Firstly, I'll say that Henry has been sick this week. Any time he sneezes, disgusting things happen. Often when I don't have a tissue nearby to assist him with.

Okay, that being said...

Henry really enjoys helping me with the laundry. His favorite part (and really the only part that he is actually useful at) is putting the wet clothing from the washer that I hand to him into the dryer. He hears that washer lid go up and immediately is at my side. (Note that this doesn't happen all that often... I really hate doing laundry)

Anyway... Today I handed him item after item to put in the dryer. He was having a wonderful time. Then I handed him my brand new JCrew Chambray shirt. He took it and before putting it in the dryer, he did a nice big old sneeze into it, then blew his nose, wiped himself up and put it in the dryer.

Gross. This complete laundry redo brought to you by the letter "H".

In the car yesterday as was driving Will home from school, I reached my hand back and put it out for him to hold. I held it for a few moments, then gave it a squeeze and let go. I do this all the time. But yesterday, it dawned on me that I was doing it out of habit. Not mine. I got this from my mom. I remember riding in the car with my mom and holding her hand that way. I remember feeling so special when she'd do it. It made me happy to think that those sweet memories are still with me as an adult... And that my kids will have them too.

I'll just get right in to the adorableness of my Baby H and his antics of late. Henry is such a funny little dude. You'd think spending every minute of every day with him that I'd tire of the same few funny things he says/does - But I don't. Like this, for example:

Henry recently learned a new word.
The negative side of this achievement is two-fold.
    1: It's not a word existing in the English language.
    2: We have no idea what it means.

Usually I can decipher the nonsense words by assessing the situation or mood that's present at the moment. But in order to do that, the word needs to be used in a consistent or relative way to something, obviously. Like, how he says "Hank" when he wants some chocolate milk, because he points at it - I got that down.

 "DARDY" That's the word. He uses it roughly 500 times per day. So I'd prefer to know what he's saying.

I took the liberty of picking out a few examples, listed chronologically, of how "dardy" has been used in the past week. You should get an idea of why we have struggled to clearly define this word and it's purpose.

1. "dardy" is used in the place of every number. (counts the fingers on his hand - "dardy, dardy, dardy). So, numbers.

2. Excitement is shown with a "dardy! Wow!" while watching a vehicle crash on his tru, or crashing his own toy cars... But note that it's also used as the response of the bystander (aka his teddy bear) watching the crash to show concern (gently said) "oh dardy"

In the game of keep-away, which poor Henry was the victim of over the weekend, "dardy was delivered in the high-pitched whining tone, suggesting a definition relative to negative emotions and having a complaint regarding the fairness of the game..

4. Henry saw an animal on the lawn and made his little "oh cute" face, pointed, and said "oh, Dardy, so cute". I felt quite puzzled at this sudden sweet use of a word used just yesterday as part of a horrible, screechy whine.

5. Most recently, I experienced new use of this word, in the form of a question. Offering no hint to it's meaning, Henry will simply look at me with a puzzled look, and ask: "dardy?" And, adding difficulty to deciphering the meaning, no matter what my response to the question is, he'll always reply "oh!"As if he's satisfied with the answer, even without me understanding the question.

6. Lastly, sometimes "dardy" is overheard being used for no apparent reason. He'll just walk around the house and i'll hear him rambling to himself "dardy, yeah....ok dardy". Sometimes followed by a giggle. See why i'm confused? Or maybe afraid?

So that gives us possible definitions being something like an expression of varied emotions relative, but not limited to: excitement, car crashes, excitement for car crashes, concern, whining, cuteness /and/or a love for animals, and possibly used as a filler with no actual purpose in between nonsense words. Oh, and an alternative to learning all the numbers.


So, that's what i've been dealing with this week. That's my life. Aren't you glad that I shared it with you? I'll be sure to report back as we learn more about this complex word.

Okay, bye. Dardy.

