So many changes

Dear Thomas,
A lot has happened since October! Here are some of the highlights.

We moved! We now live at the house in Auburn where you will grow up. You may not remember the condo when you read this, but we lived there for your first 20 months of life. Now, we have our own place on the second floor of Nana and Pepere's house. It is where your mommy grew up and where your Nana grew up! I am so excited that you get to grow up here too.

Halloween was great, you dressed up as a skunk! You didn't do any trick-or-treating this year, we will save that for next year. But, we did spend some time with Grammie and Grandpa; Great Gram came to visit and so did Aunt Non (Aunt Donna).
You had your second trip to the emergency room. You fell off the changing table and hit your head on the radiator. It was awful, and mommy felt so guilty about it! You ended up with 5 stitches on your forehead. We were at the hospital for four hours, you were so scared and cried most of the time we were there. Luckily, after the stitches were put in, you fell asleep, so the rest of the time you were calm. Although you might not remember this ordeal, we will never forget it!
That's all for now, although Christmas is this week so I will post again soon. Daddy and I are so excited to watch you open your gifts this year, we think you are going to love Christmas :)

18 months

Dear Thomas,
Well, tomorrow you will be 18 months old and boy have you changed! Your vocabulary has exploded... you try every word now, and even if it doesn't sound right you still keep trying. You LOVE saying the following words: apple, water (wawa), thank-you (and yes, you use it correctly!), Calliou, and baby.
You are getting very good a your puzzles, you can put them together pretty quickly with little help from Mommy or Daddy. I am shocked to see you put the pieces in every time.
You love the show Calliou, and ask for it every morning. We are trying to not show you it every morning, but it is hard to resist that cute face!

We went apple picking last weekend, which you loved. Mostly, because you have learned the word apple, and so you could point to just about every apple we saw and say, "apple." You do love being outside though, so you have fun with any outside adventures. I have been teaching you how to play in the leaves, you think it is very funny.
Starting tomorrow, you are going to be in a sleeping bag at daycare! No more pack and play :) It seems like you are growing up so fast... I can hardly believe it.
Love you,
Mommy

vocabulary

Dear Thomas,
You have had a vocabulary explosion this month! You repeat words back to us and you have a lot of new words that you like to show us you know. Your favorite words are eyes and nose- as you point to your eyes/nose and shoes. You are amazing us everyday with new "grown up" play. This weekend you started playing with your cars and trucks, driving them around the house. You are getting good at your puzzles, especially the shape puzzle. You are turning into a little boy!

As we get ready to celebrate your 18 month milestone, we will also be getting ready for some other big changes. We are going to have another baby, and you are going to get to be a big brother! Although you are too little for us to explain this to you, you will be old enough when the baby comes in April to notice the new addition to the family! We will be moving into our house in November, so we have room for our new family of four. That will be a big adjustment for you, although you are already used to the house, because Nana and Pepere already live there.

You got your first haircut a few weeks ago. I was afraid that it wouldn't go well, but you sat there nicely and let Becky cut your hair. She was very quick, and that helped. You look so handsome with your new cut.

Today we went to your Great Uncle Brian and Aunt Tammie's house. You played with your cousin Gabe- you won't see him much because he lives in Texas, but you two had fun today :)

Love you,
~Mommy

Back to School

Dear Thomas,
Well, Mommy has returned to school, and things have become pretty busy for us. You had a little trouble adjusting (you actual got the flu the first day I went back :( ) but you seem to be getting into the routine now. You love daycare, so I know you are happy, its just a matter of you settling in!
We have been otherwise busy, busy, busy! We spend a lot of time at Nana and Peperes (the place we will be living soon) because Daddy is working hard to finish the rooms for us. You have fun there and you love to pick tomatoes and eat them fresh from the garden.
Your vocabulary has been getting bigger, you have picked up a few new words and you are working on a few others. Mostly, you are developing your listening skills. Mommy can say, "Thomas go get your green ball in the basket." and you will do it! It surprises me every time.
You are getting a little more daring these days. Although, you have been climbing for a while, you are now interested in jumping too. You love to jump around on the bed and the couch. You tried to jump off the steps at Nana's yesterday... it is a little scary, but I know you will be OK.
Picky eater- you will eat a lot, but you are saying no more and more often to the foods you have always liked. You no longer eat sweet potato, green beans, or regular potatoes. We better start getting creative with what we give you!

Love you,
Mommy

Things you love to do

Here are some of the things you LOVE to do... and the major reason I don't buy you many toys...

Putting all of your books in the hamper... one at a time.



Playing in the sandbox at Nana and Pepere's





Helping Mommy clean the house.








Spending time on the computer.








Sitting in baskets and hampers.



Stacking blocks? Not for this little guy... give him some cans.
Trying on Mommy's shoes.

Summer Fun

Dear Thomas,
We have been having so much fun this summer! Alas, the summer is coming to and end. Yesterday was our last beach day. We have gone to Range Pond almost every week this summer. You have been getting more and more comfortable with the water. This week, you stayed on the beach the whole day (which is good because I get tired of following you to the playground)

You love the garden! I have been working tirelessly to get you to stay away from the green tomatoes, you love to pick them off the vine. You do love to eat cherry tomatoes, though, and I'm surprised you haven't given yourself a bellyache from eating so many.

You are sleeping so good now. You go to bed around 7:30 and sleep straight through to 6:30 or 7:00 am (no more 5:00 am wake up calls :)) Daddy and I are very happy!

We went for a little hike through the bird sanctuary the other day. You slept on the way up, and didn't want to walk much on the way down... we had to push you most of the way in the stroller. You loved the frogs in the pond, we spent a lot of time there chasing them!
We had our 15 month check up last week (even though you are 16 months old today). Everything went well, you are meeting all the milestones for your age. You are 23 pounds (25th percentile) and 33 inches (90th percentile). You are long and lean, as the doctor says.

