Luke's Life Lately...

My NINTH MONTH of Life has been pretty exciting, 

so here's what I've been up to lately...

I started the month with my first airshow at a local air force base. I loved watching the jets zoom by, especially the Blue Angels. It was really loud though, so thankfully Mom and Dad found me some ear plugs to drown out some of the noise and protect my ear drums. My Dad is a chaplain for the Airforce and has always loved their planes, so it was particularly special to explore the airshow together. 

I love being more mobile these days, and I crack my parents up with my backwards crawling. Mom recorded my first full forward crawl on May 22nd...so about halfway through this month I was officially very much on the move. Now I can chase after my brother and get into whatever he's into. I am so excited to get into things with him! As the month went on, I also began pulling up on everything to stand. 

I had my 9 month check up and I'm growing like a weed. I'm already 19 pounds! My brother is only a few pounds more than me. It's no wonder we fit in the same size four diapers these days. The doctor said I looked great and I didn't have to get any shots at this month's appointment, so I was very happy about that.

I'm really getting into new foods. I tried yogurt for the first time and man is it delicious. My cousin Talia really likes yogurt, so Mom let me try some and I loved it too. I'm not surprised because it's one of Levi's favorite foods too. I also had my first apple sauce pouch. It was so easy to suck it out of the pouch when we were out and about and I needed a snack. I've been watching my brother suck these down and now it's finally my turn to have one all to myself.  Mom said she's excited to have these easy go to snacks. 

Nana, Tati, Uncle Chris, Talia and Uncle Victor came for a visit this month for Memorial Day Weekend. We started the weekend admiring all the Memorial Day flags in the Boston Common, then we had a picnic and all the cousins got to go for a ride on the carousel (my first ride by the way). We also had had fun exploring Gloucester and Rockport. Uncle Chris declared my nickname should be the "Lukeness Monster". It's a perfect nickname from him since my brother's is "Leviathan". Gotta love being crazy sea monsters together! The big guys all went to a Red Sox game and I got to hang out with Levi and the ladies. We did some shopping and wore our Red Sox gear to cheer on the team...even Talia joined us in her new Red Sox gear. 

I actually got to do quite a bit of traveling and visiting this month because we had fun trips planned for the next two weekends. First, we traveled to Martha's Vineyard with the youth group for the spring youth retreat. I got to ride the ferry in our car...craziness! I loved hanging out with all the students. The girls liked holding me and passing me around and I certainly didn't mind the attention. We stayed at a great retreat center in the woods, but it was super close to the beach...so I made my first beach appearance and I LOVED playing in the sand!

We kicked off the next weekend with my FIRST RED SOX GAME! We had seats with a great view and Mom was very excited to get my first picture at Fenway where she's taken Levi's every year. It's a pretty cool tradition, one I'm sure will be neat to compare and enjoy as I grow each year. I know she cherishes the pictures, so I try to smile and be as cute as I possibly can. I loved clapping for the Red Sox while watching the game in Mama's lap. 

Speaking of "Mama"...I've been "mama-ing" a ton these days. Dad says now it's time to work on my "dadas". I have to keep him on his toes, so I'll surprise him with a dada eventually.

We wrapped up the month with a trip to Charlottesville for Mama's 10 year UVA reunion. Levi and I got to hang out with Great Granny, Grandma and Grandpop most of the weekend. I had so much fun clapping at Great Granny and checking out the cows on her farm. I'm a city boy, but I love getting to enjoy a taste of the country life with my brother! It's especially special to visit Granny's because we get to visit with so many cousins who live close by.  I can't wait to go back to the farm and run around with all the big kids. Mom and Dad were out a bunch throughout the weekend, but I was really good for Grandma, Grandpop and Granny even with this being the first time I was away from Mama for any extended period of time really. I'm still waking up at night, so I got my one on one mama time in the wee hours once Mom had gotten home.

There have been many firsts lately...
        Apple sauce pouch.
        Crawl.
        Red Sox Game.
        Memorial Day.
        Beach Trip.
        Visit to Great Granny's Farm.

It's been a great seventh month of life out of the womb and I know I have LOTS of cool first life experiences to look forward to. Lately, it's been a MOBILE NINTH MONTH of life.

Luke's Life Lately...

My EIGHTH MONTH of Life has been pretty exciting, 

so here's what I've been up to lately...

I am getting really good at this teething thing! I got my two top teeth this month like a pro, so now I'm up to six teeth in my gummy mouth! 

In other big news, I am trying really hard to become mobile. This month I mastered scooting backwards and I have gotten as far as half crawl forward. I'm going to be following my brother around before we know it and I can't wait to keep up!

I am enjoying this thing called spring. Once we were back in Boston and so was Dad, we all went for a picnic on the Esplanade. It was so nice to sit on the blanket together watching the sailboats on the Charles River. 

