Let me count the ways...
I love that you smile when I sing made up songs to you, and that you coo at us every morning. I love that you stick out your bottom lip to let me know you have had enough time in your bouncy chair. I love watching you in your little bathtub because you have so much fun. I love that you seem so big screaming your head off at home, but seem so tiny when we bring you out in the world. I love your chubby cheeks and legs, and that you kick of your socks within five minutes of putting them on. I love that you pee on the doctor's scale every visit, and poop just as I finish changing your diaper. I love that you protest a little bit when I let someone else hold you. I love that you refuse to be swaddled and sleep with your arms over your head. I love the sound you make when you are pretending to cry. It sounds like mwahhhh.
I love everything about you. If I ever doubted for one minute my mother's love for me, having you has made me realize what a silly thought that was. (Although love and driving her crazy are two different things.)
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Henry Weighs In...
I belong to a group online that consists of about 150 women who were due in October and now have babies Henry's age. There are lots of posts on different topics, but a recent one regarding "Your baby's routine" got me thinking. I asked Henry to weigh in with his thoughts. Of course, thanks to Oprah, I had no problems interpreting his version. Here it is...
Well, I guess you could call it a routine...
Wake around 7:30am, eat in bed. Coo and smile at Daddy until he leaves for work. Grunt, groan and cry and then finally poop. Wait until Mom has closed diaper tabs and maybe zipped pajamas back up and then poop again.
Fuss until Mom paces the entire apartment with me her shoulder. Pass out. Mom lays me in my Amby hammock and turns on the monitor. Wait with my eyes shut until I sense that she has just put the conditioner in her hair, but not yet washed her body. Once it is in her hair, start screaming. Forget about waiting for her to shave her legs. That might make Daddy pay more attention to her and less to me. She comes out dripping wet and flash her a cute smile...
Let her lay me on the bed and pretend to look at the pretty watercolors of Bermuda while she tries to get dressed. As soon as she gets her bathrobe off, cry until she picks me up again. It is fun to watch her get dressed REALLY fast and have to comb her hair and brush her teeth while holding me. Sometimes, I just stick out my lower lip and let it quiver while tears pool in my eyes. My pediatrician says I am very advanced because I have real tears already!
Fall asleep on her shoulder again while she tries to make breakfast with one hand. Silly mom will then try to put me in my bouncy seat while she eats breakfast. If I am feeling nice, I will let her eat a little before waking up again. But, it is a lot more fun to sleep on her lap while she eats. Lots of my PJs have food stains on them but it is worth it!
Finally she gives up and puts me in my stroller. Make her push me around the neighborhood for an hour while I sleep like a king. Once we get home, I rest a little longer in my stroller. No sense sleeping in my nice comfy hammock or crib when I have this stroller! Sometimes, I will sleep long enough for her to eat a slice of pizza or something while we are out. But, just to keep her on her toes I crack open one eye periodically. This forces her to rock my carriage back and forth with her foot while she tries to read her book. She needs the exercise anyway!
Repeat this routine of eating, sleeping, smiling and crying whenever she puts me down all day. I will play for a while and do my tummy time so that she has sometime to report to the pediatrician. Once Dad gets home, let him take one quick walk down the hallway with me before he puts me to sleep in my bed. Stay in there for 2 hours napping peacefully so he can show Mommy how EASY it is...
Right at 10pm when Daddy goes to bed get very alert so that Mom has to stay up really late with me! Finally, go to sleep about two hours later but insist on sleeping next to her in bed with my arms spread wide so that she is very squished in the middle. Get up every 2-3 hours all night long (peeing through my diaper onto my pajamas once for good measure) so that she doesn't forget about me. Start it all again the next day!
Special ways to mix the routine up...If she decides to get really brave and take me shopping in the baby bjorn, I pant and swing my head back and forth in her cleavage so that she gets really embarrassed. I like to make sure strangers know how I get my food! Or, if she decides to take me on the subway (carrying my stroller down three flights of stairs) I wait until we are 10 minutes from home and then scream at the top of my lungs. Strangers start to ask if she has a "bottle of milk for me or something." Wait until some nice old lady gives up her seat to my mom and she has to take me out of the stroller on a crowded, moving train. Stop crying immediately!
Signed,
Henry R. Schnell
Well, I guess you could call it a routine...
