Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Henry is hard to catch these days. He is a blurr in almost every photo I take. And he looks way too much like a little boy. (If you don't believe me scroll down to the last picture in this group. Be prepared.) I tried really hard to capture his excitment and joy this Christmas in a photograph and I couldn't get one. But he had a great Christmas. I hope you all did as well. Happy 2009! Santa brought a CD player for Henry. Henry loves music and he also loves books on CD.

And he loves sweets :)

Santa also brought a drum kit . Yes it is loud and yes we are crazy. But he loves it.

Guys

Wade and Henry spend every Friday morning together. At any given time while I am at work I can look at the clock and predict what they are doing. First they sleep in. Wade’s memories of being woken up as a teenager make it difficult for him to wake Henry . Then they lie around in bed together and “wake up slowly”. Finally, when someone’s stomach growls loud enough for the other one to hear it OR Henry says that he is ready for “beckfest” they get up. The go out to breakfast at the same place every week. The wait staff know them and when/if I go in with them on another day they say to me “Oh you’re Henry’s Mom?” Then they take the recycling to the recycling center. Henry loves to help. Then they go to the library. Then they come home and read their library books 3 or 4 times and play until Kelly comes to babysit. I love sitting at my desk imaging my two guys spending the morning together. And I love reading the library books with Henry each night, and him telling me the stories behind them. “We picked dis one Mama because the cat wears shoes. We picked dis one because the choo-choo train goes in the snow.”

Last night we were reading a library book and we were at the page where you have to pick which items Dora needs to give her puppy a bath. Henry quickly pointed out the soap and the towel. “Great job” I said and started to turn the page. “And dis one too Mama.” He points at a book. “If it is a book that goes in the water like my fish book.” “Okay.” I say. “And dis one.” He points to a banana. “If she gets hungry.” “Sure. That would work.” I say. “And dis one” he points at an umbrella “If she is taking a shower”.

Dr Appointment

Henry has his "well baby check" today. He is great. She asked me questions like "can he use 3 word sentences? and "can he count to 3?" and "does he know at least one color?" by then Henry piped in and said "I know lots of colors-my favorites are pink and green."

Height- 39.6 inches (90th percentile)
Weight- 35.8 pounds (80th percentile)
Chattiness- 100th percentile :)

We got his paperwork for preschool because now that he has this down, he can start school in the spring! We are so excited for him.

A few more birthday moments

It's a done deal

We are even venturing out of the house in big boy underpants these days.

ER visit # 2

We made our second trip in 3 years to the ER yesterday. Henry spiked a 102 fever (according to my, apparently, crappy ear thermometer that is currently in with Henry's play doctors kit) and started complaining about pain in his abdomen. His mood changed so quickly from running and playing to asking if he could just lay down on the floor right here and take a little nap, that Wade and I grabbed him and sped to the ER. We were happy to learn that the appendix is on the right side (Henry's pain was on the left and yes I have been studying biology for years and probably should have known that but it was a very stressful situation...and besides my degree is in Ecology..not human biology...anyway...). He looked terrible at the hospital but by the time the doctor got there he was talking a little more and his eyes were more than half way open so we started to relax a bit. The doctor looked him over and said he thought that he might have a virus and to give him ibuprofen and keep an eye on him. His temperature at the hospital was only 99.7, so that is why the ear thermometer is now a toy. Today he has been pretty normal. Susie came over and he spent about 5 minutes walking in circles around her and talking non-stop so we are thinking that he is feeling a little better.
Let's just do a quick round up of medical situation that made Henry's parents want to start drinking-

Choking when he was 1 day old- All the doctors on the peds floor
Head CT- Children's Mercy Hospital visit
Split open forehead- ER visit
Removal of stitches- Doctor's visit
Ringworm on his head- Doctor's visit
Chipped tooth- Dentist visit
Possible ruptured appendix on the left side of his body, a medical first but completely plausible in the mind of a frantic parent- ER visit

Also, 2 "grab the kid and run to the car" near ER visits involving a possibly broken wrist and tooth through the lip.

