Fall is here, okay so I am a little late on getting this out!

Hi Everyone-
It has been a really fun October and November. I was a dragon for Halloween and loved hanging out in my costume. Mom and dad did not dress up, I was a little upset with them! I told them next year they have to dress up with me.


In August we visited my dad's alma mater Miami University of Ohio and a couple weeks ago I went to see my mommy's alma mater Northern Arizona University. It was fun to see both and maybe one day I will attend one of them. We went to the NAU football game. It was my first football game. I have to run now...I promise to write again really soon. Love- Henry

9 months old!

Hi Everyone,
I am 9 months old now. Mommy and daddy can't believe I am that old!

Here are my current stats:

9 months old

20lbs 14oz 50%

30 inches 95%

6 teeth

crawling everywhere and trying to walk

and I have more hair!

I love eating all kinds of new foods and I like to drink from my sippy cup. I am picking up the food and feeding myself really good...okay so mommy has to help me a lot but I love to try!


I have a new nanny in Phoenix, her name is Laona and she is super nice! We have a ton of fun together! I am excited about Hallowee coming up and can't wait to go trick or treating.

We went to the Arizona Irish Festival this past weekend with GMa and Aunt Trinny. We had a great time listening to the music and eating Irish food. I loved the music.

Talk to you later,

Henry

The Life....

Hi,

This is the life, swimming with my mommy and daddy and soaking up the sun. I love the water! I am so happy Aunt Trin got me this super cool raft to hang out in.

Oh I also went to a swimming birthday party for my friend Alexandar. He jsut turned 8 years old. Who knew I would have so many girlfriends there!

That is all for now.. me and dad are just hanging in the pool.

Later- Henry

Back in the Saddle!

Dear Friends,

It's been way too long! The cross-country move really took it out of me and I've only recently started to get back on my nap schedule, so now I can clear my head and write about everything that's happened in the past few months.

We moved back on July 8, but only recently started venturing out to catch up with old and new friends here. Daddy spent the rest of July studying for the bar exam while Mommy unpacked our stuff. Right after Daddy took the bar, we jetted off to Dayton, Ohio, for the big graduation party (graduation party #2, I believe -- Daddy throws lots of parties for himself).

We had great fun with Nana and Pa and the rest of the family, and I played lots with cousins Nick, Patrick, Charlie, Ellie, Kelley, Lilley, Noah and Caleb. Everyone was there except Uncle Steve, who just moved to Japan. We miss you Uncle Steve!

I'm feeling pretty good about the move to Arizona, now that things are a little less chaotic. Mommy is working from home and Daddy starts his new job next week, which is good because it's about time he started earning his keep.

Now that the relocation is official and I'm not living among the ivy anymore here in Arizona, it's time I changed the title of the blog. I think the new title is appropriate -- I hope you agree. As a final homage to my second namesake before leaving Boston, Mommy and Daddy took me to Walden Pond and held me next to a weird statue of Thoreau. Mommy calls this photo: "Henry David Ahlers meet Henry David Thoreau."

We miss all our Boston friends so much. To bring Boston and Arizona together, I went all House of Pain while jumping around at the LGO in my new neighborhood. (The LGO is La Grande Orange, a hipper than thou cafe, bistro and market in Phoenix. Daddy says it's pretentious to call it LGO, but Daddy thinks anything clever that he didn't think of first is pretentious.) Sporting my Celtic-green Sox cap made me the envy of all the other Gap babies in there. The LGO doesn't hold a candle to Cafe Rustica in Somerville (pictured here), but we'll have to make do until we can visit Ahmed, Farouk and Amar again.

We also miss Wilma, our friends from Harvard, the Avon Walk, Hitachi, and so many others who made our time in Boston so special. We can't wait to visit you all again and, of course, you are welcome to come visit us anytime, although you might want to wait until we get a bigger house! This place is cool and sunny and it has a pool, so I'm not complaining. We can see the mountains from our window and walk to lots of fun places, so we like it.

I'm standing up in my crib now and crawling all around. Keeping up with me sometimes puts Mommy and Daddy in a tizzy, which makes me laugh. I plan to start walking soon -- I've already decided when, but I don't want to ruin the surprise for Mama and Papa.

I have lots more stories to tell and pictures to post, going all the way back to Spring Break last March, so I'll do a few retrospectives as I try to keep you up to date on all the excitement here.

Love,

Henry David

Daddy Graduated!!!

My daddy graduated from Harvard Law and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government! I am so proud of my dad! My Grandma, Nana and Pa all came into town for the big celebration along with Uncle Steve, Aunt Michelle, Ellie, Patrick and Tio Nano.

We all had a great week, we did a bunch of graduation things in Cambridge. My mommy and me hosted a party for daddy at our favorite cafe -- Cafe Rustica -- on Thursday after the graduation ceremony! Everyone had a great time. We then went to Cape Cod for three days! (I will write more about that later.)

Mommy made daddy a nice video of their last four years. Most of the pictures are before I was born! Click on this link to see the video: http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=6084eeb83f0c742fbf10a0&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

I will write more after my nap.

