The Long Family

Henry Feeds the Dog

2011-05-15T14:28:00.002-04:00

I had a minute of free time during Henry's nap today and thought you'd enjoy seeing this video I took a couple of weeks ago.

2011-05-12T13:25:00.000-04:00

So much to catch up on....it's been a while, I know. Kyle, Henry and I have had a busy month, which will hopefully serve as a good excuse for being an absent blogger lately. In April, we had visits from our good friend, Brianna, and Kyle's parents joined us for Easter. We had a great time! We headed back to Kentucky for the last week of April and were able to visit with friends and family. I was especially excited to meet my friend, Alison's, sweet twin girls, MK and Jane, and to celebrate Ryan Roeding's first birthday, as well as celebrate my grandmother's life with my family. Henry was thrilled to be able to see his Aunt Kristen and Uncles Jonathan and Clay, as well as be spoiled seeing his great-grandmothers. It was a great visit!

My grandmother, Charlotte, passed away at age 95 on Good Friday. I'm so happy that she was able to meet Henry. We celebrated her life by playing Bingo the night of her funeral. Clearly, no one inherited her skills - nobody won! But we did have a great time together remembering what a great lady she was.

Henry with "Bia" aka Brianna. She picked a crazy weekend to join us. Henry had the stomach flu, tornados were rampant in our area and she left with the stomach bug. Regardless of the disaster of a weekend, we had such a good time together. Brianna is a great friend!

Meet Stella! It's hard to see her with that giant flower headband. I wonder who bought that for her...I did! Callie (Stella's beautiful mommy in the picture) told me that she'd put the headband on her if I bought one. I couldn't resist!

Henry participated in a couple of Easter Egg hunts, including one put together by his sweet MiMi. He even had an Elmo Easter Basket. He loved hunting for eggs with the help of his Daddy, G-Daddy and MiMi.

The empty Elmo basket soon became full. Henry LOVES Reese cups!

Breaking News...

2011-04-14T13:48:00.001-04:00

Catching up...

2011-03-31T13:59:00.003-04:00

Oops! I missed last week's update. So sorry...I'll spare you the details, but it was a long week of recovery for Henry. Fortunately, he's all healed and feeling better minus the new ear infection. :) Today was Henry's 18 month check up with the pediatrician. Our little man has leaned out - he's 25 pounds and 32 inches long, about the 30th percentile in both categories. He continues to learn new words (Choo Choo and Beep Beep recently) and understands everything. He's still not walking, but out of his cast and continuing to succeed in physical therapy. Because of his surgery, he wasn't able to go to school for two weeks. We had some great Mommy & Me time! Below is a recap....

I thought finger painting was a great idea. (Seriously, I did.) It ended up being face-painting.

We tried to go for a couple of walks, but that wasn't working either.

JACKPOT! A play date! It was beautiful last week. Henry and I went to the twins house to play one afternoon. From the left...Jack, Elisabeth, Henry and Thomas.

My friend, Lynsie, came to Atlanta to run in the Georgia Marathon. We had so much fun with her. This was Lynsie's ninth marathon and she's completed two Iron Man competitions!

Henry and Kyle hanging in the backyard. Notice the ever-present "Melmo" balloon. I had a balloon in the car, in the house and tied to his stroller.

Ah, the laundry basket! Henry helped me do laundry, which means that he emptied all of the clean clothes to the floor and spent 20 minutes climbing in and out of the basket. It gave me enough time to fold everything.

Another success! I bought toddler markers for Henry. He tried to eat them, but did enjoy drawing with them, too.

Mommy & Daddy Time - WOO HOO! On Saturday, Kyle and I went to the Capital City Grille to celebrate our good friend, Tiffany's, birthday. We had a nice evening out on the town. And we were home by 10 p.m. :)

The Luck of the Irish...

2011-03-17T14:19:00.004-04:00

And the help of the Man Upstairs. Henry had has tonsils removed yesterday. Of course, we were worried, but the surgery went well and he couldn't have had better care. We were scheduled to spend the night in the hospital, but he did so well that we were able to come home last night. He's on some serious pain medicine and lots of pudding and ice cream, but his normal, happy personality returned quickly. It didn't hurt that Daddy made sure Henry had an Elmo balloon for him when he returned from surgery. Henry wouldn't let go of the balloon all day.

Daddy fed Henry some pudding. It was YUMMY!

Still enjoying the pudding....and the balloon.

Mmmmm.....mmmmmmm.....goood!

Henry wants YOU to have a Happy St. Patrick's Day! (Actually, he was pointing at the camera because he wanted to take the picture.)

The weather in Atlanta has turned to spring. It's awesome! Kyle and I took Henry to Zoo Atlanta on Saturday. Thanks Mom & Dad for the Zoo Pass. :) Henry and Kyle are checking out the gorillas in this picture.

Zoo Atlanta has a really cool petting zoo. It took Henry a while to warm up to the animals, but by the end of our time there, he was snuggling with the goats.

It's hard to tell from this picture, but this goat put his hoof on Henry's leg. Henry thought it was pretty cool.

He liked the sheep, but kept calling all of the animals "daw" (dog in Henry-speak).

Just warming up and getting used to the goats.

Kyle and I got Henry a Zoo Keeper's hat from the San Diego Zoo.

He still can't quite figure out how it works....

....but we know he loves hats. Especially when his buddy, Jack, wears them.

2011-03-10T15:07:00.003-05:00

Kyle and I spent a long weekend together in San Diego. We had such a great time. Henry had a good time, too, because he spent the weekend with Kyle's parents, G-Daddy and Mimi.

Kyle and I at the beach last Friday. The weather was great! Sunny and just warm enough to go to the pool on Saturday afternoon.