Dear Blog,

     Last post was August 22nd... So much for the effort I was going to put forth. Oh well. Who cares, I don't know why I feel guilty about not keeping up to date. Anyone who knows me knows that I obsessively post my every move, thought and emotion to Facebook... So there really isn't much chance you'll miss any of the excitement that is my life, even if you want to.
     Another big reason why I don't update here often, or ever, is because I keep private journal blogs of the kids (since I'm too lazy to keep up the scrapbooks I once used to document our lives). But I suppose in an effort to keep from neglecting my blogging, and forcing my self to document life in it's entirety today, I'll just chuck everything at one blog. here. Which, of course, means that you get to hear all about my kids and their every move, every funny thing said, every milestone, and every gushy thing I have to say. (Including the venting) Cause I like my kids, And who am I kidding? I have very little to say regarding other topics at this point in time. My life is basically my kids, mixed with the occasional spontaneous moments in which something happens & they are not involved... But I can't recall any of those at this current time.
 

Hello friends.

Here's the thing... I want to blog. I do stuff worth reporting (well, that's my opinion anyway, since it's basically all related to me and my kids.) I really have a lot to say. Anyone who has had a conversation with me knows this. Sure, it's random, mindless, and at times simply incoherent babble, but it's information I feel like sharing.  Here's the problem: I just hate typing.

First of all, I have a habit of typing wildly, jotting down information exactly as it comes out of my brain, and then hitting "publish"- only to read later what I have written... And I notice a plethora of grammatical errors, lame jokes, sentences that I feel should be restructured, a part I left out, etc. Grammatical errors really bug me. Like more than seeing someone wearing sweatsocks & Teva's. Sometimes I see an ad on Craigslist that is written poorly, or lacks proof of grammatical thought of any kind and I tell my husband that I no longer want the item, and suggest that it possibly is a scam. Rude, right? So you can imagine how unpleasant it would be for me to see like errors in my own writings. I can't have that kind of pressure in my life.

Secondly, and basically the real reason I don't blog anymore is that I am lazy. I said it. I don't have the patience to sit down and type up the latest. Although, I don't seem to have trouble finding the time to check Craigslist repeatedly for items I rarely end up purchasing, scroll through Pinterest to add another 1600 pins I'll totally never try, Update my Facebook as often as a high school freshman, and Instagram my every move.

I would like to point out that I have the same attitude towards handwriting. But for a different reason altogether. Handwriting as a left handed person is just plain useless. I mastered my cute handwriting like all the other girls in middle school, only to have it end in a smudged mess of un-cuteness. 

But I am here to say that I am going to try to make an effort to record my life. Because I really love it, and I DO want to remember it. Just don't judge me, kay? Like, if I spell "Their" like T-H-I-E-R - Just leave it alone... You can bet I'm already upset enough about it. And if I stop blogging for a while...just consider yourself lucky to not have to read through another lengthy post like this one.

Thank you, and goodbye. (perhaps forever, cause that was a lot of typing.)

P.s. I'm sick today. If you couldn't tell by my "cheery" mood.

Hi y'all,

I know I have been slacking lately. I'd like to say that it's because I'm swamped to the moon with this baby thing, but that just wouldn't be fair to Henry - 'cause he's easy. I'm pretty well convinced that I got the most easy-going baby possible. He wakes up at nine with a giant smile on his face - which he basically keeps up throughout the entire day. He takes catnaps during the day, which would bother me if he didn't go down at night...But every night at 9pm, I lay him in his bed and after 2-4 minutes of fussy whining, he zonks out - for 12 hours. Sure, he totally wears me out all day, consistently demanding my full attention be on him. Generously providing me with a seemingly infinite number of opportunities for diaper changing, feeding, holding, playing, bathing, wiping, soothing, snuggling, washing, watching, rocking, singing, & smiling - but all of it is manageable after a night of uninterrupted sleep (the fact that he's so cute probably helps as well). I use to think I wanted 6 kids - but I told Brett the other day that I'm scared to have more kids because I fear that my next one will be a hellion... Just to even the score.

