Dear Luke

Hey little man! Have I told you that I love you lately? I do all the time; I just can’t help myself. Yesterday you turned 2! I can’t believe it’s been 2 years, yet in those 2 years I also can’t believe how quickly you’ve grown and how much you’ve learned. You are a little mimic, a very cute one. You are so cute that sometimes I can’t help but just hug on you, much to your dismay. Like last night. After you downed a huge piece of birthday cake, we then danced to the song that comes on after Sesame Street. I was throwing my legs around and snapping my fingers, both things we don’t typically do when dancing. But, without question, you jumped right in there, kicking your legs up and “snapping” too. I had to hug you. Did I mention that you are adorable?

Besides being a mimic, you also have a flair for originality. Just the other day at the dinner table your dad sneezed and you immediately chimed in with “Bless You Da-da”. That’s three whole words! It was one of those “I didn’t know you could do that moments”. I have those all the time. You continually surprise me. We have talked briefly about the fact that you turned 2 and just briefly a bit before you turned 2 about the big birthday coming up. We never practiced the “How old are you”, then you say “2” game though…never. There was no need. At the doctor’s office yesterday the doc walked in, asked you how old you were, and without even a pause you said “2”. And to think a year ago you were barely walking. I think clapping was about your only real trick back then. Now there are too many to count.

You also are a little engineer. You can do about anything with your hands that you see done on the first try. And if you haven’t seen it done you can do it quickly, correctly by figuring it out all by yourself. The other night at the dinner table you had your sauce on the far side of your plate. Since you were doing a lot of dipping you reached down and turned your plate around so the sauce was closer to your mouth, less drippage. It was fascinating. You just get stuff. I think you get that from me. Your dad thinks you get it from him.

But, anyway, so that you’ll be able to share the wonders of you at two with your own kids one day…here’s all about you:

Miscellaneous favorites: speed bumps, buses, planes, blue giraffe blanket, Red Dog, guitars, and guns

Favorite food and drink: chicken and fries, cantaloupe, jello, beets, chocolate milk, ice cream, BBQ sauce and ketchup

Favorite show: Elmo’s World

Big trips this year: Orange Beach to visit Ma and Pops, Jeff, Lynn, Michael and David; South Padre to visit Grandma and Paw-paw

Big sickness this year: Your 1 year old immunizations!

Favorite people: Mom-mom, Da-da, Noni, and Nori

Activities/Places: Gym class, Kindermusick class, Church nursery play time, Kid’s Playtime (a fav), the Park (a fav), the parade grounds at Lackland where all the planes are mounted, the mall, shopping with mom and dad, Chick-fil-A play place

Least favorites: Getting a haircut, Motrin, wiping your face, brushing your teeth, being told what to do (you have really started rebelling a bit, being your own boy)

Size: 24 months/2T, shoes 6.5 extra wide/29.8 pounds and 34 inches tall

Unforgettable firsts: Words, words, and more words; you got your first real hard soled shoes, your first haircut, your first tooth (now you have 12), your first trip to the beach

You wish you could forget them moments: having a baby sister to share the house with (you still aren’t completely trustworthy around her, although you will on occasion and only when you choose sign and dance to make her laugh—you are without a doubt her favorite person)

The world around you: The U.S., and because of us the whole world, is in a long economic recession. The first African American president was elected, Barack Obama.

About the only thing that didn’t change in some form, shape or fashion from day to day was your dad and my love for you. You are amazing. You are almost perfect. You make every day a joy. You bring smiles to everyone (because you say hi to absolutely everyone we see to include those passing by in cars). You are becoming independent, yet still rely on some quality rocking (i.e. “rock”) time before bed. You still want to sit in my lap to watch Elmo and to wrestle with dad on the floor (you think it is hilarious to push him over), but you don’t quietly comply with a diaper change or sit still to put on your shoes anymore like you used to. You will inevitably become your own boy…and a great one, I know. And, I’ll always have involuntary compulsions to hug you, I know. You are my big, little two year old Noodle. I love, love, love you.

-Mom-mom

He's 2!

She didn't know why we were partying, but she liked it.

Our little on-looker only got peas, as evidenced on her face. I think she enjoyed the celebration none the less.

Her eyes are gorgeous, even with the pea distraction.

I'm 2!

He's in awe. He'd been talking about birthday cake for a good two days (after seeing it as the focal item on Elmo's World). I told him he'd get one, but I don't think he really believed me until this moment. He blew out both candles, two blows, all by himself!

This was the first bite. I don't know whether the fork was just too far away to reach or whether this is how Elmo ate it, but he didn't hold back.

And he was pleased with himself and the icing.

Towards the end, as the sugar built up and started dragging him down he moved to the fork method.

Post-cake he got a big sticker (from his b'day card from Dad) that identified him as the birthday cake eater. He proudly displays here.

