The Many Emotions of Moving

We are moving this weekend!  Such an exciting time for us that we can finally afford a two bedroom apartment.  We'll be staying in the same complex we live in now, just moving two buildings down so that move shouldn't be too hard at all.  I hope.  We are almost completely packed - probably another three solid hours and everything will be done.  

Thankfully, we've made some pretty amazing friends while living in Ventura.  We had a friend watch Thomas for me for a few hours yesterday afternoon so I had a solid two and a half hours of packing by myself.  It's amazing how much I can get done with no distractions!!  Also, we have friends that have offered to keep Thomas all night Friday night and bring him home around 4pm or 5pm on Saturday so we don't have to worry about him during the move. We are SO blessed to have such amazing people in our lives.  It's tough without having our families living closer, but God planned ahead (imagine that!) and brought such great people into our lives.

At the new place, I'm excited that Thomas will finally have his own room (and we will have our own room again), and that we'll have more storage space so everything won't look so cluttered (or look like Babies R Us threw up in our living room).  I'm excited that we'll feel more comfortable having people over again now that it won't look so bad, and that I'll get to decorate the new place!

With all of these positives there are a few things that make me a tiny bit sad about leaving our current apartment.  Our current apartment is the first place Tom and I got to call ours after moving to California.  We had been renting rooms from people before that.  This apartment is also where conceived Thomas and I spent my bed rest before he was born.  Because the apartment only had one bedroom we didn't really get to nest and create his nursery, which was okay because as long as we had him that's all that mattered to us.  Also, at this apartment is where we got to bring Thomas home from the hospital.  That day seems like a blur right now because I had never been more tired in my entire life, but none the less, this was his first home.  This is where we spent his first ten and half months of life.  Where he learned to sleep through the night, crawl, "pull up", got his first teeth, etc.  So, deep down I'm a little sad that we're leaving this place of so many firsts.  

After saying all of that, I am looking forward to the many firsts for him we'll have in our new place.  His first steps, words and so many more.  I truly am so excited we are moving, but with each new chapter in life it's nice to get to sit back and remember the things that have happened to get us where we are so that we can move forward.  

Here's hoping for a stress free move this weekend!  

10 Months!

How in the world is it possible that in two short little months my little boy will be 1 years old?!  That blows my mind.  Seriously.  I don’t understand how it’s possible that in ten short months this little person has come into and taken over my life and heart.  I love that boy with a passion that I didn’t even know existed until I looked at his sweet chubby cheeks. 

At 10 months Thomas:

• Crawled for the first time – thankfully Tom and I were both home to see it happen!
•  Pulled himself up and stood on his own – which is also why we lowered his crib.
• Walks around furniture on his own.
• Will drink out of a sippy cup as long as someone holds it for him.  He hasn’t quite figured out the tipping it up part yet.
• Tried apple juice (mixed with water) and wasn’t a fan for the first couple of attempts.
• Started eating Gerber Puffs – also hated these at first, but came around.
• Had his first ear infection and his second dose of antibiotics.  Let’s hope the sicknesses are gone for a while now!
•  Hates the sound of packing tape (we’re moving on the 20^th so he can have his own room).
• Occasionally hates when we leave the room – the separation anxiety is starting to kick in.
•   Loves to touch the game systems and the DVD player – he’s constantly told “no”.  Sometimes he even looks at us first and then laughs when he touches it.
• Loves to cuddle with Momma.  Loves to play with Daddy – they make each other laugh on a regular basis.
• Stopped sleeping through the night – he now wakes up 1-3 times per night.  We’re hoping this ends soon.
• Loves looking in the mirror and open mouth “kissing” himself.  So cute!
• Is still wearing mostly 9 month clothing, with some 12 months.
• Is still constantly attached to his pacifier – he found the stash of extra ones and occasionally we’ll find him with one in each hand, one in his mouth, and one hanging from his bib.  This is completely acceptable and normal to him.
• He loves Daddy’s video game controllers.  We give him one while Daddy is playing and he giggles like he’s playing along.

