Five and a half

Thomas is now officially 5 1/2. It seems like so much has happened in these past six months that I have to do an update.

Thomas has been reading small words and short phrases for quite some time now (since some point in his 4s class last year). But in the past month or two, his reading has really taken off. He can read books and words with more than two syllables. It’s almost like he has known how to read for quite some time, but he’s been keeping it a secret from us because he just…reads. He doesn’t really sound many words out (except for the ones he doesn't know right off the bat), he just reads and reads and reads.

Granted, his DESIRE to sit and read by himself is still a work in progress and he still fights us a little bit when we ask him to read a story at night. But he can. And I’m hoping his love of reading will continue to grow as he gains more confidence in his ability to do it.

I have a two-minute video of him reading last night, but I think the file is too big to upload. I edited to a 30-second version that I will post below. This is a book that we hadn’t read in months to him and he has never tried to read by himself. He did need help on a few words (like “gorge” in this clip), but he knew words like squeaking, squealing and panicking, but he needed a little help with “scampering.” :)

I'm having a bit of a problem with uploading videos...but here goes the third try. And if that doesn't work, try here.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

In addition to reading, I’m interested to hear what his teacher will tell us when she gives us his report card on Wednesday and we meet with her for our first parent/teacher conference. From what I see, his fine motor skills still need some work (coloring in the lines and handwriting), but he has improved tremendously. He used to HATE coloring and writing, but now he is actually ASKING us to let him do these things!

I think in preschool he was frequently allowed to give minimal effort in doing these things (which was probably fine for that age), but it was a bit of a rude awakening when his kindergarten teacher started asking him, “Is that the best you can do?” and pushed him to try harder. I’ve started giving him extra “assignments” at home to help him with his focus and his skills, and it seems to be helping him in those aspects and also creating a desire in him to do more of these things. He LOVES to be praised for his hard work and effort; so I think a lot of times he asks to do these things just so he can be praised. Fine with me!

Sometimes he still wants to take shortcuts, but he sticks with it. Last week he wanted to watch a tv show and I told him he had to write “I want to watch television” in his best handwriting first (I wrote it for him and he had to copy it). He kept saying, “Can’t I just write ‘tv’”? Funny boy.

He still loves to dress up and he has now passed this love along to his brother as well. Lately when one or both of the boys are in costume out in public someone will usually say, “Oh getting ready for Halloween?” and I think, “Nope, just a regular day in our house!”

Thomas loves to play and he loves to be goofy. We’re trying to always remind him that there’s a time and place for everything, but in general, I adore his enthusiasm.

In other random news, he continues to be a better eater. Like my mother always did with me, I make him take at least one bite of everything at dinner, and it seems to be working. Now his one little bite has turned into at least three bites and a lot of times, he does it without too much complaint (mostly with vegetables like broccoli, lima beans, green beans—his least favorites). AND, Trey decided, rightfully so, that if we make him eat foods he doesn’t like, why are we letting him not drink milk just because he doesn’t like it? He now drinks a cup of milk with dinner…and that is HUGE progress in our house!

I’m so proud of the little boy he is becoming. He is usually sweet and kind and I love and adore his innocence and hope it lasts a long time. He loves his brother and they are absolute best friends. I cannot believe how much he is growing and learning; it’s truly amazing and heartwarming to see. He is such a gift and a blessing and I remain eternally grateful that he is our son.

Five years old

I can only imagine how I’ll feel thirty years from now. As Thomas just turned five, I kept thinking of a quote our minister used at our wedding. It was from the song "Sunrise, Sunset" from "Fiddler on the Roof" (many thanks to my mom for remembering this for me and correcting my previous statement!) and it went something like this: “Is this the little boy I carried? Is this the little girl who played? I don’t remember getting old, when did they?”

