The Book of Hank

Because we are getting a new caregiver, and just to document this amazing time in Henry's life, I thought I would try to write it all down. Mostly it's for Euline, who will take over Hank's care on September 8 on the 3 days I work. But I thought it would be fun to give our friends and family this look at Hank's life at this moment.

I am writing it as a daily planner - with details that pertain to what is going on at different times of the day.

Wake up: I would like to say that this happens at 6am or later, but sometimes it happens earlier. Henry is getting a new molar - on the top right, and teething often seems to affect what time he wakes up.

I generally do not get him out of bed until 6am - unless he is really screaming. Often he is just talking to himself - practicing his vocabulary, Momma, Dada, Dodo, BaBa, and so on and he will talk for a while, and then be quiet and then talk a bit more. When I go it to get him, he is sitting up in his bed, and will stand up when I come in. If he is just talking, I usually call out, "hello little voice" and then he talks back to me. If he is crying, I just try to comfort him and ask "what's wrong." Sometimes he tries to tell me - it's very cute.

We still nurse in the morning, usually for 5 - 10 minutes. And we talk, some mornings he wakes up very chatty. If I bring him into bed to nurse, he usually nurses a little longer - but rarely goes back to sleep. He loves to snuggle and often gives Terry a pat if he is in bed with us.

Once he is done nursing, it's time to take off his sac - the bag with arm holes that he sleeps in, and then he is off to start exploring. We usually go into the living room and I sit on the couch and watch wile he begins playing with his toys. He has really started enjoying his toys - not that he didn't before, but his ability to play with them has dramatically increased recently and he is enjoying them a lot! This morning he was playing with his birdhouse and little birds - taking them in and out of the house, and with his drum. Just in the last week or so he has gotten a lot better at holding the drum stick, and is often pulling out the drum as one of the first toys he plays with.

As he plays, I watch, offer help when needed and stay on the lookout for the telltale squat that is the sign of poohing! Ever since he was born, Henry has been a pooher! 2 - 3 times a day is normal for him. Usually one between the time he wakes up and breakfast. The others are a bit more random. Some mother's tell me their kid only poops once a day - I'm amazed!

After changing into clean pants, we play some more and get ready for breakfast. I usually make him either plain greek yogurt with applesauce, another fruit, he really loves berries, and some english muffin with peanut butter and toast or scrambled eggs with english muffin. Both of these are easy sells and in general he eats well. I eat with him, usually more or less the same thing - but I get nuts in my yogurt and Parmesan on my eggs. We are trying to keep him away from salt, hence the no parm., refined sugar, juice, and nuts for as long as possible - at least another year. I would like to add oatmeal into our breakfast routine, but it's been so hot, I cannot even think about it. Once it cools off a little, I'll give it a try.

I get everything ready, including his milk and water cups, and extra spoon for him to use, etc, before I put him into his chair. I think it's good for him to think of his high chair and eating as fun, and not as a confining thing. He is very interested in fasteners of all kinds and often "helps" he close the harness on his chair. One day when I had opened the harness and we were still sitting there, I looked over to find one foot sitting on the seat, and Henry getting ready to push himself off - so we use the harness. The highchair pulls right up to the table, and I usually try to have a few finger foods he can eat himself available. Often the fruit in the morning. Today we had a few cheerios. I know kids who love them, but Henry has never really been that into them. He finds them much more exciting if we don't have them every day, and I don't think he has ever eaten more then a dozen in one sitting. We still have the first box I bought for him - I'll bet those are getting pretty stale....

Henry really likes to explore and try things and look at things. He notices everything - this extends to mealtimes and food. For months I've been telling him that "coffee is not for boys!" and he clearly doesn't believe me. He is fascinated withe the coffee maker and the thermos - it is silver and shiny so who can blame him. We often tell him that things are "not for boys" instead of just saying "no" and explaining why when we tell him.

