Henry, Meet Idaho

I hadn't intended to brave the questionably friendly skies with Henry quite so soon, but when cousin Katie decided to get married in June, I decided to see what kind of traveler Henry is going to be.  Jason had to stay behind and work, so Henry and I had some quality mama-boy bonding time en route to Boise last week.

Henry thinks plane travel is "awesome."

Henry, it turns out, is really and truly our son, as he was a champion traveler--especially given the two cancelled flights, two four-hour delays in Denver, and hour and a half on the tarmack on the way home (thank you, United).  Denver and I have some serious bad karma.  Traveling with a newborn:  not easy.  Doable, but not easy.

Luckily, we didn't have to find joy in the journey to have a wonderful time in Idaho.  Granny and Papa were thrilled to see Henry again, and Aunt Shaanti and Aunt Jenny had been counting down the days until we arrived.  They were an endless pool of advice and encouragement, very happy to see this little boy about whom I'd been calling them almost daily with questions for the past seven weeks!

Meeting Aunt Shaanti

Aunt Jenny had Henry's number from the start--blanket up and around the face!

Henry couldn't wait to show Uncle Casey and Auntie Kim his Batman onesie (he just couldn't show the camera).

All the boys were enamored with him (all the boys except Kade, who did. not. like it when either his mama or his granny held a different baby!).  Troy kept asking how "my baby" was doing, and Mason loved on "Hemry" as much as he could.  Hemry is going to have so much fun with all those cousins in a few years!

Six boys.

Cole took good care of Henry!

Mason could hardly wait to hold "Hemry."

Cooper and Henry.

Hemry was the hit of the show.

Katie's wedding was up in McCall, so we spent almost all week at the cabin.  There were lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles, and dear friends to introduce him to at the wedding.  Plus, Krystal came down from Seattle so that she could meet him--yay!

Papa with Troy, Cole, and Kade

Playing in the perfect Idaho summer weather (sigh.  It's 104 here today.).

Henry's first trip to Ice Cream Alley.  He was very excited, clearly.

Hanging out with Aunt Mel.

Meeting Krystal!

It was extra special to show Henry to his great-grandad and great-grandpa.  (Unfortunately, I had the stomach flu that was making its rounds through the whole family when we saw Gramps, so no four-generation pic this time.)

Four generations of Bunns

With cousin Kary and great-Gramps Johnson

As an extra bonus, we were there for Troy's fourth birthday--yay, two nephew birthdays in one year!  He scored both a rifle and a bike, making him one very popular little cousin.

 

Ready to go huntin'.

Ready to pop wheelies.

Anyway, it was (apart from the stomach flu, blech!) an absolutely wonderful visit--it was only missing Jason!  It was a good thing he was here to welcome us home on Tuesday Wednesday afternoon late night when we finally, finally arrived at Dulles.

Father's Day

Henry gave Jason two wonderful gifts for Father's Day.  First, he slept through the night on Saturday night.  Hello, I felt like I could have run a marathon in the morning--we had coffee and breakfast on Sunday morning and we were on time to church.  Amazing.  

Dad and boy on Father's Day

Second, he gave Jason a great big smile after his morning diaper change.  He'd really started smiling on Tuesday (shortly after I'd freaked out after reading the weekly BabyCenter email update suggesting that six-week olds might be smiling and cooing in delight when they saw their parents), but unfortunately Jason always gets home just as fussy time starts and had missed every big smile.  I seriously teared up when I saw them grinning at each other (apparently those pregnancy/post-partum hormones aren't completely gone by seven weeks...).

Monday's gorgeous smile

We had a nice Father's Day, during which we stayed through Sunday school for the first time, went to lunch, and did loads of laundry.  I have absolutely loved watching Jason blossom as a dad--watching him with Henry has been the highlight of my life, and I feel so blessed to get to go through this parenthood thing with him.


It was also great to celebrate our own dad's, albeit long distance.  Our home has our dads' marks all over it--from our fantastic utility room remodel that Jason's dad engineered (and the beautiful condo kitchen that I still miss) to the garden my dad dug and all the things he's planted around here (including this year's garden)...and a million little spots in between.  Our lives have their marks all over us, as well, and we are rapidly learning to appreciate their sacrifices for us on a whole new level as our time, energy, and thoughts have become focused on Henry.

