Dear Monica,

I was just looking at some photos on the computer and thought I would share them with you and tell a little about them, that way you can see a little more of our little boy and the rest of the readers, if there are any and if they want to, can look at them too!

A couple of months ago we went to Pike's Place. Haha. That's not what it's called. We went to Pike Place. Rob was about to start a new quarter and we wanted to take a day trip before all our fun of summer had to end. Sad that going to Seattle feels like a special event for us. Henry had a lot to see, so it was fun. Oh - guess what was the BEST part of the trip? We parked RIGHT OUTSIDE of the market - yep, on the street b/w the main booths and the "back alley" (is that what it's called?). It was like the fulfillment of a life goal. By the way, how crazy is it that the closest spot is also the only free place to park?

I'll be honest and tell you the main reason I'm posting this next picture is because my hair looks really good. But also to tell you that Henry is okay in the carrier, but only for so long. He gets bored. Also - see those jeans he's wearing? Gap Kids had them for super cheap ($4 cheap) so I bought two pairs in two sizes. When he wore them for the first time I noticed pink stitching. I tried to not let it bother me, but it did, so I colored over the 5 or so places of stitching with brown sharpie :) Rather than be embarrassed that I cared so much, I decided to be proud of how brilliant of an idea it was. However... after wearing them a half dozen times I realized that they looked really weird on him. I wouldn't think that baby boy and girl jeans had different "fits" but I swear these look like a baby girl should be wearing them. I finally put both pair away with a few other girl items for a future possible baby girl. I'll be really happy when that girl comes and I have two pairs of jeans for her - she won't mind the brown stitching.

Henry loves to be lifted up and down with his hands (we are careful - no arms are being pulled out of their socket). That's what we're doing here. Right in the middle of the market. I know my baby is cute and I like to share him with others - they enjoyed seeing and hearing him laugh while we did this. I know they did.

I have a friend who gives the best baby gifts - after she finds out the name of your baby she finds books with a main character by that name. So cute, huh. I think he'll really love these books as he gets older. They are good ones, too. Rob and I really like them. This one is awesome, it's the story of Henry David Thoreau building a cabin. I first learned about his cabin when I heard this talk in conference. Cool that we have it in a book now! Look at Henry's face - he's like, "build a cabin!? I'm just a baby!"

Rob especially loves this one because the characters are wearing retro clothes. Check it out. There are a couple other books in this series that we're going to get. Henry's using his imagination right now:

 Here's another one. Henry the Helpful Elephant. This one's Henry's favorite because he likes to chew on it (it's plastic so you can bring it in the bath) and it has a squeaker. We keep this in our bedroom for when he plays in there. I don't remember what made him upset here, but it's cute. (Rob has a little clip of this in the video of Henry 0-6mo. Remember it?)

Henry LOVES to go on walks and we used to go most mornings, even getting back before 8:45 when Alicia bring Xander over on Tues and Thursdays. Unfortunately the weather is bad now so our walking days might be over. This picture is actually from an afternoon walk - on the boardwalk by our house. Have you ever walked on it? I'm pretty bored of it by now, but I guess we're lucky it's there. I love this fleece - I didn't even know it had ears until I put it on him for the first time. He's too small for it now and wears a blue fleece hoodie (no ears) these days.

This picture is evidence of Alicia as Super-Babysitter. She's feeding Jack, her friend's baby (Xander's age). I'm so lucky that I can feel okay not being with Henry the one day I go to work because he's with Alicia who, not only is the most capable person, but also loves him.

Rob is the best. He wakes up with Henry in the morning so I can sleep another 30 min before Rob needs to get ready for work and Henry gets hungry. We started this when I was sick, then just kept it going! Actually, lately I try to get up and get moving, but Rob is still usually the first one out of bed in the morning to get Henry and either bring him into bed with me or change his diaper. This picture is from one morning that I was still in bed. Rob's bed head always stands straight up - I call him Jimmy Neutron.

Here are my new boots. Thanks for helping me figure out what I wanted. I'm quite happy with them. These are also my jeggings! They are my most flattering pair of jeans - who knew!?

Rob bought this outfit the day we found out we were having a boy. I left the ultrasound to go back to work and Rob left it to go shopping :) It's from Target - do you know that Dwell has a Target line? We have a bunch of Dwell baby clothes from Target. I don't know if you can tell here, but it's a sweater! I saw this at Target and really liked it but held off, not knowing what we were having. Then I was at a meeting at school with some parents who brought their baby who was wearing it. I definitely wanted it after that. There have been too many times that I think clothes are too big for Henry so I put off putting it on him, then realize later that he could have been wearing them longer. Such a bummer! That happened with this outfit too.

Rob's mom got this book for Henry the last time we went to Costco with them. Henry has a lot of books, but he didn't have a book about Dogs. When she wanted to buy it for him I was excited - every boy should have a book all about dogs!

