First Teeth

The picture speaks for itself!

Tommy's First Christmas

Tommy's first Christmas was a magical day for all! We started the morning off with the gifts Santa left in our stockings: candy for Mommy & Daddy and new fun CDs and bath toys for Tommy. He can't wait to rock out to his Sesame Street ABCs!

Next, we proceeded to sit under the tree and watch Tommy play with all the packages. He's so spoiled! He received many new toys and adorable outfits from friends and family. All received his drool-seal of approval. :)

As the day continued, family and friends arrived at our house to celebrate Tommy's first Christmas. We had 21 over for the holiday meal and our home has never felt so full of love and joy. This final photo of the night was taken right before Tommy headed up to bed after a long but fun day...Auntie Michele sent him "My First Christmas" long-johns which he wore throughout the day with festive green socks.

Cheerios!

It's been such a busy week preparing for Christmas...sorry it's been a while since our last Tommy update!

Tommy tried Cheerios for the first time last Tuesday. Though reluctant at first, he now enjoys "gumming" them twice a day. He is still toothless, but drooling like crazy. As you can see from the photo, Tommy isn't the only one who likes Cheerios! Our dog, Kaya, is very helpful with clean-up both during and after meals.

We enjoyed a Christmas party at Tommy's friend Sadie's house last Saturday. Her daddy, Dave, took great pictures of Tommy, which we used for this year's Christmas cards. Here Mommy, Daddy and Tommy pose in front of their tree.
And to make up for lost time, here's a snapshot of Tommy playing. His favorite pastimes lately are rolling alllllll the way across the floor, pulling Mommy's hair and spitting up, though not necessarily in that order!

Santa's Lap

Tommy met the big man in red this morning. He made himself right at home in Santa's lap and asked that he leave lots of fun toys in his stocking and a new BMW M5 in the garage for Daddy. We couldn't coax a smile while he focused on the camera, but every time he looked up at ol' St. Nick he had a big grin on his face!

Tommy's girlfriends came to the mall for the big event, too... Ivy, Sadie, Taylor and Carissa. Tommy doesn't purposely socialize only with the ladies, but it sure seems that all of the babies born around the same time as him lack a Y chromosome!

"Hmm...What's in the box?"

Not even seven months old and Tommy's already shaking presents under the Christmas tree! Hard to believe Santa visits in a few short weeks. Not like he'll be spoiled this year...

Our aspiring percussionist found the tin pictured above quite amusing...it kind of sounds like a drum when you beat on it. And it's really fun when you bang two of the tins together. Music to our ears! Ha ha.

So far our little elf isn't the least bit interested in yanking ornaments off the branches of our tree, thankfully! But he's enraptured by everything that lies beneath...from the brightly colored ribbons and bows to the shiny wrapping paper. He must touch it! He must taste it! He must leave his drool seal of approval! (Advance apologies to any germophobe gift recipients... Tommy's running quality control on all packages.)

"C" is for Cookie

Tommy enjoyed his first Christmas cookie this Saturday during Mommy's annual bake-fest with her friend Caprice. What better way to initiate him into the wonderful world of sweets than one of Mommy's homemade snickerdoodles! As you can imagine, Tommy didn't eat much of the cookie (still no teeth!), rather he enjoyed gnawing around the edges while licking off the cinnamon and sugar. Tasty! If I could only learn to eat cookies like that, I'm sure my waistline would thank me for it!

Tearin' It Up

This is what Tommy really thinks of Mommy's Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I thought he might enjoy some of the vibrant pictures of Christmas trees and decorations in December's issue, but apparently he prefers the thrill of crinkling and crunching far more than gazing upon colorful images. In fact, he enjoyed the ripping and crumpling so much that he tried to scoot his way over to me to get the latest issue of Cooking Light right out of my hands. Fat chance, kid! Though it was exciting to see him try to move such a long distance! He's enjoying time on his tummy much more these days, and he'll be up on all fours crawling around before we know it.

