Sick Babe

There are so many things to tell you all (whoever you are :) about...
Amazing trips to Seattle and Oklahoma this past summer.  The fact that Henri is now saying "Dadda" and "Mama" and has discovered the art of clapping his hands and STANDING! (while holding furniture).  His graduation to be free in the bathtub without a smaller tub keeping him captive.  His new daycare, which we love, and his Wednesday family, who we love even more!  SOOOO many wonderful and beautiful things...which may come in a backdated post sometime down the road....

But today, the only thing on my mind is my poor sick baby.  I'm confident this is ear infection number 6.  I'm watching the clock until I can call his pediatrician to get him in today.  I'm grateful for a boss who is so supportive and never makes me feel bad about being home when I need to be.  The hardest part about this round is that he has so many more miserable symptoms.  Ear infections 1-5 nearly sneaked right past us since Henri just smiles his way through life regardless of what's happening.  It's turned me into a paranoid mommy, but I haven't made a trip to the Dr. with him yet that didn't end in another round of antibiotics.  We saw an ENT about a week and a half ago and he recommended tubes.  I wanted a second opinion to be sure and that's scheduled for next Tuesday.  But after seeing the pain he was in last night and today, Tim and I are ready to go ahead with the surgery.  It's horrible feeling so helpless.  I just want to do something to take away his pain and make it all go away....

(sigh).

Henri's Room

When I was in the 7th or 8th grade I REALLY learned how to sew.  My gramma taught me the basics, but I made a quilt in my home economics class and felt like I had really mastered this skill.  Fast forward to marriage and my husband knew more about the sewing machine than I did.  I sort of fell off the wagon and gave up on getting too crafty.  And then, Henri came into our lives.  I thought I'd have much more time than I do/did.  I had big plans to sew curtains, a crib bumper, pillows, etc. etc.  I got the curtains and covered 1 rocking chair before he came into the world.  And I think I did a pretty good job.  I took my time, used a measuring tape n stuff.  See?

And then, the rocking chair broke...so in a panic we received yet another hand me down from the Wilsons.  I somehow managed between short naps to whip together a cover for that one.  It's a bit crooked and I forgot the ties...but it looks ok.

And then, once H was older and I wasn't worried about SIDS as much as his arms and legs getting caught between the crib slats I decided it was time to get to that bumper.  IKEA had one for $15, but I somehow thought we could save money (I'm dumb) by making it myself.  About $50 and 4 hours later I had a saggy, too big bumper with not enough ties. :(  BUT this week I took it off and I fixed it!

I definitely use more of the "just eyeball" it method than patterns or planning.  I just figure it out as I go.  But I think I did a decent job.  And Henri definitely LOVES it. :)

My mom sends us lots of boxes filled with treasures.  One such surprise was this tiny golden (ok, it's brass or something...) owl.  And the radio is a gift from Henri's Aunt Christa.  We had to go buy this shelf to take care of our overflowing book problem, again thanks to the Wilsons!

And then I wanted a little collage wall, so we grabbed some supplies at Michael's (Letter H, treeround, orange paint, chalkboard paint) and an abacus at Vintage Thrift (my new favorite shop on Orange and Wardlow).  Still need to get the photo of an Oklahoman barn printed for the frame....but my mantra has become "one thing at a time".



Another favorite shop is the Feed Store on 4th and Cherry.  They had these fun vintage toys and some old 45's of children's music...my favorite is the Oklahoma Musical album.

We also grabbed some sticks on Henri's first hike in Palos Verdes a while back and made a mobile for him.  Sure beats the $50 I wanted to spend on a bamboo one from etsy.  Yay for making stuff!  

Overall, a success in my book.  Just 7 months after he was born I think I can pretty much be all done.  And I definitely have Henri's stamp of approval. :)

Seattle trip photos to come soon!  Tim has to make them all color corrected n things.  He wouldn't dream of posting blurry photos snapped in a hurry on an IPhone for a quick blog post.  :)

family

I'm home sick today, which gives me lots of time for reflection and a slower pace.  I actually woke up to an empty house!  Once I confirmed with Tim that he knew exactly where Henri was :) I gave into my body's pleas to just rest.

Resting to me = doing chores and work at a slower than usual pace though...so, as I was putting away a bowl next to the pitcher we use as a vase I thought for the 30th time, we need a vase.  And I laughed about how my very very Nazarene mother ruined our wine decanter because she used it as a vase.  And then my heart was grateful as I remembered the bouquet of flowers that welcomed us when we brought Henri home from the hospital.  My mom flew out mid-labor from Oklahoma and made it in time to see Henri's birth.  While we were still at the hospital and in the week that she stayed with us she blew us away with her generous and giving heart.  No surprise to me having been raised by this amazing woman, but still overwhelmed with gratitude.  The laundry, the dishes, new clothes small enough to fit Henri, nursing (ahem) intimates for me (that stuff's not cheap!), never mind the cost of her plane ride were all taken care of quietly and lovingly.  My sister did the same thing, at 6 months pregnant.  And her wonderful husband Joe was Mr. Mom to their almost 2 year old while she was here.

