Luke at 9 Months!

Luke says, "WHOA, MOM!!! It has been forever since you blogged about me!!!!!"



Yes, I know, Luke. And, alas, I am sorry! Our computer has (once again) been on the fritz again but wonderful Uncle Jacob fixed it right up so we are back to bring you many more blog posts about little Luke!!! So, please stay tuned for many blog posts to come!


Oh, and I included TONS of photos just so that you guys won't be mad at me!!! :) (So you can all stop with the threats!!! haha) :)

So hard to believe that my little baby is already a 9 month old!!! Time is flying!

• Love to make what sounds like turkey calls by rubbing his fingers over his lips like he is waving at himself.


• Tries to befriend people - doesn't matter who it is or where we are. He just loves to make new friends and loves for people to watch him do new tricks. He loves to wave at people but will not wave on demand.


• A bit of a busybody and is always in other people's business (see above photo where he is totally leaning out of his high chair to listen to other peoples' conversations!!)!!
  
• Sleeping like a champ again! Usually heads to dreamland around 10 at night and is out till 8:30 (or sometimes he will even sleep till 10:30!!). When he wakes up I breastfeed him and he will sleep till 11:00 or so. I feed him one container of baby food in the morning (usually fruit and/or oatmeal) for breakfast. He will eat about 2 tubs of baby food at lunch. He takes a 1 or 1 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon. He is really good about napping (even while we are out and about) and typically takes his nap around 3 or 4. He eats some Sweet Potato Puffs and Mixed Berry Yogurt Melts for a snack. He is really good at picking them up and putting them in his mouth...some good hand eye coordination! He eats about 2 tubs of baby food for dinner around 6 or 7. And, of course, gets a lot of milk throughout the day (100% breastfed...no formula for this dude!)! He breastfeeds about 5 times a day.


• Has two words that he says regularly - Mama and Dada!! He will only say them when he wants to though...usually when he gets upset and wants us!


• Still loves to dance! The boy does not even need music! We think he is going to be musical because he moves his hands like he is leading a choir and he seems to understand the beat when he hears music. He will make clicking noises with his tongue along with the music! (We might have a little August Rush on our hands!?)


• Weighs 19 pounds 4.5 ounces and is 27.5" long. He is in the 30th percentile in height and weight and 57th percentile in head circumference. His head measures in at 18" (he has a big head! Not sure if it is because he is always hearing people say how much they love him and how cute he is...or if it is just because of that big brain in there! ;)


• He is into everything. Have to watch him like a hawk these days! It's like he searches the room for something mischevious that he can get into next!


• Can keep his paccy in when he sneezes (he really impresses the ladies in the church nursery!).


• Has a lot of hair and needs a haircut pretty bad!


• Wearing mostly 12 month clothes, 18 month pjs (have to get them a bit bigger since they cover his feet - he really is long!), and size 3 diapers (still using Pampers Cruisers).


• Just learned to clap with both of his hands with his mouth wide open and his tongue hanging out. (He has been clapping for months using one of his hands and one of ours.)


• Loves to give people high 5s.

• Still a really happy baby and rarely cries...usually only if he is hungry or overdue for a nap! Everywhere we go people always ask me if he is always this good and I have to tell them yes! :)


• When I take him out in the jogging stroller he is wide awake when the ride is smooth and steady...when it is more bumpy and windy he falls asleep. I am not sure why that is but that is always how it happens! We have been taking a lot more jogging trips outside since the weather has been so beautiful!! We have even been walking with Grandma D. in the mornings when she comes!


• He is a very straight sitter and can sit for a really long time and play. I love that I can set him in his playpen and he will just play and play while I catch up on laundry or the dishes! Even the nurse practioner said that he sits very well for a 9 month old.


• I put out a little Halloween decoration that has little candy corns, witches hats, spiders, etc. hanging from it with red, green, and yellow lights on it. He absolutely loves it. When Grandma came to visit last week he was so excited about it that he was pointing to it and breathing fast so that Grandma would take him to it. :)


• When he gets really excited about something he breathes hard (it sounds like he is hyperventilating) and moves his arms like crazy. :) (Like when he sees lights - he loves lights! He is sooo going to love Christmas!)


