Thomas Michael

We're Packing Our Bags & Moving Out

2006-06-10T09:53:00.000-04:00

Into new cyperspace we are heading. With the occasional complaints about blogger either being down or not being able to upload photos and wanting the peace of mind that my blog will always be around (because who wouldn't want this blog around?) Tyler has changed my site. We have always had the domain name of www.thomasmichaeljohnston.com, but have just always linked it to my blogger account. Well, we have officially moved on over. So, come visit us at www.thomasmichaeljohnston.com and see what we've done.

Just To Get Me In A Little More Trouble

2006-06-07T22:21:00.000-04:00

Well, my cousin Mary Beth who was one of the photographers at the wedding just sent me this shot. I think it is further proof that I am to blame for any stuff down the dress. She did blame me for throwing a full rice bag in the comments for the last post. This is not true. I only threw a wee little bit down the front of Heather's dress. I spoke with Heather tonight and she knew it was me and didn't seem too angry so I think I'll be fine.

I can say that for the first time today I feel as if I am getting back to normal. I have just been so tired. So hopefully soon I will get to post and tell about all the fun things that we did the past couple of weeks. And I was right before, I am now missing Jen and Heather and can't believe that I said it was nice to have everyone gone. But, Heather will be back for a couple of days this weekend and Jen will be in Cedar Key in July and then Heather and I are meeting up with Jen in South Carolina this September so luckily we have some fun things coming up.

Manic Monday

2006-06-05T11:19:00.000-04:00

The wedding is over, we are recovering, and everyone has again left us. While I miss them, this time it actually is kind of nice. We can sit back and take it easy for a while and then next week I will be missing them like crazy again and ready for them to come back. Here is a teaser wedding photo of Jen, Heather, and I before the wedding courtesy of my cousin Mary Beth.

The wedding was beautiful and pretty much went off without a hitch. Of course, Jen did forget Blake's ring which added a little humor. More pictures to come, but for now I am just going to veg in front of the TV and do a little bit of nothing.

Edited to add: For a short video check out Billy's site. Unfortunately it incriminates me as being the one to throw "rice" directly down Heather's dress.

Wordless Wednesday

2006-05-31T22:23:00.000-04:00

This is not going to be a Wordless Wednesday only because I want to explain... some of the blogs I read do WW and I was thinking I might start. Sometimes I have pictures such as this one that really don't need an explanation. So pretend this is wordless and enjoy the picture.

Lowered Expectations

2006-05-26T23:03:00.000-04:00

I think there are so many lessons that come with being a parent. The first of many is selflessness which unfortunately some parents never learn, but fortunately most parents do. Along with that comes many other lessons and you begin to see changes in yourself and realize that you have become only a similar version of the person that you were prior to entering your parenthood role. Jen, Heather, and I all went to Cedar Key this past Thursday to take pictures of Heather. We also took Thomas and Martha. Needless to say the day did not go as we might have had it pictured in our minds.

Martha did love Addie, my parents dog. And my dad which is weird because up until this very point on their trip to FL she had hated all non-Jen humans. This did give Jen a very nice break and my dad couldn't have loved his role as super hero any more.

Thomas was doing great the beginning of the day. He was tired due to not napping on the way there, but otherwise seemed to be a trooper. Until dinner time. I couldn't get him to eat which is very unusual. It was explained later when I picked him up and he puked all over me. Not just once, but about 5 times.

I got us all cleaned off and we headed off to take pictures. And can anyone guess what happened in the car??? Come on and guess. Yay for whoever guessed Thomas puking more. We dropped Heather and the photographers (my mom and cousin) off and went to my brothers to clean up yet again. This was luckily the last puking incident of the trip.

But can anyone guess what I did all night long that night??? Yeah, yeah, exactly.

I remember us girls going to Cedar Key once pre-babies. It involved boat rides, sun bathing, napping, yummy food, site seeing, shopping, etc. I had a similar expectation going into this trip it just involved the occasional diaper changing, but boy was I wrong. It's times like these that I realize what having children does to you. It makes you such a bigger person who can cope with what seems like the worst of situations. It also makes you realize that those situations aren't so bad. Yeah, the tripped seemed a little hellish, but we did laugh and we did have fun so all in all we can see a little bright side to it. It's just not a very shiny one.

I'm Alive, I'm Home, Life Is Good

2006-05-22T21:55:00.000-04:00

Oh geez, where to even begin about where I have been how busy I have been and how it is only the beginning. I couldn't give earlier details, but I was baby sitting last week for the family I worked for for 5 years. It was their 10th anniversary on Thursday and he surprised her with a trip away for 5 days. She had no idea and was blown away. So, for 5 days I had 4 kids (including my own.) We had school to do, swimming, baseball, stitches to have removed, movies, not to mention feeding them, washing them, and getting them all to bed. I AM EXHAUSTED!! It was great to be back with the kids though and Thomas loves them so much. I did not ever remember to take my camera to their house so I go no pictures. No shots of all 4 playing baseball in the backyard, the 2 youngest playing with Thomas on the jungle gym, all 4 in the bath tub because if one got to take a bath with Thomas then all 3 had to take a bath with Thomas. It was a great time. We had a ton of fun and I do wish I had my camera with me, but hopefully the memories will stay. I do have some pictures to post though. And here they are with little captions and only some type of order.

William turned 6 on April 30th. We attended a little dinner for him the next Sunday. He actually requested that I make his cake. Box cake with store bought icing. It was always my favorite and it looks like it might be his too. And since it was his birthday we let him eat the icing straight from the container.

Matthew, William, & Megan

Thomas loved having all of the kids to play with at the party.

Just because I love it & think it's funny.

Hmmm, is he trying to tell me something??

I didn't get the hint, because this next picture was taken about 20 minutes later.

He was promptly put into bed. I do have some more recent pictures that I will try to get up, but the next two weeks will be a little crazy so I will try and get to them, but I'm not making any promises.

Long Time No Post

2006-05-15T22:18:00.000-04:00

So, it's been a while since I have posted anything and this post will hardly be one. I have a CRAZY week coming up (More details to follow.) so it may be a while before I put up a post that is worth you even coming to read, but once my crazy week is over I will have posting beyond postings. With the upcoming wedding & friends coming and going to Cedar Key and parties and so much fun there will be tons of pictures which I know you will all be dying to see. I had a very nice mother's day and I hope all of you did too. It's always nice to be made feel special and that is what my boys did. Of course, in true fashion, we did not have the camera for anything that we did. Have a great week, and I will try to get up at least one post later in the week.

Sitter = Cleaning

2006-05-11T09:35:00.000-04:00

Argh, I have a new sitter coming to keep Thomas tonight. My house is a complete disaster!!! We don't use a sitter very often (with the exception of my mother-in-law and she knows that I am an awful housekeeper) so I don't often have to do a mad cleaning before we go out. Then, when we don't use her we use one of our friends daughters who also knows that my house keeping skills leave something to be desired, but neither one of those were available tonight so we have someone new coming. I can't let a new sitter think that we live in total clutter all of the time. Even though we do. I have been cleaning since I got up this morning and still have so much to do, but it's all worth it. We are going to dinner with some friends and without Thomas. Oh, how we love our little boy, BUT it will be so nice to go to dinner without him.

Yes, even him.

The Day He Became a Boy

2006-05-09T20:42:00.000-04:00

No, this isn't one of those sappy post about how I miss Thomas being a baby and being cuddly and being sweet and small. He is in a really fun stage right now and I am enjoying it a lot. But, the baby that I had at my house last week is no longer here. Here's the proof.

I took him on Saturday to get a "trim." This is what we got. I call it a scalping. It is so short, his curls are gone and he looks about 3. It's amazing what a hair cut can do. His first one was not so traumatic because the guy really did just trim it. I guess you get what you pay for since I went to SuperCuts this time.

I did run into a girl from church after I had it done, and she said that she cuts hair and would trim it up for me when needed. I told her I would definitely take her up on that offer to avoid any more scalping catastrophes.

I know that he is growing up (he's 14 months today), but I miss the curls and if those happen to make him look a little more like the baby I visualize him being that's okay too. He will only be able to look babyish for so long so I don't mind taking advantage of it while it lasts.

Pictures

2006-05-08T15:35:00.000-04:00

I have added some links to photo albums on the right side. I will try to do this periodically as a way to show the family (since they are the ones who really care) all of the photos of Thomas.

Where I'm From

2006-05-08T08:19:00.000-04:00

Tyler took a couple of friends up to Cedar Key on Saturday to do a little fishing and playing around. One of them was Billy. He took these pictures, as well as a slide show. He did a great job so be sure to check it out. Especially if you are one of my family members who live or have lived there. You'll love them.

New Post Coming Soon!!

2006-05-05T14:04:00.000-04:00

I have a post I would like to write, but Thomas has been sick and he doesn't sleep when he is sick and so therefore I don't sleep when he is sick and I just laid him down for a nap which means now is the perfect opportunity for me to also lay down for a nap which means I am not going to take the time to edit and post pictures right now or try and make my thoughts somewhat coherent. (Hey, now that is one heck of a run-on sentence. My English teacher would be proud!!) Happy Friday, have a wonderful weekend.

Flickr??

