Mommy went back to teaching. It was the longest she had been away from him since birth - a whopping 4.5 hours! Apparently he was a perfect baby for Jan. No crying or fussing the whole time and took his bottle like a champ. Pictured to the left is the little angel resting in his winged blanket (which by the way was a gift from our friend Shirley who knitted it for him). This upcoming Sunday will mark 8 weeks and Black Friday marks his 2 month birthday.

He's a Changed Man

This is what Joe says about Harvey after they return from their quality father-son time at the changing table AKA "Table of Torture" (see our earlier entryfrom October 3). Last night Harvey proved that he is really growing up. He slept from midnight until 6 AM without one peep! Maybe he is starting to know the difference between night and day. He is also getting quite proficient at getting his thumb and fingers into his mouth. On Monday he visited Dr. King and weighed in at 9 pounds 15 ounces and 23 inches. He is standing quite a bit with assistance and sometimes even walks on my chest. He even went up a diaper size. Actually he still fits into the smaller one, but he needs the extra absorbancy (smile). Tomorrow he will be seven weeks old. Keep it up cowboy!

Merci pour le pull...

Harvey loves his sweater that Erin, his buddy from The Diller Quaile School, got for him in France! The inscription is "mes amis Doudou et Coro". I wonder if these are famous animals from the French kiddy literature. It's a shame that he'll be too big to wear it to Fontainebleau next summer for his debut in the Chateau! So far he's taken two piano lessons and his fist is already quite competent at banging out two notes at a time. As Madame Duha (piano professor from the Paris Conservatoire) would say, "Pas mal!"

Swing Vote

I missed the polls for the first time in ages, but I exercised my civic right to getting some much-needed sleep. I don't know how we survived the first six weeks without a swing, but now we are in parental heaven. After reading all of the rave reviews on Amazon about the Aquarium Wonders Cradle Swing, I put in my vote for getting yet another space-hogging baby contraption. The buck stops here, folks. If all else fails, Harvey WILL go to sleep in the Swing and more importantly, STAY asleep. In fact, this is his current bed of choice. For a while he was a bouncer guy, and at one point we had to set up the stroller in the apartment and stroll him around at 5 AM, but now we can safely rely on Duracell D batteries and the swimming fishies to help preserve our nerves and tired arms from the endless jiggling and rocking and strolling. I am going to write a Thank You Card to Fisher Price right away!

Battle of the Bears

This is a classic case of old meets new. Oliver (right) has had full teddy bear rights until Marshmellow Man Bear arrived on the scene. It will be up to Harvey to decide which bear will win his affections. However, let us remember that this honor carries with it a lot of sleepless nights, drool on the fur, neck injuries and fur loss. It is a tough job...may the best bear win!

Little Bear Goes to Grandma's House

Harvey tried out his Halloween costume on Saturday and it was a big hit. On Halloween night, however he morphed into a MONSTER and kept mommie up until 6 AM. As I rocked him in my lap watching Halloween 5 on mute at 3 AM, I decided that Michael Myers wasn't nearly as scary without the cinematic background music, and certainly not as thrilling as the piercing sounds of a cranky fussy overtired baby!

1st Halloween

Harvey tried out his Halloween costume on Saturday and it was a big hit. On Halloween night, however he morphed into a MONSTER and kept mommie up until 6 AM. As I rocked him in my lap watching Halloween 5 on mute at 3 AM, I decided that Michael Myers wasn't nearly as scary without the cinematic background music, and certainly not as thrilling as the piercing sounds of a cranky fussy overtired baby!