Saturday, October 11, 2008

First Hair Cut

"Time for a haircut Henry," says Henry's mean mom. "WAAAAAA," said Henry.
Today we said goodbye to baby Henry's lovely locks. I know there were only a few, but I was tired of him looking like Dwight from the Office. Watch the Office this week and you will see what I mean.
We went to a place called Cool Cuts for Kids. It is a good concept. There are televisions at each station with a dvd or video game. Kids can sit in a car and get their haircut--we tried this with Henry and he looked at me like I was smoking crack. So, as you will see in the pictures, he sat on Ryan's lap--don't they look like a pair! As you will also see from the pictures, Henry ended up in my arms, getting a haircut standing up with me holding his arms. We tried blowing bubbles, which he loved until the "stylist" (quotes are because I use that term loosely) came at him with the clippers. She did do a good job of clipping and cutting quickly and she even used the scissors on the top while Henry was screaming and squirming.
We paid $20, for 5 minutes...we will be using Grammy's Hair Cutting Salon from now on--my mom's kitchen.
We will also not be going back, because they tried three times to sell us gel that smelled like cookie dough. Oh ya, I would LOVE Henry to smell like cookie dough! "Who made cookies?" "Oh no it is not cookies, just Henry's hair." No, no and heck no!
When we said no the second time, the manager looked at me and said, "Oh, do you already have gel at home for him?" Like I was ridiculous for not having hair product for my 11 month baby BOY. I said, "Look lady, you are lucky we even came in here. And no, I am not going to buy your smelly gel for my son's 5 hairs, even if it is 20% off...even if it is 75% off!" No, I did not tell her that. I just courtesy laughed and turned around and acted like I was showing Henry something.

Before


Dwight Shrute Hair
After

Henry is now ready for his 1 year old pictures tomorrow.

And mom, it is a blog, not a blob. FYI.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Bucket Head Kind of Day

A picture paints a thousand words...

How did she know this is what I wanted to do all day.

She was seriously wearing this around the playground.
Bucket head strikes again.
Thank you small friend for bringing some humor into my day!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Is this my life story or what?

So two weeks ago after not hearing from COBRA, I called my people and had them call their people and a week later I got some paper work. I sent it out the next day which was last Wed. or Thursday. After about six different phone calls to 1-866 and 1-800 numbers over the past two days, I find out that my insurance information is out in the "space between." One company has all my information and it "may or may not" be with my actual network that the doctor needs to contact by tomorrow morning so that Henry's surgery will be paid for by...sooooo we have to reschedule the surgery.

What on earth? I mean seriously. This is my life story. I know a little dramatic, but I am going to be dramatic here. We wait and wait to get this surgery, because all the doctors in Oregon say we have to wait until Henry is a year old, because of the anesthesia. Then we talk to the doctors and they say we can get it done early before we move to Arizona. Then the urologist says no that he will do the surgery when Henry is a year old in Salem. Two days later he is no longer doing pediatric urology and we have to get the surgery done in Portland. So we decided to do it in Arizona. I wait to get an appointment until October because that is when our COBRA starts. I finally get a doctor, who by the way says he likes to do this surgery when babies are 6 months old, and finally get a surgery date AND THEN our insurance company cannot get all their ducks in a row!!!!!!!!!!

(I did not get the nickname, "complain Jane" for nothing)

All this to say, Henry's surgery is postponed. His surgery is now scheduled for Thursday, October 30th @ 6:30am at St. Joseph's Children Hospital. Please mark your calendars and pray please for baby Henry and his parents.

I am tired of getting my hopes up. But I still do. I do not want to be Pollyanna, what is wrong with Pollyanna by the way, but I have to keep hoping. As I look at my son telling his Grandad "no no" and smiling and getting into everything, I know this surgery is going to happen and in the end, we will have grown--in patience if nothing else. That is what life is about anyway, not getting our way, but learning from the hard stuff and rejoicing in the good stuff. I am not good at it yet, but now is the time to practice.

AND Henry gets a pain free first birthday! What more could we ask for?

