Sick!

Dear Henry,

Mommy must catch up on posting, after being out of town this week at Grandma P's and Crappaw's and now I have a horrible cold I am getting way behind in everything, but most importantly all of the important things that have happened in your life this past week...such as meeting J's Mom and J's Niece, hangin' out with your Aunties alone, eatin' new foods, going to your 4 month check up, and on and on....

sigh,

I will get there Buster,
Love you,
Mommy

HEY! What's Up Doc?

Dear Henry,


The last two weeks Mommy and Daddy decided to start giving you some cereal. Just little dabs here and there after you have finished your bottle but are still chompin' for more food. We decided to start you on a vegetable the start of July. Last night you had carrots for the very first time! You seemed to like them and took them in, swallowed and opened your mouth like a baby bird for some more. Today after an 8 oz bottle you ate about 10 spoons of the bright orange stuff. I dressed you in your bright orange onesie to honor this milestone.

You are pretty sweet.



I mentioned in the previous post that you smelled particularly good today, perhaps it is the carrots?

Love you big eater,
Mama

Grandpa Tim

Dear Henry,

This week Grandpa Tim came to Indiana all the way from Florida. He had not seen you since
you were just three weeks old! You are a much different person from when you were only three weeks old! Grandpa Tim had a lot to catch up with you on so he took you for a short walk around his woods and introduced you to his tractor.

Grandpa Tim loves John Deer and was excited to sit you up in that tall seat for the first time. Then he sat with you on the back porch of his barn talking and playin' with ya.



Daddy was happy to see how much Grandpa Tim loves you even though the miles have made it hard for him to see you. You're just that special. I do think it will be harder for Grandpa Tim to leave ya all the way up here in Indiana without seeing you again for three months. After all, you smiled at him. Your magic is workin' its way deep into his soul and there is no gettin' it out once it is there.

We also stopped by Grandma LaJean's and Great Grandma Hazel's after lunch at Zaharako's, which was much improved over our previous experience. We snapped a quick photo with both of your Thompson grandparents and moved on to Crappaw and Grandma's. We took Grandpa Tim back to the farm and drove back to Bloomington. It was a quick but fun visit and I'm glad you were able to see so many family members in one day.




I've neglected to post about last week at the Foldenauer reunion. There was so much that happened and Mommy took so many photos it was hard to pick and choose. I'll try to get to it!

Love you,
Mama

Might I add, you smell extra delicious today!

La, La, La, La, La, La, La Means I Love You!

Dear Henry,

The mornings with you are precious. I hope Mommy and Daddy never lose the memories of your warm body in pj's with feet and dinosaurs.


Good Morning Buster,

Love, Mama

Video killed the Blogosphere star

Not really Henry, I just couldn't think of a catchy title for your first video blog entry.



I hope this works!

Love, Daddy.

Ladies and Gentleman, Mr. Personality Has Arrived!

Dear Henry,

Sometime last week your personality found its way into your body. Not that you were a lifeless lump, boring and limp until last week but all at once it was as if a lightening bolt zapped you into animation. I have already mentioned the incident with the paintbrushes and water... this was just the impetus to all of the new changes. Perhaps you are meant to be a famous painter and the brushes in your hands and the hope of a canvas was an awakening for you to find your purpose. You babble and talk like it is a race to get everything out, you're playing with toys now and go after them, you can crawl about six inches, you can sit by yourself for at least 14 seconds, you decided yesterday to roll over from your back to your belly and haven't stopped, you are blowing spit soaked raspberries, you said Mama aloud and in sign language!!!!, with some reliability you crudely sign and say I love you and you are growin' out of your 3 month clothes. You were getting SO hungry even after many 8 oz bottles in a day we've started to give you cereal about once a day. Somehow you knew exactly what to do the first time. The second cereal time was with Grandma P. When some would get on your chin she would scoop it up with her finger and you would go at her finger like a feral dog! No worries Fido, there will always be enough food for you. You have honed a sense of humor and smile like you've won the lotto and enjoy making up games and laughing at yourself. The games are not really sophisticated but they certainly show you're thinking and are aware of the world. For instance, today I was riding in the back of the van with you and you grabbed my index finger and started putting it in your mouth, sucking on it twice, you then took it out, looked at it, look at me, you would smile and then laugh. You did this over and over again until you decided to switch to my middle finger. You give me these silly little grins that make you look like Porky Pig or the Piggly Wiggly mascot. It is almost too much to take when you laugh and giggle with all of your body making your shoulders scrunch up into your jowls while wrinklin' your little pug nose.


This past week you had your first experiences in a swimming pool and hot tub. You are so open to new experiences and so you didn't even wince in the water.




