You Don't Own Me

So this past Sunday was the first birthday of our friends' son, and we were invited to an exclusive (well ... family only) party to celebrate. We arrived with bells on, excited to see our friends for the first time since Henry's birthday. The daddies were outside grilling while the mommies (and grandmommy) coralled the kids inside. Mr. and Mrs. P had secured their enormous living room and filled it with balloons and toys. What on earth could be better for the 18-months-and-under set (or, indeed, the 3-7 crowd once their little tummies were full of delicious treats)? Henry loves other little ones, and he quickly fell into a "conversation" with the birthday boy and his cousin. They were so cute, sharing their sippy cups and babbling, giggling and pointing at each other. Adorable. At any rate, in all the excitement the birthday boy toppled over and bonked his head on the fireplace. Being the closest person over 3, I immediately grabbed him and started to soothe him, as he was more scared than hurt. As I rubbed his little noggin (and - more importantly - he saw his mommy come running) he started to calm down. Just in time, too. Mrs. P. arrived to scoop her little guy up just as mine began to melt down. Henry did NOT like to see somebody else in his mama's arms, and he threw a royal fit to let everyone know.

Of course he cooled down after a few moments of back-rubbing and forehead kisses, but it was kind of a big deal at the time. It was the first time Henry ever had to share Mama with a "stranger", and even though I hated seeing him upset, I have to admit it was kind of ... sweet(?). He's such a sweet little guy, and usually pretty good about sharing things, but it's kind of touching that -right now at least- I'm the one thing he does not share. 

Fine. He does own me. And I'm okay with that. 

Our Favorite Time

One afternoon this summer, Elvis and I were channel surfing, and happened upon something wonderful: a TV show teaching sign language. We'd read articles about how babies can communicate with sign before they can speak, and even seen it in action. So we got a book of basic signs for baby. It's beautiful, with lovely photographs and descriptions of the motions. But E and I are both the kind who learn by watching, and so Signing Time quickly became our family's favorite time (and communication tool!). We've been watching for a few months now, and I can proudly say I'm actually learning something. 

Signing Time is on PBS and features hostess Rachel, her daughter Leah and her nephew Alex. Each episode has a theme (eg. Around the House), and words are taught in small groups (3-4 at a time) and then reinforced with songs. It's been so great to learn a new way to communicate, and I've loved the results. Henry doesn't seem inclined to speak any time soon, but he does know a handful of signs. He can ask for milk or cheese,  is working on crackers, and lets me know he's hungry without throwing a fit. 

Since school started back up, Henry and I watch it each day before nap time, and then I show Elvis that day's lesson when he gets home that evening. It's such a wonderful tool for our family: we're learning a new skill and giving Henry the power to communicate. 

Game time!

I would absolutely give this show 2 hearty thumbs way up. Check your local listings for Signing Time, or check out their segments on YouTube (I particularly enjoyed Leah and Alex's version of the Star Spangled Banner)  I hope it becomes a cherished part of your family's daily routine, too. 

What's In a Name?

I love baby names. In particular, I enjoy hearing the crazy things people name their children, or the unique spellings of more traditional names. I feel sort of sad for all the Kortnees, Neveahs, Aidans, and Braedynns out there whose parents went for the fad names. Alright, I'll just say it: I love my son's name. The more baby names I hear these days, the more I love the one we chose. Several people have asked me recently how we chose his name, and it's a story I love telling so here it is. Brace yourself, it's a bit long. 

My husband was born with baby fever. Once I caught it too, baby names became a common topic of conversation for us. In the summer of 2009 we found ourselves in the midst of this conversation, and finally chose the names we wanted for the son and daughter we wanted one day. We'd always loved Katherine for a girl, and we chose Jackson for a boy. Not 2 hours after we'd agreed, word came that Michael Jackson had died (seriously. It was eerie). That wasn't such a big deal breaker, but then my cousin gave birth to a little angel a few weeks later and -not content with all our grandmother's antiques and heirlooms - she stole my name. Back to the drawing board. 

