IMG_0415 He said he wanted "strawberry cake." But he doesn't like strawberries. And then I remembered he had strawberry shortcake last week, sans strawberries. Just cake n' cream. I think it was mostly the whipped cream that he was after. So I made an angel food cake, added heaps of cream and threw on some mandarin oranges and berries (okay so it was only for looks.) He got his little train, ran it over the whipped cream and sucked it off the bottom of the wheels. It was a birthday dream come true.


"Henry you are turning 3!!" I said to him last week.
"And then I'll be 4, and then 5!" he replied.
"When you turn 5, you'll get to go to Kindergarten."
"What's Kindergarten?"
"It's school for all the boys and girls who are 5 years old."
"I don't want to go to Kindergarten. I just want to go to The Olive Garden,  K, Mama?"

IMG_9762 I curled up next to Henry in bed the other night while he was sleeping and just cried. He seems so much bigger today than he did last week. Having a new baby in the house means he is no longer my baby and that makes me really sad. He's the 'big' brother now. But he doesn't like being called 'big'. He always reminds me that he's little. That he's my little boy. Having a new baby has given me all these emotions that I just don't know what to do with.  A part of me is sad that I can't be 100% Henry all the time like I was before. He's having to grow up in new ways now that there's a baby around. The first few days with Margot were a little tough. He was talky-talky all the time, bouncing off the walls and very loud. He warmed up to her real quickly though and is constantly hugging and kissing and even eeked out an "I'm so lucky to have a sister" yesterday. He seems to have mellowed out back to his regular self and we are trying to settle into some sort of normalcy with all the changes, re-assuring him that he is still our #1 boy (to which he reminds us that he's a KID!)

Things I love about my sweet Henry:

  • You like telling jokes
  • You wanted to go to El Chollo for your birthday so you could have Enchilada soup. You think  you are so funny when you call it "El Chollo Loco"
  • You love trains and will play with them for hours a day
  • You love asparagus and rootbeer
  • You are so sweet natured and tender-hearted
  • You and Papa dancing around the house at night to Johnny Cash's "Orange Blossom Special" singing "Going down to Florida to get some sand in my shoes, or maybe California, to get some sand in my shoes…"
  • You, walking around the house singing "Sugar, Sugar, Honey, Honey" and "Lollipop, Lollipop, Oh lolly lollipop." You love that Papa made you your own playlist on his iPod and ask for songs off your 'list' when we are in the car, often calling out "Louder, Papa. Louder!"
  • When I tell you I love you, you ask me to tell you what I love about you and when I list out all the things, you ask me to 'tell you that story again'

Happy Birthday My Darling Boy! I love you to pieces.

xoxo

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27 responses to “Today he turned 3”

  1. Charity Avatar

    Happy Birthday Henry! My youngest is turning 3 just a few weeks after the arrival of our new youngest. I think it’s such a blessing to have children in alternate genders, because then the new big sibling can still be your baby boy, or girl. :0)
    I know what you mean, about seeing your old baby as a big kid – it’s a strange feeling, how suddenly your perception changes.

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  2. Kimberly Avatar
    Kimberly

    Your experience sounds similar to ours. Ethan wanted tons of attention when we brought Colin home, and at the same time seemed to grow up overnight. (Although he does still ask if he can be the “baby” on occasion.) The difference is that it took us a good 4 weeks for him to get back to normal. I’m glad Henry’s adjusting so fast.
    Happy birthday, Henry!!!

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  3. Mama Urchin Avatar

    Happy Day Henry.

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  4. tricia Avatar

    Oh how I understand those feelings you are having! My, “babies,” are in their 20’s now. Both are lovely young women and my dearest friends, yet when I hug them or look at pictures of them when they were little, I feel so sad that those days are gone. My mother has those same feelings about me, so I guess it’s just something that will always be there.

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  5. libby Avatar

    I remember feeling so torn between my oldest daughter and the new baby. So full of new love, and just torn. It gets a little better…but even now with 3 girls I wonder some days if everyone is getting “enough” of me. It think it is one of the great struggles of being a mother to more than one child. A little lesson in sharing for them I guess.

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  6. BID Avatar

    I often ask the little ones if they have to grow up. I often want to freeze time. I spent all last year dreading sending the twins to Kindergarten and now I dread sending the last one, and he doesn’t start till 2009.
    These are the best times of your life! Soak up every ounce of it!

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  7. Diane Avatar
    Diane

    Happy Birthday to your big boy! I remember exactly how you feel. I guess its a universal mother thing. Hang in there, things will even out and everything will be wonderful! Its especially fun when they start to play together.

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  8. michal Avatar

    oh, morgan. i so remember the mourning that i went through when my henry (second) was born. i adored him, but it was so hard to be torn between my two kids. i promise that it will get better, as you adjust to having two and as henry adjusts to it as well. the good news? now, six years and two more kids later, i can see the many ways that my first and all the others are blessed by having siblings. i honestly believe that it is better for them to grow up with siblings than it is for them to have parents who can be “100% henry” all the time. what is important is to be 100% henry SOME of the time. we make an effort to take our kids out on dates individually, and to take turns running errands with mommy or daddy so that they get some good one-on-one time. henry will thank you one day for having baby margot, i promise.
    i think that post baby mourning (besides being on a crazy hormonal roller coaster) also has to do with the harsh reality that your other baby is growing up and won’t be your little one forever. sigh.
    happy birthday, henry. i love that he got to run the train across the cream of his cake and lick it off! all little boy, that one. and el cholo is one of my favorite places to eat when i’m in l.a. hands down. i may have to start calling it el cholo loco. 🙂 i love it!

