Henry Lee

I'm not exactly proud of how long it's been since I wrote about how happy our little world is.  I keep telling myself I haven't written because I've been far too busy cherishing every second.  in reality, it's because we usually don't know which way is up around here lately.  regardless, I wanted to take some time to tell you boys all about Henry.

Hank,
can you tell we haven't exactly agreed what to call you just yet?  ha. you'll learn soon enough that I'm a girl that likes to have a plan.  when it comes to having babies, we don't have much say-so on when and where these things happen.  regardless, I thought I had a pretty good idea of when you were going to come.  but, as soon as I scheduled the induction, I knew that's not what I wanted to do.  I knew I wanted a fun story.  an ohmygosh story. a rushing in the middle of the night story.  and, yep. that's exactly what we got.

3 days before the day I had hand-picked to deliver you, aunt winsey convinced me to take some medicine that was supposed to make my stomach hurt and eventually cause labor.  it was disgusting.  I mixed it in a sonic slushy.  I will NEVER have one of those again. ew.  the funny part is, I took it about an hour before I was being approved by the school board for my new job.  I was so nervous that I might not make it through the meeting.  but I did. then we celebrated at dairy queen with blizzards.  I just knew we would rush out of there in labor. but we didn't.  instead we came home and rested. and waited. and nothing happened.  finally I decided to just go to bed.  I ended up throwing up about a thousand times. your daddy was sleepy and ready for bed, so I wound up sleeping on the couch.  a few hours later, my stomach was hurting in a way I wasn't used to.  it wouldn't stop. I woke up your daddy and he rolled his eyes.  he thought surely I was being dramatic. (shocking huh? me- being dramatic? no way.)

after convincing him I was actually in labor, off we went to the hospital.  jay was asleep in his bed so aunt winsey came to stay with him until mimi could come so nana and pawpaw could come to the hospital.  we go to the hospital around 2 in the morning.  turns out I was right! you were on your way.  we got moved a real room at 7ish.  my doctor got to the hospital at about 10.  you were born at 10:20.  two pushes. I should have known then how easy going you were going to be.  we love you. you are the perfect addition to our family.

if these walls could talk...

...they'd tell of a 21 year old boy man buying his first home to one day raise his family in.  they'd remember a magical proposal, an ecstatic yes, and a smitten pair of young love birds. a sweet, swift engagement with lingering goodbyes and sweet kisses in the kitchen.  they'd see two newlyweds freshly browned by the sun on the beaches of the dominican republic. they would remember dinners on the front porch, loads of laundry in the floor, midnight ice cream runs and hours of laughter from the bedroom. 

if these walls could talk they would remember two short weeks of trying before a positive test and skeptical husband shocked in the front yard.  they would remember talks of pale pink or bold blue and finally compromising on yet another shade of brown.  they'd whisper about picking a strong, modern, but classic, crib, thrift storing for the perfect shelf trinkets and eventually finding the perfect j-a-y blocks forming a strong, sentimental name. 

if these walls could talk they'd find a scared mom-to-be crying into the late hours worrying about a damaged heart.  they'd hear the prayers of two terrified parents hoping for the best, but being devestated by the worst.  yes, if they could talk, they would shout the good news that a heart had been healed, faith restored and a baby born. 

they would remember the colicy first few months, the hard first days back at work, the precious summer days, the crawls on the hard woods and the splashes and giggles echoing from a cast iron tub down a cold hallway.  they would worry about rashes, turned ankles and late first steps, but rejoice in requests for milk, bubbles on the porch, doggies in the yard, balls on the steps, toys in daddy's boots, and a for sale sign in the front yard where it all began.

the time has come.  it's our turn to move from these walls into newer, cleaner, bigger walls.  i'm sad to leave the memories, but know there are so many more to come.  i hope i never forget this old house.

busy bodies

december meant lots of things at our house....

 

going to the christmas tree farm

 

meeting santa

 

decorating the house...

 

santa coming for the first time (!)

 

first big boy haircut

 

 learning the difference between dogs and all other animals

(... or not)

 

hanging out with miss mali

 

 

daddy's birthday

 

feeding the dogs.... ducks....

 

turning eleven months old

 

and apparently your mother's new found obsession with hats... :)

 

 

tomorrow you turn one... to avoid crying over a blog post, i'm going to bed. see you in the morning baby  big boy jay.  i love you more each day.

halloween

nanny gave me the clown outfit daddy and uncle will both wore on their first halloweens.  naturally, you wore yours to nana's fall festival at church.  we ran into mali minnie mouse! 

 

 on real halloween, you were a ferocious lion. how scary.

love you sweet boy.
-mom

giving thanks

when i say that i love Joycee, that's a huge understatement.  she is my hero. she's my inspiration. she's my Joycee.  even though she is now 87, she insists on having all of our gatherings at her house.  i can't tell you how happy i am when we pull into her driveway, climb up her steps, and hug her neck.  wow. that woman.

 

we spent thanksgiving morning with joycee and nana's family and then had dinner with nanny and pop in heath.  holidays are so special with you, cutie pie.

 

 

 

baby jay, joycee and pawpaw jay.

 

 

 

i am so thankful God chose joycee to be nana's mom and me to be your mom. life is good.

-mom