Tommy's First Turkey Day

Tommy here...My first Thanksgiving was so much fun! Mommy and Daddy packed up the car Thanksgiving morning and we drove all the way to Redondo Beach to spend Turkey Day with Aunt Cindy and Uncle Jeremy. Grandma Norma, Grandpa Olson and Great Grandma Untz also came to the coast for the holiday. I fell asleep before dinner, but I hear the meal was delicious!
My photo album is so tasty! I was so busy chewing on it that I missed out on the pumpkin pie Mommy promised me. Oh, well...I'll get to try it at Christmas.
And what holiday weekend would be complete without some baby bar dancing? Daddy's birthday was the day after Thanksgiving, and Aunt Cindy's the next, so we all went out to dinner at Old Tony's on the Pier to celebrate. I hear the Mai Tais were so good that I (me... Tommy... the baby!) could stand up better than some of the people in the bar that evening! It was pretty chilly that night, so I'm wearing my fleecy hat Aunt Michele sent from Alaska. Who knew I'd need it in Southern California?

Big Boy Bath

Tommy enjoys his big boy bath seat to great depths. Compared to his infant tub, which fits over the kitchen sink, the grown-up tub gives him acres of room to splash and play. Among his bath toys he prefers the duck, but he doesn't really play favorites and tries to catch anything that bobs or floats past his little throne (as Daddy likes to call it). We're looking forward to taking our little fish for a swim in the spa once the pool is complete, which should be the week after Thanksgiving.

Happy Half-Birthday, Tommy!

Here half-birthday boy strikes a darling pose with Daddy at Dr. Downey's office. Tommy turned 6 months old today and received another round of immunizations. He barely shed a tear with this round of shots...and Mommy's getting better at watching the nurse poke him, too.

Our little man is now 26" tall and officially weighs 18 lbs., 4 oz. His height is slightly below the rest of his peer group, but his weight is right where it's supposed to be. His doctor has given us the OK to offer him a little juice now and then, so we're going to celebrate his half-birthday with an apple juice toast tomorrow morning. Cheers to the best six months Mommy & Daddy have ever had, Tommy! You're the greatest!

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Here James and Tommy bask in the delight of TJW's latest trick: the baby log roll! He rolled from his back to his tummy then just kept on going 'til he landed on his back again. He's been able to maneuver from his back onto his tummy for a couple of months, but until today the only way he got off his belly was with parental assistance. Hooray Tommy!
Here's Tommy's cute little mug. He's always happy to oblige the "mama-razzi" with yet another shot. Aren't those cheeks screaming to be pinched? Our boy is up to 18 lbs., 3 oz. and I think his 6-month growth spurt is kicking in (more fuss, more food, more naps). With his weight nearing 20 lbs., he's going to say goodbye to his baby seat this week once his big boy carseat arrives. He's growing faster than I ever thought he would...at only 6 months I wonder where all the time has gone.

"I've got rhythm!"

Our little man's got a new favorite toy...an electronic drum. Not only does the drum make a great balancing tool for our novice sitter, it enables him to do something productive with the wild arm flapping, which comes in a close second to drooling on his list of hobbies. He's also smitten with dismantling and chewing on the colorful stack of rings to his right...then chucking them as far as he can. I've actually taken to calling him "Chuck" since he's so fond of throwing his toys.

In other news, tonight Tommy dined alongside Mommy and Daddy in a restaurant high chair for the first time. He enjoyed playing and eating pureed apples in his new "floppy seat," which is a fluffy cover for the likes of shopping carts and public high chairs. Saturday he started taking his baths in the big bathtub, too...arm flapping = too much splashing for the kitchen sink!

A Morning Person Already?

Here's the smile we get to see each morning when Tommy wakes from 12 hours of restful sleep (well, 12 hours on a good night!). He goes to bed around 7:00 p.m. and the rooster crows for him between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., though he's been rising a bit earlier since daylight savings began. No matter how early, our day is always off to a great start with this big grin. I like to say to him "You look like you just won the baby lottery!" Doesn't he?

Here our little sunshine reaches for the toes of his pajamas on his changing table. He's so helpful! He is very interested in his feet and has started pulling on the toes of his socks, too. So far I've caught him each time, but I'm sure the day will come when he peels one off and I don't see him do it. Pair this with his love for throwing things, and little Tommy will have the washing machine beat in the "widowed sock" category before the holidays!

Baby Bat's First Halloween

Today Tommy (aka "Baby Bat") hosted his first party. And what fun it was for all of us! We had a full house with 14 babies from his play group and their parents, neighbors, friends and family. He had a great time spooking his baby friends with his costume...and they dressed to impress, too! A pumpkin was the most popular costume for the drooling set, but we also had a spider, a ladybug, an elephant, a "pea-in-a-pod", a giraffe and a surfer girl. All were precious as can be!
Here's a shot of Tommy in action blowing a raspberry. Who knew bats could make this funny sound?
And finally, a family photo including our tortured dog, Kaya. She tolerated the witch hat and cape long enough for this photo op, but she's really not one for costumes.