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  9. Amy Avatar

    Happy Birthday to Henry! Such a sweet boy, and sweet post. Just as the others have said it will even out – transition took us a few weeks usually.

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  10. Aubrey Avatar

    It is hard watching your baby suddenly get big when the new baby comes to town. But it is loads of fun too. So many mixed emotions!
    It’s wonderful when you see your children become friends and play together and help each other and love each other.
    Happy birthday Henry!

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  11. julie Avatar
    julie

    Happy “3” to Henry… what a sweet post! My youngest son will turn 4 this summer and he tells me often that he doesn’t want to be bigger!

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  12. Megs Avatar

    Oh, Henry! I cannot believe you are 3!
    I love you because you like to eat turkey tacos.
    I love you because you know all bowling terms and what they mean (spare, strike!)
    I love you because I didn’t like being called “big” when I was little, either.
    I love you when you fly into the living room with nothing but your bath towel (cape!) on your head.
    I love your sweet curly locks.
    I love when you like to give cuddles.
    I love your coy smile and that you can play with your trains in the dirt for hours.
    I love that you memorize books and can tell the stories over and over!
    Mostly I love that I am so blessed to be YOUR aunt and to get to know your sweet personality. You are a blessing in our family!
    Happy Birthday, Henry James!

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  13. Kim Avatar

    Awwwww, sweet boy! Happy birthday Mr Henry.

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  14. melanie Avatar
    melanie

    Happy Birthday, Mr. Henry! G loves the Lollipop song too and we actually were going to make her a playlist of her own too with that song on it! He’s such a smart little boy, I can’t believe the things he comes up with to say.

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  15. Carrie Avatar
    Carrie

    Happy birthday Henry! What a sweet little boy he seems to be. As many others have said…I can so sympathize with your feelings right now. My “baby” boy was 2 1/2 when I had his baby sister. It felt like I left for the hospital with a 2 year old baby boy at home, and came back from the hospital to a giant, grown up 2 year old boy!!! It really makes you cherish all the little baby time with your new one, because they do grow up so fast. It will be so worth it though in a couple of years as you watch them play together…mine are 4 1/2 and 2 now, and those moments when they are actually playing sweetly together on their own are the best ever.

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  16. erin Avatar

    happy birthday henry!

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  17. wendy Avatar

    i’m in tears!
    my sweet boy will be three on the 29th and i too am very emotional about it. so many changes in this last year…baby to boy in the blink of an eye.
    happy birthday, henry!
    love,
    satchel’s mama

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  18. Amanda Avatar

    Morgan, I know how hard it can be introducing this new little life into your already full “Henry” life. 🙂 It does get better, but it also just becomes different. Different IS good. You will find joy in Henry’s growth and the capacity of your heart to love so much.

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  19. uncle mat Avatar
    uncle mat

    happy birthday, h-train. i can’t wait to fan dance with you!

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  20. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    Such a sweet post. Happy Birthday Henry 3 is a great number.

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  21. Karolyn Avatar
    Karolyn

    Henry really is a sweetheart. I had so many mixed feelings when I brought home baby Ruby. I didn’t want MIla to have to grow up. I wanted everything the same, but now i look back, and I’m so proud of all that Mila has learned. It makes me so happy to see them finally playing and laughing together. They really love each other so much, and now it feels so worth it. I’m glad that they will always have one another.

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  22. Bethany Avatar

    I have been following your blog for a little bit now but have never commented. Not sure why…I LOVE it when I get comments! Anyway, I decided that I am going to start leaving them now and again for the blogs I keep up with and now is a perfect time to start!
    Congrats on the new baby and happy birthday to your first born! I have two little munchkins myself and I KNOW how hard and emotionally overwhelming and draining those first few days are at home. You want so desperately to be everything to everyone and it is really hard! Hang in there…life will settle down and you will have a new normal before you know it!!

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  23. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    Happy Birthday Henry (albeit belated)! Your mama has written a lovely post for you and I hope one day you will realize how lucky you are to have such a wonderful mother! And she made me cry at work as I read her tribute to you!
    Morgan, you are an amazing mother and both of your children are truly blessed! I totally understand the conflict you are feeling – it will get better, I promise.
    Also, I love that you baked a cake for Henry just a few days after giving birth! lol My family thought I was crazy when I baked pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving on the Saturday following Autumn’s birth the previous Monday. But I felt like I had to, so my other daughter would know that she was still important and worth just as much effort (she loves my pumpkin pie and looks forward to every year).
    Cheers to all mothers struggling to have enough energy for their kids!

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  24. laura Avatar

    oh, i miss the days of thomas the train. watching them grow older gets harder and harder all the time… and it really is an adjustment when a new little one comes along. hope he had a wonderful birthday! 🙂

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  25. Judy in Carefree Avatar
    Judy in Carefree

    Happy Birthday, Henry! Fun times at the Moore’s during the month of May. I had one in February and one in August. The August one always had a problem getting anyone to come to her birthday parties because they were all out of town on vacation. May is a perfect month!

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  26. val Avatar

    I did the same thing right after my daughter was born. I remember snuggling up and telling him he was her big brother and her protector. He was so proud of that. He would just ‘pet’ her little head. He was 21 months when she was born. And they’ve been best friends ever since.
    All these years later, it still tugs at my heart that they are growing so fast. He just turned 12 and my daughter turned 10 in December.
    Just relish these moments…they are truly fleeting.

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  27. Sarah Keith Avatar

    They grow all to fast. Not sure how I looked up and my 5 year old was 5 and how did my 10 month old get so close to her first birthday! Oh! We love El Chollo…in LA..right? We have to always go there when I visit my brother….he so proud he found the closest thing to Texas Tex Mex! Yum!
    Sarah
    Vintage Lily

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