Piper's Mutter

Getting over her bout with strep.

2008-11-10T20:44:00.001-05:00

Getting over her bout with strep.
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Me, Maysie, Piper, Elisa, then Matilde. This was the order that we got diagnosed with Strep throat. I just finished my 10 day course of antibiotics, and feel like I still have it. Off to the doctor tomorrow to see! What fun! At least my little Maysie is back to her wonderful self. I sure missed her giggles.

Going to say good bye to Poppy

2008-10-11T21:37:00.001-04:00

Going to say good bye
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

This past weekend we all traveled to Torrington, CT for the Memorial Service for my Grampa. We had a small service at the cemetery with family and a close friend of the family and then the next day we had the Memorial Service at the Methodist Church. The church was really special as my mother and father had been married there 40 years before. My Grampa had walked my mom down the aisle 40 years before and we were back there to honor what a wonderful father, husband, grampa, great-grampa, and dear friend he was. Piper was a bit young to know what was happening, however several times over the weekend, she asked me "Where Poppy go?" He sure wil be missed.

Such sweet ladies

2008-09-26T21:50:00.001-04:00

Piper gets the giggles
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

I spent my 33rd (yikes) birthday with my family in Nashville. My niece turned 3 and I am lucky enough to share my birthday with her. My parents were there for the grand event, a Wiggles themed party at a lovely park. This tradition of going to Nashville on my birthday began on Abigail's first birthday when we flew down to surprise my sister. We have gone down each year since. We dress the girls alike and take tons of pictures every year. Now, poor Luke, the first boy will have to play along in our traditions.......wonder how he will look in pink!

brave bird lady

2008-09-26T21:19:00.001-04:00

feeding birdies
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

I am not a bird person. I actually dislike most birds after an incident many years back when a loony bird bit my scalp. Oh, and I hold grudges, which is why I still don't like them. Enough about me.... Piper loves birds and at our recent trip to the Nashville Zoo, her and Brian fed some birds. She had such a blast! I hope she never asks for a bird....or a snake..or a lizard........a goat would be ok though!

the moments

2008-09-09T21:22:00.001-04:00

Our $17.00 hay ride! :)
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

It imakes me so sad to think that some day my little Piper won't want to sit on my lap or cuddle with me. She is such a sweet little lady. I remind myself a lot that these moments aren't going to be around forever. I look at pictures of Piper when she was the same age as Maysie and I can hardly believe that she is already so grown up. Ok, she is only 2, but it feels like I close my eyes for a minute and she was talking. I love the little moments that I have with her.....how each morning the first thing she says when I see her is "Where's Maysie?", how she likes to let the teachers at daycare know that "she is MY MOMMY", and when I tell her that her Nana is my mommy, she says, "My Nana"......Her new favorite thing is to walk with Brian up to the beach each evening. I usually send them with some bread to feed the birds. Brian tells me that Piper usually eats most of the bread, which is odd since she won't eat it at home. She likes to wash her feet in the shower at the beach and brings me home little shells and such. This morning when I dropped her off at daycare she told me "I walk myself Mommy". She then put both hands in the pockets of her jeans and swaggered her way into school. My litlle lady is growing up!

Hanging out in a very special chair

2008-09-04T16:11:00.001-04:00

Hanging out in a very special chair
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

The girls and I spent Labor Day weekend at the Vineyard with my mom. It was nice to be at my grandparents cottage, but it was very sad knowing that Poppy will no longer be with us physically out there. The weather was perfect and we were able to enjoy some of our favorite things.....coconut flavored coffee and apple fritters from the Back Door Bakery, beautiful gifts from the Sanctuary, and pumpkin cheesecake ice cream from Ben and Bill's. Brian couldn't come for this trip as he had some work to do and he had to babysit the dogs! We will be back next year and will plan a special service for my Grampa. He will be missed.

Piper and friends

2008-08-29T14:05:00.001-04:00

MMMMMM ice cream and sprinkles!
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

This past weekend we had about 4 other couples over for a BBQ. They all have young children (all girls too!), so it was nice for Piper to be able to be a little host. The weather was perfect and there were 6.5 little ones to keep us all very busy! Piper is learning to share a little better, boy it sure is hard sometimes.....
Maysie slept most of the time, her favorite part of the day was when Brian held her for her nap, poor daddy!
The summer is almost gone. We have a couple trips coming up, our next one to Nashville to meet baby Luke and celebrate Abigail's 3rd birthday! And Halloween! We are on the look out for costumes!