Wake around 7:30am, eat in bed. Coo and smile at Daddy until he leaves for work. Grunt, groan and cry and then finally poop. Wait until Mom has closed diaper tabs and maybe zipped pajamas back up and then poop again.
Fuss until Mom paces the entire apartment with me her shoulder. Pass out. Mom lays me in my Amby hammock and turns on the monitor. Wait with my eyes shut until I sense that she has just put the conditioner in her hair, but not yet washed her body. Once it is in her hair, start screaming. Forget about waiting for her to shave her legs. That might make Daddy pay more attention to her and less to me. She comes out dripping wet and flash her a cute smile...
Let her lay me on the bed and pretend to look at the pretty watercolors of Bermuda while she tries to get dressed. As soon as she gets her bathrobe off, cry until she picks me up again. It is fun to watch her get dressed REALLY fast and have to comb her hair and brush her teeth while holding me. Sometimes, I just stick out my lower lip and let it quiver while tears pool in my eyes. My pediatrician says I am very advanced because I have real tears already!
Fall asleep on her shoulder again while she tries to make breakfast with one hand. Silly mom will then try to put me in my bouncy seat while she eats breakfast. If I am feeling nice, I will let her eat a little before waking up again. But, it is a lot more fun to sleep on her lap while she eats. Lots of my PJs have food stains on them but it is worth it!
Finally she gives up and puts me in my stroller. Make her push me around the neighborhood for an hour while I sleep like a king. Once we get home, I rest a little longer in my stroller. No sense sleeping in my nice comfy hammock or crib when I have this stroller! Sometimes, I will sleep long enough for her to eat a slice of pizza or something while we are out. But, just to keep her on her toes I crack open one eye periodically. This forces her to rock my carriage back and forth with her foot while she tries to read her book. She needs the exercise anyway!
Repeat this routine of eating, sleeping, smiling and crying whenever she puts me down all day. I will play for a while and do my tummy time so that she has sometime to report to the pediatrician. Once Dad gets home, let him take one quick walk down the hallway with me before he puts me to sleep in my bed. Stay in there for 2 hours napping peacefully so he can show Mommy how EASY it is...
Right at 10pm when Daddy goes to bed get very alert so that Mom has to stay up really late with me! Finally, go to sleep about two hours later but insist on sleeping next to her in bed with my arms spread wide so that she is very squished in the middle. Get up every 2-3 hours all night long (peeing through my diaper onto my pajamas once for good measure) so that she doesn't forget about me. Start it all again the next day!
Special ways to mix the routine up...If she decides to get really brave and take me shopping in the baby bjorn, I pant and swing my head back and forth in her cleavage so that she gets really embarrassed. I like to make sure strangers know how I get my food! Or, if she decides to take me on the subway (carrying my stroller down three flights of stairs) I wait until we are 10 minutes from home and then scream at the top of my lungs. Strangers start to ask if she has a "bottle of milk for me or something." Wait until some nice old lady gives up her seat to my mom and she has to take me out of the stroller on a crowded, moving train. Stop crying immediately!
Signed,
Henry R. Schnell
Goodbye Grandma Marlene
Sorry that I have been away. Adam's Mom passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago. As you can imagine, it has been a sad time for our family. It is tragic when someone so young dies (she was 61), but our sadness is compounded by the fact that she died so soon after Henry's birth. Marlene wanted to be a Grandmother forever. Unfortunately we were not able to give her a grandchild sooner, but we are happy that she at least got to realize this dream and spend time with him before she passed.
She was a devoted mother to Adam and Barry, and would have done just about anything for them. She and Joe were as close as a married couple could be, and did almost everything together. My heart just breaks for them, she was the glue that kept their family together.
I had the pleasure of knowing her for almost 17 years. She readily accepted me as part of her family and included me in everything. She always expressed interest in my friends, and family and during every phone call or visit always inquired about what they were doing and their well-being. Although we were two very different people from different generations, we always had a lot of fun together. She would say lots of crazy things that always gave us a good laugh.
She will be missed.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Date Night in the Schnell Household
A scene from our kitchen one recent evening...
Henry was straight-jacketed (I mean swaddled) in a receiving blanket, sitting in his vibrating bouncy seat with the Dust Buster turned on next to him. He had a cork (oops, I mean pacifier) popped in his mouth and Adam and I were trying to gobble down our dinner before Act II of the evening's entertainment started, a.k.a. Rage-Fest or the Nightly Freak Out.
