The sisters and their babies.

And in this post, I present to you "Laura's visit from Minneapolis, and the Many Sad Faces of a Certain Henry George Taylor." We tried, we really did try. And I think with a wild 4 year old boy, his toddler sister, a kind 6 year old, and 3 little babies who like to be on the move (just nearly all of them), we did an okay job. I'd like to see you try to get all these people looking happy and smiley in one photo. No, really, I would really like to see that because then we could have a nice happy photo of all the sisters and their children. Because now we just have this...

Evie takes a little rest from the madness to clear her head. Wish I could be more zen like her. 

The BFFs. Lincoln and Ronan. Too cute.

Finally, we let Henry run around and even eat a few puffs, and look what happened. Cheered right up. I forget that snacks are his happy place (he gets that from his mama).

Getting out of the city

When you realize your child is afraid to walk in the grass and he's never seen a cow in real life, it's time to get out of the city. I love my little city baby, but it was so refreshing to see him toddling through the grass, making animal sounds, and screaming out "TRACTORRRRR!" every time we saw a moving vehicle. It was pretty thrilling for all of us, really.

18 months

High time for a proper Henny update!

Official toddler status at 18 months, we made it! We raised a baby and now he is running around and being crazy and charming us to no end. My biggest worries used to be - am I eating well enough to give him some good milk? What if he never crawls? What if he never let's go of my hand and walks on his own?!
Well, of course he let go of my hand, as soon as he was ready. And now I have to force him to hold my hand when we cross the street. And now my biggest worries are: did he eat a vegetable today? Is he growing? Should I be teaching him more things?

Here is what I can tell you about Henry. He is a big sweetheart. He really loves the people in his life, and is very loyal to them in terms of who is allowed to say hello to him and who can pick him up. He loves to be silly and laugh with us. His favorite game is chase! He will giggle to no end, just trying to run away from us, wanting to be scooped up and tickled. He is curious about new things, always looking for a long time to examine and saying "wow!" Since he was born, he has always been an observer and this continues to be true. He takes things slow, waiting until he's sure before he goes bounding off to do something. Which I think makes taking care of him a bit easier. We're not chasing him around too much and he never strays to far from us, most of the time. He has an impressive vocabulary, probably about 100 words, and he's just starting to string words together. "Buh bye....dada" and "thank you.....mama". We are learning to count to 3. I say 1...2...and he says 3! He'll also help me say the alphabet, coming in at G, P, V, and Z. Haha. Evert night before bed, we read his favorite book, I am a Bunny, and he will finish the last word of every sentence. His favorite foods are pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, peas, and sweet potatoes. And of course Annie's cheese bunny crackers, we should buy stock in those. And cookies, obvs.

He's just starting to run, or bounce up and down as he walks faster. He is so good about going to bed (finally!). We give him a bath, read a story or two, then sing a couple songs and put him down in his crib. I'm so proud of us that we figured out a good way to get Henny to sleep. The times we went through! Perilous! He loves anything to do with trucks, airplanes, kitties (he calls them meow's), and water (obsessed with the tea kettle, baths, watering the garden, boiling water on the stove). We go for walks most nights and now if he sees a raised part of the sidewalk (a garden bed or a curb, or brick border, he must walk on it. I think that's a boy thing? He's starting to pretend play. We made eggies in his little frying pan earlier this week and he fed imaginary bites to me, and sometimes we pretend we are dogs and we crawl around and bark and sniff and laugh.

Having a little boy, especially a little Henny boy who is the perfect complement to me and Mark, is the best thing that ever happened to us. It's true what they say - once you have a baby, life is never the same. But apart from a few sleepless nights (ok more than a few!), what they don't really say is life is never better. Ugh. I mean, really, Hen, you've completely stolen our hearts. We love you.

Happy mothers day.

Happy mothers day to my mother, the most patient, kind and dedicated woman I know. Taking a week-long trip with someone to a foreign place will always reveal the true nature of a person, and going to Germany with my mom cemented the fact that she is patient, up for an adventure, fun-loving and puts so much trust and faith in me. She really thinks I can do anything, which is why I always call her up when I'm feeling a little down and out. She is the person who can get me feeling like I can do hard things and I am special. Mothers are great. I'm glad to have a good one and I hope I can be as patient and easygoing as she was with me growing up. I have a lot to learn, but lucky to have someone to learn from! Happy mothers day!

Today is May 6.

Tomorrow I turn 31, which is extremely auspicious and exciting, given that 31 is a prime number and it feels more stable than some loosey goosey age 30 that can be divided again and again. 31 is going to be a good year, I can feel it.