Love you~
Mommy

Weddings

Dear Thomas,
It has been a busy few weeks! We took a family vacation to the Berkshires for Kate and Geoff's wedding. You were so good all weekend. There was not a lot there for you to do, but you met another boy your age, Cameron, and Daddy tried to keep you busy running around and exploring. You have become quite a social butterfly. After taking a few minutes to get used to your surroundings, you become quite comfortable in new situations. Mommy and Daddy have to chase you down most of the time, as you run around and say hello to everyone.
You are amazing me with your physical development. You walk, run and climb like I would expect a three year old to do... when did you become so comfortable on your feet?
You still only have six teeth, but we are hoping for more soon. You can eat everything now, although you have become a little more picky and chose not to eat some things. (Green beans right now are not your favorite, which is funny because you loved them for so long.) You still have a banana every morning, but have also added blueberries, grapes and oranges to your favorite fruits. You will eat cucumbers, chewing on them happily and carrying them around the house. (I won't even think about what disgusting things you are collecting as you walk around).
Grammie and Grandpa and Nana and Pepere have been able to babysit here and there this summer. You do a great job when left with them, and they really enjoy their time with you. You still cry when Mommy leaves the room (even at home when mommy goes into the bathroom), but after a minutes or two you are fine. What I love, is that you don't want me to leave you, but when we go to a restaurant, you will leave me and walk around to explore without even batting an eye... perhaps you know I will follow...

New words are coming slowly- balloon, and night-night are the only two you have picked up lately.

~Love you,
Mommy

Festivals

Other than the Fryeberg Fair (and the Turner Parade), this was the first time you went to a festival. We went to the Yarmouth Clam Festival with Grammie and Grandpa. It was very hot, but we managed to keep you happy and cool. Your favorite part was seeing all the dogs around, but we also had some fun on the carousel.

You are copying sounds and movements more and more. Yesterday I got you to nod, a nice change from the usual shaking your head no. You have been meeting more and more friends since Mommy is on vacation. We went to the beach with Micah and Mackenzie this week, you played outside with Samara a few times, and Tuesday we will spend the day with Corinne.

You have expanding your climbing capabilities to the office chairs, and have become quite attached the computer mouse. I let you sit up here with me sometimes so you can see pictures of friends and family, but you seem to have a particular love for the red light underneath the mouse.

Love you, Mommy

Fort Popham

Dear Thomas,
Add "bubbles" to the list of words you can say... and the list of things you LOVE. When you find a bottle of bubbles you go crazy! You will follow me around the house carrying the bubbles and repeating "bubble" until I finally give in and make some for you :)
You are feeding yourself now! Actually, it is a great way to get you to eat when you don't want to. You can control the spoon, and almost always get the food in your mouth. You love it.
We had a great time last Friday at Fort Popham; Daddy came with us. We went on the beach, had lunch, and explored the fort (your favorite part). You were a little unsure about the ocean- the waves weren't big, but the water was cold and it was pretty loud. You chased your ball around with Daddy for a while, and only fussed when you went into the water too far.
We are expecting another tooth soon, you have been a little fussy and we are seeing a lot of drool.

We can't get over how smart you are- we have so much fun watching you figure things out.
~Love you, Mommy

Signing

Signs you can do
Hat
Dog
More
All done
Bird

Working on
Banana
Horse
Shoes
Drink

You're so smart! You get so excited when you remember a sign.

Cousins

Dear Thomas,
You met your cousins this week! Cheyenne and Jordan were here for a few days, and they got to spend some time with you. You met them before, last summer, but you were too little to notice. This week, however, was different. You had so much fun with them. You loved playing peek-a-boo with them and showing them your toys, it was great!
The fourth of July was so much fun. We went to the Turner Parade and then to the festivities after. You loved the parade, especially the animals.
You have made a lot of progress with communication. You are signing "more", "dog" and "bird" correctly. You aren't using any new words, but that will come soon :)

~Love you, Mommy

Beach fun

Dear Thomas,
We had so much fun at the beach this week. Mommy was a little braver, and brought you into the water. You were scared, but you loved it! We are going to Bear Pond Sunday so we can show Daddy what a good swimmer you are. This week, you paid a little more attention to Sienna, your beach buddy, and you let AJ and Tiana pick you up. You are becoming more and more comfortable every week.

You love naked time- it has been hot this week and we have let you run around a bit. When I took your diaper off the other day you ran around with your arms over your head just having a great time.

We have been keeping you up a little later now, trying to get you to sleep later too! You have really grown up the past month and do a lot of big boy things. One of these is going to sleep by yourself!

Yesterday, I found out just how much you love strawberries. After picking, I went to get you at daycare. You saw them in the car and went crazy. It was all I could do to get you home, upstairs and give you a bowl of cut and clean strawberries- you couldn't stand the wait. You cried the entire time!

~Love you, Mommy

Mommy's first weekend away

Dear Thomas,
Mommy had her first weekend away from you. It was hard and I was very afraid that you were going to be very upset and miss me. Daddy said that you said mama a few times over the weekend, like you were wondering where I was. In the end, things went fine and when I came home you acted as if I had just stepped out for a few minutes. I think the cat was more excited to see me than you were :)
You had a rough week with a sinus infection, an ear infection, and a bad fall. The fall was not serious other than the big gash it took out of your forehead! We put a band-aid on it, which ended up looking very cute.

We had our first beach day last week- and we will be returning tomorrow. You loved the beach! The water was fun, although you did not like it when you lost your balance and fell in. You didn't play in the sand as much as I thought you would, but I think that will change the more we go there. Sienna and Lily were there, although you were too busy to worry about the girls.

Love you~Mommy

dog + gus = Ga

Dear Thomas,
"Ga" is not the same as "dog." You have meshed Gus with dog to get "Ga," your new word for dog. You are climbing on everything; yesterday, you conquered the couch. Looks like our days of letting you play in the other room are over, we have to keep a constant eye on you again. Was there ever a time when you didn't walk? Walking comes so naturally now, you hardly ever fall. You made a new friend next door, his name is Jack. Every time we go outside you look for him and say "Ga" which is your way of saying that Jack's dog lives there.
You stayed at Grammie and Grandpa's again this weekend. You did well, no vomiting :) They really enjoy your company. Saturday, Daddy took you for a hike at the Bird Sanctuary. It was your first hike ever! Daddy said you did a great job and walked a lot of it. You crashed out pretty hard at the end, and took a two hour nap... I think you had enough :)

Mommy just started summer vacation! I can't wait to spend the summer with you. Tomorrow- the beach!

Favorite food= bananas and oranges

Soccer Star

Dear Thomas,
Maybe it's in the air with the World Cup games approaching, but you have become quite a soccer player! You often kick a ball instead of of throwing it, and can keep the ball underfoot for quite a while before losing it. Today we had an appointment with Dr. Sassiville. She had some Mr. Potato Heads in the office. You thought, of course, that it was a ball and played with it while we were waiting. You even kicked it around the room for a while like a soccer ball- I can't wait to see if you like that sport later in life.