We also got to see some good friends. From left: Ryan and Meghan Brown, Jamie Mills, Bob Beckstedt, me and Kyle. Ryan and Meghan live in San Diego and are expecting their first child in July. Jamie also lives in San Diego. Bob just happened to be visiting her the same time we were in town so we all met for dinner on Saturday night.

Kyle and I will the beautiful mom-to-be.

On Sunday, Kyle and I went to the San Diego Zoo. If you look closely, you can see the baby hippo sleeping on its mother. The baby was only six weeks old.

We got to see the polar bears eat lunch. The zoo gives them a diet of vegetables so that they don't have as much blubber and stay cool in the warmer climate.

This update would not be complete with a Henry update. Henry's growing more independent every day. This morning, he insisted on feeding himself with a spoon. No help from Mommy! Notice the oatmeal covering his chest. Big mess!

The most exciting news is that Henry took three steps all by himself yesterday morning. He hasn't taken any since, but it's start. Here's to hoping he keeps it up!

Nothing Holds This Little Man Back...

2011-03-03T13:35:00.005-05:00

As I reported a couple of weeks ago, our sweet little man isn't walking yet and started physical therapy. Part of his therapy is to wear a series of casts to stretch his left heel tendon. It's a little short and tight, and the cast will help it to stretch so Henry can stand flat-footed. He was so brave getting the cast on, and has acclimated well. The first 48 hours were rough, and he gets frustrated from time to time. When he reaches his max level of frustration, Henry points at the cast and says, "dis" and then shakes his head back and forth while saying, "no, no, no". Pretty cute, and I'm impressed with his communication.

The number one rule with the cast is: Do not get it wet. We kept it dry for about an hour. Henry poured the dog's water bowl all over it. I panicked, but it dried just fine. Two hours later, he poured his sippy cup on it. I'm not sure this cast is going to make it for the next two weeks...

Notice the cast...and the "cheese" pose.

An up close shot of the cast. Mommy and Daddy signed it, and his therapist, Ms. Cheryl, drew an ice cream cone on it.

Over it. The first night wearing the cast.

The third day of the cast...Henry was starting to function normally again playing with my bakeware. This was a lot louder than it looks.

Today was Chick-Fil-A lunch day. YEA!

He was pouring the french fries into his mouth. Notice there is some broccoli on his tray, too, and he ate it.

Cheese!

2011-02-28T14:40:00.003-05:00

Obviously, I didn't hit my Thursday blogging deadline, but I promise to get back on schedule this week. Henry's been a busy little boy lately. He's always enjoyed posing for the camera, but now he knows how to pose and say cheese at the same time. He tilts his chin up, squints his eyes and smiles. He's quite fond of the camera.

Posing with Gavin. Poor Gavin...his life changed drastically yesterday. For the last 17 months, Gavin's safe haven from an adoring Henry has been our bed. Yesterday morning, Henry figured out how to climb onto our bed. Gav's pretty sweet to Henry, though, and I think he secretly enjoys the extra attention.

Henry is OBSESSED with balloons. He calls them "ba-lalas". It's difficult to pry them from his hands.

We had a surprise visitor this week - Uncle Jonathan came to see us! We had so much fun together. Notice the balloon and Henry's "cheese" pose.

Uncle Jonathan taught Henry how to open and close his tent.

Kyle's birthday is tomorrow. We made cupcakes for him on Friday afternoon. They were "yummy" but Henry preferred the icing.

See you next time! Love, Henry

Mommy's Lunch Date

2011-02-17T16:28:00.006-05:00

What a fun day we've had! I've been working more than usual lately and missing our little man. So, when it was time for lunch today, I decided to have a little lunch date with Henry. We enjoyed grilled cheese and sweet potato fries at Henry's little table. We had such a good time. I loved ever minute of our time together. You may see that Henry has a little bit of a black eye....he got into a fight with a slide and the slide won! He's okay though!

Henry was invited to a neighborhood Valentine's Day party. He played in a jumpy/bounce house for the first time and absolutely loved it. He was jumping and shrieking with enjoyment. He drew a considerable amount of attention.

My sweet Valentine....Before we went to church on Sunday morning, Henry brought me pink tulips and a super sweet card. My boys are so thoughtful. I'm a lucky girl!

Hooray! Mommy won her tennis match!

Henry has one direction: backwards. He hasn't mastered the forward move yet.

Grandpa Walker's Birthday

2011-02-10T15:08:00.003-05:00

Thursday has become my blog update day, and it just happens that today is my Dad's birthday. Happy birthday, Dad aka Grandpa Walker. Below is picture of me, my Dad and Henry at the park in July. We love you, Dad, and look forward to celebrating many more wonderful birthdays with you. It was on your birthday two years ago that Kyle and I told you that Henry would be joining our family. I don't think we can top that birthday gift but please know that we all love you very much. Happy Day!

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I'm fairly certain that I am Henry's Valentine. He made a Valentine Cupcake at preschool on Tuesday. It didn't take him long to devour it, and he refused to share it with his mommy!

Henry is giving you "the eyes"! We think this is his way of telling us he loves us.

Henry's discovered his silverware. It took a long time to get the scrambled egg into his mouth, but he did it. He's such a big boy!

Lots of Chatter

2011-02-03T11:31:00.002-05:00

Happy Thursday!

Henry has found his voice. He has several words right now. Lots of Daddy and he calls me, "Ma". Occasionally, he'll say Mommy. His other favorites are kak-ker (cracker), cooh (school), bah (ball), dah (dog), chee (cheese), twee (tree), tee (teeth), lo (hello) and mammo (Elmo). He says everything is very soft, sweet voice. When he speaks "Henry-ese" gibberish, it's a lot louder.

Henry's Favorite Snack: Chocolate Chip Cookies

He's started to knock on the windows, doors this week. This is outside, looking into our dining room window.

The view of him knocking on the window from our dining room.

