Spring has Sprung

Our latest happenings in pictures..

Henry is 1 and he loves to be outside any chance he can get. I love Spring because of all the pretty flowers that start blooming.

Mother's Day part 2... I didn't get a good photo with Henry on Mother's day so a week later we took one.  Henry & Clark bought me that pot and those flowers for Mother's Day.  That was my mother's day wish, to plant some flowers.  

These babies love to have baths together... This really has nothing to do with Spring, but they are cute.  I love squishy baby bums.

Henry looked so handsome before church I had to snap a picture. He was wearing his new spring tie!

Lovin' the slide... or maybe not.  Haha he looks a little worried.  I think it tickled his belly

I survived my first 10K!  woo woo!  We are all training for Ragnar (except my Mom on the end, she ran for fun)

Henry loves to watch Clark coach soccer.  In this picture he is practicing his headers

Cute picture of my Mom (Nana) with 4 of her 5 grandsons

(L-R) Henry, Max, Jack, Greyson (Merrick is the one missing.  He is too far away in CA)

One Year Old

** I started this post FOREVER ago.  Henry is now 13 1/2 months old :)


Can it really be true that I have a 1 year old?! Clark and I were saying how "grown-up" Henry seems all of a sudden.  Yesterday he was just standing at the coffee table eating a little snack out of his bowl like a big kid.  But then he had a rough night last night and was still my little guy cuddling on my lap and falling asleep.  That is the good thing about this age.  They are old enough to play independently and eat big people food but they are still babies and need to be cuddled.  He has had a runny nose the last few days, but I think it is mostly due to teething.  He is getting one of his molars in.  ouch!  I put a pillow in his crib to keep him propped up a little and for some reason he loves it.  We catch him cuddling with it after he wakes up.  He really likes to cuddle with anything soft, but mostly he loves his donkey!  He has a little gray stuffed animal donkey that my aunt and uncle gave Henry.  Thanks Curt and Barb!  He loves it!

Milestones for 12 months {These are a list I put on my phone and I'm sure I've left things out}

• Screams!! When you move him away from something, or keep him from something he wants he throws his head back and screams.
• walks holding onto something or pushing something
• loves to climb the stairs and is an expert at it now.  All I say is "turn around" and he will turn right around and go down on his belly.  I obviously still make sure I'm there and never let him go down alone. 
• He will point to our nose and eyes if we say "where's mom's nose/eye" but if you say "where's Henry's nose?" he looks at you like you are speaking jibberish!
• He loves to be outside (even in 20 mph winds).  He gets so made if we have to go back inside.  He discovered the slide at Grandpa and Grandma Pierson's house over Easter.  He now loves slides and going to the park
• He has always liked to pull on my hair when he would nurse and he still pulls it when I feed him his bottle.  But recently it seems like he is using it as a comfort item and he will hold it and suck his thumb.  He will also pull my hair in a mean way and kind of do this evil grin.... should I be concerned?!
• He also likes to bite!  He will bite my shoulder when I'm holding him and it hurts!  
• He will play alone for 10-20 min.  It is usually when he is emptying baskets and filling them back up. I love to just watch him play, it is the cutest thing
• He will play peek a boo with his blankets.  Especially at night when he should be falling asleep.
• He will kick his little soccer balls.  I think it's mostly that he walks into the ball and just happens to kick it.  But we are starting him young on learning his soccer skills.  
• Points and grunts/babbles at everything.  When we go to Fred Meyer he loves all of the balloons they have blown up over by the card section.  He just points and "talks" to them.
• He knows that socks/shoes go on his feet.  He will put the sock on top of his foot like he is trying to put it on. 
• Still drinks 3 bottles a day.  We are starting the transition to whole milk. We have to mix a little whole milk with his formula and warm it up so its not too cold. 
• Loves to eat all sorts of fruits.  He hasn't fallen in love with vegetables yet.  They are hit and miss.  But he will usually eat broccoli and sweet potatoes really well.  He also loves cheese.  String cheese & cottage cheese are his favorites.

Picture overload from his birthday--

Birthday decorations

The birthday boy waking up and finding his balloons

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  He is happy to be 1
  
  
  
  
  Trying to walk on his own
  
  
  
  This is what happens when we make him come inside.... 
  
  
  
  
  Then we find his Donkey and all is well again
  
  
  
  
  Birthday Cake
  
  
  
  Classic picture with all your birthday loot. 
  
  
  
  Trying out the new toy
  
  
  
  
  
  

Happy Birthday to Henry!  What a wonderful year it's been.

Bullying

I just read a blog post someone shared on Facebook and it was about bullying. The blog author's nephew has been being bullied at school, and it sounds like no one is helping the poor kid.  It breaks my heart to think of children that are afraid to go to school and feel stress and anxiety because of a bully.  I don't remember bullying being a problem when I was growing up.  No one stole lunch money or stuffed kids in lockers.  Or I'm naive and it was happening all around me.  I'm sure kids were bullied, but it just didn't seem like the problem it is today.  If any of my own children or nieces and nephews are bullied I will become an angry momma bear and get the problem taken care of!  

In my last post I talked about those handouts I was making for my old work.  Well I made one about bullying so I think I will share it.  Along with the link to that blog I read.  People need to be informed! The blog is http://trytobebrave.blogspot.com/  I guess the aunt named it that because the little boy told his mom when he was being bullied he would try to be brave and not cry.  That just about made me cry!  Poor little kid.  Breaks my heart.  

I especially like the part for Parents & Caregivers. Children learn a lot from adults! We need to make sure we are teaching our children how to be kind and how to be a friend.  Remember: Actions speak louder than words.  I hope that little boy can one day go to school and not be afraid.  I hope he doesn't have lasting issues with stress & anxiety.  That is just too much for an 8 year old to have to deal with.  Let's all be a little kinder today, and set a good example for those children around us.