Dear Henny,
Summer seemed so short yet we jammed in as many day trips as possible. One we couldn't leave out was a visit to JoJo, your birthmom. We took the leisurely 45 minute drive over and the minutes and miles couldn't roll behind us fast enough for your liking. We arrive and you're happy to see they are still tucked away in their cozy cabin and you and Hazel jump out and take off leaving me to shut the doors. T shows you their kittens and JoJo tries to convince me to take one, while cute, no thank you! After hugs and quick catch up we decide we are all hungry and we need pizza NOW. The Pizza Hut we had eaten at before was closed down and in a little town with few options we back tracked to Anthony's Pizza, JoJo saw along the way. It turned out to be a a gem with great food and even better service. They sell by the slice but when I told the guy I needed to feed all 4 kids and two mom's he cut me a deal of a GIANT pizza, breadsticks and drinks.
We even had enough left to share with our husbands later. After lunch we went to a local park and played there for a bit. Then we ran around the skate park. You and T had races together while Hazel and Josiah slid down the side and got sweaty.
After feeling like we were trapped in an oven, JoJo pointed out the free splash pad and we all said yes! It was a great splash pad and we had it all to ourselves. I loved seeing how you and T played together this time, clearly completely and utterly happy to be in each others time and space. You hugged tightly while anticipating the bucket of water crashing down over your heads.
On the way home you went on about how you love how cute and tiny Josiah is and how soft his hair is, which you kept petting. We had a really fun easy time together, as always. I am so glad we got to see them before school started.
We love our JoJo and the boys.
Love, Mama
Dear Henny Bear, It is here! Your birthday! Wednesday you turned 7. Whaaat!? You love nothing more than celebrating your birthday and Christmas, only days have to pass before you ask how long before another one. It isn't just the presents you love so much. It is the focus on family and visits and cake and... okay, presents. This year after your short day at school I took you to visit with J and your birth bros. It was a rainy day and your nervousness had me swing by home to get a couple of toys you wanted to take to share. On the way home you said, "HEY! How did JoJo know to call YOU if she didn't know you already? That's a part of the story you've never told me! I just thought of that."
I said, "Well, I have told you a million times but I'll tell you again. I took a profile letter to my OBGYN doctor, that's the doctor that deals with pregnant woman and women body parts. Two weeks later she got our profile letter and it had things about us and a free number she could call."
"Did she call you then?"
"Nope, she shared our letter with friends and family and held on to it from September until Dec. 25th. Then she called us around 5:30pm on December 25th and then we met Jan 3rd and started making a plan together for the baby."
"Oh! 'cause I thought, "How did she know how to call you?"
It is funny how early and often I have told you the story of your early days but it was exciting for me that you finally had a question. I let you know you could ask me or Daddy anything or even ask JoJo anything you wanted.
Loaded up with your toys, we got to JoJo's new, cozy comfortable country cabin. JoJo gave us a tour and when you made it to her room she showed you that her sock money was sitting at the corner post of her bed. You thought that was pretty cool and she took it down to show you your little hospital wrist band and the pitiful white gown we had to borrow from the hospital because you pooped all over the take home outfit. You thought it was funny to see how tiny the wrist band was. She told you she loved holding you and your breath smelled like nothing, it smelled like life. How beautiful is that? I loved that you were able to share this with her.
You played with T and Hazel played with Jo. They got you a funny booger ball flinger and playdoh poop maker, perfect for a 7 year old. We sang happy birthday and you all split a giant cupcake.
It was a great visit but time to get home to Daddy for your requested pancake and bacon dinner. Grandma Jean had been by earlier and left some chocolate pudding, your choice over a chocolate cake.
You were SOOOO excited to open presents. You got a Koosh ball, some magnetic thinking putty with a big magnet, a lego kit, and a powerful magnet set that has yet to make it to the house! You were super excited and already coming up with ways to test it with Daddy.
You love things you can manipulate with your hands like gadgets, hinges, putty, rubics cubes and transformers.
Last night Grandpa Tim and Trish stopped by with a super cool Tech Lego kit and cheeseburgers. Hazel also got a little bed and little clothes for her Dora doll, a bonus for her and she hogged Trish in her room the entire time she was here. You started the Lego kit with Grandpa Tim after getting your reading done for the night. He was impressed with how you dug right in and got started with no reservations.
