All the Sweetness a Boy could Buy!

Dear Henry, 
A few weeks ago we received a rather sweet invitation from our good friends Mason, Samantha, Max and Ruby to attend the Salem, Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival.  You know how we love cheap, fun, and small towns (as previously mentioned).  We were there!  It was a nice trek out to Avon from Bloomington and a beautiful ride the entire way.  
There are many Amish homes out that way so we saw buggies, horses and lots of rolling farm land.  Following our directions we are led down a gravel road out in the middle of Who-Knows-Where, as it lacks the traditional markers like buildings and such.  We crested over a hill and saw a giant parking area full of cars, at last we'd arrived!  We parked and found our friends.  It was time to get down to business and eat!  There were so many choices we had a really hard time but settled comfortably into a waffle boat covered

 in whipped cream, blueberries, strawberries and maple syrup with two sausage patties playing back up to the side.  We sat down to see Samantha got the best looking bbq chicken we'd ever laid our eyes on and ended up buying some to take home to eat later.  You loved all of it!  You had some waffle boat and Sam shared her chicken with you.  After we were stuffed with food we started to walk around the event.  They had hatchet throwing, candle making, horses, games, a Native American display on how they made maple syrup in the past, booths with junk for sale, popcorn, and maple flavored cotton candy.  You loved the horses, just keeping your distance enough that the big horses head couldn't make it through the fence for a lick of Henry.  We bought a convalescing Crappaw a big thing of kettle popcorn to enjoy in bed. 

You had a maple sugar cookie and acted like a true gentleman, sharing it with Daddy.  The llama you were not so interested in with his long neck but the sheep you didn't hesitate to pat gently.  

We had a great time and it was a really fun family day. You were so tired on the drive home.  We sat your little xylophone piano on your lap that you like to play with in the car.  At first we would hear "tink, tink, tink" loud and fast.  As you grew more sleepy in the winding roads the spaces between strikes increased until there were no more.  Every so often when your hand would jerk up you would make a loud TINK making Daddy and Mommy laugh to each other.   It is an honor to have these moments with you and there isn't a moment that we misplace our gratitude to be able to have them, thanks to J for putting the faith in us.

 Love, Mommy   

Shoppin' with the Uncle Gary Ebay

Dear Henry, 
Uncle Gary came to make sure Crappaw made it though his hip surgery okay but the wait at the hospital while Crappaw was in recovery was going to be a long one so we went to check out the local flea markets and antique stores.   The first antique store we went to had tons of really cool stuff including an area full of super cool vintage toys.  The colors were saturated and bright and you started heaving your breath in and out of your chest back out past your vocal chords conjuring a loud donkey sound of excitement.  When I let you down...forget about it! It was all ooooh! AAAAHHH!  I've not seen you so excited since your first blueberry muffins.  
The next flea market sucked and as we walked around it I said, "this is just junk, Henry can you say 'junk'?"  And you did... and wouldn't stop.  You were walking around saying, "JUNK, JUNK."  OOops.  A couple of days later you wanted to help Uncle Gary look for CD's to sell on Ebay.  You enjoyed all of the rows and rows, shelves and shelves of cd's and movies at Granny B's.  You tried to systematically pull out all of the DVD's to look at.  We picked out Bee's Life and two Fat Albert cartoons to bring home to watch later and tried to re-shelve the rest as fast as you could pull them down.  It was fun spending time with Uncle Gary...and no, we did not let you take home MC Hammer.
Love, Mommy 

Wonder Lab for Your Birfday

Dear Peep, 
A couple of days before your birthday Daddy and I took you to "First Friday's" at Wonder Lab, an interactive science playroom for kids.   The first Friday of each month the cost is half price.  You know how we love a fun bargain!  There are tons of activities there that appeal to many different ages.  This first visit you were getting your feet wet, literally and figuratively.  You seemed to enjoy the water table where you can use pipe to redirect the flow of water.  Despite wearing a smock to keep you dry you were soaked!  You splashed around and watched intently the big toilet like spinning tube that sucks balls from the top and shoots them back out the bottom near your hands.  Daddy and I commented on how you must wonder why all of the sudden we are allowing you to play in the toilet.  

 Rube Goldberg machines are your favorite and you sat and followed the balls around the contraption with your quick eyes.  

