Henry - 15 months

I swear as soon as I finish one of these I am writing the next! How do these months move so quickly? 

Henry is a social butterfly! Everyone we pass in the store gets a kiss blown at them, an excited wave accompanied by a drawn out "hiiiiiii" or an applause from Henry.

Anything that is hollow he shoves toys and knick knacks in. Anything with a lid on it he is determined to open.

We put a couple of gates up in the doorways separating the living room from the kitchen and the hallway. The first day these were up he would just stand and let out quick, short screams letting us know that he was annoyed. Now, we just expect to see a little pile of toys, throw pillows, and who knows what else on the other side.

Henry is a CLIMBER! We turn our eyes from him for a second and he is on top of the end tables, trying to stand on the arm of the couch, or trying any other sort of crazy circus trick!

We spend most of the day chasing him around, but we love the energy and excitement that constantly flow from him. He literally wakes up with a smile, and most of the time a clap or a wave.

He now signs "all done" as well as "more" and says "don't" and "throw" at least we think that's what he is saying!

He likes to eat peaches and salad with the Olive Garden dressing.

We cannot get enough of him, even when he is full of sass and squeals!

Henry - 14 months

Another month has come and gone and Henry is getting older, funnier, and sassier by the day!

Henry has loved being back home in Idaho, especially because daddy is home a ton more, and he gets to see his cousins every Sunday!

He is climbing into, onto and over everything in sight and pulling every pretty object off of mama's shelves that he can.

He signs "more" and it is the cutest. He also waves and says "hiiiiii" in a high little voice whenever strangers walk by.

If you say "I love you" he will make the kissy sound and it's the best thing in the world.

As of today he is finally using his walker to walk/run around the house.

Everything new gets a whispered "woooooow" or "ooooooh." And the ceiling fan still gets his [raise every time we turn it on.

He is always trying to create a mess in the bathroom, pulling pots and pans out in the kitchen, and trying to climb over the gate to the stairs (don't worry, it'll be safe from him for a while longer).

He is our little engineer. He is always trying to figure out how things work, and is always taking things apart and putting them back together. Anything with a lid, or an opening that he can shove things into is automatically his favorite toy.

He keeps us busy, to say the least. But I can honestly say that this is the MOST fun we have ever had and we LOVE our goofy boy!

Henry - 13 months

I know that some people frown upon referring to anything over a year in terms of months, but the truth is that one month can make such a difference. Henry is still growing, changing, and adapting right before my eyes.

This last month has been my very favorite. We have been able to share some incredible experiences, since he turned a year old, including a trip to my favorite place on the Oregon coast, and Disneyland! Henry is becoming so much fun. Since he was just a few days old people have been commenting on how expressive and full of personality he is, and that hasn't changed one bit. But, we are starting to see that with personality comes attitude. Our feisty little guy is learning to throw some pretty good fits, and we are trying to nip that habit already!

He LOVES airplanes. He can hear and spot one before most of us, and picks his airplane toy (and any other toy really) and makes it fly around making airplane noises.

He says "woof woof" when he sees a dog (or anything resembling a dog: his sloth, mickey mouse, ok really any animal is a "woof woof." But, when he says it it sounds more like "vvvfvvfvvvf" and it's the best. He puts his whole body into it too.

He is finally starting to eat more solid foods, but still will only take a bit at a time.

We can't let him anywhere near the bathroom or he is at the toilet licking anything he can, and dumping out the trash.

He is a "hoot" as some would say, and we love the heck out of him!

D I S N E Y L A N D

I have never experienced magic like I did yesterday. Watching Henry's eyes light up as he tried to take in the beautiful chaos around him is worth everything. I cried as soon as we saw the castle, several times throughout the day, and when Kirby pulled me from the park.

Friday night, Kirby's boss called him and asked if we'd want to go to Disneyland, Kirby turned to me and I all but yelled "DUH" and got to packing the essentials. They are annual pass holders and know all the ins and outs, so I knew we'd be in good hands.

We walked in and I died...in a manner of speaking. Being the beginning of the fall season the place was decked out with pumpkins galore! Our first move was to take a picture in front of the giant Jack O Lantern Mickey and get a "1st Visit" pin for Henry and me. Because, did I mention that this was my first time??

