Raspberry Picking

He wanted to run EVERYWHERE!
He got dirt on his hands and wiped on his shirt like I taught him!
The tractor ride is the best part.

Henry's First Haircut

To market

Came home today with some beautiful flowers from the market. There was a ton of produce but when the vendors stand there smoking over their "fresh" fruits and vegetables...it just turns me off. Call me crazy. So I'll go to the organic market tonight where people actually care about breathing.

I'm mildly obsessed about our upcoming vacation. I keep making animal sounds for Henry and wishing we could do some kind of farm activity to get revved up but it's been raining so my plans have been foiled.

Tomorrow begins an entire weekend of working. Ugh!

Navel Idea

As I often think in images, I was thinking about how it feels to be a mom and related it to being yanked around by a rope tied to my heart all day long.  Somehow that made me think of the umbilical cord and how I've really lost sight of how important his little belly button once was.  That little landmark of a body part represents how we were once literally attached but now stands independent and thriving away from me.  However, emotionally, he has a noose around my heart and I'm inclined to follow him around all day long, for better or for worse and take care of him.  Even when I TRY to ignore him and pee in peace or sleep an extra hour in the morning and sneak away to check an email...he tugs at our imaginary lifeline and I'm back at his disposal.  

Today we were in the car on our way to my mom's house and we were at a light just listening to the radio.  In the two minutes we had been in the car I hadn't heard a peep out of him so I turned to look at him and smiled.  He flashed me back a huge smile, like we had just shared a private joke.  I love being attached.

Planning a vacation

It became apparent we need a getaway...just the three of us. No family waiting for us at our destination, no friends to coordinate time with. Just. Us. Disney in late August wasn't too appealing and I found myself craving something different, something familiar. I did some googling and stumbled upon the perfect vacation for us...a farm vacation.

We are staying at a working farm bed and breakfast where roosters will wake us in the morning and we get to go out and collect eggs for breakfast and Henry can pet the kittens or feed the goats and Erik and I can sip orange juice on the porch rocking chairs. Lancaster county has so much to offer...one of the main points being the Strasburg Railroad which always happens to be home of the biggest Thomas the Tank Engine stores ever. PERFECT for Henry.

We are also planning on going to the Dutch Wonderland...it's a small-ish theme park with a water play area.

I'm looking forward to REALLY dark nights with lots of stars and letting the sound of crickets lull me to sleep. The same experiences I had on my grandparent's dairy farm will be so fun to share with Henry as he grows up.

Future pitcher

Once he discovered he could throw, he's been training his arm ever since. Erik has declared him a left-hander but I've seen him switch on and off. He's best at throwing his food. At the end of breakfast there is little floor visible underneat the pieces of waffle and banana. Now pieces are making it into the hallway.

He just started being able to throw a ball overhand too!

Uh-oh

He has perfected the uh and the oh and uses it appropriately. It's often used as a warning as well. As in "uh oh" and then the water bottle gets thrown across the room. Now I can prepare for such catastrophes.

Today we went to the public market and bought some beatiful daisies. Seven stems for 4 dollars. How can you go wrong? We also picked up some farm fresh eggs, natural beef patties and 6 chocolate chip cookies for the cousins. On the ride home, Henry gets sleepy in the carseat. Anything that's in motion lulls him to a hypnotic state. However, there is one song on the radio that ALWAYS gets him dancing. "Damaged" by Danity Kane. The beat just moves him.

Right now he sleeps soundly in his crib for his afternoon nap. Three hours of bliss for Mama.

Ahhh.

Beachy Keen

He is a sponge. He absorbs everything so quickly that I feel like my brain is sucked dry. There is always something new to learn. Always something new to point to and to give something a name. Is there a better gift to receive than to hear him say "boat" for the first time? To see his little lips curl around his emerging teeth to form the "b" sound. Or to watch him run after the surf and squeal when it comes back to bite at his ankles? He sends to me a new message now. At birth the charge was to protect him and nourish him with all of my being and now it's to delight him with all the world has to offer. The zoo, the library, the ocean, the forest. I think the world was created for children...it's our fault as adults that we grew up. I've been given a second chance.

Finding the focus button

And zoning in on what's really important.  So much more to come.