Daddy and I had fun playing with the vacuum tubes where you put in scarfs and change the 
flow of air to make them shoot around the tubes and back out again.  You tried to stuff a scarf in but the air blowing freaked you out a little.  You did giggle at the fun mirrors that stretched your head to three feet tall while squashing your body to one.  We got a kick out of pressing your body into the panel of small straws to eke out an impression of your baby body.  It really captured your smile and belly nicely.  Daddy enjoyed showing you the bubble room.  

There you pressed a panel of buttons to puff air into different fluids to show viscosity.  Yeah you didn't get it yet, but you loved pressing the buttons and watching the bubble move up the tube.  

Then Daddy held soap bubbles for you full of smoke.  You marveled at them when they popped.  Upstairs Daddy showed you the aquarium where you said, "FISH!" for the first time, several times.  Then Mommy made a really dumb decision to sit you in the archaeology activity.  The activity's intent is to have you use a little brush to swipe away pebbles in order to discover fossils hidden underneath...your interpretation was to grab a handful of the pebbles and stuff them in your mouth as fast as possible.  Unfortunately, when I tried to sweep them out of your mouth those 11 razor sharp teeth clamped down on my index finger.  Mommy had to use the special training (I made fun of) from work to break you loose... (you rub underneath the nose with your other hand and it triggers some weird sensation that makes a kid stop biting.)  You aren't a biter but like everything else you've done in the last year you gave it nothing but your best .  A few more pounds of applied pressure and Mommy would have been bleeding.  Mommy passed you to Daddy and took a short time out after that.  

Then we regrouped and spied on a turtle (you said turtle!) and a snake.  You ran around a little bit from thing to thing.  We figured out that we were tired and hungry and decided to get home.  It was a lot of fun seeing you make discoveries.  We can't wait to take you back as you get older.
Love, Mommy 

Crappaw Recovers with Peep by His Side

Dear Henry, As previously mentioned Crappaw had his left hip replaced on March 3rd.  We were there the day of his surgery and the next couple of days to make sure he was doing okay and recovering well.  He was doing pretty good despite the massive amounts of swelling and cherry and grape Kool Aide bruise all around his thigh.  Crappaw is a big dude and pretty rough and tough when it comes to daily body use.  The first hip replacement they put in the largest hip they could find and recovery initially seemed to be much less painful.  This go around they had to start to pound in three shiny new hips before finding the right fit.  This was a lot more trauma to the tissues and muscles.  Now a few weeks out Crappaw is doing great and seems to be further along than the last time.  We've been over to Columbus to visit and make him happy, not to mention Mommy had to document the entire process for posterity. You have a special healing quality with those curls, big eyes and sweet smile.  Crappaw certainly didn't shy away from playing with you from bed or going on a short walk with you in the wagon just because he has a 10" long scar on his hip.  That's just how special you are to him and just how special he is to you.  Nothing can stop important play time! 

Love you, 
Mommy 

A Sandwich Fit for a Peep!

Dear Henry, 
I love you!
Your Mommy

 sandwich and grapes

Grandpa Tim's Birthday Visit

Dear Henry, 
We are so happy that Grandpa Tim made it up for your birthday party.
We went to a great lunch at The Bakehouse.  He and Auntie Krispie watched you a couple of evenings while Mommy and Daddy went out.  He is planning another trip in about a month.  You change so quickly but he said that what Mommy writes here is paying off as he feels like he knows what you're up too.  I don't think I get across in the blog your turbo boosted energy level...that he experienced on his own.

 Love, Mommy
PS the sweater you're wearing was Auntie Krispie's when she was a baby in Australia.

Who's Da Birfday Boy? Who's Da Birfday Boy? Its YOU, Its YOU, You're Da Birfday Boy

Dear Henry, 
You've made it an entire year and we didn't kill you!  All appendages, fingers and toes remain intact.  Sickness wise you've only had one ear infection and the croup, which lasted a relatively short time compared to the health professional's estimates.  In the plus column we've even managed to nurture an addition of 17.5 lbs, an extension of 8.5 inches in body length, a toupee-ish mound of hair, and 8 teeth with 3 molars surfacing like volcanic islands as I type.  Your skills astound us.  With very capable walking legs, the worlds quietest hand claps, exuberant waves and a bag full of new words you wield with happy pleasure your bright eyed and entertaining.  Your vocabulary consists regularly of dog, no, shoe, stop, don't, Mommy, Mama, Dada, Daddy, fish, moo, cheese, cute, banana, more, stuck, duck, spoon, bye bye, up, down, I did not, oh!, done, dirt, GO!, yep, Jo or Jo Jo (for J) and some others I've forgotten.  You select books and hand them to me so your hands are free to climb your warm body onto my lap.  You love to shake maracas, beat on drums, hold your stuffed animals like they are your babies showering them with kisses and smiles, and you love to eat.  In fact, you're exactly as we dreamed of all of those years that sometimes we question if our dreams were so passionate and powerful that we magically made you appear.

