Songs that remind me of Luke...

Eric Church - Springsteen

Blake Shelton - God Gave me You and Honey Bee

Elvis - Follow that Dream and Lovin' my baby

Florence and the Machine- Dog Days are over

Lumineers- Hey, ho!

Mumford and Sons- I will wait for you

Christina Perry- A thousand years

One Republic - Feel Again

365 days of Luke!!!

Luke is a ONE YEAR old!!!  We just had his ONE YEAR check-up today and he's doing great!!
Weight: 22 lbs 8 oz - 45%
Height:  30 in  - 55%
Head:  47 cm - 67%

He is doing a good job eating and has had a couple of nights he slept all night!!  We still nurse a little at night but it's more of a comfort thing.  We get home, play/eat/bath as needed/play, then go to bed around 7:30- 8:00 pm.   If it's nice, we try to get a run in.  Hoping it gets nice again soon, but this week we were able get out once.

He started walking on Sunday 01/27.  Just needed that extra confidence and he's getting better and better each day.  He is such a happy boy and so proud of himself. 

We found out this week our good friends will be having a boy in June.  So another little buddy for him to play with!  Aww!

We took him to the doctor on Sunday 01/27 after his birthday party b/c something wasn't right.  Sure enough it was an ear infection.  So we are hoping it was the 1st one that never fully healed.  But she checked it today and it is gone.  Whew!   However we need to take him to a urologist in April to check out his wee-wee. It gets 'hidden' which is ok, but Dr. Moore suggested we go. 

Clapping, singing, pushing cars around, loves balloons and bubbles, starting to love on his Winnie the Pooh lovie.  

Was a nice and precise cupcake eating birthday boy!! We had the party at my Grandma's the weekend before then this past weekend had a friends party on Saturday and Matt's family on Sunday.  They both turned out wonderfully.  It was good excuse to thank our friends for everything this past year.  It's been an amazing journey and they have been with us from the beginning.  We have a baby!! Who is no longer technically a baby, but you get me.  I would love nothing more than to expand our little family but whatever is His plans I will accept and be grateful for.  I cannot help but think how quickly this first year went. Sometimes it seemed sooooo long, and other things have just flown by.  We say our prayers for Luke to continue to grow big and strong and happy & healthy so he can have a long, happy life.  Because really that is what it is all about. 

Less than a week!!

Less than a week away from Luke's 1st birthday and he's already had lots of practice! Playdate w/Cami & Reid, January birthday party at Great Grandma's to celebrate Alek (5), Brian (39) and Grandpa (59). Then a friends' party this Saturday and Matt's family on Sunday. Whew! I'm exhausted thinking about it. Cookie Monster theme has been super fun to plan.  Nom, nom, nom. Here's a sneak peak....  Can't wait!!

Almost a year old....

We had first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, turned 11 months old, then had a first New Years!  Oh,  what fun it has been!  We also had a first ear infection, not so much fun.  But I noticed around Christmas he was just wasn't the same but I was thinking it had more to do with his front teeth trying to poke through.  Well, we took him to the dr. the day after New Year's Day and lo and behold, it was an ear infection.  Amoxicillion for 10 days  twice a day, and it's been doing the trick. 
Still not walking, but man he cruises around, crawls so fast, and does this half walk/half crawl scoot.  And when he tries to sit himself down, he does it very cautiously, not an awkward plop! He loves to eat now.  He tries to grab what we eat.  Veggie straws, yogurt, puffs, waffles are his favorites.  

I love bathtime!!

Yep, 11 months old.  Wanna play?

Slowly but surely is my hair coming in!

Somebody has been a good boy!

 

And that somebody definitely is on Santa's nice list!  Except according to every guy who sees the picture, his outfit made the naughty list.  Oh, well. I think he is adorable!! And so did Santa, all the elves and everyone waiting in line at Castleton Square line. I mean, he's a baby.  With baby leg warmers (aka baby legs). What a good boy!

 

He is doing great- still only 2 bottom teeth but this past week he has been a little cranky.  I'm thinking his top teeth are trying to poke through.  Still BF but eating lots of food - pancakes, beans, baby foods, spaghetti, veggie puffs. Hasn't taken that first step yet, but he's super fast crawling and cruising.  And give him pots & pans in the kitchen- ah, the banging is music to my ears.   Hard to believe next week he will be 11 months next week. 

 

Luke truly is a happy, bouncy baby.  We have had recent fun with all our cousins, with little friend Jesse, went to Camille's 1st birthday party and had another play date with Reid & Camille.  Ahhhh. Such joy.

 

Thinking back to last Christmas when Matt & I were not being able to spend the day with my parents, Grandma, aunts, uncles, sisters, nieces, and cousins. As we stayed home and awaited a baby, we had no idea what the year ahead had in store for us.  It makes me extra happy how special this Christmas will be spending time with both Matt's and I's families and Luke being there to celebrate the miracle of Christmas.  What a joy he is!

 

10 months old!

Cheese!! I'm such a happy boy.