It is moments like these that leave me feeling certain that Henry will be an only child :)
*Just kidding Mom. And Emily.

The real Santa Claus

We had our first run in with Santa Claus at the grocery store last week and I have been reluctant to write about it because I just don't know if I can accurately describe the joy on my son's face in a story. But I am going to try because it was his first encounter with Santa and that deserves documentation.
We stopped in the card section and picked up a singing Christmas card. Singing cards have been the best thing to happen to our grocery store trips since the days when a cheerio sanck was enough of a bribe to buy us 30 minutes of speed shopping. So he picked out his card and we headed to the produce section. I am pretty sure that the other shoppers that evening thought that either our cart was playing "Frosty the snowman" or that I had a really festive ring tone because just strolling along we were getting a lot of strange looks...but anyway, we grabbed the card and went on our way. We passed an isle and Henry gasps and yells "SANTA CLAUS". I figured it was a figurine or one of those big blow up numbers so I said "No Henry is it just a pretend Santa." "NO Mama. Dat was the REAL Santa Claus." I backed up and sure enough, there was Santa picking up some nacho cheese Doritos. He must have just finished his photo-ops and decided to pick up a few things before he headed home. Santa gave us a small wave and continued to shop. I panicked. How was I going to explain that, yes, that was Santa but, no, we cannot talk to him because he is off the clock? So, I said "Oh, it looks like he is busy buying some food for his reindeer that are parked outside and hungry." And I walked very quickly to the other side of the produce section and tried to distract Henry. "Mama." Henry whispered shyly "Santa is standing behind you." And then there he was. He asked Henry his name and how old he was and what he wanted for Christmas. Henry was shy at first. He said his name and age very quietly. When Santa asked what he wants for Christmas he said "Geotrackdigger" very quickly. Santa couldn't understand him so I started to explain what a geo track is and then realized that was totally unnecessary when he nodded his head at me like "Lady, I don't really need to know what the kid wants." Duh! Anyway, Santa gave Henry a small candy cane and continued shopping and Henry was so excited. He moved between sitting with his mouth wide open and giggling while saying "Santa gave me dis candy cane Mama." The funny part to me...well there were 2 funny parts. First was the other shoppers in the store. Everyone stopped to watch Henry interact with Santa. Everyone was smiling and one guy, probably in his 20's, gave Henry the thumbs up. The other funny thing was that Santa smelled like cigarettes and alcohol and was just a tiny bit creepy...something that friends of mine have said about their experiences with grocery store Santa's but that I had never experienced first hand because we didn't visit Santa when I was a kid. It didn't bother Henry though. He has been talking about it ever since.

Moon

"Hello Moon. How ya doing up there just hanging in the sky? You ever have a dream that a rocket ship crashed into you? If you do I will come up there in a machine and give you a hug and you will feel better." "Come on Mama. Wave to it."

Learning

Two weeks ago I walked into Henry's room to find him watching Wade rake leaves through his window. He was chuckling to himself and then said "Bapa. I see you bottom." I peaked out the window. Sure enough, it was a classic case of plumbers crack. A couple of days later I asked Henry to pick up his train. "Okay Mama," he said, "but I will do it like Papa." And he yanked down his pants, turned around and starting picking up his toys with his tiny bottom hanging half way out.

Kids have this amazing ability to A) observe the world around them and B) remember every single detail. We are already getting corrected when we read his books that he got for his birthday, 2 days ago- "No Mama it's Brother not Bother." And Henry's ability to remember the beats and harmonies from music that he has only heard once or twice totally amazes me. He is singing songs from albums he has heard once or twice. Lyrics that Wade and I don't even recognize. He seems to be a very musical kid. Several weeks ago he placed all the containers in his room upside down on his tool bench, hooked his shakers and tambourines on to the plastic hooks on the wall, pulled up a bucket for a seat and started drumming on his home-made drum kit.

