It's a Wonderful Life.

A Whole Lot of This Lately....

2012-02-08T21:54:00.001-06:00

Henry's Current Fave

2012-02-07T12:21:00.001-06:00

Meet "Socky Guy"

Better

2012-02-05T20:59:00.004-06:00

Yesterday and today were so much better than the last two weeks have been, thank you all so much for such encouragement and support! Garrison watched Henry so I could get out for a while and catch my breath and I can't tell you how much it's helped me. It's strange how used you get to having your baby with you all the time. Things like wiping a nose while steering a stroller and eating your lunch as you run after a shrieking toddler become second nature. It isn't until you have both of your arms and legs entirely to yourself again that you remember how awesome it is to have quick access to them.

I used my Henry-free time to get fitted for new running shoes, something I could never do with him even if I had a whole purse full of suckers. I had a long conversation about why my knee might be getting sore after long runs and tried on five pairs of shoes even though I liked the first pair just because I could. I got a coffee at the mall and people watched for almost an hour. I know that sounds really lame and gross and I knowknowknow it is but GUYSITWASFUN. Do you even know how long it's been since I was able to drink a coffee slowly and eat a whole pastry without having to break 3/4 off for Henry?! After the mall I went to the gym and ran six miles before they shut it down for the night. And when I came home, Henry was being so good! He kept saying, "I miss you, mama!" and "Snuggle me, mama? An watch Milo and Otis?"

See, I told you parenting is weird. I was so stressed out yesterday morning and tonight I am going to bed with a heart full of patience and love. As we were snuggling under the covers tonight, Henry wrapped his arms around me and said, "Mama Henry best friends" and I melted.

At the Beach

2012-02-04T08:48:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we all went to the beach. It's still a little cold here but pretty freakin crazy that we can be out in just sweaters in January. I wanted to get these pictures up before I forget but if I'm being completely honest, a nice trip to the beach isn't what I really want to be writing about. Henry has been really challenging lately and it's wearing me down guys. Sometimes I feel like crying because I'm so frustrated and just burnt out. Being a mom is so confusing. I mean, one day you feel like the most awesome put together mom in the world and then a day later you're wiping yogurt off of the walls at Panera, and apologizing to the lady who overheard you saying, "I can't handle this. I can't handle this. I can't handle you." as you haul your screaming/kicking toddler out of the restaurant. I need a break but I just can't seem to get one.

Potty Playing.

2012-02-02T14:40:00.004-06:00

he goes to this rug to pee. wth?

We're just starting this and it's going well, I think. I mean, Henry likes to sit on his potty and he thinks underwear is cool. It's fun for him unless we push it (don't push it!) so we're basically like:

Us: "Want to wear your Batman underwear?"

Henry: "NO!NO!NO!dklfjdsklfjlekjf"

Us: "Um, okay. Calmmmm down. Whatever dude!"

So I guess right now it's more like potty playing and not training. Can I call it that? Gross?

Anyway, potty training kind of rules because right now there is a HUGE bag of M&Ms in the cupboard. And guess what? The supply has to stay stocked and parents don't have to sit on the potty to get one (or 40).

Henry's Party

2012-01-31T20:40:00.003-06:00

Henry's party was supposed to be a duck theme but it ended up mostly being a blue/white/yellow pinwheel party with like, three duck-shaped foods. Ohhhh well! We all had a blast hanging out with old friends from Washington, new friends from Georgia, and a ton of kids all around Henry's age. Baby parties are kind of a lot of work. I'm glad it's over!

"Wait....it's OVER?!"

last two pictures by caila!

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Happy Birthday Garrison!

2012-01-30T09:30:00.003-06:00

Or as Henry would say, "Happy DayDay Daddy!" We are so lucky to have this life with you. Happy 27 Garrison, we love you "Soooo mutts!!"

Bieber Fever!

2012-01-24T19:02:00.001-06:00

Henry's got it bad. I know this is a little on the longish side but you guys? Um, he break dances at the end. Just saying.....

Henry's Birthday!

2012-01-22T12:27:00.003-06:00

11 pm cupcake bake

When I told G these were the prettiest cupcakes I've made, he said, "Yeah. They're so pinteresting".

Henry had a great birthday. I know this because the entire day was his. Anything he wanted to do, we did. Anything he wanted to play, we played. Anything he wanted to eat, we ate. Life was good! The night before his big day, we blew up a ton of balloons and made a whole box of chocolate cupcakes. We dumped the balloons in his room while he slept so he'd wake up surprised and probably a bit confused. On the baby monitor I heard him say, "Mama! Dada! BALLOONS!" Garrison had to leave for work pretty early so we lit up a few candles on the top of the biggest cupcake ever and let him eat a huge amount of junk at 7:30 am. He was really into blowing out the candles this year and wanted us to relight them a few more times before he ate the cake. The rest of the day we colored, went to the park, and opened presents that have been slowly trickling in from family in Washington. Because of the big snow they recently got, his presents are still arriving. Every day he gets to open something new and his party isn't until next weekend so he probably thinks his birthday is an entire month long celebration. All hail Prince Henry!

Happy DayDay Henry!

2012-01-19T15:17:00.003-06:00

Wow oh wow oh wow oh wow. TODAY YOU ARE TWO! Happy Birthday to the funniest, cutest, sweetest little boy in the world!

How a Baby Thinks

2012-01-18T14:21:00.002-06:00

While we were in Washington, we visited Garrison's grandpa who lives on a boat. This was a big moment in Henry's life as he's always been interested in boats but really only seen them in books or parked in yards. I think it kind of blew his mind to realize that you can actually go inside boats and that sometimes, they look like houses. He played with a pile of coins and packets of sugar that he found on "Bomma Mike's" counter there, which seemed to be the highlight of the experience. He kept talking about Bomma Mike's moneys on the boat.

We've been home for a few weeks now and he still talks about that boat and the money he found. The first days back we'd say, "Do you remember when we went on Bomma Mike's boat?" and his eyes would light up and he'd say, "Nnnnn money?! So mutts money?!" Then he would talk about the people jumping into the water at the Polar Bear Jump we had watched right before getting on the boat. As time went by, I could tell he was forgetting bits and pieces of the experience because he'd start saying, "Nnnnn people and moneys?!" Now whenever we mention the boat, or show him pictures, he tells me, "Nnnnn people jump in moneys?!" Like he remembers the events individually but has kind of jumbled them up in his mind.

As Henry starts to talk more, we're really beginning to get a glimpse into how his mind works. It's so fun! I mean, even when he was a newborn I'd look at him and wish so badly that I knew what he was thinking. From what I can tell right now, he has a great short term memory but his long term memory is still developing. It's so interesting! I mean, does he really think back on that trip and see people jumping into money on his great grandpa's boat?

Growing Up.

2012-01-17T13:52:00.003-06:00

"Pum on, mama! Pay outside!" A phrase we're hearing a lot these days. Henry's language is exploding and I'm watching him quickly morph from my baby to my little boy. Last week we literally collected every stick in the front yard and carried them in his little green bucket all the way up stairs where he'd yell, "Dump sticks!" He was so proud of his collection, I could tell by the way he carefully arranged them after the dump. Most of the time daily events happen so quickly but occasionally it's like time slows down and for a few seconds I'm quiet, kneeling in the leaves in awe, watching him be a big kid. <3

Visiting Favorites and a "Stolen" Package

2012-01-12T13:01:00.004-06:00

This is Garrison in front of our old house before the lamest garage sale of the century. Seriously, we sold maybe four things before putting an EVERYTHING FREE! sign in the front yard. Even then nobody wanted our stuff. Who doesn't want free crap? Dumb people, that's who. I still find excuses to drive by this house, even though we've been out of there for almost a year. The sweet memories of 3 am nursings and new baby smells flood my mind and it hurts my stomach. It's funny actually, I dreaded those night feedings when they were actually happening but looking back on it I'm all mush. I guess time erases the, "I've played Bejeweled on this phone for an hour now, my eyes hurt....Oh wow. Did I just fall asleep sitting up?...I know there are 43 slats on these blinds but I'm gonna count them again..." and replaces it with a whole lot of "Awwwwww <3".

Anyway, the point of this post is that today I got to go back to that house! My aunt sent our Christmas present there by mistake and called yesterday to tell us that somebody else was probably enjoying our gift. Last night I was all ready for a confrontation. I had a whole sad guy speech planned out, "We don't have very much money and no family here and we were really looking forward to opening that gift. I won't even judge you if you've already opened it. If it's food or candy, that's okay! Just give us what's left. I just want my son to have a Christmas...." and then I'd pinch Henry or something and he'd start crying and the people would feel so bad that they'd hand over our package (kidding trolls! like i'd pinch my kid). I was getting really mad about it, prematurely frustrated that someone would have the guts to open our present.

But sometimes, people will surprise you. This morning our package was sitting on their kitchen table, ready to be returned to the post office tomorrow. No need for a speech. No need to threaten a stolen package police report (jk). No need to pinch a baby. Just a nice guy and a friendly exchange. My faith in humanity is restored!

