First Rice Cereal

So, we had another big milestone yesterday.  Luke had his first taste of solid food although I wouldn't really say it was solid.  He got to try rice cereal.  He appeared to like it but got frustrated very quickly because it wasn't a constant flow as with a bottle.  I made it a rather liquid consistency so Luke basically just slurped it off of the spoon.  He had maybe 15-20 spoonfuls and then he was done and ready for some milk.  We tried again today and I made it just slightly more solid but he finished all that I fixed today although there was still frustration.  The doctor said to gradually work up to more solid and a couple of times a day before moving on to fruits and vegetables.  Maybe on Thanksgiving he can have a taste of some peas or carrots- YUMMY!

   

New Pictures

 Love those hands!

 Perfect shirt for me!

 Check out my overalls!

 Ready for winter!

 Zonked out!

Update

So, it's been a while since I've posted.  Life has been busy.  November is flying by and it is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week.  Luke was 4 months old on the 10th.  It's going so fast.  We are trying to enjoy every moment.  His favorite things right now are sucking on his hands, kicking his legs super fast, playing on his play mat, being on the changing pad and interacting with mom and dad and he loves bath time.  He also now really likes his swing and takes his naps there on a regular basis.  At Luke's 4 month appointment today, he weighed 15 lbs 4 oz (50% for his age) and he is 25 1/2 inches long (60%).  Luke is holding his head up very well and likes to sit up and stand with help of course.  He also likes to bounce and wiggle and laughs up a storm.  Monday he really found his voice and is talking nonstop when awake.  Troy and I absolutely love it!!  Another milestone happened over the weekend.  On Saturday Luke rolled over for the first time- YEAH!  Because of his reflux he doesn't like to be on his tummy much so I wasn't expecting him to roll over so soon.  Troy and I were on the floor with him and saw him do it.  I was so glad that Troy was home and able to see it with me for the first time.  Luke has changed so much the past 2 weeks- it is absolutely amazing!  We love every minute and can not wait for the next big event to happen.  

Halloween

I knew that Halloween wouldn't be too exciting this year for Luke but I was hoping to have some fun anyway.  I bought Luke a monkey costume with the hope of at least getting some great pictures.  We did get pictures but Luke was not his happy, smiley self because he refused to take much of a nap all day.  After Troy carved our pumpkin we put Luke in his costume and managed a few pictures before he lost it.  Troy and I enjoyed our little monkey even though he wasn't enjoying himself too much.

    

Topeka Weekend

We took Luke on his first trip to Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's house two weekends ago.  We were actually there for five days.  It was a very nice weekend with family.  We arrived just before dinner on Thursday and left before lunch on Monday.  Friday, Luke and I spent the day with Lowell and Sherre as Troy had to be at KSU for an alumni meeting.  On Saturday, Grandma and Grandpa took care of Luke so that we could go to the K-State football game.  It was nice to be on our own for a few hours but I definitely missed my little munchkin.  After church on Sunday, extended family came for a luncheon and to meet Luke for the first time.  I was somewhat worried that Luke would not handle it well but he slept through most of it and did just fine.  Although we when got back home he took a 4 hour nap- poor little guy.  Of course everyone thought Luke was adorable and Grandma and Grandpa really enjoyed showing him off :)

 

Could it be?

So last night made three nights in a row.  Three nights in a row that Luke has slept through the night.  Not just for 6 to 7 hours but 8 to 9 hours.  The first night I thought okay this has happened before don't get too excited; the second night I thought wow could this possibly mean that we are going to make this a nightly routine now; and last night or rather this morning I thought maybe I can officially say he is sleeping through the night.  I'm not going to start expecting it every night yet but hopefully this trend will continue.  Let's just hope writing about it hasn't jinxed it because we all know that sleep is a wonderful thing :)

Celebration

Sunday was Troy's and my 6th wedding anniversary- unbelievable, time has gone so fast.  We celebrated by going to the park for a picnic lunch with Luke and taking some family pictures.  Troy set up a tripod that allowed us to take some great shots.  We had a great time being outside and spending time with Luke.  Poor guy did great until the last few pictures when he fell asleep.  It allowed us to capture one of the best pictures of him.