Little Slugger

Tommy is enjoying his first World Series with Uncle Derick. He is cheering on the Astros, Uncle D's favorite team for years and years. Though he hasn't been able to make it past the first couple of innings (darned bedtime!), he's had a lot of fun chewing on his stuffed baseball while the game is on.

Oh, and notice superstitious Derick...he is not wearing White Socks to protest Chicago's recent wins. We even removed Tommy's socks shortly after taking this picture to prevent any bad sock vibes from making it to Houston. Go 'Stros!

Mass-pberries

Today Tommy learned how to blow raspberries. He discovered this new noise this morning and happily buzzed "thhpppttppp" all day long. Why did we think this would stop when we attended mass this afternoon? Seated only five rows from the altar, Tommy delighted himself with his newfound talent during the service. He buzzed his way through the first few minutes of the liturgy, then Daddy took him to the back of the church before all of the surrounding pews burst into laughter, but it was a close call!

It appears St. Elizabeth's is the place he likes to make the most noise in public. Exhibit A: his baptism. Screamfest! And we can't forget when he tooted multiple times (quite loudly!) in front of Father Kevin. Having your child pass gas in front of a priest really makes a mom want to crawl under a rock. I guess Tommy just wants to be certain God knows he's at church!

Embarrassing moments aside, watching him grow and learn to do new things fills my heart with so much pride and love. And even the embarrassing moments create such wonderful memories! He seems to jump a new hurdle every time I blink and I feel so blessed that James and I get to witness his "baby steps" each day.

Sitting Pretty

Here's our beautiful boy sitting tall and strong. Today was a busy day for us. We went to lunch with Tommy's friend, Lylah, and her mommy, Jessica, at Macaroni Grill...he decided to sit tight in his baby seat and didn't get fussy until after Mommy ate her lunch. Bless his heart! We tried to go to Babies R Us for a professional portrait, but with a two-hour wait Daddy can do just as good of a job at home!

"Peas...make it stop!"

Hi, it's Tommy here. Today I turned 5 months old. I thought I might get some cupcakes or a few presents to celebrate...but nooooo, I got PEAS for dinner! I took half a dozen bites before I got cranky, but how am I supposed to eat this stuff when even Mommy made a funny face after taking a bite? She tells me they are good for me, but I'm not buying it so far. I think carrots or pears sound much better, don't you?

More Sitting Progress

What a difference a day makes! Tommy props himself steadily on his hands and can sit in this position for nearly a minute. All it took was a little practice!

"I was (almost) sittin' here thinking..."

Tommy is making some progess in the realm of sitting up! Seconds before the flash of the camera fired, he was perfectly balanced in the full, upright position. But as luck would have it, the Tommy tower toppled as soon as I got the camera ready. I'm amazed that he sometimes puts his arms out to catch his fall, though he's done his fair share of faceplants onto his blankie!

Our little man will hit the 5 month mark this Monday and today he weighed in one ounce shy of 17 lbs. He seems much bigger than friends his same age, but most of his baby friends are girls (what a ladies' man already!) He is a very happy baby and is very active wiggling and getting lots of exercise.

Tippin' the Scales

Tommy now tips the scales at 16 lbs., 9 ozs. We may have a future linebacker on our hands!

Our Big Move

Our move went very well and Tommy has adjusted to his new home already. He has begun taking regular naps of 45 minutes to an hour twice a day in his new room. A well-rested baby is a happy one, and this couldn't be more true with our little guy. Another big change for Tommy has been eating in his new high chair...Mommy assembled it herself! He's far more interested in the attached toys than his yucky rice cereal, but mealtime gets somewhat easier each day.
Here Tommy poses with Grandma Norma when we dropped her off at the airport after she helped with our move. They had so much fun together during her visit! While here she taught Tommy A-E-I-O-U (he prefers "I" and doesn't care for "O" or "U") and got in as many snuggles as possible until we see her again.

