We have a walker!

Well last night at my grandmas Luke decided it was time to walk on his own! Now he has been taking 2 or 3 steps at a time but last night he walked across the whole house all by himself. He is so proud of himself it is really cute. Today at our house with the tile and wood floors he is having a harder time walking long distances. When he falls he gets so mad at himself and grunts and groans. I feel bad for him. Darn those wood floors!

While Luke has had sleep problems lately. First of all we finally decided on a bed time for him. We now put him to bed regardless if he is ready or not (which he never is) at 9pm. I know it seems late but he is kind of a night owl and would stay up until 10 or 11 if we let him. The first few nights were rough but now we put him in his bed and say good night and he may cry for a couple of minutes but then falls off to sleep. Jump to 2 or 3 am and he is awake. Now we have always known Luke doesn't sleep like most babies and we are very lucky to get him to sleep 6 or 7 hours but it is really hard on us when we are both working a lot and are super busy at our jobs. We are tired! So we wake up with him and we have tried everything. We have tried letting him cry but then he starts screaming like somethings wrong, we rock him to bed and then as soon as you set him in the crib he wakes up crying instantly. We rub his back or belly and that works until you take you hand off. We have been up every night for a week for at least an hour sometime more. The worst part is we end up bringing him to our bed because we really need that last hour and a half of sleep before we get up for work. I really am at a loss for what to do. Jason thinks he may be getting his top teeth and maybe that is the problem. I sure hope so because I'm tired!

Last week Luke and I went and played with the neighbors. We have a neighbor 2 doors down with a 2 year old little girl and a 5 month old little boy and we spent New years eve at their house and we have had lots of fun with them! So Luke was playing with Sophia while Susie and I were chatting away and Luke fell face first into the street and got his first big boy owie. He got a tiny scrape on his forhead and nose. He was pretty brave and didn't cry too much (he couldn't look like a baby in front of Sophia!).

Well I have been working with Jason's camera a little. I still have no idea what I'm doing when I take pictures but my boss showed me how to edit (yeah I never really thought to edit my photos) so here are a few I took. I will continue to try and get better!

Happy big boy!

This is a toy I had at my grandmas when I was very little!

If you look super close you can see his 2 teeth

My baby boy with beautiful eyes!

Luke loves the toy Papa and Grandma got him for Christmas. He now loves to ride on it too!

Luke and Grandma at GG's birthday party

relaxing in the high chair

A cake I made for my grandma. Guess I needed to fix the side a little ooops!

Darn Jones. I hate it he still loves it.

10 months (almost)!

Well we are approaching the 10 month mark rather quickly. Of course if you have read any of the month posts on this blog you know what I'm going to say next: I can't believe he is almost 10 months old and time is going by so fast! Yeah I'm very predictable that way.

Well our house has been busy lately. First we have our child who is constantly moving. He finally started crawling for real. I thought he was never going to but all of a sudden at almost 10 months old he figured it out! Then a couple days after starting that he has started taking steps. He is still a little bit from walking but he can now take 1 or 2 steps at a time before he falls on his bottom! I can't believe it. All of a sudden. I thought for sure he was not going to have teeth or walk by his first birthday and in the same week he started sprouting teeth and trying to walk. Today when I dropped him off at daycare he took 2 full steps trying to get to the big boys. When he finally fell he got on his hands and knees and crawled as fast as he could after them. He wants nothing to do with the "baby" toys and wants to play with the big kids and what they are playing with. We have seen a huge change in Luke the last week. His personality is forming more and more every day. Right now he thinks everything is funny. If you laugh he will laugh. If the TV is on he will look at it and laugh. He laughs at Sophie and he laughs at me every time I put him in his high chair and tell him to sit flat on his bottom. Although nothing makes him laugh as much as Loralyn's dog Guinness. Don't know what it is about that little dog but she cracks him up every time! He is getting very vocal and LOUD. He really has found his voice. My heart just melts every time I see him lately. I don't know where my tiny 5lb 5oz baby boy went but he is turning into a little boy. I am dying to get his hair cut because while he doesn't have tons of hair ( like a certain boy named Jaylen) the stuff he has is getting very long and goes over his ears and it drives me nuts. Jason won't let me cut it, which is particularly odd since he always made comments when he was a newborn about cutting his hair and I would get so mad!