My life has been pretty uneventful of late, but here are some of the "high"lights:

-I am redecorating my living room - and I am very excited about it.
-I am designing a photo wall collage for our heretofore mentioned redecorated living room
-I have spent way too much time organizing and re-organizing my photo frames 1,000 different ways...And I still can't get it just right.
-I am obsessed with the color palate of my new living room. Everywhere I go I find something that I feel could be somehow incorporated into my design, simply because it bears the right hue.
-I will post pics in 38 years, when I finally complete the photo wall & finish the room.
-Henry rolled over last Sunday - He probably could have earlier, but I always forget to do tummy time. #lamemom
-My little sister gets married in less than a month!
-I'm also obsessed with her wedding colors.
-I FINALLY wiggled my way into my pre-pregnancy jeans. They don't fit like they once did, but hey - they're ON.
-I find that even though I am almost back to my pre-baby weight... It's TOTALLY distributed differently. I don't so much care for that.
-I am carb-free, and therefore, ornery.
-In case you didn't know...Everything good in the entire world has carbs in it.
-I miss mashed potatoes
-I love SYTYCD - it's the highlight of Brett & I's week (is that sad?)
-I unintentionally talk like a baby to adults on a regular basis.
-Will beat me at "Go Spidey" (Spiderman "Go Fish") 3 out of 3 games today, and I didn't even let him win.
-We went to the Circus Gatti on Tuesday. I''m just medium about the Circus (not sure why) It turned out to be a really fun family outing, and watching will get excited makes it totally worth it.
-Everything is more fun with excited little kids by your side.
-Ok, not EVERYTHING
-August is going to be a month of vacations and driving. Utah, then Coeur d'Alene, then Lake Chelan. Here come the Griswolds!
-I made freezer jam with my MIL & SIL's. It's the best jam ever. And not carb-free.
-I made a Google+ account. I loaded a picture of myself 6 days ago... that's pretty much it.
-Will & I are looking to be successful gardeners this season. Our flowers are beginning to bloom!
-It would certainly be discouraging if they didn't bloom, as I purchased "Guaranteed to Grow" flowers that prefer shade & moisture - Which we pretty much have every day here in WA.
-I want a Kindle.
-Henry talks gibberish all day long. It used to be really cute...Now it's evolved into this constant high pitched screech. Like a bird being tortured. It's not extremely pleasant, but ok...still a little bit cute.
-I've been doing AbRipper every day (almost every day) (most days) (often).
-Laundry is my least favorite thing to do. I love clean clothes. I hate folding them.
-But I'll tell you this about my dreaded chore...though they are rare, every once & a while I have the good kind of laundry day. The kind of laundry day where my domestic goddess emerges & I successfully complete ALL the laundry steps (washing, drying, folding & putting away) in the same day - I like these days. I feel GOOD. Productive. Unstoppable. (Such an exciting life I lead) On domestic goddess (DG) laundry days I find myself making comments to my family members like "Hey, was it hard for you to choose a pair of socks with so many choices before you?" or "Wanna smell your sheets? I'll come with you, lets go smell your sheets" or "Oh man, I can barely shut this drawer because it's so jam-packed with freshly washed shirts". My family (knowing the joy I get from having a very productive day) always lovingly humor me... I appreciate that.
-Yesterday was one of these DG days. So, yeah... I'm feeling pretty good. Fresh towel, anyone?

I'm tired of typing.
Farewell...