Lies, Lies

If ever you have to weigh the risks and benefits of 1) keeping the kids at home with you or a nanny (like we do), or 2) registering them at a great daycare...do not put "less sickness" on the benefits' side for keeping them home. It's a lie. Sam has a double ear infection and Luke has a bacterial infection. Seriously. It never ends, nor do my days...it's like there never was a night; Sunday just flows right into Monday, Monday into Tuesday, Tuesday into Wednesday, etc. (What day is it anyway, by the way?) But...we still have another day with them, their still cute, and as always, another minute with them, regardless of the hour on the clock, is not to be taken for granted.

Happy Birthday Luke!!

South Padre Luke Pics

Pushing the stroller (without Sam in it).
Looking for fish through the slates.

Practicing his pirating.

Belly boy. Next to his belly, his other favorite things these days are chicken and fries, Elmo (still), and speedbumps (who knows why?).

South Padre Sam Pics

Knocked out!
Sam and PawPaw
Sam and Grandma

Sam and her favorites...the purple scarf and super soft giraffe

Just Pics

Yes, this is Sam in Luke's pool clothes. At South Padre we had no swim suit for Sam...after all who usually needs one in Jan. So, she made do with Luke's old gear. She looks pretty happy about it, right?
Our happy baby returns, post the ear infection.
Luke, at the pier. He is looking through the slates to catch a glimpse of the passing birds. He loved this day...we just walked out the pier and looked at all the pelicans and various other wildlife.

Our little Texan showing off his first cowboy hat. I don't think he is ready for ranching yet, but you have to start somewhere.

As for other news, I'm sure there have been many things that have occurred since my last posting...but, in my sleep deprived state I can only recall one. Sam has the flu. James started it. He came down with it last weekend. Then Sam woke up Wednesday morning burning up and feeling horrible. Sure enough, she has it too. Since James had the flu shot on board he has a mild case, but poor Sam just got her shot the Friday before (she was just big enough to do so), so it was of no use to her. In fact the first time they get it they also only get a half dose to make sure they respond all right, so she really only has a half now, with a second half to come. Anyway, it is awful. She was so uncomfortable. She was up literally all night Wednesday and Thursday nights and most of Friday. Tonight she went down like old times, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. She does not have pneumonia or an ear infection though, which are the accompanying problems many times, so I guess we are lucky...I just don't feel lucky.

More Firsts

Pictures are forth coming...as Sam had her first trip to the beach. Specifically we all went to South Padre to visit Grandma and PaPa (Luke's preference) Hurst this past week. Another first is, also during the beach trip, Sam's first ear infection. Actually, it is our first kid ear infection ever, as Luke has never had one. Her eardrum perforated and we took her in to urgent care down there where they diagnosed it and gave us some antibiotics. I'd say she is a pretty tough cookie though as I had the discomfort pegged as minor gas/belly pain related to starting solid food, combined with a shake up of her routine due to the travel. Boy was I wrong! I paid for the mis-diagnosis with heaps of guilt.



Then, she had her 6 month well-baby appt this past Monday. As we waited on the doc to come in, she rolled over! Back to front, first time ever. And now she does it quite regularly. We've been waiting on that one a long time. She weighed in at 15 lbs and 6 oz.. She is 24 inches long. She was in the 25th percentile for weight and head circumference and the 5th for height. It is the first time she has been on the charts for her real age, so she is doing great! Oh, and her ear looked much better, normal in fact, so that is way better.



Luke is talking like a big boy, with 3 and 4 words together quite often. He also has a bit of an attitude too. Could it be the terrible twos? I kind of think he is too cute to attach the word terrible to in any fashion. So, we'll just go with "strong personality"...Luke is in the strong personality phase (which will pass, right??). The latest, greatest in his world is that he is registered for school in the fall, Yes, they have school for two year olds. He'll be a tiny two turtle at Giant Steps Learning beginning in August. He'll go two days a week from 0830-1230. He'll have a little back pack to carry back and forth and he'll have classmates to make valentines for...what fun! We decided to find something for him to do just because I think he gets bored at home all the time. And, I sometimes wonder if we are "dumbing" him down with his being at home all the time. He never ceases to amaze me at what he says or does, which I had no idea he was capable of. So, I often wonder if our image of him as our little baby is not progressing at the pace he'd like and thus, maybe introducing him to more structured learning taught by people who do this all the time will keep him entertained and be good for him. I have no scientific basis to support that theory, but it was part of what drove the search for a school program and certainly was the basis for a school search as opposed to a daycare search. Just think...this fall I'll have school pictures to post, maybe holding a little yellow ruler or something. I'm excited about it now; hopefully it'll be just as exciting on the first day when he breezes into the classroom without a glance back (yeah right, he doesn't like being left anywhere here lately!).