Climbing

He's getting better all the time at climbing. Supposedly, this ability is from Daddy, who was also a climber ... oh, lucky me!

Can he climb stairs?

We get this question all the time ... so I decided to let you all see just how quickly he can make it to the top



Oh, and notice at the end of the clip, after the gate has been closed, that he knows EXACTLY where the lever is to open it ... it's only a matter of time before he has that figured out, at which point I suppose we can just take it down (?)

Finger painting

I decided to try finger painting today. Let's just say that it lasted all of about 5 minutes, but I suppose it was a good introduction :). After about 2 minutes, he handed me the paper and proceeded to paint his high chair tray ... good thing the paint is super washable!

Drummer Boy

His favorite part of music class (other than "bubble time")

The infamous "Toddler Tantrum"

Is it possible that my not-yet-toddler is having tantrums already? This took place after I moved him away from a table lamp that he was insisting upon pulling down onto his head.



I think we're in trouble!

Waiting for Daddy to come home

such anticipation

Swimming lessons part II

I'm happy to report that today went (slightly) better than last week. Although the lesson itself was basically a repeat of last Wednesday, he really enjoyed the "play time" after class. He was able to float, kick, and even went under a few times without crying!

Next week I'm trying a new strategy and getting there early. I figure that maybe if we have a short "play time" before class, he'll be more comfortable and actually want to participate in the lesson (we'll see!).

Yet again I wonder ....

...why we bother to buy toys?

Yay for the Children's Discovery Museum (and making a mess somewhere else!)

Today we went to the Children's Discovery Museum. Luke had such fun ... and I loved watching him observe and try everything. Not to mention that it was great to have him climb and throw water and sand all over somewhere other than home!

He did it!

Okay, I realize that creating a posting without photos or video is relatively boring, but I just had to share the news on Luke's 1st swim lesson ...

He hated it! BUT, he went under water!!! Yep, they dunked him, and luckily, he stopped screaming long enough to hold his breath ... it was actually pretty amazing.

Like any good new mommy I came prepared with my camera, ready to document this occasion, however due to the vice-like grip that Luke had on my arm the ENTIRE time I was never able to even take the camera out of my bag. I'm hoping that as we progress in swim class, he'll learn to like it better. We'll see ... I'll keep you posted.

On another note, Kindermusik classes started up again this week, and Luke seems to love it even more than last session. He is in awe of Miss Lisa ... can't take his eyes off of her - too cute!

Happy weekend!

Catching up on video

I am working on a slideshow of Luke's first year that is going to incorporate some video clips. I just began to go through our video of Luke last night and I realized just how MUCH we took of him when he was little. I have hours of him just laying there kicking or cooing ... and then I realized how much more he does now and how LITTLE video I take of him and all of these new things. SO, I broke out the camera today and got to work trying to capture some of the important stuff that is happening in Luke's world today, but may be gone tomorrow. Here are a few clips from today:

Yesterday I brought out the straw sippy cup again. I tried this with him a few months back and it didn't seem to work, and then I sort of forgot about it. Well, as you will see, he picked up on it really quickly and is now a pro straw drinker!

Watch him answer the phone. This clip goes on a bit too long - I was attempting to get him to say "da-da," since everytime I pick up the home phone he thinks it is Daddy (it usually is!):

Luke can say the names of at least 3 animals. This clip gets him saying two of the three ... I'll try to get one of him saying "dog" up here soon!

Finally, this is what happens lately when I try to take a still picture of Luke. I've already suggested that I might need an upgraded camera for my birthday (hint, hint!):

A fun weekend

What a weekend! Mommy's friend Steph and her husband Darin were in town from Houston for my Auntie Gina's baby shower. I loved meeting them finally - they were lots of fun to have around. They spent a lot of time playing with me, and Brooklyn also got a ton of attention from them. She loved them so much that she would pee everytime she saw them (crazy dog!). Mommy is very mad at herself because she hardly took any pictures while they were here. She says that she only got one of me rocking out with Darin.

I told Mommy not to be angry with herself because I know that she had some other things on her mind. When Auntie Gina went into labor 4 weeks early, she cancelled the baby shower and went up to visit my new buddy, Jackson. Mommy says that he's super cute, but that I have to wait a little while to meet him because he's so little. Mommy took some pictures of him to show to me ... I just can't wait till we can play!

Of course, we celebrated Father's Day yesterday. We went out to breakfast at Daddy's favorite place, Bill's, and then spent the entire afternoon relaxing. Then, we had pizza for dinner with Grammy and Poppy. Mommy says that I am the luckiest little boy she knows because I have such a great Daddy ... and I couldn't agree with her more!

Turning 1

We had a photo shoot recently because I wanted to get a picture of Luke for his birthday invitation. How is it possible that almost a whole year has gone by? I know parents always say, "it goes so fast - enjoy every minute," but only now can I realize the truth in this statment. I can honestly say that I have tried my hardest to enjoy each minute (even the minutes that didn't seem possible to enjoy ... crying baby in the middle of the night, changing poopy clothes AGAIN, b.f.ing with mastitis, etc.). Oh what a year - the most fulfilling year of my life (so far)!

Sweet, sleepy toes

I went in to check on the little sleepyhead last night and from the doorway I caught sight of something hanging out of the crib. I immediately turned the hall light on so that I could get a better look at what it was ... and this is what I found:


Sweet baby feet

Luke's new favorite game

Just wonderful!

Family time at the park

Luke, Daddy, Mommy, and Brooklyn took such a nice walk to the park today. We had fun exploring the swings, rocking animals, and slides with Luke and the weather was absolutely perfect. What a great end to the weekend!