2006-05-03T22:45:00.000-04:00

I have a Flickr account, but haven't really used it because I don't know of anyone who has had pictures printed from them. If I am going to upload pictures I would prefer to do it to only one time. If their photos don't come back a good quality then I would rather not have a photo link on my site and continue to use some of the photo upload places I have already used. Let me know what you think of Flickr and how their quality compares to others. Have any of you had pictures printed from them??

So....

2006-05-03T21:50:00.000-04:00

What do you think of my new look??? Isn't it awesome!!! I can really take no credit as it all goes to Miss Zoot whose praises I have sung here before. She does great blog designs and will often offer them for free which is how I got this one. So, she is now very high on the list of people I love!!

Rocking Fun

2006-05-01T21:21:00.000-04:00

Thomas was having a lot of fun in his rocking chair today so I had to take some pictures.

This is one of my favorite expressions of his. It's just so sweet.

I won't say that after watching American Idol and hearing of a contestant nicknamed Bucky that we actually started calling Thomas Bucky, but if we maybe did... this picture would tell why.

I can't make fun though because those teeth were totally inherited from me. And truthfully, us calling him Bucky is a joke and we have only done it once or twice.

The Mind Is Blank

2006-05-01T13:33:00.000-04:00

Well, I have nothing interesting to post, but I was going to post some incredibly cute pictures which I can't seem to upload. I guess this is a recurring problem with blogger. Nothing too out of the ordinary has happened around here lately. We are just living life and enjoying being home and getting back to our routine. This month is going to be crazy with the upcoming wedding and some different things that we have going on. I am enjoying this week as time to rest up and get ready for our May adventures. As the title implies, my mind is blank so I won't bore you with rambling. I hope you all had a great weekend and I will try and post pictures later.

Our Big Circle Through the South

2006-04-26T21:10:00.000-04:00

I say, if you are going to go a little white trash, you might as well go all the way!!

Thomas loved riding his Uncle Micah's tractor. He couldn't really make it go anywhere, but just sitting on it and turning the wheel made him happy enough. And ya know, if you're going to go riding on your tractor, you might as well go with no shoes or shirt.

I just couldn't resist this picture. You know I love my boys and after looking at this, can't you see why??

After leaving Columbia, SC where we visited Jen, Micah, & Martha we drove through NC on our way to Knoxville, TN. Tyler was in a wedding there. The weather was nice and stormy, but cool which was a nice change for us. It stunk though because I had big plans for Thomas and I to hang out in the pool, but the weather was so bad that we couldn't even use the indoor pool.

This is the only picture I have of Thomas and I from the trip. Nice, huh!!

Of course, I have this beautiful one of my two incredibly handsome guys.

And this?!?! Is a very sad attempt at a family picture. I may have now officially given up.

Believe it or not, those are the best from the collection of pictures that we took on our trip. I know, I know, we should become professionals. Ha, my husband kinda is. Not really, but kind of. Well, remember we were very, very tired.

Will We Ever Get There???

2006-04-25T20:28:00.000-04:00

So many meanings to this title. First, it was my thought the ENTIRE time we were gone. I restate that Thomas HATES the car. More than he hates having his diaper changed, and if you only knew how much he hated that.

Secondly, I don't think my life or his will get back to normal anytime soon. I have no pictures to post because I haven't even loaded them onto the computer because I am not even sure that I know where the camera is right now. The laundry is piled up almost as tall as the washer and since I have yet to get to that I am not seeing it getting smaller in the near future. And sleep?? Who needs it right? For sissies, I think. We are tired. Oh are we ever tired. I am hoping to catch up sometime soon, but I just don't think there is time. Thomas has been sleeping late which is nice, but that is because he is WAY off schedule and staying up until about 9 every night. One night on our trip he stayed up until 11:30. That's right, I said 11:30. Luckily tonight after only a one nap day and a trip to the pool he is in bed by 8:30. Sweet!! Maybe I will try and get started on that laundry since I have already missed most of American Idol. I will try and get some pictures up soon. And give you the more exciting details of our trip. (You notice that I am NOT calling it a vacation. Can a road trip with a 1 year old ever be called a vacation??)

Enough To Keep You Happy While We're Gone

2006-04-17T23:51:00.000-04:00

A few words and a lot of pictures:

We leave for SC & TN tomorrow. I can't wait to see Jen and see how big Martha has grown. I am pretty sure that I won't be posting while we are gone so here are some great pics to keep you company while we're out of town.

Thomas has started feeding himself

His favorite so far is the corn!!

My least favorite is the spaghetti.

He ran his first real fever last week. (This was not shot induced.) We are pretty sure that it was roseolla since he did get a mild rash afterward. He was so pitiful while he was sick. We cuddled a lot which is rare these days.

He loved his Easter basket. It had some toys and Peeps. Jen said Martha liked them so the bunny thought Thomas might too. The bunny was wrong. We think that the texture of the granulated sugar creeped him out.

And he maybe had an non age appropriate chocolate bunny in his basket.

Which he love A LOT. We had to take it away from him after he had devoured the ears and half the head in a matter of seconds.

He maybe cried a little when we took it away.

"I am drunk on chocolate bunny. I love the bunny."

Ah, but with a face like that you just let him eat the bunny.

Happy Easter!!

2006-04-16T12:17:00.000-04:00

From our family to you we wish you a very happy Easter. We hope you enjoy your time with family and friends celebrating this all important day.

And yes, Thomas was as unhappy and tired as this picture portrays. Luckily next weekend we will be wearing basically the same thing so maybe a better family photo will be taken then.

I Wanna Be Just Like You

2006-04-12T20:45:00.000-04:00

In the mid 90's a Christian group recorded a song called "I Want to Be Just Like You" that I loved. It had such a great message to all father's out there to depend on their heavenly Father so that they'll be able to be the father they need to be. I am so blessed to be married to a great Christian man. Tyler is very involved in church activities (not just because he happens to work there) and has many Christian friends he is a loving husband and father and works very hard to provide for us both the things we need and many of the things that we want. I can only hope that Thomas will grow up to become like his father. The other day Tyler was working in the yard and Thomas "helped" him. They had a lot of fun together and it actually made me think about that song which I haven't thought about for a long time. (And none of these picture are posed.)

"Lord, I want to be just like You,

'cause he wants to be just like me.

I want to be a holy example for his innocent eyes to see.

Help me be a living bible Lord for my little boy to read. Lord, I want to be just like you 'cause he wants to be like me."

And, honestly, who wouldn't want this little person to become like them? I am so thankful that Thomas loves his daddy so much. They have a very sweet relationship that I can't wait to watch grow as he gets older and he can really help his daddy and learn so much from him.

This Looks So Much Cooler (and easier) When Other People Do It

2006-04-06T14:37:00.000-04:00

I read a lot of blogs and a lot of those are "mommy blogs." Most of the women seem like really cool fun people in real life which is probably the reason I enjoy reading their blogs. They also take cool pictures of their children and other things that I have been able to learn from, but not necessarily pull off. Since I said I would post a picture of my hair I decided to do the cool mirror pictures that I have seen on a lot of blogs. Theirs look cool, mine not so much. I am blaming it on the fact that we have no big mirrors in our house only little oval ones.

Of course, as usual my son looks adorable in these because that is just how unfair life is.

So, there's the hair, I hope you guys like it, and I can't wait to see yours Molly. You will have to post some pictures of it. And now to bid you farewell - a kiss from Thomas.

So Long Time No Post

2006-04-05T20:56:00.000-04:00

It seems like it has been forever since I've posted anything. Probably because it has been. And when I was cleaning the other day I put the camera away so it's been forever since I have taken pictures since it's not out there and convenient to use. Sigh! We have been fairly busy around here. I am not sure what we are doing, but I feel like we are busy. The time change has been awesome in our house. Thomas had started getting up at 6:30 which has become 8:00. I have to say as a fan of late sleeping I am totally into that. So with the sleeping late and all of the reality shows that I'm addicted to I just can't find much time to blog. I mean with Amazing Race, Survivor, The Apprentice, Next Food Network Star and American Idol, not to mention Gilmore Girls, CSI, John Doe (reruns, sad, I know) and even Survivor reruns plus that whole raising a kid thing there just isn't much time for the computer. Also, we have started Gymboree. We have a music class one Monday and then go to the gym class on Friday. Thomas loves it. His favorite parts are the parachute and the bubbles. Of course, things we could totally do at home for very cheap, but this gets him out and interacting with other children.

I got my hair cut on Monday. It had been a long time and really needed it. I think it looks cute. I will try and post a picture for those who care. (That being my mom, Jen, Mary Beth, and maybe Heather.) The rest of you I will try not to judge for not caring. When I came home after having it done Thomas kept looking at it and trying to figure out exactly what was different.

In Thomas news: He has maybe become just a little sweeter since my last post. I know that seems totally impossible, but it's true. He now blows kisses and totally does it when someone tells him good bye. Today we had lunch with Ina and I told him to tell Aunt Ina bye and give her kisses and he waved and then started blowing kisses and kept doing it for a while. It then became him blowing kisses as we were walking through the mall which charmed every lady we walked by. It really is so stinking cute. I am going to attempt to start posting video, we will see how that goes.

