hello bubbles

Some gorgeous weather this week found Thomas and I playing in the backyard with the girls. All three of our kids love bubbles. The girls will jump around and bite the bubbles I blow. It's very cute and fun for Thomas. He thinks they are silly and laughs hysterically.

Happy Easter!

The Easter Bunny made a last minute decision to bring Thomas his first basket this year. He loved it! As do the dogs who have been spotted several times today carrying the stuffed M and soccer ball around the house. His parents enjoyed the chocolate treats.

11 months

Thomas got this walk-and-ride toy last weekend and he loves it. He'll push it around the living room, bumping into furniture and the dogs, too, if they aren't paying attention. Once in awhile he'll stop and put his arms up in the air as if to say "Look! No hands!!" and then he'll continue pushing it and bumping into things. He also loves to put things into the trunk (green thing in front) and take things out of the trunk. He puts them in and takes them out. Over and over and over...

Tulip Festival

The weather was absolutely gorgeous this afternoon in Woodburn for the annual Tulip Festival. Thomas' favorite part was a tractor-trailer thing that drove past while I was snapping these two photos of him.

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bump!

The exersaucer is so great. Whenever I need a free moment, in he goes. If I'm making dinner, he's in the exersaucer. If I'm outside doing something in the yard, he and the exersaucer are out there with me. But I think the end is nearing. He's beginning to pick it up and move it around which is still okay, but then he isn't always on the smoothest of surfaces. This last weekend he moved into onto the concrete pavers in the backyard. He was okay there, but once he began moving back to the smoother concrete surface, it caught on a paver and down he went. Fortunately the exersaucer broke his fall so it wasn't nearly as bad as it otherwise might have been. He cried for about one minute and then was right back to his happy self (his mom, on the other hand, took 20 minutes to recover). A little bump on the forehead and small scrapes on the nose and above his lip. Poor guy!

lessons at the zoo

Thomas really wants to walk. He wants to practice all the time, so this afternoon we did just that while at the zoo. The large lawn area with the stage is perfect for letting the kids run wild, picnics in the sunshine, and just taking a little break from zoo activities. In one exhibit, this lovely gazelle showed Thomas how the whole "walking around on two" thing is done.

Could he know?

Funny story to share...

I was making lunch this afternoon and had Thomas in his exersaucer hanging out in the kitchen with me. His is different than most in that it has three legs that touch the floor. One is a stationary leg and the other two have wheels so the exersaucer can either be moving or locked into a stationary position. These last few weeks, Thomas has taken to pulling up a corner and dragging the thing across the floor. He's able to move around a room with this nifty little trick.

So, I'm cooking on the stove and Thomas is spinning around in the exersaucer. He moves it around the kitchen and heads toward the hall. Somehow he is able to maneuver the thing around some corners and ends up getting it almost entirely into the bathroom. I know he's safe so I leave him alone and continue cooking. Then I hear him grunt. I look over and see what I affectionately refer to as "his poop face". When he finishes, he picks up a corner of the exersaucer and moves it back into the hall and toward the kitchen. He makes it into the kitchen where I scoop him up and take him back into the bathroom for a diaper change.

Could he really know? The kid amazes me.

[Note: This is not an April Fool's joke.]

kids in sunglasses

slowly, slowly, very slowly...

Thomas is on the move! Well, he's been on the move, but now he's actually inching forward! He's been pulling himself forward on his tummy for the last few days. He tries to get up on his knees, but isn't always successful. While standing and leaning against furniture, he's also beginning to "cruise" or pull himself along. There's alot of verbalization that accompanies these forward movements, but he's moving! Hooray for you, baby!

baby with a mohawk?

happy boy

We spent a little time outdoors today watching the girls chase squirrels. There are three trees and two garage rooftops that the squirrels run back and forth on. It drives the girls absolutely bonkers. Thomas loves every minute of it.

Greta

Like Bela, Greta also thinks she is too good to sit on the floor...

10 months

My Top Five Favorite Places to Kiss You...