So you're 7. I can't really believe it. Daddy and I have been talking about how 7 is next level kid, whole new world kid, the remembering kid, the start of your internal self. This makes us lament and cling to every second of the kid protected from the real nastiness of the world. (Adding 6 years old Henry to my pile of Henrys) It is all so hard to believe we've been honored to love and care for you for 7 years now. The doctor's office said you're 4'1" and 56.8 lbs. I don't know where all of that flesh and bone came from, all of that intelligence and humor, all of that deep down sweetness and vulnerability, all of that curiosity, and personality, but I sure do adore you, love you. I am grateful for you, love laughing with you, and creating and exploring with you. You've learned to blow bubbles and read and write and think.
I'd be nowhere without you. So, I am honored to spend another birthday with you.
Round 4 on Sunday with much of the family together to celebrate you. What a fortunate 7 year old you are to have so much love.
Love, Mama
Adding J's words on our relationship and you at 7.
It's hard to believe it's been a whole 7 years since I gave birth to this beautiful, wonderful, smart, funny, curious, loving awesome Super Stud little boy! 👶🏽 I can remember the exact way he smelled and felt in my arms the day he was born!! 😍 As I placed him into the loving arms of the woman I chose to be his Mother, ( I couldn't have made a better choice than her) I knew that I had made the most selfless decision a mother ever could! I chose life for my child, a better life than I could've eve dreamed he'd have!! 🙏🏽 Playing and talking with him today has truly made my heart and soul so full of joy! For him to know where he comes from and his heritage has always been very important to me, him, and his Mom! When he asks me questions about when I was pregnant, delivering him, or his birth family members, with such curiosity, innocence and love, I know that he is proud of my decision for him, and loves me as much as I do him! I love my open adoption and am truly happy I still get to be a major part of his life and share the Holidays and every other day with not only him but his family, My family!!
-You and Steve are the the most incredible parents I know, and deserve a kick ass baby momma, such as myself!!! && Wendy of course!! You all make such a beautiful family, and I couldn't imagine my life without you guys, nor would I ever want to! I know all of your families gratitude, and there is no family more deserving!! I love you so much and I thank you for loving me even through all my craziness!!!
Dear Henny,
We loaded up the car back in May and went the small town over to celebrate one of your birthsib's bday at a great park. It was a really pretty day and so nice to share it with most of your maternal birth family. You had plenty of kids to run around and play with for hours on end. I was a little overwhelmed at times feeling so welcomed by so many, it felt great. It was a lot of fun figuring out how we were going to roast some hot dogs and eating JoJo's homemade cupcakes.
It was also close to JoJo's birthday and it was Birth Mother's Day, with Mother's Day following so I had taken you to the store to pick out a couple of gifts. We also made her a shrinky dink necklace like mine. She loved them! You were excited to give them to her.
Hazel enjoyed eating as many chips as she could and being near another lil guy, bossing him, only allowing him to have the chips she gave him. Silly girl.
We closed out the party playing in the rain. It is always hard for you to leave, but with the storms running in and it getting late we took off for home.
I loved that everyone was able to be together for Josiah's birthday. Family is nice to have, in the many ways it comes to us.
Love, Mama
Dear Kidlets,
Tonight you really wanted to have family movie night so Daddy helped you choose one. You are so into animals right now that you settled on, "Turkles." "Turkles," is a tale of sea turtles and a group of kids trying to catch turtle poachers. Very informational with top notch over acting, which gave my brain yet another opportunity to reflect on my gratitude for our two little spirited babies, neither of you are so much babies anymore. I'll note here, if I ask you, Hazel, how old you are, you will let me know in both gesture and voice that you are, "Tewwooo!" I have to think of your beautiful birth moms as I look at your sparkling faces and feel so much honor and love for them and you both that I get to have these moments with you, the ones where you can't get cuddled close enough with me and you copy how I am laying and how I move. I am grateful we get to share the dance party make up days and firsts with you. Henry you are so curious you can't stop talking and asking questions even during a movie as riveting as, "Turkles." It is all pretty awesome, this mom thing... even on days when Hazel dumps an entire bag of popcorn on the living room floor or a movie's already lacking good dialog can't be followed because Henry has to ask me the 100th question or we have 10 melt does we have to negotiate out of or nobody eats the dinner I made or I am tired and want to go to the bathroom by myself for once, I never wish for anything different. Love, Mama
Dear Henny, 
We even had enough left to share with our husbands later. After lunch we went to a local park and played there for a bit. Then we ran around the skate park. You and T had races together while Hazel and Josiah slid down the side and got sweaty. 