As you can tell we are completely smitten with this little one.  I can't wait to see what adventures and things he learns in the next month! 

9 months

I'm not too sure why it's so hard for me to remember to do these posts every month, but here goes:

At 9 months Thomas:

•  Wears mostly 9 month clothing, but also wears some 12 months.
•  Has now tried all the fruits and vegetables on the 2nd foods and hasn't had a reaction to any of them. 
• Got his second tooth - it's also on the bottom.  He's super stingy and won't let many people see them.  
• Loves his tongue!  He's started to stick it out and laughs when we stick out ours to match.
• Had his first trip to the Emergency Room for pneumonia and bronchitis.  Poor kid.  He took it all (including the x-ray) like a champ and was back to his normal, healthy self after a few days. The ER doctor said he'd never seen a baby that laid back when they were that sick.  (That's my boy!!)
• Lights up the room he's in.  He'll "talk" and smile at anyone who will give him attention.  
• Still hates the baby Puffs - I bought vanilla - maybe I should try a different flavor?  He gags and acts like they're poison.  
• Started standing up in his crib so we had to lower it.  He thinks he's the coolest thing ever when we walk in there and he's standing.  How can we be upset that he's not sleeping?  Too stinking cute!
• Started to have the separation anxiety thing just a little bit, but as long as you talk to him from the other room seems to be okay with it.
• Is still very attached to his pacifier - it might be harder to ween him off of it than I thought.
• Had his first Valentine's Day and was smothered in kisses from his Momma and Daddy.
• Had his 2nd overnight stay away from Momma and Daddy.  Everything was so new around him so he didn't sleep much for them.  Oops.
• Has had some sleeping issues - wakes up two to three times per night and can't always put himself back to sleep on his own - which means he's ended up in our bed quite a few times.  Not something we want to get in the habit of.
• He loves family time cuddling in bed on the weekends.  He just lays there and looks back and forth to each of us and just smiles.  He knows we're wrapped around those little fat fingers.
• This boy loves his Daddy more than anything else.  "Da Da" is the only wore he says.  When I hear Tom coming in after work I ask Thomas "Where is Daddy?" - he looks at the door and gets the biggest grins ever when he finally sees him.  There is no better feeling than knowing I picked the perfect man to have children with.  

Thomas is so much more fun than I ever thought possible.  The amount of love I have for him still surprises me daily.  To think that even a year ago I thought my life was full knowing he was on his way.  Knowing this little boy has made me a better person just by being his Momma. Even though there have been quite a few sleepless (or less than 3 hours per night) for Tom and I - we wouldn't trade anything for this little boy.  We are truly blessed and thankful to be his parents. I'll try to post some new pictures this weekend.  :)

8 months - late again!

So, Thomas turned 8 months old on the 8th and somehow I forgot to do his monthly write up.  If time would just slow down just a little bit I could get everything done!  

At 8 months Thomas:

• Wears size 9 months clothes - he's getting too big way too fast!
• Just moved from 1st foods to 2nd foods.  
• Got his first tooth on the bottom!  He's super stingy with it so we have to push his tongue out of the way to see it.
• Started sleeping completely through the night, only to start teething and not sleep as well.  
• Went on his first vacation - I'll do a whole new post on that soon though.
• Started getting up on his hands and knees on his own.  It won't be long before he's crawling!
• Loves his sippy cup, as long as we tip it up for him.  He loves to be a "big boy", but he can't quite do it completely on his own yet.
• Tried those puff baby cereal things that dissolve in his mouth.  He gagged and spit it out like it was poison.  Silly boy.
• Picks his spoon up off his tray and puts it in his mouth.  It won't be long before he will want to feed himself.  Lord help my floor and surrounding walls.
• Loves to sit on the couch between us and just "talk" to us.  
• Has the best giggle I've ever heard.  No matter what kind of day we have, he always makes it okay with that laugh.
• Started reaching out when he wants to go to someone.  Melted my heart the first time he reached out to me with his big toothless grin. 

