Henry got his first ever Valentine in the mail today, and it came from one of my favorite people in the world. If anyone gets to be Hank’s Valentine before his mommy does, it’s Great Gramma Donna. She’s the very, very best.
On top of the fact that we got to spend the day with some of our dear friends in Grand Rapids, Henry and I were tickled to come home and open the mail. Two things that made today quite good indeed!
with a glad, grateful heart,
mm
When I need little reminders of joy, they are everywhere I look. And I am humbled over and over. Thank you for being joy…
BTA: for more than i could ever write in a blog post. for being constant. for always picking up where we leave off. for phone calls on the drive home. for so. much. love.
(R)BW: for photo sessions with our littles (I still owe you pictures), kindred blogging, kindred lives. for four-legged friends and a worthwhile commute.
AdR: for chats about being mamas to boys over coffee, for pups, for fashion inspiration, for friendship crafted over radio spots and marketing meetings.
BWB: for lunch dates and pregnancy conversations, hearts after God and the written word, crafts and craftiness and your amazing ability to find me when i need to be found. and for dinosaurs.
JLR: for history. for wisdom and friendship and prayer and openness that withstands all tests of time and distance. for doing life, and for witnessing life at its very beginning.
KTB(D): for ruby slippers and choreography and a love of everything literary. for travels to coastlines and shorelines, and for poems we understand without saying a word.
LZ: for sparkle, both the kind you feel and the kind you wear. for generosity of spirit, for encouragement, and for adventure. (and birthdays, of course.)
LH & NJ: for loving our little family like your own. for prayers, guidance, reassurance, countless blessings, time, nourishment in so many ways.
AT: for fridays. for target dates. for raising boys in a crazy world with reckless love and abandon. and for being real.
BZ: for thoughtfulness and encouragement and spirit. for talent that goes on for miles. for always finding the good. for fake mustaches.
EV: for phone calls that break up the day. for too many similarities to count. for trading in tiaras and earning new titles as mamas instead. for strength.
EJH: for laughter. for being honest. for finding silver linings and reminding me of good. for celebrating what matters and never giving up.
GDZ: for believing. for cultivating love and family and generosity and care. for graciousness and gracefulness and grace.
TMD: for late night conversations. for cheering on and lifting up and leaning in. for lessons. and for bunches, not grapes.
JMK: for covenant. for building a legacy. for falling in and rolling to the middle. for dreaming and watching dreams come true. for what is to come.
And there are more, of course, who I don’t mean to miss in the least bit. More who challenge me in the best ways and who build me up–who teach me about blessing and God and what it means to be selfless, generous, willing, authentic, kind, bold. This entry could be a novel, and I sit back in wonder and think, “How did I ever end up here, with so much beauty at every turn?” You are. Believe it. I know it to be true. Beautiful.
there are not enough words.
mm
Darling Boy of Mine,
The days are passing like minutes on the calendar; where have nine months come and gone so quickly? Today you are the same in age as the amount of time you spent tucked inside my belly, growing into that sweet, small, dependent babe we met face to face just three quarters of a year ago. Still the same Henry David we named you in those very first moments, now you are coming into your own in new ways all of the time.
What do I want you to know about where we are in this very moment? I wish I could capture so much more of you who are than I’ll ever be able–wish I had a replay button to catch every little expression you make. But then, who could keep up?! One of the things I marvel at most about you these days is your ability to light up any room. It only takes a moment, but with one funny face or laugh or nod you have us all softened and attentive to your next entertaining act. You pull me out of a bad mood or a sour day like nothing else can: a blessing to my spirit in a way only God could fashion…
On a lighter noter, you are outgrowing all of your pajamas!…and your socks and onesies and nearly anything else you’ve been wearing as of late. Your army crawl is getting to be more of an army run–nothing gets in your way if you’ve set your eye on something across the room. There are still no teeth in your sweet little mouth, but we think they’re very close. I doubt you’ll make it to your first birthday without a few pearly whites to show off when you dig into cake. You’ve added breakfast in the highchair to your repertoire, making that three square meals a day and milk inbetween. You will eat nearly anything we put in front of you, and finger foods have quickly become regular entertainment. Kruger is also a source of interest all day long. The poor dog loves you and doesn’t know what to do with you all at the same time. I hope you’ll both soon learn to play well together, and I trust a best friendship isn’t far down the road.
When dad gets home from work each day, we eat together at the table, play on the floor, splash around at bath time and always make sure to read a story (or stories) before the end of the day. We continue to pray health and safety and faith and joy over you, trusting that God will look after you and care for you in ways we can only supplement as your parents. When we say goodnight, you always look behind you and over your shoulder to see us leaving–not so ready for our time to be over but tuckered out after a busy, play-filled, action-filled day. Life is never boring with you as we mark your new discoveries and celebrate what a delightful little boy you are becoming.
