Tommy Time

My Two Front Teeth!

2010-02-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

Finally! A picture where you can see those two top teethers! They broke through around January 30th (Tommy was NOT having a good time at cousin McCoy's first birthday party) and they've been poking out ever since.

Looks like we've got a Letterman-style gap! But I'd rather they come in straight the SECOND time.

Bath Time!

2010-02-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

I can't believe this is the kid who HATED his bath until he was 6 months old!

Tommy's Winter Adventure

2010-01-22T09:41:00.001-08:00

Tommy's Grandpa Steve was in town from Phoenix last weekend, so we took Tommy on a road trip to Cedar Rapids, NE to crash the hunting trip. We also bundled up Tommy and made him a little sledding trail! I think we enjoyed it more than he did, but he tolerated it :)

Here you go, Belle!

2010-01-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

Tommy has learned what to do with his food when he's finished eating..

What Happens at Grandma's...

2010-01-07T07:08:00.001-08:00

My mom, aka Tommy's "Putty," is watching him today. She just sent me this picture on my phone.

Gotta love grandparents.

Through the Year!

2010-01-01T11:02:00.000-08:00

Here they are: A look back at Tommy's first year, one month at a time!!

One-Year Stats

2009-12-31T08:43:00.000-08:00

Weight 21.3 lbs.—25% percentile or a little lower
Length 30 inches- 50% percentile on the nose
Head 18 1/8 cm- 25% percentile or a little lower
4 shots.. and then pricked his finger and took lots of blood for hemoglobin.. it was horrible.

But here's the good news.. Dr. J. checked to see how he's doing walking and he took a sort of step on his own toward me. A half step/half fling. I think we're getting close. Then there's no stopping him!!

Merry Blizzard-mas!

2009-12-26T06:56:00.001-08:00

So what we got for Christmas this year was about 2 feet of snow!

We made it to my parents for Christmas Eve dinner and a few presents but we are still waiting to see most of our relatives!

Yesterday it was just me, Tom, Marc and the dogs. We watched some movies, played Wii, we all took naps and of course watched others in our circle trying to shovel, snowblow and go places! Hoping to see the rest of the world today! In all a quiet, cuddly Christmas, one I'm sure we'll never forget! And much better than last year, when poor Tommy became a glowworm and had to go on bili-lights for a couple of days!

Merry Christmas to all, whereever you are!

And guess what Tommy got for Christmas? Tooth #2. Thanks, Santa :)

The Birthday Bonanza!

2009-12-21T09:05:00.001-08:00

We had Tom's first birthday party yesterday! Overall it was a success. Tom destroyed his cake, not sure how much he ate but he loved making a mess. He had some fussy moments.. but with a runny nose and (possibly?) a second tooth coming in, he did great! Not that interested in unwrapping presents, but sure was excited to push them around today. He has so many relatives who love him lots, that's for sure!

The Tooth is Here!

2009-12-15T07:54:00.000-08:00

On Saturday (his aunt Holly's birthday) the first tooth broke the surface! Took almost a year... but it's here!

Tommy was a little fussy during the afternoon and we thought he would be a bear when we took him to a friends birthday party. Quite the contrary, he had a blast! Didn't seem to mind wearing his Santa suit (except for the hat) and had so much fun playing with all the paper during the gift exchange. I have a feeling the wrapping paper will be the biggest hit both for Christmas and this Sunday at his birthday party!!

Ha ha ha ha!!

2009-12-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

One my friends has a son the same age as Tommy. We both get "updates" from some parenting websites about our babies progression/development/physical growth etc. Mostly I ignore these, since they think my kid should have had teeth 7 months ago but this I could NOT ignore:

Around this time, some children become seriously picky eaters. Just keep offering her good food and plenty of snacks and sooner or later her appetite should bounce back to normal. If your baby eats hardly any veggies one day, try to serve up plenty the next day. And never force something on her -- if your child's truly hungry, she'll eat what's in front of her without any prodding from you. And most kids do end up getting the nutrition and calories they need, even if they skip a meal here or there. One food she probably won't need any arm-twisting for? Birthday cake! It'll be a blast, but make sure to keep things in perspective -- there's no reason to let the little details stress you out. To make the day as smooth as possible, delegate, delegate, delegate: Ask a friend to take pictures so you can actually be in them, consider hiring a cleaning service so you can stay out of the kitchen, or have baby's nanny or favorite sitter on hand in case she should get a little fussy and need a break from the crowd. Get more great time- and stress-savers here and below.

