Dear Baby Hank

My Dear Sweet Hanky Baby,

You are four and a half months old and such a sweet blessing to our family. We all love you so much!

Every day Ben, Susanna and Daddy want to look at you, talk with you, snuggle you, and basically just be with you. They want to be with you because as Baba Jack says, "Hank is pretty good company."

I want to tell you a little about your sweet baby self. This is partly because I don't want to forget these sweet moments :)

First, you are a cheerful baby and you smile all the time! If anyone - family or a stranger - smiles at you, you look them right in the eye and grin back. You give such sweet ear-to-ear smiles.

You also love to laugh! You have this contagious belly laugh that we all love to hear!

It started out when I was kissing your belly. I rubbed my nose in your ribs and you laughed and it was beautiful!

Then, I started touching our foreheads together. You thought that was hilarious. Then you thought it was funny when anyone touched foreheads. It seems like you find Susanna especially entertaining and already have a great sense of humor!

This makes sense because you don't cry often. You pretty much only cry if you are lonely, really tired or really really hungry. Although, Susanna tells everyone she meets, "This is our baby, Hank. He cries a lot."

But the truth is you are a cheerful content little babe. Actually, when you're hungry, instead of crying, you do one of three things: click your tongue, wiggle into position, or lick your hand or my shirt. 

It's nice to see you communicate without tears. And you seem to know several words already. It seems like you know milk, kiss and Mama.

When you do cry, sometimes it sounds Iike you say, "Mama." I am not the only one who heard this, Miss Sarah heard it too.

Sometimes I will ask you for a kiss and you wrap one little arm around my neck and plant a wet one right on my face. You basically lick my cheek. 

These sweet kisses seem intentional because you often give them when I pick you up from a nap, or when I say, "Kiss."

You kiss Ben, Susanna and me, so far you won't kiss Daddy's rough face. He has too many whiskers.

You do love your daddy though. He holds you while he's watching sports and you watch the TV for a bit, then look up at him and smile. You seem content just to be with him.

Actually, that's how I would describe your whole personality. You are a content, cheerful, delightful little baby and we are thankful to have you in our family every single day. 

And although we are looking forward to getting to see more of your personality, we really love this sweet sweet baby season. 

Daddy says, "It's nice to have a baby in the house again." And Susanna says, "He's a nice baby, wight?" And Benny says, "He's the best little guy!" 

Yeah, we love you so so so very much Hanky Baby!

Love,

Mommy

Royals!

"Hey, is this his first Royal's game?"

"Actually it's his second."

"Wow! What a lucky guy!!"

Hank went to his second Royal's game on Saturday. Even though he slept through more than half of it, we think he liked it.

Ben and Susanna LOVE Royal's games and hopefully Hanky will too. I actually hope I don't ruin baseball for him. We watch a lot of games, play a lot of backyard ball, have a lot of Royals apparel. I even commentate games to him while I feed him.

I don't know why I do it. Chuck turns the game on and leaves the room. Then I'm sitting there, nursing my babe, watching the game and I find myself saying things like, "Moose hit a grounder to second and they turned two. The inning is over. Who didn't see that coming?"

What?

Why?

I'm so sorry Hank.

Here are some pics from our last two games.

Hank's first Royals game and a cheesy big brother and sister. 

Family Pic!

Hank cuddling Daddy at his second game
(Mom and Susanna were on our way to the restroom).

Susanna snuggling Baby Lily. 

Now Baba is snuggling Lily - sucker!

Benny being silly waiting on a home run!

One Month with Baby Hank

Baby Hank turned one month old this week and in these sweet four weeks I have decided that it is amazing that third (or subsequent) children survive.

Newborn Baby Hank

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of love for a new little baby. Maybe too much love.

On his one week birthday, which happened to be my birthday, my big kids gave me one of the greatest birthday presents ever. I received a card that plays the Chicken Dance song and a rousing performance of said Chicken Dance. Chuck and I were laughing at all those hot dance moves and Susanna said that Baby Hank needed to be with the family. (She is very sweet to include everyone.)

We told her that he was napping and he could join next time. The next thing we knew, she was gone. Chuck said, "I hope she didn't go to get the baby."

Then we heard her sweet little voice announce, "I bwing-ed the baby down!"

Miss Susanna was standing on the landing of our split stairs clutching a swaddled and still-asleep Baby Hank.