We flew to OKC in February so great gramma, grandpa, aunts, uncles and cousins could all meet Henri. 

Well, in the spirit of full disclosure, money has been extremely tight for us since Henri entered the world.  I remember when we asked our life insurance guy what sort of additional expenses we should anticipate.  He said "none really".  HA!  maybe if you make 6 figures and your wife gets to stay home!!  What we've quickly realized is, daycare is a second rent payment!  Literally.  Add the new car payment since the pathfinder died (at least the civic's paid for), and the 5% in health insurance we now pay since the district's in a budget crisis (not complaining, it's still a great deal)....our expenses have gone up.  a lot.

SO, we've had to utter the very difficult words over and over to my family in Oklahoma that we just can't afford to come again until Christmas.  Which sucks.  A lot.  We haven't met our new niece, Eve, yet.  Henri's growing so fast and I want to share these moments with them...and face time just isn't enough.

And then, they all decided to pitch in and fly us out.  Originally the plan was just me and Henri.  But we got a text the day we were finalizing the plans saying, "pack your bags!  the three of you are coming to OKC!"   So this August we'll be braving the Oklahoma heat and spending lots of time watching babies coo and crawl.  I plan to smother Elle and Eve with kisses and hugs and let Henri get to know his amazing family.

I can't wait...and I'm so grateful for my family's generosity and love.

Happy Happy Henri

Remember when I said Henri wakes up happy??  Well, lest you think I'm a big fat liar...here is proof!!  This morning we heard him talking to himself around 7:15am and went into his room to witness this little Henri Houdini magic trick. 

We all had a great laugh about it. :)

A mother's obsession...

You may not believe this, but guess what I do when I'm home on a Saturday or a holiday after putting Henri down for a nap...

Of course I do laundry, dishes, brush my teeth...all the normal things that are much easier to rush through once he's asleep....but then...

I end up on the computer looking at pictures and videos of Henri.  Last night at 6:30, after he was all snuggled into bed, Tim and I sat out in the backyard drinking cocktails and watching videos of Henri on our phones.  It's just that every little thing he does is amazing!!!  He smiles!  He says "ahhhAA"!  He tries to get all of his toys into his mouth.  He figured out how to move the teeter tottering pandas on his exersaucer.  He loves to "stand".  He can scoot around with his face buried into the ground while kicking his feet.  Gone are the days of "eat, sleep, poop".  This little boy is a world full of tricks and I just don't want to miss a minute!  Saturday he found his feet!  I was overjoyed!  I don't know why...but I've always thought that babies playing with their own feet is pretty much the cutest thing that ever was.

We've gone on a hike, hit up a museum, walked at the beach, went to a lacrosse game, and have played quite a few games of ladder ball and horseshoes with friends...

It's nice to finally  be at a point where our life, doing the things that make us come alive, still happens and Henri's with us...versus our life being on hold while we figure out Henri's naps, feedings, and other various needs.  We're even planning (tentatively) a camping trip in October with some friends.  Any tips on camping with an 8 month old are welcome!! :)

We're learning that we are so blessed with a very happy little boy.  He cries when he needs something...but otherwise he loves his bath, is starting to enjoy books and is reaching out for the pages, goes to sleep easily, and wakes up happy with a huge toothless grin plastered across his face the minute he sees us.  He's even content to chill on his own with some toys for 10 minutes or so at a time.

He's also extremely social and recently had a few days of trying out a new trick.  As soon as he realized he had been laid down in his crib one night he woke up fussing.  I had put him to sleep so Tim volunteered to go see what was up...after 5 minutes of relentless crying Tim came into the living room with Henri in his arms.  Suddenly, he was just fine...not a tear to be found in his eyes.  We knowingly laughed at this sweet boy's manipulative ways and Tim headed back towards his room.  As soon as he turned towards the hall Henri let out his cries of protest.  :)  2 days of leaning down to him in his crib and helping him back to sleep (without picking him up!) we are back to the days of easy sleep. :)  He's so SMART!!

He also got his first haircut!!!  Everyone kept telling us his golden locks would fall out...but alas they just grew and grew.  Tim played barber while I distracted Henri.  To be honest he didn't need any distraction at all, he loved it!  and he is even more handsome than before (at least we think so).

I'd post something else...but really...that's what life is for us these days.  And it is so sweet and wonderful...I want to freeze time and live in this place forever.  But, as I walked along the boardwalk at Bolsa Chica this morning with Henri and Norman and we watched the surfers and saw kids playing frisbie and flying kites I realized so completely that there is so much adventure and joy ahead of us yet.

