The Big John Deere Party!

We had a wonderful little party for the birthday boy today!

The Menu:

• Ham, Turkey, & Roast Beef sandwiches from Subway with all the trimmings


• Veggie tray


• Fruit tray with carmel fruit dip (I made it...recipe from the Laurie's Too cookbook)


• Artichoke dip (also from the Laurie's Too cookbook) with crackers


• Lemon Squares (a recipe from one of our CBS kitchen ladies...will put the recipe on the blog sometime in case anyone wants to make them!)


• Dainty cucumber sandwiches (made by Grandma D)


• Chocolate covered pretzels (brought by Grandma D and Grandpa A)


• Ghiradelli chocolate squares


• And the best chocolate cake EVER with a real John Deere tractor on top, "dirt" (crushed oreos) and corn stalks (made of green tie dyed fruit roll ups) made by the wonderful Julie Marshall!!!! THANK YOU, JULIE!!! It was beautiful AND delicious!! :) And it was a great idea to have a real tractor on top - he will enjoy that in the years to come! :)


• Our beverages were Coke, Diet Coke, DP, Diet DP, Sprite, and bottled water

The Guests:

• Grandma & Grandpa


• Amanda & Dave


• Mary Anna


• Alyssa & Josh


• Granny & Pa


• Kellie, Logan, Caden, & Kayla


• Julie, Gray, and Tess


• Barry, Mickie, Lindsey, & Shelby


• (We were missing Auntie Vicki & Auntie Liesel because they are sick!! Also missing were Auntie Alicia, Uncle Robert, and Cousin James since James is also sick! Mel & Riss couldn't make it because of scheduling! Missed you guys!!)

The Decorations:

• Handmade banners made by me with my Cricut..."Happy 1st Birthday Luke" (for the dining room) and "Welcome" (for the door)
• Green & yellow balloons and a tractor balloon that said "Happy Birthday"
• John Deere streamers

The Agenda:

• Ate the foods listed above


• Watched "The Story of Luke" over and over - made by Auntie Vicki. It is Luke's whole first year in pictures! Makes me cry every time I watch it!! THANK YOU, VICKI!!! I know that was a whole lot of work and a whole lot of time and I REALLY appreciate it. I really wanted to do it but ran out of time! Everyone loved it!! Thanks again!! :)


• Chatted and caught up


• Watched Luke open his presents - he got a vast array of wonderful gifts! He is becoming an old pro at opening gifts! He rips the paper off the boxes pretty fast!


• Watched Luke eat his first birthday cake ever - he loved it just as we thought he would! He took a big chunk of it in his hand and chowed down. Then he got really upset when we tried to clean off his hands because he was still working on the chocolate icing. He would wipe down his high chair with his fingers to get everything he could off of it!!


• Watched Luke ride the John Deere tractor that Granny and Pa brought over - he rode around on it like a big boy (though his legs aren't long enough to reach the pedals yet!). Daddy pushed him around.


• Watched Luke as he was introduced to bubbles! He liked them a lot! :)

Many thanks to everyone who came and celebrated with us!! I know Luke had a good time and enjoyed getting to see everyone!! :)

Vicki, Liesel, Alicia, Robert, James, Mel & Riss - we really missed you guys!!!

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 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.

Look Who's Eating Baby Food!!

Luke ate his first baby food 8/6/08. We started with carrots...he thinks they are MUCH better than rice cereal!!! (Don't let him fool you into thinking that he doesn't like it...he really does! He was sucking it off the spoon like a big boy! He is just really good at making faces while he eats!) :)

BVOTD: "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." 1 Peter 4:12-13

Corn Fest 2008

Since I grew up in the country (affectionately referred to as "the corn" by all of us) we have always had a special place in our hearts for the Holland Corn Festival.

There is a parade at 10:00 and little booths set up with different things for sale. They have corn on the cob and a BBQ lunch. It is one of very few times of the year that we see Grandpa A's side of the family.

This year Auntie Vicki couldn't come because she had to go to market for her job at the hospital gift shop. Brad & Grandma D couldn't come because they had to work. We did; however, convince Grandpa A to come. (He wasn't planning on coming but when I told him that Luke would be there he said he would come...without any hesitation whatsoever.).