Love, Henry

I have a tooth ...31 more to go....

I got my first tooth last week (middle of May). After weeks of pain and tons of drool it finally popped up! Mommy and daddy were so happy it came up. I think they are happy because I finally stopped crying and biting their fingers! Mommy can wait for the next 31 more teeth to come in.. but I am ready to eat more food!

Love, Henry David

Spring Is Here!

Dear Friends,

I'm 17 weeks old now and discovering all kinds of new things. Like I've finally figured out how to replicate the silly noise Daddy makes when he gives me zerberts on my belly. (See video below.)

I'm also finally experiencing the joys of solid food. Mommy and Daddy are always eating yummy stuff like salad and pizza and tacos in front of me, and I never get any. So last week I started eating rice cereal. I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but this stuff is really underrated! It tastes pretty good, on the rare occasion I get some in my mouth, and the rest I can fling at Mommy and Daddy until they get the point and bring me a burrito.

Finally, I'm discovering the sun and flowers. I had seen the sun in Arizona, but I just assumed it had disappeared forever when we got back to Boston. And just when I thought Chairman Mao might be right when he said "It's always darkest before it's totally black," spring arrived here.


And not a moment too soon, because Daddy finally finished school and can play with me more now. Yay!

I hope you're all well and I can't wait to see you at Daddy's graduation festivities.

Love,

Henry David

There Are Rumors on the Internets

Dear Friends and Family,

Hope you're all well. It's May here in Boston and I had to put my bear suit on today just to go outside. (See the April 16 post for a picture of me in the bear suit.) I can't wait to get to Arizona. Speaking of Arizona, I still have lots of pictures to post from that trip and more fun stuff to catch you all up on, but first I want to address a pressing issue.

I hear there are rumors going around that I don't write my own blog. Now I can certainly understand why people would be skeptical about my ability to write a semi-literate blog at my tender age, but I'd like to assure you that all my work is original. I hope this photograph clears up any misconceptions. And yes, Daddy does have photo shop, but he doesn't know how to use it. You know how old folks are with technology.

I'll write again soon!

Love,

Henry David

Bunnies, Parades and Planes

Sorry I've taken so long to update my blog. Daddy has been on the computer day and night trying to finish up his schoolwork and I can barely get a second to write. I thought I was going to have to wait for something big to distract him for awhile -- like another Legally Blonde marathon on TBS -- but he finally collapsed in exhaustion and here I am.

I'm 14 weeks old now and I've got a lot to catch you all up on. It has been an awful long, cold winter here in Boston, but since the weather has gotten a little better lately Mommy and Daddy are taking me out to do all sorts of fun things. Mommy took me to see her office downtown and meet the people she works with at Hitachi. They are all very nice and some of them have funny Boston accents, which I like.


Mommy and Daddy also celebrated Easter by buying me an Easter basket full of yummy candy, taking my picture with it and then eating it all themselves. They said that's part of the tradition but I'm a little suspicious. Also, the only Easter Bunny I saw was a giant chocolate one. I guess maybe he was hiding from the kitty cats.

Speaking of traditions, we had another big holiday last month with St. Patrick's Day, which is huge in Boston. We went down to Southie and Mommy wisely made the decision not to put me in the stroller, because the streets were wicked crazy with people and a lot of them were stumbling around and screaming for no apparent reason. It was quite an experience, although Mommy and Daddy said I slept through most of it.

The most exciting thing last month was our trip to Arizona. I got to ride in a plane and go see Grandma, Aunt Trin (who was born the same day as me, like 1,500 weeks or so ago), Uncle Eric and lots of good friends. I need to write a whole separate entry about Arizona because I loved it so much and I have lots more to tell about it. I could tell Mommy and Daddy had fun and were very excited to introduce me to all their friends and to the sunshine, which I had never seen before in Boston.

I promise to write more often. In the meantime, please send more comments about what you like and don't like about my blog. OK, just tell me what you like. I don't read criticism. Talk to you all soon!

Love,

Henry David

I am 2 months old!

Hi,
I turned two months last week. I don't know if I told you all before but I share my birth date with my Aunt Trinity! I am 2 months old and she is ... well I should'nt say. Aunt Trin I will keep it a secret about how old you are!

Last week my mommy took me to visit the doctor for my two month check up. I am now 11lbs 11oz and 23.5 inches long!
I am a big boy!! I had to get some shots which I hated, but my mommy was there to comfort me and my daddy took care of me when I got home.

I love my bouncy seat and smiling at my mom and dad. They play with me all the time. I love them!!

I am looking foward to my third month so I can continue to grow! Can't wait to walk.

Love,
Henry David

I have a twin!

Dear Friends,

I made an amazing discovery last week -- I have a twin! I was playing with Daddy and all of a sudden I saw another baby who looked a lot like me in the room (although not quite as handsome).

I'm not sure where he hangs out during the day and sleeps at night because I haven't seen him for a few days, but I'm sure he'll turn up soon. I'm very excited to see him again so we can play together. And I can't wait for you all to meet him!