Five years have flashed by in the blink of an eye. It does not seem like five years ago we were gazing at our little miracle baby sleeping peacefully in the bassinet:

I hope Parker understands one day, but there will never be a better moment in my life than the one when Thomas was born five years ago. After everything we went through -- the loss, the complications, the bedrest, the everything -- just to get him into this world, when he was born and he cried for the first time, it was a moment unlike any other. It was undoubtedly the very best moment of my life. I was in tears, but it was the most happy, joyful tears I've ever cried.

It is best summed up by 1 Samuel 1:27 -- "I have prayed for this child, and the Lord has given me what I asked of him."

Before long, he was our little chunky monkey, full of rolls and full of smiles and laughter. (here at four months)

And then he was one…

And then two (about two weeks before he came a big brother!)…

Then a crazy three year old…

Then another blink and he was four.

And now, after a busy year, he is five. Five. I cannot believe it!

This has been a big, big year for Thomas. We have moved twice, he has learned to write all his letters and has started reading simple words (he asks me ALL THE TIME what different words say and mean). He gave up training wheels and learned soccer and t-ball. He is drawing real pictures (sometimes) – more than just scribbling on a page. He still loves pizza, being outside and TALKING.

His teacher told us at his last review that Thomas is a very friendly child. She observed that he likes to greet everyone who comes into the classroom and that everyone likes him and wants to be his friend. At this point in his life, that is one of the most important things I want to hear! I remember a wise judge (not my father, in case you are wondering) telling the courtroom one time that you “have to get along with people.” I think it’s a really important trait and so far, Thomas seems to have it mastered. He loves talking to anyone and everyone.

He is still a picky eater, but follows my rule of trying at least one bite of everything on his plate every single night (and there is almost always a vegetable at dinner). He still doesn’t like chocolate, which is almost a blessing when it comes to his peanut allergy. I never have to worry about him eating a Reese’s cup or something because he would take one look at the chocolate and turn up his nose. Though with the allergy, we try to remind him never to eat things that we have not approved first. It is a challenge, on many levels, and I do hope and pray that somehow, someway he can outgrow this limitation one day.

He is still waiting for his official party next weekend, but he was mighty proud to turn five on the 20th (I’m backdating this post!).

He kept reminding me that there needed to be five candles on his cake and he was sure to doublecheck that I had followed his instructions properly!

It’s hard to believe that later this year he will start kindergarten and before we know it, five more years will pass and he will be 10. If I were to really think about it, I’m sure I would be in tears.

He is such a special, special miracle and I am so thankful for the blessing he is in our lives. He is a wonderful big brother and a loving son and we are so lucky. Happy 5th birthday to our dear, sweet Thomas.

Four years old!

I'm late in doing so, but it's time for an official post now that Thomas is four years old!


Four years since we first brought our little boy home.

3 days old



And then he was ONE...


And then one ever-so-quickly became TWO...


Then after a doozy of a year with a newborn and a 2 year old, two became THREE...


And now he is four.  Our baby boy is FOUR!


The time does pass so quickly.  I'm not quite sure where to start with our four year old.  I guess I'll go with what people notice about him first...he smiles a lot and he talks a lot.  :)  He is very friendly.  My dad says Thomas has inherited his "never met a stranger" attitude from his other grandfather, his Umpa (my father-in-law).  He says it's the "Hambone" in him.  I'd say that he probably gets this trait from both his friendly grandfathers.  :)

Thomas does not let anyone pass him by without saying hello.  His teachers tell me that he tells the funniest stories at school and he always makes them laugh.  I wish I had a better memory and I could share some of these stories here.  All I remember is that he makes me laugh too.  THe other day he had some story and it was one his that started, "A long, long time ago...that's what they did.  That was when Jesus was walking around."  I think it was something about dump trucks and houses.  He cracks me up sometimes.