It was beautiful over the weekend. Nearly 70 degrees on Saturday and Sunday. Henry likes to throw the ball with Kyle.

Gavin joined Henry and Kyle while they were playing ball.

Bedtime!

Have a great week! Love, Henry :)

2011-01-27T15:10:00.003-05:00

I've made the goal to blog weekly. This has been a busy week so I haven't taken a lot of pictures, but I do have a few cute ones to share. Henry started his week with physical therapy. He's 16 months and hasn't started walking just yet. His evaluation with the therapist went well. It was like taking a Gymboree class. Slides, stair cases, swings, lots of balls to throw...Henry didn't know what to do with himself. I'll take some pictures when we start weekly sessions in February. Here's a quick snapshot of our week.

Daddy's Home! Time for Henry to climb on top and inside of his suitcase.

Just lounging before heading to school on Wednesday morning.

More to come next week...I promise. Happy Thursday!

Henry & Friends

2011-01-20T18:38:00.004-05:00

Henry LOVES to play! Especially if he's playing with a friend. Play dates are a necessity for Henry and mommy. Here are some of Henry's favorite friends.

Henry and Jack "coloring" today. Their laughing was contagious. These boys have fun together.

This is Ryan. My good friend, Lisa, is Ryan's mom. We live far apart, but we sure do enjoy the opportunity to play when we are in Cincinnati.

The Twins! Elisabeth (back towards camera) and Thomas are just 10 days younger than Henry. We play with them almost every week. Elisabeth tells the boys what to do and keeps them in line.

Henry and Jack (again) in December, having lunch at Henry's table. Jack is a little bit older than Henry and shows him the ropes.

Henry and Caroline (and Caroline's mom, Molly) at a neighborhood Halloween party. We like to eat Mexican with Caroline.

Henry's FAVORITE friend: Gavin

Jack and Charlie: Henry's Atlanta "cousins". He loves them. He said, "Jah" before he said anyone else's name, and now he says, "dah-lee". Pretty cute.

Henry and Grant in September. We're taking swimming lessons with Grant soon.

Snow Week...

2011-01-14T10:09:00.004-05:00

If you've watched the news this week, you've heard about the crippling snow storm in the Southeast. My mom called me this morning (Friday) and said, "Are you still snowed in?"

The snow came on Sunday/Monday, and we truly could not leave our neighborhood until yesterday. It's been kind of fun, but we've all had a bit of cabin fever. The local news stations have covered the storm 24 hours a day all week. They even pre-empted "The Today Show"! (Those of you that have lived with me or know me well, know that I do not miss "The Today Show".) Schools have been cancelled all week, and the method of treating non-state roads is to let the sun melt the snow and ice, or to use sand instead of rock salt. Kentucky is much better than Georgia when it comes to tackling the winter elements!

Like I said, it's been a fun week. Kyle didn't have to travel to Minneapolis, and Henry and I have had lots of play dates in the neighborhood. But, we are looking forward to some milder, Atlanta winter weather. Sunday's high is 50 degrees...that's more like that.

This is from Monday. Henry and I loaded up the wagon and went to a neighbor's house to play.

Our backyard on Monday morning. We had 6 - 8 inches in most places.

Henry really wanted to go outside.

We spent a lot of time indoors, warm and snugly.

2010-10-16T13:21:00.003-04:00

Henry got his wig busted! In the last 10 days, four people have asked about our "little girl". In fact, one person even called Henry our "little Miss America". Time for a hair cut!

With Daddy before the hair cut.

Getting started....

Henry sat on my lap and was on his best behavior.

Getting a trim above the ears.

All finished! He looks so handsome. :)

Happy Birthday, Henry!

2010-09-30T14:53:00.004-04:00

Henry is one! The year has flown by, and we could not have asked for a better little boy. We just love him so, so much. Here are some pictures from our first days with Henry as a baby, and recent ones of him as a little boy. Happy birthday little man! We love you.

My first time holding Henry. He was nameless in this picture.

Kyle's first time holding Henry. We both look a little scared in our first pictures with him.

Our first family picture...not super flattering, but again we were a little nervous. :)

Henry after his first bath at home. This is quite possibly my favorite newborn picture of him.

Kyle doesn't look scared any more! This is from a couple of weeks ago.

Henry loves to play on the dog's bed. Poor Gavin!

With me at a birthday party over the weekend. He did not like his party hat.

Crawling, crawling, crawling. He motors all over the place on his knees.

I'm Baaaaccckkkkk!

2010-09-26T20:22:00.004-04:00

Obviously, I've taken a summer vacation from blogging. Well, I'm back with plenty to blog all about. It's hard to believe that Baby Henry will be one year on Thursday. He's no longer a baby...he's a precious little boy. He's crawling at light speed and into everything. He hides the remote control in the bathtub, and says "mama" and "dada" with ease. Here is a summer update.

Henry still loves to eat. In July, he moved to more solid foods. He loves French Toast, grilled cheese and pasta.

He's still a good sleeper and sleeps with his rear in the air.

Father's Day 2010: Paul and Pat (Now G-Daddy and MiMi) came to spend the weekend with us. Henry loves, loves, loves his Daddy.

We go to the park every now and then. It's been too hot to go lately, but he loves to swing when we go.

Grandpa Walker and GG came for a visit.

He moved into a big boy car seat.

He still loves the doggies, but this doggy, Brooks, went to live with my parents. He's spoiled with them...three walks a day. :)

This kid has more hair than Kyle and I combined. He was having a Don King moment here.

I've been working part-time, primarily from home. this is what he did while I was on a conference call one morning. Notice he pulled about 15 books off of the shelf behind him.

In July, my good friend, Jamie, was in Atlanta for work and stopped by for a visit. Henry's a big fan.

Much, much to catch up on from the summer. Stay tuned...if you're still out there.