Ah, thank you parents.com. I'm make sure to invite Tom's nanny. right after I hire the cleaning service. Thanks for this oh-so-practical advice.... Guess I should be running pony rides in my back yard or something..

BAER!

Blame my Handwriting on my 4th grade Teacher

2009-12-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

A recent shopping list

So recently I told my mother that I was in the process of addresses the invites for Tommy's party.

"Did you make them look nice?" she asked. I said, "I used marker so my handwriting isn't as bad as usual." I replied.

You see, I have terrible handwriting. I generally print. And it looks like a 4th grader wrote it, or as a former roommate (Marney) once said a serial killer.

"Bury the bodies in the backyard," she would read off my shopping list. "No," I would correct her, "It says milk, apples and eggs."

But back to the 4th grade thing. When I was in 4th grade, Sister Jean Margaret gave me a "D" in handwriting. A "D!" That's practically an "F!" I never got bad grades, and barely even had a "C" at any point after that in my academic career. But I think that ingrained in my head the idea that I just had, and always would have, horrible handwriting.

My 4's and 9's are often confusing. Ditto for 1's and 7's. And my u's can often curl in a bit, looking like a's. I had to make sure after Tommy was born that his birth certificate would read Thomas GUY Haire instead of Thomas GAY Haire.

My mom said, "You could have nice handwriting if you just took your time." Probably fair advice. But I'm 34 years old. Maybe Sister Jean should have told me that...

First Birthday Blitz

2009-11-30T09:39:00.001-08:00

This picture is from Saturday after Tom and I took a walk on a glorious sunny November 28th. November 28th! That means kiddo's first birthday is approaching fast.

I've heard about moms who are planning major blowouts for the first birthday... with themes and even dress codes for the ADULT participants. A theme? I guess the theme for Tom's birthday will be "come eat chili in our house and pretend it's not five days before Christmas." My goal will be to NOT wrap Tommy's gift in Christmas paper.

I got an entire catalog of 1st birthday party products... and a planning guide from Toys'R'Us.

I wonder if I would be handling this differently if his birthday weren't so close to Christmas. Probably. But Tom is stuck with the birthday he got. And he's sure going to get a lot of love. And that will happen all YEAR round :)

Wonderful Wedding Weekend!

2009-11-23T09:01:00.001-08:00

What a great weekend! My cousin Alissa got married! Woo! I was the matron of honor so daddy took care of Tommy for most of the weekend (with some help of my parents of course!) Tommy looked adorable in his vest and clip-on tie. A great time was had by all.

Oh, and my parents took Tom home with them. Marc and I actually went out after and wound up at Taco Bell at 12:30 a.m. Ah, it was just like being in my 20s all over again. Marc is still in his 20s. At least for two more days!!

Go Jays!!

2009-11-18T09:51:00.001-08:00

Took Tom to his first Creighton game last night! He had a great time. His favorite part: eating french fries. He would finish one, then bang on my basket until I gave him another. So why is childhood obesity a problem in America? Jays won, we had a great time and he was one tired kid. Passed out in the car on the way home. He loves to climb stairs. Bet he could go town in the Qwest Center if we could let him loose!

Day 2- aka THE FINAL DAY

2009-11-14T12:48:00.001-08:00

So I woke up feeling HORRIBLE. Bad headache, sweats, chills.. devastated because I didn't think I would be able to continue the Cabbage Soup Experiment. But a couple of aspirin and 30 minutes with a cool washcloth on my head and I was feeling good. Had a V-8 and some cabbage soup that was mostly broth for breakfast. It actually tasted good!

