MTH

calvin LOVES bathtime . . .

2009-01-27T14:37:00.000-08:00

Calvin's new favorite thing is bathtime. He gets so excited you can hardly get his slippery, chubby body in the tub! Then he kicks and splashes like crazy, which in turn gets Henry all cranked up right before bed. Fun times.

Henry says . . .

2009-01-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

When we got to Henry's school yesterday, he told me my car was dirty. I explained to him that it was not. Mommy likes to keep her car clean. He said, 'Yes it is. It's DUSTY, Mommy. You NEED to wash it.'

Henry, 2 years & 8 months

2009-01-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

Henry told me my car was dirty this morning on his way to the 'two's room.' I said, 'No it's not, my car is never dirty.' He said, 'It's dusty mommy. You need to wash it.'

Henry also went poo-poo on the potty twice yesterday! It's a big deal. We did it by bribing him with the little cars that he loves. So far he has earned a Tex Dinoco, and another Dinoco McQueen (he already has one, and I don't know why he wanted another one.)

we need to talk

2009-01-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog,

I don't really know how to say this, so I'm gonna just come right out and say it. I've been cheating on you with Facebook. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. It's not the first time. I also cheated with Twitter, but I lost interest quickly. I really have strong feelings for Facebook, so I hope anyone who looks here often, might also get on Facebook if you haven't already. I will always love you, Blog, and come back to you now and again. I hope things make more sense to you know.

Love always,

Michelle

calvin is mobile!

2009-01-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

I didn't want it to happen, but Calvin has started crawling. I was amazed when he crawled four feet for the first time, but now, he is touring around all over the house. If he's awake, he wants to be crawling around, to see what he can get into. He's already tried the cabinets. He loves to crawl under things. I'm guessing he'll be walking around 10 months. Sob.

my new writing style - RANDOM

2008-12-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

Before you read these next few blog entries, please understand that I am very tired! It's my new chaotic writing style, that really isn't very organized or articulate at all. Tanya and I call it - RANDOM!

Henry, 2 1/2 yrs

2008-12-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

Where do you start with Henry? He is active, inquisitive, clever, funny, and temperamental. We are starting to have problems with ear infections again. He is finally getting his two-year molars. He strongly prefers mommy at the moment. He wants mommy to feed him, bathe him, put him to bed, etc. Exhausting phase! He has discovered the noggin channel and wants to watch it all the time. The Backyardigans, Diego, and the Wonder Pets are some of his favorite shows. We are going to have to start limiting how much he can watch because he is singing, dreaming and talking about these shows all the time. This morning he got up and went looking around the house for 'the backyards'. He said they were here in the house riding their bikes. ? He seems to be having more vivid dreams. One night he woke me up and told me several times he wanted his cookie back. Last night, much our horror, Henry learned how to scale the gate we put on his door to keep him from getting out of bed at bedtime. He was quite proud of himself. He loves getting playing (and getting very dirty) in his sandbox.

He has been talking well for awhile, but he is starting to say some pretty complex sentences. Sometimes he babbles on and on. Strangely enough, he can't ask a question yet. If he wants to say - "Can I go outside, daddy?", he will say - "I can go outside, daddy." His "C" sounds are "T" sounds, and his "F's" and "S's" are switched around. His "G's" sound like "D".
Here are some Henry phrases:
I'm dood. (I'm good.)
All ozer the place. (All over the place.)
I luzz you. (I love you)
Wingo and DJ (from Cars, what he wants Santa to bring)
I want my tozy toupe, mama. (His Cozy Coupe car.)
I want to watch the sarm, mama. (Baby Einstein - Old MacDonald)
Sawarra (Saguaro cactus)
Looking at our wedding picture - he told me we got married 'like on Robin Hood.'
If you say you are going to take him to school, he will correct you and say ' I go to the two's room, mommy.'
Maceeroni (macaroni)
Prengren (penguin)
Good night, mama camel (at bedtime.) ? or
Good night, mama kit kat.

Every day, I am amazed by this kid. He is changing so fast.

the boys

2008-12-08T18:53:00.001-08:00

calvin, 6 1/2 months

2008-12-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

Calvin is a sweetie. He is doing great - and sleeping through the night until somewhere between 4:30 and 5:00 when he wakes up for his bottle. He has been sitting up well for about a month now and is getting ready to crawl. He loves to watch his brother play and doesn't mind one bit when he wacks him when mommy is out of the room. Grandma Linda is doing such a good job taking care of him. She is the apple of his eye. He doesn't like strangers. He makes lots of vowel sounds. Henry is jealous of him. He still eats like a champ - squash and pears are his favorite. That's why he's in the 97% percentile for height and weight! He is most precious when he is sleeping. I could watch him for hours . . .

mamma and her pumpkin

2008-11-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T11:32:00.001-08:00

Henry enjoyed this Halloween and is really starting to get into Trick or Treating. Here is a picture from a Halloween party with his good buddy Yoda (aka Tyler).

