One Phở the Money

He likes it!  He likes it!

Cory hasn't been feeling very well lately, and we both believe in the medicinal quality of a good, hot, and spicy bowl of Phở, so we thought the best possible kick off to our weekend would be a trip to Saigon Fast Food for some healing noodles.

We stopped off at Chick Fil A to buy some not so healthy chicken nuggets for our hungry little Henry who might not appreciate Vietnamese fare, but, oh, my!  We sure wasted a trip.  Our boy LOVES some Phở!  He loved the broth and noodles, and we had to set aside a large portion for him before we made our own too hot for a 12 month old.  

Ahhhh... we are full and happy that our son has good taste.  

XLII to XLIII

Sunday marked Henry's second Super Bowl party with Daddy.  The first one was on February 2nd, 2008, the day we came home from the hospital.  I don't know who won or played, but it was a good day.

Super Bowl I

Super Bowl II

One!

A fever of 102.5  couldn't stop this one year old boy from having a wonderful first birthday celebration!  Henry woke up with a fever, runny nose, and a big ol' smile!  He had an amazing day of celebration, and it started with some quiet playtime with his visiting Nana and Granddad.  Henry loved the time with family and friends, and he eventually loved his birthday cake.  

It was great to see everyone, and we are so thankful for family that travels to see our little boy and to celebrate with us.  Cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents--all so important to Henry.  We missed Aunt Kayce and Uncles Josh and Caleb, but we hope to see them soon!

We hope that everyone enjoyed the day--especially the gift unwrapping made especially fun when Henry decided to place the gift bag over his head.  There's one at every party.

Of course, there was a great feeling of nostalgia after all the revelry, but I must say that I am mainly proud of this little boy and his parents.  We had an amazing first year, and I am looking ahead with my own big ol' smile.  It helps that Henry is such a fun, sweet, cute, and silly guy.  We really like him!  

Sigh...

My little boy turns one tomorrow.  I must admit to an especially prolonged holding after I nursed then rocked him to sleep tonight.  Party planning can wait, but today is the last day Henry will be under one year old.  I don't want to turn back the clock, and everything Henry does is perfect and on time, but I wouldn't mind a few more days before I say he's one!  

It's not all glitz and glamor, baby.

Being a parent is fun, exciting, and very rewarding. We never anticipated just how much we would love our son, but at the same time, we never anticipated the following, either:

• Being afraid to fall asleep because it's SO hard to wake up every two hours
  
• Listening to his every breath just to be sure everything is OK
• Wiping pee off the nursery wall
• Grabbing a poop smeared bottom in a desperate attempt to keep him from rolling off the dresser
• Taking 20 minutes to get ready for a 10 minute stroller ride
• Squirting breastmilk in his eye to prevent pinkeye
• Pumping 3-4 times a day
• Checking poop color and consistency
• Serving as a human-sized Kleenex
• Spending two hours rocking Henry to sleep for a thirty-minute nap
• Watching our human baby pick up bad habits from our dog
• Witnessing our son's total disregard for the laws of gravity as he attempts to escape by lunging off the bed
• Sitting in the kids area at Furman football games where we can't see half of the field
• Picking up daycare germs for ourselves!
• Unsalted veggies
• Getting "Old McDonald" stuck in your head and catching yourself singing it alone
• Having bruised ribs and a pock-marked neck from Henry's rib digs and neck pinches during both snuggles and restless hours
• Getting a Henry-inflicted nosebleed at his 9 month photo shoot

Of course, it's all worth it, and any less than perfect parts of parenting just pale in comparison to the overall good. Henry did a great job breaking us in.

Baby Steps!

Our little boy is walking now!  We had a blast this late afternoon serving as start lines, cheering sections, and finish lines for Henry's short jaunts between his Leap Frog table to Mama then to Daddy and back to Mama, and then, later, between Daddy and Mama with a brief stop at Penny.  He already did a turn around, too!  Henry sure knows how to mark an age milestone with a developmental milestone! 

Our video files are too large to upload right now, so I am trialing some converting software.  Please disregard the watermark!

Henry's Literary Repertoire

Most of you know that Henry loves books. Even in his fussiest, most difficult teething hour, he can still manage a soft,"book," when he catches glimpse of his book pile during the mommy or daddy sway by the glider. So, just for fun, here is a list of some of Henry's top picks:

Rhyme-A-Round

Goodnight Moon

I Love You, Stinky Face

Moo, Baa, La La La!

10 Little Sock Monkeys

Corduroy Big Book

Dr. Seuss's ABC

But Not the Hippopotamus

Ten Little Little Ladybugs

What's Up, Duck?