the schlickmans

Sledding!

2012-01-22T22:12:00.000-06:00

Although Eric & I missed the first real snowfall while we were lounging in the Caribbean, we did not miss the second snow. And finally having a decent amount of snow means finally being able to go sledding! There is nothing more perfect than a Friday night snowstorm--Daddy is able to come sledding too on Saturday morning!

Video evidence of Gray's first ever sledding experience!

After the first run--Gray a little unsure, but not yet crying

Henry & Mommy

my little snowbear, all bundled up

family shot, thanks to a very enthusiastic woman at the top of the hill

after getting a face full of snowspray on his second time down, Gray was pretty much done, so we hung out at the bottom and watched Henry & Daddy a few more times

And just for fun...

Gray brought Eric the camera and proceeded to pose...like this

Gray and sweet Had-man modeling their fireman helmets

Boot-less Gray at Gammie & Gamps house during the snowfall, showing off his newspaper bag shoe covers while he shoveled (hey, they worked!)

St. Maarten

2012-01-16T10:42:00.001-06:00

Here is just a teaser of our trip before a longer post.

Our Gam

2011-12-29T21:49:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, Sandee accepted an award for saving a runner's life by administering CPR during the Chicago marathon back in October. There was a small ceremony and reception at Central DuPage Hospital for the three people involved in the rescue.

Although we are so proud of Sandee/Gammie for her actions on that day, really the award signifies so much more about her attitude towards life. Sandee has traveled to post-Katrina Mississippi several times to help the clean up efforts. She went to post-hurricane Haiti and I know she is looking for a reason to go back :). She has volunteered for years with local emergency response teams, both receiving training and training others. She does A LOT of work for others that goes unrecognized or under-recognized (including watching Henry and Gray one day a week for the past four years!).

We are so proud of you, Gam, and thankful for what you do for us and for others!

super sweet shot of Henry & Aunt Deb

Gammie's cheering section

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T20:31:00.000-06:00

Christmas is over, I know. But seeing as I haven't shared ANY pictures from December, let's lump them all together and pretend it was intentional! Here goes, our December 2011 in a nutshell!

We purchased a Cosley Christmas tree as soon as we got home from Thanksgiving in Arizona. Henry was horrified that his shoes were getting muddy (it was raining) and Gray didn't want to be there at all. Happy family memories! :) After putting Gray to bed we immediately strung it with lights...

...stringing....

...hot chocolating...

...still stringing...

...and lit!

Then we decorated. It was our most beautiful tree yet, if this small sample gives you any indication!

And then, the tree didn't drink. And dropped needles if you breathed on it. And still didn't drink. Dead. So we unlit and undecorated, Eric loaded the tree back on the van, and returned to Cosley for another one. Thank goodness this one worked!

Every time the boys visited Gammie & Gampie's they had to feed Doris, the reindeer. Last year she preferred Wheat Thins, but apparently 2011 is all about the Teddy Grahams. Gray is a big helper with Doris, as you can imagine.

Gammie, Nan, Bop, and Aunt Chocolate took the boys to Rainforest Cafe for the first time. From what I hear, it was a huge hit!

I channeled my inner child and made angel sugar cookies with Henry. Yes, I remembered that you don't frost them before you bake...

Between preschool, Sunday church, and Wednesday morning church, Henry made his fair share of Christmas-themed crafts. This one is my favorite.

Of course we had to make a gingerbread house (it was on the Christmas bucket list, after all!), but of course, Eric's inner architect had to deviate from the box. Here is our creation.

I imagine little Japanese gingerbread people would be very fond of this house.

We have had SO MUCH FUN with every single aunt and uncle in town, from California, Colorado, North Carolina and Boston. Here is Henry with Uncle Kyle (not pictured: Uncle Chris), on their way to an uncle/nephew GameStop and McDonald's ice cream date.

All of Memaw's kids were able to work at the annual Christmas Store...Eric worked the morning shift so he isn't pictured. It was fun to see everyone in action, and the Store went so well. Way to go, Mom!

Couldn't leave this one out...a piper piping, perhaps?

(The deserted mall late at night does strange things to normal people.)

Lina, Memaw, and Daddy took turns running after Henry and Gray at First Trust's Christmas party while I was busy playing Santa's elf, handing out gifts to over 200 kids!

Henry wasn't quite as terrified of Santa as he was last year--fist bumps and high fives were freely given! Henry also made sure Santa knew he wanted a scoreboard and shoulderpads for Christmas.

Big brothers and little brothers

Sweet Gray was tuckered out by the end of the night.

Or perhaps he was tuckered out because we forced him to do this, all for the sake of a good picture?? (Which I do not regret at all, by the way! This picture is classic!)

Gammie & Gampie watched the boys overnight so Eric & I could go downtown for Eric's old work party. They went to the Morton Arboretum model train exhibit and loved it (above).

It was so fun to get to go to Eric's party because it was on the 30th floor of the Blue Cross Blue Shield building, a space Eric worked on for countless hours. The view wasn't bad either!

Last weekend we went for a Christmas light drive. The boys had already seen these Disney cut outs with Gam and Gamps, and Henry was so excited to show it to Eric & I! The pictures aren't very good, but this neighborhood made such a fun display.

Toy Story

Little Mermaid (my personal favorite)

Then we found this gem. Pictures do not do it justice.

The house even had a glass garage door complete with a winter scene inside. An LED sign invited you to leave your car and get up close, hence a freezing Henry in his jammies.

Happy boys in the car!

Official Christmas festivities kicked off on Thursday night, when Grandma made sukiyaki for us! Apparently this was her specialty dish years ago, but this is the first time any of us grandkids had heard of it, let alone tasted it. Delicious!

We had a whole list of Christmas movies we had to watch, and the final one was Elf. Memaw, Uncle Kirk, Aunt Lina, and Coach Dartt came to watch with us. Gray stayed up way past his bedtime because he was so into it!

Don't make me go to sleep!

We squeezed in making Christmas cookies at the last second. Here we are rolling out the dough...and eating a lot of it.

Decorating with Lina and Kirk...we had to switch out quite a few frosting utensils because someone kept licking them.

Gorgeous, no? Actually they tasted great, so that is all that matters to me.

Somehow pictures of the Bradley Family White Elephant gift exchange are elusive; I personally spent most of the evening following Gray up and down the stairs. :) It was fun though--we packed nearly 40 people into Memaw's house for dinner & gifts!

Annual Christmas Eve Brunch at Stough's...here Henry and Connor are hard at work putting together Connor's new Legos.

We attended the 4 pm children's service at church for the first time in years. Henry did okay throughout (although he did ask quite loudly "Where is Santa up there??" Oops.).

Then more traditions...Christmas Eve fondue at Memaw's

Another reason why I wish Christmas Eve happened more than once a year

Henry wasn't too sure about sharing his cookies with Santa, so we put out the last, ugly, broken one, along with some milk and carrots for the reindeer.

Finally, Christmas morning! We had all the aunts/uncles/grandparents that were in town over for breakfast and present opening.

The scoreboard makes an appearance! Somewhere there is a video of Henry opening it...a pretty classic response!

first Kansas football jersey

plates! (how exciting for a one-year-old, right?)

Awesome. New basketball shorts in Henry's current signature hike-em-up-high style.

Twins. :)

My boys

Relaxing

December 26th was Christmas morning part 2, complete with another visit from Santa and more gifts at Gammie & Gampie's. Henry received his much-longed for shoulderpads! (Who in their right mind makes shoulder pads for a 30 pounder??)

Snuggles with cousin Madeleine

Identifying birds in the "bird bible" with Gam

Terrorizing poor Luka

Baseball Guys from Aunt Emily & Uncle Mason

The whole Jahnke crew!

Sweet smiles with Nan

The best we could do of Nan & Bop with the three grandkids

Only picture of the four of us from all the Christmas gatherings & activities (that I know of)!

More silly snuggles with Madeleine (who is in her special place, thumb in mouth and stroking Bear Bear)

Phew! Christmas is officially done...until I find some more must-share pictures.

Potty Humor

2011-11-22T13:25:00.001-06:00

Who knew Devin Hester needed so much encouragement from Jay Cutler in the bathroom?

Scenes from a Sick Day

2011-11-08T20:38:00.000-06:00

YouTube Video

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2011-11-03T21:57:00.000-05:00

To get some Halloween candy, of course!

Sweet baby Gray...had the option of being the dragon that Henry was 3 (3!) years ago, or a chicken. Although he was super cute in the dragon costume, I wanted him to have something of his "own", so chicken it was. He loved the M&Ms from Nan & Bop's house!

If you're thinking "Wasn't Henry that last year?" well, you're mistaken. Last year he was Jay Cutler. This year he was Devin Hester. BIG difference!

We started trick or treating around 3:30 by walking down our street. We stopped at Cowboy Wyatt's house, and he posed with Gray for a quick picture.

I wasn't sure how Henry would react to trick or treating this year, if his adult-anxiety would be an issue or not. Nope! He willingly skipped up to every door to retrieve his candy. Apparently I prepared him a little too well, because after reminding him to only take ONE piece unless he was offered more, I heard him respond to a woman who said he could take two pieces, "NO! ONLY ONE!"

Happy boy, proudly showing his costume.

Brothers--I love imagining next year when they will both be running up to doors together!

I tried to paint Gray's little chicken nose/beak yellow, but he wasn't a huge fan...

We continued along, posing for another picture break at Wolgemuth's house. Poor newly-one Luke was a bit frightened of Henry and his helmet...

Henry & Paige--don't have a choice but to be friends!

After meeting up with Daddy & Uncle Kyle (in town from North Carolina for the weekend), we headed to Memaw & Papa Boo's for pizza with lots of cousins & aunt & uncles. The uncle-brothers posed with the nephew-brothers.

After dinner we headed out again, this time in a new neighborhood and with my cousin Nico, a police officer. As soon as it got dark, however, Henry was immediately DONE with trick-or-treating, so we took Nico home and headed to a friends' house...

...where Henry received what might be his most prized possession now, a Gatorade squirt water bottle! You'd think they'd handed him the moon (thanks, Taylor & Brittney!)!

Then it was a quick stop at Gam & Gamps for more candy and costume-parading.

Neither boy had napped that afternoon, so I was really pushing it when I requested a family picture. Notice the double back arches...nice touch, boys!

Once home, everyone collapsed into bed...well, almost everyone. Rory & Eric didn't quite make it to the bed before they fell asleep.

Another successful Halloween!

16 Months, 8 Words

2011-11-03T15:25:00.001-05:00

One of the really unfortunate parts of no-time-for-blogging is all the milestones that I'm failing to record along the way. I've said it before, but the only way I remember anything from Henry's infancy and early toddlerhood is by consulting the blog! I'm hoping I can put less pressure on myself to make every entry themed and exciting- so here we go, lest I forget that Gray was ever a baby/toddler!

