Lucky # 16!

I am now 16 weeks pregnant and have a 16 month old! Wow time is flying by!! I'm still feeling great other than being tired but the fatigue isn't as bad as it was a few weeks ago. I haven't had any sickness other than feeling a little queasy after eating something with a red/tomato base. I still haven't felt any movement but I didn't with Henry until right at about 20 weeks. I have not done one thing to prepare for this baby and feeling a bit guilty about it. When I was 4 months along Henry, I had already picked out bedding, some furniture, and had a list of boy and girl names going. I keep telling myself it's because we don't know if it's a girl or boy yet but I think its pure procrastiation on my part. When I think about it I just get overwhelmed! Where is he or she going to fit in our tiny house? How am I going to raise 2 babies and work full time? What is Henry going to think about not being the only child around here? I realize these are all normal feelings but they are a bit overwhelming. I am so excited about this new baby and am overjoyed about bringing another life into our family, but a little scared too. I guess now that I think about it I had many worried feelings before Henry got here and just as He always does, God provided for us and I now could not imagine life without him! We go on Nov. 4th for my big u/s and to hopefully find out if henry is getting a brother or sister.

Henry is now 16 months old and such a joy to be around! Last month at the doctor he weighed 23lbs (35-40 percentile) and is 33 inches tall (95th percentile) He's such a happy boy and has such a fun personality. If a one year old can have a sense of humor, Henry certainly has one! He loves to laugh at silly things and he does silly things on purpose to make us laugh. His favorite game is to lean in for a kiss but pull away at the last minute and laugh and shake his head. I of course make a big deal about it and chase him around the house until I can steal a kiss from him which only keeps the game going. He LOVES to be outside. He can find dirt and sticks anywhere we go-such a boy. We play in the front yard every afternoon after school and Henry loves to wave at passing cars, chase the dog, and give me things he picks up in the drive way. He's still not talking a ton but is getting better about attempting to say a word if I ask him to. He's so funny, if he wants something but doesnt know the sign or word for it he will just make up a sign for it. This can be a bit frustrating for both of us but at least he's making an effort to communicate. He babbles in his crazy language all of the time and I love to hear it! His curent words: moma, dada, bah (ball), off, up, nana(banana), oosh (shoes), night night, mah (milk), and his grandarents: kaka (kk), mumu (mimi) bopoh (Bpaw) Ssssuussss (Sue Sue) and my least favorite: no, and top (stop). He also LOVES to dance and sing. His favorite songs to sing are: Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and BINGO (and he knows most of the hand motions to all of them) and he will dance to anything with a beat!

** I promise to get new pictures up soon!!

bare with me...

as I try to play catch up and get back to the blogging world...
I know there are about 7 posts tonight that have nothing but a title. I will be adding to them and updating but I didn't want to get so far behind where I wasn't blogging about current stuff so there you go. That's my excuse. I promise to add pictures soon!

First

Yes, even after 15 months we are still experiencing "firsts"... even though they don't happen as often as they did in the first year. This first, however, some may say is a little over due. Last night was Henry's first night to spend the night out, and our first night alone without Henry in the house! It wasn't exactly planned but was a success! We went to our dear friends, Mary and Scott's house for Mary's famous chicken spaghetti (mmm I'm still thinking about it today!!). I went ahead and packed pj's because I knew we'd probably get in after Henry's bedtime. After a fun night of dancing with the girls (Ive got to post some video of this kid's dance moves), eating a wonderful dinner, and even getting a bath in Marys big bathtub, Henry was having a ball! Mary begged for Henry to spend the night since he was already in his pjs and she happened to have the next day off and not a thing to do other than spend it with her favorite man!
I will openly admit I was a little apprehensive-not because I was worried Mary couldn't handle it-after all, she's raised three girls! It was me! I was worried how I would do... and more so how Henry would do, but I knew it was time. He needs the practice for when the baby comes. He can't exactly stay in the delivery room with us! When it came time for us to leave, he was a little cranky because it was past his bedtime so after my prince charming went home and packed him an overnight bag and loaded up the pack-n-play, I was able to put Henry down to sleep and leave knowing he went down easy knowing he was in a safe place.
I can't tell you how weird it felt coming home without him. It was that weird feeling like...well like you left your cell phone at home but a million times worse. Lee and I kept saying how quiet the house felt. Even when he's asleep we have the hum of his sound machine in the house. Last night it was just....quiet. Ahhhh...quiet... I was able to relax and get ready for bed knowing I would get a full night's sleep-unless of course Mary called because I must have said 900 times "Call us if you need us, even if it's in the middle of the night".
The strangest part was this morning. I actually had to set my alarm. I wasn't welcomed with a sweet, fuzzy-headed babe holding his Lamby reaching up out of his bed for me. I didn't like that part. BUT I got a text from Mary saying they had a wonderful night with no trouble and that Henry was just fine! I knew he would be. I am a little jealous Mary gets to have a day with my sweet man all to herself doing whatever they want to do-I know he's having a ball!

