We had ham, and Hammy had sweet potatoes. Yum! It was his first official big boy meal and did he ever love it! He probably would have eaten a six pack of sweet potatoes if baby food was packaged that way. Check him out!
First bite.
Second bite.
Licking the spoon clean.
Cute and messy.
Demanding another jar.
And back to spoon licking.
We took Henry in for his 4 month check up yesterday. He is now 15 lbs. 11 oz. and 25 3/4″ long. I thought he’d be heavier but I guess I’m just weary from carrying him around all the time 
Still, he is in the 80th percentile for his weight and 75th percentile for his height which means he’s a big boy.
Henry’s regular doctor was on vacation so we saw another one in the practice. She was FABULOUS. We’ll probably start making our appointments with her, hope doc number one isn’t offended. She gave us the green light to go full steam ahead with solid foods. She said he needs it because of his large size and superhero strength. She was very impressed with his ability to push up and blow bubbles. I have a genius kid!
After all the good news he got five rounds of vaccines – four shots and one oral. Within about half an hour he had sad face and an overall lethargic disposition. Thanks to that, Justin and I were able to have a meal in a restaurant without having to bounce him on a knee or swing him in the carseat. Just a regular old meal. I forgot how awesome that could be!
Later in the evening he started feeling very crummy. He was inconsolable. He didn’t want to sit up or lay down, didn’t want to eat, didn’t want to play, didn’t want to watch tv. He was just not feeling himself. We gave him a hit of Tylenol which brought his spirits up a bit. Enough to eat all his oatmeal cereal, at least.
He slept like a bear in winter, going six straight hours in the first round, then two hours, then one more. He’s a good boy.
Unhappy Hammy about half an hour after his shots.
I recently read something entitled “Which Words Can You Live Without?” I thought about it and the word that’s making my brain burn these days is TRANSPARENT. As in, “We need our policies to be transparent,” or “this administration needs to be as transparent as possible.”
Is “clear” too dumb sounding? Like, “Am I making myself clear?” That’s so yesterday. Today, I’m making myself transparent.
That being said, enjoy a new picture of Hammy and his first egg nog latte!
Starbucks!
He doesn’t understand that licking the cup isn’t the fastest way to the beverage.
Just half an hour north of Orlando in Longwood, we took a jaunt to Big Tree Park to visit The Senator and his mistress Lady Liberty. The Senator is the oldest cypress tree in the U.S. celebrating 3,500 years on the planet. At the base it measures 35 feet around and it stands 118 feet tall, down from 165 before the top was taken off by a storm. Lady Liberty is only 2,000 years old but just as majestic as The Senator.
Justin in front of The Senator
The Senator
Henry slept through the whole thing.
Lady Liberty. A youthful 2,000 years old.
After we got home it was Jammy Time. Exhausted from his expedition, Henry fell asleep on his play gym.
2009 will be my seventh year working for The Airline. In that time I think I’ve seen just about everything from drunken arrests to poop on the floor to abandoned children. When I worked on the ground, it always amazed me when after making repeated announcements about gate changes there would inevitably be someone who didn’t hear it an miss the flight.
“You didn’t hear any of my announcements?” I’d ask.
“No. No one listens to announcements.”
“You didn’t notice no one else was waiting in the boarding area?”
“No.”
I would mock these people for heir gross lack observation skills.
Today, I became one of those people. I checked in at the gate for my boarding pass and stroller tag an hour and twenty minutes before departure. I then went to the companion care bathroom to go to the bathroom (duh) and feed and change the baby before the flight. I went back to my gate, took a seat and played with my son until it was time to board.
They say time flies when you have kids, and that doesn’t just mean in the day to day or month to month sense. Apparently, it applies to minute by minute because I felt like I’d only been sitting there for ten minutes before i heard something about “Mark Family” and “Pittsburgh” and “Last and Final Boarding Opportunity” on the PA.
My flight was moved three gates down. I don’t know why I never heard a gate change announcement. I doubt it was the agents who forgot, they’re usually pretty on tp of making those announcements. Which means one of thwo things happened. While I was enjoying the silence and privacy of the companion care restroom, the announcemtn were mad about the gate change. Or I was so busy playing with Henry that I just didn’t notice the time or hear the announcements. Boy am I the dummy!
Live and learn, I guess. This is my fourth time flying with Henry, but the first time without Justin to help. Next time I’ll know not to lose myself in playtime wiht the baby. And, yes, I did make the flight with seconds to spare.
I’m such a proud momma. My little boy has a new trick as of last night. He can reach out for his rattle and shake it around. Isn’t he the bestest?
Hooray! Today Henry reached out and picked up a toy for the first time. We love Hammy! He is, as his grandmother says, above average!
Let’s see, we went to Michigan and Henry slept better than he has in his entire 88 day life in a motel in Michigan. How do I replicate this behavior in the real world? It didn’t matter if he napped for six hours or stayed up all day, he would go to bed at 7 or 8 and stay down until 2am. That was one of the best parts of the trip. Sure, seeing family and friends was great, but sleeping for five hours was really unparalleled.
We were there to celebrate Henry’s great grandfather’s 80th birthday, Henry’s namesake. The weather was unbelievable and it was so nice to have everyone there. The birthday party had a huge (and when I say huge I mean the whole poplulation of the town) turned out at the corner bar to celebrate.
Grandpa Mark and Henry catching some zzz's
Great Grandma Mark with Henry
Grandma Mark with Henry and cousin Grace.
Back row: Uncle Clark, Great Grandma Hillaker, Great Grandpa Hillaker, Uncle Dave. Front row: Grandma and Uncle Joe
Daddy and Henry
Grandma Mark and Henry
Grace peeking.
Great Grandpa Lorn Hillaker and Henry Lorn Mark
Grace on the run.
Grace at the bottom of the totem pole.
Grace. Juice. Two great partners in crime.
Henry sticks out his tongue at Great Grandma Hillaker.
And what would a traveling post be without a video of Henry on the plane. Ins’t he just the cutest little thing in the world?
He made it through the trip without barfing on me once. What a guy! But then he pooped up to his shoulders twice. Then again when we got home. That was full-blown gross!
