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Dear Henry,

A couple of weeks ago J's grandma passed. She had been ill for a while and we had planned to meet her after we got the new van. Unfortunately, we didn't make it before she became too ill.

J's grandma had adopted one of her daughter's, J mom's sister, and was very supportive of J in making her decision to place for adoption. Mommy felt like it would be important to pay our respects to a woman that supported J when she really needed it and was supportive and excited about us becoming a family.


I know for J mom it meant a lot that we showed up. We sat with J. We were welcomed with open arms by the friends and family. During the service J went up to pay her own respects and it took a lot of courage. She openly spoke about how supportive her grandmother was during a time she had to make some very hard choices. J appreciated having her in her corner without judgment or reservations. I was very proud of how classy J honored her grandmother.

I am told that J's grandmother enjoyed seeing photos of you and our family. Again, love can be so much bigger than Mommy ever imagined it could be. After the service you were able to meet J's sisters (remember they're all J names too), J's dad (G), and a few of the kids.


With J mom's permission I took a couple of photos. They all thought you were very cute! In the middle of a lot of sadness you brought a lot of happiness to J and J mom that day.
I am glad we were able to honor J's grandma's memory by attending, our family being a product of her love and support for J.

Love,
Mommy

Is it Butter? No Parkay!

Dear Henry,

If you could say the words Mommy believes in this photo you would say butter...
It is from an old commercial but that's all Papa and I can think of when we look at this photo.
Perhaps papa will hunt it down and post it with this photo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvM-5LYMohM

Love you Butter Fingers,
Mama

Friends and Families

Dear Henry,

Daddy's college roommate Gavin, his wife Donia, and their their sweet beautiful girls came to visit us! What a nice visit it was.

We had pizza and went to the cookie place where the girls had a great time trying to figure out how much crap they could stuff into a single cookie. You enjoyed trying to play with Delilah, who was born exactly 1 month before you.


She is about double your size and could swiftly take you out if you decided to steal her bottle. She did bring you a really cool ball that rolls around with a monkey on top giggling and woopin'.

So sweet of them to think of you! Donia is a spectacular mom deftly organizing and meeting all of the kids needs in one swoop.

Gavin is a big Teddy bear calm and composed yet direct and hands on. Mommy could tell we could learn a thing or two from the Lindermans.

It was a long over due visit and fun to see the kids. I hope you get to play again someday.

Love, Mommy

Shoot!

Dear Henry,

These are some of the photos that we took while hanging around the hotel waiting for Daddy to get done with his meetings. You were so much fun. Smiling and goofing with no worries whereever I set you to get a photo.










I love you super model.

Love, Mommy

Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn....Not

Dear Lil' Travel Buddy,

A few weeks ago you had your first hotel experience. Mommy will have to say if you are going to have a first hotel experience the Conrad in Indianapolis is a great posh place with $5.00 bottled water to begin your over-nighters. Daddy was asked to attend a conference about technology for people with disabilities and we had the honor of attending with him. We did a lot for just one night! While Daddy was at the conference we hung out around the hotel snapping photos. You LOVED staring at the Chihuly glass chandelier in the entry. It sparkled and glowed and your eyes looked glamored. First thing we did when we entered the hotel was to throw you on top of the big fluffy white bed. With the big mirror on the wall you could have entertained yourself for hours. We gave you a peak at the great Indianapolis view from our bright windows. Then you and I headed to the mall for a bit. We received a call from Daddy telling us that everyone at his meeting wanted to see your greatness in person so we hightailed it back to the hotel. People couldn't believe your handsomeness and clamored like zombies infected by cute baby face to get their view. You can see in the photo how proud Daddy is to show you off. I HAD to get a photo of that.

That night we ate dinner at Buca di Beppo's a fun Italian place and after took a walk around the downtown monument circle. It was a pretty evening but we were pretty pooped so we went back to the hotel to go to bed. You had a great little porta crib you slept in.. The next morning you woke up chipper and we took some more photos in our fancy hotel room. Unfortunately/Fortunately as I was trying to get a cool shot of you from under the table and you puked. I put the shower cap on your head and you thought it was great fun. You don't seem to mind hats on your head which is a lucky thing because at one of the convention booths we got a family set of umbrella hats. Baby Hank, I am sparing you a photo of the umbrella hats... they are for people to see in the moment.

That afternoon we had planned to meet our buddies Dave and Kate up at the Indian's game for Daddy and Dave's birthdays. We had some time to kill so we took a long walk along the canal walk together. I was really pretty and such a nice walk.
By the time we made it back to the stadium Mommy was SO hungry she bought her hot dog right away...we had a couple of hot dogs, a soda and a nacho treat that had piles of stuff on it. We had a great time and you seemed to enjoy the crowd. Baseball wasn't the only event. Toward the end of the game, around the 6th or 7th inning a woman came rushing up the stairs with her daughter and husband in tow. She was scratching at her neck and gasping how she couldn't breathe. Mommy assumed she had gotten some help until she turned around about 10 minutes later and found her sitting in a chair not far behind us. Mommy got up to see if she could help. I held her hand and tried to help her focus her breathing but it was apparent it wasn't a panic attack but rather she had some crazy reaction to something.

Finally some medics came and Mommy helped hold onto her little girl because she was so scared. It made for an eventful evening and we were all a little in shock. That wasn't the end of things because the game ended with and Indian's win and the fireworks began.

