Grateful.

Periodically, Henry still wakes at some point during the night and wants to come into our bed. Since his father is such a huge softie on this point, he is allowed. Last night, he was in there before I was.

I laid down and I felt Baby S #2 start to kick me, as it normally does at night. At the same moment, I felt Henry's warm, chubby little foot lodge into my back and start to kick me as well.

It occured to me then that there were so many times I laid in bed and wondered if we would ever have one baby to love. The fact that we have been given two is just unbelievable to me and I am so grateful.

Funny Little Henry-isms

Henry is just on the cusp of really being able to talk. He knows a ton of words, but is really just starting to string them together. Most of what he says that is not single words sounds like jibberish. He has made up his own signs and gestures for things that he wants to do, but doesn't know how to say. For example, he has this elaborate arm swinging gesture with a shooshing noise when he wants to pour something. Or, he pretends to chew if he sees me with gum. When he wants me to chase him he runs in place.

He runs really fast but keeps one arm cocked and swings it wildly. It looks hilarious.

Whenever anyone walks into the house, he can't rest until they take their shoes off. He will follow them around badgering them until they do.

When Adam comes or goes, if he gives Henry a kiss first Henry makes sure he gives me one too. Way to have my back kid!

Same thing with sharing. Anything he gets a bite or sip of he makes sure is offered to "Mama"

He loves to jump now with both feet and actually gets some air. I'm sure the apartment below us is thrilled with this new development.

He tries to dress himself but everything winds up going over his arms first. Today he was running around with his shorts on his arms.

He has a very elaborate bathroom routine, which includes wiping the seat. Mind you he won't actually use the toilet.

He mimics everything Adam does, from the hair product he uses to putting on deodorant. He dries off just like Dad and taps his toothbrush to shake off the water.

He does a little wave in restaurants when he wants to ask for the check. That one kills me

When he wants something that you have, like a sip of your coffee, he brings it over to you for a sip and then makes this hopeful little face and smacks his lips.

Catching Up

Sorry for the long hiatus since my last post. Since we last spoke lots has happened.

We went on our Second Annual Schnell Family vacation to Montauk in the beginning of August. We stayed at The Surf Club, the same place we did last year. We had a wonderful time, barring the fact that Henry had a very high fever and was just not himself the first few days. Our poor little guy who is normally such a flexible traveler had such a hard time. He was clearly uncomfortable but wouldn't take his medicine. He also wouldn't sleep in his bed so we spent the entire week getting jammed in the solar plexus by his tiny but very strong foot.

Vacations certainly have a different flavor than they did in the past. The schedule is dictated by meals and naps, and the whims of a very tiny dictator. One day he might love the sand and water, the next day forget about it. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason.

We have also just come out of another phase of fairly bad separation anxiety. In mid-July, we had to leave Henry out at my brother's house while we went to a wedding. Although we came back that night, we have never actually left him somewhere before. The very few times he has had a sitter has been at our house.

To say that he took it hard was an understatement. Kevin and Julie said he was fairly inconsolable for almost an hour after we left. After that he just sulked on the couch. Once they left to do some activities he cheered up, but the aftermath has been unpleasant. Until just this past week, he has been terrified of us leaving. Poor Adam was having to leave for work with Henry going into absolute hysterics. He has not really wanted to play with his friends, either at our house or theirs. When I would bring him to the park he would beg to go home or just refuse to get off my lap. It was so sad to witness, it is almost like he was going through a little life crisis. He seems to be coming out of it, but he is still not totally back to normal.

He is so much more little boy now than he was. He can put on his own shoes, wants to help dress himself, is very interested in the toilet and loves to play with little cars and trains. He is learning new words every day and is just growing up before our eyes every day. He also has such a good sense of humor and is a lot of fun to be around.

We may need to move...

We may need to leave our neighborhood. I think the local shopkeepers are going to have Henry's picture on the wall soon as a known tantrum thrower and store destroyer.

Fun Police

Having fun with a toddler is just asking for punishment. Why? Because at some point, the fun needs to stop and then the tantrum begins. Just thought I would share that little tidbit from my day.

This kid cracks me up

We go to the pool most mornings and I have gotten Henry into the bad habit of expecting a drink from the machine in the locker room. Most of the time it is bottled water, sometimes a Snapple iced tea for thirsty preggo mom.

I discovered last week that the machine didn't take dollars, only change. I told Henry that we couldn't get a drink because I didn't have enough change. I looked down at him and he immediately started digging his hands into his little pockets. I couldn't figure out what he was doing and then it dawned on me. I asked "Henry, are you looking in your pockets for change?" He got a big smile on his face and said "Yeah!"

When we got home he found two quarters on our foyer table and stuffed them into his pocket. I guess he wants to be more prepared for the next time

My Little Fish

Henry loves the pool so I signed him up for the free swimming lessons given in our neighborhood. He is an official member of the Tots Swimming Class which I think is just adorable. The first class went OK. He was very put out by the fact that we couldn't go into the kiddie pool and was none too thrilled to go into the big pool. I think he hates being immersed that much and being held.

He liked the first part where he got to jump off the side of the pool to me and putting his face in the water. Beyond that he was not too thrilled with the rest of it and was screaming to get out. Every time I set him on the side of the pool he would run away and I would have to wrench myself out of the pool and run after him. Let's hope tomorrow's lesson goes a bit more smoothly.

Busted!

Adam isn't a big sweets fan and gives me a hard time for sneaking Henry ice cream, cookies etc. He took Henry to the park yesterday before dinner. They came back to the apartment and I asked if they had a good time. Henry immediately shouted "Yeah!" and then "Aye-Aye" which is how he says ice cream.

I asked "Did Daddy buy you an ice cream?" and Henry again shouted "Yeah!" Apparently Adam can't resist Henry's charms either.

Vigilante Justice

We often go to the same playground in the morning and run into a lot of the same kids. There is one little girl named Agatha who is two months younger than Henry and about a head shorter. I doubt she weighs eighteen pounds. To say she is small is an understatement but she doesn't let anyone push her around. Recently she has taken a shine to Henry.

He brought his dump truck to the park last week and left it unattended. Another kid picked it up and tried to play with it. Aggie marched right up to the boy, grabbed it out of his hands and said "NO! Henry's!" She then sweetly returned the truck to it's rightful owner.

Could he be any sweeter?

Despite his many tantrums and his refusal to give me a kiss, Henry is such a sweet boy. For his age, he is very good at sharing. Some things hurt him more than others to share, but he never gets grabby. He just looks at me with these sad eyes just asking me to step in.

Today we were at his friend Elliot's house to play. His mom set out a large bowl of grapes on the floor for everyone and she and Elliot were eating them. Henry looked at me to see if he could take some and then walked over to get one. After a minute or so he went and picked up the entire bowl. I wasn't sure what he was doing until he came right up to me offering the bowl and said "Mama?" asking me if I wanted some!

This evening Adam got home a little early so we went to Carvel for dessert. Henry lost all interest in his little cup of vanilla once he got a taste of Adam's float. He fought Adam back and forth to get as much as he could. At one point he grabbed it out of Adam's hands and handed it to me, giving Adam a dirty look. He was so excited about what he was tasting that he just had to have me try it! And he was going to force Adam to share with me whether he was interested or not.