Vintage

Henry wore Edward's christening outfit from when he was baptized thirty-two years ago.  This vintage beauty fit Henry perfectly.  I love the little bear on the vest.

Don't you love how Henry's praying in the last photo?

Baptism

Henry was baptized this past weekend by the priest that married Edward and I.  It was a small ceremony after mass with just our families present.  We chose my sister Christine and brother-in-law John as Henry's godparents.  Afterwards we had lunch, cake, presents and family time at our house.  There definitely some screaming done by Henry, but he was a trooper.

3 Months

Dear Henry,
You just wrapped up your third month... and I have to say it has been my favorite month so far.  Some highlights I got to experience first hand as I was finally able to take some time off from work to spend with you one-on-one:
- Smiles... all day long we get to see you smile and it brightens my day every time.
- Talking... you take after your mother and grandmother; you just love to have conversations all day long.
- Playing... you've definitely got your favorite toys, you love it when I "take you for a run"on your playmat and more and more you interact with your stuffed animals and vintage Fisher Price toys.
- Eating... you're a big eater now and it shows - we love your little belly!
- Sleeping... you've started sleeping through the night from time to time, but even on the days you don't you only get up one time and it's right back to sleep once you're fed.
I can't wait to see what the next month brings.
Love,
Daddy

Wedding Weekend: Asbury Hall

Edward's sister Emily and Richard were married this past summer in Korea.  They came home to have a reception since only family ventured across the globe to see them tie the knot.  The reception was just wonderful!  It was held at Asbury Hall in downtown Buffalo, which is an old church that was refurbished and is now a venue for events.  The reception had a vintage travel theme...everything from old suitcases, postcards, passports, wooden airplanes and boarding passes.  Very fitting for these two travel connoisseurs.

The venue was beautiful!

Our Table...Each table was named after a city and country that Emily and Richard have traveled to.  These two have been all over the world!

The happy couple being introduced!

The Watson Girls.

 Peterson's & Przylucki's.

Bro's.

 First Dance.

I have some good lookin' parents!

 A whole lotta dancing was going on!

 Another good lookin' couple!

Literally exhausted by the end of the night...we haven't been out this late in a looooong time!  We had such a good time though!

Wedding Weekend: Pearl Street Pre-Party

Emily and Richard's wedding festivities kicked off Friday night at Pearl Street for some Buffalo grub, drinks and family fun!

#14 My Valentine

#13 Sneaker Socks

These are the cutest socks!  I love that they look like little sneakers!  Henry has lots of them!

Maternity Leave

My maternity leave is over and I head back to work tomorrow.  I've cried every night the last week thinking about it.  Is Henry going to remember me?  What if he needs me? What if something happens to him while I'm away?  The last three months home with him have flown by!  I have cherished every moment we've spent together!  I know I'm blessed to have spent three months home with him considering some people only get six or eight weeks, but I'm not ready to go back yet.  I wish I had longer!  In an ideal world I think I would stay home forever.  I really love being home with him!

But, I need to get over being sad about going back to work because being a stay at home mom isn't in my cards (unless we win the lotto).  I do, however, go back to work for a week and then have a week off for break already (kind of a nice way to ease into teaching).  Edward will be staying home with Henry for two weeks and my mom will be watching him for a week before we have a babysitter coming to our house to watch him.  I know Henry will be in good hands because the babysitter is great and came highly recommended by some teachers I work with who have had her watch their own kids.  And it's a plus that Henry will get to stay home - his own crib, toys, routine, individual attention, and no packing him up in the morning. I'm sure Henry will be fine without his momma and every minute home with him at night and on the weekends will be precious and much more special.  I just keep telling myself only four months of work and then I'm off for the summer.  Let the countdown begin!

#12 Boppy

We use the Boppy during feedings - it lets us be in a more comfortable position.  Henry likes to lounge propped up in it to check out his surroundings.  This pillow also provides some support Henry needs to build his upper body strength during tummy time.  

#11 California Baby

Love this stuff-perfect for Henry's super sensitive skin that he's had since he was born.  They contain no chemicals, dyes, perfumes or anything else harmful.  A little goes a long way, too!

