1 Year Well Child Check

This was the worst appointment we have ever had!  The good news is Tommy is a healthy baby boy.  The bad news is the appointment was awful.  Our appointment was at 3, which is on the cusp of Tommy’s witching hour, so I should have known it might be rough.  Well he started out happy and flirtatious for the nurse like always but it all went south fast.  Our doctor was running behind, like FOREVER behind, this never happens.   Then it was about 105 degrees in the exam room.  Then Tommy started bawling, like inconsolable.  Susie and I were sweaty and very irritable as well.  Tommy was still screaming when we finally got to see our doctor and continued to scream for the 10 minutes we got to see her (since I assume she was playing catch up).  So we wait for 45 minutes to get 10 minutes.  I was not amused but I am sure we have been the ones causing delays before so I will forgive.  Then Tommy needed to get 3 shots.  This is never good when he is already crying hysterically before we even try and hold him down.  He got his first sucker ever as an attempt to calm him down.  The worst part about turning 1—the blood draw for the lead test.  At this point we had already been there for well over 1 hour in the tiny exam room, sweating and screaming at the top of our lungs.  Supposedly it is less painful to draw blood from an infant in the arm vs. the old fashioned finger prick.  Well when Tommy is older we can ask him.  It took 3 of us to hold him down and they stuck his arm twice but could not find a vein.  So they resorted to the finger prick.  Tommy had the biggest tears.  Susie was almost in tears, she is very protective of her baby boy.  It was the first doctor’s appointment in a million that made us want to sprint for the exit afterwards. 

 On a positive note, it was confirmed that our big boy, is indeed a big boy.  I was really hoping for a 25 pounder but I think the nasty flu 2 weeks before his appointment derailed that.  He is healthy, happy and handsome.  We could not ask for more!

Tommy’s 1 Year Stats:

Height:  2’6” (57.55%)
Weight:  24lb 6 oz (72.68%)
Weight for length:  90.96%

Before.  So happy. 

"Hey there pretty, how does my heart sound?"

Post shots: "Get me out of here!"

It was his first sucker, he didn't understand the closing your mouth around it part so most of it ran down his chin.

By the end he was worn out.

Saddle Up!

Well, actually no saddle needed.  We are luckily enough to have an aunt and uncle that own a great horse farm.  Pat and Terri own and operate Mullagh Farm in New Richmond.  The nice thing is we can stop over unannounced and they always make time for the kids.  Maggie LOVES horses and has no fear of them.  I am hoping for a couple more nice days yet this fall to take her back over there.  Ever since riding last time she keeps talking Uncle Pat’s horses.  Thanks for being such wonderful horse people, Pat and Terri!

Uncle Pat leading Maggie around--I forgot the horse's name :)

Uncle Pat showed Maggie how to hold on the horse's hair--so yesterday at MOA on the carousel she told me she was going to hold her horses hair because that how the real horses like it. 

Maggie loved brushing the big horse.  She did not want to quit.  It was hard keeping her away from the back legs, she has no fear of these big, magnificent creatures.

 

Tommy’s Birthday Blowout!

Tommy had 3 birthday parties to celebrate turning the big ONE.  The day before this birthday we went out to dinner with Grandma Morawitz to celebrate.  Grandma Morawitz spoiled Tommy with lots of balls and clothes.  Then on Friday night (his actual birthday) we let him open his presents from us and Maggie.  Maggie picked out his own ride-on four-wheeler for him.  Tommy and Maggie LOVE it.  He also got new warm pj’s and a few small trucks from Mommies.  On Saturday we had his party at Grandma and Grandpa McNamara's with all the cousins.  He received so many wonderful gifts: a snowsuit, clothes, puzzles, tractors, a farm set, etc.  Tommy’s favorite part of the party was the cake.  He ate more than an adult could possibly eat.  Instead of smashing his smash cake, he ate it, at least 80% of it….I think big boy would have eaten all of it had I not taken it away.  Thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate Tommy's first birthday!  He had a memorable first birthday!