Calvin, 10 weeks

2008-07-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

Calvin is such a sweet baby. He is smiling and cooing away and just good-natured. I found this zodiac description online:

taurus (april 21 - may 21)

i'm patient and caring
i will be determined
love the great outdoors
calm, steadfast, affectionate

He is starting to hold his head up really well. His fussy time, if he is going to have one,is from 6-8 at night. Henry and Calvin get along great so far - no real jealousy issues to report, which surprises me. There have been a few times when both babies melted down at once - that was a little scary, but overall it is going well. Calvin likes to be held more than anything. He weighed in in the 90th percentile at his 2-month checkup, and 95th percentile for height. He is a big boy. One teacher at Henry's daycare told me he looked like he is six months old. :) I'm dreading taking him to daycare, might start here soon with just a couple days a week. I've already started back to work, just part time. My boss gave me some marketing projects and I've been working on them in my spare time. He still sleeps next to mom and dad, and we are hoping to start putting him in his crib soon - as he starts having less feedings in the night and as Henry gets used to him crying in the night and doesn't wake up to crying so easily.

Nick names:
Chunk, Calvie, Chunky, Chunker, Chunker Monker!

Nemesis:
Gas

Clothing size:
12 months

Henry, 26 months

2008-07-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

I saw this description of Henry's zodiac sign,
and I thought it was incredibly accurate:

gemini (may 22 - june 21)

i'm generous and mischievous
i will be a great talker
love to keep you guessing
smart, active, inquisitive

Henry is talking in sentences and giving us so many laughs. He knows his colors really well, knows how to sing the ABC's song, and we starting to work on learning some letters and numbers. He is obsessed with the Disney movie cars and he loves to dance and listen to music (especially the "lollipop" song from the fifties.)

Even thought he can communicate with us really well now, he is full of BIG EMOTION and is a typical 2 year old, sweet one minute, a tantrummy mess the next. Here is the wording on an Incident Report I received from daycare when I picked him up this week:
"When Henry got done eating, he started to throw the other children's food on the floor. When we asked him to please stop, he got mad and started to hit the teacher." I hope I'm not visiting him in prison some day. :[

His imagination is blossoming. He likes Thomas the Train, and has some of the wooden train set. Grandma Patti bought him the red James Engine, and he quickly renamed him 'Rainbow' (it sounds like 'wane-bow.') But if you try to correct him and tell him it is James, he will argue with you and say - 'No! It's Wanebow, maw-maw.'

He is a good eater. His favorite foods are noodles, peas, rice pilaf, hot dogs, pb&j sandwiches, soup, applesauce, soy milk, cottage cheese with peaches in it, and anything he can dip in ketchup.

He loves to imitate his dad mowing the lawn, play in the rain and puddles, and running around naked. He has done all three at once, too. His little ears are always listening, and he has started referring to us as 'Val' and 'Michelle' sometimes - he picked it up listening to us talk to each other. He can say Henry, but still calls himself Henny.

Here are some Henry-isms from the past couple months:

"Papa Sed" - what he calls Grandpa Fred
"Watch Cars again, Mama? Watch cars again?"
"Don't worry about it."
"I see red car / yellow bus / BIG TREE!" (commenting on everything he sees while driving in car)
"Cee-cee" - fishy, too cute to correct
"Henny's happy now, maw maw."
He informed his teacher at daycare that he had a big penis.
"That silly mater." (From Cars - he is always mumbling something about Lightning McQueen, Sally Sportscar, and Doc Hudson)
"Henny wants a cheeseburger" (said this just a minute ago when he left to go with Val to the carwash.)
"Time to come home from work, da-da." (A good parrot on the voicemail)
"I like Grandma's car the best" or "Like Grandma's car!" when he sees a white Honda Accord

Last, but not least, he dislikes nap time and bed time very much, I'll leave it at that. It's common for him to wake up once a night, but he's been doing great lately (I think he's finally starting to sleep through Calvin's cries in the night.)

Grandma Linda is here!

2008-07-26T09:56:00.001-07:00

Grandma Linda is here visiting from Oregon right now. She is learning how to manuever around the big airports pretty well and came to us via LAX, where she was there visiting her mom and sister. Calvin is quite smitten with his Grandma Linda, and he likes her to hold him while he coos and smiles at her. Henry never missed a beat even though it's been almost nine months since he saw her last! He likes her to dance with him and watch Cars. We have enjoyed her visit so much, and had a visit from Viviana yesterday, and get to see more of the Cervi-Skinner clan tomorrow for dinner at Viviana and Sergio's. Vivianna has promised everyone's favorite - empanadas - yummy!

brothers . . .

2008-07-07T11:20:00.001-07:00

Henry is adjusting nicely to having baby brother Calvin around. He loves to hold him and gives him kisses on the forehead.

Look who is two!

2008-06-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Henry turned two on May 24. He loved the cupcakes Grandma Patti made and enjoyed playing with Max and Zack. He is such a big boy I can hardly believe it. And, YEA, we have our nights back. Henry is in bed, usually SLEEPING, again by 8 or so at night, thanks to the (pediatrician-approved) gate we put on his door. Glad the bedtime struggles are a thing of the past.

Sweet baby Calvin . . .

2008-06-04T10:36:00.001-07:00

I am so enjoying this newborn time with Calvin. He eats like a champ, goes 3 or 4 hours between feedings, and goes almost everywhere with me - even to a movie with me on Friday, our first date.

welcome baby calvin!

