Luke: 17 Months!

 

(I couldn't get the cookie out of your mouth long enough to snap a picture without tears, so we just went with it) 

Luke, buddy! Do you know that Christmastime is infinitely better around our house now? This month has been absolutely full of magic and joy seeing things through your eyes. Every day I hear your laughter and see your curiosity and energy and enthusiasm for the things around you and just marvel at it all. We are truly blessed to call you our son, and we look forward to a lifetime of Decembers watching you experience the magnificence of Christmas.

Not one single doctor's visit this month! You still have to take your allergy meds every day, but we're doing our best to keep the sniffles away. You love to get on the scale and weigh yourself in the mornings - right now you're just a little over 30 pounds. You're quite the toddler! This month, we turned your carseat around to face forward since your legs were getting all squished up. You absolutely loved it and thought you were big stuff!

It seems like we haven't been to swim lessons in a while. Thursdays this December have been packed with parties and events and it's hard to get to the pool. We've gone to class on a couple of Saturdays and you still love it. Now at bathtime, you flip over and blow bubbles and kick and just grin from ear to ear while we watch you "practice".

You have been really into reading lately. Your favorite books that we read over and over again are Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb, Goodnight Moon, Go, Dogs, Go and anything having to do with Clifford. You've started dragging out books and reading them to yourself, just babbling away, turning the pages and then says "All Done!". 

Your favorite foods right now are popcorn, macaroni and cheese, ritz crackers, texas toast and your green veggies - peas and green beans. You also love chicken, pizza, breakfast sausage, waffles, mashed potatoes, and animal crackers. You love, love, love milk and have nicknamed it "momo" because as soon as you are done, you ask for more.

Your vocabulary expands daily. Some new words you've picked up on this month have been: ouch, nay (as in what do horses say), more, apple, all done, choochoo, shoes, diaper and a few others. You can count to 3 and say A,B,C. When we ask you how old you will be on your next birthday, you scream "TWO!!!!" and hold up both pointer fingers.

Your favorite toys this month have been your golf clubs, your Little People nativity, your choochoo and your activity table. You love to press the buttons and dance. Oh my, you LOVE to dance! It's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. You love for me to sing songs and you bop your head. Right now, we sing "I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee" about 100 times each day. You love to watch Micky Mouse Clubhouse when you wake up, and you insist on watching Clifford in the car. For Christmas, Grannie got you a toy puppy and you walk it in circles around the house - you've named it Mae-Mae. You still love the broom and vacuuming, playing with your grill and cooking utensils, and you also like to play with my hair dryer and straightening iron, saying hot hot over and over again.

We've had so much going on this month. From Thanksgiving at Grandma's house to celebrating the Advent Season, we' haven't sat at home much this month! 

For Thanksgiving, we went to Grandma and Pappy's house. We had a fun day full of family, football, food and a few naps.  On Black Friday, I bought you a mini leaf blower like Daddy's, and you played with it ALL day Saturday. We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing, playing and reading Christmas books.

The first weekend in December, Nana and Papa came to play. We went shopping, ate yummy food and relaxed. That Sunday, we had breakfast with Santa. I don't think you quite knew what to think and you didn't want to sit on anyone's lap because there was just too much running around to do. We managed to snap a quick picture before you took off running around the club.

After church and breakfast, we drove to Southlake for Jett's birthday party at the trampoline park. You had so much fun jumping and playing with the big kids, and you even got to eat pizza and cake! 

On the 4th, we went to your school's annual Christmas party. Your class got on stage and sang "Twinkle Twinkle", there was a performance by the magician/singer Mr. David, who you love, and Santa came to visit (this time, you were sure you didn't want to sit on his lap). 

That weekend, we went to the Southern Pines Christmas Lights. We had originally planned to just drive by, so we had you in your jammies with no socks or shoes. It looked like so much fun that we stopped, got out, rode the train, saw Santa (again!), played in the bubble machine, got popcorn and hot chocolate and had a wonderful time. That Sunday, you got to go to your friend Well's house while Mommy and Daddy went to their Sunday School Christmas party. It was a ton of fun! 

Last weekend, we started the Tour de Texas 2012. We drove down to Austin and visited your Grannie and PawPaw, had Christmas with Grandma and Pappy and all the cousins, and then finished up at Grandpa and KerrBear's house. You were absolutely tuckered out by the end of the weekend. We had lots of fun seeing everyone and getting to play and eat yummy food. You were too busy exploring and playing to even open presents. Mommy opened most of your presents for you!

This week, as we prepare to celebrate Jesus' birthday, I'm excited to watch the twinkle in your eyes and the excitement you'll feel. We'll open lots of presents and spend time with family, but I pray as you grow, your Daddy and I will do the best we can to teach you all about the true meaning of the season. As you get older, I hope you come to know the full magnitude of the Christmas story and how a baby born in a manger was born to die just for you. We love you, baby boy, and you make our hearts happy every day.

Luke: 16 Months!

 

 Lukey - another month has flown by. I feel like every time I blink, you are another month older. You are keeping me on my toes these days, sweet boy. You are such a wild, precocious, adventurous, fearless little boy with the sweetest heart and the most contagious smile. I thank the Lord every single day for you. You have blessed our lives and the lives of so many others already in your short 16 months. 

