Learning to Sing

he's copying everything we say, so i figured i could take advantage and get him to copy what we sing, too. because 'singing is just like talking except longer and louder, and you move your voice up and down.'

it's a work in progress. :)

"do-re-mi"





"close to you"

Since You Asked, And It's All About Me...

i've had the privilege of spending time recently with several friends' newborn babies. they're so sweet and still and precious and wonderful.

and occasionally being around babies stirs my sub-cockle parts and makes me want to brew up another of my own.

but mostly, i'm just selfishly enjoying the phase henry is in where he can have a conversation with me (which usually goes like "do you want some pasta?" NO. "a burger?" NO. "a smoothie?" NO. "some eggs?" NO. "a knuckle sandwich?" ORANGE) and can play by himself.

and i kind of appreciate the feeling of freedom i have from him, too. i have flashes of guilt about this, but i really feel like i've gone through an emotional transition lately where i no longer feel like he desperately can't live without me- and i'm good with it. i think, subconsciously, i felt like he was a tiny extension of myself and now i feel like he's in his own little sphere. near mine, but separate.

lots of moms i know miss that early phase when all babies can do is hug you or cry if they aren't hugging you. (and, of course, eat and poop, sometimes both at the same time. sometimes all while hugging you).

but i like that henry now has free will to hug me or...not (little snot. does he know how much i've sacrificed for him?! i kid, i kid. but, seriously! tummy, ass, and thighs!).

anyway. i've just been musing on how neither henry nor i broke while we were apart when i was in california. i would never have been able to leave him that long, even a few months ago. that's progress. 

all this is just my babbling, because the decision about when and if to have a monkey II will involve what's good for monkey I and us as a whole family, etc, etc. and it's good to remind myself that henry has time-warped to this stage fairly quickly and another one might just do the same.

and on the plus side, newborns smell like hope and cheese.

tune in for my next post where i'll tackle one of the following controversial topics: gun control in this country, abortion today, or whether vegan mayonnaise is as good as the real stuff.

and now enjoy henry doing a cupcake dance. 

Wha-what?

well, in the four days we were gone, henry started talking. like, to make a point, not just to try out his voice.

regarding the benadryl i gave him tonight to tame down the red rashy beast that arose around his mouth after he ate something like 16 tomatoes and 34 oranges- he says, "i like it. it's good. tasty."

WTF, baby herman!?

he is also now counting. to... 2, but still!

it might be all a coincidence that it happened while we were away, but really it's probably that my mom and sister offer a fresh new teaching style and gave him a thirst for knowledge and a passion for learning and language that outshines our efforts. :)
and/or it's amazing how quickly he changes and how much he learns in just a few days and we just don't usually notice because we're all up in it.

but it's probably the genius grandma thing.

Anxious to Get Home to This Person

robb and i have been traveling in southern california. it's been fun and busy, but also very relaxing. it's great to have time just the two of us. BUT WE MISS OUR MONKEY!

my mom has been a total rock star and has stayed with him the whole time. they've had a ball and it sounds like henry hasn't had much angst over our absence.

in fact, we skyped him yesterday and when he first saw me he said "MOMMY" and then whimpered a little. but it was more like, "i forgot i was supposed to be miserable without you. huh. i'd forgotten all about that. what with all the fun i've been having, it completely slipped my mind." and that was it, a few little whines and he was done.

i think he asks for us at bedtime, but part of that is a diversion technique. he's getting really sneaky finding ways to get out of going to sleep. he asks for water. he says he's hungry. even when we're there, he begs for whichever parent is not rocking him 'to sleep' at the time and when that doesn't work, he asks for the dog. :)

anyway- we've done ok being away from him but are certainly ready to get home. miss and love!