So that's it for us. Now it's just time to prepare for our trip. We leave in 2 weeks. I can't wait. Get the toys ready, Martha, we'll be there soon.

You Can't Blame A Girl For Trying

2006-03-30T21:32:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken on July 9th when Thomas turned 4 months old. I loved this outfit and even though it was a 9 month I put him in it. He wore it a lot because, well I loved it. This quickly became a favorite picture of mine.

It's been hanging in his closet because I couldn't bear to pack it away. It looked to be in similar size to some of the other rompers in his closet so I thought, what the heck I'll try it.

Well, as you can see it's a little small. It kind of hugged around his diaper. It made me sad that he can't wear it anymore and to see how big he has gotten. I remember positioning him just right on the couch to get the 4 month shot. Tyler was standing near by to catch him when he would fall because he kept losing his balance. This time I had to take the picture very quickly because he kept trying to walk off the couch. It's amazing how much can change in only 8 months.

I Don't Know That I'm Ready For This Phase!!

2006-03-29T22:34:00.000-05:00

I am a talker. If you read this blog (and I guess since you're reading this you do) then you know I can ramble. Well, I have a very non-verbal son. People comment all the time about how quiet he is, and he really is. He has been saying versions of Da-da for quite some time now, and occasionally trying to say other things, but they also tend to come out sounding like da da. And even then he still wouldn't do that a lot. Well, this past week he has started saying words. And they actually mean things. No, he is still not saying Mama and I am okay with that (I think), but he can now say "juice" "cheese" and "thank you." Of course, if you are not fluent in baby talk juice is probably the only one that you would understand, and that is mainly because he says it as he points to his sippy cup. I can handle all the physical crazies that my child can do, but I don't know if I am ready to deal with talking, talking back, answering "why" questions, hearing no (he does already shake his head for no, usually when he is already doing something that he knows he shouldn't be doing), I kind of enjoy my wild, but silent boy. And part of me knows that once he starts this verbal journey there is no turning back, it's in his genes.

The Two Sides to Thomas

2006-03-27T09:14:00.000-05:00

The Child Every Parent Dreams Of:

I mean come on, he's one, he's Swiffering what more could you ask for. Thomas does love to clean. He loves the vacuum, the Swiffer, the broom, baby wipes, etc. He could clean all day long. I am not sure where he gets this trait from. If only we didn't have child labor laws in this country. I would so set him up cleaning people's houses. That would be a great way for him to earn his keep.

Except, of course. The Child Every Parent Dreads:

Thomas can also make a royal disaster of any room in you home. Watch out because when he gets on a rampage there is no end in site. This is what I deal with each day. And I wonder why my house is always a disaster area. This is it.

(Also, if you enlarge this last picture you can tell that his shirt reads, "Pee all you can pee." I can thank my Aunt Landa for that. She also got him his pooting bear, a poop shirt, and plenty of other disgusting things.) Hee

Here They Are, As Promised

2006-03-22T14:06:00.000-05:00

So, here are the pictures that I tried to get up the other day. I love this first picture because it shows the way Thomas leaves my kitchen. He has two cabinets that he is allowed to play in so he pulls everything out all the time.

And here is my sweet little reader.

It's times like these that you can actually feel your heart swelling inside of your chest. It's an amazing feeling looking at your wild little boy sitting sweetly and playing.

We went to the park today with one of our friends and Thomas got filthy. I don't just mean dirty. I mean he was dirty from head to toe. It was great, he is such my little boy. I took some pictures (pre dirt). I will get them up later. He is now taking a rocking nap after playing outside all morning. There's nothing like hot Florida sun to make a little boy sleepy.

Yippee!!

2006-03-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

I still have some pictures to post and I will get to those later, but Tyler and I have decided to make a friends wedding into a little family vacation and I am so excited. Those of you who know us know that we very seldom (read: never) get away. So, one of his friends is getting married on April 22 in Knoxville, TN which is about a 13 hour drive from here. We know that we can't do it with Thomas so we are going to make pit stops on the way there and back. And where are we stopping for 2 days on the (not so) way there?? In Columbia SC to stay with Jen I am so excited. The stop actually doesn't add too much to the total travel time either. We still haven't come up with our coming home stop, but that one is not nearly as exciting anyway. Woo Hoo, here we come Baxleys!!

Sometimes I Hate Blogger

2006-03-20T14:11:00.000-05:00

So I had a whole post ready to put up. I had some pictures, they were cute, you were all going to love them and guess what. For some reason blogger is taking FOREVER to load pictures and so long that it was cutting out and not loading them. I only got one uploaded. So here is all I've got. The post was going to be for Jen, my Mom, and Heather. They were all pictures that they specifically would love. The only one that it loaded was the one for Jen. I have converted Thomas' car that Jen gave him from a walker to a car. He thinks it's really cool, but doesn't quite know how to "work" it. I called her laughing hysterically the other day because instead of sitting and pushing with his feet he just walks with it between his legs. We have tried to show him the correct way to use it, but he just won't do it. And now, he doesn't even hold onto it with his hands, he just walks and it moves with him. He, of course, now thinks this is incredibly funny since we both think its so funny.

While I know the picture doesn't do it justice we did get video footage. So Jen here's your picture. Mom yours will come soon, it's him playing with his LeapPad book thing which he loves and also doesn't quite know how to work yet, but still loves and Heather, yours was a picture of Thomas with his car and the path of destruction behind him. So stay tuned.

A Glimpse Into Our Day

2006-03-16T20:17:00.000-05:00

We take life very easy around here. We have fun with our friends and we like to hang out at home. Thomas is getting more and more independent. I am finding things each day that he is able to do. One of the new great things is being able to give him a bunch of snacks and him just take his time and eat them. This is opposed to him shoving all of them into him mouth and then choking. Since when I fix dinner seems to be our most demanding time of the day, his new freedom has come in very handy. I can now put him on the kitchen floor with his snacks and let him go to town. He love the new Gerber freeze dried corn. Of course, I find them super yummy too.

I also love that he really has taken to books. I am a book lover so this makes me happy, but the reason I love this picture is it shows his super long legs. I was sitting by him and just couldn't believe how tall he is getting.

And how crazy. He is our little climbing boy. He sat in his toy chest today on and off for about an hour. He was having the greatest time with his aquarium.

I think of all the stages that we have hit so far this is my favorite. He is still my baby, but is getting so big and so fun each day. He really does seem to learn something new everyday and it is great to watch and enjoy.

So Much For Posting More Often

2006-03-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

Well, after all of my big talk last week about trying to post more often I have fallen a little short this week. It has been a little crazy around here. It seems like Thomas and I have been on the go all week. He was ultra tired this week because of his birthday sugar filled weekend so I have just been trying to make sure he gets all of his naps in. I took him to the doctor on Monday for his shots and he didn't cry until the one that "burned." It amazes me that he is so cool with this stuff. He totally gets it from me. Last night he woke up crying for like an hour and a half. He has never (and I actually do mean never) done this in his entire life. We don't know if it was the shots or maybe a little case of allergies since the entire city of Tampa has about an inch of green film covering it. This year seems to be a little worse than usual. So needless to say we were both a little tired today and some of us were cranky and cried a lot. But then I got over it and made it through the day. Ha!! So anyway, I have taken some pictures and will work on posting them tomorrow or Friday. We have church softball on Friday night and I will try to remember the camera. Daddy is actually pitching so that should be fun(ny). Thomas loves going and playing in the dirt. He was covered in filth last week.

Happy Happy Birthday Party!!

2006-03-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Thomas' birthday party. We had a great time and some yummy food cooked up by Tyler and his friend Darren. (And others who brought things.)

Tyler said it seemed like Thomas roamed around a lot by himself as opposed to him playing with his friends that were there. I just said he was working the crowd making sure that everyone felt welcome.

He wasn't too sure about his party hat. He kept yanking it at first.

I love this picture. It's him with his bestest of friends. And Matthew is "conducting" the birthday song.

He mainly just smeared his smash cake as opposed to eating it. I kept feeding him some so he knew what it would taste like, but he preferred to smear it around.

"I think I am going to puke!!"

Thomas has remnants of the blue icing all over his shirt. Luckily he got a knew shirt from his aunt and uncle so we changed him after opening that gift.

The second gift he opened was a Noah's Ark water toy and basically he just played with that while me and the McNichols kids opened the rest of his gifts. The last gift we opened may very well have been his favorite. I can't say that it's mine.

My brother and his family got him the dance and shout Elmo. He loves it and it sings a lot and is loud and is constant. I really think they hate me!!

But, it makes the birthday boy happy and isn't that what really matters? Unless, of course, I have to be put in some type of asylum because I can't get the song Shout out of my head.

The Time Had Come

2006-03-10T15:40:00.000-05:00

Well, we did it. Today we took Thomas to get his beautiful locks cut off. He did not cry, I did not cry. I would say all in all it was a successful trip. Alan, who gave Tyler his first haircut, took care of Thomas as well. He did a great job. Thomas with Daddy and Alan getting ready for the haircut. Awww, the first of the curls slipping away. All done and looking like the big boy that he is now. It didn't look that different to me until we got home and he was walking away from me. That is when I kind of got sad, but still I didn't cry. I think it's because I knew that his hair had gotten a little out of control. But part of me hopes that within weeks it will look like that again.

