Luke: May 2011

Luke is really at one of the funnest ages I have experienced with kids so far.  Each age is fun in its own way, but he is at the point where it is all fun from here on out, and way more hazardous too.  He is learning to get into cupboards and drawers, tries to climb into the bathtub, and he tries to take Gabe's snacks away almost as often as Gabe tries to take his away. 

He is doing things a little earlier than Gabe (though not exactly an early- bird)- just so he can keep up.  There is definitely some sibling rivalry developing here, though the boys clearly adore each other.  Luke can walk short distances, maybe up to 6 steps on average without getting scared and sitting down.  He doesn't fall much yet, but is very cautious, and would rather sit down before taking a tumble.  I'm sure he could walk much longer if he wanted, and I think he will be before long!  He still crawls with one knee and one foot, which is hilarious to watch.

He says a few words on his own (ma-ma, woof (dog, and the sound a dog makes), nana (banana, and any other food), da-du (thank you- yes, really, he says this after every time I bring him food)) and he mimics a lot of things we say (da-da, puh-puh (poopy diaper), ssu-ssu (Jesus), nuh-nuh (no-no).
Luke loves to be sung to.  He doesn't have a favorite song that I can tell, but if cuddling and rocking don't calm him down, just start singing too, and he will relax very quickly.

Nights are finally starting to get better.  He is now sleeping through the night- hallelujah!  I think we just had to get through some hard stuff and I had to stop nursing him when he woke up.  I think as soon as he realized he couldn't eat, and he got over some colds he had for a while, he stopped waking in the middle of the night.  Now he goes to bed anywhere from 6:30pm to 7:30pm or so on a normal night, and he wakes up between 5:30 and 6:30 in the morning to nurse, then he usually goes back to sleep for an hour (IF I let him fall asleep in bed with me, otherwise he will just play or whine).  I try to get him to take a nap at 9:30 or 10 in the morning, and then another nap at 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon.  I think if I am more consistent with getting him down for naps, he sleeps better at night.

Luke has had his 8 teeth (4 on top, 4 on bottom) for several months and a few weeks ago started cutting molars (skipping the canine teeth).  He now has 2 molars that are mostly cut through, 1 that is close, and another one that is just starting to be swollen and painful for him.  It seems like these things always happen at the same time.

Luke can put food away like no other baby I have seen.  We were at a restaurant the other day and Luke ate the entire 2 bottles of baby food I had with me, and then continued to eat a bread stick and two small pieces of pizza, plus drinking his milk.  We joked that he ate more than my brother Tayler, who was visiting.  I guess he was just really hungry that day.  Luke loves fruit, cheese, bread, yogurt, and Hawaiian haystacks (chicken and rice etc.).  He is slightly more picky than I remember Gabe being.  He is very particular about the textures of foods he eats.  Also, just because he has eaten it before and liked it doesn't mean he wont spit a food out and refuse to eat it from that point on.  Usually if we can get the first bite in, he will decide he likes it and will eat the food.  He cracks me up!