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