May we always have a roof above us, food before us, and love between us.
-Kelly family blessing, 2008

The Lip

Poor kid. He had a little bit of a rough week last week. It started with a visit to the doctor because of a rash on his head and then he hit is mouth on a toy the next day which chipped his front tooth and split his lip. So now he has a chipped tooth to go with the scar on his forehead. But, I am pretty sure his birthday party erased the memories all the trauma from the week. A big Thank You to everyone that came to celebrate with us.

Birthday Song

This is a very short video that I didn't even realize I was taking while we sang Henry Happy Birthday. It isn't much but you can hear his little voice singing along (if you can drown my voice out), see his happy face and watch him get dangerously close to hurting himself. Which, frankly, after the week we have had, I am surprised that he didn't. :)

Birthday Bean

Henry is 3! He has been looking forward to his birthday for weeks. On his birthday morning he came in our bedroom and woke us up saying "I woked up and turned 3 and now it is my birthday. Can I have cake?" Later on in the day he asked me if his feet had gotten bigger now that he is 3 and he also used being 3 as an excuse for not giving Mama the snuggles she usually gets before bed. I'll post more pictures soon.

More October

Making dog treats

That's the one!

Grandpa

Meeting a baby donkey

Playing with Bagel

Shaving

Sick of painting just on paper

Aunt Suz

Glow in the dark jammies

Funny

Aunt Susie called today to tell me about something Henry said yesterday while she was helping him use the potty-

Aunt Susie: Henry I’m so proud of you for pooping in the potty.
Henry: Aunt Susie I am so proud of you for watching me.

October

Jason & Mandy

Apple cider slushes and Jason and Mandy-a perfect day for Henry (and us too).

Last night after dinner we went out on a search for a new park. We went to an elementary school on the west side of town with a map of the United States painted on the parking lot. We spent a while showing Henry all the places that his family and friends live. Then we headed around to the back of the school to the playground. It was quite a walk from the parking lot to the playground. I pointed the slides out to Henry. He said "That is far away. I can't go very fast I only have 2 foots not 4 foots."
When we headed back to the car we stopped again at the United States map and Henry proceeded to show us where he lives. Where Nana lives. Where Jason and Mandy live. Where Gramma Alee lives. Where Aunt Annie lives. And Florida.

We were looking over a few pictures of birthday cake possibilities for Henry this evening. He picked a train cake again, this time in the snow. I said "Okay Hanky, that is the one we'll have on your birthday." He said "But Mama when I eat too much of that cake I will get sick. And then I will be big and round like a ball."

Working...almost a little too well

We were just about to give up on Henry ever using the potty when my friend Elizabeth suggested that we try m&m's. It was the only bribe that worked for her when she was potty training her daughter. Generally I am not a fan of giving sugar to an already high energy little person, but we were desperate so we gave it a try and it worked immediately. He has been in his big boy underpants ever since. 1 m&m for a pee. 3 for a poop. Why this was not suggested in any of the 20 parenting books that I own is a mystery to me. Thank God for the advice of other Mom's. There is a problem though. Henry loves getting m&m's so much that he has been walking around with a glass of water since 8 am yesterday morning. He has two tiny sips, says "I think it's ready" and then runs to the bathroom. Even with the trips to the bathroom every 3 minutes we are all thrilled to see him use the potty. And it is fun to see him so proud of himself. Next stop....preschool!

Little Boy

We are fielding a lot of questions these days

Papa, do cats like cheese?

Mama, why is the moon out in the morning?

Papa, how do they get the raisin in the yogurt?

Riding the train

We took the advice of several friends and brought Henry to ride on the Midland Train this weekend. Before the train left the kids were given some time to explore. There was a red caboose, two passenger cars, an outdoor car with benches for passengers and a orange engine. The train was slow. We went about 11 miles one way and it took over a half hour. Our destination was Norwood, which it turns out, it just a small area of the woods that has been cleared out, mowed and given a name.

