Houston, We Have a Chopper

After many, many, many months of teething (since 3 months!), Thomas has finally cut his first tooth. Apparently, it was very painful, but he made it through and has a little tooth to show for it - yay! On to bigger and better foods:)

Thomas Andrew Sayeth

Mama! Not really sure he knew what he was saying, but he said it. I left him to play on the floor in his bedroom so I could get his medicine out of his bathroom, and he was not happy about that. He immediately began fussing. I came back in two seconds later, turned my back to put the medicine down, and he started saying it! When I whipped around he had his arms out (he was still ticked off at me!) and was saying "mamamamama". I am pretty sure that this qualifies as his first official "word"! More to come!

Creeping is the New Crawling

Thomas is not crawling just yet, but he is managing to get around. He's pulling up on everything (and consequently bumping his head all over the place!), and he no longer needs to roll to get to what he wants because he can "army crawl" or creep. He has crawled on his hands and knees once, but he prefers lying on his stomach, kicking like crazy and pulling forward with his arms. It's quite funny! I'll post the video when I get a chance.

Tofu & Rice Krispies

A tasty combination. Tofu is a recommended first food. I am pretty sure Thomas felt the texture was weird, but he didn't mind the taste. Or so he didn't seem to. He kept picking up the slippery cubes and eating them. Worked out better for him when I added rice krispies to the mix and they stuck to the tofu, making the cubes easier to grasp! Interesting combination that he enjoyed. I may be on to something...

Success with Finger Foods

Thomas officially used his fingers to eat halved cheerios. Since he has no teeth, I have to break them in half. He did it twice on Friday and again on Saturday, but today he was able to successfully eat about a handful of puffs. He pinches them and/or they stick to his hands b/c they are wet! Pretty funny. I think he got a little frustrated at one point, as he grabbed an entire handful and tried to shove all of them into his mouth at once...ha, ha, ha.

On the Move

Okay, so he isn't crawling just yet, but Thomas has discovered how to get around. His current repertoire includes rolling, pushing backward and turning in order to get where he wants to go. He can pull up on on his changing table, crib bumper and anything else he gets near, but he isn't quite strong enough yet to get to a standing position (what a relief!). I guess it's time to start childproofing and lowering the crib mattress!

Simpsonize Yourself

I can't stop blogging now that I have discovered this outlet:) My friend, Jenn, from work has a family blog and turned me onto this site. She also has a link to the Simpsonizer - a marketing ploy for the recently released The Simpsons Movie. It's hilarious! Enjoy simpsonizing yourself, your family, your friends, your pets.

Simpsonize here: http://www.simpsonizeme.com

Maple & Gibbs

For anyone that was interested or knew, Maple and Gibby are doing just fine after their recent check up with Dr. Jewitt in Virginia. Dr. Jewitt has been their vet since Maple and Gibbs were adopted. She moved from a joint practice in Woodbridge to her own new facility in Stafford - Hartwood Animal Hospital. She sees Mapey and Gibby for the annual check ups. They recently had their teeth cleaned and a plethora of doggie tests completed. Maple was not so well, and she has apparently been experiencing a bleeding ulcer. Her vet here in Jacksonville misdiagnosed her condition, so she has been struggling since June. She is now on medication and doing much better. Soon we'll be adding an anti-anxiety medication to her routine in the hopes that it will allow her to lead a more normal life with less stress (as if!).

First Post

Thomas Gardner's blog is officially open for business! We will post updates and pictures on all his exciting adventures as well as those of the Gardner family, including Kelly, Bret (aka Dave), Gibbs and Maple.