We had to of course get some photo ops with corn on the cob for me and a John Deere corn on the cob teether for Luke (it vibrates so it is good for teething, too!). Too cute. Hope to get Brad to come with us next year. And maybe even run with me in the morning 5K! :)

BVOTD: "When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work -- this is a gift of God." Ecclesiastes 5:19

Luke's First Camp Crestview

Camp Crestview is a ministry that Brad and I have been involved in for the last seven years. It originated as a regular old Vacation Bible School but turned out into a ministry of a very large scale. It is a five day camp from 8 Am to 5 PM. A few years ago it expanded to two weeks. We know Luke will really love it for many years to come!

I have always worked the Middle School camp but since they do a lot of traveling I decided to work crafts this year. I was able to walk down the hall on breaks and feed Luke and hold him. He did really good! He was the youngest camper there!

He watched cartoons (like Enchanted and Barbie...he was in the room with a 5 year old girl!), took naps, played with his toys, drank milk, and did a lot of burping and wetting diapers. On Wednesday he even decided to poop all over Ms Lindsey. It was all over her shorts and the cushion she was sitting on. (And when they put the cushion in the washing machine it flooded the kitchen...Nice!).

He also made his first church craft - a canvas bag with his hand & foot prints and a Bible verse on it! Too cute! :)

He really enjoyed the week and spent lots of time with Ms Lindsey, Ms Mickie, Ms Nikki, and Ms Joann. I'd say he'll be up for it again next year!

I enjoyed getting the reports of what he did at camp each day - so fun! And as much fun as it was doing crafts for 2nd graders I was always thrilled to pick him up at the end of the day!

BVOTD: "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:11

San Antonio Trip

We took a little trip to San Antonio for an HPBA meeting with GFAP May 31st-June 2nd. It was Luke's first time to stay in a hotel room and the little guy did great! Luke was quite the little trooper even on the car rides (except for a little meltdown when we got stuck in some traffic near Austin on the way back home).

We stayed at the Holiday Inn (on the Riverwalk) and had a really good time. We visited the Alamo on Sunday morning and ate at a little restaurant near the Riverwalk. It was both mine and Brad's first time to see the Alamo. I had never even seen the Riverwalk before this trip (except from afar the week before when we took our day trip to San Antonio!). I really like the Riverwalk! Next time we go I hope to get to ride on one of the boats! They shut it down before we had a chance to get down there.

Luke was a really good boy during all the meetings but there was a point when Pa and Brad were making faces at him and they made him let out a loud squeal and I had to leave the room (and I even warned them ahead of time that he would do that...he squeals when he is really happy!!!). The meetings were a tad on the boring side...the meeting that was about sales was just like being back in my Sales class at UMHB. I skipped the "Green" class so I could go feed Luke (and watch Say Yes to the Dress). It was really nice to be able to watch some cable tv! I so wish we had cable!

We figured out that Luke is indeed going through a little separation anxiety. Granny & Pa watched him (& little James) on Sunday night so we could walk on the Riverwalk and Luke cried and cried. I think he had a fun time with them for a while...but when they wouldn't let him sleep he was not so happy. When we showed up and I held him he stopped crying right away...ah, the wonderful world of separation anxiety!!!

It was rather annoying that our room didn't have a fridge so I had to keep going down the hall every few hours to get more ice to put on Luke's milk. It also didn't have a microwave to clean all of his bottle stuff but we lived! :) It does make me really appreciate our modern conveniences though!

Overall, it was a lovely trip. Both babies were pretty good little guys! It is always nice to get together with family. I feel like I don't see them much now that I am not working at GFAP every day!

BVOTD: "My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness." Isaiah 26:9

Still Alive...

Sorry that we have been MIA from blogland lately. But don't worry! I have been taking an incredible amount of photos (2,260 from parts of May and June alone!) and writing journaling regularly. I will work on making back-posts so that you will all be filled in on the life of Luke. I will be sure to post extra pictures & stories to make up for our absence!

We are really enjoying Luke these days (not that we hadn't been before) but he is getting to be really fun to play with. He is grabbing at everything and we have to be careful when he is in our lap when we are eating that he won't grab at our silverware. He is still putting everything in his mouth (his clothes, his hands, his pacifier, his toys, our fingers, our noses, lol...anything that he can grab onto).

He is a supported sitter and loves to sit in our laps so that he can see everything. He doesn't like to be craddled like he did when he was a newborn (sigh...my baby is growing up!). He prefers to be up over our shoulders or sitting in our laps looking out.

I finally found him a gloworm. I have been searching for one for him for months...see this post from 12.19.07! He loves it and it helps him to calm down right before bed. (And Vicki, I am not just saying that because I love it so! He really does love it! I think his favorite thing about it is the glowing face).

He is still a really good sleeper though sometimes we have a hard time getting him to go to sleep...after he goes to sleep he will sleep for a long time though. Usually he will wake up at 8:15 because the alarm wakes him up. He typically goes to sleep around 12:00 or 1:00. He still cluster feeds and sometimes goes 9 or 10 hours without eating. Our bedtime routine involves feeding Luke, reading him two or three bedtime stories, burping him, feeding him some more, and laying him down in his Co-Sleeper with his gloworm.

He rolled over from his tummy to his back weeks ago and when he is upset he will roll over. When he is not upset and is on his tummy he will just hold his head up and look or lay down. I think he is going to learn how to crawl only when he is upset. He also rolls from his back to his side. The other night we had finally gotten him to go to sleep and then heard him making noise. I looked at him and he had rolled from his back to his side to sleep...guess he likes that position better? :)

He is still a really happy baby and will smile and squeal at people. We were at a meeting in San Antonio this weekend and Brad and Gene were sticking their tongues out at him and trying to make him smile. I warned them that that would make him squeal but they kept doing it...I had to step out of the room because Luke squealed so loud!

We got him this bouncer a few weeks ago and he seems to enjoy it. Once he decides that he would rather not be in it he will definitely let you know...he will let out a very loud cry and bounce up and down.

Lately he has not had a lot of poopy diapers. Initially we were concerned but apparently it is normal for 4-5 month breastfed babies to only go once every 7-14 days. Brad did the same thing when he was a baby. Luke hadn't pooped since the Sunday before last...9 whole days without pooping so we were all very excited when he had a poopy diaper on Tuesday night!! It was quite a blowout too! (We were just happy that it didn't get on his bouncer!!).

He has to go in for his 4 month immunization shots once again today. Hate that. I would rather not be there to see him cry :( When he had his shots at 2 months that was the first time that I had seen him cry with real tears :'( So heartbreaking for a momma to watch! Wish I could get them for him! Will write more about his checkup later.

Still loves being read to and will stop eating to listen and look at the pages sometimes. :) He has also started to hold onto the pages. He even turned the pages of his book during the long car ride on Saturday. He kept turning them the opposite way though...perhaps he would rather we read the books to him back to front? :)

I think he is starting to get a little separation anxiety. The other night when Gene and Linda were watching him for us he cried and cried and cried and then when I got there and held him he immediately stopped. Mom watched him last week during my eye appointment and she said that he would stare at the door and threw a bit of a fit.

He is quite the flirt and will smile and coo at cute girls. Seriously. The other day I went to a local tearoom and two pretty gals walked up to him and started talking to him and he laid on the charm. This seems a bit too early!!!

He absolutely loves his jogging stroller. I took him out in it last week and he slept the entire time that I ran (3 miles so we were out for a good long while!). The next day I took him out and he was awake and happy the whole time. The only time he got fussy was when I started to walk instead of jog. I have apparently enlisted in Luke's Boot Camp. Why walk when you can run? Why sit when you can stand? Lately he wants to be bounced and won't even let us sit with him. He will cry right away when we sit down.

His favorite toys are his gloworm, the Hop Along Bunny book (that lights up and plays music...thank you Grandma!), his clacker. He really loves laying down on the activity mat that his Auntie Vicki gave him (thank you, Auntie Vicki!!!!!). He will lay and swat at the toys above him. We use it almost every day. He recently figured out how to pull on the toys on his rocker to make it play music. I think he was really proud of himself :) He is also really good at moving the little stars on his swing (thank you, Tammy!). If his toys won't do the trick to get him to calm down then we usually carry him outside (he loves to be outside) or put him in his jogging stroller.

He is an old pro at putting his pacifier back in his mouth...occasionally he will pull it out and put it back in and pull it out...it is like he is a chain smoker with his paccy! It is so funny to watch! :)

And thought I'd share a cute one of Brad and Luke from today...love those two boys so much!!!!!!!!

BVOTD: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28