Friday, October 3, 2008

The Rainbow Room



My favorite part about working in a Preschool is the holiday season--starting with Halloween! Kids love it as well. We are in full swing making black spiders, bats and pumpkins. I am planning a pumpkin patch day where we plant pumpkin seeds and then they "mysteriously" grow into pumpkins in one day! Gotta love two year olds! No really you have to...I tell this to myself everyday as kids are peeing and then playing in it and licking their hands--not kidding. Enjoy our decorations...



Our Calendar...we count everyday. One girl can count pretty high. She says thirteen, fourteen, FIVEteen, sixteen. I thought, that IS the way it should be. Whoever thought up fifteen instead of fiveteen needs to be put in timeout...come on guy (you know it was a man), give the poor kids a break!


A little Candalaria.


They do not really follow it, but we say it everyday anyway.



Spooky Spiders


I know, I know garden is missing the E, but I couldn't find it and I just keep forgetting to make a new one. We made this last week, when we were learning to be kind to our classmates. My question is this about kindness--do kids learn to be kind or do they learn to be mean? Let me know if you find that one out.




Henry Boy's Surgery

We have a date set...FINALLY!

Henry and I just got back from seeing our urologist and his surgery is set for Wednesday October 8th at 9:30am. We love our urologist. He said he likes to do these surgeries when they turn 6 months...of course he does. Our other urologist said we had to wait until he was a year. Our new doctor is very matter of fact and completely confident, and acted like this was no big deal--which I need in a doctor, because I am a SPAZ. The timing is a complete blessing because my mom is off next week and Tara is off Wednesday through Friday as well. Thank you Jesus...You do know what You are doing.

Please pray for the doctors and nurses, Henry to have courage, Ryan and I to trust in the doctors and of course the Lord, pray that Henry heals perfectly and for our COBRA to work out the way it should.


If you want to know more about what Henry has, you can look up hypospadias at http://www.pediatricurologyaz.com/uploads/Hypospadias_PDF_1.pdf


Our doctor was voted one of the top doctors in Phoenix Magazine. His name is Dr. Argueso. My friend Jen told us about him and I am so thankful to have him doing Henry's surgery. I will keep you posted!

Friday, September 26, 2008

We Survived!





We survived two weeks of daycare. The first week was really hard for me...I cried a lot. Partly because I was sad to leave Henry and partly because my short friends were kicking my butt. I have a very detailed schedule filled with fun and learning, but often I am in the middle of anarchy of some sort or someone hitting someone or taking something and someone yelling, "MINE!!!!" I hear MINE about 300 times a day. I need a lesson in Love In Logic for toddlers...where's Mary Edmonds when I need her.
Henry has every adult wrapped around his finger. He is pretty tired everyday adjusting to one nap, but usually sneaks a small nap when we get home. He also has been sick this week, but is getting better. It is hard to know how sick he is because he is still happy and playing no matter what. He threw up for the first time and it was very sad.

There are a lot of things to look forward to at the Preschool in this season. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas...lots of fun projects and parties. This is the best case scenario for Henry and I, but I still get sad leaving him as he is putting his cute little hands up to me and I have to turn and leave. I never thought someone could tear my heart out like this, but I guess this is the way it goes in Parenthood.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Dedicated to the One I Love

ODE TO YANKEE STADIUM...

We had a very emotional Sunday as my husband simultaneously mourned the Yankee season ending before October and Yankee Stadium having its last hurrah! We watched ESPN for 5 hours as the nation and our family said good-bye to an icon of America's favorite pastime. Luckily Ryan went to New York this summer with his dad, so they could say good-bye in person to Yankee Stadium...the House that Ruth Built. Here are a few pictures of their time...


In the dugout

Monument Park





In "the Tunnel"

G for Gelbrich

Yankee Stadium

And one day baby Henry will hear the stories of the original Yankee Stadium and experience the NEW Yankee Stadium with his Papa and his Daddy.

Note: My favorite Yankee of all time is Lou Gehrig. Mainly, because two years ago I was reading his life story with a small group of fourth graders in a Scott Foresman and I started crying...good stuff!