My 1st Birthday Party

Well, our one year mark is almost here. Thomas had his first birthday party today...and we all had a blast! We made too much food...and ate too much food and cake and ice cream, but I believe everyone had a blast (or at least I hope so). Thomas certainly did! He also got some great presents! Thanks to everyone who made it to celebrate in person and in thought!!!

Pre-party nap with Daddy.
Are those for me??
Are those presents for me?
I like these balloons - they look pretty cool
Ok Grandma - I got. Let me have the balloon!
See PorkChop...they float in the air! Pretty cool
I love this picture!!!
My first birthday cake - Mommy cried when she saw it she liked it so much (plus she can't believe her little baby is turning a year old on Wednesday!!!)
My 'dig-in' cake - before
Blow out the candle.
Dig in!!
During....
After....
So, you want me to do what? I'm supposed to tip the paper off of these things????


My very own couch!!!

Cousin Ebin reading me one of my new books.
Mommy and Pa are going to get me with kisses!!!

New Pictures of our little Walker

I love Mommy & Daddy's cooking - especially if it's hot dogs and baked beans!!

I'm coming to get that camera!!

I'll get it - I'll use my cuteness if I have to!

I told you I'd get it. It's going to be mine!!

Chillin' with daddy.

I know someone's behind this door...

Do you like my new toy? I do!! I've been wearing Mommy and Daddy out running up and down the hallway...but they love it!

I'm not sure what I'm up to - but it has to be something no good.

So innocent and cute!!! (Mommy just loves this picture)

Squeaky clean.

Here are the new pictures - as promised! These are all from the last month or so.

We are all doing well. Thomas had his first steps yesterday (see previous post). He's getting so big!! He's very smart and already adding little words to his vocabulary. I'm pretty sure he said "up" to me today wanting me to hold him. Sunday marked his 11-month birthday. I can't believe in 1 month we'll have a 1-year-old!!!!

We'll have to see how the next couple of weeks go. I am having gallbladder surgery on Wednesday morning - they tell me it's an outpatient surgery - better be. For someone who works with doctors and in the medical field, I absolutely HATE everything to do with it! Hopefully it will all go smooth and I'll be home and healed before I know it! I'm freaking out a bit though so keep your fingers crossed. At least I know I have a great husband who will take care of me and I'm lucky he's an excellent daddy and will keep our little guy safe and happy. Anyway, we'll try to make some updates a little more often. Take care all!

FIRST STEPS!!

Such a big boy we have! Thomas took his first steps this morning. He was walking with me holding my fingers and I told him to walk to daddy and let go. He kept going and walked a few steps to Daddy!!! Daddy then did the same and he took a few steps to walk to Mommy!! I think it was a little trickery but they were steps nonetheless! Now he just needs the confidence to do it on his own, but what a big guy!!!

I promise to have new pictures posted in the next couple of days! I have a ton of them, just haven't posted them for a while. We hope everyone is doing well.

First Express Care Visit

Well tonight was our first visit to Express Care. About 10 days ago, Tom got a couple of skeeter bites (we assume). Everything was fine all week including this morning, but when John went to get Tom from daycare, his leg was red, visibly swollen, and hot to the touch. Called the doctor and said to bring him to the ER/Express Care. Fortunately it looks like just a secondary infection which will hopefully clear up with the antibiotics. In the meantime, it looks horrible and Mommy and Daddy are hoping it was on their leg instead of Tom's, although it doesn't seem to bother him at all - does anything really?

We did find out that our little guy is not so little anymore either -- weighs in at 24 lbs 10 oz and is 29 inches long!!

Giggles

Tom thought my "sneezes" were pretty funny!

Summer Time Fun

Mommy and me checking out the fire truck. It's much bigger than the one I have.
I don't know what this is, but I'm going to pull it's ear off.
Petting a goat.
Petting another goat.
I hope this llama doesn't spit on me.

We were out and about this weekend. It was Granite City Days in St Cloud, so we went out exploring. During the day today they had a Taste of St Cloud with activities all around Lake George - including a petting zoo, so we figured we would take Thomas too. He got to pet a llama, alpaca, ducks, rabbits, goats, and a donkey. I think he enjoyed it and was all smiles when he got close to the animals. We had to do some "petting" control though as he wanted to grab instead of pet, but he did really well. We also lucked out and they had a real FIRE TRUCK out for the kids to see - which was awesome since Thomas's new favorite toy at day care is the fire truck - and Mommy and Daddy just bought one for him at home too. A fireman said hi to us and gave Thomas a fire truck "baseball" card - which he didn't put down until it was time to go to bed tonight. He might be a little fireman in training :-) It was a perfect day and he even got to listen to a little concert in the park too. He took it all in - the observant little man that he is. He also modeled his new cap from G-Pa Herring from their recent trip to Deadwood.

9 month check up

Monday was Thomas's 9 month check up!!! I can't believe he's that old already! It seems like just yesterday I was complaining about being uncomfortably pregnant and wanted a Mountain Dew SOO badly. In comparison, this 9 months has gone much faster! :-) Thomas is growing by leaps and bounds lately it seems. He is crawling all over the place - and fast. He makes a bee line for the dog's water dish when the gate is down - and Mommy and Daddy really have to move to make sure he doesn't make it there. He pulls himself up on anything he can touch and even walks with Mommy and Daddy when we give him our fingers to hold on to. He only got one shot at this visit (Mommy was just as happy as him about that), and Cheerios stopped the crying almost immediately. His official numbers: 23 lbs 14 oz and 28 inces long. His percentiles have done a flip flop. He is now in the 90th percentile for weight and 30th percentile for height - although I have a feeling that his height will be catching up soon. He's a very solid little guy, very strong, and gonna be big and tall like Daddy I think. He loves to eat anything we give him and especially enjoys eating anything he can get in his mouth himself. He has a constant smile and is a very happy, mellow baby - actually to the point the nurse and the doctor noticed and commented on how mellow. He's just a good guy all around - must take after Mommy :-)