Friends & Fun

Okay, a real post now. :)

Luke has been eating almost everything by himself! I am still using up a few jars of baby food (mostly given to the nursery workers to make things easier for them), and I spoon-feed him applesauce or yogurt mixed with baby cereal for breakfast. But he eats a variety of items himself and really enjoys them all. He still has some things he doesn't like, even when he puts it in his mouth himself (like cucumbers!), but he's eaten the following recently: Cheerios, bananas, bread (including the crusts), peas, carrots, corn, peaches, pears, pineapple, spaghetti noodles, hamburger (in the spaghetti sauce), star puffs, scrambled eggs, shortcake, whipped cream (!), lunchmeat, cheese (sliced and shredded), and possibly a few other things I'm not remembering right now. :)

We went to the park on Thursday with Bethany and Karis. It was Luke's first time at a park and he seemed to really like it! He enjoyed the baby swings they had (he has swung in a different type of baby swing before at his cousin's house) and sitting in the grass. He even put a seed pod thingy in his mouth when I looked away for a second - I looked back at him and noticed that he had a inquisitive expression on his face while working his mouth! So, I quickly took it out and thankfully he didn't try to repeat the experience. :) Oh, and this little squirrel came up really close to us.

On Friday, we met up with some long-lost friends! My friend Angie, from college and currently living in New York, was visiting her family in California, so she came to hang out with Joanna and I with her mom, sister and niece. We all had a nice time having lunch and chatting and sharing our babies with each other. We met at the cafe at Master's, and Nathan's dad walked by a couple times (he works there). The second time he came by, Luke recognized him and started laughing! So, of course, grandpa couldn't resist some Luke time. :)

I FINALLY got pictures taken of Luke's nursery. I had been waiting until I finished my Snoopy cross-stitch, but it took me forever to get around to framing it. Then, we needed to take down the mobile over the crib because Luke can grab at it and pull it down now. So I figured I had better get some pictures for his baby book before things change too much more. :)

This weekend, Nathan found this wonderful plant stand for our roses. He picked it out himself (I wasn't with him at the time). My dad recommended that we get our pots up off the ground of our patio since it can get so hot out there (you can burn your feet if you're barefoot!). He said that will help the plants be happier since they won't get quite so hot. Therefore, this plant stand will raise up our 3 miniature rose bushes in style! On the left is our green pepper plant that's doing well (we repotted it into a bigger pot than we'd originally given it so it could get a little bigger). On the right is our aloe vera plant. The old plant wasn't doing so well because it had thoroughly outgrown it's pot (another observation from my dad), so we took it out, saved this little slip and repotted that in a new, slightly bigger pot (so we'll have a little bit more time before having to do this again - aloes just keep growing and spreading!). We just threw out the rest of the old plant. Both of those plants and our orange tree are all on plant trivets that we bought so they can have a little air circulation underneath as well. So, our patio is happy and green!

And, I'll leave you with a happy Luke smile! I was taking pictures of the plants and Luke started talking to me like he wanted me to take a picture of him, too (we put him in his infant seat when we're planting so he can be outside with us - yet contained!). So, I went over to him and asked if he wanted a picture taken also, and he gave me this cute pose. :)

Hughes Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

I guess he's the perfect blend of the two of us!

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb

I've often wondered about these things, so I finally did one. :) I think it looks pretty cool. I'll probably do a "Look-alike Meter" next that shows who they think Luke looks more like: me or Nathan. :) Stay tuned!

What I Was Doing...

What I was doing 10 years ago (April 1998):
I was wrapping up my junior year of high school at a small Christian school in Oregon (40 kids in my senior class). I was an A student and was involved in choir and handbells. I had a letterman jacket even though all my "letters" were choir pins - not an athletic bone in my body! I was really involved in my church youth group and loved to drive!

What I was doing 5 years ago (April 2003):
I'd been married for 8 months and was finishing up my senior year of college as a Home Ec major at The Master's College. I was the first person to actually have a Home Ec emphasis printed on my degree - I'd taken enough clothing & textiles credits for the registrar to count the emphasis, but either noone from that department had ever done that, or noone had ever made a point to get it noticed on their degree before. :P

What I was doing 1 year ago (April 2007):
I was starting my third trimester of pregnancy and wrapping up my 4-years of working part-time at the SCV Pregnancy Center. I sang in the church choir and worked on setting up our nursery. I flew to Oregon to enjoy a baby shower my mom threw for me - lots of family and friends came to give their support and cute baby boy clothes! Nathan and I took an overnight trip to Santa Barbara for our final pre-baby vacation. We had a wonderful time, even though I couldn't walk as far as I usually can on our vacations (your bones start to protest when you're in your 3rd trimester!)

