The Lukester is Ten Months Old Today!!!!!

Every month when I type a new heading announcing how old our little blue-eyed wonder is, I have a hard time believing that much time has actually passed!

That is especially true this month -- I truly cannot believe that it is October 1st!  I will say that I am glad to be leaving September, 2011 in the past as it has been a month of losses.  First, the lost of my dear father-in-law on September 6th, and then the loss of all five of our embryo babies.  It has been an emotional month indeed! 

Through all of the painful emotions of this month, the one thing that has been a great source of comfort and joy to me is my family.  My husband has been so tender, sweet and accommodating in some very trying circumstances, and my older kids have blessed me with their company, help and encouragement through some difficult days.  Little Luke has been a blessing and joy to all of us amidst our tears! 

I have had many fertility and adoption disappointments over the past five years, and each time, I had to grieve with empty arms.  This week, when I found out my beta test was negative, I scooped Lukey bear up and snuggled with him in my rocking chair.  How I praise God for this precious child!  He flashed me his winsome smile and started running through his repertoire of hand accomplishments (explained in the Fun Facts) and had me laughing in no time.  It was obvious that he sensed that I was not my happy self and he didn't like that.  I always smile and praise him when he shows me what he can do, so he knew just how to make me happy again. 

Alright - enough about me and on with the star of the post!  I feel like I don't have very many pics from this past month due to all of our traveling (it's hard for me to take pictures when Bubby is attached to me, and boy have we been attached this month!), so I've recycled a few from previous posts. 

 This was taken on Luke's first trip to the Plymouth*Orchards cider mill in Michigan. 

 His first experience with cider and cinnamon sugar doughnuts was a favorable one!

 

 I just had to repost this one - ornery, ornery ornery!

 This one too - we have discovered that Luke loves to eat out.  He finds the hustle and bustle of people waiting on tables very entertaining!

 I made a discovery on our way home from Michigan - give Luke his blankey and the thumb will go in his mouth and he won't make a peep.  It has been quite interesting to observe Luke when the blanket comes in view.  He hones in on it with us eyes, holds his left hand out and the right thumb goes in his mouth -- a stimulus response!  We covered a lot of miles in September between our Michigan and Tennessee trips, and Bubby was a perfect angel - he had his blankey and his thumb!

Classic Bubby pose - both hands gripping CORNER (it MUST be a corner!) of his blankey while he fingers it back and forth with both hands.

 Luke's first truck!  He loves it so much he wouldn't even look at the camera!

"Playing" the Wii with Sissy (except that he has an xbox controller - shhhhhhhh, don't tell him).

 And THIS is what I found him doing today!!!!!  Oy!  He was playing on the floor with his toys, I turn around and there he is standing up on the step!  I shrieked (probably the worst thing I could have done!) and big brother Andrew was closer, so he ran over and grabbed an arm so he wouldn't fall.  He has never paid any attention to the stairs.  Not ever.  AT ALL.

 This is my messy marvin showing you his chipped tooth (top left).  Yep.  I feel like a horrible mother. 

Fun Fact #1

Lukey is my name, destruction is my game!!!!!!  This child is pure BOY!!!!!  He is aggressive and loves to bang and bite on everything!  Did I mention he likes to bang and bite on everything really hard?  Bless his little heart - he lives his life with GUSTO!

Fun Fact #2

Lukey can now wave "hi" and "bye."

Fun Fact #3

Luke whispers all the time - drives his siblings nuts.  "What is he saying?"  they ask me.  I have no idea, but it sure is funny!  He is always muttering something under his breath.

Fun Fact #4

WE HAVE A FIRST WORD!!!!

Mama!  Followed closely by Dada.  I've also heard something resembling bye bye and night night this week.

Fun Fact #5

Lukey signed his first word!!!!!!

"more"

He is sooooooo proud that he can sign it and signs it all the time.  I'll have to keep using it in context so that he understands the meaning.  We are working on other signs too - cat, dog, bear, wash, down, all done, please, thank you, and some others.  Next, we're going to work on signing the Preamble of the Constitution.  Not really.  Well, not this week anyway . . . .

Fun Fact #6

Lukey weighs 23 pounds and I am thinking about going up to the size 5 diapers.  I think his weight gain is slowing a little and he is getting taller.  He has already reached the point where he can't walk around the chairs under the table without bonking his head.  Poor little guy - growing up is rough!

Fun Fact #7

This isn't a fun fact at all.  I am mortified.  More mortified than I was when I found a piece of dog food in his mouth.  My baby has a chipped tooth!!!!!!!!!!  What's worse is that I have no idea how it happened!!!!!  Somewhere between the cider mill trip on the afternoon of September*11th, and the morning of September 12th when we left Michigan, my little bruiser managed to chip his tooth.  Tom and I have wondered if he did it gritting his teeth.  YES.  He grits his teeth REALLY HARD.  Makes all of us crazy like nails on a chalkboard!!!!!  I honestly don't know how he stands it.  The first picture above is at the cider mill and his tooth is intact.  The next morning when I was changing his diaper just before I put him in his car seat, I noticed the chip in his tooth.  Sheesh.  He didn't even have it for a year yet.  I hope he has a better track record with his permanent teeth!

I'm getting his pics taken this week with Kanella (should have done it in Sept., but we were never home!) and will post them as soon as I can!