2008-05-18T14:14:00.001-07:00

The timeline went something like this:
Thursday, 5/15/2008
5:25AM - Hmmm, I wonder if my water might have broke.
5:30AM - Just in case, I should take a shower.
5:45AM - I think I am in labor. I will have to wait to dry my hair.
5:46AM - "Val, we better get to the hospital."
6:00AM - We drop Henry off with his teachers in the parking lot of his daycare minus the shoes.
6:05AM - On the on ramp to the freeway - metered - stop, go, stop, go.
6:10AM - On route: things are getting serious!
6:15AM - Arrive at the hospital. I said something like - 'I would like an IV and an epidural right away.'
6:16AM - They realize the woman screaming is not in exam room 1, but exam room 3 - yep, that's me.
6:17AM - I am fully dilated and off to labor and delivery.
6:20AM - Dr. T arrives from out of nowhere. (I'm thankful he had a c-sect scheduled that morning.)
6:30AM - Calvin is born at 36 weeks. 8 pounds, 4 ounces, 20 1/2 inches. Whew.

Any day now . . .

2008-05-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

I wonder why my back hurts?

the price of gas . . .

2008-05-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Like the rest of us, the price of gas is killing Henry. He is thinking about getting something more fuel-efficient.

Henry, 23 1/2 months

2008-05-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Henry loves to draw, color, and paint. He seems to be right-handed, and even holds a pencil like a big boy. He is talking more and more in sentences. Last night he asked me, 'my milk, where did it go?' Then he heard a noise and said, 'what was that?' Over the weekend, Grandma Patti was trying to put him to sleep. He told her she was singing too loud. When she sang more quietly, he said 'SSSSSHHHHH!'

36 weeks and the waiting has begun . . .

2008-05-09T13:47:00.001-07:00

I had my week 36 appointment yesterday, and we are officially in waiting mode. No more terbutaline, and no more stopping contractions - when the baby decides to come, we are ready! Check back for more updates soon . . .

this cracks me up . . .

2008-05-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

Get back in there, little Hammerhead!

2008-04-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

Little Jack #2 has decided it's time to come out. I went into labor Saturday night (while we were trying to have dinner with Mark and Kenlynn) and ended up in the hospital having to stop the contractions. Since then, I've still been having lots of contractions and taking terbutaline to stop them. The plan is to hold out two more weeks . . . to make it to 36 weeks. Let's hope we make it, and somebody, please go buy Val a beer. He needs it.

Hello sentences!

2008-04-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

This morning Henry got up and was sitting on my lap as he drank his milk. I asked him if he could hear the birdies outside and he nodded and responded, "It is sunny."

Pregnancy update

2008-04-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

I am currently 33 weeks, and things are progressing nicely! Aside from the discomfort of being HUGE, and having to go to the bathroom often, I actually feel the best in the third trimester. I am still working, but Val is having to chase Henry more and more. The latest ultrasounds show the baby coming in about 3-4 weeks big for his age - 80th percentile. I'm going to pack my hospital suitcase this weekend. I'm hoping for a May delivery. Everyone always wants to know if I'm having twins. I wonder why?

Henry, 23 months

2008-04-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

Henry is a true handful these days. It's a good thing he is cute and keeps Val and I laughing, because things can get ugly really quickly. Life consists of lots of tantrums, small frequent meals and snacking, and me trying to find something new to keep his busy brain occupied. His little ears are always listening, and it's amazing what he is picking up. He can repeat almost anything and he has a language all his own. He is really close to complete sentences a lot of the time.

Some of his vocabulary, with interpretation:

Cul-ly: to color, or draw with crayons
Flow-ey: flower
Top-it: Stop it. As in, "Mama, stop it."
Come on: As in, "Mama, COME ON!"
Handsome (what Miss Emma calls him)
Tass: trash
Book
Ollie back seat (Olive is in the back seat with me)
NO! (an answer for most questions - don't blame him - he hears this word A LOT)
YA!
Pe-lop: lollipop
Malt: Milk
Hey dude: greeting for uncle steve
Damma: Namma's new title
Papa Sed: Grandpa Fred
Dadda's Tuck: Daddy's truck
I DO IT! : usually in reference to bubbles.
Mi-nonna: Brianna, his swim instructor. As in: "Tanks, mi-nonna."
Simmin: swimming
Seepin: sleeping
Henny Hamma: full name
MEEE-MO!: Nemo
Amanny: Amare Stoudemire
Eep-eep: what a mouse says
Tu-tu: Any frog or turtle

Those are the good ones I can think of right now. He also has spent the last 4 nights in his new big boy bed in his big boy room. Very exciting!!! Just in time, too, since I learned on Monday night he can flail wildly and catapult himself out of his crib during a tantrum (luckily I caught his head in mid air.) He is a size 2T, about to go to a 3T. He loves running and jumping and screaming, all at the same time. He loves to get into Val's hat drawer and put on two or three hats. He'll then walk around saying, 'two hats, two hats.' He is interested in sitting on the potty. He hasn't been able to produce much, but it's a start. He takes his pants off a lot. He likes to go barefoot and won't keep shoes or socks on for very long. Once I get him into a building or car, I usually can't get him out. In the car, he climbs back into the driver's seat and turns all the knobs and dials he can get his hands on. Henry is really creative and likes to paint and color. He is a big daddy's boy, although sometimes, still only mommy will do. What a crazy kid.

