luggage, letters, locomotives, life.....

In two months it will be 2011, the end of the year always leaves me wondering where the time goes and how can we ever really capture our life wholly and completely?

Sometimes I feel like life is like luggage on a baggage carousel going round and round...just when you think you have a good grip on it, it slips away, back on the carousel....waiting again for the moment to be able to pick it up and hold it in your arms with a sure grip when suddenly, you lose track of it again...

When we are young we have such a clear, neat vision of how life will be, a poem of sorts; a symphony of words laid out carefully and meticulously....in actuality, life is more like a game of scrabble, words put together awkwardly at times, being stuck with that "K" that doesn't meld with the rest of the vowels you are holding, so you patiently wait, sometimes at the mercy of someone else's letters...And every once in a while you are able to put all your tiles together to form that perfect sought after seven letter word. Now, did the person before block your spot? Sometimes yes, sometimes no....but you focus and find things you never thought you could have had, with enough patience that triple letter space even opens up from time to time and you react quickly to seize on the opportunity....in the end you spent the time with people who you enjoy and made the best of the letters you pulled out of that darn sock...not very poetic, but that sock is really very practical...

Michael is two years a three months, today is literally the three year anniversary of his conception....I remember I had a faint cramp in my left side, an indication that ovulation had commenced, and I knew with every fiber of my being that that day a baby would be made...the rest as they say is history...

Michael is such a bright light, so fun loving, gentle, compassionate, and smart in ways I could not have ever expected. He now sleeps in his big boy bed (albeit butted up against mommy and daddy's bed), and lately every waking moment is about Thomas the Train Engine and all of his friends...Thomas, James, Henry, Percy, Emily, Culdee, Gordon, Toby...etc...He loves his guys with a passion and we tote them around just about every where we go these days.

This weekend is daylight saving, that glorious Saturday night when the clocks magically turn back and we awake feeling very refreshed after that extra hour...I always feel so satisfied to get that hour of my life back...every moment counts doesn't it......

Can't post video

For some reason, my videos are not posting...will hopefully get them up real soon ya hear!

Measure of Success!

So often over the last several months, I have come to the Blog to make an entry and have been met with a sort of "writers block", which I think in true terms means a "fear of failure"...I am not witty enough, not inspired (or inspiring) enough, not interesting enough...and the list goes on....

In reality, in the eyes of my son (Michael Henry if you haven't figured that out by now), I am the funniest, wittiest, most exhilaratingly inspiring and interesting character on the face of this planet! At the end of the day what better measure of success is there in life! One might proclaim, "Well, he is just a toddler with a limited frame of reference!" To which I profess (with chest in full puff) "Nonsense! He just has an impeccable sense of all that is AWESOME!" Incidentally, I still think all of the aforementioned things about my mommy and I am 37 years old, so I may not be that off base here, in any case, it gives me something to continue to live up to for the rest of my days, and that is one challenge I delight in!

Over the past several months, we are continually amazed with how clever, funny, and remarkable Michael is. The most important thing to me is the realization that your child has a conscience and is truly connected. When mommy or daddy seem sad (or sometimes just do the pretend cry bit) Michael immediately stops what he is doing to come over and console us with a loving hug and a gently rested head in our lap. To call it heartwarming would be an understatement! With autism being so rampant, it makes me sad to think that there are so many parents waiting to be met with that spark of connectedness from their child. On a hopeful note, with organizations such as Autism Speaks, we seem to be making better progress on that front than we have in the last several decades and some findings seem promising.

I can go on to brag about how many words Michael says, how athletic and coordinated he is (if I didn't have such high hopes for a neurosurgeon or something of that nature, I would venture say he has all the makings to be a Yankee pitcher one day), how well behaved he is, but rather than go on and on about that, I choose to just dazzle you with some photos and videos! ENJOY!

Happy 1st Birthday Baby Boy!

One year ago today begun the best journey of my life, the single reason for my existence. Michael Henry entered this world and has captivated everyone in his presence ever since.

As I sit and write this, I am filled with a deep feeling completeness. Having Michael Henry in our lives has fulfilled us with a depth of gratitude and fulfillment that can not be measured in words....

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!