Sunny Days

Proud Little Man.  He discovered his race track parts move and make clicking noises.  You can imagine what happened next.  Up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down...up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down....up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down...I think you get the idea.  When he learns a new skill that is NOISY, he likes to practice A LOT.  Henry has become increasingly inquisitive.  He loves to study how things work, take things apart, place objects in containers (just to take them out again), and he's started to build things with his blocks (and today he used his breakfast toast and kiwi chunks as blocks as well). 

Henry likes to play peek-a-boo/hide-and-seek.  He likes to "hide" behind the couch and then "appear" around the corner.  Of course he is giggling and squealing the whole time.  Totally cracks me up!  The game is even more fun if Mama chants "where's Henry, where did Henry go?"



Mama's helper.  Henry LOVES the dishwasher.  If the dishwasher is open, I can guarantee Henry will rush toward it.  He is overjoyed if there is silverware to remove and "reorganize."  Once the dishwasher is emptied and you close the door, it usually results in a very vocal protest by Henry.  Who would have guessed a kitchen appliance could be so entertaining. 

April has brought AMAZING weather on the weekends.  We just enjoyed the third sunny weekend in a row.  It was 82 degrees on Sunday!  We of course had the A/C running because we all know I melt in the heat. : )  In all actuality, we spent a lot of time outdoors these last few weekends, playing at the park, going for walks with Soph, doing yard work, BBQ'ing, and hanging out with our neighbors.  This last weekend, Ryan and I also enjoyed two evenings out on the town with friends.  A nice treat. 

Henry has always preferred to be outside rather than inside, but now he is starting to communicate his desire to be outside, even though he doesn't know how to say any words yet (other than "Mama" and "Dada").  He will run to the back door and loudly say "UH UH UH" and bang his hand on the door, or go to the garage door and reach for the door nob and similarly loudly say "UH UH UH."  The other day at Grandma O's house, Henry picked up his shoes and went to her garage door and started saying "UH UH UH".  Problem solving.  Gotta love it. 

Henry's newest accomplishment is learning how to stand, from a seated position. I think he might officially be a toddler now, but I'm going to hang onto the wobbler stage for just a bit longer.

Happy Easter

This past weekend was awesome! Henry and I started swim class on Saturday. Little Man LOVES, LOVES, LOVES the water. He squealed with delight as he splashed himself, Mama and everyone within a 6 foot radius of us. The only "problem" is that he wants to really swim already. Splashing around singing songs really doesn't suit his fancy for 30 minutes. He wants to MOVE! Hmm...this is a common theme in our house these days. After swim class, Henry and I headed to the park for play date/mom's group (our usual monthly affair). Four other moms and babes showed up. This was Henry's first official trip to the park. He really enjoyed the swings, slide, bouncy bridge and over sized tick-tack-toe. Being out in the sun was an extra bonus (although, Henry looked like a total greaser after I slathered a TON of sunscreen on his head, even in his hair). : ) That evening, my girlfriend Mary came over for pizza. We took Soph and Henry for a walk while we caught up on gossip. What a perfect day.

Now, how do I get into these eggs!?!

As if Saturday wasn't enough fun, Sunday was Easter, which entailed even more fun in the sun. We headed over to Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Keith's house for an egg hunt, blowing bubbles and eating goodies. Thank you Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Keith for hosting, we had a grand time. It was great fun for me to watch Henry and Ryan go hunting for eggs. Henry decided to just sit in the grass and open his eggs after he picked up about 6 eggs. He wasn't too sure about the grass though. Ryan would often have to pick up an egg and hand it to Henry so he could put it in his bucket. The older cousins had a blast filling up their egg buckets. It is fun to see our extended family grow in size with little ones. That evening we took advantage of the nice weather and went for a walk as a family (a regular and favorite pastime for us when the weather is dry). It was a nice way to wind down the weekend.

Other Henry updates:

Henry's 8th tooth emerged last week. A molar. I thought he would get the rest of his front teeth first, but I've been proven wrong. I'm convinced there is no rhyme or reason to teething.

