Where has the time gone?!?!

We are long overdue for an update! We have settled into life in Cowtown, it sure is a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Big D. I am loving my job and slowly getting used to working 5 days per week. Tommy loves his new school and has lots of new friends! Here's my attempt to catch up on the last 5 months: 10 months: Ten months old on St Patricks Day (what a good little Irish boy!). Still pulling up and starting to cruise along the couch and ottoman. He had his first trip to Ol' South Pancake House, a diner that mom used to go to as a kid after church, he LOVES the pancakes there. Starting to eat more solid foods and his bottles are close to meal times. Napping about 2-3 times per day, still having a hard time napping at school though. 11 Months: Went to his first outdoor concert at the Craft Beer Festival on W 7th with his cousin Zoe. He loved listening to the music and even clapped for the performers (first time clapping!)! Meals are all table foods, no more baby food, bottles only at meal times in an attempt to start weaning the bottle in a month or so. Tommy's faborite thing to do is push any kind of push toy around and his working up the courage to take a few steps on his own. We also celebrated Tommy's first Easter with mass at St Patricks and then brunch at Grandma and Roland's with Uncle Ryan, Nana, Grandaddy, Caroline, Hailey, Maddy, Adam and their new baby! Mommy and daddy also took a trip to Playa del Carmen to celebrate their 5 year anniversary, Tommy stayed with nana and Grandaddy half the time and with Grandma and Roland the other half. Mommy and daddy missed Tommy tons but were able to scuba dive and relax on the beach. Uncle Travis and Aunt Laura joined them for a few days too! Mommy hoped she wouldn't miss his first steps and she didn't!!! 12 Months: What a birthday party we had! We had about 40 guests who enjoyed a delicious BBQ in the backyard. Tommy had his first piece of cake that was more worn on his face than eaten! Tommy is walking when you hold his hands. He no longer takes a bottle and drinks all whole milk! Sure is nice not cleaning bottles or making formula!!

Almost 9 months...

Wow!  So much is going on in our family right now, where do I start?  I just accepted a new position at Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth as the Nurse Manager of the Neonatal ICU and I start Monday!  I truly feel like this job is meant to be, so many things have just fallen into place.  We've decided to move to Fort Worth March 1, (can you hear my mom screaming with joy?!) and are renting the cutest little house in the Arlington Heights neighborhood.  Matt has been so supportive of me in this new job and has taken on the burden of the commute to downtown Dallas from downtown Fort Worth for me - what a husband!  Matt also was just promoted at work, his new title is "Business Planning and Analysis Manager."  So happy for him - he's worked very hard for this!  Tommy was able to transfer to Kid's Place, a day care that is for the employees of my hospital and Cook's Childrens Hospital and it is rumored to be excellent according to my reliable sources!  The only downside to the new job is working 5 days/week now (Monday thru Friday), so Tommy will be at Kid's Place 5 days/week, but he loves his day care so much now - the poor kid won't sleep while he's there because he's afraid of missing all the action! - I'm confident he will love the new one just as much.  Miss Chandra was not thrilled her little poopoo is leaving her and I know T will miss her too. 

So enough about me, onto Tommy Boy - he now has 2 teeth, bottom middle.  And has had his first illness, a couple weeks ago he developed a nasty cough and runny nose, right when G Aunt Susan and G Aunt Debbie were in town for a visit, then came down with a fever and had an ear infection in both ears - poor baby.  He did not feel good, lots of cuddle time was in store.  But then, just as I thought we were on the mend, another runny nose/cough started and then spiked a fever and had ANOTHER ear infection.  So he's finishing up round 2 of antibiotics now and is acting like he feels much much better.  Overall though, he's been a pretty healthy kiddo considering me working in a hospital and him going to day care, I'm just praying we are clear for a while now.  I hate to see him sick, it just breaks my heart. 

He's also started pulling up, first on the toy basket and then on the ottoman, I'm bracing myself for cruising next!!  We go to the pedi Friday for his 9 month check up so I'll post his stats soon, I don't feel like he's grown much this time, but we'll see!

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 ;)).