This you were not to sure about. In love with the lights and terrified of the booms and zips of the fireworks releasing you became skiddish. Papa gave you a ride away from the fireworks to give you some relief but you couldn't help but look. Someday you'll understand they aren't a threat and enjoy the bass of them flowering into the sky in your little chest and ears. Until then Papa will hang onto you tightly and his loving arms will make you feel safe.

It was awesome sharing these experiences with you Peep Peep. You're an easy good natured baby boy. We are only oh so grateful that fate, prayer, chance, love, timing and circumstance made US a family.

Love, Mama

Ready, Steady, Go!

Dear Henry,

In the last three weeks you have started to be your own boy. You are much less just FEED ME! CHANGE ME! HOLD ME! and much more let's play and I'm gonna get around this place.

Mommy has left the room to make you a bottle and in the two minutes I'm in the kitchen you have made it your mission to roll, squinch, curl and thrust your way across the living room and skooch your little legs and torso under the orange chairs. At Crappaw and Grandma P's the other day you got everything but your big cantaloupe head under their couch. Earlier this week while I was putting away laundry in your closet and you did the same maneuvers to get next to Mama to hold onto my foot. When you grew bored with my foot you tried to get under your bed only to find the frame would block your safe passage so you kicked and kicked until you gave up and fell asleep for a little bit.

I attribute this early strength to your trips to the gym. No silly you aren't lifting weights and doing squat thrusts but rather you have been toning your leg strength in the baby gym Grandma LaJean bought you when you were just a couple of weeks old. You're a real thinking man. Case in point... I put you on your back under the dangling ball and you don't accidentally kick at it. Oh no! You methodically raise your legs up steadying the ball with your feet, then you put one foot down and kick it super hard with the other, and immediately you calmly get your feet up and begin the steadying process again. You don't kick it until it is steady. I love that! It makes Mama and Papa think you may be the next Pele! or a future drummer with all of that foot control. Either way you twist, turn, roll, move on your tummy, grab and go after what you want. It is so much fun seeing you discover things in your world.


Love you strongman,
Mama

Lint in the Armpits, Goo in the Neck Roll

Dear Henry,

Mommy is back on track now. Engagement photos I took for the daughter of one of Papa's co-workers are completed. Yeah! I will now spend my "free" time getting down all of the new details of your life from the last couple of weeks and shut down blog entries that begin, "I know I'm getting really behind but...." With about 300 photos I have a lot to say about your keen quickly developing awareness of your body, Mama and Papa, and the world.

So I will start with bath time.

In general Mommy has been giving you a washing in the basement sink, sprayin' your little body and using a washcloth. It is quick and efficient and you seem to enjoy it a bit. As I wash your hair you reach your go go gadget legs out as far as you can to flip your feet around in the streaming water. You've also started to twist, drag the towel into the sink with you, and knock over every shampoo and lotion bottle on the counter with your sweeping arms.

To give you a little variety a few weekends ago Mama and Papa gave you a bath in the kitchen with warm water filled up in the little tub you borrowed from cousin Johnny. (And believe me, every time Johnny visits he reminds you of it... a couple of weeks ago he told Grandma P that someone has been sneakin' into his house at night and stealing his toys and giving them to Henry.) Papa washed you in your tub and you SPLASHED like a fish in a bucket of water.

It was a happy family moment. I know I've posted lots of bath photos before but you keep getting bigger so it gives a good perspective of that growth...and what baby isn't cute in a bath tub? After bath time is a good photo opportunity as well because your hair looks like a little baby monkey and it melts my heart.

Keepin' ya clean and loved,
Mommy

The year is one! The year is one!!

Lisa has been really busy lately so she asked me to post a blog.

This is Henry's attempt to recreate the gripping final scene of the classic horror film "Rosemary's Baby". Clearly he would never have gotten the part, as he's much too cute and smiley to portray the Hellspawn in the actual film, but he does get an A for effort.

Aaaaaand... Action!

Baby Legs!

Dear Henry,

Mommy has to get on the ball! But imagine that you are getting to be a more busy baby and imagine Mommy trying to sit down to write a blog and load pictures. There are other "loads" I've been taking care of....loads of laundry, loads in your pants, and loads of engagement photos Mommy took for a couple that are anxiously awaiting them. So... here is a quick post. Soon I will update and get back on track. There are loads of things to say about the new emerging you! For now.... There is Henry in his new baby "S is for space ship" shirt and your sweet, adorable robot baby legs. Love these things! How they hug your plump little baby legs and keep them warm and cool lookin' all at the same time.

Love, Mommy

Lil' and Hank! Part 4

Dear Henry,

You'll be happy to know that you have a good nappin' buddy in Lily. You'll also be happy to know that when she wasn't scared of Mommy and missing Mommy Brook she was a sweet play buddy too. It is apparent that you need more play dates together. When she is settled in and feeling happy she sure did love watching you and you watching her.
At one point you were sitting next to her and you started to fall back. I kid you not, that little girl tried on two occasions to save your wobbly butt from fallin' over. I have the photos to prove it.

Later you tried to play it cool by playin' her some "beats" on your Sesame Street number machine. You pushed those buttons like an experienced mix master artist and Lil' looked on like an adoring DJ fan. It was really cute! You entertained her this way for about 15 minutes, often looking up at her to make sure she was paying attention.


I think Lily might be workin' on a toofers because she was chewin' and droolin' like an experienced champ. You were particularly drooly and chewy yesterday too, perhaps it was nerves.
Yep, definitely need more play dates, especially with a pretty gal like Lily R.

Love, Mommy