Flashback Friday - cousins

I was looking through old pics and stumbled on these. I forgot about these pictures, but so glad I have them. I remember that night, laughing hysterically at the babies' facial expressions. It's funny how a handful of pictures can cause the memories to flood back in.  It's also sweet to see how chunky and bald they were. :)

every. single. time.

 

Livie is thinking "Hey, look at these!" and Henry is probably thinking "What are you playing with? I want those!"

You can also read the blog post from two years ago: cousins

A letter to Henry - 2.5 years old

Henry, you are officially 2 and a half. I can't believe it yet it seems like you've always been a part of our lives.

You have the sweetest heart, most of the time. You've recently started telling us "Be bareful" (careful) and "I help you." You love to help when I do your laundry and you're good about picking up your toys when asked. You have recently taken interest in feeding Kiki. She loves that you help her out as you usually over-serve her. :) 

You love dress up and pretend.  I can't tell you how many pictures your Nanny has sent me of you in a "pretty dress" or what you call Izzy's tutus. I know you will hate me for this someday, but I think it's precious that you don't have a care in the world when you're playing pretend.  You love to dance with your whole body which makes us laugh and smile.

playing in Izzy's black sparkly tutu

you love dancing to the Hot Dog Dance

 

Despite playing in tutus, you are very much ALL BOY! You think it's hilarious to burp or toot and broadcast that you have to anyone in earshot.  You love to climb on the furniture or at the park. You're very much into sports and your favorite is baseball.  Football season started last month and you've taken interest, but you're not sure why Daddy screams at the tv when he watches. The secret buddy, we're Cowboys fans in this house which results in lots of screaming during the game.  I know your Daddy is really looking forward to teaching you about the game when you're a little older. You love motorsports from dirt track racing to NASCAR to drag racing and even dirt bike racing.

playing with a football

You love putting your Little People in your dragster

Cheering on cousin Emma at her softball game "Go baseball, go!"

You love going to church every Sunday and have lots of little friends in Sunday School. You know the story of Jonah and the whale and that Jesus loves you. Your Daddy and I love seeing you learn and grow in Him.

We took you to the doctor a few days ago for a nasty virus and you weighed about 27 pounds. You're still a little on the short side compared to your friends at church, but you've recently had a growth spurt.  Your shorts hit the middle of your calves when the summer started, but now they hit right at the knee.  This might explain your marathon nap times and ever growing appetite. Granted sometimes you are too busy to eat, but other nights you'll put down 8 chicken nuggets, grapes and a couple of glasses of milk.


Some days you test our patience and just when we're ready to throw in the towel and put you to bed, you turn on your charm and go back to being incredibly sweet. Your sense of humor and naive way of looking at the world around you are the perfect reminders of how blessed we are. Your Daddy and I love you to the moon and back and are so blessed to be your parents.

Flashback Friday - tater salad

I almost missed FF this week! I'm in a bit of a blogging funk as the sickies have hit our house.  It's always something, I tell ya.

This edition goes back to January 2011 when Henry was 9 months old. We were at my parents' house for family dinner. Ge-Gee made her delicious potato salad to accompany dinner and Henry was curious so we let him have a bite.

First bite

 

Not chewing, just thinking

 

I think his face says it all. 

 

Of course the little goober went back for round 2 and kept on going.  I think it was just too much pickle at first, but he eventually grew to love it and will eat nothing but potato salad if he sees that it's an option. 



Flashback Friday - laughter

Most nights can get a little rowdy around here.  Both Mike and I come from loud families so it's only natural that our house be loud too.  One of my favorite sounds is laughter and I especially love baby laughter. 

 

August 2011 - Henry 16 months

I vividly remember this moment taking place and I am so thankful I got it on video so I can watch it whenever I want. I love Mike and Henry more than anything in this world and seeing the two of them belly laugh and have fun makes everything right in my world.

Tone Deaf Tuesday

Yesterday was Nanny's birthday so Henry wanted to sing her a song.  It kinda resembles "Happy Birthday, to you!" :)

 

 

 

Not sure where that amazing singing ability came from. Ha!

Happenings with Henry

Henry is quite the little talker. I was a chatty kid (and still am as an adult) and his Daddy told me that he had to be moved around in the classroom as a kid because he talked too much. Henry comes by it honestly.   His vocabulary is expanding daily and while I know he's not an over-achiever going above and beyond his peers, it makes me laugh to hear what he says sometimes.  He told me the other day "Mama, I need go bye-bye." So I asked him why and he said "To get money." Mike and I smiled at each other and he asked him "Why do you need to get money?"  Henry looked him straight in the face and said with all seriousness, "I need to get gas!" We of course felt like we had stepped 15 years into the future. Funniest, most random thing. One morning while getting ready for work, he asked me if he could "Help Mama drive?" I told him "No thank you. You need to ride in your car seat. Mama will drive."  He accepted that and moved on, getting his stuff ready to leave. When I took him out to the car and picked him up to put him in his seat, he made one last plea "I help Mama drive?" from the sweetest little voice. I smiled and told him that I needed him to help me find the school bus (we see several every morning) and long gone was the hope to help Mama drive.  Love that sweet boy!   He is also learning his letters and recognizes the letters A, B and C. He gets most of the alphabet song and can count to 20, but continously skips 6 and sometimes 8.  Who needs those numbers anyway?!

