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Monday, May 22, 2017

Lucas's Birthday Weekend!

We had quite the weekend celebrating our big 1 year old boy! 

Friday was the big day, so he woke up to the traditional "balloons in the crib" on this birthday morning!


(Actually, I really threw them in there as soon as I heard him on the monitor, but before I pulled him out of the crib! Don't worry, he didn't sleep with a crib full of balloons!) 

For our fun event that day, we went to Lazy 5 Ranch! I've only been to Lazy 5 on field trips when I was teaching, so this was a whole new experience for me! I thought if you weren't with a school group, you could still ride on a wagon through the park...but when we got there (at 10 AM), the next wagon ride for the public wasn't until 3:15 PM! So we drove my car through instead. Honestly, I kind of liked it better, because we could go at our own pace and we were in the nice air conditioning of my car (it was like 90* outside!). But I will say, now my car is a complete disaster, both inside (animal food everywhere) and out (animal slobber...ew!). 

Anyway, if you're not familiar with Lazy 5, it's basically like a drive-thru petting zoo, more or less. My dad drove my car, while I held Lucas in the front seat (we were literally going no more than 5 mph the entire time, and if he had been in the wagon, it would have been a similar set-up anyway). Ella was in the back with my mom. 


Ella was super into it until these freaky birds kept sticking their heads in my car!


Scary, right?!?! Within 5 minutes of us being there, Ella was screaming, "I want to go home now!!!! I want to eat dinner!!!"


Lucas wasn't so sure about it either, especially since a goat freaked him out and tried to eat his hand. Whoops, happy birthday!


Thankfully, we were able to roll the windows up and get away from the scary emus and aggressive goats (Oh, and a zebra bit my mom, too! We were not off to a good start!). The next animals we saw were llamas and some other, tamer creatures, so everyone did much better!


Lucas was still a little unsure about the giraffes!


We also saw some teeny tiny little baby pigs!


All in all, it was a very fun time, even though we had a rough patch there in the beginning! Ella is already asking to go back and ride the wagon next time!


After naps, we went to Costco to get food for Lucas's party! Doesn't Lulu look so excited?!


He also had a really gourmet dinner of a peanut butter sandwich...but we put a candle in it and sang to him! I just didn't want him to have a bunch of cake 2 days in a row! 


After we put our sweet 1 year old boy to bed, Trav and I took advantage of our free babysitters (thanks, Mom and Dad!) and went out to dinner! We have not had a date night in forever, so it was great to get some time for just the 2 of us! 


I promise Travis was more excited about it than he looks here!

Saturday morning, we had an exciting event! No, not Lucas's party yet...we had to see Marshall from Paw Patrol at the cupcake shop! Ella had been talking about this for weeks. She wanted to wear her fleece Marshall costume from Halloween, but since it was like 92*, we had to pick out something else. She chose this shirt because it had spots on it, like Marshall! 


First the kids got to decorate some cupcakes. Ella was more interested in the frosting than the actual cupcake though. She even put it in her empty cupcake liner...because, hey, let's not be wasteful, right?!


Then Marshall arrived and all the kids got to take pictures with him!



They also read a Paw Patrol/Marshall story, during which Marshall sat right next to Ella and kept putting his arm around her! She was on cloud 9! 


The last thing was a game kind of like musical chairs, except when the music stopped, they got to "join Marshall's fire crew," and get a sticker. It doesn't take much to make a 3 year old happy, right?! 


Such a fun morning with our favorite Paw Patrol pup!


Saturday afternoon was Lucas's party, which will be a separate post! I am waiting to get pics back from our photographer, so I will share as soon as I do!

Sunday, we opened Lucas's presents! He wasn't so sure about this hat from Papa and Grandma, but he does love that Ramses! (Plus, it's monogrammed on the back! Of course it is. Love!)


I had asked for people to donate to the NICU where Lucas stayed last year, as well as the clinic where he received his 3rd blood transfusion and follow up care, in honor of his birthday...but you know some people just had to buy him gifts! 😉


Although, I will say that we are so grateful to our friends, both those who donated AND those who got him presents! Any way to celebrate the birthday boy is ok by me! :)


Not one to be left out, Ella is currently enjoying pretty much all of Lucas's new toys more than he is. 