Love,

Henry David

Shout out to my Moms

Dear Friends,

I just wanted to give a shout out for Mommy, who has been working so hard to keep me warm and fed that she barely has time to make an appearance in my blog. Mommy also went back to work this week, since "somebody has to bring home the bacon around here," whatever that means.

So when Daddy is at school I will be spending some of my days with our nice nanny Wilma. She is grandmotherly and quiet but funny. She takes good care of me so Mommy and Daddy don't have to worry.

I'll be 8 weeks on Sunday, so more big news soon.

Love,

Henry David

Victory is Mine!

Dear Friends,

Daddy finally shaved his silly beard! Yay! Thanks for your support. My cheeks feel much better these days and, well, Daddy looks a lot better too.

I think it was that comment from one of his classmates that he looked "haggard" that did it. Although Mommy kept the pressure on, too. Go Mommy!

Until soon,

Henry David

The Hair of His Chinny Chin Chin

Dear Friends,

I'm starting a campaign and I hope I can count on your support. My campaign is to convince Daddy that his beard has got to go. It looks silly and it makes Daddy look even older than he already is -- he's 35 (that's 1,820 weeks!) and the beard adds a couple years at least.

More importantly it scratches my fine, delicate cheeks. Whenever Daddy scrapes his spiky stubble against my face I take a swipe at him with my fingernails, but he's just not getting the picture.

So please, write or call Daddy and tell him he looks better clean shaven. Do it for me... and Mommy.

Love,

Henry David

Party Like It's My Birthday

Dear Friends,

I turn one month on Sunday. Yea! And to celebrate Mommy and Daddy are having friends over to a watch a game I don't want to watch and tease me with Buffalo wings and other yummy food I can't eat yet. Mean Mommy and Daddy.

It's not that I'm against the Super Bowl, although I think the hype is a bit much. It's just that my Steelers aren't in it. (Daddy says I should be a fair weather Bengals fan like him, but the weather does not look very fair from prison, where half the Bengals spend the off-season.) I'm rooting for the Pats anyway. Stupid Giants are from New York, which is also where the Yankees are from, so I don't like them.

Enough about that. I have to catch you all up on all the fun things I did this month. I didn't want to come out of Mommy's warm belly, so I waited until I was good and ready, which as you already know was early on the morning of Jan. 6. Since then I've been making the most of my time. Grandma Julie was there waiting when I came out, which made me happy.

Pa Lou and Nana Carol came to visit soon after. I slept a lot and we had a fun visit, even though we couldn't go outside much because of the cold.

Soon after Uncle Chris and Aunt Shari came to visit from Buffalo along with cousins Nick, Patrick, Kelley and Lilley. They were excited to meet me and brought me all kinds of nice presents. Daddy says babies like cash, but I really prefer the clothes and toys my family brought. I don't have any pockets anyway.

I've also gotten a lot of nice gifts from Grandma Julie, Nana and Pa, Uncle Tim and Aunt Mary, Aunt Michelle, Aunt Trinity, Uncle Dave and Aunt Tiffany, and too many other friends and family to name. So thanks very much!

Mommy says I'm also supposed to tell you that when I went to the pediatrician last week she said I was doing great. I weigh 9.6 pounds already, so I'm getting big! Mommy and Daddy are keeping me safe and warm here, but I'm excited to move to Arizona in the summer. So come visit me while I'm still in Boston!

Until soon,

Henry David

Origin Story: Life in the Ivy

Dear Friends,

Hi. I'm Henry David Ahlers. I was born at 12:36 a.m. on January 6, 2008. That's El Dia de Los Reyes Magos, which is interesting since I'm told I was conceived in Spain. I'm three weeks and 5 days old, 21 inches long and weigh 9.6 pounds. I'm a Capricorn and I like snuggling, swinging and sleeping. (I'm also something of a sucker for alliteration.) Mommy and Daddy said it was high time I started doing something productive with myself, so I started this blog.

This is my first post so I thought I would start by clearing up any confusion about the name of my blog. Since we're living up here in Boston and my name is Henry David, Daddy thought it would be clever to give the blog a name similar to "Walden, or Life in the Woods." If you don't understand why that's clever, please stop reading my blog. I don't intend to be mean, just discriminating. Or maybe Tarot.com is right and my emotional sensitivity is lacking today. So it's not me, it's my darn stars.

Anyway, we really live in Somerville but Cambridge (home of Harvard) is right across the street. Sometimes getting from Somerville to Cambridge is tougher than you'd think, because of the awful rivers of icy sewage that form on both sides of the street every time it rains, which is often. Daddy is not always so clever as he thinks, but I have to agree with him that "Life in the Ivy" is superior to "Life in the Icy Rivers of Sewage," or "Life on the Concord Commuter Rail Line," either of which would be more accurate.

I hope this blog will be a good way for us to get to know each other and share fun pictures and ideas. Let me know if you have any ideas for me about my blog or things you think I should write about.

My tummy is grumbling, so I better go. Thanks for reading.

Until soon,

Henry David