Henry, 22 months

2008-03-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Here is Henry at 22 months, with his new haircut. He is such a big boy these days. He has been giving us a taste of the terrible twos . . . testing out his hitting, throwing, biting, and tantrum throwing abilities. He is putting two and three words together at a time now, and it has been fun for us. Mommy and daddy have been busy trying to clean up any cuss words out of our vocabulary because he is definitely picking up new words from us on a daily basis. Here are some of his favorite phrases:
Mess!
Daddy's truck
Hello!
Bye, guys.
Hey, dude.
Uppa a bubba (the part of twinkle, twinkle little star he knows)
cute (usually referring to his hair)
Henny's house (when we drive into the driveway)
Namma's house
Big Boppa (Mr. Bill)
Hi, Ollie (hi, olive)
mama, read! (will you read me this book, please?)
mama, beep! (beep the horn)
mama, seat! (sit down by me)
mama, eat! (eat this cracker I am trying to put in your mouth)
peas (please)
deet-du (thank you)
toot (excuse me, i just passed gas)

Eating and sleeping is sketchy. This kid is tiring me out. My baby 'bump' is getting huge and Henry loves to jump and sit on it. :0 Let's hope the new baby is easy-going. We will need that to balance out Henry . . .

henry, 20 months

2008-02-01T14:15:00.001-08:00

Henry is getting a new transportation-themed big boy room. Dad is in the process of painting it blue. The goal is to get Henry excited about it and all moved in before the new baby comes home. We'll see how it goes.

Henry, what's in mommy's tummy?

2008-01-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

ME: Henry, what's in mommy's tummy? (pointing)
HENRY: Ba-beee!
ME: Where is your tummy?
HENRY: Ba-beee! (pointing)

baby #2 is in the works!

2007-12-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

We are just finishing up the first trimester for our second baby - due June 7th. We are excited, and I am feeling better all the time, but still very tired. I had my first ultrasound last week, and everything looks good so far.

max and zack play date

2007-12-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

Max and Zack came over to watch the SUNS game, but we didn't watch much of the game with three one year olds running around! They had fun, and we had a good laugh. Henry didn't share his toys very well - something to work on. :-D

helping dad put together my new table

2007-12-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

a very messy eater

2007-12-03T14:06:00.001-08:00

henry at 18 months

2007-12-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

Henry is a year and a half old, and full of energy. He is saying lots of new words every week. Elbow and neck are his new words this week. He definitely has a mind of his own. He has been waking up at approximately 4:45 am, and it is killing Val and I. Don't know when we will ever sleep in again. He is going to sleep great at night. We have a good routine down again. He wants to say 'hi' and 'bye' to everyone . . . it's a very fun age.

ready for halloween!

2007-10-29T09:10:00.001-07:00

henry at 17 months

2007-10-24T08:59:00.001-07:00

Henry is a talking machine! Here are some of his words:

flower puppy bubble baby Olive (ah-lie)

ball bath airplane bird car go!

We are close to having him weened from the bottle for good. Pacifier will be next. :[ He is getting more active - it's hard to believe that is possible! He is going to bed later, and getting up EARLIER! ugh! He never walks anywhere anymore, he RUNS! It is very difficult to dress him, or to change his diaper. He loves to dance, and will put on quite a show for anyone who will watch. He loves to joke around. He loves to play outside on his slide and in his cozy coupe car. Val and I are really enjoying watching him develop soooo fast. It's a fun (sometimes difficult) age.

we moved!

2007-09-07T09:34:00.001-07:00

here is our new place! if it looks familiar to you, that's because it's mel and lisa's old place. we always liked their house. i liked the area, so when we found out it was on the market, we talked about buying it. then, we put our house on the market. it sold in two weeks! i guess it was meant to be because here we are. now you know why so long since the last blog. more to come.

henry was very helpful while moving . . .

2007-09-07T09:32:00.001-07:00

cousins!

2007-09-07T09:31:00.001-07:00

henry and papa out for a wagon ride

2007-09-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Roseburg, OR August 2007

first stop - Umqua Valley wine tour - 8.17.2007

2007-09-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

visiting the Yorks in Waldport

2007-08-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

playin' on the beach in oregon

2007-08-14T15:00:00.001-07:00

my favorite monkeys

2007-07-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

henry playing in the sun

2007-07-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

Grandma Patti hooked Henry up with this sweet water playground. Olive was trying to get in on the action.

henry and his mohawk

2007-07-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

henry at 13 months

2007-06-26T09:41:00.001-07:00

Henry is eating us out of house and home! He has been on a big growing spurt. In fact, when I dropped him off at school yesterday, they all commented that he had grown over the weekend. He is past walking and starting to run. He got out of the house yesterday via the doggie door. He hates when I drop him off at daycare (that's new). He is still not talking. He claps his hands. He knows how to make his toys play music, then he dances to it. His favorite song right now is Old McDonald. His favorite toy is his bus. He runs back and forth in his crib like a little monkey when you walk into his room in the morning. He isn't big on the idea of being weened from a bottle. He loves to ride on daddy's shoulders.

