So I posed this question to my facebook friends today, but I am also asking any of my friends here who are also moms-- If you have a high chair that you love/loved can you give me some recommendations? And let me know what you love about it. Does it fold up compact? Is it easy to clean? Is it sturdy?
We're already at that phase. I can hardly believe it. While I was trying to put it off as long as possible, I think we really need one yesterday. This kid is a MESSY eater. It is fun to watch him, but the clean up is not so much fun. Especially because he wants to do it all by himself... So, any and all input would be happily received. Thanks!
12/8/12
Update: Okay, so we went with a fold-up Ikea chair with industrial washable fabric. It folds up really compact, and when it is opened up, it comes up right to the table so that Henry can eat right off of the table and there is one less surface to clean. We're pretty happy with it.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Six months
Henry will be half a year old on Sunday. I can hardly believe it. I love this kid so much. It is amazing watching him learn and grow. He rolls over like a champ. He sits on his own really well. If he reaches for a toy waaaay out in front of him while sitting up, he basically folds in half, but can still pull himself upright from that position. When he reaches to far to one side, that's another story. He just topples over.
On the topic of crawling: it terrifies me. We are going to have to achieve a whole new level of baby-proofing. I'm still not entirely convinced that he won't skip crawling and go straight to running around the house. He has all of the mechanics of crawling down, but doesn't put them all together. When on our bed he does sort of crawl, with his face planted firmly on the mattress. On carpet he keeps his head up, but then doesn't put his knees under himself, so he just kind of scoots. And if I lay him on a blanket, he pulls any toys out of reach toward himself. Resourceful little guy. And loves to stand. You give him one finger of each hand and he'll stand of ages, and bop up and down, and stomp now and then. I've already been told to prepare for an aching back since it seems like he's going to want to walk and he'll need my assistance. I'm already envisioning hours spent as his shadow, bent over behind him, my hands used as a grip to stabilize his toddling walk.
And since this is our child and he has this from both sides, he will most certainly be a climber. So pretty soon we'll be anchoring furniture to our walls.
So I am enjoying my last few weeks of having an only somewhat mobile baby. You should see him when he gets into rolling though. If he spots something he wants and doesn't want to scoot to it, he just rolls and rolls and readjusts his trajectory if he needs to, and he gets what he wants.
Oh, and this boy is independent already. If he can reach something, he doesn't want it handed to him. Nope, he wants to pick it up on his own.
The kid is also teething. He has been for nearly a month now. I can feel a few teeth under the surface, but none have broken through yet. And the poor dear is struggling big time with it. We've gotten by with natural pain relief until just barely. Talking to my midwife, who is also big into natural remedies reminded me of what we as adults go through when we have dental pain. And we can understand what we're going through. So last night we used baby Advil and he slept for a good five hour stretch. And can I just say it made a huge difference- for all of us.
Some cute things he does:
When he's sleepy, if I'm carrying him, he'll snuggle his head into my neck and throw an arm over my shoulder. He could sleep for hours like that.
Also when he's sleepy- I'm not sure if does this to announce his sleepiness or to fight it, but he likes to blow raspberries on my arm or shoulder or to the room in general. Either way, I think it is hilarious.
He is obsessed with grass. More specifically, he loves yanking it out of the ground. If you put him on a blanket outside, he will make his way to an edge and will pull fistfuls of grass blades out like it is his personal mission to do so.
He cracks up when the dogs play. He has the cutest laugh when he is being amused by the fur babies. He also tries to touch, pet, and generally grab the dogs. He somehow knows that the cat won't put up with it because he is gentler with her (if she lets him close enough).
Ok, that's enough baby gushing for now.
On the topic of crawling: it terrifies me. We are going to have to achieve a whole new level of baby-proofing. I'm still not entirely convinced that he won't skip crawling and go straight to running around the house. He has all of the mechanics of crawling down, but doesn't put them all together. When on our bed he does sort of crawl, with his face planted firmly on the mattress. On carpet he keeps his head up, but then doesn't put his knees under himself, so he just kind of scoots. And if I lay him on a blanket, he pulls any toys out of reach toward himself. Resourceful little guy. And loves to stand. You give him one finger of each hand and he'll stand of ages, and bop up and down, and stomp now and then. I've already been told to prepare for an aching back since it seems like he's going to want to walk and he'll need my assistance. I'm already envisioning hours spent as his shadow, bent over behind him, my hands used as a grip to stabilize his toddling walk.