Trust

2008-08-19T21:14:00.001-04:00

carefree
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

The girls daycare closed several weeks ago, and a couple days later I received a very disturbing e-mail. One of the teachers in Piper's class was accused of putting tape over some of the childrens mouths. My heart sank. Just a week prior, Piper took a piece of tape and put it over her mouth. We thought nothing of it, until the e-mail. I am so disgusted and outraged. Another mother and I met with the director who reported the allegations to the agency that governs daycare centers. I spoke with the teacher who made the claims, and she confirmed that she indeed saw the teacher do this. It breaks my heart that we never would have thought this could happen under our noses. She said the teacher didn't do this to Piper, but that Piper was there when she did it to other children. I sure hope I never see her again. I am so grateful that my girls are healthy and happy, but this is a wake up call that you can't predict what others are capable of. UG! Enough of that.

Look who turned 5 monthes today.

2008-07-26T21:56:00.001-04:00

Look who turned 5 monthes today.
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

It's amazing to me that 5 monthes ago, I was just meeting this little lady. Maysie is such a sweet pea. She still sleeps great, out at 9:30 or so and then up around 7......I am amazed every morning! She loves to roll over, and with some support she enjoys watching things from a sitting position. She is amazed with her big sister, watching her any chance she can get. Piper brings her toys to play with, but takes them back if it looks like Maysie is having too much fun with them. Maysie caught a cold early this week, passing it along to Piper, and then lucky Daddy caught it yesterday. Hopefully I can keep healthy, as I have to take care of the clan. Lot's of sneezes this week. Maysie was the cutest, as every time she sneezed, she smiled. Gesundheit!

Frustration

2008-07-22T07:27:00.002-04:00

Can 2 little ladies get any cuter?
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

We have known for a bit that the girls current daycare will be closing, however, instead of September 1st as we were promised, we got word last Thursday night that the new date would be August 1st. The lovely people in charge didn't even have the guts to tell us, instead they left a lousy note in Piper's mailbox, for me to find at the end of the day. The poor teachers who will be without a job were left to calm pissed off parents while the director was off hiding in her office. Ok, I am over it, but we sure will miss the teachers. Piper has had the same teacher since she was 3 months old, Miss Alice who got her the cutest Elmo jumper for her birthday....... Miss Maria was the one who got Piper to nap longer than 30 minutes and must be a celebrity the way the kids are drawn to her......and Miss Cindy loves to cuddle my sweet Maysie and surprised Piper with a Raggety Ann doll.......we sure will miss them.

Sweet Anniversary!

2008-07-02T10:04:00.001-04:00

Papa feeding Maysie
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

This past weekend, Brian and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary, and Brian's 33rd birthday. I had been planning the special day, and had a couple of need things for us to do. My folks watched the girls for a bit on Saturday so that Brian and I could be the first in line at the tattoo joint. We got matching tattoo's, in honor of our 2 little girls. Then we zoomed to the movies to catch a flick (the Hullk), off to the mall for some tattoo supplies, a quick trip to enjoy the goods at Whole Foods, and then a nice dinner at Tasca in Brighton. Brian and I used to go to Tasca a lot when we lived in Brighton, and they have amazing sangria. We ended the night with some cupcakes from Babycakes in Quincy, and a quick singing of Happy Birthday for the birthday boy. On Sunday we had a nice and lazy morning. Brian went for a beach walk with the Pipes and then we went to some friends for a BBQ. My sister send a cute anniversary card, saying they can't wait to see what we do for our 10th anniversary! I better start planning!

Yea for celebrations!

2008-06-19T15:04:00.001-04:00

Piper and her friend Maddie at graduation
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Yesterday, there was a graduation celebration at Piper and Maysie's daycare. Piper's class learned the hokey pokey song and "You are my sunshine". After a couple weeks of practicing, many of the kids got stage fright when the curtain opened and they saw their parents. Piper was very nervous, but she did so great. Maysie was able to participate too, just by being there and looking cute! I never would have thought a couple years ago that I would be sneaking out of work to go snap some pictures at a daycare celebration for my kids.....what a wonderful day.

