Henry's 1st Haircut

At just 8 months old Henry was ready for his first haircut. Kyle thought he was ready at 6 months but it took him an additional 2 months to talk me into it. I love his hair and wasn't ready to see any of it hit the floor but it was time.
We went to Snippets. A place just for kiddos to get new dos. Henry selected (more me and Kyle) an airplane to have his first haircut in. He loved it. He played with the steering wheel and Kyle taught him to make airplane noises while we waited. The kid before Henry, was hating his first haircut - thrusting tantrum and all. I told Kyle that if Henry was doing that that he did not need a haircut that badly and we would bail. Fortunately, Henry was total fine. He was a little apprehensive about the clippers but was easily distracted and did a great job! We got the "Baby's 1st haircut" Package, which included a DVD of the whole thing. And the best part about the whole experience...it was FREE! We waited 15mins past our appointment time - which was totally fine because Henry just played, but apparently that equals a free haircut. Kyle was very happy about this!
After the haircut and errands...it had been a long Saturday. We all took a family nap. While looking at Henry next to me with his styling new haircut, Kyle on the other side of him and Simba at my feet, I had two thoughts: 1. I am very blessed and 2. We need a bigger bed!

8 Months Old

Henry turned 8 months old in Montana! Montana was full of all kinds of firsts for Henry! His first 4th of July, his first rodeo, his first parade, his first experience with horses and cows and bulls, his first rafting trip down the Madison River! Oh, and lots of food firsts, including a rib, a pickle and watermelon - all of which he loved!
All of the rules, baby food related and otherwise, seem to go out the window while in Montana.

Henry did awesome with all these first and we have way too many pictures of his week there! Here are just a few favorites:)

A Traumatic Morning

It was early in the morning in June when we had quite the traumatic incident in the Hartman household (mostly just traumatic for me).
Kyle had left early for the airport, traveling for work, so early that Henry was still sleeping. When Henry woke up, he was talking to himself in his crib, pretty normal morning. Then, when I went into his room to get him out of his crib there was BLOOD! EVERYWHERE! I immediately started to panic. My smiling Henry with blood smeared across his face saw the panic look on my face and started to look equally concerned. I pulled it together and tried to identify the source of the bleeding. I cleaned him up and discovered the blood was coming from his ear.
It was early, and I was in mommy panic mode, I needed a second set of eyes to assure me that Henry was ok. Deanne, was that perfect person for the job. Not only is she a medical professional but she lives across the street:) She received the 6am panic phone call and before she said it was ok to come over, Henry and I were already half way there! Many thanks, Deanne:)
In the end, it appears that Henry had just scratched the inside of his ear with razor sharp baby finger nails. And because it was a "head wound" it bled a lot and I'm sure Henry rolling around in it only made it look worse than it was.
This was the first time, I'd seen my baby boy bleeding. I wish it was going to be the last but I'm sure there are many more bumps and scratches in his future. If I could, I would bubble wrap him and put him in full padding and helmet to never have to see him hurt or bleeding again. Yes, I know this makes me sound like a crazy lady:)

Avocado Take 2

The time had come to try avocado on Henry again. Our pediatrician thinks avocado is such a good "first" food for babies that he encouraged it. So, we tried again. He took a few bites but clearly was not enjoying it. After five tortuous looking swallows I decided it wasn't worth it and continued on with dinner with other "liked" foods. We went on with our night time routine and about 20 minutes later, just as Henry was lying his sleepy little head on my shoulder, he suddenly popped up and puked all over! ALL over me, all over him, all over the wall...all over everything! I called Kyle in for reinforcements. He says, "It doesn't look so bad." Then he turned on the light and said, "Oh, ya. That's gross. Its everywhere."
We've decided that Henry at minimum must have some kind of food sensitivity to avocado. A texture thing at best or an allergy at worst. Time will tell.
But for now, we'll stick with his favorites. Which include: Peas, Carrots and Pears. And oatmeal! He loves oatmeal.