And that's a look at our weekend with our new one year old guy!! I went to bed last night at 9:45 because I was so exhausted from the past 3 days! 

Friday, May 19, 2017

Lucas William {Twelve Months}


Dear Lucas,

Today you are a whole year old!!! 365 days!!! HOW?!?!?!
I'm not going to lie, this day was not quite as hard for me as I thought it would be. Mostly because I remember your first 12 days, with you laying under your bili lights in the NICU....and I SO don't wish those days back for anything! You have come such a long way since then, and I will never stop being eternally thankful that you had a "temporary inconvenience" (as our pediatrician called it), rather than a long-term health problem. We are so blessed to have you in our lives, sweet boy!

Height: 
Weight: 
{Your well visit is next week, so I'll update these then!}

Clothes: Pretty solidly in the 12 month section of your closet right now. Some of your summer clothes are 18 months, and since it's been so hot lately, I've been putting you in those as well. Still size 3 diapers, but I think we will move up to 4s soon.


Nicknames: Lou-Lou/Lulu, Lou-Ba-Lou, Baby brother, LUUUUU-cus, Joy Boy, Hiiiiiiii guy/little guy, crazy crazy, crawly crawler, crazy character, Mr. Crazy, Mr. Smiley

Milestones: You're up to 5 teeth, with your 6th one coming in as we speak (you've been super drooly lately)! Still no standing or walking...but man, are you the quickest little crawler I've ever seen! You get from point A to point B in no time flat and we definitely need to watch you at ALL TIMES. You have figured out that our bathroom and kitchen cabinets open, and you just loooove to explore those! You've definitely been pulling up and cruising more and more, and as long as you feel something touching you, you are pretty confident. It's when we let go, or move something away, that you totally freak out and squat down like you have absolutely no clue how to stand by yourself! Oh well. If there's one thing I've learned about you in the past 12 months, it's that you will do things when you are ready! 😊



Sleep: I'd give you an A-/B+ for your sleep this month. You were up ready to party today at 5:15 AM (must've known it was your birthday!), but most days you wake up closer to 6:30 or so. Your naps have gotten a bit shorter...I know, I should NOT be complaining, but I'm lucky if you sleep longer than an hour each for both your morning and afternoon naps. I'm wondering when you'll drop that morning nap. Ella dropped hers right around now, but you still act crazy fussy if we skip it, so we'll hold on to it a little bit longer! 


Best Moment: Your cake smash photo shoot was super fun, as well as having you around for Mother's Day (your last first holiday!). And frankly, I just love any time you're chatty and giggling...those sounds warm my heart!

Worst Moment: If I had to pick one thing....I'd say maybe when you're getting into something you're not supposed to be?! You definitely keep us on our toes, all. of. the. time. I don't think it's bad though....just a little exhausting, but fun! And maybe a little scary at times, too...like when you decided to flip off of your sister's bed head-first. 😬



Likes: Ella, putting everything in your mouth, eating, "If You're Happy and You Know It" song, the ABC song, pulling up on everything, opening cabinets and drawers, eating books (silly boy, they are for reading!), your octopus and fruit teethers, musical instruments (especially shakers), people's shoes, bath time, balls, PUFFS.

Dislikes: You still hate being confined....you freaking HATE the Ergo! You also hate diaper changes, because you can't move around. You also really dislike going #2 in your diaper!!



Health: Another very healthy month! 👍

Eating: Well, we still have yet to find a food that you don't like. Daddy made you an avocado omelet the other day and you ate it all in about 2 minutes flat. Eggs are definitely a favorite, as are strawberries and of course puffs! But really, you pretty much eat anything and everything! You have started to throw food on the floor when you're done though. I am not a fan, so we've been working on the "all done" baby sign. I am thinking of weaning you soon, but seeing as you don't take bottles, I'm not really sure how to navigate this! We'll ask the pediatrician next week and go from there. I am happy to report that you have taken a few sips of water from a straw (very few sips...maybe a tablespoon total; but hey, baby steps!)! Daddy tried to give you cow's milk though the other day and you flat out pushed the cup away. So yeah. We'll work on it. 