Gray's words:
Shoe "soo"
Dunk "du"
Ball "ba"
Dog
Duck "dau"
Hi
Up
Banana "nana"

Considering he said only "hi" at 12 months, I'm pretty happy that I can easily come up with a list of 8 words right now at 16 months! Although it feels like he's not talking at all, every day he makes a teeny bit more progress. Henry talks enough for the both of them anyway!

too busy eating to talk, this one!

oh, I love this boy!

Keep the Old Part II...or III...or IV?

2011-10-26T23:07:00.000-05:00

I know I post these types of pictures frequently, but this one is different because of the accompanying video...what a crazy morning we had! (Yes, yes, I'm sorry, horrible quality pics.)

Three grandmas, six grandkids, three and under!

Four moms, seven kids (one missing), three and under!

The video

Just Because

2011-10-26T22:56:00.007-05:00

Love this sweet little boy!

Sweet Brothers

2011-10-26T22:53:00.002-05:00

Because we've been AWOL for awhile, here's a random collection of pictures from my phone of the boys together.

Henry helping out with getting Gray to eat (he pretty much likes dairy and fruit these days)

at Egg'lectic...always on top of each other, these two!

snuggling at Henry's ENT appointment

It is so funny to watch Gray get into things that he watches Henry do...Henry has long been a fan of playing golf at Dick's practice putting green, and on a recent trip Gray ran around after Henry, picking out an assortment of clubs and trying to hit the balls into the holes. (Ignore the Gu in the foreground...this picture was originally composed as a two-fold text to notify Caroline that'd I'd purchased the Gu for our race, and also to show her the boys playing.)

Another high chair shot. I think Henry will do anything to be up and out of his seat!

This one's from awhile ago. We started taking the wagon on our trips to "the field" and it's pretty fun, although heavy pulling those two together! Gray kept throwing the balls out, which was a problem. Henry is a good watchdog, though, and always lets me know when there is a problem with his brother's behavior. :)

Culver's Date

2011-10-26T22:39:00.001-05:00

Tonight I did something I don't think I've ever done by myself (unless you count the one time last year I picked up Chipotle and brought it home to eat)...took both boys to a restaurant! Okay, Culver's isn't quite a fine dining establishment, but we had a coupon so butter burgers it was!

The reason this gets a whole post of its own, however, is because Henry was such a big boy tonight at dinner. Every day he does new things that make me think "where did my baby go!?" After we finished our meals, Henry asked if he could go up to the counter alone to order the ice cream (with our kids meal tickets, of course). He usually never wants to talk to adults or do things out of his comfort zone, so of course I let him. I really didn't think he'd go through with it, but he sure did! Look how cute he is, standing there waiting his turn. I was close enough to get to hear him order "two valinnas and an extra spoon." Melted my heart! I hope he never pronounces vanilla correctly.

Here he is, super excited that he ordered his own ice cream. I wish I had a picture of him carrying it to our table on a little tray.

Apparently then he was feeling so self-sufficient that he even moved to his own table, right behind Gray & I. Well, okay then, I get it! Taste of things to come, I suppose.

Here is Gray, sucking on the extra spoon. He's become quite the picky eater, but this was taking it a little too far... (Just kidding. He polished off my ice cream and was still hungry)

All in all, it was an enjoyable way to spend dinnertime while Daddy was still at work. Much better than prepping, cooking, serving, feeding, feeding, feeding, eating, clearing, and cleaning all by myself at home!

Apple Picking

2011-10-26T22:17:00.001-05:00

Oh hi there! Do people still read this thing? Honestly I'm constantly composing posts in my head, taking pictures (albeit crappy ones on my phone) with posts in mind...and then nothing ever comes of it. Thankfully Eric uploaded these pictures (about a month ago!) so now I just need to narrate. Maybe someday we will be back on the multiple-posts-a-month track...maybe.

Quite a few weekends ago we fulfilled Eric's adult-long dream of apple picking. I don't think I've ever been, so it was a first for three of us! We drove out to Jonamac Orchard in DeKalb.
Rain threatened all morning, but it turned out to be quite pleasant once we were picking. Gray discovered a new love of sucking on apples, and now enjoys carrying them around the house (and occasionally feeding them to Rory).
I'm not sure apple picking quite lived up to Eric's memory, as he kept commenting on how small the orchard seemed. It was fun to walk between rows of trees and fill bags of apples, though. I had no expectations so I enjoyed the morning at least!
Apparently this is a very precious apple? Or perhaps Henry's preparing to bowl with it?
Love this kid and his goofy smile!
Proudly pushing our second born and our lumpy apple child

We are, as you may know, too stingy to pay for any real attraction for kids at the orchard, but we did shell out a dollar or two for Henry to jump on this giant inflatable pillow thing. He had a blast! Maybe next year we'll have saved enough for Gray to jump too...

Dentist Schmentist

2011-09-19T08:37:00.000-05:00

Henry has had a lot of firsts lately...and they aren't stopping!

My wonderful dentist (the only one I have ever seen in my life, unless you count the one time I saw his partner and, well, it just really wasn't the same at all) retired yesterday. I knew he was retiring in September, but somehow that snuck up on me and I never scheduled Henry's first appointment with dear Dr. Anderson! Thankfully, his wife and receptionist Heidi promised to call if there were any cancellations during their last week, and sure enough, on Thursday I got the call while Henry was at preschool.

Henry sometimes doesn't do so well with new things, and I'd read all the tips in parenting magazines on preparing your child for the dentist. Take them for your own exam and let them sit on your lap! (No time for that.) Check out library books about going to the dentist. (Shoot! No time for that either!) Talk them through the entire process and answer any questions they might have. (Had a little time for this--but Henry had no questions! I don't think he was even listening!) Anyway, I'm pretty sure the lack of preparation was actually good for Henry in this situation. When I picked him up from preschool I told him that he'd be going to the dentist after rest time, and he was nothing but excited about it. Even walking into the building, he was still totally stoked about what was happening.

A little bit of apprehension in the eyes as they begin

Quickly turned to smiles...he just chatted it up with the hygienist!
(Funny side story: she asked him how many teeth he thought he had, and he didn't hesitate in responding "Twenty!" She looked surprised and said "How did you know that?" Of course I didn't even know how many teeth he had, so I had to say "Is that how many he has?" Sure enough, Henry's a genius!)

Holding "Mr. Thirsty" to rinse out the mint toothpaste he selected
Treasure chest treasure!
Time for Dr. Anderson's exam
All good! No more appointments until next year!

First (Real) Day of School

2011-09-18T10:15:00.000-05:00

As promised, pictures from Henry's real first mommy-leaves day of school. Henry woke up at 4:45 and complained that he did not feel well. Thankfully he fell back asleep (eventually) and when he got up again at a more decent hour he felt better. I'm sure it was all nerves! After breakfast and getting dressed we still had extra time before leaving to walk to Toddlers Campus, so I let Henry zone out while watching a movie. I didn't want him to have time to start thinking about what was going to happen! When it was time to go he happily turned off the movie, grabbed his backpack, and bounded down the front steps. Phew!

The drop off went well; Henry didn't cry or scream but did need to be carried into the classroom by his teacher because he started to get a little clingy. We did our special goodbye routine and then suddenly Gray and I were standing there, Henry-less. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was very anticlimatic. I didn't cry at all and didn't even feel like I was going to, but the second we got home and I put the key in the front door, tears started to fall. No, two and a half hours is not a long time to be away from my kid (I'm sure on a lot of days it will seem too short!), but it is bittersweet that the long slow process of Henry growing up and out of our house is really starting. Sigh.

special crib playtime-normally Henry is not allowed

all smiles on the front steps

Gray was not as thrilled
literally skipping ahead of Gray & I

after school-goofing around with Aiden & Paige

the next generation of preschoolers...Gray, Luke, and Emery!

I started filming this right after he stopped skipping, but I never want to forget this little blonde head, joyfully skipping in front of Mommy on his way to preschool. What a sweet boy.

Cantigny

2011-09-17T19:42:00.000-05:00
We're trying to enjoy the winding down of beautiful weather, so a few weekends ago we all went to Cantigny together. It seems like on weekends we've been playing the one-to-one parenting game, with Eric usually entertaining Henry on outings and me manning the home front with Gray, so it was really nice to do something as a whole family.

Kiawah Island 2011

2011-09-17T19:18:00.002-05:00

I'm not even going to attempt to get these pictures in order or it'll be another year before I post this.
Warning: Photo overload to come. Feel free to pass on this one if you don't care to see a.lot.of.pictures.

At the end of August (one week before Irene's visit to the East Coast) we flew to Kiawah Island, South Carolina, for a week with most of the Bradley/Sundbergs (Chris & Kirk stayed in their respective states for football duties). It was eerily similar and yet totally different to our many (many, many, many, MANY) trips to Hilton Head, which is only a few more hours south. Here is an extensive peek at how we spent the week:

flight down-Henry's reached the easy age, Gray, not so much!
(for the record, Caroline sat in the kid row with me and Eric spent two hours in the row in front of us, listening to music and blissfully ignoring the squirmy 14 month old behind him)

no naps on the plane meant both boys were OUT within two minutes of the drive from the airport to Kiawah

Henry's new suit

One of many moonlit walks on the beach...
...also known as crab hunts
Henry and Uncle Kyle

first night-I'd say Henry was a little tired!
We did a lot of this as well--I'm pretty sure everyone was sick of the Bossypants-related laughter
more nighttime beach shots...Henry loved the solo time with Mom & Dad after Gray went to sleep

one of the first days, when Gray was napping and Eric had Henry occupied...ahh!
this one makes me laugh
it feels like we are perpetually training for races when Caroline and I are together...on this lovely 95 degrees & 100% humidity 6-miler, Mom decided to join us on her bike. She was...quite the encouragement (?), leisurely biking behind us and playing her 70s hits on her iphone.
we had a girls night that involved a fantastic restaurant in Charleston, a viewing of "The Help," and a late night McDonald's ice cream treat
and the boys had a golfing day, enjoying Secession in Beaufort
Papa Boo teaching Henry how to play Sudoku
Erin & Haddon came for part of the week from Charlotte! What a treat
The family shot before Kyle & Caroline left on Wednesday
nephews
and more nephews
making their own indoor fun
happy beach baby--although he looks very serious in all the beach pictures,
Gray looooved the sand & the ocean
he constantly ran straight into the waves to catch up with big brother...
...who also loooooved the beach!
Kyle dubbed him Tubby McWaddlesalot--love that belly!
making more indoor fun with Haddon's playmat
crawling his way back to shore after surviving his shipwreck
fearless
yeah, didn't turn out as artsy-cute as I'd imagined :)
that little beachball was the bane of my existence for awhile...the wind would carry it down the beach forever and ever and I'm sure I looked ridiculous chasing it
how H-man rolled on the sand (not literally, for one, he can't roll yet, and two, it is not recommended that three-month-olds roll in the sand)
family bike ride-wish we did these at home!
the best family shot we got
it wouldn't be South Carolina without a puzzle...even Henry helped with this one
digging to China
going...
going...
(oops I guess there is no "gone" picture in this series)
close to the happiest I've ever seen him
attempting a boy shot
not so successful
crawling through the waves
oh how I love this boy!
lots of beach time was followed by lots of bath time
Henry made friends with this basket weaving lady. We considered buying one, until we saw the price tag...yikes!
Oh wait, here's another family shot!
the Bradley/Schlickmans left at the end of the week
best friends since 4th grade (I don't even want to admit how long that has actually been)
and my other best friend
last night on the beach, blowing bubbles and taking pictures
chasing bubbles
Memaw the Bubblemaster
look at that hair, finally growing
priceless
playing tag
so nice to spend a whole week with Daddy
Henry & Memaw
we tried hard to keep him away from the water so he wouldn't have to bathe again
so we ended up doing a lot of this
the "Big Guy" club
Ro & Haddon

love Gray's expression in this one
ever the elementary teacher, Erin created a Henry-appropriate version of Backgammon
the house...a lot of bedrooms and one medium-sized living area!
although the alligator sightings were pitiful, we saw a TON of deer! this guy was right in the path of my run with Caroline, but by the time I got the phone out he had moved along

ready to take on the Atlantic!
happily digging
very serious about this bike ride
a stag right on the beach the last night--he was in no rush, so we stopped and watched for a long time

just hanging out in a tree

happy Henry

Goodbye, Kiawah!
And THANK YOU Mewaw and Papa Boo, for a wonderful week!

