Date night

Here is my Saturday night date! Could I be any luckier?

Can you see the coating of biscuit on his face and do you love the new norm of right sock off...he is going to get written up if he goes to the high school like that for gang affiliation.

Steve had a guy’s night tonight, and Luke helped me decorate the Christmas tree. Actually, as you can see he enjoyed a teething biscuit while I got dizzy going round and round with the strings of lights. I am only putting lights on the tree this year to eliminate any issues with ornaments and ornament hooks...going overboard with safety? probably but I am still doing it that way!

The best part of the decorating was each time I came around where he was looking at me, I would smile and laugh really loud which made him do the same…it makes me laugh just thinking about it.

He got his second bath of the day after that lovely biscuit...what a mess! His teeth are driving him a little nuts lately. You can hear him grinding the four that he has and he just seems to have put his gnawing skills into overdrive.

I love having some lights up. It makes the house feel cozy, and I enjoyed some hot chocolate after Luke went to sleep and the quiet of everything. Aaaaah…deep breath!

The stockings are hung with care…all FIVE of them! It is a nice feeling to have that 5th one up there. It seems to make the family thing official to me in just another way.

I should go to bed, but I don’t get many moments to snuggle up to Luna and spoil her with lovin’ so off I go to the lovely pet that helped me learn some preliminary parenting skills.

Thanks to Gma Jackie for personalizing the stockings over the years and to getting me out of the house today for a fun lunch at the Flyway. We are all excited for you to be over your cold...and yes, we know we have been over the top in trying to limit Luke's exposure - thanks for humoring us!

What a weekend...

...and it is only Friday! Luke and I have had so much fun having Steve home for the past few days. He has been on vacation since Tuesday night, and we have enjoyed him every minute!

Wednesday we got the dogs out for a fun hike at the lake - after celebrating the fact that Luke made it through the night! It was really lovely out and we took full advantage of the sunshine and warm weather.

Later we met our wonderful friends, Bill and Claudia, for a fun dinner at their house. It was wonderful to see them enjoy Luke and to hear great stories about their grandchildren. Luke REALLY loves baby spoons right now - they feel good on those sore gums - and Claudia pulled out her full collection for him to enjoy while the adults enjoyed Quatro's pizza and wine. We always learn something about wine consumption when we visit with Bill which is an added bonus to our visits! I think, though, that before the night was over Luke had about 12 spoons strewn around the kitchen..he was in heaven...and we had a great visit! I have to mention Ruby the wonderlab, too...what a great dog they are fostering while her family is in Japan.

Thursday we enjoyed a second night of Luke sleeping through the night - Hallelujah - and got up early to make appetizers for the Thanksgiving feast. We were going to spend it with my folks but they both had colds so we just did a food exchange and stayed at home. It was a really great day, even though we missed hanging out with Gma and Gpa. We did take a walk with them after we had all eaten so it was fun to get to visit a little.

I was able to visit with my friend, Franciene, on Thanksgiving morning. We had made breakfast plans but nothing was open (go figure!) so we had a good visit at Burger King...oh yeah! Thanks, Andy, for scouting places that were open :) She is a school counselor now and her stories and excitement over the job gave me a boost...always good to see someone loving life.

Here are a few pics of us together and of Luke trying some mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. They were both hits...Luke has been eating a little more and working on chewing/gumming. He likes little bits of cheese and pasta. I got some teething biscuits tonight and he enjoyed working on one of those while we visited with our friends Carrie and Gene at Italian Village. He also enjoyed some ice bits and pizza crust...there were about 7 pieces of crust on the floor when we left but he got a little of it in his mouth and enjoyed gnawing on it.

I love his fist and the look on his face saying you are NOT fast enough, mom....COME ON and FEED ME!
I love his look here...he really likes mashed potatoes, not that you can tell from this shot
Self-portraitHad to get the dogs in one of the family shots :)It has been a wonderful holiday weekend. Steve wanted to get out to some stores today just to see what all of the fuss was about with the 'deals' so we went out for a while before dinner. The highlight was playing Foosball while I had Luke in the front pack at Dick's sporting goods. He couldn't stop laughing at the little 'players' spinning around.