We both told her not to move and scared her. She let Chuck take the baby (he said she had a pretty good bear hug on him and we probably didn't have anything to worry about) and went to me crying.

I told her she we loved her and that there were lots of things she could do for Baby Hank, but carrying him was a job for Mommy or Daddy. To her credit, she has not picked him up again.

During that incident, she carried him through the living room and kitchen and down six steps before we saw her. (Another side note, she slid down those same stairs earlier that day. She simply slipped and then slid on her bottom for the last three stairs.)

That was Baby Hank's biggest adventure; however, he has also survived:

1. Brandy licking him every time he comes home. 
2. A two-year-old manually swinging his swing.
3. Being served king-sized portions of pretend food.
4. Almost being served real grapes. 
5. One Royals game (Only two people told me they left their babies at home because they thought it was probably too hot for a baby. First, it was 80 degrees and we spent most of the game, under an awning watching the game on a TV. He was fine. Second, I resisted the urge to tell them, "That's cool, but my baby likes to have fun so here he is. I'm sorry your baby doesn't like fun. That must be sad."
6. Children under five holding him no less than three times a day.
7. Flying balls. Our house is basically like living in a batting cage.
8. A tired, confused, divided mother who puts his diaper on incorrectly on the night.

The last item is the opposite of too much love. And at this point, it's been five years since I've slept "through the night". So I'm not just newborn sleepy, I'm I-haven't-slept-in-years-and-my brain-is-a-permanently-broken sleepy.

And I have other responsibilities, I can't hover over Hank the way I did with Ben. He squeaked! Is he waking up? I better check.

Here is a daily scenario:

Susanna goes to the bathroom to poop.

Hanky starts to stir. 

She hollers, "I'm done!"

Hank starts to cry.

I go in to help Sus wipe.

She says, "I might have a little bit more poop."

I go out because all three-year-olds need privacy when deciding if a bowl movement is complete.

I start to head to Hank who is now wailing.

Ben intercepts me, "I can't find my baseball glove, Mom! I think it's in the van. I'm going to go check."

"No! Don't go check! I'll help you." (The last thing we need is the five-year-old opening the van liftgate into a closed garage door.

Found the glove, back inside. Hank is now crying so hard he's not actually making sounds anymore. 

Susanna announces, "I'm weally done now."

I wipe her bottom. 

We both wash our hands. 

I convince her not to wash her hands again.

And I finally get to to Baby Hank who is beside himself and gasping for air. It's very very sad. 

So I have decided that third children either get way too much love or a totally ignored. And it is surprising that they survive at all. 

Hanky Baby, please forgive me. I love you dearly and am doing the best I can. 

Baby Hank sleeping peacefully in his swing.

Sweet Sister Susanna holding Hanky.

Big Brother Ben talking to Hank while I made lunch!

Enderle Cousins :)

Royals Home Opener

We look forward to the Royals Home Opener every year. We usually begin our countdown the day after the last game of the season. It's always a long winter.

We laid our Royals gear out last night and as I helped Susanna get dressed this morning, I told her, "Let's wear your Billy Butler shirt today."

She burst into tears.

Huh?

"That's my shirt! It's not Billy's. Billy can't have my shirt!"

Toddler logic is always so puzzling.

1. There's no way Billy can squeeze into your tiny pink shirt.
2. There's pretty much no way that we're going to bump into Billy Butler.
3. Even if we did, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would take a shirt off toddler's back.

I didn't say any of those things. I just promised her Billy wouldn't take her shirt. That seemed to settle her heart.

While I was fixing her hair, I asked, "Sus, do you know any Royals players?"

"Bil-wee But-whur."

"Mike u-sockis."

"Ummm....  Sluggerrr?"

We tailgated as a family enjoying some veggies and hotdogs.

We enjoyed the first four innings. Ben seemed delighted to see his favorite players back at the plate.

Then we headed to the Little K where Ben made a friend, batted like a beast, and shagged about 100 balls in the outfield.

Susanna batted too and then ran the bases... Backwards :)

It was a long game - three and a half hours. It was a cold game - mid-forties, overcast and windy. But the kids were troopers and cheered on their Royals to a 7-5 win!

We love the time together as a family and with my dad and brother. Here is a crummy family pic, but hopefully there will be many more opportunities to come.