During meals I always have an extra spoon for him to use - he's getting pretty good with it - if the food isn't too slippery. I often stick something onto the spoon for him, and then he puts it into his mouth. He will do this a couple times, and then usually resorts to his fingers. I like that he is trying it on his own, and encourage him, but don't comment when he stops. He drinks his water really well, but still isn't super excited about milk. I always offer it to him, sometimes he drinks it, sometimes he doesn't. I try not to worry, and usually the next meal or the next day he drinks more. Right now he is very interested in the bottom of things, the bottom of his cups, bowls, etc. As long as the cup wont leak, I am fine with him exploring it however he wants. When we are done eating something, I often give him the bowl for him to play with. Sometimes he uses his spoon in to to practice, other times he turns it upside down, sometimes he chews on it. Only his milk cups with 2 handles pose a problem for this. One has pirates on it, the other has a blue stripe. The top doesn't stay on if it hits the floor, and it leaks like crazy when it's upside down. So if we are using those cups, I don't let him play with them so much, but I will hold it up so he can see and touch the bottom of the. Why use those cups you ask? Well so far he only drinks milk from 3 cups - the rocket one with straw, and those 2. It's not perfect, but I hope he will grow out of needing to turn everything over.

Usually he eats pretty well, but I've noticed that he often eats better if he is a little distracted by something - a spoon, or the dog. There is a fine line between him being a distracted and completely obsessed with something, and then unable to eat. I give him his vitamins in the morning, and then Terry takes over while I have a shower and get dressed. They wipe up his face and hands, and spend a few minutes looking out the front window.

Then they move to Henry's room, Terry reads to him, right now they are finishing Peter Pan, while Hank plays in his bed. He has a group little plastic animals that he plays with - though I think he is rather over them now - but we still get them out and Henry plays and talks and sings and sometimes grabs the book while Terry reads. He will fixate on one toy for a while and then move to something else. This morning it was the package of glow in the dark stars and planets that we bought but haven't put up yet - apparently it is very good to chew on!

By 8:15 Henry is starting to get antsy and ready for his nap, so Terry and I switch again. He gets ready to take Duke out for a walk, I get Hank ready for his first nap. I pick up all the toys from the bed and turn off the light in Henry's room. There is another light over his changing table that we leave on while we change pants, get into his sac and read a story or two. For months and months we have been reading, Everywhere Babies, every morning, but all of a sudden, Henry is not into it. This morning we read Goodnight Moon, which we used to read at night for months and months, then it started to make him cry so I put it away and now it's the book he's most obsessed with again. After a story or two we turn off the light, close the curtain to the closet and pull the doors of Henry's room almost closed while we nurse a bit. He nursed to sleep today, something he hasn't done in ages - I don't think he napped well yesterday and is still making up for it. Usually he nurses for 20 minutes and then I tell him "it's time to get in your bed and go to sleep." This is his key phrase and usually he stops nursing on his own, sits up and starts turning towards his bed. I give him kisses and lie him down - still on his back, straighten his sac, pat his tummy a few times and tell him to have a good nap. Then I go out and close the door. He usually goes right to sleep, but sometimes I hear him talking for a few minutes before he settles down.

I keep thinking that he will drop this nap soon, and some days he doesn't sleep the whole time, or not at all, but he does still sleep more days then not. On days when he doesn't sleep, I move lunch and his second nap earlier so that he doesn't completely lose his mind. When he doesn't sleep he is much crankier and less able to cope with the world around him. In general he finds things interesting, loves to go places, so I do really try to keep his naps consistent and focus on getting him to sleep when he is tired. He really doesn't sleep in his stroller or fall asleep in public - the activity of the world keeps him awake - so being home and in bed is the best thing for him to get his naps. Also, really having the time = 30 min. + to wind down in his room with the lights low makes a huge difference in his ability to sleep.

No matter what time he goes to sleep we get him up at 10am. This generally give him an hour and some change for his morning nap, enough to get him through till lunch - but not so much that he can't take his afternoon nap. Terry generally gets him up, they play music; Henry loves music, likes to dance, and often asks for more music if we just hear some as we walk down the street. Then they change pants and get dressed. Once Henry is up we try to move outside as quickly as possible so that he has lots of time to play at the park, go to the library, or whatever. But we do really try to be outside and encourage him to explore and enjoy his surroundings.

Not that this is hard, Henry loves to look at things, and seems to process the world very visually and tactically. He wants to touch everything and the list of things he is obsessed with is pretty huge at this point: traffic cones, trash cans, fire extinguishers, people on bikes, skateboarders, squirrels, water fountains, gates, locks, doors.... As we walk he often is pointing at things, and really wants you to help him label the world. Often as I walk, I'm saying to him, "tree, dog, car, van..." he has always been this way - really interested in the world around him. Curious and aware of things going on.

While sometimes we go play at the playground, other times we just walk in the park, investigate puddles and sticks, watch squirrels climb trees, etc. The joy of movement is in him and he thinks it's fun to just walk around.