Oh, and I don't think I ever shared in here this story.  At school the class has pictures the students drew in the hallway.  At the top the teachers had the children each finish this sentence: "A farmer is_______."  Thomas said, "A farmer is a wife who drives a tractor."  Not sure what that is about, but it did make me giggle--especially considering that I drove a truck in high school, and a friend told me once that "a woman with power is one who drives a truck"...or in this case, a tractor.  :)

Verbally, he seems to be right where he should be, if not beyond.  We're still trying to get him to write his letters (and hold a pencil correctly), but he just isn't all that interested.  He can write some of the letters in his name, like "T."  This summer we are going to have some extensive tutoring sessions to work on this skill. 

From talking to his teachers, I think the hardest thing for him next year will be realizing that it's time for school to be more about learning and less about playing.  He loves to play.  I think the reason he's not better about writing his letters is because he doesn't want to stop playing long enough to learn.  His art projects have improved throughout the year, but it used to be that I could easily pick his out of the bunch because it was the one with the least amount of actual drawing.  But he is slowly enjoying these projects more, even if it means he has to stop playing for a short while. 

He's still not a great eater, though he could be if I'd let him live off fruit snacks, pizza and oatmeal raisin cookies all day.  :)  He also enjoys a Chick-Fil-A sandwich and a little burrito at Moe's.  He still doesn't like milk, even though most mornings I force him to have a little on his cereal.  Though no matter what the cereal, he generally won't eat anymore of it once he gets to the bottom and he can see all the milk.  I'm realizing that he's just not much of a breakfast eater, like his Daddy. Dinners can take forever as well, but he usually will eat what is asked of him...though sometimes with great protest and a lot of time! 

Thomas loves to be outside.  He loves to ride his bike and has nearly worn the back tire of his bike bald from his love of riding fast ("Rocket power!" he exclaims!) and then slamming on the brakes so he skids and leaves a long black mark on the sidewalk.  He also still enjoys driving his Power Wheels jeep.  He really likes it now that I've let him drive it around the block (with me following, of course).  He drives his brother around, then we stop at his buddy Jack's house.  Then the two of them ride their power wheels all around the yard chasing each other and playing bumper cars. 

We don't let him watch a signficant amount of television, but he does enjoy the hour or so he is allowed every day.  He usually chooses to watch Dora the Explorer while he is waiting for Parker to wake up from his nap and I am preparing for dinner.  He's actually learned some Spanish words from watching the show so I guess it's not so bad.  He still loves watching the movie Cars whenever he has the chance. 

Speaking of cars, he still loves any and all things with wheels.  Lately he's been getting into Thomas & Friends trains and we've been slowly building onto his set.  He likes to make really long trains and gets very upset if Parker so much as considers taking one of them away. 

Discipline has been a bit of a challenge lately.  He talks back far more often than we would like and chooses not to listen whenever he is not in the mood.  He hates time outs and gets very upset when we take his favorite toys away from him.  You'd think that would be enough incentive not to misbehave, but apparently it is not. 



We also did just take away his paci and that has introduced a new level of behavioral problems, but I hope it is temporary.  He is coming into our bed every single night after we have all gone to sleep, and sometimes I go and get in his bed so I can stretch out more, but we're just letting him for now while he deals with life without paci.  :)  Without pacis, it's a little harder to reinforce his afternoon rest time, but I'm still trying to get a least one hour every afternoon that he spends alone in his room.  To that end, we are trying to improve his bedroom and make it a great place for him to play. 

He loves his brother (most of the time) and loves to play with him. Lately they really have been playing together so well and I look at them and think, "This is why we have two children two years apart!" It's good for them and it's good for us because they can entertain themselves! Sometimes they do fight, as all siblings do, but they also adore each other and when one is sad about something, the other one is too. And when Thomas gets put in time out, Parker promptly goes and sits right next to him, and usually gives him a hug too.

It is so hard to believe it has already been four years. It makes me sad to think that the next four will go by just as quick, if not even moreso. And then the next four and the next four...I can't even think of it! Despite the times that he really ruffles our feathers, he brings so much joy to our lives. He is such a tremendous blessing, as all children are, but I can't help but think of that awful night, November 15, 2005. On that night I was 16 weeks, 3 days into my pregnancy with him and I found myself in the ER. Soon after I was checked in to the hospital and admitted to the Labor & Delivery ward and told by my dear doctor that in all likelihood (over 95% chance), he would not survive. And yet, here I am, four and a half years later with a healthy, thriving child. It's a good thing God knows things that doctors and modern medicine do and can not. We are so blessed.