Other than our growing boy, Jason has been super busy. He leaves for work super early most mornings (you know like before I even get out of the shower!) and gets home late. Some days he has baseball games and meetings. I was afraid I was going to feel like a single mom but when he has been home he has been pretty helpful! I do feel bad for him because I know he is working so hard and all I can think about is all the money I plan on spending for Luke's birthday party! Oh well soon enough tax season will be over and then Jason will have no idea what to do with his free time. Knowing him he will find some other project to work on. I would love for him to go to a photography class because I know he has always wanted to and I am sick of looking at his $700 camera I bought him 2 years ago and he does not seem to know how to use it! I joked with him that I guess I'm going to figure out how to use it and it will become my camera.

I guess one day soon I will put up some pictures but not today!

First Tooth

Well looks like Luke will finally have a tooth! Jason just noticed that he "thought" he saw something so I looked and then put my finger in there and sure enough there is a tooth! I was worried he wasn't going to have any for his first birthday! Hopefully it will pop through all the way tonight and I can take a toothy picture!

9 month update

I guess considering we got our weekly email for baby updates today and it said 9 month update week 3, I figured I better get some pictures and info updated on here since before I know it Luke will be 10 months old.

Well we have a very hyper 9 month old boy. I now know where the term bouncing baby boy comes from. Luke seems to have endless energy. It seems to be working to our advantage because he has been tired and gone to bed before 10 (actually last night before 9) and slept through the night(knock on wood)!! He had to go to the doctor last week because he has been having some weird skin issues. He first has had a rash on his neck for 3 months. The doctor told us its a yeast infection and to put lotrimin on it. Didn't help and now it is behind his knee and ear. Now those have turned into a bacterial infection, then he got a rash all over his face. Seriously he looked really bad for a few days. In the pictures you will see later he is much better than he was. His body also has random rash spots which the face and body are all eczema. That is easy to manage (we hope!). Then there is a patch in his diaper area that is a yeast infection. Seriously this kid has his dads skin! Well after a week of antibiotic ointment he has not gotten better so he will start on oral antibiotics tonight. Next step is for us will be to make an appointment with Dr. Krakowski (one of my vets husbands who is a pediatric dermatologist at childrens hospital).

I was just writing in his baby book last night that when we had friends over on January 15 he could barely stand up on his own and he could only take 1 or 2 steps at a time with the push toy ( and Rory was doing circles around him with the push toy!). Well about 10 days later he is a pro now. The only hard part is we have hard floors and the toy slides a lot so its hard for him to get up when he is not on the rug but he does it. He is getting pretty good about falling on his knees so its really easy for him to get back up. He is just growing by leaps and bounds every day. He is starting to turn into a little boy and is definitely not my baby anymore (at least he doesn't think so). He is getting much more independant. Last night he had us cracking up, he was crawling around in the hallway chasing after a baseball. As soon as he would get it he would roll it somewhere else and then chase after it. Now all of a sudden he is very interested in seeing how long he can stand on his own. He will pull himself up on something then let go. He can go a couple of seconds before falling.

The busy time of year is upon Jason. He is starting to stay a little later at work sometimes and he starts baseball in full swing this weekend. He has one game Saturday, two Sunday, one Monday, and then two in Compton next Friday and this is only the beginning. At least he is making some good money for the huge bash I want to throw for Luke's first birthday! I have been agonizing over locations for 2 months now and I think my grandparents are going to let us throw it at their house! I'm excited because they have a nice backyard so we can really put the 85 or so people that are on the list! I really only have 2 and half months until the party. I have to mail invitations in less than 2 months. My big plan is to cook and make all the cakes/cupcakes. Not sure I will be able to pull it off but I will try! I can't believe my little man is getting so big. I had a very emotional day the other day and after Jason gave Luke his bath he was waiting for me to come lotion him up ( Jason hates to put lotion on Luke unless he absolutely has too!) and when I got in the room Luke is standing naked in his crib bouncing up and down. He just looked way to big and cute. Think I'm slowly getting ready for another one!