A Year Ago Today

2006-03-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

Dear Thomas, Today, you turn a year old. It is amazing how fast the time has gone. The first 3 months of your life seemed like they would last forever. Then the next 9 flew by as if they were a day. You have grown so big and gotten so old so quickly. It seems like overnight you went from being my tiny little baby to a big boy. That is one of the reasons I can't bring myself to cut your hair. The curls and fly aways keep you my baby, once it's cut I'm afraid you will look too much like a big boy. So that is my excuse for your current hippie hair style. You've started trying to "run." You get to a certain speed though and lose your balance and kind of fall sideways. It is so cute. You especially do this for the McNichols kids who you think are you siblings. They may think you are theirs as well. The relationship that you are forming with them is so sweet to me since I kind of see them as my older children and always hoped you all would love each other too.

Mild separation anxiety has come into our lives. Believe it or not it doesn't usually involve me. You cry for you daddy when he leaves. He is your ultimate playmate and it makes you sad to see him leave. I am not sure whose heart this breaks more, mine or his. I love that you and your daddy are so close. The other person you cry for is Megan. If you had your way, she would never leave your side. She loves this. She thinks it's great that she can make you stop crying by hugging you. I hope that this will never be focused toward me since I am the one who has to leave you more often at church. I don't ever want to have to walk away with you crying.

We took you to the Strawberry Festival today. You loved all of the junk food. It makes me a little proud to know you have inherited our love for both crappy and tasty food. Your favorite was the fried Oreo. You would cry in between bites so finally we just handed you one. You, my little boy, were in heaven!!

You also love the talking rooster in a car. You tried to get up into the car with him. Everyone was cracking up at you. We wanted to take you to see his show, but it started too late and you were a little tired.

You are so much fun little boy and I am so glad that you are mine. God did me a special favor when he chose you for me and I am thankful to Him for it. You are my baby boy and I love you so much!!

So, Happy Birthday Baby Boy.

Love, Mommy

How Glad Am I??

2006-03-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

That I currently don't look like this. This picture was taken 1 Year Ago!! We were about to head to dinner and then to the hospital. I was so ready. I had gotten as big as I was prepared to be.

12 Month Check Up

2006-03-08T10:54:00.000-05:00

I have decided that I need to be better about posting more often. I was thinking the other day what it is about the blogs that are my favorite. Why are they my favorite? The one thing that is common about my favorite blogs is the frequency with which they post. Miss Zoot is one of my favorites, not only because she is pretty funny, but because she updates at least every day and most of the time several times a day. So, here I am trying to do better. And I am also going to try and write about more than just how much I love and adore my son. I know, (gasp) but there actually is other stuff going on in my life.

But for today (and tomorrow too) I will be talking about Thomas. We had his 12 month check up today and it went great. He didn't get any shots which is awesome. He will have to get them on Monday though. :( He is still really tall, 31 1/2 inches and not as skinny, 22.6 pounds. That puts him in the 90% for height and 50% for weight. So he's still our long and lanky boy. They did have to do some blood work today so they had to prick his finger and then squeeze out the blood. Now, my son is really dramatic so I was planning for the worst as was the nurse. I hugged him as she pricked, no tears. We both looked at him. She then started filling the tube and still no tears this went on for about 2 minutes and he never cried. She declared him her most favorite patient ever and said that he is the first to never even tear up while she was doing this. I was proud.

Mom, of course I am strong. It comes from all of this furniture moving I do. Although I think it might be giving me a hernia.

Fast Does Not Begin To Describe It

2006-03-07T15:48:00.000-05:00

No, the title of this post does not actually refer to the fact that Thomas will be a YEAR old in only two days. Two days, two. I really can't believe it. It has more to do with my "older children." My friends Ina & Scott had to leave town suddenly this Sunday to attend a funeral, so Thomas and I stayed with their kids that night. I was watching them carry him around and play with him and feed him and just love all over him and it began to hit me. That is how quickly he will grow. I became a baby sitter for them when Will was 6 months old. He will be 6 next month. Megan is 4 1/2, Matthew 8. It's amazing. They are no longer babies, but little people. Meg is getting so tall and becoming such a big girl. It is so hard for me to believe. So now as I begin to contemplate the fact that it has already been a year since Thomas was born I know it's only the beginning. He will be big before I can even imagine. He is already so big. I know that's what is supposed to happen in life, but isn't there a part of every mother that wishes she could just keep her baby a baby forever?? (one that sleeps through the night, of course.)

Who Says You Can't Have Good Looks and Brains?

2006-03-04T15:51:00.000-05:00

It has been a crazy week, as probably noticed in my last post, Thomas was about to drive me over the edge. He is always non-stop, but not usually bad. The beginning of the week, he had been non-stop and a little bad. Not being used to this I had about lost it. But as usual things got better and Thomas has gone back to normal. (so to speak) Since my last post was about him basically getting on my nerves I felt I needed to show something that melted my heart.

The other day in his room he was sitting on the floor "reading" books. He kept getting new ones and flipping through them. It was so cute. This night he also played in his room while I was cooking dinner. He just quietly played. So, he doesn't always try to climb and burn himself on the stove.There may be some days that my blue eyed beauty makes me crazy, but most of the time he just melts my heart. I just need to keep these memories at the front of my mind and when he starts making me crazy I will just chant, "he looked at books, he looked at books, it was so cute remember how cute." Hopefully this will keep him from sending me over the edge. (He turns one in 5 days, 5 DAYS!!! I can't believe it!!)

The Craziness of My World

2006-02-27T20:25:00.000-05:00

I can't even begin to remember life before Thomas. I remember being busy and tired, but can't imagine what would have made me that way. Thomas now keeps me busier and makes me more tired than I could ever imagine. He is a climber, and he is discovering this more and more each day.

When we brought him home from the hospital (almost a year ago, gasp) he loved this rocking chair. It was the only place he slept. Now he's rediscovered it and loves to rock in it. Usually he is "talking" on the phone, but today he discovered that if he stands on it, he can reach things that are up high.

This scares me!! I mean we all know that you shouldn't stand in a rocking chair.

Tonight while I was cooking he also found a "good" way to see what we were having for dinner.

He can stand on the drawer underneath the oven and put his face even with the stove. I am just guessing this will be a great way for him to burn his face or hand one day.

And just like a good computer geek's son he love playing in his new Dell box. Tyler made him a little window that he likes to look through and shut in our face. He also has started slamming the door to his room. I told Tyler he is just preparing us early for the teen years.

So, while life around here may be in constant motion and insanity it's fun. We laugh a lot, sing a lot, dance a lot, and play a lot.

And who could not love that face. He is as cute as they come. He is worth all of the energy he requires.

And he is sweet. He is so sweet.

I call the horse and giraffe his "exiled friends" because they had to be removed from his playpen and crib. He loves them though and won't let them forget that.

And the thing is, one day I know I will wish that he wanted to stand by me at the stove or help me unload the dishwasher instead of wishing he wouldn't. So I am just trying to remember that now instead of hoping for it later.

Chamber of Commerce Ad

2006-02-25T21:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder why in the heck I live in Florida. It is so hot here. I complain about the heat more than I enjoy it. I mean we have had like 3 days this "winter" that could even be considered cold. I enjoy a nice little cold snap. I wish we had more, but then when I look at pictures of babies all bundled up to go outside and remember what it was like getting Thomas ready to leave the house in Fargo I am so glad this is what February in Tampa looks like.

Thomas and I went with his best girl Megan to the park. This is one of my most favorite parks. It is on the water and always has a nice breeze. Even on Thursday when it was hot, but I can't complain when it makes the kids so happy.There really are very few place where you can put on your shorts and t-shirts in February and head outside to enjoy the weather. And, of course, when you add that to the view... well, it really does make for a nice day. Even if you are sweating to death. (p.s. can you tell he doesn't really like the swing??)

But what he does like... Ms. Megan Hope. She is his most favorite girl.

Wedding Weekend

2006-02-22T21:33:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Mary Beth's wedding weekend. I had a lot of fun hanging out with old friends and making some new ones. There were a lot of laughs and some tears, but mostly laughs and that is what's great about a bunch of crazy girls getting together. It was hard to leave Thomas, but also nice to get away and have some "me" time and I now know that I can do it even if I don't want to very often. So enjoy this pictures that I took. None of them are very good. I guess I am only a good photographer when taking pics of Thomas. Oh well, I didn't take very many so I won't waste too much memory on crappy pictures.

This is me, Mary Beth, and Gini Lynn at the rehearsal dinner and I am only posting this picture because I think that everyone can learn a lot from it. When you are wearing a shirt over a shirt, DO NOT button the shirt that is on top. It WILL make you look huge which is probably not what you are going for. See how nice Gini Lynn's not buttoned shirt looks compared to my buttoned shirt. Ah, if only I could turn back time and unbutton that sweater. Other than the sweater incident the dinner was great. The food was Mexican and yummy and I ate a lot which would be the reason I look huge in this picture except that this was taken before dinner so it can't be blamed on the food.

2006-02-22T21:27:00.001-05:00

Ryan and Mary Beth at the Rehearsal dinner.

