Touchdown!

So last night I went and took a concealed carrying class with Luke. So Tommi was left with her daddy, pappy, big mama, and uncle Chase. I was gone for about 3 to 3.5 hours and when I got back she was still very happy which was good.

She had also learned a new trick:) When you say 'touchdown' she raises her arms! It is too cute!!

I was just informed by my mother that Tommi also tested out a dog cookie! haha She had found it laying on the couch and put it in her mouth when no one was looking and was just sucking on it when mom caught her!

This child is a hoot!

If you're happy and you know it...

Tommi claps now! She does it all the time and when you ask her to she will gladly show you too!

It is so much fun! So she dances and claps now...esp when music comes on! She has some rhythm down in her soul:)

I love her!!!

Silly!

So here are a few really cute and silly pictures of Tommi in the past week or so...




Check out that big belly!


All smiles!


Goofy girl!


Crazy hair after a bath!

So smart!

I don't know if I mentioned it in her 8 month blog but Tommi loves to dance! It is actually rocking from side to side but when music comes on she does it and even when there is no music sometimes. But she knows what she is doing b/c we say dance and she does it. I make up songs all day long so she will dance whenever I sing to her and it's great!

She has now discovered how to go from her belly to sitting up. So the belly thing doesn't last long when she doesn't want to be on her belly. It is so fun watching her discover her own talents! She get so proud of herself!

I think she will skip crawling! She has no interest in it and LOVES to hold onto our hands and walk! Plus she can now stand up for a few seconds by herself! It isn't long but every "step" is closer to being independent!

I just wanted to post this pic b/c she is so happy in it...she was walkin with TJ!

8 Months!

Seriously can time please slow down! My babygirl is growing up so fast it is bitter sweet though. I miss that little baby that wouldn't move when I set her down but LOVE watching her discover the world and become more independent.

Tommi is able to sit up really well by herself now! She will go onto her stomach and get on her knees like she is gonna crawl but flops down on her belly as soon as she gets tired. She really doesn't seem to have an interest in crawling. But she does want to pull up and stand up on EVERYTHING! She is still trying to master this skill but she is working hard on it daily. She is silly though b/c she gets up then lets go like she is gonna walk to something else. haha She can't even take a step before falling!

She has a walker now and is getting very good at getting around. We have to keep things clear from the edge of tables b/c she will pull it down.

I have been blessed with such a happy little girl. She is grumpy when she is sleepy or doesn't feel good but otherwise she is always happy. I have even been told by other people that they never see her sad or fussy. I think it is b/c I stay on top of her needs most of the time so she hardly ever gets too hungry or too tired.

Her hair is finally growing! Still very short and thin but it is growing!

Her eating habits are equal to her size...not too big. She nurses 4 times a day and eats 2 meals (fruits for lunch and veggies for dinner) and has a snack of puffs after meals. Sometimes she gets a teething biscuit if we need her entertained while we eat. Some days she only nurses for dinner b/c she just isn't' in the mood for baby food. So she would be fine with one meal a day but I do more to get good nutrition in there.

Most of the time lately she has been sleeping with us. She will sleep 12 hours straight in our bed. Or if she starts the night in hers she will wake after a few hours and come to bed with us. We both get good sleep and it is all good!

She pics of the girl:)

The park

The other day we had a really pretty warm day so I took Tommi to the park to try out the swings and just enjoy the outdoors! When we got there she was immediately happy...she knew it was a special treat:)











After some swingin...TJ showed up and took her down the slide and then gave her a shoulder ride!

7 months!!!

How is my babygirl already 7 months old? Though I am sad to see her grow up so fast I am LOVING every second of it! She is SO much fun! Just discovering the world all over again with her is fun! I am so thankful the Lord has given me the privilege to stay home with my girl and not miss a thing!

So here is what Tommi is up to...
-talks all the time...from sweet ga-ga noises to loud squeals! We believe she is calling birds sometimes:)

-Eating like a champ! She likes her food thicker so I have to add cereal

-Loves biscuits, crust, or whatever else she can feed herself!