• He gets so excited when Brad comes home! It is so fun to watch those two together! Brad misses him like crazy when he is at work and looks forward to getting to see him at lunch (most days) and after work!


• Still loves books and gets excited when we get one out to read to him. Tries to turn the pages but usually turns to the back cover.


• Some mornings when I go in his room to pick him up he is all scrunched up with his feet under him. It is too cute! He loves to sleep that way!


• Has a snowglobe that has "snow", a snowman, penguin, and a Christmas tree that lights up. He loves it and gets so excited when I get it out.


• His stinkin' room is too cold so I bought him some leg warmers from Target to keep his little legs warmer. I gave him the choice between 4 and he picked the ones with skulls on it. Kinda funny. But really adorable. I highly recommend them...they are really practical and fun (quicker diaper changes and they are good for crawling on hard floors. Oh, and super cute!)!


• Still loves to pull hair and grabs it every chance he gets (glasses too - much to my dismay!)


• Seems to use his left hand more than his right - too early to tell what he will really use though.


• When we get him out of his crib in the morning he gives us big hugs (see the above picture) and holds us tight.


• Still has blue blue eyes! Hoping he will keep them. But the doc says they can change all the way till they're 2 years old! We will just have to wait and see!


• Coos at pretty girls to get their attention.


• Has 20 friends on facebook and they are all girls.


• When I am stern with him and tell him "No" he thinks it is funny and laughs (not good, I know!).


• He is a really good eater. This boy does not need airplane noises, he just opens up wide and chows down! He is eating 2nd and 3rd foods right now.


• Still waiting on some teeth to grow in (but I am totally okay with them not coming in till later! It is better when they get them later because there is less chance of getting tooth decay and teeth sound painful for me!).


• Loves to give kisses (he will suck on the side of your face) and hugs (he really clutches on to you and burries his head into your shoulder). It is too cute! :)


• He is such a good boy in the car these days and rarely cries! If he is tired he usually falls asleep on the way somewhere.


• He is officially a commando crawler. He crawls with his tummy on the ground but makes it around just fine. He is a lot happier on the floor now and is less frustrated; when he wants something he will just go get it.

• Likes to make grunting noises and will even have grunting contests with Pa!

• Love to visit his Grandma D. at work on Saturdays and go to the bakery with his Auntie Vicki, Auntie MAM, and momma!

• Loves bigger kids...will just stare and watch them for a long time! He really enjoyed visiting with "Cousin" Grayson! (He missed Tessa!!!)

• Also loves to hang out with his Cousin James. They are so funny together. Luke will pull on James' nose and they will make noises at each other back and forth. They like to crawl to the same spot and then try to get around each other. Very funny!

• And about the last photo...one day he was getting really cranky and he was hungry and sleepy so I put him in his high chair to eat before I laid him down for a nap. When I finished feeding him I went to the kitchen to put things away and when I turned around there he was...asleep in his high chair! :)

• Enjoyed meeting Mr. Barry's robot. Luke made a new friend! That thing is so cool!

• Loves to play on the computer and will crawl over to it every chance he gets to play! (After all, if mom and dad like it so much it MUST be lots of fun!!)

Week in the Life, Day 7

Sunday 10.12.08

6:30 Wake up crying. (Yeah, mom was glad I didn't get up in the wee hours of the morning again. I couldn't help it; I was so tired I just couldn't bear to bother with crying in the middle of the night!) Daddy comes to get me and I snuggle in bed with mommy and daddy and sleep for a bit.

8:00 Mommy feeds me. Daddy gets ready for Sunday school and church and then mommy showers while daddy gets me ready. I go to the nursery while mommy goes down the hall to work in the bigger kids' nursery with Auntie Vicki. Daddy goes to the Young Married Sunday school class.

10:00 Sleep in the nursery while mommy, daddy, and Auntie Vicki are in church. I love to cuddle with Ms. Lindsey and Ms. Mickie! They are really comfy to sleep on!

