Tegegne, 5 Hensley, almost 2.5 Tegegne and Hensley, You two were having so much fun with a spray bottle tonight. Hens, we don't hear that good belly laugh often and it was awesome! Of course, as most things caught on video...this went on for at least 10 minutes before we decided we should video it. I love it when you kids get the giggles. Laughter makes the world go round. Love you so much, Mom
Dear Children, You are true joy to Daddy and I. Fields, you'll be scooting around the house soon. Your rocking and squealing are so cute. Tegegne and Hensley, last night we had the front and back doors open letting the rainy breeze freshen up the house. You two ran from front to back over and over with much laughter. Later we sat on the front porch for 2 hours. We were so peaceful and content. It was the calm before the storm. We love you. Mommy
Hey Cutie! Thanks! (Thanks and Jesus are two words that you say adorably well.) Thanks for our breakfast date this morning. One large banana granola pancake, one egg, and one cup of coffee at a booth in Fairway's First Watch made for a good time with you. Fields sat in his car seat in the booth with us and didn't make a peep!)
I love this video of you at 19 months (2 days ago) which represents a bit of our days together when Tegegne is at school. P.S. Sorry people keep mistaking you as a boy lately. If you're not in pink clothing, people just assume. And you are a green dino for Halloween (but maybe a fairy with wings as well because your dad got a costume from a school parent too!), and your winter coat is brown, etc, etc.
Hensley! You walked today! Your first 6 independent steps were at the library during story time. You were right in front of me standing, looking intently at a child with a snack nearby. Then you did it. 1 step, 2, 3, 4, and not just 5 but 6 steps toward that child with the snack. Then you stopped and stood there. I looked around so eager to interrupt the story and tell everyone, but I kept my mom cool. Just whispered it to a friend, and she shared in my delight!
Your dad got home and you walked for him. Then we thought...oh, we should document this! So I grabbed the camera and got these steps...
Here are some other photos to remind us of your personality at one!
On your birthday: your shy expression...tucking your chin in to your shoulder with a slightly furrowed brow.
Yummy in my tummy. Must get every last bite.
Here's the full furrowed brow. Watch out!
Those toes sneak up to your tray all of the time. Silly toes! Toes are not for eating.
Lovin' Uncle Eric and wearing his childhood sweater made by Great Grandma Cox.
KONY 2012 is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.
So I totally love my family! But that's obvious, right? Let me be more specific. You see, my mom has two sisters and a brother who have the most delightful offspring, aka my cousins. Andrea (pronounced AUUN-drea, not ANNdrea) is one of those cousins. "Andie" is two years older than me. Whenever she got Birkenstocks in 8th grade, I had to get some. Then she studied interior architecture and traveled to Denmark and Germany, and I was inspired. She was designing in Chicago and traveling to NY, which was so cool to this midwestern girl! She now has a dear husband, Bob and adorable son, Orien. Orien and Hensley are about the same age and I love it that they get to grow up together! Their biggest venture was quitting their design jobs in the city and doing a year of organic farming stuff, which led them to building this straw bale house outside of the city! Here are a few photos of our workday.We love you Andie, Bob and Orien!
The boys were king of the mountain and got SO muddy.
Andie, remember why you made that face?
My dear brother and sister-in-law were there (a huge highlight!) and they watched our kids while we went to a wedding! Thanks Uncle Eric and Aunt Erica! Hensley says sorry and she's embarrassed for being totally inconsolable.
(If you, dear reader, are interested in a straw-bale house or being green or have a smile on your face they'd love for you to visit and pick up a shovel while you're there! They are making the final push to get in before winter hits! Just leave a comment and I'll get you )
Tegegne, it's Monday night and you've got moves! You love to dance. We most definitely hope to get you in a hip hop class in a few years. Cause the good Lord knows that you will not be learning any stylish motions from your pops or I.
Okay, CalebtheBand...we are in sweet anticipation to see more of this To the End of the World Project. Nice work guys! Please bring it to Kansas City and let us hug your necks!
Thanks, Taye Diggs, for writing this book. Our family will most definitely be purchasing it. We also use the words chocolate and vanilla. As a "white" mom, it is tricky sometimes to know how to talk about differences and how often to do so. Tegegne is going to love this book!
Tegegne, your birthday party was awesome! Everyone had a blast! I meant to take a group pic so you could remember all of your friends that came, but we were having too much fun to take photos!
