Fall fun

Dear Thomas,

We have been busy this month! It has been a beautiful month and we tried to get out as much as we could. We went to Pumpkin Land, where you enjoyed a carriage ride, pet animals, and picked a pumpkin. We went apple picking with Sienna and Cody- you loved the tractor ride, and played in the sandbox there at the orchard. We have been to two fairs- well you have. Daddy, Mommy, Grammie and Grandpa all took you to the Farmington Fair. Then, Grammie and Grandpa took you to the Freyburg Fair. You had a great time at both fairs and really enjoyed the fair food!

Day care continues to go well. You are learning so much! You know your letters, your colors, the days of the week and so many other things! You love to sing songs and request a lot of music in the car! (Yellow Bus continues to be a favorite)!

Lately, you have been very interested in your trains. You love to watch Thomas the Train and Bob the Builder (the episode where they build a train track is your favorite) Its fun to watch you play now because you stay focused on activities for long periods of time. You are starting to pretend more and make up situations when you play- it's great!

Funny things you say: "That's a funny question Mamma." "What kind of ____ it is?" About your brother Owen- "He likes me." "He's patting me." "I miss him so much." "He's laughing at me." You love your brother!!

One last thing- you read us a book the other day. We have been reading "There is a Monster at the End of This Book" a few times a day for a few weeks. The other day, you started reading it to me! You got the first three pages right then you asked me to take over. So exciting!

Six months old!

Dear Owen,

Happy half-birthday! You are six months old and you can do a lot! You are sitting up (a new development this week), rolling over, laughing, and so much more. You love playing with toys, and reach out to grab anything you think will be fun.

We have tried some fruits and vegetables. You aren't impressed with bananas or apples, but you do like sweet potatoes, carrots and pears. You are up to two meals a day- growing like a weed :)

One of your favorite activities is to watch your brother. He can really get you laughing. I am so happy to have him to entertain you :)

More cereal please

Dear Owen,

Well it took about a week, but you finally like the rice cereal we have been feeding you. You lunge at the spoon and gobble down the whole bowl :) This week will try some fruit, I can't believe we are already feeding you solid food! Time is going so fast with you.

Once again, I have to tell you about what a good baby you are. You have starting sitting in the exer-saucer more and more. You love to look around at what everyone is doing and you are perfectly content as long as you can see your brother or your mother. You are so close to sitting up, it will happen soon. You roll over onto your belly constantly, and you are working on crawling... we hope you are a ways away from that.

Love you,

Mommy

Preschool

Dear Thomas,

We have moved you back to Carol Anne's Daycare (the other daycare just was not the right fit for you) so you are now officially in preschool! Your friends Kya and Derek were already moving to the preschool room, so it was a good time to put you in there as well. You are so happy! We are very relieved to have you settled and back to your old self!

The conversations we have on the way home from daycare are hilarious. I recorded a few today just to keep them for memories. I can't believe how much you have grown. I was looking through some photos from last year, and came

across the apple orchard pictures. What a big difference from one year to the next!

We have had a busy summer- we visited Thomas the train, a show you now like to watch :) We went to the ocean, visited with friends- we took many field trips each week. You enjoyed every second of it! I am so glad that you are such an adventurous child, it makes our time together so much fun.

Although we are going through some tough times with terrible twos, I hope you know how much you and Owen brighten my day. I am in such a good mood every afternoon as soon as I see you :)

Love you,

Mommy

Laughter is the best medicine

Dear Owen,

My how you laugh. I'm not talking a little giggle or a smile. You laugh HARD! You laugh most at your brother, when he is jumping around you or doing something you like. You will laugh at Mommy making faces at you or at Nana playing with a balloon. Your favorite person to laugh at though, is Thomas. You seek him out in a room to find out what he is doing and to watch him :)

You have been a good sport the past few months. Your brother and I drag you everywhere, the apple orchard, playgrounds, the library, Thomas the train, the balloon festival, the beach and much more. You happily tag along, rarely making a fuss. We are so lucky!

You started daycare two weeks ago. It seems to be going well. We love the ladies who watch you during the day, and they seem to love you too! You're such a good baby!