12:00 Mom, dad, and Auntie Vicki pick me up after church and we go to Salt Grass for lunch. I eat Squash, Corn, and Chicken and some Sweet Potatoes for lunch. I try to make friends with the people at the surrounding tables...I even wave at the them but they ignore me and I get upset. Mom, Dad, and Auntie Vicki wave at me but it is just not the same! (They say that I am a lot like my mom in that I am a busybody and get upset when I wave at people and they ignore me. I just want to make new friends!) Daddy drops off mommy and Auntie Vicki at her car at church and I go home with daddy. Mom and Auntie Vicki shop at Target and while they are out we have a lil kitty visit us. Dad hears a meow at the door and when he opens the door the kitty darts in. I am so busy playing, though, that I don't even notice the new kitty.

2:00 Mommy & Auntie V. come home and after a dirty diaper change mommy feeds me. I take a family nap in bed with mommy and daddy (though silly Poppa just watches a movie).

4:00 Finish up our nap. Trip to the mailbox to get the mail.

6:00 Daddy starts putting a new end table together while I play.

8:00 Squash, Corn, and Chicken with some more Sweet Potatoes for dinner. I get some freeze dried pieces of yogurt and some sweet potato puffs too. I've never tried the sweet potato puffs before. I wasn't a huge fan of them but sometimes it takes me a while before I decide that I like something. Mom gives me a bath while dad picks up Subway for dinner.

10:00 Mom feeds me but I am not very sleepy. Cuddletime.

12:00 After two tries of putting me in bed sleepy, I cry and they leave me to get to sleep on my own. Reluctantly I do, but not before 10 or 15 minutes go by. (They say I need to learn to "soothe myself"...whatever that means. Hmph. Parents!)


So, that is my week in a nutshell. Thanks for reading about it! I will try and get mommy to update this blog asap with some new news!! Lots has happened since then!

Week in the Life, Day 6

Saturday 10.11.08

8:00 Asleep. I wake and roll to my belly and play with my toys a little and drift back to sleep.

10:00 Momma wakes me up around 10:30 to feed me a 4 oz bottle (actually, first she tried to give it to me in the sippy cup my Auntie Vicki gave me but it was like I blew a lot of bubbles in it so she gave me a bottle instead). Get dressed in my A&M overalls in honor of my Auntie Vicki's birthday (shout out to my Auntie - Happy Birthday!!!). Mom loads us up and we head to Temple to celebrate.

12:00 Arrive in Temple. Give Auntie her picture frame and card. Go to the English Bakery. I eat Squash, Corn, and Chicken with Sweet Potatoes while mom has quiche and Auntie V. has a sandwich with soup.

2:00 At the mall. Visit Grandma D. I fall asleep in the car on the way to the mall. I wake up when I hear some noisy people and only have a 30 or so minute nap. Mom and Auntie V. get beverages from Cuppy's Coffee (mom gets a mochaccino and Auntie gets a strawberry smoothie).

4:00 Momma feeds me while Auntie gets ready. MAM comes and we take a trip to Target so mommy can get end tables (but she only ends up with one). MAM picks up icing for the cupcakes she made Auntie Vicki for her birthday and mom gets a candle for Auntie Vicki's cake.

6:00 Head to Belton for Auntie Vicki's party. Everyone arrives around 6:20. We sit on the patio facing the water. I get to see a lot of people I don't get to see very often. I danced for everyone and waved at them. They all seem to like me and that makes me happy. People passed me around but I didn't go to everyone. I did go to my Uncle Dave and I gotta admit, he seems pretty cool. I think a photo or two made people believe that I don't like him or that he made me cry but it's not true (shout out to Uncle Dave!). It was quite a fun party and I even got to see Batman! I was really excited about the tiki torches they had out there too. I got a lil cranky but mom fed me some more Squash, Corn, and Chicken with Sweet Potatoes while dad held me and then I was happy (except for when mom cleaned my face and I got upset again).

8:00 Mom holds me a bit and then Grandma D. holds me and I fall asleep. I end up going to Auntie Amanda for a while too I think (but I was so out of it that I'm not sure). Everyone eats and Auntie opens her presents and they all polish off some Red Velvet birthday cake. Everyone seems to be having fun. Then everyone leaves to go home.