I loved turning 30. I loved closing the door to my wild and messy 20's. My 20's were a decade of exploration, of figuring out who I was, and boy did I search a lot for myself before settling down to who I am today. My 20's were very fun, interspersed with too much drama, tears, sloppiness, college, grad school, building and building, working towards something I wasn't sure where the end was...and now I am 30. And my first year of my 30's was quite a good one. But I realized a few things, things that I will be working on in this next year.

1. I heard recently that there are two types of people: givers and takers. In relationships, it is great to have both types to balance the needs and desires of both people. And I've realized I am far too much of a taker, and also how great it feels to be a giver. I've really been working on not just giving of my time and talents, but also of myself. I easily shut down and turn inward in many situations, and even when I'm giving to someone, my heart is not always in it. I want to be a giver in year 31, a giver of my heart.

2. I want to wake up early. I have felt defeated by my sleep needs for so long. I get tired, must sleep, and cannot wake up. And everything that is required of me makes me grumpy because darn-it-all I just want to sleep. But I've been experimenting in the past month. One night, Henry woke up at 2AM coughing and couldn't go back to sleep. He was, in fact, wide awake. So instead of fighting it and letting him watch youtube on my phone like I wanted to do, I woke up with him and read some books. We played with a few trucks quietly, and about 20 minutes later, I held him in my arms and sang him back to sleep. It was blissful and peaceful and I fell in love so hard in that moment. What a difference waking up makes. This weekend, I woke up before everyone else and crept downstairs to make pancakes on Sunday morning and banana bread on Monday morning. I love being up early with the morning light pouring through the windows and the crisp cool air flowing in over my toes. Waking up early is my time to drink a cup of tea, read the paper, and get my head on straight before starting the day. I love it.

3. And I say this every year, but I'm going to work my body this year. I want my defined muscles back and I want to get rid of those last 10 pounds of baby weight once and for all. I gained some of it back when I stopped breastfeeding a few months ago and I'm really ready to feel slimmer again.

31 is going to be a good year. I think it will be a year of change, and a year that will require me being a giver, an early riser, and being kind to my body. I think it's going to be a good one.

Germany: Marienbrunn or my Ancestral Home

My mom and I went to Germany last month to find out more about our ancestors. We knew they were from a small town outside of Frankfurt, called Marienbrunn. It is so small that we couldn't even find it on googlemaps. We are talking tiny. So without proper directions or an address, we set out to find the old Schwind house, the home of my great-great-great grandfather. With the help of several kind (mostly non-English-speaking) people in the town, we were directed to an old, humble brick home directly across from the church. This was the Schwind house. We couldn't believe our luck! And to top it off, we were able to speak with the older woman who lived next door to the house, and who had memories of her parents speaking of "the Schwind family who used to live next door".  She even had a tiny photo that she had kept all these years from her parents of the family. The old man sitting by himself on the steps in the photo is believed to be a relative. The house has since been sold, as my ancestors left back in the mid-1800's, and the house now functions partly as a barn. A cozy home to about 10 chubby pigs.

We also were able to be introduced (by the older woman neighbor) to a distant relative. A woman whose mother was a Schwind. My mom is now exchanging emails back and forth to find out more about our family history, and we even think she'll be able to provide us with names and birth dates and history going very far back, which is now logged in old church books, buried away in a pile of dust somewhere in the town.

For such a short trip (5 days in Germany and only 2 in this area of our ancestors), we felt very successful and grateful for the help of so many. We visited a nearby Catholic records library and made hundreds of dollars worth of copies of Schwind marriage and birth records. Now to find the time to sift through everything and figure out where our family line begins and ends! It's a daunting task, no doubt.

It felt very powerful to be in the tiny village of my ancestors, and I was immediately impressed that these serene and humble surroundings were not always so. I imagined how they lived and survived in these beautiful and what must have been very hard times. In reading the history of Germany in the mid-1800's, there were famines, recent wars, and resulting lack of work, which is why many emigrated at that time. The strong and providing hills that grew vegetables from the earth, feeding and supporting so many through the centuries, are now dotted with wind turbines and old roofs covered in solar panels. Cars zoom by on the nearby autobahn at speeds near 150 MPH. It is starkly different from days past, yet the people in this town continue to live and work off the land, their strong German constitutions and the beautiful sun-kissed hills as their companions. Knowing that I come from this bloodline, from a hearty stock of devoted and determined villagers, who lived as long as they could in the town until they made a surely heartbreaking decision to leave the home they knew and loved to seek opportunity. I'm grateful for their sacrifices and grateful to even know about their sacrifices. Seeing your family history come to life really is beyond words, and I'm happy my mother and I were able to take this trip.

More photos to come from Munich and Frankfurt...

On traveling and discipline.