Another topic that has got me a little sad is my milk. Since Valerie has been on maternity leave its been harder and harder for me to get back to the back room and pump. I went from pumping 3 times a day at work and 3 at home to 2 at work and 3 at home and my milk wasn't very happy. I feel like every single day I have less and less. At this point I have started Luke on 1 or 2 bottles of formula a day. He hated it at first but has since warmed up to it. I should be happy because now I won't be tied to the pump an hour and a half a day and I can go to bed early. Plus its nearly impossible to pump when its just me and Luke unless he is sleeping. He is constantly on the go and can't be bothered to sit in the pack n play or jumperoo until I'm done. I am slowly weaning us (me and Luke). I am down to 3 pumping sessions a day. I actually pumped last night at 7:30 and was able to enjoy the rest of the evening with my boys and be fast asleep by 10! I haven't done that well in 9+ months. Usually I would stay up and pump at 10:30 and then right at 6 in the morning so I didn't go too long and my milk wouldn't dry up. Since Luke never nursed I had to be on top of my pumping or my milk would go away. So for the first 3 and half months I pumped 8 times a day, then I went to 6 until the last couple of weeks when I have done 5! I can't even imagine doing that again. My next kid better nurse or will be formula fed once I go back to work

Her are some pics. Luke is very much into posing right now. You say to him Luke smile for the camera and he stops what he is doing and smiles, however most of the time the flash makes him close his eyes!


He is him posing

This is a really bad angle. He looks so chubby but I love the hat!

My uncle Pat and Melissa, and Amanda visiting from New York.
Just found out that they will be having a little boy in June!

Family after dinner on their last night here.

Primo Pat from Arkansas also came for visit. Luke loves him but
Primo is a little camera shy.

My little man with his rash.

This is the original pose he has been doing for months so cute.

Luke and Jaylen playing in the pack n play while we played some cards...Rory was tired
so she went to bed! I love their faces like we didn't do it we are sweet little boys.

Well Luke may be better in health but his attitude could use some adjusting. Jason and I are having a hard time with the little man lately. He is starting to throw tantrums. He will throw himself on the floor and kick whatever is in his path. If he is really mad he will bang his head on the floor too. I have a feeling we have our hands full with Luke. He is very opinionated and wants his way. He has been a little more clingy to me lately. If I come back from grocery shopping or from work and don't drop everything and pick him up he gets very angry. I wish I could spend more time with him. I am working a little bit more right now while Valerie is on maternity leave so its a little less mommy & Luke time. Jason is going to be going like crazy within the next few months with taxes, baseball, and studying/taking tests for his CPA license so I need to make sure and spend lots of time with Luke.

Luke had Rory and Jaylen over the other night. The 3 of them were so cute together. They were all standing at the activity table Luke has and it was so cute! Its really funny all 3 of them have their little "thing" its so cute! Rory claps when you tell her to clap, Jaylen shakes his head NO when you say no, and Luke bounces when you tell him to bounce. Its so funny. Luke was on his best behavior that night and did not throw any tantrums (he saved them for us the next day).

We are also having sleep issues. We had 2 really good nights where we just laid Luke in his crib and he fell asleep and didn't wake up for 10 hours! Then next two nights were back to normal and he won't go to sleep and wakes up at 4am. I sure hope the next kid is a better sleeper. Not that I can even think of another kid right now, unlike Jason who doesn't want them to far apart. Guess we will see who wins that debate.

What a week

Well today has started off awesome compared to last Monday. As I said in my last post Luke woke up Monday with a fever and stayed at home with Jason. That day he seemed good and we thought it would be fine to go to daycare the next day, that was until he woke up the next morning. He had a very small fever, he could barely breathe and he was coughing so bad. For the first time ever Luke looked very sick. His eyes were red and he wouldn't smile. Jason was unable to stay home and my job is very rough right now with Valerie on maternity leave, I am unable to call in sick. I had no idea what to do. I was in tears because I couldn't think of a solution when all of a sudden I thought maybe I should call my dad and see if he was working. Sure enough he wasn't so he rode down with my mom and watched Luke for us. I was so nervous. I know my dad is great with older kids but I know its been more than 25 years since he changed a diaper (if he ever changed ours) and was very nervous he couldn't get Luke down for a nap because sometimes its very hard. Well a couple hours into the day I called and Luke was asleep!!! It put me at ease. I went and visited on my lunch break and everything was under control and Luke was even pretty happy. My dad said he never cried one time during the day.