A First Prayer

Here is a recent picture of Susanna and her
three kitties. "I love all free my kitties!"

There are so many posts I'd love to write, but never make the time. Hence neglecting this blog for six months.

But this is too sweet to leave unsaid.

Miss Susanna June said her first public prayer at church tonight. We were at Prayer Service and I said a prayer and then she said, "I wanna pray too!"

Her sweet soft-spoken little prayer was pretty typical for her these days. She thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, Benny and "the baby in Mommy's tummy." She asked God that everyone would have a nice sweep (sleep). She asked that we would have a nice worship and closed with, "In Jesus' name, Amen."

It was pretty darn sweet.

Right after that she announced, "I need-a go poo poo again!" (That's right, 26 minutes into prayer service and Susanna had already pooped once.)

I turned to tell Ben that I was taking Susanna to the restroom and that I wanted him to sit still and wait for me. I turned back around to see that in preparation for her trip to the bathroom, Susanna had her pants off and was shimming out of her underwear.

Good grief.

I managed to keep her underwear on, but she threw her pants over her shoulder and ran down the isle toward the door, her little cheeks bouncing with excitement.

In the span of about 90 seconds, she managed to both pray publicly for the first time and take her pants off in the sanctuary. Sheesh.

When we got to the bathroom, she announced, "I need privacy!"

Hmmm.... you didn't seem concerned with privacy when you were running through our church in your underwear. Do you understand what "privacy" means?

I have one final thought about this evening: Who poops twice at prayer service? Chuck said that Holy Spirit must be moving her. Deep. Deep in her bowls.

In both cases I'm mighty proud of that little lady. Susanna, I hope you always have the courage and charity to pray for those God puts on your heart. And way to go pooping on the potty - that's hard to do.

I love you sweet daughter.

Let's Makes Craft-siz

Ben is a funny child and always marches to his own drum. He often seems like a late bloomer in one area, but will master a skill truly overnight.

We have had an art-filled summer. Almost everyday, both children draw, paint, cut and generally make "craft-siz".

Most of the summer Ben has just been painting coloring pages with broad strokes with a color he likes or filling page after page with these funny little shapes.

Every inch of the paper must be covered!

He created dozens of these shape pages and then, the very next day he drew this. A rabbit holding a carrot in a forest. (His words not mine.) And here's a big box of apples and carrots to share with his friends. 

The rabbit is standing in deep deep grass,
but it's not done yet.

Huh?

You can draw actual pictures?

Of actual things?

So what's with all the shapes?

Then he drew this little treasure. It's titled Daddy at the Beach. I hope you can see Chuck's serious face and the sun blazing in top left corner.

It looks like Chuck is having a super time.

Ben is such a serious person, I wonder if these non-smiling straight-lipped pictures give a glimpse into how he feels. I hope not.

Last we did some finger painting. We mixed colors and made lots and lots of pictures. I drew a kitty and Susanna said, "Ooohhh a piggy!" That masterpiece is safely filed in the recycle bin. 

Ben drew his name, a butterfly, and more shapes :)

I want to figure out a way to put this in his room.

He made lot of cool "craft-siz" at Vacation Church School and one matched our living room so well we hung it up. I will have to take a picture and update this post. I promise to do that soon.

This is a canvas. Ben painted the colors - they could paint
anything they wanted. And Michelle, our VCS
Art Teacher, stenciled the scripture. 

Singing a New Song

It has been way too long since I updated this blog, but I can only start right where I am. And today was a sweet day.

Susanna singing her song.

While I was pregnant with Susanna, I constantly had the hymn He Leadeth Me on my heart. I listened to dozens of versions and found myself singing it daily.

Then when my mom passed away, it became even more special to me. I felt like even though I couldn't see where I was going, God was leading me and I was safe. Susanna was only two months old when Mom died and I found myself singing it to her as I nursed her. The year passed and the song was replaced with a new anthem.

But today, little Miss Susanna sang He Leadeth Me. We were in the car and I heard her baby version of this familiar tune. She definitely had the melody and and got about half of the words. She was singing along with a CD, but it seemed like she finally found words for the melody in her heart. It was so sweet.

I hope this song will be the theme of her life and by waters calm or troubled sea, she'll trust and follow God's gentle hand. I love you, sweet daughter.

And just in case you're not familiar with this song, here is one of my favorite versions.