Check out these adorable duds!

Recently Casey and Kim took care of the Bucher boys for the weekend, and Casey described taking them fishing as "one piece of tangled line after another."  I remember many a Father's Day where Dad spent the whole time baiting hooks and untangling fishing line without ever getting to cast his own line out.  I'm pretty sure that's what fatherhood looks like.

Grandma and Grandpa Small

Henry got to hang out with his Grandma and Grandpa Small and Great-Grandmom last weekend, something we've all been looking forward to!  Jason's parents and Grandmom flew down from Ohio for a few days of baby holding and cuddling over the weekend.  It was great to watch them get acquainted! 

Henry meets Grandpa Small

Henry with Dad and Grandma

Four generations of Langdells

Great-Grandmom  with Henry

The whole party

Henry hanging out with Grandma and Denise

On Saturday, the Smalls' long-time friend Denise drove down from the Philadelphia area to join in on the fun.  Jason and I both regretted that we hadn't encouraged her to come and visit sooner--she was a great addition to the weekend!  Denise has known Jason his whole life, so it was special for her to get to know Henry as well.  Now we can't wait to introduce him to Uncle Justin!

Take Your Baby to Work Day

Someone--usually Mike--has mentioned over the past few months that we need to just put a daycare center in the office this fall.  Kaylyn and I tested out that theory last week by bringing Henry and Jack into the office to visit everyone.  To say it was the highlight of my week was an understatement--it was so much fun to show Henry off to Team Simpson...and it was really, really nice to see everyone.  I am alarmed at how much I missed work as I drove away.

The classic baby swap.

Henry with Solara

Team Simpson with the babies

Henry and Mike--you know, politicians and babies...

Jack is about three weeks younger than Henry, and he makes Henry look extra long--so fun to meet him and hold his little self!  Mike noted that I clearly hadn't checked my blackberry in the past six weeks, since he'd emailed me the week before to tell me he would think of me while eating the (horrid) eggs at a breakfast we got to every month, and I had failed to respond.  I think he was a little alarmed that I had no idea what was going on in Congress, and suddenly it seemed weird that I didn't.  Oh well.  I know I'm lucky to have showered every day and happy to be able to go up and down the stairs without help.

Here's a little "before and after" fun:

Good (and large) times back in February.

After--and much better

Henry seemed to feel pretty comfortable at work--no surprise, since these are the voices he heard more than any others before he was born!  Kaylyn and I both go back to work in September...and I'm still waiting for them to establish that daycare center in the office so that Henry can tag along!

Friday

It seems like a major accomplishment that we've made it through the week--Jason had a crazy first week back at work after a month-long break (which was, in my opinion, well-deserved!), and Henry and I survived our first week alone together.  We had a good day, which included a couple of naps for both of us (after a long sleepless bout last night) and then a badly needed trip to run unnecessary errands.  Getting out of the house seems to mean the difference between a good day and one that ends in tired tears.

Getting out made it a good enough day that our living room is picked up, the dishwasher is emptied, and I actually made dinner for the first time in who knows how long.  Granted, it was pre-marinated chicken, pre-washed green beans, and three-minute brown rice from Trader Joe's, but oh.  So good.  I have been so grateful for friends bringing meals and Mom cooking for two weeks (and Jason cooking for the month before Henry was born), but I miss making dinner!  We sat in the living room, eating and talking about our days while Henry slept calmly in his swing, occasionally squeaking or grunting in his adorable way.  This is the first time it feels like this is our new life--in a good way instead of in a "holy cow, what are we doing?" kind of way.

Survival

Jason should be home any minute, which means that Henry and I have almost survived our first day home alone together.  It was touch and go this morning, after he had basically fussed and cried from his 3:30 a.m. feeding until Jason left four hours later.  I broke all the rules of safely raising a child and put him in bed with me, where we both slept soundly until he needed to eat again.  We shed some mutual tears when Jason called to see how we were doing, and we've been listening to "Heavenly Lullabies" or "Bullfrogs and Butterflies" (soothing for both of us) for most of the day.