10:00 Back at Auntie's apartment. Hang out for a while. Mom puts on my pjs and I roll on the floor and work on crawling (they say I am getting a lot closer to crawling...holding my arms up and getting up on my knees but just not at the same time...I still get frustrated when toys don't just magically come to me). Then I get a 4 oz bottle and mom feeds me a bit. We get home around 11:30 and after a diaper change daddy reads me Put Me in the Zoo and mom feeds me some more.

12:00 I fall asleep and mom moves me to my crib. Mom hopes I will stay asleep tonight since we have to get up early for sunday school and church tomorrow. We'll see about that!

Week in the Life, Day 5

Friday 10.10.08

6:00 I wake up crying and daddy gets me and puts me in bed. I cuddle with mom and dad.

8:00 Daddy leaves for work and mommy feeds me.

10:00 Wake up and eat some more.

12:00 Momma feeds me Pear Blueberry Oat and I eat good! I sit in my vibrating rocker while momma showers and gets ready. Mom sings me songs and makes me laugh. Mom dresses me up and sits me outside with a pumpkin and takes my picture. I refuse to smile for her but she gets a lot of "thoughtful" poses of me.

2:00 I fall asleep after mom feeds me a little bit and she lays me in my car seat. She takes us to Chick to meet daddy for lunch. I wake up while they are eating. I go to Target with mommy and she buys me lots of baby food.

4:00 We go to GFAP to meet with daddy. Mom types up invoices for him while I play with Granny, Pa, Mario, and daddy.

6:00 Go to the park with mommy. I go down the slide on mommy's lap for the first time. It was pretty fun. I smiled every time I went down the slide. Mom was sad she couldn't get a picture of it since there was no one there to take a picture. We also got to swing on the swing. I really like the park. I fall asleep on the way home.

8:00 Try a new food - Squash, Corn and Chicken - mixed with my old fave Sweet Potato with Apple. I like the new stuff though I wasn't sure about it at first. Momma gives me a bath and I splash in my ducky tub.

10:00 Momma feeds me and when she tries to lay me down I wake up. I am out by 11:30 and daddy puts me in bed. After watching Beverly Hillbillies and hearing the books Hooper Humperdink and Put me in the Zoo I am out.

2:50am Wide awake and crying. Takes momma 30 minutes or so to get me back to sleep.

3:00ish Up again. Tough night for momma and Luke.

Week in the Life, Day 4

Thursday 10.9.08

8:00 Sleeping!

10:00 Momma wakes me up at 10:30 so that she can feed me. Grandma D. comes to visit. I get really excited when I see her! (I always love it when she comes to visit!)

12:00 More Pear Blueberry Oat. Yum. Then I play with Grandma. Daddy brings lunch from Whataburger. I roll around on the floor a bit until we are ready to go shopping.

2:00 We go to Bealls and I get really sleepy. Mom picks me up because I get a bit cranky. We head to Wolf Ranch and I am out for my afternoon nap.

4:00 I totally miss our trip to Hallmark and miss most of our trip to Old Navy. I am fully awake when we go to Dressbarn. (The nice ladies there always ooh and ahh over me and talk about how big I am getting. I like them.) I drink a 4 oz bottle and then we swing through the Chick-Fil-A drive through for some milk shakes. (One day I will get some of it too but mom says it is too early for me to have it!)

6:00 Home. Grandma has a flat tire so we get to play a bit longer. Daddy brings Subway and then puts fix-a-flat in Grandma's tire. Gramma heads home and I eat more Pear Blueberry Oat. Momma gives me some Sweet Potato with Apples too. Then we stroll to the mailbox and around the neighborhood. I want to sit straight up in my stroller. (I can see easier that way!)

8:00 Momma wipes me down with lavender wipes. (They smell so good - just like my bath soap!) I get my pjs on. Momma feeds me a lot and I am fast asleep. Mom lays me in my crib and I am out for an hour or so. Mom and dad work on staining cabinets while I am asleep. (I am not sure if the kitchen will be finished before I go to school! They seem to be really slow at staining all of those doors.)

10:00 Mom watches Biggest Loser (she seems to love that show) and talks to Auntie Vicki on the phone. I eat more but am wide awake.

12:00 Still awake. I finally fall asleep around 1:00 after a lot of crying and mom patting my back.