You said "Thank you" today! Daddy handed you a toy in the bathtub that you had dropped, and you looked right at him and said "Thank you". It was great :)

We are working on some behaviors with you... you are being naughty. I think we have the hitting under control- putting you down seems to work. Now we are working on some other behaviors- standing on things like your chair, smashing blocks against the window... it's very hard to discipline you because you are so cute.

~Love you, Mommy

Blondie

Dear Thomas,
Remember when you were only a month old and Daddy and I took hundreds of pictures of you everyday?? No, well I do... sorry those days are done. I wish I had a new picture of you, but alas it is hard to catch you these days.
You hair is the most gorgeous shade of honey blond right now... the sun is really lightening it, it's beautiful.

You are saying and signing "All Done" on a regular basis right now. Picking up a few more words too. You keep climbing on your chair and standing on it!! So dangerous, you think it is hilarious.

Love you,
Mommy

Molars

Dear Thomas,
You have some big teeth coming, and boy does it look painful! I wish there was something I could for you, but you are chewing and drooling, and coping on your own for now :)
You are starting to put words together to form sentences... very simple sentences, but we are proud. Yesterday, you said "Hi Kitty" to Emma and laughed as she ran from you. We are getting the waving on a regular basis and hi and bye, about ten minutes too late.
Everyday you walk yourself from the car to the door of the condo. It takes a long time, you point at the flowers, you point at the neighbors dog, you stop to collect things, it is my favorite time of the day.
You are always so busy. We have a box from a fan in the kitchen. Every night, you fill the box with things and push it around the room. We got you a dust pan and broom which you use to sweep things and help Mommy clean. You love to play your piano, really you love to play with all of your toys now. We find that we have to use "No" less now, as you mostly play with toys instead of getting into things you shouldn't have.
Dinner has changed a lot. The big eater we had a month ago is gone! You are picky now and will toss things you don't want onto the floor. It is frustrating for Mommy who wants you to eat (and has to clean up after you). But, it is also funny in a way and we see the humor in your attitude.

Love you,
Mommy

First night away

Dear Thomas,
Friday night was your first night away from Mommy and Daddy. We dropped you off at Grammie and Grandpa's around 5. You were great, you had dinner, played with Gus, had your bottle... then... threw up all over Grammie, Grandpa and their house! Oops! Grandpa called us around 7, when were leaving the house and told us the bad news. Luckily, they still wanted to keep you- Daddy brought you new PJs and you were good to go. You had a great night, slept until 4:30 then woke up and slept in Grammie and Grandpa's bed for a bit. All morning you were happy and playing, I guess whatever was in your belly got out.

We were so happy you had a great first night away. Daddy and I enjoyed sleeping in a bit, but missed you a lot. We will try again in June :)

Outside

Dear Thomas,
We have been having a great week! We play outside every night- you have been playing outside a lot at daycare too. Today you were exploring the flowers and chasing the birds.
Tonight we were settling down with a book and you were repeating words to me. You said dog and when I barked like a dog, you barked too! It was very funny.
You are becoming a pickier eater. You turn your nose at vegetables if you know you can have pasta. We are learning though, tonight I mixed carrots with your pasta and you never knew :)

We love you.

Dear Thomas,
Thirteen months have passed! Things are a lot different now than this time last year. Here are some of the awesome things you are doing.
Talking: In addition to the words you had mastered since my last blog, you have added some new words/phrases- bye, all done, and Gus. You have quite a variety of word use and tone... I just don't know most of the words you are using. It is fun to hear you babble, you have so much to say and you seem to really understand what you are saying.
Signing: You have learned two signs- all done and bye bye (I don't know if that counts as a sign :)

You spend a lot of time outside now, we have been so busy. You run around the lawn, explore the yard... you love it. When I pick you up from daycare now you are filthy! A sure sign that you have had a fun day.

We love every minute with you right now, even the minutes you are being naughty. (Those minutes are increasing now that you are approaching two) We still can't get you to stop hitting us, and you speak your mind when you don't like something we do, i.e. take away something you aren't supposed to have, close the bathroom door, the list goes on.

~Love you, Mommy

Mother's Day

Dear Thomas,
Sunday was my second Mother's Day. Daddy let me sleep in, although you did not- you were very loud all morning! When I got up you came running towards me to give me a big hug (best present ever). Then you handed me a card and a gift- the card had a recording of your voice. It was very nice.
We spent the day going to the greenhouses with Grammie, like we do every year. You were so well behaved all day, even with all the driving around and the getting in and out of the car. Your favorite part of the day was seeing the hens and roosters at Jack's greenhouse. They were very close to you and you could not take your eyes off them.
They keep telling me at daycare how wonderful you are, and how great you are doing. I know this is true but it is nice to hear. Trying to get a few more words out of you, but we are happy with the ones you do use. You continue to amuse yourself for short periods of time with the simplest thing. (Yesterday it was a paper towel roll and a piece of your toy basket that had broken off). I love that about you :)

~ Love you,
Mommy

Greetings

Dear Thomas,
A first today when I went to pick you up at daycare- when you saw me, you dropped the toy you were playing with and came running at me. It was great!

You are a little more "banged up" than I would like. It seems like you are always falling, especially now that you are learning how to walk outside. You have cut your lip twice, had a (I think big, but Daddy didn't think so) bruise on your forehead, and now you are breaking out! I think this is due to teething, not due to the falls :) Skinned knees, dirty hands... it's all just the beginning.

You are still hitting despite our best efforts to teach you not to. Hopefully, you only do it to us and you will grow out of it.

Love you,
Mommy

Dear Thomas,
What a weekend! You had a high fever Saturday and Saturday night, we were so worried. You even slept with us Saturday night, which you never want to do. Things looked better on Sunday, and you were back to your happy self. Each day, you seem to be feeling better and better :) Maybe that immune system really is getting stronger.

You are officially off formula and on whole milk. What's more, you are only having bottles in the morning and at night. What a big change! You are using your sippy cup for milk during the day. (We make it a little more enticing by using soy milk instead of regular, which you love)

When we first get home from daycare, I give you snack. You are so funny because you will set your cup on the table and pick up your Mum Mum, and then put your Mum Mum on the table to pick up your cup. Such good manners :)

~Love you,
Mommy

Monkey See Monkey Do

Dear Thomas,
You are still learning and changing so much everyday. The small things are the most amazing. Today, I took a washcloth and wiped up some water from the floor. You watched me, then took the washcloth and wiped the floor like I did. You truly watch and learn from everything we do.