Let me interrupt here and tell you I had some strict criteria for a name:

1. It had to be something that was neither too common nor too out-there. 

2. I wanted our child to have nickname options. I've always hated that my name can't be shortened. 

3. I wanted our child to be named after someone special to us. 

4. No awkward initials or monograms. 

When I finally got pregnant in the fall of 2010 we had to get serious about a name. Katherine had fallen by the wayside, and we needed some good candidates. Elvis suggested Heidi for a girl, which I loved immediately. I could just picture a little girl with Elvis' golden hair, hunting Easter eggs in a little princess dress (you caught me, I can still picture it). I think I was the one who suggested Henry for a boy. They both fit all my criteria, and they had a bonus: Both are German names (to honor my heritage). 

When we found out I was going to have a boy, we were over the moon. I just loved the name Henry, and still do. It's a good solid name: even the nickname we chose is a classic (Hank). I know nobody will have difficulty spelling it. And he's named after some great men: Hank Aaron, Hank Williams, King Henry VIII of England, and his Poppa (with whom he shares a middle name). And I LOVE its meaning: Ruler of the house. What could be more appropriate for a baby? 

At the end of the day, I'm just glad to be able to say that I adore my son's name more every time I hear it. Way to go, team!

What are your childrens' names, or names you love? Or, what are some of the strangest names you've heard? 

Another???

So I guess it's that time now, huh? People are delighted with their babies, and are deciding to have The Second. In the past month, 4 women I know have delightedly announced their second pregnancies, and another has announced her third. I'm excited for them of course, but as for myself, I just can't imagine having another baby right now (heck, I can't imagine having another baby in the next 2 years! People sure do love to ask though, don't they? A month after Henry was born, people started asking me about having The Second). I'm flat-out exhausted keeping up with one climbing little monkey, keeping the pets' tails out of his mouth, and trying to encourage him to talk already (to say nothing of my housewifely duties of laundry, dishes, and the like). I don't know how people do it. 

Last night Elvis and I - just in casual conversation - talked about parenting and our feelings about going through it again.  I was genuinely surprised to hear that he would like to have a daughter one day. The whole time I've known him, he's wanted a son.  At my 20-week ultrasound, when we found out we were having a Henry instead of a Heidi, (after I made an Anne Boleyn joke that made the U/S tech uncomfortable) he assured me that one healthy son was all he wanted from my uterus. I took him at his word, and the three of us have been a loving, happy family since.  

As for myself, I don't really know what I want. I'm so torn on the idea of another child. I guess there are pros and cons, huh? Ooh, let's make a list!

PROS:

1.  Henry would have a sibling.  I would kind of like for him to have a brother or sister (in theory, anyway). My brother and I were always close, and I would love for my son to know that special bond as well. Also, Elvis is the only only-child I've ever met who wasn't completely self-absorbed and weird. 

2.  Pregnancy. Mine was the happiest time of my life. I loved watching my body change and adapt to nourish the new life within. Truly miraculous. 

3. The relationship between Elvis and me grew so much deeper and more profound. I recently read a quote that I wish I could remember. I can't though, so to paraphrase it said something like this: we loved one another so fiercely that magic happened.  The love we already shared has grown and intensified through this amazing experience, and I know that another baby would have the same effect. 

4. A baby! Who doesn't love a sweet new baby? The weight of them sleeping in your arms, their delicious baby smell, their round little bellies, their toothless smiles, their sweet little fingers and toes ... Sigh. Magic. 

5. Baby clothes. This one gets a category to itself. I freaking love baby clothes. So much the better if we're talking about baby girl clothes. Squeeee!!!

CONS:

1. Birth. I know, I know. But hey, I did it once and now I know what to expect. Scary. 

2. Financial fears. Pregnancy and childbirth were expensive, but then there are costs like feeding a kid (we spend almost as much money on milk now as we used to spend on cable), finding a bigger place to live, furnishing another nursery, etc. 

3. Exhaustion. I've got enough on my plate without a brand new baby. 

4. Superstitions. I had a wonderful pregnancy that resulted in a pretty spectacular child, and our family is so happy. I guess it's silly, but I fear things wouldn't go so smoothly the second time around. 

So I guess our conversation didn't really go anywhere. I certainly don't even want to think about The Second for another year or two. I'm just content with what I have: my smart, funny, kind, handsome hubby and our glorious son, who is so much like his Poppa. 

Friday Night Football

My fantastic husband was hired for his first teaching job 2 days before he officially graduated from Texas State University in 2008.  He went to work in a small town nearby and - to our delight - it's a really wonderful community.  The people embraced Elvis for all his wonderful qualities, and then extended that embrace to me and eventually to precious Henry.  We love being a part of the community, and to that end our little family loaded up and headed out for our annual High School Football (I think that's the grammatically appropriate reverance required from a Texan) season opener last night. 
We got there in plenty of time to get good seats, up at the top of the stands near the band.  The weather was absolutely beautiful for a football game: cloudy and warm, but with a pleasant breeze. Especially as the sun went down, it was just a lovely evening.  To nobody's surprise, the band sounded fantastic.  One of Elvis' best students is a drum major this year, so it was great to see her leading the better-than-ever 2012 band.
The actual surprise of the night was the football team itself.  They had a whole new energy about them.  Nerves and excitement, of course, but also a confidence that they seem to have lacked in years past.  They went out there and got down to business, and scored their first touchdown within a few minutes.  At halftime, our guys were up 21-6.  What a great first half!
Henry freaked out a little bit at the overwhelming crowd response to that first TD, but that was the only moment of the night he didn't love.  For most of the first half, he sat happily in my lap or Elvis' and clapped along with the band, or sucked his beloved thumb and watched the game.  Around the middle of the second quarter he started to get a little squirmy, so we decided to walk around a little bit.  On our way out of the stands Elvis stopped to talk to a few people,  and we ended up standing around the fence near the entrance to the stands, greeting teachers and students as they came in or went to the concession stand.  There are a lot of new teachers and administrators this year, so it was nice to meet some of the cool new co-workers E's been talking about, and their families.  Everyone was so  nice, and so pumped for the year.  And, of course, they had such wonderful things to say to and about Elvis.  He's getting to be kind of a Big Deal there.  At the very least, he garnered rave reviews as the MC at yesterday's pep rally.  :-)  Oh, and of course everyone oohed and ahhed over each other's babies.  Henry was praised many times over for his handsome face and sweet nature, and his adorable dancing & clapping along with the crowd.  Fun times were had by all.
We got to watch both bands at halftime, and they were both good.  I myself was in the marching band (and - for one magical year - the Feature Twirler), and I still love seeing the band.  It's always cool to see what they're doing these days.  The Eagle band was, like I said, better than ever this year.  They added a dance element for some surprise showmanship, and it was really fun!  I can't wait to see the show when they're all uniformed, and not in their casual jeans-and-band-tee getup for opening night. 
As the band finished up we decided it was probably time to go.  It was already about half an hour past bedtime, and we still had a 30 minute drive home.  Rather than risk a fussy baby, we cut our losses.  Henry was still in a good mood, and stayed awake long enough to eat dinner and drink 3 glasses of milk before falling asleep. 
What a night!  Ahh, I do love Game Night!

Back to School

So Elvis goes back to school this Monday and Tuesday for some campus planning activities (I think that's just Principal Code for "More time away from your families"), and then the following Monday for real. I have to say that this summer has been WAY too short. Last summer was so bizarre time-wise, between the week in the hospital and then adjusting to life with a newborn, that it seemed to last forever. But this year, I feel like summer school JUST ended, and I've only had a few days to spend with my beloved boys. I guess that's because we've done a lot of little activities. We went to the zoo; we visited my favorite aunt in Houston; Elvis spent a weekend with my dad out at my parents' ranch; we've gone swimming at least 3 times a week. We rearranged our apartment; we've cultivated some wonderful new friendships. We've written stories, and danced, and painted, and made up an album's worth of songs. We've cooked; we've gardened; we've slept in, and we've cheered on our Olympic heroes in London. Elvis and I even got to see a movie one weekend (One of only 2 since Henry was born)! But between all that activity, I don't feel like we've had any time to hang out and be bums. Maybe our hanging-out-and-being-bums days are behind us now. Huh. What a tragic thought.
Anyway, today was the first day of Back to School practice and I just did not feel like I was ready. I did manage to get everyone to bed at a reasonable hour last night (difficult indeed with my night-owl husband), and get the coffee pot pre-loaded. So we got up at 6:15 this morning (BOOOO!) and Elvis hopped in the shower while I walked the dog, made coffee and put his lunch together. Then he left and since Henry was still asleep I had - for the first time in weeks - time to myself! I had to use it to search for my house keys so I could run to the store this afternoon, but still. I'd forgotten how nice it could be to be alone for a few minutes.
We're more than halfway through our first practice day now, and it's been excellent. I really really love being able to stay at home with Henry, and make sure that he's getting the food, attention, clean diapers, and mental stimulation he needs. It's difficult to be "alone" all day, and in charge of the running of the household, but it's also so ridiculously rewarding. And even though I miss some of the little luxuries that 2 incomes provided, I would not give up this time with my son for all the money in the world.

... In a Jam

One of the great things about being married to a teacher is that he has summers off.  Elvis almost always works summer school for a little extra money, and we've taken some pretty awesome trips in summers past.  Last year we had a baby, so we knew that this summer would have be extra-super to top that.  Word came through the grapevine of a giant family reunion in Oregon, and we hoped to take our first family road trip up to meet all our new aunts, uncles and cousins.  Sadly, things did not pan out for us and we were unable to get the trip together.  Who knew that one little baby would make things so complicated?  ;-)  Anyway, since travel and new parenting were not on our agenda this year, we had to think of some way to make this summer awesome.  After much thought, a theme was born: 2012 would be the Summer of Sauces.  We came up with a few specific recipes we wanted to try, and I took the reins.  Elvis and I both enjoy cooking, especially together.  He is a natural whiz in the kitchen, and I usually play the role of sous-chef.  Unless we're baking, and then I get to be Boss of the Kitchen.  But I thought it was high time I brought something to the table other than dessert. 
After lots of discussion (and recipe hunting) I decided strawberry jam would be a great start.  I got some delicious-looking strawberries at the grocery store yesterday, and undertook my first great culinary experiment:

I rinsed and hulled 2 lbs of strawberries (since it was my first attempt I wasn't sure how many to get).

Next, I mixed together 2/3 cup of Splenda and 2 tbsp. of instant Pectin.

Then, I mashed up the strawberries (a few at a time) with a potato masher.  My, that was fun!  I used 1 2/3 cups of this mush for jam, and put the rest aside.

 I added the strawberries to the Splenda-Pectin mixture, and stirred continuously (don't forget to scrape the sides every now and then!) for 3 minutes.

Finally, I poured it all into a jar, and let it set for 30 minutes.  The recipe didn't specify whether to let it set on the counter or in the fridge, so I did the counter.  It didn't set well, so I put it in the refrigerator where it did solidify a little bit better.

Elvis and I enjoyed our delicious jam this morning over homemade waffles.  It was sweeter than I expected (I may experiement with a teensy bit of lemon or lime juice the next time), but oh so delicious.  And the best part, of course, was that I made it all by myself!

The jam was really a success, so stay tuned over the next few weeks for more of my culinary adventures during 2012's Summer of Sauces.  And, once I get a few sauces down, I'm going to tackle canning with the awesome new pressure canner my parents got me for our wedding anniversary.

So Much Excitement ...

Well, what an exciting weekend. Henry and I experienced our first professional soccer game together on Saturday night. We were in Houston for what turned out to be a mini family reunion, and my uncle had bought tickets to the Dynamo game for everyone in his company. Since some people were unable to make it to the game, it turned into a family outing! I was a bit nervous about how little Henry would react in a stadium, but everyone agreed that we'd just leave if he started fussing. So we packed up and - after an incredibly delicious dinner at Don Carlos - made our way to the stadium.

I am not really a big fan of soccer (Baseball is the first love of my father AND my husband, so it's always been pretty much The Sport in my family), but we sure did have a blast at that game! First off, the BBVA Compass Stadium was ridiculous. I've been to a fair number of professional sports venues, and this was by far the nicest. Obviously it was new, but it was also a comfortable place to sit and enjoy a game, despite being open-air (in Houston in July). Our seats caught a nice breeze, and there was - get this! - actually a bit of space between the seats! Glorious. Even Henry enjoyed himself. There were so many lights and people for him to watch that he was constantly entertained, and (somewhat to my consternation) he even enjoyed the Dynamo Girls nearly as much as Uncle Taylor. In fact, the only problem he did have was when the Dynamo scored. The crowd and the fireworks were so loud that they just terrified my poor Lovebug, and he burst into tears each time. Lucky for me, he's so easygoing and happy that his fits never lasted long, and he would quickly move on to the next game of Peekaboo or a new lap.

After our first professional soccer game

Oh, yes. The gloves. Well, Uncle Virgil thought it would be fun if all the people from the company wore orange gloves to support the team (team colors: orange & white). So we all donned these vinyl gloves and proceeded to wave many, many spirit sprinkles toward the field. I'm pretty sure it worked, as the Dynamo beat the other guys (Montreal) 3-0. USA!

The rest of the weekend was fun but pretty uneventful. We went swimming for a little bit, but mostly we all laughed and ate all weekend, catching up with one another, laughing at Henry's adorable antics, and celebrating Grampa's 77th birthday. It was such a great weekend, and it made me feel so lucky to be a part of such a fun, sweet, loving family.

My sweet, goofy boy

Things have rocked along swimmingly this week as well, with small bursts of excitement. On Tuesday evening I was taking a quick potty break when I heard the dreaded bonk and wail from the living room, followed by a frantic flurry of motion. By the time I made my way to the nursery, things had spiraled out of control. Henry was shrieking (in panic more than pain) and thrashing about in Elvis' arms as he tried to assess the damage and contain the blood (!!!). Our little monkey had tripped and fallen, biting his tongue in the process. Combined with the excessive teething-related drooling, the blood just got dripped everywhere. We finally got the bleeding contained, but then there was another problem. Since Henry had bitten his tongue, it had swollen up considerably and any time he moved it too much (like say ... for talking or eating) it would scrape against his teeth and start bleeding again. Oh, my poor baby. Elvis gave him a bit of medicine for the pain, but it was obvious the bleeding was freaking him out. It took almost an hour to calm Henry down. He couldn't eat so I nursed and rocked him to sleep, which was very bittersweet. It's been awhile since I nursed period, and it was so very sweet to hold my son and comfort him as he nodded off to sleep. What an absolute joy he is, every minute of the day. Elvis and I checked on him every hour or so until we went to bed, to make sure he was still doing fine. Sweet Henry slept peacefully through the night with no more bleeding, and has been in fine spirits ever since. He was pretty funny on Wednesday, with that swollen tongue. It looked silly all flopped out of his mouth but it did encourage him to try making new sounds, so that's a win in my book.

And the last bit of excitement has nothing to do with my own precious family at all: a very old friend of mine joyfully announced her pregnancy yesterday. She and her husband have wanted a baby so badly, and finally - after years of tears, disappointments and prayers - she was overjoyed to share her happy news. I am so overjoyed for Sarah & her husband, and for her parents who must be beside themselves. What a lucky baby, to be coming into the world so beloved already. And what an incredible lady; her faith and her patience throught the last few painful years have been so inspiring.

And now, I hope it's not too much to ask for a few days of nice boring quiet. I just don't know how much more excitement I can take this week!

