Let's have a Wordy Wednesday instead!

At 15 months, Henry's vocabulary has almost doubled already in the past two months. And as I said in my last post about the words Henry is saying, there are TONS of words in his receptive vocabulary (those words that he understands when he hears them but isn't verbalizing.) I'm such a proud mama!

Here are the additional words I'm adding to the list now at 15 months. There are likely some I'm forgetting, but this list covers most of them.

Words Henry says regularly or when prompted:

• paw-paw
• tractor
• bubble
• "nana" (banana)
• grandpa
• "mop" (mama help - when he needs help)
• "wa-wa" (water/agua)
• "raffe" (giraffe)
• knock-knock
• outside
• kitty
• woof (dog sound)
• chicken
• eat
• please
• boom
• bath
• mouth
• mouse
• house
• grass
• "pass" (pacifier)
• Henry
• Bible
• moon
• "mmmmm" (whale sound" - pitching intonation)
  

Words Henry has said at least once but won't necessarily say when prompted:

• lion
• baby
• tree
• flower
• block
• green
• red

Words Henry can sign:

• please
• eat
• drink
• chicken
• thank you

Wordless Wednesday - Rise and Shine

Henry is Fifteen Months

You wanna come and read with me?


Stacking is my specialty.


Aren't you going to applaud?


Yeah, I know I'm that cute.

Henry turned 15mo old yesterday. It nearly came and went without our even realizing it. He amazes us every day. His sweet personality is more evident all the time, and he is just so bright. He picks up on things so quickly now, and has a slew of tricks to show off. He loves to gives hugs and kisses. He can easily entertain himself, but is also beginning to blossom socially. He and Amelia have play dates weekly, and Mandy and I have really noticed how they're actually interacting with one another instead of just parallel-playing. A couple of weeks ago, Henry followed Amelia around trying to talk her into playing with him. Last week, the kids were in rare form, running around the kitchen, hollering, and scattering toys everywhere. You can't buy this kind of entertainment!

We went today for his check-up and another round of vaccinations. He weighs 27lbs 4oz and is 32.5inches. I had her double-check his length because that was only 1/2in. gain from three months ago. I was just sure he had grown more than that, especially because I know he's had at least one good growth spurt since then. Maybe the measurement was wrong last time. Anyway, he is in the 75th percentile for weight and length, and is holding steady at better than 95th for head circumference. The kid is well-endowed in noggin. Dr. Miller said he is perfect in every way, and at or beyond all milestones and development for his age. She thinks he's going to be very intelligent and advanced, but she is particularly fond of Henry, so she can't help but say nice things about him. Of course, she might be right. ;)

If I could only share one new cute thing Henry is doing today, it would be his impersonation of Jimmy Johnson. Scratching your head? He was the long-time head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. How, might you ask, is a fifteen-month-old baby imitating an NFL football coach? Well, when Zac and I attended a recent game, we bought Henry a souvenir mini-football. When you drop or catch the ball, it plays one of three recorded soundbites. One is the old fight song from way back in the day. The other two are of Jimmy Johnson's most memorable quotes: "Touchdown, Cowboys!" and "How 'bout them Cowboys?!"

So, now Henry is trying to say, "How 'bout them Cowboys?!" It is SO cute!! *swoon*

Baby Update

We had an appointment last Tuesday and as they say, no news is good news. The first appointment is typically exciting and informative (ultrasound, comprehensive physical and blood work, etc.) but the next two or three appointments can be, well, uneventful. We were in and out in under 30 minutes, and that includes waiting room time, and taking time to ask Dr. M several questions.

I had not expected to be, but I was vaccinated for the regular flu at this visit. Immunity takes about two weeks post inoculation, so within another few days I hope to be better prepared to face the flu season which is already rearing its ugly head here in Texas. Zac reported that prescriptions for tamiflu are already coming through the pharmacy - a sign that the flu bug is biting. I also plan to get the swine flu vax once it becomes available later in October. Pregnant women are in a special risk category for this illness, and I don't want to risk picking it up, thus endangering myself or my family.