The "sleep training" is going well, you were asleep after 25 minutes of rolling, tossing and turning tonight... not bad.

You are adopting a toddler attitude. You are quite particular with what you want, and you speak up if you don't get what you want. It is funny to watch how excited/upset you get when thing go/don't go your way.

Favorite game: Having Daddy chase you around the kitchen and try to "get you".

Sleeping Woes

Dear Thomas,
We have switched you over to whole milk. No more formula! You don't seem to like it as much, but I think you will adjust.

We are trying to get some good sleeping habits started, and it isn't easy. Typically, I rock you to sleep and sing to you, but that hasn't been working the past few weeks. So, Daddy and I are ready to let you fall asleep in your crib like a big boy. That means sitting next to you for about an hour while you fall asleep! It is not fun :) You have been waking a few times a night the past few nights, and we are trying to get you back to sleeping through the night. It is a work in progress, but we hope you will eventually become a good sleeper like Mommy and Daddy are.

You had your first fall Saturday at Nana's house. Daddy was playing outside with you and you were pushing around your wagon. You must have hit a rock or something in the driveway, because you fell forward and bit your lip. Daddy told me there was a lot of blood, I am glad I was not there to see it.

~Love you, Mommy

One Year

Dear Thomas,
When did you get so big? We went to the doctors today, here are your stats:

21 pounds 1 ounce
29 1/2 inches

You no longer fit into 12 month clothes (especially PJs, which are just too short)

Vocabulary: mama, dada, ball, uh-oh, whoah, kitty (sometimes), and yesterday used correctly- ow.

Brilliance

Dear Thomas,
This morning you were playing with a pinwheel. You would hand it to Mommy and I would blow on it and make it turn. Then you would grab it and hit it a few times trying to make it turn. After a few rounds of this, when you took it from me instead of hitting it, you blew on it! SHEER BRILLIANCE

You still love the word "uh-oh." Now, you point at something you know you aren't supposed to have, cell phone, remote, etc., look at me and say "uh-oh." Then you give me about two seconds to move it before you go get it yourself. (You can't quite restrain yourself from going for it yet!)

New words: Hello, Whoah, Ball

~Love you, Mommy

Play dates

Dear Thomas,
We are having a great vacation! Today we went back to the Toy Library for a playdate with some friends; you had a great time. You spent the first part of our time their playing in the kitchen. There were some older children playing and you enjoyed watching them and helping them. Then, in an effort to get you to play with Sienna, we moved to the ball pit. You were a little overwhelmed because there were so many kids in it, but quickly found that throwing the balls out of the pit was a good time. (Not for mommy who had to pick them all up) After the ball pit, we played in the sandbox for a long time. You loved that. Once you started to throw the sand, we decided to take a break from the sandbox. What a wonderful day I am having with you, I can't wait until this summer :) Later this afternoon we are going for a walk with Samara and Sheena, our neighbors. Right now, you are napping after such a busy morning!

~Love you, Mommy

Cousin Corinne

Dear Thomas,
Yesterday we went over to play with your cousin Corinne. You hadn't seen her since Christmas, and this was the first play date where you two were old enough to actually play. Ashley and I had a good time watching you two interact. Unfortunately, there is still quite an age difference and you were a little too big and rough for Corinne. You kept going up to her and patting her on the head, which was great. Then you would get a little carried away and just start smacking her, which was not great. She cried quite a few times and wasn't sure what to make of you. Next time we see her won't be until she is a bit older (mommy is on vacation in two months) so hopefully she will be able to smack you back :) You had fun, as always, chasing the cats around. No matter where we go, you find the animals and spend the day trying to get them.

It was shocking to see how different three months makes. Corinne seems so small and still like a baby- where as you are really like a little boy now.

And- you are in your new car seat facing forward! I love it because I get to talk to you while we ride together, and I can see you now.

~Love you, Mommy

Birthday Wishes

Here are some of the birthday wishes people have left for you... some are just well wishes, some are answers to the questions "What were you doing a year ago when you found out Thomas was born?"

Kim "Happy Birthday Thomas! The girls had a blast yesterday!" and "I was at home waiting by the phone because I knew you went into the hospital (I think it was just for an appointment). I was dying to visit but I wanted you to have your time. Wow that year went by fast!"

Susan "Happy birthday, Thomas! Love, Ellie and Jack" and "xI'm not sure I remember where I was when I found out, but I remember my shock that you had had him already! I think the first words out of my mouth after "Congratulations" were, "Wow, that's just like you to have him over April break. You are such a planner!" :) And I definitely remember the first time the kids and I met him; it was instant love! He was so tiny and perfect and my heart melted when I held him. I can't believe it's already been a year!"

Matty P "Send Thomas a big happy birthday from his funcle matty!!!!! MISS YOU GUYS!!"

Sarah "yay happy birthday thomas! miss you!" and "hey remember that time we were supposed to have a book club meeting and you decided to have a baby instead? i can't believe that baby is turning a year old this weekend! tell thomas i said happy birthday - miss you lachapelles!"

Ben "Happy birthday Thomas "the Gun" Lachapelle! Keep those parents of yours busy. And remember: the square peg in the round hole is not the problem; the stupid lid with all the dang holes is the problem."

Aunt Sandi "Heidi that was a great 1st Birthday Party for Thomas - everyone had a great time and Thomas is so adorable!!!!"

Holly "Driving to Boston fresh out of my cast for a bridal shower night out on the town. Pictures followed the next day care of Uncle Toby the mad picture taker"

Carol L "The birth of Thomas was a bright spot for us as someone told us while visiting Mom in ICU, she was so happy for you all and so was I. I think my cousin needs more grandchildren to love ;)"

Kelly, Jerry and Stephen "Thanks for inviting us, Stephen had a GREAT time! We did too. Thomas is so cute."

Wil "Happy Birthday Thomas!"

Gretchen "I remember Amanda's 1st Birthday party like it was yesterday and now she is 20! I had to wake her up from a nap for it and then I was ready for a nap after it was all done! Congratulations on your son's first birthday!"

Kathleen "happy birthday little guy. You have had an amazing year of discovery! Year number 2 will be full of many more exciting adventures. Be good to your momma and have a blast at your birthday."

Barbara C "HB to darling Thomas and may he and his parents celebrate with all their hearts."