Henry was straight-jacketed (I mean swaddled) in a receiving blanket, sitting in his vibrating bouncy seat with the Dust Buster turned on next to him. He had a cork (oops, I mean pacifier) popped in his mouth and Adam and I were trying to gobble down our dinner before Act II of the evening's entertainment started, a.k.a. Rage-Fest or the Nightly Freak Out.
Sleep Deprived, Poorly Dressed, and Now Paranoid?
The first is self explanatory, the second is because none of my pants fit and apparently I only own work clothing. Yes Mother, I am going to go shopping. I promise. Let me explain the third...
The couple that lived in the apartment before us was an older German couple. The lived here for 50+ years. By all accounts, they were perfectly lovely people. I have never asked, but I have a sneaking suspicion that one or both of them died in the apartment (natural causes).
A week or so back, I just felt like I saw a blur pass me in the dining room and felt like little Henry and I were not alone. Spooky I know. I figured if it was a ghost, it would probably be the lady and since she was nice, I consoled myself that at least she would be a friendly ghost. I put it out of my mind.
Then, a few nights ago I was sitting in the living room with Henry around 12:30 helping him wind down from his nightly "Freak-Out." For those of you who have not had the pleasure of experiencing this, it is when your newborn intermitently cries, sleeps, eats every 10 minutes like you are starving them, swats at your face, kicks their little legs, wakes up as soon as you lay them down and demands that you pace the floor to keep them sleeping. This can go on from an hour or it can last as long as a few hours. Fun way to spend an evening, I'll tell you that much! I have taken to hiding in the bathroom when Adam gets home from work. My eyebrows have never looked better. Anyway, back to my tale...
I have a box of Henry's smaller toys that I keep in the living room. A few of them were laying on the floor where we (I) had been playing with them earlier. One of them is a very annoying set of keys that makes various noises when you press the buttons. One of the noises is a chain rattling. I was sitting with him near the window, perfectly still. All of a sudden, the keys start making the chain rattling noise and then shut off. It scared me, but I tried to ignore it. About 2 minutes later, it happened again. I swear the hair on the back of my neck stood up! I was now convinced we had a ghost and that she was watching me in the living room! I hot-footed it to the bedroom and practically hid under the covers. Yes, I remembered to bring Henry with me. He hid under the covers too.
I was so scared that the poor baby didn't get a diaper change at his 2:30am feeding because I didn't want to go back into the living room!
The couple that lived in the apartment before us was an older German couple. The lived here for 50+ years. By all accounts, they were perfectly lovely people. I have never asked, but I have a sneaking suspicion that one or both of them died in the apartment (natural causes).
A week or so back, I just felt like I saw a blur pass me in the dining room and felt like little Henry and I were not alone. Spooky I know. I figured if it was a ghost, it would probably be the lady and since she was nice, I consoled myself that at least she would be a friendly ghost. I put it out of my mind.
Then, a few nights ago I was sitting in the living room with Henry around 12:30 helping him wind down from his nightly "Freak-Out." For those of you who have not had the pleasure of experiencing this, it is when your newborn intermitently cries, sleeps, eats every 10 minutes like you are starving them, swats at your face, kicks their little legs, wakes up as soon as you lay them down and demands that you pace the floor to keep them sleeping. This can go on from an hour or it can last as long as a few hours. Fun way to spend an evening, I'll tell you that much! I have taken to hiding in the bathroom when Adam gets home from work. My eyebrows have never looked better. Anyway, back to my tale...
I have a box of Henry's smaller toys that I keep in the living room. A few of them were laying on the floor where we (I) had been playing with them earlier. One of them is a very annoying set of keys that makes various noises when you press the buttons. One of the noises is a chain rattling. I was sitting with him near the window, perfectly still. All of a sudden, the keys start making the chain rattling noise and then shut off. It scared me, but I tried to ignore it. About 2 minutes later, it happened again. I swear the hair on the back of my neck stood up! I was now convinced we had a ghost and that she was watching me in the living room! I hot-footed it to the bedroom and practically hid under the covers. Yes, I remembered to bring Henry with me. He hid under the covers too.