Well, It Finally Happened. Daycare Mommy is Better than Mommy Mommy

not really. :)

but the tide has turned. and now instead of him crying and carrying on when we drop him off, the other morning when robb was walking out in the morning, henry looks up from where he was already playing with his friend and says "bye, bye daddy!"

and THEN when i was picking him up the other afternoon....unfortunately timed....his class was just about to go to the "romper room" so while i was getting his coat on in the hallway, the little ducklings all waddled by on their way there and he just sort of joined the line. started marching and grabbed for a hand to hold (not mine). and by the time i chased him in there, he had crawled under this play gym thing and gotten himself wedged in there and was giggling maniacally. completely ignoring my calls, i  basically had to drag him out by an ankle while he was protesting...loudly.

with all the staff and kids watching.

so that was cool. :)

but, really, i'm just really glad he's happy there. he seems to love to play and draw and all the other tiny person things they do. he eats and sleeps well for them. they're not the best at changing cloth diapers, but that takes some getting used to. no major harm done, we'll just do a little more laundry.

and even though he's going throught the normal toddler territorial and emotionally uneven stuff, i think slowly he's learning to share and socialize with others. he still hits and bites and growls like a trapped bear if you threaten to take anything of his, but maybe it's a little better? and when he's not plotting your death, he's a pretty sweet, compassionate guy.

he doles out hugs very intentionally, which is amazing. last night while we were feeding henry dinner, robb hit his elbow on a door (i left open. on purpose. because i do that) and he was hopping around clutching it and asked henry if he wanted to kiss it to make it better. henry grabbed his arm and planted a big smooch on his elbow and then said "hug? hug" and reached to be picked up. once he had hugged robb, he sat happily back down in his highchair and kept eating.

love that.

19 Months Old and Sassified!

henry has a great vocabulary. he says many words that are (mostly) understandable and can be grasped (sort of) by most people.  he repeats us and is thirsty for new words to try to roll around in his little mouth and spit back out at us.

i've been trying to get him to say "i love you" for ages. i know he CAN, i just think he hasn't chosen to. i figure that he's still deciding. doesn't want to commit one way or the other until he's absolutely certain.

but he did it! and i caught it on tape!

also, please enjoy how often he applies the word NO. he's really nailed that one. :)

Raising Male People

i have to admit that when i found out henry was a boy, which was, incidentally, when his tail end made its way out of my parts and into the world and robb said "IT'S A BOY" and he then went from an "it" to a "he" and, soon, to a "henry"- i was a little freaked out.

i mean not really about him as a boy baby. at that stage, when he was all new and still red and shellacked with birthy stuff, i had no idea how to take care of a baby of either sex. what i was worried about was what would come later. how i would raise him to be the things i think a man should be (funny, kind, wise, responsible, respectable) and to know the things a man should know (how to find his way around both a kitchen and a garage, make good popcorn, give great hugs).

i had a bunch of sister and girl cousins. what would i do with a boy person?

i guess so far it hasn't really been something i've had to worry with too much. possibly it's because he's so young and isn't yet on the hook for gender stereotypes and sex relation issues and such. i don't even yet have to worry about taking him with me into the a public restroom and having his presence scandalize anyone. and i haven't caught him deliberately peeing on the dog or anything. yet.

but, anyway, i read this article called "25 rules for moms with sons" it all is intuitive but very important and i'm doing what i can to live by pretty much all of them. and i found it fun and reassuring. i thought i'd share it with you. and after you read it, correct me if i'm wrong, but i think if henry had been a girl person instead of a boy, i would have followed the same rules and mom'd him in much the same way as i'm mom-ing him now. so, there you go. all worked up for nothin'.

with the possible exception of all the ridiculous things i'm sure to do when i try to potty train him. all moms try to get their little boys to wipe their little peners with a little swab of toilet paper after they pee until dad (thankfully, never soon enough) comes along and teaches both of you the gently shake-it-dry method.


and i'm totally not into sports, but i swear, if h monkey is, i will make myself get into them. i will stay one chapter ahead of him in "the idiot's guide to basketball" or whatever it takes. that's love.

TOUCHDOWN!