Went to Jazzercise. Got home, sauteed some asparagus. No problems. Then ate a giant salad and some soup for lunch. REALLY had to choke down the soup. It was totally disgusting to me. The cooked veggies just seemed so damp and colorless and mushy. Ew.

Then Marc and I loaded Tommy up for a trip to Sam's club. Halfway through I sprinted to the bathroom and puked up a whole lot of green.... and then I had my husband take me to Hardee's for lunch. I had a burger, fries and a smile on my face the whole time. Marc asked me why I tried the diet anyway and I said "Just for fun." and he said "It wasn't fun, was it?" Good point. One think I've learned from this experience, moderation and exercise are LOT easier than cutting out protein and carbs. So if anyone else wants to try to the diet- good luck!! I'll read about in your blog while I eat a burger :)

Day 1

2009-11-13T07:16:00.001-08:00

So last night I cooked up a big pot of cabbage soup and put it all into 10 containers. As you can see in the close up picture, there are plenty of non-cabbage ingredients. Celery, carrots, green onions, tomatoes, green pepper. It didn't smell great, but after two hours of simmering, I tried a piece of cabbage and a chunk of green pepper and they weren't bad at all.

I also found a new handy cabbage soup website with meal ideas that answered some questions for me. Yes, I can have coffee. And even a little olive oil is ok for salads and cooking veggies. So I'm excited. But no sweet potatoes. And I don't think I can have green beans either.

Today I eat cabbage soup and whatever kind of fruit I want. I'm more of a veggie girl than a fruit girl so this could be a challenge. Tomorrow is veggie day. The only thing I'm trying to figure out is what to eat for breakfast tomorrow? Maybe some asparagus? This morning I had some pears, a glass of cranberry juice, and I finished off Tommy's container of pear/pineapple blend.

Here goes nothing!

What am I getting myself into?

2009-11-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

I know I normally reserve this space for Tommy pictures and Tommy stories, but over the next week it's gonna be about me.

Tomorrow I start (drumroll, please) the GRAND CABBAGE SOUP EXPERIMENT!!! aka the 7-day cabbage soup diet. The goal of the diet is to drop ten pounds of water weight for a special occasion. The special occasion in question is my cousin's wedding Nov. 21st. I am the matron of honor. My dress fits fine, and really I'm not that distressed about the state of my body. But I'd like to look a little less puffy. Plus, I figure if I can *see what my body looks like 10 pounds lighter, I'll get the motivation to get back on the Weight Watchers train. So it's really sort of an experiment.

Tonight I cook up the soup. It has a LOT of ingredients that aren't cabbage. Mushrooms, carrots, green peppers, etc. Then each day has a different plan/theme. Tomorrow I get cabbage soup plus all the non-banana fruit I want (bananas are a theme for a later day). I figure if nothing else maybe I will find a love for some new fruits and veggies.

Thanks to Dee for the info and inspiration! I will make you my role model for the next 7 days.

So I don't get any beer or chocolate, right?

Damn.

Wish me luck!

My Philosophy on Pictures

2009-11-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

When my son is doing something cute, I often snap a picture with my phone. Look, Tommy is petting the dog! I punch in a few numbers. Instantly it's sent to my husband, my mom, and friends in every corner of the nation. Oh, and I also send it to my e-mail, so I can immediately post it to facebook and blog about it.
In fact, when I get brand new pictures of my son, the first thing I often do is post them online. And then I keep checking back to see who has posted comments. Hey, look! Somebody I worked a summer job with in high school "likes" my picture! My friend's neighbor who I met once at a bachelorette party thinks he's cute! Instant gratification! Instant acceptance! I have an adorable child.