Lucas, I can't believe it's been a whole year since I saw you for the first time! You have most certainly filled a place in our hearts that we didn't even know was there, and I am so glad you joined our family. We cannot imagine life without you, nor would we want to! You are our joy boy, our crazy character and a bright light of happiness on gloomy days. We love you move than you will ever know! Thanks for being born and allowing me to be your mommy! We can't wait to see what your second year of life will bring! 


{And, just for fun...Ella at 12 months}
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Thursday, May 18, 2017

Life with Lucas {week 52}


Last weekly update of Lucas's first year!!! Can't believe I will have a ONE YEAR OLD tomorrow!!! 😭

We have had a busy week getting ready for Lulu's birthday!

We did some grocery shopping...


...and also made a big trip up to Ikea. Why is a visit to Ikea always such a production?! 


Ella is crying in the background because she wasn't feeling well (again!). She had a weird off and on fever the whole morning...but then was fine that evening, and has been fine ever since! So strange! 
Anyway, she was not feeling like herself, but Lucas had a blast and half at Ikea, playing with all of the toys there!


I have to share this latest mom hack: putting your kid in the bathtub so you can take a shower! Someone posted this idea on a Facebook group, and I am wondering why I didn't think of this sooner! 


Saturday, Ella had two birthday parties to attend! First up was Jack's fire truck party. There was a real fire truck that the kids got to sit in, which Ella LOVED.



The kids also got to take turns spraying water with the hose! 


Most of the kids also got to run through the water, but poor Ella wasn't allowed (I'm so mean). We had to get to another party, and I didn't want to stop at home to change her clothes! 


Next up was Camille's party at Michael's (yes, the craft store)! We were super late, so we missed all of the fun mermaid crafts. Fortunately though, we made it just in time for some very green (but delicious) cupcakes!


The next day was Mother's Day. Ella came into our room that morning with a card that she and Lucas had stamped their fingerprints on (I was thoroughly impressed with my husband, as he is not crafty at all...so the fact that he even attempted this was amazing)! The card also said I could get a cleaning lady or a massage...I picked the cleaning lady, and I am excited to have her come next week after Lucas's birthday party! Woo hoo!!

We had a pretty chill day; we just played at the park a little bit...


...in our matching outfits!!! All I wanted for Mother's Day was to match my 2 kids! Ella is easy to match (thank, Lilly Pulitzer) but Lucas was a bit more challenging. I've mentioned this girl on here before, but his romper is from Little Lilly Lovers. She used the same Lilly "Southern Charm" fabric to create his golf cart...I'm obsessed. 


The kids also "helped" Travis make dinner...and by helped, I mean they watched him grill the chicken. 


Ella also surprised me by actually eating what he made (she usually only wants Cheddar Bunnies or an applesauce pouch for dinner)! So all in all, Mother's Day was a big win this year. 

We are done with our Monday gymnastics classes, so we went to ISC this past Monday for open gym. 


Lucas got some birthday stickers at story time Tuesday! 


We also picked up a bunch of books while we were at the library for story time. Both kids couldn't wait to start reading them...here they are reading in our mudroom entryway! Couldn't even make it in to the rest of the house! 


Yesterday was story time at our church...Ms. Jessica was reading "Giraffes Can't Dance" and both of my kids went nuts. Apparently they love that book. Lucas can't seem to get close enough! 


We also stopped at the store to find me something to wear to Lucas's birthday party on Saturday. Ella insisted on carrying the bag!


And then, the big event of our week....Lucas got his very first haircut yesterday afternoon! 


I felt a little silly getting it cut, but he was reaching mullet status in the back, and I didn't want to look back at his birthday pictures wishing I had gotten his hair cut. 
So the nice lady at Doolittle's trimmed up the back super quick (it took her literally less than 4 minutes), and only charged us for a bang trim. Very painless for everyone. 


They also saved some of Lucas's hair for his baby book in a little baggie! 


I think it looks so much better now, yes?!


And that's a wrap on Life with Lucas!!! 

Just in case you wanted to see all 52 weeks of our little guy...


Whew! Maybe I should get a life sometime soon?!
I am sad that my baby is so old...but not going to lie, I am going to enjoy not having to corral him that chair trying to take a picture every week!