1. middle of your forehead
2. bottom of your bare feet
3. top of your head/ your hair
4. inside of your hands
5. on the cheek, esp. when you are smiling

Check-up: nine months

Thomas is growing strong and steady. No shots today, but he did get a big prick on his finger for some lead and iron tests.

weight - 22 pounds, 15.25 ounces (75th percentile)
length - 30.75" (97th percentile)

California wine country trip

Thomas and a lemon tree. Photo taken in the backyard of the Calistoga vacation property where we recently stayed.

Quick synopsis of our trip to Napa Valley... We had a nice time on a much needed vacation. Thomas did great on both of the flights and with all the driving around we did. The baby is a real trooper. He slept and napped just as he does at home, even when the naps just happened to be in the rented minivan. The only downside for him was the cold he has, but even that didn't seem to bother him too much. His cousin also has a cold so the two of them made quite a pair. Thomas was mesmerized by his cousin J the whole time. Watching J run around really made Thomas also want to run around. He couldn't get enough of going up and down the two carpeted stairs inside the house. Up and down, up and down. Thomas could do it all day long. The two babies did a great job accompanying us to a dozen or so vineyards and everyone braved the rain and cold to watch me finish the Napa Marathon. The weather was beautiful 4 of the 6 six days. The vacation rental could not have been better for two families to share and the Calistoga location couldn't be beat. The backyard, patio and pool were also beautiful, but we were not able to enjoy it due to the weather. For the adults, lots of good food and great wine on this vacation. In all, a wonderful trip!

waking from a nap

Greta loves to go in with me when Thomas wakes from his naps. He's always happy to see her, too. You wouldn't know it from his smile (photo taken this morning), but the poor baby has another cold. He coughed several times last night and has a really runny nose again today. He just looks miserable which makes me miserable.

new tricks: high five & waving

high five
Thomas has been giving us high fives for the last two weeks. He really caught onto this one quickly. If he's in his exersaucer, he'll high five you and turn to run, laughing the whole time. I'm not sure why he finds it funny, but he does.

waving
Last night I first noticed Thomas waving (at the ceiling light fixture in his bedroom) and today his dad saw him waving at the flickering flames of the fireplace. It was almost as if he were reaching and trying to grab something. A few hours later, he waved out the window so we practiced his new trick this afternoon. Again, this isn't the "parade wave" with the hand waving back and forth, but the "opening and closing of his fist" sort of wave. It seems like a difficult movement for his age, but it sure is fun watching him do it. Now I just need to get him to say "bye bye" while waving.

favorite item of the week: the aspirator

Thomas seems to go through one week periods where one particular item becomes his favorite thing. Other items will be played with (usually while firmly gripping the favored item), but he always returns to his favorite of the week. He wants to take it everywhere. This past week his favorite item has been the aspirator (pictured above, it's your standard blue bulb syringe used to suction out their noses). It has taken naps with him, slept with him, bathed with him, joined us on a trip to the mall, went to the swimming pool with us yesterday (it stayed in the locker room), comes along in the jogging stroller... Wherever Thomas happens to be, you can be sure this is with him. I wonder what it'll be next week?

feeding self

I have a love/hate relationship with the whole concept of "baby feeding himself". I love seeing his joy in accomplishing what seems to us as a simple task. I love watching him hold the teething biscuit in his chubby little hands as he studies it and eventually brings it up to his little mouth. Seeing all the nooks and crannies where food ends up is always a fun surprise, both in and around him as well as everywhere else. But the messiness of it all I could do without. And this is just a teething biscuit. It's going to be an entirely new ballgame when he's using utensils and food is flying around the room. That's how I picture it anyway. Food all over him, us, the dogs, the kitchen...

first swim

Yesterday I took Thomas for his first swim at the local community center. He didn't know what to make of it initially, but he grew more comfortable once we moved around and warmed up. He enjoyed holding onto the pool's tile edge with his feet pressed flat up against the side. He also enjoyed watching the swimmers in the adjacent lap pool. It must have looked strange to see arms flying, water splashing, and the occassional capped head bobbing up and down across the pool's length. He didn't like being splashed when a young boy jumped into the pool beside us, nor did he care for the rinsing shower before and after swimming. Overall, I thought it went really well for his first swim. Maybe next time I'll remember to put his swim trunks on... hey, at least I remembered the swim diapers!