Henry & I went to Utah last week. My beautiful little sister, Katie, is getting married in August & I was named "Maid-of-Honor"... So I threw her a Bridal Shower. They are the most good looking couple I have ever seen, and I am so excited for them to reproduce & have freakin' gorgeous babies - but I guess i'll let them focus on the wedding first. It was a great time with my family, even my sister Christie came, it was so much fun having all of us together. Even though I have a wonderful baby, who smiles non-stop & is rarely fussy, I still am not a fan of traveling by plane with an infant. I especially hate airport security. I hate that I have to wake my sleeping baby, take him out of his carseat, take the car seat off the stroller, fold up the stroller (while holding a very chubby baby, mind you) remove both my shoes, and his shoes (really? You think I can hide something in those teeny little shoes?), put the stroller & carseat on the conveyor belt, along with the rest of my personal items & walk through the scanner... Only to have to reassemble everything once I get through, put junior back in his carseat, and hope he falls back asleep for the duration of the airport wait time, due to a DELAYED flight. But anyway... moving right along... Utah was really fun. Henry was totally spoiled by his grandparents & aunts & great grandmas & friends & of course, his first cousin - once removed (hehe). My step-sister, Katie gifted Henry some BABY TOMS. How adorable is that? I can't wait for him to fit into them. As a result of the spoiling - when we returned home, my baby would not let me put him down - He was used to being held all day, every day - passed around & played with non-stop. It took us a day to ease back into life at home, but it was worth it... Henry LOVES his Utah peeps, and so do I. Here are a boatload of pics from the trip.

That's all there is...there isn't anymore.

It won't stop raining. I actually like rain. I love it. It is one of the many reasons why I love living in the beautful Pacific Northwest. Rain never bothers me, even this constant rain. That is, it never bothered me until I became a mom to a 5 year old. ...A 5 year old who loves gardening, and going for walks, and catching bugs, & having stick races in our creek, and just even going to get the mail. And who can blame the poor kid? So rain?... I love you, but please take a hike - a little boys sanity is at stake here.

I can't believe how fast this all goes. My baby is almost a MONTH old! But on the up side he is getting some pretty yummy, adorable chub under his chin. I also have this going on ... but it's not quite so "adorable" on me... Thank goodness for photoshop. Here are some photos taken by my SIL when Henry was 10 days old. I love that little tongue. it's always out. I am proud to say that my son inherited my ridiculously long tongue. Perhaps he will be able to touch his nose with his tongue like his mother. Because everybody needs a useless talent. p.s. Happy April Fools Day. I have never pulled an April Fools Day prank. I know, right? The truth is I'm just not the pranking type. I am a wimp, a peacemaker. a don't-rock-the-boat type gal. Non-confrontational, if you will. I'm the one that spoils the pranks almost immediately. I can't stand even the slightest human suffering. I feel the intense need to let that individual know that it's a joke. Even though I know a person will only be temporarily in-the-dark, I still get anxious for them. I can't help it, that's just me. I'm a prank ruiner. I will ruin your pranks.

My Henry,

I thought that one day you may want to hear the story of your birth day:

On Tuesday (March 8th) I had an appointment with my OB. I was over 41 weeks and anxious. My mom had flown in from Utah the previous Wednesday and we were all just (im)patietly waiting for you to decide to make your appearance. My OB let me know that she had scheduled my induction for the next day (Wednesday) at midnight (So I guess technically Thursday). Ugh. I was still hoping to go into labor on my own, but I was making absolutely no progress. Dilation at zero, and no signs whatsoever that labor was imminent. At the end of my appointment my OB decided to quickly do an ultrasound scan to be sure everything looked good. She discovered that my amniotic fluid was a little low. This changed our gameplan... I was told to go to the hospital to be admitted immediately.

I called your dad, who was at work, and told him to meet me at home so we could head to the hospital together. I quickly packed up a few things, checked that we had the carseat & suitcases in the car, and said a prayer. When dad got home we excitedly drove to the hospital, holding hands the whole way. It felt a little strange to be heading to the hospital to have a baby, when I wasn't actually in labor - it wasn't exactly how I pictured this experience to go. I was so excited, I began crying. Dad squeezed my hand and told me he loved me.

