Happy 8 Month Birthday!

Dear Luke,

At 8 months:

You weigh 18.5 pounds.

You are fascinated with tags on stuffed animals and toys.  I cut the tags off some of your toys months ago and now wish I had kept them on!

You shriek quite loudly when you're excited and wanting to communicate.

You just started to babble consonants the other day.

You LOVE your evening oatmeal and almost always cry for a minute when it's all gone.

You have started sucking your big toe on your changing table.

You have begun to flip the pages when we read books.

You  have long, beautiful eyelashes.

You have started sitting in your highchair, your umbrella stroller, and the shopping cart at Walmart.

You have started crawling!

Love,
Mommy

Go Sox!

Dear Luke,

The Red Sox are in the World Series this year, so you've been sporting your Red Sox gear as one of their littlest fans.  I know Daddy is especially proud of you in your cute little getup. :)

Love,
Mommy

My Favorite Little Pumpkin

Dear Luke,

It's been fun to celebrate fall with my favorite little man!  We went to see the pumpkins at the Dallas Arboretum a few weeks ago with Honey, Aunt Holly, Caroline, and Wesley.  You weren't very happy at this patch because you missed your morning nap and had been away from your normal routine for several days, but the rest of us had fun and we still got some cute pictures. :)

This past weekend, Daddy and I took you to a much more "country" pumpkin patch in Simonton.  You missed a nap for this one, too, but had a better time overall.

It's also been fun to see you in your cute pumpkin pj's that Honey bought for you after Halloween last year!

Last year, I felt you move for the first time on Halloween.  I was sitting at my desk and knew clear as day that it was you I was feeling.  I went to Garden Ridge on my lunch break and bought the two music prints that are hanging over your crib now.  Then Daddy and I ate taco soup and watched TV that night in between opening the door for trick-or-treaters.  I had fun seeing the cute kids and thinking about how you would be with us the next year!  I'm so glad you've joined our family, little Luke.

Love,

Mommy

Happy 7 Month Birthday!

Dear Luke,

At 7 months:

You weigh close to 20 pounds.

You get so excited when you see me.  You can be bawling your eyes out and when you see me, break out into a big grin, start kicking your legs and reach out for me.  Of course it warms my heart. :)

You like to grab people's faces, focusing on mouths, noses, glasses, facial hair...

You get excited when you see your vitamin D drops.  You used to hate them, but now you love them.

You can make an enviable Spanish trill noise.

Your little throat growls, just like Mommy's:)

You sleep with your cute little tush up in the air.  I don't see you do this when you're playing, but only in your crib.

You are eating 2 solid meals a day.

You like to grab the spoon when you're eating and you have quite the death grip!  I really have to work to take the spoon from you.

You have begun to growl and scream... loudly... in public.  You are quite the entertainer and cause me some embarrassment when we are at restaurants!

It's getting harder to take your monthly pictures as there's a lot of this going on...

But we distracted you long enough to get this one!

I love you!

Love,
Mommy

I love the way you...

... are such a sweet little buddy on my workouts. You just sit quietly in your stroller and are content whether  you have a toy or not and whether the shade is up or not. You don't make a peep.

... laugh when I come get you after a nap, sometimes then going back to crying because you're hungry. But you still take a break to laugh.

... laugh when I sing "The Wheels On The Bus" and get to the "sh, sh, sh" part.

... lean forward and open your mouth wide when you're ready for another bite of oatmeal or whatever other food you love (peaches, pears...)

... can be bawling and stop crying the minute I pick you up.

... tilt your head to each side when you are looking at something as though you are really studying it.

... sit so still and quietly study what I'm doing in the kitchen.

... sometimes look more like a little boy to me than a baby (well, I love and don't love this one!).

I love you, little man!

Love,
Mommy