For about the last two weeks, Thomas has been biting. It's usually on the shoulder while you are holding him. We've been pulling him away and saying No Biting! but at 9 months, does he really get it? Tonight he got his own fingers while eating a teething biscuit. He even drew blood! Of course he cried but only for a few seconds. I wish he could put two and two together and understand that biting hurts everyone.

love is in the air

Thomas got an even bigger and better balloon today from his daddy.

9 months

Likes: avocado, couscous, hummus, rice crackers, oatmeal, apples, pears, mangoes, cottage cheese, water, corn, bananas, toast, anything orange (vegetable, fruit or otherwise) and wants whatever we are eating

Dislikes: nothing

Bela... always in need of extra love

blue balloon

Thomas got this balloon tonight and refused to part with it...

Greta

Greta and Thomas are pals. She brings him stuffed animals. She won't flinch when he pulls her ears, slaps her tummy, or pokes at her nose and eyes. They love to stand and look out the living room window together. She loves to sniff him when they greet and he always smiles back at her. She looks worried when he is upset. She gives up anything that he tries to take from her. He loves to watch her wrestle Bela. He loves to watch them both eat and drink water. He tries to say Greta's name. She looks mean in this photo, but anyone who knows her would say she's far from mean. They are both lucky to have each other.

sunny day

It's still a cool 50-something degrees this week, but the sun is out and the whole world is suddenly a happier place. We needed some fresh air and the sun was irresistable so we walked over to the park where Thomas enjoyed his first swing.

Interest in crawling forward?

The cold is still hanging around but Thomas appears to be feeling better and is on the move. He's enjoying tummy time (finally!) and almost seems to prefer it so he's been hanging out on his belly quite a bit. He pushes himself around in a 360 degree circle and pushes himself backward, but hasn't gone forward yet. He like to rock forward when sitting and enjoys throwing himself forward, esp. when we are holding him. I still think he may just start walking before crawling, but only time will tell.

baby's first cold

Just two days ago I was thinking how lucky we are that Thomas hasn't been sick yet and how healthy I have been since his birth. Last night that all started to change when I told Mike my throat felt sore. I am feeling under the weather today and Thomas also seems to have caught himself a cold. We make a good pair. He seemed okay this morning, sneezing more than usual, but his spirits were up and he appeared to be feeling fine. By the time he went to bed tonight, his nose was running and he was completely wiped out. Hopefully this will pass quickly and we will all be healthy again soon.

puppy love

We've noticed lately that Thomas will give some love to his favorite things. It's fun to watch him pick something up and press it against his head or face so sweetly. Learning Puppy is one of those favorite things. So was this 10-1/2 month old girl yesterday at the library's storytime...

Thomas with his daddy

Standing tall

Last night during Thomas' evening bath, he stood up. Yes, our little guy has finally managed to pull all 22 pounds of himself up into a standing position. He's been trying this for weeks, but only while in the bathtub. I've encouraged him to try in softer places, such as the living room floor. I've put his favorite toys on the sofa hoping they would entice him into pulling himself up and reaching for them. He wouldn't have any of it. Instead, he's only been trying in the bathtub. The cast iron bathtub. Weeks ago I could sit on the toilet lid and sing songs to him while he sucked on his bath toys and splashed. But lately I've had to be close by and ready to grab him for fear that he'll bang his head into the side of the tub. And now he's figured out how to get himself up. Oh, how things are quickly changing!

Children's Museum visit

First visit to the Children's Museum today! Thomas had a great time with all of the different things, but this was his favorite. He loves to watch kids play and there were plenty of them at the museum. Once he's walking we'll get a membership. This is a good place to "wear out the children". After an hour, I was done.

New Trick: fun with tongue

Thomas has been practicing and perfecting this new trick for the past week. Sometimes he's just running his tongue over his teeth, other times he's sticking it out at me, the dogs, strangers...