First present, Tommy ever opened

Monkey shirt for our monkey

More shirts...

Sensory balls

Tommy loves any type of ball

The highlight of Tommy's birthday dinner...OREOS!

I'll admit, this wasn't the first time he had Oreos, he is an old pro :)

 

He couldn't wait for me to get the 4-wheeler put together

 
He squealed with delight

Already working on his tricks

Sister begged for a turn so the chase was on

Technically two of them are over the weight limit but this way they don't fight over it.

Tommy couldn't wait to get the garbage truck out of the box

Sister of course wanted this too

Tommy's animal train

Rocket Man!

All smiles at the start of gift opening

He had some great cousins to help him open the gifts

Then he started to feel a little too crowded with the mob of cousins

 Tommy's new puzzle

Tommy's tractor cake

He started out bashful and slow

Then he got down to business

Almost halfway...

"Why is everyone watching me eat"??

This is fabulous!

Cold milk needed to wash down all that cake!

 

 

 

Just a Trim!

Tommy kicked off his birthday weekend with his first haircut—within an hour of being exactly at his birth time.  Kelly, at A’ La Mode, cut it.  We decided to let him keep his curls for a little while longer so it turned into more of a trim than a real haircut.  There was only so much she could cut in the front without giving him with a complete mullet.  Grandma agreed to come with to hold Tommy so I could take pictures.  Tommy was okay for about the first um…30 seconds or so and then decided to meltdown.  In the end, he had cute haircut and a few big teardrops. 

This place is neat...long shaggy hair

 

Starting to question how neat this place is..

My last happy moment

Fighting tears

 

This place is awful

Now that my bangs are trimmed should be easier for you to see my tear drops!

Borderline mullet, but baby curls still intact.

 

Still Alive!

We are still alive and kicking, just extremely busy!  We close on our old house Monday so it has been a scramble to move the 9 years of hoarding from that house.  We have a rental house in Hudson, since the new house won’t be done until mid-December.  There have been so many things each and everyday.  I am thinking after the closing next week things should go back to normal a bit.  There are so many posts that need to be done, after all baby boy turned 1 in the midst of all the madness.  Here are a few random phone pictures until I can get caught back up on the “real” posts.

She is getting so big but still fits in a bag :)

Tommy absolutely LOVES swinging, much like his sister did

Tommy has wanted Maggie's tractor since the moment he saw it.

He is too little to reach the pedal but sometimes if I ask Maggie real nicely, she will give Tommy a ride.  He loves it!

These two still adore each other and are getting wild

Maggie started dance lessons again

A portion of our hoarding, this was after we had already taken 2-3 truck and trailer loads out.  Seriously moving gets worse the older you get.

The house has continued to progress

This picture was current about 2 days ago, they have since finished the entire roof and all the windows are installed

Maggie and Tommy are sharing a room at the rental house.  And they LOVE it!  I was worried, but 6 nights in to the experiment, they have both slept through the night every night.  Maggie doesn't wake up scared or thirsty in the middle of the night and neither of them call for us--it is actually amazing!  The other morning Susie was just finishing drying her hair before work/school and heard ruckus coming from their room at 5:30 AM.  She opened the door to find both kids jumping on their beds and giggling at each other.  I think they are going to have a hard time separating when the new house is done.  Maggie sleeps so good and wakes up so happy, I think Tommy gives her a sense of security.  And Tommy just thinks his sister is the coolest girl in the world so it is a win-win. 

One thing about moving/building is that the kids have had some really long days at daycare.  We live within two blocks of an elementary school and a great park right now.  The kids have been eying up the playgrounds for the past 2 weeks.  I finally took them last night.  Little did I know, Tommy can now do slides all by himself and of course thinks it is so neat!

Hopefully the weather stays nice for a couple more weeks so we can take advantage of the great parks in our neighborhood.

Tommy is getting soooooo close to walking.