7 Months Old

Henry's seven month of life was full of many more firsts including his first graduation ceremony. His cousin Jill graduated from 8th grade and although Henry tried to stay awake to see his cousin walk across the stage he was asleep in the church pew before the first graduate walked!
Henry also attended his first kids birthday party. Ava's 7th! And circus themed! He had so much fun with all the kids, not really participating in the activities (still too little) but watching and laughing. Kyle even tried to put him on the slip in slide - I think it might have been a little too cold for Henry's liking! He slept really well that night!
On June 25, 2011, family and friends gathered together for Henry James' baptism. He did great! He didn't even cry when the priest poured holy water on him - I almost did though:) Dressed in a 65+ old family heirloom for the baptism and changing into his cousin Jacob's tuxedo for the party afterward - Henry was dressed to the nines for his day!
Ending his 7th month of life with one more first. Uncle Mike, Gigi and I took Henry to the Shedd aquarium. Henry LOVED it! Each fish tank and animal exhibit was more exciting than the previous one. He seemed a little unsure of the loud talking sea lion. And the cheers the playing dolphins were getting were a little startling to Henry but everything else was a huge hit!
7 Months old already! REALLY?! When did my baby boy get so big!

Henry's 6 month pictures

Henry had his 6 months pictures done by a high school girlfriend of mine. She did an awesome job! Check out her website!
http://web.me.com/kylep.miller/Christine_Marie_Photography/Home.html

Henry's 1st Trip to San Diego

Kyle was traveling to San Diego for work. He invited Henry and I to join him. So we went over the weekend of Memorial day and made a long family weekend out it. It was great! Henry and I would do day trips while Kyle was working and we would meet him later for some family time.
San Diego had lots of first for Henry. On our first night we took Henry to Seaport village for his 1st carousel ride. Kyle took him on the ride and I watched and took pictures. Kyle said Henry tensed up when the ride started but relaxed after a few minutes and I even got a few smiles when he saw me.
One of the days, Henry and I did a city tour. It was a trolley that loop the city and stopped periodically. We could get on and off as we pleased or just stay on the trolley. It was perfect for Henry. We would hop off and explore and when it was time for a nap we would hop back on and have the trolley put him to sleep. A great way to see the city. Coronado island and the beach were my favorite. However, this is when I learned that pushing a stroller through the sand is a major workout.

We also got to meet up with some of my extended family that live in the area. Aunt Maureen and Uncle Claude for dinner Friday night. And dinner and games with Aunt Syl, Uncle Paul and Uncle Gene Saturday night. All first time meetings for Henry.
In additions to all these first, Henry took his first big boy bath in San Diego. No more infant tub, now that he's sitting up and stable on his own (and frankly too long for his baby tub!). Kyle wouldn't let me take a picture of this first though...
Henry did pretty well on the flights too...although flying with a 4 1/2 month old, was easier than flying with a 6 month old. I fear Henry travel will only continue to get more challenging as his mobility and independence increase. We're up for the challenge!

Henry-isms

I've been slacking alittle on the blog lately...Yikes! So much to catch up on. New posts coming soon. Until then, a few of my favorite Henry-isms:
1. Eating, he covers his eyes instead of his mouth to indicate he doesn't want any more to eat - it's SOO cute:)
2. Exciting things, when Henry gets really excited about something he squeals with excitment but he looks like he almost wants to say something and can't quite get it out. As a result his arms (and if he's really excited, his whole body) shake towards the exciting thing.
3. Books, Henry loves his books and to be read to but especialy his "So Big" Elmo book. I don;t think he's ever even seen Seasme Street but Henry loves anything Elmo. This "So Big" book turns a sad, or cranky Henry into immediate smiles and laughs. I try to use it sparely so that it doesn't lose its allure.
4. New people. Henry will go to pretty much anyone but once he realizes its someone new he has the cutest sad lip. He curls his lip under and if mom or dad don't reassure him it can turn into a cry but the warm up warning before the cry is sooo adorable. He warms up pretty quick to new people too - 5 mins or so.
5. Henry's very busy. Always. If he's on his play mat or in his stroller or car seat - he's always doing something. It makes me laugh. We are in trouble once this kiddo goes fully mobile!

I could go on forever with this list...(Henry-ism are my favorite)but I won't!

Henry's 1st Trip to the park

My neighbor introduced me to our neighborhood mom and tots group. Its a really great resource for everything from local activities to toy swaps to mommy advice. While reading through the list of play groups in May, I discovered there was a hidden kids park two blocks from our home. How did we not know it was there? Its on a dead end road and tree covered but huge and I can't believe its been there all this time. So that Saturday we took a family walk to the park and Henry loved it - the swing especially:) Its now a regular stop on our walks!