Happy Summer

2010-06-22T10:35:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the official start of summer. It's felt like the dead of summer here for the last month. Here's a picture of Henry in his new chair "pruning" the flowers. Thanks to G-Daddy and MiMi for the chair. We had a wonderful visit with them.

Henry's First Swim

2010-06-08T11:54:00.003-04:00

Henry LOVES the pool! It took him a little while to get used to it, but after a couple of visits, he doesn't want to get out of the water. When the pool opened more than two weeks ago, I was so excited to take him. After taking four hours to get the swim bag packed, the swim diaper on, the sunscreen on, the cooler packed, etc... Henry fell asleep on our three minute walk to the pool. And, he stayed asleep for an hour. Kyle and I waited patiently for him to wake him, and when he did, I dunked his little toes in the water. He screamed. So, I dunked the toes in the water again. He screamed again. Needless to say, we determined our first trip to the pool was a bust.

Fast forward to Saturday. The kid couldn't get enough pool time. He stayed in the water all day long. Looks like we'll spending a lot of time at the pool this summer. :)

Springtime Fun

2010-05-19T11:01:00.005-04:00

Kyle, Henry and I are getting ready for summer. The yard is in good shape. The pool opens on Friday. We're ready for a fun, and hot, summer! We've been busy lately. Here's a glimpse of the last two weeks.

Seer sucker...just like Daddy and Grandpa Walker

Cheering for the first place Cincinnati Reds. Thanks Grammy for the hat!

Showing off his spiked hair.

Henry wants to stand! He just rolled over 10 days ago, and only in the last month has been sitting on his own. Now, he wants to stand. Time is flying!

We got Henry some shades for the pool this summer. They have crokies. Again, just like Daddy.

Happy Day!

My First Mother's Day

2010-05-19T10:53:00.003-04:00

I had a wonderful first Mother's Day! My parents came in town for the weekend. Kyle and I were able to sleep a little later in the mornings and Henry had great quality time with GiGi and Grandpa Walker.

With my mom on Mother's Day. It was nice to celebrate with her.

Catching Up

2010-04-27T23:10:00.004-04:00

Once again, I've gone a long time without blogging. As you know life just gets busy. Henry continues to grow and do remarkably well. He is near 20 pounds and is more than 27 inches long. He's wearing 9 - 12 month clothes! He eats breakfast everyday - usually pears or apples with oatmeal. And, he has dinner every night. We introduced peas this week and he really like them. The only food he doesn't seem to like is green beans, but he still eats them. He is sitting on his own, but still has the occasional tumble, and he has FOUR teeth and a fifth one breaking the gum on the bottom. Henry will be seven months on Friday. He seems more like a little boy than a baby with each passing day. We absolutely adore him - here are some of our favorite pictures from the last month.

It looks like he should be in a hot tub, not a jumpy.

Big boy in his high chair.

It's so hard to capture him smiling. This one is pretty close.

Just this week, he's started to (attempt to) feed himself. Peas were everywhere!

He liked dinner so much, he wanted to eat the bowl.

Playing basketball on his home court.

There's a cute smile...and two little bottom teeth.

Just like Daddy...

2010-04-27T23:07:00.001-04:00

For those of you who know Kyle well, you know he rubs the back of his head a lot. Henry's been caught with the same move. Like father, like son...

Happy Easter

2010-04-27T22:50:00.002-04:00

We had a little Easter photo shoot...

This was the first shot.

He was a little happier when he saw the Easter basket.

Truly posing with the Easter basket.

In his actual "Easter Outfit" practicing sitting in the chair. Usually, he'd sit if we would "tripod" but he hasn't been a big fan of sitting up. He's a little top heavy and topples over quickly.

YEA! TOES! He'll sit forever when he finds his toes.

Henry, The Ladies Man

2010-03-30T07:08:00.004-04:00

Meet Henry's first girlfriend, Caroline the Cougar! Sweet Caroline is six weeks older than Henry. She and I share a birthday so I think she's pretty special. The pictures below are more than a month old. Henry and Caroline got together over the weekend and I'm told they were holding hands. Do I hear wedding bells? Probably not, but how cute are these babies?!

Checking her out...

Is she making a move? Henry's looking to Daddy for advice.

Did he take Daddy's advice? Whatever he did, it worked!

A Boy and His Dog...

2010-03-22T11:37:00.002-04:00

Henry has discovered Brooks and Gavin, and it's pretty entertaining. I took this video the other day when Gavin was barking to come back inside the house. Whenever Gavin barked, Henry laughed. Too cute!

March Updates

2010-03-21T09:10:00.005-04:00

Henry continues to grow and stay busy. As UK fans, we're really enjoying March Madness, and like many people who are over winter, we're also enjoying the beautiful weather spring brings to Atlanta.

Does Henry have what it takes to be a future Kentucky Wildcat?

Look closely...Henry is getting two bottom teeth.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2010-03-01T09:04:00.003-05:00

Henry and I want to wish Kyle a very happy 31st birthday! Kyle is a wonderful husband and father, and we want him to have a perfect day. Kyle is actually in town today, so we are going to have a family dinner tonight to celebrate.

Happy Birthday, Kyle! Henry, Brooks, Gavin and I love you very much.

Mommy, I DO NOT Like Carrots!

2010-02-24T10:39:00.002-05:00

Henry's Unhappy Face

2010-02-22T16:58:00.003-05:00

Lately, Henry's been giving me lip when he's upset about something. Watch closely. He flashes the bottom lip pretty fast.

Baby Gourmet

2010-02-21T22:00:00.002-05:00

On Friday, Kyle and I broke out the high chair and fed Henry his first meal - Rice Cereal mixed with formula. I'm sure it was pretty fantastic.

Checking out the high chair. Thanks, Memaw, for getting the high chair for us.