Once we got to the hospital (around noon) I was taken to my labor/delivery room. We had taken a tour a few weeks prior so I was excited because I knew there was a jacuzzi tub in the room and I looked forward to utilizing it - Something I never got to experience... But i'm jumping ahead. I got into a hospital gown and they put in my IV. The hospital was busy, so within an hour period I had 5 different nurses checking on me. The first thing your Dad did after we settled into our room was order from the menu (We both were allowed 3 meals per day) The food was pretty good. After a few hours my contractions started, and I immediately felt grateful that I hadn't experienced a contraction earlier. They are NO picnic. as time went on they got progressively more intense. At around 6:30pm, my doctor came to check me for dilation & to break my water. Well, I was still at a zero, which meant she couldn't break my water. I was frustrated. After my doctor left the room, Dad decided to go get some Taco Bell. We both felt justifiably safe about him not missing anything. But about 5 minutes after he left... my water broke on its own! I remember lying there thinking "Oh my gosh, I just pee'd my pants" I was really embarrassed. But then the fluid just kept coming and coming and I finally realized this was not me peeing my pants. I was relieved ;)

After my water broke, my contractions got really bad. And suddenly they began to shift from my front to my back. I remember thinking "this can't be normal". The doctor explained to me that I was experiencing back labor. It was brutal. I reacted a lot differently than expected. At first I cried and moaned through each contraction...I repeatedly said things to my nurse like "Please, if you don't help me, I will die". And at one point I remember telling your dad that I was all done - that we coud just pack up our things and head home because I wasn't able to handle this. Clearly I was talking nonsense... Your dad had to remind me that simply leaving the hospital wouldn't make the pain stop...You were still going to come! :) I wasn't able to get an epidural since I was only dilated to a 1 at this point, so eventually I realized that the only way I could get through the contractions was to stay completely still and silent. I got on all fours (since my labor was in my back) and began to concentrate and breathe through each contraction. And for the next 4 hours I went into a state of silent meditation. I was a bit frustrated because I know that your dad thought I was asleep. While really, I was very much awake, and experiencing the most pain I have ever felt in my life.

Around 3 or 4am I was in so much pain, I began mumbling incoherently about how I needed an epidural. The nurse told me that even if I were dilated enough to receive one, there was no anesthesiologist available at the moment. Around 7am though (now dilated to 2 1/2) a man came running into my room, an anesthesiologist! I think I told him I loved him. He told me that he had literally 5 minutes before he needed to be back up in the OR for a c-section, but that my nurse had been pestering him so much that he came to my room on his way. I could have kissed my nurse! The epidural was really painful for me, since I was laboring in my back, but once I had it, I was in HEAVEN. After that, things started to progress quickly - I think it was because I wasn't under so much stress.

At around 10am I was checked and I was dilated to a ten! My nurse said she could feel your head! You were really COMING! We quickly called your grandma Laura, who was at my aunt Linda's house. My nurse told me that we could start pushing within the hour. She left the room to go get my doctor. Right when she left, I felt a sudden strong urge to push. I buzzed for the nurse. She came back in smiling and told me that since this was my first baby, I probably would be pushing for an hour or two. But I just knew I wouldn't be. I felt such strong urges to push. I knew you were close, that you were ready, that this was IT! My doctor came in and confirmed exactly that... And jst like that, I began pushing. Grandma Laura got there just in time to see the pushing. I pushed for only about thirty minutes. As strange as it may sound, I LOVED the pusing part. I felt empowered, and excited. The feeling of you leaving my belly and entering this world was indescribable. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life. I think I did about seven rounds of pushing and then there you were. Born at 10:49am. I heard that little cry and just melted with relief and joy. Your Grandma Laura cut the umbillical cord. I had so many emotions overwhelming me. Immediately after you were born they put you on my chest and I just stared at you. Your dad cried. I was crying too and shaking so hard. I think I was in shock. I remember being afraid to hold you because I thought I would drop you. The rest seemed like a blur. They swooped you up and measured & checked you. It didn't feel real to me, I felt like I was in a dream... Like I was watching something incredible happen from somewhere else. I don't think reality truly set in until they wheeled us into our recovery room. They put my sweet, swaddled baby boy in my arms and I just cried. I felt so grateful, and I couldn't believe how much love I already had for this little life. I couldn't stop staring at you. I still can't stop staring at you.

And that was the best day of my life.