Tommy here…My first Thanksgiving was so much fun! Mommy and Daddy packed up the car Thanksgiving morning and we drove all the way to Redondo Beach to spend Turkey Day with Aunt Cindy and Uncle Jeremy. Grandma Norma, Grandpa Olson and Great Grandma Untz also came to the coast for the holiday. I fell asleep before dinner, but I hear the meal was delicious!
My photo album is so tasty! I was so busy chewing on it that I missed out on the pumpkin pie Mommy promised me. Oh, well…I’ll get to try it at Christmas.
And what holiday weekend would be complete without some baby bar dancing? Daddy’s birthday was the day after Thanksgiving, and Aunt Cindy’s the next, so we all went out to dinner at Old Tony’s on the Pier to celebrate. I hear the Mai Tais were so good that I (me… Tommy… the baby!) could stand up better than some of the people in the bar that evening! It was pretty chilly that night, so I’m wearing my fleecy hat Aunt Michele sent from Alaska. Who knew I’d need it in Southern California?

Tommy enjoys his big boy bath seat to great depths. Compared to his infant tub, which fits over the kitchen sink, the grown-up tub gives him acres of room to splash and play. Among his bath toys he prefers the duck, but he doesn’t really play favorites and tries to catch anything that bobs or floats past his little throne (as Daddy likes to call it). We’re looking forward to taking our little fish for a swim in the spa once the pool is complete, which should be the week after Thanksgiving.

Here half-birthday boy strikes a darling pose with Daddy at Dr. Downey’s office. Tommy turned 6 months old today and received another round of immunizations. He barely shed a tear with this round of shots…and Mommy’s getting better at watching the nurse poke him, too.

Our little man is now 26″ tall and officially weighs 18 lbs., 4 oz. His height is slightly below the rest of his peer group, but his weight is right where it’s supposed to be. His doctor has given us the OK to offer him a little juice now and then, so we’re going to celebrate his half-birthday with an apple juice toast tomorrow morning. Cheers to the best six months Mommy & Daddy have ever had, Tommy! You’re the greatest!

Here James and Tommy bask in the delight of TJW’s latest trick: the baby log roll! He rolled from his back to his tummy then just kept on going ’til he landed on his back again. He’s been able to maneuver from his back onto his tummy for a couple of months, but until today the only way he got off his belly was with parental assistance. Hooray Tommy!
Here’s Tommy’s cute little mug. He’s always happy to oblige the “mama-razzi” with yet another shot. Aren’t those cheeks screaming to be pinched? Our boy is up to 18 lbs., 3 oz. and I think his 6-month growth spurt is kicking in (more fuss, more food, more naps). With his weight nearing 20 lbs., he’s going to say goodbye to his baby seat this week once his big boy carseat arrives. He’s growing faster than I ever thought he would…at only 6 months I wonder where all the time has gone.

Our little man’s got a new favorite toy…an electronic drum. Not only does the drum make a great balancing tool for our novice sitter, it enables him to do something productive with the wild arm flapping, which comes in a close second to drooling on his list of hobbies. He’s also smitten with dismantling and chewing on the colorful stack of rings to his right…then chucking them as far as he can. I’ve actually taken to calling him “Chuck” since he’s so fond of throwing his toys.

In other news, tonight Tommy dined alongside Mommy and Daddy in a restaurant high chair for the first time. He enjoyed playing and eating pureed apples in his new “floppy seat,” which is a fluffy cover for the likes of shopping carts and public high chairs. Saturday he started taking his baths in the big bathtub, too…arm flapping = too much splashing for the kitchen sink!

Here’s the smile we get to see each morning when Tommy wakes from 12 hours of restful sleep (well, 12 hours on a good night!). He goes to bed around 7:00 p.m. and the rooster crows for him between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., though he’s been rising a bit earlier since daylight savings began. No matter how early, our day is always off to a great start with this big grin. I like to say to him “You look like you just won the baby lottery!” Doesn’t he?

Here our little sunshine reaches for the toes of his pajamas on his changing table. He’s so helpful! He is very interested in his feet and has started pulling on the toes of his socks, too. So far I’ve caught him each time, but I’m sure the day will come when he peels one off and I don’t see him do it. Pair this with his love for throwing things, and little Tommy will have the washing machine beat in the “widowed sock” category before the holidays!