2006-02-22T21:27:00.000-05:00

We had a great bridesmaid breakfast the morning of the wedding. It was at the Sweetwater Branch Inn in Gainesville and was so yummy and pretty. The bridesmaid pictured are Miranda, Marisa, Gini Lynn, Mary Beth (not a bridesmaid), Kim, Me, Liz, and Beth.

2006-02-22T21:26:00.000-05:00

This is Kim the professional photographer/bridesmaid. My mom took the actual wedding pictures, but was out taking pictures of the guys during Mary Beth's make up. So in steps Kim, who although said she was not going to work this weekend couldn't resist. I guess it's in her nature. She said that her motto for the weekend was always a photographer never a bridesmaid, but I say that you can be both and she proved that you could be.

2006-02-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

Isn't she so pretty!! Mary Beth was one of the prettiest brides that I have ever seen, of course, there are some good genetics working there!! Hee hee. I can't wait to see all the pictures that were taken. I know they are going to be so great.

2006-02-22T21:14:00.000-05:00

Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Tyson. This was their first dance. Aren't they so cute?

2006-02-22T21:13:00.001-05:00

These are my nieces Lauren and Sarah. Aren't they the cutest. They danced the night away, and let me tell you they have a lot more rhythm then their old auntie. Of course, since I don't have any rhythm that isn't hard, but they did boogie down with the best of them.

2006-02-22T21:13:00.000-05:00

And here is a pretty awful picture of Mary Beth and I, but it's the only one that I have. Our dresses were so pretty. My skirt came about 18 sizes too big and was still a little bit even after alterations. I was conscious about it during the wedding, but just let the skin show during the reception.

We Survived

2006-02-19T11:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I am home and Thomas and I have both survived our night/day away from each other. He was great and I did great. I am not ready to do it again anytime soon, but now I know that if I do I will survive. My cousin's wedding was beautiful. She was beautiful. The bridesmaids (if I can say so) were beautiful. One of the bridesmaids was a professional photographer and had taken bridal portraits earlier that week. Here is a link to both her personal site and her business site. She does beautiful work. So if you live in Arizona and need a photographer I recommend her. I will post some pictures later, but for now I am going to enjoy playing with my boy and taking some down time. It was my first "Matron of Honor" duty, and boy am I tired. My feet are killing me and I am not sure they are going to forgive me anytime soon.

Sometimes Things Aren't as Bad as They May Seem

2006-02-17T12:03:00.000-05:00

Today, I am a little sad. In about an hour I will be heading to Gainesville for my cousin Mary Beth's wedding. She gets married tomorrow and I am the Matron on Honor. That makes me sound really old, but that is not the reason I am sad. I will be going without this person:

I got online all ready to do a post to make you all feel very sorry for me. I am leaving my baby for the night for the first time and then I saw this:

Fargo, ND -20ºFClear Wind: W at 14 mph I am just thinking how much worse it could be. Blake is about to leave for 2 weeks and Heather is living in this. I feel more sorry for her than I do for myself. So, my pity party was thrown out the window. We love you Heather, stay safe and warm. (Blake we don't love so much right now. He is leaving!!)

But either way, pray for both Heather and I this weekend. I know I will be fine and lets just hope that she doesn't die of frostbite.

Girl Cousins Are Cool

2006-02-13T18:48:00.000-05:00

I have written before about all of our girl cousins coming along with a picture of Thomas' cousin Kate, well here are some more pictures of our other cousins. First we have Olivia who belongs to Tyler's cousin Anne Marie and her husband Carlos. She is 3 months old and has more hair than any kid I have ever seen. There truly is nothing like it. She was so smiley the other day at Heather's shower, all of the girls were gushing over her, but then again how could you not??

Then on my much side of the family (which is a lot less hairier) is Brecken. She belongs to my cousin Emily and her husband Cliff. She is 2 months old and is obviously going to be very strong like her cousin Thomas. She lives in Colorado so we haven't gotten to meet her yet, but I can't wait until we do.

Thomas agrees that all of these girls are super cute because he does LOVE girls, but he says please give him a boy cousin soon. Katherine, your up!! Hee hee.

The Forgotten File

2006-02-12T22:07:00.000-05:00

I have recently realized that I have some "forgotten items" I want to blog about. So I am going to try and post the pictures over the next couple of days. A lot are pictures from a trip to Cedar Key that I took a couple of weeks ago for my cousin Mary Beth's wedding shower. That is the weekend that Thomas perfected his walking so I posted about that instead of Addie. My parents have gotten a new puppy that is adorable. In the picture you can see how much Thomas loved Addie, but his love had nothing on how much she loved him. She followed him everywhere and like to sit in his lap whenever he got still. It was so cute. She was a very calm puppy which he liked. And she was super soft like a good stuffed animal.

11 Months Old

2006-02-09T21:22:00.000-05:00

Dear Thomas, You are 11 months old today. One year ago I was one very anxious woman. I never knew what I was in store for when I became to being your mother. There is nothing like it. You are the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to your daddy and I. Although, sometimes I do wonder what we were thinking. One day you'll be reading this saying, "Wow, my mom's tune sure has changed. It used to be how sweet I was, and now this??" Well, that's because while you are still so very sweet, you have mastered the art of fit throwing (and do it whenever you don't get you way) and you never (and I do mean never) sit still. This does keep life very interesting and fun. Sometimes I look back at the day and can't believe that it's already gone.

You have become a walking fool this past month. There is nothing you can't get to and no place that you can't go. It has been so amazing to watch you find this new way of mobility. You are walking more than crawling now and it has become more natural to you. You have this really cute sideways way of getting around that's really funny. As far as verbally you are in the same place as last month. You are talking more, but not saying any new words. Occasionally you will make other sounds, but usually they are words that start with "d" although "b" is also becoming a consonant sound that you make more often. Still no "mama," but I figure your just saving it until you have it mastered.

Now that you are walking you and your push car have broken up. Your new girlfriend is the phone. You don't go anywhere without it. If you are holding it and I say "hello" you will put it up to your ear. Now, this may mean that you are really smart, or it might just mean that I talk on the phone too much. Either way, it's really cute. The vacuum is still very high on your list as well, but now you only want to climb on top of it as opposed to just playing with it. I am expecting you to crack your skull at least once before you turn 5.

Your obsession with the dishwasher is still one of the greatest. I have now resorted to only loading or unloading it while you are sleeping or under the watchful eye of daddy. If you hear me start loading it you come from anywhere in the house to "help" me. The other morning I was loading it and you were standing next to it. I was rinsing the dishes so the door had gotten some water in it. The little hole for extra detergent was filling with water and you were splashing around in it. This, I actually thought was kind of cute, until I turned around to find you sucking the water out of the hole. I started yelling, "yuck, gross, don't do that" and took you to daddy and told him and he agreed that it was totally disgusting. This, I am told, is just the beginning of being a "boy mom."

You are sick again. This makes me so sad for you. Today you couldn't fall asleep for you naps because you were so congested. You were crying so I rocked you to sleep. Of course, I didn't mind. No matter how big and sassy you get, you will always be my little peanut butter pie which means I will always love rocking and loving on you. And no matter when or why you need me, I will be there. I your mommy and that's my job, but also my joy. I love you my little boy, thank you for being such a joy to my life.

Love, Mommy

God Is Love - Our First Refrigerator Art

2006-02-07T16:29:00.000-05:00

I started bible study today. They put Thomas in the 1 & 2 year old class so that he wouldn't attack the small babies, I told them that this was probably the best for everyone. In the older class they do a lesson. I love that. And he loves crayons (mostly for eating, but sometimes for coloring) so I am sure that he love it too. Today he learned that God Is Love. Hopefully he will always remember that and hopefully Tyler and I will always be an example of that.

Stay tuned, I am sure there will be more to come next week!!

Guess Where Thomas & I Went Yesterday!!!

2006-02-03T20:43:00.000-05:00

That's right, we went to Disney World. We joined Aunt Ina and Megan and Jennifer (Ina's sister-in-law) and her two girl Emma and Lizzie at Disney yesterday. We had an amazing whirlwind trip. We started at Magic Kingdom, went to a princess lunch at EPCOT (we were with all girls, after all), saw the parade at MGM (the girls went to see Beauty and the Beast, but Thomas took a nap instead), and then went back to Magic Kingdom to enjoy the rides and a Pineapple Float for me. Yes, that's right, we were crazy enough to do that with 4 children (ages 1,2,3&4), but they were AMAZING. We only had about one meltdown from each child and they were very small mild melt downs. Thomas loved all of the action. He could not take it all in fast enough. It was so fun to see him enjoying stuff that I love so much. Tyler and I spent most of our first few years of marriage at Disney so it was fun to show it to Thomas.

2006-02-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

Thomas with all his girls on Mainstreet USA.

2006-02-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

Thomas and mommy with Jennifer and Lizzie Sack on Dumbo. Thomas loved the ride and also watching the fireworks that were shooting off from Cinderella's castle.

2006-02-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

Thomas on the merry-go-round at Magic Kingdom.

2006-02-03T20:37:00.001-05:00

The one lone prince among the princesses. We went to a princess lunch at EPCOT. Luckily Aladdin was there and came and talked to Thomas. I think they both felt a little out numbered by all the girls in the room, but then again, Thomas seemed to totally dig it. He didn't want to leave Ariel when we were done taking this picture.