And since this is our child and he has this from both sides, he will most certainly be a climber. So pretty soon we'll be anchoring furniture to our walls.
So I am enjoying my last few weeks of having an only somewhat mobile baby. You should see him when he gets into rolling though. If he spots something he wants and doesn't want to scoot to it, he just rolls and rolls and readjusts his trajectory if he needs to, and he gets what he wants.
Oh, and this boy is independent already. If he can reach something, he doesn't want it handed to him. Nope, he wants to pick it up on his own.
The kid is also teething. He has been for nearly a month now. I can feel a few teeth under the surface, but none have broken through yet. And the poor dear is struggling big time with it. We've gotten by with natural pain relief until just barely. Talking to my midwife, who is also big into natural remedies reminded me of what we as adults go through when we have dental pain. And we can understand what we're going through. So last night we used baby Advil and he slept for a good five hour stretch. And can I just say it made a huge difference- for all of us.
Some cute things he does:
When he's sleepy, if I'm carrying him, he'll snuggle his head into my neck and throw an arm over my shoulder. He could sleep for hours like that.
Also when he's sleepy- I'm not sure if does this to announce his sleepiness or to fight it, but he likes to blow raspberries on my arm or shoulder or to the room in general. Either way, I think it is hilarious.
He is obsessed with grass. More specifically, he loves yanking it out of the ground. If you put him on a blanket outside, he will make his way to an edge and will pull fistfuls of grass blades out like it is his personal mission to do so.
He cracks up when the dogs play. He has the cutest laugh when he is being amused by the fur babies. He also tries to touch, pet, and generally grab the dogs. He somehow knows that the cat won't put up with it because he is gentler with her (if she lets him close enough).
Ok, that's enough baby gushing for now.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Georgia
So, we are in Georgia. We managed the flight quite well. The scariest part is over. We even saw the edge of Isaac without having Henry cry. I think if we added it up, he cried for less than five minutes of the whole airport and airplane business. He was a champ. He smiled and giggled for a lot of people and he was given a pair of wings for having completed his first flight. And he napped more than I have ever witnessed him nap in one day.
He also got spoiled by all of that lap time and made up all of his missed crying time in the car on the way to see Jenna. He finally fell asleep two minutes from her house. And then woke right up as we parked the car. I can't say he was exactly grumpy, but he didn't want to get back to sleep, either. It was only nine our time when we first tried to get him down. Eventually Jon walked him around the neighborhood. But that didn't do the trick. So we started to run a bath for him when he finally started showing signs of drowsiness. I fed him and he fell right to sleep. Too bad it was two in the morning here before he zonked out.
So we're all kind of out of it and trying to acclimate to the time difference.
So far we have eaten at Zaxby's and we liked that quite a bit. And today after a late start and some serious lounging around, we made it to the Trappist monastery here. The Monastery of the Holy Ghost. It was really neat. The monks have retreats, make jewelry, fudge, and jam. But I think I was most impressed with their bonsai garden. Jon was on the phone talking up caves almost the whole time, so we'll have to go back to feed the ducks and see their chapel. I recently discovered that Henry loves ducks, and I want Jon to witness Henry giggling over the duckies.
He also got spoiled by all of that lap time and made up all of his missed crying time in the car on the way to see Jenna. He finally fell asleep two minutes from her house. And then woke right up as we parked the car. I can't say he was exactly grumpy, but he didn't want to get back to sleep, either. It was only nine our time when we first tried to get him down. Eventually Jon walked him around the neighborhood. But that didn't do the trick. So we started to run a bath for him when he finally started showing signs of drowsiness. I fed him and he fell right to sleep. Too bad it was two in the morning here before he zonked out.
