7 1/2 Months

I know, I know, it's a little late, not to mention being combined with a 1/2 month but hey - I'm a working mom!  The holiday season has come and gone but what a fun time we had! Tommy also reached some big milestones this past month...

He's sitting up on his own

Tommy's saying "dada" (not mama yet, but hopefully soon!)



And he's crawling!!  The first he crawled was December 30 and he hasn't looked back...

We've ditched the little tub now and are taking baths like a big boy!  He loves bath time!!

Tommy's also transitioned to feeding every 4 hours now and eats all kinds of fruits and veggies, I think his favorite is sweet potatoes and his least favorite is avocado - but I'll give it another try soon!

We visited Santa at Northpark mall - I was ready for a crying fiasco, but he was too curious about Santa's beard to cry!

Our first Christmas was so wonderful! Santa came early on Christmas Eve because I was scheduled to work in the NICU on Christmas day. We opened presents and played with our new toys all day until it was time to go to Grandma's for Christmas Eve Mass at St Patricks and then dinner and more presents at Grandma's.

Christmas morning I got a wonderful surprise - the day off of work!!  So we all went to Sherman to see the Sherman clan and then stopped off at Liz and Pat's on the way home.  It was a great day and I was so grateful to be able to spend my baby's first Christmas with him.  





New Year's weekend was spent with nana and granddaddy.  Matt and I spent the night at the Hilton in Fort Worth on Friday and then NY Eve we opened more gifts and then went to dinner together.  Tommy didn't stay up to see the ball drop, but neither did mommy!  Nana and grandad bought a swing set for their house for the grandkids' Christmas gift - Tommy loved the swing - the higher the better for this little daredevil!

Happy New Year to you and your family...I am so grateful to look forward to another year and so blessed as I look back on last year, what a year!

6 Months

Tommy's Six Month Stats:
Height: 26.25 inches (50%, @ 4mos 30%)
Weight: 16 lbs, 1.5 oz (45%, @ 4 mos 35%)
Head circumference: 44 cm (45%. @ 4mos, 50%))

Tommy's just climbing right on up the growth chart!!  This didn't surprise us at all though because our little man has grown out of his 3-6 month clothes already! 

New activities:
- Rolling from back to front AND front to back - some how he uses the rolling to get around now, from one side of the living room to the other!
-Jumper - he loves his new doorway jumper (and so does mom!)

-Eating in his hi-chair: Tommy started eating rice cereal and fruits and veggies.  Mommy has even made some of his baby food! 

 First cereal feeding

First hi-chair feeding

Tommy also had his first sleep-over with nana and grandpa while mom and dad went to the Margarita Ball!  I think Zoe wanted to stay over too!

Yesterday, we made the trip to Waco with Uncle John, Uncle Pat and Aunt Liz for his second cousin Laney's first birthday party - it was tons of fun!  I sure hope Tommy and Laney can be just as close as Aly, Jenny and I are!  Here's the birthday girl:

I've taken his six month pictures, but not sharing them just yet - Christmas cards coming soon!!



5 Months

Our little boy is just growing leaps and bounds! He's still taking a bottle six times per day and will eat five to six ounces at a time. While he's at home with mommy and daddy he naps 3-4 times per day, but not at daycare - Ms Vicki told him he could "clock out" to take a nap because he didn't need to watch all of the babies for them! He just studies those other babies crawling and walking...I'm sure it will come soon.
His favorite activities: rolling over from front to back, almost back to front; still loves to stand up on your lap, spends tons of time in the exer saucer, likes the bumbo, and of course, he loves to chew on all of his toys.

Mommy and daddy had a little break and Tommy spent the weekend with Grandma and Roland - they took him to the pumpkin patch and he had his first face painting!

Mommy and Melissa also took him to the Dallas Arboretum pumpkin patch - we had a blast taking his picture and he had fun with all of his costume changes :)

4 Months

4 Month Check-Up Stats:
Weight - 13 lbs, 14.5 oz (35%)
Height - 24 1/4 inches (30%)
Head circumference - 42.2 (50%)

Well, I guess the weight I tried to take was a little off since a month later he is almost 14 pounds :)  I'm sure I say this every update, but he is just growing like a weed!!  He is completely grown out of his 3 month clothes - Matt put his Longhorn onesie on for the game last week and he busted the arm seams!!

We've had some big events this past month: Tommy was baptized at our church, St Thomas Aquinas, and was blessed with his godparents Uncle Travis and Aunt Laura.  (I need to get the pics from my mom). 
Tommy also attended his first of many SMU Boulevard parties - had a great time but was a little tired after:

Tommy is just the happiest baby - he giggles, smiles, and coos ALL of the time. He's also holding rattles and toys in his hands and of course, trying to eat all of them - yesterday his hand and rattle was slobbery he couldn't hold it and kept getting so mad! It was too funny!!! Tommy is also holding his head up really well now and enjoys sitting in his bumbo chair like a big boy. Yesterday he even sat in the buggy at Target - he only lasted about 15 minutes - but he is my child so he will learn to love those shopping trips to Target soon.