Big news!

Henry is going to be a big brother!
I can't believe I typing this. Is he even big enough to be a big brother?? He's still just a baby right? WRONG! Ever since I found out I was pregnant he seems even bigger to me. He looks so "grown" in his big boy tennis shoes and is starting to use a spoon! How can this be!?! Time flies when you're having fun! I know Henry is going to be the best big brother ever! He's so caring and loving. I can't wait to see the wonderful bond they will have being siblings. I hope they are close. they will be close in age (22months apart) but I hope they have a close, loving relationship. My due date is April 1st (yes, April Fool's Day!) I'm feeling great, no complaints other than being tired-really tired. But no morning sickness-thank God! I'll keep everyone updated via facebook and the blog.

First Day of School...sort of

teeth!!

We finally have more than 2 teeth! I swear I was ready to order baby dentures for my poor little toothless wonder but all of the sudden we have a mouth FULL!! The top four have been trying to come in for some time now but took forever to break through. Once they came in his bottom two (on either side of his little middle mouse teeth) started making their way through. Last night as I was trying to count his teeth I felt a sharp little molar coming in!! Other than being a drooling fool Henry has been a trouper! We had 2 fussy nights last week but I figured it was just a bad dream or something...poor fella! His little toothy grin is too cute these days. Ill try to get a picture posted.

Almost forgot about the aquarium!

Summer is over :(

Family beach trip

Splash Pad with friends

SUMMER!!!!!

Henry's Little Red Wagon Birthday Party!

bethany's wedding

April 30th
My best friend in the whole world married her best friend this weekend and I had the honor and privilege of being in the wedding. I was her matron of honor. It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! Bethany and Wes looked so happy and in love. The wedding was held at a beautiful little white chapel and the reception in an old but restored Southern Belle style home on a beautiful piece of property. The whole wedding looked as if it were a scene from a movie! My mom and Lee and Henry came and Henry had a blast dancing at the reception. Thank you Bethany and Wes for allowing me to play a part in your special day!!

beach trip

* 5/17/10
To celebrate my summer break starting I took a girls trip with two of my favorite ladies I teach with! This was my first time to leave Henry so I was a little nervous but I know he was in good hands with his daddy! Tracy was so kind to allow us to stay at her parents condo in Gulf Shores. Man was it a nice break! We slept in, went to the beach, and to the pool. I didn't have to fix anybody anything to eat or drink and for three whole days I didn't change a single diaper!! I missed Henry and Lee bunches but it was a much needed break!

11 months

original post 5/12/10
I cannot believe in one month I will have a one year old!!! Where has this year gone!?! Henry is such a sweet boy! He is so busy these days! He has taken several steps in a row and will be walking everywhere before I know it! He stands for several minutes and cruises everywhere. He can now stand from sitting without having to pull up on anything. He still just has two teeth but that doesn't slow him down food-wise. He is such a great eater! He eats many solid foods now and is very well behaved when we go out to eat. He still says momma dadda and "bah" for ball. He signs more, eat, milk, and all done. he loves to play outside and climb all over Sophie-she's such a good dog. He LOVES to go outside and his favorite place to play is at the park! We can't wait for his party next month!!

tubes

Original post May 11th
I had a wonderful post and when I cut to paste into word to spell check I lost it all! :(

Henry continued to have one ear infection after another so finally after his 7th (i think) double ear infection, we went to see an pediatric ENT. At the initial consult Henry failed his hearing test. The doctor said it was most likely due to the amount of fluid on his ears and that after tubes it would drain off and he would regain his hearing. Nothing like a failed hearing test to make a momma nervous! After talking more with the doctor, he said Henry was a perfect candidate for tubes and we scheduled them for the following week.
Henry was such a trouper! We woke him up early that morning and loaded him into the car with no bottle or breakfast. We arrived at the outpatient clinic and checked him in and they took us to our own waiting room. The nurses were so nice and the whole waiting area was brightly decorated and had all kinds of fun ride-on toys and things to play with. After about an hour of waiting they called for Henry to go back. Lee and I were so nervous! I swear he wasn't gone 15 minutes and they brought me back a groggy, cranky baby with cotton filled ears. Boy was he mad. He twisted and turned and refused his bottle and his daddy. The only thing that calmed him down was eating ice chips (he is like his mom and loves ice). A little bit later the nurse came by and said he looked great and that we could take him home.
The rest of the day went great! Henry came home and drank two bottles back to back (He hadn't eaten since the night before) and played. We all three took a nice long nap together. We were so thankful his surgery went well with no complications!