I look forward to all the joy the next four years, and beyond, will bring.

Three years old!

It has taken me a while to get back to this, but I have had so many thoughts on my mind about it to share. But yes, Thomas is now 3 years old!


He is working on perfecting his "I'm three!" pose, but he's finally getting his fingers to cooperate...


It's so hard to believe it's been three years since Trey and I sat in that hospital, looking at our newborn son.


We were so clueless then and had no idea what to expect. After the long road it took to get him here (complete with 140-something days of strict bedrest and a whole lot of faith and prayers that he would, in fact, make it into this world), he was here and we weren't quite sure who he would become and what we would do with him. :)

All we knew, was that we were in love.

Two weeks old

It wasn't long before he was smiling at us and laughing. I remember he laughed, in his sleep, in the first days he was home. And he smiled at a few days old too. Here's a little video from right after we got home:


Soon he was smiling all the time. And he really hasn't stopped.

1 month old.

People always ask us if he smiles all the time, and I guess he always has been a smiley baby.

7 months old

He was quick to tackle all of his physical milestones. He was crawling at seven months, pulling himself to standing shortly thereafter, cruising not long after that and walking by two weeks after his first birthday.


9 months old

He was a terrible sleeper from birth. We didn't get him to sleep through the night until, with a lot of tough love, he finally conquered that milestone in his 11 month. And then it seems we blinked and he was one.






We were worried he wouldn't start talking soon enough, but before we knew it he was Mr. Chatty. Around 18 months he started really talking, and I'm not sure he's stopped talking since.

18 months old

He has never met a stranger. Sure he will sometimes be shy for a moment, but he is always randomly talking to strangers in the store or anywhere we are out and about. If they don't respond to him he'll ask me, "Why is that person/man/woman not talking to me?" The other parents at school are always telling me that Thomas greeted them when they arrived to drop off their child. And he says the funniest things...as I know all children do.

One thing that sticks out is the past two weeks he has stayed with my parents one night a week (as I am deep in party-planning mode and need all the free time I can get!). The first time he returned I was wearing a striped shirt that I hadn't worn in quite some time. His first comment to me was, "Why are you wearing that striped shirt?" The next week, when he returned I was wearing something else and the first thing he said was, "Why are you wearing that not-striped shirt?"

He does ask "Why?" about everything, as I know many 3-year olds do. And he will ask you over and over again until you give him a silly answer and he'll say, "That's not what it is!"

Before we knew it, our little boy was two. It was to be a big year for him, because he started going to "school" and he became a big brother.


Two weeks after his second birthday, he became a big brother. And he assumed that role quite easily and with a whole lot of love.


Though sometimes, or rather, quite frequently, we have to remind Thomas to be "gentle" with Parker, he has been a great big brother. He loves Parker dearly and always wants to be where he is. It has been such a joy watching them grow together and I know it's only going to get better as the years pass by.

This year has really flown by. In August Thomas started school. He goes two mornings a week, but he loves it. It took him a short while to adjust and stop crying at drop off, but now he runs in and forgets to tell me goodbye until I ask him. He enjoys his friends and teachers and truly looks forward to school days. We are really going to miss it this summer, but look forward to next year when he will go three mornings a week!

28 months old (right before he started school!)

And he is three! Three years old! It's so hard to believe.


He is becoming more independent and wants to do everything "all by myself!!!" He loves painting and doing other art projects. I need to be better about coming up with more things for him to do here. I have to watch him though because if left alone with a crayon, he will color things that are not paper. Good thing those things are usually pretty washable!



