This One Has Lots of Pictures

Tommy's first holiday season was a memorable one.


We got to go back to Springfield, where he was passed around like a lost artifact. We're very lucky to have so many loving people at home that give him such affection. Christmas morning, we decided it would be hilarious for us and eventually regrettable for him, to dress him in his reindeer outfit. It was a succes on both fronts, I think.










His Aunt Leanne and Aunt Nancy tried to smush his head in with kisses. He said he was okay with it, but I think if we're all being honest, those girls need to tone it down before someone gets hurt.












At one point, he finally got time to catch a little snooze with Grandpa Kenny.

At the O'Connor house, we carefully practiced our roles for the annual manger scene. For a fun twist, Tommy played a beardless Joseph, while I provided and understated yet faithful portryal of Our New Born King. Reviews were mixed.

He got all kinds of wonderful presents that we are already using or are excited to use when he gets a little older. The highlights:

Baby's first formalwear. Tommy wore this on what would technically be considered his first date with baby Grace. Let's hope these two actually like each other, because they're probably going to be spending the better part of the next 15 years together. Work it out, kids.

Grandma Kathy got him a really strong collection of Fisher Price starter toys like the ring tower and the 4 note piano. While I don't have any pictures, I have run all of his toys through rigorous trials, and find them to pretty engrossing. Hopefully he and I can work out a fair timeshare with these toys.




                Grandpa Greg spent an incredible amount of time restoring my little red wagon that I had when I was a boy. It looks brand new, and I'm sure Tommy will love helping me haul things around the yard like I did with my Dad. All we need now are some size 3 yard gloves and a county stamped work permit and we can finally put this guy to use.

 The best thing any of us got was Tommy's first intentional smile. Over the holidays he got to use it quite a bit, and like all O'Connor men, watch out because it'll stop you in your tracks. He smiled a lot when we took his first bath in a real tub. We filled it up and he just sort of floated around and kicked and swam. Along with baby Grace and Nancy's growing baby, we're three fourths of our way to an Olympic Medley Relay Team.





Last, but not least, he got a hilariously cute grizzly bear outfit from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Shelly. It didn't fit too well, but that didn't stop us from jamming him in there in our homage to A Christmas Story.

Tommy also got to meet Santa. He told me the guy was slimmer, but NOT TALLER than he imagined and that his suit was of surpisingly low quality and smelled a bit like Crown Royal. The short guy in the photo is Tommy. The shorter one is Zachary. I'm the guy wedged out on the end of my own family photo.

We've been trying to enjoy this time with him as much as we can before Karen goes back to work.  Sleep has been better than advertised so far (please give your nearest peice of wood a quick knock for us) but there is something about being a new parent that makes you feel just a little off. Maybe the caretaker portion of the brain expands and takes a little real estate from the general intelligence section. Maybe the harshest of baby cries chew up a few of our brain cells every time. The science is unfounded at this point. What we do know is that we're moving a little slower, thinking a little less clearly, and generally feeling more and more run down which is exemplified on a daily basis in new and more disappointing ways...

Yesterday, I asked Karen if she would mind writing the blog this time. Her response:

"I don't know... (30 second pause, staring directly at me) ... a lot of vocabulary words."

So I guess, we'll leave the writing to me for a while longer.

Not to overlook my own mental lapses, two days ago I cut off part of my favorite thumb while slicing vegetables for dinner. I was using our new mandoline slicer, and it took it off like a leaf in the wind. A short emergency room trip and a full evaluation by the on call psychiatrist and we're back and better than ever!


Someone please come over here and keep an eye on us before Karen regresses to single syllable words or I try and use a machete to cook St. Patricks Day Dinner.

All in all a great month and surely, next Christmas will be even more fun when he can see Christmas in a whole new light.