collection of Batman action figures that includes, but is not limited to: Code Buster Batman, Future Knight Batman, Gotham Knight Batman, Laser Batman, Power Armor Batman, Rapid Switch Bruce Wayne, Air Attack Batman, Aero Strike Batman, Arctic Batman, Jungle Tracker Batman, Powerwing Batman, Gotham Defender Batman, Photon Armor Batman, Blast Cape Batman, and Fire-guard Batman. One time Henry lined all his Batman action figures up head to toe, beginning in our basement. They went all the way up two flights of stairs and into his bedroom, where they wound up in a big pile of awesomeness.
Henry thought it was really cool that Batman protected people from bad guys like Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, and Two-Face, and bad girls like Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy. He was especially taken with Batmanâs amazingly equipped utility belt and cool transportation modes like the Batcycle, Batboat, and Batmobile. âBatman is the best Batman is the best Batman is the best,â Henry announced to anyone and everyone.
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E very hero needs a companion. Batman had Robin. The Lone Ranger had Tonto. Shrek had Donkey.
Henry had Jack.
While Jack couldnât help Henry defeat his enemy, Fanconi anemia, he could provide other critical functions expected of a sidekick. When we first brought Jack home from the hospital he was too little, of course, to provide much interaction, but Henry still loved to be near him. Sometimes Henry would tickle Jackâs stomach or toes, and other times he would sit right next to him and play with his toys. There was clearly something about Jack that appealed to Henry.
By this time, Henryâs heart problems were behind him, his extra thumb had been removed, and his medical care consisted of routine visits to the pediatrician and a few specialists. He handled each appointment as if it was just another part of his routine. He went, got poked with a needle, got a lollipop and a cool Batman Band-Aid, and then went to the park to run and play. At the time, you wouldnât have been able to pick Henry out of a group of kids playing in the park as the child suffering from a fatal disease, although it would be hard to miss the smiling kid in the Batman costume traversing the monkey bars. He most definitely did not think of himself as sick, and neither did we.
My second maternity leave was far less demanding and more peaceful than the first. Iâd wake up with Jack, feed him and Henry, and then head out for a walk. It was an unseasonably warm winter that year, and with Jack in the baby carrier, Iâd chase fourteen-month-old Henry around the park or play hide-and-seek with him. As Jack slept against my chest, Iâd push Henry on the swings. Every month, I looked forward to a night out with the girls, when Iâd go meet the Ladies of the Pines for white pizza and eggplant parmesan.
Â
A fter three months, I returned to work full-time, and we hired a nanny to watch over the boys. Over time, they spent their daysrunning around Guy Mason Playground, chasing each other and any other kid up for joining them. In the evenings, Allen and I would return from work and play with the boys, read to them, listen to music, and blow bubbles for them to pop in the bathtub. We reveled in the normalcy of life with two young children. Allen had just gotten a job with an Internet start-up firm based in Atlanta, so he spent a fair amount of time on the road, a sacrifice we were all willing to make in exchange for the financial return that would allow us to afford the medical care that awaited Henry.
Knowing that Henryâs health would not always be as good as it was at this time led us to recognize the importance of living each day to its fullest. We believed that one Halloween costume was never enough and that, with its complement of calcium, ice cream was more than a suitable dinner. Over time we became masters of good living, which would later come in handy when there wasnât much to work
Henry thought it was really cool that Batman protected people from bad guys like Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, and Two-Face, and bad girls like Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy. He was especially taken with Batmanâs amazingly equipped utility belt and cool transportation modes like the Batcycle, Batboat, and Batmobile. âBatman is the best Batman is the best Batman is the best,â Henry announced to anyone and everyone.
Â
E very hero needs a companion. Batman had Robin. The Lone Ranger had Tonto. Shrek had Donkey.
Henry had Jack.
While Jack couldnât help Henry defeat his enemy, Fanconi anemia, he could provide other critical functions expected of a sidekick. When we first brought Jack home from the hospital he was too little, of course, to provide much interaction, but Henry still loved to be near him. Sometimes Henry would tickle Jackâs stomach or toes, and other times he would sit right next to him and play with his toys. There was clearly something about Jack that appealed to Henry.
By this time, Henryâs heart problems were behind him, his extra thumb had been removed, and his medical care consisted of routine visits to the pediatrician and a few specialists. He handled each appointment as if it was just another part of his routine. He went, got poked with a needle, got a lollipop and a cool Batman Band-Aid, and then went to the park to run and play. At the time, you wouldnât have been able to pick Henry out of a group of kids playing in the park as the child suffering from a fatal disease, although it would be hard to miss the smiling kid in the Batman costume traversing the monkey bars. He most definitely did not think of himself as sick, and neither did we.
My second maternity leave was far less demanding and more peaceful than the first. Iâd wake up with Jack, feed him and Henry, and then head out for a walk. It was an unseasonably warm winter that year, and with Jack in the baby carrier, Iâd chase fourteen-month-old Henry around the park or play hide-and-seek with him. As Jack slept against my chest, Iâd push Henry on the swings. Every month, I looked forward to a night out with the girls, when Iâd go meet the Ladies of the Pines for white pizza and eggplant parmesan.
Â
A fter three months, I returned to work full-time, and we hired a nanny to watch over the boys. Over time, they spent their daysrunning around Guy Mason Playground, chasing each other and any other kid up for joining them. In the evenings, Allen and I would return from work and play with the boys, read to them, listen to music, and blow bubbles for them to pop in the bathtub. We reveled in the normalcy of life with two young children. Allen had just gotten a job with an Internet start-up firm based in Atlanta, so he spent a fair amount of time on the road, a sacrifice we were all willing to make in exchange for the financial return that would allow us to afford the medical care that awaited Henry.
Knowing that Henryâs health would not always be as good as it was at this time led us to recognize the importance of living each day to its fullest. We believed that one Halloween costume was never enough and that, with its complement of calcium, ice cream was more than a suitable dinner. Over time we became masters of good living, which would later come in handy when there wasnât much to work
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