Microsoft Holiday Extravaganza

We have had an fun filled week before Christmas. Bill's dad has been in town and he is officially addicted to Henry! We capped off the week with a fun day at Microsoft's holiday extravaganza. Em and Halle got to join in he fun which always makes Henry and I happy to have our buddies with us! Below are some pictures from the day! Merry Christmas everyone. We head to Sacramento on Tuesday! Have a wonderful holiday!

My First Haircut

We went the other afternoon and got Henry's first haircut. Grandpa Steve is in town and got to join us on our big day. Emily and Halle also came for moral support. Henry was not thrilled about the whole situation but he tolerated it. The stylist was amazing and they gave us the certificate below with a before and after picture...so cute. I already wish he would stop growing so fast, but I am pretty excited at the type of kid he is turning into.

Ho Ho No!!!

We took a trip to visit Santa this morning with Emily and Halle and it was quite interesting. The pictures say it all...classic! Happy Holiday !

A Couple of Videos

Henry is becoming quite the self sufficient kid! He has started feeding himself with his own little fork and spoon. It is really cute and makes meal time a lot longer which I am loving. Here is a video from last night. Notice how wide he opens up his mouth for the applesauce...so funny!


I found another cute video I took a couple weeks ago. My mom bought Henry some dancing Christmas decorations and he loves them. In this video he gets them away from Bill and I so he can dance with his new friends.

Oh Christmas Tree!

Sorry it has taken so long for me to post our Christmas tree trip. Henry and I have been fighting a case of e. coli which we got from the water in Portland over Thanksgiving. We are both fine just feeling pretty crummy. Bill has kicked into his superdad/superhusband role and we are on the mend!

We took our annual trip to the Red Wood Christmas tree farm in Woodinville to kick off the Christmas season and chop down our tree. We went with the Hubert's and had a great time. Henry fell in the mud within the first 10 minutes but had a blast running among the trees!




We also had Henry's 15 month well check. He weighs in at 28.2lbs and he is 32.5 inches tall! 90th% which means he is a big kid! Dr. Egnal said he is growing and developing wonderfully!

Dirt Devil

It has been quite a long time since I have posted. Henry has been growing like a weed and talking up a storm. He says a few words like mom, dad and ball but he mostly speaks his own gibberish language. It is so funny when he runs into the room and "says" something to us and just waits for our answer. Only problem is we have no idea what he is saying. Henry loves when I vacuum or do any chores around the house so we went to toys r us and got him a mini dirt devil and broom set! He loves it and every time I sweep or vacuum Henry does too.

We Had a great Thanksgiving in Portland this year with Bill's family. We stuffed ourselves full at Paul and Margaret's house with an awesome meal prepared by Bill's cousin Elizabeth. Auntie Anna and Nana made some yummy turkeys and we enjoyed lots of good wine! Henry was loving that he was the only little guy among 20 adults...lots of attention. Paul and Margaret also have a playroom that Henry LOVED! The day after Thanksgiving Henry got to spend the day with Nana while Bill and I took a day off and did selfish things like go out to eat! All in all we had a great Turkey Day in Portland!

My First Owie!

*updated pictures on www.birkholzpics.com or click the link to the right!
Henry had his first official "owie" last night. He and his girl Halle were running around and Halle tripped and Henry landed right on top of her, poor girl, slamming his face into the back of her head. When he lifted up there was blood everywhere and thank goodness Emily was there because she immediately reminded me that mouths bleeds a lot. If she wouldn't have said that I think I would have panicked! It ended up that it looked much worse than it was. Henry split his top lip and looks like he was in quite a fight. He only cried for 5 minutes and then it seemed to be business as usual.

On a lighter note we went out to pizza the other night with The Hubert's and sweet little Halle kept sharing her food with Henry. She was so proud and Henry was delighted that he was getting more food. Hopefully the whole sharing thing will catch on with Henry because he has no urge to share! He actually makes a growling sound whenever Halle looks at his toys!!!