Week in the Life, Day 3

My Auntie Vicki told me there were more than two days in a week so I am back to tell you about the rest of my week :) Thanks, Auntie Vicki, for clearing that up for me!

Wednesday 10.8.08

8:00 Sleeping - out like a little lamb.

10:00 Mom wakes me up at 10:30 to eat. Cuddle with mom in bed. I am super happy and waving at momma and giving her high 5s.

12:00 Lunch - Chicken, green beans, and sweet potatoes with apple. Not too into the chicken and green beans but I welcomed the sweet potatoes...that stuff is really good! Play in my high chair a bit and take some sips of water out of my dino sippy cup. Play on the floor for a bit while mommy plays on the computer.

2:00 Get loaded up in my car seat. Momma drives through the park (too bad I can't see out of the window, stinking rear-facing car seat!) and we go to Laurie's Too on the square. I have no clue though because I am taking my afternoon nap! Wake up as momma walks into a handmade crafts store. She buys me a really cool John Deere bib and a fabric book that tells the story of Christmas. We also pick up a necklace for my Auntie Vicki for her birthday. The lady at the store watches me clicking my tongue and says "someone has a new trick" and I proudly smile with a really big smile (it took me a long time to master that trick after all!). Momma then takes some photos of me sitting on a bench. (I don't know why but she always has that camera out taking pictures...I feel like I live with the paparazzi! But nonetheless, I smile for her and pose. She even set the timer so she could be in a couple with me.) Then we head home.

4:00 Mom lets me play with these really neat bowl things and reads me some books....Happy Baby Words, Happy Baby Animals, and Happy Baby Colors. She watches Jon & Kate Plus 8 (boy, am I really glad that I don't have that many siblings!!). Momma feeds me and I fall asleep on the floor. Mom cleans the sofas and folds my clothes...and some of mommy and daddy's too. She washes the dishes and after a little tummy time I go in my bouncer for a bit.

6:00 In my high chair dancing and eating Pear Blueberry Oat with DHA. Pretty good stuff. Mom says it's good for my brain and eye development. Ride in my stroller while mom runs a mile or so around the neighborhood. Daddy fixes the big rock out front that some hoodlums broke.

8:00 I get cleaned up in the shower. I am not a big fan of water shooting on me. I like to splash in my rubber ducky tub better. I get into my pjs.

10:00 I eat in bed and am out like a light. Momma puts me in my crib.

3:00am I wake up crying. Mom rolls me onto my side and pats my back. After 30 minutes or so I am out again.

Week in the Life, Day 2

Tuesday 10.7.08

8:00 Sleep till 8:30 or so. Eat. Sit in my vibrating rocker chair while mom showers and gets ready for her mom Bible study.

10:00 In the nursery at church. Play with Ms. Lindsey, Ms. Nikki, and head off to dreamland with Ms. Mickie holding me (I like to go to her when I get sleepy because she knows just how to comfort me to get me to sleep!).

12:00 When mom comes to pick me up I am out like a light. Mom and I stop at home so she can finish up some CBS stuff. Head to McAlisters to pick up lunch. Eat at daddy's work. I eat chicken and Organic Sweet Potatoes with Apples while daddy has a Godfather sandwich and mommy has potato soup and steamed veggies.

2:00 I dance for Audrey, Mario, and Jamie. Play with a cool outdoor tag that they just ordered. Sit on mommy's lap while she catches up with Audrey. Stop at a mailbox to mail some flyers for CBS and go to the bank again. Nap. Home.

4:00 Continue my nap. Have a good feeding/cuddle time with mom. Sit in my high chair. I make a little surprise for mom and get really red in the face (I really don't like making diapers!). She says that I have really good timing because she was getting my bath stuff ready at the time! I get a bath and play with my polka dotted rubber ducky and squirt starfish. I spit up in the bath water right after mom gets me cleaned (heh heh!!!). Rinse off. Gets pjs and a diaper on. Sit up. Spit up.

6:00 Daddy comes home and we head to the church for Scrappy Pals and basketball. He brings Chick-Fil-A for him and momma...wonder when I will get to try that stuff (certainly looks better than that chicken in a jar I ate for lunch today!). I sit in my Bumbo while daddy feeds me Organic Sweet Potatoes and Apples - yummy! I love that stuff! Momma says that I shouldn't eat chicken for dinner because it might give me gas/upset tummy during the night and make me wake up and cry (a torturous sounding cry). Play with Ms. Shelby on the floor.