The day was hot, very hot. We met a few of the most important characters (Tinkerbell, Belle, Mary Poppins, etc.) I spend a bit of time in the baby center (keeping Henry fed, changed, and cooled off) which is one of the cutest places I think I will ever step foot in! Kirby went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, we got to know the Nielsons a little better, and snacked...because really, I was just as excited for the snacks as I was for anything else there!

Our friends recommended we got a mint julep on top of the list of foods I HAD to get there. This is the absolutely most refreshing drink you can think of. It is a cherry limeade infused with mint, topped with a lemon wedge, fresh mint leaves, and two skewered maraschino cherries. I was a little skeptical but OH my goodness it was just what we needed on such a hot September day!

We then went on the Haunted Mansion ride which was all decked out in Nightmare Before Christmas swag, because 'tis the season and all that. 

One of the highlights (of the hot part of the day at least) was the Dole Whip I had heard oh so much about. Let's just say it lived up to the hype, and I am still dreaming about it!

And by that point Henry was EXHAUSTED from the heat, and missing his morning nap. So, we took a quick trip back to the apartment (living 5 minutes away definitely has its perks). We all took our sweaty clothes off, I nursed Henry and got him to sleep for about an hour, we dressed in fresh clothes, then we ate a quick lunch and were back at it!

The last half of the day was my absolute favorite. It's as if the true magic comes out at night. For one thing, it was heck of a lot cooler, and the lights on everything brought a whole new atmosphere.

We first explored California Adventure a bit, and bought Henry a cute little Mickey Mouse (that he is obsessed with). 

Then, we went on all the kiddie rides (thank heavens Henry is my excuse to not look so childish for loving these the most). Henry did not want to let go of the steering wheel on the motorcar in the Mr. Toad ride. I didn't want to get off of the Peter Pan ride (tears might have come out at the immense beauty and nostalgia of one of my favorite movies coming to life). We also rode the Carousel about 3 times...and could have gone more. 

The best part about the night time at Disney though? The fireworks. Definitely the fireworks. We grabbed some AMAZING treats at the Jolly Holiday Bakery (ummm Matterhorn Macaroon anyone??) and then parked ourselves smack dab in the middle for the show. Fireworks, Disney music, yummy treats, and my two favorite boys by my side? Heaven, I was in heaven. 

After a few more kiddie rides, a game of peek a boo with Mickey and Minnie, and another stop in the gift-shop, it was after midnight, and just like Cinderella, I was whisked off to the chariot and forced to leave the magic behind. It truly was a day I will treasure for the rest of my life.

 

 

 

 

Henry's 1st Birthday Party

YOU GUYS! Henry James Muir is officially one whole year old! If that isn't worth celebrating I don't know what is! Now, I won't get into all the mushiness, I covered that in his 12 month post. This is all about the celebration!

We would have loved to spend this special day with all of our loved ones, but our current situation just makes that too hard. However, we are SO incredibly lucky to have a family who makes up for that! Henry received so many sweet presents in the mail from his grandparents and great grandparents, my mom even made sure I had a cute little cake stand for Henry's cake! And I cannot imagine how we would be surviving with the few family members that we do have near by this summer. Mandy was her usual helpful self. She filled my #1 balloon with helium, and watched Henry while I frosted the cake!

The night before the birthday, Kirby and I set up Henry's little Teepee and got his play room ready...and then at about 2 am (shortly after I got in bed) the fire alarm went off in the entire building. We didn't get back to bed until after 4...so Henry and I slept in and woke up to Kirby, who came home after his meeting to see Henry finding his surprise. It was a great way to start the day after a rough night!

Then, after work Kirby, Keegan and Mandrew came over to help us celebrate! 

Henry LOVED smashing his cake and smearing it all over...and when I say all over...I mean every inch of everything within a 2 foot radius. The entire time he was saying "oooooh oh oh ooooh." It was pretty much the best thing ever. 

Then after a short bath he opened his presents. Man oh man is that little boy loved. Everything he got was perfect, and he goes from one to the next, loving every ounce of them all!

We are so thankful for our sweet one year old and the people who love him!