One of his first bites. More went on his bib and chin than in his mouth.

He likes it!

After a much-needed bath. We aren't sure how much rice cereal Henry ate. He had it everywhere.

My Sweet Boys

2010-02-16T22:07:00.006-05:00

I had quite the surprise on Valentine's Day. In addition to making me breakfast, Kyle and Henry gave me a "Mommy Day" package including a much-needed massage and movie tickets. Henry is a big boy and loves to be held. My back will greatly appreciate the massage on Saturday, but I think I'll save the movie tickets for an upcoming date night with Kyle.

Henry had his four month appointment on Tuesday. He weighs 17 pounds and is 26 inches long. He's in the 75th percentile for both categories. When the nurse weighed him, she said, "That's one chunky baby!" We prefer to think he's just really healthy. :)

My two favorite boys on Thanksgiving.

Henry with two of his favorite toys.

Our "healthy" baby loves to eat. He's trying to get to the bottle before we can get the cap off of the top.

From this morning...He still loves the jumpy and has started to play the keyboard. The dogs are now more freaked out than ever.

Four Months Old!

2010-02-10T16:15:00.003-05:00

Henry is already four months old. The original plan was for me to go back to work part-time on January 5, but before Christmas, Kyle and I decided it would be best for Henry if I stayed at home with him. Henry and I are having so much fun together. Below are some of my favorite pictures, and of Henry's favorite activities, from the past month.

Henry has gotten soooo big.

Henry plays on his activity mat every morning. These overalls are currently his (my) favorite outfit. They are size nine months...big boy!

Henry has started to play in his exersaucer. Brooks isn't too sure about the exersaucer, but he loves Henry. He wants to be where Henry is.

In the last couple of weeks, Henry has started to chew on everything.

Henry and I waving at the camera.

Henry loves his green monster hat. It's been very warm this winter.

Kyle working with Henry on rolling over.

Bedtime! Henry sleeps for 12 hours now. It's wonderful. I was getting ready to watch the 3-D Grammy's...that's why I'm wearing the glasses. Funny, though, I missed the 3-D performance.

Henry loves when Daddy comes home. This is another favorite outfit right now. It has monkeys on his toes, and he thinks the monkeys are too cool.

He's finally figured out the exersaucer on his own. Loves it!

Happy Holiday Season

2010-01-28T20:44:00.009-05:00

Happy New Year! Long time, no blog update, but I do have plenty to fill you in on about Henry.

Kyle, Henry and I had a wonderful holiday season. For Thanksgiving, we stayed in Atlanta and hosted, Kyle's brother, sister and her boyfriend. For Christmas, we spent two weeks in Northern Kentucky visiting friends and family.

Kristen, Clay, Kyle and Henry over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Kristen and I prepared Thanksgiving dinner for the second time, and it was wonderful. You can see Brooks snooping around for turkey scraps.

Moving On To A Very Merry First Christmas...

Our little Santa Claus

The first meeting of best friends. Our friends, Ann and Alan, welcomed baby Cash in July. Ann, Cash and another good friend, Beth, came to Cincinnati to meet Henry. This was the first of many future play dates for the babies, and one of many for mommy and friends, too.

Henry also met some very special women over the holidays. Kyle and I are fortunate that Henry met his three Great Grandmothers. Above, he is with my mom and her mother, Charlotte aka Grandma Behringer. Below, he is with Kyle's mom, Pat, and her mom, Memaw. We also spent time with Paul's mother, Mamaw. Henry was spoiled with love!

The first of several Christmas celebrations. Clearly, Henry was overjoyed to see what Santa brought to him.

Believe it or not, this is the only picture of the three of us taken over the holidays! I need to be better about capturing a family picture or two next year. This picture was taken at my parents' house on Christmas Eve. Henry was ready to eat and not excited about the family picture.

Spent. After all of the celebrations, Gavin, Henry and Kyle were knocked out. We had a wonderful holiday and hope you did, too.

Who Dey!

2009-11-15T18:39:00.003-05:00

Who Dey think gonna beat the Bengals??? Not the Steelers...

Henry watched the Bengals beat the Steelers for the second time this season. He sported the appropriate gear - thanks to his Gramy Long.

Go Bengals!

Henry cheered loud and hard in the first half of the game, but wore himself out before the second half started.

Our Chunky Monkey

2009-11-11T09:34:00.004-05:00

Henry is six weeks old today! The time has gone by so quickly, and he is growing like crazy. We went for the one month appointment on October 30, and Henry weighed 9 lbs, 14 oz. We had to go back to the doctor on November 9 (10 days later), and Henry had gained nearly two pounds! Babies typically gain two pounds per month, not per week. The doctor said Henry had a little growth spurt that moved him from the 54 percentile in weight to the 74 percentile. BIG BOY!

Henry has started to "talk" to us more, is smiling regularly and trying to laugh. He's a great sleeper, too. He sleeps about four hours at a time - day time and night time. We're getting a little more sleep, which is great, but what's better is seeing Henry's smiling face. :)

On his changing table after a bath....He's not in newborn diapers anymore. Kind of bittersweet for me.

Happy and handsome!

Living Room or Sports Bar?

2009-11-09T14:08:00.003-05:00

My good friend, Lisa, came in town to meet Henry this weekend. We had such a good time and Henry loved meeting her. While we had a girls' night, Kyle had some friends over to watch football. Is this our living room or sports bar? He moved the TV from the kitchen into the living room so they could watch more than one game at once. Fortunately, everything is back in its original place operating at full capacity.

James, Eric, Kyle and Henry watching...

the two TV's in our living room.

Henry has reflux! A bib is a necessity when feeding him right now. This one says, "Cute but messy. Just like Daddy."

Splish Splash....

2009-11-02T07:56:00.002-05:00

Henry took his first real bath!