Our Christmas tree is up and I am going to try and decorate it tomorrow...I think all of the ornaments are going to have to go on the top quarter since Luke has already walked his walker over to it and made a grab at the bare branches...we will see what happens!

Update for Grandma :)

Gma Susan and Gpa Paul are visiting Uncle Glenn in KC this week so Luke has given me strict orders to keep pictures current so that they know he misses them!

Here he is with some fun kitchen utensils...he has zillions of toys but these are really fascinating to him right now...I think it is because they are so fun to CHEW. Yesterday I gave him a bunch of measuring cups and spoons to play with in his high chair while I made dinner and he was in heaven :)

Close-up

Relaxing with Daddy

This is the pane of glass that Luna put her paw through on Monday. We have low windows and she gets pretty excited when a squirrel is out front or dogs go walking by...she had a minor cut only and was more scared than anything. The positive of the whole thing is that it motivated me to sweep, mop, vacuum and swiffer to get up any bits of glass so for a few minutes our floors were clean.
For all of those entries where I have bit*%ed and moaned about Luke's waking in the middle of the night, I have to say that last night HE MADE IT! 8:30-6:30. WOO HOO I feel like a new person. We did do the cry-it-out on Monday night when he woke up at midnight. We checked on him lots and did the reassuring pats, etc...and he survived. I hope it continues!

HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING!

Lots of pics of an EIGHT month old

Here I am, 8 months old!Here is my little man in his snowsuit after our 3 mile walk with Gma Jackie and the dogs. I am glad Gma said she would go with b/c otherwise I probably wouldn't have left the house today. The walk was good for everybody. Daddy got to stay home and take a nap BUT he also put laundry away and picked up the house...whatta guy! Luke is really happy b/c he fell asleep on the walk and slept for over 2 hours. He was ready to eat and play - but first he wanted OUT of his suit. He does not like being restrained by anything...wonder where he got that? Another shot of him all bundled up...I am not sure we could get any more layers on there :) I just love this face shot. He looks like a little kid, and he looks so in charge.I gave up trying to read to him tonight and just gave him the book. One of my faves to read to him is Yertle the Turtle. Lately, he just wants to chew on whatever you are reading to him so I gave him Green Eggs and Ham to chew while I read. No go...he has caught on to that little trick and wants the real deal instead. So while I try to read a book, he does a constant "mmmmmm, mmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm" I couldn't take it for all of Yertle so here he is enjoying the book cover. I think he is happier playing with the paper than listening to me read. I was happier watching him enjoy his play than fighting the "mmmmmm". Mom of the year award goes to - NOT me! Another fave - chewing on my headbands...I am absolutely sure I should not give him these, but I only do it when I am watching him and he really enjoys it.

Happy Dad, Happy baby. Yikes! Luke is 8 months old today. I say yikes, but really I am thankful that we have all made it this far. I am not very experienced or confident with newborns, and it feels good to be in this new stage of Luke's life. He is a little more independent, his personality is showing up more each day and he is just fun to be around!

He was up at 12:30 last night which made sure he was awake to celebrate the exact time of his birth. What a good boy :) There is a teeny tiny bit of sarcasm attached to that statement. I think he must be growing again which is great b/c he is definitely not any closer to sleeping through the night. Who cares, though, except for me! He is growing and healthy so those two factors are MUCH more important than sleep - and I really mean that.

Yesterday was great. I took him to the Galleria in St. Louis and we got some shopping done and enjoyed the fountains, lights and people there. I ate a quick snack when we got there while feeding him his cereal with carrots and then we were all business. All of the clerks were charmed by him, even the ladies at The Limited who got me in an extra large fitting room so that his stroller would fit!