henry at one year old

2007-05-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

Henry is getting more and more mobile, and more and more independant by the day. Gone are the days when he would follow you around and want to be held. He's walking further and taking more steps everyday, and Val and I compare him to the baby orangutan we saw at the zoo on his birthday - he walks with his arms in the air and his feet pointed outward. He said 'dada' in reference to Val the other day - I guess that makes it his first real word. His top teeth have recently popped through his gums, and he will bite you (not hard) if you try to feel them. They seem to be giving him more trouble, because he is waking up nightly around 3 am. I find him sitting cross-legged with his back up against the side of his crib talking up a storm. He loves Olive, and she plays really well with him. The thing people say about him the most is what a happy baby he is. He has transitioned beautifully into the one-year old room at school. He has A LOT of energy, and he goes around and around the house getting into things. That must be why I have been so tired lately!

when henry met tess . . .

2007-05-28T21:26:00.001-07:00

henry's 1st birthday

2007-05-28T21:24:00.001-07:00

double trouble

2007-05-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

rub a dub . . .

2007-05-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
We had a great weekend - Tess and her parents came to visit us from Seattle! I am one now. Tess is fun to play with! Have a safe trip back, Tess!

Love,
Henry

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y ! ! !

2007-05-25T14:58:00.001-07:00

Henry enjoyed his first Ben & Jerry's!

henry is one year old!

2007-05-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

We celebrated at the zoo! It's his first carosel ride!

henry the dancing machine

2007-05-22T21:04:00.001-07:00

we still love you, olive . . .

2007-05-21T14:14:00.002-07:00

Olive has been a little jealous lately of all the attention Henry gets.

more achilles woes

2007-05-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

I had a 'procedure' a week ago to drain the fluid around the achilles, and I haven't been able to even walk normally since. I thought it was going to be a simple procedure, but once the anesthia wore off - I was in pain! The next two days were even worse! Not great when you have an almost-one-year-old running around. Today - the cyst seems to be back with a vengence - very dull ache in the tendon. Not fun. What next?

henry eye update . . .

2007-05-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Henry's procedure for his eyes has been moved out to June 12th . . .

a happy and productive mother's day!

2007-05-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

Grandma Patti was out yesterday for a visit, and we decided to send Henry home with her! It was his first sleepover away from home! She said he did great! We are meeting them for dinner a little later to pick up little man. Val and I didn't know what to do with all the freedom! Val mowed the lawn, and worked on the bathroom, and is about to start tiling the shower! (But first, he should maybe sketch it out again . . . and again . . . and again.) We also went to breakfast this morning, then over to the nursery for some more flowers and herbs. I am finally getting back to working in the yard - since I got pregnant! Finally starting to feel like myself again. I planted french lavendar, italian parsley, english thyme, the usual sweet basil and cilantro, and also a couple tomato plants. I also added more vinca and portulaca to my flower beds. I hope they don't die -- getting lots and lots of this Arizona sun, just . . . like . . . my . . . legs . . . is that a sunburn I feel coming. Oh no, must go find the aloe.

henry at 11 months

2007-04-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

He's a curious little guy - always putterin' around the house seeing what he can get into. This week the locks went on the cabinets, breakables got put up high or away. Separation anxiety is a thing of the past. When we get to daycare, he hits the ground running, and doesn't even notice I'm there. He will look up and wave at me when I leave. His top teeth still haven't poked through, but they are working on it. He has finally shown an interest in table food, and is eating cheerios, raviolis, and lots of other big people food.

Henry's blocked tear ducts never have cleared, so he is getting another outpatiet surgery (very minor) on the 29th. It will be about a five minute procedure, and it will be so nice to have that done. We've been struggling with little eye infections on and off since he was born. He doesn't like us trying to clean them all the time.

Since he got the tubes put in his ears, he is sleeping 11 hours at night, and it's my favorite thing (once again) to put him down for the night. Baby Galileo is a favorite video to watch, and he loves doilies, wheels and buttons. (yes, I said doilies.) If I had to guess, I'd say he is going to work at a tire store when he grows up. He loves Olive, and tug-of-war is their favorite game.

Last, but not least, he took his first steps on Sunday - Cinco De Mayo! Five in a row. It surprised the heck out of Val and I. He usually gets two or three little steps in before he toples over. So cute to watch. He is a bull dozer, loves to plow through his toys. When I show him how to stack blocks, he loves to charge through them and knock them all over - that gets big giggles! Such a boy. Grandpa Fred likes to call him 'Henry the Ham.' Or 'Henry the Hammer.' Val and I call him 'Cranky Hanky' when he gets tired.

He doesn't say any words regularly yet, but he likes to point at birdies and airplanes. 'Sa!' and the "S" and "D" sounds are his favorite this week. Di-di-deh! He wears Stoudamire's jersey (#1) with pride. In a couple weeks, he will be one.

i can walk with my walker . . .

2007-04-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

two little buddies . . .

2007-04-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

big boy

2007-04-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Henry used to easily fit cross-wise in his crib. Not anymore!

henry can wave, and walk (almost)

2007-04-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

Henry has been surprising us with how much better his walking is getting. On Sunday, he jumped up behind one of his walkers and walked across the room like he'd been doing it for years. This morning, he waved by-bye to me for the first time when I dropped him off at 'school.' I walked out of the building, but in my mind, I was floating.