I got some pretty cute things at the baby shower you couldn't go to. Here is one hat that my friend, Alicia, made for him (there's a leaf on the top). Aunt Debi also knittted a really cute hat similar to this one. Neither fit him yet.

I rarely get to see Henry sleeping because I rarely go in his room when he's asleep (nothing is worth the risk of waking him up!). Henry usually only takes two naps, but if he needs (if his earlier naps were too short or we need him to stay up later that day) to, I nurse him to sleep for a third nap - we lay down on the bed together while he nurses, then I sneakily move away and he sleeps for just a short "cat nap." - oh, I just remembered we sent you a video of waking him up from this very same nap. He's so stinking sweet.

Last year at our ward Christmas party Rob told me that he had volunteered for us to perform, but then chickened out and took our name of the list. He was almost so in trouble - no way am I going to sing in front of my ward! This year he knew better and instead signed up to play with his friend, Ben, who is like Rob and doesn't mind such things. The two of them got together last Sunday to decide on what songs they were going to play. I loved hearing the guitar, uke and banjo being played in my house! I wish they would do it more often - the only problem was that they were Christmas songs and it isn't time for Christmas songs yet.

 

Okay, I just found 15 more pictures to post here and tell you about. Still with me?

Henry does.not.use.pacifiers. There must have been a full moon when this picture was taken. We've tried to give him pacifiers a few times, and he's just not into them. When he was really little he was okay with us holding one in his mouth while we rocked him to sleep. Later he didn't like them at all and get a disgusted look on his face when we gave him one. Now days he'll take it, but to chew on the side of it like he does with every toy.

Not all of these pictures are of Henry, I realized. We had Collin over while Marin and JR went out - we're good babysitters because we don't go anywhere anymore - we don't like to keep baby up late and don't like to have other people put him to sleep. I surprise myself that I have a hard time with that, but, whatever. If there's one thing I learned, it's that you don't know how you'll be with a baby until you have one. At least that's how it's been with me. I'm starting to realize that's how it will always be - that you don't know how you'll be with a toddler until you have one, and so forth. I still make plans for how I'll be and what things I will or won't do, but now I know that those plans may change. And I can't judge anyone else for how they are with their baby, toddler, etc. Back to Collin - Rob and him made this fort, which Collin is adamant about calling a "castle." They played while I put the baby to sleep (it's about a 30 min routine). Then we watched a movie under our "castle" - Collin was being pretty snuggly and it was easy to pretend he was Henry all grown up (if 2 1/2 = grown up).

When you have a baby you should get a Sophie giraffe. Henry loved his. Yes, past tense - we lost it. In Portland. I searched the car, the hotel room, called the restaurant we had eaten in. Nothing. Sophie just up and walked off.

Look how big Aidan looks - and he always looks this big now! I kind of don't like it. Aidan and Greyson love Henry, but especially Aidan.

And here's another couple of buddies. It's fun to see Torsten with Henry - he thinks he's cute. And Henry thinks Torsten is pretty cool.

Henry also loves putting his toes in his mouth BUT he only does it when his diaper is off. I think it's because his diapers are too tight, which may be a crazy hypothesis, but what else would it be? Henry has become near impossible to change - as soon as you put him down he wants to flip over. So frustrating.

Look what Target has: more flavors of Icees. This is root beer float flavor and the texture is really perfect for the flavor. I got myself one as a special treat and then took this picture to make Rob jealous.

We watched Collin a second time. Isn't this picture sweet?

Rob had to leave for something while we were watching Collin and it was time to put the baby to bed which takes place in our bedroom. I told Collin he had to stay in the room with me because I didn't want him out in the rest of the house without me. He didn't like the idea until I told him he could play in the closet :)

Gross, huh. We made a ton of freezer meals at a Relief Society activity - this became meatballs.

Rob helped a friend (John - he works with Rob) make a video a few weeks back. It was fun to see Rob in his craft. They made me be in the video for a few seconds. I. Hated. It. It was fun to have John over, though, and when we were done he gave Henry the puppet he used in the video (and in the picture).

Henry in his DJ station. It's the only thing we have now that we can use to make sure he stays in one place for a long time. We don't need that very often, but it's priceless when we do (when making dinner, for example).

Henry is finally okay with his carseat! I'm so glad the phase of hating being in the car is over. He now just doesn't like it when it's dark out, but if we need to we turn on the dome light and he's okay. We considered and bought a couple car mirrors and this one is definitely the best. He enjoys looking at us through the mirror and sometimes himself too. I don't think he knows it's him in the mirror yet, I wonder if I'll know it when he does. Looking in the mirror is one way to calm him when nothing else will. That and going outside. Mom got him the shoes in this picture, he just started wearing them.

Well, that is literally all the pictures that I could have shared with you. It's been fun to have someone to send videos of Henry to during the day - I'm glad you enjoy them! We miss you and will be thinking of you on your birthday!

Love, Stephanie