Thanks for such wonderful gifts Gwen, we love them!

Almost Two Whaaaa?!

2012-01-10T12:44:00.003-06:00

Ugh. Motherhood has got me feeling all sappy again. Henry is going to be two in nine days. TWO! Uh, that's like legit not baby anymore. That's total toddler. How did this happen?

Yesterday after my run, I went to pick him up from the childcare and they told me he was walking back from the playground. I turned the corner to see all eight kids walking behind the teacher, holding onto one of those ropes with handles. BIG KID. I couldn't believe he was actually doing it by himself! The amount of cute turned my heart to mush for the rest of the day.

I've been working on getting Henry's birthday party together, I think we're doing a duck theme. I figure the easiest way to pull off "ducks" is to go the rubber duckie route but it's hard because a theme like that could turn out extremely tacky. Like he's going to notice anyway, ha! Apparently this party is way more for me than it is for him!

Here are the party invites that I finished last week:

Tacoma Polar Bear Jump

2012-01-09T12:51:00.003-06:00

All photos by the amazing Kelsey!

While we were visiting Garrison's family, we got to see his sister and dad participate in the Polar Bear Jump. Henry was really confused watching so many people ring in the new year by jumping into the icy water. His eyes were HUGE and he kept saying, "Nnnn people nnnn jump water!?" Sometimes I wish I could read his mind, I bet there's some hilarious stuff going on up there.

This year, for the first time ever, I could kind of picture myself doing this. I think it's because sometimes I just feel so bored with how routine things get, especially once we're back in our own little city. Doing something so uncomfortable just seems like a good way to mix things up. Don't quote me on this though, it's still just the tiniest glimpse of a thought and next year I'll probably be standing again with a huge cup of coffee, shivering, and thinking that everyone has way more guts than I do. Actually okay, quote me on that!

Henry's First Snow

2012-01-05T13:33:00.004-06:00

A few days before we left Washington, we took Henry up to Mount Rainer so he could experience snow. We get snow occasionally in Savannah but it's the kind that's made from a machine and spit into a huge pile that quickly turns to mud. This kid needed the real stuff! He went crazy the entire time we were there, running all over and trying to throw snowballs which were really just the tiniest handfulls of powder. Halfway down the trail we made a small Frosty the "Po-nan" and he demanded we carry it the rest of the way back even though we didn't have gloves.

Having only known this warm southern heat, I get really nervous that H will be afraid of cold weather so it was awesome that he was all about it. He's so adventurous and usually up for anything! The entire time he was tromping through the snowy trails I kept thinking how amazing it is that we can do stuff like this with him now. Where has the time gone? I mean, this time last year he wasn't even walking and now he's going nuts all over a mountain? Crazy! Also crazy...the snowsuit he wore was mine when I was his age!

Thanks Marrs for such a great day, these memories are for sure some of my most favorite.

Tacoma

2011-12-29T21:41:00.005-06:00

We're in Tacoma hanging out with Garrison's family right now, having a ton of fun. Henry finally recognizes presents and has been frantically yelling "PRESENT!...PRESENT!" at every empty giftbag he sees, it rules. He's also been walking up to everyone and saying, "Hi! How ya doin'?" Super cute! We've been driving all over the Seattle area catching up with old friends, family, and places from Garrison's childhood. And tonight...I barely believe it but Garrison and I are going on a freaking date. We're actually going out without Henry! This is a big deal guys. BIG. Wahoo!

i could stay here forever....

2011-12-23T02:56:00.002-06:00

Henry buried his aunt megan under all of this random crap from around the house!

dress up the baby

playing tinker toys with papa

playdate with liam (yee-um)

sick & watching 101 dalmatians for the first time with his aunt carly

when you're on vacation you can spend an embarrassing amount of time creating pictures like these! livin' it up! WOOT!

gingerbread house

Garrison's plane just landed and he's coming to stay with us tomorrow, I'm really excited! We're keeping crazy busy around here, the house is always full of family coming in and out and animals running in between your feet. Literally. This little kitten here will sprint out from nowhere and trip you as you walk. Also? It farts. Have you ever even heard of a cat that farts? I hadn't. It's weird, incredibly deceiving, and really gross!

Last week I bought Garrison a really cool gift that I was super stoked about and left it on the roof of the car. Five blocks later and I'm frantically searching the streets, ducking into random bars to ask people if they had seen my gift. Oh and two days later I was stocking wood for my parent's fireplace and the front of the wheelbarrow hit a rut. The entire thing flipped forward and upside down and I landed belly first on the bottom wheels. It was totally ridiculous because I had just been thinking to myself, "Someone should get this on tape. Look at me being all county! I'm really doing it!" CRASH. Last night Henry pooped in the bath for the first time ever and my family has been making him say, "Mustache!" because it comes out as something babies aren't allowed to say. Sooooo obviously lots of funny/cool/ummmm? stuff happening around here too!

Farm Life.

2011-12-20T02:07:00.002-06:00

when we were little kids, we worked for weeks to clear this patch in the woods into a "secret garden". we'd bury treasures in the ground, plant flowers, build benches, and just hide out there. eventually it became a pet cemetery too! that's not taking a cute story and making it way creepy at all....right?

gettin serious with "papa"

this was my car when i was in highschool! i lovvvved this car.

my parent's house

I came to Washington expecting some serious winter weather since it was obvious we weren't going to get any in Savannah but it's been so warm! What's up with that WA? I'm trying really hard to not think about the fact that this means no snow this trip. Poor southern Henry! He's destined to be a complete weather wimp.

Henry's been having a ton of fun running around my parent's property and playing with their animals. Today he rode the tractor for half an hour with my dad, threw some grass at the horses, stomped through my mom's garden, and followed the dog around as it chewed up an old can of Chef Boyardee Spaghettios and Axe deodorant. That's so farm life Y'ALL!

Henry Reviews: Cowboys and Aliens

2011-12-18T01:18:00.003-06:00

So we watched Cowboys and Aliens last night and Henry was so into it! I kind of thought it would scare him since he's never seen anything as graphic and scary before but he stood super close to the screen yelling, "RUN!" and "Git da guys!" Last night and all today he wouldn't stop talking about it, mostly referring to all of the "boo-boos" the "mama" got (lately all girls are mamas and all boys are dadas. so awkward when you're in the grocery store and your baby is saying, "Hi, Dada!" to random men...) Anyway, it was really fun watching him try and comprehend hundreds of bizarre images and situations. Being a mom is just awesome.

Not sure if you want to spend $3.99 to rent this movie? (don't) Maybe Henry's review will help you out:

what we've been up to

2011-12-15T15:31:00.004-06:00

@ school with his huge bag of markers

AHHH Dragon!!

Super 8/ Watching Rudolph with "PaPa"

Getcha craft on

"Helping" Uncle "Pee-Vee" with the tree

Melissa <3

"Bomma" corn on the cob

Snuggling the cat and eating candy cane (wrappers)

Throwing a fit at WalMart

I know these are a ton of random photos but honestly, we've been so busy that I only think to snap a few on the go. We've been hanging out at my parent's school (they are both teachers) while they finish up classes for winter break. We got our family Christmas tree and spent time with really good friends that I haven't seen in forever. Time here is going by so fast but I'm seriously enjoying every second of it (cheese alert!)

Henry has been so off schedule that I never know when he's going to sleep but we're on vacation so I'm just sorta winging it. He missed a nap yesterday so naturally he'd sleep great all night duh, right? Nope. For some reason he screamed until 2:30 am. I was trying to be all tough like, "You're sleeping in your crib endofstory" but I can only take so much crying that late at night. Plus, he's been wearing those fleece footie pajamas because its so cold here and those things are basically snuggle magnets. Anyway, horrible night of baby feet in my ribs and this morning he still wakes up at 7 with so much energy. How do babies do that? Amazing! Annoying! He grabbed the curtains first thing and ripped them off the wall. He was totally unfazed by it as he threw the rod off of his head, pointed out the window at my parent's horses and yelled, "HI HEE-HEEs!" . Lucky for me for every bit of energy he has, my family has as much patience and love. For once I am not Henry's sole source of entertainment and that feels awesome.

Okay and that candle picture? Henry keeps finding those and dumping them out all over the place. Then he sits down and lines them up saying, "Happy DayDay Henny!" after each one. Hilarious!

In Washington!

2011-12-13T00:50:00.005-06:00

Little guy, big airport

GERMS!

Sleeping on the plane? Totally did not expect this to happen.

"Here's your applesauce pouch...DON'T SQUEEZE ITTTT!AHHH!nevermind!...."

"Bomma" kisses. Biggest chalk ever.

Cat strangling. Trouble making.

Carnival rides.

