the pickles

New and Improved Blog!

2010-01-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

Join Henry and George in their adventures at their new stylin' website:

www.PickleBoys.com

We'll be updating it (hopefully) weekly or so with new photos and funny stories about the lives of the Pickle Boys.

El Mystico! The Mexican Wrestler

2009-11-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

Henry was "El Mystico" for halloween and loved every second of it. Here are some shots of him at his school parade, and trick or treating. He REALLY loved trick or treating and was sprinting from house to house.

Hank and his New School!

2009-10-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

Henry started at a new school this week, Athena Montessori. We are SO excited about it and just love all it has to offer. He did so amazing on his first day. Here are some shots of our morning drop-off:

By the way- new sonogram pics coming soon as well as a new blog for both pickle kids!

2009-09-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

Adventures of Hank

Here are some shots of Henry recently having some fun:
(At the UT/Tech game - Henry not there, but we had fun!)
-on a hike with Tom
-helping his grandmom blow our her b-day candles
-a wrapping paper skirt dance
-new winter footsie pjs
-with great grandmom
-on an awesome wooden playground we found in georgetown (with many "funny" faces)

Hank loves the beach! (And, it's a boy!)

2009-08-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

We recently visited Port Aransas with Ben's family. It was a really fun weekend and Henry decided that he wanted to move to the beach so he could play there everyday. He loved digging in the dirt and had plenty of help. There are also some shots from Jackson's birthday party as well as from our visit to the Martin Riders in their new home in New Braunfels (with Eli and Milo).

Also, we just had our big sonogram and we're having another boy! For photos of the sonogram (plus a video), visit www.creativepickle.com/baby

(Click on image for larger versions of photos.)

July

2009-08-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

Some recent pics. Henry is super funny these days and is excited about being a big brother! Sonogram pics and video to come in 2 weeks! Here are some shots of the past few weeks. 1- with a chicken in the backyard. 2- With his great uncle Ray 3- With his great granny grandmom Joy 4- Feeding his friend Clyde 5- snuggling with his friend Eliana 6- Bowling with his cousin Thomas 7- His favorite part of bowling- getting the balls from "the machine" 8- The act of bowling. (He would squat and push the ball and it would roooooollllll very slowly down. One stopped right as it touched the pins. Pretty funny.)

(Click on photo for larger versions or to navigate)

4th of July

2009-07-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

Henry celebrated the 4th of July with his cousins Erik and Thomas. We saw a completely amazing fireworks show out in the country outside of Amarillo. Henry enjoyed the first few fireworks and then got kind of bored and went inside to continue his "work" throwing ping pong balls down the stairs. Here are a few shots from the weekend:

Ranchtime w/ Grandpa and Other Fun

2009-05-08T13:28:00.001-07:00

(Click on photos to go to larger versions w/ captions, etc.)

Hank loves the Beach

2009-04-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

For Easter, we went to Port Aransas with Henry's Pickle Grandparents and family. It was super fun. It had all of Henry's favorite things: Sand, surf, and shrimp. He had and was such a blast. From climbing the giant mountain of sand, to watching a dolphin show, to fending off giant seagulls, he had a fantastic time. Here are some shots from the fun weekend.

Henry Goes To Zilker...

2009-04-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better than Springtime in Texas! Here are some shots of Henry enjoying the outdoors.

Henry will be: A Politician, A Philosopher, or a Lawyer

2009-03-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Today, Henry, who has begun the filthy habit of fibbing, surprised me with a little philosophy. He had been in his room during naptime, but not napping. Mostly just saying "Mommy, come in here, I don't want to nap." Knowing that he really needed a nap due to being up most of the past two nights, I kept going in there and saying, "Nope, you can't come out until you've had a nap. You at least have to go to sleep." Then, I would go back to my computer and listen on the baby monitor. I could hear him the whole time - singing, coughing, etc. So, I knew he had not actually gone to sleep. He finally kept calling for me. So, I asked him "Henry did you go to sleep?" Yes, he insisted. I could tell from his little smile and the way he was acting (and because I knew the actual truth) that he was lying! I said,
"Henry, is that the truth?"
"What does truth mean?"
"Well, truth is when you are saying what really happened. It's the real thing. It's not making things up."
I ellaborated a bit more on definitions and he asked a few more questions.
Finally I said, "Henry, tell me the real truth. Did you go to sleep and take a nap or no? I know you did not. You aren't telling me the truth."
Then, he replied, "Mommy, I'm telling my truth and you are telling your truth."

At that, I couldn't help but crack up laughing. Mommy: 0, Henry 1

Henry Va a Mexico

2009-03-03T17:34:00.001-08:00

We all went to Mexico this past week with Rose, Adam, and Eliana Koransky. The beach was beautiful, the water perfect, the weather amazing, the food spectacular, the company excellent, and in general relaxing. However, we all got sick with pretty bad colds, and Henry spent some down time with fever; But all in all, it was a great time. Henry learned tons of new Spanish words, and really loved getting some good quality time with his best little cute friend, Eliana. Ben earned a new nickname "Whiskers" which all of the street vendors called him. Rose showed us the best spots in town to eat and was the best tour guide one could hope for. Adam and I discovered a mutual love for solitaire and Yahtzee. And, we all discovered that it's best to generally stick to Tequila instead of Mexican water. Rose and Adam (and Sandra & Crash), thanks for being such great hosts!

See all of our pics at: http://www.creativepickle.com/mexico/

Henry and Jacob Party (Despite the Weather!)

2009-02-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

Henry and Jacob celebrated their third birthdays together today. What was supposed to be a fun day at the park with food and a pinata turned into an impromptu birthday at McDonal'ds due to a very cold rain storm. Thanks to McD's for saving the day! And, thanks to all of the friends and family who were flexible! The kids did seem to have a lot of fun though.

Also, some pics of a b-day dinner with his grandparents and Aunt Lori & Uncle Jeremiah. Henry finally got the hi-hat drum he's been dreaming of since Christmas. See him rock out in the video below.

