Monday, January 7, 2008

Repeat the Sounding Joy!

After a wonderful and insanely busy holiday season, I finally have my computer back (a long story) and am ready to get back to blogging! My whole family came to celebrate our first Christmas in our home and it was a fun, loud, and memorable experience.

Christmas Eve, Bethany Hank and I singing a trio!



Our first Christmas as parents was a fun and eye-opening experience. I told my mom that I finally understood why they always looked so exhausted by 4:00 Christmas day! Shane and I woke up early, bundled up the Hankster and went to his parents house to open presents with his family. It's amazing how many presents are there for 2 grandparents, 4 siblings, 3 spouses, and 4 grandchildren! Poor Hank was a little overwhelmed with the whole experience. By the time we got him home, he was so exhausted that we put him down for a nap and opened more presents with my family. When he awoke from dreams of sugar plums dancing he was in a much better mood and able to enjoy opening his presents.


Hank checking out the awesome toybox his dad and Grandpa Jo made him. I absolutely love him in his Hugh Hefner PJ's!




My parents, probably also overwhelmed with their first grandchild's Christmas, got Hank a Little Tykes playhouse big enough for us all to live in (when the bank comes to take our house back, as Shane loves to say!)


Santa's Elves. My dad says the three most dreaded words in the English language are: Some Assembly Required


The finished product, to be featured in next week's MTV Cribs...


And as if Christmas and the constant attention of adoring grandparents, aunts, and uncles wasn't enough to spoil my little angel rotten, his first birthday was on the 29th! I spent the day in a haze, wondering where the first year of my baby's life had gone, and fearing that the next 17 years would go just as fast. We had a great party with both families, still more presents, and my son diving face first into his cake!


You can see his disappointment that it wasn't chocolate cake. Somehow he managed to shovel it down, stopping only when he burst into tears upon hitting the cardboard base (which he then tried to eat as well)


So I end this post with a short note to my little man. I heard someway say this past year that you don't love your kids, you fall in love with them. You are the second great love of my life. You are the best, hardest, most worthwhile, pain the butt thing I have ever done. I am so proud of you, and proud to be your mom. My "Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy."


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Late Birthday Hank My heart always breaks when my kids turned one. I'm not quite sure why, I guess it just seems like that is the magic number that they are growing up and not quite a baby anymore.

Anonymous said...

Your blog made me cry today as I am missing our little Hank so very much. I love the picture of him in his jacket. What a great smile! Thank you so much for him. I love him dearly.

Oh, and I love you too!

Stephanie said...

I know what you mean about being exhausted sooo early. I so needed a map by about 11am. I can't belive Hank is one already! I just have to tell you he is one adorable kiddo. The new black and white pic is beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Did you get that black and white from a photo frame? I think I saw it at wal-mart... Anywho, I'm glad that you can catch cute pictures between diaper changes...

derek

Lee said...

I can't believe he is one! Happy Birthday!! Looks like you had a fun holiday, and glad to see you again.

Anonymous said...

Hanka-nater! You can't grow up so fast little man. You will always be the little baby boy that likes to bounce up and down incessantly!
I am so glad that your holiday season went well, and that his birthday was a sucess!