His newest trick is blowing spit bubbles - loves to do it himself and loves it even more when you do it!  Such a boy...

3 Months Old

Boy time sure does fly by...I can't believe my little guy is already 3 months old!  I weighed him yesterday and he is 13.5 pounds - all cheeks too!  My favorite time with him is in the morning after his first feeding while I hold him and we just stare at each other and make funny faces and coo back and forth.   He also likes to stand up on my legs while he tries to stand up and hold his head up on his own, every day he gets better and better.  Our family has settled in to a nice routine since I started back at work, I take Tommy to daycare on my way in and then daddy picks him up.  By the time I get home, daddy's already given him a bath and put him to bed, but I get to do his last feeding at 8:30.  Tommy's sleeping through the night now and most mornings I have to wake him up so we can get to school/work on time (which I totally don't mind ;)). 

Returning to Work :(

I can't believe it, but my 12 weeks of maternity/medical leave are up! :(  I have mixed emotions about returning to work, which is a job that I absolutely love, but I would rather be at home with my little Tommy.  Tommy went to daycare this past Thursday and Friday for about 6 hours at a time so he and I could get adjusted to life with daycare.  His teachers Ms Vicki and Ms Chandra are super nice and I'm sure he's making friends with all the other babies just fine :)   Also, last week (@ 8 weeks of age), Tommy started reaching for the toys on his crib gym!!

 Tommy - 6 1/2 weeks - I just love this outfit!!

 Reaching for his toys

This past weekend we went to New Orleans for the Henegan Family Reunion and had a BLAST!!!  Tommy was the hit of the weekend and came home spoiled from being held or walking around in his stroller the whole time!!  The food was great, the booze plentiful, and the company wonderful - it was great to see the Henegan family.  Thanks to Lindsey Rush & Saundra - Daddy and I had a couple of nights out on the town - boy those 7am feedings sure did come fast though!!  We also got to see Tommy's cousins Owen & Nate and their mom & dad - Jason & Sonna - they drove in from Mobile, AL to come see us.  You might be wondering how we arrived in New Orleans - after much debate between dad and me - we flew.  I wanted to drive so that I could take everything imaginable with me (what mom wants to be limited to 2 carry-ons?) and dad wanted to fly because we would get there MUCH faster.  I was nervous taking Tommy on the plane - I've been on several flights with babies who cried the whole time - and I do not want to be that person.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience though- Tommy was awesome and slept just about the entire time.  Now, traveling through an airport with a stroller, luggage, car seat and baby is not an awesome experience, but we managed it - carrying our Starbucks and all!

 Great-Grandma Henegan, Tommy & Mommy

 Great-grandpa Henegan, Uncle Ryan, Tommy & Mommy

Daddy & Tommy overlooking the French Quarter

8 Weeks Old

Tommy is getting bigger, smarter and of course, cuter every day.  I really am amazed at how fast he grows and develops - his newest "trick" is smiling back at me.  Matt says he's been smiling at him for "weeks" - hard to believe ;) - but I'm thrilled he smiles at me now!  Tommy's been cooing and holding his up by himself for long periods of time - such a huge change from just 8 weeks ago.  Last night he reached out and tried to grab the toys on his little gym!!! 

Last Friday Tommy had his 2-month check-up, here are his updated stats:
Weight - 10 lbs, 9 ounces (30th percentile)
Height - 21 1/2 inches (10%)
Head circumference - 39 3/4 inches (47%)
He also received his 2 month immunizations!

This past Saturday, Daddy and I dropped Tommy off with Grandma Cindy & Roland so we could have our first date since Tommy was born.  Tommy also got to meet his great-grandpa Roy and great-grandma Maryanne - they loved him up!!  It was neat to see 4 generations of the Rush family. We had a great time starting with dinner at Sushi Axiom and then a couple of beers afterwards.  I was a little afraid we would talk about the baby the whole time - not that there's anything wrong with that - but I was really looking forward to some adult convo - and after we discussed the pros/cons of taking the BOB vs the Snap N Go stroller to New Orleans this weekend (did I really just say that?) we had some very stimulating conversation!! 

More to come next week - we are going to New Orleans for the Henegan Family reunion on Friday - Tommy's first plane trip!

 July 6 - Wishing Aunt Brittany a Happy Birthday

6 Weeks Old!

 7 Weeks Old

Great Grandpa Roy & Great Grandma Maryanne