Dear Henry

Some mornings I look into your crib and I swear you've grown over night. I used to get sad at the thought of you growing up but you know what? The grown up Henry is so much fun and I'm loving these days 10x more than I ever imagined I would. While I'll always yearn for those cuddly newborn years, I'm looking forward to the future with you.

Love,
Mom

Dear Henry

Dear Henry,

There is nothing sweeter than a baby belly. Lately, you love to rub both hands all around yours and smile all goofy, like you're amazed at how smooth your skin feels. You're constantly lifting up my shirt and poking your chubby little finger into my belly button. You're so curious. Yes Henry, I have one too!

When you were a newborn we used to snuggle you in just your diaper, piled under the covers to keep the January cold away from your tiny body. You'd bury your head into my armpit and sleep for hours. And though you aren't so snuggly these days, you are still happiest when you are naked. You love it when we let you crawl around the house clothes-free before a bath. As soon as you're undressed you start crawling all fast like a wild child, screeching and giggling as we try and "catch you".

And occasionally you slow down just long enough to touch my face and let me nuzzle my nose into your belly, just like when you were still brand new. These moments I LOVE.

Mom.

Dear Henry

Dear Henry,

You are so sick and miserable and pathetic and it breaks my heart to know that you are so uncomfortable. It seems like every other "Dear Henry" here is written to you when you are sick. I guess it's another way for me to wish out loud that I could stop your nose from running and make your little bones feel less achy.

When you are sick, like really really sick, you turn into this cuddly little thing and that I love. For three days straight you are perfectly content resting on my chest and nestling into my neck while I rub your back and tickle your arms. I love taking care of you when you are not feeling good. It's when you are sick that I really feel like someone's mom and it feels so good.

Yesterday after work, we both put on pajamas and watched YoGabbaGabba and Sesame Street with the lights off. You drank your juice and we snacked on SnapPea Crisps and it was wonderful. You are totally into this video the most and we must have repeated it about fifteen times. I remember watching it when I was little and now I'm sharing it with my own baby bear. You may not understand just how good this feels until you have kids of your own someday but let me just say that it's one of the most amazing feelings I have ever known.

Love,
Mom

Dear Henry (video)

My Dear Henry,

What are you thinking about when you smile in your sleep? It's awesome to think that you could be dreaming about something I do that makes you laugh. That means that I am one of the funniest people you know (forget the fact that you only know like, six people...) In fact, I can only think of seven other things that might make you chuckle in your sleep, so one out of eight isn't too bad!

Other funny things you could be dreaming about: Yo Gabba Gabba, a bunch of little dogs licking your face, finding a teething cookie, crawling away from me with your diaper off, finding your boy parts, your dad, and that annoying cute ABC Elmo we pass at Target.

Pretty tough competition, but hey. I'll take it!

Love the funniest person EVER (until you're 13...),
Mom

Dear Henry

Dear Henry,

Thanks to your sudden decision to only sleep in two hour increments, last night I was able to watch Son of Rambo AND Beetlejuice at three in the morning. During one of your seven (seven!!) late night nursings I beat my previous Bejeweled score, caught up on everyone's Facebook status, snuck Garrison's trail mix, and memorized the number of blind shingles in your room (192. 192. 192. 192.)

While I really do enjoy movies, making mental lists, cell phone games, lalala...Will you puh-lease let me sleep tonight? Thanks, that'd be awesome.

Xoxo,
Mom.

Ps. I posted these pictures of you because I can totally hear my own mom saying, "Thank God you're cute...!"

Happy Six Months Henry!

Dear Henry,
Here's a special video full of some of our favorite Henry moments. Someday when you are older I hope you watch this and see just how funny and cute you were at such a young age! We love you more than anything and can't wait for the years to come. Sometimes I look at you and get overwhelmed by the thought that you are mine forever. How did we get so lucky? Happy birthday Henry Bear!
Love,
Mom and Dad

Oh Baby, Mine

Dear Henry,

I love sharing the night with you. It has been our special time together from the day you were born, something nobody else can claim. Before you fall asleep I whisper everything we did during the day and rub your fuzzy head over and over and over. You take sudden breaks from nursing just to look up at me and make sure that I am still there, then you smile and get right back to eating.

Every night I sing you this song until you are sound asleep.



Sweet dreams my pretty baby.

Love,
Mom

Passing White Daisies

Dear Henry,
This is me and your daddy's very first apartment. After our wedding we packed up everything we owned, said goodbye to all of our friends and family, and drove 2,000 miles to Chicago. Leaving everything I knew behind was really hard for me, but the thought of what lay ahead of us was exciting. This apartment will always be special because it is where your dad and I shared the first two years of our new life together and also? It is where you were made.

This place was incredibly small (imagine a very large closet) and your dad and I were always stepping around musical instruments, sewing supplies, books, two large cats, and each other. I personally loved being so cramped but can you imagine if you had been born here?! Your dad and I would have had to sleep standing up!

Chicago was a good city to us. The people there are so kind and there are many parks and museums and good food all over. I am sad you will not be able to tell people that this is where you spent your childhood years. My wish for the adult you is that you allow yourself the freedom to travel and that you never feel "stuck" in one place. Promise me you'll come back here someday.