Auntie glasses

We're here! We're here! And we've been having so much fun. Henry was awesome on the plane ride over and even great during our layover in Charlotte. I was expecting the worst but honestly this was the easiest time traveling with him I have ever had! The key was bringing his stroller for the airports, a king sized bag of M&Ms, and chocolate Teddy Grahams. We're slowly adjusting to the three hour time difference, being lazzzzy, eating horribly, and making Henry do all of his tricks. It's 11:30 and I'm just now starting an episode of Breaking Bad and a huge bag of popcorn because guess what? I don't have to do anything tomorrow. I don't want December to end!

And Garrison, we miss you and love you and can't wait to see you soon!

Just Some Randoms

2011-12-07T12:45:00.003-06:00

Finger painting

Makeshift table (he'll sit here for.ev.er)

Henry's tree

Juice box head rest

Mommy's shoes/Monopoly

Flying fish/Pants hike

These are pictures I've been meaning to post for a while but just could never figure out how to use them in a post. Anyway, it kind of shows what we've been up to lately...basically a whole lot of goofing and counting down the days until we're in Washington (tomorrow y'all!!!!) Actually I should be packing right now but I'm a little overwhelmed by the thought of cramming a month's worth of winter clothes into one suitcase. And I'm lazy.

A Henry Poem (by Carly)

2011-12-06T13:04:00.002-06:00

Henry's Aunt Carly just mailed him this little poem she wrote:

Baby Henry

Baby Henry with curls of gold,

Baby Henry is very bold.

He laughs and smiles,

and plays all the while.

He always knows the latest style.

He's cute and all, but not very tall.

Please, oh please don't be whiney,

unless you've got poo poo on your hiney!

- Carly (age 14)

Christmas Parade

2011-12-05T20:03:00.003-06:00

This weekend we took Henry downtown to look at all of the Christmas decorations around our city. The whole time we were walking he kept yelling, "Santa tings! Frosty tings! Ahahahaha!" What is he going to talk about after Christmas is over? At the end of the night there was a huge parade with firetrucks, marching bands, and dogs. Henry was INTO IT.

Oh, and btw this....

Bwahahahaha.

Christmas!

2011-12-03T12:29:00.003-06:00

We put up our little Christmas tree last weekend! I thought we'd have to be pulling Henry away from it every second but surprisingly he leaves it alone. I even let him play with the ornaments before we put them on the tree and he doesn't try to take them off. Maybe he's too busy bothering "Butts" the cat to bother with the tree?

I'm really really excited for Christmas this year, it's so fun watching Henry get into everything that I liked as a kid. We've already watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer five times and he's filling in the blanks to Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You (he sings, "Youuuuuu BEE-BEE!") I'm almost done with school and we're flying home to Washington on the 8th. Life is exciting!

Time

2011-12-02T14:15:00.004-06:00

Lately I've been feeling like I'm loosing my "Baby" Henry. He's really developing his own personality and while that's so awesome and fun, it kinda breaks my heart. I don't know, I guess I wasn't prepared for this. It's too soon! Don't get me wrong, I'm totally looking forward to these next years with Henry, it's so fun when they can talk to you and play like crazy. I just wish I could snuggle that little boy forever, I'm not ready to replace our morning cuddles with 7 am hide and seek and energetic, "Get me mama!"s.

Henry still likes to cuddle but I can feel the amount of time he needs me in that way growing shorter almost weekly. Someday very soon he's not going to need to twist his fingers in my armpit. He's not going to need to just. be. still. While it's hard, I am glad that I can recognize this speedy transition into toddlerhood. It helps me to slow down and truly enjoy the feel of his tiny body in my arms, as he makes doe eyes at me from under our covers.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the things I will miss most about the baby Henry. You know, all of those little things that you swear you'll never forget but life happens and then you do? I'm writing a few here so time can't steal them from me.

Henry doesn't say, "Please", he says, "Boof" (this one is almost gone).
He can totally say "Cookie" but he still calls Cookie Monster, "NomNomNom".
His favorite game is "On Pop" where he hops on Garrison's shoulders.
He calls the cat "Butts"
Sometimes when I leave the room for a minute and then come back in he yells, "Ohhhh, mama home!"
When I tell him he's cute and smart, he'll say, "And funny...."
He has about 8 stuffed animals in his crib because he keeps tabs on all of them and freaks when I try to take some out
He calls the TV the "Bitobee" and numbers "Munno-mos"
When he hears a song he likes, he shrieks really loud. Lately it's been Band of Horses and Foster the People. Also? Brittany Spears (wth?)

Florida Thanksgiving 2011 (photo dump)

2011-12-01T13:20:00.004-06:00

We had such a great Thanksgiving! We drove down to Florida and spent time with Garrison's family. Henry was awesome the entire ride down, we only had to break into the Cheetos once and listen to Raffi about 250,000,000 times (what's with that guy and ducks anyway?). I thought he would go nuts over all of the new foods this year but he refused to try anything. All this awesome food and the only thing he ate were 7 wheat thins and a cupcake. Wth? Henry spent a lot of the time destroying Aunt Lisa's house and getting so jealous over the little baby. Like, he'd go out of his way to take her toys and hug her (neck) a little too hard. It's been easy to think that I have the most well behaved, perfect child because it's just me and him all day. But put Henry around other babies and breakable holiday decor and I'll quickly realize that I might have been living in a fantasy world for the past five months. On the plus side, he was totally awesome in the hotel room and gave lots of high-fives and crumbled wheat thins to his Pap-Pap. Thanks for having us Florida family, we can't wait to see you again!

hey kid.

reassessing his actions

(someone should have quoted me years ago when I swore I would never put my kid in time-out)

Pocket wheat thins for Pap-Pap/Jumping with Stephanie

heyooooo?

baby petting/turtle riding

stick with what you know

riding clifford

flying dad

(to see more photos from Thanksgiving click here!)

RoboDad

2011-11-23T13:20:00.000-06:00

You Know, Just Pooping in the Park

2011-11-22T11:58:00.001-06:00

SANTA!

2011-11-21T18:34:00.004-06:00

We took Henry to the mall to get his photo with Santa! This holiday season has been so fun because Henry's totally intrigued by everything. He's saying, "HOHOHO!" and "SANTA-FROSTY!" every time he sees anything green, red, and white. Christmas is ten times more fun when you have a kid who gets really into it.

Ok so funny, Henry couldn't wait to get on Santa's lap but once he was there he refused to look him in the eye. He'd slowly turn his head to look at Santa and then quickly face forward once he noticed the huge amount of beard all up in his face. This guy's not a totally convincing Santa, I know, but hey this experience was FREE. Like a baby can tell the difference between a legit Santa and the one they hired for $8 an hour anyway.

When Santa asked Henry what he wanted for Christmas he said, "Ball-balls". Got that Santa? Kid wants Ball-Balls.

High fivin' Frosty

I love when they make the same face without realizing it <3

My parents are too cheap to let me ride the Christmas train.

Btw, if you want a free Santa photo, we got ours (4x6) at Bass Pro Outlet!

Henry's Room

2011-11-17T12:54:00.002-06:00

I realized the other day that I've never posted photos of Henry's new room. What a tragedy in the Gma and Gpa department! I think I spend the most amount of time rearranging Henry's room, I don't know it's like the rest of the house overwhelms me. Isn't it funny that we put so much thought and time into something that our babies will probably not even remember?

Rock and Roll Marathon

2011-11-16T12:53:00.003-06:00

Last weekend we biked downtown to watch the Rock and Roll Marathon. I think over 26,000 people came to Savannah to run so streets were shut down and the park was packed. Henry had a lot of fun dodging in and out of the large crowds and shrieking at random babies/dogs.

Watching everyone run got me thinking seriously about running a (half) marathon. I've never really been interested in the idea, even though I've been really into running for about a year. But I don't know, there's just something empowering about seeing so many people running together while a large crowd cheers them on. Also? I think for the first time in my life I could actually handle the distance (13 miles) and that feels really good.

I remember when I first started running again last year I could barely run two miles without feeling like I was going to die. Now I'm able to run 11.5 miles and I can slowly feel my body adjusting to the distance which means in a few months I'll hopefully be able to run further. It feels good looking back and seeing how far I've come.

Garrison

2011-11-14T19:52:00.004-06:00

Ever since I started grad school, Henry gets two full nights a week with his dad. It's so good for him! I think the one on one time has been so beneficial. I don't know, it's just different when I'm around. Like, he'd only want to climb all over me even though we'd just spent all day together. I'm sick of me after a whole day, you'd think he'd be too. I don't get it. Also, he'd get all upset if Garrison kissed me in front of him and did this thing where he'd call for G and then yell, "NO DANK UM!" (no thank you) once he came into the room. Garrison is an amazing dad and Henry obviously loves him, so why the games?

I was getting kind of worried about how Henry was acting until recently when I noticed a change. I don't know what caused it all to click but it has and it's awesome! Now Henry hears Garrison locking his bike downstairs and he drops everything and runs wild to the door screaming, "DADAAAAA!" He pushes our faces together and makes us kiss, the whole time watching us with huge eyes and this little smirk. He calls "DADA! PAPA!" and then "UP?!" with outstretched arms as G walks up to him.

