... can you STAND it?

Well. Thomas has mastered yet another feat of physical strength and coordination ... let's see if you can guess what it is -

Dad had to add a little protection and insurance ;-)

... watching the neighbors get into their van sure was funny!

Can you tell by looking at my feet that I went
"boomers" a second after Mom snapped this one?
Good thing for fluffy diapers!

The casters of dad's chair make a great footrest!

Uhoh, better get that gate put back up!!

Can you STAND how cute he is in all of these pictures?  I know that every time I look at him I just can't stand how big he is, how stinkin cute he is, how much he's grown ... it really has been a treat to watch. I just can't stand it anymore - he's getting so big so fast!

Can you guess his new skill? Hehe

To match his new "mature" skills, we invested in some new toys for Thomas.  I had been hunting for a cruising toy courtesy of Fisher Price ... but the thought of spending $75 on this obnoxious looking (albeit interactive, fun, DAP, whatever ... for babies) toy, in addition to shipping and handling, and then trying to figure out where to put it ... only for him to outgrow it at a moment's notice (much like the jumparoo? <sigh> almost time to put that one away!) ... was really repulsive ... after receiving a gift card to Target from his Gramma and Grampa Haws, we were able to invest in some new toys from a brand that I am quickly falling in love with - B. toys!  They are carried at Target, as well as other retailers ... I love the colors, the wood, the design ... and Thomas does, too!  He is totally enthralled with the "bath toy" ship, captain, fish and life preserver ... he loves to open and close the door on top of the ship, and loved playing with the stacking-straining cups in the bath last night.  He likes the noisy 'funKEY' chain, as well - it makes noise with out vomitting out the ABCs and 123s, has real metal keys (mmm so cool and soothing to those teething spots), and sort of matches Mommy's keys ... cool, huh?

The real prize?  The Zany Zoo bead maze and .. err .. activity cube?  I saw it at Target while shopping with Margaret ... fell in love with it ... cringed a little at the price ... and moved on.  After our visit to the pediatrician on Tuesday, I was convinced that he needed this toy.  Not only had he abandoned all interest in his "baby toys" at home, but he had loved playing with the bead maze at the clinic!! ... so thanks to Gramma and Grampa Haws, he has a new toy that he loves.  It is so fun to watch him play - he will pinch the beads, try to move the little critters along their paths on top, fiddle with the animals that roll down the side, and, my favorite .. we are learning "open" and "close" on the side with four doors hiding animals behind them ... if I open them and say, "O.k. can you close this door?" and tap the animal, he will actually close the door. So cool!  He likes to stand next to it, but he still pulls it over on himself from time to time ... so we have to watch him closely while he's standing next to it.  With the alphabet on one side we can introduce the letters, animals (hello, vocabulary - the animals that coordinate with letters are not obvious - can you say c is for carp, n for narwhal and v for viper?), colors, shapes, etc. . . It is a beautiful, sturdy toy that he can grow with, I can live with, and we can all enjoy playing with.

Additionally ... we've named the captain ... Curly Jefferson ... 

after our favorite, awkward and strange video ... 

featuring none other than ... Old Gregg!!