Meeting the Big Guy

Oh, Christmas.  It's truly my favorite time of year, and this year the Christmas season has already been so special just with the addition of our little elf.  Decorating the tree and the apartment, baking Christmas cookies, stringing up lights ... it's all so magical, but so far the best part has been when Henry met Santa.



Henry and Santa Claus: BFF



Two weeks ago, my parents' church hosted Breakfast with Santa.  My folks were so excited they insisted that we come down, and so we did.  We dressed Henry in something adorable (it was tough, as all his clothes are pretty adorable) and made the trip, and then stood in line for ... well ... awhile.  Honestly, I was excited about seeing how Henry would react.  I was a bit worried that standing in line for an hour in a mall crowded with other, possibly bad-tempered children might spoil the experience, so I was glad we were able to visit Santa for free.  The line snaked closer and closer, and finally it was our turn.  Elvis plopped Henry down on Santa's lap, and my little angel turned and looked and Santa, and started cooing at him like they were old friends.  It was so cute, and I was super-delighted to hear the woman in line behind me remark, "I've never seen a baby so at-ease with Santa!"  I guess I shouldn't be surprised; I already knew my child was quite the most amazing child ever. 

My Big Baby

Henry had his 6-month checkup yesterday and it was his best yet! He got the go-ahead to start eating some veggies (good times for Mama & Poppa!), Elvis wasn't tempted to punch the nurse (she is such a know-it-all), and my near-constant feedings paid off when it was time to weigh and measure the baby. He weighs almost 19 pounds (nearly tripling his birth weight), and he's 28 inches long. I'm inordinately pleased that he's so giant (in the 91st percentile!). I wanted my boy to be a big, strong, strapping man and was a little surprised when he was born so tiny. So now I guess I can't complain anymore about how Henry can't go more than about 6 minutes without eating, can I? 

An Uncle is Born

I always knew my brother, David, would make a great uncle.  He loves kids and they love him.  So I was really surprised when I announced my pregnancy and he reacted ... not at all.  Throughout the entire 9 months he just seemed unenthusiastic.  People would ask him what he thought about being an uncle, and he would shrug and mumble a few words.  His concern seemed to be mainly for my comfort and safety.  As we were all getting ready for Christmas Eve service last year, he eyed my shoes and asked if I should be walking on heels that high; He'd come to visit and fetch me glass after glass of water; He even quit smoking.  But he still couldn't seem to muster much enthusiasm for the coming nephew.
I went into labor early on the morning of June 6, and David was the first person (aside from Elvis and my mom who were my labor support team) to get to the hospital.  He sat in the delivery room off and on, keeping me company while my support team went out to get a quick lunch.  He excused himself when the real action started, but as soon as Henry was cleaned up and ready for visitors, who should be first in line?  That's right: Uncle David.  One of my favorite pictures from the day is of my daddy holding my tiny, minutes-old son while my brother looks on in wonder.  It's so sweet, 3 of my 4 favorite guys.  But it was also my assurance that David would wear uncle-hood as well as I'd hoped.

For the first few months of Henry's life, Uncle David was around a lot, but was reluctant to hold the baby.  He'd joke about when Henry would start to be fun, and all the adventures they'd have together someday, but he was still very hands-off.  To be fair, Henry was so tiny and fragile-looking that even our fellow new-parent friends were nervous holding him.  As time passed and Henry grew (and gained weight and neck strength), David got more comfortable with his little nephew and a little less worried about breaking him.  I'm delighted to report that now, at 6 months, Uncle David (or Unkie Dave as we call him) is one of Henry's biggest fans.  The first time he asked to hold the baby I was floored, but he entertained my little munchkin like a pro, and now they're BFF.  I've heard him on the phone with his friends, bragging about his smart and adorable nephew, and texting photos of him to the girl he's casually seeing.  He seems to be completely enamored, and has even joined the ranks of "Baby Hogs."  In fact, he almost got in an altercation at Thanksgiving when our grandmother arrived and tried to snatch Henry away from his favorite uncle.
David still loves to come hang out with his favorite little famly on weekends, and he & Elvis usually stay up playing GTA or baseball on the PS3 after I go to bed.  Shortly before Thanksgiving, as I was washing my face and brushing my teeth, I overheard a conversation that made me pink with barely-contained glee: David was telling Elvis how cool it is that Henry's just a little blank slate with unlimited possibilities.  I could hear the awe in his voice as he talked about how proud he'll be when little Henry cures cancer, or becomes the first man to walk on Mars, or wins the World Series someday, and it just made my night.  Obviously I'm enormously proud of my son and I can't wait to see who he turns out to be.  But after his somewhat rocky start to uncle-hood, I'm just pleased as punch that Unkie Dave has jumped so wholeheartedly onto the bandwagon.  Every boy needs a cool uncle, and Henry definitely hit the jackpot!

Peekaboo!