nanny Sarah

We've been having a nanny come in every other week for just one day to care for Thomas while I take care of other things and get a break. It's been nice to meet the different temporary nannies and learn about what we like and don't like about them. They've all been really great, but I think we found ourselves a winner this morning.

Thomas warmed up very quickly to her (I think it was the resemblance to his cousin Kayla both in physical appearance and personality), the dogs loved her and I felt very comfortable leaving the house for several hours. It sounds like they had a great time and were even able to sneak in a walk to the park during a break in the weather.

As she was getting ready to leave, Thomas was all smiles. He hugged her several times and kept waving and saying "Bye Bye Sarah". When she left our house, he climbed up on the bench to watch her out the window. He knocked on the glass to get her attention and waved to her. She smiled and honked as she drove off and he continued waving to her until her car was no longer in sight.

I don't even know all the details of what they did, but I'm guessing it was all good as far as Thomas was concerned. He likes everyone, but he really liked her. Maybe this was a first crush? Whatever it was, I've already requested she come back next week. If he could say it, I'm pretty sure I'd be hearing "When is Sarah coming again??" every single day until she does...

hanging out with daddy

Thomas and his dad spent the afternoon together doing things they enjoy while I stepped out with some pregnant mama friends. At one point, M snapped these photos of Thomas enjoying an applesauce snack in the kitchen. He usually sits in his highchair and holds the applesauce cup with one hand while spooning it with the other. But today he sat in a chair and ate it like a big boy. Neither of us have seen him eat like this before, but he sure looks comfortable, doesn't he? You'd think he always sits and eats like this.

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[Note: Our old kitchen, including this chair, will soon be a thing of the past and we'll have a nice kitchen in which to cook and eat. Yay!!]

a special chair for Thomas

Thomas could seriously spend the entire day reading books. Transportation and animal books are his favorite. Grandma decided Thomas needed to have his own special chair/reading spot and quickly put her skills to work. The finished product? This colorful leather beanbag chair complete with an embroidered fire engine, race car, train and his initials. It's absolutely perfect for him and he loves it!

Do!

It seems that every day Thomas surprises us with yet another word we didn't know he knew. Several weeks ago the surprise was hearing "No" spoken by his sweet baby lips. We knew it was inevitable, but we weren't very happy to hear it just the same. Fortunately, it's just a simple "No" accompanied by a little shake of his head. If we have to hear that response, I can't imagine a sweeter way to hear it.

However, we decided we needed to start hearing "Yes" more often and began working on getting positive responses from him. Over the last few days he has started saying "Do". At first we couldn't understand what he was trying to tell us, but then it hit us. To him, this means "Yes". Oh, he can say "Yes" (or rather "yesh" while nodding his head), but instead he says "Do". It's terribly cute and makes us laugh.

brusha brusha brusha

Thomas loves to brush his teeth and does this activity several times a day. Usually he stands in the hall and watches himself in the mirror, but today he wanted to stand on his step stool and brush at the sink. I'm not sure how much actual brushing gets done, but he sure has a ball doing it!

she's a lady

Greta claimed this old office chair as her own months ago. Every evening when we are hanging out in the television room, she sits in her chair. Sometimes she's curled up sound asleep in a very uncomfortable-looking position. But then other times she sits just like this with her front paws crossed. She's such a beautiful girl.

Mr. Manners

Thomas has been working on his manners lately. He has been covering his mouth when he coughs for months. He's also been really great at giving family and friends hugs when we greet and say our goodbyes. He says hi and bye bye, usually coupled with a wave of his hand. He knows thank you and often says it while also signing thank you (his variation of it anyway). We've been working on saying please when he asks for something. If I could remember to remind him consistently, he'd have it down. But, hands down, my favorite is excuse me. After a burp, he puts his hand up to his mouth and says it. It's totally cute and makes this mama so very happy and proud. All I have to say is burp away, baby! Your mama loves your good little boy manners.

Elk Rock Gardens of the Bishop's Close

This morning we enjoyed a visit to a local garden just a couple of miles from our house (same designers as New York's Central Park). The photo above was taken in the parking lot and with such a beautiful space to greet us, we knew we were in for a treat. Located on a bluff overlooking the river, the views are great and the grounds themselves are beautiful. There are approximately 6 acres designed in a classic English garden style. The paths meander around large central lawns and vary in elevation with stone steps and gravel walks. I can only imagine how beautiful this garden must be in the spring and summer months when everything is in bloom -- we're looking forward to those visits already!

rough life?

