To Henry, One and a Half

Henry,
You are a whole year and a half old now.  Actually, you are 19 months old now but close enough. A year and a half old seems different.  I feel like I have to admit that you are officially crossing over to the more toddler end of the spectrum even though much of you is still a bit babyish.  A whole lot of you is toddler now, that is for sure.  I haven't done an official update on you in a while because until your 18 month checkup, you had not been to the doctor since you turned a year old.  You were due for a 15 month checkup right at the time we were moving from Alaska.  I figured it would be good to meet your new pediatrician when we got here so I called to schedule, only to hear that they don't do a 15 month visit in Iowa.  Luckily, you hadn't been sick in between so that meant no visit for 6 months.  I had expected to hear a huge jump in stats since sometimes it honestly feels like you wake up in the morning a pound heavier than when I put you to bed the night before.  You were 23 pounds at a year, and to my surprise, you are only 24 pounds now!  You are 32 inches so you sprang up like a little beanstalk.  You're a long and lean boy, which we always suspected you would be.  We knew you'd have long legs since we first felt the space they took up inside my belly so many months ago.  Still, I was almost a bit bummed to hear you had only grown a pound.  In the moment I felt like you should have gained more, and I didn't know what else we could have done to help since you eat like a horse.  Honestly, as much as your daddy and I do.  It's constant.  I make nutritious things for you, give you snacks whenever you ask for them, give you whole milk etc.  Your pediatrician assured me that it was perfectly fine, and that your growth curve looked great.  So you are in the 65% for height, and 20% for weight.  I feel silly now about feeling disappointed at the visit when I heard the weight.  It's evident that you're completely healthy and I should have just trusted that.

So on the topic of food,
you are crazy about it. All day long it's "sssss ssss ssss" which is how you say snack.  You also sign for food by holding your thumb and first finger up to your mouth and making a loud smacky sound. A few of your favorites are:
*berries of all kinds ("ba-boo (blue berries), blackberries, etc.)
*carrots from our tofu curry dish
*brown rice with braggs on it
*"nanas" (banana)
*"PACK"! which are those little pouches of organic fruit/veggie mixtures.
*Yogurt with granola
*cheese
There are more of course.  You love your food!  In true toddler fashion though you're getting a bit more picky about vegetables.  Broccoli cannot be hidden from you unless smooshed to a pulp.  You will find it no matter how delicious the meal.  You hate tomatoes, and most leafy greens, unless it's kale in crispy roasted chip form.  Luckily we always have avocado, carrots, and packs to fall back on, because you have to be in the right mood to even give other veggies the time of day.

You're seeming older in a lot of ways but I think verbally you are making the biggest jumps recently.  You have so, so many words, and you're like a little parrot repeating us all day.  Your daddy has to remind me to watch my mouth sometimes, because apparently my vocabulary includes a few "choice words" here and there.  Oops! DO NOT repeat me when I say them, please. I'll try harder. Some of my favorite things you say are:
*"One more!" with your tiny little pointer finger up in front of your face
*"Curl!" (squirrel)
*"Hi Mommy!"
*"No" and "Yeah"... I'm sure those won't be favorites some day, but for now I'm amazed at the way you use them... you've definitely got those meanings down!
*All your animal noises, your versions of your favorite foods, they all sound so cute coming out of your mouth.
*Oh, and you LOVE tractors, which you call "ba-bers"

You like to go pee in the potty when the mood strikes you, you love babies "day-dees", and your favorite thing is going for walks outside where you don't have to ride in the stroller.  Some days I wish you'd sit in there so I could get a little exercise in, but I know the most exciting thing for you is when you get to walk too. I laughed on the phone with your Grandma the other day because we had left for a walk 25 minutes ago and had only made it three houses down on our street.  But it's beautiful because you think that every tiny pebble, every stick, every walnut is worth stopping for.  It's so fun to see that those things never get old for you.  You remember all the houses that have pumpkins, where the dogs live, and you'll stand there waiting for them to rush to the door and bark at you.  When we see squirrels or cats, we stop for an extra 5 minutes because it's just too hard to drag you away from that kind of fun.

I know you're starting to get more opinionated and things won't always be as easy (they never are in toddlerhood, right?), and that's okay!  But right now I think your daddy and I would both agree that you are at the very best age ever.  So full of energy, and excitement for all things big and small, still cuddly and as loving as can be.  We cannot get enough of you, little one.

This is Lovie, who you call "Ba" (aka love).  He took over as your sleep comfort when you stopped nursing when we moved to Iowa.  You love him!

Another reason I hate computers.