His First Half (Umm...A Year Ago)

2011-09-17T15:27:00.003-05:00

Looking at the drafts folder I found this unpublished post from exactly a year ago...oops! Eric halfheartedly trained for his first half marathon and blew my record time out of the water, so I'd say he deserves a virtual pat on the back for his achievement. Way to go, Eric! You are way faster than your wife.

Henry practicing his paparazzi skills
Gammie helping shade a very large, three month old baby Gray

We may or may not have been a little late, and may or may not have had issues maneuvering the double stroller through the spectator crowd, so this may or may not have been the only time we saw Eric all 13.1 miles

Love this one of my friends Jess & Shane...and love knowing that sweet almost-one-year-old Jude was hanging out in that tummy!

Not sure what happened to the color on this one, but it's the only one I have of Eric & his fans

First of Many Firsts

2011-09-06T16:07:00.000-05:00

Look at this kid.

I mean, seriously, look at him!

Who does he think he is?

All growing up, and getting big, and stuff.
Geesh.
Good thing I still have a smaller one.
This one is breaking his mommy's heart left and right with the grown-upness and all.

Hard at work hammering some pushpins into cork

Rolling out dough, very quietly and seriously

(His real first day is Thursday. Today was just "bring mommy and see the classroom" day.
Expect another first day post.)

And on a nostalgic note, I'm pretty sure I played with these exact same magnet toys when I went to Toddler's Campus. Wonder if there are any Katie Bradley germs still left on there somewhere??

August Dump-Kate Phone

2011-08-31T16:48:00.000-05:00

Eric finally used up our old decking to build a bench for the backyard
meanwhile our front yard grew a weed jungle, thanks to some construction next door (thankfully now it is nicely sodded and beautiful!)
Edison James Bowen became the seventh baby in our small group
(and we learned that #8 and #9 are on the way)
hair malfunctions
Gray tested his limits
Henry can play more organized games and focus longer
"field trip" to see the Mastodon at Wheaton...and to enjoy some ice cream at Sam's (after looking foolish first looking for the ice cream at the Stupe...when did that change?)
a cold & new teeth have messed with Gray's nap schedule...
...but not with his sense of humor!
Henry & Paige's ~~romance blossoming~~ brother/sister relationship continuing
I finally went downtown...threw the boys in the car last minute to go to Eric's softball game on a gorgeous night! (and saw a dead body-don't want to forget that!)
big boy all ready for preschool!
Just like I don't feel right calling Gray a baby anymore, I really don't feel right calling Henry a toddler. Sad.

And now all the noteworthy (and some un-noteworthy) pictures from my phone are on the blog. Only four plus more picture-sources to go!

June & July Dump-Kate's Phone

2011-08-31T15:55:00.000-05:00

Not the most creative way to document this summer, but this is how I remember things!

Henry kept getting more and more grown up-here are his first attempts at folding clothes
first camp out in the basement due to tornado sirens (only lasted a little bit...the power outage, a little longer!)
storm fears had Henry sleeping on our floor every single night from the end of May to the middle of August...and when we returned from South Carolina, he magically slept in his own bed all night, didn't make us sit in a chair outside his room until he fell asleep at 10:30 pm, and last night, didn't even need a kiss from Mommy! so thankful that phase is over (not the kissing, the not sleeping)!
Gray thinks he's a big kid
meeting baby Liam Prokop!
brothers at Cosley
Gray honing his fine dining knowledge
Henry asleep on the way to go golfing with daddy (wearing his beloved Black Sheep polo)
By the way, did you know that you must wear a belt to be a golfer? On the days that Henry chooses to dress like a golfer, he absolutely must have a belt on. Not sure where he got this from...
Gray hot and red at the pool
Henry beyond thrilled to be at the pool
the odd sleeping arrangements of the summer pretty much left both of us tired all the time!
more growing up...getting very into puzzles!
although not so humble...as he says "Mom, why am I so good at puzzles??" to which I think, perhaps because you've done the same one twenty times today!
first year of swimming lessons...started off a little shaky but he ended up loving them
it's hard to have lots of friends that are girls....you think things like pink boas and blue tutus are great fun
Gray, on the other hand, not such a fan!
and finally, Henry on his way out the door to Bears training camp in Bourbonnais with daddy!

Checking In!

2011-08-31T15:05:00.000-05:00
We are such horrible bloggers...but not for lack of material!! Honestly, I get overwhelmed thinking about blogging because our pictures come from so many sources now (2 iphones, big camera, little camera, grandparents' cameras...) and I feel so much pressure to pick the perfect pictures! Ridiculous, I know. Perhaps once Henry starts school (ack! when did he get so big!?) I will be more disciplined...or perhaps just more crazy-busy.

Anyway! Here are some pictures, just so the people that are tired of checking the blog and seeing my crazy face can see something new.

Already a change of plans. Apparently someone with a very different brain than I have reorganized all the pictures on the computer. You get this picture from our trip to Kiawah Island now, and hopefully more pictures before October. :)

I've Been Waiting 18 Years for This!

2011-07-27T20:57:00.000-05:00
About a month ago I finally met someone I'd been waiting to meet since fourth grade. Back then I didn't know when or where I'd meet him, or even if he'd be a he or a she, but I did have a feeling (s)he'd be special...and I was right. Sweet Haddon Abraham was born to my best friend Erin on May 18th, and my birthday present from Eric was a plane ticket to Charlotte, North Carolina (just one! no kids!!) to meet this little guy.

I took...well...a good number of pictures of him sleeping or laying on me. What else does a one-month-old do, really?!

He is so well-behaved. I mean seriously, he slept a good 90% of the three days I was there. We took advantage of this and went to the pool not once, but twice! He really enjoyed it, as you can tell. We were also able to enjoy a long walk on this nice path (oh shoot, Erin, what was that called??), and Ben handled some fatherly duties so Erin & I could enjoy a movie together. Thanks, Ben!

We are definitely as super-weird as we were in fourth grade.
And we still play beauty parlor.
Here's Haddon snuggling with the lion stuffed animal that my grandparents gave him. Yup, even my grandparents love him!
His wonderful parents were getting some sweet smiles here. I didn't capture the moment very well.
After a delicious Mexican dinner, we walked around a nice little lake and then enjoyed manly beers...

...and some more feminine white wine.
Conked out. Love this look on newborns! On me, not so cute.
He's every bit the angel he appears to be.

First spin in the playmat!
A non-self-portrait of Haddon and Auntie Kate.

As we were walking out the door for the airport we realized we never got a shot of the three of us. This will have to do! Thanks, Ben, Erin, and especially Haddon, for such a fun, relaxing three days!

And if I wasn't lucky enough to meet Haddon in June, Erin & Haddon passed through Wheaton in July on their way to Idaho.
This time Haddon proved to be a compliant pretzel-holder.
Obviously I wasn't going to pass up another opportunity for a photo op with sleeping H man.
And, to pay her back for a lovely photo of me on her blog, here is poor tired traveling mama Erin, fast asleep on my couch. Don't worry, I took care of her son while she was out.
Our moms & their mom friends have a sweet tradition of throwing a Grandma Shower when one of them joins the grandma club. It was really fun to be allowed to attend (I was the decoy to make the lunch a surprise) and to have Erin & Haddon in attendance as well.
15 grandchildren (and 3 more on the way) are represented by the moms/grandmas in this picture. Crazy!
Also crazy that there are four friends and five children in this picture, and three of our kids weren't even there! (Not to mention there's an unborn here as well!)
For some reason all of our expressions in this one cracked me up.
And then this one made me smile. I love laughing with these girls!
Before Erin & Haddon left for their adventure out west, we snapped a quick shot of us with our three little boys. Eighteen years ago, I'd never have been able to imagine this picture, but I certainly love it!

Welcome to our world, sweet Haddon. I can't wait to watch you grow up!

A Michigan Fourth of July

2011-07-26T15:53:00.000-05:00

We made a "quick" trip up to Interlochen, Michigan, over the Fourth of July weekend. Warning: photo overload ahead!


Bad news: The boys did not sleep according to schedule on the way up. Good news: They still slept (some).

Scene in our backyard

Henry & Eric fishing

Air show in Traverse City--so fun!

The ever-gracious host & hostess

Viewing party minus Mom

Gray had a grand old time trying to climb into his stroller and steal Cheetos

The photo-elusive Memaw

Bubbie was kind enough to grace us with his presence

Henry climbed from one person to the next, taking breaks only to cover his ears for the loud planes

Picture perfect day on the lake

The Colorado Sundbergs were also able to join us, en route to Kirk's sister's wedding the next weekend in Holland.

Happy Gray

Memaw asked Papa Boo for a ride in the paddleboat, and he answered that he was sure her son-in-laws would be happy to oblige her. And wouldn't you know it, they were.
Mini-golf. Kirk was the big winner (this time).

We told Henry he was also a winner, with the most strokes out of anyone.

Henry & Daddy were the most willing to get in the water. Henry loooved flying off the end of the dock.

Fishies
A sweet series of Henry with Uncle Kirk (now officially a Valor coach--hurray!)

Some of us were lucky enough to be freed from the children for an evening to see the Frankfort fireworks. They were awesome! I will spare you the many pictures though.

We also got to take an afternoon tubing tour at the Bowen complex down the street. Some were more into it than others...