What I was doing yesterday (April 24, 2008):
Got up early to see my honey off to work, then spent the morning with my little boy. After lunch, Luke & I went to the park with our friends, Bethany & Karis - the babies enjoyed the swings, playing in the grass, and sticking seed pods in their mouths (okay, only Luke did that!). In the evening after Nathan came home from work, we went to his parent's house for family dinner. Luke got to help plant pumpkins in Grandpa's garden, enjoyed eating some of our dinner like a big boy, and playing with his cousins afterward. After he went to sleep, Nathan & I watched The Office and 30 Rock on TV.

I enjoy:
My husband, son, friends, cross-stitching, eating ice cream!

5 TV Shows I Love:
The Office, Barefoot Contessa, Lost, Good Eats, Heroes

5 Things I Hate:
My sin; the evil, deceived mindset of the world; drivers that aren't courteous or law-abiding; being so far away from my family; forgetting to use a coupon at the grocery store (I remember when I get home)

5 Biggest Joys in My Life:
Having my sins washed away by the blood of my Savior, marrying my best friend, being a mom to a wonderful little boy, enjoying the friends in my life, smelling the roses

I Tag:
Jennifer M., Angie P., Jenny P., and anyone else who wants to!

Grandparents Weekend

Playing with the packages of candy and snacks that my parents brought with them from Oregon.

Having a "jam session" with Grandpa!

We visited Joanna on Friday so my parents could see Vijay again. Joanna loved this hat my mom made!

Nathan & my dad took Luke down the hill to get Panda Express for dinner. My mom & I drove down to get them when they were ready so that the food wouldn't get cold on the trek back up the hill to our house (I'm kicking myself because I forgot to bring my camera with me to take a picture!). Here, Luke's playing with some chopsticks. :)

We went to Descanso Gardens on Saturday for a little bit. My parents loved the green and we enjoyed showing Luke the flowers. He liked to pull the petals off and attempt to eat them!

We went to BJs for dinner - my parents had never before experienced a pizzookie!

My mom brought this cute shirt for Luke that he wore to church on Sunday.

Happy Grandparents!

After my parents left, Nathan and I had some time on our hands to hang out as a family. Nathan propped Luke up on his hands and knees and he actually stayed for a little bit! Luke did this a few times, but now whenever I try, he refuses to do it. So, he's technically strong enough to start learning how to crawl - it's just a matter of whether or not he'll WANT to. :)

My two favorite guys!

Picture Update

I don't have a lot of time, but I figured I'd better put up the latest pictures and news before my parents come tomorrow or you'd all get one REALLY LONG post after they go home! :)

Luke has added a new position to his sleeping style: on his tummy! We found him this way a few times in a row, but then again found him on his back or side. So he hasn't officially made a choice as to which one he prefers. :)

Our little man likes to stand and does quite well holding on to just about anything. He's so grown up! He even stood all by himself for a couple seconds a few days ago!

We got some decorations for Luke's bathroom (which is also Cinnamon's bathroom and the guest bathroom). We originally wanted to go with rubber duckies but couldn't find any that we really liked, or that were appropriate for boys and girls (since we may still be living here with a second child, which may be a girl). They had some frog accessories also, but then we saw these surfing penquins and couldn't decide. We put the tumblers in front of Luke (sitting in the cart in the store) and asked him to pick which one he wanted. He contemplated for awhile and looked at them both, then raised his hand and patted the penguin cup! :) So, here we are! All ready for my parents to enjoy - it makes it so much more cheerful in there!

Luke gets his teeth brushed now - all three of them - as well as his gums. He loves watching us brush our teeth and wasn't sure what to think initially with his own teeth/gums being brushed, but took to it pretty quickly. When I'm done doing the actual cleaning, I let him hold onto the brush for a little bit and he chews on it. :)

Here's a good shot of his teeth.

We bought a green bell peper plant on Sunday and now it's on our front porch. It should produce fruit in about 70 days, so I'll keep you posted as to how things turn out. Supposedly they can handle direct sun - we'll see... our patio puts all those recommendations to the test since it can get to be a raging inferno out there some times. :)

Luke's helping Daddy with his junk mail.

Luke had taken his bath in his baby tub a few times just sitting on a washcloth (instead of sitting on the end of the sling thing) to see if he was ready for the big tub. He did well, so here he is enjoying his first taste of freedom - he seemed to really like it!

Standing tall!

This morning, I put Luke on a blanket while I was in the shower. I heard him making some different noises half-way through, so I peeked out and he was still squarely in the middle of the blanket. However, when I got out, he was clear over there! He's been rolling over and over in the same direction to get across the room - and gets mad if a wall stops him!

Enjoy these and stay tuned for some pictures of Grandparent Fun from this weekend!

Busy & Sick

Luke had his 9-month check up a day after I posted last, and I fully intended to put up his stats then, but it's been so crazy around here. A lot of it has been Luke being much more fussy than usual because he's teething (tooth number 3 is here!), and when he's napping, I'm resting too because Luke gave me his cold (which he has had in addition to teething - fun, fun). Thankfully, things seem to be slowing down a little. I'm still sick, but Luke's teeth seem to be bothering him less so that makes us both a lot happier!

