11 Months

Henry turned 11 Months old on April 2 and time is flying by at warp speed. Every day he surprises us with something new he's learned...recognizing a familiar face, following a simple command or walking (still with a little help) all over the place. He has four teeth now, 2 on the bottom and 2 on the top. Mark has noted that there is a gap between the top 2 "big enough to drive a truck through." Daddy is so sweet.



He absolutely LOVES swim class, although it's exhausting kicking your feet while floating in a boat!


Auntie Liza took lots & lots of photos at Henry's class this week. Click here to view the photo gallery































Henry's favourite breakfast food, Daddy's homemade waffles! Yummy! Yes, he eats the entire waffle...he has learned to hold it and take relatively small bites all on his own.







Great-Gram playing with Henry. It made her especially happy to see that when we say "Where's Grandma?" Henry spins his head around and looks directly at her. It is so rare to have a Great-Grandparent, these moments are precious. Next month Henry turns 1 and Great-Gram turns 87!




Jake and Henry love to play catch. Jake gently nudges the balls over to Henry and he usually kicks them back in Jake's general direction. It is amazing to watch them interact, they already love each other so much.



Storytime with Auntie Liza and Great-Gram. We had a wonderful visit with them this week. Henry really enjoyed playing with both Auntie and Gram and it was sad to see them go home.

Henry's Walking! Sort of...

Click here to watch!

And the army crawl...
Click here to watch!

March Madness? Not so much.

Usually this time of year we are in full Sparty gear cheering on our Green & White. This just wasn't the year for the Spartans, nor the GT Yellow Jackets. So rather than sporting our MSU T-shirts and Tech tank tops, we are layering on the snowsuits and wool mittens, much to Mark's dismay. The snow isn't slowing us down though, we just returned from a week long visit in the States. Mark went to Las Vegas for a Home Depot convention and Henry and I visited friends and family in Michigan.





It appears Henry may skip crawling altogether and go straight to walking. While he does "creep" or "army crawl" to get where he needs to go he prefers to walk with a little assistance. He has also learned to wave "Bye-Bye", this was mastered during our morning routine waving to Daddy and watching him leave for work. This is usually followed by a series of "Da-da...Da-da...Da-da's" throughout the day. Usually the "Ma-ma's" come out when he is tired or hungry, but "Da-da" gets the smiles and laughing Henry. Go figure. A couple times he has muttered a "Ja-Ja" when he hears Jake barking or when he is trying to give him a toy. So darn cute.










We celebrated Mark's birthday at Buddy's pizzeria, a hometown favorite. Even though it was Mark's birthday, Henry was the star attraction. Auntie Liza was all smiles to get her "Henry fix."

















We took Henry for his first haircut as his locks were getting a little unruly. He was very good for Nancy Ann, our long time friend and expert stylist, while she cleaned up his baby 'do'. He's as handsome as ever.

Hug your kid.

Many of you who read this blog know my Mom (aka Nana Myra). Mom has two best friends who are family without the blood relation. I don't typically do this, but one of them needs our prayers and thoughts right now. Their family tragically lost their 3 year old grandson in a drowning accident. Whether you're a new parent, a veteran parent, a grandparent, an auntie or an uncle, please take time today, tomorrow and every day to hug and kiss the kids in your life and remember just how special they are. And if you pray, please include this family in your prayers. If you don't pray that's cool too, just send them some love in whatever way you choose.

It's Our Kid in a BOX!

Fun filled February

February has been filled with fun experiences for our family. We've found ways to enjoy the snow and embrace the Canadian winter. From our trip to Winter Carnaval in Quebec City to discovering new areas in and around Toronto, we have been very busy. We've also had lots of visitors this month. Aimee H. visited early in the month, Nate and Mae were just here this past weekend and we are expecting Nana Myra and Great-Gram this coming weekend. It may be cold outside, but Henry is still a hot attraction!

















Jake turned 4 this weekend! He enjoyed a doggie-friendly personalized carob frosted cake and enjoyed his seat at the head of the table...a very special treat for our sweet pooch!













Henry is very interested in holding his own spoon. Fun to watch him learning the art of finding his mouth rather than his ear. I think it's a conspiracy to have a bath every night, as he loves the water.









Bottles are for Babies! Henry has mastered the sippy cup and can even manage it one-handed.









Henry started his pincer grasp (a big milestone for baby) in early January, it's perfected now. The only question is...will he be a South Paw?















Feb 21 is "Family Day" in Ontario, which means paid holiday and family fun day. We spent the morning strolling our neighbourhood and the afternoon at the Auto Show. It was the first Auto Show for both Mark and Henry. Of course they both had smiles on when we found the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

February 2011 - Quebec City & Carnaval

Last weekend we flew to Quebec City for the "Carnaval de Quebec." For two weeks in the heart of winter families brave the cold and snow (temperatures well below freezing) to enjoy winter activities such as dog sledding, snow shoeing, ice carving, sledding and much more. The event takes place in the centre of Quebec City which is a beautiful, historic old town that offers a little slice of Europe without crossing the pond. We stayed a bit North of the city at Chateau Mont Sainte-Anne, a cozy lodge with ski in/out rooms. Friends of ours that recently moved to Toronto joined us on the trip and we shared babysitting duties so that everyone could get out on the mountain. It was a fantastic trip and we are already planning to visit again this summer.


Mark and Henry meet Bonhomme Carnaval.

Henry and his friend Giovanni relaxing in the warm lodge while parents snowboard.

Tara 'gracefully' wiping out on the snowboard.

We found a delicious crepe cafe for lunch in Quebec City.

In the heart of Quebec City it was cold, but Henry braved it like a true Canuck!

Ice Sculptures at Carnaval...the white dots are snow flakes...we timed it perfectly for a small blizzard while we walked Carnaval!

Although Henry had a fun trip, it's always nice to come home and see your buddies. Here he is back at our fitness class with his good friend Alex.

Jake was very excited for us to arrive back at home...and it appears Henry missed him quite a bit too.