I can laugh at myself: here you see Kate clinging to the tube for dear life...and on the other side you see tubing extraodinaire Hank sitting backwards because, well, we were probably only going 5 miles per hour. I do not like thrills!

Unfortunately Henry shares my non-thrilling spirit. The entire time he was on the tube he screamed "I WANT TO BE ON THE BOAT RIGHT...(slaps tube) NOW (slaps tube harder)!!"

Another series: Kirk (on the right) prepares to jump with his tube. Eric has other plans for him...

Eric discreetly holds onto one side of the tube, restricting Kirk's movement...

...and off Kirk goes!

Once safely back on the boat, Henry (& Mommy) enjoyed the ride.

Back at home, Gray enjoyed his own type of tubing.


Other things we enjoyed: "boat rides" from Aunt Lina

Gray's under-photographed Fourth of July outfit

Henry searching for his dear fish Tootie

Bud's, Bud's, and more Bud's!

Our little family by the water

Pajama boy outside

On the last night we made smores. Much "Sandlot" imitating ensued.

Apparently we are proud of our alma mater.

He was proud of his smore-crafting skills.

One last late-night fishing trip in the silver boat

The boys, minus the oldest (he was still smore-making) and the youngest (he was doing what he does best, sleeping).

Really making our last night count, then we did sparklers and our own little fireworks display (thanks, Eric!).
A family shot...minus Kyle (see you in one week, brother!!)

And in case you need a laugh (or if you are wondering why Henry is the way he is), a video.
What a mean dad!

Up, Up, and Away!

2011-07-22T22:03:00.000-05:00

the invite
theme: up up & away
colors: blue & (of course) gray
address & contact information changed because, well, it creeped me out to leave it

You're cordially invited
to enjoy a way-belated
photo tour of Gray's
FIRST birthday party!

balloon garland (thanks, Pinterest!)
2 36" balloons (thanks, Sandee!)

balloon wreath (again, thanks Pinterest!)
our new "birthday week" tradition

birthday boy
Oh, hello! I just woke up from my nap...what are you doing here?
...A party? For me? How delightful!

food: cheese & crackers, berry, yogurt & granola parfait, balloon cookies, coffee punch, water, and juice)
I tried to keep it simple...maybe was too simple since we almost ran out!

\
balloon cookies on sticks
Great Aunt Deb made these special balloon cookies...they were
definitely a labor of love and a cute addition to the spread!

more gray & blue balloons in the family room, along with gray & blue tissue poufs
It was supposed to be hot and rainy, so when it turned out to be just hot I was thankful...
36 people wouldn't fit too well in this little room!

Gray's monthly pictures with Mr. Elephant were strung up on the wall
(and actually still are today...should probably take those down soon!)
A friend noticed that he is wearing some form of stripes in all but one of the pictures. I noticed that he is wearing clothes from only 3 places (I'm nothing if not predictable) and that sweet Gray is smiling in every single picture except one month (screaming) and three months (looking very confused).

Gray's outfit
I exercised some very underutilized creative muscles to whip this up

Gray & first-cousin-once-removed/second cousin (?) Tyler...
true Bradley boys with their sports gear in hand!

smash cake...way too much effort for the final product...

Looking unsure...
quite the assortment of paparazzi standing by

and now he's sure...not a cake fan!

Cookies however...yum!

Washing the cookie down with a side of cheese and brotherly cheer

"21 and under" guests
No real entertainment was planned, but Henry & Nico provided us with lots of laughter with their water cannon fight.
True glee...while everyone is distracted with the water fight, Gray climbs into the pool, clothes and all! (Don't worry, we really were watching.)
Best seat in the house (although the diaper must've been a bit waterlogged
and uncomfortable by this point)

Thanks for coming! We hope you had fun!

To Gray: Month Twelve (One!)

2011-07-21T22:51:00.000-05:00
This was written mostly in the end of June, and finished just now using my notes from June...so much has changed already!
Dear Gray,

You are one! One whole year since you tumbled into our lives, bringing such joy to our family. One year since you made Henry a brother, one year of precious smiles, one year of stretching my heart wider than I ever thought it could go. One year of sweet, sweet baby Gray.

Your twelfth (and on into the thirteenth...oops!) month was a big one, maybe not to the passerby, but there has been a lot of change in your personality since last month. I've seen so much toddler in you lately...frustration when you can't do something you want to do, clamping your teeth down on anything that gets in the way (mostly of you and your food), mini tantrums, throwing yourself face first into the ground and wailing. It's like eleven months of a go-with-the-flow, carefree attitude all built up and now you are ready for action! You are a total explorer, opening kitchen drawers and cabinets (a favorite being the drawer under the stove), trying to get into the dishwasher, studying doorknobs in hopes of opening them. Anything with a hint of mystery, you are interested in. This spills into another new love of this month: climbing! One day you were hanging out on the bedroom floor while I blow dried my hair; the next thing I knew you were up on my bed, bouncing with glee at your accomplishment! Now anything about a foot off the ground is a step stool. You climb Henry's little wooden chair and then use the back slats as a ladder, trying to reach the kitchen counter. You make a beeline for stairs at any chance you get. After I removed all the real stools and chairs in an attempt to "babyproof", you starting climbing on boxes and toys, most notably your music activity table. The doors to your bedroom and bathroom stay closed now; you climb into your rocking chair and start rocking vigorously, laughing until you crash to the ground, and you've figured out how to use Henry's step stool to get right up to the sink. Life sure is interesting with you around, and different trying to keep track of two crazy little boys!

You've also continued to develop your fondness for water. The Morton Arboretum, with its slimy tadpole pond, is a favorite, but any small body of water will do! Memaw and Papa Boo gave you a water table for your birthday, and that is such fun until you realize that the baby pool is full of water; then nothing will stop you from your goal of total immersion. At your birthday party you climbed in, fully clothed! Bathtime with Henry is still a highlight of your day, but its gotten a little frustrating for your mama since you will NOT stay seated anymore. We've gone to Northside Pool a few times, and my original concern of you not liking the colder water was quickly replaced with a new one: how am I going to get you out of the water without a total meltdown? You love to suck on anything with water in it, from washcloths to splash balls. Kind of gross, bud! And of course, you stick your little face into any type of water and slurp it right down.

It has been interesting to watch your fascination and interest in sports develop. I can't say if its inherent to your personality or if its just part of being Henry's younger brother, but you have already figured out which balls go with which sports gear. If you come upon a discarded baseball bat, you immediately crawl off to find the matching baseball. When you get a golf ball, you find a golf club to go with it. You love sitting under the hoop we have on Henry's dresser and dropping basketballs in there, and you are met with cheers and applause from your big brother when you make a basket. My favorite new thing you do is trying to throw balls. You get it firmly in both hands and by the determined look on your face I can tell you know exactly what you're supposed to do with it, but you just can't quite make your arms cooperate. Usually you end of falling forward as the ball comes out of your hands and towards its target. Keep practicing, big boy, and you'll get it soon!

You are not a talker--you've stopped saying all words except for "hi," which is mostly said while holding a remote control/small toy/picture of a phone in a magazine to your ear. Driving in the car the other day I was talking on my cell phone and you kept making noise and when I looked back, you were holding a toy up to your ear and repeating "hi hi hi hi hi!" When I laughed, you laughed; you certainly knew you were being funny. It comes out a really soft "hah" and it is so precious.

snuggling with Rory when you were sick

The mundane stuff I like to keep track of: you're wearing all size 5 diapers and we have no more nighttime leakage issues, thankfully! I'm loving your summer wardrobe--one piece rompers every day for you! I no longer have to worry about smooshing your adorable belly into tight pants or shorts. 18-24 month fits you, but not for long...I'm hoping to make these outfits last until fall but we will see! You are still transitioning from bottle to sippy cup but I'm not pushing it too hard. You went from formula to whole milk without batting an eyelash! Cheese is a favorite food group, with any fruit following close behind, and you are still a really good veggie eater as well. Bread is not your favorite, but you will eat it in a pinch. Your bedtime has moved back a bit, and you now go down between 7 and 7:30 and sleep until 7:30 or 8. You take two good naps, usually around 2 hours each, which Mommy is so thankful for! And your stats: three days after your birthday you were 25 lbs 15 oz (88%), 30.5 inches tall (73%) and had a head circumference of 19" (93%). Still a big boy, though not quite as off-the-charts as before.

birthday ice cream cones

Of course, the biggest development I have yet to mention is walking. Yes, walking! You took your first steps on Mommy & Daddy's 6th anniversary (between Gammie and Nan at a family party...it was pretty special!). It was slow going for awhile, only a few steps here and there every couple days, but lately you've been testing the waters more and will take lots of steps, mostly in between people or pieces of furniture. I knew this time would come, but it is still bittersweet to see you take such clear steps (no pun intended!) towards independence. Toddlerhood is here, like it or not! I'm sad to wrap up the baby phase--you have been so perfect!--but so, so, so excited to see the little man you turn into. This next year will bring so many developments in your personality, and Gray, oh Gray, I just can't wait to meet more of you. I love you.

Love,
Mom

3.5

2011-07-19T22:46:00.001-05:00
At three and a half, Henry...

Loves dressing himself (and is intent on matching every day)

Hates blood (hates hates hates hates!!)

Loves asking how you say words in Spanish (and making up his own "Spanish" words)

Hates seeing anyone leave him behind

Loves ice cream

Hates mostly every nutritious food until you make him take a bite

Loves hanging out and going on special errands with Daddy, especially going golfing at Black Sheep

Hates when his little brother gets into his stuff

Loves making his little brother laugh

Hates when things are out of the ordinary (when Eric wore black flip flops that he doesn't usually wear, Henry was absolutely convinced they were mine. He refused to believe they were Eric's)

Loves root beer

Hates going to bed (but when he finally does fall asleep, he can nap for 2 1/2 hours!)

Loves all things sports

Hates sitting still to read relatively longer books, unless it's DinoHockey, DinoSoccer, DinoBaseball, DinoBasketball, or the Bible

Loves knowing that God knows when the next storm will be, if it will rain today, and if our basement will flood again (let's just say there are some residual psychological issues there!)

Henry is still such a mix of sweet and energetic, funny and contemplative. It is so much fun watching him learn and realizing how much he had grown over the past year. Love you, little man!

nearly 13 months

2011-07-19T21:25:00.001-05:00
I packed away all the bottles.

He can stand up by himself in the middle of the room.

We walked hand in hand to his room for bedtime.

::but he's still my sweet baby::

Going Green

2011-07-11T13:33:00.000-05:00
"Mom, why is my smoothie so green?"

Don't tell Henry, it's full of spinach, and I'm pleased as punch that he and Gray downed it without a second thought. Score one in the veggies column!

Gray's birthday letter is coming...someday. Sorry, kid, you're definitely a second born!