-Pulls up if she is sitting next to you...she is very proud when she does it too:)

-Rocks on her knees...but has no interest in crawling yet

-Sits very well!!!

-Drums on tables, boxes, etc.

-Slaps her hands...which is REALLY funny!!

-Loves noisy toys!

-scoots on tummy

She is all around a very busy baby! Never a dull moment in her presence...she loves to "party"!

She is the most cuddly and sweet baby! She loves her mama but is very content with daddy. She has some stranger anxiety but warms up pretty fast. She smiles and laughs alot! Not a great sleeper at night unless she is in my bed...but if that is one of her few down falls....I can deal:)

Here is the big 7 month old!!!

Late Halloween!

So Tommi was a girly monkey for her first halloween! I sewed bows and a tutu on her monkey costume b/c I didn't like how she looked so much like a boy in it:)

Big Mama, Pappy, and Uncle Rooney were up for the weekend so they got to go around with us trick or treating! It was very tiring...b/c unlike a normal October night it was 75 degrees so getting in and out of the car and with Tommi in a thick costume it was tiring. But we made it through and Tommi did really well! We got lots of candy and baby food:)




The monkey and an overly happy mommy!


All strapped in a ready to go!


TJ took a picture at every house we went to...this was one of the better ones

So after some trick or treating we headed out to Harrisonburg to see some of Pappy's childhood and college friends, the Johnson's, who were in town playing music...He was in heaven reminiscing with them all! Tommi and I really enjoyed ourselves too! It was at a little Tea place called Earth and Tea. Tommi was dressed for Halloween and as cute as a button!




Tommi's party face:)

Challenge...

Tommi is wearing me out!!

So my amazing sleeper that slept 8 hours the first night home, then by 3 months was sleeping 8-9 hours at night nursing then sleeping another 3 hours and a random straight 12 hours in there sometimes, has now become a HORRIBLE sleeper!!!!

She sleeps no more than 4 hours in a row usually alot less...most of the time when she wakes up she just wants me to hold her. She will not lay down with me she wants me to stand and sway or sit in the rocking chair with her and rock. I put her down and shortly she wakes up again! I'm SOOOO worn out!!!

It is a good thing I love this child so much!

I just have to remember I will sleep again one day! She will not wake up like this forever...but if she does this when she gets older at least I can bargain with her. I am not against rewarding my child for sleeping through the night!!

She CAN put herself back to sleep so that is not the problem. She just did it moments ago while napping!

God is good and will deliver us!!!


No one can stay upset with a sweet face like that!!

Razz...

Tommi has figured out she can make a "razz" noise (basically the toot noise with your tongue). She gets so excited. She does it alot during diaper changes.

It took me a while to get a good picture...just lots of snapping shots!

Concentrating hard to get it going...


Still working...


There we go!!!



One of my favorite pictures EVER!!! No one can help but smile when they see that! I LOVE her little tongue!

6 months!

I can not believe my baby is half a year old! And I have to say these past 6 months have been the most trying but best 6 months of my life!

Stats...
Weight: 14 lbs 12 oz (25%)
Height: 26 1/4 inches (upper 50%)

So what is going on with Tommi...
*She is sitting by herself...for a little while till she loses her balance and falls over.:) But she sits really well when she is sitting up

*She is trying more solid foods...only a little is swallowed but I believe it is more and more everyday. Bananas and sweet potatoes are the favs...considering she has not tried anything else other than applesauce and cereal:)

*She is super social...wants ALL the attention! She was sitting at dinner on Sunday and kept "coughing" so her cousins would pay attention to her...and of course they were glad to! She has got all of them in the palm of her hand!

*She loves to "party"...kicking, giggling, and smiling as bright as the sun!

*She has her 2 bottom teeth!:) Which she enjoys using to bite anything within reach!

*She LOVES her hands and feet! They are the best play toys!

*She is very verbal and loves "talking" or making any noise she can figure out how to make!

That is all I can think of currently but she is getting to be super smart and SO much fun!!!