Pam- "Happy Birthday Thomas hope your day is very special"

Cindy Pellerin "Hope the bday party went well happy birthdate Thomas"

The arrival of the third tooth

Dear Thomas,
Finally another tooth emerges. This is one of the top ones, although possibly both top ones have poked through. It is a relief to have it out, so you are no longer in so much pain... we still have a lot more teeth to go though.

You are being a little naughty now. We are teaching you not to hit. For some reason you have started hitting us- you find it hilarious. We are also trying to teach you not to yell. You have started yelling again- it's so loud! Oh, and you are climbing on things- we are nervous you will hurt yourself, so trying to teach you no for that too. It's good practice and good timing for learning "No". You certainly know what it means and don't like it :)

You are going to be a year soon; I wish I could go back to a year ago and do it all over again.

~Love you, Mommy

Growing, Growing, Gone

Dear Thomas,
As your first birthday is approaching, I am realizing how much you have changed this year. The memories of your birth (to be posted on your birthday) are all flooding back to me. How can you possibly have changed SO much? You are walking, talking, feeding yourself, and playing with toys I never thought you would figure out. A year ago you weren't even born!!

This week we gave you your birthday present early. It is a Thomas the Train table and chairs; you love it. We play the "get in the chair, get out of the chair" game at least a dozen times a night. You want to get in and out yourself, but it is a bit too dangerous.

You have discovered many new foods. You are doing a great job feeding yourself, even with only two teeth. You love sweet potato fries and potato puffs (didn't I tell myself I would never feed you such things?) Pasta with tomato sauce is one of your favorites too. You just love to eat.



You have grown out of a lot of your toys. You don't play with your tunnel as much, you are less interested in some of the "baby" toys you have always loved. You are never too good for the simple things- you played with your hairbrush for a half hour tonight. You will put down any toy for a tube of butt paste. Love that about you!

~Love you, Mommy

Uh Oh

Dear Thomas,

Since last night you have been repeating "Uh Oh" over and over again.  We aren't exactly sure where you learned it, although we think we might say it to you when you fall or drop things.  You seem to be able to connect it with dropping because at dinner you were throwing your carrots on the floor and saying "Uh Oh".  It was adorable.

You are unstoppable on your feet now.  I am impressed at how quick and sure you are on your feet after only a week or two.  You are walking everywhere.  And, of course, because the walking has increased, so has the falling.  You have quite a few bruises, and I have heard your head hit the floor more times that I care to.  It's all part of learning I suppose.

You are amazing.  You are learning and changing so much everyday.  We are trying to get videos and pictures of everything because it is all going by so fast!  We keep thinking back to a few months ago, and it's hard to believe you are no longer that little baby laying on the floor.  You keep growing right in front of our eyes.

~ Love you, Mommy

Walking

Dear Thomas,

  In just a matter of days you have progressed from a few steps to walking around the room.  Tonight you were all over the place, choosing to walk as much as possible instead of crawling.  I am amazed at how quickly this has happened.

Today we went for a long walk.  You talked almost the entire time :)  You have started to change your "mamama" to "nanana" and almost a "no".  I don't think I am ready for you to know that word.  

You are throwing things now with more power.  Sometimes you don't know your own strength and things really fly around the room.  You surprise yourself, and me, with how far you can throw. 

Last night you played with a coffee cup for about a half hour... you are so easy to please.  Tonight we played a fun game of tackle mommy- you are so much fun.

~ Love you, Mommy

Dishwasher and other chores

Dear Thomas,
I am only writing this now, because I know how much I will want to remind you of this when you are older. You love to help me around the house with chores. Your favorite chore is loading and unloading the dishwasher- a task I will happy to pass on to you when you are old enough. No matter where you are in the house, if you hear me getting into the dishwasher, you come running. I know that when I want you to help years from now, you will not be as excited about it. For now, you get right into it, picking up the dishes and helping me (not really) by trying to get them in and out of the basket. It's wonderful.

~Love you, Mommy

When you grow up

Dear Thomas,
What will you be when you grow up? If I had to guess right now, I would say you are going to do something with your hands. You have very good fine motor skills. You can put the shapes through the right spots in your toys, with just a little helping choosing which spot. You turn objects to make them fit. You love to put your blocks and rings into empty tissue boxes. Last night, you spent a while playing with the tupperware drawer, taking things out of the drawer, and then putting them back in. I left an empty diaper box in the kitchen, and you were putting your bouncy ball inside. Mommy's friend Peg gave you a puzzle on Friday, I am anxious for you to try it out and start figuring that out too! I never imagined you would be this good at those types of movements already.

Yesterday you had your picture taken with the Easter Bunny. We couldn't quite get you to smile, but at least you didn't cry.

Oh, and walking is a success now! You can take quite a few steps at a time, and even more important you WANT to. You seem to have overcome the fear of walking and you now try every time before scooting down and crawling.

~Love you, Mommy

One step at a time

Dear Thomas,
You are doing it! You are walking... well stepping. You have taken a step on a few occasions over the last few days. Once you take the one step, you lose your courage and sit down- but the attempt is there.
We have been having so much fun the past few days playing with bouncing balls. Tonight we went for a walk to get diapers, and I picked up a beach ball for you. You chased that ball around the house all night. You love to stand up and throw it, I can't believe how much you have learned over the past few weeks. When I pick you up at daycare, I am amazed at what you are doing. Climbing up on the steps to look in the mirror with your friend Kya, chasing the ball around with Derek and Daniel. Everyday it is something new. No wonder you are sleeping so well at night!

~Love Mommy

Laughing

Dear Thomas,
I love to make you laugh! It is really easy right now, pretty much everything I do makes you laugh. You have an infectious laughter that makes mommy do crazy things in order to hear it.
You are still so close to walking, but haven't done it yet. I can't believe how long you can stand in place without help. I watch you play, expecting you to topple over, but you don't.
We haven't seen any new teeth yet, but we are looking for them. We should see them any day now, you are definitely a bit uncomfortable.

Nothing more to share today, the weather has been cold and rainy so we haven't gone out for a while!

Throwing

Dear Thomas,
You have discovered throwing. You throw everything. Finally, you are interested in your toys again; now you have discovered how much fun it is to pick them up and throw them :) Tonight, we were playing in your bedroom, and you were picking things out of the toy box one-by-one (with much concentration) and tossing them over your shoulder. Only a toy or two could distract you from this task, and you would stop to play, but soon you would get right back to emptying the toy box. I couldn't stop laughing.