Side note: That must mean that soon he will say 'Mama!' I keep working with him (he knows how to say it), and every time he looks at me with a smile and squeals, 'dadadadadadaadada-DADA!' Sometimes he's just like his dada.

more horsin' around

2007-04-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Grandma Linda made us these to use as coasters, but I like to put it on my head to get a reaction. What can I say? I like to make people laugh.
-Henry, 10 months

a great weekend . . .

2007-04-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

We have had a wonderful weekend! Little guy is sleeping pretty good again, and we are catching up on our sleep. We even had a date night last night just the two of us - courtesy of Karen. She watched Henry and we enjoyed the gift certificate she got Val for his birthday. What would we do without her? We had dinner at home tonight . . . Suns are on a roll . . . groceries and laundry is done . . . life is good . . .
I'm off to catch up on more sleep. Should be caught up by the 4th of July, maybe.
:0

the boot gets the BOOT!!!!

2007-04-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

The tendon is healed up nicely, and I no longer need to wear the boot! I would like to know what MAN invented that thing anyway. Probably the brother of the guy that invented high heels. :0 There is still some fluid around the area, so I can't start jogging or anything like I wanted to, but biking, walking, etc. is okay. Let's hope that goes away - I go back in a month to find out. In the meantime, I feel like a new woman!

henry likes to joke . . .

2007-04-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

Henry is developing his sense of humor, and loves to play jokes on mommy. One thing he finds really amusing is to pop his pacifier out of his mouth, and try to put it in mommy's mouth. His other fun trick (pictured) is to bite down on the spoon while I'm feeding him, so I can't take it out of his mouth. Anything for a reaction.

on the road to recovery . . .

2007-04-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

Time for an update. We are doing much better, not great yet, but I'd venture to guess by next week, life will be good again. Henry got his tubes put in Saturday morning, and is already sleeping through the night again. I don't know what I'd do without her. Henry's that happy, easy baby we knew several months back! We had to take last week day by day, it was brutal. We were so sick, Grandma Patti had to come out and stay with us for a couple nights. We were at the pediatrician's office a couple times, and had issues almost every day! So, in case you were wondering, FOUR months of getting completely run down from no sleep and taking care of a baby that doesn't feel well, here are some things you can get: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (google: coxsackie virus and hope you or you kids never get it - Henry came down with this two days before his surgery), strep throat, bad cough, partial achilles tear, cold, flu, food poisoning, and the latest as of today: PINK EYE. Yep, Val got pink eye for his birthday. Like I said, we are all on the road to recovery.

just hangin' out in my stroller

2007-03-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

i learned to make a funny face!

2007-03-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

tubes, boots, and lots of patience

2007-03-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Henry has another ear infectiton. We are using another antibiotic, that doesn't seem to be working very well. Henry is still pretty cranky. We are having a rough time getting him to sleep at night. These last couple months have been the most trying of times . . . and now I get to go throught them wearing a big BOOT on my left foot. Turns out my bump on my achilles tendon I've been wondering about is a partial tear. I've really been wanting to start doing some training, and I wanted to run a 5K. I signed up for Pat's Run yesterday morning, and found out I had to wear a boot for 3 weeks a few hours later. The boot is really big, and hot, and awkward. But I am really thankful I didn't need surgery - the foot doctor was quiet for so long after the ultrasound, I thought that was what he was going to tell me. I'm also glad I can still drive. I'm counting my blessings, AND counting down the days (9) until Henry gets the tubes put in his ears (Sat, March 31). Everyone I talk to tells me this will make all the difference in the world. I'm hopeful. I think that's enough complaing for one night - I'm off to watch the Suns beat up on Sacremento. :0

separation anxiety

2007-03-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

I didn't think Henry would get it - since he's been going to daycare since he was about three months old, but it's another one of his new things. He crys when I drop him off at daycare and taps on my legs for me to pick him back up. This is also another reason why the sleep in our house has been so bad - he wakes up and wants mom and dad to hang out with him in his room. This is one phase that I hope will pass before too long. He also has an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor today. Mommy and Daddy are getting serious about taking care of this ear infection issue.

another week, another ear infection . . .

2007-02-27T09:55:00.000-08:00

it's another ear infection for henry boy. dr. says warm weather is right around the corner and we'll be having less of these problems. i sure hope so. i need some sleep.

made it to starbucks!

2007-02-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday, 10:44 am and I just took a long walk, with Henry and my mac in tow down to the neighborhood Starbucks. Daddy was working on the bathroom project (including lots of banging, clanging, hammering and drilling), it was nap time for Henry, I needed the exercise, so I figured what the heck? Olive was the only loser in the whole deal - she had to stay home. But Henry is sleeping like a champ, I'm blogging with my iced latte in my hand. (Yes, Pablo, I'm paying for wi-fi).

What a weekend we've had! TWO NIGHTS OUT in a row with babysitters for Henry! Friday night, we hired Allison (a previous teacher from Henry's crazy daycare) and headed out to Donovan's with the Gregory's to celebrate Michael's birthday. We had a great time, not to mention great wine, great catch-up conversation (with the Cervi-Skinners and Kirk and Karla (sp?), too) and a tower of seafood that Val and I were still talking about yesterday. Thanks, Theresa for organizing such a great dinner! We were so glad you called us, and we could go!