Otherwise, the appointment consisted of the usual: tinkling in a cup, getting on the scale, checking my blood pressure, and answering basic questions by the doctor about how I'm feeling. The highlight: finding baby's heartbeat on doppler. The heart rate was 155bpm and I have to say it's about the most amazing thing to hear. In these earlier weeks, before feeling baby, it's so nice to have that confirmation of well-being. It also is just a marvel to ponder that this little life is growing in there without my really being aware of it, physically.

I'm still awaiting baby to make his/her presence known soon. I'll be 14 weeks this Saturday, and that's just a three week difference from when I first noticed Henry moving at 17 weeks. I look for flutters to start any day now.

We made our appointments for the next regular check up and our next ultrasound. We'll see the doctor again on October 6th and will get another look at baby on October 27th. Look for an exciting post shortly thereafter - we'll be announcing the impending arrival of our SON or DAUGHTER!! So excited!

I am feeling better overall, thankfully. Still get a nauseous episode, but no more all-day yuckies. Heartburn is still daily, but I don't expect that to get better before it gets much worse, and for now the meds are still controlling it fairly well. I spent the first trimester baffled at my energy level; when pregnant with Henry, I was SO wiped out for the first few months, but have really not felt that drain until just the past week or so. Strange timing, but it would have been stranger to have really escaped it altogether. When you consider that my body is literally manufacturing another human being, it's all too understandable that I'd be dragging a little. It helps when I get to bed at a decent time - still working on that.

That's all for now - stay tuned.

Photog Flunkie

What is the number one quality in a really, really bad photographer?

Not taking pictures.

My camera has been neglected for the better part of a month now. That's so unlike me. When I peruse back through my file folders on my hard drive, I have historically taken upwards of 150 to 200 pictures a month. As Henry has gotten older, I have taken less, but is it really believable that over the past month Henry hasn't been picture-worthy? Doubtful. He is becoming more handsome every day and until it was brought to my attention that I've not been clicking enough, it hadn't occurred to me that I'm missing these daily memories of his sweet face.

I'm vowing to get back behind the camera more often. And, more pictures means more blog posts - it's a win-win!

Wordless Wednesday - Henry's Fort

On his way out to scavenge...

...for provisions.




Okay, it was mostly wordless.

Eleven and a half weeks, and finally some relief.

Do I dare say that I'm feeling better? If I do, am I risking the inevitable spike of nausea and indigestion that will mock and spite me? Is it possible that things are turning around this soon? I sure hope this is what it looks like. I'm still having a bad day here and there, but definitely more good days than bad. My biggest daily complaint is heartburn, but it isn't always presenting in its traditional form. Most days, I sport a nasty acidic taste in my mouth all day, which has resulted in raw gums due to profuse brushing. For about four or five days now I've had mild but annoying chest pain that I'm almost certain is just another version of heartburn. Tylenol does seem to remedy that, but it is back within the four hours of taking it. For now, I'm combating this foe with lots of Zantac and Tums, though the chalky aftertaste of the Tums is enough to make me gag most days. Sigh.

My next appointment is now under a week away. It will be mostly uneventful, but we will get to find baby on doppler. I'm looking forward to that little peace of mind. These long weeks between appointments in the early months, when it's too soon for physical confirmation of baby's wellness in the way of movement and kicks, make for some uneasiness. It'd be nice to have a window into the womb from time to time, just to check up on things. Good news is that I anticipate baby to make his/her presence known in the next few weeks. I felt Henry for the first time at seventeen weeks, and it's typical to feel movement earlier in subsequent pregnancies.

In so many ways, this pregnancy is just different. I was reading recently through my pregnancy journal for Henry and found that at 20 weeks I was still not really showing yet. I know it isn't all baby, but I already feel huge at 11 weeks this time. I can thank bloat and general tummy upset for that, I'm sure. I'm monitoring my weight here at home weekly, and as of last Saturday, I still hadn't gained from my last appointment - in fact, I was even down a pound and a half. Not sure how that's possible because my clothes are telling me I'm bigger. In fact, I'm pretty sure my denim shorts told me I'm a whale.