Love you~ Mommy

Let's play ball!

Dear Thomas,
It has been a rough few days with you not feeling well. The doctor thinks you are getting some more teeth! (no ear infection:)) Yesterday and today were wonderful though! We went for long walks when we got home- you really enjoy the stroller and mommy really enjoys the exercise.

Last night, daddy taught you how to play pass. You love to pass the ball or roll the ball back and forth with us, you get such a kick out of it. You are a little impatient when you are waiting for the ball, and try to crawl and come get it. We have a hard time passing it back fast enough for you.

You are standing on your own... although you don't know it yet. The only time you do it is when you are holding something with both hands that you don't want to let go of. Basically, if you aren't paying attention, you are standing alone. Tonight you did it frequently, and stayed up for quite a few seconds each time.

Love you~ Mom

Books

Dear Thomas,
We have to go about reading in a different way. We have been reading to you at night since you came home from the hospital :) It's not working right now. You no longer lay still looking at the pictures and cooing adorably- no, now you want no part of our book and flail around, often injuring one of us. So, we have put a temporary hold on story time. Instead, we have placed books around the house, so when you do snuggle down for a cuddle, we can pull out a book and read it to you.
Actually, your favorite thing to do with books right now is to play with them. You love to pull all the books off the bookshelf. You are particularly fascinated with our books, but you won't hesitate to make a mess of your books when the need arises.

Waving

Dear Thomas,
Today you and I spent the whole day together while Daddy was skiing with Uncle Jeff and Uncle Todd. We had a great time, you were in a very happy (and sometimes mischievous) mood. It was a good day.
Yesterday, you waved for the first time! We were leaving Uncle Don and Aunt Donna's house, going back to Grammie and Grandpa's and you waved goodbye to Uncle Todd. Last night, you stayed at Grammie and Grandpa's while Daddy and I went to dinner. They have so much fun with you when you are with them. We may be ready for an overnight soon...
You are so close to walking. You spend most of your time standing, and still use help to stay up, but I think you could do it on your own. Right now, you just don't feel confident enough to walk without help, you will soon.

Dear Thomas,
I had to come pick you up and daycare today because you were not feeling well. It was a rough afternoon, but you went to sleep early, and I hope you will get some rest now. I think it is a stomach bug this time, because I don't see any of the usual symptoms (other than fever) and you have been having a lot of gas. It is so hard to know! You were not yourself tonight, I couldn't even get you to laugh or smile. You weren't very interested in playing, you mostly wanted to cuddle with me (I have to say I loved every second of that). We watched some Caillou and you relaxed and snuggled with mommy. I think it helped.

Tomorrow is a big day. Daddy has the day off because your Uncle Todd and cousin Elliot are visiting from Alabama. So, he will pick you up early from daycare, and you will go up to Turner for the day with him. Tomorrow night, Grammie and Grandpa are going to watch you for a bit while we go out to dinner. I hope you are feeling well! You have already met Elliot and Uncle Todd a few times. They were up a few months after you were born, and also we went down there for your very first Thanksgiving. It was your first big trip with us, we even went on a plane ride.

Tomorrow is picture day at daycare.

Library Time

Dear Thomas,

You have a fever again :(  Daddy and I hope it is only teething.  You don't seem too sick other than a little grumpiness and a temperature.  We will keep watching through tonight to see how you do.

We have not made it out walking the last two days, a bit too cold.  However, today we went to the library.  You have been to the library before, but this was the first time you have gone and been able to get down on the floor and explore.  We found a few books for you to borrow about animals.  You love to look at real pictures of animals and pet the animals in the books.  You played with the puzzles for a while, and crawled around the play area.  Once I am on vacation, I will take you for baby time on Friday mornings, but for now we can get there once and a while to do our own exploring.  

You have started pointing a lot.  You like to point at lights the best, but you will point at anything you see that you want to get a closer look at.  We are trying to remember to tell you what each thing is after you point at it, so you can start to learn some new words.  Daddy loves your pointing a lot, and finds it quite entertaining.  

copy cat

Dear Thomas,

Oh, all the new things you have done the last few days!  We have been so busy, I haven't had time to journal about them.  You have become quite the copy cat- 

We have been playing with your blocks for months now.  I stack them, you knock them over.  Sometimes, you like to just grab the top block off the pile and leave the others in tact.  Yesterday, I put the blocks on the floor in front of you and YOU started to stack them!  Now, you only were able to stack two, the third one was a little too hard for you, but whoa!  I am so impressed.

In the bathtub, you have a rubber crab.  I always fill the crab up with water and make it swim underwater for a while before it pops up out of the water and squirts you (with sound effects, of course).  Saturday night, after I did this a few times, you grabbed the crab and made it swim under water and pop up!  You thought it was so funny, you were so pleased with yourself.

We have started walking again, as the weather is nice.  Now, you are riding like a big boy in your stroller, facing front.  It is sad for me  because I can't see you anymore :( But, you love it.  You hang on tight and look all around, talking the whole time.  I hope we will do this everyday, it will all depend on whether you continue to enjoy it this much!  The fresh air is good for both of us.

Eat, eat, eat... you love food and continue to have a hearty appetite.  You really like food that you can pick up and eat yourself, so we have been trying to give you more of those foods.  Unfortunately, you still only have the two teeth, so we are giving you a lot of Cheerios.  You don't mind, as I have said before, it is your favorite snack.  You even say "mmmm" when you are eating now.  

Night out

Dear Thomas,
We know that when we take you out to a restaurant we have to be ready to leave at any time. You have been to Gritty's quite a few times, and usually it goes well, but there have been a few times you have not been happy there. Last night we went and you were so good! You ate your dinner, you played with everything in reach at the table, you looked at everyone and everything. We actually kept you out a little past your bedtime- 7:15! We came home, gave you your bottle, you went right to sleep and slept all night. It was such a good time for daddy and I, thank you.

You're sleeping so much better these days. You still wake up a few times, but always before 11. Then you sleep straight through until morning. The only problem is you wake up SO EARLY! This morning you were up for the day at 4:30am. We made you stay in your crib, and you slept a little more, but you were still up by 5am! Daddy and I (daddy more than me) are having a hard time adjusting to this early schedule. Luckily, the time change comes in a few weeks, so we are going to use the opportunity to change your schedule a bit.

bananas

Dear Thomas,
Darn those bananas! You are very good at picking up and eating finger food, but you have the hardest time with bananas. It takes you so long to pick them up, and then when you finally do, they usually escape before they make it to your mouth.