Spanish

2011-06-25T21:09:00.001-05:00
Without cable, we end up watching a lot of sports online. Since the US blocks their channels we end up watching them in different languages. Recently, watching the USA vs Mexico soccer final on espn deportes, Henry ask if I could speak Spanish. I said no but uncle Kyle can. He said he could too...

YouTube Video

Baby Gray is One!

2011-06-20T21:41:00.001-05:00
Apparently our theme for birthdays is "miserable." Remember Henry's third birthday? Yeah, Gray's actual birthday was not much more celebratory. Lest you think I didn't learn my lesson, no, I did not schedule Gray's one year shots for today; his fever and general malaise are not my fault!

We tried to make today a little different than the average day. Henry and I sang Happy Birthday when we got Gray out of bed this morning; we were greeted by a look of confusion and grumpiness (so out of character!) The rainy morning led us to the library, where Gray crawled happily around spreading germs for a few minutes before falling apart and spending the rest of our visit in the stroller with a paci and blankie. I let him make a total mess at lunch; he cried for me to take him out of the high chair and snuggle. After second naps I was determined to do something festive. Thinking it a little sad that the only two people Gray would see on his big day were Henry and I, we walked to Memaw's house and then continued downtown with her for Gray's first real ice cream cone (at Tate's-don't tell Jodie! I can't help it if they give out coupons and Graham's doesn't!) Even a sweet treat didn't garner extra smiles or exuberance. While he did eat it, he did it almost militantly. As soon as we got home he got another dose of medicine and went straight to bed. Poor poor baby Gray! Here's hoping that he feels better tomorrow.

The only pictures taken on his birthday:

No monthly pictures or letter today; maybe by Gray's appointment on Thursday when I have some stats and hopefully a happier, normal Gray!

Basketball Camp

2011-06-13T23:22:00.000-05:00
Henry went to his first basketball camp last week! Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the rousing success I imagined. Henry was one of the youngest in the 3-5 year old camp and let's just say we need to do some work on letting Mommy leave. From the pictures you'd never guess that it was a struggle though!

first of what I'm sure will be an infinite number of public sporting events!
Henry's first "public" performance at Family Day

Little Friends

2011-06-13T22:45:00.000-05:00
We have been busy! Today was the first day in a long time that we had nothing planned...except cleaning and laundry, which have been neglected! Here's what we've been up to instead (sorry about the random assortment and poor quality of photos...the camera phone is the only thing I ever pull out these days):

best picture I could get of Henry & Esther's impromptu playing in the pool

baby Olivia lounging on the table

water, water, water...don't ask me about the holes in my kitchen ceiling!

brother jam sessions
more pool time...with Gray following closely behind Henry's every move
Jude and his awesome cheeks! so smooshy
and of course Miss Madeleine! Hilary and Madeleine visited for a week and we all had so much fun...mostly Henry & Madeleine though.
Gammie helping Henry & Madeleine navigate the Morton Arboretum

making whipped cream for a party at Gam's
never thought about it before but this picture shows a resemblance between Henry and Nan--must be their million dollar smiles!
and of course, licking the beaters
Eric & I celebrated six years...and this horrible picture from mini golf is all I have to show for it
always in full gear ready to play whatever sport he's thinking about at the moment
hanging out at Gray's height, under the dining room table
and Aunt Lina totally surprised us with a visit!

Extra Energy

2011-06-09T20:18:00.001-05:00
Someone didn't move enough today...so now he's competing in solo track meets!

YouTube Video

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-30T20:15:00.001-05:00
Memorial Day weekend 2011 won't quickly be forgotten! On Sunday after church we enjoyed watching the thunderstorm from the back porch. After observing a lot of rainwater coming out of a gutter that was busted during the construction next door, Eric ventured out to check the side of the house. Uh oh! Lots of water right against the foundation! While Eric tried...well, I don't know exactly what he was trying, Henry and I went downstairs to check the basement. Double uh oh! Already filled with an inch or two of water. Fortuitously, Gampie called at just that moment and headed right over to our house. Papa Boo arrived quickly, and Gammie after that. Soon everybody was soaked and muddy, bailing out the house, rescuing toys from the basement, and ultimately digging a trench to reroute the water from the side of our house.

Unfortunately Henry's beloved football carpet was the most notable loss of the day. Thankfully it can easily be replaced! For now, Henry is gleeful about the prospect of practicing his hockey moves on the now-bare concrete floor. Our neighbor John also jumped right in and got dirty, helping dig, and his wife Ute ran out for sandbags and has since kept us full of way too delicious baked goods!

Today, it was sunny and 90, a welcome change! We got to watch the parade with both sets of grandparents--have I mentioned how lucky we are to have all of them near, both for disasters and celebrations??

While Gray napped and Eric golfed this afternoon, Henry had a blast with the pool and slide in the backyard. He ran around singing/yelling "it's summer! It's summer!" for quite some time!

Then he laid out, "just like Arizona."

After his nap we enjoyed more pool time with the neighbors, a BBQ with Memaw & Papa Boo, and then Henry and Eric further exhausted themselves playing soccer and baseball at Hawthorne.

It was a full weekend, and doesn't slow down anytime soon. Tomorrow Henry starts his first basketball camp!!

To Gray: Month Eleven

2011-05-25T16:42:00.000-05:00
Dear Gray,

poor elephant!

Eleven months, and the transformation from baby to toddler has begun. You're more independent, crawling to whatever interesting sound you might hear, making your opinion of certain foods obvious as you pound them off your high chair tray, and not laying still for wardrobe changes. You're getting closer to walking (though thankfully not nearly there yet), standing on your own for a few seconds at a time, taking more risks as you cruise between furniture and toys. You eat more and more table food; bottles interest you less and less. I try to deny it but the days keep passing, June 20th looms closer and closer. As much as I can't wait to celebrate sweet you, I'm relishing these last days of "babyhood." You've made it so easy and really, I can think of nothing wrong with the stage you are in now and would gladly freeze you here to enjoy for a little longer.

Sleeping is still one of your favorite past times. You still nap twice a day, from 1 1/2-2 hours in the morning and 2-3 hours in the afternoon. Only within the past few days, as the sunlight has lingered longer in your room, has your bedtime crept closer to 7 than 6. You wake between 6:45 and 8:00, depending on your poop schedule, and are all smiles as soon anyone comes into your room. It's a highlight of my day, going to get you out of bed, but it's also a highlight of Henry's day, and hearing the giggles and squeals that you two exchange when you first see each other is even better than being on the receiving end of your smiles. You are just as happy to go to bed as you are to get up, and as soon as I set you down in the crib, you faceplant into your fuzzy blankets, grab a paci, and are good to go. When I do try to rock you or pat your back before putting you down, like I used to when you were younger, you impatiently wave your hand, as if to say "bye bye Mom, I'm done with this!"
All that sleeping sure does make you hungry, and eating continues to be the other highlight of your days! Breakfast is usually baby cereal with applesauce, a banana, or yogurt mixed with some kind of pureed fruit. I tried and tried to get you to eat egg whites, but sadly you are not a fan. One tiny bite you get very upset with me, refusing to let any more near your lips. Your new favorite lunch is turkey or chicken lunch meat ripped into small pieces and a slice of cheese. You love to snack on Mum Mums, string cheese and veggie puffs, but you hate bread! Dinner you eat what we are eating...and you do it better than Henry does on most nights. Mostaccioli, chicken enchiladas, beef stew-you name it, you eat it! We do our best to get 24 ounces of formula each day, but sometimes it's hard to interest you in sitting still.
When you aren't eating or sleeping, you're playing or laughing.   Seriously, child, do you even know how to cry? I haven't noticed you developing favorite toys yet, but you still love anything Henry is playing with, chasing Rory, and bouncing up and down to any kind of music. The play kitchen can amuse you for long stretches of time, and when I hide your pacifier in the oven you think its crazy funny to "discover" it again! You have a fondness for a small Chuggington train that plays a little song when you squeeze it...we listen to that tune on repeat a lot of the time! You can climb up the slide of your early birthday present from Gam & Gamp all by yourself (scary!) and scale the rock wall of the climbing toy in the basement. Wrestling with Henry is all kinds of fun, as is playing catch (rolling the ball back and forth) with him. You are great on our many stroller walks to and from the tot lot, Lawson Field, and the Hawthorne baseball fields, even sitting patiently while Henry & I play baseball for long periods of time. You're not a huge fan of the playground swings, but you did recently overcome your dislike of sitting in grass or sand. Today you crawled through both with gusto...meaning no more quiet, safe playtime on the blanket while Mommy weeds! And of course I can't forget bathtime, the only thing that makes being finished with dinner tolerable. As soon as you hear the sound of the water running, you crawl as fast as you can into the bathroom and try to get your leg up over the tub (you're not even close, sweetie!). Baths get a little crazy with you and Henry in there splashing around, but you really do love it.
Clapping is my favorite new thing from this month--you don't always do it on demand, but when you smack those two chubby hands together your face lights up and you are so proud of yourself! Your only word is still "Dada" (sometimes repeated over and over and over and over), and despite my best efforts to encourage "Mama," I've only heard it when you're anxiously awaiting a meal, in a forlorn voice. Sometimes I hear what sounds like ball or dog, and I even think you're working on your own special version of Henry, but can't confirm that yet. Over the past few weeks you've shown a little separation anxiety, crying when I dropped you off at the church nursery, whimpering pitifully when a neighbor held you. Daddy can make you laugh like crazy, and Henry knows how to cheer you up when you're sad.
Clothes & diapers are pretty much the same as last month: 18-24 month in pants and onesies, some 12-18 month shirts, finishing our box of size 4 diapers and then moving up to 5s. You still never wear shoes and rarely wear socks now that the weather is nicer...I need to find some sort of early-walker shoe that you can wear outside this summer--Henry never was an early walker to I don't have those already. You also got two new top teeth this month, necessitating lots of paci time and Tylenol but no middle-of-the-night wakings, rock star!
Gray, you make every day better and better. You are our sunshine, our chubby bubbie, our sweet Gray Bear. You are ours.

Love,
Mom

Tickets of a 3 year old

2011-05-24T20:41:00.001-05:00
Bears vs. Cardinals (pre-season)
Kansas vs. Colorado
Cubs vs. Reds
Bulls vs. Atlanta (playoffs)

Videos of Gray

2011-05-24T11:37:00.000-05:00
Until I can get Gray's letter up, here's some footage of what he's been up to this month!

heaven forbid both hands be in the grass at once!

practicing his walking

and practicing his climbing!
Someday when there are 2 adults around I'll get a video of him climbing his slide outside...it's pretty impressive!

Wiping the floor

2011-05-19T08:32:00.001-05:00
Gray fell on the wood floor. When i (kate) came back from consoling him, henry had the swiffer out. 'Mom, i'm cleaning off the floor where he fell. That's what they do in basketball games.'

Batter Up part 2

2011-05-18T22:54:00.000-05:00
Thinner bat. Smaller ball. And one toot at the end.

