It’s a girl! A big one, too. She’s got the sweetest eyes and an even sweeter smile.
I call her Mommy. She’s already seen the handful I can be, so we’re both very lucky to have
the best backup ever – my Daddy – always at our side on the bumpy path of
PARENTING

That’s right – I’m part of this too. After all, if you get to baby me, why shouldn’t I parent you?
Besides, I’ve heard some of those other “parenting” guides, and they’re a complete load of BS – baby shaming.
“Babies are bad sleepers,” they say. “Babies fuss a lot.” “Babies are needy.”
All this without hearing MY SIDE of the story.
But, to be fair, they do get one thing right: I am messy. But so is life. And so is parenting.

So, Mommy and Daddy, let’s be a mess together!
WELCOME TO
Harper’s
Guide

the top 10 TIPS I've come up
with inspired by our everyday life

to help you (continue!) to be the best Mommy and Daddy
this playful, growing, loving little baby could ever dream of having.

The DADDY

formerly known as Ryan

Naya,

aka MOMMY!!!

What did Mommy and Daddy do for fun before I came along?!
They’re so happy and excited by everything I do. I lifted my head last week
and Daddy started clapping, and just yesterday when I pulled
Mommy’s hair, she smiled so much I could see ALL of her teeth!
But this morning was my biggest performance so far. It all started with
a trip to the changing table…

       When Mommy opened my diaper, I aimed right at her face and
peed. She was very impressed – she opened her eyes wide and her jaw
dropped. So, not wasting a single drop I also got some on her shirt, my onesie
and the floor – I really MADE IT RAIN! All this was so much fun that when
she lifted my legs to dry me off, I just couldn’t hold it in. My bum burped
and suddenly, my excitement came pouring out of me into my fresh, new
diaper and up onto my back. There was a lot of it too, as I had been

   When he saw what I’d brought to the table, he covered his mouth. I
couldn’t see his smile, so I decided that this wasn’t the end of ROUND
NUMBER 2. And it worked! My encore had them dancing around

and singing loudly! I also started wiggling and even splashed my feet
in the puddles. It was a real LOTTA-POO-LOOZA!
      So, that's how to rock diaper changes. It won’t be easy to top today,
but I’ll sure try! The sky’s the limit … well, in my case, the ceiling fan.

Show's over for now – I’m pretty wiped!

building it up for 3, maybe 4 – or was it 9? – days, and Mommy
wanted Daddy to see it as well.

Harper's TO DOO TIP:
Keep backup close by, and always expect an encore!

    This body of mine continues to surprise me! There I was, wondering how I would
EVER see what the tops of tables, boxes, and other things around our home
looked like when the answer was in my mouth this whole time. FEET!
As tasty as these leg-hands are to suck on, they’re even better to
stand on! This is just like when I thought my spit-up was meant to mark where
I’ve been, when its real purpose is clearly for finger painting on the go.

Now I’m head over heels with my new perspective. I simply use my
arm-feet to hold onto the coffee table or Mommy’s legs or the toilet seat
and voilà, I can see what’s hiding above. It’s incredible what I see when I’m
up high! The view is even better than I could've imagined. So now I’m hooked:
I get high first thing in the morning, at the park, and sometimes even at the store.
It does get me hungry like nothing else, though! Probably because of the
workout that it is.

Among all the breakables kept from my grasp, I have spotted some pretty
fun-looking things as well. Good thing I'm starting to learn that my feet can
move, and I can shimmy closer to things I want while standing up, too. Next time
Daddy is not watching, I’ll see where my feet can take me after I
get up and stand up.

   And not just for me, but for Mommy and Daddy, too! They're
JUMPING UP and running toward me all the time now.

Harper's  TOKEN TIP:
Don't let me wake and break!
Keep fragile valuables out of my newly-elevated reach.
Spills and smashes are real buzzkills.

I won't give up THE FIGHT!