The best part of the day, though, was as I was feeding him again before we left and a little girl that was going up and down the escalators noticed him. She brought her grandma over to say hi and I learned that she was 2 1/2. Her name was Jacqueline and she just kept giving Luke hugs and kisses. So cute...

It is COLD and gray...I have been looking forward to going back to bed since I got up today so I am going to go feed Luke some veggies, play with him, eat dinner and hope for a restful night.

big dorky fun and some other stuff worth mentioning

Steve just got home from a dinner meeting. He walked in to find me dancing around with Luna to The Little Mermaid Sdtk. (Les Poissons specifically! http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XuuEDDyvzuE) while Luke and Star looked on like they just weren't quite sure what the heck was going on, but they were amused by it all. I love that I can do this kind of thing and say that I am doing it to amuse my baby :) Luke was mid-dinner and just kept looking at me like when am I going to get another bite of sweet potatoes, mom? I like to sing to him during meals, but sometimes I need some inspiration.

I had Luke in the bathroom with me for a minute tonight in his walker. I am not going to talk about the bathroom any more than I have to, but it was amusing to watch Luke notice himself in the mirror. He even did the once over as he walked by and saw a cute little boy looking back at himself...cute and picture worthy.

I try to bump into people with little kids at the store, post office, wherever now because Luke is absolutely enthralled with these little people that he sees. It is always a fun exchange to see a toddler smile and say 'baby' and then to watch Luke look at them like 'wow, you are just about my size' hmmmmmm...I am sure I don't do his thought process credit.

Excuse my goofy face in the last pic. I was making him laugh so it was totally worth it to get that smile on record.

Kudos to Luke today for his hard work at getting a good nap in! We had some tree guys here using chainsaws, walking on the roof, dropping heavy limbs on the deck, etc...and Luke slept through it all! I put him down on our bed, surrounded by pillows with a classical CD set to repeat...we might have to try the music at night :) Although once Luke tries out my homemade sleep sack I am sure his nighttime sleep with get even better...more on my craftiness another time.

Thanks to my dad for a fun and cold afternoon in DuQuoin this weekend. The best part was watching his reaction when he thought he locked his keys in the truck and later when he thought it got towed. My fav. quote for the day was from a St. T fan asking another fan if all of these southern Illinois people really liked to hunt. She was curious after seeing the amazing number of fans decked out in their finest camo gear.

This weekend I also got to enjoy a movie sitting next to my favorite action hero thanks to Gma Susan and Gpa Paul coming over for a couple of hours to enjoy their favorite grandchild. The newest Bond movie is fun, pretty and you don't have to use your brain to enjoy the scenery so it was a fun couple of hours. Love you, Steve :)
Star with her toy in the middle of Luke's play area...she is good about keeping track of her toy and leaving Luke's alone

Luna with her bone...I had to get her up here, too!

Perfect Day

There aren't a lot of days that just go how you envision them going when you have an infant. One of my friends called me yesterday frustrated b/c her day with her 8 week old was absolutely NOT going the way that she had planned. It is interesting to be a planner, and then to learn that the baby is really in charge!

Yesterday was a great day from beginning to end. Luke slept really well and got up at 7. We played, he ate, played some more, downed his yogurt and enjoyed a fun bath. We went to the library and ran a few other errands before he ate a little more and took a great nap. I was able to pick up the house, make dinner, eat lunch and shower while he slept. When he woke up, he played on his mat while I talked on the phone for a while and then ate some more (there is a definite theme to his days!) and we got bundled up and headed to the lake for a hike. It was a chilly day, but he tolerated his snowsuit and enjoyed the fresh air. I don't think he liked it too much when I put a blanket over the stroller to block the wind but it was fun to peek at him and see that great Luke smile.

Luna smelled like death from rolling in some kind of treasure at the lake when we got home so I put Luke on his play pad with his favorite stuffed animal, Panda, and he told him all about our walk while I got Luna in the tub and cleaned up.