Mark and I have been exchanging trips and Henry care for the past couple of months. It's been a little ridiculous. Like I either have to be in an airport, a different city or a single parent. That's how it's been the past 2 months. Well, the good news is that we have a little break coming up. No travel for a month ahead of us! How did we get so lucky, I wonder to myself? A normal family time, I wonder what will happen? Maybe we'll hang up some pictures on the wall. Maybe I'll get pregnant (KIDDING). Maybe Henry will bump his head on something (INEVITABLE).

I don't mind traveling when I plan the trip, but as soon as I'm off the plane in a different city I want to high tale it back home to be with my family! What has gotten into me? Like Henry is going to change in 12 hours or something? Or maybe it's just that I can't stand to miss anything he does. Mark and I are totally sick for Henry. Sick. Even his tantrums are cute to us (after the fact). What is wrong with us? My friend was asking me the other day how we discipline Henry and I was like...umm, we don't? It seems to work for all of us? I mean let's be honest, how do you even start to discipline a toddler? Hey Henry, don't throw food on the floor or you will have to lay your head down for 10 seconds. Hey Henry, stop climbing on the furniture or you will have to sit on a stool for 10 seconds. Really? He wouldn't listen and I would be too weak to enforce it because it would turn into a fight, and I thought you weren't supposed to fight with your children? In all seriousness, when do you start providing some discipline that isn't just "ignore it" for a nearly 18 month old? I'm stumped. And probably in need of some sort of guidance that isn't Google.

Post Script: These two things: traveling/single parenting and needing to discipline are not related...ok? I mean, right? Crap.

My neighborhood and not accepting help.

As a mother of a (very) small child, I often get asked by strangers if they can help. I don't think I've ever accepted anybody's help, not because I am too prideful or anything, but for safety reasons.

We don't have a parking space, and we live near a busy stretch of the city that fills up at night. So I'm often left walking a few blocks if I get home after 6pm. Last night, I returned home after visiting family around 9:30pm, and I parked a block and a half away from my house. I picked up all the bags, then scooped up a sleepy Henry in my arms, when a person out walking their dog asked me, "Can I help you get to your house?" and I just kind of wholesale dismissed him saying - "no thanks, I've got it", even though I was clearly overloaded and had a walk ahead of me with heavy bags and a heavy toddler.

I do this kind of stuff all of the time. I don't talk to anyone on the street after dark in my neighborhood. By myself, or with a baby. Sometimes it's shady looking people, but sometimes it is perfectly harmless looking people but I just can't bring myself to accept help or anything other than mumbling a whispered hello. So maybe I come off as a jerk, but maybe sometimes I save my life? Who's to say, really. Maybe I just need to move out of my neighborhood if I can't hang with the gangstars.

Easter 2013.

How our Easter went this year: Buy pants for Easter Sunday outfit from the girls department of BabyGap. Order bowtie from Colins Closet. Fill 5 Easter eggs with blueberries and cheese bunnies. Wake up 16 month old boy and direct him to easter basket. Watch your little boy laughing about blueberries in an egg, watch him running around, learning all the little details of life, watching him learn how to make other people laugh at church, wonder why he will not eat anything other than bread and cake (I think it's genetic?) but at least he doesn't eat candy (yet?), see him learning to play and interact with his grandparents, auntie, and other family, kiss his sweet little face at the end of the day. Think about next year, when he'll be able to get into the Easter egg hunt (and how will you keep him away from candy this time next year!?)

Cherry Blossoms 2013.

Last year's excursion was too much fun, and we couldn't wait to indulge in the madness of walking down to the Tidal Basin with 3,492,651 other people to ogle DC's beautiful cherry blossoms.

This was the best photo we got from last year. You can only ask a stranger to take so many photos of your wriggly family before the kindness runs out, really.

This year, everyone was waiting for those blossoms to show up. We waited...and waited...and waited some more (too cold for those blossoms!), then we just threw our hands in the air and decided to go on down Sunday morning and check them out. They were just starting to pop so we didn't get the full experience, and wouldn't you know it they were in full bloom by Monday afternoon. So it goes.
We got a few photos of the day, and we head back tomorrow morning to do some paddleboats, and keeping out fingers crossed HARD that it doesn't rain on us. We do not seem to be having the luck in the cherry blossom world this year. But, in other news, Henry has crossed into a new realm of toddlerhood. He is really getting a funny sense of humor, and we can't go anywhere without him stopping to pick up a pile of dirt/sticks/leaves/flower buds off the ground and throw it. It's kind of his jam. Who am I to stop him? Let the baby enjoy his hobbies, I say. So Spring has sprung, the leaves on the trees are just days away from appearing, and as soon as this freak 90 degree heat wave leaves, I intend to enjoy this short lived season.

I love you.

On Monday night, we were putting Henry to bed. Take the bath. Read the books. Drink some water. Read another book. Sing the songs. Then put in the crib, and we say, I love you! This time, he looked back up at us and said "I wuv oo".