Enjoying his activity mat

I told Jason last night that I'm a little alarmed at myself--I was so looking forward to being a stay-at-home mom, but now that my moment is here, there is a part of me that really wanted to go off to work with him today!  After all, I know how to handle almost any situation work might throw at me, but consoling my four-week-old baby can be kind of daunting! Luckily, things looked up this afternoon when Henry took a great nap in his crib and a friend came by to visit and bring us dinner.  So, so grateful for our friends!

Chillin' with Dad in the basement (check out the growing belly, yay!)

I did not take any pictures today--I'm not sure anyone wants to see either Henry (who gloriously peed all over both of us, then spit up all over the general area of his changing table today) or me (who managed to shower this morning but the spent the rest of the morning with a towel over my head, hair drying into freakish spikes)--but here are a couple from the last few days.

In spite of our rocky start today, I am so blessed to be able to spend the next few months (at least) at home with Henry (and I am doubly blessed to have had Jason home for so long!).  He has already changed so much (cute cheeks!  long legs!  adorable belly!), and I love getting to know him.  He loves music and being sung to, he loves to be outside, and he HATES to have his diaper changed.  He makes the most adorable milky faces when he's finished nursing, he is starting to watch us intently while we talk to him, and every day Jason and I just look at him and marvel that we got to take him home with us.

Henry and Nora

Henry finally got to meet his new friend Nora last night.  We coaxed him into his car seat, packed a nursing cover and pair of pajamas, just in case, and headed over to the Gambills, where we ordered pizza and admired our newborns together. 

Henry and Nora

We also enjoyed hanging out with Carter, who, at a year and a half, suddenly seems like a great big boy compared to the little babies!  It was sooo nice to get out of the house and hang out with such good friends...and celebrate these little bundles of blessing together!

Big boy Carter!

Itty bitty babies

This blog entry wouldn't be complete without noting that we have a new friend to meet soon--Rusher King was born on Wednesday, and we are all looking forward to heading down to North Carolina sometime this summer to meet him and visit Steven, Amy, and Hudson.  Tilly was marveling at how these babies are each twelve days apart, and it really is unbelievable that we managed to have babies within weeks of these dear friends! 

And there are more babies to come later this summer, when Missy and Kevin have their little boy (yay!)...and soon Henry and I are going to meet Jack Bessey, since Kaylyn finally had him a week ago...and of course there is the fabulous niece to meet in August...

Settling In

I suppose things are settling in around here.  Sometimes we seem to be getting our feet under us--for a few nights Henry slept in four hour stretches (!), and the other day we managed to have a nice lunch and conversation on the deck while he slept in his own crib.  Other days he has his days and nights all mixed up again and we have to employ all forms of baby-torture (diaper changes, taking off his clothes, even *gasp* wiping him with a cool wash cloth) to get him to finish a meal.  Given that we had ramen noodles for lunch and I am still in my pj's, I'll let you guess how last night went. 

Dreaming of food

This outfit seemed appropriate after Henry peed on me, Jason, and Mom, in turn.  He wins.

So, basically, we're doing about as well as can be expected for having a three week-old in the house!

Taking the Baby Bjorn out for a walk on a perfect spring day (thanks, Griffiths!).

Actually, things are going well.  We had a pretty stressful Week Two, as Henry has been slow to regain his birth weight and we had some unsettling (and unhelpful) visits with the nurse practitioner in the week after we got home.  Mom's cheerleading and encouraging advice from the baby experts around us helped enormously.  Ah, the baby experts--one of the advantages of having kids later than everyone else is being able to find quick answers to the important questions in life, like how to get poo out of clothes and how to put Henry in the grocery cart AND buy groceries at the same time.

Today starts Jason's last week of paternity leave and I admit to dreading the day he puts a suit back on and heads out the door in the morning.  However, we've survived Mom going home (although Henry and I both cried for the rest of the night after taking her to the airport), so probably after a few mutual tear shedding sessions we'll figure out how to spend our days together.  It helps that I finally feel like a new person--I can laugh without pain, bend over without wincing, and even carry Henry up and down the stairs!  Still, we may have to start the week off with another round of Pride and Prejudice, which is one of my default stress relievers and which I have probably watched three times in the past month.

Mother's Day

We had such a nice first Mother's Day around here.  With Mom and Jason each propping me up on one side, we managed to take Henry to church.  He was wide awake when we walked in, and Jason and I looked at each other in fear that he would suddenly decide to make his presence known during the middle of the service, but the worship band apparently lulled him to sleep (he was much less active in church outside of me than inside me, where he would kick at me throughout the sermon).  After church we had lunch at la Madeline and brought a pastry home...and then proceeded to eat it and at least a dozen oatmeal cookies between us.  Sounds just about right.