First Dip in the pool for Maysie

2008-06-16T21:19:00.002-04:00

Maysie Piper

On our recent trip to Florida, Maysie took her first dip in the pool. It seemed like a day a couple years ago, with Piper. Boy, how time flies. Maysie loved the water, and didn't seem to mind it at all. Piper was the same way. I can't get enough of my little peanuts.

The WONDERFUL Nana hold

2008-06-05T10:21:00.004-04:00

When Piper was a couple months old, we went to Martha's Vineyard for a family vacation. I was a new momma, still learning different ways to soothe my little one. My mom, AKA Nana, put Piper is this position, that is now referred to as the Nana hold. Piper calmed down instantly and fell right to sleep. Brian and I used the Nana hold tons to help soothe Piper over the years. Now with our new daughter, Maysie, once again we have been soothing her with the Nana hold. Here are a couple pictures over the years. Thanks again Nana.

Family BBQ

2008-06-02T14:38:00.001-04:00

Family BBQ
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

We had a BBQ at our house with my parent's and my in-laws. It was nice getting everyone together to enjoy the little ones. Piper has a blast, running around in her red glitter shoes and Maysie loved to be held by her Nana and Grammy.
Sangria- $25
beer- $10
chips- $5
grilled meat- $25
salads- $10
cake- $5
Family together- priceless!

Here's to many more family get togethers!

Vineyard Bound

2008-05-29T14:46:00.001-04:00

Maysie did her first giggle this weekend, what a delightful sound!
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

We spent Memorial Day weekend on Martha's Vineyard, at my grandparents cottage. This is the 32nd year that they have owned a place out there, but the first time they are unable to make it out there. Both my grandparents have had some health problems, but we are all hopeful that they will be feeling better soon! We love you Mimi and Poppy! Brian, the ladies, and I met my folks out there and enjoyed the time. We feasted on apple fritters from the Back Door Bakery, coconut coffee (YUMMY), ice cream from Ben and Bills, and lots of goodies on the grill. The best part.......Maysie laughed out loud! What a wonderful sound. Here's to Maysie and many more firsts!

Waiting for Mommy

2008-05-23T15:26:00.001-04:00

Looking out
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

The other day when I went to pick up Piper at daycare, I opened the followed another parent into her room. All the kids ran towards the door like a herd of cattle looking to see if it was their mom or dad at the door. I could see Piper looking with such hope in her eyes, wishing to see me. And she did.....she yelled "MOMMY"! It was the sweetest thing and also a bit sad, as I imagined her doing this when all the other parents came before me, just hoping I would be one of them. I love my job, but I love them so much more, so it's very tough some days to leave them. That's my rant for the day. I am off to get Piper and Maysie!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-15T21:21:00.001-04:00

Running to Nana
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

What a special day I had. Brian surprised me with some flowers and a decaf white chocolate mocha from Starbucks in the mornings.....perfect! My mom and dad came down and my mom brought me a fresh picked bouquet of lily of the valley.....very sweet. We went to Boston Common for a Make Way for Ducklings parade! Piper and Maysie both had matching yellow outfits on, looking sweeter than ever. We met up with the family of one of Piper's friends. The weather was perfect! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family!

Happy 2nd Birthday Piper

2008-04-24T15:05:00.001-04:00

funny
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Piper is 2! It baffles my mind that my little Piper is already 2. We celebrated her big day with a monkey themed party with a couple of her little friends and some of our friends and family. My sister and niece came from Nashville to celebrate Piper's big day. My sister and I make albums each year to celebrate the year in the life of out little ones and present them to each other at our girls birthdays. I always look forward to this part each year. Thanks Katie!
We are so grateful to have such a wonderful little family! Happy Birthday Pipes!

