Little Man In Motion

This video was taken March 26th and shows how the little speedster has been crawling like a pro. He's even faster now than in this video, if you can imagine. This past week, he started cruising along furniture and even stood on his own at Marianne and Chris' house for a good 2 seconds. He continues to astound us with his physicality.

Stairs Today, Mount Everest Tomorrow

As mentioned in the previous post, Tommy decided he could climb the staircase the weekend before last. He had been able to climb the one step that leads up into our kitchen, but this was a whole other feat of strength. 14 steps. No problem. The video is actually his second run up the steps. He finished the first climb with no bobbles, but it must have worn him out because he stumbles slightly on his way this time. Still, pretty impressive for an 8 month old we think, and he recovers nicely and even gives the camera a smile.

David and Aunt Marianne

Aunt Marianne brought Tommy's cousin David up for an overnight visit the weekend before last. The weather was perfect, and we spent a lot of time at a local playground where the swings and the trash truck were big hits. David was his usual caring self with Tommy, always sweet to him and interested in what he was doing. Tommy tried to impress his big cousin by crawling up the staircase for the first time, and he pulled it off to our amazement! We had a wonderful time with them, and can't wait to see them in their new home back in Richmond.

In the Playpen

When we need some peace and/or freedom to move about the place, we put Tommy in the playpen. It's basically a square cage, and I sometimes feel bad about putting him in there, but the need to stay sane is strong. Sometimes he plays quietly with whatever toys are in there with him, but mostly, he squeals and wants out. The freedom is always savored, no matter how short-lived it may be. I managed to capture a couple of cute looks during a good playpen session.

Let's Go Nats!

JJ and I brought Tommy to the Nationals home opener. They came up short, but it was a good introduction to the game for the little guy. We even sat near several other little ones, so the atmosphere is definitely kid-friendly. It was my first time at the new ballpark as well, and it certainly impressed. Tommy was asleep when we arrived, then proceeded to cry for about 4 innings. He drank some milk. I drank some beer. And then he calmed down and made it through the rest of the game without further incident. Hopefully we'll catch a few more games during the season.

Pregame warmup at home.

Pregame meal courtesy of Mama.

Fine Motor Skills

At the annual Price-O'Rourke Easter brunch in Arlington, Tommy decided to perfect his pincer grasp. He would pick up tiny flower petals between his thumb and forefinger with great focus. And he'd immediately try to eat them. Had to be pretty quick to catch them before he swallowed them down, but it was neat to watch him develop a new skill.

Has Anyone Seen the Cherry Blossoms?

We went down to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom. It was a sunny, windy day, and people were everywhere. We inadvertantly participated in the parade (actually, we just crossed the route at one point), watched the kites fly near the Washington Monument, and soaked in the sun. Oh yeah, and we took one picture in front of some blossoms just to prove we saw them.

Lola Visit, Take Two

After making a full recovery from the allergy attack, Lola returned to DC the following week for a longer stay. She enjoyed feeding the boy solids, napping with him, and just watching him while I did some projects around the house, sorted his clothes (the guy needs his own closet he has so many clothes), and worked on our taxes. Thanks for freeing me up, mom! Then Liz came through town to pick her back up and take her home to Richmond. See y'all soon!

Kind of Blue

The blue tone of this picture is soothing to me. Plus the subject is a cute as heck kid.

Surprise!

Tommy's Lola had planned on coming up for an overnight visit. The plan was for Tita Liz to drive her up on her way back to NYC, but Lola really wasn't feeling up to it after getting struck by allergies in Richmond. So Liz was going to stop in anyway by herself. After I let her in and started visiting, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Oblivious (me) went to answer it, thinking it was the mailman or a delivery, and lo and behold, there was Lola! She had hidden in the alley and walked around the block waiting to make her appearance. Lucky for them, I didn't catch on when Liz said, "We hit traffic on the way up." Real good radar there, Papa...Turns out she couldn't pass up a chance to visit her apo (Tagalog for grandchild). Who can blame her?

The Great Crib Experiment

Thanks to Susie and family's return to London, Tommy got a brand spankin' new apartment-sized crib to sleep in. He has his moments in it but seems to prefer to be in bed with us, which has its plusses and minuses. We still try to get him to spend time in it as much as possible. Anyway, the sun was drenching said crib and the boy one afternoon, so I had to snap some shots. The "I Drool" shirt is also appropriate and well drenched. He hasn't stopped drooling with the appearance of the two teeth EZ mentioned in a previous post. Not sure when, or if, he'll ever stop drooling...

Sunday at the Capitol

We enjoyed a rare good-weather Sunday in March and took Tommy to see CC's favorite building in DC.