June

Check out what this sweet boy has been up to this summer!  

These pictures are just from my phone.  I tried to load pictures from my camera, and the cord sparked, shocked me, then broke apart into two pieces.  I did not get those pictures loaded.  

Day 1:  Helped Mom get caught up on laundry

Look at that angel face

Helped Mom put clean sheets on the bed

Tried out the swing at the park.  

Watched baseball videos on the computer with Coach

Mastered rolling from back to stomach, and stomach to back.  He's so proud of himself!

Got some work done on the computer

This is his poop face.  He's going to kill me one day for sharing this, but I had to.  

Watched lots and lots of baseball

Celebrated Father's Day with his wonderful daddy

Gave Mom some courtesy smiles.

Watched more baseball

Went swimming for the first time!

Hung out with Aunt Katie at the pool

Played with his new friend, Blaise

Took over our bed

Got his first tooth :(

Got clean after eating lots of carrots and bananas

Played with his friends, Tegan and Jaxon

He would not leave Tegan alone, and threw a toy at Jaxon.  He may not be invited back.

He thinks Uncle Adam is super funny

Rockin' some shades at Academy

Henry Goes to the DMV

Henry Goes to the DMV...sounds like a lovely and informational children's book, doesn't it?  Let me assure you, nothing about my tale is lovely.  Have a seat, grab a snack, and let me tell you about our trip to the DMV this morning.

It all started several weeks ago when I lost my driver's license.  I have been putting off getting another one because I hate going to the DMV.  The lines are ridiculous, there is always a crying baby, and it always smells weird.  I went Friday afternoon just to see what documents I needed to bring with me, and there were probably over 200 people waiting in line.  No thanks.

I decided this morning that I was going to be super sly and get there before they opened to avoid all those lines.  Henry usually takes a nap at around 8:00, so he would probably sleep in his stroller the whole time anyway.  Gosh, I'm such a good planner!  I pulled my hair back, put on just enough makeup not to scare people, packed the bare Hank essentials in a big bag, and off we went!  We were going to be in and out by 8:15 at the latest.

As I pull into the parking lot, I am dismayed to see a line of people that stretches from the door, all the way around the front, to the side of the building.  It's only 7:30, and it doesn't even open until 8:00!  I guess those people were feeling super sly this morning too.  I grab the stroller and take my place in line.  Behind me in line is a lady who is telling her small children about a drunk man who hit on her at the casino this weekend.  She pauses her story long enough to tell me how lucky I am that I have such an "easy baby."  I can't decide if I want to punch her in front of everyone or not.  I decide against it, and just smile and mumble "MHMMM."  Henry gives her a look that says, "Stick around lady, this show is just beginning."

It's 8:00.  Henry has decided not to take his morning nap.  He's squealing, kicking, and karate chopping anything within arm's reach of his stroller.  He grabs the driver's license paper out of my hand and has crumpled it up and put it in his mouth before I knew what hit me.  The doors finally open.  I am handed a number and take a seat.  Oh, what number am I, you ask?  206.  Two hundred. And six.  I debate whether or not to leave, but decide we have already put in almost 45 minutes.  It's do or die time.

Henry is tired of sitting in his stroller.  He sits in my lap for awhile, jumps, squeals, growls, puts my hair in his mouth, grabs the lady's shirt next to me, and eats the book I brought for him to read.  Finally, number 200 is called.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel!! We are going to make it!!!!!

Number 201...Henry grabs my hair and pulls my ponytail to one side, and takes most of my hair out too.

Number 202...I start to smell something.  Popcorn?  Why would someone have popcorn in a DMV at 9:00am?  


Number 203...Nope.  It's not popcorn.  Henry has chosen this moment to take his morning poo.


Number 204...I feel something warmish and wettish on my shirt.  Oh don't worry, it's just urine, not the popcorn poo.


Number 205....Henry throws his pacifier on the floor.  The FLOOR!  Well now I have to burn the paci.


NUMBER 206!!!!  I say "THANK GOD!" and the lady beside me begins to laugh.  I think she may be glad to see us go.  I try to strategically hold Henry in a way that will hide the wet spot on my shirt.  He accidentally punches me in the eye so that my right eye is watering and closed when we finally reach the counter.  


The little guy behind the counter was super understanding.  He waited patiently while I tried to get out all my necessary documents while holding Hank, and nicely asked me to place both thumbs on the glass at the same time.  I had to put Henry in the stroller, and he immediately begins to scream.  Without thinking I put his paci in my mouth and then stick it in his.   I remember about the paci falling on the DMV floor a moment too late.  Great, now my mouth is going to rot off.  Then he asked me to step back so that he could take my picture.  Excuse me?  I wasn't aware that I would need a new picture.  So in my picture I am red, sweaty, my ponytail is pulled to the side, and I can't open my watery right eye.   I try to ignore the sympathetic glances as we walk out the door.  Then it hits me:  I have become the stinky lady with the screaming child, the reason everyone hates the DMV.  Oh, the irony.  I change Henry's diaper in the trunk of the car in the parking lot.  He has worn himself out and is asleep before we leave the parking lot.  


Stay tuned for the next books in the series:  Henry Goes to the Optometrist and Henry Goes to the Salon!  

5 Months

Seriously Mom, more pictures?

