Oct

O: Year 1

This one year business is legit… my little buddy is one year old now.

Olan bae has really come a long way since month eleven. He is finally fine with picking up his own food and chomping on it himself! It’s a miracle! What progress he has made! He is drinking through a straw, and has given up the bottles very effortlessly it seems. This last week I have cuddled up with him while he drinks away the last of the good stuff from the freezer before bed. I am going to miss this phase in a way! But also so thankful to put away washing bottles and the like for awhile. We made it a whole year, the goal has been reached! Praise the Lord.

I love the emerging little dude that we’ve seen this month… the other day, all the way from his room he heard the tickle ruckus that daddy and Evie were creating in the living room and crawled his whole self into where his family was and joined in on the fun. He turns the pages of books and loves to touch and feel and flip and peek around in books. I have thoroughly enjoyed this with him! He’s pointing at specific things (the light whenever he gets his diaper changed), trying to say words (not real successful yet!), is the hungriest hippo in the west (he loves to watch me cook, just like his sissy, and will pace and moan in the kitchen until you give him a handout or pick him up), his adventurous side has him crawling under beds to get stuff, he’s got a calloused knee from crawling all over tarnation (his peg leg crawl is pretty adorable), and he’s taken a special interest in cars and balls and hammers.

The good-bye wave is finally coming along, he gives high fives without a thought, he points at what he wants, he can show you his hair, he is beginning to understand basic commands like go get it and come here, water is still his favorite method of mess making, he knows how to throw his food (not cool… already had a few hand slaps to stop this naughty habit before it begins!), and he loves making noises into Evie’s karaoke microphone. He’s all of 26 pounds and 32 inches tall!

His top two teeth are now IN (he is much more apt than Evie was to lett us know he’s getting a new tooth), he sleeps like a doll, is a happy human being (unless he’s hungry and sees that you have food you might be depriving him of), and loves giving real hugs and reaching for people he loves! I will take a big bear hug any day from this sweet bear of mine. Gosh darn it, Olan. I love you! Happy birthday little buddy.

Disclaimer: This photo shoot was probably one of the worst I’ve had. Olie was so squirrelly and would NOT smile one little bit. He just pranced around with his face to the ground or a rock in his mouth and whined the whole time until I got a snack out. So the only smiles you see are ones where he’s stuffed his face with Teddy Grahams. Little punk! Ha ha! I am disappointed that his one year old pictures didn’t turn out magical, but these will have to do for now. Better luck next time, dude.

2 weeks ago Short URL Comments

Life/Photos

2017/baby boy/birthday/family/love/olan/one/september 20

Sep

To My Sweet Olan

Hey Olie-O!

One year has passed since I got to meet you, Mr. Olan Charles Henry, for the first time. A day before my own birthday, you were a sweet addition to our family. All three of us were so stoked to have a baby bro in the mix, and over the course of the last year, that stokedness has grown into a fierce love for you.

I never actually thought I’d have a boy in our family. I always figured since our family was full of girls, we’d probably follow that trend and have a houseful of girls too. I really didn’t know what to DO with a boy… and though I’m still not fully sure what I’m doing, I have learned a few things along the way. Many more lessons to come!

I have seen time speed up this go around, and your first year went lightning fast. The things I remember are sweet memories I will cherish forever. Your sleep position while you slept in the bassinet in our room, the crazy white blonde mohawk hair you had that everyone doted over from day one, the way you’d wrap your hands around my arm as I nuzzled you before you fell asleep, your squinty-eyed smiles, that look of pure satisfaction as you drank your milk in my arms, your silly crawl (you crawl on one knee, and use one foot to go fast), your love for your sister, the giggles you gave me when I pretended to nibble on your belly, that pout-pout lip. Gosh you are adorable.

The firsts are so special this year: your first tooth, your first real bite of food, the first time you held your own bottle, the first day I dropped you off at Jamie’s Garden of Giggles (and the first time my 6th graders met you… they were in love), the first night you slept in Evie’s room. All of these are priceless!

Olan, you are one blessing from God. I pray for you often that God would make you into a leader who follows after Him with all of your heart, that He would give you friends to walk through life with who would influence you in a Godly direction, and that you would be filled with wisdom, generosity and love for people. I know that God is faithful, and if you make the choice to listen to His voice, you will be used by God.

As much as I don’t want to see this first year move into a second one so quickly, I am grateful for the year we have had with you. It’s been a journey for me to learn how to have two in our family, but you have made this transition worth it. I can’t imagine not having you in our family now, and I am so thankful that God chose you to be a Henry. You make me so proud, little buddy! Stay sweet.

Love you so much!

Momma

4 weeks ago Short URL Comments

Life/Uncategorized

2017/birthday 1/olan letter #1/olie/one

Sep

Olan is One!

My sweet babe is one year old next week! Contrasted to Evie’s first year of life that seemed to actually take a real year of time to pass, Olan’s first year has gone by at warp speed. We love our little cutie all the same though!

Olan’s party was a little bit crazy. While we had September 16 on the calendar for Olan’s shindig, the week before we had scheduled his party, Hurricane Irma brought our Holly and Ray into Kansas territory for the time being. A few days earlier, my dad told me that he hadn’t thought about the date, and that he was performing a wedding down in Goodland on Olan’s party day, so he wouldn’t be able to make it. Mom-in-law, Janine, had already informed me that her ONS workshop was the same day as the party, so she’d have to slip out and miss part of it.

All of this culminated on Friday evening. Since so many conflicts were coming up and Holly and Ray were going to be in town (!), we decided, what the heck? Why not throw the party tomorrow? We had pretty much everything ready to go except a cake plan. We spent the next morning and afternoon putting together our home for our baby boy’s one year birthday party. Evie and I ran all over town getting food and last minute items, and we went at it!

The party was a success! Not only did it push us to get a few more house projects done (i.e. deck lights! Yay!), it was pretty great to be able to have our family around for a beautiful evening of fun. (Sad to have missed a few guests, but you were with us in spirit!)

The “cake” ended up being “O Henry” bars, a bit atypical for a one year old’s birthday treat, but fitting for our little O Henry, and he seemed to enjoy it, as he wore a little chocolate goatee while chomping! I went with the Mo Willems’ Pigeon book series theme, complete with a hot dog party (the Pigeon’s dream come true in the books). Thank you, Miles Wolters, for the inspiration! 🙂

Gifts included the coveted Skip Hop iguana backpack and matching water bottle (he loves already!), a bike helmet, a hammer toy, Halloween costume, the awesome John Deere dump trucks, books, clothes, and the bouncing donkey toy.. ha ha! We gifted Olie with a new car seat for Evie so that Olan can have her old seat… good thing he’s only one, pretty sure that won’t fly again. He also got some punch balloons and a new Lightning McQueen car from us. He’s a spoiled little dude!

Thankful to the Lord for all he has gifted us with in Olan.