Children's Museum

Henry and I checked out the Children's Museum today with my friend Shira and her daughter Jade (who is just a week older than Henry). Henry was completely at home when he arrived. He LOVES to explore and he loves to watch other kids. You can't tell from this picture, but Henry made friends with a very precocious 6 year old girl in the Dig Pit at the Children's Museum. He was completely enamored by her. So neat to see how children indiscriminately make friends (at least at this age), immediately, with one another.

Henry really enjoys pushing buttons. Henry thought this keyboard at the Children's Museum was AWESOME!!! It took some convincing to prie him away and give the other kids a turn.

Henry throughly enjoys water. This exhibit at the Children's Museum includes a continual stream of water for the little one's to splash. This was by far and away Henry's favorite part of the trip.

Like I said, Henry had a grand 'ol time. I don't think anyone who was within 10 feet stayed dry!

As I've mentioned in recent posts, I've been trying to carve out a little "me time" in an effort to feel more balanced. During some recent "me time," this is what I made. My girlfriend is due with their second child (yes, a girl) in just a few weeks. I hope she likes this beanie. I also plan to sew a baby blanket to go with this hat, but we will see how successful I am. I really struggle to sew in a straight line. : ) It's the thought that counts, right!?! I've also been trying out new recipes of late to embrace my love of cooking. On the menu tonight is Chipolte Stewed Beef with Cheddar Grits. Yum (well, at least I think it will be yum)!

Officially Walking

This is Henry's new "thing," peering into holes and under beds, couches, tables etc. He is fascinated with confined spaces. He really likes it if he can drop a thing into a hole or place a toy under something and then go search for it.

Henry still LOVES his Santa book that Grandma Sherry got him. I thought about putting it up until next Christmas, but he loves it so much, so we still read it at least 5 days a week.

Rather than locking many of our kitchen cabinets, we simply use rubber bands. Henry is amused by pulling the rubber bands to make them snap. Occasionally he gets frustrated that he can't open the cabinet, but usually the rubber bands are enough of a distraction (for now).

As for other recent achievements, Henry is now officially walking. He can easily walk across a room and even change direction to head into another room. He is now trying to work on standing from a seated position. This is a good lesson regarding center of gravity. He doesn't quite get it though so he often just topples over before he gets to the standing position. The boy is becoming a bit of a food snob (I can't possible understand where he gets this from). His toast must be buttered now (or smeared with some other condiment like jelly or peanut butter) and now demands syrup on his waffles and pancakes (otherwise Sophie gets a treat when he tosses his waffle or pancake over the side of his highchair). He's never liked bland food though, so I can't blame him, but really, I must butter my 13 month old's toast!

In my effort to count more moments (rather than minutes), here are few highlights:

1. 80's dance party. Henry and I spent at least 20 minutes last Friday morning before I headed to work dancing to Cher, Kenny Loggins, Madonna, Beastie Boys, New Kids On The Block etc. Henry likes the boy bands in particular. Henry's dance moves are awesome. He not only rocks back and forth but side to side. If standing, he'll even occassionally squat down to the beat. His favorite though is when Mama picks him up and spins around.

2. Henry and I read books everyday (well, most days at least). His favorite books include touchy-feely pages and/or large exaggerated colorful faces. He often will pull books out of his book bin (downstairs) or bookshelf (upstairs) and look through them. I hope his love of books sticks.

3. The boy is ticklish, particularly on his sides and neck. The giggle that comes out of him when he is tickled is HILARIOUS.

4. With Henry walking now, I love it when he clasps one of my fingers and we walk hand in hand.

5. Now that Henry isn't nursing anymore, we don't have as many opportunities to cuddle. On the weekends I make it a point to cuddle up and take a nap with him, often in our bed. Those weekend naps are PURE heaven on earth to me.

This last weekend marked another big milestone in our household. Ryan and I asked Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Keith to watch Henry OVERNIGHT. This was the first night of Henry's life that he wasn't with me. I had EXTREME seperation anxiety for at least 2 weeks leading up to our overnight date night, however, when Saturday came, it actually wasn't that bad, for me. Ironically, it was much harder for Ryan, who was the one who organized and promoted the idea of having Henry stay at the grandparent's house. Ryan and I had a wonderful evening out with friends and then tried out a new restaurant for brunch on Sunday. Ryan and I used to go out to breakfast a lot before we had Henry. This was the first time we've been able to go to breakfast (just the two of us) since Henry was born. It was fun. I thought I would freak out when I woke up on Sunday and didn't have Henry there to greet me, but I was actually okay. There were a few moments of anxiety, but they passed. I am SOOOOOO very grateful to have people in our lives that we trust with our son. THANK YOU Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Keith!!! All in all, it was a good experience. I can't say I want it to happen all the time. I still definately prefer Henry to be at home when I wake up in the morning (call me selfish). I did survive without him though and I did have fun, SO I'm open to the idea of an overnight date again. Question remains...is Grandma and Grandpa open to the idea again??? Little Man is quite the busy body these days, so I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa were ready for a nap by the time we left their house.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I have been trying to perfect a whole wheat muffin for some time. For me to approve, it has to be yummy and moist. These days, I also use Henry as a barometer. He LOVES these muffins! I have to admit, they are pretty tasty. Hope you enjoy.

1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T ground flax
2 eggs
3 medium bananas
1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. water
1/2 bag chocolate chips (approx. 1 cup) - I like to use mini-chocolate chips for the little people.