Today I took out your rocking horse for the first time... you were terrified (see video). We made progress though, and you were more comfortable by the end of the night.

One week and still healthy! YAY!

I love you

Dear Thomas,
Today I missed you all day while I was at work. I couldn't wait to get home and see you. I love you so much! You made me laugh tonight, we had such a good time. I love when you let me shower you with kisses and when you snuggle with me. You move so much and so fast now that I don't get a lot of that snuggle time. I managed to squeeze in a few minutes tonight, after you fell and hurt yourself, right before bed time and when you wanted your bottle. I take every second I can!

Animals

Dear Thomas,

My goodness, you love animals!  This weekend was an exciting one because you were visiting a lot and got to see a lot of kitties and dogs.  Gus is Grammie and Grandpa's dog.  He doesn't really know what to think of you, but you LOVE him.  He usually knocks you over at least once during our visit, but you don't mind.  He is very generous with kisses, and you can't quite figure out if you like that or not.  Lucy is one of Grammie and Grandpa's cats.  She is your favorite because she loves you.  Most cats will come around you, but keep a good distance.  Lucy walks right up to you and rubs up against you.  Of course you don't know how to pet a cat yet, so you just end up poking her and hitting her.  You get so excited when she comes around you start hyperventilating; laughing and making a big to-do about her.  

Emma (our cat) continues to ignore you.  You don't seem discouraged though, every time you spot her you take off after her anyway.  One of these days, I know you will catch her!

Rashes, rashes everywhere

Dear Thomas,

 You have the mother of all butt rashes!  Poor guy :(  I don't know if you have a stomach bug or if it's the prunes I gave you Sunday, but you have been pooping three to four times a day since Sunday.  It appears that all the poop/wipes are getting to you, because you ass is as red as a tomato.  Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do for you... so I am apologizing now.

You are almost walking now on your own.  You can stand for a good 30 seconds before you lose your balance, walking should be next.  We can't wait/don't want it to happen... we better get ready.

Dear Thomas,
What a busy weekend we have had so far. You have explored Jeff and Jenny's house and visited with them. Then, we spent the day at Pepere and Nana's. You had a good time there; you have gotten so good at riding the little firetruck and the train.

We have been teaching you a very important word, "No." You do not like it. You are the best little explorer, but many times you explore things that are dangerous and that we don't want you to get into. Actually, it seems that you mostly explore those things. So, we are working hard to teach you the word "No" so that you will leave those things alone. It's exhausting!

You love Cheerios. Cheerios are a great way to redirect you, because you instantly stop what you are doing and crawl over to them. Then, you happily take a break and eat them.

You are definitely back to normal health; sleeping great at night; off all medication... it's wonderful!

Dear Thomas,
Today we played an exciting game of chase. I started crawling around in your bedroom, and you loved it and started laughing. So, off I went crawling through the house and you stayed right on my tail. You laughed, crawling as fast as you could crawl. When we turned the corner to the living room, I hid behind the couch and jumped out at you. You jumped a foot and laughed. This has to be the best age yet!

your body is a temple

I have spent 10 months fretting about what goes in your body. Breast milk only for the first six months; organic soy formula when we finally introduced formula; organic baby food; organic yogurt. Sometimes I wonder why... I looked over at you tonight, and you had ripped a page out of a magazine and were happily eating the magazine page. Chunks of of it were sticking out of your mouth, as you looked up at me thinking, "what? I wanted a snack."

laughs

Dear Thomas,
Now that you are feeling better, I am reminded of all the things that make you laugh. I can really get you giggling during dinner by; pretending to eat your fingers; getting so close to you that our noses touch, and then moving away; and using my fingers to crawl up your arm, behind your neck and down the other arm.

Daddy and I are always trying to "get you" and you love it. Any attention from mommy and daddy is always welcomed with a huge smile and a laugh.

You have slept great for three nights in a row. We are just finishing up the drops in your right ear and we are doing three neb treatments a day. That's all!

Dear Thomas
Today we had the follow up appointment for your breathing; everything sounds great. You are doing so much better. We had a fun time tonight; daddy was in class, so it was just the two of us. You were your usual happy, energetic self.

Last night you slept great, only woke up once. I hope that this is the end of this cold for you, my dear, you deserve a break.

Have I mentioned yet how often we have to cut your nails? You are vicious when they are long, grabbing mom and dad's face while we are cuddling. Of course you don't mean us any harm, but boy it hurts. I can only cut them while you are sleeping, so sometimes they get a little long.

I tried to get a picture tonight of you giving me kisses. You love to give kisses, they are super sloppy. You just open your mouth and latch on to your victim's face. It's completely adorable!

Talking II

Dear Thomas,
How funny to look at my post yesterday because today you said TWO words! You have "mama" down and even used it when looking up at me today from your car seat. Later, daddy and I were pointing to the Emma and saying "kitty" and you said "kitty"! You're brilliant.

Your breathing is so much better, and last night you slept great. Unfortunately, today your other ear started leaking, so we are pretty sure that it is infected now. Poor kid, you can't catch a break.

Also, today I closed your finger in the bathroom door. I want to confess this now and get it off my chest. Really, I do feel awful and cried along with you this morning while you were in pain. I was watching one side of the door as I was closing it, but completely forgot about the hinge, and, of course, your finger was right there. There doesn't appear to be any damage, just a little divot on your finger for a while- it went away. I am sure you will have plenty of accidents, but I hope that you don't have anymore accidents that are my fault.

Talking

Dear Thomas,
Your baby babble sounds more and more like words everyday. Although we have not heard actual words yet (minus the "dada" episode), we think something might be coming soon. You have moved to "mamamama" type sounds; sometimes it's as if you are having your own little conversation!

Today you are feeling much better. The nebulizer treatments are going well, you sit with me and breath it in, as if it is no bother at all. We had a good night last night, you only woke a few times in addition to the times we got you up for you treatment. I hope you continue to improve tomorrow.