The next day was Wednesday and that is my new day off (while Val is gone) and so I had made an appointment to take Luke to the doctors. His breathing had gotten so much worse but when we got to his appointment the doctor did not seem to think his breathing was bad. He said it was all up in his chest and not in his lungs so that was good, but he was running a 101.4 temp and just as the doctor asked if he had been pulling on his ears and I said no he looked in there and both ears had an infection. As soon as he put the little scope in there it was like Luke realized that was what was causing him pain because he could not keep his hands off his ears for the rest of the day. Well Luke couldn't go to daycare since his fever was less than 24 hours before he would have to go to daycare so we once again had to ask my dad to come down and watch him on Thursday. Then Thursday night Luke came down with diarrhea, which was from the medication but I wasn't sure if she would let him go to daycare with it since you are not supposed to and I didn't hear back from her right away and my dad came down to watch Luke again. We could not have gotten through the week without my dad. He had the program down and Luke had so much fun all week playing with Papa.

While he was sick Luke stopped eating. He completely stopped eating solids and would drink a little bit of milk. He normally only drinks 16oz of milk a day when he is healthy which is on the very low end of what babies drink. I talked to the doctor about this and he said it was ok but when we talked about Luke's poop issues (the poor kid seriously struggles) he said maybe he needs more milk and to try and get him to eat 20oz a day. Well I wish! I can barely still get the 16oz in him. I don't know what it is but he will refuse the bottle and push it away. I am going to guess he knows what he needs best and if 20oz of milk is to much then we will just make sure he gets 16 for sure and make sure he drinks some water. We are slowly putting him back on solids. Just to show you how much babies can vary the youngest baby at daycare is almost 5 months old. He was born very big and is still bigger than Luke is now and he is drinking 32oz a day and eating 3 solid meals a day. When Luke is healthy he drinks 16oz and eats 2 meals. I don't know how that baby can eat all that! I am very excited for him to start eating more solids just before he got really sick I made him some gourmet baby food! My favorite was the onion, carrots, corn, and potato. It was seriously like a really good mashed potatoes with corn (which is one of my favorite things) and it was much healthier because it was made with a very little bit of veggie stock and water instead of milk and the only butter used was a little bit to saute the onions in. I love the new cookbook thanks Loralyn for telling me about it!

Today Luke made it to daycare and slept for the first 5 hours he was there and now is happily playing!

Luke...NO!

The title of this post seems to sum up our days around here. Luke is trying to get into everything. As soon as you say Luke No he turns around looks right at you and gives you the BIGGEST smile ever then turns back around and proceeds to do the very thing we told him no. I guess thats the way it goes! Guess we need to learn a little patience and to be very quick on our toes.

Today Luke got to spend the day with daddy. He woke up at 2 this morning and when he came to lay down with me he was rubbing his hands all over me and realized his hands were really warm and so was the rest of him so we took his temp and sure enough it was 100.5. Now I know that is not really even a fever the doctors care to know about but he can't go to daycare with a temp like that. Jason had to run to his office (at 2:30 in the morning since we were up) to get some work to do here at home. He took Luke along with him since Luke was acting like the wild monkey he is and wouldn't lay down with me. Luckily he fell asleep in the car and Jason put him next to me when they got back and Luke slept until 7:30. Why can't he do that on my days off?

In other fantastic news our friends Mike and Valerie had their little baby girl today! Lena Ann Shartel 8lbs 12 oz!!! She was even bigger than her brother who was 8lbs 9oz. Oh yeah she was 21 inches. I am itching to go see her but since Jason had a meeting tonight I had to stay with Luke. I am going tomorrow night and I can't wait. I am so excited for them and its making me really want another one!!!!!