He was really giggly and happy after the walk and we just enjoyed some tickle/snuggle time until Daddy got home. He was thrilled to see Steve and stayed up until Steve left for his b-ball game. I put him down just before Gma Jackie got here to watch him while I went to play tennis. The tennis was fun, but Luke didn't sleep long and he was a little cranky for Gma. He was in no mood for his peas, but Gma was able to work her magic and keep him smiling until I got home. It was totally random, but when I walked in last night he looked over smiled and clapped his hands. It was really cool, even if he wasn't aware of what he was doing! We got some more playtime in before bed.

This sounds like a pretty normal day, but it was special. Luke was happy all day. We enjoyed so much time together and it was just smooooooth.

Cutie

Luke modeling his new amber beaded necklace. My neighbor has a little girl that is 3 months older than Luke and when I saw her last, she rec'd one of these for teething issues. Amber is a natural analgesic (I really like that word) so I immediately ordered one. He doesn't even know he has it on, it looks cool on him and it can't hurt to try - anything to help my kiddo NOT have mad pain from teething Chilling on his new play mat - hood on - feet crossed - toys in mouth - life is good

What a sweet face!

His latest 'trick' - the right sock DOES NOT stay on his foot! He really likes his feet uncovered, but Steve and I realized last night that he likes his face covered. We went to look at him twice before going to bed and nearly woke him up with our laughter b/c when we peeked over the crib each time he had manipulated the blanket to be COMPLETELY covering his face...we moved it without waking him, of course.

Mom and carrotface playing - I mixed carrot juice into his cereal with some applesauce for lunch yesterday. He really liked it and it really stained his face for a bit.

What a kid! We just love him...we are lucky to know him!

MOVEMENT

Luke is all over the place now. We have moved out dining room table against the wall so that he has more space to follow us around in his walker. He will navigate all over the house and pull at everything he can reach. Yesterday he rammed the walker into the gate that we use to keep the dogs in the kitchen when we are gone and it fell towards him so when I went to move it he was grabbing it and trying to gnaw on it of course! When I put him on the floor, he is happy to sit and play for a bit but even happier rolling around. Just a few days ago, he would roll once or twice and always in the same direction. Now he is off of the blankets in a hurry and rolling every which way in order to get the toy that has his attention for the moment. I am really interested in the craziness that is on its way once he starts walking.

Steve had him for most of the day today because I went shopping with my mom and to get my pre-Lasik evaluation. Shopping was fun, spending time with my mom was fun, lunch was yummy, and it was nice to be out of the house without a baby for a few hours. The eye doc. was kind of a bummer b/c I can't have the surgery until I am done nursing and my hormones have levelled out. So....I got to wear glasses for 2 weeks just for the fun of it. whatever. I guess it is good I got some of the exam done, got the pricing part out of the way and I can look forward to being forced to lay down for 6 hours straight under doctor's orders next summer, I hope! I came home and put my contacts in right away :)

Family Weekend

This is Luke tonight playing in his walker. I went through our bathroom closet today sorting and purging, and I came across some birthday balloons that I had hidden from Steve so that I could use them for his b-day. I obviously didn't use all of them b/c they were still hidden, so I blew them up with Luke watching in awe. They were the hit of the day. We played lots, and I tied one to his walker so that he could 'chase' it.

This is one HAPPY grandma with her favorite person in the world. Mom wanted some pictures of her, dad and Luke so we got some good ones on Saturday. I am remembering the fun I had in my photo classes at the Jane Addams Hull House in Chicago when I lived there. What fun it is to capture moments like this!

Here are the three of them...I love this one
Here are the girls on Luke's play pad. I have started doing some fun baby yoga and stretching with him in the afternoon or evening so this has become part of our living room decoration. Evidently, the girls like Luke's scent (he rolls all over this area!) or just the comfort of the cushioned mat.