Henry and the Heffers

2009-02-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Here, Henry meets his granddad's new 6-month old heffers. He was dressed for the occasion! Here are some photos from the meeting. Plus, in this video, Henry tries to catch up with them.

(Also, some cute shots of Matt, Lisa, and baby Clyde!)

Almost 3!

2009-02-05T17:14:00.000-08:00

It's almost Henry's 3rd birthday. He's excited and knows it's coming for the first time. We'll be in Mexico and celebrate on the beach with some tres leches.

Here are some shots of a recent hike in the pine trees east of Austin; Henry at the playground; Ben showing our chickens' first egg!; Henry's friend Clyde; and a few shots with Great-Grandmom Hunter.

Henry's Many Faces

2009-01-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

Here, Henry snuggles with his best friend, Eliana; Makes many different faces while on the playground; and Ben has a stern talk with one of the chickens about etiquette..

Hank and the Giant Orange

2009-01-12T07:08:00.000-08:00

Funny pic of Henry. I love how serious he is in this photo, even with a big orange in his mouth.

Henry Rocks Out

2008-12-25T20:35:00.000-08:00

Henry has had a superb Christmas- complete with "starring" in a Christmas play, mastering his first set of drums, and experiencing the whole Santa thing for the first time. We've had a great time with both of our families and really enjoyed our first Christmas with Henry where he's really gotten into it. The photos and videos are as follows:

1) First photo: This is Henry dancing by himself on the make-shift stage before his school manger-scene play began.

2) Second photo: This is Henry crawling underneath the white satin blanket that was under the baby jesus - yes, he crawled under it and started wearing it like a cape.

3) Third photo: This is Henry wearing Baby Jesus' blanket and acting like he's the star of the play.

4) Henry helps give toys to some other kids for Christmas with his grandparents and the Paks.

5) 3-d glasses are cool

6) Henry gets some drums and a new lunchbox from Santa

7) Henry cruises in his new 3-wheeler.

8) I just had to include this: Random cowboy riding a longhorn steer while talking on a cell phone in front of the Bandera courthouse - taken from my car window. Only in Texas....

9) First video: Henry discovers his drum set. Here is a transcript:
(what 2 year old knows that a drum set isn't complete without a hi-hat? He's such a character!)

Dad: Ok henry come see if santa brought you anything.
Henry: Hehehehe (excited laughter)
Mom: Did santa bring that to you?
Dad: Santa brought you your very own drum set
Henry: That’s why I’m so excited
Henry: What are these?
Dad: Those are your drumsticks
Henry: But what are these drums called?
Dad: This is called a tom, and this is called a snare drum and this is a crash symbol.
Henry: But where is the hi-hat??
Dad: There’s no hi-hat with this one. This one has a crash symbol, you can use that like a hi-hat.
Henry: But crash symbols are not hi-hats. Drum sets have to have a hi-hat drum.

Etc etc etc.
Pretty funny! Once he got over the apparently critical lack of a hi-hat, he got into them (see next video!)

10) Second video: henry rocks out

Preparing for Santa

2008-12-18T06:34:00.000-08:00

Henry has been getting ready for Christmas. He's been decorating ginger bread cookies, putting ornaments on the tree, and singing lots of Christmas songs. At the store the other day, there was a picture of Santa on a sale sign. Henry said, "mommy, is that man coming to town?" Yes, I replied, yes! Henry wants a drum set from Santa and is very good at pin-pointing exactly which drums are in any song that comes on. "Here's where they play the high-hat mommy." "I want to listen to that tom-tom song." "Now there are no drums... but, now there are three drums." I have to say, it's pretty impressive.

Here are some pics from the last few weeks. There are a few shots of him putting together a snow ball in the back yard with the dusting of snow we had last week.

A very happy (and a little redneck) thanksgiving

2008-12-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

We all enjoyed visiting Henry's Uncle Shannon's ranches in west Texas for our Thanksgiving. Henry saw lots of animals (both alive and dead) including big horned sheep, many elk, several deer, one dead coyote and the partial spray of a skunk on his dog Sophie. He dined on turkey and ham. He rode around in many types of all-terrain vehicles. He played with his cousins Thomas and Erik. And, enjoyed dinner under an "antler chandelier." All in all, it was very fun and I know he will never forget it. Here are a few shots from the occasion.

The cat in the hen house

2008-11-15T19:01:00.000-08:00

Henry's cat Fiorella wanders into enemy territory. The chickens, whom Henry has named "Turtle Jack" "Cookie Jim" "Verna Ray" and "Junior" are all wondering why she is there and when she will leave.

I AM A ROBOT

2008-11-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

Henry was a cute little home-made robot for halloween and really enjoyed some trick or treating for the first time. He would say "I am a robot. Trick or treat" in a little robot voice. Pretty funny. Our friends Shelley, Jason and their 10 month old Truman were in town which made it all the more fun. Here are some photos:

Here he is in live-action:

Gearing up for Halloween

2008-10-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

We've been in an autumn state of mind lately. Lots of playing outside (with our new chickens), going to a butterfly garden to see the Monarchs, and cruising a pumpkin patch with Henry's classmates. Here are a few shots of the boy in full fall action...

August & September

2008-09-27T15:55:00.001-07:00

Henry has of course been very busy! We took a trip to Waco to visit his friends Eli and Milo, his dad made him a banana leaf outfit, spent time with Grandmom and Granddad Burdett, and also went on a fun boat trip for his Grandmom Jan's birthday. Here are some photos:

Fun Summertime

2008-07-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

Henry has been very very active. He's really into letters and numbers and is becoming interested in spelling. He's also really into diving for rocks in the pool (and is quite good at it) and loves play-do. A few quick stories for you:

Henry went over to the chalkboard one morning this week and without prompting or anyone looking, he wrote the letter H! Then for the rest of the morning he kept describing how he did it: "First I drew this line over here, then I drew this other line over here and then I drew this line across. And, then it was an H!" It was so cute. He was so proud of himself.