I am happy to report that at Henry's follow up appointment he passed his hearing test with flying colors and has not had another ear infection since (knock on wood).

It's been too long!

Wow! I really stink at this whole blogging thing lately! Life has really been busy lately but we're still here!! Im going to back track and blog from where I left off. Believe it or not I've started many blogs about this summer but either haven't finished or haven't added pictures. Not really sure who's out there that reads this but here goes nothing to try to catch up!!

First Visit to the Park

The park here in town has been closed due to construction (why didn't they choose to work on it this winter is still a mystery to me) for the past two months but it finally opened last weekend. After church Sunday, we met Mimi, B-Paw and Uncle Daniel for lunch and then decided to hit the park. They all joined us to watch Henry play. He loved the park. He talked and squealed, and pointed to all of the people and playground equipment. The one thing he didn't love was crawling on the warm rubber padded flooring covering the park. I think his favorite thing was the swing.

I know there will be many more trips to the park in our near future!

First Easter

Henry's first Easter was a lot of fun. We did the whole Easter bunny thing and Henry woke to find a trail of plastic eggs that led him to his basket full of goodies.

We didn't go overboard as we tried to keep focused on the meaning for the holiday as the resurrection of our Savior. After breakfast we headed to a wonderful Easter service at church then to Mimi and B-Paws for lunch with the family. Henry had a great time visiting with everyone and playing in the bubbles with cousin Summer.

I think he loved playing with the plastic egg most. (it's three weeks later and we still have them out to play with)

Ten Months

My sweet snuggle bunny is ten months old! I can't believe I am already thinking about planning a first birthday!! I was cleaning out his closet and drawers the other day making room for spring and summer clothes and cannot get over how big he is! I can remember them just swallowing them whole and now they are all skin tight and too short. How is it that he is getting so big right before my very own eyes! I was holding him tonight before going to bed and looked down and he is all legs and arms spilling over my lap! He used to be so tiny and fragile looking!


Not only is he growing like a weed but he is learning at lightning speed. He now says momma and da-da and recently out of the blue starting saying uh-oh and at the appropriate time. In fact he drops things on purpose just to say uh-oh. Another new favorite game is...What does a __________ say? As soon as Lee or I say that He stops and looks at us and giggles when we make whatever sound the said animal makes. Henry is the happiest baby I know! He loves "school" and doesn't cry when Lee drops him off anymore and he's so excited when I pick him up. He also loves to be outside. Now that its warmed up we try to stroll every afternoon with my friend and her little girl. Henry just kicks and babbles and hangs out. After our stroll we often sit in the front yard and watch the cars drive by as we wait for Lee to come home from work (he points with his little finger at the cars all the cars).

Henry is eating more and more table food. This Saturday he had his first taste of pancakes (minus the syrup) and he LOVED them! He's also gotten a little pickier. One day last week he ate sweet peas like they were going out of style and the next night he totally snubbed them~silly boy! He still takes a bottle four times a day and juice or water from a sippy cup.

The biggest milestone we've hit this month is walking! Yes I have a WALKING boy in the house!! He started taking a few steps and then just took off! He still falls a good bit and has that cute drunken baby walk but he's getting better and better every day. If he wants to get somewhere fast he'll crawl but for the most part he walks, falls, and gets right back up and tries again. It's so bitter sweet.

Remember her?

remember my new best friend? Well she's now my latest obsession passion! I LOVE doing appliques and embroidery! I love being creative and figuring out what I am going to make and picking out the coordinating thread and fabrics and then seeing it all come together as a finished product. These are a few of my latest....

And this...

this is my new sewing room/office/guest /catch-all room...but mostly its my sewing room. My inlaws had the desk in their basement and graciously let me use it so I have more room to spread out and work. Doesn't it look professional? I've now moved out of the closet and my sweet husband can have his closet back and doesn't have to share with Henry. Have I mentioned how much I love him? He's so supportive and just my biggest fan and cheerleader whenever I get excited about something. Not only has he given up more of his space but he's been dragged (drug?) from here to just about every fabric and craft store in Birmingham without complaining without too much complaining and has even done emergency "I'm out of stabilizer" runs while on his lunch break so that I'd have it that evening.