I'll add more if I think of it over the next few days, and post some more pictures.  I'll also post about our amazing vacation and Thomas's first plane ride. 

Pictures!

My 7 Month Photo Shoot

Can you see the drool in this picture?  Cracks me up!

T loves bath time!

Sitting up - such a big boy now!

Not too sure about lemons.  

First time using his sippy cup - he loves it, but still struggles a bit with it

These are just some of our favorite photos recently. We are so in love with this baby boy!!!

7 months!

Finally!!  I got his monthly update actually on the day!  It's the little things for me I guess. 

At 7 months Thomas:

• Now wears all 6 months clothes. The jeans are almost too small around his tummy. 
• Eats five times per day. Baby oatmeal when he wakes up, a bottle of formula at 9, veggies or fruit and a bottle for lunch, veggies or fruit and a bottle for dinner and a night night bottle with rice cereal in it at bed time.
• Has started sleeping in later recently. He slept until 7 am on Sat and Sun!
• Still wakes up several times per night for his pacifier. I've seen glow in the dark ones - I wonder if they work?
• Is so in love with his daddy. Daddy can make him belly laugh like no one else.
• Had his first Christmas!  He wasn't impressed. He loved the wrapping paper more than his new toys. 
• Still loves words with "ooo" in them. His favorite of course is poop. 
• Will hopefully get a tooth soon!  He's drooling like crazy and puts anything abs everything in his mouth. He was really cranky a few nights ago, but still nothing yet. 
• Stays sitting up if I sit him up. He still struggles to sit up on his own. Might have something to do with his tummy getting in the way. 
• Tried lemons for the first time. His face was priceless as he seemed to hate it. However, he kept going back for more. 
• Has started using a sippy cup. He is so interested in our cups of water that I let him try to get his own. He struggled to get water at first, but once he got it, he loves it. 
• Loves sitting at the table while we eat dinner. He just loves being included. 

I believe that's it for now. I'll post his pictures from the past month later this week. 

Happy 7 months baby boy!!!

Thoughts about the Connecticut tragedy

I thought I worried about Thomas before... before last Friday when I heard the awful news of the tragic event in CT.  Now, I am a mess.  I have always been a worrier... I get it from my mom.  I worry over just about everything, but I especially worry about my boy.  His health, whether or not he is eating enough, if I am being a good mom and a good example.  I worry about him getting hurt, emotionally and physically.  I worry that I might not be around to see him grow up and if that is the case, whether or not someone will make sure to tell him every day how much I love him, how much he was longed for and wanted, and how he has made me the happiest mom on the face of the earth.  After last Friday, I don't want to ever let him out of my sight.  I just want to hold onto him and try to protect him from everything evil in this world.  I know I can't possibly do that, but after everything I went through to get him here, with me, I sure do wish it was possible.  I feel guilt for bringing him into a world that has so much evil but I have been trying to remind myself that there is still much more good and I need to focus on that.  I need to teach Thomas to focus on that. I have hugged and kissed on him so much over the last few days that I am sure he is sick of me, but I can't stop.  I can't stop telling him how much I love him and how lucky I feel to be his mom.  He definitely doesn't understand me and he won't remember at this point, but some day he will be old enough to remember and I want to take every opportunity I can, so there is never a question in his mind. 

The recent tragic events has caused me to reevaluate my life and try to prioritize things a bit more.  I want to be a good example to my son and be the best possible mom I can be for him because he deserves that and so much more.  My goal is to strive to be better.  At everything.  At being a mom. At being patient and understanding.  At being more spiritual and doing a better job of inviting the spirit into our home.  I want to be a better wife and give Tom and Thomas a better home environment.  I am all too aware of the fact that I fought very hard, and prayed even harder to have children and I owe it to him and to our Heavenly Father to do the best possible job in raising him.  

I can't even imagine what those parents are going through, and I hope I never have to.  And though I don't know them personally, all I can do is pray for them.  Pray for peace and love to surround them over the next few weeks, months and years as they do something a parent should never have to do.