But you know what I miss? Photo albums. The kind from the 70s with big orange flowers on a navy background. The yellow-toned pictures (why was everything in the 70s yellow?) of my childhood used to stick to the pages. Now they just sort of slide to the bottom of the plastic pages. I used to crawl into my mom's lap or climb up next to my grandma, and ask them to tell me about the pictures. What will I do now? Pull Tommy up next to the computer screen?

And let's get back to the cell phone I use to snap those instant pictures. I would imagine, like most kids, my son will have one by the time he's 12. If a girl (!!!) wants to call him, she'll dial his cell phone. I can remember in 8th grade, sitting with my sweaty hand on the receiver, heart pounding. Working up the courage to dial the numbers I'd had memorized for weeks (not simply programmed into my phone). Then, once I did it, dealing with a parent, or even worse, an older sibling, answering the phone. "DANNY, it's for you!!! It's a GIII-RLL!" It makes me sad my son will never hear the phone ring and excitedly wonder who it is, instead of seeing the name and number right on the screen.
So as I get ready to post my next batch of Tommy pictures online for all the word to see, I make sure I print a few out, and press them in an album.
These are the ones I treasure the most.

Tommy the Toothless Wonder

2009-11-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

My son is almost 11 months old and this is how he smiles: all gums! There have been MANY signs of teething, but no teeth. For months I've dropped him off at daycare and said things like "his teeth really seem to be bothering him today." There's been drooling, finger chewing, ear pulling and massive amounts of gnawing colorful plastic objects. But no teeth. My son is clearly messing with me.

I check every day: not even a speck of white visible on the gumline.

Why do I bring this up? My mom just forwarded me an e-mail. My cousin's baby, who is three months younger than Tommy is suddenly sprouting FOUR of them. So is my OTHER cousin's baby. She's FOUR months younger than Tom. It's all part of the comparison game that starts the day your kiddo is born. Somebody's kid is always going to weigh more. Or less. Or have more hair. Or a tinier nose or more delicate ears.

Something happens the second the nurse puts that squirmy red bundle in our arms. We must compare it to the other bundles in the nursery. How loud he cries, how well she sleeps, even how many times he pooped!

I bought a book telling me about the "milestones" Tommy should be reaching in his development. According to that book, he should have been rolling at six weeks. It was more like six months. I buried the book in a closet.

My child is a wonderful, happy, funny, busy toothless wonder. He can gum the heck out of watermelon, Ritz crackers, and thanks to grandma, even Rice Krispie treats. So while all I want for Christmas may be Tommy's two front teeth (or even ONE bottom tooth), he could care less.

Plastering my Kid on my Desk

2009-11-10T11:00:00.001-08:00

This is the mousepad that now sits on my desk. It replaces a generic Starbucks one I inheirited with the desk 8 1/2 years ago. I designed it on Kodak Gallery. $9.99! The site has changed, and the changes annoy me, but I suppose I shall deal with it.

So considered this a PSA for your holiday shopping needs-- makes a great gift idea!

Movin' and Groovin'!

2009-11-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

Not only is Tommy now pulling up on everything (including Lucky) and cruising from each piece of furniture to the next... he's also mastered going UP stairs. It's going DOWN I'm worried about...

More Pictures by Uncle Derrald!

2009-11-03T11:29:00.001-08:00

We're so lucky to have a great photographer in the family. And a great daddy for cousin Riley, too!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

Had a great birthday/Halloween with my little dino. Tommy's cousin Riley was also a dino- that made for doubly cute pictures!

Have a Dino-mite Halloween!!

2009-10-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

Our fun Halloween photo shoot! As you can see the dogs wanted in on the action. Too bad they ate the pumpkins..

Spaghetti!

2009-10-26T13:58:00.001-07:00

Mmm.. Tommy really liked his first taste of spaghetti! He has no teeth, and it took him 6 months to really start rolling; but if he's ahead on anything, it's eating!

He "self-feeds" very well and would much rather feed himself (shovel it in) than eat off a spoon! Yesterday he was really putting down the rolls at Texas Roadhouse. Yes, this kid loves food. Good for our growing boy!