Trick or Treat

We had our first Halloween activity last night! We went to Microsoft with the Huberts and did some office trick or treating. Henry and Halle were more interested in running around and playing with candy, they have not realized you can eat it yet, than trick or treating. Henry's chicken costume only lasted about 5 minutes. We had to cut off the feet of it because he couldn't stand it!

On another not our friend Tom Sparks had a big day yesterday. His first webisode went live on abc.com. Tom's wife Kate is so proud of her husband and we are too! Henry really wanted to share the spotlight on his blog with his buddy Tom! I put a link below to the webisode.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerindex?id=8946580

Tom continues to fight and each day he becomes more stable. We are excited for him to continue his fight and recover so he can share more of his talent and friendship with us! Go Tom Go!

Best Friends Forever

One of the best parts of the last year has been watching Henry and Halle become friends. They used to just stare at each other but these days they play and occasionally fight just like friends. Halle loves to hide in our tunnel and have Henry chase her out. They also push each other on the race car and Hale gives Henry kisses during one of his many cry fests! The other night we had dinner with the Huberts and we gave the little ones their sippy cups of milk and continued preparing dinner. Next thing we know they are sitting on the couch next to each other, we didn't even put them there! It was so cute and just shows how much they love each other.

Pumpkin Patch

We made our annual trip to South 47 Farm today for some pumpkin picking! We went on a hayride and also fed some alpacas. I brought Henry here last year and it is amazing how much has changed in a year. I put a picture of our visit today and then below it our visit from last year...two different worlds. Henry was walking all around the pumpkins and loving it. He definitly is quite a mover!

Great Grandma Grace

Henry's Great Grandma Grace passed away this morning. She got to be at home in the company of her children who spent the last week taking such beautiful care of their mom. It saddens us as a family to have lost both Great Grandma Grace and Poppy within a month of each other but we also realize it is a blessing for them to go together. We have lost two very important members of our family and this holiday season will be hard but we are lucky to have so many wonderful memories of the two of them that will last forever. I will always treasure the fact that she got to see Henry one last time before her passing and though she was a little bothered by the amount of noise and clutter he put out she would always call him baby love and wonder what he was up to.

Dance Party USA

As the rain sets in here is the Pac Northwest we have to find some indoor fun. Our new favorite thing is Dance Party USA. Halle was over the other day and they showed off their dance skills.

Officially a Toddler!

Last week when we were in Sacramento for my grandpa's memorial Henry decided to take some first steps. Since then he has been a walking machine and has quite a few new scrapes and bruises to show for it! It is amazing how quickly he has become a walker and I know very soon he will become a runner. Here is a short video of some of the steps.

Here Comes The Bride..vroom vroom!

What a wonderful time we had at Auntie Anna and Uncle Andy's wedding in Portland. Henry was a trooper the entire trip and showed us his very social side! The highlight of the trip was that Bill, Henry and I were all part of the wedding. It was very emotional for all of us because we are so excited for the future ahead for the Piper's. Henry even got to ride down the aisle on his race car, which as pretty cute. Auntie Anna was a gorgeous bride and her groom Uncle Andy also looked pretty handsome. We got a chance to see many of Bill's Aunts and Uncles and Henry had quite a fun time. It was so nice to have so much family around to help us keep Henry occupied. I am thinking of sending Henry to Bill's Aunt Ann in Whitefish Bay, WI because he loved her so much!! Henry also got to see his 4 year old cousin Oscar and look forward to being a big boy too! Thanks to Bill's Aunt Leslie the two of them got to run around with their super man capes on...so cute! We just had a great trip!

Grandpa Steve got to hang out with us before and after the wedding in Redmond and he and Henry had lots of fun together. Every morning we walked up to Tully's to get coffee and Henry and Grandpa Steve shared a muffin and did lots of giggling.

