Henry's Birthday Party!

I can't believe how much y'all want to see these pics :)...makes me a happy blogger that y'all care!  Shaun and I have never thrown a party this big before (invited our entire sunday school community) so we really learned a lot in the process, but we had a great time at the party and were very pleased with the turnout for Henry (it meant a lot to us!!).  One of my biggest regrets is the pictures...I tried to take some good ones, but I really didn't have time so I didn't pics of a lot of the cute decorations and especially Henry.  Next time, I will hire a hobby photographer to take pics and video so I can focus on enjoying the party without worrying that I'm missing moments!

The invite! (pics and invite done by the so talented Peepeye Designs--find her on facebook)--scratched my number out

Wreath for front door--my talented friend Claire stayed up making these ducks one night!  thanks c :)

Close-up of ducks on wreath

Favors on the entryway table (duck book and bubbles)...there were ducks floating in water and frames with pics of Henry with ducks when he was a little baby.

Food table...bbq, potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, chips and cupcakes

Favorite pics from each month...birth to 12 mo

Blowing out the candle...was just about to start sobbing but then...

Henry touched the hot candle and became terrified of his mean rubber ducky cupcake

No traditional smashing of the cake for this little buddy :)

Holding up our one!

And last but definitely not least...the adorable cupcakes made by my super talented friend Jessica

Family pic (henry wasn't cooperating with pics...too much fun things to watch and do!)

Dear Henry

August 7, 2010

Dear Henry,

On this day a year ago, your dad and I were anxiously awaiting to meet you.  For nine months, you were in my belly and even though we knew we would get to meet you....it almost seemed like a dream.  I can remember a quiet moment in the delivery room right before it was time for you to be born that it finally hit your dad and I that you were going to be here.  It was no longer going to be just the two of us, and we couldn't hold back the happy tears.  I don't know that you will ever understand how much you are loved and how much you were wanted.  Henry, you are the answer to our prayers.  You are our miracle from God.  I will never forget when I saw your face for the first time.  I felt like I knew you immediately.  All of the waiting and tears, it all made sense when I looked into your eyes.  You were so alert and wide awake taking in the new world around you and all of our family and friends at the hospital couldn't believe how you were just looking around checking everything out.  It makes me laugh now looking back at the videos and pictures from your birth day because that is so you.  You are always taking in the world around you.  As a newborn at 2 AM, you would rather look around and talk than sleep.  Now as a one year old, you don't wake at 2 AM anymore (yay!), but you are constantly pointing out to us things that you see and hear.  We love that about you.  You are showing us so many things that we started to not notice before you were here.  Every morning, you want me to open the blinds so that you can look outside while you eat breakfast.  I always say, "wow!  it is a beautiful day," and you make the cutest sigh.  I never realized how many beautiful weather mornings that we actually have until I started saying that to you everyday.  Or how many birds hang out around our house now that you point them out to me.  Or how many people actually wear hats!  You are teaching us to look at the world through your eyes, and it is such a beautiful creation.  But the most beautiful (or handsome) creation of all...is you!  You get your adorable looks from your daddy.  And your dimples from me :).  I love your sweet eyelashes, and your precious smile.  I can't believe how much you have grown in a year.  Last year, you were so tiny and now you are starting to look more like a toddler than a baby.  You are the cutest, most sweetest, precious little boy!  I'm so blessed to be your mom and to get to take care of you.  I love you more than words can express.

Love,

Mommy

One Year Update

Our baby is one!!  I was so emotional leading up to the day and a little on the day of his birthday but today I'm just excited about the new adventures to look forward to this year.  He is still my baby and will always be so I'm not ready to refer to him as a toddler yet...maybe I'll go with pre-toddler.

Stats:  

No update on height and weight yet...we go tomorrow to his one year appt which I almost cried when his nurse called me to remind me of his appointment.

Size 4 diapers

12 to 18 mo clothes

Walking?-- not yet!!  But boy is he close.  He took five steps for Shaun today so I know it will probably be any day/week from now.

Baby Signs- This is where I've seen a huge leap of development this month.  Henry is really wanting to communicate to us everything that he sees, and I love it.  I can't explain the joy it brings me to see him do a sign for the first time!  And signing is really helping us know what he wants when he is getting frustrated instead of guessing.  His signs so far are:  eat (he LOVES to use this sign when he is hungry and mama LOVES that she can get him to a high chair stat without having to figure out why he is upset), milk (new today!), more, all done (which is followed by him trying to push the tray away), listen (cups his hand around his ear--new this week), bird, bye bye also waves for hey, fan, hat (this is precious because he will point out when someone is wearing a hat...he even did the sign when he saw little girls with bows in their hair), flower, ball, fish, plane, one.

Words- I can tell Henry is staring to try to say a lot more words by mimicking us.  But right now he just has a few:  dada, mama (still rarely says it), baby, duck, bird, bye.

Sounds- Oh how I love the sounds this little guy makes.  He is such a boy.  I'm amazed by the "quality" of his sounds already :).  Makes sounds for:  truck, sheep (baaaa), cow (moooooo), helicopter, airplane, dog.

Favorite books- Henry got a lot of new books this past month for his birthday, and he is in love with them all.  His favorite book ever though is still his baby book.  He says "ba" (for baby) when I pick it up, and he can anticipate what is coming next in the book because we have read it so much.

Breastfeeding- We made it to our goal!!  I'm not really in a hurry to wean, but we probably will soon.  I'm torn because I enjoy breastfeeding and Henry does as well, but he is getting to the stage where he is more aggressive and distracted which can be difficult at times.  But then there are the feedings where he is being so calm and sweet that just make me want to go longer.  Also, Henry is reacting to whole milk with a rash and diarrhea so we will have to see what his ped says about other alternatives tomorrow.  I'm concerned about lack of fat content in rice or almond milk and soy is NOT an option for us because of recent studies showing boys drinking soy milk/formula had a much higher level of estrogen in their blood (we will pass on that one...).

Sleep- Sleep is so much better this month!  Sleeping about 11 hours at night...yippee!  He is also taking a GREAT morning nap.  But...there is always a but when henry and sleep are in the same sentence ;)....he is fighting his afternoon nap.  Looks like we are headed to one nap a day.  Needing advice on this:  I'm wanting to just quit the morning nap cold turkey instead of trying to inch it back little by little.  When would be an approx good time to start the nap for a beginner?  11ish?  Am I crazy for doing it this way?  How did you take your toddlers/babies to one nap?

  

I have a lot more to posts to post including a letter to henry on his first birthday, birthday party post, and a look back at our first year of parenting.  But now for the pics...having a hard time picking just a few because I love so many from this month!

Dressing up like a lil' cow for chickfila day

Family trip to the natural science museum

Checking out the bear at the museum

Went to an extra fun splash park...he loved it

so cute in a hat!

I love bananas and walmart

Eating lunch out with his friend Micah

Holding up our "one" for one year old before his family bday party in AL

Stopped to visit and eat great seafood on the coast with Nana on the way home

Happy!

Still can't get enough of him one year later...

and neither can daddy :)--he is asleep in this photo :)

Last year :)

  

Emotional.

How is my baby turning one on Saturday??!!  I just can't believe it.  Hoping to have a one year post (I can't even hardly type the words without crying) up by Saturday so stay tuned...