Batter Up

2011-05-15T12:24:00.000-05:00
As the seasons change, so do Henry's interest in sports. Now that baseball is in full swing, Henry is as well.

One busy week

2011-05-07T17:55:00.001-05:00
Last week Henry enjoyed his first Cubs game at Wrigley Field on Saturday and his first Bulls game on Tuesday. He loved every minute of it.

I thought for sure we'd be ok about not running into any mascots. Wrong! Cub mascot kiddy corner from the stadium.

Worried about seeing Benny the bull.

He wanted peanuts and cracker jack. He got peanuts and a hot dog. Slightly healthier lunch.

We had "great" cheap seats over some bar so Henry could stand the entire time against the railing.
Benny never got close until he repelled down from the ceiling.

On the ride home from the bulls game he said, "Dad, your fun." and proceeded to fall asleep. I was surprised he was still awake half way home. By the time we got there though...

This photo was not even staged. He always wanted to hold the tickets.

My Biggest

2011-05-05T19:35:00.000-05:00
Lately I've been feeling bad because I haven't been recording any of the funny things that Henry says (and man, are there a lot of them!). Just a few minutes ago it started raining really hard and there was a little thunder, which has always bothered Henry. He was watching a movie and ran into my room, slightly breathless and concerned, and said "Mommy, will you keep me safe?" I said "Henry, I will always keep you safe" and he responded, without a second thought, "And God loves me!" He smiled and wrapped his arms around himself. It was a really sweet moment...love that boy!

Another one, while I'm on the subject...the other day we were outside working in the backyard. Henry came over and said "Mom, I'm going to guard." I had no idea what he was talking about. "What?" "I"m going to guard!" I still didn't get it. Getting frustrated, Henry said, "Guard! Like what I do with my gardening gloves!" Ha ha, simple mind!

And lastly, a few weekends ago we all walked to Lawson Field to play (where we discovered that Gray HATES grass, but that's a video for another day!). Henry and Eric were throwing the football around when two people showed up to walk their dog around the field. Henry yelled "Mom look! Fans!" He thought they were there to see his impressive football skills. :)

Easter!

2011-04-27T16:50:00.000-05:00

We had a great--but busy--Easter last weekend. Eric was in the middle of a deadline at work, so he came home for the Good Friday evening service (so good!) and then headed back to work until 3:30 am. Yuck! That kind of threw off our whole Saturday morning. We enjoyed a late lunch with the Jahnke side on Saturday afternoon, and then came home to quickly dye Easter eggs before it was too late! Henry loved it, of course.

when I saw this sport kit at Target, I knew I couldn't pass it up!
remember when Henry called Easter eggs Easter balls two years ago? :)

not our best work! Henry's enjoyment made up for it though

On Easter Sunday Henry woke up to find a ribbon running all around the house, from his doorknob to where his Easter basket was hidden. We had a quick indoor Easter egg hunt (Henry would have rather just eaten all the candy than spend any time hunting). We went to a beautiful church service and then had lunch at Bradleys, but were lucky enough to have Sandee & Andy there as well. Not many people can celebrate Easter with all the grandparents at the same time! It was a little chilly but I still made Henry wear the cute plaid shorts Memaw bought for him months and months ago. (Gray, on the other hand...his don't fit anymore, even if I had wanted him to wear them! Thankfully we had some nice pants from Gammie on hand!)

Brothers on a swing. So thankful to celebrate the true meaning of Easter,
especially when I think it means for these two sweet souls!

You may notice that there are no Easter bunny pictures. Even if Henry's mascotophobia didn't exist, I think the Easter bunny is super creepy and don't like the thought of subjecting my kids to him! Have you seen those eyes--so unnatural! :)

To Gray: Month Ten

2011-04-27T16:31:00.000-05:00
Dear Gray,

100% Gray!

Time marches on--you aren't getting any younger! Same old same old this month...you and Henry kept me way too busy to really record any milestones, and I'm not sure we took any pictures beyond the few I snapped this afternoon! Yikes. But still, I will try to recap the highlights here so I can remember them when you are old!

You are definitely getting older and want to be more independent! I marvel at how I can set you down in the family room and you will move from toy to toy, totally entertaining yourself for large chunks of time. Henry never did this--it continues to amaze me how different the two of you are! You are enamored with the play kitchen, a toy that got stuck in your nursery because there was room and it needed a place to go, but now it totally makes sense. You love the miniature whisk and enjoy dumping the container holding all the wooden pizza toppings! You also adore playing with any ball that Henry has, and if he leaves one behind you quickly crawl over to claim it. Rory--another favorite. If she catches your eye, you make a beeline for her and energetically pet her. Sometimes she tolerates it, sometimes she runs off. And then there is Henry. One of the best parts of this month was watching the two of you really start playing together. You wrestle, throwing your body on top of Henry's and letting him roll you over. Man, the two of you can get each other laughing! You already have such a special relationship and I love watching it develop.

standing supported and starting to try to stand by himself

I finally bit the bullet and put you in 18-24 month clothing, after a good friend mentioned that her also-large but months-younger son was wearing 18 month pants. I know what I was doing, being a Bradley and following the "rules" to a T (12 months after 6 months...), but child, you couldn't not have been comfortable in those 12-18 month pants! I'm sorry. Even the bigger size is tough to get over your hips (I guess you have my hips-sorry again!) but inches long in the legs. Fashion just won't be our strong suit for a while. :) You're still wearing size 4 diapers, but I put a leftover 5 on you at Memaw's house and it was none too big!

You were a champion sleeper this month. I don't remember the last time I had to get up in the middle of the night with you! You still go to be pretty early, between 6:00 and 6:45 depending on naps, and will sleep until 6:30 or 7:00, cooing happily to yourself for about a half hour before demanding to be rescued. You take two naps, consistently spacing everything, except the end of the day, out about two hours. Awake for two hours, nap for two hours, awake for two hours, and so on. Some times you fall into bed, welcoming sleep, and sometimes you stand and cry for a few minutes before giving in to slumber.

this is how Gray thinks he should go down stairs...scary!

This month marked the end of breastfeeding and the beginning of self-feeding. After your nine month appointment, your pediatrician more than encouraged me to transition to formula-only, as everything indicated that nursing was not getting it done for you! I have to work to get 24 ounces in you a day (8 when you wake up, 4 after each of your naps, and 8 more before bed), but you love solids! We started working on table food this month, and you have tried (that I can think of right now) banana, apples, cubed cheese, steamed carrots, strawberries, blueberries, black beans, egg whites, and of course, Cheerios! Nothing is a huge favorite yet; it seems like every other time you have something you enjoy it. You still tolerate being spoon fed, enjoying yogurt, applesauce, prunes, zucchini, and all your old fruits & vegetable purees! I foresee that coming to an end soon...you love being in charge of what goes in your mouth! We worked with a sippy cup for a few days, but you were not amused so we'll try it again in a few weeks.

You are making progress towards walking but are not really close yet. You can stand by yourself for a second or two and are very good at cruising along furniture (and even transferring between the coffee table and the couch). You continue to crawl with great speed! Although you don't really have any words yet, you recognize the names for Mom, Dad, Henry, and Rory, and will look in the right direction when asked "Where's so-and-so?" Yesterday while Memaw was babysitting you found a framed picture of me and Dad and you started pointing and laughing. You do love your family! You understand the word "no" and obey--most of the time! Rory's water and food fascinate you, and more than once we've pulled dog food out of your mouth, much to your chagrin! You can pull over the baby gate with your weight, so it's futile to keep you out of the kitchen. You also enjoy garbage cans and pulling up on toilets...yuck! Stairs are no problem for you, and I'm grateful that we only have a few, and only in the basement. I'm trying to teach you the signs for "more" and "all done," but you prefer creating your own signs--banging both hands on the high chair tray for "more" and wiping everything off the tray for "all done!" A few times you've gotten your fingers together into a "more" sign, and each time you got lots of applause and praise! Maybe next month...

We had a few warm days this month and a lot (a lot a lot a lot) of cold, gray, rain, and even snow. On those nice days, though, you let me know that you are NOT going to be okay with being held or restrained in the stroller--you are anxious to explore the wide world of nature on your own terms! This summer is going to be a lot of fun...and a lot of work!

Gray, you're you and no one else, and I am totally in love with you. Thank you for being ours!

Love,
Mom

Meet Minnie

2011-04-13T22:39:00.000-05:00
Before any rumors get started, the recently mentioned new member of our family is not a baby, or a pet...not any living thing, for that matter. It's a minivan. Yes, a minivan. Eric & I took the plunge, aged ourselves 10 years in the time it took to sign the paperwork to make it ours, and now proudly, er, comfortably drive around in a much larger vehicle than we're used to. Although it is still a bit of a shock to see a van in our driveway, it is incredibly wonderful to not have to maneuver Gray into his carseat through a tiny opening in the Volvo, to be able to pop a DVD in to entertain Henry ("long" trips only!), and to actually have space to seat a person not in our immediate family. Actually, we can now fit two of our family in the van!

Nobody seems to understand this, but Eric found a great deal on a Honda Odyssey (leather seats, DVD player, sunroof...all the things we wanted) in Fredericksburg, VA. Before we even knew what was happening, Eric & I each had one-way tickets to DC booked for a Friday evening (April Fool's Day...if only this was a joke). It ended up being a very fun mini-trip for the two of us.

I left Wheaton for Midway at 5:00 pm, we arrived at my college roommate Lesley & her husband Christian's rowhouse just blocks from the Mall at 11:30 pm, enjoyed a quick but delicious breakfast with them at Ted's Bulletin the next morning, drove an hour south to Fredericksburg, and by 4:00 Eastern time we were on the open (expensive! crazy tolls on that drive) road, bringing Minnie back home to meet the boys. We pulled in a few minutes before 3:00 am, collapsed into bed, and the rest is history!

I may or may not have gotten a little excited about seeing monuments...my inner nerd totally came out! Can't wait for Henry & Gray to be old enough to be dragged through DC!

our lovely rental car...glad to leave this monster behind

l
Kate & Lesley outside Lesley & Christian's house...such fun hosts!

here she is...Minnie!

Eric is actually more excited about having the van than I am--because he can haul stuff without borrowing someone else's car!

A special thanks to Sandee & Andy, for watching Henry, and Mark & Sarah, for watching Gray, all on very short notice!

Thanksgiving 2010...Better Late Than Never

2011-04-11T15:08:00.005-05:00
Thanksgiving...November...yes that was almost six months ago! But the only way I remember anything is through this blog, and I'd like to remember what a fun week we had in Arizona! So bear with me, as I continue our virtual photo album.

Swimming! It was really cold this week, but we were able to warm the hot tub to the perfect temperature and it was just the right size for Mr. Henry to "swim" in.

