So long baby mullet!

I've been a very bad blogger. Henry, John and I are still around, I just haven't been able to put enough thoughts together to make sense let alone compile a decent blog update. But I will try to be better. I mean, Henry is changing constantly, he's a tough kid to keep up with! I feel like recently we entered this whole new level of toddler hood. He's been walking around for a bit, but all of a sudden the walk turned into a run. The baby babbling turned into honest attempts at communication and well, he has realized several new ways to get his opinion across (and that is putting it very nicely) I heard all of this would happen and boy did it.

Since it's clear Henry is no longer a baby, I thought it was only fair to him, to finally give in and cut his beautiful baby mullet. I always thought I would let his hair grow into a cute little surfer do, yet while the back grew and grew, the front did not. Henry was sporting a full on mullet and I knew it was time to take care of business. I called up my mother, because I knew that it would be a traumatizing experience......for me. A baby just stops looking like a baby with a new haircut and that idea took some getting used to. Although I considered doing it myself, I figured the first time around I would pay a professional. This way I could not get angry with myself for destroying my sweet little man's silky locks. We did the whole deal, he sat in a little car with a steering wheel, had his very own television blaring baby einstein and even had an assistant stylist blowing bubbles for his amusement. He was not amused. Not at all. I think it all went wrong when he looked up from his new car and saw a woman in the mirror quickly approaching him from behind with a shiny pair of scissors and a cloak that was swiftly wrapped around his little neck. It was downhill from there. Luckily, the lady was a seasoned veteran and seemed indifferent to Henry's lack of appreciation for her stylish handiwork. At least it was memorable. Now Henry is sporting a new do and the scary stylist is cutting other children's hair and offering them balloons and gifts from the store treasure chest. There was one thought that struck me as I held my trembling son, how the heck are we going to deal with the dentist??? Oh well, there's a little time for me to prepare for that day.

Baby Steps

It is officially Baby Hoggarth countdown time in the Chicago suburbs. I've been preparing Henry for the arrival of a new baby by rocking his little rag doll and teaching him how to give the baby kisses. We are so excited to have a new baby around. Lily and Nyle are also making a trip down in early August which means we are having a cousin extravaganza that will be like no other. So while the waiting ensues, we are keeping busy getting plenty done. John and I have been deciding what projects need to be completed in our condo and home projects may not be our forte, but it's necessary if we are ever going to upgrade to a place with at least one extra room and a backyard. For a long time, we were lucky enough to have an empty unit above us so the quiet factor was not an issue, but a few months after Henry was born, someone finally moved in and although she is a tiny petite woman who keeps to herself, I have no doubt that she has steel implants in her heels that cause every movement that she makes to echo through our place. Between her stomping and her desire to only vacuum after 8pm is enough to constantly remind us that we are looking to move to bigger and better places. Anyway, that's where we are at right now. To tile or not to tile that is the question.
Besides exciting home improvement things, Henry is getting dangerously close to....walking! He takes a step here and there but hasn't gone all out just yet, and to tell you the truth I am just fine with that. A few more moments left before I am on the move non stop, I will take them! Henry's been changing every day it seems. Mimicking all sorts of sounds and movements we make. And in other exciting news he slept for 9 hours straight 2 weeks ago....for one night....yup that was it....but it was sweet.....Well I am going to get some work done while he finishes his nap up. I hope every one is enjoying their summer so far and Baby Hoggarth updates will be on their way when I get them.