Harmonica

Here is a quick little video of Henry playing his harmonica in the car on the way home from Auntie Anna and Uncle Andy's wedding! I will have another post up soon with all the wedding pictures and details...we had a great time!

Poppy Moe

Henry's great grandfather, Poppy Moe, passed away yesterday. He had a long and wonderful life and had the privilege of passing away in the company of his wife and 3 children in his home. My mom and her 2 brothers have taken care of him for the past 6 months in his home, which was such a special gift. We will miss him greatly but feel honored that Henry got to spend his first Christmas with him.

Knee Walking

Henry has perfected the art of walking on his knees. It is so funny to watch and I realized I needed to take a video to capture this funny time in his life...enjoy!

All Grown Up!

Bill and I sent Labor Day weekend celebrating Kate and Tom's wedding in Sun Valley! It was so much fun! Henry stayed back in Redmond with his Auntie Tink and Uncle Dave. They had a wonderful time and Henry took to them really well. When we returned we could tell he had felt so loved! At first sight of Bill and I at the airport he just laughed for like 5 minutes. Thanks to Tink and Dave for not only stocking our fridge with yummy food but for taking such awesome care of our little guy.

Bill and I both thought Henry had developed so much in the days we were gone. I swear when we left he was a baby and when we returned he was a little boy. He is constantly laughing and throwing himself all around the house. He is "talking" up a storm and kissing us about every 5 minutes (my favorite part!) He just seems so grown up. Here is a video of Halle and Henry playing together.

The Results Are In...

Henry's visit with Dr. E went well and he said that Henry is doing great. He weighs 25.2lbs. and is 31.5 inches long. He is a big boy but the Dr. said his weight was evening out as he was moving more and also becoming the typical picky toddler. Our next step is to be bottle free starting tomorrow. We practiced tonight with the sippy cup and when he saw it was full of milk he chucked it across the room.

Bill's cousin Laura made us some yummy homemade blackberry jam. It has become Henry's favorite afternoon snack! He loves the taste and how messy it is!

Henry is One!

I sit here writing this post in disbelief that my little guy is one. What a year it has been. I have never had so many emotions in one year. We have been so tired, overwhelmed, worried, scheduled, busy, delirious and most of all HAPPY! The amount of joy that Henry has brought into our lives is immeasurable. I think back to the moment he entered the world and how much excitement we felt. I think of the constant guessing game and crying fests we have had. I cherish the first giggle and the many that have followed. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for the smile on his face each morning when I go to get him out of his crib to start our day. I am amazed at how someone so small and new can be so incredibly perfect. I am confused at how this little guy can keep us up all night with cries and teething and we still never get sick of him and just want him to feel better. I laugh at how most days I leave the house without even looking in the mirror...I need to work on that one! I am shocked at how becoming parents has changed both Bill and I in a way that we could have never imagined. I guess I just feel so lucky. There were times this year that I wondered how people do this. It takes so much more thought and love than I ever could have guessed. But looking over the past year all of the crying and sleep deprivation seem so minor. They are completely overshadowed by the happiness and completion we now feel. I am so proud to be Henry's mom and also to have such a wonderful family. I know a lot of memories are ahead but I think I will just savor today one minute at a time knowing that we made it through this year and we are all still smiling...even bigger than before!

Here is a video of the birthday boy on his new race car. He loves it!

We are headed to build a bear today to make Henry a little friend to guide him through his second year. I will post pictures tomorrow as well as updates from our visit with Dr. E for Henry's 1 year check up!

