Spring is in the Air

I love March! And I love spring, and the weather here has been phenomenal. Some people say this is an awesome year for the weather, and others say that it's always way better than people make it sound; they just don't want anybody else to move here haha. Regardless, it has been so nice and we have gotten to take Henry out a lot. I have been really hesitant about taking him anywhere public because I don't want him to get sick, so we've mostly been going to a million parks and on lots of walks and drives. It is not the most exciting thing, but after being home all day it is nice to get out anywhere. And we have been able to explore some cool areas that we never would have seen! I've definitely made a mental list of my favorite places and we will be going back this summer. We went to the beach a few times, and we also went and walked around the University of Washington campus. It is beautiful right now with all of the cherry trees blossoming.

Having Henry has been absolutely life changing. I love him so much more than I thought I could and I miss him if I don't see him for even an hour. I feel like being his mom is what I am supposed to do with my life and it gives me so much fulfillment and joy. He is absolutely sweet, and I am so lucky to have him. There are definitely times when it's hard though. This is by far the most difficult thing that I have ever done. Not even just mentally, like needing to have patience like I thought it would be. But physically and emotionally too. I am sore from bending my body in weird ways to feed him or from holding him in the positions he likes, and I am emotionally exhausted from worrying about if he is going to be safe or if something is wrong. I have been covered in poop, spit up, milk, pee, and drool. I have had nights where I got no sleep at all because I was up with him, and I've had hours at a time where the crying just doesn't seem to stop. I've felt like I had no idea what I was doing and that I definitely wasn't qualified to be a mother. But I've also had wonderful moments where my heart feels like it will burst from all of the love that I have for him. I've had times where I don't want to let go of him, and times where that smile of his makes my life worthwhile. There are the times that I'm awake at 2 AM holding my sleeping, dreaming baby and it is so quiet and peaceful that I don't think there could be anything more perfect. It is wonderful to think about what he will be like when he is older; who will he become? what sports will he play? what music will he like? what foods will he hate? I never understood until now that opposition that parents always talk about where it is the hardest thing but the most rewarding thing that you'll ever do. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

There are also so many great things that I didn't even know about! Things become sweeter and more tender, but they also become funnier and happier. Nobody told me how how funny it is to joke around about your kids with your husband. We make fun of him all. the. time. and it is hilarious. His fake little cries, funny faces he makes, his cross eyes, his toots, his snoring, his high maintenance about things like his binkie falling out and he cries like the world just ended. It's so fun to exaggerate things too and crawl around on the ground so he doesn't see us from his crib and freak out. You have an excuse for being late, you get all of the snuggles you want, you don't need an alarm clock, and you have a tiny human that feels better just hearing your voice or being held by you. Your own best little buddy. It's also pretty great seeing the man you love become super soft and sweet and play with that little baby. Melts your heart! 

Here are some of Henry's highlights for the month:

• Coos after he sneezes. This is one of both Rusty's and my favorite thing that he does; it just melts my heart. Henry is tricky though and make it nearly impossible to get on video. I have recorded him sneezing multiple times but he laughs like a monkey after or is just silent! He only coos when we aren't ready. I am determined to get it.
• Talks all the time
• Hates to be swaddled, spends all night trying to get out of it. But this is the only way he sleeps because without the swaddle his arms fly up and he scares himself awake.
• Makes a million different faces
• Really sweet, laid back baby 
• Hates tummy time
• Looks just like Rusty. Like seriously twins. Looking at his baby pictures I feel like I am looking at Henry, and some of the faces Henry makes make me feel like I am looking at Rusty.

Henry

Rusty

• Favorite toy is his lion. He will stare at it for a long time!

• Loves his whale mobile, like too much I think. He is supposed to be calm and relaxed in his crib, but when he sees his whales he just started talking to them and smiling. Sometimes he will cry in his crib and all I have to do is turn the light on and then he can see them and is fine.

• Loves music, many fussy times have been saved by Pandora or singing. Also, many happy times have come from singing songs together!
• Holds his head up. He has done this from day one in the hospital which was really surprising. But now he has really gained a lot if control and his it up to looks around ask the time. Lately he has even stated pushing off with his legs trying to his his weight.
• Smiles!!!! We got his first smiles when he was awake on March 21, and his first real, big smile on my birthday. :)

• LOVES the bath. When we start spreading him with water his body just relaxes into the sling. He tries to drink the water and he flops his arms and legs over the site like he is lounging in his favorite chair.

• Loves being outside. He will stop crying as soon as we go outside, and when we are out there he wants to see everything.

This is Rusty showing Henry everything in the yard and telling him about it

So adorable. The heart melting mentioned earlier.

• Loves books and listening to us talk while looking at the bright pictures.

• Loves having his arms and legs moved really quickly. He will stop crying mid-wail of you start playing with him.

Daylight savings time is the worst and a cruel joke to play on new parents. While by no means did we have Henry on a schedule, we had started getting him to fall asleep around 9 every night which was a huge improvement to him sleeping all day and being awake all night. Then it all fell apart and there were lots of nights with no sleeping at all or not sleeping until 2. Finally towards the end of the month we got some semblance of a schedule back, of course still with random bad nights of not wanting to sleep.

In other news, Rusty got a promotion! He has been working so hard and was given a special assignment in January. His managers keep telling him how proud they are of him and then ended up giving him a little bonus and a promotion! He hasn't been working there very long, but he tries his best and goes above and beyond what they ask. He had made a lot of strides on that special assignment and had been able to take care of some issues that had been around for a long time. I am so proud of him!

This month was also my birthday! I was spoiled rotten. Rusty came home from work the day before bringing me a dozen roses and telling me that my first surprise was that he had taken the day off of work for my birthday! That night we put Henry to bed and then watched some cool ocean nature shows (we're nerds) and then Rusty told me that he would stay up with Henry that night so that I could get some sleep. It was blissful. Then I woke up the next morning and took Henry so Rusty could get some sleep, and around 9 Rusty pulled out my birthday cake and lit the candles and we had cake for breakfast :) Then he gave me my presents and the ones from my parents. I got a sewing machine, a National Geographic subscription, and a facial for that afternoon! The best present was that Rusty surprised me with classes so that both he and I could become scuba certified! This has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I was absolutely ecstatic! We do some online classes and then dive once in a pool (which we did once for my birthday a few years ago) and then for the rest of the certifications we get to DIVE IN THE PUGET SOUND. WITH THE OCTOPUS AND SEALS AND CRABS AND FISH. I'M SO EXCITED!!!! Then, when we go to Hawaii this fall we can scuba dive there too! He is the absolute sweetest, and when I told him that he didn't have to do that (it's a lot of money) he said that he promised me that we could go after my dreams and he intended to do that. How in the world did I get this man? I didn't know that they even made people this wonderful. I'm so grateful. After my facial I came home and we played with Henry and then went to the beach and had Ivar's while we sat on a bench. Then we walked over and got some ice cream while the sun was setting. It was such a great day! 24 will be an awesome year, I can tell.