2006-02-03T20:32:00.001-05:00

This is how Thomas felt about MGM, not his favorite. He is after all his father's child. It was his one and only nap while we were there and it lasted a whole 20 minutes. He was a trooper for sure.

2006-02-03T20:29:00.001-05:00

Thomas loved the parade at MGM. He recognized JoJo who he watches in the morning while I get ready. He kept watching her until she was out of site. (And is the girl behind us picking her nose. Poor thing, she has no idea this is being posted on the internet.)

2006-02-03T20:29:00.000-05:00

Ha!! What a joke thinking we could get him to look at the camera during It's A Small World. He was in sensory overload for sure.

I Promise We Don't Let Him Drink

2006-02-01T13:41:00.000-05:00

He is just naturally drunk on life. And he is now a walkin' fool. He started yesterday walking more than crawling. It is quite cute and we just watch and laugh at him. He, of course, knows that he is the ultimate in cool.

And We're Off!!

2006-01-30T22:00:00.000-05:00

Thomas started walking this weekend. He is getting more and more sure of it each day. I'm not quite sure that we are ready for all this will entail, but I can only assume it will be better than crawling. Thomas is not a performance child. So, it is hard to get any pictures of him doing "tricks," but today he amused his mom and walked for me to take pictures. Most of the time he walks sideways with straight little legs and it is awfully cute, but sometimes he does get his form right and well, that is pretty cute too.

2006-01-30T21:49:00.001-05:00

Yeah, that's right, I'm walking!! Here are some shots to prove it.

2006-01-30T21:49:00.000-05:00

I soooo don't get why this is such a big deal to my mom. I mean come on, isn't this what you do??

2006-01-30T21:47:00.000-05:00

So, there it is mom, are you happy??

Sing Along With Me

2006-01-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

There is a favorite childhood song that I sometimes like to sing to Thomas with my own made up words. You can ask the McNichols kids, I do this A LOT. I love to make up silly songs to tunes that the child already recognizes. Well, Thomas may never know the real words to this song, but here are the versions he gets:

First the sappy version:

Oh where, oh where has my baby boy gone?

Oh where, oh where can he be?

With his sweet gummy smile and his kissie cheeks,

Oh where, oh where can he be?

Then I catch him doing something like this...

I can't help but sing this version:

Oh why, oh why is my little boy bad?

Oh why, oh why is he bad?

With his sweet little curls and his big blue eyes

Oh why, oh why is he bad?

But, here is my thought of the day. Sometimes it hits you in the face the responsibility that God has placed on us as parents. I believe that it overwhelms us when we first get pregnant or hold our newborn, but then leaves us as we begin that stage of our life and just surviving until the next day is our biggest goal. I believe that we all strive to do the best we can, but what is our best. I love my little boy and may let him get away with somethings because they are cute. (i.e. playing with the toilet paper, pulling things out of the cabinets) But Tyler and I are pretty strict about a lot of things and I like to think that we are giving Thomas a good balance of love and discipline while also allowing him to be himself and be a little boy. What brings all this thinking on? I was in Target today and waiting to get down an aisle that a woman was blocking. She had her son standing in the cart. (He was about 2) She put something in the cart and he stomped with his foot, she told him no and said that he would have to sit in the front of the cart, he did it again and she spanked him. Now so far, other than the attitude she was portraying she hadn't actually done anything I thought was out of line, but after she spanked her son, she called him a butthead. And I am sure that my very non-poker face was showing every thought that was going through my head. As a parent I do understand that we may all think that at one time or another that our child is, in fact, being a butthead, but I would also like to believe that I will never call my child a name like that out of anger. I just pray that God will always remind me that Thomas is a gift from Him no matter how difficult he may seem at times and I hope you will all do the same. Yes, our children may get on our last nerve and make us want to run somewhere far away, but we would also not take anything in exchange for them. They define who we now are and who will become.

(On a lighter note: The shoes in the picture were a Christmas gift from my cousin Gini Lynn, are those the coolest or what??)

One Busy Boy

2006-01-20T11:10:00.000-05:00

Thomas totally enjoys life. If there is one thing that can be said about him, it's that he never wastes a minute. He is always very busy and having a lot of fun. (That is, of course, when he is not throwing on of his new found fits.)

I bought him a new travel booster seat. We tried it out at Ina's the other day and it worked great. It was definitely money well spent.

Here Thomas is with his love the vacuum cleaner. He has now figured out that he can climb on it. Of course, then again he can now climb on most anything.

There are so many things wrong with this picture. First of all he has climb up onto the dishwasher. He had done this several times while I was unloading it. You can also see that he has been very busy pulling everything out of the cabinet. I had already cleaned up the plastic containers once.

Ha!! I went to get Thomas out of his bed the other day and this is what I found. He was totally wrapped up in monkey arms. I am not sure how it happened, but it cracked me up.

Who says it's not one of the tools. I love that he set his paci down right beside all of his and daddy's tools. He was helping daddy replace the lights on his car.

We decided the earlier we teach him how to do things like this, the earlier he can do them for us.

But for right now we will just enjoy that sweet smile and fun personality. (That is, of course, when he is not throwing one of his new found fits.)

Because It's Hilarious

2006-01-17T16:55:00.000-05:00

Have a great day. You can always click on pictures to make them larger.

A Shout Out To All You Two Year Old Girls Out There

2006-01-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all it's Thomas. My mom so thinks I am napping, but I just had a little something to say so I decided to post it on the blog. To all you feisty two year old girls I am here to say keep you hands off my face!! If you even think about coming near me with your claws again, I will so bring a big stick and take you down.

And in case you didn't know, younger guys are SO in right now (just ask my Aunt Heather AND my Aunt Jolie) so you may want to be nice to me because one day I am going to be a total hottie and I will not give you the time of day because of all of the stuff I had to deal with from you when we were younger. And you'll get all sad and then it will be your turn to cry and my turn to laugh.

So just PLAY NICE like my shirt says and I will play nice too. Because hopefully one day I will totally grow out of this weird eye problem I have, and if not?? I'll just be the only hottie around with an eye problem and you'll still chase after me. Ha!!

I Guess It Had To Happen Eventually

2006-01-11T21:54:00.000-05:00

I know I have said it a hundred times, but Thomas is and incredible baby. From the beginning he has just done everything right. He has 5 teeth, and when people have asked me about him teething, I would just say that he really hasn't gone through "teething." He would just show up with a tooth and give us no warning to tell that it was coming. Well, out of his front 12 teeth (6 top, 6 bottom) he now has the 5. With my fingers I can feel the other 7 right under his gums. He is miserable. He is still not really fussy, but he makes the very angry noises and then shoves something into his mouth. We have been giving him the teething tablet things and those seem to work for a while, but him being in so much pain is making me crazy. Other than Tylenol and Humphries "3" does anyone have any good suggestions?? I feel so bad for him because I know he must be in incredible pain. Jen mentioned a frozen wash cloth which I am going to try tomorrow, but I would love to hear all of your parenting expertise.

Has It Been A Whole Month Already??

2006-01-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

Dear Thomas,

Today you are 10 months old. I can't believe it. It means that you are still little and still my baby boy, but you are becoming less little and less of a baby. I knew that your life would go by so quickly, but I don't think that I completely comprehended how quick it would actually be. It is so amazing to see how much you have accomplished in such a short period of time and how much you have changed your father and I. You will never know your daddy before, but he used to be a big tough guy. You turned him into the softy that he is today. The moment he first laid eyes on you he was a new person. And I guess I was too.

I guess I should begin your letter by explaining the nasty scratches on you face. Well, it's one of my many reasons why I am glad that you are not in day care. Since staying for the 11:00 services at church has caused you to melt down I decided to try going to the 8:00 service and leaving after the 9:30 so that I could get you home for a nap. One of the things that I thought you would love about this is that during the 8:00 service you would be with older children which you typically love. So I dropped you off with Mr. Billy who I assumed would take good care of you. (Just kidding, Billy.) Apparently you wanted a toy that another child had. Billy said that you tried to get it, but the child kept taking it back. He said that at some point the child left the toy for a second and you grabbed it. Well, I guess that toy was important enough to grab you back and the fingernails left their mark. The worst is that it was a girl. Your first time on the losing end of a battle was to a girl. So, you have your first official boo-boo.

You have started talking a lot more this past month. Although, that is not to say that you are saying more, it's still just Da-da but you say it a lot more frequently. And you make this grunting type of caveman/humming noise. That one kind of makes me and daddy crazy. Especially when you choose to do it in your sleep in the middle of the night and it wakes us up. Which has become almost every night. I usually just sneak in and put the paci it and it hushes you up for a while. You now have 5 teeth and are doing good eating mostly big people food. You will still eat baby food if there isn't another option in sight, but as soon as you see something else you want that instead. You can now hold the handles of you sippy cup and drink from it. Tonight at dinner I just left it on your tray and when you wanted some juice you drank it and then you would slam it back down on the tray. It is amazing to watch you grow more each day. You mind just works so quickly.

