"High Stepper"

Who did he get this from?

Henry talked the whole way home from Gigi and Grandpa's tonight...about 10 minutes straight. I wonder where he gets that from????? -L

Warp speed...

When I used to hear parents say, "Enjoy it because it happens so fast" it sounded true to me, but I think I always felt like when it was my turn to be a parent I would magically slow down time and savor every moment of my kid's development. Well, that is of course impossible, but I think I am beginning to know where that feeling of accelerated time comes from and have a few thoughts on it.

Tonight while we were taking a bath, after a healthy round of Row Row Row Your Boat using the visual aid of a pasta spoon as the oar, I was talking to Henry about things. I was explaining fingers and toes, full versus empty, things like that. I was asking him if he could say certain words back to me like Mama, Papa, Gigi, Grandpa, Nana, Gramalex, etc. Then I had an idea to try the names of animals. I naturally started with cat. I said, "Henry, can you say cat?" and he said back to me sort of matter-of-factly, "Meow". I was very surprised and very pleased.

So that got me thinking about the element of surprise, and I have concluded that part of what parents are talking about when they say it happens so fast is that it happens almost despite anything you are even doing; when your back is turned even. That magic of this person becoming who they are without any prompting from you is really amazing. It is happening fast, but more than that I think it is just happening in every direction at once and the moment you focus on one thing and think you are contributing and you are awaiting the result of your excellent tutelage, something else is happening that is just as or even more interesting that has little to do with you. My little guy is constantly learning with or without me. Crazy. Awesome.

It's kind of like when the grand finale starts at a fireworks show. Sometimes you see a burst so beautiful that you want to keep watching the entirety of it from the explosion to the trickle of sparkle and flames diving toward the earth, but if you do, you will inevitably miss the next one which is just as amazing but in a completely different way. That's why as a kid you would yell, "Ooohh! That was my favorite! Ohhh, no that one was my favorite! Wooooah! Okay that one was my favorite!" That's how it feels. Every day with Henry is my favorite. -W

Today after lunch at Winsteads I took Henry out of the high chair and he took off running down the isle. He got going so fast that when he tripped over his feet, which he does every time, he fell forward, did sort of a sideways 1 and 1/2 forward roll and then laid out flat on the floor. He didn't cry because he wasn't hurt, actually the look on his face was more a look of exhilaration. I don't know if it was the thrill of the speed, the excitement of the dive-bomb acrobatics or the fact that 10 women sitting in the restaurant gasped and ran over to him. Whatever it was it was clear at that moment that I was going to see this maneuver again, probably this evening in my living room on the hard wood floor but with very different results.

Getting to know my son is really an amazing experience. I think sometimes I tend to think of him sort of like a puppy. I repeat the same thing over and over and have pretty much no expectation that any of what I am repeating will stick. But over the past couple of weeks it has started to stick and it surprises me every time. Today in the car he was copying me. I would whisper "Papa" and he would do the same. I would say it really loud and he would belt it out. He sticks out his tongue, mimics my facial expressions and sometimes repeats the sounds that I am saying and when he can't get the sounds he makes his own noises with the same inflection. He is very good about letting us know what he wants. He points at things and has different sounds for "I want that", "Pick me up", "Play with me" and the cutest ever "Read to me". Yesterday he was sitting on the floor looking at the book "Mama Mama" and he saw me sit down in the chair next to him so he stood up, picked up his book and his blanket and walked over to me and then made the sweetest little squeak I have every heard. Oh, and I almost forgot, he dances now. It's a sort of bounce with failing arms move, super cute. Wade and I have both noticed that his bounces are usually right with the beat. What fun this is! -L

Jumping the Gun

We went ahead this weekend and turned Henry's car seat. Yes, it is two weeks until his first birthday, but he is way over the height and weight limit and his poor little legs were all squished up against the back seat. So here are some pictures of Henry's first car ride in a forward facing car seat. He watched Papa drive very closely and for the first time since he realized he could protest about 4 months ago, he didn't protest getting in the car seat. Road trip here we come! -L

A Jayhawk & a Lion

Back to the Patch!