I love these two <3

Tsunami

2011-11-14T19:46:00.002-06:00

OMG HE PEED ON ALL OF THESE! IN ONE NIGHT!

In Henry's crib, nobody's safe.

it's my kid in a box

2011-11-11T12:27:00.000-06:00

Soooo Mutss.

2011-11-10T15:43:00.000-06:00

At the Fair (photo dump sorrrrrry)

2011-11-09T20:13:00.004-06:00

feeding the "dotes"

rooting for our pig: #4 lindsey lo-ham (also: christina hog-ulara, hamma montana, and brittany spare ribs hardyharhar)

lindsey loham looses.

why we don't have to pay for rides. LOOK at the people on the bench. their faces! i'm dying!

first cotton candy for grandma zoe <3

first elephant ear for grandpa mike <3

best of both worlds

2nd picture: henry's all like, "WHALE".

This was Henry last year at this same fair. How does he still fit into this jacket? Magic?

Treat-Treating

2011-11-08T12:29:00.002-06:00

MOM

2011-11-07T13:06:00.004-06:00

The other day I thought it would be fun to let Henry color on the pages of an old magazine. For five minutes he must have thought I was the coolest mom ever because I was totally okay with him coloring on a book. After every scribble, he'd look at me like, "Really? This is okay?!" I left the room and when I came back he had placed those glass marbles on her eyes and scribbled out her pupils and her mouth. Also, the picture had slipped down so that the "MOM" we had written earlier was visible. I don't know but I think some child psychologists would have a real field day with this one!

This is how we do iiiiiit: carving a brum-brum

2011-11-06T19:44:00.003-06:00

OH WOW!

Someone doesn't "get it"

Henry helps

lovelovelovelove

Sad pumpkin/sad baby

Oooooh, poor Brum-Brum !

Halloween '11

2011-11-05T20:49:00.004-05:00

picture by caila

I'm so behind on posting here because of school. BUT I just finished a huge assignment and things are basically downhill from here so I'm feeling good. Hopefully I'll be able to keep this blog a little more up to date now, I've really missed it.

This Halloween was a ton of fun. Last year was good too but Henry was so little that he had no idea all of the awesome things going on around him. Boring! This year he was running up to houses yelling, "TREAT-TREAT!" with half of a KitKat bar smeared across his face. He walked at least 10 blocks on his own and refused to let us carry his huge bowl of candy. This year we walked him up to every scary thing we could find, you know, testing to see what scares him and what doesn't and WHOA, this kid is afraid of nothing! I mean, he literally grabbed a sucker out of a dead ghoul's hand without even batting an eye. It blows my mind, considering even Sesame Street scared the crap out of me until I was 4.

These pictures are from a pre-Halloween party at the YMCA. He was a Savannah tourist this year (minus a big camera because I'm lazy), although we got the following guesses and I think they're all pretty good:

1. Johnny Depp

2. Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

3. A Hawaiian boy (wth?)

4. Gilligan

He wanted to take all of these ducks home and it really frustrated him that they had to stay in the pool. The little boy running the game would say, "No No baby, you have to take a prize- not a duck" and then he'd hand Henry the prize bucket. Henry would take like, three prizes at a time and the little boy would get all frustrated again. Freaking babies, eh?

Reading his Halloween card from Grandma and Grandpa!

OKDONE.

too much fun.

Marrbeque

2011-10-26T23:39:00.003-05:00

Um, so it's almost November and we can still BBQ in the front lawn and eat dinner outside. Am I ever going to get used to this southern weather? G's been making tons of homemade BBQ sauce lately and it's so good!

Dear Henry: Excuse me while I go all mush

2011-10-26T13:31:00.002-05:00

Dear Henry,

It's been a while since I've written one of these little letters to you. You're growing up so quickly (too quickly) and lately I look at you and I see a little boy instead of a little baby. You don't know what I mean and you'll hate it when you're older but every day I tell you, "No matter how big you get, you'll always be my baby".

Love,

Mom

Brumm-Brumm!

2011-10-23T23:28:00.005-05:00

We're entering some pretty awesome Henry years. Not that the baby times weren't fun and lovely but really, those days were all about snuggling and trying to make it through an entire day without losing it because you only got like 3 hours of sleep the night before.

Now? Now we go outside and he's holding his hand to his forehead, nodding his head back and forth in a "searching" motion, and yelling, "Brummm-Brummm!" (only we know that means, PUMPKIN!). I feel like we're entering the most fun baby times yet. At this age they just get so much more, it's so exciting. You're next Santa! HO HO HO.

this is his "spooky face". seriously, this kid kills me.

And in case you were all wondering how fast time goes by.....

This was Henry last Halloween. Dang.

FALL

2011-10-20T07:15:00.004-05:00

It's been really feeling like Fall. Off and on we get this short burst of cold weather and it makes me happy. There's just something about this season that makes me feel good.

Today we're going to the library for this little story time that Henry likes to go to (sometimes). He usually gets really excited about it before we go and then once we're there it's like he realizes what it is and he's like, "Oh crap. I have to be in the same room for 20 minutes? OMGNOOOOOOOOOOO!" On the way to the library I ask him what kind of book he's going to get and he says, "And Bert and Ernie, MoMo, Bubird, NomNomNom, Brober, Abbbbbbey...." over and over and over and over and over. Lucky for me his memory span must not be very long because he never gets upset if we leave without a Sesame Street book.

indoor rain puddles

2011-10-14T07:52:00.003-05:00

So the other night, this was happening.....

And then he peed all over the floor, pointed and laughed like, "Ooooooooh! Ahahaha! Ahahaha! Ooooooh!" and jumped in it just like it was a rain puddle.

Little boys rule.

what we've been up to

2011-10-13T09:28:00.002-05:00

eating "apples"

reading hop on pop 10x a day. shoot me.

chalk drawings

first acorn squash of the fall, baked with brown sugar and maple syrup

so. many. meltdowns.

windy, rainy pirate fest

teething?

tons of porch time

We've been busy doing not very much at all. Before having a baby, I didn't even know that was possible. But it is. Like, we have this routine that we have to stick to and it strictly consists of coloring, reading, lunch at noon to be paired with Sesame Street always, going to the park, playing on the front porch, coloring, reading, playdough, coloring, omgblahhhh you get it right? Somedays we'll mix it up and walk to the bakery three blocks down for a 38 cent cookie. Wahoo! I'm not complaining, I love staying home with Henry and it's helping me do really well in grad school. It's just weird how the days still fly by even though we're not really doing anything.

I've been MIA this week because I have so many big projects due. I actually spent three hours a day for the last week creating a week long lesson plan only to find out that I did it completely wrong. Awesome! Oh and then there's this email I got from my partner for a presentation due this monday. We haven't started it.

"Allie I am leaving to Colombia Tonight at 8.30pm I receive an Emigration letter telling me that they did not aprove my change of status on my visa from here. It is a process that I have to do in Colombia. Therefore I had to ask the profesors to do the Incomplete in my classes and next semester when I conme back I will take those classes again. However I will be taking the Curriculum class online. I am sorry girl about all those things, I was gonna let you know soon but thanks for contact me. I hope you are doing ok. I am sure you will do excelent, this situation is something that I could not control.

PS other big new I just Got Married today at 10;30am. I just wanted to share with you a little bit of my life.

Have a great week."

Nice.

Picnic in the Park

2011-10-06T11:40:00.002-05:00

Sunday we made avocado, tomato, and spinach sandwiches on homemade bread (holla new breadmaker!) and met our friend Caila at the annual Picnic in the Park. Every year there's a theme and people get all dressed up. You can walk around the park and look at everyone's themed picnic dinners and watch old people get wasted before 8pm. Always a good time! Oh, and they have live music and stuff which Henry was totally into.

henry's picture of caila <3

bhahahahaha! seriously.

they even had carnival rides!

beebee picnic.

And then the fun stopped when the sick happened later that night. Poor baby!

We're moving up the list, all thanks to you! Could you please take a moment to vote today? Thanks!

"Esssss"

2011-10-05T21:44:00.002-05:00

Shoot. I missed the TopBabyBlogs reset and now our blog isn't listed! If you have a few extra seconds, could you click the brown bar and then the owl on the left to vote for us? It would mean so much to me!

Playing Catch Up

2011-10-04T08:53:00.004-05:00

at the farmer's market

baby size bbq plate

end of the day treats

I know, I've been the worst at blogging lately. I have midterms this week and I'm kind of freaking out. I haven't missed a single class and I'm doing well on all of my assignments but tests just get me all nervous. I second guess myself like whoa and my spelling has gotten so bad over the years, wth is up with that? If it weren't for spell check and dictionary.com, you guys would have probably stopped reading this blog by now.