If you need me, I'll be mopping myself up off the floor the rest of the week. Major love-puddle territory.

502 days.

On his 502nd day, Henry leaned in straight to my lips and gave me a big juicy kiss. Usually one to swat me away from his face when I try to kiss him, we've now arrived at that delicate moment where he gives me kisses willingly and liberally. Nothing like those sloppy kisses from your baby to make the heart swell, then melt into a puddle.

Germany

I have so much to report on our trip to Germany last week! My mom and I escaped for a week to do some reconnecting with the mother land, and we had a great time! I think I mentioned that Mark bought us tickets for Christmas, and so we have been busily planning our trip to make sure we had time to do some family history digging around and also have some fun. And...success! We think we found the birth records of my great great great (great?) grandfather and all of his children, along with a few marriage records at the Catholic diocese. I can't tell you how many hours we spent staring at a computer screen trying to figure out how to read German script from the 1800's. Ain't nobody got time for that!

Here are a few photos from the trip. I want to do a more comprehensive trip report, which will hopefully trickle out over the next few weeks. It's busy times around these parts!
 

 Bicycles in Munich.

 A typical German breakfast. Hearty!

 The Residence Palace in Wurzburg.

A house in Hafenlohr, right outside the tiny village of my ancestors.

Working from home.

It's a luxury I don't often get, but I think it makes the difference for...well anyone, really. I was going to say parents, but I would have appreciated a day to work from home before I had kids, too! After completely spacing out this morning and leaving my laptop at home, after feeling like an idiot for about 15 minutes, I thought - this is my chance! - and I declared it a work from home day just like that. It's a little easier to do when the boss is out of town, but that is neither here nor there. I digress.

I had some morning meetings, so by the time I left the office, it was almost time for lunch. I grabbed some carrots, pita, and hummus, and decided to make it a quick lunch and head outside for a workout! I ran about 1.5 miles to the Biker Barre studio and took a barre class. I am so out of shape so the run there was probably pushing it - I arrived breathless and red-faced to the studio, and barely had time to catch my breath before the class started. Shaking legs, shaking arms, sweat dripping, etc. Man! In 45 minutes, the class finished, and I walked home.

Caught up on my email, listened to a teleseminar on the walk home on energy efficiency and climate change, then made myself a big quinoa bowl and a salad. I love having access to my kitchen while I work. I love the light that comes in through my windows. I love having a quick dance party break. And I can do a bunch of loads of laundry while I work! It's really a win-win, and makes my week so much smoother when I have one day to work from home.

I'm also really excited that started working out again. This is going to be the start of something beautiful, flabby old mom bod!

Shorty.

Henry is a shorty-man. He is little. Friends of mine with similarly aged babies write things like:
Oh we had to childproof our front door because baby can reach the doorknob.
Baby is close to climbing out of the crib
etc.
But we are awhile from reaching that point with our short mister Hen.

Henry is just getting tall enough to ride his firetruck around and he practices getting on, getting off, getting on, getting, off. That exercise alone can keep him occupied for a good 5 minutes. I'm so proud of his dedication.

The other night I got back from a business trip about 10 minutes after he went to sleep for the night, and I went in to check on his sleeping self. He was seconds away from falling into a deep sleep, but aware enough to know somebody walked in. He lifted his head up, looked at me, then head back on the mattress. Then he did it again. Then he realized it was mama, and he woke up enough to stand up and reach for me, so I scooped him up and he fell asleep on my shoulder within minutes. It was so so sweet, I just never want to forget that moment. Henry is a pretty great little guy, even if he is already starting to throw tantrums (not even 16 months yet! help!?), they are few and far between. Let's hope they stay that way!

And I know Hen will hit a growth spurt soon and grow too fast for me. But for now, I'm enjoying his shorty status. It's so cute to watch him walk everywhere as a little guy.

Sleeptalking

Mark told me last week that I have started being a noisy sleeper. I've been more tired than ever in the past few weeks, and some mornings I wake up feeling like I've run a marathon. So last week he told me I have been snoring lately. Ok, whatever, no biggie, but it gets worse. Apparently I have a tendency to sit straight up in a panic, sometimes saying something, mostly just gasping for breath, than laying back down.

Last night I sat straight up and grabbed Mark's arm in a panic. He asked me if I was ok, then I rolled my eyes and laid back down to sleep. I don't remember that at all!


What is happening to me? I would be so freaked out if Mark grabbed me in the middle of the night like that, and we both need our sleep. I feel so awkward in the mornings when he tells me the weird things I did.

Anyone have similar stories like this? Is there any way to stop the madness?

Sisters and Babies

 I'm already nostalgic for these days of babies with my sisters. Look how young everyone is. Ugh, it is so beautiful and wonderful. I'm in a mood today!