We went back to the pumpkin patch, this time with Grampa, Gigi, Cousin Elliot and his Mama and Papa. The pumpkins were pretty picked over and it was kind of a gusty dusty day, but playing in the water fountain, on the wagon, and in the grass after the hay ride seemed to be a hit with everyone. Tonight will be the much anticipated first Halloween costume photo op at Grampa and Gigi's and you can bet the Mamapaparazzi will be there to capture every rediculously cute moment and pass them on to you all!

And the sun comes out...finally

Well, after 3 days of clouds and rain the sun finally came out today and nothing could keep us from the park. And thank goodness for the rain because it made it so Henry could discover his new favorite thing....mud. He has discovered that mud is just about every where you look and tons of fun to grab, smoosh between your fingers and even try to taste when Papa and Mama are not looking. He has also started doing what I think may be my favorite part about being a parent so far. He gets so excited to see his Mama and Papa that he runs over to us clapping his hands and smiling. It makes coming home from work something that I look forward to all day. Tomorrow we are headed back to the pumpkin patch with cousin Elliot and then we are doing a Halloween costume fashion show. We'll be sure to post pictures. -L

Lil' Froggy

Sometimes you have to just ease into "night night" time I guess. Which sometimes involves sitting on the floor with Papa, chewing on the head of a toy skeleton in your frog-green jammies.

Don't forget, you can click on any photos to make them larger!

I thought this picture would be a good one to post for a few reasons. 1. He is in his Reebok track suit and that is very cute. 2. He loves to suck/chew on the head of his bathtub toy sea turtle and that is cute. 3. You can see his toes and they are cute. 4. If you look hard, you can see his big sister Girlfriend the cat observing him from a safe distance and she is cute.

Guess what? The Bean loves raviolli.

Here is a picture called "Related" because Henry and I both have our "horns out" as my Mom used to say. We are both frowning with the same heavy browline. When I shaved my beard Henry had to touch my face for a few minutes before he got used the fact that it was really me. I think he misses not having a place to hold on when the road gets bumpy.

Here is a photo of Henry and I called "go to sleep bear" because I am trying desperately to get him to take a nap without putting him in the car to drive around until he conks out. Speaking of conks, check out the bruise on his forehead. That is what happens when someone who just learned to walk decides to start running.

Friday we all went to the pumpkin patch and picked out our "punkins" and gourds to put around the house. The next few post are pictures of the outing. Henry had an absolute blast. He has had a cold and he fell asleep on the way to the patch and on the way home from the patch, but while we were there he was all about it. He really liked the hay bail ride on a trailor pulled behind a tractor. We got up front so he could watch the wheels of the tractor kick up dirt. We even got a little in our teeth. Henry also loved guarding the punkins we picked out. He would squeal and pound on them. Mama is a master punkin selector. We got 4 really beautiful ones; a traditional orange one, a dark green one, a white one, and a watermellon-looking squatty one. Henry can walk pretty well now, but there's walking and then there's walking in a punkin patch. He took one spill and ended up face down in the dirt, but he didn't even cry. We may try to go back again this year with Grampa Heiman just for the heck of it because it was so fun. Wish you all could be with us. -W

Running out of steam

Henry has gotten his first cold. He is still just as busy during the day but has had a hard time taking naps and sleeping at night because he can't breath out of his nose. We went to the doctor yesterday and he checked out great-no ear infection, no sore thoat, just a little cold and some serious teething. Last night he was able to get a good nights rest with the help of some cold medicine and tylenol. We are hoping for another night like that tonight.
This is a picture from this afternoon, we were running errands and Henry was looking at a book in the back seat and crashed. Books have become one of Henry's favorite things. He loved being read to, turning the pages, chewing on the pages (of his board books), pushing the books on the floor, and looking at the pictures (even upside down) :)

Henry was pretty tired tonight, we rode our bikes to the store to get a gift for cousin Campbell's 1st birthday this Saturday. But he had just enough energy to enjoy his bath.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKQMKgcwBgI

Copy and paste this link into your address bar and get ready to laugh out loud. -w