We had your 15 month well-check on the 23rd of October. You weighed 28 pounds (90th percentile), were 33 3/4 inches tall (off the charts and over half as tall as your mama already!), and your little head circumference was in the 90th percentile, as well. You were quite the little gentlemen to Dr. McClard, but you weren't so nice to the nurse who had to give you a few shots. She told me that I needed to bring your daddy back with me next time since it's going to take 2 of us to hold you down. You screamed and kicked and gave her the hardest time!  

 

 You are absolutely loving swim lessons now. You are going under the water for 9 seconds now, kicking and coming right to me. You don't whine anymore when you have to jump in because you get an M&M as a reward every time from your teacher. You love that chocolate treat! You love to splash splash and kick and scream while you are doing it. You also love going down the slide. You've learned to hold onto the edge by yourself and can walk along the wall to the steps. 

Although we have been beyond busy this month during the week, our nights when we don't have much are routine but still full of fun. After school, you and I come home, have a snack, play a little, you eat dinner, I make dinner for daddy and me, and then we have bathtime. Once daddy gets home, you play with us until around 7:30 or 8. You are a champion sleeper and when you get tired, you lead us to your room, wait by your crib and ask for Bevo and your blanket, get a sip of water, and go straight to bed. Lately, you've wanted to rock a little, which is just fine with us!  

You have been talking a ton lately. You love to say "dis dis", you say duck, nana, papa, pop pop, Mama, Dada or Daddy, hi, bye, hey, BOO, choo choo, vroom vroom, milk, and toodles (when you are watching Micky Mouse Clubhouse) and NO-NO. Your favorite words are Nana (you'll say it over and over and over and walk around the house looking for her or you'll go to the backdoor and ask for her), pop pop (we make some every day, almost) and Mama and Dada. You've started a new thing where you come up to daddy or me and take us by the hand and lead us where you want to go. Usually it's to the refrigerator, which you can now open by yourself, or pantry or to your room to read a book.

Your favorite things to do these days include reading books, watching Clifford dvds, playing with your trucks or your golf clubs and playing with your nativity. Baby Jesus lights up and you love to press him and dance when the songs play. You like to watch Micky Mouse in the mornings in your rocking chair. You still love cuddling with your puppy and you love the broom and vacuum. You can take the vacuum out of the closet and if it's plugged in, turn it on. You are working on plugging it in yourself, which I will not yet allow!

This month was jam-packed with all sorts of activities and visits. We didn't have a lot of time to sit down and breathe this month, but this is what memory-making is all about, I guess!

Early last month was picture day at school. You looked so handsome and I was worried you wouldn't smile, but you did great and the pictures turned out so well!

That weekend, Nana, Papa and MC came to stay with us and play and take our annual family photos with Jessica. On Saturday, Emily and Adam came up for pictures. After they went home, you got to spend some time with Nana and Papa "bonding".

The next Friday, we had the Fall Festival at the country club. You played and ran around and saw your friends from school, and had a slight meltdown when we asked you to come out of the bounce house. We couldn't calm you down so we went home instead of going on a hayride, but we had a great time with the Adams and Nunnallys while it lasted.

That Sunday afternoon, we had Trunk or Treat at church. We dressed you up in your costume from Justin and Becca and you got so many compliments. You ran wild up and down the street and had fun handing out candy. Daddy took you to a couple of cars to trunk-or-treat and you would take forever to pick out a piece and then you would put it right back!

 

On Halloween, Daddy and I helped at your school carnival. It was chaotic, but so fun for us to watch you with your friends and teachers. That night, we ate dinner with the Pinkstons at the club and then went back to their house to trick or treat. It took a few houses to get the hang of it, but by the end of the night, you wanted to run up every sidewalk. It's too bad you don't eat candy because you got plenty of it! 

 

 

That weekend, we drove down to Austin for my sorority reunion, and you got to stay and play at Grandma's house with Makenna. You had a blast climbing the stairs, playing with the dog, playing on the swingset and running wild. You got a few cuts and bruises, but you're all boy and didn't even shed a tear! 

Nana and Papa came back again the next weekend because they can't stand going too long without seeing you. They came up early Saturday morning, played with you and sent us out on date (thanks, y'all!). You love when they come to visit - they spoil you silly! 

Last Wednesday, you had your first big boo-boo. I was washing dishes and you were sitting on the kitchen counter eating a snack and decided to jump off. After lots of tears and blood, we saw Dr. Nunnally who took a look at your teeth to make sure you didn't do anything. You just ripped a muscle, which is quite common. I'm sure it's the first of many adventures we have! You love to climb and jump and just do boy things. 

On Saturday, your Grandma, cousins and Aunt Jennifer came over for a few hours. You had so much fun playing with Jordyn and Julianne. I'm sure it was great practice for them, since they are getting a little brother this spring :)

Luke, buddy, you are my very favorite! We have so much fun every single day, and you are the greatest joy to be around and to parent. I am so excited for the next month and all that the holidays bring. We love you to pieces, Lukey-boy!