Happy Birthday

i was aware of the concept of a blog around this time last year but, to be honest, I hadn't really read any. Then, in April, having been a blogger myself for 5 months, I heard that the Astros' new pitcher, Collin McHugh had a blog. I read every post - here was a story of how this guy got through the minor leagues and was now getting his big chance in Houston. (He has done really well and I think he is great). However, I was really disappointed that once he did make it to the major league he stopped writing. He admitted that he didn't feel he had anything to write about anymore: that the struggle was his muse. I know what he means. Once Charlie and Henry were home, it wasn't only that I had less free time to write blog posts, it was also that their extraordinary story was now - thankfully - much more ordinary. 

Charlie and Henry turn 1 on Sunday and I am on a plane having had to spend a week in the UK for work. So, with time no longer an excuse, I thought I would write a little something to update people. 

In this post, I will write about the boys - about who they are. Although they are turning 1, their "adjusted age" is 8 months and their progress is measured against that. However, if any of you have interacted with an 8ish month old, you wIll know that a character is clearly forming. 

Charlie was out first, so let's start with Charles. Both of Charlie's grandmothers think that Charlie has special powers. I'm not kidding. Both of them comment about how he appears to have a secret communication link, straight from his soul to the soul of the grandmother that looks in his eyes. It might be simply that they love little Charlie and they know that Charlie has been though a lot and has a lot more to go through. But that is not how they describe it and that is not how it feels. That's too simple. I write about how it feels because I know what they mean. I started the paragraph talking about how "the grandmothers" feel but, I have to be honest, I feel it too. Take this picture for example - who's "got this" in the picture?

Henry II. Henry is charging on. I remember writing that I was worried that Henry was afraid; maybe of the dark, maybe of the new life outside of the hospital. Not any more. He has worked very hard at making up for lost time. He wants to see the world - or, at least, the other side of the room. Henry is our little adventurer and when he couldn't move himself, he wanted to be walked around the house. It seemed that Henry and I were joined at my belly because we were forever walking about, looking at the world. Now, he can roll around and he continues to adventure. When fussy, he still can be calmed with a visit to a new environment (upstairs, for example). 

Both boys had a terrifyingly difficult start to life. All the posts on this blog have chronicled that. However, as their birthday approaches, it starts to feel like old news because they both make new news every day. Charlie makes so many different sounds and reacts so happily to the reaction he gets that it is not going to be long before he says his first word and knows what he is saying. Henry is going to crawl soon - he won't tolerate the frustration he has at the moment (at not having a direct forward motion) for much longer. 

Intensive care was the minor leagues. These boys are enjoying the bigs. 

(D)