Maysie Birth Story

2008-04-01T14:19:00.001-04:00

Not sure if she is really ready to see everyone
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Having a child is such an amazing experience, moment, achievement, and crazy time, that I wanted to put into words Maysie's birth story before I forgot some of the good parts! First off, I loved being pregnant, both with Piper and then with Maysie. I was always very comfortable, just bigger. We knew very early that I was pregnant, within about a week. It was neat to see the first ultrasound, when Maysie was only about 2 weeks in my belly. MUCH earlier than we were aware of our first one on the way. We were going to be going to Martha's Vineyard for a week vacation to celebrate the wedding of my cousin. I made a onsie for Piper that said "Big sister to be", and put it on her the first night when we were all together. It was really special to see the expression on my mom's face and my grandparents who picked up on the announcement right away. Brian told his parents who had just heard that 2 of their other children were expecting also! Yikes! The pregnancy when way too quick. I had no problems, except my stupid asthma was horrible. After a couple trips to the pulmonary specialist, I was told that it should get better after I give birth. I was expecting to make it to 40 weeks, as I was late with my first. However, I didn't make it till March 5th. At 3am on February 26th, I woke up with some contractions, that I hoped were Braxton Hicks. No such luck. I times the contractions, which seemed to me about 10 minutes apart. I kept trying to fall back asleep, but the pain kept waking me. I went and played around on the computer, but the contractions seemed to be getting closer. At 6am I woke up Brian and said that I think this might be it. He got up with a start! I told him that I would take a shower and then call my midwife office. I think I still hoped the contractions that were now 5 minutes apart would stop and it was just a false alarm as I was still a week early. I called the midwife's office and they recommended that I come in at 8:30am, instead of my 10:30am appointment I already had. I called my mom and asked her to come down. We decided to drop Piper off at daycare on the way to see the midwife, as my mom wasn't going to make it through Boston traffic before we had to leave. When I dropped off Piper, I let the teacher know that I was in labor and that Piper's Nana would be picking her up in a little bit. I got to the doctor's office and saw my midwife. She checked me and I was dilated to 4.5 and 100 percent effaced. She said that they would monitor the baby a little bit and then send me over to the hospital. The contractions weren't too painful, but they were regular. The nurse at the office made fun of me because I had my work clothes on, as I thought I would head to work if it was a false alarm. We decided to meet my mom in the front of the daycare to say by to Piper on the way to the hospital. I asked my mom to wait out front. We got there and everyone knew I was in labor. My mom said that she was so excited that she went in and told everyone and then came back outside. We said by to Piper and sent them home to our house. Brian took a wrong turn close to the hospital and made a u-turn while asking if we could change the name we had chosen if we have a boy to "Zack". In between contractions, I said no. The woman in labor wins. :) At the hospital, we signed in and were sent to triage. We weren't in there for too long, before they moved up to labor and delivery as they were cleaning the duct work and they didn't want to irritate my asthma. This was good, as the last time we were in the triage I was pregnant with Piper and her heart rate dipped.
Brian was always adamant that we were having another girl, but I really thought we were having a boy. I had hoped Piper would have a little sister close in age, as my sister and I are about the same age apart. I wanted her to have what my sister and I have.
We got into the labor and delivery room at 11am or so. The midwife, Rachel, was very sweet as was my nurse, Donna. The nurse said that she would break my water once I get my epidural. I explained that with my first, the epidural didn't take at first, so I was a bit worried about this one. The anesthesiologist was very confident that things would be ok. She even commented that the tattoo on my back made it easier to place in the epi because it was centered so well. Well, if I wasn't supposed to feel my lower legs and feet, all would have been fine. Several anesthesiologist's came in to try and figure out how to make me more comfortable. During this process, the midwife broke my water, expecting that my epi would take effect soon. Not so. They ended up having to take out the epi and putting in a new one. This time she went higher on my back, and it worked! Yea. At 2:50 I finally felt some relief. I immediately felt pressure like I had to pee, and the midwife checked me. I was ready to push. I was hoping to relax and enjoy my epi for a bit, but the little one had other ideas. Three pushes and the baby was out. I remember asking "what is it?", and it was a girl! The cord was wrapped around her head, but she was fine. She came out so quick, we were all a bit surprised. What a wonderful experience again...........We are so grateful that we have 2 healthy girls. We named her Maysie Garland. We liked the name Maysie (I convinced Brian of this) . He picked the spelling of the name and Garland after my Grandfather.

I can't wait for a couple more!

A few of my favorite things

2008-03-20T16:27:00.001-04:00

cheeser
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

With our new little one around, I am thinking back to some lovely memories of Piper when she was in her first year. There are so many wonderful things about I have have experienced being a mom. Things that make my heart skip a beat and bring a (joyful) tear to my eye. It feels like yesterday when I picked Piper up and she first put her arm around my shoulder for support, instead of just me offering all the support. Piper still loves to be held, which I am so grateful for. The first smile is amazing. Piper has such a wonderful smile, and from the looks of it Maysie's is just as special. :)

Welcome Maysie!

2008-03-03T11:21:00.001-05:00

Favorite shot of the girls
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Maysie Garland was born on February 26th at 3:16pm. She was 7 pounds 13 ounces and 19 inches long.
Piper is doing so well with her new little sister. She loves to touch her toes and is very gentle with her. Overall it was a pretty easy labor and delivery, except for the darn epidural which didn't take until 20 minutes before Maysie made her entrance. It's now 5 against one against my poor husband (including our 2 girl dogs.......)
I guess there is always next time.....maybe a boy?

Happy Babies! Yippee!

38.5 weeks..........

2008-02-22T11:57:00.001-05:00

38.5 weeks..........
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Oh, my............counting down the days until our new little one arrives. Brian thinks that we are having another girl and I think it's a boy, so we will see. From the picture it looks like I am going to have a giant easter egg......wish me a quick labor!

Poppy and Piper

2008-02-17T14:37:00.001-05:00

Poppy playing with Piper
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

This picture was taken in December when we all went to Torrington to see my grandparents, or Mimi and Poppy as they are know as by their great grandchildren. Mimi and Poppy are both under the weather, so we are sending GOOD WISHES their way. We love you both!

CHEESE!

2008-02-17T14:33:00.001-05:00

CHEESE!
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

We are counting down the weeks till the arrival of Piper's sibling. We are a rare breed, as we are waiting to find out the sex of the baby until the arrival. It was such a neat experience not knowing when we had Piper, that we wanted to do it again. I was convinced that Piper was going to be a boy, from the way people told me i was carrying to the size of my tummy....and look, we had a beautiful little girl. The days have been passing so quickly, so my due date will be here before you know it.......I can wait! Piper has a little longer to enjoy being the only child!

Bubbles

2007-12-25T22:14:00.001-05:00

Santa Piper
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Piper experienced her first real snow storm recently. The storm was expected during the evening commmute, so daycare was closing early. When I went to pick up Piper, she was still sleeping from her afternoon nap. I woke her up and put on her coat and off we went. As soon as we were outside, she looked up at the snow falling, and said "bubbles"! It was priceless! Happy Holidays!

Monkey Day!

2007-11-16T08:19:00.001-05:00

Not quite sure!
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Piper's second Halloween, she was much more active than the first one. Last year, we made it to 2 houses before she fell asleep. This year, she atempted to go off on her own! As our favorite word she says is monkey and she loves Curious George, we decided on the monkey costume. It took weeks to get her to even try it on. Brian was able to convince her that it was a coat that she needed to put on before we went out for the night. We saw many neighbors who were kind enough to let Brian pick out his favorite candy bars. Piper ended up with a tootsie pop, and seemed to enjoy it. Wonder what next Halloween will bring.......we will have the new little Hendu by then! Trick or Treat!

Running from the wild pumpkin

2007-10-28T06:08:00.001-04:00

Running from the wild pumpkin
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Piper is almost all ready for Halloween. She almost likes her costume. As Piper loves to say monkey and Curious George, I picked her up a very cute monkey costume for Halloween. It has taken about a month to convince her to wear it for 5 minutes.....We will see how the big day goes.

Wish us well..

Big Hug Big Sis!

2007-09-12T12:20:00.001-04:00

Big Hug!
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Piper is going to be a BIG sister! As we are expecting our next little one in March, we are attempting to prepare Piper for this next adventure. She is such a caring little soul and is very gentle, I hope that this continues when she realizes the baby will be here to stay. I have heard so many (unsolicited!!!) stories about how crazy it is going from one baby to two, however I am looking forward to it. We are looking toward Halloween!!! Piper may be a little monkey, which is my favorite word she says. My husband loves when she says bus.....I think she may have inherited my lisp, uh-oh! Happy September to you!

Vineyard Girl

2007-07-20T07:48:00.001-04:00

trip favorite
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

We spent a week on Martha's Vineyard to celebrate several things....family, my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary, and my cousing getting married. Piper was able to enjoy everything so much more than our trip there last year since she was only a couple months old. This year we chased seagulls on the beach, saw a rainbow, posed with funny statues at the Field Gallery, rode the Flying Horses, took morning walks, played on a playground, and enjoyed her Nana, Papa Wu, Mimi, Poppy, Uncles, Aunts, and many cousins. We will work on getting Piper to brave the sand barefoot for next year....small steps! Happpy Summer!

testing the waters

2007-06-12T22:41:00.001-04:00

hmmm
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

Oh my little Piper is testing the limits.....she is walking now and oh my!!!! I can't believe that she is such a little person now. She has learned to arch herself so much when I attempt to put her in the high chair for food....and she can point to what she wants and then is very vocal to what she desn't want. Her favorite food yesterday was veggie booty and now today, it's a banana!!! Who knows what tomorrow will bring...