View out a window

Thomas loves to look out the bathroom window and watch Bela and Greta run around. The squirrels tease them from the neighbor's tree, driving them absolutely insane. During the summer months, they'll be out back all day hunting squirrels. Once it warms up he can be out there enjoying the show, but for now he watches from inside.

Zoo and Library

Took Thomas to the zoo today! It was cold but we walked around for an hour and looked at the animals. This is the greatest benefit to membership -- we can make these short visits and not feel like we have to stay for hours to get our entry fee's worth. He didn't care for the monkeys today, but did enjoy the enclosed area of the primates. With all the hard surfaces inside the exhibit, his babbling echoed which only made him want to babble more and louder. Poor monkeys, though I'm sure it wasn't the first time. We also enjoyed seeing the elephants close-up and watching the bats hang upside down in the bat caves.

I have been taking Thomas to storytimes at the local library since summer, but we hadn't actually spent time in the library itself. He has just started to show some interest in the books I read to him so I figured it was time to start making trips to the library for books. This afternoon we got him his very own library card and checked out three books to read at home. He enjoyed hanging out at the library -- he pulled books off shelves, watched the other children who came and went, and babbled loudly. The library has a nice selection of board books for infants and a great little corner with a small table and chairs just for these smallest of library patrons.

teething biscuits = yummy for all

Thomas with his first teething biscuit. The girls were a little too curious and wanted to try the biscuits, too (note their noses in this photo). Thomas gave his first biscuit to Bela and thought it was the funniest thing when I reprimanded her. The second biscuit he dropped on the floor, also to be quickly snatched up by Bela. The girls are now banned from the kitchen when baby is eating.

Baby Gymtastics!

Spoiled again by grandparents...

We had been going back and forth on whether or not to get a jumping thing for Thomas. He really enjoys his cousin's, but it hangs in a doorway and I wasn't comfortable with that setup in our own home. I could just picture him bouncing into the walls, or worse, the dogs running into him. Grandma picked this one up for him (it has its own stand) and although he really liked it initially, we're not sure that he still does. It seems like a fun thing to play in -- all kinds of great sounds and lights, but he doesn't seem to be enjoying it and we just got it today. We'll give it a few days before we decide whether or not to return it.

8 months

My Favorites: evening bath, watching the dogs wrestle, sucking on the remote control, dropping toys over my shoulder, walks in the jogging stroller

New things: tooth #7, sticking my tongue out, sounds like "gu" (as in gush and good) and "ga" (as in golly)

Good Night, Thomas

Thomas is a great sleeper. Not only does he sleep 12 hours, but this is what we see when we put him to bed. As soon as we lay him down, his hands go up under his head and he smiles at us. There is a musical mobile of cars and trucks above his crib that we often wind up for him. After laying him down I'll point to it and ask if he wants to listen to it and he'll smile again. Sounds unbelievable I know, but I'm not joking. It's the sweetest thing.

Alternate use for the Baby Bjorn!

Thomas hadn't been in the Baby Bjorn since the weekend before Halloween when I carried him around the pumpkin patch. It didn't take long for my back to become sore from wearing this heavy little guy. When we returned home, I hung the BB in the closet with no intention of using it again...

However, things have changed. Thomas wants to walk, yet he doesn't have the necessary balance and strength to do so. That's where the BB comes in. We can snap him in it and use the straps to hold him up. It saves our backs and he's actually able to move faster which makes him happy and drives the girls crazy. They have no idea what's in store for them once he gets this walking around thing figured out!

New Year's Day hike

For as long as we have been together, we have always started out the new year with a hike. It's become a tradition that has grown and evolved as our family has grown. We've tried many different hiking spots, but have a favorite that we always come back to all year long. It's gaining popularity as nature lovers seek quieter areas with less traffic, but we can all still enjoy it. The girls love chasing each other through the forest and diving after birds. It's as much fun for them as it is for us to watch them! Next year on this same first day hike we'll be chasing a toddler along the trails, but this year he was kept safe and dry in the backpack carrier.

New Year's Eve 2006

Thomas is outfitted in a very fashionable party hat handcrafted by his mom. Usual bedtime for him is around 7 to 7:30pm, but this evening he managed to stay up until 8:30pm. That was the best baby could do!