Year one is done

Last weekend was Henry's birthday and now he is officially in the single digits. His fabulous Tia (aka Carrie) was so generous in offering up her lovely home in LaGrange as party central for Henry's big day and I'd say the shin dig went off without a hitch. John grilled two turkeys and we had an awesome meal which Henry thoroughly enjoyed. He's been going through that phase where he's a little suspicious of people he doesn't recognize, so I was worried seeing so many people he didn't remember at once would freak him out, but he got over his initial insecurities and seemed to have a great time. Henry received so many presents, he is one lucky little guy. Besides cool toys we also restocked on clothes which is pretty important when you grow as fast as Hank does. I'm still getting used to the thought that Henry is no longer an infant. On my birthday every year at some point my parents say, "It was a good day the day you were born". I figured they were just being sappy and saying how they were happy I came into the world, but now as a mom, that statement means so much more to me. The last week, I couldn't help but continuously reflect over the past year and it always brought me back to that day I met Henry for the first time. I remember everything that went on that day, the people I saw, the breeze in the air, the feeling that the time had finally come to meet my son. I know that no matter how much time will pass, I will always look back on the day Henry was born and remember how great of a day it really was.
So we started off his next year of life with the arrival of his second eyetooth. Well, did I say arrival, I suppose the problem is that it hasn't decided on whether it is ready to completely arrive yet, instead it is hanging in the rafters of Henry's gums, tormenting him and reminding me what sleep deprivation is. Darn you eyetooth!!! Hopefully this next phase of teething will be over soon but I am not holding my breath. Besides that, we went for Henry's check up. He has grown almost 3 inches and to my surprise he has not put on anymore weight since our last visit. I knew the crawling would catch up with him eventually and it did, so little by little I am saying farewell gorgeous baby rolls, I will miss you XOXO

Sleep wonderful sleep

We are on the brink of a new year for Henry. I just can't believe that my little man is almost a year old. There I said it, the one sentence that every mom in the world says about their child. Oh yeah, and "Time goes so fast doesn't it?" Well it does! I'd be lying if I didn't admit to getting a little choked up almost everynight as I sit and read to Henry. He's just gotten so big, so much more independent so much more awesome (I know real eloquent) but he is awesome. He is jetting around the house and after the cats like nobody's business. He is problem solving and by that I don't mean math problems, more along the line of "Hey I want to sit on the ground and eat that toy, but it is up on the couch, how do I make this work for me" Kind of stuff.
So besides those sorts of advancements, I would like to proudly announce that I slept 6 hours straight the other night and that is officially considered sleeping through the night! We've had our ups and downs with sleeping in this house but it looks like Henry has turned a corner and is much more accepting of his crib, his sleep and most importantly mine and John's sleep. I know as a parent sleep will never ever be the same as it was, at least not for a very long time, but I am so happy with where we are now. I actually woke up the other day, before Henry, and thought...I think I got enough sleep last night. And that is something!
We are in the midst of preparing for Henry's first birthday party, which his Tia,aka Carrie, has offered to host at her lovely casa de La grange. Anyone out there who is interested in a bbq at the Biskups, let me know. We're partying on the 22nd of May so if you're free let me know.
I'm in the middle of the spring quarter with school and can't wait for it to be over because my brain is a little on the fried side of things these days. Work has been nuts but it looks like I might be transferring to a new dept which is exciting. There is an opening in floral which as many of you know is my specialty so I'm looking forward to seeing a different side of the business. Well Henry is done with his kiwi and would like to be entertained so I'd better be getting to it.

Back to life, Back to reality

Spring seems to have sprung here in the Midwest and I have been busier than ever. John, Henry and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Madeline Island. We were accompanied by a huge group of amazing friends and family. In fact, this was our very first trip where there were several kids which was a new and entertaining experience. Henry had a great time playing with his little friends, Taney and Izzie. And he also was able to hang out with his cousins Lily and Nyle. All the kids were great, but since each one is at a different age it was definitely a reality check as to what was to come. Izzie is a sweet and good little girl, but she is a toddler and she kept her parents on the move the whole time. I saw my future flash before my eyes, whether it was dog food being thrown across the floor or an unsuspecting bidet being crawled into, I know that my time is fast approaching. Henry is crawling around like a madman and his days of toddling are just around the corner. I can only imagine what he may get into.... Anyway, we had a great time and I'm sure that we will be vacationing together again.