So, what did we do to celebrate the big 1!!!  We had friends and family gather at Max's Place in Bloomington for pizza, cake and conversation.  It was a really special time to be with both of our families, our support group friends, and our Bloomington friends....

I know Henry! You're like, "What about J and the boys?"  Well, Mommy really screwed that up.  While your birthday is actually March 9th, your get together was February 27th because of Crappaw's new hip installation on March 3rd.  I had been texting and e-mailing J over the last month and saying how much we would love to have her there blah blah blah.  J had sent Mommy an e-mail getting directions and info and said, "It's March 27th right?"  Sigh.  Mommy didn't catch that she said MARCH and kept sending her things saying, "See You the 27th!"   Boo to Mommy and if you want to give me a swift kick in the shins then I understand...the day of and hour before after Mommy texted to J, "I can't wait to see you tonight," she texted saying, "I don't think we can come. We thought it was March 27th."  Double sigh!  I'm sorry to you and to her, as she expressed excitement about joining us all.  She wished us a great time anyway and Mommy sucked it up.  

This didn't overshadow the evening...you had 55 guests! Yep! That is A LOT for such a little boy but you're already super special to everyone.  I'm sure you can guess what your theme was...did you guess robots?!  Of course you did, and you are correct.  Mommy had bargain shopped Target when you were a month old stocking up on robot gift bags, plates and napkins for a buck each! Score!  We had a cake designed with a robot and orange and blue icing.  

 White icing would have been too boring for a cool dude like yourself.  Daddy and Grandpa Tim made all of the guests a 1" robot button with "Henry's 1st Birthday, 03-09-09"  printed on the edges.  They look sharp!  We ordered a bunch of pizzas, guests arrive and voila! a party!  Your friends and family are very generous and talented...it was the best crop of gifts 

 Mommy has ever witnessed.  From personalized towels, super cool books, stylish hats, a jack in the box sock monkey, hand painted robot picture frame, homemade biscuits, a vintage pull snoopy, your own little lawn chair, a game mat, blocks, puzzles, a little lap desk, Alphabet Care Bear, a crazy rolling cat, a stuffed fat cell and platelet, handmade stuffed monster pillow, handmade stained glass robot and a trunk with hand drawn pictures and handmade sea life with a magnet fishing pole. 
The highlight was by far singing happy birthday and seeing you eat your cake.  I'm pretty certain all attendees would agree.  We sat you in your booster seat at the end of the table and put the little smash cake in front of you with candles blazing.  

Doug had to keep moving the cake back inch by inch as your arm stretched GO! GO! Gadget style in an attempt to get more icing on your finger.  Like a little paint brush your finger first picked up the blue icing and you swiped it across your face making you look like the Joker.  Peter and I could not stop laughing!  After JD and Max helped you blow out your candles you broke loose with fist fulls of icing  and cake.  You were still not feeling 100% but you wouldn't have known it.  You shared bites with those around you.  Just as I was wondering how long before I should stop you I heard Lori say, "Oh man I can't wait until he throws that up."  I looked at your face and you stopped for a split second and had that look on your face like the kid on Stand By Me right before the barf-o-rama.  Mommy called off your cake eating as you heaved in another breath to prepare for another fist full.  

Cousin Wendy grabbed you and we hauled you off to the bathroom for clean up.  

It took 4 of us to get you clean.  Your face had a mask of now green brown icing.  We showed you how you looked in the mirror and after a few seconds you realized it was you and an astonished expression popped onto your face.

It was a lot of fun to have a first party for you Peep.  I know you won't remember the details but you little souls will remember the feelings of love for you that day.  

 Grandpa Tim drove all the way up from Florida, people came from Columbus and Indianapolis.  

 Jmom posted on facebook a "happy birthday Henry" and J posted one on myspace.  Uncle Gary and Auntie Michele wanted to come but needed to be here for Crappaw's surgery a few days later, but they brought lots of clothes and toys for you to choose from.  Love everywhere for you.  On your actual birthday, March 9th, the three of us had a quiet birthday at home.  
What a wonderful way to celebrate!
Love, Mommy