We watched old family videos (I mean old...1987 old!) and Kirk was bored out of his mind. Suddenly he LEAPT out of his seat. What excited him? Only the fact that my grandmother was wearing the exact same sunglasses that he had brought on the trip with him! Good times.

The young marrieds ran the Anthem Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.
Nobody brought the proper attire for running a race in sub-freezing windchill. We all looked ridiculous together!

Kirk may or may not have been registered as a female....

We survived!
After showering, we had our Thanksgiving dinner at the Club. Here Gray and Caroline are modeling their "we are kind of pretending it's warm but really it's cold" holiday best.

Thanksgiving bib, a Henry hand-me-down that actually fit!

It was one of those entertain-the-kids don't-get-to-relax type meals...

Unfortunately our dinner reservation and Kirk's big game coincided...iPhone to the rescue! Kirk discreetly viewed beneath a folded napkin.

Eric's lifelong dream, now lived out every time we go to AZ...pizza by the (or in the) pool

Memaw took Henry to Sunset Course a few evenings.

We introduced Mom & Dad to the much-hyped Settlers of Catan. It's always a treat to play games with them!

Thanks to Memaw & Papa Boo's babysitting skills, Kate, Eric, Kirk and Caroline got to go hiking! We had a great time, until I fell down and got crabby. Actually, my hand still hurts when I push on it...no joke.

Here's the view from where I fell...I guess I'd say it was worth it.

Because it was too cold to be in the water, the boys needed to get clean some other way. Here we are, trying to be creative and fun!

This was back when Gray still hated bathing (now he bounces up and down at the mere sight of the tub, as he tries to crawl his way in!). He was in the water only long enough to soap and rinse.

Arizona, Illinois, and everywhere in between...this kid still has to get his hoops in!

Catch Up

2011-04-11T13:52:00.010-05:00
While I'd love to organize this into a thousand neat little themed posts, that is a little too overwhelming and time-consuming right now! So here it is, a random and scattered look into our lives over the past couple months...take it or leave it!! In no particular order...

Gray's Dedication, College Church, March 20th

the two Bops

I don't take it for granted that we had nine "greats" able to come celebrate Gray's dedication with us. Some kids grow up not even knowing their grandparents, and Henry & Gray are able to spend time with nine great-grandparents on a regular basis. We are blessed!

boys with grandparents

Gene & Sherry

Hank & Grace

Bob & Shirley

Ken & Ev

Margaret

photographer Sarah, who never gets to be in pictures

loving the space our addition gives us!

ladies on the couch

the spread in the dining room

On stage at church! Henry did great until the prayer, when apparently he had his hands down his pants. :)

my boys ready to perform!

Memaw's college friend Susan visited for a week and became a third grandma to my boys

meanwhile, back at the dedication, it took a whole bunch of adults looking silly to get good pictures of the boys

Henry played in a storage bin (don't lecture me about safety, he was in no danger)

and used his "animal eyes" to find a duck protecting her eggs at the park!

speaking of parks, as soon as it got a teeny bit warm we started frequenting them!

Henry still loves baking (and licking the snickerdoodle beaters)

Gray still likes eating

Gray playing with his dedication present from cousin Madeleine

Henry's nap schedule has been a little off kilter--here he is after falling asleep watching a DVD on a no-nap day

"baby treadmill" at the park!

he loves it!

Gray gets stuck in the stroller...

...while Henry and Mommy shoot hoops at Hawthorne.

This is how Michael Jordan stands. We are reminded of this often. (Go Bulls!)

We got to spend some alone time with sweet Gray while Henry & Gam visited California for a week! (Man, life is easy with one!) See their adventures at Hilary & Paul's blog, sfbriants.blogspot.com!

Gray has gone mobile and loves exploring

playing with measuring spoons

Henry still loves Lucky Charms (and Mommy tries to keep them out of the house)

and he also still loves taking lots and lots of random pictures

Gray feeds himself on the floor, poor kid!

Stay tuned for some more catch up posts (Christmas, anyone?) and an update on the newest addition to our family!

2 at 9

2011-03-24T22:34:00.009-05:00

Henry at Nine Months
18 lbs 8 oz.

27 1/2 inches

He was walking, remember?

Gray at Nine Months
23 lbs 9 oz
29 1/2 inches

He's nowhere near walking, but he crawls really efficiently!

They may be different, but at nine months they were both SUPER into this garbage can.

For reference:
Henry at 12 months
22 lbs 29 1/2 inches

Henry at 15 months
23 lbs ("w/ clothes & shoes" as his chart says)

To Gray: Month Nine

2011-03-20T19:15:00.007-05:00
Dear Gray,

Happy three-quarters of a year outside the womb! The months are flying by faster and faster, and we've arrived at the constant-observation stage. I think I blotted this stage from my memory, but spending time with cousin Madeleine at Christmas and in Cabo quickly reminded me, although I convinced myself it was still far in the distance with you. Nope! You're a speed crawler, getting from point A to point B and back again in no time at all, and you have to be watched every second. Your favorite places to crawl to are the back window, which you bang on as hard as you can, the coffee table, which you pull all the books and puzzles from, the mirror in Mommy & Daddy's room, and the under-stove drawer in the kitchen. You've pulled yourself up to standing on the coffee table once and in your crib once (although that shouldn't happen again soon, since we lowered your crib to the bottom position today), but usually you just pull up onto your knees and hang out there.

As for your schedule, I thought the time change would change your bedtime from 6:15 to 7:15, but instead you started going to bed at 5:45! Thankfully that was short-lived, and tonight you went down right at 7:00 (although 30 minutes later you're still singing to yourself in your crib). You split nights 50/50, half the time sleeping through, half the time waking once. I'm hoping that by next month I will have better news in that category. You are also 50/50 on nursing and bottles, and sadly I think that the bottles are going to keep on increasing. My two (two!) trips away from you this month probably put the nail in that coffin, and while I'll continue to try to nurse for as long as you'll agree, I'm really not that into starving my babies, and that's what seems to be happening if you don't get some formula each day.

Two trips away, you ask? Yes, I spent two nights away from you twice this month, once to go to Florida with Memaw and Aunt Lina, and once to visit Aunt Lina & Uncle Kirk in Denver with Daddy. I really think it is important and good for parents to have extended breaks, and I think those were the first nights I've been away from you since you were born! I'll be honest, it was really nice to get some breaks and not worry about naps/meals/entertainment for you and your brother all.the.time. BUT each night when I returned home, even though it was past my bedtime, I snuck into your room and woke you up. (I know! I broke my most sacred rule and actually WOKE the baby!) The smiles that I got when you saw that it was me above your crib were so preci0us. You were wonderful for Gammie, Daddy, and Memaw & Papa Boo while I was away, though, so perhaps I need to take more nights off in the future. Ha!

This month you also got both of your top front teeth, but boy was it a long process! You also started grinding your teeth together, a horrible sound. When you don't have a pacifier in your mouth (it seems to help with teething crankiness) you babble on and on, your favorite "word" being agua. Bilingual already! You started off with a sweet little "hi" and then became fond of "bababababababall." Today you were even making what sounded like the beginning of "dada!" Hearing your little voice melts my heart...I can't believe you're old enough to be "talking"! Other firsts: moving up to the Crawlers nursery at church (which you got kicked out of today because of a silly runny nose), some 18 month size clothes, self-feeding of snacks, and fear of people in black puffy coats. I started giving your hand a little smack and saying "no" when you are touching something you shouldn't (opening drawers, trying to eat cords) and so far you've responded really well. Most of the time you'll just turn away and find something new to crawl after, and when I have to physically remove you from the situation you aren't defiant and don't throw fits, which I am thankful for (although I know that could change at any moment).

Last Wednesday Henry & Gammie headed off to California for a week, and it has been such a treat to get to spend time with just you. This afternoon you were able to crawl wherever you pleased for at least a half hour, without being told to get off the basketball court or having to be moved from room to room while we keep Henry busy. We miss Henry, of course, but getting to indulge a second-born for a few days feels really good. I think you are going to start getting bored, though, without a constant flurry of activity to keep you occupied! You did enjoy playing with Henry's favorite Thomas ball today though. Shh, don't tell!

Sweet boy, you are delightful and easy and happy and laid back and everything wonderful in the world. You fill my heart to bursting with joy. I love you.

Love,
Mommy

To Gray: Month Eight (and three quarters)

2011-03-12T21:08:00.000-06:00

definitely on the move!
Dear Gray,
Your eighth month birthday passed with barely an acknowledgment that it was the end of a very busy month for you!

size 4 diapers
convertible car seat
two teeth!
went from 2 to 3 meal of "real" food a day
peas, green beans, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, banana, avocado, applesauce (and you don't like store bought peas!)
12-18 month clothes
crib mattress moved down
2 naps, bed at 6:15
crawling! not conventional but you definitely get around
trip to Kansas
sick most of the month

Sweet boy, you are so loved. Although it is only 8 days until your nine month birthday, I couldn't skip month eight because of all the excitement and growth it held for you. You're on your way to being a real boy and not just a baby, and as much as that breaks my heart, I love it at the same time. Can't wait to see more and more of "you" to come out.

Love,
Mommy

Grays first word

2011-03-12T17:45:00.001-06:00
Any guesses?

YouTube Video

Ball!

Glutton for Punishment

2011-03-12T14:47:00.005-06:00
Henry & I experimented with making our own popsicles: one applesauce, one orange juice, and two apple juice. I ended up with the orange juice one, and Gray...well, he wanted it really badly. So I let him have some.

As you can see, he must've decided that it wasn't so bad, because now the popsicle is almost gone!

He made this ridiculous face when I held it just out of his reach.

If you wondered what Henry is doing while Gray generates blog fodder, he is constantly moving, avoiding the camera, and shooting hoops. Always.

Hungry Boy

2011-03-09T15:56:00.008-06:00
I know I never finished (okay, I barely even started) Gray's 8 month letter, but if I had written it I'd have said something about the fact that he could eat all day, every day. Rarely does he reject food, and literally every time he finishes a bowl of fruits or veggies, he throws his head backwards, arches his back, and starts crying. It is really pitiful.

Anyway, point being, I just introduced Gray to puffs. Sweet potato and mango are the only kind he's had so far (they are delicious! Mommy & Henry steal a few every time) but he looooves them. I fed them to him at first, but then realized that he really needed to work on his hand/eye/pincer grasp coordination, so then I made him pick them up himself. Needless to say, he mastered the art of getting food to his mouth pretty quickly. Now he's attempting to master the art of pulling himself up to food that hasn't been offered to him.

puffs in orange container, empty blue plate, baby trying desperately to reach either one

such enthusiasm

Mommy took pity and put some more on his plate

straight to the mouth!

he also didn't really know how to chew, but he figured that out quickly as well

when it became too difficult to use his hands, Gray started bringing his mouth to the food instead of his food to his mouth

the clean up crew, err, Rory, heads in

prefers the plate to nothing at all

I happened to catch Gray's first real pull-up onto the coffee table!!

very proud of himself! (he subsequently toppled over)

aaaand we're back where we started!

