4 Month Old Picture

Happy 4 Months Old, Baby Luke!

Letter to Baby

Dear Luke,

You are FOUR months old today!  A whopping sixteen weeks, or rather, 112 days, 2688 hours, 161,280 minutes or 9,676,800 seconds old.  Today.  At 9 p.m.  Did I mention you are 4 months old today?  Of course I did...because it's today!!

You continue to grow like a weed and you have changed so much!  You're getting so big now!  At last weigh in you were 10 pounds 11 ounces, but when we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa, Grandpa weighed himself and then Grandma passed you to Grandpa.  When Grandpa got to hold you, he gained 13 pounds!  Surely you're not that big quite yet (but it is very possible), but we'll have the official weigh in at your next pediatrician appointment on the 10th.

Since last month, you have started grasping your penguin toy that dangles from your play mat with both hands!  You used to just bat at it with your left hand, and then you started grabbing it with your left hand, and now you are using both hands to grab and bat at it.

Also, you are moving from side to side and I just know you're going to roll yourself over at any time.  That kinda scares me because I know you'll be one step closer to crawling and then what?  Prom?  Car?  I can't think about it...it's too much!

You talk so much!  And you still love to chat during diaper changing time.  You just grin and coo and have a grand old time.  It's super sweet and I love our little chats!  I tried video taping our morning chat, but the minute I busted out the camera to record, you became very quiet and still.  And as soon as I put the camera down and stopped recording, you started talking again.  Yep, you're kinda snotty that way :)

Dad says you discovered your feet today, but I'm not so sure because I haven't seen it with my own eyes.  But I guess I can believe your daddy...he's pretty truthful and wouldn't share things unless they were true :)  And since you've found you're feet, it's only right that we talk about how much you love to suck on your hands!  You constantly have a hand in your mouth sucking away.  It's super cute and I love to hear your lips smack against your fist.

Well, baby Luke, happy 4 months old.  You sure are our special little boy and we love you like you can't even imagine.

Love,
Mom and Dad

 

Luke's 1st overnight trip

Last weekend, with my family out of town to my cousin's wedding in Chicago, we decided to pack up and head to NWA to visit Chris' parents (aka Grandma and Grandpa).  We left after Luke's 4 am feeding Saturday and got up to NWA after a quick stop in Alma around 930 am or so.  Luke did great on the car ride and really only fussed once, but we stopped and changed his diaper and he was just fine.

I was shocked at how much STUFF was required to travel with Luke.  His stroller, pack and play, our suitcases...wow!!  We joked that we were going to need to invest in a trailer just to travel, but we're seriously worried that might actually be true come Christmas :)

We shopped all.day.long on Saturday.  I was worried Luke was going to be super mad not being able to have a consistent nap (this kiddo likes his schedule), but he was a real trooper until around dinner time when we stopped in at Wal Mart for a few things and he started throwing a fit.  I was shocked that that was really his only meltdown of the day.  Luke was such a trooper all day!

We ate at a few new places, Mexican on Saturday and BBQ on Sunday, and they were both great, although the BBQ was my favorite.  Luke got a few new outfits, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa, and he loves them!

Luke did wonderfully on his first trip away from home and I know his Grandma and Grandpa adored having him there.  We ran into a few people while we were out shopping, and Jim and Jerl Dean loved showing Luke off.  It was super sweet :)

Here's a picture of Grandma and Grandpa with Baby Luke :)

My FIRST Mother's Day

I just experienced my very first Mother's Day as a mother to a human :).  Sometimes I would celebrate as a mother to the dog, but somehow I think it was lost in translation.

We woke up to Luke's cries and stumbled out of bed to feed him and change him.  The night before we babysat Grant and Jude and didn't get home until around midnight and so we were completely exhausted, but alas, Luke was hungry and he must be fed.  Sleep is overrated anyhow :)  After taking care of Luke's needs, Chris made me a mother's day breakfast.  Waffles and fried eggs.  I had requested bacon a few days before, but we forgot to buy some.  It was so yummy!

We got around for the day and Jon and Emily stopped by, as did Kricia with the boys, and we took some quick pictures of the 3 grandsons together and then some 3 month pictures of Luke.  And he was not happy.  He was ready for a nap and we kept shoving a camera in his face.  Once that was complete, Jon and Emily went with us to ZaZa's pizza for lunch.  We had never been and it was really good!  Chris and I will definitely be going back!

Chris made me spaghetti for dinner...and then it took about an hour to sit down and eat.  For Luke being so exhausted earlier in the day and not wanting to nap, he was wide awake come bedtime.  Dinner sat on the stove for at least an hour.  Part of being a parent, I suppose :)  After we ate we crawled into bed (830 pm) and I checked my phone.  I had a text message from a friend, so Chris crawled out of bed to go help (he was glad to do it) and we went back to bed around 9...or at least I did.

Chris got me a pair of flip flops and a ring, but I exchanged it for a necklace with Luke's birthstone from Pandora.  He says he got me a card, but he couldn't find it.  He offered to go pick one up at the store, but somehow it just didn't seem worth it :)

I am so glad to be Luke's mom, he's such a great little man and I can't wait to watch him grow!  I'm also super thankful to my mom for putting up with me growing up and not abandoning us in a wooded area like she threatened to so many times (haha, just kidding!).  

fugetaboutit friday

It's friday.  About time it got here.

This week was my very first week back at AOC while I fill in for a friend who just had her very first baby (a boy) and is on maternity leave.  I work 8-5, Monday through Friday.  I haven't done that since the last time I worked at AOC during my 4th year!  And let me tell you, I am completely exhausted!

So this friday, I vow to enjoy every moment with my precious 13 week old son.  I want to soak up every moment with him as this was the first week I was away from him for more than an hour at any given time.  I vow to fall asleep on my bro and SILs couch only after my nephews have gone to bed.  I vow to enjoy this Mother's Day.  It's my first, and I know it's going to rock.  I've even gotten my gift already and the breakfast menu has been decided on.

Enjoy the weekend and fugetabout what happened this week.  Why?  Because it's friday and I said so :)

Luke's Blessing

We had Luke's blessing today at our home.  My dad and our great friend, Joe, blessed Luke and we had invited all our family to come.  We grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and had a wonderful time.  We sure are blessed to have such wonderful family!

Christopher Luke

Our Family

Pa, Luke and Joe

Great Aunt Susan, Luke and Great Uncle Robert

Great Grandma, Luke and Peepaw

M and Luke

Aunt Kricia, Uncle Jon and Luke

Thank you everyone for coming and partying and eating!  We love you!