Yesterday, Mom met Henry and I at Scottsdale Fashion Square and did some quick shopping (made a dent at Pottery Barn Kids) before heading back to our house. Grandma Patti stayed with Henry while Val and I went to dinner and a movie. We saw Breach (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7133600) and it was really good. It is about an FBI agent that sold hundred of our government's secrets to the Russians. It was interesting, because they couldn't even tell what secret he told. He is serving a life sentense in Florence, CO and spends most of his day in solitary confinement - and most of the secrets he gave away are still classified. I didn't care what we saw, just wanted to see what it felt like to sit in a theatre with my husband again, but I did enjoy the movie.

I'm off to read the news before Henry wakes up.

i need another buzz cut!

2007-02-20T14:29:00.000-08:00

Well, my hair is still growing straight up. My mom thought it would have settled down by now, but no. I see a haircut in my recent future.

- henry

lots of milestones . . .

2007-02-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Whew! It's been awhile, and the last couple weeks have been very eventful for Mr. Henry. He is getting more mobile by the day - he can cover one end of the house to the other in no time. His two bottom teeth have popped out, finally! He can sit up from his back or his stomach, and he is pulling himself up to standing - especially in his crib. He is eating finger foods, and babbling up a storm. Henry LOVES to go to daycare, he gets excited when we walk through the doors, and barely notices when I leave. They say he is great all day long. He is having some sleep issues, and making his mom-muh and da-duh very tired. The lack of sleep has been really tough to deal with lately . . . especially when you have to show up for work the next morning. I hope we figure it out soon.

The weather is very crazy today - windy and cold - strange since it's been getting pretty warm out, we had our windows open most of the day yesterday.

he can crawl!

2007-02-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

we are in high definition . . .

2007-02-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

We haven't even had time yet to celebrate our BIG new flat panel tv. (Val says it's too big, but I am loving it.) Henry has been sick since Friday, and we've had very little sleep. It turns out Henry's ear infection from a couple weeks ago has never cleared up, so we are at it again. We are doing injections for antibiotics this time, and Henry gets his final shot tomorrow morning. Let's hope it does the trick. We missed a birthday party, the phoenix open, and the superbowl party we were supposed to go to, what a bummer it is when your kid is sick, in so many ways. Maybe a Suns game in HD would cheer me up. A good night's sleep would be nice, too.

henry at eight months

2007-01-28T06:09:00.000-08:00

Can you believe he is eight months old? Henry is very mobile and getting into everything. Hi crawl is pretty labored and inefficient, but he can move - especially when you combine his army crawl with rolling. Things are gradually getting child-proofed as we go along. Henry loves to rip catalogs apart. He puts everything in his mouth. He is into a heavy phase of head bonking. He is constantly cracking his coconut on something. Thankfully, he hasn't had any bruises yet, but I'm sure it won't be long. And, oh yea, we have created a pacifier lover. He wasn't big on it, originally, but (like desperate idiots) we kept giving it to him, and now he likes it when he is sleeping, crabby, or bored. Oh boy, what did we do? And when do we take it away? His sounds are definitely sounding more like words, he'll talk your ear off, but he won't say mama or dada yet. He likes the "On The Go" Baby Einstein the best, and watches it every morning, like he is right now. He loves to go out on different trips with mom and grandma. He went to Sur La Table yesterday and he loved looking at all the kitchen stuff from his stroller. You had to watch out for little grabbing hands the whole time we were there, but we made it out without any unplanned purchases, whew. He is tall. We saw a little boy walking around yesterday, and Henry is definatley as tall as he is. He is standing while holding on to things and starting to pull himself up a lot. He likes you to hold onto his hands while he is standing, and he tries to take steps. He'll be walking soon.

good buddies

2007-01-28T06:04:00.000-08:00

henry is crawling!

2007-01-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hello from Peoria. Henry and I are visiting Grandma Patti up here in Peoria today. We might even stay overnight. We figured daddy could use a break from us interupting his bathroom project. Oh ya, we are remodelling our master bathroom. Not because we wanted to, because our shower was leaking, and we didn't have a choice. We'll be getting a new tile floor, new tile in the shower, new fixtures, etc. Lots of fun, and probably the biggest home project we've done to date. All Henry wants to do is get down on the floor, army-man crawl around, and (if all goes well) get into things! I'll post a video soon. My mom says she feels really old, because Henry is watching cartoons. He is getting more and more like a little boy, and less like a baby. The dogs (Olive, Skeeter, and Gootchie) are jealous. Why no attention when Henry is around?

henry's favorite toys of all time

2007-01-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

back at it - humidifier, antibiotics and all . . .

2007-01-18T22:23:00.000-08:00

Well, we did have a couple healthy weeks, but Henry has just come down with his second ear infection - this time in both ears. He was unconsolable when I got him home from daycare today, and I just knew it was another ear infection. After a couple hours of wailing we headed up to Cornerstone Pediatric Urgent Care just a couple miles from our house. Surprisingly, our first urgent care experience was a really good one. The doctor (Dr. Raj Patel) was excellent AND he believes me now that Henry will vomit all stomach contents when given medicine. So he got a shot in the leg and off we went to Walgreens for some augmentin (and a week of heartache for us trying to give it to him). Then home for a bath, a bottle and bed. He is snoozing soundly now, and I am wondering how long that will last. He hurts worse when he is lying down. And, yes, Val and I are still sick, too, just in case you were wondering. Beware of us right now . . .

rubber ducky, you're the one . . .