He loves going to church on Sunday mornings and adores his Sunday School teachers. He has a few little life-long buddies in his class that he loves to play with.  The early service teacher moved to another class so starting tomorrow, Mama and another lady will be the 9:30 teachers. I'm looking forward to teaching the little guys, but a little anxious on how Henry will do with me in there.  That whole thing about your kid being an angel for other people but a monster for the parents is totally true for Henry.  I think he will do good though, especially since it won't be just me in there. Anyway, Mike and I are so happy that he's learning about Jesus and the Bible.  A quick funny, he told me "Donah is in timeout!" referring to the story of Jonah and the whale. Yes, I guess God was putting Jonah in timeout. :)

He's appreciative when someone gives him something new. Papa went on a business trip and brought him back some little cars. You would have thought he gave him all the chocolate milk in the world he was so happy.  He kept saying "Tank you, Papa! Tank you!" He carried all 6 cars around for several days after that and if one would fall from his grip, he called it by name, "My ice cream truck!" He loves those little cars.  He loves to say "Tank you!"  He will say it at least twice when you hand him his milk cup in the morning, or put him in his car seat or hand him one of his toys. We're working on other manners, but he definitely has his "Please" and "Thank you!" down.

Unfortunately, Henry is still painfully stubborn. If it's not his idea, he's not going to do it. Well unless Mama or Daddy is more stubborn anyway. He has to be tricked into doing things that he doesn't want to. Like cutting his hair, for example. He hates it so with a little bribery in the form of a sucker and handing him a mirror, he usually caves and lets you do it. Of course there's lots of squirming and wincing but usually you can get it done.

He is OBSESSED with cars, trucks, ambulances, buses, trash trucks, helicopter, airplanes, tractors, trains, you name it, if it goes, he loves it! He has different noises for each type of transportation and will tell you where they're going too.  We taught him the other day that trash trucks go to the dump. On the way home one night he said "That trash trucks is goin' to da dump!" Yep, that's right!   We went out and bought a few things to convert his room into a "garage" (I'll post pics when we're done).  We even bought an antique-looking firetruck for his dresser.  The first thing he did was put a flashlight on the side and load up his smaller cars on the deck. So funny to watch him play pretend. I can't wait to see his room all pulled together.

Henry is still a great sleeper and several nights a week will ask or tell us that he needs to go to bed. He's on a pretty good routine during the week, but we let him stay up until he turns into a pumpkin (or brat!) on the weekends. He's extremely selective as to what goes in the crib with him. Right now, his Granny (Ruby) is 2 for 2 with Buster Bear and his Bart Simpson doll. He also has "Rowdies" which is a pillow pet, a light up turtle and his seahorse that plays music. Tonight he did let his new firetruck go to bed with him, but I have a feeling tomorrow night it will get the boot. I also have a feeling that he will have more crap in the bed with him when we convert him from the crib to a bed.  I know, most kids his age are in beds, but I'm not sure I'm ready to give up good sleeping habits yet.  And who knows, he might not get out of his bed, but why chance it? :)

He loves music and dancing. He has zero talent in either of these things but it's beyond adorable to see him dance and sing. His a typical oldest/only child who LOVES to show off. Of course, that is if he's not being bashful. For the most part though, he's quite the little performer. We taught him how to "show his muscles" and that is always good for a laugh. It looks like he's pooping, which I'm sure he will appreciate me telling you when he's older.  I love you, little buddy!

Flashback Friday - Eileen

So last week I did a post to tribute Brock, but the next sweet baby in our lives was Eileen.  I grew up always having a pet, either a cat or a dog, mostly both, so when Brock passed away, I knew the house would only feel lonely until we welcomed another furbaby into our family.  We contacted LBR and started the process to adopt a Boxer in need of his or her forever home.  We met Eileen and I was instantly in love.

She came hopping in our house like she owned the place, even jumped up on the couch like she belonged there. She spent the next nearly 2 and a half years chilling on the couch. She was crazy rotten and madly in love with her Daddy.  She loved Mike and only put up with me because I fed her and helped get her fat butt in the bed. 

She had the sweetest disposition of any dog I've ever met. She loved everyone and was always so kind and gentle. I think the only inappropriate love she ever had was for cats and I honestly think she would have hurt one had she gotten the chance.  She wouldn't have meant to of course, but sometimes excitement for the unknown can bring out the worst in people. :)

While we don't know all of her backstory, we assume she was a mother at some point in her life as she was extremely maternal.  I really think if we would have let her in the box, she would have nursed those ducklings.  One Sunday afternoon, she got up on the couch next to me and snuggled up as close as she could, her head in my lap. She had been with us for over 3 months and had never insisted to be this close to me (Mike was always her favorite). Mike smiled and said "She's telling me that you're pregnant." Sure enough, a few days later, we found out that we were pregnant with Henry. She spent the next 8 months following every move I made and was my sidekick when I went on bedrest. She herded me like sheep, watching me constantly.

This is a video of when we brought Henry home for the first time. Ignore the hokey Mama voice, wish I could mute myself sometimes. Anyway, she was very interested in him and couldn't give him enough kisses. There were several times that first week or two we had to gently scold her and remind her that he was not to be bathed every hour.

 

 

Mama Bear, Sister

Eileen loved Henry from the very first day and in true mother form, she followed close by those first few days, making sure we were taking care of her baby.  If she heard him cry on the monitor, she was the first to jump up and head towards his room.  She loved getting on the floor to play with Henry and was always very patient with him.  I'm sad that Henry won't remember her, but I cherish the videos, pictures and memories we have of her.  I think of her every time I hear Dexys Midnight Runners "Come on Eileen" and "She's a Lady" by Tom Jones.  That one may seem random, but Mike always sang it after Eileen belched or farted. She was a gassy, nasty thing!

Lean Butt Bean Butt

Dumb Face

We miss you sweet lady!