Southpaw

When Mike was picking Henry up from daycare the other day, he happened upon Henry hitting a baseball - quite well, actually. Mike was delighted and proud (and immediately went to buy a baseball tee) and surprised to note that Henry bats left-handed. We are both right-handed, and Henry seems to show a natural preference for his right hand, too. He scribbles, eats, and waves with his right hand. What surprised Mike even more was to learn that I also swing a bat with my left hand, it is the way that I was taught to hit. (Of course, I don't hit the ball well). I was taught to hit left-handed because my father also hits a ball left-handed, despite being right handed, and was taught by his father, the original Henry, to hit left-handed. I thought the left-handed hitting was a result of generations of learned behavior, but in Henry's case, it truly seems more natural and comfortable for him to hit left-handed. I hadn't ever tried to teach him to hit a baseball, and Mike had tried to teach him to swing right-handed.

Here is a video of Henry hitting the baseball:

Meet the New Chin Chopper!

Yes, he is 6 weeks old now, and currently weighs as much as the turkey we had for Thanksgiving, but here is the long overdue introduction of Charlie to the world. This picture was taken the day he first started smiling true, genuine smiles in response to cooing and attention. He could also be smiling because he is wearing his Green Bay Packer onesie - gift from WI grandparents. Another happy Packer baby.

The transition from one to two kids has almost been more overwhelming than the transition from zero to one. What can I tell you about Charlie? He likes to eat. A lot. He likes to sleep, too, in theory, but never for very long at a time and in a seemingly random pattern. In other words, I am exhausted.

Charlie has dark blue eyes, not sure if they will change to brown, and he has brown hair with a reddish tint - very similar to the color of hair that Henry had when he was born. In fact, Charlie looks A LOT like Henry at this stage. So much so that I am quite sure that I will not be able to tell their newborn pictures apart from each other in about 5 years. It is going to be particularly challenging to differentiate the two newborn pictures because Charlie is wearing a lot of the same clothes that Henry wore. Except, of course, that Charlie is outgrowing them very quickly. I can't believe that he already has a stack of outfits that are too small for him!

Henry is adjusting really well to being a big brother. He loves to hug Charlie and is very protective of him when I take Charlie to pick up Henry from school. When Henry's classmates storm the stroller to see Charlie, Henry quickly intercedes and says, "No touch Charlie! Charlie is a baby!" Henry has also reported to his classmates that Charlie cries often and loudly and that "Mommy tries pacifying Charlie." His teachers and I were particularly surprised and impressed to hear Henry use the word "pacifying."