A weekend Up North

In mid-May we made the long drive north to Eagle River to visit with Kyle's family and for a wedding. Henry was an excellent wedding date. Although, he did sleep through most of the ceremony and was hitting the bottle pretty hard at the reception:)
Henry also got to have a few playdates with some of his Eagle River girlfriends! He got to meet Braelyn and Bentley for the first time. And he went over to Taylor and Lexi's house for some time on the swing set. His first swing set experience.
Henry has lots of little girls his age to play with:) And his boy cousins too! They are all older (not too much older) and play really well with him. Blake liked to give Henry his bottle and Cole showed Henry his playing cards and Austin liked to hold Henry. So cute!

My First Mother's Day

My 1st mother's day was wonderful. Kyle, Henry and Simba did a good job:) I got to spend most of the day with my mom and to take the day off (as much as that is possible) of mommy responsibilities.
I think Mother's day should come more often than once a year - once a month sounds better to me:)

Henry's 1st Half Birthday

6 months old!!! I love this age. To date - its my favorite:)
For his 6 month check up he measured in just short of 28 inches (90%) and weighing 16 pounds (40%). Henry still had a cough (courtesy of daddy who brought it home from his business trip!) so his shots were scheduled for the week after - And true to form, Henry spiked a fever post shots for the next few days. Ugh! Poor guy.
We had a mini celebration for Henry's 1st half birthday including a sweet potato "cake" with a half a candle:)
Henry is getting so big! He's sitting up on his own (I think it soo cute) and playing independently, which is GRRREAT! He's also babbling non-stop. His favorite words include: Dadadada and guygugyguyguy. Henry is also turning into quite the daddy's boy. He can be crabby with me and then Kyle walks in the door and Henry's instantly laughing and happy...BUT the other day, Kyle was holding Henry and Henry reached for me. And not because he was hungry or hurt but just because he wanted his mommy. Kyle was crushed!
I just want to hit the pause button and keep Henry right here for just a little longer. With each milestone he hits, I celebrate and then am just a pinch sad that he's getting so big so fast.
Happy 1st Half Birthday to my baby boy!

Brothers

A few pics of both the babies:) Henry has gotten increasing interested in all things Simba lately!

Jumparoo

The Jumparoo...Henry LOOOOOVES the jumparoo! He loves the jumparoo so much in fact, it is difficult to get a non-blurry photo of him in it. He jumps so hard and fast that I sometimes worry he's going to launch himself right out of it. When I try to take him out before he's ready he just starts jumping more!
His cousin, Jacob, lent him the jumproo around 5 months. And Henry has spent a little time every day since then playing in it. Kyle and I love the jumparoo too. It gives us a little time to get things done with Henry fully entertained and engaged!

Henry's 1st Easter

For Henry's first Easter the day started off a little rough. I was all excited to give Henry his beautifully prepared Easter basket. That had been filled the night before by the Easter Bunny of course. But when I came downstairs the next morning I found the contents of Henry's basket sprawled across the floor courtesy of Simba! GRRRR...Simba spent the remainder of the day in the doghouse! Lucky for Simba, he didn't chew anything. The funny thing is, Simab's basket that had all kinds of dog treats in it went untouched - I believe there was a little sibling rivalry going on.
The rest of the day went well. We went to church, then to brunch at by brother's club where they had the a petting zoo and pictures with the Easter bunny. Henry even got to hold a real bunny. Henry loved the Easter Bunny. He seemed unphased by the giant fuzzy rabbit. However, Henry's cousin Jacob was not an Easter Bunny fan! It was cute and made for great pictures as my brother tried multiple times to get Jacob to sit with the Easter bunny:) Poor Jacob!

Daddy Skype Date

Back before Henry was Henry and still Baby H is mommy's tummy, Kyle traveled often for work. But once my doctor grounded me from traveling (since baby H would soon be making a debut) I requested Kyle take a little break from traveling as well. After Henry was born Kyle wanted me to let him know when he had the green light to travel again. As in, when did I feel confident enough as a new mommy to do this without him for multiple days at a time. Well, I stretched it out as long as I could but the day finally came and Henry and I were on our own.
Kyle was in California for four days. Henry and I survived it. I have to say though, it is a little scary at night. Each day Kyle skyped with Henry and surprisingly Henry was interactive and interested in skype-ing. We're not really sure how much Henry understood but he liked it and Kyle enjoyed getting to see Henry while he was away too:)

Kyle's 1st Bday as a Daddy

Kyle's first birthday as a daddy was full of several first for Henry! First, Henry and I took the bus to meet Kyle at his office. His first CTA experience:) Then the three of us got on the el to Wrigley Field. Henry liked the El so much he fell asleep! Once we got to the stadium it was time for Henry's first baseball game. Dressed up as my lil cubbie for the Cubs game!