I've started doing this fun head nod that Mom says looks like a move out of the show I Dream of Jeannie. If you nod at me, I'll nod right back at you and keep doing it. It's turned into a really fun game!

I also took a trip with Mommy and Levi to visit Aunt Thais and her boys this month. Dad was doing his military time, so we got to have a fun trip while he was away. While I was at the Carter's, we went to a few playgrounds and I got to try out my first SWING! It was so much fun and Levi swung right beside me. He yelled "wee" the whole time and he was really excited to be showing me how this whole swinging thing is done! I got lots of attention while I was visiting. Isaiah, Sammy and James all wanted to hold me and play with me. They are really cool just like my big brother Levi and we all have a lot of fun together.

Dad gave me a funny nickname this month, Sticky Fingers Luke, because nothing is safe if it's within my arms reach. I want whatever you have or whatever is in front of me on a table or on the floor. I've grabbed a few tasty treats off Mom's plate this month even though I haven't gotten quite that far with eating solids. I am beginning to try different fruits and vegetables, but finger foods still get my gag reflex pretty good, so Mom is taking their introduction slowly.

There have been many firsts lately...
        Swing at the playground!

It's been a great seventh month of life out of the womb and I know I have LOTS of cool first life experiences to look forward to. Lately, it's been a GRABBY EIGHTH MONTH of life.

Luke's Life Lately...

My SEVENTH MONTH of Life has been pretty exciting, 

so here's what I've been up to lately...

For starters, I gave Mom a taste of the good life when I slept from 9pm to 5am straight.. I did that the night of March 24th (she even wrote down the date!!)..but then I decided that sleeping that long is for the weak and waking every few hours is way more exciting especially when you're getting new teeth. I know, I'm a stinker! It took my brother 11 months to get the hang of it, so that buys me a little more time to figure this whole night time sleeping thing out. I'm pretty sure Mom is hoping I figure it out A LOT sooner than my brother though.

Speaking of teeth, I got my third and fourth bottom teeth this month. Getting those teeth was no joke for anyone and man did it give me an upset belly for a while there thanks to all the acid in my saliva helping to break down my gums...YOWSERS!

Mom got out our circus tent/ castle this month and I got to play inside with Levi. I am so glad my brother lets me hang out with him and play. He is too cool! I'm also beginning to think about this crawling thing. I hear it makes getting around easier, so I'm working on my strength training, stamina and propelling myself forward. I'll keep you posted on my training.

Levi and I matched for St. Patrick's Day. Grandma sent us these really cute clover shirts, clover glasses and light up necklaces. We looked so cool...at least I thought so!

Our friend Julia came to town this month all the way from Oregon and I got to spend some time with her. She stayed in Boston just long enough to see me born and keep my brother company while my parents brought me into the world, so we have a special bond me and her.

I also celebrated my first Easter this month. Grandma and Grandpop came to visit for Easter and had a nice long visit too. We went Easter egg hunting around Faneuil Hall and the Easter Bunny came to my house and filled the awesome Easter basket that Nana made for me. The basket says my name and everything! It was filled with all sorts of cool baby gear, tons of books and baby treats since I'm not eating chocolate and jelly beans just yet. Mom kept swooning over how handsome I looked in my collared shirt and bow tie on Easter morning when we headed to church to celebrate Christ's resurrection. Then that night we had a house full of people (18 to be exact) for Easter dinner and it was sooooo much fun! I took a little snooze on Grandpop while Mom, Dad and Grandma were getting dinner and the table ready. I heard the food was delicious and there were enough kids to have our own kids table with seven kids in all...I visited with everyone and I sat with Mom until it was time for me to go to bed.

We took Grandma and Grandpop to the New England Aquarium the next day. I loved seeing all the penguins and the fish...so many beautiful fish! I loved getting to stand up and lean on the fish tanks to see all the fish up close. That made me feel like such a big boy.

It's finally spring this month too, so we've been going out for nice walks and Mom let me sit in the grass for the first time and watch the ducks swim by. I also got to watch my brother do some playing with Dad on the playground. I can't wait until I'm big enough to slide and climb all over the playground. We've been going to the playground almost every day and luckily we have four we really like around our neighborhood. With it being so nice out we've also had a few picnics already...one on our patio and one over on the esplanade. The Red Sox also had their home opener and I got to match Dad and Levi when we all wore our Red Sox shirts together. It's one of Mom's favorite pictures of all of us!

There have been many firsts lately...
        Sleep through the night.
        St.Patrick's Day.
        Easter.
        Aquarium Trip.
        Picnic.

It's been a great seventh month of life out of the womb and I know I have LOTS of cool first life experiences to look forward to. Lately, it's been a CELEBRATORY SEVENTH MONTH of life.

Luke's Life Lately...

My SIXTH MONTH of Life has been pretty exciting, so here's what I've been up to lately...