                       

                             

Perfect Pout

Luke has the most perfect pouty lip.  It is absolutely adorable and always makes me smile when he brings it out.  It has been hard to capture it on film but yesterday I managed to do so.  Hopefully he will outgrow it because how can you say no to this face.

Story Time

Luke loves being read to.  I have hopes that he will become an avid reader as I was when I was younger (still am actually).  My worn copies of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books are evidence of my repeating reading of the series.  I kept those books hoping to have a daughter someday to read them to- not the case yet; however, another more recent series is more fitting for a boy and one I have enjoyed as well.  I am referring to the Harry Potter books.  I have this series in hardback and know it will fair better than paperback.  My hope is that the next time I read of Harry's adventures Luke will be in my arms listening intently.

Recent Activities

It's been a while since I've posted.  We have been busy people lately.  

To celebrate my birthday, Troy and I went to OKC for a night.  Troy's parents came to stay with Luke.  This was the first time I had been away from Luke for so long.  I felt like I was missing something the whole time I was gone.  It was great to have a full nights sleep and a nice dinner without interruption but I missed my munchkin a bunch.  I was quite happy to return home and hold Luke (which I did for 4 hours straight because I didn't want to put him down).

      

The weekend of September 27 we went to visit family outside of Branson, MO.  It was the first time Luke was able to meet Kristi and Wesley although the meeting was probably more memorable from their standpoint.

          

The following Monday my mom came down for a visit.  She stayed until Thursday morning.  We hung out, did a few things around the house that I hadn't been able to get to and of course went shopping.  Luke accommodated us in all of our activities- he really is a great baby.

This past weekend we were home just the 3 of us.  We were able to accomplish a bunch while Luke was sleeping which was desperately needed.  We also had fun playing with Luke and we finally finished his nursery with putting everything up on the walls.  It looks great.

     

     

We are now anxiously waiting for Aunt Sarah's visit in a week and a half.  She recently returned from a month in Costa Rica and we are ready to see the pictures and hear all about it.  We also have a trip planned so that all of Troy's extended family can meet Luke.  I thought we would not be as busy after we had a baby but I think the opposite is true.

Amazing Gift

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday. This past year has been a trying one but one that has also been blessed with the amazing gift of our new son. The morning of my birthday I went into Luke's room to get him up for the day. He was a very happy, smiley little guy. I thought what a great way to start my day. It got better. When Luke saw me lean over his crib, he started giggling and smiling even bigger. My heart melted and I told him that was the absolute best birthday gift I had ever received. I know that this year will be filled with the wonderment of having a new baby and watching him grow and learn. I can only hope that next year my birthday will bring another gift as sweet as a baby boy's happy, giggly grin :)

Love It!!!

I am simply going to say that this is my favorite picture right now.  I absolutely love it!!!

Enjoy every moment!

Last Tuesday as I was dressing Luke for the day I was hit hard with how fast he is growing.  I was trying to dress him in a 0-3 month outfit that no longer fit.  It made me so incredibly sad and I got tears in my eyes.  It is completely amazing to me that he is already 10+ weeks old and weighing over 11 pounds.  The first few weeks were definitely tough and we've just recently really settled in to a routine but I want him to stop growing so much.  He's no longer my tiny little guy that came home from the hospital and I miss it.  Don't get me wrong of course I want him to grow and be healthy but I now understand why people tell you to enjoy every moment because it goes by so fast.  

     July 10th - Luke's Birthday                                

     September 13th - Just over 2 months old

Family Photo

There is a tradition in my family that started with my sister and I.  We take "self" pictures.  It involves taking a picture of two (sometimes more) people but the trick is that someone in the picture is taking the picture.  One person usually attempts to hold the camera at the right height and angle to capture a good photo.  In the digital age it is much easier to get a good pic because you have unlimited attempts.  Troy and I quickly adopted this tradition because on vacations it comes in very handy especially when the locals don't look too trustworthy.  So the above picture is our first attempt at a family photo.  Unfortunately Luke isn't too visible but we are all in the picture and that's what counts- one happy family!

What a Cutie!!!

We have taken so many pictures of Luke.  I don't have time to write about them all but I wanted to get some of them on here for your viewing pleasure.