So we're all kind of out of it and trying to acclimate to the time difference.
So far we have eaten at Zaxby's and we liked that quite a bit. And today after a late start and some serious lounging around, we made it to the Trappist monastery here. The Monastery of the Holy Ghost. It was really neat. The monks have retreats, make jewelry, fudge, and jam. But I think I was most impressed with their bonsai garden. Jon was on the phone talking up caves almost the whole time, so we'll have to go back to feed the ducks and see their chapel. I recently discovered that Henry loves ducks, and I want Jon to witness Henry giggling over the duckies.
Five months
I have a five month old. Or, rather, we have a five month old. It is now a habit: at every month-versary, Jon gives me a smile and a high five. We have made it through another month. We have survived. What's more, we have learned and grown together. So while are still in the trenches, while we are still sleep deprived, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. Our boy is healthy, and that's a big deal. We prayed every day of my pregnancy for our baby to be healthy and strong. He is definitely both of those. His Kung-foo grip is what most inspired my drastic hair cut. I lopped fourteen inches of hair off and donated it. No big deal.
If I had had more foresight, I would have also prayed more fervently for a calm baby who enjoyed sleep. I guess you can't always know what to pray for beforehand. Little did I know that our little guy would rarely nap, would stay up until 11 at night, and then would be ready to party by 6am. Oh, and he sometimes wakes up at 4am full of stories to share, so excited about things that we can't understand which he nevertheless attempts to relate to us in squeals and exaggerated arm gestures.
In those ridiculous hours of the "morning" I try to sing and rock him back to sleep after feeding him, but no, sleep is for suckers, he says. So then Jon will take a turn. It used to be that he would walk Henry around the house, but that has become too boring and routine. So these days, Jon straps Henry on in the Ergo carrier and walks him around the neighborhood for twenty minutes, and then we'll get to sleep again until 6:30 or 7. If I am super lucky, he might take a nap around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, but that is usually on while he is snuggled up with me. If I so much as get up to use the bathroom, he wakes up and is good to go the rest of the day. So while I always planned on taking friends' advice by napping when my baby does, what do you do if he doesn't?
It is not at 4 in the morning, but at 4 in the afternoon when I really wonder what keeps my kid going. At 4am we just go through whatever it takes to get him to sleep. But it is the next afternoon when my lack of uninterrupted sleep hits me, and it is then that I marvel at he does it, how we all get through it.
So, each month that goes by we celebrate this wonderful little person that was entrusted to our care. We constantly celebrate his milestones, his emerging personality, his quirks, and his sweet habits. And every month we also take a moment to acknowledge that this is real work, that we have all been changed and that we are continuing to change, and that we have all made it through another month. Yay us!
So here's to another month with our operatic-singing, nearly-crawling, smiley, loud, energetic, bathtime-loving, curious, and cuddly boy. We love you so much.
If I had had more foresight, I would have also prayed more fervently for a calm baby who enjoyed sleep. I guess you can't always know what to pray for beforehand. Little did I know that our little guy would rarely nap, would stay up until 11 at night, and then would be ready to party by 6am. Oh, and he sometimes wakes up at 4am full of stories to share, so excited about things that we can't understand which he nevertheless attempts to relate to us in squeals and exaggerated arm gestures.
In those ridiculous hours of the "morning" I try to sing and rock him back to sleep after feeding him, but no, sleep is for suckers, he says. So then Jon will take a turn. It used to be that he would walk Henry around the house, but that has become too boring and routine. So these days, Jon straps Henry on in the Ergo carrier and walks him around the neighborhood for twenty minutes, and then we'll get to sleep again until 6:30 or 7. If I am super lucky, he might take a nap around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, but that is usually on while he is snuggled up with me. If I so much as get up to use the bathroom, he wakes up and is good to go the rest of the day. So while I always planned on taking friends' advice by napping when my baby does, what do you do if he doesn't?
It is not at 4 in the morning, but at 4 in the afternoon when I really wonder what keeps my kid going. At 4am we just go through whatever it takes to get him to sleep. But it is the next afternoon when my lack of uninterrupted sleep hits me, and it is then that I marvel at he does it, how we all get through it.