Birthday BBQ

Last night we had a birthday BBQ for Henry and it was so much fun! We felt so lucky to have so many friends and family come to celebrate this special day with us. We are a pretty lucky family to have so many wonderful people in our lives. Auntie Anna and Uncle Andy drove all the way from Portland just for the afternoon to celebrate with us. It was super fun watching all five of the babies play in the giant playpen we set up. They all helped Henry try out his awesome new toys! Emily and I made Henry special dog cupcakes for his dog themed party. They were fun to make and it was even more fun to watch Henry dig into one. He didn't go crazy but he loved the sugar and managed to get a little messy! He especially loved when everyone sang Happy Birthday. He just stared at everyone with a smile and loved the attention...maybe he is coming out of his shy shell. I did have to remind myself a couple times that this was my child's first birthday. It just seems so unreal to me. I feel like our life didn't really start until a year ago when Henry was born. I just can't and don't want to ever imagine life without him...I guess that is what being a parent is all about. Here are some pictures of the big event.

Mountain Climber

Henry has been a climbing machine lately. He has mastered both couches and to our surprise he learned how to get up onto our bed. He knows how to get down too but the occasional fall off still happens. As his first year comes to a close I am amazed how much he has changed! He is so full of life! He loves to explore, crash things around and make crazy sounds. He is a definite boy...so rough and tumble. We are lucky though because he also has such a sensitive side and he loves snuggles and giggles.

Look Ma No Feet!

I think it is fitting that Henry's middle name is William because he is becoming more and more like his Dad everyday. As Henry approaches his first birthday we have been watching him pull up to a stand and cruise around furniture. We have been awaiting his first steps and we kind of got them. Just like his Dad did when he was little Henry walks on his knees instead of his feet. Bill did this until he was almost 2 years old! This video shows the "Birkholz walk"


Henry's Nana and Auntie Sharon (a.k.a Thelma and Louise) came for a 2 day visit and we were so sad to see them go. We had so much fun! They watched Henry and his girl Halle yesterday while Emily and I went out for fun day of shopping and an official grown up lunch. It was such a great day. Later in the day I went to the store with Sharon and Nana stayed at home with Henry. When we returned home Henry and Nana were "hot tubbing" which consisted of Henry playing in the kitchen sink while Nana cheered him on...it was ridiculously cute.

Comfy Climber

As Henry gets bigger and older we have decided to make his crib more like a bed. First we removed the crib bumpers and then we added a pillow. He loves it and often times when we check on him he has his little head nestled on the pillow looking so comfy. Today when I went to check on him he was turned upside down. I guess it may take awhile for him to understand the real purpose of the pillow!

Also Henry has started to climb on everything...a true little boy. He has figured out how to climb up on our playroom couch. The video also shows how truly go with the flow our dogs have become. They let Henry get away with anything! Getting down is another story. He is starting to figure out how to slide down on his tummy but as you will see in the video it is going to take awhile. This video was from last week and now he gets up without any effort...amazing how quickly they improve! He just keeps amazing us and making life more and more fun!

In the coming months we are going to be so busy. Bill and I are going to a wedding in Sun Valley, ID and Henry is staying here and spending time with his Auntie Tink and Uncle David. Next we are off to Auntie Anna's wedding in Portland where Henry will make his ring bearer debut! After that we are headed to Santa Barbara as a family to celebrate our Friend Kate's wedding! Right in the middle of all of this is Henry's first birthday. Titi and Papa are coming for the party! We are going to attempt to make dog cupcakes...I will let you know how they turn out. Lots of fun to be had over the next couple months!

Splish Splash

*new pictures on picture sight...click link on right*
We had a swimming filled weekend! Yesterday we went to Rattlesnake Lake with the Hubert's and lounged under a big shady tree and swam in the lake. The weather has been really nice in the mid 80's which made for a great day! This morning Henry had his first swimming class. He had so much fun playing and singing songs in the pool with his new friends and Daddy. I sat on the sidelines like any proud mom taking hundreds of pictures! Henry just loves the water and was smiling the whole time. He even loves getting dunked under the water. He is becoming a little boy and no loger a little baby. He is just such a great kid...full of adventure and smiles. We have had such a wonderful and fast summer. So many new adventures and a lot of outside time has been great for all of us. I feel like this will be a hard winter because we have gotten so accustomed to being out all day. I think we need to invest in a rain cover for the stroller and nice rain jackets for Bill and I so we can continue our fun rain or shine!