Speaking of Henry's accomplishments, he popped out both of his front teeth, one eyetooth and working on another eyetooth along with the bottom ones he already has. It was a tough month with all of those teeth working their way out, but that smile of his is only getting cuter. I can't believe that my little baby man is turning one in just about a month. I've been a little extra emotional these days and every time I hold him in my arms, I can't help but think about the last year and everything we've gone through together. To make matters worse and better, since I am back at work and Henry is almost at the year mark, I am weaning him. I'm surprised at how sad it makes me to think about this phase being over, but the timing just fell into place and we both know it's time. I feel so lucky to have had such a good breastfeeding experience considering the beginning was such a struggle and I am so thankful to have shared that experience with Henry.

Besides all of that I am back in school and trying very hard to just hunker down and get this quarter done with. It's pretty much the busiest I've been in a long time and I'm not positive it will all get done, but I am going to do my best. I have to complete service hours for a class I'm taking (it's a required course for graduation) and I'm also taking another class. With school and work, volunteer time and Hank time, I've about used up every second I've been allotted. Oh well, we're having a good time and getting things done. And just as I say that, the wee man is stirring in the other room.

Henry phase 2

Well it's official, after much tummy time resistance, Henry can now crawl! In fact he instantly went from crawling to feeling more confident about standing so in a matter of 2 days I can now find him standing and holding on to the entertainment center trying to figure out what to do next. Needless to say, childproofing went into full force and I think things are looking pretty good but I know he'll find anything I missed. This week Henry has been very busy because on top of the whole independently moving thing, he's also got another tooth right at the surface. Please pop through tooth please!!! You can only imagine how well my generally terrible sleeper is sleeping with all these new developments. I think yesterday I described it as Horrendous....But as long as he's getting stuff done and giving me a big smile when he wakes up in the morning, I suppose I'll have to deal with continued sleep deprivation for now :)

Speaking of new developments, I got a job! I love the stay at home mom thing and hope to do it again in the future, but for now we definitely needed some more funding so I'm easing back into the adult world with a part time job at Whole Foods. I am really excited about working at Whole Foods because the company appears to embrace the sort of healthy lifestyle that I am trying to live and raise Henry in so I think it's a good place to start. I will also be getting an employee discount and since I've been making Henry's food with all organic produce, the discount will be great! So that's this week in a nut shell. We're exhausted but getting a lot accomplished and Henry's been friendly and smiling most of the way through it all so I can't ask for much more. Oh yeah and the weather has been in the 50's this week!!! Bring on the Spring!

Teething and Sneezing

Well I'm inspired to write an update today because the sun is out and I finally feel like the winter might actually end. Henry is content playing right now so I thought why not! Today, several times in a row, he went from his belly into a crawl position and then into a sit. This is a major advancement for the little guy because he has been avoiding any sort of crawling/belly time completely. I still have a hunch that he might end up skipping the whole crawling thing because he is happiest when he's on his feet. I'd even go so far as to say that he says something very similiar to the word "up" when he's standing but it sounds more like "puh puh puh". Not bad huh?

We went for his 9 month appointment and no shots! You may not believe this but Henry has actually lost weight. He is down to a measley 24 1/2 pounds. I think all that maneuvering around the floor has resulted in some major calorie burning. Besides moving around the floor, Henry has also been on the road again. John, Carrie, Henry and I could not resist the opportunity to celebrate two of our friends, Kelley and Dean's, 30th birthdays last weekend. So we jumped in my car and traveled to the Twin cities for a quick visit. Henry visited with our friends', Chris and Natalie's, little girl Taney who is super cute and smiley. We are all convinced that they will be great playmates in the next couple years and we can't wait! We had a great time but now we're home and some of us are teething, some of us are sneezing and some of us are doing both. John and I ended up with a cold and I'm not quite sure if Henry has it or not but he definitely sneezed about half of his breakfast on me this morning so I wouldn't be surprised.... Besides sneezing he's working on popping out two more teeth which has him (and us) very unhappy at night. Oh well only a few more to go right? Anyway, things are moving along just fine. I am in hot pursuit of a new job that will have me out in the adult world primarily evenings and weekends so wish me luck!