October 1st, 2007 sally
Last night, Tom slept for 8 hours. A feat that should have resulted in me having my first complete nights sleep in almost a year. Being pregnant meant at least 2 trips to the loo each evening, and since Tom has been here, either Chris or I have got up at least once in the night—and even if it’s not our turn, we still tend to wake up and have a bit of a chat. But, no, last night my body decided that it had no desire for sleep. Perhaps it was that cup of tea that I drank too late in the evening. Perhaps it was me slipping back into work mode and beginning to strategize for my return. Or, perhaps, it was the fact that today was Tom’s first day at daycare. I’m guessing it’s the latter. I felt almost as nervous as when I started Codsall High School…but not as nervous as when I got dropped off at Stratford High School in Houston and realized that students drove their cars to school. And lots of them drove porsches.
So, this morning, Chris and I get Tom ready, snap a few piccies and drive to his daycare (just down the street). We turn in the paperwork, meet his teacher, Laurie, and drop off his supplies. I’m doing really well until, on the drive back home, for every positive point I stress, Chris has a retort.
Me: I liked how she picked him up when he started to moan a bit
Chris: That’s only because we were there
Me: He seemed to like that swing
Chris: How many kids do you think use that thing?
Me: I think he’ll be fine
Chris (pretending to be Tom): I know you don’t have to work until next week. I know you’re just abandoning me here so you can go home and have fun. You’re a big meanie.
Guilt strikes and I become a stereotypical mum who goes out and buys 50 lottery tickets in the hope that luck will strike and she can stay home. Thanks a bunch, Chris.
I’ll admit I did have fun trying out the new gym and taking the doggies for a walk without having to juggle a baby and both of them. And now I’m off to have lunch with Ervin, and then a trip to the library, and to Target, and the post office. Then, I’ll let my guilt takeover and go rescue poor Tom!
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September 19th, 2007 sally
So, one of the things that stuck in my mind when I was inundated with baby advice over the past nine months was to make sure that Tom became attached to a toy or blanket that was easily replaceable. I think the reason this comment stuck with me is because I’m still traumatized by losing my little red teddy during a visit to the local Codsall shops when I was young. I think Katie and my neighbor Edna searched high and low for a replacement.
So, I had already selected a blue doggie toy for Tom. It was cute without being too cute and it was readily replaceable at Target.
But, no, Tom decided that he really really liked the blanket with a little dog’s head (that kind of looks like Mickey). Of course, this was a pressie from the Shorties all the way from England.
Therefore, it is now superglued to Tom’s hands so there is no way it can disappear.
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September 19th, 2007 sally
The past few weeks have included a lot of “firsts”…
Tom’s first visit from British relatives (Great Aunty (!) Jane and Clive)
Tom’s first swim
Tom’s first Bob Dylan show…
…we’re eagerly awaiting Tom’s first paycheck and Tom’s first time cleaning the house
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September 4th, 2007 chris
IMG_0201
Originally uploaded by partard
someone asked, here it is… Me, Tom, and Sally. Missing in the photo are Vera, Jack, & Mickey.
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August 27th, 2007 sally
is a huge hassle….not to mention Tommy. This weekend we woke up early and decided to get breakfast tacos (something to do with the happy hour the day before at the Stephen F. Austin hotel followed by wine on our back porch–nothing beats breakfast tacos as a hangover cure). We loaded up the car with Tom, Jack, and Mickey in the backseat, picked up the food and headed to Zilker Park. It was nice and quiet and we found a table under a grove of trees. Of course, by the time we’d hauled all our stuff over there and Jack had broken her own record for destroying a frisbee, we were ready to go home! But we hung around a bit longer so we felt like we were getting our monies worth. Chris took Tom on a walk and snapped some piccies and I did the crossword puzzle.
For me the highlight of the morning was glancing over at the car next to us at a stop light and seeing the an old guy playing his recorder as he waited for the light to change.
Here are some of the photos…
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August 21st, 2007 sally
Apparently, one of the benefits of shipping your kid off to daycare is that all the other dirty little buggers pass on their germs and build up your child’s resistance to infections, diseases, and the consumption. Here is a photo montage of what happens when Sally decides not to wait until daycare to get Tom’s immune system built up. Note the expression of anticipation as Jack approaches…
Note: no babies or animals were harmed during the making of this post.
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August 21st, 2007 sally
Today was a good day…until 5 minutes before Sierra and Melanie were due to arrive to go over some work stuff. Tom decided to gurgle his milk rather than swallow it and now he smells like a, well like a baby. Yuk.
So, Febreeze to the rescue. Is that wrong?
He smells so fresh now.
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August 17th, 2007 chris
daddy-day
Originally uploaded by partard
It’s Daddy day. Sally, is off running around with her parents. So far, Toma and I have enjoyed some great silence together. He looks at me for a bit, squawks here and there… but for the most part, I think he is bored of me explaining to him all about the next revision of silicon that I am working on. I tried to explain to him that this is some top-secret stuff that he should be excited about. He could care less; he must be his mother’s son.
After reading work emails aloud to him, he decided he had heard enough; demanded a change of atmosphere, nappy, and stiff swig of powdered milk. All better, this afternoon Tommy will join his first AMD conference call….
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August 17th, 2007 chris
Katie & Dale came to Austin yesterday, partly to preview some houses but mainly to see Tommy. Although Jack & Mickey aren’t yet allowed to pull the pram behind them (*yet!) they do their part to protect little Tom out in the great wild outdoors.
Jack continues to hold great interest in the squirmy-wormy-lil-tom. Whereas, Mickey, couldn’t really give a toss as long as he remains fed and pet. Mickey requires more attention than Tom.
I can’t wait for the day that Tommy fits in the dog saddle that Sally and I are working on.
Giddy up Tommy!
=)
Sally adds: If you look closely at this photo, you’ll see that the Partridge-Lepard clan is all about class. Katie and I look the vision of happy families, whereas the ‘gentlemen’ bringing up the rear are toting a couple of bottles of beer and a ciggie. Nice.
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August 14th, 2007 sally
The first questions people asked during our first week with Tom were “How much did he weigh?” and “How long was the labor?”–neither which I particularly relished answering due to the flashbacks and post-traumatic stress syndrome! But sometimes I ventured back to recollect the dark-side of July 27th just to make GingerQueen squirm and turn a pale shade of ghastly.
Now, the question that is on everyone’s lips is ” Who does he look like?” To be honest, he looks like Tom–but every so often we do catch a glimpse of Chris’ brother Shawn, or me as a baby, or Dale’s forehead, or Chris’ feet (or, during the past week, teeth).
However, these glimpses are fleeting and we’re not committed to picking one as Tom’s true double. So, for your amusement, here are some options… feel free to vote for your favorite.
Who does Tom look like?
To view the options and vote in our poll>> Read the rest of this entry »
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