BOO!!!

2009-10-31T19:10:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween! Check out the pumpkins on Henry's socks.

Henry or Uncle Fester???

Stretching in his Skeletor outfit.

Wondering why I'm still taking his picture...

His real Halloween costume - a monkey!

One Month Old

2009-10-30T13:00:00.006-04:00

Kyle and I are thoroughly enjoying parenthood. We are struggling through a little bit of sleep deprivation, but have no complaints because Henry is an excellent baby. Today was his one month appointment at the pediatrician. He's a healthy and happy baby, weighing 9 lbs, 14 oz. and measuring 21.25 long.

This month has gone by so quickly. We've had quite a few visitors - both sets of grandparents, Uncles Clay and Jonathan and Aunt Kristen, as well as some of our closest friends. Thanks for all of the well wishes and gifts from our friends and family, and for the meals from our wonderful neighbors. We hope to introduce everyone to Henry soon.

Below are some highlights from the first month.

Henry loves to play with his Aquarium play gym and laugh at himself in the mirror.
(Check out his reflection in the mirror.)

He misses Daddy when he goes to work, and loves to see him when he comes home.

Henry's watched a couple of UK football games...I know that doesn't come as a surprise to anyone.

We took him to the Pumpkin Festival at Stone Mountain, but forgot to get a pumpkin!

He loves to eat...and tries to hold the bottle all by himself. Of course, we think he's advanced. :)

This is Henry's favorite place to sleep...or watch football with Daddy.

Fortunately, the dogs are getting used to our new addition.

My First Walk

2009-10-07T17:45:00.003-04:00

One week old...Today, Henry went on his first walk. Kyle and I took Henry, Brooks and Gavin on a short walk in the neighborhood. It didn't last long, and Henry slept the whole the time, but it was nice to get some fresh air. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Walker for the travel system/stroller.

He's Here!

2009-10-05T08:51:00.004-04:00

Kyle and I welcomed Henry Miller Long on Wednesday, September 30, at 8:07 p.m. Henry weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz and was 21 inches long. We are all doing really well.

In the labor and delivery room during Henry's first few minutes of life.

Snuggling with Daddy in the hospital after a feeding.

First bath at home.

Sleeping soundly after his bath.

40 Weeks But Who's Counting? (Me, You and Everybody Else)

2009-09-27T18:33:00.003-04:00

Greetings from Baby Watch! Kyle and I are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Long. To answer some common questions of late...

1. No, Baby Long STILL doesn't have a name yet. We're working on it, but at this point a final decision probably won't be made until D-Day.

2. My due date is tomorrow! And, no, there appears to be nothing happening. We go back to the doctor on Tuesday and hope to have more questions answered as far as when this baby will arrive.

3. On Tuesday, September 22, Baby Long weighed 7 lbs, 5 oz. At the rate of a half a pound per week, he will likely be more than 8 lbs when he's (finally) born. I weighed a little over 7 lbs when I was born, but Kyle weighed over 10! It sounds like Baby Long is going to be a big boy, too. (Though not quite as big as his dad was...Thank God!)

4. We had an ultrasound last Tuesday. We think the baby is pretty cute. He seems to look a lot like Kyle. He has really wide feet, too! The doctor even commented on how wide they were. The better to kick me with, I guess.

A couple of people have asked for updated pictures of me. The picture below was taken today - at 39 weeks and six days. I've also included some pictures of the nursery. We are ready! Finally, I'd like to offer Congratulations to the Mulrooney and Dougherty families. Baby Blake Dougherty was born on Friday, and Baby James Mulrooney was born on Saturday which just happened to be my good friend, Zoe's 30th. Quite a celebratory weekend!

In our living room at 39 weeks and six days.

The nursery.

The crib with bedding made by Kyle's mom, Pat, and his Great Aunt Dot. The bedding is peacock blue, chocolate brown, lime green and white. The "theme" of the room has turned into polka dots. I guess it's only appropriate that Aunt "Dot" made the bedding.

Just another view of the nursery. Hopefully, a baby will be in this nursery for the next blog update!

Go Big Blue!

2009-09-06T10:07:00.006-04:00

It's September and college football - specifically Kentucky football - is back. Kyle and I are having a restful, but busy Labor Day Weekend. Kyle and the boys, Brooks and Gavin, watched football yesterday and put together the last of the baby products. The Pack and Play is standing, the baby monitor is set up and the Cats won. It was a good day!

Our dog, Brooks, was named for UK's head football coach, Rich Brooks. I recognize we look a little obsessive about UK football...I assure you this is 100% Kyle!

Brooks and Gavin watching the UK game. Yes, both dogs have UK football jerseys that they wear for every game. They even brought their referee toy to watch yesterday's game.

Kyle and the dogs watching Kentucky beat Miami. We are aware that the dogs will have a rude awakening when the baby arrives. We're letting them live it up right now. :)

Three Years Ago Today...

2009-08-26T15:22:00.006-04:00

Today, Kyle and I celebrate our third anniversary. It's been an eventful three years...moving to Atlanta after the first and welcoming a baby after the third. Below are some wedding pictures taken by Kyle's dad. I thought the day was perfect. :)

Our first dance was to David Gray's "The One I Love".

Our reception was at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in downtown Cincinnati. This is the wedding party on the balcony there. The Ohio River and Covington, Kentucky, are in the background.

