For 'Aunt Kristi'

Kristi is my sister, thus she is Ethan's Aunt.  We are very close.  I wanted to write this post tonight because I was thinking about her & how awesome she is with him, when she was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing at first...

 

Kristi was excited when I was pregnant, but was looking forward to the days when Ethan would be a child & she could play with him, skipping over the baby days.  She was also worried that he wouldn't know her because she goes to school in Columbus, a few hours away.

 

When my due date was approaching I asked her if she would be at the hospital the day I was in labor and she wasn't sure, she thought she might just come see him later.  After a talk with her friend Sarah (one of those friends that is considered a family member in the 'Henricks' clan), she decided she would be there.

 

She not only was there, she was the first one to arrive & stuck it out through all of the waiting.  She did feel very nervous & wasn't sure what to do with a little newborn, she said, but she was there to meet him when he first arrived.

 

 

She had herself pegged all wrong!  Not only was she there the first day, she stopped in every day we were in the hospital & as soon as she arrived she scooped Ethan up into her arms.

 

 

The very frequent visiting continued after we came home, which was great because I got lots of 'Kristi' time too!  She LOVED all of his different facial expressions & even downloaded an app on her phone that allowed her to take pictures in rapid succession so that she could 'capture' all of his faces. 

 

 

Kristi has been an amazing Aunt to him.  He not only 'knows' his Aunt Kristi, but he ADORES her!  She has so much fun playing with him and he laughs and laughs... it's fun to watch :)  The only things she still struggles with are poopy diapers and drool... but there's normally someone else there who takes care of that!  Will & I have taken Ethan down to Columbus a few times and we visit Kristi.  We all went to the Columbus Conservatory last time we were there & it was very cool!

 

Everytime Kristi comes up to Michigan she makes sure that she visits us.  We even took Ethan to the zoo together this summer, which was alot of fun.

 

I am so thankful to be blessed with a sister like Kristi.

 

I hope that Ethan knows how loved he is, by Kristi & so many other people.  He may not understand all of it yet, but I think he feels it!  We are lucky to have wonderful friends & family in our lives :)

 



A Lazy Saturday

Today was pretty uneventful... which isn't always a bad thing!

 

As a working Mom I worry that I miss alot with Ethan.  The last week things have been a little hectic at work & I have left late, which means that I get even less 'Ethan' time in the evening, which sucks!

 

I used to worry that he would talk, walk, and do all of those other milestone activities when I was working.  Thankfully, I was there for all of them, but I still feel like I'm missing out on him.

 

I think all working Mom's probably feel this way from time to time...  The weekend's are wonderful because I get to be with him all day, and we have a better quality of time in the evenings.  During the week we have a schedule of dinner, bath, etc. and I pack his diaper bag for the next day & pick out his clothes, etc.  It's nice to just relax, be a little more flexible with bedtime, and enjoy him.

 

However, I also feel like being a stay-at-home Mom all of the time would make me feel a little stir crazy.  I think the best option, for me, would be a 20 hour, part-time work week, but that really isn't an option for me right now.

 

Sometimes I find myself looking at Ethan and thinking about what he will be like later, and wondering about what kind of things he'll be interested in.  Due to his size and the fact that he's so sturdy, Will hopes he will play football.  My Dad wants him to go hunting with him & teach him how to shoot.  I want him to be smart and go to a good college.  His Aunt Kristi is bound & determined she will make him love science and will start by playing with chemistry sets with him very early (Aunt Kristi is currently in pharmacy school).  I think my Mom is on the same page I am.

 

He is only one, so maybe we are all getting ahead of ourselves.  But... it is fun to think about sometimes ;)