I'm so Ashamed

2009-10-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Every time I see the posts on facebook, I groan a little bit:

Little Becky Sue is in a photo contest! Vote for her! She's only 10 votes behind some kid from Arkansas!

And then if you vote, you are forced to log in and you get slammed with spam for the next two years. And it's really all about how many people you know and not how cute Becky Sue is at all..

But then a friend posted a link that her kid was in this contest to be in a baby Gap ad. I voted for her adorable son and then promptly entered mine. After all, everyone (OK mostly people I'm related to and a few friends) say Tommy should be in ads. So I did it. So sue me. I think I have the cutest kid in the world and I'm hoping for lots of votes to reaffirm my belief.

Click below, and you can help me feel more worthy as a mom. Because, yes, this is proof that I really am a proud mom. With a baby who was clearly made to sell overpriced and adorable clothes! :)

http://family.go.com/gapcastingcall/entries/kaycubs17/825530338/

Playing is Hard Work!

2009-10-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Out cold in the exersaucer!

OK- Just a couple more pics..

2009-10-05T07:53:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-05T07:47:00.001-07:00

Tommy had his first trip to Vala's pumpkin patch this weekend! We had a blast. He liked looking around at everything. It was fun to put our pumpkin in the pumpkin patch!

Tommy at 9 months!

2009-09-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Dr. J. says Tommy is looking great. Weight is up to 18.6 pounds, length 29 inches. So he's long and lean at this point. To be expected considering how much he's moving and shaking. Still no teeth! Dr. J. says there seems to be a little truth to the old wives tale: The later the teeth come in, the fewer problems they'll have with them later in life. Hope it's true!

As promised: Crawling Video!

2009-09-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

Crawling!

2009-09-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

No video to post yet- but we made actual forward progress this weekend! Will hopefully have movement captured soon!

Little Husker Fans!

2009-09-14T07:59:00.001-07:00

Tommy had a great time this weekend at his first Husker party! Thanks to cousins Kyle and Molly for hosting the great shindig! All of the Big Red babies had a blast playing together!! Tom especially liked borrowing cousin McCoy's tricked out exersaucer :)

The Best Toys Aren't Toys at All...

2009-09-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Fun with the car seat.

Daddy dressed him... first time in Chiefs gear!

My Parents went to KC and all I got was this hat!

2009-09-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

We had our first night away from Tommy to catch a Royals game and hit Worlds of Fun. We've both had Tommy by ourselves, but this was his first night away from both of us! He did great for Putty and Grampy (my parents) woke up at 4 a.m.... but I guess it could have been worse! We missed him and of course picked him up a little souvenir!

Tommy is Eight Months Old! (Barely)

2009-08-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

So big! So happy! Just don't look at the scrapes on his forehead. The ones for which I am responsible. I post this fearing that the state health department might come to my door and revoke my mom card. Friday night Marc and I were getting ready for a quick run to the grocery store. He handed me Tommy so I could pop him in the car seat. I picked up my smiling happy baby and preceded to toss him in the air as I often do. The next 2 seconds happened in slow motion.

"THE FAN!" Marc yelled. Too late. Apparently I didn't notice it was on or how close I was to it. Luckily it was just a graze.. and Tommy's tough!

Cousin Riley also had a solution: that pink Hello Kitty bandaid. I think that horrified Marc more than the original injury.

Lazy Summer Days!

2009-08-05T09:20:00.001-07:00

I just enjoyed five days off in a row! Got a chance to pick up some cute new duds for Tommy (he loves to play with his hat), to spend some time splashing in the kiddie pool, and to let Tom indulge in a bit of his favorite new treat: ICE CREAM!!

Uncle Derrald's Pictures!

