Happy Birthday to the Hungry Hungry Hen!

There is much to catch up, and I have a gazillion pictures to share, but first things first...

Happy birthday to our sweet Henry!



I can't believe it has already been a year since we first held our 8 lb 5 oz peanut. And I really can't believe that the Henry that races up the stairs, climbs on his firetruck, stands up on top of his rocking ottoman, empties drawers with a purpose, and tries to sneak into the bathroom at every opportunity, is the same baby who for 3 months, refused to even lift his big ol' noggin. Henahen has been walking since June 4, and when he decided to go, he was gone. Life will never be the same, but that's a good thing! It just means we have to start casting safety nets around everything climbable. I mean, when babies are little, it's scary because they seem to be so fragile... but when they start running around, it's a good day if you only have 3 small heart attacks. Per child.

So here is the quick run down.

About three weeks ago, I asked Henry's teachers to let him practice with the basic Gerber disposal cups. About a week after that, I forgot to take Henry's sippy cups with formula to daycare. Fortunately, he had apparently taken to the take n toss cups like a champ, and we agreed he'd drink big boy milk out of big boy cups. About a week after that, we finished our very last ever can of formula - ::angels singing:: We stocked up on take n toss cups, and our Henahen is officially a big boy who is still a baby. Always will be. You hush.

Henry loves to climb. I pretty much covered that above, but seriously, its out of hand. We have to keep the chairs for the boys' little table up on the couch when they aren't being used, because Henry thinks its fun to climb on the table. Henry got a new firetruck for his birthday and he loves to both ride it AND stand up in it as it rolls. He visited Granna and Papa the weekend before last (more about our fourth of July celebration later) and his little stair compass led him straight to the stairs from any point in the house. Over and over and over again. Granna finally decided to let him get it out of his system, and he climbed the stairs six times before we realized just how much was in his system and put the kibosh on that. Henry refuses to participate in the kiddie pool or the slip n slide, because guess what - he wants to climb the steps outside, which are both made of cement and blazing hot. Henry climbs on his little bike in his room and loves to give you his hmph face as he waves his hands in the air, showing off and taunting.

Henry loves bath time, and he and John Dickson have this really hilarious game. John Dickson fills a big cup full of bath water and hands it to Henry to drink. Henry dumps it all over his face, trying to drink it, and the two of them squeal with delight. You see, they have started to learn that if they team up on us, they have better odds. Together they empty drawers, empty the diaper stacker, empty toy baskets, empty book shelves, and they just cackle, because they are faster than us. And they know it. Lord help us.

As wild as Henry can be, he's a very neat eater during mealtime (you know, when we give him bite sized pieces, not when he gets a plate of whole pancakes or a big cupcake...).

Henry use to say bye bye and wave, and he used to have a few signs, but he's since quit all of that. He hasn't really had his first word yet, but we aren't worried. Because SOMEONE ::cough cough:: waited until he was 15 months, and now the little "why" asker chatter box head never. stops. talking.

So on to the big day. Here's how it went down.

Adam, John Dickson and I greeted Henry with the birthday song. As you can see, Henry LOVED it.



We know Hungry Hungry Hen is a milkaholic, and to ensure his birthday went off without a hitch, we went ahead and brought his milk, to make sure he could enjoy his new firetruck without worrying about if and when he'd ever get just one more cup of the good stuff. He then rode his new firetruck to breakfast.



Pannacakes with sprinkles. John Dickson and Henry dined at their little table, beneath the poster John Dickson helped decorate for Henry.



After breakfast, John Dickson headed to school so Henry could have a full day of undivided attention. We mainly climbed on stuff and played a game of "drop the plastic mail down Henry's jon jon and watch it fall out the bottom." My favorite part was when it didnt come out and Henry went looking for it. When Adam got home, we headed out to pick up John Dickson to take him to his very first swim lesson.

Ahh swim lessons. John Dickson was thrilled (partly because this meant he got to eat his dinner out of his Mickey Mouse lunchbox). When it was time to start, he got really shy, but he was a trooper in the water. He learned to use his arms, pretending his hands were ice cream scoops, and of course he learned to kick his legs. They then made the most adorable train I've ever seen. Imagine 7 three year olds, all with noodles under around their front with the ends sticking out behind them, each kid holding on to the noodle in front of them. We were instructed not to take pictures. Sad. And for the grand finale of the first lesson, they went to the shallow end and went down the little water slide. After John Dickson's turn, he thought it would be fun to bob around, going deeper and deeper into the water, while Adam and I yelled at him to go the other way. He didn't hear us and I guess neither did the instructors, because he finally got too deep and the floatation device that is on his back pulled his back right up, leaving him face down on top of the water while we continue to yell at the instructors and finally scream at them to grab John Dickson. My heart hasn't recovered.

We tried to do our best to act like it was no big deal, and John Dickson has decided that what happened was, he was looking for seals under the water. I actually think he's proud of himself for going under. We're proud of him too. That had to be scary.

After we got home, we rounded out Henry's birthday celebration with some cupcakes and another rendition of the birthday song.



All in all a great day for the Hen. We're looking forward to celebrating this weekend with family and friends! Hopefully it won't be the steam bath it was yesterday. If so, we apologize in advance :-)

Happy birthday sweet boy!