Being a mom to Tommi is the best job in the whole world! I have never been so happy in all my life...no matter how frustrating she gets to be. She smiles with her big gummy smile and squinted eyes and my heart melts! I am the luckiest mom ever!!!!

So here is my big girl on her half birthday!!:)


Bouncing in her jumper...a very short time ago her feet didn't touch!


Sitting up like a big girl!!!


My pretty girl...with her bright eyes:)

Growing up...

As the days go by I find pure joy in the new discoveries and new talents Tommi is developing. From being able to reach for toys she wants to knowing certain toys make noise! I could not be more proud of everything she is doing.

But part of my heart is sad b/c she is becoming more independent. I used to rock her to sleep (or almost asleep) every night. It was our time to just cuddle and having mommy/Tommi time. But now Little Miss Independent doesn't want me rocking her. When she is ready for bed she wants me to lay her in her crib and she puts herself to sleep. I know many moms want their children to do this...and so do I (so she is not always dependent on me) but my little girl doesn't want to cuddle before bed anymore and that is sad! It just reminds me she is growing up too fast!

I am reminded by my friends with older kids that it only gets better as they get older...and I am really enjoying actually being able to interact with her. But the baby-ness is melting away quickly. I just need to celebrate her growing up b/c I know she is enjoying herself!:)

The newest discovery is being able to move when laying on her tummy. She tucks her back leg up like she is gonna crawl and pushes with her arms and it moves her backwards. She is pretty quick too...I can't keep her on her blankets for long now! It is fun b/c you can tell she is really excited about it...but we are now entering a whole new world!

I put her head up by the sun (on the left) walked around the coffee table and got the camera and here is where she was when I turned around!


She is still all about her mommy...she is not a fan of me not being in sight...esp when someone else is holding her. So I am still special:)

My little model!

So we just had some professional pictures taken of Tommi. A good friend of mine Caitlin is an up and coming photographer and is VERY talented! She took over 600 pictures of Tommi and they turned out amazing. I just went through the proofs and picked out the ones I want! I'm so excited...here are some samples of them! The quality is not great b/c they are just copied off facebook...but will be much better when she gives them to be all done.





TJ and I's all time favorite!

Chewing

So since Tommi got her 2 bottom teeth she has been chewing/sucking on her lips. When she sucks on her top lip it is hilarious. She looks like she is pouting. It is hard to catch her doing it b/c she stops when I go to take a pic. So I got one the other night at church with my phone.

Rice Cereal

So I have put off starting solids b/c according to everything I read babies do not need solids till 6 months. And my pediatrician said most breastfeed babies will not be interested before 6 months. So I have been leaving it up to Tommi to be interested.

The last couple weeks almost every time I eat Tommi wants to be held and grab at all my food. So I thought ok she is 5 and a half months old lets give solids a shot.

I was so excited to put her in her high chair and get everything ready.

I mixed the rice cereal with breast milk so it was familiar to her. Of course it was gross to me, but that is b/c it tasted like breast milk which I'm not a fan of. (Yes, I have tasted my own milk! I was curious!) Anyway, things didn't go as planned. I spooned her a little bit and she made this awful face and spit it all out. We tried a few more times but every time she saw the spoon she made a face!

I guess we just have to keep trying. She doesn't seem to be disgusted by the taste as much as the texture. I hate wasting milk all the time, hopefully she will take to it soon! I may doctor it up with some applesauce to see if that will go over better.

Here are some pictures of our adventure...


All ready in her highchair!


The first bite


After the first bite


Not more mom!

Reactions...

I want to keep track of the reactions people have to Tommi's name...they always make me laugh.

For all who don't know I have loved the name Tommi for a girl since I was young so this has been a long time coming. Her name actually has nothing to do with her daddy's initials but it is an extra plus. So I have known for a long time that I would have reactions...note why I didn't tell people till she was born.

When people ask her name I usually say Tommi Jolene b/c I think her whole name is pretty but sometimes say just Tommi b/c I like to see if it makes people squirm.