You are still the busiest kid I know. Nothing slows you down and if it does try to slow you down, you just run over it. You did decide one day last week that you might want to start walking. You did it a couple of times and each time took a couple of steps. I even stood you up in the middle of the room and got you to walk to me. This, however, was short lived. You have not done it since. I guess one day of walking was enough for you. You still love to help me clean. The vacuum cleaner and Swiffer wet jet are two of your favorite toys. If the either one of these is in your sight you do a quick funny little crawl to get to them. It's the same crawl that you do whenever you see my bathroom door open. You have found toilet paper and love unrolling it and then shredding it into pieces. I personally think that this is one of the cutest annoying things that you do.

Probably the least cute annoying thing that you do is pulling things out of the cabinets. Although, we are partially to blame for this one since we have yet to baby proof the kitchen. I think I pick things up off the floor about 56830843 times a day.

I am still amazed that God chose you for daddy and me. We love you so much. One of our most favorite evening activities is getting giddy tired Thomas to giggle uncontrollably. We just tickle you and kiss you tummy and you love it. So do we. I can't believe that in two short months you will be a big one year old. I miss you being little so much, but I am excited about this upcoming stage. I know I can't have both, but sometimes I wish I could play with the wild crazy you all day and then cuddle with the itty bitty you at night. You do give the greatest hugs though and I guess having you choose to hug me is better than you laying there and letting me hug you. So keep up the good hugging and because I know as you get bigger you won't always be so sweet and that hug will probably get you out of a lot of trouble.

Love, Mommy

I Think He Thinks It's His New Girlfriend

2006-01-06T23:14:00.000-05:00

Martha, Megan, and all you other girls who have been vying for Thomas' affection move over. Just like most guys his heart has been won by a sleek, beautiful car. And boy does he ever love this car. (Although it's not really a car, not yet anyway.)

Jen (and Micah and Martha) got Thomas this push toy for Christmas. It is a very big hit. It goes everywhere he goes. The following pictures were taken over several days and you will notice one recurring trend. The push toy. Oh, and a warning this post is all pictures all the time. It is what you have come here for and you will not be disappointed.

In the previous pictures he was in the kitchen with his push toy. I think since it was the new love of his life he felt the need to introduce it my push toy the jogger stroller although I am pretty sure that he enjoys his a whole lot more than I enjoy mine.

Probably his 2nd most favorite new toy is a baseball thing my mom got him. He doesn't quite get the concept yet. (He doesn't come from baseball roots after all.) He does love to "throw " the ball though.

Why is Thomas smiling?? Because when Captain Destructo gets a baseball toy what does it come with??

Why a baseball bat, of course!! More so than the actual toy he loves the bat. Usually him, the push car, and the bat stroll the house all happy like. And unfortunately he gets his driving ability from me, so the whole multi-tasking thing is not great for him. He rams into A LOT of things, he runs over toys, he tips the car over, you get the idea.

But Thomas says, "Pish with the whole car talk mom, let's get to something more interesting like how completely and absolutely adorable I am. I mean come on." My mom and I got him this shirt the other day and at first I thought it was a good thing if there was a movie made about him one day, but then I remembered... there are movies made about Hitler, Al Capone, that guy who escaped from Alcatraz. I am hoping that there will not be any similarities between his movie and these.

The real reason for his expression is because he now does this when he sees the camera because he is anticipating the flash. It's now very hard to get a good picture of him looking toward the camera because he squints his eyes. Tyler says its because I take too many pictures of him and might be burning his retina. Me taking too many pictures of him might be true, but I mean come on, when you have a baby that looks like this!!! What else can you do??

The eyes, the cheeks, the teeth, the constant stream of drool, and the fact that you can always tell he is solving the worlds problems in that head of his. I assume once he can talk he will tell us the cure for cancer, world hunger, and how to achieve world peace.

And as if this tongue was not enough... there are curls, beautiful, adorable curls. We can't cut his hair because... curls.

Just so you know little boy, I am smitten with you. You fill my days with so much joy. You add a whole new laughter to our house and fill us with more love than we thought was possible.

A Christmas Story - Part 2

2006-01-03T20:22:00.000-05:00

My brother and his wife got their daughters a horse for Christmas. I think his name is Shadow or Quincy or maybe neither. I actually think neither. (Edited: Tyler has told me that the horses name is actually Thunder. So I was kind of close with Shadow, right??) Oh well, hopefully someone will correct me in the comments section. (Mom, Mary Beth, Gini Lynn... counting on you guys.) Thomas seemed to really enjoy him. After all, it was a large furry thing that did not hiss at him or run away from him.

And because two grandchildren getting a horse and the other not getting one is totally unfair, Thomas also got a horse. We've named him Furry, or maybe Sheddy since this is what he is and what he does. Thomas loves playing with him, but is covered from head to toe with black fur when he is done. He will have hair all in his mouth and all over his face. It's pretty cute.

We hired a cowgirl, or maybe a horsegirl, (is there such a word??) to help us with Shadow/Quincey (actually Thunder). Turns out she wasn't very good and just wanted to look real cute while doing her job. She is also pretty funny though so we've kept her around. (click on the picture to make it larger.)

And since I know this is the real reason all of you come check this site, here are some of the cutest Thomas pictures ever taken. But then again, when you're that cute isn't every picture of you the cutest ever??

If It's Made For A Nine Month Old, We Own It!!

2006-01-02T09:58:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas this year. Having Thomas did make it so much fun. Of course, he didn't really get the whole thing, but Tyler and I loved celebrating this time of year with our little boy. Thomas got so many great gifts. And, I have to give a big thanks to this blog. By mentioning not being able to keep my son in clothes or especially shoes he received lots of these for Christmas. (Thanks Mom, Gini Lynn, and Ina.) I have said that I will now be sure and mention anything that he is lacking since I now know the power of the blog.

:::

Thomas was so cute on Christmas morning. He didn't understand why we were so excited for him to play with new things. It takes him a while to wake up, but all of the paper to shred helped move this process along. Tyler got him a very annoying remote to play with. It now rivals the Busy Bee in the most annoying toy Thomas owns. And this one, we can blame on no one by Tyler, so he can't complain about it.

:::

On Christmas morning Tyler's family and the Baxleys came over for breakfast. Pat had made a yummy meal and we all ate and then got to the gifts. It was so fun to have this time together.

After a great morning we headed to Cedar Key to join my family. That post will be for tomorrow. (Hope this satisfies you for now Mary Beth.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!

2005-12-24T21:58:00.000-05:00

I love Christmas, and everything that goes along with it. This season has been especially fun because we now have Thomas in our family. Having a child adds a whole new dimension to the holiday season. I am so excited to open gifts with him in the morning. I know it will be a blast. He mainly just loves the paper which is great to watch. He has gotten a couple of gifts so far and has had fun playing with them. I hope that all of you have a great Christmas and a fun time with all of you families. Here are some fun pre-Christmas pics of Thomas.

Thomas' First Christmas Gift

2005-12-24T21:57:00.000-05:00

Thomas' first Christmas gift ever was from the McNichols. We went to their house to play on Wednesday and he got to open his gift early.

2005-12-24T21:56:00.000-05:00

The Fisher-Price IncrediBlock. It is full of endless fun and activities.

2005-12-24T21:55:00.000-05:00

Megan helped Thomas figure out how to use his new toy. He loves it.

He Knows If He's Been Bad Or Good!!!

2005-12-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

His face shows that he knows what he is doing is wrong. (But he doesn't seem to care too much.) His new obsession is using things to reach things that he shouldn't. While this confirms our suspicions about him being a genius, it also gets him into a lot of trouble. For this reason we have now taken his giraffe out of his crib. We don't want it used as a means of escape or the perfect way to crack his skull.

So Now It's My Turn

2005-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack in posting lately. I know that we have family who check this site often for fun pictures of Thomas. Well, there haven't been very many taken lately because I have been sick. Thomas was running a fever on Sunday and we were afraid he was getting sick again. Luckily it would appear that his immune system does in fact work and he fought off whatever it was. I on the other hand, have gotten full force. So, I will try and get some cute pictures of Thomas us this week. And of course, next week will be filled with fun Christmas pictures. So until then, have fun doing your last minute shopping and cooking.

Random Happenings In Our Lives

2005-12-15T12:20:00.000-05:00

The past week seems to have had something everyday. We have gone to musicals, Christmas parties, and to see Santa, we have heard of new baby cousins being born and we have just had lots of fun. So, the following is just a snip of the past week. We do not have pictures from any of the Christmas parties, but trust me they were fun.

This Is A Picture For Jen & Molly

2005-12-15T12:14:00.000-05:00

Here is Thomas in a nice little sissy outfit for church. He did look awful cute, but I will say that it was the first Sunday that I had to leave church early because he was crying. I am not going to blame it on the fact that I dressed him a little girlie, but I am thinking that maybe it had something to do with it. That and the fact that there were about 5 kids who had just been dropped off and were screaming for their parents and it set him off. So the outfit makes him super sensitive too. Don't know if we will wear that one again. :)

Girls, Girls, And More Girls

2005-12-15T12:04:00.000-05:00

We have been bombarded with girls. First our surrogate cousin Martha, then our cousin Olivia, and now we introduce to you baby Kate. She belongs to my cousin Mike and his wife Suzy. She was born on Monday night and is quite the cutie. The cheeks must run in our family since it appears she has the same super cute cheeks as Thomas. My cousin Emily (Mike's sister) and her husband Cliff are also having a girl at the end of this month. We are so excited about all of our new cousins.

