Warning!!! This Blog May Cause Whiplash from Your Disbelief

Dear Henry,

First of all, people reading this will think I'm crazy. They are also likely to not believe me, maybe even e-mail me to let me know that I have become completely delusional and am spending too much time by myself during the day and may even recommend people I could see for help. I promise you! Mommy is telling the truth! Grandma can back me up on this. She is my witness.

Here we go...

A couple of weeks ago Mommy started making lots of sounds at you, and from time to time you'd repeat back an "ah" or "eee." This weekend on the long ride to Atlanta and back Grandma P and I made lots of noises with you. Near the end of our ride home, somewhere in Kentucky, just after dark, my smart boy was starin' me down as usual and I was lookin' like a fool, sounding like Nemo talkin' to the whales in "Finding Nemo" and about three times I said, "I love you! I love you! I love you!" You smiled at me, worked your mouth around and looked into my eyes and as clear as day you said, "I love you!" Yes you did! No joke! I paused, grandma paused, we looked at each other with that look that peels into the others brain and we both freaked out at the same time! It was incredible! Now, Daddy and Crappaw, sitting in the front listening to the radio and chatting did not hear you and we tried to make it happen again but it did not, until later that night but it was still only Grandma P and me and not as crisp.


Today you said, "HI."

Now Henry, Mommy isn't an idiot, she knows that you do not know what words go with all the feedin' and cuddlin' I've been giving you so that you spontaneously decided, "I must tell Mommy I love her." I know that you were only repeating sounds, but damn! you put three sounds together and you were SO clear the first time. This is still a milestone. I'm so proud of you! ... and shocked! It doesn't matter to me if you know what you're doing, just yet. I waited my entire life to hear my very own sweet boy say those words while looking into my eyes and I'll take it.

I love you too baby.

Love, Mommy

Rip Van Winkle

Dear Henry,

Or should I say, "Dear Rip?"

Rip Van Winkle is the story by Washington Irving written during the early 1800's about a man who has a crappy farm because he is lazy but people love him because he is docile and nice, except his wife because she is always annoyed with his laziness. One day he goes out, in the years before the American Revolution (believe me! you'll hear plenty about this from Mommy one day, now is not the time) and he goes a drinkin' with the boys to get away from his crag of a wife and falls asleep and sleeps and sleeps for 20 years and wakes up after the American Revolution and vows his loyalty to Kind George of England. He returns to his lazy life and lives with his grown daughter because his wife is dead. It is a story that is supposed to make husbands envious of Rip because he escaped his pain in the neck wife.

Okay, so now that I've reviewed the story from several resources and have written the brief summary above I am perplexed by something... Why in the hell would people want their children to read this story? Your very own mother played the role of Ms. Rip Van Winkle as a kindergartner in 1980 while wearing her great grandma's glass and as legend has it Mr. Rip Van Winkle, Craig Gant, had to endure me telling him all of his lines. I guess I fit the role.... I digress...

So you take after Mr. Van Winkle on two accounts. You love to drink all day long, albeit your drink is baby booze called Infamile Lipil for Gas and Fussiness, and you love to sleep. You've been sleeping through the night the past week and today you were awake a total of 40 minutes. That wasn't 40 solid minutes but bits and pieces through out the day. I can only figure that you're growing. This is partly the reason I've not posted any photos of you the last couple of days, you've been sleeping. I started to play with you and your beloved bowling pin this evening and I said, "look Daddy! He's playing with me!" Daddy said, "No you're playing with yourself, he is falling asleep!" I looked and sure enough you were all passing out on me. I know, I know! Right now it sounds as if I'm living up to the reputation of that role I played so many years ago but I'm not complaining or naggin' at ya. I know you're growing and it takes tons of energy. I am just doing my job of documenting you day in and day out behaviors and to share the last photos I tried to take of you. You were yawning SO much in a 10 minute period of time I could hardly get a photo of you with your mouth shut.











I love ya sleepy head,

Love, Momma