Henry's favorite song is "Ode to LRC" by Band of Horses. It's one of our favorite songs too, but for weeks now it's the only thing we're allowed to listen to in the car - he likes it over and over and over. And, he knows all of the words.

Henry (as you'll see in the pictures below) had some alone time in his room the other day. When he came out he was so happy with himself and he said "Mommy, look! I put stickers on my boobies!" So funny!

Then the other day he got kind of serious and he said "Daddy, did you know that when you go to the restaurant there is a man there and he will give us tacos?"

Other photos: Henry striking a pose with Eliana; having bbq with friends including his aunt bliss; playing with Everett; riding daddy's shoulders; singing songs with great grandmom; getting art lessons at bolm studios (now called "BigMedium") ; hanging out shirtless at bigmedium (after having spilled gatorade all over his shirt); ben auctioning art; Clyde's first art show; Hank passed out in the car; wearing stickers, wearing playdough art, imitating sophie, and his first letter.

Summertime fun

2008-07-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Henry has been having a good time. He is a big fan of Barton Springs. And, has been enjoying learning to swim in some swim lessons with his friends. Also, he had a great time at his dad's cousin Shane's wedding. Here are some photos from the last few weeks:

Putt Putt, Colorado & Pony Rides

2008-06-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

Henry has had more firsts this past month. We tried to introduce him to putt-putt, but he was more interested in climbing the course obstacles than anything else. We then ventured to Colorado for a quick trip. First we stopped off south of Denver to visit Shelley and Jason and meet their new baby Truman- who was super cute! Then, we joined Ben's family in Estes Park for James Rider's wedding. It was so beautiful. Henry got to play in the Rocky Mountain National Park and ride on a pony. He had a blast and we did too. Here are some shots. (You can click on the slideshow controls to move from photo to photo, or click on the photo itself to navigate to larger photos.)

April and May! And a New Way of Viewing Hank!

2008-05-10T12:21:00.001-07:00

Hunting Eggs, Flying Kites, Going on Hikes, and Driving Tractors

2008-03-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

Henry has been super busy this month. He enjoyed attending the Austin Kite Festival with his dad, going hiking with his new friend Jacob, driving a tractor with his g-daddy B., and much much more. He can pretty much say anything that comes to his mind. He thinks the words "gof" and "gak" are hilarious and he substitutes them for everything and laughs. He loves cleaning and helping out around the house (a trait from his mom), and likes cooking and knowing all of the words to tons of songs (thanks to his dad). Henry's Easter was lots of fun. He didn't have tons of respect for the hard-boiled eggs though. He thought is was fun to smash them, over and over and over.

preparation for the big hunt:

the day begins with 3-piece suit w/ short pants:

Hiking with Jacob:

On the ranch with G-daddy B:

Fiorella, super-cat:

Kite festival and playing with friends:

HENRY IS TWO!

2008-02-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

Henry celebrated his second birthday in style! He played his heart out with about 15 of his little friends at his party. He was very excited to be the center of attention, and his friends and he had a blast running around together.

Thanks to all of Henry's family and friends for making it a very special birthday!

Here are some photos and videos from the day (plus some from the previous weeks).

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Hank is a new kid every day...

2008-01-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

I guess every parent at some point thinks that they are the first to be amazed and astounded by their kid and that their kid is the most brilliant human that ever walked on the planet. Henry comes out with this stuff that just proves that he is taking it all in and he totally gets it. Today we passed a Honda Element and Henry said that it was Minsok's car and then that it was David's car. Yes, Minsok and David both drive Elements. I just can't believe he knows this stuff. Right now he's really into playing with rocks (encouraged by his grandmom's rock collection), being "tall" (which means that he climbs on top of everything he can to get as tall as possible), and drawing with chalk. Today he climbed up on top of a big rock and said "WE HAVE LIFTOFF!" He cracks us up. Here are some shots from the last couple of weeks.

It's Been a Long Time.....

2008-01-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. Sorry to have kept you all waiting so long for news of the boy. But we're going to post a LOT of pictures, so all of your patient waiting will have been worth it, I promise.

But first, a brief summary of Henry's last month or so. He had a fantastic Christmas that included meeting (and chuckling in the face of) Santa Claus, entertaining his Grandmom and her piano for a holiday singalong at his school, running all over the Lost Pines Resort with all of his cousins, hanging out with old and new friends, receiving way too many presents, forming a close relationship with and naming a new teddybear ("Woof-bear"- if you're curious), and just all around partying.

Also, he is starting potty training, so everyone cross their fingers.

Grandmom Burdett plays a mean piano.

Henry's friend Keshawn liked it, too.

Ben meets Miles Wyatt, a new friend of Henry's (congrats Rachel and David!)

Hanging out with Everett

The best part of getting presents? The boxes.

Henry digs his new kitchen toy. He says "I cook waffles!"

Henry goes looking for birds.

Henry's new backpack is about 75% of his size.

The Lost Pines resort had a beach, which amused Henry greatly.

Santa!

Henry really loves his cousin Hannah.

And he thinks Erik and Thomas are pretty fun too.

Hiking by the river

All of the cousins. Henry's the one trying to escape.

Henry had fun spinning under the Zilker Christmas lights.

We met Grandmom for some fun in Georgetown.

Tom and Rebecca came down from New York. Henry thought Tom was a pretty funny dude.

Henry gets an early start on his football career.

Henry discovered his shadow for the first time the other day. Pretty funny.

Henry with his great-grandmom.

Chocolate gets messy sometimes.

Toilet training has begun. Here, Henry bones up on some pointers.

Henry's Thanksgiving Video Extravaganza

2007-11-29T09:04:00.000-08:00

Here's a special holiday treat for all of Henry's blog-followers: Henry in motion.

Here are a few short videos showcasing some of Henry's new skills and adventures.