I’m not ready to give up on you being a baby just yet, and as our first, I probably never will be. You are still cuddly and cozy and dependent and hesitant in all of the right ways, while fiercely independent and curious and adventurous in others. The contrast is striking to me as your mama, honored to have a front row seat as you change and grow so remarkably in this all-too-short amount of time. I’m so thankful to have three months between us and your first birthday, because I still want to take in “Baby Henry” for as long as possible. I don’t want to rush it along or wish it away or think too far ahead. You are marvelous just as you are, right at this very moment.
Nine months feels significant, because you’re surpassing the amount of time you lived in-utero by the amount of time you’ve been in the world. Suddenly, you feel bigger to me than I can contain, although I’m not sure why I’d want to try. You get better and better with every day (and I never thought it was possible!)
I love you beyond my ability to express it. So proud to be your mama. So blessed to watch you grow.
on the other side of a different kind of 40 weeks 😉
mommy
…need your mom. As was the case tonight when Henry cried relentlessly after being put to bed. It wasn’t that, “I’m sooooooo tired and frustrated but will be asleep soon,” cry, and it wasn’t the “I’m stuck in a weird position that I think I can’t get out of and it hurts!” kind of cry either. It was the inconsolable, hysterical, what’s-a-mom-to-do kind of sound that, when you hear it, rearranges your priorities. Baby first, dishes second. Baby first, laundry second. Baby first, blog…way down on the totem pole.
When I got to H’s room, no back rubbing or shushing or talking softly would do–just the simple grasp of my hand in his was the trick tonight. He curled up, found his thumb and held tightly to me while coming down from the ordeal. I assured him I’d stay. Laying down on the carpet beside his crib, I was thankful to feel needed and not annoyed–to feel blessed and not burdened. I can’t say that every end-of-the-day crying session has brought me as much peace, but tonight, I needed Henry, too. He’s just got a way about him that makes my mom heart soften at every turn. Lucky, I am.
In rare form this evening, Hank proceeded to perk up, turning his self-soothing into playful jabbering and silly shenanigans. What was frustrating for a moment (as I realized sleep was nowhere near for the babe) became more or less hilarious as Henry clapped and wiggled, bobbled his head and made faces between the bars of his crib to entertain. His bedtime long gone, Jason and I decided to sit in the dark of the nursery and let H wind down on his own time. There was no shortage of laughter from the peanut gallery tonight–Henry was up to his funniest antics, and to be honest, I’m glad we didn’t miss them. Another lesson in putting the rest of life on hold when parenting calls. Always important, always worth it.
As I reflect on being the mom tonight, I can’t help but think about how many times I’ve needed my own mom in a given moment–even as a fully grown adult. And now, having inherited another mom in my life as Jason’s wife, there have been plenty of times when I’ve needed Mom K, too. It’s a blessing to be a mom, but it would be awfully hard to know where to begin without having great ones, first. And I do!
Today is Mom K’s birthday, so we’ve spent the day thinking about her importance to us as her kids (and now as Henry’s grandma). She is such an advocate for our little family, offering a helping hand whenever she’s able and loving us well through the best moments and the craziest ones. She is generous with all she can offer, creative with much, a savvy shopper, a gracious hostess and a very doting grandma to HD. We are lucky to have her in our lives.
Sometimes you just need your mom. Sometimes to hold your hand, sometimes to play with your hair or wipe away tears or tell you it’s all going to be OK. And sometimes as a reminder to celebrate the beautiful things in your life–the people who love you unconditionally, who changed your diapers long, long ago and who will put down whatever they have going at the end of the day, just to be with you. Because you matter more than anything in the world to them, and no one else could love you like they do.
grateful to have beautiful moms in our lives, and grateful to be Henry’s “mm-m-m,”
mm
At this stage of the game, I can check a few things off the list. Good thing there’s still half a weekend left 🙂
Last night we watched The Ides of March. I liked it well enough, but wished the ending didn’t feel so abrupt. No matter. We sweetened the deal with a little dessert mid-movie. I thought it fitting that our dishes ended up looking so patriotic. Unintentional, of course, but still fun. And with a little chocolate sauce drizzled on top, oh did it hit the spot!
Then over breakfast this morning we plotted out our grocery list, including items to cook up a few new (to our menu) dishes this week. First on the docket? A recipe for Faux Pho from Epicurious. In essence, it’s a close-to-authentic twist on the traditional Vietnamese noodle soup. Jason treated me tonight and cooked up a small storm in the kitchen. We love Pho, so this was fun to try. Will we make it again? Definitely. The only note I’d make is that the recipe says to simmer broth for 78 minutes. Given that the entire dish calls for 30 minutes of prep and cook time, total, we decided that 7 to 8 minutes would do. Sure enough. One little dash makes a big difference:) Oh, and we added fresh lime since that’s how we’re used to enjoying it, plus a little Rooster (Sriracha) sauce because we love a good kick. The serrano peppers will do it, but Sriracha adds an extra punch. All in all, a delightful meal!
If you decide to try it out, you’ll have to let us know how you like it. The whole house smelled wonderfully of fresh ginger, basil, garlic, chiles and lime. Yum!
The little one is fast asleep and we’re watching Storage Wars reruns before bed. I do love the weekend!
relaxed (and full:),
mm