2009-07-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to have a photographer in the family! Last night Derrald (Tommy's favorite godfather) was hauling out the photo gear to take pictures of cousin McCoy with his mom and dad Molly and Kyle-- so we crashed the shoot. These are the results. The wiggly babies even managed to pose for one cute picture together! Derrald normally shoots landscapes and wildlife. Last night he had some REAL wildlife to contend with! Actually the boys were VERY good! You can see more of his work (incredibly beautiful and all of the pictures have fancy names) at his website: www.journeyoflight.com I check it frequently, his pictures make me feel nice and peaceful!

Who Needs Expensive Toys?

2009-07-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

A simple sheet of newspaper brings much delight to young Tom!

Splish Splash!

2009-07-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

Since the quality of the pool video is so bad-- I figured it was time for a different water video! Here's Tom in the tub. I can't believe this is the same child who screamed bloody murder in the bath for the first 5 months of his life.

Fun in the Pool!

2009-07-19T18:08:00.001-07:00

So since Tommy loves the bathtub and his kiddie pool so much, Marc and I decided to try the neighborhood pool. We haven't really been swimming since our honeymoon.. so we forgot just how c-ccccc-oooollllldddd the water can be. We slowly walked in and dipped his feet-- he screamed bloody murder! We got him out, gave him a bottle, and tried again after the rest break.. letting him sit on the edge and slowly working his way in! He had a blast, splashing, kicking and laughing out loud.

Sorry for the quality of the video my cell phone, the sun (I could see what I was shooting) and the water made for a tough situation. You get the idea, though. And why does my voice get four octaves higher when I'm narrating Tommy video?

First Flamingo Fest

2009-07-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Flamingo Fest '09! My parents annual pink and tropical, live band and margarita machine in the backyard party has come and gone for another year..

This year it fell on my dad's 65th birthday!! All the more reason to party! But, Mr. Tom didn't get much of a nap and the band was kind of loud for his taste. So there were some cranky pants and he wasn't up to playing with his cousins. Next year he will love it... and at least he LOOKED festive.

Summer Fun

2009-07-09T07:53:00.001-07:00

Seems like I haven't posted much lately. We've been busy, busy, busy! Mostly just enjoying the sunny weather and just keeping up with Tommy. He's doing a great job sitting up and LOVES to be outside.

Lovin' the Pool

2009-07-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, the video isn't the best because I couldn't peek through the viewfinder. .but eventually you do get to see his face! Tommy is sitting up great on his own and loves to splash and kick. He did a faceplant reaching for a toy and soaked his hat, but all was well again moments later.

Six Month Update!

2009-06-25T15:43:00.001-07:00

Here's my little "heartbreaker!" Went to the doc today. Tommy G. is 15.5 pounds, 26 1/2 inches. Basically hanging around the 25% percentile. Still a little squirt but climbing the chart every time we go in. He's doing great in all of his "skills" except the little guy just doesn't want to roll over! But he sat up for the doc like a champ-- and loved crinkling the white paper on the table.

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Tommy!

2009-06-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Six months of smiles, giggles, drools, diapers & spit-ups!

Camping with Tommy!

2009-06-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took Tom to Marc's family cabin in Cedar Rapids, NE. He rode with dad, I took the dogs in the Jeep. He did great, loves being outside! And slept great in his pack-n-play. He really seemed to like the tractor, just like Daddy!

Tommy's First CWS!

2009-06-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Tommy did great at his first CWS! It was hot, so we didn't make it through the whole game, but he was interested in all the colors and people. Last year will be the last at Rosenblatt, so we'll try to take him to a game then, too. Of course, we're pulling for LSU. Mom had some GREAT times in Baton Rouge :)

One heck of a crew...

2009-06-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

So when it comes to taking walks, I've had to make a choice.. take the dogs and leave Tommy with Daddy, or take Tommy, and leave the dogs at home. Sunday I decided to try taking all of them, by looping the dogs leashes around the stroller. It worked out surprisingly well! At least once Belle realized she had to stay on "her side." I only ran her over about 4 times first... We got lots of strange looks and even more smiles.

Like Father, Like Son

2009-06-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

Tommy's first trip to the Bass Pro Shop. His great Aunt Kay bought the hat... it's still a little big, but should be perfect by the time dad takes him to the cabin for the first time!