And for good measure, we've thrown in a few still pics too, so you can see what he's been up to this Thanksgiving.

First, here's the boy employing cuteness tactics to get what he wants. Not getting pizza when you ask? Try blowing kisses.

Next, we see Henry trying to fill Dad's shoes. With mixed results.

Henry likes to walk on his own now. No hand-holding, no directions. He just wants to go. However, he has to keep reminding himself where he's going, by repeating the mantra "This way. This way. This way." Somewhere in there, there's a lesson for all of us.

Henry has discovered those little truck ride things you see out side of every grocery store. Here he is, piloting the "Circus Convoy" machine outside of Randall's.

Henry got an early Christmas present this year in the form of a nifty red wagon. On one of our recent wagon rides, the boy discovered the joys of keeping his hands warm in the pockets of his jacket. He also discovered that when everyone is looking at the cute baby, nobody is paying attention to oncoming traffic.

Lastly, Henry has learned how to say "Cheese" for the camera. Here, after destroying a sand castle, he suddenly discovers that he may be being filmed, and turns on the camera smile.

Hope you enjoyed the videos. Here are a few still shots from the last couple of weeks for your further enjoyment.

Disco Playground

Hanging out with Matt

Receiving the attention of G-Daddy, Mee-Mom, and Great Grandmom at Thanksgiving

Cousins!

Turkey makes babies sleepy. Jackets and hats make them cute.

First ride in the new wagon!

Granddad Burdett gets pulling duty.

Jackets have pockets! Pockets for hands!

When driving a truck, remember to stick out your tongue to reduce drag.

Cape? Check. Laundry Hamper? Check. Aunt Holly? Check.

Henry likes to watch the raccoons at the nature center.

Henry found a ladybug. He was very excited when she wanted to crawl on his pinky.

November!

2007-11-18T17:40:00.001-08:00

November has been a very busy month, full of big firsts for Henry.

At Zilker Park, Henry learned how to swing from the bar above the slide. This made him laugh, which was nice for him, but it also gave his parents a heart attack, which was less nice.

At the nursery, Henry helped pick out plant food and then rode around in a wagon. He was especially pleased to discover the on-site family of donkeys, whom he verbally harrassed.

Henry's school, Roz Mina, had a big Thanksgiving lunch. Henry was particularly fond of the cornbread and the pumpkin pie. He also liked his homemade Thanksgiving crown. And he taught us all that the most important Thanksgiving wish is "MORE! MORE!!!!".

The weekend after the Thanksgiving party, we attended the East Austin Studio Tour, where Henry hung out with his friend Everett and worked on his gallery manners. He still has a way to go.

Later, Eliana came over and played in the new inflatable ball pit. Good times.

Then, today, another first: Henry went to the movies. We saw the first 20 minutes of Bee Movie. Then the popcorn ran out. And conditions deteriorated rapidly. So we left. But for awhile there, he really seemed to be having fun.

And later this afternoon, Henry went in for his first haircut. Dorie cried, but Henry was unexpectedly stoic.

Apparently, baby product is very popular.

And if you're good for your haircut, you get lollipops. Henry likes that rule.

Maybe too much product?

Mom thinks the new haircut is pretty cute.

Henry and Everett take on the zoo

2007-11-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

We visited Houston this past weekend with Carmen, Tony and Everett McAlister. It was super fun. The kids (only 4 months apart) had a great time, although Henry wasn't too keen on the concept of sharing... Something to work on...

We also visited Henry's great grandmom who loved the opportunity to hold him while he napped (it's rare anyone gets to hold him for more than 30 seconds these days!). His great aunt and uncle visited as well.

When you can't find a pacifier, almost anything will do. Cardboard duck anyone?

Henry is a Homemade Turtle

2007-11-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Henry was very resistant to get into his homemade turtle costume, but once he did, he had a great time. Here are some shots of the occasion. More photos to come soon...

Also, here's a funny shot of Henry in his new boots (which are way too big!):

The Beach

2007-09-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we took Henry down to Port Aransas to celebrate his Grandmom's birthday. Henry has never really had a good chance to play at a beach. Except for five minutes on the beach in Maine this summer, his only beach experiences happened when he was way too young to appreciate them.

But that is all behind us. This weekend, he dug sand, splashed in the surf, ran away from waves, did some skinny-dipping, and helped build a sand turtle. I think he's going to need a week to recover, but as far as he's concerned, it was definitely worth it.

ACL Weekend, Hank Still Cute

2007-09-17T09:00:00.001-07:00

Not much to relate here. Just thought we'd share a couple of pictures from the ACL festival and a few of Henry being cute at home.

(And in case you're wondering about the pillar of black smoke shown below, it was the result of several trailers catching on fire after a propane tank exploded. Never a dull moment...)

The Heartless Bastards

Trailer Fire

Blonde Redhead

Arcade Fire
(Not to be confused with Trailer Fire)

Pass the Sauce

2007-09-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Being that he is his parents' son, it should come as no surprise that Henry digs barbecue. But until recently, he had to make do with pieces of meat cut into neat little pieces. A couple of weeks ago, though, we decided it was time for a time-honored rite of passage. We let the boy have a rib of his very own. Did he like it? Yeah. You could say that.

(In other news, he hung out with Grandmom and Granddad Burdett and went to the park.)

New Park, Hot Summer

2007-08-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

It is seriously hot here in Austin right now, and Henry is taking every chance he can to get wet. Today, he was one of the very first kids to splash through the fountain at the new Town Lake Park. He's also been digging his bathtime and hanging out with his pal Eliana. Check it out.

A Trip to Waco

2007-08-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

We Pickles just got back from sunny Waco, Texas, where we visited the Martin Riders. Dave and Jen are doing great. Milo has gotten big, but still looks like a newborn compared to Eli, who is just a straight-up kid now. Henry split the difference between them, but chose to spend most of his time tagging along with Eli, just in case he might learn something. We hit the zoo, went for wagon rides, and hung around in the backyard. Good fun.

