Dear Luke,
Happy 17 months old! You're one month away from being a year and a half old, and I'm not prepared. I'm not prepared at all. Let's let this month slow down a little so we can enjoy this 17 month mark. There's no rush to move on to 18 months, OK?
These past few days have been challenging. We think you're cutting some molars, and that's making life very difficult for you, and for your parents. One day you're running a fever of 103 and the next day the fever is gone, but it's attitude city. When you get your way, you're fine. If you trip over your feet, it's meltdown city. And heaven help us if your hungry/thirsty/tired. It's just a roller coaster of emotions for you right now. I wish there were more to do for you, other than give you Tylenol, teething tabs, or anything else for that matter.
We're trying to get you to talk more, but if you don't have a passy in your mouth, again, it's meltdown city. On the off chance you'll give up the passy, we can get you to verbalize a little more, but no new words...yet. We've been working on 'choo choo', 'ball', and 'up'. Although, you can rawr when asked what sound a dinosaur makes, and you say 'oof' when asked what sound a doggy makes. You also can blow on your food if it's too hot.
You love making piles. You pile all your food to one side in like categories, you pile your laundry in and out of the basket as well as your blocks, and you love to pile your books from the night stand to the bookcase and vice versa. If one sippy cup falls, you knock the other over. I think you have a little OCD in you - and you come by it honestly. Your dad organizes his t-shirts by color :).
You have learned to jump, which basically means your feet stay planted on the floor and you bounce up and down. It's too cute to watch! Also, you love to stomp your feet and try to get us to imitate you. You dance when music comes on. You've gotten to where you absolutely hate riding in the car. The shortest car ride can bring the biggest tantrum. And we never know how the car ride is going to go, so we're trying to be more and more prepared with your favorite things. I think we're going to have to invest in some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVDs for the DVD player for longer trips.
You are getting so smart! You know how to push the buttons on your Elmo night-night book, you know how to throw away trash (and any other random object for that matter), and you're trying so hard to put your shoes on all by yourself. I love watching you problem solve. Also, you can point to mommy and daddy in pictures. Makes my heart melt a little!
We had your first zoo trip this weekend. It was hot, and you were tired, and you were pretty indifferent to the animals. But, we loved taking you and hope to do it again next year, and maybe you'll be more into it. We also had your first family reunion this weekend. You got to see a lot of your family from Illinois and Georgia, but also your cousins and great aunts and uncles that we see every Christmas, if not more often. You're a little flirt and know how to mooch off of others plates. Your little personality is pretty contagious and people just love watching you. We love that about you!
We love you little guy. To the moon and back.
Mom and Dad
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
happy father's day
happy father's day to my amazing husband!
you are a wonderful father to our son and i can't imagine our life without you!
we love your guts!
you are a wonderful father to our son and i can't imagine our life without you!
we love your guts!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
a few things
i'm listing because i've had a hard day and because it seems to be therapeutic for a great friend of mine.
1. don't come into my office and clink your candy around in your mouth, so that it hits every tooth over and over again. don't come into my office with your lunch and smack while i try to counsel/fit/test your significant other. i should probably make a 'no food sign' on my office door and force them to spit out their gum or candy as they come in. i'll put the sign next to the 'no cell phones' sign and the food wastebasket next to the cell phone basket. you may thank me for not banging your head on something sharp at a later date.
2. i love the vast majority of my patients, and if you were one of them, i'd probably love you, too. that doesn't mean you can grab my face and kiss me on the lips. my love for you will then be tainted. and if you tap your fingers on the counter at me, we're done.
3. don't speed around me, pull back over into my lane directly in front of me and immediately turn. keep your @** behind me. and for that matter, the speed limit is exactly the same when there's one lane, two lanes, or more. if you're going below the speed limit when i can't pass, and then speed up way above the speed limit when i can, you're going to be cursed.
4. don't smoke 14 cartons of cigarettes before coming to my office. i may puke on you. and if you have ear hair, i may puke twice. in your lap. you've been warned.
phew! that was therapeutic!
1. don't come into my office and clink your candy around in your mouth, so that it hits every tooth over and over again. don't come into my office with your lunch and smack while i try to counsel/fit/test your significant other. i should probably make a 'no food sign' on my office door and force them to spit out their gum or candy as they come in. i'll put the sign next to the 'no cell phones' sign and the food wastebasket next to the cell phone basket. you may thank me for not banging your head on something sharp at a later date.
2. i love the vast majority of my patients, and if you were one of them, i'd probably love you, too. that doesn't mean you can grab my face and kiss me on the lips. my love for you will then be tainted. and if you tap your fingers on the counter at me, we're done.