At Wrigley field they give first timers a neat little certificate and sticker commemorating their first game. It all went right into Henry's baby book. The cubs tickets were from my brother, James. We were definitely in the rowdy section but Henry didn't mind. He fell asleep in the 4th inning and slept through most of the rest of the game. Kyle had a good time and thinks that perhaps this could become a tradition. On Kyle's birthday Henry and he go to a baseball game. And maybe for Henry's birthday they go to a football game?

Veggie Tales

At five months and with Henry hitting all the milestones necessary for more exciting cuisine - it was time to start on vegetables. Now, as a kiddo I was a very picky eater so Kyle and I decided to follow a eating plan for Henry that claims to make your lil one a good eater. It walks you thru introducing foods that are more bland and less of the sweet stuff first. This eating plan also convinced us to make all of Henry's baby food ourselves.
So with all the proper equipment we started our lil Henry on Butternut squash. He loved it! Three days later according to plan we introduced sweet potatoes - another hit! And another three days later it was time for avocado. Avocado however did not go over well. On the first bite Henry made a funny face so I decided to grab the video camera to document this first unloved food. And well...the video says the rest. The video ends abruptly as I was next expecting that. I wish however I would have kept it rolling. I couldn't stop laughing at Henry's reaction so he started laughing too!

5 Months Old

At the five month old mark, while sleep was still not happening, we had new neighbors move in right next door. Ugh! I felt terrible knowing that they could hear Henry wailing at all hours of the night. I wanted to bring over some baked goods with a side of ear plugs to welcome them to the neighborhood. Kyle wasn't sure that was such a good idea. But I did run into the new neighbors on the way into the house one day during the Great Sleep Deprivation of 2011 and did what a wise mother of three told be to do in instances like this. She said whenever your baby does something that embarrasses you (tantrum in public, bites another kiddo, etc.) say, "He must be teething." And people are instantly more understanding:) I think it worked...
Henry had also gone through a recent growth spurt around 5 months so it was time to do a little spring cleaning. Kyle and I packed up all Henry's infant toys, clothing and accessories. As I folded up the bed side bassinet for storage I was a little sad knowing this phase of Henry's life had already passed. It really did go by quickly. But I found comfort in the thought that some day, not any time soon and God willing of course, we will pull these infant items out again for a Henry sibling. Infant Henry was fun while it lasted but on to bigger and better things!

Baby Jet Lag

The flight home from Hawaii was the overnight flight. Henry slept most of the flight but it still wasn't as good a night of sleep as if he were in his crib. So when we arrived home we were all tired. Henry had zero problem adjusting to the time difference in Hawaii so my hope was that the same would be true when we got home. Not so much. Baby jet lag is not fun! Kyle and I hunkered down and with the glow of Hawaii still over us figured it would be a few rough days...well we were wrong. Our good sleeping baby was still no where in sight after a week! I called the pediatrician and said the words I'm sure he hears from new moms all the time, "There's something wrong with my baby!" Is he teething? Is it another growth spurt? I don't know! I just know Henry hasn't slept since we returned from vacation.
After a thorough exam our doctor explained Henry was going through 4 month sleep regression. It can be triggered by illness, teething or in our case vacation. Great so how do we fix it? The nurse tried to comfort my concern by telling me it usually lasts less than a month. A MONTH! I was a week and half in without sleep and was barely surviving!
And I tried everything! EVERYTHING! I begged, I pleaded, I even promised Henry a car when he turned 16 (if he has straight As of course), if he would just sleep for more than an hour at a time! But he was a tough negotiator and wouldn't give.
Well I'm happy to report that after three weeks and a few days Henry is back to sleeping like a rock star! THANK GOODNESS!! It was the most difficult three weeks since Henry's been born. More difficult than when he was a newborn - FOR SURE! I learned a few things from this experience - the BIGGEST being that Kyle and I were very spoiled by how easy Henry was and what a good sleeper we had! This experience hasn't scared me away from vacations though. Among the SEVERAL sleep baby books I've now read, I learned how to avoid this in the future and will take all the precaution necessary because a tired mommy is not good for anyone!