Dunks and a Free Throw

2011-02-28T21:29:00.002-06:00

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video
He got fouled.

A New Littlest Jayhawk

2011-02-23T07:23:00.003-06:00
This weekend we made our fourth (fourth?!) annual trek with Sandee & Andy back to Lawrence for some chips & queso and Kansas basketball.

Gray was a happy addition to our crew. He was an angel baby.

The three of us shared a row, and Henry got to sit with Gam & Gamp.

Our first stop, after settling in to our home-away-from-home, Springhill Suites, is Free State Brewery. I can't tell you how many times Eric & I have salivated about those chips and that queso. Unmatchable. The beer's not too shabby either...

On Saturday we donned our crimson and blue and walked up and down Mass St. Henry was promised a visit to the Jayhawk store (Jock's Nitch), and we made good on that promise. Normally when we visit in February it is bitterly cold and often snowing. This year, however, it was a balmy 60-70 degrees during the day! Delightful! Perfect weather for strolling up and down Mass.

Then we handed Gray off to Uncle Steve, Aunt Melodee, and Haley, and the rest of us went to ~~The Promised Land~~ Allen Fieldhouse.

Still an awesome place to be for a game, even if some people think it's like a cult. :)

YouTube Video

Henry was not feeling well at all during the trip, but I still think he had fun at the game (despite looking TERRIBLE!).

He did not want to see the Jayhawk, and with him not feeling well I wasn't going to push it. He did want to try to play basketball on the court, but this is as close as we got. Poor Mike the court guard got yelled at for letting us even this far onto the court! Sorry Mike.

Apparently the game wore both of these boys out!
YouTube Video

We reconnected with pseudo-crawler Gray and the Overland Park relatives and all enjoyed a delicious (I thought) Chinese meal at a nearby restaurant. We didn't get any pictures with them though, sadly (Haley, do you have any?? Send them!). Then it was bedtime back at the hotel.
YouTube Video

We didn't really have plans on Sunday, so after breakfast at Milton's, naps, and packing up, we left the hotel and headed for Kansas City. We ended up at the College Basketball Experience, an "interactive" museum. Or you could call it a gym, because that's what it was! Lots of fun, even for short Henry. Funny that the one we didn't have to pay an admission fee for got the most out of the experience!
YouTube Video

This kid, despite feeling quite sick and not having a nap, played himself ragged. He was totally exhausted, as evidenced in how quickly he fell asleep on the airplane! His baby brother, however, objected to sleep and happily sucked on anything within arm's reach.

And then we were finally home, in our own beds, ready for another busy busy week ahead. Although these quick weekend trips get complicated as we add more little bodies, they are still fun and I know we'll appreciate the memories down the road!

Happy (day after) Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T20:01:00.003-06:00
Would it be wrong to lead you to believe that Henry & I actually made these wrapped-with-hearts-and-covered-with-red-sprinkles banana muffins on Valentine's Day?

That's what I thought. Happy V-Day anyways!

Clotheshorse

2011-02-14T17:08:00.003-06:00

As you can see, Gray is super excited about the 12-18 month clothes bin! Mommy, on the other hand, is mourning the loss of her little baby (if you could've ever called him that).

And a shot of the little teeth that are causing so much interruption to my REM sleep. This photo also showcases the infantile acne and snotty nose.

This one is for Aunt Lina, who wanted to see the tiptoe attempted crawling maneuver.

Then Gray Woke Up...

2011-02-06T19:46:00.004-06:00
Just a few more after Gray joined us.

Isn't this supposed to be outside?!

Mom, is it okay?

Looks kinda fun!

Brr!

This is cold. My fingers hurt.

Henry's better at this stuff than I am.

Mom, you play too!

More Snow

2011-02-06T16:04:00.003-06:00
We got nearly three inches of fresh snow this morning, and with Daddy working all.weekend.long, Henry and I are trying not to go crazy just staring at each other! Instead of going outside to play in the snow, we brought the snow inside!

I asked Henry to look at me and smile and he replied, "I can't Mom. I'm really busy." I guess this was our compromise. :)

This has given me a good ten minutes of solo play...just long enough to get this posted!

When Life Hands You Snow...

2011-02-03T20:44:00.005-06:00
...make snow cream!

All you need is

1 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

a bowl of fresh snow

and an unwilling (and post-nap crabby) helper.
An extra angry glare, just to make sure I got the point.

1. Send angry helper off into the hinterlands to gather snow (or, the backyard).

2. Mix all ingredients. Stir intently.

3. DO NOT forget to sniff the mixture repeatedly.

4. Put snow cream in a dish. Smile as creepily as possible.

5. Eat and enjoy! Repeat until snow is gone.

Double Rainbow

2011-02-03T12:32:00.003-06:00
The latest You Tube sensation... Too funny not to share.

The Original

Autotuned

Snownami

2011-02-01T21:10:00.003-06:00

while the weather outside

is

frightful

i'm inside making

warm chocolatey memories

mixed with baileys!

(don't worry, my babies are safely sleeping)

big guy

2011-01-31T12:38:00.001-06:00
if you tell me he'll be walking in six weeks

i will cry.

Gray's Perch

2011-01-27T10:42:00.000-06:00
This is Gray's new spot. To the right of the fireplace, protected from falls by the ottoman.

He really likes to play here, with his bucket of possibilities in front of him.

He takes out every toy, one by one.

Then he picks up the basket and makes sure there are no more toys hiding in the corners.

Then, in a playful mood, Mom puts the basket on his head.

He's not sure what to think about this.

After freeing poor Gray, we fill the basket up and start over!

Yay!

more than meets the eye

2011-01-26T15:27:00.004-06:00
you might think

he's just peeling carrots

but he's really

making a baseball field!

To Gray: Month Seven

2011-01-20T14:07:00.009-06:00
once again, this was written on the 20th and I'm still waiting for the Gray/Mommy picture...

Dear Gray,

Here we are at seven months old. I still think of you as a newborn sometimes, wondering when you will fall into a rigid schedule, what you will be like when you're "older," feeling as if we are months and months away from any sort of mobility. In reality, you are closer to one than you are to birth. Mothers who weren't even pregnant when you were born are already in their third trimester. If you follow after Henry, you will be walking in less than 2 months (although, thank goodness, I am pretty sure that's not happening!).

This month was filled with more big events for little you. You celebrated your first Christmas (and celebrated again, and again, and again...) and took your first trip to a foreign country. Not many seven-month-olds can say that! (Well, actually, no seven month olds can literally say that.) You took everything pretty much in stride, napping wherever you could (car seat on the beach, anyone?), playing with non-toys (feet & socks are a new fave), and breaking the rules of new-food trying by eating peaches before we were technically supposed to (thanks, Madeleine!).

When our family wasn't traveling or celebrating, we were sick. First we all passed around a cold that lasted from Christmas to Mexico, and after we got home we shared a mysterious 6-10 hours stomach flu. You remained mostly immune to that, thank goodness, although several extra-messy diapers have me wondering if that was your way of participating. Runny noses and a pitiful cough didn't seem to bother you much, though, and I am SO thankful that you have gone this long without getting any ear infections. You are such a go-with-the-flow kind of guy, weathering any unusual circumstances particularly well. What a perfect second-born!

I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but nighttime is still hit-or-miss with you. Two nights ago you slept from 8 pm to 6:30 am, but last night you were up at 2 and 5:30. We could probably remedy that a little bit if I would be diligent about waking you at the same time every morning, but I have to admit that it is kind of nice to have the first few hours of the morning alone with Henry before being greeted by your smiling face at around 9! You still take three naps and their lengths always vary, sometimes 3 hours, sometimes just over 1. Like I said, I keep thinking that someday they will work themselves into a normal schedule, but now I'm going to say that "normal" for you is unpredictable! It seems to work for us, though, as you still rarely fuss or get cranky.

You've spent a whole other month in your infant car seat, meaning you can't have grown that much in your sixth month. Nine month clothes have been put away, though, and some 6-12 month pants might be getting a little bit short in the next few weeks. I've been diligently checking your gums for any evidence of toothage, but have yet to see any action! That is fine by me, though. Teeth always make babies seem so much more grown up, and I'm happy to keep you a baby for awhile still.

This month we finally started solid foods, and my, do you gobble them up! We started with oatmeal cereal, but you easily ate the recommended starting amount times four so we quickly moved on to "real" food, first squash and then sweet potatoes. You've also had peas (which you detest unless they are hidden in another vegetable) and one taste of peaches. We've got to stay away from more sweet fruits, though, until you are really used to more vegetables! I even made some of my own food for you, something I never did with Henry and always regretted. It's about time to make up another batch, though, as the first is almost all gone. Next up: green beans, carrots, and avocado! As far as nursing goes, you are totally distracted and can hardly stand to be still long enough to get a decent meal in. Even in a dark quiet room you are able to find the spokes of the rocking chair infinitely interesting, which has been a bit trying for me! You also always seem to be hungry (probably a combination of traveling and holiday schedules messing up supply!) so I've conceded to a formula bottle before bed. To be honest, it makes me feel a little like a failure, but it helps you settle down peacefully instead of upset, so we are going with what works! We used our last bag of frozen milk, so if you're not with me, it's going to be formula from here on out! Sorry, kiddo. That stuff smells nasty.

What else do I not want to forget about this time in your life? One of your new favorite activities is sitting with your little toy basket, taking each item out individually, inspecting it, and then setting it aside. This can keep you busy for a good 15 minutes, as can setting you down in front of the mirror. You really do love the baby on the other side! You've started being very interested in whatever Henry is doing (see: distracted eating) and would love to chew on all of his things if he'd let you. You finally like bathtime-all it took was one bath with Henry and cousin Madeleine and a couple dips in the hot tub and now water is your friend. Another cute thing-whenever you hear Daddy's voice at the end of the day you perk up and give him giant smiles! So sweet. Oh, and you now get up on all fours and rock for a few seconds before collapsing back down, exhausted. You really want to crawl, though, so I'm bracing myself for re-babyproofing and keeping the floors a bit cleaner!

Gray, little guy, you keep things just interesting enough. Lately Henry has been talking about how, when you're bigger, you are going to share a room. As he processed that (excitedly), he asked, "But Mommy, who will sleep in the crib?" I told him, "Well, it might be empty for awhile, or maybe by then we will have another baby." Henry got very animated and said "Yeah! We could have another Gray!" Sweet boy, he got it just right. This family, and the world, could use as many Gray's as it can get. We love you.

Love,
Mom

Cabo

2011-01-09T21:15:00.002-06:00
Photos of our trip to Cabo can be found by clicking Eric's Picasa Photos.

Henry is ready!

2011-01-02T06:51:00.001-06:00

If Henry was in charge of packing we'd all be naked but sporty!