Henry: (almost) 16 months

It feels weird to even type that out- almost 16 months. Slow down time, will ya? Recently I went through this phase where I was so depressed that our little boy was growing up so quickly. I looked through old photos and videos endlessly, trying to remember what it felt like to have his tiny body curled on my chest, what it sounded like as he made those little sleep noises while drifting off to sleep, what it looked like to see tiny baby Henry and his Dad snuggled up on the couch. That nostalgic feeling lasted a day or two, but then it gave way to this overall feeling of happiness that he is indeed growing up, and how wonderful that really is, of course. I think all Moms deal with this, and I've probably dedicated one too many posts to discussing it again and again (and again!), but for good reason- for me it's emotionally one of the hardest things about being a parent. There's this reluctance to let go of the previous stage but at the same time there's the biggest excitement and fascination with the present and future...and I'm sure so many Moms can relate to that.

So now almost 16-month old Henry is walking and talking and is ALL over the place. Seriously. This boy does not leave anything unturned, unopened, unexplored. Which is pretty awesome but of course pretty exhausting for me too, as the main chaser. I can't complain though because I really really love how inquisitive he is, and I'll chase that boy all day if it means he gets to keep figuring things out and learning. He speaks constantly, even though we can't always make out what he is saying. Right now he can say ball, mama, da (short for dada, I guess), up, fan, and some other things he repeats but I have no idea what the meaning is. Henry also says "what's that?" all the time and Hank and I are positive "that's cool" is a regular phrase too...although "das coo" is more what it sounds like. He's the biggest love bug and is always smiling- he's really goofy and silly most of the time. He does lots of funny things- one notable thing is he will grab his blanket and lay down if we say "Henry, time for night-night." It kills me every time. He gives so many hugs and kisses, and he seems to understand most everything we say to him. In short, it's SO much fun and this age is just the best. He's a ham, a wild man, and a cuddle monster all rolled into one.

At the same time, we have one stubborn and headstrong guy on our hands. Tantrums have definitely started. He can go from happy baby to pissed off baby within two seconds, so I've been trying to work with him on that. The main source of his frustration are usually one of two things: if I take something away from him or if I don't allow him into a place he wants to go (like the pantry).  His meltdowns aren't very frequent, but when they happen I try not to react to his outburst, but still let him know I'm there for him. It's tough. I feel like he gets obsessed with things- a water bottle, or a noise maker at music class this morning- and needs to have it. If I take it away he won't calm down until he finds it again, or finds something else to distract himself. Another thing he's been doing lately is "testing" me.  He'll go up to the television, put his hand on it (not allowed), then look back at me for a reaction. I say no, he moves on, but he'll go do something else he knows he isn't allowed to do, like open our bedroom door.  He'll walk around the house doing this. Sometimes it's SO hard not to laugh because he has this huge goofy smile on his face, but I try and remain serious, as tough as it is!

Overall though, we have a very sweet, loving little 15 (almost 16) month old. I love this little guy more every day, and it's only getting more fun as he becomes more and more communicative.  He says a few words now, and I am so excited for the day he says full sentences. I can't even imagine him saying "Mom! I'm hungry! Where's the food?" but I know it will be here before we know it.

Henry's 15 month stats from last month: 23 lbs, 5 oz and 31.5 inches tall. Awesome. I love you Henry!

Readmore..

Hourglass

Time is a funny thing. It's a theme in my life, if not the governing force. I think about it often. It makes me sad (it's going by too quickly), and it makes me immeasurably happy (another day to spend with my loves). I'm obsessed with it, in a way. I write about it all the time- I often think I have too much of a hold on the olden, golden days. I often think about the fact that I loved my childhood so much that it makes me want to cry knowing it's gone. But then I look at my little darling boy and know that I get to do it again, and make it even better for him.

I think back to when Henry was a baby, the tiniest thing, all nestled in my arms. I remember waking up, and up again, throughout the night. Groundhog Day, repeat, repeat. There were times where I was so tired that I wasn't sure if I would even make it to the morning (dramatic as always), and there were times where I wanted someone, anyone to help me because I felt lost trying to figure out this new job with no handbook or trainer or anyone to say "here, let me show you." But because of my obsession with time and thinking about that little hourglass' sand drop-drop-dropping away in the back of my mind I know those hard nights were to be savored.  Even the worst times, when we didn't know why he was crying, if he would ever stop, the nights where we would take turns pacing with our little man in our arms, crying, inconsolable...those were also the best times. While we were right smack dab in the middle of it I can distinctly remember thinking that this would never, ever happen again. It was depressing and beautiful and real, and knowing that there was such an expiration date on all of it made my heart ache from both loss' anticipation but also because there was so much more goodness to come.

Parenthood is funny like that. It's all too easy to spend your time feeling frustrated with the state you're in, only to miss it when it's gone. What I know for sure is that I don't want to wake up and have my little love all grown up, wondering where it all went. So I will keep being obsessed with the time I have, I will continue to keep my finger on the pulse of this hourglass, I will keep feeling like every single stage is the best part of it all. I will be in the very moment I'm in. Wailing Henry, crying Henry, smiling Henry, little baby, little crawler, little toddler. And when those hard times come, as all hard times inevitable do, I will always remember to whisper to myself, "this is it, this is life." And enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Readmore..

Henry's first trip to the Zoo!