Car Seats and Air Conditioning

We have had record high temperatures here in Seattle! Yesterday it was 100 degrees and we have no air conditioning!!! We northwesters can handle 9 months of rain but give us lots of heat and we crumble! During the day we have been hitting up the mall and other random stores in order to stay cool. We have been spending our evenings at the Microsoft Mixer, which is an air conditioned sort of mall for employees. None of the shops or restaurants are open but we have been bringing our own dinners and eating them in the empty restaurants which has been strangely fun! We all commented that we felt like we had been locked in the mall after hours like in those cheesy movies! It is pretty funny because it is all families and their kids just keeping cool. Here is a video of some of our fun...fake fireworks!

Henry has been pulling up to a stand and cruising around the coffee table for the past couple weeks. He as yet to show any interest in walking which is fine with Bill and I! Bill didn't walk until he was 18 months but he did walk on his knees! We have noticed Henry doing the same thing...pretty funny!

Another big thing that happened is that Henry got his big boy car seat and is now facing forward in the car! He loves the new view and looks pretty darn cute! Here is a video of the first ride in the new seat! Oh it is a floral car seat because it was half price tht way. They were trying to get rid of the floral pattern from their line so they were selling them for half the price!!! I really have become a bargain shopper...it will help him get in touch with his feminine side!

I Love Older Women

Well my girlfriend turned one yesterday and we celebrated with a party at the park. We had so much fun. We played in the water fountain and crawled all around the grass. I even helped Halle open some of her presents! What a fun day! My parents jus can't believe how much I have grown!!!! I have gotten one ore tooth and am working on a coupe more. My parents sure will be glad when teething is over.

I also went swimming for the first time last week with my dad. I was so brave and even let him dunk me under the water! I love the water!

Stalker Nana!

Bill's mom is admittedly our official blog stalker. She is always hungry for more pictures of her little Henry so I have decided to give her a special stalker Nana entry! She is often my inspiration to do another blog and I love her for that. So I asked Henry to tell me his top five favorite things about Nana and here they are:
1. She gives me the best snuggles
2. She always tries to get rid of my parents when she visits so we can have fun Nana/Henry time
3. We take the best naps together on the couch!
4. She taught my Daddy to be a good Daddy.
5. She makes me feel like I am the best baby in the world...thanks Nana!

So here are some pics of our little guy just for Nana and also a video of Henry loving his puppy dog Wilson. Notice in the video that he is working on saying dog which is pretty cute! We love you Nana and can't wait to see you in August.

Happy 4th of July!

Henry had a great first 4th of July! His Grandpa Steve is visiting so we all ventured over to the downtown Kirkland for the town parade. Henry loved watching all of the people and cars go by during the parade! He even liked the loud firetruck. It was pretty amazing because he usually cries when he gets surprised by loud sounds. We then headed to the waterfront and Henry and Grandpa took a nap and we all relaxed in the beautiful 86 degree weather. We continued celebrating at the house with a BBQ and I hate to admit we just watched fireworks on our 26 inch TV! Personal fireworks are against the law here and it also was going to be tricky to go watch them with Henry since he goes to bed at 7...there's always next year right. Below is Henry watching the parade...we have decided to make it our new 4th of July tradition.

Other than that Henry is doing well despite the fact that he is fighting another cold. We had his girlfriend Halle over all last week and they had so much fun. That little girl is so cute and I just love seeing her and Hnery develop such a sweet freindship. I am pretty sure they have started their own secret language which may work to our disadvantage one day soon, but it is so darn cute. Every time they see each other it is like they haven't seem each other in years...big smiles, squeals and such. On the flip side they are lie little bear cubs and love to hit and sit on each other. I put some of those pics below.