November has been a busy month that has flown by.  First year anniversaries to our good friends, family gatherings, football games, good bye parties and our first family 5k walk!

Luke turned 10 months old November 28th!!  Double digits- whooomp whoomp!   And he finally has teeth!! 2 little bottom teeth poked through.  We celebrated our 1st Thanksgiving with the Sunday before at Great Grandma's, Thanksgiving Day at Great Aunt Janice & Great Uncle Vic's, then the Sunday after at Ne-Ne and Pop-Pop's!  Love to be around all the family!! So many new things to discover, people to love on, and room to roam. Aaaah, the life of an adorable, happy baby boy.   You can just feel the love and happiness.  Look at that face.  Love.



We got to spend time too with Ruby, Emma, & Claire the weekend before Thanksgiving as we watched another Purdue victory over Illinois on Nov. 17th!

Good looking group!

 

November 18th we spent the evening at Aunt Laura's and Uncle Scotty's with Raya & Charlie as mommy & daddy went to Matt & Jenn's wedding.  He had a great time with them as usual.  And we got to see everyone again the night before Thanksgiving to celebrate Uncle Scotty's 33rd birthday.  Aunt Chris wasn't feeling well but everyone else was there and Luke had a fun time trying to keep up with Trey, Tripp, & Tagg.  And man, he just loves Uncle Dave.

 

Thanksgiving morning!! Fishers 5k! Had a great time walking with the Habels!

 

 

 It was cold that morning but I stayed nice and snuggly warm. Love the bib. Yep, I am #1. Second to none.

 

 

Had a fun, quick day for the Purdue-IU Oaken Bucket game Saturday November 24th. Grandma & Grandpa watched him, then met Aunt Laurie at Pepe's, then home again. We were in such a great mood thanks to another Boilermaker victory!

                                                                I love Aunt Laurie!!! xoxox

Our routine is still going to bed by 7:30 - but some nights it's a little earlier thanks to daylight savings.  We get home around 5:50 pm and it's dark dark by 6:00.  zzzzz.....  Getting up once in the middle of the night though, then up around 6:30 or so for the start of the day. Weening off of bf after the Great Bite of 2012. I think I jumped / screamed that it scared him. He did it once more and his over all wiggly distracted feedings have made it an easy choice to ease out of it! I only pump once a day at work and now it's kinda right before bed I'll feed him and in the morning. So I think we did a pretty good job. Very happy with everything.

Won't sit still anymore for mommy to take my picture- I love to be on the move. 

 

Standing along furniture, cruising, grabbing every non-toy around (his faves are paper, our cell phones, the remotes, and toilet paper rolls). Stood on his own for a few brief seconds- curious when he'll take that first step!

And not just during this season of Thanksgiving, but honestly every day, we cannot thank God enough that Luke came into our lives.  We are thankful for our family and friends and all the blessings. 

9 months old!

Well, Luke has officially been out of my belly as long as he was in it!  He turned 9 months old on Sunday, Oct. 28th and it was on a Colts game day- Go Horse!

Brrrr....it was cold out, so I'll just lay down.

I mean, I love these leaves!

What a pumpkin face!

Weight:  21.4 lbs -        61%
Height:   29 inches -     71%
Head:     46.4 cm -        77%

He had his 9 month appointment on Election Day 11/06/2012 and it went well (not the election, in my opinion, though)!  He is still bf, in size 3 diapers, pulls himself up, stands on his own, he cruises along the furniture/coffee table, crawls fast all over the place, da-da, ga-ga, still no ma-ma :(  But he babbles. Alot.  He does love to crawl as fast as he can away from me and plays 'momma gonna get you'.  Claps his hands, eats puffs and baby food pretty well.  Loves to try to eat leaves.  Great in the stroller on our runs, but getting a little wiggly to put in the carseat.  And SUPER squirmy when changing his didey and clothes.  I mean, super.  Still about 7:30 pm down to sleep and wakes up once a night, trying to break him of that, then back to sleep until we get up.  Oh, and a tooth FINALLY kinda, sorta poked through! I can feel it. Yay- so he won't be toothless!!  But then that means he is really getting to be a big boy.   We have so much fun in the car on the way home from daycare- we sing, we clap, we blab, or sometimes we just sleep (not me, just Luke) and zone out while listening to country music. Ah, that's my boy!
 Everyday is a milestone, everyday is an adventure, everyday I can't wait to wake up and kiss on him and then get him home to snuggle on him!! We say our prayers everyday thanking God for him and blessing our family and I let him know what Luke means to me.  We had the LUKE banner over his changing table when he was a baby (and when he would just lay there)and everyday would tell him L is for Love. Mommy & daddy and so many people love you so much.  U is for Unique. There is only one you.  K is for Kind.  Mommy wants you to be a kind, sweet boy. E is for Extraordinary.  You can do anything in the world you want to.  Now it's replaced with the ABC quilt and we do the Z is for Zebra that we will see at the Zoo, E is for the Elephant, etc.  As long as he is safe, loved, and growing, that's all I ask for.  For now.  Then when he gets older, maybe be a doctor or something :)