I was so scared that the poor baby didn't get a diaper change at his 2:30am feeding because I didn't want to go back into the living room!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Happy 6 Week Birthday Henry Richard!
Henry had a little cool down period enjoying the soothing sounds of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" under his mobile that Cousin Judy gave at the shower. He coos and smiles at the animals, it is totally adorable. Adam, a.k.a. "The Papparazzi" caught the action on film.
Hanging with Bube and Papu
Henry met two very important people last week, his Great-Grandma Ruth and his Great-Grandpa Jack. They flew up from Florida just to see him. Grandpa Jack summed it up perfectly for all of us when he said "This is a Thanksgiving we will never forget!" As you can see, it was a love fest!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Henry's New Activities
This week, Henry has done a few new things:- He has slept in his baby hammock for the entire night more than once. (He still wakes up every 2-3 hours) As much as we love sleeping with him, he takes up way too much real estate. Also, when he starts to stir I just give the hammock a little push and it swings him back to sleep. Very nice!
- He is starting to smile more consistently. Usually at Daddy, but we will forgive him for that.
- As you can see in the picture, he is holding a toy which is a new skill. It is too heavy for him to really lift, but he can hold onto it and grab at it.
- If you hold the toy above his eyes, he will turn his head completely left or right to watch it.
- When I lay him on the pillow above on his stomach, he can actually move himself forward. His legs are very strong! He lifts his head very easily and doesn't mind laying on his stomach.
- He is much more alert and can now look at you directly in the eyes. He is losing his cross eyed look.
- He is getting longer by the day. He has now grown out of 4 outfits lengthwise, and his sleeves are starting to be too short.
- We are working on new ways to deal with his "fussy" period at night. We have tried giving him a bath, taking him for a walk (not a success!), swaddling him and getting him to go to sleep (just causes him to be up until 2am, and letting him work out his energy. I think that the cause is that he is a very active baby. When we are starting to wind down, he is getting his second wind. I am having some success with having him play on the floor late at night. I let him kick and roll around and burn off some energy. Once he seems like he is getting tired, I swaddle him and walk him to sleep. Seems to be working, it just requires us to accept that he is a night owl! (Just like his mama!)
- He has started to sneeze multiple times in a row like me
- He holds his breath sometimes when he cries like I did when I was a baby
Friday, November 17, 2006
Couldn't he at least pretend?
We have been warned repeatedly about how difficult it is to get a breastfed baby to take a bottle. When Madeleine was a baby, this became an issue because Heather was going back to work part-time. She would cry and struggle, and wouldn't take one if Heather was even in the house. We were told to try when Henry was about a month, so that he would get used to it early.
On Wednesday night, I pumped to make a bottle for Adam to feed him. I started with three ounces, knowing that if he wouldn't take the bottle we wouldn't have to throw it out, we could give it to him with a syringe (which is how he takes his medicine.)
I was thinking about leaving the room so that he couldn't see me and that Adam might have better luck. I didn't even get a chance to get off the couch before Henry was happily eating away from the bottle. It wasn't even one of the special bottles for breastfed babies, it was the one that came with the pump! He didn't bat an eye, and to add insult to injury, he drank that and wanted more!
I would have expected him to at least put up a little fight, in honor of my many hours of service ;) I told Adam if he wants to feed him once per day he can take over the 3am shift.
P.S. (Before anyone gets any crazy ideas, I am not going to pump bottles for people to feed him unless I am not going to be home. The pumping is not that fun where I want to turn myself into a vending machine.)
On Wednesday night, I pumped to make a bottle for Adam to feed him. I started with three ounces, knowing that if he wouldn't take the bottle we wouldn't have to throw it out, we could give it to him with a syringe (which is how he takes his medicine.)
I was thinking about leaving the room so that he couldn't see me and that Adam might have better luck. I didn't even get a chance to get off the couch before Henry was happily eating away from the bottle. It wasn't even one of the special bottles for breastfed babies, it was the one that came with the pump! He didn't bat an eye, and to add insult to injury, he drank that and wanted more!
I would have expected him to at least put up a little fight, in honor of my many hours of service ;) I told Adam if he wants to feed him once per day he can take over the 3am shift.
P.S. (Before anyone gets any crazy ideas, I am not going to pump bottles for people to feed him unless I am not going to be home. The pumping is not that fun where I want to turn myself into a vending machine.)
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