OPA! Celebrating Life Before Becoming "Mom"

2009-08-16T18:27:00.006-04:00

On Tuesday, I will officially leave my twenties and start a new decade. Kind of fitting, considering Kyle and I will start a new era of our own soon. On Saturday night, Kyle and I went out with some friends to celebrate my birthday, as well as a couple of other good friends who turn 30 in August. We went to dinner at Taverna Plaka - a Greek restaurant where yelling "Opa!" and belly dancing is just part of the total exprience. Another part of the experience is for the birthday girls to dance on the table while everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to them. My good friends know that historically I've enjoyed the attention and wouldn't have hesistated to hop on that table to be serenaded. At 8.5 months pregnant, however, I wasn't sure it was a good idea. But, my good friend, Brianna convinced me to get up on that table. At first I felt kind of silly, but am really glad that I joined in on the celebration. With a watchful eye and hand on my back, Kyle made sure there were some pictures to commemorate the last weekend in my twenties, and the last birthday before becoming "mom".

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate - especially the girls that shared their birthday celebration!

With Brianna...on the table...

James doing his table dance. He always provides us with great entertainment.

Good friends...James, me, Kyle and Brianna.

With Kyle, who has made this birthday super special. I am fortunate to have such a wonderful husband.

With the other birthday girls....Heidi, Brianna, me and Melissa. I'm also fortunate to have their friendship. Next year, ladies, the celebration is ON...until Baby Long needs to go down for bed. :)

Getting Ready for Baby

2009-08-12T16:50:00.011-04:00

After we returned from Florida, Kyle and I tackled the nursery. We still have some work to do, but we are moving along quite nicely.

My friend, Catherine, made this diaper wreath for Baby Long. It will hang on the nursery door until we start needing those diapers.

This is the glider. Long story about the glider...if you look closely enough, you can see a tear on the top corner and on the arm. It fell out of the delivery truck en route to our house!

Baby Long's crib from P-Daddy and Nana Long.

The changing station and dresser.

Our neighbor thinks the nursery is lookin' good!

Babymoon?

2009-07-26T21:40:00.005-04:00

I recently read that a couple will often take one last vacation together before the arrival of a new baby, and it's called a "babymoon". While I don't know if it qualifies as a babymoon, Kyle and I just returned from a week-long vacation to North Miami Beach with my family. My grandparents started going to the Golden Strand - the place we stayed - about 40 years ago, and this year, 13 family members spent a week on the beach at the Golden Strand. We had a great time and thank my parents for a wonderful trip! Grandma and Grandpa couldn't join us, but they were definitely with us in spirit.

Kyle and I on the beach at dusk.

My dad and mom with the lights of downtown Miami behind them. We ate at a restaurant on Biscayne Bay.

My brother, Jonathan, and I with my mom on a balcony in the condo.

The pool deck with the ocean in the background. On the left is Christopher, my cousin's son, and Kyle and my cousin, Kelly, are behind him.

The view from the condo.

My mom, Peggy, and her sister, Jill, in the pool, with their matching hats. They come to the Golden Strand together in January every year, and occasionally my mom will join Jill in July.

Celebrating Red, White & Blue

2009-07-13T22:54:00.004-04:00

This is our second Fourth of July in Atlanta, and we've already established traditions! Kyle and I attended the Hosch Family Fourth of July party during the day and then went to the neighborhood party at the Wyatt's house in the evening. It was a great day full of wonderful food, good friends and a spectacular fireworks show. Below are some pictures from our low-key, but fun, weekend.

Baby Long's future best friend. Special K, as I like to call him, was born in February.

With our host, Amber, who is about eight weeks behind me in her pregnancy. She is carrying Baby Long's future girlfriend!

Kyle and Erin after Kyle and his friend, Eric, dominated Corn Hole. I think they went undefeated all day!

These pictures are too cute not to include. Our "boys" Brooks and Gavin enjoyed some yard time playing ball. For those of you who know Gavin, you know that he isn't the most outgoing dog. Lately, he's wanted to go for walks and he loves to play with the ball in the backyard. It's like having a whole new dog! We're so happy he's coming out of his shell.

Long Time, No Post

2009-07-13T22:24:00.004-04:00

My lack of blogging definitely isn't intentional. Life has just gotten busy. I can only imagine that it's going to get busier in September! Kyle, Brooks, Gavin and I are busy getting ready for Baby Long's arrival. I'm officially in the third trimester. We have a little over 10 weeks before the expected "d-day". The biggest help in getting ready for baby was our second shower. Thanks to our hosts and everybody who came and to celebrate our new addition. Some pictures are posted below. You'll notice that Baby Long and I are definitely growing.

The Geiser Family! Kyle's Aunt Carolyn and his grandmother, MeMaw came in town to join us at the shower. From the left is Carolyn, Erin, Kyle's Mom, Pat, and MeMaw. MeMaw and Carolyn supplied the baby with his high chair. I've been told it will stay clean until Baby Long's first feeding.

Here I am with the best shower hosts! From the left is Kyle's sister, Kristen, Erin, Jamie and Lisa. Jamie and I have known each other since we were eight. And, Lisa and I have been friends since my first year of high school. I'm really fortunate to have such a wonderful sister-in-law and two long-time, amazing friends.

Here I am opening gifts. You can see from the packages that everyone was so generous. I guess it's true that everybody loves a baby! In the picture, I am holding up a precious little onesie with dogs on it, compliments of my Dad's cousin, Mary Jo, her daughter, Lisa, and Lisa's daughter, Anne.

This gift is from my grandmother. Unfortuantely, she couldn't join us, but wanted to make sure that Baby Long received this sippy cup. It's great - the cup part comes out and is washable. Easy use for the silver sippy cup!