Our sweet, sweet Bela napping on the sofa...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Grandma brought Thomas a talking stuffed puppy this morning.

I guess one could say he kind of liked it.

21 months

"Dump truck comin'

down the road.

Dump truck haulin'

a great big load.

Round and round

the wheels they roll.

Round and round..."

Thomas loves this dump truck. He loves pushing it up and down the sidewalk, letting it roll down driveways, and filling it up with rocks and twigs. Last week his friend L (Thomas calls him "Go-go") brought his dump truck out and the two had a great time rolling them around together. For months, Thomas would say "choo choo" every time we passed L's house due to the fantastic collection of trains L owns, but now it's "Go-go dump truck play".

bath fun

Thomas has a bath every evening before bed. Sometimes we color on the inside of the tub, sometimes we pour water from one cup to another, and other times we get serious and don't even play with toys. Tonight he decided to play with his bath letters and numbers. We grouped them by color, hooked them together, spelled short words, etc. He thought it was funny when I put a couple on his back, but when I put them on his chest? He thought it was great fun and started putting them on his chest himself. I couldn't resist asking M to snap a few photos of him.

community art garden

Have I said before how much I love our neighborhood? There is such a great sense of community here -- it's a terrific place to live. This morning we walked over to New Seasons to participate in the kids' art project that will be permanently displayed in their community garden. Together, Thomas and I glazed a small ceramic heart (finished product at right). We ran into several other families we know in the 'hood working on their own glazed heart project and also inside the store sampling free chocolates and shopping for goodies. While we looked around, Thomas sat in the jogger and read a magazine. It was a nice way for our family to spend a Saturday morning!

a pea for you and a pea for me

This afternoon I put Thomas' snack on this little bench that the dogs' food and water bowls sit on. He thought it was great and happily sat on the floor eating his peas. Greta was curious and soon he began feeding peas to her. One for him, one for her and so on until they had emptied the bowl. Our girls know better than to snatch food from his fingers. Greta patiently sat there next to him and gently accepted his peas. I figured it was a nice reward for all the good playing she does with him. Every afternoon he chases her around the house shrieking "Ta-ta!!!" and giggling. Sometimes she appears to be playing with him and actually keeping balls from him, but mostly she's just avoiding him. He thinks it's great fun so around and around the house they go. She's so good to him.

zoo trip

While at the zoo...

Have you ever actually heard an elephant trumpet? Did you know they also make a chirping sound? Have you seen them run around?

Have you ever heard the primates shriek and holler at each other (I initially thought it was an alarm)? Or seen them swing from side to side in their exhibit just as you imagine they do in the wild?

We witnessed all of the above this morning. Plus a chimpanzee was throwing bark and carrots out of its exhibit (at people!), a polar bear was actually playing with a ball and three fighter jets flew over as we were leaving the zoo.

I've been to the zoo many times but have never witnessed so many animals "performing". It was quite a show this morning! And a good reminder that dry (& partially sunny) winter days are perfect for visiting the zoo. There were no crowds so Thomas could run and roam free and the animals were quite entertaining.

mama photos: 23 weeks

[hijack of Thomas' blog]

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This afternoon I was looking through some photos of my first pregnancy with Thomas and comparing them to photos taken during this second pregnancy. The two photos above were taken at 23 weeks -- the left during my first pregnancy and the right during this second pregnancy (uh, yeah. can you say "weakened tummy muscles"?). I currently weigh less than I did at the same point of the first pregnancy, yet look how much larger my belly is! It's no wonder I toss and turn all night and can never get comfortable. I'm going to be so huge by the time I hit 40 weeks (full term).

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[/back to regular "Thomas' blog" programming]

musical chairs

If M isn't home when I take a shower in the morning, Thomas hangs out in the bathroom with me. I used to roll his highchair into the bathroom, attach the tray and give him some toys to play with. But since I'm now only picking him up when absolutely necessary, I've had to come up with other ideas. One day this week he and his doll played musical chairs while I showered.

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[Note: Yes, this is a potty chair. No, Thomas has not used it yet. We use it as a step stool to reach the sink.]