Today was so much fun. And I'm pretty sure Henry had fun too, although it's kind of hard to tell when you take a 15-month old to the zoo since he can't really say "hey this is SO fun!" But I'm guessing all of his pointing, laughing, and "what's that?" meant he loved it too.  It was a beautiful day (let's ignore the insane wind and focus on the sun!) and we met a handful of my friends and their kiddos for the afternoon. Our group spent a few hours walking around, playing, and snacking. We'd never been to the Phoenix Zoo and after going I think we will probably get an annual pass next fall. There weren't too many animals out today, but we did meet a huge rainbow-bummed baboon and some silly monkeys. We also saw tigers, giraffes, and an elephant, and pet some goats in the petting zoo. All in all, tons of fun. Here are some photos from our day:

Readmore..

Henry: Month by Month

Henry is 15 months old today and I realized last night I never shared all of his monthly photos! It's so neat to see them side-by-side, and then look at him now. He's such a big boy! Henry has his 15-month check-up tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be sharing more about that post-appointment. I should also add that recently Hank and I have been talking about a possible baby #2. Ah! And although we aren't quite there yet, it's been fun imagining Henry as a big brother. I feel like I'm so used to having a boy that if we ended up having a girl it would be such a change. We've had our girl name picked out for the past 7 years and imagining a little lady is so fun, but at the same time, I'd love to have another boy. Either way we'll be happy of course, and it's kind of nice to not have a preference. I'm getting a little ahead of myself here since we are just starting to talk about it, but it's just so exciting that I had to share!

Anyway, here's the collage. I just used fabric, sheets, or curtains that we had around the house to use for the backdrop, and then also displayed all of these photos at his first birthday party. Our family and friends loved it, and it was a fun tribute to those 12 months that had gone by way too quickly. I think my favorite photo from the bunch would have to be from month 5. Although Henry had always been the sweetest thing, it was right around then when his personality really started to emerge. I love all of them, but that picture is just way too cute.

On a side note, when I do this again for any future kiddos, I will definitely not take them laying down. From 9 months on it was a nightmare to try and get our roly-poly, crawling dude to lay on his back for more than 3 seconds. It was downright impossible and not fun at all. Next time I'm thinking a chair or couch photo would work a lot better.

Readmore..

Sad/happy

Last night I was up late (way too late) and decided to look through some old photobooth photos while Henry was asleep and Hank was at the studio. BAD IDEA. I found myself crying, watching little videos Henry and I made, looking at old funny pictures, and reveling in how teeny tiny he once was. I thought about a lot, but mainly about how quickly Henry's first year went by and about how he'd never be that small, ever again. I looked through photos I had taken while he slept on my chest, photos of his first smiles, pictures of his adorable bald head. I got to hear his little coos and listen to the funny sounds he made as a newborn. It was also neat to see myself as a brand new Mom. It made me realize just how painfully fast time has gone by. It was tough, and as I sat there crying and laughing I thought about how grateful I feel to have had all of these moments. Happy and sad. It must have been a middle-of-the-night thing though, because this morning when I woke up I wasn't upset anymore- more so just excited to be right where we are in this exciting 14-month stage. Although I do miss tiny Henry more than I could ever express, I love this Henry even more. And it reminded me to keep taking as many photos as I do, because I can only imagine how I'll feel looking back at these things when he's all grown up.

 

Readmore..

Playdates & feeling like an adult

Do you ever stop yourself in the middle of something and think "Holy cow, I'm an adult?" As expected it's been happening more than ever now that I'm a parent, and sometimes it totally sneaks up on me in the weirdest places. For instance just the other morning I was pulling out of our garage and I had these thoughts- "I have a garage." "I have a garage with shelving in it, with things organized on them." "Ahhh I'm an adult!" Do you know what I mean, or am I just crazy? We'll be doing weird things, like spending a Sunday afternoon at Home Depot, or anything else that seems "adult-like" and I'll think about this.

This past Thursday Autumn invited some of our girlfriends over to her house for a playdate. I've spent countless days over there, but for some reason on this day I kept thinking about how crazy it was that we were all Moms now, going over to a friend's house to get our kids together. It's something my Mom did all the time when we were younger- we spent so many afternoon at our friends' houses, our Moms talking in the kitchen- and it was kind of neat to think that now I was the mama doing these things.  It's all come full-circle.

It was a great day though, and so fun to see all of the kids together, since we had a huge age range. Nat's little girl Scarlet is 10 months, Henry is 14 months, Autumn's kids are 23 months and 3 1/2, and Anita's daughter Lola is 2 1/2.

Here are a few photos from our day-

Readmore..

New Year's Weekend

Oh, Arizona!  After a bit of a rough morning we decided to spend Saturday afternoon at the park in my parents' neighborhood to cheer up a bit. It was a beautiful day- 77 degrees and sunny. What a New Years' Eve, right? It was a lot of fun watching Abe and Hank throw the football around (the photo of them makes me laugh) and Henry enjoyed playing in the grass since most of it up north at our house is dead due to the freezing winter conditions. I love that you can drive a short two hours one way and be in snow, and turn right around the other way and head towards heat. Pretty cool.

We spent the rest of our New Year's laying low, eating and laughing. It was the perfect way to ring in 2012! We're currently dealing with some family stuff- my Grandma isn't doing too well- so being together was great. Plus, Henry brings a smile to everyone's face. I was so tempted to wake him up at midnight for a little smooch but my responsible side won out.

Whatever you did, I hope you had the happiest of New Year's Eves! Here's to a great 2012. 

Readmore..