I just can't believe how much he has grown up in the last year. I looked back at the photos we took in the Botanic Gardens the week he turned one and man! I thought he was grown up then!
Henry loves to be with his family. He gets excited when any of his aunts or uncles are in town and asks every day to go up and visit Nana and Papa. When he climbs up the stairs he shouts "Hello!" and gets really excited again when Nana and Papa say hello back. When Daddy gets home, he immediately shouts "Da-ee!" and "off!" to get Daddy to take his coat off (that means he will be staying, I guess.) He loves to say my name, so I hear "Mama" about a million times every day. It's how he gets my attention when he's ready to get out of bed, and I've found he even says it in his sleep.
Henry loves juice, chocolate, fries, toast, Cheetos, fruit snacks, bread with oil/vinegar, peas, and corn. He really is a super picky eater, which drives me to distraction. He doesn't want to eat much besides what I just listed--here and there he'll eat whatever chicken we have for dinner, particularly if it is spicy (especially Chinese spices). He loves to help, and wants to sit up on the counter while I make anything. He likes to put the bread in the toaster, and says "POP!" when it is done. We have to cut the top crust off the toast, or he won't eat it.
Henry is definitely our little helper still. He wants to help Nana sweep and vacuum several times a day and LOVES to help me clean the house. Now that he has his own tools, he insists on helping Daddy, Papa, and Nana any time they are working on a project. His drill is already one of his favorite toys (which we bought for his birthday) and he wants to help Nana sew, too.
Reading is probably one of Henry's favorite activities. He's learned how to say "another book" and so getting him to bed can sometimes take a long time. He likes to have his books in his bed with him, and he often grabs one as we walk out of the room to look at it before he goes to sleep.
Oh, Henry's bed! He is still a great sleeper and goes down so easy, but his bed has become quite the crowded place. He insists on having all of his pillows (around 10 or so), his penguin, his hedgehog, Duxford, Shaun the Sheep, his Mickey, Sully (from Monsters, Inc.), his bus, a sippy cup of juice, plus whatever books we read right before going to sleep. One night he even asked if he could have his vacuum in the bed! All of this plus his two blankets. Sometimes, he adds one or two things to the mix--like one of his other stuffed animals or a car or his little London snowglobe. It cracks me up--I have no idea how he sleeps with all that in his bed!
Henry is incredibly verbal and loves to play pretend. I swear he learns a new word every two days and surprises me with how quickly he catches on when we teach him a new word. Nana recently taught him "Bomb diggity" and he loves to say "pretty cool," something I say all the time. He loves to play cars and "choo choo choo" and he makes up great little stories every time. He loves to take baths and showers, and likes to play in the water for a long time.
One of my favorite things about Henry is how loving he is. He loves to give hugs and kisses. He smiles all the time and says "hi" and "bye" to everyone and every thing (including the house every time we drive away). Henry isn't much of a cuddler, but he does want everyone to know how much he loves them by smiling and saying hello.
Sometimes, I can't believe how lucky I am to be Henry's Mama. Even as I write down things he likes to do, what he says, and some of his funny little quirks, I realize it is difficult to capture the essence of Henry in words. I feel like some of these pictures show how happy and sweet he really is. He wants to be happy all the time and tries to share that happiness with everyone around him.
Happy Birthday, Little Brute. You make me be so much more and I am so proud to be your Mama.
I LOVE YOU!!
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