An outsider would never know you are sick. You are so happy and playful. Grammie and Grandpa came to visit today and you were laughing and putting on a show. Most of the morning you spent motoring around the house as if you had endless energy. This evening has been a little harder, since you woke from your nap you have been pretty grumpy. Even so, you are still playing and crawling around. (Now if only daddy and I had that energy, we could keep up with you)

ER

Dear Thomas,

Last night was your first visit to the emergency room.  We definitely should have brought you to the doctor's during the day because of your wheezing, but we decided to wait.  After watching you labor over breathing during your first few hours of sleep, we decided you should be seen.  So, we packed you up into a cold car seat, woke you from your slumber, and brought you into the freezing night.  We are so fortunate to have the hospital close by; we arrived in no time.  We hardly had to wait at all, and you were taken right in to see someone.  You were so happy about the whole thing, what a fun surprise in the middle of the night!  

We had the nicest doctor and nurse, you loved them.  They gave you a nebulizer treatment and some steroids.  You were very scared of the nebulizer, and started crying a bit when we gave you the treatment.  Mommy was holding you, and daddy was holding the tube.  You were frightened by the tube, and kept looking away and nestling into me.  The funny thing was that you kept looking back at it, so you were able to get the medicine.  And every once and a while, like a little puppy, you would sniff the tube and get a good dose of the medicine.  We had to keep you breathing the medication for about ten minutes.  When you were finished, we could instantly see the difference; you were talking more and breathing easily.  

We have a follow up appointment with Dr. Hemingway today.  Although I don't expect her to diagnose you with asthma, I am hoping she will find us a nebulizer.  Now that we know what to expect, we can certainly help you here at home.  We brought you to daycare today, so we could get some rest.  You were in such a good mood this morning (even though mommy and daddy were not).  It is so good to see you feeling better again.  I hope that you continue to feel better, and are on the mend.  

Dear Thomas,
It is hard to think of things to post, other than updates on your health. You have started wheezing, and daddy and I are very worried. I called the doctor today, we may bring you in tomorrow if things don't improve. You fell asleep very early tonight, I imagine you are exhausted and it will be a tough night again like last night. We spent a lot of time in your rocker last night. The same rocker that your Grammie used to rock your daddy in when he was sick. All of the sickness you have had this year is the same sickness your daddy had when he was little. You are just like him :)

Bath time is the most fun with you right now. You feel so much better in the hot steamy bath, and you have so much fun. Tonight, you had mommy and daddy laughing out loud because you were dancing and having a great time. I fill your bath toys with water and squirt you; you love that. You like to play with the cups and empty shampoo bottles; you mostly ignore all of your bath toys!

Today you are ten months old!

cat food

Dear Thomas, 

It was very hard to keep you happy today.  With the exception of a few peek-a-boo's and a giggle here and there, you were very grumpy.  I do hope you feel better soon.  

You tried your very first piece of cat food today.  We have been working very hard to keep the cat bowl away from you, but you found a stray piece.  I assumed you were chewing on a cheerio, but when I noticed you had been chewing way too long, I investigated.  Low and behold, I found a small kitty food nugget in that mouth.  You didn't seem too impressed with the food, but you still went after it for the rest of the day.  So, either you decided it wasn't bad and wanted more, or you haven't yet discovered that when something tastes bad, you shouldn't eat it.

  

Sharing

Dear Thomas,

 This evening, while we were cuddling and getting ready for sleep, you did an adorable thing.  You took your soothie and offered it to your stuffed animal.  You have been trying to give your soothie to me a lot lately, and I usually take it with my teeth and give it back to you.  Tonight, you though that the stuffed dog we were cuddling with should also have your soothie.  You are so good at sharing already.

Pretty grumpy today, I am anxious for this infection to be cleared.  It is very hard to see you feeling so bad.  You are definitely not the usual, happy Thomas.  Small things frustrate you much more quickly when you are sick.  You are determined to get past the barriers we built to keep you away from the DVD player.  Usually, you try a few times and we redirect you and tell you no.  Today, you kept trying, crying the entire time because you were getting stuck... and, of course, crying hysterically when I redirected you and said "no".  It was somewhat amusing to me, but you were not impressed.  Since this is one of the only two rooms we have to play in, you can imagine that this fight went on for a large part of our day.

Oh, you love apple slices.  I stick them in the freezer, and you get to suck on them and eat small pieces- one of your favorite snacks!

Heartbeat

Just a year ago you were just a heartbeat.  It's so hard to believe that last year at this time, I didn't know you.  Something happened tonight, I don't know what it was; it triggered the memory of hearing your heartbeat.  I miss that sound.  I loved hearing your heartbeat every time I went in for a check up.  I wish I could listen to your heartbeat again, right now.  That muffled "thump thump" beating so rapid.  When I was admitted to the hospital the night before you were born, I got to listen to your heartbeat all night.  It was wonderful. 

Now I get to hear all the wonderful sounds that let me know you are alive and growing.  Last year, I wanted nothing more than to hear your laughter, now I hear it everyday.  So, I don't want to leave the impression that I don't enjoy the new sounds I hear now that you are with us.  But, boy, do I miss that heartbeat!

Ear infection

Dear Thomas,
Daddy and I have learned to trust our instincts! Last night you were so unhappy, we have never seen you quite that bad. So, this morning we called the doctor to have you checked out. The nurse convinced us to wait and see if things got better or worse. You had a pretty good morning, so I took you with me to the grocery store. When we were almost out of the store, I noticed liquid draining from your ear. Apparently, you have another ear infection, and this time it ruptured. So, we ended up having to take you to the doctor's office anyway. The good news is, the tubes are doing their job, and the fluid from the infection is able to drain out. We have so antibiotics for you now, and I hope you get better.

Dear Thomas,
Happy Valentine's Day! Other than a short field trip to the mall, we stayed in today. You are still recovering from a cold and have been pretty grumpy. You have another tooth popping up, right next to the first one. Maybe that is why you have been so cranky... perhaps you will sleep better tonight.

You were very cute today; it's fun for daddy and I to get to watch you all day. It's like each task you do is so important- as if you are on a mission. I am now stopping you from climbing on top of books to get to the DVD player. You are very upset with me!

Personality traits

Dear Thomas,
We can already see your personality showing through your actions. You have the funniest quirks that we have noticed. We don't want to forget these:
the ball can not be attached to the tunnel. (see photo)
the phone can not be on the hook. (see photo)
you spend a lot of time banging things together and putting things
together (or trying to put things together that don't belong together)
you like it when we put things on your head (washcloth and toy
rings make you laugh particularly hard)

You have started playing peek-a-boo with the cover I use to protect me from getting peed on while I am changing you! It is cute/infuriating!

You are pulling your hair out in the back!! What's up with that? Mostly when you are tired... stress maybe?