Here's is my friend, Sophie

This sweet little bundle of lovin' turned 5 months old yesterday!  I seriously cannot handle his cuteness sometimes.  He's become more and more cuddly and gives big slobbery kisses.  He is very ticklish, especially his thighs.  His sweet, chunky thighs are getting larger by the day.  His new tricks are making very scary monster noises and spitting.

We used to have to work so hard to get a smile or laugh, but he gives us lots and lots of laughs throughout the day.  He loves banana baby food, isn't too crazy about carrots, and we can't even bring up the memory of rice cereal in his presence.  When he is eating something he likes, he grabs the spoon and tries to feed himself.  Mr. Independent. 

He rolls from his back to his stomach all the time, then panics because he hates to be on his stomach.  He goes to bed around 9pm and gets up for the day around 6:30am, but also wakes up a few times during the night because he has rolled to his stomach and needs us to turn him back over.  So usually starting about 3:30am he wakes up screaming, then we have to go in his room every hour or so to flip him to his back. 

He is still insane.  This child doesn't stop moving, even in his sleep.  He kicked the piano keys on his playmat so hard that he broke them.  They used to play music, now they just make a sad moaning sound.  He loves to jump on Sam's stomach and gets really annoyed when Sam quits bouncing him.  Everywhere I go, someone comments on how active he is.  And how cute of course, but mostly how active.  Cousin Will let his borrow a bouncy swing thing, and he will jump in that until he wears himself out.  BEST INVENTION EVER!

Henry isn't very interested in toys, he's more interested in things that he isn't supposed to get into.  He grabs the faucet and sprays us, sprays himself, puts it in his mouth, etc.  He knows how to work the lock on our back door, and tries so hard to unlock it.  He kicks the spices out of our spice rack, will grab food out of my hand mid-bite, and loves to play with my phone.  I love to watch him think about things and try to figure out how they work.  You can just see the wheels turning.  

I have only been home with him 2 days this summer, but have really enjoyed it so far.  It's nice to have our own schedule, and he has had a really good couple of days.  I can't believe my baby will be 6 months old soon!

Sentimental Stuff. Gross.

***Disclaimer*** 

This post does NOT include pictures of the cutest baby in the world, aka Henry Gage Morgan.  Stay tuned for 5 months pictures coming later this week.  

   Friday was our last day of school.  I felt the normal rejoicing that teachers feel during that last week, but this time was bittersweet.  This time when I walked out of my classroom that final day, I was leaving for good and becoming a stay-at-home mom.  

    I was ok until I turned in my keys and badge.  Then it became a reality, "I REALLY can't come back here!  I can't even get in the building!"  When I got in my car, I couldn't even turn around and look at the school because I didn't want to lose it.  I don't handle change well, and I always get sentimental when I leave places and start something new. 

    I  know, I know, most people would leave work the last day doing cartwheels and jumping for joy.  I know how blessed I am to be able to stay home and raise Little Man.  I miss him when I'm at work, and was a mess the first time I had to leave him with the babysitter.   But I love my job.  I love the challenge, I love being busy, I love the kids, and I love the people I work with.  The thought of leaving all of that makes me sad.  

    I was only at my school for 4 years, but it is my second home.  I remember touring the school before it was even finished, picking out my classroom, and wearing a hard hat.  I remember meeting my first group of kindergarten teacher friends, and hoping they would be patient with my lack of experience (and they SO were!)  I remember spending days and days setting up my classroom for the first day of school, and then changing it every day for the first few months because it just wasn't quite right.  I think about all those early mornings and late nights.  I think about falling asleep in the parking lot before school on several occasions, because I was too exhausted to get out of the car. I think about all my sweet babies from the past 4 years, and my first group of kindergarteners that are now fourth graders.  I remember laughing, dancing, singing, getting messy, hugging, and loving the heck outta them.  I think about carving pumpkins, making applesauce, and having Polar Express themed holiday parties.  I remember getting kicked, hit, cussed at, having chairs thrown at me, then crying when that student left because I loved him so much.  I remember interesting conversations with crazy "very involved" parents.  I remember field trips to the zoo, tying countless shoelaces, countless "accidents", and drying countless tears.  I'm going to miss my babies.

    I think about the people I was blessed to work with.  These are now some of my closest friends.  I feel like we have fought a war and been in the trenches together.  I can't begin to count the hours we spent laughing together.  When you teach little ones, you long for any moment of grown-up interaction.  We would sit in the hall for hours after school talking and laughing, then complain because there was never enough time to get it all done :)  We would get annoyed with each other, vent, maybe throw something, then get over it and love each other all over again.  We cried to each other after a hard day, hugged, and prayed when one of us was going through a hard time.  We have attended wedding parties, baby showers, and funerals together.  We gladly picked up the slack when someone had too much to handle.  I remember pushing my friends down the hall in a rolling chair when they were too pregnant to walk, hiding in their room with embarrassment when I walked in on a male substitute using the restroom, and interrupting their lesson to show them that I had ripped yet another pair of pants (4 to be exact, but who's counting?!)  I remember telling them I was pregnant, asking them to cover my class while I was in the restroom with morning sickness, and waddling down the hall when I was 9 months pregnant.  

     Am I happy to be staying at home?  Yes, I never thought I would have the opportunity to stay at home with my little one.  But you better bet I'm going to be at that school to help get classrooms put together and love on my old students.  

And I will bring Sonic drinks.  Lots and lots of Sonic drinks.