We love you, son. Do you remember what you were thinking in this photo a year and a half ago? It was the first day that you met us. None of us knew what was in store.
Okay, okay it's fun to go down memory lane, but let's get on to the good stuff! You got a B-I-K-E for your birthday and yesterday you learned how to ride it! Your "coach" is Ababayeh and I have never seen him more proud of anything!
So yesterday, you fell down a lot but with Ababayeh hootin' and hollerin for you, you got back up, gave a thumbs up and kept riding! Then Ababayeh called half of the people he knows to share the news!
Fun video on Day 2 of bike riding!
"Bicycle! Ride it, and smack it!"
After riding around the park you rode to the grocery store while Ababayeh jogged, so you could pick out a special treat after your birthday dinner.
And lastly, I've got to share a conversation we had at the park...
Man: Is that your son? Ababayeh: Yes. He's four years old today. It's his birthday and he learned to ride a bike. Man: Are you sure? He's a different color. Ababayeh: Yes. He is our son. Mommyeh: Have you heard of adoption? (we were using friendly, casual voices, btw) Man: Ooohhhh. Okaaayyyy. Mommyeh: Where are you from? Man: Somalia. Mommyeh: Oh good. You have children? Man: Yes, I have eight. Ect, ect.
Hi Happy Hens! It's true. If you are not tired, hungry, or needing a diaper change you are a happy baby. This age is so much fun!
So far you've eaten avocado, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, homemade hummus, and spinach mixed with sweet potatoes. Ha! You are about to crawl. You laugh, especially at your brother. When new friends want to hold you, you are going through the "I'd rather be held by mom or dad" stage. I hope you get over this soon, because other people get much joy from holding you!
Your favorite things are playing outside on our picnic blanket, talking one-on-one with us, eating food, and swimming.
So green, so good. It's baby Hensley's first food. Avocado! Hooray! Video is 7 minutes, but glad we captured this moment with her! Tegegne fed Hensley her first bite! It's day three (now) on avocado and she is enjoying it. No more gagging, like she did in the video!
We have frozen ice-cubed portions of carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes. Then bananas, apples
Here is a clip from a great article by Hensley's pediatrician, Dr. Natasha Burgert...
So, what are my general guidelines when it comes to starting infants on solid foods?
I encourage the families of healthy, normally-developing children* to start solids near or after 6 months of age.
I want parents to give babies a great variety of real food, in a safe way.
I think of pureed foods as practice and play to develop the skill of eating; nutrition is still from breast milk or formula.
I try to challenge my families to think outside of the Gerber-defined box and give babies interesting tastes, but no raw honey until after the first birthday.
That’s it. Go. Eat.
Wait a minute…. There has to be more. What about the rule about veggies first? Babies can’t have dairy, right? What about spicy stuff? They aren’t supposed to have strawberries or oranges, either!? My mom wanted to give her yogurt, and I told her “no.” Please don’t tell me she is right!?! And you have said nothing about rice cereal.
OK, so maybe there is a little bit more. But, likely not what you expect. When continuing the food conversation with families, some common myths creep to the surface.
Hensley Ruth, Your baptism today is a symbol that God pursues you and reaches out to you. It's a symbol of you entering into this community who loves you. We remember Jesus's baptism. We believe that God will carry you into new life!
Baptism Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Together, we pray that these minds will know Your wisdom. Their eyes will see Your glory. Their ears will hear Your words. Their mouths will speak Your truth. Their hearts will host Your Spirit. Their hands will do Your work. That their knees would bow only before You, the Lord Our God. And that their feet would follow You in the way of Jesus all the days of their lives. Amen.
On Sunday August 14, 2011 you were baptized at the Jacob's Well Pilgrimage. It was a holy and special occasion. We love you sweet Hensley, but God loves you more than we can imagine.
It is fun watch these videos and remember how special those first moments were. You were a thirsty little guy. You held onto that yellow airplane so tight. We had no idea what the next weeks, months, or years would bring. We were stopped in time and so mesmerized with you. It took a while for you to smile, but at the end of our time together you did. You also kissed us.
You love watching these as well. Especially since Hensley came. You are so curious about what it was like when you were a baby. You just asked, "Mommy, did I come from your tummy or birth mom's tummy?" You ask questions like these, and it is so neat to see the story unfold in your mind. Yes, there is sadness (which will eventually come I'm sure) but our story has unyielding joy. Because we are meant to be together.
We are watching videos as I type this and you just discovered that we were not wearing seat belts in the van. Your mouth dropped!