Open, Close, Open, Close On Fingers And Cry, Open, Close

2005-12-15T12:03:00.000-05:00

This is Thomas' new obsession. Opening and closing the cabinet doors. We are the awful parents who have yet to baby proof our home, but it does keep him entertained while I am cooking.

I Love Playing In My Room

2005-12-15T12:01:00.001-05:00

This morning I found Thomas sitting "Indian style" or "criss cross applesauce" or "cross legged" or whatever the politically correct term is for the way he is sitting. I thought it was so cute I had to take a picture. The toy he is playing with is the obnoxious "busy bee." We hate it so of course he loves it.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

2005-12-15T12:01:00.000-05:00

Thomas LOVED meeting Santa. He really likes beards so this was a plus in meeting Santa. We got there early and were the only ones there, so we were able to take a lot of video and pictures of Thomas and Santa's first meeting. Santa liked how fascinated Thomas was with the fans. He said that since he had been such a good boy this year he would bring him lots of toys.

Yay For Nine Months!!

2005-12-09T21:20:00.000-05:00

Dear Thomas, Today you are 9 months old. You are becoming such a big boy and growing up so fast. It's hard to believe that you are getting close to being a year old. You are still so sweet and fun. Your daddy and I love you so much that I can't even begin to describe it. In the last month you have gotten two of your top teeth, (And we couldn't even tell that you were teething.) have learned to stand by yourself, can clap your hands, will sometimes wave good-bye, and you love to point at things. Oh, and about the teeth thing, it looks like you have inherited my horse teeth. Your top teeth are really big. So, sorry in advance for any teasing that may occur because of this. Just remember one day you will be bigger than all of those kids and they won't make fun of you then. You are still so busy, sometimes it is hard to imagine where all of that energy comes from. If daddy or I hold you in the air and yell, "Run, run, run, run," you will kick you legs real fast and get very excited. It is one of our most favorite things to show people. You have also started putting your paci in by yourself. Daddy and I love to put one in our mouth, and when you see it you will yank it out and spit the one you have out and put the new one in. Being evil, we will then take the one that you spit and put it in our mouth, and so goes the cycle. We have decided that you are not going to be good at sharing. Most kids your age are afraid of the vacuum cleaner, but not you. Instead of crying when I vacuum, you will follow it around or crawl up to it and try to grab it. Others noises make you cry, but not the vacuum. Of course, it does have a cord and a light which are two of your favorite things.

I took you to the doctor today. He said, "You need to feed Thomas more." This is funny because with the exception of your bottle you are already on the verge of eating us out of house and home. So, you are on the diet that all adults would love to be on, the eat whatever you want whenever and if it is fattening, eat more of it. You are now 30" long (the 95%) and 19 lbs. (25%). Apparently that ratio is frowned upon in the medical world. I tried to explain to him that it is not lack of eating, but the constant movement that has given you this figure, but he says that you need to fill that large frame of yours. So, be a good boy and eat lots of junk and fattening food for mommy.

We are anticipating your first Christmas. We haven't taken you to see Santa yet, but I am sure you will love him since you love facial hair. It is so fun for me and daddy to plan for your first Christmas. We love picking out gifts and deciding what to get you now, and what we will want to get you later. I still sometimes try to imagine life for us before you. It seems such a dull distant memory. Nine months ago when you first came into our life was the best day ever. We love you so much and look forward to see all of the joy and fun you will bring us.

Love,

Mommy

2005-12-09T21:11:00.001-05:00

Drool, drool, drool. That is a great way to describe you last few months. You don't drool a lot, but you are always drooling. Just a steady tiny stream.

2005-12-09T21:11:00.000-05:00

I know that I shouldn't tell you that you're pretty, but you are. You have the most beautiful eyes and the most kissable cheeks.

2005-12-09T21:10:00.000-05:00

This picture would explain why you are now in 24-36 month socks and in a size 5 shoe. Although, since we have yet you buy you any size 5 we still cram them into a size 4 or just put you in the huge big boy socks. That will be something to tell you shrink one day.

2005-12-09T21:08:00.000-05:00

This picture was not taken today, but how could I resist putting it up. This is the wild crazy you that I love. You are so fun and keep us on our toes.

Merry Early Christmas To Me!!

2005-12-08T23:03:00.000-05:00

Tyler gave me one of my Christmas presents early tonight.

I have been wanting to iPod shuffle to help with my running. You know, because it will make me run faster and farther and all of that. Usually I have Ina to talk to, but sometimes I do have to run by myself and hopefully this will keep me entertained enough to add some distance. I am so excited because as many of you know I LOVE new toys. So, thanks Tyler for my fun gift.

Why I Need Jen & Heather To Move Back!!

2005-12-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

Aunt Ina might be smoking crack, but instead of saying no and setting a good example we are just going to light up and join her. Ina is an exerciser, and now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that. But, she is one of THOSE exercisers. She does it almost every day and is super in shape. So when she says, "Hey, Ida, why don't we run the Gasparilla 15K?" I should have run, well actually I did run because I stupidly said okay. (That's right people I said 15 freakin K, in American that is 9.6 MILES!!!) Now see, if Jen & Heather still lived in town and I had 3 close friends to share my time between I may have thought twice, in fact, they probably would have led me to reconsider, but since now Ina is my only close friend in town I allow her be a bad influence on me. Luckily Thomas enjoys the runs which still aren't very long so it makes it a nice outing for him. I have tried to explain to him that while they are fun for him they might just be the death of me. Something else that might be the end of me. MY. CHILD. IS. SICK. AGAIN!!! He fell asleep at 7:30 tonight, slept about 20 mins. and has been a little high maintenance since. Pray for me!! I am gonna need it. Oh, but there is an upside to these runs and the sleepless nights I inevitably have coming up, I am in 2 weddings both of which feature strapless dresses, this could only mean good things for my arms and the rest of me.

Our Last Day In Snowy Paradise And Only 2 Days Before The Blizzard Came

2005-12-02T14:24:00.000-05:00

We left Fargo just in time. On Monday a huge blizzard came that left 3 foot snow drifts on Heather's garage door. She tried to shovel that!?!? She didn't succeed, but I give her credit for trying. Thomas continued to hate the cold wind but still loved the cold window. We had a great time and it was nice to be able to see where Heather lived and worked. Although, with a temperatures of -2 today I am glad I was just visiting and not living there.

2005-12-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

I love this picture. Tyler took it on Saturday morning. I just think that is so sweet.

2005-12-02T14:22:00.001-05:00

Thomas with his Grandpa Bill.

2005-12-02T14:22:00.000-05:00

Two happy parents, one miserable child.

Thomas Michael

We're Packing Our Bags & Moving Out

Just To Get Me In A Little More Trouble

Manic Monday

Wordless Wednesday

Lowered Expectations

I'm Alive, I'm Home, Life Is Good

Long Time No Post

Sitter = Cleaning

The Day He Became a Boy

Pictures

Where I'm From

New Post Coming Soon!!

Flickr??

So....

More Reading For Blogging Moms

Rocking Fun

The Mind Is Blank

Our Big Circle Through the South

Will We Ever Get There???

Enough To Keep You Happy While We're Gone

Happy Easter!!

I Wanna Be Just Like You

This Looks So Much Cooler (and easier) When Other People Do It

So Long Time No Post

You Can't Blame A Girl For Trying

I Don't Know That I'm Ready For This Phase!!

The Two Sides to Thomas

Here They Are, As Promised

Yippee!!

Sometimes I Hate Blogger

A Glimpse Into Our Day

So Much For Posting More Often

Happy Happy Birthday Party!!

The Time Had Come

A Year Ago Today

How Glad Am I??

12 Month Check Up

Fast Does Not Begin To Describe It

Who Says You Can't Have Good Looks and Brains?

The Craziness of My World

Chamber of Commerce Ad

Wedding Weekend

We Survived

Sometimes Things Aren't as Bad as They May Seem

Girl Cousins Are Cool

The Forgotten File

11 Months Old

God Is Love - Our First Refrigerator Art

Guess Where Thomas & I Went Yesterday!!!

I Promise We Don't Let Him Drink

And We're Off!!

Sing Along With Me

One Busy Boy

Because It's Hilarious

A Shout Out To All You Two Year Old Girls Out There

I Guess It Had To Happen Eventually

Has It Been A Whole Month Already??

I Think He Thinks It's His New Girlfriend

A Christmas Story - Part 2

If It's Made For A Nine Month Old, We Own It!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!

Thomas' First Christmas Gift

He Knows If He's Been Bad Or Good!!!

So Now It's My Turn

Random Happenings In Our Lives

This Is A Picture For Jen & Molly

Girls, Girls, And More Girls

Open, Close, Open, Close On Fingers And Cry, Open, Close

I Love Playing In My Room

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Yay For Nine Months!!

Merry Early Christmas To Me!!

Why I Need Jen & Heather To Move Back!!

Our Last Day In Snowy Paradise And Only 2 Days Before The Blizzard Came