Our Little Crawl-Star

Tommy's becoming a real scooter now that he's getting the hang of crawling. We can't take our eyes off him even for a second! His newfound mobility means he now spends some of his play time in his portable crib (a.k.a. Baby Jail!), which he doesn't seem to mind as long as he's accompanied by several toys. Pictured above is what Mommy & Daddy usually see of him now...a rear view during another escape attempt!


Since a sunny Las Vegas spring is just around the corner, I thought he could use his first pair of sunglasses. He smiled from ear to ear when I first put them on him, then they went straight into his mouth...imagine that!

It's Snow Time!

Tommy had his first romp in the snow this weekend in Mammoth, CA. He was mesmerized! I think he'd have truly enjoyed rolling around in the fluffy white stuff...except he was so bundled up in his little snowsuit that he couldn't move much! That did not stop the little guy once we de-puffed him inside the cabin, though. He is now a card-carrying member of the crawling crew. He can also maneuver to a sitting position on his own...he likes to practice this trick at 3:00 a.m. and "ask" for Mommy's help to lie back down. Now, onto more snow pictures...

Here he flashes a big grin while posing with Daddy on an equally big pile of snow.

And here Mommy gives him his first lesson in making snow angels.

Bonus photo! Forget that constricting snowsuit...I prefer my birthday suit!

Addilyn's Here!

Tommy here...I have a new girlfriend in Chicago! Mommy's dear friends, Bradi & Josh, welcomed beautiful Addilyn Janeen early yesterday morning. Mommy says my new friend's a night owl like Bradi since she was born at 12:14 a.m. Addilyn weighs 7 lbs. 11 oz. and she is 20" tall. We already have something in common because that's how tall I was when I was born!

As you can see, she's super cute and the most perfect baby girl ever. I can't wait to meet her so we can play together! And a big congrats to Bradi & Josh...I know Bradi is going to be a great mommy 'cause she gave me awesome snuggles when I saw her in July. Three cheers for baby Addilyn!

Baby in a Basket

Tommy was one tired fella at Auntie Sarah's bridal shower! We traveled to Portland over the weekend and had a great trip, but all those miles took their toll on our little man! In a desperate move for a safe napping spot, I asked our gracious hostess, Kristie, for a laundry basket and a soft towel. She came through in our time of need and our little guy slept quite comfortably during his afternoon nap...even with 20 women swooning over the bride-to-be in the next room. This photo is courtesy of Auntie Jess and her sneaky baby cam.

We had a wonderful time visiting with both family and friends in the Rose City. Tommy spent a lot of time playing with his 10-year-old cousin, Alyssa. I have never seen our baby laugh so heartily as he did while playing with her. Talk about contagious giggles! Aly was a huge help to me during our stay and will surely make an excellent babysitter someday. It was a busy time for us...Tommy visited with all his Portland-based aunts and uncles, Great Grandma Thompson, Great Grandma Roser, Grandma Renee, Grandpa Rick & Grandma Peggy. We wish we'd had more time to spend with everyone...the weekend went far too quickly.

Alas, I did not bring my camera to Portland, so I am short on pictures during our time there. Any volunteers? I saw you snapping away, so send them on down!

Drumroll Please!

Tommy's passion for percussion has resurfaced! He finds joy not only in the zillions of toys peppering every corner of our home, but also in the everyday items such as Great Grandma Thompson's old stock pot, various mixing spoons and all sizes of measuring cups. He does the usual taste test (pictured above) then bangs away! He likes to tap the 1/2 and 1/3 cup measuring cups together, then he does a baby drumroll with the big black spoon and a soup ladle. Cousin Brennan needs to give this boy lessons! Sadly, the wooden spoon he's happily chomping in the picture had to be removed from his collection...after watching him gnaw on it for a few minutes Mommy realized those little teeth were working on making splinters. Almost an ouch! But he wouldn't make much of a future back-up singer with a mouthful of wood, so we nipped that in the bud early.

Hikin' Babies

Tommy went on his first hike with Mommy yesterday. We live a very short distance from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, so it was an easy choice for our little man's first brush with hoofin' it through nature. Along with Tommy's friend, Sadie, and her mommy, Ami, we walked the Moenkopi trail, which is approximately two miles long. By the end of the hike I was sure wishing for his stroller...his weight is comparable to a big sack of potatoes!

2006 Already?

Another year has come and gone...hard to believe it (as usual!) Tommy rung in the new year with his friend Ivy. She's quite a looker and made such a great "first date" for Tommy. Even though she's wearing a pretty dress, she definitely wears the pants in this relationship. She has 8 months to Tommy's 7, so she's advanced in crawling, standing and generally dominating him in a playful way. The kids had a blast and stayed up until 7:00 p.m., and the parents reeeeeeally stretched to make it until midnight.

Here Tommy whoops it up on NYE with some of Ivy's fun toys, his favorite was the drink coaster.