Im starting to take on a few applique/monogramming jobs here and there which are fun and frightening all at the same time. It's one thing to mess up on a t-shirt I am making for Henry and a whole 'nother to fear I might mess up something of someone else's. So far I've been pleased with what I've done. I told Lee if I make enough money I am going to hire a cleaning lady :) He seems to think that's a great idea since our present one is too busy crafting and raising a baby to do much cleaning around here ;0)
Here are a few things I've done for others...

NiNe MoNtHs!!

** I forgot to publish this saved post earlier this month then I was going to wait until I had pictures and doctor stats and forgot :)

My little lucky charm is nine months already! Its hard to believe I carried him for as long as he has been here! Him being here has been much more fun although I loved being pregnant. He is such a joy to have around and he makes my heart smile! He is getting to be SO much fun and his little personality is developing everyday. At nine months he loves taking baths, stroller rides, loving on our dog Sophie, playing with tupperware, snuggling when he wakes up, quiet time with his "Lamby", books, his daddy, and LOVES blowing kisses! He is SO close to walking its so funny to watch him. He now can stand up without pulling up and will just stand all on his own and when we try to get him to walk he will take a step and clap because he's used to up clapping and he gets all excited and looses his balance and falls-silly boy! He is now eating some table foods and is like a little bird when we are eating something, he'll open his mouth and grunt until we give him a taste. He ate almost an entire plate of guacamole when we ate Mexican the other night. He still has just two little "mouse teeth" as we call them on the bottom. We're trying the sippy cup more and more but he still loves a bottle. I took him to the doctor for his 9 month check up and he is 20.8lbs (40th percentile) and 30 inches tall (97th percentile!) my little string bean ;0) Dr. S said he looked great and was impressed with his ability to blow kisses, stand, and do some baby sign language. Henry was a champ and did all of his "tricks" for him. We were both happy to hear there were no shots for this visit. The bad news is that he had ANOTHER double ear infection-I didn't even know! this was his 5th infection since June so he has referred us to an ENT for a tubes consult next month.

I dont have his 9month pictures loaded yet but here are a few from the past month..Henry and Summer at their 1st sleepover (both busting out of their pjs)

SOOOO big!

 the kitchen whisk

Henry's new favorite toy

Standing all by myself!

So close to taking a step!

Happy Valentine's Day!

...a week late :)

Here are a few pictures of my sweet Valentine before we went to chuch on Valentine's day. I never thought I would/could love him as much as I do! He is wearing a shirt I appliqued for him that I am very proud of! It was the first one that I've actually let him wear (others I have messed up on and they've gone into the "practice pile").

family, trains, and fish

The day after our big blizzard dusting of snow, we packed up what seemed like enough stuff for three days for Henry and headed out to Chattanooga for the day. We met my dad, and my brother Joe, his wife Kiersten and their three kids. (You can see their family's adventures here) As soon as we pulled up Grandpa Doug had us hop on a train, can we say perfect timing?? Henry took his first train ride and he really seemed to enjoy it. I know the big cousins did! We took a quick little trip to a nearby station, turned around and came right back. When we got back, we watched the conductor turn the train on the roundabout and took a quick tour of the workshop.

Then... it was off to the aquarium! Let me just tell you the walk from the parking deck to the aquarium was cold and windy!! Before we got our tickets, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat because we knew we were going to have a big dinner a few hours later. We first stopped at a burger place but they had 30 minute wait so someone had the bright idea to go next door to the hotdog stand. The hotdog stand that was basically a window you walk up to and order and stand and wait....did I mention how COLD and WINDY it was?? Needless to say that part was the least fun of the whole trip. We scarfed down our food while we jogged in place to stay warm and then took off to the aquarium. It was a lot of fun! Henry LOVED to watch the big fish, turtles, and sea creatures/animals swim in front of him. He would get so excited and bounce and "talk" and reach out and touch the glass when something swam in front of him. The pictures don't quite capture the excitement.

After lots of walking and seeing lots of water and sea life, we went back to Joe and Kiersten's hotel for a delicious spaghetti dinner and to hang out with the family for a little bit. While Kiersten worked her magic in the kitchen, Joe took the kids to the indoor swimming pool. If you have ever seen Henry in the bath you would know that he LOVES water. I mean this kid gets excited when you turn the kitchen sink on so we couldn't miss out on the opportunity to see what he'd do in a swimming pool. To say he enjoyed himself is saying the least. That boy splashed until I thought his skinny little arms were going to fall off. He loved it. We didn't bring our swim suits to get into the water with him so I rolled up my jeans and let him sit on the first step and splash his little heart out! He was so cute! I can't wait to see how he'll do in the pool and ocean this summer!

After dinner and a little Olympic watching, we packed up and headed home. We had such a great time visiting with the family and can't wait to do it again soon!