Happy Mama's Day

2007-05-14T14:25:00.001-04:00

Reaching for the love
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family.

We spent Mother's Day with my mom this Sunday. It is so nice to be able to share in the joy of being a mother with her. My mom is amazing. I swear that she has more energy than both Piper and I combined sometimes. While she had been feeling under the weather for a couple days, she is back to her 'ol self. We all watched as Piper took several steps on her own, played in the grass for the first time (and it was a bit too itchy for her), and watched Daddy build block houses and while Piper tried to knock them down. I sure love being a mom. I am very grateful that I have such a wonderful mother to learn from.
Happy Mama's Day.

What a difference a year makes....

2007-04-19T13:18:00.001-04:00

Looking for visitors
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family.

Oh my, I am amazed that it's been almost a year since little Piper came into this world. She had brought so much fun, excitement, and joy into our lives. Every single day I am amazed with what new thing she does or how she looks or even how she looks at things. She has this new look that is a spitting image of my husband. I had to do a double take last night, as they looked like twins. I know all parents say it, but Piper really is such a good baby. I want so many good things for her, it almost hurts. I am the luckiest girl in the world. Happy Birthday Pipah!

AHHHHHHHH-HA

2007-03-21T15:49:00.001-04:00

HA
Originally uploaded by emma_tula.

Piper is finally feeling better after several weeks of ailments. She had croup, pink eye, and then a horrible stomach bug!! She is such a trooper though, as she is even a happy camper when she isn't feeling good. We had been in Nashville for a trip when she got the stomach bug the last night. Nothing like waking up with hot baby vomit all over. We had to fly home with her feeling crappy, literally all over. She is such a little sweetheart though, even offering a little smile to her mama who felt so helpless. But so is better, which is all that matters. We have our first swim class this weekend......yea! Only one month till the big birthday......my goodness!

The first Haircut! Not yet!

2007-02-23T10:29:00.003-05:00

NO WAY NANA!!!!!
Originally uploaded by emma_tula.

Piper's hair sure has gotten long...it's over her eyes, if its combed all the way. It also hangs over her ears, but I love it! Several people have said she needs a haircut, but I refuse! Piper doesn't seem to mind the wacky hair, and I refuse to cut her beautiful locks. I am not sure what my resistance is, but it's pretty stong. So for now, we are content with waiting....it's everone else we have to worry about (as you can see from the picture) tee-hee

Happy Heart Day

2007-02-14T12:53:00.001-05:00

Piper e
Originally uploaded by emma_tula.

I love every picture of Piper, but this is one of my favorites! I am so lucky to have been a part of making such an amazing being. Here's to you Miss Piper! Happy Heart Day!

Nine Months Old!

2007-01-23T12:18:00.001-05:00

New toys
Originally uploaded by emma_tula.

I can hardly believe that Piper is already nine months old. I have dreams where she is running around.....Yikes! When I was pregnant and didn't know that I was, I used to have dreams that I was pregnant......interesting.....What a wonderful 9 months this has been watching Piper grow up. I look at pictures of her from April and May and I am reminded how tiny she was. What a wonderful journey this has been, and I enjoy every minute. I love being Piper's mom.

There are places I remember.......

2007-01-10T19:33:00.001-05:00

ceremony
Originally uploaded by Brian Henderson.

When I think of special memories, I always remember places they took place or what I was wearing or peoples facial expressions or even the tone of a voice. Here are some special memories that come to my head pretty quick:
The first time I kissed my future husband(Sissy K's)...my mom's 60th surprise party(Nashua NH)....when I realized that my best friend was crazy (Brevard Zoo), ok that was a weird memory....my first real job interview (blue suit and I am still there.....).....Aunt Cinda mentioning that Brian and I should get married at the Field Gallery (right after Uncle Bill's memorial service).....when I told Brian that there was a baby on the way (in his Lazy-Boy and boy did he turn pale:)....the look on his face when he held Piper the first time (priceless).....Caling my mom and telling her that I just had a baby girl (joy)....my wedding day at the Field Gallery on Martha's Vineyard (beautiful princess dress with an amazing man in a tux)....
enjoy every moment and take notes as it goes by so quick!