Anyway, here are his official 9-month stats: Height - 28-1/2" (60th percentile); Weight - 19 lbs, 10 oz (35th percentile); Head - 49cm (higher off the chart than at his last check-up!).

I'm kind of surprised at him being on the smaller side this time since he's always been higher on the percentile charts when he was little - but it's nice to know that there are lots more baby boys out there that are even heavier to carry around than Luke is! :) I've gotten 20 or 21 lbs when I've weighed him at home before, but he had been quite picky about food the past week because of his teeth, so maybe he lost a little weight because of that.

Also, if you're keeping track, his height is the same as it was last time (at 6 months), but they had some trouble measuring him last time (got 25" once and 28-1/2" once) and when I've measured him at home, I only got about 27", so I think the last measurement they did was wrong, rather than him not growing at all over the past 3 months. They measured him twice this time and got 28-1/2" both times, so I'm pretty sure this current measurement is accurate.

I'm also surprised that his head seems to be so out of proportion to the rest of him according to their percentile charts. He seems to have been growing into the largeness of his head over the past several months and it doesn't seem quite as big compared to his body as it did when he was little. Maybe since every baby's head is a little big compared to their body when they're really new, he's only now separating from the pack - when it seems like most babies' head growth slows down some. He's getting smarter every day! I don't really notice his head being big, but I've probably gotten used to it - he's sure cute!

On Saturday, we enjoyed attending a birthday party for our nephew, Owen, who turned 2. Lots of fun - and lots of Thomas the Train stuff! Luke kept his birthday hat on for quite a while. :)

Nine Months Old!

Time sure flies when you're having fun! Luke has now been officially outside of me as long as he was inside. :) Enjoy these pictures from the last several days:

Our little man loves to stand (still with our help or leaning onto something). He really likes to talk and make noises when he's standing. :) Since he's spending more time upright either standing or sitting, I thought it would be nice to try out some of his cute shirts that don't snap on the bottom. It's also getting a little warmer (although it got cold again this week), so I won't worry as much about his little tummy getting cold if the shirt rides up when I'm carrying him. :)

Luke tried out his cousin's baby swing last week and seemed to really like it! He actually kind of fussed when it slowed down and seemed the happiest when I was pushing him gently in it.

Our son is officially a "side sleeper". Pretty much every time we check on him at night now, he's on his side. So cute. I thought this picture was cute because his foot is propped up on the side of the crib.

I caught the sewing bug and made three 18" doll dresses on Friday & Saturday. I found this fabric in my stash and when I started to cut out the pieces, I realized I could make three dresses out of the yard that I had. So, I decided that rather than having to pick one way to decorate the dress, I would just make all three and embelish each one differently. :) I have them all for sale on Esty: http://www.stitchinmommy.etsy.com/. Which one is your favorite?

Cute photo-op in his Sunday clothes. I was taking pictures of the last of my doll dresses and he was starting to fuss, so when I was done, I set him down in front of the backdrop and took a few of him as well!

Monday morning, Luke woke up with the crib bumper on his head, so we decided to take it off thinking he was getting too big for it. Then, when I checked on him before we went to bed, this is how he was - one little foot poking through the slats.

He woke up fussing several times that night (NOT normal for him!), but always went back to sleep. One time around 4:30am, he sounded quite upset and I was about to get up to check on him when he fell back asleep before I got out of bed. Then a little after 5:00am, he cried again. This time, I got up, but by the time I got to his door, it sounded like he fell asleep again. I peeked in to check on him and this is what I found! At the time, I didn't have the heart to wake him up in order to move him (and I didn't want to risk him crying uncontrollably because he saw me and then I left). But, when we got him up that morning, it seems one of his legs was actually wedged in between the slots and it was even difficult for US to get him out. :( Then, I felt really bad and wished I had moved him when I found him at 5:00. Live and learn. Needless to say, he was kind of out of sorts all day (especially in the evening) from not having gotten quality sleep that night. We put the bumper back on (me thinks he's not really ready to handle the crib without it!) and he slept like a log last night. Yeah!

Sunshine and smiles!

Official 9 month photo-shoot this morning. The tie-dyed shirt is one my mom bought him at a "hippie shop" along the Oregon coast. :)

I'm not feeling particularly eloquent today, but here is the chorus of a hymn that popped into my head a few days ago. I sang it to Luke a few times. My prayer is that he will grow to love these truths as much as I do:

Living He loved me

Dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified freely forever

One day He's coming

Oh, glorious day!

I also just finished the book "Blessing Your Husband" by Debra Evans. EXCELLENT BOOK! If you're married, I would highly encourage you to read this. It was solid theologically and down-to-earth practical all at the same time. I've found that a lot of books are either one or the other. Read it - you won't be disappointed!