Tommy is ONE!

Be sure to check out all of Tommy's birthday photo shoot pics in the preceding post!



Dear Tommy:

One year ago you showed Mommy and Daddy what love really feels like. We were so overwhelmed with emotions when you blessed our lives on September 10, 2009 at 1:27am. Mommy could not stop crying. I remember being so tired and exhausted (and I never even had to push since we knew you were going to be a c-section by the end of that week if you didn't turn), but also feeling so excited and happy. I was scared out of my mind and never even changed one of your diapers in the hospital. Daddy was a pro doing that, so I let him stick to that since he couldn't get any milk for you like I could.





I was looking at you in your convertible car seat the other day and thought about the fact that you are old enough and big enough to face forward now. A year ago when we took you home, you were so tiny we had to use the newborn insert in the infant car seat. It's hard to believe you are the same baby we took home with us a year ago.





You were a lazy little one as far as eating the first month or so, not gaining as much weight as the doctors would have liked, but then from month 2 to 3 you packed on a few pounds. You took to cereal really well and then the veggies and fruits too. Now you really like anything crunchy - wagon wheels, cheerios, mum-mums, cheese puffs, and like your mommy, pickles. You didn't take to the stage 3 foods or regular table food as well as the other stuff, but you are making progress everyday. You don't like to self feed feed that much except the crunchy snacks, but you gladly let the ladies at daycare spoon feed you, and you even had some pasta shells this week!





Very early on you were so great at holding your head up and had such strong neck muscles, but I thought it took you forever to roll over, but then all of a sudden you were rolling, scooting and sitting up all at once. You are walking all the time now, and you have one tooth that finally popped through two weeks ago. You are up the stairs so fast and we have to watch you constantly. Tux and Tails do watch you constantly, even when they are sleeping, as they know you are not too far away!





You have been a GREAT sleeper almost this entire first year of your life. Even early on, you gave us six hour stints at night sometimes. You moved to your crib at 12 weeks of age and it was like no big deal to you. You nap well at school, but not always at home. I guess we don't wear you out as much as they do at daycare. We went through about one month of sleep issues from 10-11 months of age. You were definitely teething, but also probably testing the waters as to how far you could push it. Mommy loved cuddling with you during that time once she stopped stressing out about having you in our bed part of the night. But we worked through it after Mommy invested in a few more sleep books! Bottom line - every baby is different, what works for one family might not for another, and if it's not a problem for you, it's not a problem. Now you are sleeping on your tummy and doing great most nights without waking. While I've had to rock you to sleep since the sleep issues started occuring, this past week as we prepared for your first birthday, you were putting yourself to sleep some nights. As difficult as it was for me, I was so proud of you self soothing after about 5 minutes of crying one night after I put you in your crib. So long as you have your orange guy and puppy, you figure it out.





You got to take a few trips this year - one on an airplane to Chicago to visit Oma and Opa and your aunt and uncles and cousins - that was such a fun adventure! And then a long drive to the Outer Banks with the NJ family.





You are a busy little boy who likes to DO things. You tell some great stories. You point to things now and it sounds like you are trying to ask "what's that?" so we tell you what everything is all the time. You can pick out Big Bird, Elmo, and Ernie from Sesame Street if we ask you to. You know where and what certain things are when you are asked. And you do say some words - like mama, dada, cat (dat), Tuh (Tux and Tails). You even know where Tux and Tails like to hang out and watch you, because you always look for them in those locations when we ask you where they are!





Personality? What can I say? You have the most AMAZING personality Tommy. You truly are the HAPPIEST baby on the block, if not the world. Daddy bought that DVD (The Happiest Baby on The Block) right after you were born and we watched it several times, taught ourselves how to swaddle you...but I truly think you were born the happiest baby in the world. Everyone who meets you comments on your smile, your laugh, and you definitely charm everyone you come in contact with. Your teachers at school all love you, and you know how to work them, they even admit it! You laugh at all the crazy things Mommy and Daddy do when they are playing with you, and you are so ticklish and have the best laugh EVER!





We are truly blessed and thank God every day for choosing us to be your parents. You have taught us so much in this first year that has gone by so quickly. I made sure not to wish any part of it away, even the days that seemed difficult at the time, but looking back were all a part of this journey we are on together as a family.





We love you Thomas John!




Love, Mommy and Daddy (and Tux and Tails)