In other news, Henry has figured out that he can talk. His vocabulary has already mushroomed to include the following terms (in no particular order):

Mom (alt. "Mom-mom")
Daddy (sometimes also applied to the dog)
Apple
Car
Turtle
On
Off
Up
Light
Nose
Eye (If he says this near you, protect your eyes. There are fingers coming at you.)
Grandmom
Lori (loves his aunt lo-lo)
Cereal
Duck
Juice
Shoes
Pee-pee (this is usually accompanied by him grabbing himself)
Hat
Bee
Kitty (blanket term for all animals and some objects)

Family Reunion, Family Vacation

2007-07-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Henry has had a big last month. First, there was the Burdett Family Reunion, at Lookout Mountain Ranch in Marble Falls. Henry got to see all of his extended cousinry on the Burdett side. The children of Dorie, her siblings, and her 6 Burdett cousins now number in the 20s. Henry was hypnotized by all the kids running around, and had a great time playing in the pool and wolfing down brisket and juice. He especially loves playing with his cousins Erik, Thomas, and Hannah, who dote on him and push his stimulus threshold ever higher.

After the reunion, Tom and Rebecca came down from New York to pay a visit. We even got to see Jean, Tom's mom, who is still one of the sweetest ladies you'd ever want to meet. We had a fantastic time hanging out with T & R, and Hank really dug them both.

Then, almost as soon as T & R had taken off, we packed up and took off for a week in Maine with the Pickle family. We played in the lake, ate our fill of lobsters, and went hiking in Acadia National Park, where Henry stripped nude and splashed in the 55-degree surf. He loved it.

And while we were there, Henry learned a new word. The word is "No!". It is usually accompanied by a high-speed chase around the house, with Henry laughing maniacally the entire time. Fun fun fun.

Again, sorry everyone for the long delay between posts. The more mobile that boy gets, the less time we have to blog about him, I'm afraid...

Henry continues to Rock.

2007-06-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody.

So here is what Hank has been up to this June:

1) A trip to the zoo. (Trains, laughter, a minor head injury, and a cougar.)
2) Made a birthday card for Granddad. (Paint, some paper, a huge mess.)
3) A trip to Houston. (Visit Great grandmom, Great-great Aunt Bess, and Uncle John)
4) A trip to the museum with Everett and Carmen. (Dancing, climbing, light computing.)

Hank hopes everyone is doing well. Look for more summer pics to come soon.

Sit Down, People. We've Got a Lot to Get Through

2007-05-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are regular followers of the Hank blog, I apologize for the time that has elapsed since we last updated the blog. Things got very busy, and we have been neglecting our duties to Henry's adoring public.

Since our last post, a LOT has happened.

Let's start with our trip to Washington. Dorie had a conference in our nation's capital, and I took the boy up with me to meet her and hang out with Matt and Lisa and Robert and Niki while we were up there. Henry loved D.C., but he wasn't huge on airplane travel. On the off chance that anyone from the Houston flight is reading this, again, we are so so so sorry. Really. But D.C. was a lot of fun. Lisa's mom and stepdad were nice enough to put us up and feed us, as were the Bhattacharyas (Niki's folks). It was so great to see everyone, and Hank really dug the monuments, museums, and attention.

After D.C., the Martin Riders came down for a visit, and to introduce everyone down here to little Milo. We had a lot of fun, visited a lot, and took the kids to a Chinese festival. Before they left, we went over to visit the Koranskys, resulting in a surreal picture of Ben, Rose, and David surrounded by their spouses and kids. Freaky.

After the Martin Rider visit, we had a bit of a scare that most of you have probably heard about by now. Henry had a febrile seizure while at school. He had to spend 2 days in the hospital and go through a battery of tests. We were, of course, terrified, but we marveled at the resilience and bravery of our little guy. What a champ.

Since then, it's just been life as usual. Henry loves his school, and even helped to make his mom a nice Mother's day gift, complete with paint, pipe cleaners, a little plant, and a picture of himself. He is singing and dancing now, and has a whole new repertoire of strange faces. We went hiking last weekend, and Henry got to show off all of his new skills out in nature, which pleased him greatly.

In our last bit of big news, Henry is going to get a new uncle. Jeremiah decided it was time to make an honest woman out of Lori, and he proposed while they were in Mexico. We couldn't be happier for them. Henry especially, who has always had a particular fondness for Jeremiah.Congratulations, L & J. We love you guys.

That's about it. We promise to try to update this thing a lot more regularly in the future. But seriously, we have a one-year-old. What do you people want from us?

Love to you all.

A very busy Easter

2007-04-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hank has had a lot on his plate the last couple of weeks, what with starting school, meeting new friends, and celebrating Easter. Here are just a few highlights of Hank's Easter week:

- First week of school
- Playing at Zilker Park
- Hanging out with his buddy Everett
- Visiting with Wilson, Jenna, and Jack Scanlan
- Easter Sunday in Georgetown with Mom, Dad, and both sets of Grandparents
- Going to the Children's Museum with Grandmom Pickle

Springtime for Henry

2007-04-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

Henry is having a big Spring so far. In the 2 short days of April we've had, he went to the park and played in the river, and then went to Amber Raven and Eliza Ault's 10th and 1st birthday parties, respectively. He even found time to locate and subsequently destroy his first Easter egg. In your face, Easter Bunny! And to top it all off, he starts Montessori school tomorrow. Look for pics of his first day of school in the coming week.

Bluebonnets

2007-03-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has a baby in Texas is legally required to submit that baby at least once each spring for bluebonnet photographs. So, as required, here are Henry's bluebonnet pictures for 2007.

Raindrops

2007-03-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Henry is discovering that water is a very fun thing to play in. Watch below as he cavorts in a warm spring rain, gets very muddy, and has fun in his bath.