I laughed and laughed and laughed last night when I got Luke in his new snowsuit. He was a totally great sport about being put into this thing and it did keep him really warm (he fell asleep in it) but he looks just a tad like the kid in A Christmas Story.

We had a really nice weekend. Steve and I had a quick dinner date on Friday. We were both kind of tired, but it was nice to eat too much bar food and look at each other for an hour.

Saturday, Luke got to visit with both sets of grandparents which made him a very happy boy, indeed! We ran around a bunch, and for the first time since Luke was around we watched a movie laying on the couch together after he went to bed (at 8pm!). I got Drillbit Taylor - REALLY bad choice - we watched it on FF in about 15 minutes - seriously - but it was kind of fun because we were going to go see that movie on 3/21/08. I went into labor instead. Luke knew how bad of a movie it was and didn't want to be any part of it so he decided to show up!

I read a great novel this weekend. It is called A Country Called Home by Kim Barnes. I enjoyed every page and for about thirty minutes yesterday Luke was happy to play with his picture books while lounging on me while I read my book out loud. It was a welcome change from Dr. Seuss and Brown Bear :) Luke really prefers his dad's reading voice to mine, but he was content.

Today we went down to Union County for a drive and to get the dogs out for a run in the woods. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon. Steve normally golfs on Sunday, but it has gotten pretty cold so we enjoyed having him at home.

With the cooler weather, we are forced to be inside for most of the day. It seems to work out, though, b/c Luke really likes his walker and he really likes to be on the floor rolling around or sitting up and talking to one of us as he lunges for a different toy. He gets a little more independent each day, and he is SO AWARE. I love watching him when he hears the doggy door swing open - he will stop and look at the spot that the dogs come around the couch expecting them and then squeal when they appear.

Productivity

I have been a list maker forever. Seriously, I remember enjoying checking things off my 'to-do' list when I was in 6th grade. There is something satisfying about marking things off and being able to see what you have done in a day/week, etc...

Since having Luke, the lists are a little different (laundry, dishes, cleaning are always at the top and the house still never really looks clean!), and my type A desire to get everything done in a certain amount of time or on a specific day has had to become a little more flexible. I have been cleaning out my closet for about 2 weeks now, which would have been really annoying a year ago. I realize, though, that a year ago I probably wouldn't even have gotten the closet cleaned out at all. I used up a lot of pre-Luke time just chilling and playing and taking lovely naps- and I am glad that I did. There isn't a lot of that kind of free time anymore, but there is plenty of Luke time and that is a pretty great trade!

Although I feel like I am often a step behind these days, I am pretty sure I am a more productive person b/c when I have the chance I get things done. I really think that is a secret to staying in shape after having a baby, too. You NEVER really stop moving, except for those wonderful breaks to nurse or relax for a few after Luke has gone down for a nap. Steve gets the brunt of my tyrannical behavior when I want the house to be just so or the day to go just so - I know that I am pretty hard to take at those times, and I am trying to be better because he certainly couldn't be better about being GREAT to me at all times.

Anyway, there isn't really a point to this entry. wanted to write a reminder to myself that even if my list of things to do is always longer than the completed items on it, I wouldn't have it any other way. Life is good, and I am thankful.

Teething bites!

We had some fun family time on our bed last night. Luke was loving the fact that his buddies got up there with us!

I want the camera strap mom! He was grabbing it here and really happy to have a grip on it...

Soul mates - nothing makes Luke smile like Star does

I love his feet - I was trying to take some pictures of them, but he is super wiggly so they were not coming out so great. I do like how he is looking at the camera, though, like he has no clue why I would be taking pictures of his feet.

The past week or so, Luke has been consistently biting me when he is finished with a meal. It really hurts and is pretty annoying, even though I understand he is a baby and the incoming teeth are really annoying to him. When he does this, I remove him, tell him no and move on...yesterday I had a minor meltdown over the idea of starting to supplement with formula. I have to make sure he is full without getting to injured in the process :) but I would really like to nurse him as much as possible until his first birthday. So, Steve and I have a small can of formula for back-up, and we will just work on one feeding at a time. I looked up some tips for dealing with biting and I am hopeful that when the teeth make it through, the biting will stop.