3. don't speed around me, pull back over into my lane directly in front of me and immediately turn. keep your @** behind me. and for that matter, the speed limit is exactly the same when there's one lane, two lanes, or more. if you're going below the speed limit when i can't pass, and then speed up way above the speed limit when i can, you're going to be cursed.
4. don't smoke 14 cartons of cigarettes before coming to my office. i may puke on you. and if you have ear hair, i may puke twice. in your lap. you've been warned.
phew! that was therapeutic!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Letter to Baby
Dear Monkey,
Yes, that's right, I called you a monkey. Basically because you have learned to climb and jump, and do so at every opportunity. I'm fairly positive my heart will give out at any moment. You love to get up on the couch (still with some assistance - whether we help or you push a toy over to climb on) and run from side to side and jump up and down. I know we shouldn't let you, because I think that's what parents do, but it looks like fun, and as long as we're around to catch you, I really don't mind.
Now that you're 16 months old, you're really getting a little attitude. You definitely are strong-willed and let us know when you're not getting your way. The good thing is that you're easily distracted and quickly forget about whatever made you upset in the first place.
I think you've had a few growth spurts. All of a sudden you can see what's on top of the tables and don't mind helping yourself to whatever you see. We've had to set a few boundaries, but there are still occasions you get into things that definitely have no business being in your possession. For example, one morning I was making the bed and noticed my glasses were missing. When I tracked you down, you were carefully examining them and when you realized I was standing over you, you quickly gave them back. And for another example? When I was finishing getting my hair dried one morning, you helped yourself to your daddy's end table and got a hold of his nose spray. When I realized you were being awfully quiet, I came into the living room to find you squirting the nose spray onto the carpet. You had unscrewed the top and were quite pleased with yourself, and threw a pretty good fit when I took it back.
We have been to our neighborhood pool a few times, and you really like splashing in the water and watching the bigger kids run around. If they'd let you, I'm sure you'd jump right in the fun and games. You are such a cute little guy in your pirate swim trunks and rash guard. You will not wear the bucket hat we have for you, so all the sunscreen from that bald head runs down in your eyes, which irritates you and so we never stay at the pool for long. I'm sure by the end of the summer, you'll be quite the little water baby.
You're still saying your usual words, and I don't really think we've added anything extra to your expressive vocabulary this month, but your receptive vocabulary sure is expanding! You follow directions (i.e. 'put that in the trash' , 'get your sippy cup' , 'find your passy'). Your nonverbal skills are really getting stronger, too! You know just how to get us to get/do/find anything you need/want. It's actually pretty impressive.
We love you and love watching you grow. You're so fun, and such a little flirt!
Can't wait to see what happens next.
Love always,
Mom and Dad
Yes, that's right, I called you a monkey. Basically because you have learned to climb and jump, and do so at every opportunity. I'm fairly positive my heart will give out at any moment. You love to get up on the couch (still with some assistance - whether we help or you push a toy over to climb on) and run from side to side and jump up and down. I know we shouldn't let you, because I think that's what parents do, but it looks like fun, and as long as we're around to catch you, I really don't mind.
Now that you're 16 months old, you're really getting a little attitude. You definitely are strong-willed and let us know when you're not getting your way. The good thing is that you're easily distracted and quickly forget about whatever made you upset in the first place.
I think you've had a few growth spurts. All of a sudden you can see what's on top of the tables and don't mind helping yourself to whatever you see. We've had to set a few boundaries, but there are still occasions you get into things that definitely have no business being in your possession. For example, one morning I was making the bed and noticed my glasses were missing. When I tracked you down, you were carefully examining them and when you realized I was standing over you, you quickly gave them back. And for another example? When I was finishing getting my hair dried one morning, you helped yourself to your daddy's end table and got a hold of his nose spray. When I realized you were being awfully quiet, I came into the living room to find you squirting the nose spray onto the carpet. You had unscrewed the top and were quite pleased with yourself, and threw a pretty good fit when I took it back.
We have been to our neighborhood pool a few times, and you really like splashing in the water and watching the bigger kids run around. If they'd let you, I'm sure you'd jump right in the fun and games. You are such a cute little guy in your pirate swim trunks and rash guard. You will not wear the bucket hat we have for you, so all the sunscreen from that bald head runs down in your eyes, which irritates you and so we never stay at the pool for long. I'm sure by the end of the summer, you'll be quite the little water baby.