It is truly unfortunate that I know so very little about technology.  What I do know, is that blogging can be very difficult for me sometimes because I have pictures that I want to share, yet I cannot load them onto my laptop.  It works perfectly fine on the big desktop in the basement, and while I love to work down there, it's much more difficult than just sneaking in a few moments here and there on the laptop, wherever I may be. I have tried everything I can think of.  I've used a regular USB cord, a card reader, I've inserted the SD card straight into the side, and nada. No luck whatsoever.  I could just suck it up and do all of my writing downstairs but I'll just be honest and say that if I have to go down there and sit there to wait for the photos to load and do every bit of writing there, days go with no writing at all.  I just don't have time to sit down there most days.  I write, do the dishes quickly, come back to write for a few more minutes, then do something else.  I write for a wee bit when I sneak away for a study break once a week or so.  On the laptop. But with no pictures, no posts, and a very bummed me. I hate it when an opportunity to write is missed because of this.  If only I could just figure out what all of these little pop up messages mean on the laptop but like I said... I don't know much about technology.  Time to do some research, or you'll be hearing from me shorty from the basement...

We are here.

Hello long lost friends!
I took an unexpected break, but I've missed it here more than I thought.   I've always loved writing, and I've loved blogging from the very moment I started here.  But I only love it when it doesn't bring a load of pressure along with it, and I guess when the creative juices weren't flowing, I didn't want to feel the pressure to write.  I wanted to feel no guilt in just taking time away, and trying to really dive into the days here and soak up the fun we are having.  The fact is though, that I miss this space and connecting to people through blogging, so I'm here.  I know that when you follow a blogger who doesn't post regularly it can be frustrating... so if you are still here with me, reading along, thank you. I always hope to be better.  And I appreciate every single moment you take to look at this blog.

Henry and I have been busy enjoying the perfect weather we've been lucky enough to have here.  We are getting a nice long autumn, and it has felt so great!  Now that I've decided not to go back to work until I'm done with the IBCLC program (feels forever away, essentially), I'm lucky enough to still be spending each day soaking up the time with Henry.  I study a bit here and there also, though soon I'll need to crack down on that and my work load will increase.  I will also be doing some hours at the hospital soon, so I feel great about spending the days just me and my little man while I can.  I need to enjoy every minute I can get before we get much busier!
We have been visiting park after park, taking walks, playing at the library, rolling in the grass and leaves, pumpkin hunting, playing chase, feeding ducks, making treats and loving each other's company.  I miss work like crazy, but there's no where I'd rather be than along side my little H during this awesome time.  18 months is so great, and since he finally had another check up I'll have an 18 month update soon.  This boy is changing at a crazy pace.

Until next time,
V.

What We've Been Up To

 I hope you all had a great weekend!  Last week brought a new determination for me to break up the little rut that we found ourselves in during the days.  I don't feel right calling it a rut because really it's just our daily routine that we enjoy.  Routines work really well around here, but I don't like to find them becoming rigid, where we do exactly the same thing day after day when we're at home.  We are used to being quite busy and we needed a little of that energy back!  So I came up with a few new activities to do with Henry, and that was all it took to just reconnect us with each other and all of the fun, every day things that are all around us.  I sometimes forget just how quickly he's growing, and how much more he is capable of and interested in each day.  Honestly, even just a few days makes a huge difference... He is learning so quickly!  One of my main goals as a parent is to give him the opportunity to constantly explore and experiment with new things, and while I try to include lots of little adventures in our days, I am always reminded that for a toddler, it doesn't take much to please.  The activities don't have to be fancy to be really wonderful.  Some of his favorite things to do with me are in fact, quite the opposite. Playing with the laundry, pushing the vacuum, turning it on and off, holding the dustpan for me, emptying the bookshelf as I put all of the books away, these are some of his favorite things.  We spend the majority of our day playing outside, in the yard, at the park, on a walk... but when we're home, he loves to do those everyday little chores.  Like I said though, we needed some new activities, so...
Here are some of the little adventures we had during the week:

Henry's first kayaking trip.  He liked it a lot!
 We made granola bars together.  Henry was especially fond of missing the bowl and throwing oats on the floor. I think he secretly just wanted to ensure a vacuuming session afterwards :) 

Daddy snapped a picture of us while we stirred.  I wasn't allowed to touch the spoon, so I just held the pot still.

 We made finger paints!  Henry isn't that into coloring or painting yet... but he's definitely into squeezing different textures through his hands and watching the mess unfold.  So this was still fun! They didn't really stain and were a breeze to clean up.  I was surprised.

 This wasn't an activity.  Just a cute moment of Henry checking himself out in the mirror

 Probably the highlight for H.  A friend opened up the fire station so he could climb on all of the trucks!

 He tested out every single vehicle they had. 

 And who knew- he LOVES to help with dishes! This is great because I feel like I do them all day long.  I don't know why I never had him "help" with those before because he loves playing in water and doing big boy activities. I'm sure this will be his new favorite thing to do in no time.  See? Easy to please.  Also, doing the dishes was not an activity that I came up with.  The thought makes me giggle.  It just happened to be something we were doing today that Eric snapped a picture of. But you better bet we'll be doing a lot more of it during the days!

