21 Months!!!

I found this in my draft folder. Enjoy!! Originally written 04/2014

So, I haven't been great about updating this blog. Work has been busy and really stressful, and we've been busy trying to figure out what's going to happen in the next 6 months or so.

Dan has been accepted to the Ph.D. program in European History at UCSC, so we will be moving in six months or so. I have mixed feelings about it. I am grateful for the time we have had in Utah, living close to my brother, sister-in-law and beautiful niece. We are 5 hours away from my family in Boise. 

There have been so many great opportunities in Utah. Hospital politics and drama aside, I love my job and have grown so much as an RN. Dan loves the U, and his mentors have been awesome. The U paid a large portion of his travel expenses to Ireland to present his Master's Thesis at University College Cork. If we had stayed, we would have been looking to buy a house in the next year. I've rented all of my adult life, so that would have been great. It's much more affordable here. 

Anyways, anyone reading this (mostly family), wants to hear about HENRY! He's so awesome. He's talking a bunch, kissing girls (whoa!), growing, bonding...He's just beautiful. We are so blessed to have him in our lives. He is a beast (last weight 28 pounds), and around 30". His head circumference has remained 95th percentile. He loves his book Where is Spot and is so cute when he says "No" ("Is Spot under the stairs? No!"). The pediatrician said we should be limiting screen time. We try, but sometimes Sesame Street gives us some reprieve when he's tired and nothing else works. 

Daddy and H at the Hogle Zoo (We bought an annual membership...Totally worth it!) 

We went to the zoo with my family this weekend. Henry hasn't been since he was 9 months old. He loved the bear exhibit and the lemurs. He pointed and screamed at them...It was really cute!

Henry at 15 Months, and other things...

Henry turned 15 months old on Saturday! I reminisced about his birth this week when I visited the unit where he was born. A coworker of mine gave birth to her second girl on Sunday, and I had stopped by to visit. I sat on a bench by the front desk as I texted her, not wanting to wake her or the baby (her door was closed). As I waited for a reply, my gaze wandered to the hallway adjacent to the front desk. I remember vividly walking laps down that hallway post C-section, pushing newborn Henry in his bassinet. The surgery had taken its toll, and I wanted to recover as quickly as possible. I remember the room I was in, tucked away in the north corner of the unit, learning to nurse my baby, worrying that his jaundice wouldn't clear in time to take him home, supplementing him with formula because he lost 10% body weight in the first 2 days, cuddling him as I cried for everything to turn out alright. And it did! All of the events surrounding his birth have started to blur a bit, and I should take some time to write his birth story...

Anyway, Henry has been in day care since the end of August, and he has really enjoyed it. I have visited a couple of times after work, and he will come cuddle in my lap while I talk to the daycare providers. The teachers say that he is very attuned to the other children's emotions, and will often get upset if another child is distressed. He loves his teachers, and will often go to them for hugs. He is fascinated with cars and wheels. I went to Kid to Kid, a second-hand clothing and toy store, to buy him some new shoes, and I also picked up a wooden car set. He loves playing with the wheels and pushing the cars around.  

He is walking well, but will still have spills every once in awhile. He fell and hit the coffee table this week, so he has some bruising and scratches around his eye. :( 

Not sure what he is upset about here, but the look is priceless...

Being silly with Daddy...

Update, 11/04/13: So I was waiting for H's 15-month checkup to post this. He is nearly 24 pounds (50th percentile) and 33 inches tall, which would put him in the 99th percentile for height. The doc didn't believe that the measurement was accurate, but stated that even if it was off by an inch, he is still tall for his age. Maybe he'll be tall like Grandpa Nick! He is meeting all of his milestones. In general, Henry is a happy boy who likes to be around people (didn't get that from me...ha!) We love you, Henry!

13 months went by fast...

So Henry turns 14 months today, and my scatter brain didn't even realize that I hadn't started his 13 month post! Blergh...Anyway, if I could sum up 13 months, it would be "Henry masters walking and finds his rhythm". Henry now prefers walking to crawling or any other mode of transportation, including being in the car (which suddenly he doesn't enjoy as much). He zips around on his feet, and has even started climbing, as in climbing on the TV stand, the coffee table, chairs, and anything else within reach. This is terrifying and exciting at the same time. He lumbers after his BFF, the cat, and races to meet me at the front door when I return from work (be still my heart)! It's amazing how fast Henry masters new skills. I think of it in neurons...New synapses being formed all of the time. It's quite incredible.

Henry waving the cat's toy as she looks on 

Henry is a dancer too, unlike his Mama, who lacks rhythm. Dan will put on a song, and in a matter of seconds, H will be bouncing up and down to the music! It is the cutest thing ever! 

Other developments:

-Teeth: H has 12 of them! All 4 first molars are in, as are his 4 front bottom and top teeth! He eats everything we give him, but especially likes yogurt tubes ("Gogurt"), chicken nuggets, and string cheese. 

-Language: Henry knows "Mama" and "Dada", but hasn't really added any other words yet. I bought him a book called My 100 First Words with pictures, and we read that everyday. He also likes Goodnight Moon and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs at bedtime. 

