22 months

"Bruises and phrases" seems to be the theme of this month. Henry's enthusiasm and energy have been leading to scrapes, bumps, and lovely purple marks mostly on his face. On a more positive note, he's speaking in many more phrases. It's not only precious, but also so useful too. "Waffles and strawberries" he said this morning--now I know what you want for breakfast! "Love you, buddy". "I miss grandma". Etc etc.

Henry still loves all his favorites like trucks, balls, and the playground, but he's taken a recent shining to MARKERS! They are so messy, but apparently much more fun than crayons. Who knew? He calls them "tatas" (I don't know....) and recently "marks". Daddy, he's saying your name, I swear. Henry has been waking up before the sun in order to create beautiful markers and stickers masterpieces! We are very lucky.

21 months

It's hard to believe summer is coming to an end, and what a wonderful summer it's been! Henry continues to amaze and entertain us with his personal dance parties, batting practice, and his love for vacuuming and "fixing" things with Mark's tools.

We've had so many fun visits with family and friends this summer. We went to Maumee a few weeks ago for Omi's 90th birthday. Henry had a great time with Tutu, Stu, his aunts, uncles, and cousins.

This past weekend Henry kept his grandma and grandpa entertained by jumping on the bed, sprinting through the woods, and decorating the driveway with sidewalk chalk.

We're hoping for a few more weeks of warm weather because Henry loves to be outside!

19 months old

Henry continues to love the water! He had a fantastic time at Bass Lake this summer. The weather was hot and we couldn't keep him out of the lake. His big cousins, Brennan and Quinnie, were there to play with him too. When we're at home we go to the public pool or playgrounds that have water features. Henry has also been entertained by all the construction going on on our street--lots of big, noisy trucks! On really hot days we head to the library or nature museum theres so much to keep a little boy busy! Henry and I are headed to Michigan next week to see lots of family, but especially his cousins Sean and Josh. It will be lots of fun to see them again!
Henry's latest accomplishment is climbing out of his crib. Thankfully he hasn't tried it at bed or nap time yet.

1.5

Henry is a year and a half today!! What a big boy. He's learning new words every day. His favorite summer activity is playing in the water at all the local playgrounds. We can't wait to enjoy the rest of the gorgeous Chicago weather this summer.

Henry has a few new tricks up his sleeve as well. He can imitate many animal noises, including a rooster, owl, pig, cow, cat, tiger, and of course a dig. He can also identify his ears, nose, mouth, teeth, tongue, head, hair, belly, hands, and feet.

Spring is here! 17 1/2 months

Gorgeous spring weather has finally reached Chicago. We've been taking advantage by playing at the playground and going for lots of walks. Henry still loves to point out flowers, dogs, and birds outside. A few nights ago, we did some gardening out front and Henry was a big help! He had a blast digging with a little shovel and running up and down the sidewalk with a bucket of weeds.

Henry is still sleeping very well. One afternoon nap (2-3 hours) and he's sleeping from about 8pm to 6 or 7 am every night. It's hard to believe (but we haven't forgotten!!) that he was sleeping so poorly less than a year ago.

We had a great time in Michigan last weekend. Henry got to spend time with grandma, grandpa, great-grandpa, aunt Mary, and cousin Rachel. We went to brunch for Mother's Day and Henry showed off his big appetite!

Easter and Florida part two

I believe the highlight of Henry's 2nd 2012 trip to Florida was eating his first Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. Delicious! In fact, it wasn't only candy, Henry basically ate his way through Florida. He thoroughly enjoyed fish, shrimp, scallops, and pasta. Of course, playing at the beach and in the pool with his older cousins was pretty fun too!

March

We were so lucky to have beautiful, even hot, weather most of March. Of course, it got cold again. The photo with Henry in shorts in his stroller is from the beginning of March; the photo of Henry wrapped in a blanket in his stroller is from a couple days ago!

Henry is now almost 16 months old. He's learning new words--I believe "milk" is the latest. He is also learning to walk down the stairs holding a railing and a hand. It's so cute, especially since one stair is the height of his entire leg. The gorgeous tulips around Chicago have bloomed and they are Henry's newest interest. He has to stop and stare and he wants to touch them too. We're trying to use them to teach colors. He will repeat "red" and "blue" but has no clue what either means.

Henry and I are headed back to Florida on Tuesday. He will finally get to meet Uncle Greg! Cousins Sean and Josh will be there too, and they'll all have fun playing together.

15 + months

Over the past couple weeks Henry has become more "boy" and less"baby".  The weather has really warmed up, and that means he ONLY wants to play outside.  He loves to run down the sidewalk, but he hasn't exactly mastered the art of looking where he's going so he's taken a few spills.  His cut lip and scabbed knees are only a small glimpse into a future of injuries I'm sure.  He's pretty tough and rarely cries when he falls.  Now, if we take away a doggy treat before he crams it into his mouth, that is another story--major tears there!  Gracie's treats must be absolutely delicious.  Henry has so much fun at the park; his favorite activities are the slides, sandbox, and chasing the big kids.  He doesn't like being in the swing as much as other babies seam to.

We are also in the midst of transitioning from 2 naps a day to 1 nap a day.  It's been a loooong transition and we never really know what kind of day it will be until he wakes up (5 am or 7:30 am??)   It's not a big deal, but sometimes makes scheduling play dates, etc. tricky.

His vocabulary is ever expanding, too.  I won't run through the whole list here because those details are probably only interesting to parents and grandparents ;)  But, he's saying "me", "help please", "more please", "mommy" (no more "mama"!)  And not that it's new, but his favorite phrase is "no no".  It's pretty darn cute.

This weekend was St. Patrick's Day--always a crazy, crowded adventure here in Chicago.  I'm proud to say that we did not take him to a bar.  We did go to the park TWICE and to a party that had quite a few other babies.  He avoided the green beer, but was quite impressed by the corned beef.

On Friday I'm headed to Charleston with Grandma for a 3 day weekend.  Mark and Henry will be enjoying some quality time during their "guys weekend".  I wish them both good luck!!

Florida!

Henry, Mark, and I are nearing the end our trip to Naples. We've enjoyed excellent weather and have taken advantage by going to the pool every day. Henry loves running around naked, going for walks, and eating ice cream. We saw two dolphins at the beach yesterday. Next month Henry and I will be back for another week of sun!