So, each month that goes by we celebrate this wonderful little person that was entrusted to our care. We constantly celebrate his milestones, his emerging personality, his quirks, and his sweet habits. And every month we also take a moment to acknowledge that this is real work, that we have all been changed and that we are continuing to change, and that we have all made it through another month. Yay us!
So here's to another month with our operatic-singing, nearly-crawling, smiley, loud, energetic, bathtime-loving, curious, and cuddly boy. We love you so much.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Little things
Jon, the sweetie that he is, got me a new (functional) phone for our anniversary.
I've been just the teensiest bit preoccupied being a mom... But hopefully I can start posting more from my phone. Because I mean, who can get enough of this guy?
I've been just the teensiest bit preoccupied being a mom... But hopefully I can start posting more from my phone. Because I mean, who can get enough of this guy?
Monday, June 4, 2012
So much love
Henry has been a first for much of my family. Obviously he's the first baby to come into our family. He's making Jon and I feel oh-so-very grownup with all of the firsts that we've been experiencing with him. (More on those later.)
He's also the first nephew that my sister has known since he was born. She's a biological aunt for the first time, although we both have three other wonderful nephews. My mom's a biological grandma for the first time as well. And he's also the first in this next generation to be able to carry on the family name, a first for Jon's folks. Along with all of these firsts comes a lot of love. This kid is loved all around, and I'm so grateful for that.
My sister has really jumped into the role of aunt for a newborn really well. She was the first out of the family to see Henry, and she brought clothes and crafts and toys and books. She loved on and cuddled him and was just so great with him and with me. She allowed me time to nap, she reminded me to eat, and she gave me opportunities to shower during the day. Hurray!
I look back on those early days with amazement and through a fog. I can't believe how tired and perpetually worn-out I was in those days. I can't believe how proud I was of myself for getting showered, dressed, and fed before noon (on the days that I did, which was not every day). It was with my sister that I took Henry out for his first walk around the neighborhood in his stroller. Oh, and how proud I was when I went out on a walk with my sister, Henry, and the dogs. That was a big day for me. I'm so glad that it has gotten a little easier since then. And I can't wait for Jess to visit again so that she can witness a more interactive, smiley Henry.
A couple of weeks went by and then my mom came out for a little while. She was and is completely enamored with Henry. She just wanted to hold him and cuddle him and walk with him all the live-long day. If I wasn't feeding or changing him, she was happy to just be with him. She sang him Polish lullabies (which just about melted my heart), she laughed SO hard when he'd giggle, and she kept marveling over every little thing about him. We went out on a few adventures nearby on our own, and we ventured out a little further when Jon had the time. It was great to leave the house a little by then, even if it took a whole long longer to leave the house than I ever could have imagined. Who knew that such a tiny person could disrupt so many of your daily patterns and habits? (So worth it, though.)
Somehow though, we managed a few things-- like a short hike through Kolob, just she, Henry and I. Yay for the Ergo-baby! It made the hike possible and even pleasant. Snuggled up against me, he slept for nearly the entire hike. We timed it just about perfectly-- he didn't start getting hungry-fussy until we were nearly back to the car. We also went on longer hikes with Jon-- Pine Mountain and the Columbine Creek trail just outside of the Oak Grove campground. It was really nice to stretch my legs, to walk around in nature, and to experience more firsts with little Henry and his Babunia (grandma in Polish).
One of my favorite days with my mom around didn't have anything to do with us leaving the house, however. It was a day where we just hung out with Henry and talked and talked, and I got to hear all kinds of family stories about my grandparents and her childhood that I'd never heard before. It was one of the best gifts ever.
This was pretty much all the snow that was left. Jon and I did a portion of that hike two weeks previously and the whole thing was covered in a foot or two of snow. It was a much easier hike when we could walk on the ground.