And, last, but certainly not least, the cake! In case you can't see it, it says, "Born to Be a Wildcat". Well done, Kristen and Pat. Thank you! It just dawned on me that I've posted a picture of the cake from both showers. My mother is a huge cake person. Maybe I'm a little more like her than I originally thought.... :)

In Good Company

2009-05-20T15:42:00.004-04:00

Kyle and I made a quick trip home to Kentucky this weekend. Saturday evening, my friends from college and I hosted a baby shower for our good friend, Ann. Baby Boy Long will be in good company because Ann and her husband, Alan, are expecting a boy in August. On Sunday morning, the girls hosted a brunch for Kyle and me. Baby Boy Long got some wonderful gifts, including some things I'll learn how to use (the Boppy and Bumbo) and super cute clothes, including seersucker overalls. If that doesn't scream, "I'm Kyle Long's kid", I don't know what does. Coincidentally, my dad is also a big fan of seersucker, and he's requested a family photo of all of the boys in seersucker. Look for that photo in a future post...

With the girls at Ann's shower: Me, Zoe, Catherine, Alison, Ann, Beth & Lynsie

With the girls at our brunch: Zoe, Alison, Me, Ann, Lynsie, Catherine & Beth

The wonderful cake from our brunch. The blue things are baby booties. There were really good!

With Kyle's Dad, Paul, Kyle, Me, my Mom, Peggy, and my Dad, Lawson

My, How We've Grown!

2009-05-20T15:18:00.005-04:00

I apologize to my "fans" (aka Erin Ruwe) for not making a post for more than a month. It's been busy! The most exciting news is that Kyle and I found out we're having a boy! Several people have asked what we're going to name him. That's "to be determined" because we haven't agreed on the right name yet. I have my favorites, and Kyle has promised me he'll create a list of his. Right now, I'm worried Baby Boy Long will leave the hospital as Baby Boy Long. Since we've shared all of his ultrasound pics with you, here's the latest at 18 weeks - about three weeks ago. The picture of me is my corresponding belly at 18 weeks.

Cravings & Yard Work

2009-04-19T19:16:00.008-04:00

Many people have asked me if I've craved any foods during the pregnancy. I really like citrusy foods, like oranges and grapefruit. I've rediscovered the greatest sandwich ever - peanut butter and jelly. And, I believe that a bagel is strictly the means to get the cream cheese into my mouth. But, what I've wanted most is ice cream. I've done well and gotten sugar free or low fat frozen yogurt. However, what I really want is a hot fudge sundae from McDonald's. Unfortunately, I'm batting 0 - 5 in getting one. I've come to the conclusion that McDonald's really doesn't serve hot fudge sundaes. Here's the deal....There is a McDonald's up the street from our house - about a 2 minute drive WITH traffic. I have been there four times in the last 17 weeks. Every time I order a hot fudge sundae the voice on the other end says, "Our ice cream machine is broken." The first time, I believed them. The fourth time, I cried and resigned myself to believe that my McDonald's doesn't have an ice cream machine. So, today, as I was leaving my tennis match (we lost but it was fun), I drove past another McDonald's. Immediately, the tractor beam pulled me into the drive thru. I pull up, and what do I see? A sign that reads, "Ice Cream Machine is Broken. Sorry." Are you kidding me? I am never going to get an ice cream sundae from McDonald's.

Kyle and I had a good weekend. It's gone by too fast. He's spent a lot of time working in our yard lately. Here's a picture of our house. I'm really proud of his hard work...doesn't the front yard look great? And that is from yesterday. It looks even better today!

The First Trimester

2009-04-02T22:15:00.028-04:00

At the end of January, Kyle and I found out we were going to have a baby. We've had a lot of special occasions to celebrate our life without baby, and to celebrate the life of our baby.

February - Las Vegas
In February, Kyle and I went to Las Vegas for a long weekend and saw Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil. The getaway was a great Christmas present from Santa Claus. Thanks P-Daddy & Pat! The picture below is of Kyle and I outside of the theater at The Mirage.

March - Kyle's 30th Birthday
Kyle turned 30 on March 1, and February 26 started a fun three day party. Thanks to everyone who came in town to celebrate! Kyle got an early birthday gift on February 27 because that was our nine week doctor's appointment - we saw the baby for the first time.

Clay (Kyle's brother), me, Kyle, Kristen (Kyle's sister) and Brent

Kyle and his fraternity brothers: Chris, Kyle, Bob, James, Eric and JMK

The girls: Leah, Brianna, Lisa, me and KT

My family: Dad, Mom, Kyle, me, Jonathan (my brother) and Jill

Brianna and me striking a fierce Tyra pose. :)

Also in March...Brit Brit Comes to the ATL!

Something I didn't intend to do pregnant - go to the Britney Spears concert. Aside from the fact that she didn't dance that much, the Circus was quite a production. And, in my eyes, Britney made her comeback.

Meg, me, Beth and Zoe

The back of Britney's head in the center ring.

Our Boys - Brooks & Gavin

2009-04-02T21:57:00.013-04:00

Kyle and I currently have two "children" - Brooks and Gavin. This is a picture of our boys enjoying one of their favorite past times: sleeping on our bed.

Gavin on the couch. Somewhere he isn't supposed to be...

Brooks snuggling with Kyle.

This picture was too cute not to include. This is Brooks at the back door watching for Kyle to come home.

Baby Long's First Photos

2009-04-02T15:09:00.015-04:00

Baby Long - 9 weeks

Baby Long - 12 Weeks

It's amazing how fast our baby is growing. Baby Long's first picture was taken at nine weeks. It looks like a fuzzy teddy bear! The baby's second picture was taken at the end of 12 weeks and it looks so much more like a baby. At 12 weeks, you can see its profile in the top picture, and the second picture is of the baby laying on its side facing the camera. (Thanks, Heidi!) After seeing the profile pic, I'm certain the baby has my nose. :)

Thanks for Visiting Our First Blog...

2009-04-02T14:56:00.006-04:00

Kyle and I decided to take a hint from some of our friends and start a blog. Since moving to Atlanta in September 2007, we’ve stayed in touch with many of you, but know that once Baby Long is here in September 2009, it might be hard to keep up. We hope you’ll check in with us frequently to watch the baby (and me) grow.