Hank Goes to Park, Experiments with Nudism

2007-03-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

Henry had a great weekend. He went to the park with his friend Eliana and then went to Barton Springs for the first swim of the year. While there, he managed to lose his diaper and run nude for awhile. He really seemed to enjoy it. A lot. Maybe a little too much.

Hank Learns to Walk, Gets New Friend

2007-03-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

He did it! After much experimentation, Hank figured out how to walk. He is very proud of himself, and often demonstrates his pride by shrieking like a pterodactyl and clapping his hands as he walks. Watch the video below to see him show off his new skills at Auditorium Shores.

Also, after much anticipation, Hank's new buddy Milo Jack Martin Rider was born on February 28th. We went up to Waco to see Dave and Jennifer last week and to meet young Milo. Jennifer was a real champ, by all reports, and Milo is a beautiful young man. We are very excited to watch him and Hank grow up together. A few pictures of our visit are below. Also shown are visits to Zilker Park, the Children's Museum, and Matt's El Rancho, where Hank enjoyed his first tamale.

HANK TURNS ONE: Toys, Friends, Cake, Bath, Tylenol, Bed

2007-02-25T15:24:00.000-08:00

We did it! Our baby made it to toddler-hood! Henry celebrated an enormous milestone this week as he turned one year old. The import of this event was, of course, completely lost on him, but we all enjoyed celebrating nonetheless. We had a big party over at Grandmom and Granddad Pickle's house, and Henry received a tricycle, car, play table, and a bunch of fantastic t-shirts. He also covered himself in cake and drove himself into a near-psychotic state with the sugar contained therein. He needs to experiment a little more with sugar to find his limit. As you can imagine, he was an absolute pleasure once he started coming down from the sugar high.

Thanks to everyone who helped with or attended the party, and to everyone who has given us support over the last year. We love you all and couldn't have done it without you.

Also below, see a few pics of the Barack Obama rally, dinner with the Koranskys, and our trip to see the (almost) imploded Intel building. (Awesome job, City of Austin!)

Wow!

Grandmom Looks on

Henry really lost it when we tried to take away the cake...Ok, a few more bites.

Washing away the sins of the day…

Henry Almost is Eaten by Mountain Lion

2007-01-30T07:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, well not really. David, Ben, Eli and Henry went to the zoo in Waco. We went to visit the Martin Rider's this past weekend. We had a great time - our last visit before el bambino #2 comes along (for Dave and Jen, not us!!). The zoo was a huge success. Henry loves the fish especially. Henry's been to like 3 or 4 zoos before, but this was the first time he really got into it. The best thing about having kids is seeing that sense of awe in their faces. It's such pure excitement.

We also met up with Grandmom and Granddad Burdett and Great-grandmom Hunter on the way back to town.

Mom and Dad get away

2007-01-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

For the first time, Ben and I went on vacation without Henry. It was a lot harder than we expected and we missed him a lot. But, it was fun to stay up late, er, well actually, we couldn't even do that.. But, it was nice to indulge a bit. We went to an all-inclusive resort on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico just south of Cancun. Our pics are on our family website at pickleinfo.com. Henry stayed with both sets of grandparents as well as Lori, Jeremiah and Holly. We just missed Austin's ice storm by hours on either side of our flights. Henry got to see snow for the first time. Here are some pics from his stay over there. Plus a cartoon that Aunt Lori made revealing the true adventures while Mom and Dad were away (They had a little cabin fever I think).

Last weekend we took Henry on the Zilker train for the first time. He loved it! But, he looked a little dazed afterwards, kind of like "i've seen some stuff, man!" It was pretty funny. Pics below..

Hank: Bring on the New Year!

2007-01-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

Henry went with his friends and family to the First Night parade and art party downtown for new years' eve. he really enjoyed the parade and then enjoyed some rolling around on the grass in front of city hall. In the afternoon we played in the park with some dogs. Here are some pics. I think he's ready to take on the new year. he's about ready to walk and totally determined to terrorize the cats.

Henry's 1st Xmas

2006-12-27T07:29:00.000-08:00

Yep, it was full of flashing lights, noisy toys with no off switches, lots of food, late nights (past 8 i mean) and tons of people. It was really fun. And, I know Henry enjoyed it b/c he's been buzzing ever since. He can hardly calm down from all of it. He got SO many new toys. We're on a rotation schedule with them now, too many all at once! I think his favorite is the giant blue tube that he can crawl through, the full size train and the spanish speaking maraccas. It's pretty funny to watch him chase the cats through the blue tube. He also really likes the awesome Snail rocking "horse" from the pickle grandparents. It's so adorable (see below). Santa brought him the woodsies which his mom had when she was little. If you know what the woodsies are you should email me b/c I can't find anyone else to date who remembers them. They've been out of production since the mid-late 70's. Santa won it on e-bay. He's pretty e-talented like that.

Our parents all had a portrait of henry painted by our friend Maggie Phillips. She is an awesome artist and the painting is amazing. I couldn't even hold it together when they surprised us with it. I fell apart. It's so perfect.. totally captures his sweet little personality. There's a picture of it below.

Anyways, thanks to our family and friends for such a great holiday. We look forward to 2007 and all that stuff. Here are some pics from the weekend---

Henry makes Headlines!

2006-12-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

Henry and his granddad were featured in a story in the Temple Daily Telegram. The story is below. We were all there for a dedication ceremony for a bronze statue my parents had made for the new children's hospital at Scott and White hospital. The whole day was very special. When henry was playing with the statue the reporters were taking tons of photos. He was also a hit at the gala - baby's first gala - with his little suit and tie. He also recently had his first spin under the Zilker Christmas tree along with his friend Everett...

gobble

2006-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

henry enjoyed his first turkey day with his grandparents and great grandmom. he had his first game of golf and also his first taste of real turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and all the sides. we missed the rest of the family, but it was really relaxing and fun!