Mix dry (except chocolate chips) and wet ingredients (except water) seperately. Then combine dry and wet ingredients. After wet and dry ingredients are combined, mix in water. After the water is mixed in, fold in chocolate chips. Divide batter into 12 muffins. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy warm (my favorite) or at room temperture. They keep well in an air tight container.

Snow, in March!!!

Who would have ever guessed, snow in March!!! We woke up to more than an inch this morning.

Who ever said magazines were for reading? Henry MUCH prefers the sound of the pages ripping. Whahhhaahahahaha!

Henry learned how to use a straw this past weekend. Now he thinks his water cup is super awesome. I am sure he is going to start demanding to drink my iced coffee in the summer time (I may have to switch back to decaf). He is up to walking 10-12 steps at a time now. I'm so proud of him. It is a blast watching him learn how to walk, he gets SO excited when he takes a few steps on his own. Endless entertainment.

As for Mom, I am on the up-swing of another cycle of what I call "the vicious cycle of want." I don't know what is wrong with me, but I always want something different. I struggle to just be content. To be at peace. Perhaps this a pitfall of being a Type-A personality. Always focused. Always driving toward a goal. Always wanting. The problem with this vicious cycle of want, is that it results in unhappiness. It is a toxic mindset. I so desperately want it to stop, but how? I'm not sure I have an answer (yet), but I do recognize that happiness is a choice. I wake up everyday and have a choice to be happy or unhappy. Unfortunately, because I'm always wanting something different (e.g. to be 50's era mom...my current obsession...well okay, for the last 13 months obsession) I by default choose to be unhappy. Why am I wasting so much time being unhappy?

So, I've decided to commit, to focus, on choosing to be happy. I may fail some days, but I can't continue to want, to wish for a different life. Otherwise, I'll wake up when I'm 80 and realize I've wished, wanted, my life away (which I really DON'T want). My reality is that I am a working mom. Embrace it. Nurture it. Love it. Perhaps I can't have 40+ hours a week to embrace all my non-professional interests (mainly my son), but I can enjoy many of the things that make me happy on the fringes. If I can capture more of those happy moments, I think I will find true happiness.

This week I've decided to start capturing more of those happy moments (rather than just wallowing in my want). I have used more of my "free" time (i.e. time after Henry goes to bed) to pursue some of my non-professional, non-mommy interests. For example, I ran 5k last night on the treadmill. I've never been an athlete, but have always felt insecure about not being an athlete. I used to jog before I had Henry and it made me feel less insecure about the fact I've never been an athlete. So, I got on the treadmill and ran. I think I'm going to work up to 10k. Maybe I'll even sign up for a race at some point. I also spent some time crocheting a baby beanie for a girlfriend who is due next month. I began finishing a desk that has been sitting in the garage for the 4-5 months. I finished reading my first book of the year, Everyday Sacred. And, I made homemade chicken/rice soup and a batch of whole wheat chocolate chip banana muffins (in my continuing pursuit of perfecting a healthier, moist muffin). I'll post the recipe in a separate post (Henry LOVES them). Yes, classic domestic acts make me happy.

Cheers, to finding everyday happiness!

Curiosity

This last weekend the family went to the coast. We totally lucked out weather-wise, it was dry and the winds were calm. Henry loves to watch Soph chase after her floaty toy and go swimming in the ocean. He is super focused on whatever she is doing. It is fun to watch him take in his surroundings. Taking recliner photos of him is getting more and more challenging as he tries to instantly escape the chair as soon as I sit him down. However, he figured out that the recliner rocks back and forth on this trip, which he thought was great fun. I am looking forward to summer and frequenting our local park's swing set, I'm fairly confident he will love the swings (just as his Mama did as a kid).

Henry is curious about anything that is not his (well, perhaps he's curious about everything, but his toys are much more familiar, so not nearly as interesting). He wants to touch everything he sets his eye on, including things he can't reach, like the ceiling fan or street light. Okay, so sure, I try to be a good Mommy and teach Henry boundaries, but sometimes, I just need to cook dinner. So, the other night (when Ryan was a work, so it was just Henry and I) I decided not to attend to Henry's constant need for redirection when he's getting into stuff. While I was chopping veggies, he proceeded to take EVERYTHING out of the lowest available drawer one item at a time (pausing to inspect each item before tossing it to the side) and then climbed inside the drawer, giggling to declare victory. Rather than do the "right" thing and redirect Henry out of the drawer, I decided to grab my camera instead to take a few shots. How do you really teach a one year old boundaries anyway!?! Life's too short to constantly be up-tight about doing things "right" all the time time.

This has been an exciting milestone week for Henry. He took two-three consecutive independent steps, multiple times today. He has started to steer his walker a lot better this week too. I am always amazed at how strong he is. He just picks up the walker and places it in the direction he wishes to go (sure it is a bit clunky, but he still can do it on his own). Over the weekend we discovered that Henry LOVES smoked salmon...well, at least Carla's Red Chinook salmon right out of the smoker. Really, who doesn't like smoked salmon right out of the smoker!?! He has also started to tip his head back when he drinks out of his sippy cup so I don't have to always hold it up for him. Crazy how fast kids pick up new skills. Funny how mundane, everyday tasks that I used to take for granted are now completely fascinating to me (that is if Henry is doing them).