He is such an agreeable little guy. I put him in the frontpack yesterday to help me spread grass seed. He is always happy to be outside, even on a fairly yucky day. It is also fun when the leaves fall around him. It stops him in his tracks, as he tries to figure out where they are coming from and how maybe he can catch one to get it in his mouth.

The future looks bright...

There is something magical about Obama.

His speech last night was well worth staying up to see. When I picked Luke up this morning, I told him that we have a new president, and I am pretty confident that he is a president we will be proud of in the coming years. I also told him that our new president loves his kids and is getting them a puppy :)

I am thrilled with the results for lots of reasons, but it is especially exciting to look at your baby and feel hopeful about where our country is going.

I am linking his speech because it is worth it! http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tQGsP8mnHsg

Good job voters (and so many voters there were!)

Congratulations as well go out to Judge Moore and his family! Good man, good family, great win!

TO THE POLLS!

Luke helped me vote this morning...the retired volunteers at our polling place LOVED him and he loved watching me fill in the ovals.

Please let there be all electronic voting by the time he can cast his vote. I hope that 18 years is long enough to make the process a tad more efficient!

He is dealing with an insane amount of snot right now. Must be allergies or teething - it is clear and he isn't sick otherwise- The suction bulb has never been so busy...I wish he knew what it meant to blow his nose :) Also, since this is LUKE'S LOG, I need to update his stats. He went to the doc last Monday for 6 month shots and a general check-up. Everything went well and the doc was happy with his growth etc...he said Luke should be sleeping through the night now, and I said okay can you tell him that!

Length - 26.75 in (40%)

Weight - 18 lbs (40%)

Head - 45 cm (70%)

Good work, little man!

Perspective

As I took Luke and the dogs for a walk today I was thinking about perspective. Luke has 4 teeth trying to come through and they are making him miserable at times. Not only is it hard to watch him not feel his best, but sleep returns to a minimum for all of us:( I have been really really focused on sleep since Luke was born and while I tell myself repeatedly that there is really nothing I can do to increase Luke's sleeping I still can dream :) Anyway, in the big picture of things, life is great - we are all healthy and happy so I need to just get over myself and enjoy the moments...

Steve told me about a neat website http://www.marcandangel.com/ and their entry today is one worth reading everyday...even at 4am when your baby is ready to play patty cake (that was me this morning!)

Birthday wishes and nature's gift

Happy Birthday Lesley! This is my way of sending you love from s.i! It is wonderful to remember all of our fun hikes out here and now to share the place with Luke! I can't think of a better day to put on some glorious pictures of our walk at Kinkaid and the stunning leaves this year.

This weekend the weather was just incredible...in the 70's and sunny. The trees this year are more beautiful than any year that I can remember. Every time I go for a drive I am stunned by the beauty (that phrase is a memory of wonderful Aunt Anne)
I love to be outdoors, mom! Actually, he is probably saying that to Star - his favorite 'person'

My world walking ahead of me - those four are my blessings.

What a rainbow!

Luna and Star are looking at the camera to say hi to their Colorado buddies...they miss you girls on hikes.

Kinkaid trips have been a real gift to me this year. Luke loves walks, but I feel like I am cheating the dogs if I take him out alone so we are VERY lucky to have a spot we can all enjoy! Steve and I met a nice woman from Germany out there yesterday with her 3 golden retrievers and she was impressed that we brought Luke out with us. She said she was happy to see a couple outdoors with their child - it is the norm in Germany, but she is surprised at how parks and playgrounds sit empty most times here in the US. We appreciated that compliment, just doing our part to teach ACTIVITY and the fact that getting outdoors is a GOOD thing!