We tried rice cereal this week for the first time. You don't seem to like it much yet, we hope you warm up to it soon. I think it will help you to have some extra calories- you are such a big boy!

17 pounds 5 ounces at your 4 month check up!

Love Mommy

Big Brother

Dear Thomas,
Wow. You are so smart! Your language has developed so well, you say the cutest things. Last night, after throwing a temper tantrum because Daddy wouldn't let you sleep on the floor, you said, "Will stay with me a little while." So cute.

Mommy and Daddy are having some trouble with your behavior lately. We are trying everything we can to get you to listen. Sometimes it works better than others. I can't wait for this stage to be over :) I don't like to discipline you.

You asked to "climb a mountain," last well telling us that you knew how. So we took you for a walk on the Bird Sanctuary. You loved it and even saw a dragon and a blue tiger. You have many favorite activities, but outside time is always the favorite. We go down the the water a lot and you love to spot frogs, birds and fish. You talk constantly. All the way down, asking questions and pointing things out. The entire time we are down there, and then all the way home. You love walking up the street to see the geese. You love working in the garden, it has been a great summer.

You love your brother! Daddy and I wish that you would be a little safer with Owen. You rest your head on his belly and tell him to hold you. You want to hold him. You give him kisses (and lick him occasionally). You just love your brother... it's great!

You start back at Carol Anne's Daycare next week. We are so excited for you to be back with your friends Derek, Kya and Lucus. You will be in the Preschool room-WOW! You spent the first 18 months of your life with Megan, and now you will be your teacher again in preschool, we are very excited for you.

Love you,
~ Mommy

Rolling, rolling, rolling

Dear Owen,
Well, we missed it, but it happened... you rolled over! While Mommy was at work and Daddy was with your brother in the other room, you rolled yourself from your back to your belly. According to your Daddy, you looked quite pleased with yourself after :) You are getting so strong now, four months old, that I imagine you will be sitting up soon too.
Your Daddy and I are amazed at what a good baby you are. You laugh and smile all the time- especially first thing in the morning. Your brother makes you laugh all the time too, and you are constantly searching to find him in the room. You are happy with floor time and your bouncy seat, although your favorite activity is to be carried around by Mommy while Brother plays.

We love you!
~Mommy

Owen is 2 months old

Dear Owen,
Well, we had your two month check up. All is well! Other than lifting your head while you are on your belly, you are doing everything you should be doing. We anticipate you to be rolling over soon, the legs certainly get moving when you are on your back. It's hard to find time to put you on your belly- it often makes you grumpy and your brother is usually all over you when you are on the floor. We will keep working on it though, you'll lift that head eventually.
You have had a great couple of days home alone with Mommy. You have been awake, alert and even smiling from time to time. I am trying not to wish time away, but I am anxious for you to be able to sit up. I think you will have a great time when you can sit with us and look around :)
You are in the 95% for weight, and fitting nicely into 6 month clothing! Its great to see you so healthy- your love chunks are the topic of many conversations.

Love you,
Mommy

Grumpy Baby

Dear Owen,
Yes, finally! Dear Owen. After 2 months, this is your first post. So, welcome!! Mommy is very busy and tired, but I want to try and capture this first year for you. Here is what you should know about yourself.
You are an EASY baby! You are already sleeping well at night, you only wake up once, sometimes twice. You go to sleep on your own-OK, sometimes we use the swing, but if we put you down in your pack and play at night, you go to sleep! You eat well, a little too well, you already weigh 14 pounds and 9 ounces!! And you are wearing 6 month clothing at 2 months old. You don't cry a lot (although you have grumpy periods in the evening and first thing in the morning).
You are an EASY baby, but you are a GRUMPY baby :) You always have this scowl on your face, it's quite adorable. You have been smiling more and more, and if we can manage to make you happy you will laugh with us occasionally, but mostly, you are a grump. Thank goodness you are the second child, because it doesn't bother us at all. We just laugh and try to cheer you up. I wonder if its all the competing for attention that gets you upset.
You do love your brother (I don't know why, he is way too rough with you and wakes you up all the time). You like to watch what he is doing, and are often happier when he is around.