Time flies

2006-11-20T07:26:00.000-08:00

Henry is almost 9 months old now. I can't even believe how fast time goes these days. He gets into everything. It's crazy how fast he is. We've been very busy with family, weddings, friends and work. Henry moved into his new room yesterday and he has lots more space. I think he really likes it. Although he seemed pretty confused when he woke up this morning. He's finally sleeping through the night most nights. Here are some pics from the last couple of weeks.

It's a baby dinosaur...

2006-11-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, Henry was a dinosaur for halloween. I don't know that he knew any different, except that everyone was giving him lots of oo's and goo's. The little tail seemed appropriate for him. He participated in a neighborhood parade with all of the other little kidos. There are tons of other little kids around here for him to play with which is cool. Henry is crawling very fast and is pulling up on things to stand. He even let go yesterday and stood briefly without help! He'll be walking in no time! He's growing up SO fast.... He's also saying "mama" but it's indiscriminate, so he looks at Sophie and says "mama" and Gary and says "mama.." hmm. Hopefully he'll grow out of that..

Pickle Love

2006-10-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent shots of Henry enjoying his Pickle side of the family. He loved meeting Wig and Linda a few weeks ago and will meet Tom and Sheri pretty soon. I love this first picture. Jan took it when I arrived to pick up Henry after being away from him for the first night ever! It was a special little moment. Also to note... He looks pretty cute napping under his Aunt Lori's Emory sweatshirt... If you are wondering, he is going to be a green dinosaur with orange spots for halloween.. pictures to come. Oh, and Hank's new favorite thing is to try to eat the dog food right out of the bowl. Yes, mobility has its perks.

Hank in the Great Outdoors

2006-10-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went hiking and cave-exploring. Henry had a great time and was his usual charming self. He met Jordan and Janet for the first time this week. I think they liked him quite a bit. They are expecting in a few weeks! He was also a hit at Vickie Jubang's wedding. He was great during the ceremony, except he kept making "happy" sounds, so Ben had to take him to hang out elsewhere. He is becoming an expert crawler and is pulling up to stand! Tonight will be my first night away from him. I'm going to give a speech in Mississippi and will not be bringing him with me for the first time. I'm sad, but also kind of excited to have a whole night to myself- the first in many many months...

Hank is Mobile.

2006-10-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Henry has just started crawling. Yes, we encourage it, but how mobile do we really want him to be? I mean, currently, his most prominent and questionable skill is his ability to find the only dangerous thing around him and immediately transfer it to his mouth. There will be twenty toys in front of him and all he wants is the lamp cord.

Last weekend, we dressed him up for the longhorn game. No, we never thought we would be the type of parents to dress up our kid for sporting events, but here we are. After all, it's the horns, and it was pretty damn cute! And they won, so maybe it will be a tradition. This month has been crazy with the move. but we're loving our new house and henry has been a trooper as usual. We'll post some pics soon of the house. It's all coming together, but it's been a long process. This weekend is Henry's first camping trip! Hopefully he'll have a good time and he will sleep a bit and we won't run afoul of any cougars or anything. Pics of the trip to come...

The Great Northwest

2006-09-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, we decided that we should go to Portland to visit Jessica. Fortunately, we were able to get some black market plane tickets, and we made it there by Friday night. Henry was a great little Northwesterner. He went hiking, hung out in coffeeshops, meditated in a Japanese garden, and cruised the town in a hooded sweatshirt. It was great to see Jessica and meet her friends. Portland is a lovely green, hilly town, with big modern streetcars, expansive parks, huge fir trees, and macchiato-sipping hipsters. Oh- and they love Pink Floyd. All of them do. Even the new albums. It's kind of weird.

Also, while we were gone, Eliana Cohen Koransky was born. Rose, Adam and Eliana are doing great and Rose is a champ for having her baby at home with no drugs (ouch!). Henry met Eliana. Mostly he was interested in trying to pull her hair. He also seemed to want to eat her.. Maybe they'll play seperately for a while...

Henry hangs out... Eats like a Yogi

2006-09-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Henry is just about to crawl. He's really squirming around and leaning over and wants to get into everything, but can't just quite yet. Here are some shots from Holly's 30th b-day party, and hanging out at Grandmom and Granddad Pickle's house. Notice the foot in the air while eating.. interesting!

Henry goes to UT; Performs Important Research

2006-08-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Henry participated in a research study at the University of Texas today. He was so great and the researchers were appropriately impressed! The researchers strapped this little hat on him and then showed him a video with different people's faces. They are measuring his brainwaves to study his response to the faces. Here are some shots of his important work. It was pretty cute...

Gettin around town...

2006-08-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

Henry's been hanging out at Barton Springs, visiting his friend Eli in Waco and starting to get into everything. He grabs at anything in front of him and it goes straight into his mouth! He's so close to crawling and he can totally sit up now! He's starting to get a little emotional when I leave the room, which is kind of cute. Here are some pics from the past couple of weeks.

mmmm... cold...

Doin' stuff is so fun!

2006-08-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Henry has started rolling around and really playing with stuff. He's grabbing at everything. And, I'm afraid that he will soon be mobile, which will be a huge change for us! He went with me and my friend Jana to San Diego last week for an FCC meeting. He did great and was a trooper the whole time. Here are some recent pics from the trip as well as family and friends...

Hank, Californians, Brits, Koreans and Norwegians

2006-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Henry has been hanging out with friends and family from all over the place lately. Maggie was in from California for a while; Erin was in from London; Henry's Aunt Bliss and cousin Hanna were in from Korea and our friend Erik and his wife, son, and best friends were in from Oslo, Norway. Here are some pics from the last few weeks. This week Henry and his mom are travelling to San Diego for a conference. This guy loves to travel! He is 5 months old today. So cool. He's laughing tons, rolling over like a pro and has discovered that pulling cat tails is lots of fun! (Tyrone doesn't really agree so much..) He's started eating some solid foods and sitting in a hi-chair. It's unbelievably messy! Baths are a must.