The Big 0-5

Elvis and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on Saturday.  It was a nice weekend and we had a lovely time together reminiscing about our beautiful wedding day, and our five blissful years of marriage.  We even had a rare night of babylessness, as my parents were only-too-delighted to take Henry for the night You could say we squandered it, since we opted NOT to dress up for the fancy restaurant, but instead enjoyed some delicious fried seafood and frozen drinks.  But it was a wonderful evening with my very best friend and soul mate, and it was exactly the anniversary celebration we wanted.  And on top of all that, we got to sleep in til 10 the next morning!  Woo hoo!

In all seriousness, it was crazy to look back at our lives and see how far we've come.  You could say we came from different worlds, and a lot of people had their doubts about the two of us together.  But I'm proud to say that what we have together is The Real Thing.  It's not always a bowl of cherries, but there's nobody I'd rather have by my side through this adventure.  And now, to have added this amazing child to our harmonious home has made life that much sweeter.  I have loved every second of our marriage, and I could not be more excited for whatever the future holds.

The best part of the weekend, to me, was the review of all the fun we've had together.  So, here are a few of my favorite memories with my beloved.



One of our first photos together.  We'd been dating about 2 months.  I love this pic, and Elvis HATES it.




Every inch the blissful newlyweds





We had a blast in Philadelphia for our 2nd anniversary.  It was a perfect vacation!



We have been to 4 Major League Baseball parks together.

We had just found out I was pregnant a few weeks before, and Elvis couldn't resist pointing out where his baby was growing.  He was spectacular during my pregnancy.



The very first picture of the three of us.  That is the face of a man in love with his family.



5 years of wedding bliss!  I love this man more every day!



A Birthday Fit For a King

Poor Henry's hair was getting ridiculous.  Even without the "helpful" comments of strangers, we knew it was time to cut it.  I think Elvis & I were both pretty proud of his glorious mane of hair, and I know that I, at least, was nervous about the idea of scissors near my baby's head.  We decided that his first birthday was a great time to make a milestone moment, and waited out the weeks.  I wish MY hair would grow as fast as that kid's does!

Anyway, the night before The Big Day we decided the time had come.  The weather was nice enough that we hauled Henry's high chair out to our small patio, and I - so eager for the beautiful memories - grabbed the camera.  I had a plan of attack for the actual haircut, but before I could implement it (pun intended) those long pointy scissors caused what could only be described as "hysterical giggling" to explode out of me.  I turned my back to try to get a grip (fail: I ended up laughing til I cried) while Elvis stepped up to the job.  I was close to containing myself when my beloved put down the scissors and said:

     "You need to assess how bad this is, and either fix it or tell ME how to fix it."

Ahem.

So I was actually not quite so horrified to see this:

I wass still a little bit horrified, but to be honest I was terrified that my kid had just lost an eyebrow at the very least. I did laugh a little bit more (and cry .... a substantial amount: Hey, it was my baby's first haircut after all!), but in the end we agreed we should quit while we were ahead.  And so this silly face is what we get to see for the next ??? months.  Hopefully like, 3?

On the actual Day of Birth, the three of us and Elvis' mom made a trek to the San Antonio Zoo.  We met up with my mom there, as well as our friends and their son.  What better way could there be for a little prince to celebrate his first birthday?  None, as it happens.  A great time was had by all.  The boys had a great time seeing all their favorite animals, and the grandmas had a great time fawning over both adorable little guys.

The big Pool Party was that Saturday, and friends and family came from all over the place!  Everyone had a great time swimming, eating, and enjoying the antics of sweet Henry and his adorable friends Lili and Harley.  I made a gorgeous blue three layer cake (Were was my camera at cake time?  I didn't even think about it after all that work), Elvis grilled all day, and Henry fell in love with watermelon.  All in all, I'd say it was a pretty perfect first birthday for a pretty perfect child.

And I will end this post with a note to my son.

Precious Henry, you have made every day a joy since the moment I saw your face.  I love you so much and I always will.  Happy birthday, and many many more.  XOXOXO, Mama