Our apartment had the most amazing rooftop deck that overlooked the entire downtown. Your dad and I would sit up there for hours, drinking wine and talking about the future. We'd throw around all kinds of big ideas- cities we wanted to live in, schools we wanted to attend, jobs we wanted to have....


But Henry, do you want to know a secret? Life rarely happens the way you've planned. For you see as we sat there dreaming, you were busy growing inside of me and very soon the sweetest little boy I've ever known would make us the happiest trio that ever was, changing our lives forever.

Love,
Mom.

Dear Henry

Dear Henry,

Last week you really figured out how to use those (chubby!) little hands of yours. You can now reach out towards anything we place in front of you and immediately place everything into that always-drooly mouth I love so much.

At first you'd shakily move your hands up to my breast and hold it like a bear slurping honey out of a pot (your dad called this the "Big Gulp" :) When you gained even more control you started moving your hands up to my face and ever since this is where they naturally stray while you're nursing or listening to books or flirting with me.

They say one of the ways babies learn is by touch. I love to think that you are memorizing my face with those fingers as you touch my nose, and then my lips, and then my eyes. Don't waste too much time studying though, I'm going to be here forever!

Love.

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

Today is my first Mother's Day and I can't help but wonder how you must have felt on your first Mother's Day, 24 years ago. Becoming a mom has changed me in ways I never knew were possible. The minute I looked into Henry's eyes I was a new person and on that day I discovered an unconditional love and patience that I never knew I possessed. What I hadn't realized until that day was that I was capable of loving in such a huge way the entire time, because I learned this from you.

Over the years you have shown me so much patience and been so understanding. Sure we've had our disagreements and shared some pretty epic arguments, but I have always felt like I could turn to you in times of need. You've taught me that to love a child is one of the most difficult, yet rewarding and beautiful things you will ever do. You also taught me that love conquers all, even if sometimes it takes every ounce of strength inside of you to find it.

When we saw Henry together on the first ultrasound, I watched you cry over the beauty of that cloudy squirming image. I realized just how much love you had already for this little baby you hadn't even met. If that's not pure love then someone please tell me what is.

Thank you for teaching me how to love. Thank you for showing me how to be a good mother. Thank you for raising me with such morals and understanding so that the day I had a baby of my own, I would have confidence in knowing that I can do this. Although the journey ahead of me may be rough at times, all I need is love and a lot of patience and everything will turn out fine. I know this because of you.

Happy Mother's Day, I love you to the moon and back.

Allie

Dear Henry

Dear Henry,

About a two weeks ago you started being able to hold onto the things we placed in your small hands. Now you can not only hold onto those things, but also bring them to your mouth for a feel-taste and then drop them when you are finished. We could watch you do this over and over and often do, lately we're always finding new things for you to grasp and explore.

It seems like every week you learn to do something new. Each time I tell myself that it's my absolute favorite trick of yours and then you totally prove me wrong by doing something even more exciting!

Isn't it amazing that although we teach you new things everyday, you still learn to do the small things (like grasp your toys) on your very own? You are such a smart boy, I love watching you grow.

LOVE,

mom.

Dear Henry

Dear Henry,

I am so sorry I got you sick. I hate that you are in so much pain because your nose is so stuffy and there's nothing you can do to fix it. It is so frustrating knowing you are uncomfortable and not being able to make it all better. I'm mad that this horrible cold is making my baby all sweaty and squirmy as you try to find a comfortable way to rest on my chest. When you look up at me with tired and glossy eyes it makes me want to cry.

If I could, I'd rent you as many movies as you'd want and let you eat sorbet until your belly hurt. That always makes me feel better.

I promise the way you're feeling won't last forever, Little Bear.

Love,
Me

Dear Henry.

Dear Henry,

Your dad and I were lucky enough for me to find a job where I can take you with me to work everyday. You make my days more enjoyable and although I love my job, it is ten times better with you there. Even the most stressful situations aren't so bad when I know I can run to you at any point, just to smell that sweet baby goodness and rub my lips over your fuzzy, soft head. It's so refreshing.

Every (cold!) morning as I rudely awaken you in my hurried rush to get out the door, I feel so guilty for ruining your sleep. But when I'm changing your diaper and trying to buckle you into your car seat so super fast because we're running late (again!) and I'm stressed beyond belief, you are so patient with me as you smile and coo and send me looks that say, "Hey, at least we're in this together!"

You love the children I work with and they love you just as much. It's almost like you have a brother and sister and I enjoy watching you all grow together. F knows how to make you smile and coo (and she's only known you for a few weeks!) and little R babbles to you and you try to talk back. I love that I can watch you learn from your new, tiny friends.

I look forward to work everyday, because I know that it is another day I get to spend with my sweet boy.

Love,

Me.

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Dear Henry.

Dear Henry,

This morning I looked at you sitting on our bed and got kinda sad because you are growing bigger so fast.

If I could I would freeze time right here. Keep you teeny tiny until I'm more prepared.

Could you stay this size just a little bit longer? I'm totally not ready for you to grow again...

Love,
Mom.

dear henry