Henry was excited. He was focused and very concerned that we find a seat and sit down so that the train did not leave without us. He made a half-hearted attempt at exploring the caboose but his mind was preoccupied with finding our seats. In the green car. Once we got in our seats Henry sat very still and held on to his ticket to give to the conductor. Gigi and Grandpa came along and Henry was glued to Grandpa's side most of the way out. He got a little bit more adventurous on the way back and by the time we returned he was running up and down the train car, leaving my stomach in knots, but having a pretty good time.

Rapid Fire

That is how I would describe being Henry's parents. He moves so quickly from being funny to serious to surprising to naughty. Just when I think "oh I have to remember that for the blog" he does something else and I forget what it was I was supposed to remember. What I can tell you is that Henry's personality is really coming through and I think I can speak for everyone that is getting to know that it is a pretty special and fun experience. Overall he is proving himself to be a very empathetic little boy. He recognizes and understands emotion and has learned to comfort people. The other day Wade I and were having a conversation about our civic, which is breaking down, and I was feeling overwhelmed and Henry noticed and said "You sad Mama? Don't be sad. It will be okay Mama. Do not worry. Is the blue car broken? Just take it to Bob (our mechanic that apparently Henry knows about). He will fix it and you will feel better."

He does this sort of thing all the time and it is always so very surprising to me to see that in a 2 year old. (But then again I have no idea what other 2 year olds are doing.)

He is very particular about how things are done and who does them. Mama sings song at night night. Papa does the "Get the silly's out" dance. The glass of water goes here when we eat our dinner and after his bath we have to look for and talk about all his pruny parts before we can dry off and run out of the room for his "after bath crazies". As I understand it this desire for routine and consistency is very common in 2 year olds but it is amazing to watch him in action. His memory is very good, especially when you compare it to the memory of his old and tired parents :)

Henry also makes jokes. He calls them baby jokes. He will laugh and say "Just a little baby joke there." He tells stories, usually about choo-choo trains and flying. He dances and says "Hey Mama, check out my new move." He thinks every kind of ouchy should be covered in a band-aid, even the not-bleeding kind. He rarely sits still for more than a few minutes. He believes that his new running shoes make him run faster. He is learning how to play with kids his own age and is very happy just being bossed around by the neighbor girl. He is very sound and smell sensitive and will tell you right away if you are "too smelly". He is quick to remind people that he loves them and that they are his friend (best friend is usually saved for Grandpa or Papa). He thinks that there are 4 places that people go when they travel-the beach, Topeka, the North Pole and Africa. He will get naughty if he is tired or had too much sugar. He loves reading books, Jonny Cash and Bob Marley, his Geo Tracks train set, building machines, yogurt covered raisins and says nearly every day "Mama, today is a wonderful day." And I have to say that with Henry around, it always is. :)

A work in progress

Someone's Birthday Wish

“I WISH FOR A RIDE IN A CHOO-CHOO TRAIN!”
-Henry, 8/6/08, right before we blew out the candles on my birthday cake.

Wet chalk

I made this in April and forgot to post it.

Henry's favorite lunch

Beanadilla's and PBSB towers

Oh and more with the puppets. They came with us to the grocery store this morning.

Puppets

Henry and I made puppets on Saturday.

We played so much that by nap time everyone was exhausted. The bear suggested that we build a cave to sleep in and then it was time for a couple of hours of hibernation.

Wrestling

Wrestling may not be just a "boy thing" but I can tell you that growing up in house with 4 girls there was not a whole lot of it going on. The same can not be said of the house that I live in now. Wade and Henry wrestle so often that we have to put down a mattress on the floor to prevent any major ouchies. And it works out quite nicely because at the end of a major wrestling session there is nothing better than a nap.