The big news this month is that my first and second tooth came in! I got my first on the bottom on February 23rd and then my second bottom tooth on February 26th both while visiting Virginia. There's something about being around Nana that makes me and my brother's teeth erupt! Mom is loving my new toothy grin especially since I'm so so smiley! 

I am proud to report that I am beginning to sit like a champ! As you can see from many of Mom's pictures this month I am learning to stay balanced and upright. It's a new world from this sitting position and I'm loving it. Occasionally I get tired or lose my balance and almost topple over, so to avoid any bumps and bruises Mom will often sit me inside the boppy pillow now that way I'm surrounded by a nice cushion to soften my fall. It works like a charm. I'm even beginning to experiment with moving from a sitting to a tummy time position depending on what toys are within my reach. I just fold at the waste, lean forward and reach and then I can scoot onto my tummy with no trouble at all. 

I've also been doing a bit more rolling now and then too. I prefer to roll from my back to my tummy. Once I'm on my tummy I'd rather stay there or cry for help because even though I have rolled from my stomach to my back I just HATE doing it!

I had my six month check up and I now weigh 16lbs 13 oz and I'm 26 3/4 inches long. Grow grow grow, that's my motto. It was a great check up until the end when I had to get 4 shots. They are no fun, but I know they'll be good for my health in the long run. The doctor was pleased to see how well I'm sitting and Mom mentioned how I don't like to roll over a ton wondering if she should be concerned and he told her that's okay because some babies just don't do a lot of rolling. I'm that baby! 

I'm trying out sorts of new things this month. I slept in the crib in the nursery for the first time for almost a week since I was only waking up around midnight and 4am, but then I decided to participate in the 6 month sleep regression and I got a cold too, so I started waking up every one to two hours for a while. Since I was disturbing my big brother's sleep with all that waking, I won myself another extended stay in Mom and Dad's room. I'm excited for when I'm sleeping well enough to share a room with Levi, but we have plenty of years ahead for that, so right now I'll just soak up my time with Mom and Dad.

Speaking of big brothers, mine is the best and he loves me so much! He makes sure to hug and kiss me before every nap and bedtime as well as at random moments when he declares "Lukie's AWAKE!" followed by another kiss and/or hug. I love all the attention because I think he's swell too. He even asked to get in on my pictures this month. He doesn't love the camera most days, but he does love M&Ms, so he begged Mom to take some pictures with me this month because he was craving some MMs as he calls them. I guess I can look forward to MMs when I'm two too!

I'm into the bronx cheer these days too as you can see. The wetter the better! 

I also went to the nursery at Mom's Bible study for the first time. It was lots of fun to play with the other babies my age especially since I can get pretty squirmy these days when I'm just hanging out with Mom. The workers in the nursery said I was charming and smiley the whole time I was there and being there made me feel like such a big boy like my brother since he goes at church and at Bible study, so I was just waiting for my chance and that day finally came.

I visited Virginia again this month with Mom and Levi while Dad headed out to California for school. We were all excited to get out of the snow, but guess what...if you guessed snow, you got it...IT SNOWED IN VIRGINIA TOO while we were there. Not that it never snows in the south, but we were hoping to escape the winter weather and it followed us. Oh well, the silver lining was that Grandma and Nana both had snow days while we were visiting meaning we got to spend more time with them, a definite bonus! At Grandma's I moved into the high chair since Levi was ready for a booster seat at the kitchen table...any day now and Mom will start me on some solids! I can't wait to put the high chair to good use for its actual purpose. At Nana's I went for a swim in the big jacuzzi tub with Levi (and Nana in her bathing suit to hold me of course). I got in another visit with Aunt Amy and Uncle Evan and I got to meet Mom's friend Ashley who is expecting a friend for me in a few months. Then Mom and I drove to Richmond to meet up with her friend Celeste because Celeste had a little boy, Ian, just a couple months after I was born. It was just us guys and our Moms hanging out, drinking coffee and milk in our cases and having a nice chill time. I love getting alone time with Mom when I can, but I'm always excited to be reunited with Levi.

Once we headed back to Boston, our friends Aunt Haley, Uncle Justin and Sawyer came to visit and we all had a BLAST! We showed them all around Boston since Uncle Justin and Sawyer had never been. We kids even got to hang out with a couple fun babysitters while the grownups went to a Bruins game. Then on Dad's day off, we all went to the Children's Museum and they have a fun padded room that was perfect for me to play in...made just for babies, so unlike my last visit where I just watched Levi and snoozed a bit I actually got in on some of the action this time around!

There have been many firsts lately...
        Teeth.
        Successful time sitting on my own.

It's been a great sixth month of life out of the womb and I know I have LOTS of cool first life experiences to look forward to. Lately, it's been a WELL BALANCED and DROOLY SIXTH MONTH of life.