Rocky Mountain Hank

2006-07-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

Henry has been very busy lately. He's been on vacation in Colorado with his Pickle grandparents, Aunt Lori, Jeremiah, and, of course, his parents. It was a total blast! Henry weathered the trip really well. He was great on the plane and in the many cars and the trains and everything else. He is a real trooper. Here are some highlights from the trip:

More trip pics at our family website: Pickleinfo.com

He also met several important people this week! His nephew Erik:

And, several of his mom's good friends:

Shelley-

Amy, Vickie, Marcie, Jennifer, and Amanda-

And, his Aunt Bliss and Uncle Minsok:

Henry goes to DC

2006-06-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

Henry just got home from his first trip across the country. I had to go to DC for some meetings, so my mom came along to help with Henry while I worked. We had a great time. Henry was awesome on the plane rides. No trouble whatsoever. It's funny to be on the other side of the dreaded "oh no, there's a baby on my flight" look. While we were there we visited my great uncle Pete in the US Military retirement home. (Bliss and Shannon, remember Uncle Pete?) He's 92 and doing pretty well. Henry also met many of my coworkers and my friend Alison. You'll notice in the picture below that he is JUST ABOUT to spit up all over her and her cool dress. (Sorry Alison!) Here are some pics from the trip.

Everett is Here!

2006-06-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

Carmen and Tony have had a little boy. His name is Everett. He was 7lbs 11 ounces and is very cute! Henry has a new friend in the making (we'll force them to hang out even if they don't get along.) Way to go Carmen. She had no drugs and went through labor like a champ! Here are a few pics. Also, here are a few pics from this past weekend at the lakehouse.

Trip to Galveston and Houston

2006-06-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend we made a trip to Galveston for David's graduation from med school and also stopped through Houston to see some family. It was a great time! Here are some pics

Memorial Day Weekend

2006-05-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun weekend. It was Ben's 30th b-day so we went out a lot and Henry enjoyed every minute of it. He had a great night out at Freddie's with our friends and then had his first fancy restaurant experience. He was very good! Plus, a trip to barton springs and his first hike. He loved the hike. He was all smiles looking up at the trees, etc.

Three months!

2006-05-22T07:49:00.001-07:00

Henry was 12 weeks old this past Friday. I'm not sure when you're supposed to stop counting in weeks and start counting in months. Regardless, it's true what they all say about the 3 month mark being a big turning point. Suddenly this little tiny baby who just seems to kind of be there starts becoming totally interactive and so much fun. Henry is smiling all the time. He's got to be in the running for the best baby ever awards because he hardly ever cries and is pretty much always happy. He's totally flexible and can still touch his feet to his cheeks. He's getting more and more hair and his skin is so soft you could sell admission just to touch it! His big blue eyes are tracking things now and he seems to really be watching everything going on around him. He's started to notice the pets too which is pretty funny. He'll watch them walk around with kind of a "what the hell is that?" kind of look on his face. But, his favorite thing (other than playing with his parents, grandparents, and Aunt Lori) is watching the fan. He seems so fascinated by it. I think he worships the fan. If he's kind of cranky or something, I can just sit him down under the fan and his eyes get all big and he starts smiling. So funny! It's crazy how he's just part of the family now. You always think that when you have your first child that suddenly there's this "other person" around all the time, but it's not like that at all. He's one of us and we're one of him and it's just so natural.. like he was always here. It's so much fun. These are the best days of our lives.

Here's some pictures from this past weekend-

weekend of firsts

2006-05-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Eli Martin Rider turned 1 this weekend. The party was awesome. He is totally walking now.

Henry met his great great Aunt on Mother's Day.

And, spent some quality napping time with Rose.

Eli and his Dad went swimming. David graduates from medical school in only a couple of weeks! Henry joined in the swimming too, but was not as sure of the water..

mucho mucho handsome (10 weeks old!)

2006-05-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

2006-05-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrted my mom' s 60th birthday in Georgetown

We took a really long walk in downtown...

Henry practiced the piano... he's getting better every day.

He went to a Hawaiian wedding shower for our friend Robin who's getting married in a few weeks

And, Henry's Aunt Lori moved back to town. He's pretty excited to have more attention.

2006-04-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Henry hangs out with his new friend Eli: It's pretty fun watching them discover each other!

Great-grandmom & a walk in the park

2006-04-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

water baby

2006-04-17T11:48:00.001-07:00

He freaked out at first but he came around...

Easter Sunday

Excellent Smiling abilities

2006-04-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Getting bigger!

2006-04-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Henry is now almost 14 pounds! Crazy... I was on the hike and bike trail on Saturday and a woman had a 4 month old that was the same weight. My baby is giant!

Here are some pics from over the weekend.

This is at dinner at Freddie's Place on Saturday night:

Jana digs on Henry--

Talitha and Henry:

Ben, Sophie and Henry enjoy the backyard and the spring weather:

Rose, Adam and we enjoyed margaritas at Matt's El Rancho- Henry enjoyed the lights:

H

Henry

2006-04-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a nice dinner over at the Pickle grandparents' new house with the Burdett grandparents and Henry loved all of the attention!

Carmen is busy making a new little friend for Henry:

Totally zonked out:

Henry rules!

2006-04-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Henry is now exactly 5 weeks and 3 days old. He has started really looking at things and noticing the world around him. He likes to do several things: eat, sleep, grunt, stretch, poop (tons in one day, none the next) and pee in the bath. He is losing his hair a bit and kind of looks like a little old man. Yesterday was his first trip to Barton Springs. He didn't swim, but enjoyed looking up at the giant oak trees. This weekend, he hung out with Aunt Lori and Uncle Jeremiah:

And, he met his great-grandmom, Mamie Hunter: She was so sweet with him. She sung him some old nursery rhymes that she used to sing to me when I was little. It was pretty special. Even though she doesn't have her mind about her these days, she was thrilled by little Henry and couldn't get enough of him. Henry also visited his grandparent's house at Suncity and went on a short hike on some land near there:

Henry chills out with his dad:

Henry meets Maggie: