Happy 18 Months Hendrix (a bit late)

My son is 18 months old. I have been slacking on writing this post. I have been slacking on writing any posts about him lately. For two very good reasons. 1. It takes a lot of energy. Emotionally, that is. To sit down and try to put how I really feel about my kid into words is exhausting. In a good way but still it is tiring. Sometimes I'm just not up for it. and 2. I like keeping him to myself lately. Kind of silly of a mommy blogger to say, I know, but its true. He's my own little secret and I don't always want to share him.

I really love where we are with Henry right now. He is this bubbly force of nature. His personality is exploding. I find myself calling him a "firecracker" using words like mischievous and and phrases like "what a riot" to describe him. He has boundless energy yet most of the time he is perfectly content to sit at the window and watch cars go by. He can say a slew of words like "push" and "cookie".
By far the best is hearing him call me "Mama". he doesn't do it often but he seems to have  knack for finding the perfect moments to say it. Just when I really need or am least expecting it out it comes quick and sharp.

He makes up his own games, loves my jewelry, has a fondness for flushing the toilet, and can do an excellent elephant impersonation. He is obsessed with keys, ritz crackers, and our cat. He hates his car seat, dislikes any kind of drink other than water or breast milk, and screams when I go near the computer. unless its to put on youtube videos of small yorkies playing in a ball pit (our secret for writing a quick email).

Overall he is

perfect.

*sigh*


All pics were taken by BD. You can see more pics of Henry taken by him HERE.

I just can't get enough of this kid.

Look and Listen...

 

Snow Day

So.Sick.Of.Snow.

Will it ever end?

Moving Forward

I don't know exactly when it happened but all of a sudden I have a toddler. I look at Henry and there is very little baby and a whole lot of kid in him. A year ago the thought of Hendrix moving past his infant stage was terrifying, heartbreaking, gut wrenching. I have to admit that I'm shocked by how much I LOVE this new phase. Sure, I miss the days of of his infancy but I can't get enough of this little human. His personality is really fun, very goofy and silly. The give and take of our relationship is lovely. I get responses and emotions from him. We communicate even though he can not yet talk. (He can however make just about any animal noise)

I have gone on and on in this blog about all the things I love about my son. Now? I can list all these new and amazing discoveries I make about him everyday. Each day that he grows is like a new door opening with a surprise behind each one.





He loves music and dancing, taking showers with his Daddy, and jumping on the bed with his Mama. He likes story time at the library but hates sharing the toys with other kids. He can climb up the stairs by himself, hoist his little body onto the bed, and act out the Itsy Bitsy Spider.



and as he learns how to turn on the TV, throw his sneakers in the half full bath tub, and to run, not just walk, I can't help but reflect on what a journey it's been. I can't help but ponder how on earth did we get here? Where this is just life. I'm just a mom. No big deal. When you first become a parent its like your heart explodes with all the new feelings and then? Life happens and you get used to having all this love in your life and things just roll on forward. I swear, I'm gonna blink and he'll be off to kindergarten.



The other day we killed some time in a book shop and I found this really sweet book titled "If I could keep you Little" by Marianne Richmond. It pretty much summed it all up. In the words of a parent to their child, they talk about how lovely it would be to keep them little but then they would miss out on all the amazing new things their kiddo was doing

Some sweet quotes from the book..

If I could keep you little,

I'd decide on matching clothes.

But then I'd miss you choosing

dots on top and stripes below

Henry at Story Time.

Side Note:WHY is that dad so miserable?

If I could keep you little
I'd cut your bread in shapes.
But then I'd miss you finding
"Hey! I like ketchup with my grapes!"


If I could keep you little,
We'd finger paint our art.
But then I'd miss you creating,
Stories from your heart.

It really made what I was feeling come alive. It gave it a place. I know that I can't get these days back so I suck up every second. I try not to take them for granted. I love where we are headed. I am excited for the endless possibilities of my son's budding personality. I can't wait to see whats up around the bend...




I can't stop time. I can't pause his childhood. All I can do is learn from it, grow with him, move forward.

Random. So very very random.

Soooo my camera is working again! Wahoooo! I rescued the pictures that it has been holding hostage and I'm about to dump them upon you. So this post isn't much more than a whole lot of cute. Enjoy!




Holy Halloween! I can't believe I never got to share this with you. Hendrix was Yoda and I went as Princess Leia! So cute.



Henry's favorite birthday gift. The smart trike bike.





Our trip to The Science Museum. Hendrix loved watching the baby chicks hatch and the monkeys swing in their trees. We went to the k'nex exhibit and Daddy and C entered a contest to see who could build the tallest structure using only a certain amount of pieces. They worked sooo hard.















Henry's favorite part was the giant honeycomb. He dressed like a bee and was very busy "collecting" pollen.










Cute,no?

Apple Pickers.

Oh Hello readers. Sorry I have been MIA but life lately has been insanely over the top crazy busy and complicated. Yes, Complicated. I'm not complaining but it is what it is. There for I have been distracted and by distracted I mean totally ignoring all the overwhelming feelings and bottling them up inside.

So for a minute let's ignore the fact that everything has flipped upside down, leaving me shaken and dizzy. We will forget the fact that there may have been suspicions of leukemia in my younger brother (test came back negative...huge sigh of relief), that my mother has breast cancer and chosen to forgo chemo or that Henry's doctor seems to be very concerned at the alarming rate to which is head is growing. Or that at his 1 year appointment we will be scheduling a long list of tests for his hearing/eyesight/possibly swelling brain and we will just focus on the positive. The easy. The simple pleasures of life.


Okay, let's talk fall.


No, I mean Autumn.





Sounds so fancy that way, yes? Autumn is here in new England which means we are in full swing of our seasonal traditions including our yearly trip to Berlin Orchards for some apple picking. We go every year. For five years now. We eat cider doughnuts, feed the ducks, and walk to the very same spot to pick our favorite Honey Crisps.

Pretty much my favorite picture of him ever

I always take about 9 million pictures and it is fun to line them up and see how we have evolved as a family over the years. Oh how it has grown and changed!

2008

2009

Through so much and so may trials and tribulations we have stuck it out and when I said "in good times and in bad" I meant it.

2010

I always feel sorry for people who have convinced themselves they don't need their family. While family may come with drama and burdens to take on and baggage you can not check it comes with so many pros on the list of life. While we are up, it is important to support those who are down so we may have the same awaiting us in our dark times. I'm proud to say I'm a good shoulder to lean on and I am even more proud to say I have some sturdy ones surrounding me.

I don't know what it is about this time of year but it always feels like a new beginning. Forget New Years, now is when I feel ready to keep resolutions, make lists and check off to dos, and push forward.

and each year we apple pick and it is always a bit of a time marker for me. Much like an anniversary it is another little celebration of a year well done, a year stuck together.

While normally I try to be really aware and present in dealing with my problems, in the here and now, I'm going to push them to the back of my mind. Ignorance may not be bliss but the colors of fall, the warmth of a hand held, late night snuggles in bed with homemade ginger snaps, and a pudgy baby in glow in the dark PJs are absolute, pure and strong bliss. So I'll be raising my glass (of warm apple cider) to looking forward, a strong sense of self, and a loving family.

Cheers.



Click below more amazing pictures. My lovely husband put his Iphone pictures on my computer and I swear they are waaay better than mine pictured above. I love seeing the day from his perspective.
You get a really great view of Hendrix and his serious love for his apple. (eye spy major apple chunks stuck all over his face/shirt/entire body)