The Everyday

Dear Luke,

Life is made up of the everyday, so I want to take a snapshot of what a typical day looks like for us.  Lately you've been waking up ravenous sometime around 5am, so I feed you and put you back to bed.  I go back to sleep myself, sometimes through hearing you talk in your crib, then wake you up again at 8 to officially start our day.  After feeding you, I change your diaper, give you your Vitamin D drops, and change you out of your pj's and into whatever your first outfit of the day is (some days you make it all day in the same outfit, but this is kind of rare. :)  Then we come downstairs and you hang out in your jumperoo for a few minutes while I get my breakfast together.  I eat with you in the study while you have some tummy time.  We are supposed to do an hour a day and I try to get 20-30 minutes in the morning during this first stretch since you seem to tolerate it best early in the day.  Then you might have some time in your exersaucer while I get ready or lay on the floor outside the laundry room while I start some laundry.  We lay on the floor in your room and read a book together before you take your first nap of the day starting between 9:30 and 9:45.  You don't eat again until 11:30 or 11:45, but lately you've been waking up around 10:30.  You are usually content to talk to yourself for awhile and sometimes fall back asleep.  If you aren't falling asleep after 20-30 minutes and are fussy, I might put you in your swing downstairs while I work on other things.  Then after you eat, you play in your jumperoo or sit in your bebe pod on the island while I get lunch together.  Some days Daddy comes home around this time and he can see you for a bit, too, which is nice.  You have more play time (tummy time, activity mat, reading, standing, talking) before laying down at 1.  Your afternoon nap is usually your longest.  You eat again between 3 and 3:30.  We do more of the same and I usually give you 15-20 minutes of independent play time (I lay you on one of your activity mats where I can see you, but I don't interact with you) before you lay down again at 4:30 or 5.  This nap is almost always short, so you usually play in your jumperoo while I make dinner or clean up the kitchen.  I feed you at 6:30, then some nights we offer you a little rice cereal while you sit in your bebe pod.  You haven't fully taken to it yet, so we are just trying every few days or so.  Daddy and I usually sit at the table and eat while you're in your swing near the table, or we take turns eating.  Daddy gives you a bath every other night and we put you to bed between 7:30 and 8.  Of course there's lots of variation to our typical schedule.  We have church Sundays, small group Tuesdays, you'll run errands with me and go to the grocery store, we will go out to lunch with friends, and you'll hang out in the Bjorn to help me vacuum.  You're my buddy and I love you!

Love,
Mommy

P.S. Here we are reading in your room one ordinary morning. :)

Growing Up

Dear Luke,

I feel like you are growing up too fast sometimes.  I can't believe how different you are than 4 1/2 months ago when we first brought you home from the hospital.  You've about doubled your birth weight, you love to "stand" on your legs, you make all sorts of facial expressions, and are full of laughter and things to say.  You no longer fit in the bathroom sink, but now take your baths in the guest bathtub.  You rarely cry when we lay you down to go to sleep, and when you do, it doesn't last very long.  You are simply the sweetest little baby and I cherish the time I have with you.  I often feel like I have a list full of things to take care of, like menu planning, grocery shopping, cleaning the bathrooms, perpetual laundry, phone calls, etc.  I'm often surprised at how long it takes me to get these kinds of things done.  I focus on you quite a bit when you're awake and try to capitalize on nap times to take care of tasks like these.  Not that I'm always entertaining you - I've realized I have to be sure you don't grow to expect constant attention - but I remind myself that I quit my job at HBU to take care of you, not take care of the house or other tasks that need to be done.  I love the quote, "Children are not a distraction from more important work.  They are the most important work."  Sometimes I wish I had longer blocks of time to knock out things I need to do at home or to run errands.  But then I stop and realize how fleeting these days with you are.  One day you will probably (hopefully) have a little sibling and my focus will be more divided.  One day you will go to kindergarten and I won't get to spend the weekdays with you.  Of course one day you won't even live here any more, but will be an adult and live in your own house!  So, I ask God to help me cherish the time I have with you now.  You are such a joy to be with and I want to remember the privilege it is to stay at home with you.  You've been waking up in the middle of the night around 5 am to eat for the past month after sleeping through the night so well for weeks before that.  Of course I'd like to find a way to help you sleep longer, but I also realize what a blessing it is to be able to provide what you need when you're upset.  If we were poor and you were hungry, cold, or sick, I wouldn't be able to necessarily give you what you need.  Some parents have all the money in the world, but their kids are sick in such a way that they can't fix what's wrong.  When you're older, I won't always be able to fix it, if a friend isn't being nice to you or you don't make a sports team you tried out for.  But now, I am usually able to do what you need to make you happy.  And I am SO GLAD I can do that for you.  I love you so much, my little buddy.

Love,
Mommy

P.S. Here's my phone wallpaper to help me remember how fast time is passing!

New Tricks

Dear Luke,

A few days ago you started sucking your thumb for the first time.  You've sucked on the back of your hands for a long time and often look like you're trying to stick your whole fist in your mouth.  But recently you found your thumb!

You've also started to consistently roll over in your crib.  The first time I was gone and Daddy rolled you on your back over and over, but you just kept rolling onto your stomach.  So, we did some reading and realized we should still put you on your back, but just let you sleep if you choose to roll over.  There's not much we can do about it if your mind is made up!

You are so cute and I love you so much!

Love,
Mommy

Your First 4th of July

Dear Luke,

Uncle Sean and Aunt Elise came to visit for the 4th of July and we had a fun time with them.  It was a big day for you - we took you to the pool and to see fireworks at La Centerra!  You were so stylin' in your Baby Banz.

I was a little nervous about the fireworks, but just thought we may as well try it and if you didn't do well, we could leave early.  You stayed up later than normal (9pm), but fell asleep in your carseat and slept right through the fireworks.  We put headphones on to protect your ears right after they started and you looked just adorable!

You will look so different next 4th of July!

Love,

Mommy