Breakfast at Quack's

Ravyn and I often meet up in the mornings for some fun outdoor time with the boys before it gets too hot out. Quack's Bakery in Hyde Park was something a little different than usual (i.e. no playground) and Lucas and Sufyan quickly turned the sidewalk, doorways and bike racks into a play area (a little scary with the road so close). This is the beginning of a really great stage of childhood- everything can be made into a game or amusement at this age!

Arizona!

A few weeks ago we visited Meemom and Uncle Paul in Tucson. We had a really wonderful visit (not counting Lucas' resistance to sleeping) and Lucas was so showered with love, attention and toys that I felt like I had a nice break from mommy-ing. It was great having a slower life (I didn't have to run errands, cook meals, or really do anything!) and spending good time with everyone.
We got to meet Boris (a huge 120 pound St. Bernard mix) and Lucas was in LOVE. Boris was so tolerant and was totally fine with Lucas patting him, lying on him, and screeching around him. Most dogs understandably act pretty skittish when Lucas lets out his "I'm SO excited!" banshee squeal.

Lucas really enjoyed the storytimes with Meemom and her amazing skills at bringing his stuffed animals to life. It brought back such good memories for me from when MY stuffed animals sang and danced and talked; and I was SO entertained by it that I felt like I was a little kid again.



Lucas also enjoyed time with Uncle Paul. He warmed up to him almost instantly (though not surprisingly... Paul has a gift with babies) and when I couldn't get Lucas to sleep that first night, as soon as Paul came back from his parents' house I handed him over and Lucas fell asleep in his arms after 2 books.
One of Lucas' favorite pasttimes in the house was riding a wooden rocking horse my mom built years and years ago. See how much he loves this horse? :)


Thanks for a fantastic visit, Mom and Paul! Can't wait to see you again in December!

Raaaar!

Lucas LOVES things that growl. Sometimes he points to a big rock or the coffee maker and makes that growl too. Here his tigers help him eat lunch:

A Day In the Life of Lucas

Catching up on December... these photos were all taken between Dec 1st and 23rd. After this we move on to 2009, where Lucas rings in the new year with his first steps! Thar's right, he's walking! Video coming soon.
Here's a typical day for Lucas:

1. Wake up and do some cleaning

2. Play in room





3. Do my exercises

4. Eat lunch

5. Take a nap in the stroller

6.Play outside on the swing


7. Visit with my friend Sufyan



8. Welcome Daddy home!

9. Take a bath

10. Read a book

Sleepytime. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Tucson!

So much activity these past several weeks. I'm getting behind again with the blog posts! Especially with all our family visits and all the cute new things Lucas has been learning.

I was so happy to get to spend some time last month with my mom in AZ and that she got to experience all the Lucas-joy that I'm enjoying right now. Lucas warmed up to Meemom right away and especially enjoyed all the birthday toys she had waiting for him: Baby-sized legos, a couple of trucks, a see-and-say and a batman ball! He is so much fun and such a happy baby- especially around animals. By the end of the visit, Sierra was hiding from Lucas- not because he was rough with her at all but because he was too loudly exuberant as he quickly crawled toward her in an effort to either head-butt her or crawl under her- we're not sure what the goal was. :) I need to get more of this dog-related excitement on video. We had a great time relaxing at the house, getting in the hot tub (at a cooler temp setting), going to the playground, and shopping. Lucas loved all the chatting and playtime he got from Meemom. He wishes he could've spent more time there to have the chance to bond with Paul as well but a few days was all we could manage with Lucas' sleepless traveler tendencies. Next visit we'll hopefully have more time with the whole family and he'll certainly be even more fun to be around as he learns new things and gets more communicative. Thanks for the wonderful visit Meemom! And thanks for selecting such great toys, Paul! We love and you and look forward to seeing you again soon!

Apple Boy

Lucas goes INSANE whenever we round the corner at the grocery store and he sees the apples on the far side of the wall. As I push him in his cart closer and closer he gets more and more excited. Sometimes he has a false-start because he mistakes the tomatoes for his beloved fruit. This excitement is 10 times what we saw when he got his first balloon. I quickly weigh the apple and get our price tag before I wash it in the cosmetics area's sink and hand it over to the poor baby about to explode with apple-desire. Since he's so little and most babies don't get as many teeth as early as Lucas, he gets lots of looks, laughs and comments as he eats the entire apple all by himself.

Happy Birthday Lucas!

We celebrated by taking a bike ride to the park for a picnic lunch and fun on the playground!