My Henry Likes to Party All the Time....

Dear Henry,
Our good friends Samantha and Kate decided you deserve a proper welcome into our circle of Bloomington friends and family so they set up a Handsome Hank meet and greet last Saturday. It was a very sweet and fun time. Everyone came, Dave and Kate, Samantha, Mason, Max and Ruby, Kelly, Johnathan, Ivy, Ollie, Lori and Lizzie, Mike and Amy, Laura and Warren, Sarah, Alicia, Heidi, Pete and Amy and all of your aunts, cousins and Uncle Gary.


Cousin Jelani and I hid Easter eggs in our front yard and they had a great time finding them. The little ones had a hard time with the idea that they could set their finds down in order to pick up a new acquisitions and were constantly dropping them. When they dropped one egg they would set all of the rest of them down to pick the one up and then would struggle to get them all back in their arms again. They did this over and over but it was so darn cute I didn't get them a bag until it was all over.










We set up Easter eggs to dye. It was a lot of fun and there were some really pretty ones. Next year you might be able to start turning your fingers blue and red too.








Then came your amazing and delicious chocolate cake with delicate butter cream icing. Sam used the drawing that Tim, a comic designer, made for you with Yoda holding you.




IT WAS SOOOO CUTE! Your new friends purchased many sweet gifts to welcome you. A sweet velour outfit, your first "Oh, Henry" book, a cool rabbit basket, cute boy onesies, punk rock onesies, soft crib cover (which has kept you sleeping more soundly), mittens so you don't scratch yourself, "Where the Wild Things Are" and a couple of sweet sleepers, some lotion and soap that makes your skin silky soft and a kimono outfit that you look mighty handsome in. How fortunate we are to have good friends and family.

We laid you on a blanket so you could show off some of your tricks. You do have a few now. You roll over both directions and hold your head up high and steady and look both directions. Everyone cheered you on.


Someone asked if we had been implementing the 5 S's because Mommy and Daddy went on and on about them before you were born. I emphatically replied, "YES! and it works!" The 5 s's, in case you've forgotten by now, is a process to calm you down or get you ready for a peaceful nights sleep.
First we swaddle you, this keeps you from startling yourself because right now Henry you don't even know you have hands (sorry to embarrass you, we were all there too little buddy). Secondly we turn you on your side slightly forward with my hand under your head. Thirdly, I jiggle your head like it is a plate of jello because when you were inside J and she walked around or went upstairs you were jigglin' inside of her. In the forth step we get really close to your ear and go, "shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." The fifth and final step, if you aren't calm at this point (which for you means you want to eat or you have poop in your pants, again sorry) we put a pacifier in your mouth so you can suck.

Well, when Kate heard and witnessed all of this fun that she is missing out on she asked me to swaddle her too. Mommy found her big king size quilt and swaddled Kate. It was pretty funny. Sam attempted to do the jiggle on Kate but it looked more like she was trying to shake her head off.
So Kate is now your official swaddle buddy and she hung out with your for a while.It was a really nice time. Daddy and I went to bed feeling pretty proud of you and happy to have friends take the time to think of our family.
Not everyone gets to experience the support that we are experiencing when they have a newborn, without it this would be very scary and lonely.
I am glad that everywhere we go you are getting the proper welcome that you deserve!

I love you,
Mommy