Henry at Four Months

Dear Henry,

Man, this past month has flown by...and not only because it has literally been a week since I posted about you at three months!  For the past year or so, I have been hearing people say, "Oh, enjoy it, it goes so fast."  Suddenly I know what they mean.  While I will confess that the first couple of months of your life went very slowly (I went into work last week and the calendar was still set at April--April!  It seems like a year ago!), your fourth month has completely disappeared...poof!

At your four month appointment, you weighed 14 pounds 14.5 ounces (50 percentile--and yet I keep stressing about your weight!) and were 26.5 inches long (a whopping 95 percentile!).  You seem like a regular big boy now, sitting in your Bumbo and looking like one of the best dressed babies in the church nursery, now that Daddy has finally conceded to let you go.  You are now an excellent napper, and we are in a nice routine...which unfortunately still includes at least one "my binky fell out!" wake-up call around 4 am.  Generally, though, we can't complain--last week you reminded us how glad we are to be out of the newborn phase when you cried from 4:15 until 6!

You and I have hit our stride in the past month.  I was telling Daddy the other day how much I love being with you all day and how I even miss you while you're sleeping (but please keep taking long naps in the afternoon!).  You love to smile, you are a jabber-mouth, and you are constantly, constantly moving.  For now, I'm relieved that your movement is still confined to the blanket on the floor, since I can only imagine the joy on your face--and the chaos in our house--when you are actually mobile!  (We've already invested in quality baby gates...)

 

It seems like every day Daddy and I are marveling at some new trick you've shown us.  This month you've rolled over (kind of accidentally, but you're starting to seem more serious about it), let out a couple of giggles, started to insist on standing on our laps, and discovered how to splish splash while you are taking a bath (we all need towels when you're done!).

We also discovered the cause of the mysterious fussy afternoon feeding:  teeth!  This is one milestone that I did not celebrate!  Still, apart from some painful (for both of us!) scream-through-your-feeding times, you've handled the growing of teeth quite well.  Seriously though, kid, while those two little teeth look cute on you, let's take a long break before growing the next ones!

I have a sneaking suspicion I am going to love month five even more than I did month four...

Love,
Mama

Idaho in August: A Photo Essay

Our two weeks in Idaho covered a wide range of events, including Jenny's fun girly baby shower, the annual Bunn family gathering at the cabins, Paige's birth, lots of introducing Henry to various friends, and quality time with the boys...and the girl!  It also included wonderfully cool evenings of sitting around and visiting, a romantic dinner not far from where we said our vows seven years prior, and one lovely shopping trip with my mom, during which I bought pants in my old size that don't. quite.  fit.  Yet.  And to top it off, Henry and I flew home first class.  With no delays.  It was pretty nice.  

Here's our time in pictures:

 

All (or most) of the boys for a rhino ride

Caped crusaders

Cole and Mason, chillin' with Uncle Jason

Papa and a starfishy Henry

Jason blowing out candles for Number 33

Henry hanging out with Uncle Casey

Henry loaned Paige his carseat so she could get out of the hospital (Uncle Casey and I were her first babysitters when Jenny went to the other cabin to get some food.  This was the extent of our babysitting duties.)

Paige makes Henry look like a huge grown up boy.

Henry and Great Grandpa Johnson

Meeting Laura and Maddie!

Not quite a water rat...yet...

Five boys in the fading sun

The whole crew meeting Paige

Our family in the woods

Pretty shower for Jenny and Paige

Apparently I used the yarn to guess how big I was pregnant, not Jenny!

Paddle boarding on the pond

Seven years ago on this lawn...

Enter Niece

What a treat to be there when Paige Louise was born and get to see her when she was only a few hours old!  She is an absolutely gorgeous little darling--and she looks like a girl!  I love it!  I really appreciate her timing--finally a family baby born in cooperation with the congressional schedule! :)

The first picture of the girl, sent to Dad.  Jenny's caption?  "Happy Birthday, Dad."

Birthday buddies Papa and Paige

While Jenny and I had planned for months that our trip to Idaho would coincide with Paige's birth (because when your aunt is the doctor, you can better plan such things!), she made a surprise appearance a few days early while we were up at the cabin for the annual Bunn family get-together!  As it so happened, the road back down to Boise was closed because of forest fires, so Jenny, Chad, and Auntie Fay headed into McCall to the local hospital.  How convenient to have your doctor along when you go into labor up in the mountains!  There were quiet bets on whether Paige would share a birthday with her Uncle Jason or her Papa, but Papa won by about 15 minutes!

With my precious niece

All the Johnson girls!

Nephews and a niece...I think this chaos will be par for the course for a while...

The next morning we all piled into Jenny's hospital room (she is crazy--I could hardly handle ANY visitors, much less six under six!) to coo and admire Paige.  Her biggest brother thinks she is the absolute cat's meow.  So do the rest of us.  And oh how I have waited to buy bows and girl clothes! :) 

Remember this dress?!?