He loves to be outside, no matter what we are doing. As for driving his Jeep, he usually does pretty well. Be when he starts driving a bit erratically and not paying attention, it's usually a sign that he needs to go take a nap. He ran into a small tree (very, very small, young tree) one time, but usually he does okay.



Speaking of naps, most days he still takes (and needs!) one. Sometimes he will not, but he will stay in his bed and be relatively quiet while he reads books and plays with his cars. He has actually been surprisingly good about staying in his bed, even though he can get out. I can't wait to get his real big boy bed (not just his converted crib) and see how he'll do with that. Hopefully he will continue to do as well.

I will say though when he does nap, I always have to wake him up because he does sleep so soundly. And when we wake him up, he is not a pleasant person to be around. It takes him a LONG time to wake up. And on nap days, even though we put him to bed by 8, he often won't fall asleep until after 9. At least he stays in his bed!

As for other things at three years... He is still not a great eater. He's pretty picky and sometimes it's quite a struggle to get him to eat a decent amount. I should say though that his eating is usually directly tied to his GI issues. Won't get into it more than that, but the more stressed he gets about that, the less he eats. We are trying hard to correct it, but it's not an easy task.

And on that note, potty training is still a no-go. He has a lot of interest in watching everyone else (his entire class is potty trained!), but he has no desire to go on his own, no matter what kind of bribery we use. He has gone a few times here and there, but he is willing to go less and less -- which seems the opposite of what it should be!

It's a good thing he is so cute.

These past three years have been an amazing blessing and I am so thankful to God that Thomas is a part of our lives. For every time that he tests me and tries my patience, there are ten times that he melts my heart and is my "sweet little boy." He is loving and kind and his smile is huge and lights up the room.



My only regret is that the time goes by too fast. I fear that I have missed something I won't get to see again, and I don't want the next three years to fly by as quickly as these have disappeared. Or at least I hope that I can soak up all the moments, all the laughter, all the smiles and not dwell too much on the few times he frustrates me so! He is such a gift in my life and for that, I cannot be more thankful.

35 months old!

35 months! Last week Thomas turned 35 months. It's hard to believe that in three weeks our little boy will be three! I'm not sure where the time goes. It's scary to see how quickly it passes. I feel like if I blink he will be graduating from college. But for now, he's still our little guy.



At 35 months, Thomas is such a little boy. I don't know when toddler-dom ends, but I definitely feel that he is more little boy than toddler these days. He talks up a storm and runs full speed (and talks full speed) most of the day. That boy would be in constant motion sometimes if he was allowed.

I don't know how much he weighs, but when he went for a flu vaccine a few weeks ago, he measured at 38.5 inches tall (in shoes). I've been looking for a picture I took when he was a baby to compare to this one, but haven't located it yet (need to look on our other computer)...but for now I'll post this one alone. It's hard to believe how much he has grown in nearly three years! It seems like just yesterday that he barely came up to this window sill (like Parker does now...his head is just above the sill).


People are always commenting about what a happy boy he is and how well he talks. I suppose they could just be trying to be nice, but I like to think there is some truth to it. :) His teacher tells us he is a very happy boy at school.

One area where he is not progressing is potty training. His teacher always tells me that they ask him if he wants to go (I think most of his friends at school are potty trained or are potty training at this point) and he always says "No, I'll just use my diaper." That's about how it is at home too. I keep hoping that one day a little switch will flip in his head and he'll be more willing to try, but then again, I think it's too much wishful thinking on my part and we're going to have to start pushing the subject a bit more soon. Though I do believe a child has to be ready for it and I just don't think Thomas is there yet. We are close though. I hope! I sure would love to only have one child in diapers!

Just for fun, compare that with Thomas at 11 months (two years ago):

And Thomas at 23 months (one year ago):


He is doing great in his "big boy bed," and we can't wait until we can transition him to his real "BBB" here soon. I know he is going to love it. He stays in his bed pretty well for naps and bedtime, even though he can get out on his own.