So I either get the "OMG! I love it!" reaction(which I get alot of), speechless reaction, or I get reactions like these...

"Oh that is different." (strange look)
"What is her middle name?"
"Is that her real name?"
"Is she named after someone?"
"Oh wow"


I have had some real bold ones too like...

"You couldn't think of a girls name?!"
"She will go by Jolene when she gets older."
"I'm sure your future boyfriends will call you Jolene." (talking to her)
"I'll just call her Jolene." (Which was only cute when a little girl at a restaurant said it, but have gotten it from adults too)
"I can't call her that, it is boys name."
"It is a girl right?"
"That is weird."

I have also had those who have said they straight up don't like it. Which I either chuckle or tell them "That is why TJ and I named her not you."

I may continuously add to this when I hear really good reactions.

Note: I hate that I even have to explain naming her Tommi b/c well I am proud of her name and put much thought and even prayer into it. She is my Tommi girl and she will be proud of her name one day!

Where has time gone?!

Only 5 short months ago...I was in the hospital shocked to have really just had a baby girl. The little girl I dreamed of many years! Now my little girl is 5 months old...yeah yeah I know that is not that old but I could have swore it was just last month I found out I was pregnant now the pregnancy is over and I have a little girl.

My life has been more complete in the last 5 months than ever in my life. I have found what the Lord put me on this earth to do. As hard and confusing as a child can be I find myself getting up at 2am with no thought. Yes, I grumble about it but I love her more than I love myself so I am welling to do whatever I need to do to make sure she has everything she needs and if she needs her mommy at 2am then her mommy will be crib side asap!

So a little about her at 5 months...(as many facts as I can think of off the top of my head)
-She is FULL of personality, so happy!!
-Her first tooth has just popped through...so teeth are on their way!
-Still will not take a bottle...but Mommy/Tommi time is nice!
-She can roll from belly to back but doesn't like doing it so she only does it when SHE is in the mood. That is my daughter!:)
-Loves hair...all lengths! She has a fascination with grabbing hair...so needless to say mine is always up now!
-She loves to "stand"!
-Loves her "jumper-roo" and walker at big mama's! Anything that puts her upright!
-Can sit by herself for short periods of time...before tumbling to the sides!
-Sucks on her fingers all the time! Well actually anything that will go to her mouth!
-Used to sleep really well...then has now decided every couple hours she needs to "party" with mom during the night! haha This too shall pass!
-LOVES plastic water bottles...she gets SO excited!

She is AMAZING!

So enough with all that here is sweet babygirl at 5 months!

Crashed!

So we were in church the other night and Tommi was overdue for her nap but she was happy as can be so I didn't worry about it. After playing a little bit she just sat on TJ's lap and played with her hands quietly. TJ nudged me and said "She is just chill isn't she?" I look over and she is knocked out sitting on his lap! It was too sweet!

Baby Einstein

So Tommi has always enjoyed watching TV so I figured I needed to get her something to watch that was more her level.

So her Big Mama bought her her first Baby Einstein video and she LOVES it! It is about 30 min long and she stays locked in the whole time. She also squeals at it and kicks in excitement!

So I'm not using it as a babysitting tactic we actually interact during it. We do the movements together (the ones she can do).

It is so much fun for us both!

Here she is watching her movie today!

East coast traveler

So at only 4 months Tommi has been to 5 states including VA. West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia are all on her list.

We went down to GA for my cousin Ryans wedding. We traveled in an RV with Big mama, Pappy, Uncle Luke, Uncle Rooney, and of course daddy. She was such a good traveler...I am so thankful for such an amazing baby! She got to meet her Great Gramma June for the first time and her Great Aunt and Uncle Robin and Darrell. And her 2nd cousins Alison and Ryan...she met Colin in June when we were in Hatteras.

We had so much fun!

Here are some pictures from the week...


Sleeping at the rehearsal


Talkin to uncle Lukey


Squealing


Loving naked time


Mommy and Tommi before the wedding


I love when Pappy talks to me


All dressed up for the wedding!