2007-01-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of Henry at tonight's bath. He had a good day at 'school' today. This blog comes to you from my new macbook. I've been on it the last two nights, and I hope Val won't get jealous. Oh wait, that's him across the room from me on his laptop. We've been downloading and sharing different photos tonight. I've been working on getting the macbook set up how I want it, and getting used to the new operating system, Mac OS X. I like it so far. I haven't started working with movies yet, but I'm really looking forward to it.

michelle the macgirl

2007-01-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

I ordered my new macbook this morning and I can't wait for it to get here, should be here Tuesday at the very latest! yipppeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

Grandma and Grandpa Hammer and my first train!

2007-01-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

Come on aboard the animal train,
come on everyone!
Learning about animals is really lots of fun!

That's how the song goes . . . hey, what happened to our nice tidy living room anyway? Why do I know exactly what all these noisy toys sing? Why is our house looking like some kind of baby obstacle course playland?

henry's first christmas

2007-01-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

. . . and his first hog. Grandpa Fred helps him try it on for size.

henry at seven months

2007-01-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

Henry is changing on a daily basis. It breaks your heart, and is so exciting at the same time. He is sitting up, eats solids like a champion, and is getting really close to crawling. You must watch him at all times because he is getting very mobile and into things! He is such a happy baby I can hardly believe he's the same kid from those first couple (very trying) months. He smiles and giggles all the time and is into exploring everything. He loves Olive. He has outgrown his infant car seat and is in the 75th percentile for height and weight. His hair had recently grown out of control and he received his second buzz cut on New Year's Day (the first one came at three months when we had to loose the mohawk-mullet.) He squeals with delight whenever something makes him happy and he is very into jumping. He jumps in the jumparoo at daycare all the time, and talked his parents into getting him one for at home. He sleeps well at night (bedtime is my FAVORITE time of the day!) and is not so good at sleeping during the day. Napping schedule is a little erratic, but that maybe has something to do with his first tooth coming in. It hasn't popped up yet, but we definitely know it is there. Other than the teething side effects, I am happy to report Henry is healthy! No stuffed up nose or cough here! No humidifier running in his room at night. Ahhhhhh.

bonding with uncle ryan

2007-01-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

We all had a great time with Ryan and Kristin while they were here for Christmas! And Kristin sure is a good sport for putting up with all of us (especially Ryan). Welcome to the family, Kristin!

the sweetest thing . . .

2006-12-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

havin' a little snooz-y.

how about those suns!?!

2006-12-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

Santa brought me this Amare jersey a little early. I'm a huge suns fan, but my mom won't let me paint my face yet. 13 wins in a row!!

GO SUNS!!!

we made it!

2006-12-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhhh. That is the sound of Henry's mommy and daddy getting some sleep again. Because Henry is sleeping again. He gets his last dose of antibiotics tonight, and I am glad I won't have to wrestle with him - hopefully for a long time. Henry has slept through the night for the last few nights, his cough is getting better and we are focussing on our first Christmas together. Shopping is under way . . . cards are in the works . . . I think Santa Claus is coming to town.

another first

2006-12-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

Let this week go down as the week of the first ear infection. Henry has been on antibiotics since Monday, and let me tell you - this kid is not easy to give medicine. It makes him puke. It makes me want to cry. Let's hope we can keep enough of this stinky, sweet orange goop in him to make him fully healthy again by the end of this week. Mommy needs a vacation.

so cute

2006-12-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

"I can finally wear the sweater from my great, GREAT grandma. This sweater was my daddy's. Mommy thinks I look cute in it."
-Henry

what's new?

2006-11-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

We've been super busy, even more that usual (that explains the very few blogs lately). Val's parents were here the weekend before last for a good visit. Grandpa Fred and Grandma Marie are back in Florence for the winter. Thanksgiving was at my house this year, and the turkey turned out great! Grandma Patti and Grandpa Bill joined us for dinner out on our patio. We headed out to California this past weekend to visit Grandma Alexandra, Aunt Cee, and Lorraine. We returned home just today, to a homemade pie from Karen! Yum!

Henry turned six months on Friday, and he's up to all kinds of new things. He's on the verge of both sitting up and crawling. He is loving his oatmeal and peas, carrots, and green beans. He is still coughing quite a bit and I am wondering if it will ever go away. We are dying to know how much he weighs, because it feels like a ton. He has his next appointment next week, along with the vaccinations. You can check back for height and weight percentile info and some more pictures soon. Must go get ready for bed now . . . and (sob, sob) work tomorrow. night night.

grandparents here . . .

2006-11-26T17:17:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Fred is back in Arizona!

. . . there . . .

2006-11-26T17:15:00.000-08:00

Grandma Linda is good at entertaining Henry in the back seat.

. . . everywhere

2006-11-26T17:14:00.000-08:00

Papa Val shows Henry the cars on the Pacific Coast Highway.