It was so great to spend Mother's Day with my mom--the first time I've been able to in over ten years.  Motherhood has made me appreciate her on a whole new level, partly because parenthood has given Jason and me both a deeper appreciation for our parents, and partly because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through the past couple of weeks without her help and encouragement.

We also got to "spend" a little time with Jason's mom and dad via a Mother's Day video chat.  So, so happy to have this kind of technology when we live far away from family!  (Even if Henry hasn't really bothered to wake up for video chatting yet...)

Henry and Jason gave me a rose bush for Mother's Day (iPhone picture does not do it justice...)--something to have and enjoy for many years!

Henry at Home

It's been a week now since we brought Henry, screaming bloody murder, home from the hospital.  We've gotten to know him a bit since then.  It turns out he likes to be on the move (totally calmed down in the car once we pulled out of the hospital drive), which is good for a member of this family.  He has long fingers, which means we are probably going to have to buy a piano someday.  He has little tufts of hair on the back of his ears that make him look like an elf (sadly, these are going away).  He startles easily, just like his dad, and he is very serious about eating when he is hungry, just like his mom.  Not to overdo the quotes from Anne of Green Gables, etc., but I totally empathize with the line written by Anne's mother:  "I love her best when she is asleep and better still when she is awake."

Bolstered by my mom's encouragement and Jason's sense of adventure, we've had a few little adventures out of the house.  We had lunch at Red Robin the other day, and yesterday Jason and I took Henry out in the maiden voyage of his new stroller (for the record, since stressing about the stroller took at least two months of the winter, the three-block test drive of the Bumbleride elicited approval from all three of us).  Today Jason and Henry hung out for a bit while Mom and I ran "into town," as we say in Idaho.  And tomorrow we are going to meet our new friend Nora Katherine Gambill, who arrived this morning--how fun!

Anyway, I know the pictures are better than the text, but that is a flavor of life here, outside of (seemingly endless) feedings, diaper changes (it's like he holds it in until we've just finished changing him), and waking up in the middle of the night, just to listen to him breathe (and feed him, and change him). 

The Ship O' Dreams Comes to Harbor

Henry arrived just on time on the last day of April--not too early, as we were able to get a few things set up in the nursery and (sort of) move back into our bedroom with absolutely no time to spare, and not too late, as this kid ended up surprising everyone by weighing in at 9 lbs 6 oz and 22 inches.  My doctor was still saying the next morning that she had no idea I had so much baby in me.  The c-section, which is necessary for placenta previa, ended up being a double blessing.

Henry's first few moments

Weighing in at Big Baby with Big Noggin'

We are totally taken with this kid.  I readily admit that I didn't know how I would feel when I met him for the first time (and, given that the first time I met him I was stretched out on an operating table being sown up, it WAS a bit strange), but he is seriously the best thing that ever happened to us.

Our first family photo

Finally holding Henry in recovery

We pretty much decided on "Henry" on our way back from the "it's a boy" ultrasound, but we'd mostly held the name close and hadn't even really used it amongst ourselves.  There's that line from You've Got Mail that says something like, "Kathleen Kelly:  her name was everywhere today."  That's what "Henry" felt like on Monday, like it had finally spilled out of its secret box and was on everyone's tongue (because when you have a baby, it is the most important thing in everyone's life, right?).  We're calling him Henry Jay Andrew after both our brothers, so he's got a good handle for starting off life.

Henry's first visitors, Brent and Tilly (friend Carter was strapped in the stroller).

Hanging out with Dad

We're home now and, although we've been ridiculously slow at getting the word out (within 24 hours I realized why people feel they can't accomplish anything with a newborn around), we are doing better every day.  Henry is a really good baby, and I no longer feel like I was run over by a freight train. 

Family of three

Dressed up in his going home duds.

Granny and Papa have been here for a few days, cooking, gardening, supervising bath time, changing diapers, encouraging us, and generally holding things together around here--I just about burst into tears of relief when they walked in the door last Thursday.  While we are very tired, we are very, very happy to finally have him here.