8:00 Dance for my admirers (boy do they love me! I make them all smile!). Lots more play and spitting up. I make sure to spit up all over my pjs, 2 bibs, 2 burp cloths, and my puppy quilt the nice ladies at the church made me (that should keep mom busy during my naptime tomorrow!). Mom scraps aways and dad play basketball while I play with some of my favorite people.

10:00 Home. Get ready for bed. Momma reads me the My first Hammer book and My Little ABC Board Book...it had some words that I have never even heard before! I chat on the phone to my Auntie Vicki a bit and eat some before falling asleep. Momma picks me up and carries me to my crib but I am totally on to her plan. I cry when she put me down and when I can not be consoled by being patted on my back while lying on my side, she picks me back up and rocks me to sleep. For some reason she thinks that I should be able to put myself to sleep (I think that is a terrible idea...I mean, maybe that is okay during the day for naptime...but I need my momma to rock me to sleep at night!). Around 11:30 and I was out. I really love my comfy crib!

4:18 am Wake up crying and very upset. Awake for an hour. Mom tries to put me on my side and pat my back but I am not having it. After a while she picks me up and rocks me back to sleep. Mom can't figure out why I am upset. She guesses that it has nothing to do with the chicken/gas issues now.

Week in the Life, Day 1

Well, mom is not so great at updating this blog so I thought I would give you something to read...eating baby food is old news! I have already moved on to 2nd foods!

Sorry, I don't know how to put photos on here but I can tell you what I've been up to lately!

A week in the life of 8 month old Luke (me)!

Monday 10.6.08

8:00 When I wake up dad gets me from my crib, changes me, and brings me to momma who feeds me while we all snuggle in bed.

10:00 Ride in my jogging stroller (one of the best things ever invented, if I may say so myself!) while mom runs around the neighborhood. I am very sleepy but refuse to sleep. I do; however, keep my hat on and that make momma very happy...usually I take my sunglasses & hats off as soon as she puts them on me! Mom showers and gets ready while I sit in my vibrating rocking chair and play with my toys.

12:00 I fall asleep on the way to Monument (where mom and dad eat lunch with family). I wake up once they are finished eating. Then mom takes us to the bank to do some stuff for CBS. Green beans and chicken for lunch.

2:00 Tummy time while mom works on CBS stuff. Mom puts me on a sausage towel to try to persuade me to crawl but I am not very interested (if I can get to my toys just fine rolling, why do I need to learn to crawl???). I do hurdle the towel and get to the laptop computer, though. (Not sure what mom and dad do on that thing all the time but I did manage to change the webpage and break off the "Enter" and "Page Dn" keys. Dad is so nifty that he fixed it right away. That skill will really come in handy in a year or two!) Mom and dad work on stuff for Bible study tonight.

4:00 Head to Granny and Pa's house while mom and dad go to CBS. I play with Granny and take a small nap.

6:00 I have dinner - Bananas with mixed berries - yum! Cousin James and Auntie Alicia come over to play. James and I roll all over the bed and Granny and Alicia try their hardest to keep us from rolling into each other (but we are pretty active little boys!). That James is pretty fun to play with! He likes to smile at me and laugh.

8:00 The playdate with James is over and I get pjs on, drink a 4 oz bottle, and play some more before mom and dad come. When mom and dad come we hang out for a half an hour or so. I love spending time with Granny and Pa but it is really nice when mom and dad finally get there. By this time I am happy and playing but I am getting sleepy fast!

10:00 We head home and I listen to Grandma D. and Grandpa A. talk to me on the phone. I try to grab the phone right out of mom's hand! I listen to stories while mom feeds me. Dad reads me Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and mom read me Happy Birthday, Moon, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and a really cool animal book called Touch and Feel Farm Animals that Grandpa A. got me...you can feel the animals. I really like it a lot (thanks, Grandpa!!!). Mom puts The Goodnight Show on (on PBS Sprout) and I listen to it for a little while. Out for the night. Dad puts me in my crib.