You're still saying your usual words, and I don't really think we've added anything extra to your expressive vocabulary this month, but your receptive vocabulary sure is expanding! You follow directions (i.e. 'put that in the trash' , 'get your sippy cup' , 'find your passy'). Your nonverbal skills are really getting stronger, too! You know just how to get us to get/do/find anything you need/want. It's actually pretty impressive.
We love you and love watching you grow. You're so fun, and such a little flirt!
Can't wait to see what happens next.
Love always,
Mom and Dad
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Mother
When I was pregnant with Luke, I would think about bringing him home to a cute crib, rocking him in a comfy chair, and changing cute little cloth diapers to lessen our contribution to the landfills of the world. I would read him stories, tell him jokes, sing to him, and even review the day's mail with him. I thought a lot about how I would want to raise him, how I would mold him into the most awesome little guy ever.
Let's just say, we didn't bring him home and put him in his cute crib. He slept in his pack-n-play in our room. The comfy chair was in the next room and I was too tired to walk across the hall to sit in it, so I'd sit in bed and rock back and forth. The cloth diapers were too big when he came home so we used pampers. And then some more pampers, and then...well, more pampers. We still read stories, sing and dance and stack and knock down block after block. I think we're doing a good job raising him, setting boundaries, and providing a comfortable home. At least, I think that's what we're doing.
But since the day he was born, I'm a completely different person. I never once thought about how he would mold me. I'm more patient, kind, forgiving. I see the world completely different than before. I seek out advice on the web about what kids eat. When should they try this? When should they be doing that? And I've come to realize, mothers don't know it all. And I don't think I want to.
I love my little mister, and I'm so thankful for the joy he brings me, Chris, and everyone he comes in contact with. He truly is a blessing in my life.
Let's just say, we didn't bring him home and put him in his cute crib. He slept in his pack-n-play in our room. The comfy chair was in the next room and I was too tired to walk across the hall to sit in it, so I'd sit in bed and rock back and forth. The cloth diapers were too big when he came home so we used pampers. And then some more pampers, and then...well, more pampers. We still read stories, sing and dance and stack and knock down block after block. I think we're doing a good job raising him, setting boundaries, and providing a comfortable home. At least, I think that's what we're doing.
But since the day he was born, I'm a completely different person. I never once thought about how he would mold me. I'm more patient, kind, forgiving. I see the world completely different than before. I seek out advice on the web about what kids eat. When should they try this? When should they be doing that? And I've come to realize, mothers don't know it all. And I don't think I want to.
I love my little mister, and I'm so thankful for the joy he brings me, Chris, and everyone he comes in contact with. He truly is a blessing in my life.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Letter to Baby
Dear Luke,
15 months and growing like a weed. We've been so busy this past month that I'm late in writing this!
Your vocabulary sure is growing. You now say 'mama', 'daddy/dada', 'assy' (for passy), 'asser' (for Baxter) and 'baby'. You sign 'all done', 'more' and you clap. You're pointing at things you want and initiating us in play more and more. You also shake your head yes or no rather appropriately when asked a yes/no question. It sure is fun to see your nonverbal communication skills growing as well as your vocabulary!
You toddle around everywhere. You refuse to stay still for too long and you actually eat breakfast on the move. I hold the banana and you come get a bite when you're ready for it. You also like to walk around while drinking your milk out of the side of your mouth so that it doesn't block your view while you're walking around.
We experienced your first sleep-over when your cousins came to stay with us. You had so much fun chasing Jude and Grant around and loved watching them throw the ball outside. I know you'll be right in on all that action in the next few months. They really wore you out, too. After they left, you took a super long nap. Maybe we should have them over more often!
This past month was also the first time we've been to the doctor because you were sick. You ended up with strep throat and running fever, so we had to put you on a little medicine to help clear that up. After a few days on the medicine, you were back to normal, which was great because we had plans to go visit your Grandma and Grandpa in NWA!
Once we were comfortable with how you were doing (and then mom got sick), we left for NWA for a weekend visit at Grandma and Grandpa's. You, daddy and Grandpa went to a Razorback baseball game and you stayed for 7 innings! The Razorbacks won and daddy and Grandpa said you were excellent and loved watching the players swing the bat and throw the ball.
Today is your 15 month check up so we'll see how you're progressing. Who knows, maybe we'll get out of the 10th %tile!
We love you and can't wait to see what you do next!
Mom and Dad
15 months and growing like a weed. We've been so busy this past month that I'm late in writing this!
Your vocabulary sure is growing. You now say 'mama', 'daddy/dada', 'assy' (for passy), 'asser' (for Baxter) and 'baby'. You sign 'all done', 'more' and you clap. You're pointing at things you want and initiating us in play more and more. You also shake your head yes or no rather appropriately when asked a yes/no question. It sure is fun to see your nonverbal communication skills growing as well as your vocabulary!
