Here are some pics of Connor at the Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton.  I see many trips to this farm in the future.

Enjoy!

Thomas had round worms since the day we brought him in our house and after 4 attempts of “deworming him” and a prognosis of future problems due to a tumor about 2.5 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick, we decided euthanizing Thomas was the best thing for everyone.

Round worms can lead to problems in humans but usually do not pose a problem for humans as long as good hygiene is practiced.  Thomas has had a tumor in his throat area (first discovered about 10 months ago) and it has gotten larger since then.  The vet felt that his immune system must have been compromised due to the tumor thus the round worm infestation.  Round worms are prevalent in kittens but usually are not a problem in adult cats as their immune system can prevent the larvae from hatching.  In Thomas’ case, this was not happening.

So, with a very heavy heart and lots of tears from me (and Victoria), Thomas was put to sleep on Saturday afternoon.  We plan on burying his ashes in the backyard and marking it with a small engraved stone.

We loved him very much and he was the most loving cat I have ever known.  It is sad writing about him, but I just want Connor to know that Thomas was his buddy and he loved you very much.  You both spent countless hours together including the time when you were in mommy’s tummy.

Here are a couple of pictures of good ol’ Thomas…

We love you and miss you!

…determined!

On Father’s Day our first tomato was just about ready for picking so Connor and I had the honor of doing so.  Mommy was stationed over by the garden as Daddy and Connor headed outside in search of our “first harvest”.  Connor made a B line for the garden and Daddy had a hard time slowing him up.  When I saw this picture I was filled with such joy and love for him.  A true memory for Father’s Day.  I can just see how determined he was to get over to the garden.

In the past few weeks, he has learned how to pull weeds and how to pluck the dead (and some new) flowers from the marigold plants we have growing in the garden.

This was our first attempt at a garden and it seems to be doing fairly well.  The squirrels, rabbits, opossums (yes that is spelled correctly), and raccoons actually were gracious enough to allow us to have the first ripe tomato.  (Ok, we picked it maybe a day early just so I could beat them to the punch.)

Anyways…here is the picture.  Other pictures are on the gallery.

It’s summertime in Newport News and Connor’s loving every minute of it.

Daddy took the day off on Friday and we all went to the neighborhood pool.

Enjoy!

Connor loves to watch Daddy cut the grass and especially likes to imitate the sound the lawnmower makes.  Watch the following video and listen to him making the noise of a lawnmower.

Connor — you finally got the “popper” that Uncle Danny demonstrated so well for you about two years ago…

Tonight we went to City Center for a walk around the shops and a stop at Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream shop.  Connor had vanilla and cherry ice cream and liked it so much that he finally signed his first word to us.

He signed “more” several times.  We showed him this sign months ago, but he never did it.  And truthfully, we never really followed up on it much.

Tonight he enjoyed the ice cream so much that he signed it 6 separate times and each time he was given a spoonful of ice cream for asking.

We are so proud of him.

The sign looks like this:

And the two hands (at the fingertips) are tapped together.

Check out Connor’s photo gallery for the latest…here are a couple of my favorites!

Growing up, Daddy loved going to the pool.  I had swim lessons as a young boy and became a lifeguard when I was in my late teens.  So, I am comfortable being around the water and hope Connor develops a love for the water too.

Over the last two weekends, Mommy, Daddy, and Connor have been going to the neighborhood pool.  Connor really enjoys going and loves to watch the other kids at the pool.  Connor especially likes to walk over to the ladder, hold on, and dip his toes in the side of the pool.  Of course, I was in the pool just in case he lost his balance.

On Sunday, Daddy and Connor were hanging out in the baby pool.  Connor was busy watching the kids play and when it was break time, an older girl sat in one of the deck chairs with her back towards to Connor (on the other side of the kiddie pool’s fence).  He walked over to see what she was doing and when she turned around to talk to him he quickly walked over to me and laid his head on my thigh.  What a shy little boy!

She then turned back around and sat in the chair.  Connor mustered up enough courage to walk back over to her and rattle the fence.  She turned around and smiled at him.  He scurried back over to me and laid his head on my thigh again.  He slowly lifted his head to see if she was watching and went back over to the fence and rattled it again…she turned around and he headed back to me.  It was so cute to watch.

Connor is saying Aaaddyy quite a bit lately (short for Daddy).  He says it when I leave the room or when he hears me come home.  Whenever I hear it, I try my best to go to him so he knows he is calling me.

It is so cool that he is getting more vocal.

Another thing he has learned is that he puts his hand over his food to check to see if it is hot.  He has watched Mommy and I check to see if his food is hot and now he does it as well.  I’ve said “hot” and he has repeated it a couple of times.  It is truly amazing watching his young mind work and grow.

Mommy is thrilled that Connor no longer has to take 3 baths a day as part of his recovery from surgery.  Connor has also been cleared to play in the dirt, sand, and pool!!!!

Whoo-hooh!!!!

We took Connor to the neighborhood pool tonight and he enjoyed holding on to Daddy and being pulled around in the water.

Let summertime begin!