A Very Merry Christmas

Christmas this year was just as exciting and magical for me as it was when I was a kid. Several months ago I bought a Thomas the Train set and table for Henry off of ksl.com and have been so excited to give it to him. Some might think that a 16-month old is too young to understand Christmas or be excited about a toy but not our Henry. He has been obsessed with trains ever since his three-year-old cousin Luke moved in. Yes, trains are a big source of contention around here and lately Henry stands at the top of the stairs and shakes the gate gabbering and whining about going downstairs to play with Luke’s trains. We took him to a toy store where they had a Thomas the Train track set up and he played the whole time while we shopped. When it was time to go there was more kicking and screaming than I have ever seen.

And so…when our big Santa’s Secret Helper moment finally arrived, Chris and I were totally enthralled setting up the train track and all of the accessories. When it was done Chris asked where the battery operated Thomas was. I had to dig it out of the stocking so that we could send it for a run around the track.

When I woke up the next morning Santa had added a surprise that I did not even know about, a small table and chairs for Henry. I was so excited to find this surprise that I almost ruined the breakfast casserole. It was an amazing site. There is just something so wonderful about the site of the tree and presents on Christmas morning. I guess it comes from my childhood, but it is so magical.

Henry’s reaction to it all was great. He ran over to the train table and immediately began pushing trains along the track. He pursed his lips and said “ohhhhh,” several times and bounced up and down in excitement. We could not pull him away from the trains long enough to open his other presents. We actually opened his last two presents the next morning; between his trains and grandmas house he was a very busy boy. As for the adorable table and chairs that Chris surprised me with (he said it was more a present for me than for Henry) I must say that it warms my heart to see Henry sitting there coloring or looking at a book. I am thrilled that he now has his own special little place to learn and discover.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too. Here are a few pictures for uncle Ryan in Arizona. Thanks for the Shake N’ Go car Ry. Those cars are his next favorite after the trains. Happy Holidays.

Happy Halloween

Henry's costume was a perfect fit this year. He just learned how to bark like a dog, and it makes me laugh every time because he bounces his whole body with each bark. He actually loves his costume and gets really excited every time we pull it out. Here are just a few of our favorite pictures that Grandpa took of him today.

What a Difference a Year Makes

On August 3rd we celebrated Henry's 1st Birthday. We had just barely moved into our new house the previous week and things were still in a state of chaos. But with a lot of help from my Mom, we were able to pull off a birthday party. Here are a few photos of the big day.

A monkey cake for our little monkey.

We decorated drums then drummed along with Henry's favorite book Hand, Hand, Fingers Thumb.

We gave Henry's stuffed monkey a ride on top of the parachute.

Then let Henry and all the other monkeys take a turn running under the parachute.

He did well with the present that was not wrapped but was a little unsure of what to do with the wrapped ones. He may have been a little overwhelmed by his large audience because he normally loves to rip paper.

Cake Time. To our surprise, he was a little reluctant to dig into the cake. You should see him work over a bowl of ravioli's, what a mess!

He did eventually warm up a bit.

Hey look, an airplane.

Trying out his new car.

He was one exhausted little birthday boy by the end of the day.

Thanks to everyone for joining us and making it such a memorable and special occasion.

First Steps

For the last month or so Henry has been playing with the idea of walking. In typical Henry style, he would usually try to walk away from us at full speed instead of to the parent with outstretched arms. Although he has taken several steps in the past, he never had much control at such turbo speeds and we never were able to capture it on video. After his surprise grand entrance into the kitchen this morning( walking all the way from the living room and around the corner into the kitchen), I decided we could finally say Henry is officially walking! He is so fast it is still hard to capture him on video but I did manage to get this little clip. I might have to post a better one when I get it.

H.C.

After checking the mail box twice a day for the last week, today was my lucky day. The CD of Henry's pictures from his photo shoot from Peekaboo photo finally arrived. Here are some of my favorites. You can view all of the photos online, so grandparents let me know if you are interested and I will give you the code.

Come and Meet the Animals on the Farm

Henry got his first look at the real live farm animals he had previously only read about in his farm books. There were plenty of baby animals to see which made are trip especially fun. We liked it so much, I am embarrassed to say we visited 4 times in one week. It might have been a little over kill, I started worrying that he was going to have nightmares about cows or something. I just wanted to ensure that my 9 month old learned his animal sounds. Ha Ha. Here are a few pictures from our trip with Dad, Grandma and Grandpa.

The Perfect Gift

To be the recipient of Mother's Day is a new concept for me as this was my first Mother's Day as a Mom. I must say that I am a fan. I felt honored to have been given the title of Mother. These last nine months, or Henry I should say, has taught me much about what it means to be a mother. Of all the things I could do or be in this life, I feel that nothing could ever be as challenging, as important or as rewarding as the role of a mother. I am humbled by how much I still have to learn and am in awe of the mother's who have gone before me, in particular my own mother. I often think how did they do it and make it look so easy? One thing is certain, I have never felt anything before like the love I have for me chubby cheeked, big grinned little Henry. I am so grateful to have been given this amazing gift.

To top it off, Chris gave me a photo shoot with Peekaboo Photos, something I have always wanted to do. We had so much fun and Henry was a trooper. The above photo is just a sneak peak. We should be getting the rest of the photos in about two weeks. I am sure this proud Mom will post a million more photos when they come. Happy Mother's Day!