I ♥ Da Da

Michael Henry (is 10 months old!)

Dear Michael,

As I sit here and write this, my heart pounds at the notion that time passes at such warp speed, why oh why can't I freeze time! You have been the best, most delicious baby boy any one can ask for. You love to give out kisses, but only to the select few lucky ones, you do so by snuggling up to our cheek, mouth wide opened in full drool, shaking your head from side to side while letting out the most delightful coo! Mommy melts..(daddy cries)!

You have the most beautiful deep colored eyes, the color is impossible to describe, it is like liquid brown and green combined, your eyelashes are so long, and I am so envious of your eyebrows, those are some great eyebrows.

All four of you upper teeth broke through the same day! You barely even winced, you are the bravest little thing. You love to play with the computer and are not altogether happy when we have to take it away from you, but you quickly get over it. Your new favorite thing to do is stand up in your crib after we've put you down for bed, we put you down you bounce back up, laughing, down you go...up you go, and down and up....it takes you a LONG time to tire, but eventually you do and it sleepy time for all.

You love to watch Sesame Street every morning, you love Elmo and Mr. Noodle the best! There is nothing in this world sweeter than the sound of your giggle, oh how we love the sound of your giggle, it is joy in the purest form!

Bella and Simba both love you, but you have a very special place in Bella's heart, she never leaves your side, she has morphed from a cat into a guard dog...she gets very mad at me when I have to aspirate the boogies out of your nose...you hate it and cry and that makes her sad and mad, I hope they will live long enough for you to have a memory of them.

You are still in mommy and daddy's room, and many nights you sleep in our bed and later we put you in your crib. Words can not explain the feeling of gratitude I feel every morning when I awake to find your smiling face peering over at me...I instantly pop up (tripping over myself to get to you), swoop you up, and proceed to smother you with a million hugs and kisses all the while you laugh and smile and let me kiss and hug you for as long as I please. Oh, I how I do hope you always let me do that! We love you Boobie!!!

Spring has Sprung~

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah! Lala how the life goes on...The Beatles

My little infant is growing into a boy before my very eyes. Everyone warned that the time goes very fast and to enjoy every moment, I happily took the advice to heart and truly relish in all of the moments, but never could I have ever realized how fast they grow up. It is so bitter sweet, of course I want my child to grow and progress, but with each step forward is one more step away from the the precious infant that once was...
I was recently laid off (mid Jan.) and what felt like such a hard, painful blow at the time, has come to one of the biggest blessings in my life. Spending every waking moment with Michael Henry is sheer joy! Being greeted every morning with his huge smile (with two bottom teeth and all) is completely sublime!
Michael is approaching 8 months old, and more delicious than ever! YUMMY! YUMMY!
He laughs hysterically when we say things (in that high pitch voice) such as..."DVD", "Vienna Sausage", "Your an awesome baby"...odd and random I know, but when something we say puts him into a fit of laughter, we stick with it.
He is now so curious about the world around him, and delights is hearing his own high pitched squeal and seeing his own reflection in the mirror. His is incredibly social. We take him anywhere and everywhere and he just loves it. He sits up on his own and plays with all of his toys ("his guys") for long stretches of time...he never gets bored, and that is great, because in my opinion only boring people get bored. His sleeping habits are perfect, he loves his crib and is always more than happy to get to bed after his productive days, he also loves his cat naps (sometime only for 20 minutes or so, but enough to rejuvenate). We are yet to come across a food he dislikes.
In the coming months, we look forward to visiting Nonny and Poppy in Fl., Seeing Great-Bubby for her 85th Birthday, visiting Gram and Grandpa in Maryland (for Easter), our vacation in the Bahamas in May...and many, many more exiting adventures!

Santa baby

Michael Henry is just so excited for his first Christmas, I just love this picture of him and had to share. I can not even believe how much I love this child!!

Thanksgiving 2008 in The Garden State

Our first Thanksgiving with Michael Henry was superb. My family was together at Michael and Lia's new home, which is the perfect party house, fully equipped with a “beer tender” and a fire pit. We managed to get through the day (actually twos days as we all stayed the night) with nary a squabble...with the exception of a minor altercation about the rules of Texas Hold Em...which was settled expeditiously enough...
football was watched (and played)…kids rumbled around the house wreaking havoc….wine made me aglow…food and company was top notch and all and all great times were had and memories made.
Michael Henry could not have been more in his element; he loves to be around people and as usual he was simply a complete and utter joy to be around! Michael even participated in the traditional Thanksgiving feast, he had his first bite of sweet potato! He loved it!

blog about a blog -Volume I, Chapter 7

I am simply blogging about this so that I do not forget this idea later on.
Assuming I continue this blog, my ultimate idea is to put the blogs into a book form with each year being a new volume....by the time Michael Henry is 18 years of age he would be the proud new owner of 18 volumes of blog goodness from his mommy!
(LOVE YOU MICHAEL! By now, you may have started reading volume I, and I presume your first semester at Harvard has already commenced...but Harvard or the local community college, I am sure I am very proud of you!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

I have a wonderful halloween costume for our little Michael Henry that I received at the shower my Donghia friends threw for me. I have known what my son was to be for Halloween since before he was even born. Now, low and behold the little pea pod costume is still packed away somewhere in this flurry of boxes (our move has been majorly DELAYED!!)...Once unpacked and settled into our new place, I will be sure to put him in the costume and properly post his first (belated) Halloween picture!

A Halloween thought, memory and recipe....

For all of the parents out there who loathe all of the candy that is around for days, even weeks after the kids trick or treating adventure, I have a friend who started a tradition of letting her kids take 10 or so pieces of candy, then buys the rest from them! They weigh it out on the bathroom scale, and they get 2 bucks per pound (or whatever the going rate may be), she dutifully takes the candy to work and lets her co-workers go at it...everyone is happy! I love that idea!

When I was in grade school, my friend Regan always had a Halloween slumber party, I have some very fond memories of bobbing for apples, doing the "time warp" and staying up all night telling ghost stories...

Black widow martini
2 martini glasses, preferably frozen
1 1/2 ounces Chocolate liqeur
1 1/2 ounces freshly made expresso
1 1/2 ounces Patrón XO Café
2 teaspoons sugar syrup
Hard ice cubes
Garnish: espresso beans and chocolate shavings

Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and then strain into the glasses. Add a few whole espresso beans and float chocolate shavings on the top.