We're all sick up in hurrr. This weekend was fun, but I did it all with a foggy head and achy throat. Now Henry has it, we know because last night he barfed all over our mattress last night. Garrison said, "Well bud, looks like you ate more peas than we gave you credit for!"

This weekend we went to the farmer's market and to the annual Picnic in the Park. Henry ate half a bag of peanut butter M&Ms and went sugarhigh nuts. We went to a charity auction for the Humane Society and looked at dog/cat houses that had been built out of refurbished materials and ate the best BBQ in Savannah for dinner.

Thanks for sticking around guys, I've been a horrible blog friend. Things are bound to slow down soon and then we'll be back in the game. Miss you all!

this is how we do iiiiit

2011-09-26T21:35:00.005-05:00

This was Henry's first camping trip. We had a blast, even if the camp ground was right next to the busy highway. It was really funny, actually. Garrison looked at like, 7 different KOA's and picked this one in Forsyth, Georgia because it was in the "middle of nowhere". We pulled up expecting acres of wooded land and instead we roasted our hotdogs under the light of a billboard advertising laser hair removal.

And yes....those are pee-pants air drying. Hella camping, baby!

On Bullying

2011-09-25T00:19:00.005-05:00

I guess I've never been a real assertive person myself. I'm always tiptoeing around other's feelings, afraid of starting any kind of controversy. I can't even count the number of times I've left a situation thinking, "I wish I would have done this..." or "I really should have said this". Being strong and standing up for myself is something I've always struggled with.

Sometimes I watch Henry play and I imagine the type of child and adult I hope that he becomes. I want him to excel in the things I've struggled with and to avoid the things I wish I had never done.

Last week at Soft Play Henry was picked on by four kids. He's pretty tall and easy going so kids usually just leave him alone. I don't know why Friday was an exception, maybe I had dressed him in some outfit that kids found nerdy? Maybe the words on his new shirt were really baby language for, "Hey! Push my face into the slide!"? Or maybe these kids had just eaten a boatload of Chik-fil-A and they were ready. to. go. man. I don't know. Each time though these kids singled him out. From across the room they'd come running and tackle him to the ground, sitting on him and clawing his skin until he was panicked.

In each situation, Henry did nothing. He just kind of looked at the kids like, "Why are you doing this to me? What's going on? MOM?!" I know he's only 19 months, I wasn't expecting him to say anything or push the kids down. I just couldn't stop wondering if this was a reflection of his personality and it scared me. I don't want him to be okay with other kids walking all over him. I don't want him to be afraid to speak his mind. How do you teach a child to handle situations like these appropriately without being the bully themselves?

Adeline's Daddy Blog Design Giveaway Winner!

2011-09-20T14:20:00.003-05:00

That title! Phew.

Thanks to everyone who entered this fun giveaway by Adeline's Daddy! I wish I could have picked all of you. Bummed you didn't win? Don't worry! If you want to contact Don about blog design on your own, visit his blog and you'll find more information. His prices are incredibly reasonable and as you've noticed by now he rules at making great looking blogs!

Ok, blahblahblah you want to know who won right? Here ya go:

Congratulations Marty from Small House by the Sea! I'll be contacting you to set you up with Don right away. If I do not hear from you within a week, I'll have to pick another winner.

Kamping

2011-09-19T15:36:00.002-05:00

CAMPING FEET.

We're back and we had so much fun, I can't wait to take Henry camping again. Ok, so we weren't exactly "roughing" it, staying in a cabin at a KOA (right up against the highway!) but still. We made smores & hotdogs, we didn't shower for three days, and we slept on a sleeping bag. So, CAMPING. Henry was awesome the whole trip, if he could have it his way he'd live outside so he was happy the entire weekend (ok except for when he projectile vomited all over himself in the Macdonald's parking lot....and outside Exit 177....and in the Subway parking lot. Maybe next time we won't let him eat his weight in junk?)

Randoms

2011-09-17T08:48:00.004-05:00

Hey, we're packing up and going camping! Garrison's been in Atlanta all week and it's really nice to have him back. See you Monday, hope you guys have an awesome weekend!

* Don't forget to enter our Adeline's Daddy Blog Design Giveaway while we're gone. It ENDS Monday and I'll be announcing the winner Tuesday, September 20th.

Sugar for the Grandparents...

2011-09-14T01:52:00.003-05:00

The last picture stands alone because omg, how red is his face? Sometimes Henry does this thing where he clenches his teeth and fists so hard that his entire head turns a different shade. My mom told me about our family friends whose kids who would hold their breath until they freaking. passed. out. every time they got upset. Uh Henry? Don't even think about it.

Blogger Meetup: Washington!!

2011-09-11T21:11:00.004-05:00

Whoa. So I can't believe I forgot to post pictures of our Washington blogger get together! Henry and I were home for a week in August and luckyus got to meet up with some of my favorite blog moms and their awesome kids: Jill, Rachel & Grace, and Heidi. We packed into the tiniest coffee place and after the kids destroyed everything we let them run around the park. We had a really good time, it just sucks that I met all of them after we moved clear across the freaking country!

* Minutes after I took that picture of H in the water, he was running around with wet and heavy pants and he tripped. Right as he tripped his pants fell down to his knees. Hilarious.

On Raffi

2011-09-09T15:02:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I get so caught up in the routine of everything. I worry about getting Henry down for nap in time, or keeping him out too long, and feeding him at appropriate intervals. I forget how fast this time is flying by and just how lucky I am to be here to experience his growth. It's too easy to focus on the stressful parts of the day, to let the whining and tantrums take control of my emotions.

Every time I play Raffi for Henry it resets my mind and mood, I swear. It takes me back to when I was little, when a goodgood day was getting a chocolate chip cookie and a lot of time to play outside. Listening to this makes me stop and appreciate this babytime in Henry's life and even helps me to see the tantrums as a temporary sign of his growth. Childhood is beautifully simple, it's nice to be reminded of that sometimes.

Ice Ice BubBuh

2011-09-03T15:24:00.002-05:00

please send us a vote? thanks!

GIVEAWAY! Blog Design by Adeline's Daddy!

2011-09-02T09:59:00.006-05:00

I'm really excited about this giveaway from one of my favorite bloggers, Don from Adeline's Daddy! If you haven't checked out his blog yet (he's also the brain child behind "Vloggin' Vednesdays") DO IT! His family is the sweetest and I love reading about his new adventures as a new dad and gushing over his gorgeous wife and cute little Addy! I'm not trying to gain new followers from this giveaway, just promoting Don's awesome talent for blog design so enterenterenter and let him make your blog look sharp!

---------------------------------------------------------------

Hello, this is Don from Adeline's Daddy Blog! I've been contacted a lot recently about my blog design service and questions about the process. I know that not everyone has the cash or resources to get their blog design the way they want... So I'm offering a full blog redesign, and I'm doing it exclusively at one of my longest read, and favorite blogs, It's a Wonderful Life. Here are a couple of examples of some recently finished blog designs so you can see what's up for grabs...

(Full blog can be seen here!)

Just leave a comment below to be entered to win. You can enter a second time if you tweet "@addydaddyblog, I need some blog design help".

The winner will be announced Monday, September 19th! (Giveaway closes midnight of the 18th- eastern time).

2011-09-01T20:25:00.003-05:00

Oh man, I can't wait to share this with you guys. We're super excited about this one!

Insulting Intelligence

2011-08-31T00:28:00.003-05:00

Before my night classes I've been writing little instruction notes for Garrison. And by little I actually mean ridiculously huge. This is the first time I've had to leave Henry's bedtime routine in the hands of someone else so I feel like I have to over explain everything in great detail. Poor G!

I kept this note I wrote before the first night of class because omgyouguys I drew the exact toothpaste dab size. How freaking crazy does that make me look? Seriously. The next day I realized how absurd this was. I mean, like he would really put the toothpaste on the brush and then run to the kitchen and match it up with my illustration? I've always considered myself a pretty laid back mom but this is seriously making me reassess myself.

Almost Two. Funnnnnnn.

2011-08-30T09:55:00.003-05:00

"Almost two" is a fun age but it's also incredibly challenging. We have good days and we have really bad days and at this point I can't tell if it's Henry being extra bad or me lacking patience. Maybe it's a combination of both? On one hand things are easier because for the most part he can tell me what he wants but on the other, he gets easily frustrated when he OMG doesn't get everything the second he asks for it. He can be totally sweet one moment and then be screaming on the floor, flailing his arms to hit me the next. I'm hiding out in my bedroom, about ripping my hair out today and it's only 10am.

My friend Deanna said that we're entering a pretty fun stage with Henry and I do sense that. We're able to do a lot more and there's nothing cuter than coming home from school to a "Mama hommmme!" and baby kisses. I just need to figure out how to teach him patience and work on getting some myself. I'm sure my frustration doesn't encourage awesome behavior from him either.

