eight amazing months

June 9th, Hank turned 8 months old.  In almost the same amount of time as it took for me to cook up my little King Henry, he has gone from a lump to a lion. 

Not officially crawling just yet, mostly just rolling, scootin, climbing, rocking on all fours and reaching to get where he needs to be.

Standing is the best.  He loves to stand, bounce and wiggle.

Standing has also brought on cautious stepping.  We put the legs on a musical toy and he can slowly mowzie around.

Stranger anxiety has never really been an issue, but over the weekend we saw a few brief moments.

Grass provides endless amounts of entertainment.  At the end of the day when patience is at its' very thinnest, a trip outside to sit on the grass is in order.  It can give us another half an hour of happy and non whiney baby.

Naps are a bit shorter and sometimes harder to come by.

The first two teeth have FINALLY poked through and those little suckers are like razors!
Henry is very grabby.  Noses, eyeballs, necklaces, faces in general, loose skin of any kind, these are all fair game.

He's pulling himself up onto legs, furniture and such.

Hank shows so many different facets of his personality, his sense of humor, a little attitude, major curiosity.  I'm surprised everyday at how fast things change.

Believe it or not my seemingly photogenic babe, puts up a real fight when it comes to getting a good picture these days.  I end up with about 1000, blurry photos because I just keep taking them in hopes that he was sitting still and smiling just as the camera took the picture.  The kid is too busy being curious at the world around him to stop for another picture.  I'm pretty sure if he could roll his eyes at me when I'm shaking a toy and saying "Hank, Hank, Henry, over here Henry, Hank look at mommy..." in hopes that he will look in my direction. 

Open mouth slobbery kisses. Oh they are the best. The best I tell you. Eight months is pretty amazing.

weekend inventory

Man, what a four day weekend can do for your spirit.  Four fabulous days of no work and all play with King Henry.

It did us both good.  In four days of mostly just the two of us hanging out, Hank started finally pulling himself up consistently and giving open mouth kisses.  Pulling himself up is a fun milestone, but when he looks me directly in the eye and comes in for a kiss, mouth agape, I could die of cute overload.  He is so deliberate in his actions lately.  He hears the word "No." and gives a big adorable grin.  The kind that you can't help but smile at in return and then he quickly returns to the original action that made you tell him "no" in the first place. 

Friday I had errands to run and a house to clean.  Hank is the perfect side kick.  Making ladies laugh at Target, the grocery store and generally any where we step foot inside.  We took a solid afternoon snoozer and woke up when DJ got home from work.  Once Hank went to sleep that night, DJ and I watched that new Wizard of Oz movie.  It sucked.  We didn't even finish it. 

Saturday, DJ had to work again so Hank and I spent the day as best buds again.  We danced and sang to record after record.  We walked and walked and walked around town.  We played inside and outside.  Took THREE naps and watched Finding Nemo for the millionth time.  DJ came home and we told him that we needed to go back to Target because I managed to forget formula and wipes.  We stopped over at my aunt and uncles, chatted and played with the neighbors chickens.  Went to Target and then planned to go to a festival.  Little did we know that there were fireworks that night at the festival and by the time we got there it was crazy busy and with no stroller packed up I was not going to walk that far.  We went home and dosed our anxiety ridden dog to put him to sleep prior to the booming fireworks.  This anxiety is a newly acquired thing Bowie has.  He shakes and pants uncontrollably and he just wants to be up your ass.

Sunday was father's day, so being the good wifey that I am, I let DJ sleep in.  Once daddy woke up, Hank and I gave him his card and gift.  Unfortunately, husband needed to work on his car.  Not the most fun way to spend the first part of the day, but we had plans to meet up with my father in law, step mother in law and sister in law for dinner.  We got to the restaurant and walked up to my in laws.  They all stood up and rushed back to the car.  My in laws own a auto body shop and the fire department had called to say that there was a fire.  We immediately drove to the shop to see how bad the damage was.  Luckily it was not terrible.  It could have been much much worse and everyone was grateful for that.  Need less to say dinner was rescheduled til this weekend.

I guess you could say it was a father's day to remember.  ;)

weekend inventory

I had such a great weekend you guys and I hope you did too!

Friday I went and did a little shopping and then came home to find my two guys hanging out playing on the floor together.  Talk about cute.  Hank was scootin' around in a t-shirt and diaper.  DJ made me dinner while I played with my little bear and then got him ready for bed.

Once Hank was down for the night, I strapped on my running shoes and got in a quick run between thunderstorms.  It was awesome weather for an evening run.  Humid and warm, which for some reason made me extra happy.

Saturday I had plans with my bestie, Megan, to go out for the night for drinks.  It's just been way too long for a good girls night out, just to talk and vent.  We went to the bar right down the street from our houses.  Much needed drinks and conversation.