Henry and Paige

Beautiful girl!

It will be so much fun for Paige and Henry to grow up so close in age...although right now he looks like a giant next to her!  Welcome to the family, Little Girl!

A Week with Shaanti and Kade!

Finally, at the end of July, the week I'd been anticipating for months arrived--Shaanti and Kade arrived to spend a whole week with us!  Their family had spent the week in Myrtle Beach with Adam's grandparents and family, and, since Granny and Papa offered to take the other boys up to the cabin for the week, Shaanti and Kade extended their east coast trip and hung out with us.

Enjoying frozen custard at the Dairy Godmother

The boys all ready for a walk.  I love this picture--Kade looks like he's so bored with this, while Henry looks very unsure about being stuffed into a jogging stroller!

We had SUCH a good time.  We didn't do a single tourist activity--never even went into DC, in fact--but just hung out and did "normal" things.  We went to the farmer's market.  We shopped at Ikea.  We had Korean food.  We went on long walks on the path by my house.  We had lunch at la Madeline, where we talked while both our children fussed and cried.  We watched season two of Downton Abbey...and then watched the last episode again.  We went to the mall.  We ate peach cobbler and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  We fell asleep trying to watch the USA girls gymnastics team take gold.  I took Shaanti to Trader Joe's for the first time, and we spent the rest of the week with unnecessary and delicious snacks.

Enjoying Korean Bulgogi--Shaanti's number one request!

Facetiming with Cole and Mason at home

A nice stop on our daily walk!

Snuggling with Aunt Shaanti

Being home with Henry has been an adjustment, and I have missed my sisters even more than I have for the past decade.  It was so wonderful to spend a whole week just hanging out with one of the people with whom I've wished I was hanging out for the past few months!  Her visits are few and far between and I was so sad to see them go, so it was a good thing we were headed to Idaho just a few days later!

7.

There seems to be something significant about seven years of marriage. Maybe it seems solidly settled in. Maybe it's the baby and all. Or maybe it's just that we went out to dinner alone for the first time in three and a half months.

This year I have begun to better appreciate the ways Jason has influenced who I am at 33. The introduction to ethnic food alone has made me a better person! We were laughing over lunch today with my aunt and uncle about how I was hesitant to date Jason because we had nothing in common--when we combined CDs after we got married, we had ONE duplicate! It made me marvel at how much we have in common today. Being married to him is pretty awesome.

Henry at Three Months

Dear Henry,

I haven't done a great job of logging your awe inspiring accomplishments or charting your progress.  You have no baby book and no baby journal.  In fact, this post is already almost four weeks overdue (in spite of my backdating it).  Still, let's talk about you at three months.

We celebrated your three month birthday by putting you in your first 3-6 month outfit (thank you, RaChelle!), since most of your 0-3 month onesies suddenly have the appearance of an overly tight, high-cut legged ladies briefs. At your two month appointment, you weighed 12 pounds, and when Daddy and I oh-so-scientifically weighed you on the bathroom scale at three months, you were up to 14 pounds.  You are still long and lean, but your thighs are (finally) starting to chunk up.  In the meantime, your newborn hair is falling out--and here we thought you were bald before!

During your third month you did all sorts of amazing things.  You started scooting yourself around in your crib (so far only in a tight circle, phew!).  You found your voice and started talking to us while we change your diaper (vast improvement over afore mentioned blood-curdling screams).  You started batting at the toys on your play mat, and suddenly one day you became really interested when we read together.

You are (usually) a good eater, though for some unknown and frustrating reason you tend to scream through your late afternoon/early evening feeding.  I am learning not to panic that you will lose weight and we will find ourselves back at uber stressful Week Two of your life.  You've also stopped eating in the middle of the night, which makes me a much more pleasant mama, and we have settled into a pretty predictable routine of popping your binky back in once in the middle of the night and feeding you between 6 and 6:30.

This month you've also become a better napper.  Suddenly one day you and I were both ready for you to start "crying it out," and after just a few days (which we all hated) you started falling asleep within ten minutes or so--on your good days.  You have also started waking up from some of your naps early, so it all evens out.  You are delightfully readable--you love to play and talk and spend a little alone time right after eating, then you want constant attention, then your eyes turn red and, if I swaddle you and hold you a minute, you often fall asleep while I'm checking Pinterest just one last time--unless you scream like crazy and I put you in bed.

Speaking of screaming, you've added a note to your otherwise really loud cry that makes it sound like someone is torturing you.  For the record, putting you in your car seat or drying you off after a bath is not torture.  Just so you know.

Most importantly, you are an awesome smiler.  You just look around for someone to smile at (usually me!  Yay!), and if you can't find anyone you will just smile to yourself.  It is so much fun to spend the day with you!  You still love music and being outside.  Your daddy and I are clearly your favorite people in the world, and I love the way you look at me.  I just love being your mama.  Papa was right--each stage just gets better and better.

Love,

Mama