-Speaking of bedtime: H takes 2 solid naps a day, usually from about 10 or 11am to 1pm, and 4 to 6pm. The second one is kind of on the late side, so we usually don't lay him down at night until 9 or so. He sleeps through the night. 

-Child care: We have been so fortunate to have H with us almost every day for the first 14 months of his life. But the time has come to trust someone else with his care during the week. Dan is starting school next week, and he was awarded a graduate teaching position, which covers his tuition and offers him a stipend every month. In exchange, he will be teaching and holding office hours in addition to his other coursework. We enrolled H in child care through the U for 4 days a week, and approximately 2-3 hours a day. Dan will drop off and pick up H before and after class. I went with them yesterday to check out the child care center and meet with the director, and I was impressed. It's so incredibly hard to leave my child with someone else who's not family, but I know that it will benefit his socialization. We love you, buddy!!!

1 year old!!!

Henry turned one last month!!! He had a great birthday at West Jordan Park with Mom, Dad, and Dan's family. It was a warm day, beautiful and sunny. Henry went on the swings and flew a kite with Dad:

Hangin' in the shade

We had his birthday party the next day at Des' parents house in Lehi. I decided on a dinosaur theme because, well, what kid doesn't like dinosaurs? The party was complete with blowup dinosaurs, dinosaur masks, a mylar dinosaur centerpiece, a dinosaur cake and homemade dinosaur sugar cookies. Yeah, so I went a little overboard...

Gramma Laurie modeling the dino decor

Hangin' with Ma

He means business!

Henry DESTROYED his cake! So proud :)

Happy 1st Birthday, little man!!! xoxo 

Teething is a real...

...you-know-what! Henry is getting all four of his first molars...at the same time! We've given him Tylenol and ibuprofen. I've tried nursing him, walking with him, and Dan spent the last 20 minutes rocking him in the chair. Nothing has worked. I know that this is just a part of growing up, but feeling powerless is so hard!

Henry's First Haircut

Henry got his first haircut today! He was such a good boy. The stylist was great. She made the whole thing a game, and I managed to snag some hair for H's baby book as I was trying to hold him on my lap with Dan snapping pictures. Here's Henry in motion...

Dad, what is going on?!

Duck tail :)

What's that buzzing noise?

Are we done yet?

Henry and Christine the baby whisperer/hair stylist...LOL

 

Baby trimmings...I love his blonde hair :)

Months 10 & 11

Henry, 11 months

Being a mom and a full-time nurse means that some things must fall to the wayside, including this blog. Henry is turning 1 in less than a week, and I have been busy planning his party. What started out as a small gathering has turned into quite the event. We have family coming from out of town for Henry's birthday. We are extremely grateful that there are so many people who love H and want to spend his special day with him. I am working Wednesday and Thursday, and everyone is arriving on Friday!!! The thought of planning his party and accommodating visitors, while also working 12-shifts, stresses me out. I just keep reminding myself that this is for Henry, and he only turns 1 once!

Putting the circus aside for a moment, Henry is becoming a little man before our eyes. He hasn't started walking yet, but he stands on his own, without support, when he feels like it. Tom swore that he took a step yesterday, but we have no photographic evidence to corroborate that. He waves "hello" and "bye-bye" enthusiastically when Dan and I wave at him. He is cutting a molar at the moment, so he has been quite crabby the last week! Dan sleep-trained him a few weeks ago, so he really has no issues at night. He has a bedtime routine of dinner at six, bath (if it's a bath night), story time, then bed. We try to stick to the routine as much as we can, although there are nights when we are out late (like last night), and we have to be somewhat flexible.

Playing with packing is so fun!

He "talks" quite a bit, usually involving a string of "Mamamama" or "Dadadada", along with chirps, squeals and laughter. The funniest thing is when he imitates the cat. He is obsessed with Annabelle, and will follow her around the room. His voice gets higher-pitched, and he makes a sort of mewing sound, eyes fixed on the cat the entire time. It is a riot! Which reminds me, I must try to record him next time. Annabelle is not amused with H's fascination with her, and has made a few harmless swipes at him, as if to say "Leave me alone, kid!"

10 Months

 Henry is not a picky eater at all. If Mom is eating, he wants some. He can handle most foods. I nurse twice a day, and he also eats 2-3 meals a day. We supplement with formula when I'm working, and Henry also like apple juice in a cup. His favorite foods are string cheese and Mum-Mums (little rice wafers that come in a bunch of flavors). He has meat that has been pureed, like Happy Baby Organics Gobble-Gobble or Chick-Chick. I was tempted to go vegetarian, but opted for organic instead.

Thanks for the ice cream, Mom!

Henry is observant and enjoys being around other people. He often gets smiles from strangers at the store. He absolutely loves his Aunt Des (we joke that she's his "girlfriend"), and he always has fun hanging out with her, Uncle Tom, and Cousin Azlynn. KinderMusik is on summer break, so Dan has been spending a lot of time playing the guitar and the keyboard with him. It's baseball season, and there have been lots of Little League games going on during our walks at Veterans Park. It's neat to wonder what interests H will have when he gets older. Will he be a musician? An athlete? A science geek like his mom? For now, we love watching him be a baby. That will be over soon enough...