A couple of more weeks passed by and then we had Jon's folks come for a visit. They were so great. And I don't think that they realize just how much they helped us out. I ate out with them for lunch pretty much every day. That may not have been all that great for me getting back down to a reasonable weight, but man was I glad to have something to look forward to every day, and they really helped out by giving me a hand with Henry so that I could get ready to leave the house. Likewise, watching Nancy with Henry was just so heart-warming. I think that there is just something so special about watching your mothers with a grand-baby, especially when that grand-baby just so happens to be your child. Nancy was just so cute with Henry, talking to him, asking him questions, and saying things when he was crying like, "Oh, tell me your story. Are you having a rough day? Are you telling me a sad tale?" She wasn't flustered by his cries, shrieks, or fussiness, she just talked through it and let me do my thing to calm him down.
Both Nancy and Dave were a real help. And they were just delightful to talk to. As Nancy put it, it was a great time for all of us to get to know one another better. Before, we've always been surrounded by lots of other family members and other commitments. This trip was all about getting to know one another better. Nancy even said that she felt like she was getting know this current version of Jon better -- this adult, married, father, pet-owner version of her son. I am so thankful for Jon every day of my life, and my mom was likewise totally blown away by how amazing Jon is and especially by how much he's done for me and Henry to make our lives easier. I'm so thankful for Jon's parents in all that they did to help raise him to be the man that he is today. And I was humbled to hear that Dave and Nancy were likewise happy that Jon found me. They say that they see a lot of positive changes in their son and they say that I'm a part of all of that. I still say that I got the better end of this deal.
Anyway, with Dave and Nancy, we got in quite a few outings. We hit up antique shops, we went on walks and hikes, and we went out to eat, a lot. Besides our nearly daily lunch outings, we also ate dinner somewhere new pretty much every night as well when Jon got home from work. We went out to some of our favorite spots and we also got to try a couple of places for the first time with them. They have had a lot of practice with some of their other grand kids, so there wasn't really anything new that we could throw at them. They took everything in stride and were really understanding when I needed a nap or some extra time to get ready. And like I mentioned earlier, they were just good company. It was really neat for me to hear some of their stories about Jon's childhood, both the stories about Jon as well as Nancy's experience with motherhood through the years with her three children.
And now all the visitors are gone. I'm waiting for my sister's next stop as well as Jon's oldest sister and her family. Anne and the rest of the Peter gang will be seeing Henry in person for the first time. I never thought too much about how far we live from any family until now. But I'll be the first to admit it, I have had really been missing all the family. I've loved every single visit, and I have cried a bit each time one has come to an end. I wish that we could all live closer, but since we don't, I'm thankful for technology that allows us to talk and to video conference so that we can all stay in touch as much as possible.
By the way, Henry really does love to see the temple. Both times that we took him to the temple grounds he started to get fussy, and both times when we turned him to look at the temple, he stopped crying and would just stare at the temple contentedly. No joke.
And I'll leave you with one last shot of Henry, who has recently discovered how fantastic his own fist is. He loves ramming it into his mouth as much as he can. Sometimes, though, he likes to suck on his thumb and pointer finger at the same time. Don't ask me how he does it. He just does. Talented, my boy is. :)
He's also the first nephew that my sister has known since he was born. She's a biological aunt for the first time, although we both have three other wonderful nephews. My mom's a biological grandma for the first time as well. And he's also the first in this next generation to be able to carry on the family name, a first for Jon's folks. Along with all of these firsts comes a lot of love. This kid is loved all around, and I'm so grateful for that.
My sister has really jumped into the role of aunt for a newborn really well. She was the first out of the family to see Henry, and she brought clothes and crafts and toys and books. She loved on and cuddled him and was just so great with him and with me. She allowed me time to nap, she reminded me to eat, and she gave me opportunities to shower during the day. Hurray!