Sunday was the best day.  I got up with Hank and let DJ sleep in a little. Hank and I were extra productive.  Meg and I had more plans on Sunday.  We were going to a run in downtown Detroit followed by a vinyasa yoga class.  Hank and I ate breakfast, worked on our composting, threw in a load of laundry, emptied all the garbage cans and took out the garbage, got dinner prepared for later and emptied the dish washer.  That's when I discovered that the brand new carafe I just bought from Target a week prior, was annihilated by the dishwasher.  Damn that dishwasher can hardly get the broccoli remnants off my baking dishes, but it will warp the hell out of a plastic carafe.  (It was only $3 so I'm pretty sure I can spring for another)

Meg picked me up and we got coffee, met with another girlfriend and ran from the yoga studio down to Comerica Park and back.  I was already exhausted but we went up to the yoga studio where the instructor had fresh pressed juice for us and we found a very full and warm studio.  It was an hour and fifteen minutes of the best yoga I have ever done.  I wouldn't consider myself an advanced yogi, but I am surely not beginner either.  This class was PERFECT! I hate going to a class at a gym because every class is taught like no one has any idea what yoga is all about.  The instructor, Monica was great and I felt like I sweat out every ounce of water I had to possibly sweat out.  We chanted, balanced and it was just what a Sunday yoga session called for.  I even learned a new arm balance pose that makes me feel like the most centered and strong woman ever.

After yoga we treated ourselves to brunch and met the most adorable beast, Lola.  Lola is a two year old great dane and a precious giant baby.  Her owner taught her not to slobber kisses all over people so she would just nuzzle her nose against your cheek to show affection.  Hello, heart melting all over the patio.

excuse my uniboob-not sure why my boobs look uneven either geez

We drove home afterwards and luckily for me Hank was all primed for an afternoon nap.  Oh happy day.  We napped and woke back up to dinner smelling delicious, just as I planned.

what it means to be henry's mommy

I wrote a post like this months ago, back when Hank was just a peanut.  Since that post, so much about my little munchkin has changed.  I can't explain in words how complete my life feels with Hank in it.

What it means to be Henry's mommy...

...it means that at the end of the day after Henry is fast asleep, I get to pick up his toys.  I say "I get to" because it feels like such a privileged to to be the mother of a little boy.  A little boy that has reached an age that he spends his days playing.  No longer are the days of eat, sleep, poop, repeat.  No, no, now Henry shakes his maraca, bangs his drum, smashes his piano and twists and jumps.

...it means knowing that textured foods are a work in progress.  Some things, like noodles and avocado, make him gag the moment they cross his lips and some things, like whole wheat pancakes, mango and crackers are perfectly acceptable.  First they must be carefully inspected and then immediately shoved in his mouth.

...it means that when I notice him scratch behind his left ear that he is one of two things; frustrated or sleepy.  Either of those two things though require a snuggle.

...it means that if I want to play a movie other than Baby Einstein, I have to lay on the floor next to Henry for the duration and I'm always okay with that.

...it means knowing that there will be a few days in a row that Henry will leak out of every diaper.  It will be random and it will only last a few days.  It will pass and the diapers will stop leaking after a few days and there is no reason to switch to a new brand each time this happens.

...it means that despite the flack that I get from certain family members about teaching Henry sign language, it works for us.  He already understands a handful of signs and can do "milk" and "dog" all by himself.

...it means being able to distinguish the difference between the hungry cry, the bored cry and the tired cry from another room.

...it means buying carts full of clothes for him instead of myself, and not being sad about it.

...it means having to let go of anxiety when leaving him with someone other than myself or DJ.

...it means knowing that some nights in the bath he prefers tug boats and turtles and the next night he may prefer ducks and sting rays, but they should never all be in the bath tub on the same night.

...it means that if I want to hear him belly laugh, all I need to do is take him outside to watch the dogs (Bowie especially) run in circles.

...it means that I have to stop trying to make the size 2 shoes fit.  He's in a size 3 and that's all there is to it.

...it means knowing that he likes to sleep with a blanket no matter the temperature.  Which leads me to the reason for buying the angel care monitor so that I don't have to sleep with one eye open looking at the video monitor.

...it means realizing that doctors can predict when a child is going to get his first tooth about as accurately as they can predict the exact day that you're going to have your baby.  (although I did have Henry on his due-date, but that was only because I was induced)

...it means that he cries out for me when he sees me leave the room.

Just like the last post about being Henry's mommy, I could write endlessly.  It's funny how you just know your child.  Their noises, their expressions, their likes and dislikes.  It's great being a mom.

mr personality takes a bath

If you haven't noticed already, let me just go ahead and tell you, that Hank has the biggest personality.  He is the happiest and sweetest child.  His growing curiosity and sense of humor continues to amaze DJ and I each and every day. 

One of my most favorite parts of my day lately, is giving Hank a big boy bath.  While down in Florida we gave Hank a bath every day.  He was inevitably covered in sand, sun block, chlorine or just plain old sweat each and every day, requiring a bath.  We didn't bring the whale tub with us so we chanced his newly aquired talent of sitting up.  I supported his back and caught him when he tipped, but he had a blast every night splashing and playing.