Delicious Start To Autumn

Today we went to watch football with Eric's dad, and as we walked in he had the most wonderful surprise waiting.  We had talked about going to the orchard to pick apples for applesauce soon, and he had done so this week, picking up an extra bag for us.   It has been a long time since I've made applesauce, but in my opinion, baking and cooking anything with apples is one of the very best parts of fall.  I've been half way looking forward to the changing season because autumn has always been my favorite time of year, but I've been clinging a bit to the last moments of summer because it was a short one for us, and I was really soaking up the feeling of a few hot months.  I can certainly say I am done clinging to summer now, and am more than ready for this season and all of the cozy things it brings.  Like making applesauce, of course.

I love the whole process, how involved it is, how all it takes is the simplest and freshest ingredients to make the most delicious treat, the overwhelmingly delicious smell that surrounds you as it simmers away, and how next to nothing is wasted in the end.  We started with a huge bag of apples,  included the core, seeds, and peels in the pot to cook, and at the end we may have had half a cup total that was sifted out.  Pretty much just seeds and the tough part that surrounds them.  

We will be heading to the apple orchard in the coming weeks to pick more.  I can't wait to see Henry there, I know he'll be just as in love with it as I always have been. 

In other news, I'm happy to say that after my down day last week, I'm feeling much better! I tried really hard to plan some fun things for Henry and I to do, and I'll share some of our projects this week.  The boy likes to bake (throw ingredients on the floor), I can tell you that!  I know that hard days will continue to pop up here and there, and that is normal and to be expected.  But I cannot help but to be slightly irritated with myself when I think back on it, read my post from that day, etc.   I have SO MUCH to be thankful for, and I would really like to focus more on that. It's important to acknowledge the things that are hard for us, the bad days, and then move on from them, and luckily, I've done that this week.  

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend, wherever you are.

What do you look forward to doing as autumn rolls around?

Not Each Day Is Easy

I would say the majority of our days here have been fine.  Good, even.  And when there are multiple days like that and I'm feeling like we are finding our groove, it's easy to forget that we are still in the beginning stages of this big change, and not every day is going to be smooth.  I was definitely reminded of this today.  Well really, this week in general.  The fact that I've been in a funk is undeniable.  Henry and I have a pretty established little routine day to day, but I know it's not a long term reflection of what our days will look like, and I'm just getting incredibly anxious to get our plans sorted out.  I think we are both bored on occasion, as we don't see many other people than just each other.  Don't get me wrong, he's my very favorite person in this world to spend time with, but it's hard starting over knowing no one.  It leads us to do the same things over and over again most days, which I don't think he minds quite as much as I do.  But I'm trying to be creative.  I know I'm lucky that we get to be together all day long, even if it is just the two of us most days, and I need to make the most of it because one day we will be busy again. I do not want to whine away in this space, so for tonight I am relaxing, and feeling more positive as I sit here and recharge.  With a glass of wine in hand, I'm searching for more activities to do with Henry, so that his days are full of fun, exploration, and adventure.  I am also dreaming of carving time for activities that center and inspire me. And as always, trying to just continuously work on being content with the now.  I can get so stir crazy, and while I love to wander and explore, I truly want to enjoy the slower days as well.  It's a constant battle for me, enjoying slower paces and not losing sight of patience.  I am a busy person by nature, while I crave a slow day here and there in the midst of incredibly busy days, I thrive in the faster pace.  Right now I'm adjusting to the exact opposite, and am hoping to be patient with myself and those around me while I do.

As always,
thanks for listening.

The Long Weekend

I was so happy to have a long weekend this past week, because it meant an extra day with Eric free from work, a family get together with some family members I haven't seen in quite a while, and a few outdoor adventures too.  It was so nice to have my sisters and nieces and nephew here too, and I know Henry adored that part.  It was so wild with all of the cousins together that I didn't have time to snap a single picture of the chaos.  My sister had her camera at the ready though, so I'm excited to see the pictures of the whole bunch of goofballs together.  We had a picnic, we went to the park, rode the mini train, fed ducks, and oddly enough the best toy of all was my oldest sisters wedding dress that each babe wanted to try/sit on.  Too cute.

 We decided to take a quiet little trip to the farm (Eric's family's), just the three of us (plus dogs).  It seems Eric's entire family is the most at peace when they're there, and I think Henry feels it too.  He was so excited to see the horses, walk through the tall grasses, pick old dandelions, and sit to soak it all in.  It's refreshing for each one of us to go out there and enjoy the quiet, and now it's one hundred times more special because we get to see Henry explore.  One large reason for moving back was to give Henry that very opportunity that was so special to Eric growing up.  

We grilled the most delicious food on Monday evening, and before we knew it the weekend was over.  I'm not complaining though because in one short day it'll be back again.  I'm hoping to make some delicious tailgating snacks on Saturday, and on Sunday my plan is to bake my first loaf of bread, and a pan of granola bars.  I think it must be the little hints that fall isn't far away that put me in the mood for baking  and cooking. Or maybe just the fact that my creative energy hasn't had much of an outlet recently and it's time to let it out.  

What did you do over the long weekend?