# 10 Moby Wrap

The Moby Wrap is a life saver when...
1) Henry wants to be held and I need two free hands.  Like when it's time to start making dinner and he wants to be held.  And then when we sit down to eat dinner and he still wants to be held.
2) At night when my arms and back are tired from holding Henry throughout the day and he wants me to stand with him (How does he know the instant I sit down???).
3) Henry just needs to be pressed close against my body to snuggle and calm himself.

#9 Daddy

This guy comes with the BEST hugs, kisses, dance moves, silly faces, songs, burping pats, dream feeds, and by far the tightest swaddling techniques a baby could ask for.  He's a stellar dad!

He's not for sale :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!

#8 Aiden & Anais

These Aiden & Anais swaddling blankets are wonderful.  They were highly recommended and gifted to use from another mommy friend in NYC. They're simple muslin blankets, but they are large, light, wash well and have multiple uses in our house - swaddling, covering cold toes, stretching out on the floor, draping over bouncy seat & swing (to save from spit up incidents), snuggling, burp cloth, etc.

#7 Baby Trend Expedition ELX Travel System Stroller

Last summer Edward and I would sit on our front porch and look at all the baby strollers that would go by.  We realized most people in our village had three-wheeled strollers.  We figured it would also be the best choice for us considering our village sidewalks are old and uneven.  Also, the park around the corner from our house and Knox Farm have gravel pathes to walk on so the stroller we chose needed some all terian wheels and off-roading capabilities. We wanted a travel system so that the car seat could be transfered between car and stroller.  The stroller also needed to be light enough so that I could easily fold it and lift it into the car.

We went with the Baby Trend Expedition ELX Travel Sytem Stroller.  I thought I wouldn't be using the stroller until the Spring or Summer time with Henry being born in November, but I've already used it 6 times this winter to go for walks around our village.  Who would have thought we'd have a winter in Buffalo where there wasn't several feet of snow and freezing temperatures!?!  This stroller has been awesome so far.  It manouvers well over the bumpy sidewalks (even over some little snow banks and slushie snow I had to go through on the sidewalks).  Henry is comfortable and he rides well in it. Definitely happy with our choice!

FYI-My only cmplaint I have about this product is the buckle in the car seat.  Two pieces need to fit together before you can snap it and it can be really tough to do with a baby in in the seat.  I never thought to try the snaps at the store before we registered for this.

Are You Ready For Some Football!?!

Super Bowl XLVI had all the fixin's:

Dips

Family

Commericals

BINGO

Gambling

Pizza & Wings

Winnings (Henry's first Super Bowl betting and he won $11...right into his piggy bank)

#6 BabyGanics

Once Henry arrived I wanted to get our home in "green" order.  I didn't want to worry about the chemicals he would be around on a daily basis.  We have been using some of the healthy home products BabyGanics sells including the All Purpose Cleaner, Foaming Dish & Bottle Soap, Tub & Tile Cleaner, Toy Cleaner and Surface Wipes. I am beyond pleased with their products!

#5 The Baby Whisperer & The No Cry Sleep Solution

I am a fan of both of these books so far.  My sister swore by them with her own kids and then passed them on to me.  I have been referencing them weekly (sometimes daily) with many different parts of Henry's infancy.  They are full of advice and tools needed to help improve your baby's eating and sleeping patterns.  Both emphasize taking the baby's lead to mould a loose routine and follow it.

#4 Tommee Tippee

Choosing a bottle type was the most difficult thing when registering.  I remember looking at the wall of different bottle brands in Babies R Us and being completely overwhelmed.  Even after researching the different brands, they all came with mixed reviews...some loved them, some hated them.  

The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles were recommended by a friend so I decided to go with them.  I'm so glad I did!  The bottle top is wider like a breast and the nipple really is like the real thing.  The bottles feature an anti-colic, anti-gas vent valve so the milk flows out smoothly.  They are also BPA and Phthalate free.  This is a safe plastic bottle that allows Henry to have something similar to the real thing.  

We also have the Tommee Tippee bottle warmer and microwave sterilizer that we use daily and are happy with so far, and they're line of cups and tableware that we will be using in the future.  

#3 Medela

The Medela Pump in Style Breastpump has been my second child.  We spend a lot of time together.  My "backpack" is set up in the house and it travels with me.  Since I wasn't successful breastfeeding Henry and I really wanted him to get breast milk, this was the next best way to do it.  I've been exclusively pumping and storing my milk to feed him.  Without Medela, Henry would not be getting this important source of nutrition.