Life with Henri

Well...we've been pretty busy for one thing... :)

The last 3 months have been the best days of my life. It's amazing how much a human heart can love. I never knew I was capable of caring so much for another person. When I was in college I did a lot of research in virtue theory and co-authored a few pieces on "generativity". In a whirlwind nutshell, generativity is a fancy name for loving care and concern for another. I could write you 40 pages about the different facets (nurturing, giving/offering, and creating). Erik Erickson basically said that the ultimate generative act was becoming a parent. I wanted to show that young college kids could also be generative...and I believe they can...but I also believe Mr. Erickson was absolutely right. There is NOTHING that compares to the love that I became capable of when I became a mom.

Here's a quick recap of the past few months:

We went to Oklahoma to meet Grandpa (Bopa), and Henri's great gramma ("MorMor"), and Uncle Joe and cousin Eleanor and Great Aunt Becky and Great Uncle Chris and lots more people we love. My gramma was quite the Henri-hog. She watched him one night while the rest of us went out to eat and when we returned 2 hours later they hadn't moved from their recliner. It was a really meaningful and peaceful time with family.








I went back to work. :( I was put at a new site with new students, staff, colleagues...but I'm at least grateful that my job requires my full attention on most days, so my pining for the days at home I had with Henri can't last for too long. I do have a digital frame on my desk that keeps Henri close to my heart all day until I get home. I have a great job and a great boss and I truly am grateful for God's provision for our family.

While I was at work Tim got to stay home another 3 1/2 weeks as super dad. He and Henri and Norman went on many many walks, listened to lots of Bob Dylan and David Bazan, and took lots of fun pictures which were sent to me during the day. Henri was a champ with the bottle and he and Tim had time to be men together. Not many men get the opportunity to be home with their kids for as long as Tim did, and Tim made the most of that time. I know he'll always have those memories of Henri's first few weeks of life.

Then, Tim had to head back to Apple Inc. and Henri started daycare at Kindercare. He's there with his buddy from church, Hudson. He actually adapted pretty quickly. Sleep isn't as good as it is at home...but there have been the occasional 2 hour naps so we're hopeful he'll learn to sleep more as time goes on. He has definitely become a more adaptable little man recently. We'll never know if that's the result of the magic 3 month mark or part of his transition to daycare...but he is way more content to just hang out these days...so Mommy and Daddy don't have to spend their lives bouncing up and down with Henri in our arms quite so much any more. :)

We went to Lake Elsinore to meet Great Gramma Light a few weekends ago and took some family photos with Tim's side of the fam. Gramma Light gave Henri this awesome pocket watch that belonged to his Great Great Great Grandpa Henry. It was made around 1880 and is pretty awesome. We can't wait to give it to him someday when he's all grown up.


This last weekend was Easter. I made Henri a bowtie from one of Tim's old shirts and we went to church here in Long Beach. Since we don't have any family super close by we went over to our friends' Chanda and Keith's and hung out with them for brunch and a playdate with Hudson.




Now I'm on spring break and Henri and I spent our morning playing, going on a long walk through Bixby Knolls with Norm, and now he's sound asleep to the sound of the ocean waves. (his white noise machine has the ocean on it :) He's so much fun these days. He makes this "AhGOO" sound and his hands find each other and find their way into his little mouth and he shoots us tons of tooofless smiles when we talk to him.

He's the most beautiful thing in the world to us. I can't believe we were given such an amazing gift. Lord help us to raise him to be a man of compassion and generosity and humility and love.

and for no reason other than a good laugh...here's Norm...being Norm.

oklahoma

Tim and I are fortunate enough to be out on leave right now at the same time...and we were last week...and will be next week too.
Last week we were in Oklahoma visiting my family. My grandma, Henri's Mor Mor (Norwegian for Great Gramma), and my Dad had yet to meet him. I came into the room after one nap they had taken together and she told me, "We had a nice long talk...I told him all about the world". It makes me so happy that we were able to be there if only for 5 short days.

Henri was a champ on the plane ride. He only fussed a bit on the last leg right before take off...but let's be honest, who isn't cranky after a full day of flying on a cramped plane with beeps and lights and teeny bathrooms making you all stressed out?

We're pretty much back on our normal schedule now that we're home. Tim takes over after I go back to work on the 5th...so we're getting him used to taking a bottle once a day and I'm doing my best to pump on a regular basis so he'll have plenty of food while I'm gone during the day. Lately I just want to hold him all day long...like even more than before. I feel selfish a bit...Tim will ask if I want him to take him so I can eat...or just have a break, and I tell him no...I want to hold him. I'm getting all the cuddling in I possibly can before he's all grown up and telling me to stop being a mushy girl.

Off to sleep...