It's so much fun to have you around. Mommy and Daddy are much more relaxed with you, as we have done this before so we aren't new parents. And although you get a little less attention than you might like, as we have to divide our attention between two children now, you get plenty of loving from your big brother.

Things you like: You are just starting to notice things- you love the mobile attached to the swing, and you love to look at yourself in the mirror on your bouncy seat.

~Love you, Mommy

Owen arrives

Ok, well Owen arrived two months ago, but at least I making the effort now!

Dear Thomas,
We went through a rough "terrible two" period right after Owen was born. I assume, being two, having a huge family change, and leaving your daycare all came together to form the perfect storm. You are starting to act more like yourself now, as we all adjust to the new life!
You can carry on complete conversations now. Your speaking is really quite remarkable. We have playdates each week and I hear from other mothers how well you speak.
You are a great big brother! You love "Baby Owen," you hold him and pet him often. You do get a little rough, we have to remind you to be careful. And, when Mommy isn't giving you the attention you want, you will hit him. (I am sure this will be hilarious later in life)
So many other things have changed for you- you started a new day care this month. (You are still crying when we drop you off, but have fun once you are there). Summer is here, so we are outside all the time. Your favorite things to do are: "hit the ball" using your T-ball stand, playing basketball, playing in your water table, and your sandbox. You also love going for walks to see the geese up the street, you love to go see the waterfall at the basin and you are happy when Daddy takes you fishing.
Nothing gets by you these days, you really know everything and love to talk about it. Sometimes, when you are super chatty, mommy asks you to sing to her instead :) I love to hear your voice, but get tired of answering the questions, "What are you doing?", "What's that noise?" and "Where's ______?"


Friends we play with most often: Molly Tardy, Elliot and Olivia Rioux, and Sienna Ruth.
Favorite foods: Toast with PB (still), yogurt, strawberries.

Busy Toddler

Dear Thomas,

You have certainly turned into a busy toddler! I am sitting at the table with you now as you happily paint. So much has changed in the past few months, yet I have not had the chance to come online and write about it. Where to start?

You are working on complete sentences now. You have quite a few that you say often, like "Where did ____ go?", "Love you _____." And some others that I haven't translated yet :) You are starting to learn your colors, your vocabulary is amazing... you know most animals (and their noises) and lots of foods, no surprises there.

You love arts and crafts- especially painting! You come home from daycare with lots of artwork. We paint here a lot too, although I have to admit it's not as enjoyable for Mommy! You love to play with stickers (and you actually put them on paper and not on furniture :) You also love play dough. We use it a lot while Mommy is cooking, you like to stand next to Mommy on the step stool and help me cook. We had one broken egg incident this week that startled you, but otherwise you love it.We had a rough month in January with sicknesses, so we didn't get outside as much as we normally would. We have managed to get out during most big snow storms, and as the weather has been warmer this month, we have been getting outside a lot. You LOVE being outside. I actually have to pick you up kicking and screaming to get you indoors. (That is, of course, when I can't coerce you with a snack) Your favorite outdoor activity is to make snowballs. You just grab a bunch of snow with your hands and throw it- its adorable. You also love the bird feeder. We have been waiting to actually see birds eating from the feeder while we are out there; no luck with that yet. You call the birds, saying "Birdies, where are you?" Probably one of your cutest phrases! You have also enjoyed snowshoeing (riding on Daddy while he snow shoed), sliding down your slide (I can't get you in the sled yet, you don't really like it), and cleaning off the cars- not sure why you love this so much, but you do.
You figure everything out. I know you are a smart kid. Safety locks, doors, pretty much anything you see us do, you can do. It's frightening :)

It will be my goal to write more often, so I don't have to cram it all into one post. I will end this post by talking about the arrival of your brother Owen. We got his bassinet all set up, and since then you have started talking about him again. There was a long stretch where you were saying "No" when we asked you if you were going to have a little brother. You haven't kissed Mommy's belly or said hello to the baby in months. Now, when you see the basinet, you say, "baby sleep," it;s progress :) Soon this blog will be and Owen and Thomas blog... one of many things you should get ready to share with your brother.

Love you

~Mommy

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