Henry and Friend

Henry hung out with one of his friends the other day. James is about 2 months older than Henry. It's cute to watch them start to notice each other and play together.

"Birth Junkie"

For those of you who know me, you know that I'm a birth junkie. If you spend any amount of time with me, the topic of pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding will inevitably come up. I volunteer for a local chapter of a statewide not for profit group called Birth Matters Virginia. Last month I was interviewed by a reporter for an article about the birth culture in Harrisonburg. The article was printed this weekend in the Saturday Magazine. We are grateful for the publicity and excited about the buzz!

What a Week It Was!

My poor little man had a rough time last week. Still no teeth, so I'm not sure what was going on. He seems to be happier now.

He did start pushing up on his hands and feet. He looks like a little creature when he does it :)

I became pretty desperate at trying to entertain Henry. He liked the basket on his head for about 15 seconds.

Henry's First Fort

Over the weekend, Mike took Henry into the bedroom to get changed. After quite awhile, I went looking for them and this is what I found. Mike and Henry had built their first fort and were hanging out inside. It was rather toasty in there! Henry thought it was very cool. I think Daddy thought it was even cooler :)

I've also been meaning to post a picture of that blanket. I finally got around to making Henry's blankie a few weeks ago. It happens to go well with his puppy, Wolfie (seen in the second picture down). Now Henry just needs his REAL puppy!

So, today was a busy day filled with work (for Mike), babyshower (for Geneva), and a JMU basketball game for all. We watched as JMU crushed Morehead State. Of course we had to arrive early for one of the limited number of James Madison Bobble Heads. This will make it to Mike's desk at work!

Not So Happy Henry

Look at those cheeks! Henry has not been very happy for the past few days {or nights}. He has been drooling like crazy for months now, I really thought some teeth were on the way back in October. His cheeks became very rosey today, so maybe, just maybe we'll see something soon. He's definitely not himself right now :(

I saw the Loch Ness Monster!

Just like the Loch Ness Monster, I wasn't convinced that 2 hour {or 1 hour} naps really existed! Henry is quick with everything. He nurses for 5 minutes {maybe} at a time, gets upset as soon as we stop at a red light, and has always taken 45 minute naps MAX! Last week, he fell asleep on the way home from the gym. It was a nice day, so I pulled the car up to the front door. I left the car door open and the front door open and worked on some projects in the living room. He ended up sleeping for 2 hours! I kept going and sitting beside him in the car to make sure he was breathing :) I can't tell you how wonderful that was. I couldn't believe how much I was able to get done. And I found that I felt refreshed from Henry's nap. Way to go Henry!

Since then I've learned a new trick. My sister told me that Gracie and Caleb went through phases where they needed a blanket under their knees to sleep. Henry has been waking himself up when he kicks his legs. We haven't had another 2 hour nap yet, but they are definitely getting longer.

Borrowing Posts

Until I get time to post these pictures myself, check out my sister's blog. Henry spent the day with his cousins earlier this week. They had a blast. It's fun to watch Henry start really enjoying to "play".

Almost Bath Time

I got Henry undressed for his bath last night before realizing I hadn't wiped out the tub and ran his bath water :)

Vicarious Living

A friend of mine from college, Elise, has just arrived in Brisbane, Australia. She will be living there for 1 1/2 years and going to graduate school. I am so excited for her. She flew out there by herself. She doesn't know anyone in the city and she has no permanent place to stay yet. She has started a blog to share her adventure.

Day at the Park

Mike came home from work today and wanted to take us to the park! The weather has been unseasonably warm this week and the sun was out. Henry had fun exploring everything Purcell Park has to offer. We can't wait for more warm weather and time with Daddy.

Swing Away!

Henry became awfully comfy in his swing :)

Worn Out!

A day at the park guarantees a good nap for Henry!

So Proud of Himself

Henry has been working very hard at becoming mobile. He is so proud of his progress :)

Henry has been spending a lot of time like this the past few days.

A few minutes before, Henry was hanging out in the middle of the blanket (notice the spit up!). He is very good at scooting himself into a corner.

These videos would be so much better if I would just be quiet!

The Hinckley Challenge

I received a forward today that I thought I would share with everyone. A prophet of the world, Gordon B. Hinckley, passed away last week at the age of 97. Some people have put together a challenge and website to honor our prophet. The challenge is to read the Book of Mormon in 97 days. I know this is not a prophetic challenge, but I hope this will help me develope a better habit of reading my scriptures on a daily basis. So, I have a little chart on my blog to show my progress. PLEASE encourage me if you see me slacking :)

For anyone wondering what "my scriptures" are...check this out.

President Gordon B. Hinckley on the Book of Mormon

"I take in my hand the Book of Mormon. I read its words. I have read Joseph Smith's explanation of how it came to be. To the unbelieving it is a story difficult to accept, and critics for generations have worn out their lives writing books intended to refute that story and to offer other explanations than the one given by Joseph the Prophet. But to the open-minded, this critical writing has only stimulated them to dig deeper; and the more deeply they dig, the greater the accumulation of evidence for the validity of Joseph Smith's story. Still, as has been demonstrated for a hundred and fifty years, the truth of the Book of Mormon will not be determined by literary analysis or by scientific research, although these continue to be reassuring. The truth about the origins of the Book of Mormon will be determined today and tomorrow, as it has been throughout the yesterdays, by reading the book in a spirit of reverence and respect and prayer."( "Praise to the Man," Ensign, Aug. 1983, 4)

If the Colts can't win it...

The Swinsons love the Mannings! Being the Colts fans that we are, the Patriots are getting on our nerves :) Even though Peyton couldn't beat them this time...WAY TO GO ELI!!!

ICE ICE baby

We woke up Friday morning to our world covered in ice. So so pretty.