You toddle around everywhere. You refuse to stay still for too long and you actually eat breakfast on the move. I hold the banana and you come get a bite when you're ready for it. You also like to walk around while drinking your milk out of the side of your mouth so that it doesn't block your view while you're walking around.
We experienced your first sleep-over when your cousins came to stay with us. You had so much fun chasing Jude and Grant around and loved watching them throw the ball outside. I know you'll be right in on all that action in the next few months. They really wore you out, too. After they left, you took a super long nap. Maybe we should have them over more often!
This past month was also the first time we've been to the doctor because you were sick. You ended up with strep throat and running fever, so we had to put you on a little medicine to help clear that up. After a few days on the medicine, you were back to normal, which was great because we had plans to go visit your Grandma and Grandpa in NWA!
Once we were comfortable with how you were doing (and then mom got sick), we left for NWA for a weekend visit at Grandma and Grandpa's. You, daddy and Grandpa went to a Razorback baseball game and you stayed for 7 innings! The Razorbacks won and daddy and Grandpa said you were excellent and loved watching the players swing the bat and throw the ball.
Today is your 15 month check up so we'll see how you're progressing. Who knows, maybe we'll get out of the 10th %tile!
We love you and can't wait to see what you do next!
Mom and Dad
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Letter to Baby
Luke,
14 months have passed since the day you were born! So much has happened since last month, I can't hardly keep track!
Well, first things first...you.are.walking. And I don't mean taking a few steps here and there. No, you are almost dead sprinting everywhere you go. You actually took your first steps the day you turned 13 months, but it's not been until the last 2 1/2 weeks or so that you've really stepped up your game (and your confidence). We bought you a pair of squeaky shoes that are so much fun! They are red, lace-up, sneakers and we crack up when you're walking around squeaking away.
You are also really feeding yourself more and more, even holding the banana! You love fig newtons now and that has become a favorite treat. Also, you love popcorn! It's even more fun putting your hand into the bowl and moving the popcorn all around, finding just the right piece. And you're getting a little more picky about foods. You definitely eat only what you want, but as long as you're eating, we're okay.
And can I just say that you're turning into quite the little momma's boy? You and I have this special bond (like any mother and child) and sometimes it's difficult for you (and me) to be apart. Even if you're sitting right next to me. It's like I'm your comfort blankie :) It melts my heart and makes me want to take you everywhere! However, on the flip side, you are becoming more independent. And with that independence comes some serious fits. If you're into something you're not supposed to be in, you throw the biggest fit! It makes me laugh to think that we're already entering that phase of your life...it's too soon!!
Oh! and you love to push anything and everything around. If it's going to budge, you're going to move it. And to add to that, if you can shake it, roll it, rattle it, or anything else, you're going to make it do just that.
You truly are our little man, and we love you dearly.
Can't wait to see where the next month takes us!!
Love you so,
Mom and Dad
14 months have passed since the day you were born! So much has happened since last month, I can't hardly keep track!
Well, first things first...you.are.walking. And I don't mean taking a few steps here and there. No, you are almost dead sprinting everywhere you go. You actually took your first steps the day you turned 13 months, but it's not been until the last 2 1/2 weeks or so that you've really stepped up your game (and your confidence). We bought you a pair of squeaky shoes that are so much fun! They are red, lace-up, sneakers and we crack up when you're walking around squeaking away.
You are also really feeding yourself more and more, even holding the banana! You love fig newtons now and that has become a favorite treat. Also, you love popcorn! It's even more fun putting your hand into the bowl and moving the popcorn all around, finding just the right piece. And you're getting a little more picky about foods. You definitely eat only what you want, but as long as you're eating, we're okay.
And can I just say that you're turning into quite the little momma's boy? You and I have this special bond (like any mother and child) and sometimes it's difficult for you (and me) to be apart. Even if you're sitting right next to me. It's like I'm your comfort blankie :) It melts my heart and makes me want to take you everywhere! However, on the flip side, you are becoming more independent. And with that independence comes some serious fits. If you're into something you're not supposed to be in, you throw the biggest fit! It makes me laugh to think that we're already entering that phase of your life...it's too soon!!
Oh! and you love to push anything and everything around. If it's going to budge, you're going to move it. And to add to that, if you can shake it, roll it, rattle it, or anything else, you're going to make it do just that.
You truly are our little man, and we love you dearly.
Can't wait to see where the next month takes us!!
Love you so,
Mom and Dad
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