Busy Weekend and Baptism!

2009-06-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week and weekend! Tommy's Baptism was Sunday! His Grandma Kate, Grandpa Steve and Uncle Matt came in from Phoenix and they've had a chance to get to know him a little bit better. Here are some highlights:

Hanging out at home with Grandma Kate and Grandpa Steve

After Baptism with Grampy Kent and Putty

Getting to see cousin McCoy!

Napping after the big ceremony!

With godparents Holly and Derrald, cousin Riley, Father Perry, Mom & Dad!

Blowups and Blowouts WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT

2009-06-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

So, Tommy got sick for the first time. It started Wednesday night, with some serious projectile vomit. No fun for kiddo or mom! I stayed home with him Thursday and Friday mornings, Daddy did Thursday afternoon, and Putty (aka Grandma Lynda) did Friday afternoon. While I LOVED having the extra time with him, watching him be so sick was miserable. I think I cried nearly as much as he did! He recovered well enough for a couple quick outings Saturday and thank goodness he was ready for daycare again today. The bug he had seems to have "worked its way" through his system... and that's happened with some of the worst blowouts ever!! Here's some highlights/lowlights from recent days:

Lucky the Kleenex thief!

Worst blowout in history: Ewww!! Thank goodness for baby OxiClean!!

Smiling through the sick:

Crashed out!

2009-05-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

What a great Memorial Day! Tom got to hang out with cousin Noah! Tom is 3 months older, it seems like a big difference now, but it sure won't in a year or so! The proud Grandmas had fun showing off their sweet "Silly Little Baseball Monkeys" This is the first in what will likely be a long string of pictures in matching outfits. I am so lucky to be entering my journey as a new mom with my special cousin Alissa :)

Green Beans Were a Hit!

2009-05-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

To celebrate his 5-month-birthday, I decided it was a good time to try non-rice cereal solids. Dr. J. suggested green veggies, then orange, so we started with green beans. I've heard many kids aren't in to the green ones and much prefer sweet potatoes and squash. But we're off and running! Tommy ate the whole container- and this was his reaction after finishing!

Picnik Time!

2009-05-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

Seriously, picnik.com is about the most fun website ever! It's super easy to play with color and focus. I could spend all day editing Tommy pictures. Here's my latest creation: Red Flannel Baby! Miranda rocks for introducing me to this site. And it's spreading like wildfire here at A3N!

Tommy LOVES toys!

2009-05-20T07:01:00.001-07:00

When Tommy was first born I couldn't figure out why we had all these rattles and keys and stuffed animals for him. Now I know why! He LOVES playing with his toys. He can squeeze his Baby Einstein duck and play music. He loves to put the surfing duck in his mouth. And he loves his "Taggies" toy from cousins Lorrie and Charlie he loves to shake it and pull on the tags.

Mother's Day Photo Shoot!

2009-05-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

So all my mom wanted for Mother's Day was a picture of Tommy with his cousin Riley! This was easier said that done! We finally managed to contain almost-two-year-old Riley with her boundless energy and little Tom who can't sit up on his own yet, on a blanket. Thank goodness Riley's dad is so great with the camera! As many shutter clicks as he could fire off in a few seconds and we got a good shot! Then Riley was off again to giggle and play in the grass. Getting a good shot of the family wasn't easier, either. Tommy did just fine, but Marc and I had a hard time not squinting in the son. An adventurous and worthwhile afternoon! We'll try another Tommy/Riley photo session when Tom's a bit older!

Watch Tom Grow!

2009-05-19T09:39:00.001-07:00

Since I'm getting started kind of late, here's a look at how Tom's grown over the past four months! He is a happy, smiley little guy.

How it all began!

2009-05-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

Here he is: the morning after his birth, the "Guy" this blog is all about: Thomas Guy Haire! I hope to post pictures and updates frequently, but let's be real: I'll do it when I have time! Welcome and wish me luck on this new project!