Since we've been back from Florida, Hank is none too impressed with the confines of the whale tub.  He squirmes and arches til I finally set him on the deep end of the whale so that he can see Teddy the turtle swim around.  I've finally given in completely and we decided to skip the bath tub dance each night and just fill our tub.  Hank is in heaven, I tell ya.  He gums the heck out of his blue tug boat and his turtle.  The first few times he would reach a point where he was sick of sitting up though and just wanted to lay down.  The tub was shallow so I let him lay in the water.  He was panting with excitement.  Maybe he felt like he was floating. 

Closing proceedures follow bath time and Hank falls fast asleep in my arms every night.  Another favorite part of our daily routine.

vacation all i ever wanted, vacation had to get away

This vacation could not have come at a better time.  I promised to bring Michiganders back some warm weather but instead it snowed tonight. Meh.  Next week looks a little better.

In true obnoxious form, I'm going to break the vacation posts up.  Mostly to spare you from photo overload.

We left on a jet plane very early Saturday morning.  Our flight took off at 7:30am therefor I got about an hour and a half of sleep on Friday night.  Packing, cleaning and general excitement really ganged up on good old fashioned rest in the situation.  The trip went perfectly.  Could not have asked for a better flight.  The airport was incredibly helpful and we ended up being in a row all to ourselves.  Henry took a bottle on the way up and slept almost the entire flight.  When he finally woke up we were starting to descend and he played with his little football and it wasn't until we really got close to landing did he cling very tightly to be and laid his head on my chest.  I'm not a particularly good flyer, motion sickness overcomes me.  This time though I was most concerned with the safety and comfort of Henry.  When he grabbed my arm and held himself close to me I practically balled my eyes out.  Henry knows I am there to protect him and it feels really really good.

My brother in law, Jay, picked us up from the airport and he showed us a few places around town.  We headed back to his condo.  We walked in and could not believe how much Jay and his fiance, Amanda had done for us.  The room they had set up for the three of us, the basket in the bathroom filled with toiletries, it was all so sweet.  The two of them made our trip unbelievable.  I was so nervous to travel with Henry, but they made it so easy.  We unloaded our luggage and headed down a few condos to DJ's, Aunt Sandy and Uncle Bill's condo.  They were a huge part of making this vacation awesome.  Aunt Sandy gathered a ton of baby stuff together for us and let us borrow all kinds of beach stuff.  It was so great to be able to visit with family.

We took it easy on day one.  We were all exhausted in preparation.  We headed to the grocery store to stock up for the week.  Once we got back we got in our bathing suits and took Henry for his first dip in the pool.  He loved it.  Henry and I got out of the pool and while I wrapped him up in his towel his eyes started to close and within seconds he was sleeping.  Adorable to say the least.

Day two was a trip to the beach.  Henry woke up at about 7:45am.  We sat on the lanai with coffee and a bottle then took a walk around the pond in the middle of the condo complex.  It was gorgeous.  Peaceful.  Once DJ woke up I told him I was destined to live in warm weather.  Destined.

We headed to the beach somewhat late and it was super busy by the time we got there.  We probably should have considered bringing a pack mule with us with all the stuff we brought.  In true six month old baby form, once we actually set up and walked down to the ocean, Henry lost his marbles.  He cried and cried.  He was not impressed with the big bad ocean.  It was a scorcher so DJ held Henry underneath the umbrella we brought and Henry took a half ass nap.  I layed in the suns rays while Jay and Amanda got drinks and did some serious people watching.  Always good people watching on the beach.  After a nap, Henry woke up, still just as unhappy as before the nap.  We decided it was probably time to go.  Right about that time the wind blew our umbrella inside out (just as it had about 4 umbrellas around us) and so it was a mad scramble to fix it.  We packed up and walked back to the car.  We were all covered in sand, hot, a little cranky and Henry was d.o.n.e. done.  We drove back to the condo and ordered take out.  Take out was just what the doctor ordered.  Especially once we saw the serious sunburn DJ got.  Everyone is always worried about my "fair skin" because I'm a red head.  Well my husband that sat underneath the umbrella the whole time, besides the walk to and from the car was the only one with burgundy burnt skin.  I was tanned from laying in the sun.  He was practically purple.

Day three was back to the pool.  In the morning, Henry and I stuck with our routine.  Coffee and a bottle on the lanai followed by a few laps around the pond.  This morning, daddy joined us.  Perfection.  After a little play time and a nap we went down to the pool. 

 most favorite picture ever

Henry is a big hit with friends, family and strangers alike.  No one has a bad thing to say about that kid.  He floated around in his pool float from Nana and his Tigers hat.  All the beach toys Amanda bought him the day before for the beach were way cooler to Henry now that they were in the pool.  After the pool we decided to go out and get sushi for dinner.  It was the BEST sushi I have ever had.  Henry was super excited about throwing his keys on the floor for the entire dinner but I inhaled that sushi every chance I got.  We spent an astronomical amount on said sushi, but it was entirely worth it.  After sushi we got some ice cream to make sure that there was not even a centimeter of space available in our tummies.  Another great day in Florida for the Bloomingburgs.

Vacation to be continued tomorrow...