all about dad

Two days of posting in a row -- I'm on fire now, people! Mike has a four-day weekend, so the boys have been all about doing stuff with their dad. Liam and Max got to go with him to Liam's school's "Fall Festival" (Off topic: If schools are so gung-ho about specifying that it's not a "Halloween" party, then why do they want the kids to come in costume?), where they enjoyed hot dogs, treats, and a rousing game of bingo (which kept going until every kid won a prize).


And then there's Henry. If he looks at me like I'm just a giant milk-filled bottle (and he does), he pretty much sees Mike as his own heated pillow, there to keep him comfortable whether he's asleep or awake.



And now, here are some extra cute pictures of my boys, just because:

hands-free operation

And what's Henry been doing lately? Well, he's still sleeping a lot, but he's been having longer and longer periods of being awake and alert, and he's starting to show interest in his surroundings. Most exciting, he's starting to smile. He's done it several times, and in the past day or so, his smiles seem to be getting more frequent and intentional. It's really wonderful. But when he isn't with Mike during the day, Henry can usually be found right at the computer with me, curled up in a sling, which allows me to hold him all the time (something he really likes) but still have both hands free so I can get some work done (something that I like). The baby pouch has definitely been a big hit around here, and I'm totally puzzled as to why I didn't get one when the first two were babies! He is so sweet and peaceful in there, too...

halloween costumes

It was kind of a struggle deciding on costumes this year. Right away, Liam knew that he wanted to be Luke Skywalker. Max, on the other hand, wanted to be Super Why. Then he wanted to be Spider-Man. Then he wanted to be Word Girl. And finally, he decided that he, too, wanted to be "Luke Skywalkers." But that was a problem for Liam because, just like the Highlander, there can be only one Luke Skywalker. Max wouldn't back down, so Liam ended up deciding to go as Obi Wan Kenobi (the Ewan McGregor version) instead. My mom made their costumes (don't they look great?) and they already had light sabers, so it all worked out wonderfully. And in keeping with the Star Wars theme, Mom made Henry a costume too. And I think he's just the cutest little ewok to ever grace the Forest Moon of Endor, or any other heavenly body, for that matter!

liam's great accomplishment

Liam is officially reading! He's been learning sight words and reading these little sight-word booklets for a while now, but the other night, he read a library book to me for the first time, sounding out the words and everything. And what, you ask, was the very first book Liam read solo? It was The Little Cowboy and the Big Cowboy. An odd choice for him, but he seemed to really like it.

busy lately

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks for us! And while I'm good at taking the pictures, I've been pretty lax about finding time to post them. Which is too bad, because we've been having all sorts of fun: We visited the Health Works Kids Museum, the South Bend Chocolate Company Cafe, the park, and the bowling alley; we took a trip to Chicagoland to go to a Halloween party at Ella and Sadie's house, then had a delicious Thai dinner with Mark, Katie, Linus, and Leo; we went with Klaudia and her friend to Little Zoo Boo at Potawatomi Zoo; and the boys have gone to volleyball games with Loni, hung out and Bethany's house, raked leaves, and generally done all sorts of fun things. Tonight, they're headed to another Halloween party, this time at Liam's school, and they're awfully excited about trick-or-treating on Saturday because it's the first time that Mike has been available to go with them (usually he's at work, so they get stuck with me and Loni). So please, enjoy some pictures of the past couple of weeks while I try to get my act together enough to do some real posts soon.

henry at one month

We've been getting the weight question a lot, and Henry is fresh from his one-month doctor visit, so here are his stats:

9 pounds, 2 ounces
22 1/8 inches long

He is in perfect health, gaining weight nicely, eating well, and hitting all of his developmental milestones (which right now consist of looking at faces, hearing voices, following an object with his eyes, sleeping 3-4 hours at a time, staying awake for an hour, and lifting his own head briefly during tummy time). Before next month's checkup, we can look forward to seeing his first smile and hearing his first laugh. We can't wait!

my three sons

Another eventful day. The boys all woke up early, and came downstairs sleepy and sweet, all in their footed PJs, and curled up together in the glider, and then they curled up together on the bed. It was a rare moment of brotherly harmony. I love Max's blank sleepy look and Liam's crossed legs in the first picture, and the way it looks like Henry is telling Max a funny secret in a couple of the other pictures.






Once we got up and dressed, the boys and I headed out to pick up my mom, and then we went to my dad and brother's fire station for their pancake breakfast. I have to say, it is by far the cheapest, easiest, and best Sunday breakfast we get (usually, we just pick a different area restaurant each week). Plus, the boys took advantage of their connections to get a behind-the-scenes tour, including a peek into the fire chief's office, so they were thrilled.

After breakfast, we went over to Hensler Nursery to check out the Fall Fest and get some pumpkins. As usual, they had the winners of their giant pumpkin contest on display.




It felt like a full day already, but there was still plenty to do. Our next stop was my grandpa's house, where the boys got to hang out with tons of great aunts, great uncles, second cousins, first cousins once removed -- all manner of extended family. We were there for a couple of hours, but when Max spilled red soda on Grandpa's carpet, we knew it was time to head home for a nap. And by the time Liam and Max woke up from their naps, Johnny and Erin were here for a visit. The boys enjoyed playing Wii golf and bowling with Johnny, and Henry loved all the attention from Erin. Then it was time to say goodbye, eat some supper, and get ready for bed (for the boys, at least -- I still had work to do, so my bedtime was much later). Another good, but very busy day!

another year

Happy birthday to Mike, who celebrated 35 with a lovely cake baked by Liam and Max. Mike's parents came in for the occasion, fresh from their European vacation, and brought gifts for everyone, including some very special jets that the boys adore. It turned out to be a very eventful day, since we also had a visit from my aunt Dana and cousin Aidan, who showed up to meet Henry and catch up with the rest of us, but a good day overall. And only two months more until I join Mike at the mid-decade mark!

who needs toys?

...when you can use a watering can and some sort of outdoor bench cushion, along with the parameters of Yami and Papaw's porch swing, to create and operate your very own "candy factory" instead? (Not sure about this game, though I suspect it had its origins in our visit to the actual candy factory last winter.) Note the fog in the background -- and this was after we'd already gone out for our now-traditional Sunday breakfast, so it had to be around 11:00 or so.


You also don't need toys when you can just stare at your baby brother staring at his toys...