Happy ending

2007-01-01T18:24:00.000-05:00

Happy with Daddy
Originally uploaded by emma_tula.

We just got back from an amazing trip to Washington DC and North Carolina. We took a train from Boston to DC with my folks and met my sister, brother in law, and niece Abigail. After a couple days in DC, we loaded up on the train again and went to North Carolina. I am a big fan of train travel now, as I found it pretty relaxing. (Except for the crazy old man in the quiet car...you know who you are!!) This was our first Christmas away from home, so it was a bit different. On Christmas Day, there was a tornado warning in Carolina Beach, so we had to evacuate from our room. There is always something wacky when you put us all together. We made it home on New Years Eve, and hung out at home. It has been an amazing year in our little house....a beautiful little Piper. Happy New Year!

Poppy, Mimi and the Pipes

2006-12-20T15:29:00.000-05:00

Poppy Mimi and the Pipes
Originally uploaded by emma_tula.

This past weekend we went to Torrington, Conneticut to visit my grandparents, Piper's great grandparents. Piper's Mimi and Poppy love her so much. Mimi even calls her smiley, as you can see why from the picture. We opened some Christmas gifts and Piper loved the tissue paper the most. I think she even swallowed a little too. We are off tomorrow for our Christmas trip, but will plan another trip to see Mimi and Poppy soon. Maybe Piper will even be walking..........

Proud Mama

2006-12-14T19:32:00.000-05:00

my favorite
Originally uploaded by emma_tula.

My daughter's daycare had a holiday concert today, and boy.............I never felt so proud. Piper didn't do too much besides remove her Santa hat several times and attempt to eat the jingle bells, but she was perfect at all of those tasks. There were many older kids on the stage (Piper was still too young to even make it to the stage) who were singing holiday songs and waving at their parents and one even had her hand in her pants, but I bet all those parents were as proud as I was.

Happy Holiday Gift

2006-12-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

New toy
Originally uploaded by emma_tula.

Here is a picture of Piper enjoying the package her first Christmas present came in. Liz's Auntie Mo sent a handmade outfit the was knitted by a man that Mo knows from church. I was surprised that it was made by a man, as was she, since she underlined the word man in the card...tee-hee Piper seemed to enjoyed the packaging much more than the gift, which makes Christmas shopping very easy for us this year. You will notice an adult hand in the picture too, that's Brian. We are very happy as he started his new job today in Harvard Square. The place is in a great area and he is going to be working with some great people too. I haven't met them, but I will take his word on it. :) He also will be taking the train into work which is a great plus for him. Ever since I have known him, he has always wanted to work at a job where he could commute by train. He is getting himself ready for our Christmas train trip to DC and North Carolina. I am very proud of my jackie!. Time to do some holiday shopping!

Happy Birthday to Ma

2006-11-29T13:03:00.000-05:00

http://flickr.com/photos/hendersonfamily/227085790
In honor of my mom's birthday today, I wanted to write a few words about her. I had a really nice childhood, and have amazing memories of my mom when I was growing up...things like her making fruit leather in the back yard , making special birthday cakes each year for our birthdays, giving me my first home perm so that I could look like "Annie", bringing me and my sister to NYC to the Cabbage Patch Kid store, making biscotti, Thanksgivings with cheesy potatoes, smocking beautiful dresses, getting me Tigger!!!!! My mom is an amazing person. She is strong, courageous, beautiful, inspiring and a wonderful Nana. Since I became a mother in April, I have a new outlook both on life and on being a mother. I never realized how much work went into being a great mother. I am sorry for being a cranky teenager and for ever being rude to my mom (those damn teenage years), as I know my mom was always on my side. My mom has said that I wasn't that bad, but of course she would say that, she's my mother. One of the most wonderful moments in my life was when I called my mom from the hospital right after I gave birth telling her "Mom, I had a little girl". I am so very lucky to have her as my mom and for my daughter to have her as her Nana. Happy Birthday Ma!!!