I look back on those early days with amazement and through a fog. I can't believe how tired and perpetually worn-out I was in those days. I can't believe how proud I was of myself for getting showered, dressed, and fed before noon (on the days that I did, which was not every day). It was with my sister that I took Henry out for his first walk around the neighborhood in his stroller. Oh, and how proud I was when I went out on a walk with my sister, Henry, and the dogs. That was a big day for me. I'm so glad that it has gotten a little easier since then. And I can't wait for Jess to visit again so that she can witness a more interactive, smiley Henry.
 |
| Aunt Jess and TINY Henry |
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| Our first walk |
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| Poor peel-y Henry (I'm so glad THAT phase is over!) |
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| The hike we took with Aunt Jess down to the Virgin River |
A couple of weeks went by and then my mom came out for a little while. She was and is completely enamored with Henry. She just wanted to hold him and cuddle him and walk with him all the live-long day. If I wasn't feeding or changing him, she was happy to just be with him. She sang him Polish lullabies (which just about melted my heart), she laughed SO hard when he'd giggle, and she kept marveling over every little thing about him. We went out on a few adventures nearby on our own, and we ventured out a little further when Jon had the time. It was great to leave the house a little by then, even if it took a whole long longer to leave the house than I ever could have imagined. Who knew that such a tiny person could disrupt so many of your daily patterns and habits? (So worth it, though.)
Somehow though, we managed a few things-- like a short hike through Kolob, just she, Henry and I. Yay for the Ergo-baby! It made the hike possible and even pleasant. Snuggled up against me, he slept for nearly the entire hike. We timed it just about perfectly-- he didn't start getting hungry-fussy until we were nearly back to the car. We also went on longer hikes with Jon-- Pine Mountain and the Columbine Creek trail just outside of the Oak Grove campground. It was really nice to stretch my legs, to walk around in nature, and to experience more firsts with little Henry and his Babunia (grandma in Polish).
One of my favorite days with my mom around didn't have anything to do with us leaving the house, however. It was a day where we just hung out with Henry and talked and talked, and I got to hear all kinds of family stories about my grandparents and her childhood that I'd never heard before. It was one of the best gifts ever.
 |
| Little man, big yawn |
.JPG) |
| Pine Mountain |
.JPG) |
| A hike around Oak Grove |
 |
| Henry smiling for his Babunia |
Both Nancy and Dave were a real help. And they were just delightful to talk to. As Nancy put it, it was a great time for all of us to get to know one another better. Before, we've always been surrounded by lots of other family members and other commitments. This trip was all about getting to know one another better. Nancy even said that she felt like she was getting know this current version of Jon better -- this adult, married, father, pet-owner version of her son. I am so thankful for Jon every day of my life, and my mom was likewise totally blown away by how amazing Jon is and especially by how much he's done for me and Henry to make our lives easier. I'm so thankful for Jon's parents in all that they did to help raise him to be the man that he is today. And I was humbled to hear that Dave and Nancy were likewise happy that Jon found me. They say that they see a lot of positive changes in their son and they say that I'm a part of all of that. I still say that I got the better end of this deal.
Anyway, with Dave and Nancy, we got in quite a few outings. We hit up antique shops, we went on walks and hikes, and we went out to eat, a lot. Besides our nearly daily lunch outings, we also ate dinner somewhere new pretty much every night as well when Jon got home from work. We went out to some of our favorite spots and we also got to try a couple of places for the first time with them. They have had a lot of practice with some of their other grand kids, so there wasn't really anything new that we could throw at them. They took everything in stride and were really understanding when I needed a nap or some extra time to get ready. And like I mentioned earlier, they were just good company. It was really neat for me to hear some of their stories about Jon's childhood, both the stories about Jon as well as Nancy's experience with motherhood through the years with her three children.
And now all the visitors are gone. I'm waiting for my sister's next stop as well as Jon's oldest sister and her family. Anne and the rest of the Peter gang will be seeing Henry in person for the first time. I never thought too much about how far we live from any family until now. But I'll be the first to admit it, I have had really been missing all the family. I've loved every single visit, and I have cried a bit each time one has come to an end. I wish that we could all live closer, but since we don't, I'm thankful for technology that allows us to talk and to video conference so that we can all stay in touch as much as possible.
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| Some of the best burgers to be had are in Hurricane. |
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| Walking along the Pa'rus trail in Zion |
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| Multi-tasking! Eclipse-watching and baby-feeding at the same time. |
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