Our Weekend in Pictures

2011-08-28T15:17:00.003-05:00

It's already the last few weeks of summer (although down here it's too hot until November). I'm adjusting to school nicely and trying to enjoy every moment I get home with Henry because I sense that the tiny Henry is going to be gone before I know it. Seriously guys, today he looked at me and said, "I want apple juicccccce" and then yelled "NO!" and slammed the door on his way out. And today we're getting him a potty because he can tell us when he's going to the bathroom now (usually when we're in public and he's real loud about it too.... "I GO PEE PEE!")

We're enjoying the weekends together. G just started a new job and he's super busy during the week so I love when we can leisurely do whatever we want as a family. And now that we live three blocks away from an awesome water park and some good restaurants it feels like there's more to do.

A few weekends ago we ate breakfast at a cafe down the street and let Henry run around the park until he was covered in sweat. He sweats so much, it's unreal.

stackin jamz

He punctured the top of a cream with his teeth and drank it all.

My baby's more fit than your baby.

We actually had to retrace our steps for this stupid missing dog. How have we not lost this thing yet? It's like 1 1/2 inches!

& stroller rides for everyone!

A Tacoma Movie

2011-08-26T21:16:00.003-05:00

Some of my favorite clips from our time with Garrison's family. I am so lucky to have such great in-laws, we always have a good time when we're with them <3

Yellow Boots

2011-08-25T15:00:00.004-05:00

I've been looking forward to the age when Henry can do things like jump in puddles and eat pinecones and dirt because...you know...that's just part of the fun of having a little boy. I've been keeping close tabs on these yellow boots, pulling them out of the closet every once in a while hoping they would fit. THE DAY HAS COME. He wants to wear these boots all the time even though they give him a huge pinky-toe blister. Yesterday he jumped in all the puddles until he had a huge meltdown in the middle of the road because I wouldn't let him swim in them. I'm so mean, right? If Henry was older he'd probably say something like, "Mom, you're fun...but your not thaaaat fun really."

Hey, I also just discovered this site. You can edit photos with a lot more options than Picnic offers and they have a whole selection of vintage tints.

Grandma ZO!

2011-08-24T13:43:00.005-05:00

We had a lot of fun with Garrison's mom last weekend. Henry and I drove three hours south to Palm City, Florida to pick her up and spent the night in the hotel ohmywordthankgod because driving long distances with Henry isn't very enjoyable anymore. I love continental breakfasts with Henry because I can test out every type of breakfast food to see what he likes/doesn't like for future meals at home. And of course whatever he doesn't eat I have to finish because you know...it's not good to waste food and stuff. So my breakfast consisted of: one yogurt, 2 muffins, 1/2 toasted bagel with cream cheese and strawberry jam, one banana, 1/2 waffle with syrup, frosted flakes, an orange, and a pastry BECAUSE HENRY NEVER EATS ANYTHING. Seriously, there's so much wasted food around here...how is he still alive?

Garrison's mom is lucky that her name is the same as one of Henry's favorite Sesame Street characters: Zoe. By the end of the weekend, he was easily saying, "I wannnnt ZO!" or wandering from room to room saying, "ZO! ZO! ZO!" In school we talked about how kids learn easily by associating new concepts with things they already understand. I like to think that Henry first practiced seeing Grandma Zoe like this in order to learn her name:

We took ZO to the beach even though a storm was headed our way. Henry likes to sit in his little chair the entire time and is totally manageable and relaxed there so it's like we get a break too.

HAHAHAHA NOT! This is more like how it goes. This kid has no fear! Of anything!

Have you ever seen a farmer's tan on someone's legs before? I think I've just invented a new one, I'll call it the "my shorts are this short" tan.

At dinner while I wasn't paying attention, Henry put every onion from my salad onto his chubby wrists. He'd be really good on Project Runway when they have to create a look using things on hand. He's soooo into fashion!

We miss you Zoe!

Summer of the Pop Up

2011-08-19T15:13:00.005-05:00

We got tired of sitting inside so we loaded up the jogging stroller with books, toys, and jssssssssss (juice. duh.) and walked to the store for a treat. Do you guys remember Pop Ups? With their Flinstone characters and that cardboard tube that you always end up eating no matter how careful you are? I used to love those things! I had actually forgotten all about them until we were in the gas station looking for the promised "treat".

Henry ate the entire thing on the walk home and played with the tube for another 10 minutes (quiet time WIN!) His face and the sink were stained bright orange even after scrubbing them twice and I had to wash his entire stroller padding but it was worth it. I'll never get tired of watching him enjoy things for the first time, especially when they are things that I used to love when I was little.

Um, so I just Googled "Pop Ups" and did you know that they make things like "Fear Factor Pop Ups" with eyeball gum and fake blood? Henry's childhood is apparently going to be way cooler than mine was.

We're hanging out with Grandma Zoe this weekend so sorry if I'm on and off with the blogging for a bit. We're having too much fun and it's only day one, it's so nice having family around.

first day of school

2011-08-16T14:10:00.003-05:00

henry at my new school

I started grad school yesterday and I started it off with a real bang. I figure, why make things easy when I can do them in the most frustrating way possible? I signed into my email address only to find out that my online class started a week ago and today discovered that the only pages missing from my $80 book are the ones I need for my first writing assignment (due in less than a week). Despite all of these setbacks, I think this new thing is going to be so great.

Last night in class I realized for the first time in two years I just how much my social skills have declined. I'm super confident when I have Henry hanging off of my hip becuase, you know, if it gets awkward I can be like, "Ooooh! Henry, what? That's cute, do that Cookie Monster impression again....Haha, isn't he just the funniest? {GRIN}" Because adults really like that, right? Now that I'm on my own I'm awkward, it's like an interesting and key piece of me is missing. Doing this is going to be a really good thing for me.

I'm having a hard time balancing all this right now but I remember feeling that way at the beginning of every semester in undergrad and oh yeah, I totally didn't have a BABY then. Luckily our gym has a daycare that Henry kind of likes to go to so today I got all nerdy and read an entire chapter in an hour (or 6.5 miles). What's up, multitasking!?

Because some of you have asked...I'm going to school to get my Master of Arts in Teaching: Early Childhood Education degree. I will be certified to teach preK-5th grade in less than two years. I'm taking two night classes and one online class so Garrison gets to hang out with Henry two nights a week.

Okay, now here are some cute pictures of H...I know that's the whole reason you're here anyway (don't lie). This one is making me laugh so hard right now:

storm watching on the front porch

"do ya like seefood?"

Muscle Beach

2011-08-13T14:18:00.004-05:00

While I was on a run this morning Garrison got his craft on and made Henry this awesome muscle shirt out of an old onesie! We're even going to the beach later so he can break it in appropriately. It gives me great peace of mind to know that if we are ever in a financial bind, we could cut Hen's outfits and not have to worry about buying him new clothes. And that totally wouldn't weird teachers/family/general public out, right?

(this shirt is also good for tiger riding)

A Washington Movie

2011-08-11T20:25:00.002-05:00

Some of my favorite moments from our trip home this summer <3

marrs- you're next!

The Artist's Lyfe

2011-08-09T18:00:00.001-05:00

Today's naughtiness is brought to you by lazy childproofing and the color green.

Guest Post at The Paper Mama

2011-08-09T08:56:00.005-05:00

You can find me over at The Paper Mama today, writing about a scary Henry moment and sharing my new favorite pictures of H.

This was actually posted yesterday but I'm so behind on everything that I'm just now getting to telling you about it. It's only day two of this SAHM thing and I don't know how ya'll do it! Being Henry's sole source of entertainment is more exhausting than I had imagined and this new routine is definitely going to take some getting used to. Though I am feeling really good about all the one on one time I can pour into Henry's life right now and these slow morning cuddles aren't too shabby either <3

At a Ball Game

2011-08-07T09:13:00.005-05:00

The last time we were at this stadium, I was seven months pregnant. Now here we are watching the game with an eighteen month old bouncing on our laps. Henry did really well almost the entire time, even considering the fact that the game didn't end until 9:30. I used to worry about getting H into bed on time but now we can be out later occasionally and it doesn't screw the whole routine up. It's so liberating!

jane and adam

snax

goodnight stadium

Washington Part 2

2011-08-06T13:58:00.004-05:00

We said goodbye to my family and spent the last few days of our vacation with Garrisons. Henry had fans all over Washington and I'm sure he's still wondering what happened to all of the attention he was getting every second we were home. We had a lot of fun exploring Tacoma's playgrounds and neighborhoods and we miss everyone there so much!

Henry has been really testing boundaries lately so this visit was a lot different than the last when he was barely walking. I felt like I was constantly saying "NoNoNO!" which is unnerving when you are around your inlaws. They are awesome, down-to-earth people who I'm sure get it but it's just weird disciplining your child in front of people you really want to make a good impression on, you know?

