Dear Henry

Dear Henry,

     As I sit here tonight (April 18th), I am thinking about the day and night leading up to your birth.  This time last year I woke up and knew it was time to head to the hospital, and 16 intense hours later you entered our world, forever changing us.  The people with me during your birth were Daddy and Grammy.  All of us-including you-share a special bond because we all experienced your amazing entrance into our world!
     From the first moment I held you in my arms, you looked into my eyes as if we had known each other for years.  I will never forget it...daddy was holding you and you were crying a little.  When he handed you to me in the hospital bed you stopped crying and locked eyes with me!
     This year has been a journey.  A journey of joy, challenges, complete unconditional love, and change.  From nourishing you from my own body, a lot of lost sleep, first smiles, baby laughter, first steps, watching your personality develop, and an even stronger bond with daddy, I have found my purpose in being a mother, and for that I will always thank you.  You helped teach me that sometimes the easy road isn't always the right road, but that being there for you trumped any professional or financial circumstances we found ourselves in.  You have helped me understand that God will always provide for our family, and that He will give us exactly what we need!
     And while I would love for you to stay a sweet baby forever, I look forward to the boy and man you will become.  I love you more than I could ever express.  You have brought so much joy and love to my heart, and I cherish every moment I have with you.

Love Always,

Mommy

525,600 Minutes...

   I just want everyone to know that Robert came up with the title for this blog post...(from the musical 'Rent').  Our sweet boy turns 1 on April 19th!!!  In spite of all the people who have told us how fast the first year would fly by, it has gone faster than we could have ever imagined.  In the last 3 months, Henry has started saying a few words, is finally sleeping through the night, and he is WALKING!  He has a very distinct personality: He knows exactly what he wants and what he doesn't want.  He also utilizes quite an array of facial expressions, and Aunt Whitney can tell you firsthand that he will let you know if you have offended him!  (she tried to take something away from him on our last visit and he "yelled" at her)!  I love watching him change and grow on a daily basis...watching him walk down the hallway for the first time was such a gift!  Now he runs to us with open arms...the best feeling ever.

   While I could go on and on about our little man, Robert and I have some good news to share.  He has accepted the band director position at LaFayette High School in Walker County, Georgia!  We are moving to the North GA/Chattanooga area sometime in June.  While this has been a bittersweet decision, we are excited for what the future holds.  Melbourne has been good to us, but we would like to be closer to family and desire a change of scenery.  The Thillmans are already looking at real estate in north GA. (-:  I am  excited about breaking into the choral music scene in the Chattanooga area...look out!

Here are a few Henry updates and pictures.  Enjoy!

Walking (11 mos.)
Sleeping through the night...finally
Says hi and bye-bye
Waves
Favorite food=avacados
Loves grilled cheese
Has a VERY serious face
The employees at Publix know him by name...and by his serious face
He dances to music...it's all in the hips!
He wears shoes...and his cankles are way cute.
He now has 9 teeth...first molar is in!
He loves story time at the library
He can throw a ball
Elmo saved our family sanity on our recent trip to GA
He LOVES the guitar
He is starting to mimic our singing
He gets so excited that he claps uncontrollably and grits his teeth
He loves the bath
He is still obsessed with Mandy
He has learned how to open doors
He is starting to give real hugs on purpose.

Escape artist!

Feeding Granddaddy

Swingin' with Grampa!

First Easter egg hunt!