He can almost run now, especially if the laundry room door is open (where we keep Sophie's water bowl...splash, splash, splash....BIG mess).

He is becoming much more picky about veggies. He tried some spicy Korean noodles last week and loved them. The boy loves FLAVOR...who can really blame him though. His favorite food remains the strawberry, in which he can consume his body weight (don't know where he got that from, hehehehehe).

His favorite book now is his Color book, which has enlarged photographs of things in various colors. Ryan indicated that he can barely stand to read it anymore because Henry has demanded that he read it him about 132 times a day. : )

Henry seems to be in a growth spurt. I recently had to retire several of his 18 month clothes and bring out the 24 month/2T clothes, which seem to fit just fine (some of the pants are way too long though). It still blows my mind at how fast kids grow. I'm sure I will be saying that for the rest of my life.

Henry also really enjoys playing with his race cars, tractors, Mega Blocks and Mr. Potato Head. His favorite game seems to be peek-a-boo. He'll "hide" (today behind a kitchen chair) and then peek around the side. When you make eye contact he LAUGHS, LAUGHS, LAUGHS. He doesn't quite understand that I can actually still see him even if he can't see me. Super funny to watch him make up games that make him giggle.

Sweet moment of the day: When I picked Henry up today at Grandma O's, they were outside walking down the sidewalk. Henry had a dandelion in his hand. When I caught up with the two of them, I greeted Henry and he reached out to hand me the flower with a big grin on his face and said "MAMA!"

On the Bookshelf

I love reading, but you likely already knew that about me. Hence, I chose to be a professional reader (aka lawyer...not all of us lawyers are like Perry Mason who spends their days investigating facts in the field or trying cases in court - funny the show never revealed the hours, weeks, months, perhaps years it takes to read, write and prep for trial). Reading for pleasure was put on the back burner the first year of motherhood (like much of anything non-Henry related), but I have happily rekindled my relationship with books in 2012. Yes, I am a die-hard for the hard copy (not the electronic version). I love the look, feel and smell of books. I'll probably be one of the last folks on Earth to adapt to reading on an e-reader for pleasure, although I admit that I do read a fair amount on a computer screen at work. Below are a few books I have finished reading this year, that I would also recommend:


The Dirty Life, by Kristen Kimball speaks to my wanna-be farmer's heart. Kimball is a Harvard educated writer. She used to work in New York City as a mucky-muck writer. She decided to venture out into the country for a story one day and came across Mark (a young farmer), who she was instantly intrigued by (perhaps not madly in love with...yet). Something called to her that day on Mark's farm. Long story short, Mark convinced her to fall in love with him, fall in love with farming, accept his hand in marriage and start a 500 acre farm (from the ground up). This story chronicles Kimball's 1st year as a farmer. I found the book entertaining and inspiring. The core messages that I took from the book include following your heart and that the best rewards come from hard work.




Room, by Emma Donoghue is a captivating story (fiction) about a woman who is kidnapped at 19 and locked into a garden shed (Room). Her captor impregnates her and she begins to raise her son, Jack, in Room. The story captures the limitless bounds of the love between mother and son (it's no wonder I enjoyed this book). In the interest of not spoiling the story, I will leave the details for you to peruse at your leisure. The book was one of the NY Times 10 best books for 2010. Thank you Jen for the great read.





Everyday Sacred, by Sue Bender is an interesting compilation of short stories (most just a few paragraphs) that come together to describe Bender's journey to finding inner peace, to quell the harsh judgmental inner voice. I too have a harsh judgmental inner voice that tells me that I can always achieve more, do better, acquire more, so this book resonates with my personal journey to find inner peace. To be present in the moment and to stop the search for "more." She used the Buddhist monk's begging bowl as a metaphorical symbol throughout the book - searching for whatever it is that is meant to fill the bowl. What she discovers is the whole point of the begging bowl is to be willing to accept whatever is put in the bowl, without expectation.

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!