Anyway, here are some of my favorite pictures from our trip (last ones, I swear):

feeding the ducks with grandpa marr - hen lost his shoe in this pond!

telling grandma about all of his girlfriends

@ point defiance rose garden

rowrowrow that "boat"

~~running away from me~~ exploring with great grandpa

discovering the convenience of pockets

grandpa's shades

Closing a Special Chapter

2011-08-05T13:46:00.004-05:00

Today is my last day as a nanny. I thought I was handling it okay, you know tough as nails whatev. But watching these three play together today just about killed everything inside me. Sure, be super cute and rip out my heart why don't you?

It's difficult taking Henry away from two kids that are basically siblings to him. Inside my womb he grew to the sound of their voices and has spent 30+ hours a week playing with them since birth. How is he going to handle this? How are they? I know this change is for the best (I'm starting grad school in two weeks) but oh it's hard.

Guest Post at Sometimes Sweet

2011-08-04T13:51:00.004-05:00

Writing on the magic of childhood over at one of my favorite blogs, Sometimes Sweet! I can't find the direct link but if you click the picture up there you'll find my post a few down. Check out Danielle's blog and say HI to her and her cute Henrys...she's one of the sweetest girls I have ever "met" <3

Washington Part 1

2011-08-03T08:03:00.007-05:00

We're back! The flight home from Washington went way better than the flight over. I think the trick is catching a red-eye so you're traveling during that rare moment of boddler inactivity. You might sleep horribly but at least your kid isn't screaming or chucking toys down the aisle. At one point my back cramped up and I couldn't feel my hand because I was Henry's mattress and heck, I'd do anything to keep him asleep. Have you ever sat uncomfortably for four hours straight? Not fun.

We had a really good trip and I'm missing it all this week. Living so far away from family really sucks when you have a baby. Time home lasts no longer than 10 days max and I hate that I'm getting used to saying goodbye. And now that we're back in Georgia I have to actually carry Henry around now and like, be responsible and momstuff. My arms are like, "Whaaaa? Where's the help?"

ice cream all around

two seconds before he fell asleep, sandwich in hand

liam, the competition

kisses for great grandma <3

i saw this picture and for the first time thought, "wow. my mom is a grandma..."

24/7 attention (hen says, uh finally!)

shoes, who needs em?

planking

on the ferry to port townsend (kinda close to forks, wa...twilight fans say haaaay)

Henry Meets Frog.

2011-07-28T13:25:00.002-05:00

O.M.G. what is that thing?

My Child is Perfect.

2011-07-25T15:32:00.004-05:00

Henry was so good on our eight hour flight from Georgia to Washington! He sat on my lap the entire time and blew everybody around us baby kisses. He read his books quietly and even kept his feet/hands in one place. He ate all of his snacks, wiped his face and tray when he was finished and then asked the flight attendant if they recycled their bottles and soda cans. I watched a movie and sipped a mini bottle of Sutterhome and watched the clouds outside my reclined seat.

OMG NOT!

Our flight was was a nightmare. Horrible, horrible, horrible like I'm still recovering from it horrible. Henry napped for two hours and I was like, "Oh this is going to be easy!" Then he woke up and only wanted to throw things, scream, and hit me. He wanted to get down and every time I told him he couldn't he would hit me in the face. You guys? He bit me! What the heck! Even our layover was hard. He wanted to sprint the entire airport hallway which is awesome but really hard to do when you're carrying two bags and a suitcase. Drove me nuts, Houston I'm still sorry.

You know those wall seats in the airport bathrooms? I've never been so happy to see one. I strapped him in and hid in the family bathroom for 15 minutes, just to get a break. I literally sat on the toilet and texted and I liked it. Babies change you, for realz.

As hard as the trip was it was totally worth it because look at the love we are flying towards every time we come home:

I'm glad I don't have to fly with Henry for another week. We're having a ton of fun staring at Henry, laughing at his tricks, eating good food, and catching up on lost time. It is good to be home.

While you're here, check out my friend Melissa's fun blog feature, "Let's Get Real". We're talking about what crazy stuff really goes once you're a parent . Click the box below, you'll love it!

We're Coming Home!

2011-07-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Bags packed and we're ready to go. Washington State, your ours by tonight. Henry has taken over our carry on, I swear I tried to pack light but who knew such tiny people could require so much stuff? I'm nervous about flying with a kid who hates sitting on my lap but hopefully I've brought enough tricks up my sleeve to keep his rotten tude in check.

Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts and Uncles....Ya'll ready for this? (dun dun-dundundun-dun dun....)

Big Kid Date

2011-07-20T14:04:00.003-05:00

We had such a great time last night. Thanks to everyone for the anniversary wishes! Our friend Caila came over for a couple hours and watched Henry so Garrison and I could go to bike to a place that didn't even have highchairs or kid's menus. We ate a plate of french fries and drank fancy cocktails and talked about adult stuff. It's been SEVEN MONTHS since we've done something like that & that's really sad, because it was a lot of fun.

Henry had no problem staying with Caila, he loves her. It's hard to believe that we can easily leave Henry and he handles our absence like a champ. Total turn around from the first time we left him with a sitter. Apparently he didn't even notice we had left! When we got home I asked him for a big kiss and instead got a big slap in the face with a "Noooooo!" Welcome home, right?

A Half Birthday and an Anniversary

2011-07-19T13:45:00.002-05:00

Little Henry isn't so little anymore! Today he is 18 months old. Right now Henry's favorite things are: Making animal noises, naming Sesame Street characters, being chased, cleaning up (who's child is this?!?), making us sing a fast montage of his favorite songs (Wheels on the Bus/Twinkle Twinkle/Itsy Bitsy Spider/Tick Tock <---NOT the Ke$sha song) as he does the hand motions, and eating cookies. He could listen to "Barbara Ann" by The Beach Boys on repeat for an entire week and enjoys coloring on himself with pens. He's always doing stuff with the sole purpose of making us laugh and surprising us with how much information he retains.

It's kind of weird and maybe it's not like this for everyone but when Henry was a newborn he could have been any baby, I was just happy he was mine. Now that his personality is developing I am realizing that we are incredibly lucky. That there is only one Henry and that this Henry was meant to be ours.

And how special is it that on Henry's half birthday, Garrison and I get to celebrate our four year anniversary?! I love you Garrison and I love our family so much. Now let's get a sitter and GO OUT BABY-FREE!

Chicago, 2008

Beaver Baby

2011-07-18T14:09:00.004-05:00

I may have given birth to the first half baby- half beaver. Should I call Ripley's? Henry wakes up before we do and instead of crying or talking...he eats his crib. I don't know how to get him to stop! We've tried slipping rubber bumpers over the wood but they don't fit. Can I paint Tabasco across the rails? (kidding!)

One of these mornings I'm going to find him sitting on a pile of boards, with a huge grin on his face because he finally chewed his way out.

Oh Henry.

Pool Party Baby

2011-07-15T20:23:00.004-05:00

See the part that says, "Feels like 111"? Did you notice that was at 5:00 in the evening? Gosh yesterday was HOT. I think the heat index topped 120 midday. So we bought Henry a pool and he stayed in there for a good hour, splashing and trying to wear everything as a hat. Why didn't I do this sooner?

This summer has been hotter than the last but a lot more fun. Last year I hardly left the house because Henry was 6 months old and I was a freaked out brand new mom. This summer we're making up for lost time (but not that snuggling a naked newborn in cool sheets isn't ahhhmazing too).

Meathead

2011-07-13T13:10:00.002-05:00

Today while I was doing this:

Henry was doing this:

I'm guessing he had put it on his head towards the beginning of lunch when I wasn't paying attention. He's not the biggest fan of lunch meat (can you blame him?) I think he forgot it was there because he wore it until he was ready to get down!

The My-Kid-Is-Still-A-Baby Complex

2011-07-11T15:54:00.002-05:00

I have it. Bad. Is this veil of denial just part of being a mom? Because nobody ever warned me that I would be so blind for so long. I've worked with kids for years and their developmental and physical growth has always been so obvious to me. Yet with my own child I don't see it as easily. I'm constantly having to remind myself that he is older than that baby image frozen in my mind.

I'm afraid this could hinder his development in some way so as difficult as it is (I love the teeny guy!) I'm trying to see the older Henry. Teaching myself that he can go without bottles, that he can be taught to string three words together, and that soon (dundundun) he can even start sitting on a potty.

Anybody else?

I Love:

2011-07-10T16:51:00.003-05:00

My boys in the morning.

Diaper hats.

Following Garrison into town for BBQ chicken pizza with cilantro.

Annoying this cat.

Serious cheesin'.

Henry Hugs for everyone!

Little southern rompers that button in the back like this.

New shoes bought on clearance.

A huge pile of friends.

The natural light in our bedroom.

Bunz

(Just kidding!! Cute picture though...)

Painting. Big kid style.

Fast babies.

Happy dads.

Baby kisses.

A sleepy, sweaty Henry.

New house plants.

Playdough balls (this entertains him for hours).

Bright red playground shoes.

Happy happy boys with neck rolls.

Straight up 'Tude.

{& votes!}

Sleeeeep.