You floated around and babbled with Great Auntie Glo, Crappaw and Mommy like your big secret is that you're amphibian and it feels nice to return to the water once again. You didn't cry to get out, you didn't freak if water moved around you or you got a little on your face. I know someday this might change, especially as you develop an awareness that there are things to fear but, for now, I like this consistent trait of Henry. It makes it so pleasant to be around you, for Mommy and Daddy and for others. This easy goin' thing also means your opportunities will be broader because Mommy and Daddy will lack anxiety over taking you to new activities. It is a relief to not have to walk on egg shells filled with worry about what might set you off.

We just love you more and more and more and more and more every day. So does everyone else. Your sweetness diffuses into the air like a sugary cotton candy perfume and I'm drawn to you. It is hard not to snatch you out of the bed at night and cuddle you up. Daddy has to convince me to leave you alone so you can get rest, but I don't want to!

Another emerging part of your worldly awareness is the increase in your fear. You still hold it together, keepin' true to your cool as cucumber self but a sharp noise you can't see and your face frowns. You look to Daddy or Mommy for some reassurance. If you can't quite make out if you're in the clear right away you might let out a mighty 20 second howl then you suck it up and calm down on your own. Sometimes you'll even be stuck between being scared but keepin' the smile on your face. A frown smile war takes over your expression until you get the okay from us. This is way too cute when you do this and we jump to make it all better so you don't have to lose that sloppy pink smile. Last night I laid you in your room to start your sleep and I turned off the light and I could see the ambient light from the hall gleamin' in your peepers. Your expression was a priceless beam of "uh, uh, Mommy I don't know about this dark thing," and, "aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh, boy am I tired and this bed feels good." When your expression returned to calm I said, "I love you Peep Peep," and left you to your dreams. I came to check on you less than 5 minutes later and you were down for the count with your arms surrendered above your head.

I can't wait for what tomorrow brings from you. But stay tuned Henry, I'm sure Mommy will share it here and trust me when I say these first months will be much easier for you to read about than the teen years.

Did I mention you also have finger toes like Mommy?

Ble ble ble ble that's all folks,
Love Mommy

Waking the Baby Lyuba, Sleep the Baby Henry

Dear Henry,

This April Mommy received in the mail the May 2009 issue of National Geographic, a gift that Grandma La Jean subscribes to for me every year. The issue featured a story about a baby mammoth, named Lyuba. She was found nearly completely intact after laying in an icy river bed for nearly 40,000 years pickled by the microbes in the water. Mommy was WAY excited to read the article but had a hard time finding enough time to read it. The issue would sit on Mommy's side table and I would long to read the article and make promises to myself, "yes, in fact, tonight would be the night." Slowly Lyuba's story would unfold to me. I would quickly flip to see the photos one day, the next day read the captions, and then finally I found the time and focus to read the article. Since Mommy has read this story I can't get it out of my thoughts!

I can't get out of my head that she was the first healthy baby mammoth found. "Well, if she was so healthy how did Lyuba die," you ask? Well, you know it isn't going to be good.

She was likely near the water and became stuck in the mud and sucked mud into her baby trunk that she couldn't get out. She violently flailed and likely even broke part of her face trying to get the mud out. I'll leave that part right there... It makes me feel teary and it is the thing of my nightmares. Since reading this story Mommy checks on you more frequently through the night, especially if you had a bottle near bed time.

The second part of Lyuba's story makes it even more gut wrenching to think of her mommy. The day Lyuba died her mommy had gone about doing everything important to keep her alive and healthy, as she had every day the entire month that summed up to be hear life. Scientists know this because her stomach was full of milk and feces. Okay to us, poop does not sound like an appealing part of the diet but for Lyuba's mommy it was essential to preparing her baby's stomach for an herbivore lifestyle. They also knew Lyuba's health was consistent because of the thick fat hump they could see at the back of her neck. Now, this part made me really tear up and feel sad. I looked over at you laying on the floor and thought my Henry has a nice fat hump on his neck too!


At that moment I really felt for Lyuba's mommy. She was just a mammoth mommy trying to help her baby live a healthy happy life and tragedy struck. I know, as your mommy, I have to watch out for you carefully and not get lax about keepin' you in my line of sight at all times. I would never want anything to happen to our baby Henry. Who would have thought I would have such feelings for a mammoth and her mommy that lived 40,000 years ago! I can't lie, I check your little fat hump daily to make sure it is still there. It is cute but can get smelly if I don't constantly clean the lint and milk residue out of it.

I tell ya Henry, your Mommy is a little nerdy but I have a big heart and I don't care if a mommy was a mammoth mommy or a penguin mommy (I will spare you my feelings about the story of the mommy and daddy penguins that lose their egg on the long journey to get their baby hatched) they are all mommies like your Mommy and only want their babies to thrive and grow up to be parents too.

All those sad parts aside, I hope that some day you have a love for history and archeology too. I have so much I want to share with you.

Love your, Woolly Momma