My Little Remora

2006-11-27T15:33:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago my husband commented that Piper, our little one, was a bit like a remora when she was nursing, which I thought was very true. Growing up I never had big dreams about being a mother or having a baby, yet they were always in the plan. I guess I just thought that I would have kids, but didn't think too much about the whole process. When we found out that we were expecting our little bundle of joy last year, we were very surprised to say the least. I decided to try breastfeeding, as my sister had chosen to do the same with her first child 7 month's prior , and my big sis and I are well known for doing things that the other does... I got all the books and the fancy pump, as I knew that I was planning on returning to work after 3 month's and would still try to solely nurse her. I never imagined that it would be such a process to breastfeed. I then had to get the fancy hooter hider http://www.hooterhiders.com, and the nursing pads, and the special bra's. I thought that by breastfeeding we would save a lot of money because we wouldn't have to by formula. I thought of all the cute tu-tu's and fuzzy onsies I could get her....but my goodness, all the bells and whistles sure were expensive. In the hospital, the process of getting Piper to latch on was insane! The nurse squirted sugar water on my nipple to try to get her to latch on, which was no help. We only realized that Piper didn't enjoy having her face shoved onto my boob hours after she was born, not enjoyable for either of us. Once we got home, everything went much smoother. Piper learned to latch on, one boob at a time. She preferred the right one for quite awhile, causing a bit of a size issue, but they both caught up to each other. Then I needed to get Piper to start taking my pumped milk in the bottle, as daycare would now be feeding her. And yet again...an ordeal. Miss Piper, being the remora that she is refused to accept the bottle. We tried every single nipple and bottle contraption that is out there, even one shaped like a boob, check it out here: http://www.adiri.com/products_html/nurser.aspWe resorted to bringing her to a speech pathologist, recommended by our pediatrician, which was extremely stressful. She was very unhelpful and seemed to be sponsored by playtex. I think there was an ad on the wall in her office even. She couldn't understand why our 3 month old daughter screamed when she came at her with plastic gloves (so she wouldn't get contaminated by my breast milk, I guess) and a playtex bottle. I think the doctor was used to working with kids that were of walking age. Piper finally got the hang of the bottle, the day before I had to return to work. She just wanted to make sure that I understood that she wasn't happy about the whole bottle thing. Point well taken, Miss Piper. I still nurse her the rest of the time and love being able to provide nourishment for her . I have many lovely stories about pumping since I have returned to work. The best was one recently...I had to use the battery pack and pump in my car and had parked facing a wooded area. I figured that the area was pretty remote. Well, I did until some guy came wondering out of the woods with a view of me pumping in the back seat. Oh, well, could have been worse I guess. I would do it all over again and hope I get the opportunity someday. I am amazed how much time and stress and craziness all went into breastfeeding, but I imagine my little Remora thinks that it was worth it.

day before Turkey Day

2006-11-27T15:31:00.001-05:00

This will be a Thanksgiving of firsts....the first Turkey day at our housethe first Turkey in our oven ... the first Turkey day as a new mom .... and the first Turkey day with blueberry cranberry sauce!!!! Brian and I will be hosting Thanksgiving in Quincy, in our quaint little house. We will be having a total of 13 people including the little one and of course our two doggies, Emma and Boo Boo. I was a bit overwhelmed about all that goes into hosting such an event. From picking a menu, to realizing that our kitchen table only comfortably holds 6, to our futile attempt to remove the excess dog hair from our house, as not to freak our guests out too much. I would have preferred to skip the whole dead bird thing, as I have been a veg head for so long, but my hubby is very excited to be cooking his first turkey. He has researched all the cooking options, and has decided against stuffing it, as he is concerned about bacteria......so he is going to inject it with a butter sauce. They actually sell these large syringes just for injecting birds....only $5 at Target. My mom has been a big help getting everything ready at our house. We just recently renovated our kitchen, so it will be nice to finally use it. With the little one, I am amazed how exhausted I am after working all day that even warming up a can of soup takes too much effort.Since I am writing about Thanksgiving, I should write a few words about what I am thankful for. I am thankful for having such a scrumptious hubby who loves me dearly, a wonderful baby who is the spitting image of my hubby, a lovely family near and far, and our gingerbread house that my husband got instead of the apple pie I asked him to get for dinner. Happy Turkey day all, have a couple blueberries in your cranberry sauce to mix it up a bit. Gobble Gobble