My First Beach Trip

This weekend we took Tommy to beautiful Redondo Beach, CA to enjoy sand, surf and sun before it gets too cold. The weather was in the 70s and perfect for a first time beachgoer. We bought a beach umbrella, as our bambino is still too young for sunscreen, and spent the day strolling "The Strand" between Redondo and Hermosa beaches with Aunt Cindy and Uncle Jeremy. Tommy really enjoyed the sound of the waves and also showed interest in the hundreds of gulls that congregated near our beach towels. Dad had fun mocking said birds with a "Mine, mine, mine" from Finding Nemo. Fortunately we avoided a direct hit from the flock.
Here's our future sandcastle building champion! Tommy dug right into the sand...fortunately we stopped him from getting any in his mouth, but he was trying!

Our happy boy with Aunt Cindy.

Sleepy Little Fella

Tommy was very sleepy today...he must be having a little growth spurt. He hasn't been one for naps since day one, but today he took FIVE! He sleeps very well at night (8-10 hours!), and if he actually starts snoozing during the day it will be a godsend. Particularly in the coming weeks as I try to put the house back together after our move.

And this picture was just too cute to pass up. Here our well-rested Tommy poses on his tummy.

New Toys and Food

Tommy had a big day yesterday. He tried out his new exersaucer toy, which was a huge hit with both Mom and Baby. He really enjoys his newfound "sitting" capabilities and he was content playing with all the different contraptions attached to the entertainer for nearly 30 minutes before he got fussy. This will give Mommy a chance to get a little more done around the house.

Another big first yesterday: rice cereal. Mmmm! Now, as much as he likes his exersaucer, he dislikes rice cereal. 99% of the cereal ended up on his bib, which is de rigueur for the first feeding (and several hundred thereafter!). Next time we'll try it in a bottle with milk instead of attempting another spoonfeeding, though the "thhhptttttpptt" noise he made with the spoon was pretty funny.

Today we went to lunch with my girlfriend, Carla. Tommy sat on my lap for most of the meal and managed to grab several pieces of iceberg lettuce and bits of cabbage off my plate and drop them on my jeans (only a little bit of ranch dressing came with them). Dining out with a little one can be quite challenging, but we hope that by exposing him to restaurant situations when he is small it will make for better mealtimes as he grows. I'll get back to you on whether or not this theory works! Ha ha.

The next week will be very busy for our family. We get the keys to our new house a week from today and we have much to do to prepare for moving day. Grandma Norma is coming to Las Vegas to keep Tommy company while Mom & Dad pack and move. We're very excited for her visit as she hasn't seen our little guy in nearly two months. I hope you've been lifting weights, Norma...he's put on a few since you last held him! Ha ha.

Two Feet Tall...and Needle-Proof

Tommy's four-month check-up went very well. Mommy winced more than he did when he got his second round of immunizations! He is officially two feet tall and weighs in at 15 lbs., 4 oz. That's more than twice his birthweight already. His 24" height puts him in the 10th-25th percentile of his peers, which means he's a little vertically challenged...this week. But his weight places him in the 50th-75th percentile, which means he likes to eat! Overall, he is a very healthy baby who is developing right on schedule. Doc says we can start him on cereal and solid foods (read: yucky mush!) whenever we wish, though he seems to be doing fine just nursing for now. I'm a little nervous about giving him formula or other foods because then he won't need me as much as he does now. Silly notion, yes, but mothers are full of these little fears.

Tommy's Tummy Time

Tommy can now roll from back to tummy without help from Mom or Dad. He did it for the first time yesterday afternoon, and it has quickly become one of his favorite ways to pass the time when he's on his playmat. This photo was taken this morning after he completed the feat several times on his own. We're so proud of our little guy!

Tommy's getting plenty of exercise outside, too. He attended his second swim lesson and went under water for the first time with Mommy's close supervision and help. He really enjoys the water and loves to float on his back in the pool. He also likes to try floating on his back in his baby bathtub, which is way too small for this type of trick! It makes bathtime a little tricky, but the splashing is fun for him.

Welcome to Tommy's Blog!

What better way to update our friends and family on our growing boy than his very own web page? We'll post pictures, new and old, here, as well as his latest milestones and funny stories.

Here is his most recent photo: Aloha Tommy! He can't wait to go to the islands with Mom and Dad someday. With as much as he loves his ocean-themed playmat, he will be right at home snorkeling with the turtles once he's big enough. We started swimming lessons last week (basically glorified bathtime without the pesky soap) and he loves the water so much.

Nearing the four-month mark, he holds his head up very well and loves to "stand" with a little help from Daddy. Tommy has a strong grasp on items such as his blankie, small rattles and Mommy's hair. He also likes to flap his arms up and down as if they're wings. Future aviator perhaps?