The biggest challenge to growing up, as far as we are concerned, has been his growing need for discipline. He certainly knows how to punch our buttons, and he is constantly testing his limits. It's a test of patience, and sometimes tough love, for us, but I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary. It is quite a challenge some days (especially when he is tired or not feeling well). Some days he will not nap, and that's fine because then he goes to bed easily at night. But the downside is that he is a monster by early evening. He is definitely not ready to give up his daily nap (HALLELUJAH!).

Thomas absolutely adores his brother and loves to make him laugh.


For some reason I've thought a lot lately about what a struggle it was just to get Thomas into this world...complicated pregnancy, water breaking at 16 weeks, bedrest for 20 weeks...yada yada yada...and then I cannot imagine had things not turned out the way they did, how my life would be right without him in it. For all of the days he drives me crazy, there are many, many more days where he makes me laugh and smile and feel so thankful to be his Mom. I am so very thankful for the gift we were given in him.

34 months old!

Thomas is now 34 months old. I cannot believe our little boy is two months away from being THREE!


Not the best picture, but he wasn't being overly cooperative for this session. This picture just about sums it up:


Thomas is such a little boy now. He talks all the time (non-stop sometimes!). He gives very detailed explanations and likes to use the word "because." He says things like, "You see my face smiling? I am smiling because I am happy...because that is what I am!"


He doesn't quite understand the proper phrasing of questions. It's cute. He doesn't get that when he is asking if he is allowed to do something, it's "May I...", but when asking someone else to do something it's "Would you..." So instead he is constantly asking us: "Would I have some fruit snacks, please?" or "Would I go outside please, would I?" I try to correct him, but then again, I find it to be one of the cute and funny parts of toddler-dom. And I'm not quite ready to let that go just yet.


He absolutely adores his little brother, even though he does have a bad habit of taking Parker's toys from him and throwing them across the room. Not the nicest brotherly thing to do, but he is learning to play with better manners. I look forward to the day when they can play little more easily with each other.

Thomas loves to smile and laugh, and he likes to make us smile and laugh too. He will frequently ask if he's done something bad, "Are you happy, Mommy?" And if he makes me laugh he says, "I'm funny!" He loves to be tickled and we love to hear the laughter he gives when he is tickled!


He loves to watch Calliou and sometimes watches Elmo (and Sesame Street), Barney, Dragon Tales and occasionally Bob the Builder. His love of Bob has cooled a bit, but I think I'm going to take him to a live Bob show in May and I know he will LOVE it. He still loves to wear his "Bob hat" around the house and declare that "I'm Bob!" every time he does. He doesn't watch tv too often, but I must admit it does come in handy when I need to feed Parker and put him down for a nap without an interruption. We do what we have to do around here sometimes!

Thomas also still loves to read and for us to read to him. He frequently will ask to go to his crib and read books, and then he'll call me after he's been in there for a while and ask for more books. I'll peek in on him and he is sitting there studying each and every page and he has memorized quite a few stories. Many of his one-liners are from his favorite books. :)

He's still a picky eater, but maybe getting a wee bit better. He's even decided he sometimes likes cheese...which is progress! I don't know how much he weighs (maybe 32 pounds?), but he's wearing 2T and 3T things and size 5 diapers. Yes, he's still in diapers with no end in sight. We ask him all the time about going to the potty and try to get him to go, but he will have none of it. He was actually making more progress on this about four months ago than he is now. Oh well, I know one day it will happen. I'm not stressing about it.



All in all, he is such a joy. He has required a bit more discipline lately and I know that's all part of being his age. It's a challenge, but watching him grow and learn makes it all worth it. He is our precious little boy and I don't know what we would do without him. Happy 34 months!

Just a few more pictures of smiles, for smiles. :)

Laughing Thomas, who we see a lot...


Silly Thomas...


Our sweet boy...


One last picture to close this entry. About a month ago, Thomas saw his dragon costume from two Halloweens ago in the back of his closet. He asked to wear it, and has asked to wear it again several times since then. Whatever floats his boat!