2011-07-07T21:20:00.003-05:00

I am certain there is nothing more beautiful than a sleeping baby. How wonderful would it be to absolutely have to nap for three hours a day?

We had a big storm here two weeks ago and Henry lost electricity to his room. We weren't able to use his baby monitor at all. My mom told me that she never used them with us and that she slept better because she wasn't waking to every sniffle or cough we'd make. While I do think that monitors are great for newborns, now that Henry is older I totally see what she was getting at. We had power reconnected yesterday so I plugged in the monitor and woke at two, four, and then at five....because I could hear him turning in his bed. Even though I was up most of the night, the monitor is up {full volume} again tonight because omgwhatif??? you know? I'm kind of a freak about things like that.

BUT it blows my mind that you can go from needing to hear every breath they take to realizing that they really are okay all night in just 17 months. Oh time, you're breaking my heart!

Cat Cubes

2011-07-06T13:04:00.004-05:00

tompers & bunz

Our horrible cat Bunz, used to have a notsohorrible brother. Unfortunately Tompers passed away shortly after we moved to Chicago (2007). A week after his death Garrison was like, "Uhhhh, Allie? What happened to the ice cubes in the freezer?" I told him I had used them all and he turned white. Apparently he had thought it a nice gesture to save some of Tomper's hair and did so by freezing it into ice cubes but uh, never told me.

It took me a long time to get over the fact that I basically ingested my cat but now it makes me laugh so hard. Cat hair in ice cubes? Who does that? HAHAHA.

term "cat cubes" coined by paige baker

We're all LOLing

2011-07-05T14:29:00.003-05:00

Omg, this picture is absolutely killing me. I mentioned before that Henry has realized he can make people laugh, right? This is him in full action. Maybe it's kind of demented of me but lately I've been okay with keeping him up past bed time because he turns into this crazy, hyper, totally hilarious baby. Dance Henry, dance!

The Week Aunt Lindsay Came to Stay.

2011-07-04T15:09:00.002-05:00

Garrison's sister and her girlfriend left last night. We had a really fun time while they were here. We basically went out if we felt like it and hung around the house if we were feeling lazy and hot. Don't worry it's not like we were bored, we had plenty of in-home entertainment thanks to Henry. He's started realizing that he has the power to make large groups of people laugh so he's always dancing or making wacky faces. Also, this week he figured out how to fart? and has incorporated it into his comedy routine. Charming.

I didn't take many pictures this week, I tried to leave my camera home and limit pictures to just the funny/special moments. I didn't even check my blog and hardly signed into Twitter the entire time they were here and it. was. nice. Nice to live in the moment rather than letting it whirl past as I hid behind a lens and a computer screen.

We'll start this small batch off with a photo I like to call, "Who's Watching the Baby?"

Henry, Cookie Monster (aka UmmUmmmUmmmUmm), & Aunt Lindsay

BBQ! BBQ! B-B-Q!

Garrison trying to ruin every photo just to annoy me.

Lindsay and Kelsey!

,/l[.;;ml,........ 'byhyghggggggggggggggggyth]bffggtdfgnhfgngh

(Thanks for the sneaky keyboard slap Henry. Lindsay, maybe this is a message for you? You know baby code, right?)

Henry was given this spider by two old men at the flea market. They spent 15 minutes melting over his eyes and armpit rolls and babbling imaginary conversation. Henry said, "Nummamanne Babababa Momomomo Mannna?" And the sweet old man tilted his head and said, "Oh, we're going fishing? AND it's your birthday? Well then, we gotta get you a birthday present!" Then he told Artie to go and get a toy out of the cabinet for the "birthday baby" (it's not really his bday). SO CUTE.

TOTL BAD BOI 4LYFE.

One night he was so tired that I was able to carry him from the carseat to our bed, change his diaper, wash his face and hands, pajama him, and put him into his crib without waking him up. This never happens!

picture from the flea market

the little girl i nannied in chicago made these for me. i thought i had lost them!

Help yourself, Henry.

BOYS, huh.

Mama and baby and his new thrifted overalls (three dollars !)

Misc. & Bloglovin

2011-06-30T14:27:00.004-05:00

FOR REAL.

At the pool a few weekends ago. We didn't put a swim diaper on him and his regular diaper expanded like those spongy dinosaur tablets you grow in a jar of water. It was hilarious watching him try to walk around with a huge wad between his legs.

Garrison's little sister is here and we're really excited. Henry doesn't get to see family very often so it's like a huge deal when someone comes and visits us.

FYI, I just noticed my blog was floating around Bloglovin unclaimed. I just grabbed it, here's the link in case you want to follow along!

http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/1778205/its-a-wonderful-life

* I just tried to make it all fancy with a photo-link but I still haven't figured this new computer out. Sorry for the boring!

Yoga with Henry

2011-06-28T09:14:00.003-05:00

Hey guys, Henry here. So, you've decided to see what all the fuss is about and give Yoga a try. My moves are therapeutic and designed to systematically address every part of your body and soul. All you need is a quiet room, a mat, and a bottle of apple juice for rehydration. I'll start with some simple poses and progress to more advance positions.

Don't worry if you find these moves challenging at first. If you take my class, I'll be there to provide personal attention and posture instruction. Please remember to leave your cell phone, keys, and shoes outside the door. All you need is your mat, your juice, and YOU.

Charging

2011-06-27T13:25:00.003-05:00

We're entering toddlerhood head on and fast as a bullet. It's challenging/It's fun. I can't really explain it with words but this picture does a pretty good job & lucky for us we'll never have to buy another toy as long as these cabinets are unlocked and these spices remain.

This picture is totally unrelated but I'm feeling incredibly nostalgic for the old days this week. Actually, I guess in a small way it is related because the older Henry gets the further from the past I feel. I miss my friends. I miss that room. I miss the Bellingham rain. If any old friends even read this, just know that I'm probably thinking about you a ridiculous amount these days. I hope with everything inside me that you are all happy and well. Drink a beer at the Horseshoe for me, okay? Thanks.

Our Weekend and Home Improvement (sry, no tim allen)

2011-06-26T20:44:00.004-05:00

Henry took a business call at breakfast this morning. I think it was real important he told Elmo that he ate a whole slice of french toast and half of a biscuit in under half an hour. Henry has semi-molars now so chewing is NBD and he takes full advantage of it. We ate breakfast at this new 50's diner we've been eying for about a month.

After breakfast we took Henry to PetSmart and let him look at all of the fish, dogs, hamsters, and gerbils. It was like a free zoo you guys. I only took a few pictures because apparently you aren't allowed to do that there.

This is a necklace my aunt gave me for my birthday. I love it so much, it's silly but I seriously sit there and stare at it for an awkward amount of time. It was made by one of the art students here, which makes it even more special. This is one of my favorite new dresses:

We stopped by our old house to pick up a bin we accidentally left behind. I tried peeking in some of the windows but the blinds were all closed. I was able to reach my camera up to the living room window and snap this picture. When I loaded it onto my computer I got all sad about the move again. That blue? That was Henry's room. That burn mark on the floor in the living room? He read books on that. Played on it. Learned to crawl and then walk right over it as the months passed us by. That house was good to us. Going back I felt like we didn't belong there anymore....locked out and forced to move on just. like. that. I sat on the porch for a few minutes and tried to soak in every sweet memory I could.

BUT our new house is coming together which makes today's experience a little easier to swallow. These pictures are all from our new place:

painted frame (the same blue from henry's old room)

our new dresser! i've never loved a piece of furniture until i saw this.

encouraging henry to become a novelist by putting the shelves at his level

garrison found these creepy head guys for the record player table

we framed our washington state flag for a little taste of home over the fireplace.

mama and baby take a break on the new porch!

later sk8tr

Sesame Street Live!

2011-06-24T07:39:00.007-05:00

golden ticket

We took Henry to Sesame Street Live and had a lot of fun together. Henry is a certified Elmo lovah and he was into it the entire time. Watching him try and figure it all out was an incredibly special mom-moment for me. Also? We got to see Sesame Street Live. Being a parent rules.

elmo! elmo! elmo! elmo!

THANK YOU Grandma for the Elmo shirt!

New House or Moving Really Sucks.

2011-06-23T13:45:00.000-05:00

Henry likes his new house. He has a lot more room to run around and a lot more things to explore and get into (dishwasher! stove knobs!) I'm not going to lie though, this move has been hard on all of us. Garrison and I are both so freaking stubborn that we're bickering over how things should be done, where things should go, etc. UGH and the only time Henry isn't getting into something is when he's sleeping.

I can't wait until everything is in its place and we can sit on the couch and truly enjoy this new opportunity for our little family. Because even if can't see eye to eye on where to put the couch, we both agree that this place is pretty perfect.

d Sid the Science Kid, a close second behind Caillou under the "Most Annoying Kid's Show" list.

SO DIRTY!

2011-06-22T08:34:00.002-05:00

could you please do us a favor and give us a vote today? just click the brown bar above and then the owl on the left. it would mean so much to me, thanks!